M-eats.com

Review: The Orange Thimble

2012-01-16T13:24:00.002+08:00

Another indie cafe that had sprouted in the Tiong Bahru area over the last year is The Orange Thimble.

It differentiates by combining an art gallery of sort with a cafe. I like its vibe; cosy, with a classic laid back feel. More importantly, I find the coffee isn't too bad and there is a small but selective menu catering to different cravings.

It was rather amusing to see them serve two little 'jewel' biscuits alongside with the coffee. Nostalgia overcame me. I used to eat these biscuits when I was a kid. I would always eat the bottom biscuit first, before savouring the icing 'gem' afterwards. But now, as an adult, I find myself eating the icing bit first, biscuit second. How do you eat your jewel biscuits?

Review: Hae Mee (Prawn noodle)

2012-01-09T08:20:00.003+08:00

I think I don't eat prawn noodle soup often enough. Maybe because it goes hand in hand with pork, just like ramen, it was never a dish that was top of mind.

Once in a while though, like yesterday, I would order it quite randomly. And enjoy it.

Found in the coffeeshop just across my home, the bowl of prawn noodles (not with the traditional yellow noodle, but with kway teow, just the way I like it) reminded me delicious food can be simple, and inexpensive.

Rich stock, fresh prawns (all five of them), crunchy kang kong and bean sprouts, generous slices of fish cake, smooth and slippery rice noodles and no pork. All for S$ 3. Perfect combination; I would not ask for more.

While you are there, try the beef noodle stall if you like this dish (Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow); apparently quite famous and I saw a long queue.

I believe both noodle stalls open only for lunch. For dinner, the fish steamboat / tze char stall would be the principal crowd drawer, with the rojak and western food stalls getting a bit of peripheral business.

I love my neighbourhood !

Coffeeshop at:
Block 203 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530203

Cravings

2012-01-06T16:31:00.002+08:00

I could do with some of these thick slabs of salmon belly sashimi right now.

Itacho Sushi, Hong Kong

And no. I'm not pregnant.

Review : Maison Kayser

2012-01-03T18:44:00.001+08:00

Long at last I managed to make a visit to Maison Kayser located at the basement of the spanking new Scotts Square.

A few of us managed to try a couple of breads and pastries. Glad to report the former fared much better than the latter.

In particular, the walnut and raisin loaf was studded with plenty of those, had a crisp crust and a nutty, soft 'mie'. I loved it and finished the entire thing in a day. Wish it could be less expensive; it costs $ 3.40 per loaf.

Between the chocolate eclair and the lemon tart, we loved the chocolate mousse filling but not the thick choux pastry; loved the tangy and thick curd from the tart but not the flat/soft tart shell crust.

I will be back to give the croissants a try. They looked really good!

Best of my 2011

2012-01-02T10:02:00.001+08:00

1. Epic trip to Italy
Can't forget the beautiful country sides of Piedmonte and Tuscany. Not forgetting the food too....especially that fresh pesto pasta from Ristorante Savana (Turino, Italy) and Basil sorbet with tomato jam dessert from iO Personale (Florence, Italy). Oh, and the gelatos too.

2. Open Door Policy
One of my favorite new restaurants of the year! I love their fresh take on vegetables and also perfectly cooked fish. The Man loved the 48-hour braised beef so much he wanted to bring his family there asap. Now, I am a picky dessert eater and I have to admit I really liked how they make their Sundae dessert with honeycomb and chocolate cake crumbs.

3.Hinoki Japanese Restaurant
Well, it is not really a new restaurant of 2011, but it was introduced to me by the Imp. My only regret? I didn't try it earlier. Go for their omakase. Definitely the omakase.

4. Luke's Oyster and Chop House
Love the fresh oysters and Lobster Pot Pie, hate the prices. It won't be my everyday restaurant but I know that when I am able to eat there, I am guaranteed a good meal.

5. Fresh roasted Coffee
My favorite is Loysel's Toy / Papa Palheta. But there are a bunch of other indie cafes which aren't too shabby either.

6. Fresh cheese from Osteria Mozza
I love fresh mozzarella, burrata, etc. and I am glad that there is easy access to such deliciousness now.

7. Hor Fun from Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant
Again, this isn't a new restaurant but 2011 saw my first time eating the famous hor fun from Bee Kia. The beef version is their claim to fame but of course I didn't try that. Instead, I found the fish version to be pretty memorable as well. The hor fun noodles were full of wok hei, slippery smooth, thick and chewy. Accompanied by a brown sauce that is bursting with wok hei, really comfort food.

8. Fried seafood mee sua and fish skin crackers from Ming Kee Seafood restaurant
Surprisingly, the famous crab bee hoon didn't leave much of an impression. Rather, the fried seafood mee sua had really good flavors and the crackers, oh, don't get me started. So addictive!

9. Crafty Saturdays
Glad I made some of notabilia's classes and got introduced to bookmaking. I hope to find time to continue venturing into the world of handicraft in 2012.

10. The Man
Yes, I think I fell in love all over again.

To 2012!

2011-12-31T20:15:00.002+08:00

Here's wishing all of you a magical and wonderful New Year!

Weekend #50

2011-12-19T10:04:00.002+08:00

Ok, I got a little lazy with my weekend roundup posts, but while I remember to do so, here's a fresh one!

1. Family brunch at Jules Cafe & Bar. My first time. Restaurant was family-style and cosy, with decent food was decent reasonably priced to boot. My veggie big brekkie with an additional side order of cured salmon filled me up well til dinner time. Too bad I detected a little bit of an attitude from the floor manager who tries too hard to be cool / Aussie that borderlined rude.

2. My first Christmas get-together! Hosted by the Teos, we had massive amounts of food, wines and desserts. That was also the dinner my warm chocolate tart showed up. As much as I tried to practice restrain, I definitely couldn't hold back and went for a bit everything. SW made a couple of delicious vegetable dishes. A cold cucumber salad tossed with a vinegar dressing and copious amounts of spring onions and coriander was love. Wait, it was a tough toss up against a platter of roasted vegetables that was elevated with generous drizzles of truffle oil. I had many helpings of both. There was a slice of Four Seasons Durian cake with a pretty pungent aroma and substantial amounts of durian puree somewhere. Huge plump juicy cherries added some healthy touches. Onion marmalade meant for the Christmas baked ham made a most perfect companion for the Cheddar and Stilton cheeses. Salted caramel ice cream from Salted Caramel Artisanal Ice cream possessed a smooth, thick texture but alas, was overly salty, masking the burnt sugar flavor of caramel. Oh, definitely a slice of W's fruitcake. Lucky me, even when I missed her bake sale I still managed to savor a piece.

3. Quoting the Paper Tigeress, I also possess a swing magnet butt. Whenever I see a swing, I have to get on it. I love the wind in my face and the time I am actually on the swing are rare moments I am totally focused - on keeping the momentum and staying *on* the swing and be safe.

4. Indian dinner inspired by watching "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol". It is an awesome movie with clever bits of humor injected by the way; I loved it. His (egg thosai) and hers (paper thosai) from Cafeela Seafood Restaurant at Jalan Kayu were decent. The dal was thick and spicy, in a good way that I like my dal.

I can't wait for the next weekend when I will be in Hong Kong!

Recipe: Warm Banana and Fig Chocolate Tart (ala Pierre Herme)

2011-12-18T08:55:00.000+08:00

At the last minute, we were invited to a dinner party by a dear friend and even though we were assured we need not bring anything, I, being "Chinese", decided more food was better than less. And knowing this friend is a big foodie, I cannot just bring anything so I went the "home-made" route and viola, an adapted version of Pierre Herme's Warm Chocolate and Banana tart.

The notable changes are:
1. I used dried figs instead of raisins simply because I had those instead.
2. I used a different pastry crust recipe (to be precise, this one).
3. I didn't bother keeping a very precise temperature, so the silky, custard texture was compromised.
4. I used regular rum, not dark rum.

Other than those, pretty much everything was as per Pierre Herme's instructions

Surprisingly easy to put together, the work really lies in preparing each of the components. You will need:

For the Figs and Caramelised Bananas
1/2 cup chopped figs
3 Tbl (45ml) rum
3 Tbl (45ml) water

1 ripe but firm banana
Juice of half a lemon
1.5 Tbl unsalted butter
1/2 habanero pepper, or to taste ( optional; I didn't)
3.5 Tbl sugar
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper (2 rounds of peppermill)

For the Chocolate Ganache
140g (5 oz) bittersweet chocolate (around 60% cocoa), finely chopped
113g (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
2 Tbl sugar

1 8"-9" prepared tart shell, blind baked and cooled

Method
Figs

Combine the figs, rum and water in a small saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow them to macerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Banana
Slice the bananas and cut them into 1/8th cm thick rounds. Toss them in the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper within reach before you get started on the following.

Melt the butter with the habanero pepper/chilli in a large non-stick sauté pan.
Remove the pepper when the butter starts to bubble (leave it longer if you like it hot). Add the banana slices to the pan (avoid crowding the pan too much) and sprinkle the sugar over the bananas.

Cook until they’re a nice golden brown and flip them over to caramelise the other side. Add the black pepper. Cook one more minute and transfer them to a plate while you finish cooking the rest.

Chocolate Ganache
Melt the chocolate and butter separately in two double boilers / pots. Let them each cool to 40°C (104°F).

In a mixing bowl, gently stir together the egg yolks, egg and sugar but be careful not to beat too much air into the eggs.

When the chocolate is at 40°C, gently stir it into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula with steady, gentle concentric circles. When the chocolate is incorporated repeat with the butter at 40°C. When the mixture is smooth and shiny, with a consistency like mayonnaise, use it immediately but not before you do this:

Fill a blind-baked sweet pastry crust with the macerated figs and the caramelised bananas (putting aside some slices for decoration.

Pour the chocolate ganache over to cover completely.

Bake the tart at 190°C (375°F) for exactly 11 minutes. It will be still a little jiggly in the middle and a bit drier on the circumference but that’s normal.

The tart will be ready to eat when it's hot or warm but it'll be oozy and gooey. You could leave it to cool down for a few hours or leave it for a day. The tart filling will firm up. Store it room temperature but do not refrigerate it. Serve with creme anglaise or as we did, salted caramel ice cream.

Travels: ソフトクリーム Soft Cream in Japan

2011-12-15T17:46:00.001+08:00

Yam soft serve, originally uploaded by Skinny Epicurean.

I love going to Tokyo and I don't think I can ever be tired of it. I love the quirky monogenous culture and more than anything the food. Having been to Tokyo for so many times, I realise I have subconsciously developed a list of "must-eats".

One of which is the Japanese soft serve ice cream. Except it's known as ソフトクリーム or 'soft cream' in Japan.

I am not kidding but the soft serve ice cream in Japan tastes just so different. It must be the milk. There is a richer taste and honestly, I love eating soft serve in Japan as much as eating gelato in Italy.

As with all things Japanese, one must eat soft serve according to the season as well. Autumn time would be good for sweet potato (satsu-imo), chestnut (kuri) and yam. Come spring, sakura and lavender. Vanilla, black sesame (goma) and green tea are pretty everygreen flavours. I don't find the soft serve stands everywhere but near touristy spots.

Next time when you visit Japan, be sure to try a soft cream :)

Girly catch up at Antoinette

2011-12-10T08:10:00.042+08:00

Located just a 5-minute walk away from Lavendar MRT, Antoinette seemed a little displaced in an almost desserted, industrial area. What a different sight it was once I stepped through the front doors of Antoinette. The dining room was full and bustling with (largely female) life. It could be the baby blue and white colors and girly French adornment that would put off men in general. But that's just my two cents.

Now, I love all-day breakfast so it was an easy choice for me to make my food selection. After all, catching up with my girlfriends, one of whom I have not seen in more than a year, was my priority. The girlfriends, on the other hand, had a tougher time making their choices because the variety of options was pretty much a little of everything to cater to most.

My breakfast platter was competent and filled my tummy with just enough room to split the signature Antoinette cake and the french toast for dessert. Using thick toast for the latter is a brilliant idea because it makes the French toast crispy on the outside while the inside remained fluffy and moist.

Sunnyside up eggs with smoked salmon and toasted white bread

French toast with salted caramel sauce and creme chantilly

"Antoinette" - chocolate and earl grey tea mousses surround a
crunchy biscuit center; topped with a raspberry couli dome

The Penhas Road outlet takes reservation so be sure to make one. We did, and still had to wait for 1/2 hour for our table to clear.

Antoinette is at:

30 Penhas Road
Level 2 Mandarin Gallery
Erkine Road

Travels: Osteria iO Personale (Florence, Italy)

2011-12-07T10:41:00.005+08:00

Admittedly, it was with a pretty high expectations that I went to this restaurant. I had read the chef is a young talented 20-something year old who already had amassed experiences at top restaurants in Spain and his modern take on Italian cuisine and ingredients.

The restaurant was situated across the other side of Florence, a comfortable 15-20 minute walk from the Santa Maria train station. It is pretty small, but comfortable. We were served complimentary white wine very soon after we sat down. The aperative was leaning toward sweet and very easy to like. On the side we were served little savory muffins, cute little things they were, that tasted of cheese and herb. What a great snack to begin our meal for the night.

The menu was a slightly unconventional (to traditional Italian cuisine) and forward thinking approach where it does not follow the order of courses (i.e. primo, secondo, etc). It was sorted by the Category (i.e. Meat, Vegetables, Fish, etc), but no issues with me. In addition, the tasting menus were soo affordable at Euro 10 / course and one gets to choose between 4 or 6 courses off the ala carte menu.

Great, great pity our stomaches could not ingest much food or tolerate greed very well nowadays. Sigh, perils of aging.

After placing our orders, we were served our amuse bouche proper, a petite serving of silky, warm soup of pumpkin. Little cubes of olive oil toasted croutons added a lovely crunchy texture and a fruity floral flavor.

Next, I had the raw pink prawns, scattered with thinly shaved seasonal mushrooms and dill vinaigrette. A generous dousing of olive oil all over the dish added a slippery and added smoothness texture.

To share, we got an intriguing "lukewarm spelt with finferli mushrooms, lemon potatoes cream and green sauce". A mouthfull to order but it was essentially a risotto made with spelt. If you are curious, spelt has a slightly chewy texture similar to boiled pearl barley. The lemon cream sauce was just hint and the mushrooms were really good with a meaty texture. It was not a huge portion, but heavy enough to validate our choice to share.

With just enough room left to share a dessert, I gravitated toward the basil sorbet and tomato jam with the chocolate soufflè. Interesting combinations just attract me like honey to a bear.

WOW.

Individually, the tomato jam was sweet and spicy (yes, chili spicy) and it had a bit of oil oozing out so I suspected it was confit'd or stored in oil. The basil sorbet was unusually smooth and creamy. How clever to add a sweet twist to the usual savory combination of tomato and basil. Here, the iciness of the sorbet tempered the chili spiciness of the jam and together, the sweetness balanced out the slightly bitter molten chocolate cake. In combination, it was an explosion of flavors and textures and temperatures in the mouth.

Even as I am writing this post, I could just taste the dessert in my mouth all over again.

Simply amazing.

cute little savory muffins

table setting

Amuse bouche

Bread platter

Raw Prawns

Spelt Risotto

Dessert

Osteria iO Personale (Florence, Italy), a set on Flickr.

Osteria iO Personale
Borgo San Frediano, 167 r, 50124 Firenze
Tel 055-9331341

Travels: Gelato!

2011-11-19T10:58:00.086+08:00

How can I visit Italy without gorging myself silly on gelato? Seriously, there are gelaterias in every corner much like Seattle and its every-50m-a-Starbucks. Oddly, the sight of bright colored gelato never failed to bring a smile to my face. Not to mention greed as well. More often than not, the stomach just did not have sufficient room to enjoy a cone at that moment. So...I could only manage four throughout the trip.

I know, I suck.

):

Anyhow, I will share these four coveted gelaterias that were chosen after much research on the "best" gelaterias in each city.

1. GROM

What's awesome about this artisanal gelateria is that it is by far the one with the most number of branches. It originated in Turino and I had mine in Milan. It is even available in the USA! In addition, there are seasonal flavors as well as monthly flavors.  Torn between so many flavors, I chose a pairing of Sicilian pistachio and dark chocolate sorbet with dark chocolate bits. First, I must tap myself on the back for the most delicious pairing. That said, the pistachio was oozing nutty flavor and had a little rough texture.  The dark chocolate sorbet blew my mind because I could. not. tell. it was sorbet at all. It was rich and creamy all the same. And the cone was a waffle cone which was delicious. I don't like the wafer type.

The first gelato of my trip. Memorable.

2. Caffe Miretti

Apparently Caffe Miretti is one of the most popular caffes in Turin and a must if you’re Torinese. This caffe has a nostalgic old-school style that you could hang and savor local flavor. I tried the Fior di Panna, which was essentially a milky cream flavor. It was rather sweet, like condensed milk, and melted quite easily.  It got a little too much for me midway, but I finished it anyway.

Address: Corso Giacomo Matteotti, 5 10121 Turin, Italy

Tel: 011 533687

3. Riva Reno

This is another popular chain highly recommended. I tried a combination of Pistachio and Pear sorbet. Again, it was spot-on complementary. I loved the refreshing taste of the pear sorbet that also wasn't too sweet. Here, the pistachio was really full of nutty flavor. The texture was smoother than Grom but I daresay the flavor was much robust at Riva Reno and my prefered choice.

Address: Viale Col di Lana, 8 20136 Milan, Italy (google for others)
Tel: 02 89077147

4. Perche No!
This is a Florence gelateria, just off the main strip and easily found. I wanted to go to a different one but it wasn't open at 10am.   Yes, I wanted a gelato at that hour!  At Perche no, I got the seasonal flavors - cachi (persimmon) and marron (chestnut) for only 2 Euros! By far the cheapest. Oh they were soo good. Cachi was a little bit sweet but still I could taste the persimmon. The marron was the winner though. It had a rich, powdery but smooth texture and had a roasted note. Oh I want one now.

Address: Via dei Tavolini 19/r, Firenze, Italy 50122
Tel: +39 055.2398969

Grom

Pistachio and
Dark Chocolate
Sorbet from Grom

Fior di latte
from Caffe Miretti

Pistachio and Pear
from Riva Reno

Persimmon and Chestnut
from Perche No!

Gelato (Northern Italy), a set on Flickr.

Interestingly, here are a few things about gelato in Italy:

i. the recommended ones are usually off the main tourist strip;
ii. these are almost always labeled "artisanal"
iii. so these artisanal gelaterias always have a laboratorie look and feel and that means their gelato in steel vats and covered, unlike the ones along the main streets with exposed colored mounds of creamy goodness just shouting out at you

Just some random thoughts :)

Travels: Innocenti Evasioni (Milan, Italy)

2011-11-19T06:33:00.037+08:00

I was prepared for Innocenti Evasioni's rather inconvenient venue. It would still take about 25-30 minutes on foot from the nearest Metro station and I certainly would not do that in the dark. As it turned out, taking a cab was the wise thing to do.

The restaurant was hidden in a small dark alley with no giveaway signs of its presence in a quiet neighborhood and dodgy people peppered along the corners. When we arrived at the address, our kind cab driver, despite of our language barriers, gestured toward the alley and told us to head there. I could hear his engine waiting for us, until we disappeared. What a kind old man!

Beyond the location, I found the food was pretty intriguing. The cuisine to me, was a mix between nouvelle and traditional cuisine. Not everything was a hit, but at the minimum, it was fresh local ingredients, there was excellent presentation and interesting ideas on the plate.

Small and cosy, the restaurant could be a romantic option if you are looking for one.

Innocenti Evasioni (Milan, Italy), a set on Flickr.

Address:
via privata della Bindellina, 20155 Milan, Italy
+ 39 (0)2 33001882 | www.innocentievasioni.com/

Travels: 'ino (Florence, Italy)

2011-11-13T20:40:00.011+08:00

When you are in Florence and near the Uffizi Gallery, you have to stop for lunch at 'ino. Forget the touristy quick service restaurants along the main streets. Just because 'ino isn't all that visible, it is just about 50 meters around the corner and I guarantee you a really awesome sandwich for just 8 Euros that includes a glass of wine!

The cafe is modern and small, not good for big groups. The main con was the language barrier. There was no English menu or English-speaking staff. So, I took a gamble with my order and ended up with a delicious sandwich that was filled with a chunky spread that was made with tuna in oil and chopped sundried tomato bits binded with fresh cream cheese. A little oily but really delicious anyway. The sarnie was huge but in reality, the ciabatta bread was full of air pockets so it remained light, crispy and airy and didn't feel too heavy in my stomach despite eating all of it. Perfect lunch that would fuel the rest of the afternoon.

'ino (Florence, Italy), a set on Flickr.

7r via de' Georgofili
Florence, Italy

I miss Tokyo!

2011-11-11T00:10:00.001+08:00

Taking a break from all the Italy post, here are some pictures from a short (too short) trip to Tokyo.

Travels: Ristorante Porto di Savona (Turino, Italy)

2011-11-07T12:58:00.051+08:00

Now, I seldom use the word "best" to describe food because I feel it's a special word that inevitably builds up expectations and should be used with outmost respect and caution. So if I tell you that I had my best pesto ever in Italy, you probably should listen up and take notes.

Ristorante Porto di Savona, recommended by the Chowhounders and NYTimes, was the culprit made pesto a thing of the past. I don't think I could ever taste something as simple and yet as unforgettable as its pesto tagiatelle.
The pesto pasta was plated in a mound onto a big plate with no frills at all. It had a dull green hue that really didn't look too appetizing. It was glossy from the olive oil and that contributed to a thick mouthfeel. I found the pesto to be blended using good amounts of pinenuts that weren't too finely grounded so there was some texture, and good amounts of parmesan cheese to lend a smokey savoury hint. There were moments I thought the cheese was a little overpowering, but not before the basil came sneaking up and the game continued. I guess it boiled down to 'balance' and the dish was an epitome of that. The first bite rendered me speechless and the last bite took forever because I wanted it to last.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, I also had the best tiramisu as well, at this restaurant. OMG, the cheese layers were thick and creamy but not cloying. I could tell it was 100% mascarpone and not any bastardized versions that uses whipped cream and/or add eggs. The sponge layer had sufficient "wetness" that didn't threaten to disintegrate, and contains hints of alcohol and coffee. The first bite rendered me speechless, AGAIN!

Not surprisingly, we tried to have dinner the first night without a reservation and was turned away because there was no spots available, despite my initial assumption that the empty-ish restaurant should be available. I learnt that Italians eat rather late too, as I was there at about 8pm and the restaurant empty sans a couple of tables. So I made a reservation on the spot for the next day. If you are ever in Turino, don't go and order the pesto. Because life will never be the same again after that.

Ristorante Porto di Savona
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 2
10123 Torino, Italy

Tel: 011 8173500

Travels: La Morra Cuneo, Italy

2011-11-03T21:20:00.000+08:00

Using Alba as the home base, we drove around the neighbouring towns and explored La Morra and the Barolo wine region. Lunch was settled at a local osteria, called L'osteria del Vignaiolo. The little town was, well, tiny. It had a church, this restaurant and a small but nice looking hotel. That was about all of town, all within 50 meters. Ahh, such is the charm of the countryside, I suppose.

We were there in Alba for one thing and one thing only. White Alba truffles. Just picture my glee when we got seated next to the truffle. I was basking in parfum au tartufo and loving it!

Lunch began with a simple dish of seared scallops and fresh porcini mushrooms. The robust flavor of the mushrooms melded with the sweet scallops. A good starter indeed.

Then it was a simple dish of plain ravioli stuffed with cheese and a butter sauce, followed by additional shavings of white truffles. It was Euros 4.50 / gram for that white nugget. I had about three grams and was in heaven momentarily. We also had a half-bottle of Barolo red wine, the region's specialty, very easy to drink and not too dry.

We shared a dessert of apple tart and ice cream. Simple but done well. Listen to this - Euro 7 for a dessert that came with a glass of bubbly Asti wine. That was some good value!

By the way if you are curious how this whole truffle thing works, here's what would happen:
1. server would take the truffle and a digital scale to record the pre-shaved weight.
2. server then starts shaving the truffle on your dish.
3. you (the customer) then tells server to stop when you think you would have enough.
4. server takes the weight of the now-shaved truffle and you will be charge for what was shaved off.

That's all there is to it really, in addition to a nice budget of course ;)

To end off, here's a shot of La Morra region, just a few meters away from the restaurant.

Frazione Santa Maria, 12

12064 La Morra Cuneo, Italy

Tel: +39 0173 50335

Travels: Bellagio, Italy

2011-10-31T10:57:00.001+08:00

I heard much about Lake Como being one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy. Just an hour's train ride away, I was excited to make the visit on a good weathered day. The train comes rather frequently, but the unseen killer was the bus service between Como San Giovanni, where the train stopped, to Bellagio. It was an hourly service and the ride takes about 80 minutes up the terrains before reaching Bellagio proper. So, we spent a while waiting. Not so fun.

But the ride was fun that we saw a lot of commuters who greeted each other as they boarded the bus. Very local, very cool.

Just before hitting Bellagio, we stopped for lunch at a hotel restaurant in Bellagio called Silvio. It was recommended by the Chowhounders and I read about it being run by a guy who is a half restaurateur, half fisherman. I had to try the lake fish and I did!

Honestly, the fish was rather tasteless, and overcooked. To sum up in a Chinese term, it's " 老". But the fried potato was lovely, buttery and powdery. With a fantastic clear view of the lake, accompanied by half a bottle of cold, white Italian Pinot Gringot, I felt happy and contented.

Hotel Silvio and Ristorante

Via P. Carcano, 10
22021 Bellagio Como, Italy Tel: 031 950322

I'm 30!

2011-10-31T02:26:00.002+08:00

North Italy was a blast! The two weeks there were too short yet fillededith a lot of memorable moments. It was nice to be able to experience the cities and at the same time, know I could escape in just a couple of hours away, to a totally opposite environment, amongst nature and the beautiful vineyards.

It was a lovely pre-birthday treat indeed! And I don't feel any different stepping into my thirties. My gut feel tells me life is just about to get more exciting! Anyhow, I hope to share a little more about my adventures soon. Stay tuned!

Hiatus

2011-10-16T05:22:00.000+08:00

Pardon me while I feast on pasta, cute men and delicious bags.

Review: Open Door Policy

2011-10-15T11:07:00.004+08:00

Just about 1 o'clock from the entrance of Forty Hands sits Open Door Policy, the newish baby also by the folks from Forty Hands, together with Chef Ryan Clift of The Tippling Club. Designed to be a casual bistro with affordable fare, and great coffee, ODP is set to be the next cool kid on the block.

The decor certainly fits the bill. I particularly like the zinc-roof-look-alike design of the sunroof allowing natural light, and the limited number of sushi-counter-style seats upfront, right in front of the open kitchen.

You get an old-school folder that doubles up as a menu cover, a rather clever idea most befitting of the equally old-school estate the restaurant sits in. The food selection appears to be your "usual fare" at first glance but actually involves modern twists. And vegetarians won't have to fret about having nothing to eat. There are pretty tantalizing choices available.

The starter of tuna carpaccio with radish and yuzu dressing was shared. Not a fan of tuna in general, I thought it was just okay. The stand-out though, was the dressing - slightly citrusy, sweet, salty, all at once. Pure goodness. For the first time I wished I had more dressing. This is a very light and healthy dish, perfect for those into that sort of flavors.

The other starter that I ordered was a watercress soup served with a poached egg and truffle soil. Now, I love my greens and have quite a high tolerance for bitterness. That said, I was really challenged by this soup! Stirring in the creamy rich yolk was but a futile attempt to mask the intense bitterness. To be honest, I was this close to aborting the soup for good but held on for health's sake. But I personally really would not order it again.

For the main course, my friend ordered the duck confit with puy lentils cooked with smoked bacon. The dish looked delicious and was deemed so.

On the other hand, I ordered the grilled salmon with panzella salad. The fish fillet had a lovely crisp skin, but stayed a little too long in the oven so the inside wasn't as pink as it could be. The saving grace was the panzella salad that was made with chunks of fried (or could be baked) croutons that had been tossed with colorful peppers and a vinaigrette dressing that was tangy and salty.

We didn't have much room for dessert so we decided to go straight to the coffee. Strong, aromatic coffee notes paired with creamy, sweet steamed milk, oh that was one good piccolo latte that remains etched in my memories.

The meal was interesting enough to warrant a return and I am quite delighted ODP is open late, and on Sundays too.

OpenDoor Policy

19 Yong Siak St

Mon–Sun: 12pm–4pm, 6.30pm–11pm
Wed: 6.30pm–11pm
(Closed on Tue)
Tel: +65 6221 9307

Crafty Saturdays

2011-10-11T08:25:00.003+08:00

I am absolutely in love with this current stage of life! Especially the time I have to rediscover old passions such as handicraft.

As a child (okay, and even as an adult), I never felt like I am creative. I did okay in any form of artwork simply because I am good at following instructions and am rather precise.

Whatever. I was very happy I found out about notabilia's bookmaking classes and when the first series ended, I felt a sense of loss. Practicing at home is not quite the same; I think I enjoy very much the social aspect of such self-interest classes, to be honest. Where else can you meet like-minded, cool folks?

Anyway. Last Saturday saw me attending a rubber-stamp making class organized by Books Actually and taught by Joseph from Monster Gallery. It was a rather intensive 90 minutes as we learnt the basics and (had to) put them into use rightaway. But each "student" produced a rather decent stamp at the end of the session, including the Imp. :)

I say, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

After class ended, the ravenous us (or maybe just me) went in search of food that suited my bad throat. Old school Teochew Huat Kee (yes, that is the full name of the restaurant) at Amoy Street was the Imp's recommendation and I am pleased it was a very satisfying meal.
Steamed pomfret was fresh and not overdone, and stir-fry Chinese cabbage (奶白) that was crunchy, with umami from dried sole fish bits.

Did I mention I am absolutely in love with this current stage of life?

Priceless Gift

2011-10-09T08:03:00.076+08:00

My birthday isn't here for another 3 weeks and I received my first present from the ever-thoughtful Imp, who knew I won't be around in town when the actual day comes around.

Because I wasn't expecting anything, it was a really pleasant surprise. Pleasant not because of the actual physical gifts (although, just for the record, they were all very well thought through), but more because despite our unique personalities, we have forged a friendship of respect and trust. And I consider the actual gifting process merely as an outward demonstration of how we have become comfortable with one another.

So thank you again Imp, for your priceless gift of friendship. X

Review: Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House

2011-10-02T15:51:00.000+08:00

Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House. Wow, finally, Singapore sees a really decent American restaurant that does not scream just burgers and fries. The latest concept by restaurant veteran Travis Masiero, I have to say he nailed it.

Looking at the whole restaurant, from physical look-and-feel, right down to the actual food, everything is kept simple and classic, yet very grounded in the fundamentals. His menu too, looks rather sparse, but it was tight and focused.

Don't shoot me, but I think I just might be the odd few who did not take to their house special cornbread (I forgot to take a picture). Personally, I felt it was a little dry and mealy, neither savory nor sweet.

But the Oyster Po' boys that followed, that kicked up my expectations of the entire meal a whole notch.

Oyster Po' Boy

The breaded and fried oyster was crunchy, well-seasoned and greaseless. That bit of 'slaw added a bit of sweetness and sauce. I thought if it was served with a soft bun (think: generic hot dog softbun), it would have been even more awesome.

Travis' Tomato salad was good, with bits of feta dolloped all over. Yes, the tomatoes were sweet but I really expected a little more of the dish for its $23 tag.

Travis' Tomato Salad

The one dish I had to order was the Seared Scallops and I was very glad the raving reviews I read on other sites were spot on. They were presented well-seared with a golden crisp "skin" that looked just so tempting. Beneath those crisp shells, the scallops were cooked perfectly that they remained moist and soft inside. The caper butter sauce paired beautifully as well, adding richness and a bit of sour.

Seared Scallops

Torn between the cold seafood platter and the oysters au natural, we finally called on the latter, leaving it up to Chef to put together a few different varieties. Our oysters that night were from Canada and Massachusetts. They were rather pricey but they were awesome - plump, juicy, brine-y. Oysters and me, we go a waaay back so I had the process of devouring them down to the pat : squeeze of lemon, dash of hot sauce, slurp down juice and all, and repeat. Make that four more times.

Fresh shucked oysters from Canada and USA

Last dish was a (whole) lobster pot pie, deconstructed. The sauce was wonderfully rich, yet uncloying. And my initial concern with over-cooking the lobster? Throw that straight out of the window because that baby was cooked perfectly.


Lobster pot pie

Oddly, I found the claw slightly tastier than the body, just because it has a less chewy texture.

huge claws

That meal at Luke's demonstrated that simplicity is not to be underestimated when well-executed. But the downside is that the food is awfully pricey, making it more an 'occasion' restaurant rather than a place I could frequent more.

Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House
20 Gemmill Lane
Tel: 6221 4468
closed Sundays

Weekend #38

2011-09-26T19:00:00.003+08:00

It was a great one that wasn't filled with F1. In its place:

- The family celebrated the mother and brother's birthdays over a delicious meal of Indian food at Yantra.

- I completed my beginner's bookbinding classes. I have withdrawal syndromes already and hope new classes will be available real soon.

- Went to church this Sunday and experienced a rather interesting form of worship, through artistic expressions. I am not saying it's right or wrong but it added new knowledge.

- Went for a nice evening walk at the Henderson Waves and enjoyed the night breeze and conversation.

- On a whim, I went to Tangs and walked out with two pairs of new shoes. One of which, I put into good use right the next day. The other, a gorgeous pair of maroon heels from Pura Lopez, I have no idea when I will get to wear them.

Isn't this what life is about - being there for yourself and people you care about?

Weekend #37

2011-09-19T07:36:00.001+08:00

Fantastic Italian movie screened by SIFF called "The first beautiful thing" / a good conversation with KY over a piccolo latte at Smitten (and I forgot to ask for Sumatra blend as advised by the Imp *sigh*) / a long-due lunch date with PY, this time at Real Food Grocer (food is really delicious by the way, especially the homemade dumplings, they were sooo good) / catch up with Mr. Wee over a gelato waffle at Haato (standards have dropped somewhat) / sighting of a row of whimsical chair-stools at Strip Raffles City (super cute!) / bookmaking lesson #2 that saw me making two books using the pamphlet and Japanese stitch methods (and inspired me to make handcrafted notebooks as gifts)

Weekend #36

2011-09-12T13:06:00.003+08:00

In the sequence of actual events, here are some memorable bits that happened this weekend that just flew past!

/ Spotted a beautiful blue kingfisher on my way to ECP / First bookbinding class with a passionate teacher behind the beautiful site known as notabilia ; so pleased with my first book! / Attended a BBQ that I initially declined but turned out to be really not that awful / Got educated that the HUMP is a part of the cow / Supersalty broth from Menya Shinchan (on a related note, I found it extremely amusing that the "Kids Ramen" dish was loaded with vegetables. Tell me, are Japanese kids so different they actually like their veggies? :P )

I am still suffering from the after-weekend effects. *yawns*

HK in two days

2011-09-09T07:03:00.001+08:00

Making the best use out of a work trip.

Warm double skin steamed milk pudding. aww, perfect comfort food for supper.

Easy, convenient take-out sandwiches with more gourmet fillings like rocket and crayfish

Grilled salmon kama (amongst other things) at June Japanese restaurant with the Dimsumdolly

super retro Japanese wagashi shop after dinner

mini watermelon dessert with kanten and watermelon balls

Mid-autumn festival light-up at Victoria Park

Last meal of congee and steamed rice rolls at the HK Int'l Airport. The latter was awful though :(

Tea at Ritz Carlton Kowloon

Weekend #35

2011-09-05T23:27:00.000+08:00

It was kind of a melancholic weekend as I spent a great afternoon catching up with the girlfriend. We met under a most unusual circumstance - our moms went to school together and belonged to the choir. We were introduced during one of their alumni choir performances and really started talking when we discovered our common love for food.

We enjoy checking out new places when we meet and this time at Keystone Restaurant. The conclusion was a unanimous "food sounded really much more interesting on paper". Well, the intentions behind each creation were clear to me, but the execution fell short in most instances. For example, the lobster ravioli tasted more of cheese than crustacean. The consomme was overly salty and had an oily note; I could not bring myself to finish it. The main course was a sous vide salmon. While the portion was really generous, the fillet was less than fresh and the fishiness was negatively enhanced by the sweet miso. Dessert was the best course because the fondant cake, a dessert done to death already, had a lava middle. The lime sorbet was light and delicious. Raspberry puree encapsulated in a jelly was a welcome tart dimension, though having two jellies side by side didn't quite make sense to me.

Just some frivolous notes: I think that the customised serving ware is pretty neat; each of the plates had a grey slate / "stone". The presentation was modern and looked appetizing to the eyes.
Service was excellent. Well perhaps because we were the only forlorn souls on a Saturday afternoon?

We left soon after lunch prepared to try the coffee at Smitten. It would be our first time and again, we left disappointed. Slightly too acidic for our preference, we were glad we had a great time talking about things that matter more to us than food anyway.

Figure figure figurine me!

2011-08-31T10:05:00.000+08:00

It's interesting to meet artsy folks. The friend's sister is a ceramic artist and curated a figurine display at the Goodman Art Centre. We went to support.

Albeit the small scale and no art background whatsoever, I actually had an enjoyable time looking at each piece, reading the short description to understand the inspiration. Made by amateurs mostly, it is also heartening to learn that art, in the form of ceramic, could be a form of expression for anyone!

Recipe: Traditional Butter Cake with a twist

2011-08-29T09:05:00.002+08:00

It was a rather quiet weekend for me. Caught up with my friend who had left our little shores a few years ago. But our conversation picked up like she never left. Suppose that is a sign of a good friendship. If you must know, I brought her to Hinoki for yet another great meal. Pike mackerel or san ma is in season right now and I'm soo proud she tried a bit of the guts. In season, the guts taste just a little bit bitter, very flavourful with an earthy tone. HUGE difference from the cheap frozen sanma available year round.

Then I had a mini baking storm. Whipped up two chocolate loaf cakes courtesy of Nigella's recipe AND a traditional butter pound cake inspired by the childhood meme going around. But I added a twist ;P

This is a really simple recipe. It yields a rather fine crumb, sort of like velvet. The trick is to bake at a lower heat and a longer time.

Ingredients:
250 g block of butter, salted
1.75 cups of self-raising flour
1 cup granulated sugar (fine or superfine)
5 large eggs

Optional:
2 tbsp orange liquor
Zest of an orange

Baking tin:
8" (for a taller cake) or
9" rounds or

9" x 5" loaf pan (may yield an extra cupcake or two)

Whichever you use, just butter and line with parchment paper.

Preheat oven 170C.

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar together until light colored and fluffy. Takes about 10 mins.
2. Add eggs. One at a time and cream well with each addition.
3. Add optional items here if you wish. If not, replace with 1 tsp vanilla extract.
4. Add flour in three additions. Mix well with each.
5. Pour into prepared baking tin. Bake in the middle rack for 30mins. Then lower heat to 160C and bake another 15-20mins depending on your oven. Use the toothpick test to check for doneness.

Yields about 15 x 0.75" slices (I am precise like that. Engineering trained :P)

Cool before cutting and serving.

* If you wish to get the "Sara Lee" effect, place a slice of cake in freezer for about 1/2 hour prior to eating.

Hope you had a good weekend too!

Obsession with Whiteness

2011-08-26T07:47:00.001+08:00

....for me, goes beyond the skin. I never was about white skin anyway.

Ok enough with the suspense. I finally did laser tooth whitening (as oppose to gel-in-tray) because one of my ex-colleague actually said to me, "Eh, your teeth is quite yellow". Yes, we are pretty close and she is brutally honest like this.

But to be fair, undergoing some sort of whitening procedure has been at the back of my mind but her comment just accelerated my action.

Ta-dah! I did the old school laser whitening. It is supposed to be more effective (within a shorter period of time) than the gel-in-tray. Correspondingly, it is more expensive too.

The procedure involves applying some gel on the teeth followed by intense light beam (the laser) for 15 mins. Repeat this two more times.

With each cycle the teeth becomes more sensitive. If you have receding gumlines (I do, at some areas), good luck to you.

So, I actually was able to endure the first cycle fairly ok. Not much discomfort. The second cycle was pretty bad but I endured. The third cycle, let's just say, I wished it ended before it started.

The irony is, after the actually laser process was over, the remaining gel had to be removed and it was at this stage when the teeth was soooo sensitive, every touch (even from my own saliva) caused discomfort. I actually started squirming and when I couldn't endure anymore, I screamed :/ and followed quickly by tears. To clarify, there was no blood involved at any stage.

Apparently the sensitivity is normal (but at what level is up to individual) and will go away in a couple of days. I was given painkillers too, if the pain got too much. No dark colored food and beverage for at least 4 days (dentist recommends 7 days instead).

I'm pleased with the results but would I go through it again?

Absolutely not. I'm a wuss like that.

Review: Jimmy Monkey Cafe

2011-08-23T21:28:00.023+08:00

Now the one-north area can boast of a decent coffee joint. The Jimmy Monkey Cafe has adopted a cute name and a casual industrial look and feel. The piccolo latte was robust and full-bodied. Not sure what sort of beans they use, but it leans toward a slight sourish note, which you probably cannot detect if you are not a serious or particular coffee drinker.

I like that this Monkey cafe offers a fair selection of bites. The food was not anything to die for, but decent. Just that some items were just priced a little high side. For example, our breakfast sandwich that was pre-made but toasted just before serving, was $12.

The air was a bit still inside the cafe, so if you don't like to have a lingering stank, take-out or sit-out. Other than that, I think it's a lovely addition to the indie joe joints that are now sprouting over the island.

Weekend #32

2011-08-21T21:00:00.012+08:00

Ah, almost the end of yet another weekend. What did I remember of it?

First up: I attended my first formal cooking class at Cookyn with Mervyn school. Recipes were simple party tapas and the fun was meeting new people. Someone at the class said to me that it takes practice to be able to meet new people and start and maintain a decent conversation. How true. I felt so rusty myself because at the end of the session, I actually felt drained >.<

Oooh, I also managed to catch up with a girlfriend right before that, over a simple lunch of sandwiches and awesome piccolo lattes at Jimmy Monkey Cafe (more on that in future). But too bad, I could not make it to the Public Garden flea market as a result. Hope the next one will be coming up soon.

Finally, on this Sunday, I am proud to have participated in a FB event known as the "Cook and Share a Pot of Curry". If you are a Singaporean, you probably would have heard about incident reported in TODAY papers, that inspired the event. While I don't agree with the outcome of the incident, I do want to support harmony and understanding between natives and newly arrived immigrants.

So early in the morning, I went to my neighbourhood wet market and bought a fresh and meaty red grouper head. To add to the curry, I also went a bit crazy with the vegetables (japanese eggplant, okra, long beans, tomato). And just because my family loves fried tau pok, I bought a pack to add into my curry. This is going to sound shameless but I felt like a virtuous woman.

To make the curry, I bought a pack of "A1" instant seafood curry paste which is very fragrant and spicy. If I had been a little more hardworking, I could have added more depth by frying up more fresh shallots, lemongrass and laksa leaves but it was not really necessary because even without, it was pretty awesome. What I really want to say is, don't underestimate shortcuts.

The event seemed to have caught on. Look at all the curry photos on FB! That made me think...who needs football to build camaraderie within our little nation? We just need curry!

Review: Shunjuu Izakaya

2011-08-20T23:56:00.004+08:00

The Riverwalk area has always been a vibrant location for F&B. Shunjuu Izakaya has been one of the few original outlets that has held up through the years and I could see why. What's not to like about a casual izakaya, plenty of drinks and tasty, salty skewers of food to fill the tummy? Even though the restaurant has been around for a while, it was only until this weekend both the Imp and I got around to giving it a try.

The menu is small, not as varied as Kazu (which is also one of my favorite sumiyaki-ya) but what we had was done quite well. We had almost all the vegetable selection - Japanese leek (the pungency is muted after grilling, but not dry), Japanese eggplant with miso and ginger sauce (tender and soaked in the sauces; really good), gingko (a bit dry; will pass next time), shiitake (juicy) and onigiri (decent). For the protein, I chose to have a grilled fishhead and here, Shunjuu offered a selection of different fishes - salmon, yellowtail and one other type. We got the yellowtail. A bit small, but totally delicious.

Out of the grilled section, we tried the cold tofu in lieu of the momotaro (not available). Good call by the Imp because the sauce was a thick soy & sesame sauce (wonderful combination that would be oh-so-good with steamed rice) and the interesting thing was that in addition to the usual bonito topping, fried ebi (baby shrimp) was added on, lending a crispy texture and a salty umami addition. Understanding our limited stomach capacity, I noted the Imp's approving nod when I ordered only one onigiri-yaki.

We were absolutely satisfied after this meal, even though the greedy me wished another fish head could magically appear.Heehee.

Despite being packed on the Friday night but service was still prompt. Definitely an easy place to hangout for a relaxing dinner with drinks.

Review: Green Room Cafe

2011-08-20T10:07:00.001+08:00

The moment I saw that the event was featuring Raw Cuisine, I knew I wanted to attend because I am always interested to learn about food and nutrition. The wine pairing was secondary.

Organised by The Local Nose, I got to try a four-course Italian-inspired dinner featuring raw cooking. (You can google to learn more). Basically it is believed to be more healthy for you.

Green Room Cafe was recently taken over by Chef Diana von Cranach who is a strong advocate of healthy eating. She freely shares tidbits of health information, some quite scary (like how restaurants actually sell their used frying oils to hawkers but I don't know how true that is).

The dinner started late and I was famished. I walloped the first course of appetizers in two seconds! Perhaps because I have been exposed to raw cuisine before, and understand the principles and that most of the preparation relies on fresh herbs and different sorts of nuts to achieve the body and richness of regular food, I thought the appetisers were ho-hum.

The next dish, I really didn't like. It was a soup, lukewarm because of the raw cuisine principle of not cooking above a certain temperature, but was rather awful because the herbs tasted quite 'green' and with all the fiber, I thought I was eating green sawdust. The 'living' bruchetta that accompanied the soup was a different story though. Made from dehydrated nuts and seeds and vegetables, it tasted like very dense nut bread. I really liked it. Chef Diana intends to start selling these and I would buy them.

The main course was my favorite dish. A zucchini 'pasta' that had been cooked with almond milk, nuts and mushrooms, it was a light tasting yet full of subtle flavors. The portion was also quite filling.

Dessert was a tiramisu. But it was really more like a dense cheesecake made of cashew butter. It was not bad, but not something I would order.

I guess I would return with the right company, adventurous to try new things yet the focus being really the company. I am very glad I armed myself with the right girlfriends whom I know would be game for anything. We all enjoyed the raw experience and ended with an evening a little high from the Italian wines (which were great with the raw food I must say, especially the dessert rose wine!), filled with laughter and good conversation.

Aperitif
Babo Prosecco NV

Antipasti Miste - five special Antipasto served with Tomato & Basil 'living' crackers
Fontana Soave 2009

Zuppa di Verdure Miste Bruschetta con Spinaci & Bagna Cauda
- a traditional fresh vegetable soup from Umbria served with 'living' bruschetta topped with spinach & hazelnuts
C' D' C' Sicilia Rosso 2009

Spaghettini Zucchini con Noce e Funghi
- fine zucchini ribbons, mixed with a creamy almond and herb sauce, marinated mushrooms, black pickled garlic and a hint of summer truffles.
Sant'Emiliano Barbera D'Asti Superiore 2006

Tiramisu
- a living version of Italy's most famous dessert
Banfi Rosa Regale 2006

Green Room Cafe
The Amramsa Spa
1382 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1
Bishan Park 2

Weekend #31

2011-08-14T23:00:00.030+08:00

This weekend saw a couple of "first"s.

(I) For the first time I attended an event organised by a cultural exchange group on FB. I am not quite sure how I ended up in the group but it was yonks ago. I never really paid attention to events on FB but I suppose it was by sheer fate I noticed the last one which was a foreign movie screening event. Volver is an award-winning Spanish movie, starring Penelope Cruz if you must know. Unlike Hollywood movies that are mostly silly, action packed or thrillers (which I could also appreciate when in the right mood), I love European movies because they are mostly about well, life. It talks about different generation of females, going through similar events and how they individually deal with them. Thought-provoking as I try to imagine myself in similar shoes and decisions I would make. *Shudders*

Anyway, I enjoyed the event mostly because the group was friendly and the movie was good. I pat myself on the back because I overcame my initial reservations about attending it alone. (Interestingly, I met a fellow Singaporean lady who practiced art therapy and in our conversation, I could feel my interest in oil painting stirring again.)

(II) I went for my first hot-flow yoga class. I can't believe in my two years of membership, I had never once thought of attending a class other than Bikram-style yoga. Anyway, I found myself bored out of my mind and decided at the last minute to attend the class, which was absolutely a K.I.L.L.E.R (mainly because I was unfamiliar with the moves and the pace was fast)! I'm sticking to my regular classes.

(III) I picked up a copy of TODAY Sunday (yes, the free newspaper), because I noticed it had a collaboration with NYT. Ok, at least it had a few pages of NYT articles that are international news and made the paper worth a read.

(IV) My sister actually stepped into the kitchen and attempted to make dessert (!). Yes, she-who-only-cooks-instant-noodles-and-toast-frozen-pizzas, made tiramisu, and the results were good for a first attempt. I *am* proud of her.

Other notables:

I officially declare I don't like sashimi cut too thick. Thick slices of fish accentuate the fishy notes and they become too much work to eat.
I became acutely aware and conscious of my "single" status when I spied two Indian men on the MRT holding hands affectionately. Bleh.

Til #32 folks! Have a good week ahead.

Happy 46th Birthday Singapore!

2011-08-09T23:35:00.000+08:00

Despite all the complains and grouses, I still love you Singapore. Justice, Equality, Happiness, Prosperity and Progress forever!

Review: No.3 Crab Delicacy

2011-08-09T07:09:00.000+08:00

This period of time saw the annual return of my ex-colleagues based overseas. They had to attend a "party" at Zouk just before our dinner date so we decided on local food at No.3 Crab. Wow the last time I was there was ages ago but I could remember loving the famous curry crab that you either love or hate.

Glad to report it was still good. The crabs were huge but juicy and fresh. The sauce was lemak like laksa but was done fish-head curry style, stewed with vegetables like eggplant, tomato and ladysfinger. We ordered a side of bee hoon and fried mantou to dip into the sauce. On hindsight, just mantous would have sufficed.

We also got a fried tang hoon with crab. It was mediocre. Tang hoon tasted more of the gravy it was cooked in, than of the essence of crab melded into it.

At the last minute, we added a crab bee hoon soup as well. I didn't really like that either. The crab came to our table in record time (10mins?) and I thought the crab was a little fishy.

The rest of the dishes were also quite mediocre. The most awful though, was the kangkong with cuttlefish. It was starchy and tasted more of ketchup than sambal. I seldom bash people's food but that really sucked.

Would I go back again? I really doubt it's worth going back just for the curry crab alone.

Weekend #30

2011-08-08T18:51:00.001+08:00

Last Friday was an unusually busy day at the Loop. I was pretty glad I had no plans so I could take a breather for myself and get ready for the party that would start on Saturday instead.

I woke up at 6:30am the next day (I suspect it was a case of nerves as I was expecting a part time helper for the first time that morning. I'm funny like that :/). Needless to say, I was feeling tired right about lunchtime and had to drag myself out to catch up with the girls. It had been too long!

As usual, it was three orders of mazechirashi without tako and ika, from the lunch menu at Aoki. Yummers.

Stumbled back home to take a nap, which was unusual of me, as I was really quite knackered by 3pm. Add to that, I was given a heads-up for a rather long night with J, a colleague that became a friend, who had been based in Germany for the past three years.

I loved how we got all dressed up; it somewhat made the occasion a little more special (:

We started at Bar Stories; pretty good cocktails again, then we popped by Ann Siang and decided to make a pitstop at The Screening Room. On that note, it was totally overcrowded and the cocktails weren't particularly good. Stick with beer.

It was almost 1am when we went over to Duxton Hill. Boo! Most of the decent bars were closed/closing. Sigh, on hindsight we should have started from there. So we were left "dry" (pun intended :)) at Duxton.

Lost for an alternative venue, we decided to visit the New Asia Bar for old times' sake. It wasn't too crowded and we scored free entries purely by luck. Cheap thrill.

By then, I was hungry again and luckily the bartender obliged our multiple requests for refills of their very addictive spiced tapioca chips. A couple of wines later, I was totally ready to fall asleep and there ended our girlie night of catch up and bar hopping.

Sunday was kept deliberately simple, preferring to spend some time with the family, alone and church.

On the "alone" note, the shiro taiyaki is available again at Isetan. If you like mochi and carbs, this is totally the bomb. Yet it looks deceivingly healthy and light. Ah, the wonders of Japanese food associations.

Hope your weekend was good too!

On Crack

2011-08-01T10:25:00.001+08:00

Yes, I try to eat healthy most of the time but just so you know I'm human too, I have been secretly eating a lot of processed food via :

Meiji Plain Crackers with Oat

I am telling you, these are crack-ers! Even though they are 'plain' flavored, there is a mild buttery taste. The plus? It's not as fatty as cream crackers (although those are soo good too!).

Each sachet contains 7 square biscuits and I could easily go through three packs at night while surfing the net and being random. This is going to sound very aunty but do you know that biscuits are "heaty"? It's true! I developed a couple of ulcers a few times when I was at the three-packs-a-day peak. Having learned my lesson, I usually stop at two now like a good citizen.

My only gripe is the lack of QC. Sometimes, the crackers are not as baked (i.e. lighter in color and less of a toasty flavor). And sometimes if I am lucky, I buy a box that has been slightly overbaked (more golden and crispier) then I get soo happy. Heehee, little joys of life.

Do you have a secret indulgence too? Share! :)

Bright

2011-07-30T21:36:00.004+08:00

G's fiancee wanted to surprise him for his 30th birthday and so gathered a bunch of closer friends at The Riders Cafe this morning. Her brief was simply "come in bright colors". So I obliged. G was not totally surprised though; he saw a few familiar cars as he was parking. Oh well, commendable effort by the girl anyway.

The brunch menu was simple but sufficient. Prices are not only gentler than city equivalents, but the portions were generous and tasty. It was fully packed from morning til mid afternoon. Be sure to make a reservation if you are ever going to go there.

On another note, do I look "not so skinny anymore" ? Those exact words were G's first comment to me this morning when he saw me. I was a little surprised, given the extra bits of exercise I had been trying to do since the last month or so, that I do look a little big. Sigh.

Riders Cafe
51 Fairways Drive, Singapore 286965

Tel: 6466 9819

Open Tue-Thu,Sun 8:30am-10pm

Fri-Sat 8:30am-10:30pm

Review: Meii Sushi

2011-07-30T10:18:00.001+08:00

CNNGo recently published a "Top 5 omakase in Singapore". I usually read such reviews with a pinch of salt. But that does not stop me from being intrigued about this place called Meii Sushi that was featured and yet I could find so little literature written about it. Without expectations and by sheer stroke of luck in change of plans, the Three of Us trotted off to check it out on a Friday night.

Tiny like a shoebox aptly describes the space. Nonetheless, it was a comfortable fit for us at the counter. It was not busy, another family of three who appeared to be regulars shared the counter with us.

I could be sensitive but Chef Hong did not appear very friendly initially, perhaps because we were first timers and strangers. Plus, he didn't know our palates nor our depth of knowledge about sushi / Japanese cuisine so I found his selection of food for our omakase quite safe i.e. sashimi and sushi for this first visit.

Now, I don't know if this is Meii sushi's style but his sashimi cuts are very thick. So thick that each slice could easily be two servings, which could actually have been more enjoyable because I'll get two identical slices (as opposed to different ends of the fish with every bite. Do I make sense?) Having said that, there were moments of major deliciousness in the fresh oysters in ponzu sauce, uni and ikura.

Same deal for the sushi. Big slices of fish over small lumps of rice spell major difficulty in fitting each sushi into the mouth in one bite. Sushi rice was also a little ..erm... a little underseasoned and slightly wet, for me.

The food paired well with the +1 sake Chef recommended. It was good, but I think we could have gone for a little bit more dry.

Ah, oh well.

We are after all in Singapore. I guess Chef Hong is catering to local preferences. It was still a pretty decent meal, don't get me wrong, but also not the best or most value for money compared to similar joints (such as, Hinoki, Hokkaido, etc). I think he did let down his guard a little bit more by the end of our meal, so I'm not writing off this place but wait and see if our "sushi relationship" improves the next time.

Meii Sushi
7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza (facing Craig Road)
Mon - Sat: Lunch and Dinner
closed Sundays (but he is considering closing Sat nights)
Note: Meii Sushi does not like to open late (I asked for a 8pm reservation only to receive "so late ah?" as my reply -_-) .

Weekend #29

2011-07-25T14:04:00.004+08:00

I have been (and probably still) feeling low. I sort of know the reason yet at the same time, unwilling to pull myself 100% out of this crazy emotional state of mind. I have been reminded to stay positive so here goes.

The weekend came and went by quickly. Yet there were many moments that I relished:

1. I was glad I rounded up my besties to kickstart the weekend with omakase on Friday night. I could have called it a night when my original plan flopped (my dinner mate forgot she had made a conflicting appointment). But these girls are a source of respite for me. I don't always tell them how I feel and they never ask but always know I am not 'right' and they detract me from stray thoughts. We went to Kaiho Sushi (Cuppage Plaza, #03-01) by the way and had a great dinner.

2. Came Saturday, I started the day early baking sticky date puddings for an inaugural "cuzzies only" dinner potluck. They turned out great and made my day.

3. Swung by ECP for a few minutes of light cycling and enjoying the sea breeze before popping by the Big Bad Wolf, a new bistro/cafe at 226 Tanjong Katong for a bite. The hot day made the peach fruit beer and mussels with white wine cream sauce perfect for an ideal lunch. The beer tasted like a cider / Jolly Shandy, waaay easy to drink. Thanks EL, for introducing it to me. Well, I am not a green-lipped mussels fan, but choices were limited so I gave them a shot. For $10, I wouldn't expect fresh ones and at BBW, they were admittedly frozen. BUUUT they were cooked beautifully, tender and with the cream sauce not too heavy. A flufflier bread would have been lovely to soak up the sauce.

4. Caught up with an ex-colleague of mine and despite the wrong choice of venue, our conversation was thoughtful and deep. He might be young and irritating, but he does throw out a few gems once in a while.

5. Saturday prolonged when I convinced one of the besties to visit Bar Stories for a drink. Her HK colleague was in town anyway and she needed to entertain him. Had a most delicious melon saketini as well as a lemongrass-ginger saketini. The creamy note from the unfiltered sake did the trick. I would have to tell them to tone down on the sugar syrup in future though. Tip to you readers: Never go with the first drink the staff recommends. Ask for something special that no one else is drinking.

6. Sunday was simply good because I visited my friend's church and the sermon spoke to me. You wouldn't know but it has been a while.

7. That was followed by a pig-out lunch at Ikoi (Miramar Hotel) for Japanese ala carte buffet. I avoid buffets like I would avoid an accident, but sometimes, life is about give-and-take. That Sunday time, I decided to give. The one dish I always looked forward to was the salmon head nitsuke. It was smaller than usual but with no competitor vying for it, it was all mine.

8. I even managed to sneak a short catch up with the Haute One while she was at work. Happy she found something she's happy to do.

9. The weather remained perfect (i.e. warm and dry) the whole weekend. In fact, it was scorching. That hot, burning sensation from the sun's rays made me feel like I was being burned. But it made me feel alive. For that, I am oddly grateful.

Review: Hinoki Japanese Restaurant

2011-07-15T15:21:00.077+08:00

The saying goes, "when the cat's away, the mice come out to play". When our third leg, a.k.a the Big Guy, was out and down, the cheeky imp and I met and gorged ourselves with delicious Japanese food.

Without a doubt, that lady and I share uncanny similar wavelengths. Case in point: we can literally walk anywhere in comfortable footware, we cannot stand inconsiderate people (such as those who are not at all remorseful about being late), we watch out for others (for example: she texted me to ensure I could find my way and stood outside the restaurant to catch me just in case I walked right by), she pre-ordered sashimi, sushi and grilled fish, which were exactly what I wanted, and I could go on more but I know you are really just waiting to hear my views about Hinoki.

Weeell, it was my first time at Hinoki and first time eating the food prepared by Chef Gary Ng. I enjoyed his platter of sashimi and his over-generous drapings of fish over sushi rice. The aburi salmon belly was tender and oily; no sauce needed. He insisted serving us each a whole mebaru, which belonged to the rockfish family, grilled with salt. The fish meat was firm and sweet and could go terribly wrong if it was not fresh. In general, the food was really decent, above average and I was stuffed at the end of the meal! Trust that I will be back.

The restaurant was relatively quiet so we had full on attention by the men behind the counter. While we could do with a little bit of privacy, they played their part in making the night so fun. I bantered with them non-stop. I think the imp was highly amused to see a different side of me and for the record, I blame the little bit of sake I had.

My mom says...

2011-07-15T08:33:00.001+08:00

She might have just been keeping a cat in disguise all these years.

Yes, I love my fish. (:

Happy Friday and weekend ahead people! Mine started just 12 hours ago.

xoxo

Sunday #28

2011-07-10T23:31:00.003+08:00

Mine started off pretty awful, seeing me say a rather sad silent goodbye to a person I thought was a friend. Well, I was glad I decided to end the negativity right away and get on with my life.

“Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach

So off I went into a lovely lunch at Santi (more on that later), followed up by a short catch up with the Imp. We missed the big man and black local kopi at Tong Ah. But oh well, our alternative, mainly to escape the unforgiving heat, was just as good, if a bit of a more feminine choice. Who knew canned lychees, mint and lime mixed with tea would taste so refreshing? You must try the summer ice tea from The Plain @ Craig Road. It was just perfect for the scorching afternoon weather.

Finally, what else could have ended my Sunday (at this current moment) better than more trip planning and wanderlust about the land of pasta? Sigh... (:

Meantime, I'll relive the delicious brunch I had at Artichoke (I love that man Bjorn Shen!).

Artichoke - Smoked Salmon with beetroot tzatziki sauce

Hope your Sunday was filled with good memories too. Sweet dreams folks!

Review: L'Aterlier de Joel Robuchon

2011-07-09T00:34:00.003+08:00

Dinner 2 July 2011

Sorry for the delay. So the reveal of where I went when I last dressed up! L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Definitely not your everyday restaurant, you would agree with me. But I did have an occasion worthy of a splurge :)

Hmm, the food was fairly decent, mostly well accepted and slightly above average but I would hesitate to say fantastic.

Okay, I take that back and I preface the following that it is purely coincidental that the top two dishes that came to mind belong to the dessert category. First the souffle - texture was AMUHZING. And maybe the pre-dessert coconut sorbet. It had a toasty, nutty, coconutty flavor, and texture was smooth and it was not too sweet. Oh, and DON'T order the langoustine. It was expensive and unspectacular.

But what I did love was the strong visual appeal that most of the dishes delivered and noticeably, the strong energy and vibe about the place and the people. To be frank, I had a bit of an attitude that night but the energy lifted me out of that somewhat. It helped that I was having such a contemporary meal with a fellow foodie so passionate about his food. I enjoyed the interesting discussions we had around each dish.

At multiple points through the dinner, the restaurant crew would break out into a birthday song, in French no less, to the birthday boy / girl. True to the casual spirit I suppose. Yes, I was also celebrating a birthday that night. Our friendly server 'complained' he had to be a singer too. Eight times just that evening alone. Heehee.

Beware of overly pretentious waiters, though I suspect they might be forced to have to speak English with a smattering of French accent before they could work there. Oh well, I just try to have fun trying to imitate them.

Would I come back again? Most definitely, if the occasion calls for it. The petit portion menu is a long list of interesting dishes that I hope to try more of.

And happy birthday D!

Playing Dre$$ Up

2011-07-03T09:40:00.000+08:00

I have been (shamelessly) wanting to jump on the "Playing Dre$$ Up" bandwagon started by the talented R from The Pleasure Monger. After all, I love dressing up and really wish Singaporeans would make some effort to dress up even just a little. Most of the time I feel overdressed >.< Sigh, but I've learnt to care less about what others may think of me. Heehee.

Just last night I had a chance to dress up for a dinner at one of the celebrity restaurants (*cue to roll eyes*) in Singapore. I debated over a few dresses and decided on something slightly more formal yet not stern. So, out went the chili red toga bubble dress (too party-ish, although I am looking forward to an appropriate occasion to don this!) and the skin-tight bandage dress (how to eat in this dress??).

The final get-up is a combination of:
1. vintage-inspired prom dress from ASOS.com (< S$ 50)
2. chunky statement necklace from Haji lane (sorry, can't remember which shop exactly but it is opposite Soon Lee) (S$ 49)
3. Gold strappy heels (on sale from Tangs; my sister's :P)

Not seen, but I was carrying a Kate Spade black clutch with smallish gold studs that I bought on sale on 50% discount a couple of years ago, waaaay before TPL's time.

And yes, I was the 'dressiest' in the restaurant. SIGH!

Review: Penang Road Cafe

2011-06-30T10:59:00.006+08:00

It is barely 11am and it has been pouring since 7:30am. The office is cold and the tasks at hand are tedious and daunting. I am procrastinating and feeling sort of peckish since 45 minutes ago. Suddenly I wish I could teleport a big bowl of steaming hot Penang assam laksa right in front of me.

Copious amounts of mackeral, some shredded but some intentional large chunks, soup just lightly sour enough to further whet up my appetite and not extremely sweet though additional 'hay gor' could be added if one so has a sweeter tooth. A big bowl it was, but don't be misled because the quantity of noodles were just nice for me.

Penang Road Cafe
Novilla Ville (opposite Novena Church)
Tel: +65 6256 3218

Closed Mondays

Fashion Moment: Shopping time!

2011-06-30T09:55:00.000+08:00

Ok I'm going to attempt to sell some of my items on this blog.
If you trust my style and taste, check it out :)

http://www.m-eats.com/p/fashion.html

Review: Happy Crab

2011-06-26T00:56:00.001+08:00

I don't know how the crab could be happy dead but at least it did not die in vain. *smiles*

At $25 for the king size crab (out of 3 sizes on sale), the crab was about 700-800 grams and full of creamy and rich roe. The meat was slightly overcooked but was sweet and fresh. Not to mention, the seasoning on the crab was salty and moreish. What I did not like was the crab wasn't cleaned fully on the insides so the dead man's fingers were all intact and if you are extra lucky like me, some mud left to prove it's a mud crab.

Credit goes to the man from Recent Runes who suggested dinner at this casual eatery. I may be taking too much liberty to speak on behalf of the Imp but I think we really enjoyed the night.

What's there not to like? We had a couple of bottles of white wines that paired beautifully with the crab, and drunken in Riedel glasses no less. Then dessert was an amalgamation of sweet things brought with love. There were four cakes bought by the imp from our local patisserie and she didn't just bring cakes but made sure we had proper metal utensils and printed napkins to boot! Only she will take all the trouble to do this. Thank you my dear friend. The cakes were surprisingly decent (I say that because we started with low expectations). Our favorite was definitely the matcha pound.

(my) Highlights of the night included the imp taking TWO bites of my macaron of rose and lychee. I know she doesn't have much of a sweet tooth so thank you for indulging! Ivan, whose mac standard is uber high, shot it down as expected :)

I also had the luxury of tasting my first malt whiskey liqueur that burned but yet went down smooth and had a subtle coconutty and sweet finish. Delicious!

The conversations were mostly entertaining and funny but some parts were solemn and taught me a few lessons, mainly, to always be myself and not compromise!

The night was decidedly fun when we adjourned to Fatty Weng a couple of doors down to have meal #2. Lovely "yau ma tei" and deep fried oyster. Hmmm.

I am on a diet to lose a couple of kilos but for a night like this, my diet can take a day off.

Happy Crab
Guillemard Village
102 Guillemard Road
Singapore 399719

Recipe: Rose and Lychee Macarons

2011-06-24T08:28:00.086+08:00

Well, I got on the macaron baking bug a couple of weeks ago, starting with a recipe I got off a trusted blog (refer to my first post here). It could be considered a success and I was exhilarated.

On the second attempt however, my macarons flopped big time, deflating literally, including my ego as well. I pressed ahead, marketing them as meringue sandwiches instead :) After all, I made really yummy salted caramel, courtesy of Pierre Herme, for the filling. I say, anything with that damn caramel would be tasty!

But secretly, I was disappointed with the results. I refused to say die and tried baking the damn 'rons for the third time, just one day after. This time, I made some slight modifications. Luckily, third time's a charm and them salted caramel macarons turned out relatively unscathed. Not the best, but definitely not a disaster.

Inspired by the "new" recipe, I embarked on my fourth macaron baking attempt. Out came my spanking new bottles of rose and lychee flavorings and with a tiny touch of red food coloring, I got lovely rose shells and a lychee buttercream. I am fairly confident the modified recipe is relatively fail proof (barring any uncontrollable acts of God a.k.a. atmospheric and weather conditions of course) and here I'm sharing with you so you can go forth and start your own macaron obsessions.

Ingredients for shells (makes 10-12 macarons)

75 grams finely ground almond (I bought mine from Phoon Huat)
75 grams icing sugar
56 grams aged egg white (egg white that had been left out at room temperature for at least 2 days)
red food coloring (1 tsp for liquid, 1 tip of a toothpick if you are using powder)
1 tsp rose flavoring
75 grams granulated sugar
19 grams plain water

1. Sift ground almonds and icing sugar together into a medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Place egg white into a stainless steel mixing bowl. Add red food coloring and rose flavor into the egg white, and start whisking on medium until lightly frothy and soft peaks are formed. Set aside and start preparing sugar syrup.

3. Place granulated sugar with water in a saucepan that is easily managed as you need to pour the syrup into your egg white mixture.

4. Boil on low heat until sugar is melted and a thick syrup is formed. Strictly speaking, you want to achieve a soft-ball candy stage (about 114C) but in the absence of a food thermometer, I find you can eye-ball it.

5. When you get a thick syrup with a consistency almost in between maple syrup and honey, remove from heat immediately and slowly drizzle down the sides of your mixing bowl containing the egg whites, continuously whisking on medium speed.

6. After all the syrup has been incorporated, turn up the speed to high, beat for another 3-4 minutes until the egg whites become glossy and stiff peaks are formed. The true test is to turn the mixing bowl upside down, nothing should move or fall out.

7. Whisk in 1/4 egg white into your dry ingredients and blend until a thick paste is formed.

8. Repeat with another 1/4 egg white and slowly start to lighten the paste with a "folding and turning" motion.

9. Do the same with another 1/4 egg white and your paste should slowly be more lava-like. Before you add the last 1/4 egg white, test your batter's consistency. If you scoop and drop some batter, does it disappear slowly say in 15 seconds? If yes, you are good. If no, add a bit more egg white to further lighten up the batter. If the converse is true, i.e. the batter disappears very quickly (in like 5 seconds), you have over beaten the batter and you will not have success. Don't throw out the mixture - bake them as you would and you have made almond meringue cookies :)

10. Once your batter is ready, put them into a piping bag and a 0.9cm to 1cm tip. Pipe them about 1.5 inches (I use the length of time I used to say "1,2,3") and about 1.5 inches apart. They will spread slightly. I bought Silpats which are God-send except they don't exactly fit into my oven properly. I only recently found they sell non-stick baking paper (I bought mine at Phoon Huat as well). DON'T USE REGULAR PARCHMENT PAPER unless you want to send them into the trash bin :)

11. Most bakers reecommend banging the sheet of piped macarons a few hundred times to remove the air bubbles. I tried doing it, and not doing it. The 'banged' ones turned out flatter with a smoother surface. The 'unbanged' ones didn't spread out as much and had a more rounded look but a rougher surface. Take your pick.

12. Leave the macarons to air until a skin is formed. In the Singapore environment, I leave them out for at least 50 minutes. Touch them lightly and they should not stick to your fingers. That's when they are ready. Meantime, you can prepare your buttercream (see below).

13. Preheat oven right about 45 minutes into your waiting game. This will save you some electricity. Preheat oven to 160C and then bake your macarons for about 14-15 minutes. They are done when you touch them and they are lightly springy. For the flatter macarons, bake them ~1 minute less.

14. Remove from oven when ready and let cool completely before filling them shells with the buttercream.

Ingredients for Lychee Buttercream

120 grams unsalted butter, softened
1.5 tsp lychee flavoring
3 cups of icing sugar

1. Beat butter with 2 cups of sugar and lychee flavoring.
2. add more sugar if neccessary to achieve a good frosting consistency.

15. Identify similar sized shells and start pairing them side by side.

16. Pipe (or if you are lazy like me, use a teaspoon) a generous dollop of buttercream down the middle of the one side of the shell. "Kiap" with other shell.

17. Age in the fridge overnight. The shells will soften and meld with the cream and you will have a lovely lovely macaron to eat.

Weekend 24

2011-06-20T08:16:00.004+08:00

This weekend saw me waking up early on Saturday with a busy day ahead. It started with a DIY mani pedi session; can't wait to break into my new OPI color (in "walk in barcelona" if you must know). Such a sweet nude color with a slight pink undertone. I accompanied the folks to the bank and encouraged them to walk the two blocks instead of the wheels. So the trio took the opportunity to pass through our neighborhood wet market. Oh, how I missed the smells and the colors of life! For a short flutter of moment, I wished I was a a secret home kitchen or SAHW so I could shop for fresh ingredients everyday. Such happiness that would be.

It was off to Jing's in the afternoon. That dear girl with a big heart will be departing for Brazil to take up a Christian leadership course and in her honor, we had a farewell get-together where she requested macarons, specifically salted caramel ones for her going away pressie. Well, I stayed home Friday night to slog and it turned out what I made was really awesome meringue cookies ! ;) It was a fantastic crowd that afternoon and I hated to leave but I had to rush off to dinner.

It was Dad's birthday and I decided we celebrate his day with a scrummy dinner at The Boathouse. Thanks to D and his suggestions, we had an absolutely wonderful dinner. Note the giant norwegian scallops appetizer was superduper yums, so be sure to order them if you are there.

Wished the night could have ended there because I was sooo sleepy after the heavy meal but no, it was off to the last event of the day, another birthday celebration and this time a young woman fiesty and cool. Happy birthday J - hope you will take our pressie on all your future travels!

Luckily Sunday was more chill. No, not literally as the weather was nothing but scorching. So I was glad I decided to wear my new jumpsuit. Very cooling indeed! Caught up with my friend Alex and Zhen over brunch at PS Cafe Harding and made a new friend in the process. On that note, please avoid PS Cafe on Sundays! It was like a refugee camp at the entrance, crowded with people waiting for their seats. We had to wait a good 40 minutes for ours. Not too bad with good company and conversation. But was it worth it? Well, my caesar salad was good (imagine: chunky crunchy croutons, fresh romaine lettuce, generous shavings of parmesan and ginormous large portion) but not thaaat good.

The weekend ended on a good note. I can't "scrape" the cookie meringue episode from my memory so I had to try again Sunday night. Off to Phoon Huat to stock up on ground almond (note: buy extra fine, not regular). Success never felt so sweet (pun intended)!

How did your weekend go?

Fashion Friday - The Bib

2011-06-17T15:36:00.002+08:00

Bought this neutral bib necklace made of alternating pieces of chiffon and mesh since forever but didn't get a chance to wear it until today. You see, I don't have many plain black clothing (other than a couple of really nice work dresses), and I love bright happy colors. But I have to attend a wake after work so I have to be practically dressed. Admittedly, I still want to make Friday more fun despite needing to don the black garb. Tata! Bib necklace to the rescue. Slightly loud but not in your face, I can easily take it off later just before I reach the solemn event.

Bib Necklace $29.90 Isetan Nex

Recipe: French Macarons

2011-06-11T08:43:00.001+08:00

One can probably learn a few things about me through my blog. For one, I bake more than I cook. And if you drill down my baking repetoire, you'd notice I bake mostly 'fail-proof' and comforting sweet things like cookies, cupcakes, muffins, tea loafs etc.

Once in a while, I might try something a little more challenging but nothing too challenging like French entrements and macarons. Those, I leave them to more accomplished bakers and jealously live vicariously through them and their blogs. I knew I would never attempt those, for the fear of failure. Plus, I am really not a big fan of macarons anyway. They are often much too sweet for my liking.

But recently, an ex-colleague of mine, not a regular baker mind you, attempted to bake macarons and on her third count, she had really decent results. Yes, she MMS'd me the photo evidence so I could tell. Truely, I was really happy at her success. It built up her domestic confidence by tons. At the same time, I cannot help but feel slightly competitive, wondering whether I could do it too. Is it really childish? Sigh, I know!

In any case, I'm grateful that her success provoked me to step out of my comfort zone as I prepared myself for the macaron challenge over the past week. I read and re-read instructions and tips. The only thing I didn't do was to buy proper piping bags and tip. I made do with a plastic bag (bad choice as I could not control the piping properly).

Unfortunately, the first batch of macarons that came out of my oven looked like crap. They cracked up so badly I should have thrown them out and stopped right there. But I didn't and a quick post on FB provided unsolicited but useful tips. And I pressed on with the second batch.

Tata! The second batch turned out pretty decent, I say! Oh, I love Silpats! Removing the macarons was a breeze.

I filled them up with a couple of fillings - peanut buttercream and dark chocolate ganache. Haha, and I don't even like macarons so these test batches are going to D, my guinea pig.

I used a Pierre Herme recipe that I got from here and it looks like I'm going to get to practice again because my good friend Jing has just requested for macarons as her farewell present (she's leaving for bible college, God bless her!). Ooooh, I hope I get better! Next time I'll try rose macarons so I can color the shells and make proper buttercream.

Fashion Friday!

2011-06-10T22:25:00.002+08:00

Inspired: Edible Favors

2011-06-10T16:49:00.000+08:00

I have been surfing too many design and lifestyle blogs. Too many for my own good I want to say, but then if I didn't, I wouldn't have come across these favor ideas! I say if I get married one day, I'll like to make my wedding favor personal and these are some really good ideas!

Fashion Moments

2011-06-04T19:32:00.000+08:00

So I have been really bored and whiling away time in front of the computer. Every site seems to direct me to some half-yearly sale... Well, after indulging in harmless online window shopping that won't hurt my pocket, I have put together some things that caught my eye and caused my heart flutter just a little....


Fendi's Peek-a-boo bag. Not exactly this shade of purple but a bit more plumish would be perfect.

Miu Miu's Tuplip Bag that could also double up as a clutch. For some reason, I am very taken by the peachy gold color, and the cut-out detail on the strap. Tres chic!

Fend's Multicolor Sandals. The pseudo-wedge look is an updated twist to the classic wedge look and I love the bright colors.

YSL Y Clutch from the ChYc line. I like its no frills classic look that is updated with a subtle and understated Y logo in tortoise.

Balenciaga's Classic ballerina in Cloud. What a lovely color!

Five Things

2011-05-30T07:51:00.000+08:00

It had been a rough week so it was good I chanced upon Lady J's post about remembering five things that made her happy this week. Reflecting upon the week, I realise I do have so many things to be grateful for.

#1: Girlfriends

Specifically I want to shout out to Zhen, Sam and Jas. They were my primary school classmates and I am truly blessed with a long-lasting friendship. There's another Jas, in Germany, whom I called in the middle of the night as she was probably the only person awake. She is my ex-colleague, a couple of years younger than me but tons more wiser and rationale.

#2: Dave

He is really one of my bestest friend. A patient and caring person, he didn't really need to listen to all my shit but he did and I'm grateful he didn't judge and remained objective all the time.

#3: Tweet Peeps

You probably won't understand if you are not a twitterer but I am grateful the community gave me support and encouragement when I needed them. Again, @faerieimp @ladyj_musings @yannisms @missene. Thank you ladies.

#4: Grooming Salon

There's nothing more pampering than a session at the salon. I really like having a professional wash and blow my hair neatly into position. Then there's the nails. If I didn't have weak nails, or feel so guilty about indulging, I would make sure I have immaculate nails every single day.

#5: Mom

Despite lacking details, she quietly remained by my side, for me to hug and cry my eyes out.

Above all, He who provided these pillars of support. For which I'm eternally grateful.

Review: Graze at Martin No. 38

2011-05-29T17:46:00.016+08:00

It has been a while since D and I had time for dinner together. I was needing a break from stuff and he happened to be available so off to Graze at Martin No. 38 we went.

First, let me talk about the interior design because I REALLY like it. To put it simply, it was modern chic with an understated style. The overall design and color theme are so clean and neat - grey, with touches of white and black. Besides, open kitchens are so yesterday and I dig the enclosed kitchen sans the service window. The icing on the cake? The lovely big and long island that served as a service station. Ah, such a dream kitchen :)

The lone flower on the dining table appealed to the girlish side of me. Water glasses are branded Acqua Panna, and they have a really unique shape that ooze coolness.

Enough about the design and onto the food. I was, for God-knows-what reason, craving for
Caesar's salad. The good about the salad? Two substantial slices of fragrant garlic butter toast and the fact that the leaves weren't overdressed / overcreamy. The rest was rather forgettable. Still it satisfied my odd salad craving.

The barramundi was a surprisingly good dish. The skin was uber crispy, yet the fish remained moist and tender, not overcooked at all. The ample vegetables at the bottom adopted an Asian slant, mainly pea and bean sprouts. The creamy green chili almond mayo was a little overwhelming just by the sheer quantity served but little bits of it did add complementary flavors to the dish.

I suppose the restaurant would be such a lovely place in the day, with daylight coming in.

Martin No. 38
38 Martin Road
Tel: (65) 6509 1680

A Learning Point!

2011-05-25T15:21:00.003+08:00

Fashion: Work Tote

2011-05-03T10:30:00.000+08:00

The new work laptop is bigger than what I was used to and because I am expected to do more travelling with the new job, I figured it would be practical to get a bag that would double up as a handbag and a laptop bag.

The Mulberry Bayswater has always been on the radar for me because it was big and spacious and looked sturdy. Feeling indulgent, I intended to splurge on one over the weekend. Alas, the neutral beige color was not available in the stores. I could get it online, but the metrosexual male friend didn't think too much of it so that kinda threw me off the Bayswater route.

The next best choice, which was really by pure accident that I chanced upon it, was this beauty which cost 1/3rd but more importantly, looked sturdy and work-worthy. Can't wait for its arrival!

credit: net-a-porter

Food Review: Hokkaido Sushi

2011-04-30T07:37:00.002+08:00

One thing about social media that I'm grateful for, is the online community that I inevitably establish through the years. Believe it or not, even behind the comfort of the internet, I could more or less figure out with which personality I could click. Of course, there's also the possibility that online friendships sometimes blossom into face to face ones too, once the initial (major) hurdle of the first meeting is past.

Now I say this upfront, I am really selective with whom I choose to meet up with. No point when there is no feel. When I received Ivan's invitation to have a meet-up dinner with the himself and the Farieimp, I readily agreed. It just felt right and I couldn't wait to meet this smart talking and sophisticated impish lady.

Choosing the dinner venue was easy despite all our very high foodie standards. We all love Japanese food, knew Chef Thomas from his Tomo days, and we have all not been to Hokkaido in a while. So there we met, shot, ate and made merry. Food was certainly decent although this time, I might have been more enthusiastic about the company instead.

The imp is just who I thought she would be - confident, wicked sense of humor and totally honest. I am looking forward to the next session indeed.

Fashion: Lace flats

2011-04-10T18:21:00.000+08:00

I learnt an expensive lesson recently, when I went shopping with an existing blister and in a pair of heels. I tell you, that is a really bad combination that caused me to only focus on getting a new pair of shoes that I could change into to soothe the pain. But I'm pleased :)

Review: L'Operetta

2011-04-10T11:13:00.000+08:00

I first read about L'Operetta from ieat's blog and there I saw a photo a Japanese chef, Seita, whom I got to know when he was previously at Alba. I wanted to say hi to him and so when the mood for pizza struck, I wasted no time to check out this new kid on the block, whose unique selling point is, I'm guessing, its attempt to achieve Vera Pizza Napoletana certification. [I'm not going to repeat what you can already find out from Google or ieat's post.]

More importantly, how did the pizza fare? Just to share, I usually benchmark across the simplest of pizzas so it's either margherita (mozzarella, tomato and basil) or napoletian (same, but with additional anchovies). Here I ordered the latter.

The crust was quite thin and the texture was similar to an Indian naan, in a good way. I was expecting quite a bit more mozzarella (if you compare against ieat's magherita, there appears to be an inconsistency). Same goes for the anchovies. A very generous drizzle of olive oil, while welcomed, made the base quite soggy, as the oil would seep through the sides of the wedges, right into and under the base. That resulted in droopy wedges of rather oily pizza. Perhaps if the base was slightly thicker, there would be some structure retained.

So while I cannot really make a conclusion based on 1 visit and 1 pizza, I was not totally blown away by this one. I wouldn't write it off; the restaurant is gorgeous (relative to the rest of Boat Quay) and the rest of the menu appears interesting as well. But for the moment, my two favourite pizzas are still from Gattopardo and Pizzeria Mozza.

L'Operetta
78,79 Boat Quay (furthest from the UOB Plaza)
Singapore 049866
64382482

Review: Pizzeria Mozza

2011-04-02T00:14:00.006+08:00

Finally, a very decent American-Italian style pizzeria by way of Mario Batali's Pizzeria Mozza located at Marina Bay Sands!

The name of the restaurant implies the specialties - pizza and mozzarella cheese. We ordered the caprese, which was pathetically small to share between three people. I say that because it was delicious. Creamy with a subtle milky flavour, the cheese paired well with the pesto and sweet vine tomatoes.

We also ordered the bell peppers stuffed with tuna and a generous dose of olive oil which begged for some bread to mop up. The peppers and tuna were tasty enough together, nothing spectacular though.

Seeing how small the dishes were, we ordered a third appetizer, grilled squid with chickpeas. Succulent chargrilled squid with a beautiful smokey flavour was delicious. Again, I wished the portions were just a tad bigger.

Then the pizzas arrived. These possessed a sturdy and olive-oil enriched crust that was crispy / crunchy, but yielded to a chewy and airy texture. Here below is the funghi pizza. I wished it had less crust though. But overall, a very delicious mix of mushrooms and herbs and florentine cheese on really delicious bread.

We ordered another one, this time, one with plain tomato base topped with white anchovies. Generous serving of anchovies, which were too salty on its own, but made a good foil against the rest of the pizza.

There are tons of other pizza combinations that were tempting me to return asap. But until the next occasion, I can only anticipate.

Pizzaria Mozza was packed and seems to remain that way, so ideally try to make a reservation. However, there are counter seats for walk-ins, so I guess you could still take a chance.

Pizzeria Mozza
Marina Bay Sands Casino

Food Review: Uncle Leong Seafood

2011-03-18T23:46:00.002+08:00

My family loves crab and very often would have crabs for special occasions. The most recent one being in celebration of my sister's birthday.

She had raved about the creamy butter crab at Uncle Leong seafood before and wanted the rest of us to try it for ourselves too. So off we went one weekend armed without a reservation (none taken actually). Good thing we were early (6:30pm) so we got seated right away.

We were there for the crabs so we had a couple of orders - a crab bee hoon and a shimmery golden sand crab. Just to add variety and to satisfy the brother who did not wish to use his hands (!), some average oatmeal prawns and really yum kang kong.

The shimmery golden sand crab was what we had all came for to try. It had a creamy sauce so thick it coagulated almost instantaneously. Quite gross actually, but after the first taste, I found myself getting quite addicted to the moreish sauce that was lightly flavored with hints of laksa leaves, white pepper, butter and cream. It was a little sweet too but not too much. I don't really like sweet on savory (think teriyaki). The fried mini mantous were also very soft and crispy and made very good vehicles to carry the sauce. To proof the point, we had multiple re-orders of mantous :)

The crab bee hoon on the other hand, was the lesser of my favourite. The broth was sweet with essence of crab but just a tad too milky and carnation-milk sweet for me. The crab was well cooked and plenty of bee hoon to go around. My sister preferred Uncle Leong's to Melben, but me, it was the converse. Goes to show how subjective taste is really.

The kang kong was done very well. The sambal was spicy with distinct dried shrimps used in the concoction. The vegetables were tender and yet not cooked to death nor oily. Luckily I didn't order rice or I would have wished I had more kang kong to go along with it.

The oatmeal prawns was the only disappointment. They leaned toward the smaller size and was slightly overcooked. It was also pretty expensive for the quantity served ($20 / 10 medium to small prawns).

Nonetheless, the most important thing for us was that Uncle Leong's crabs made my sister one happy diner. For me, I thought the creamy crab was quite unforgettable really and I can't wait to have another crab feast again.

Uncle Leong Seafood
Blk 233 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3

Food Review: Donna Carmela

2011-02-20T12:05:00.002+08:00

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood that is Pasir Panjang, Donna Carmela is an Italian restaurant decked out in a bungalow. It serves up a wide array of standard (Singapore) Italian fare and wines at pretty reasonable prices. I guess that's the competitive edge of Donna Carmela, that and its quaint little location.

Expectedly, we had a lot of average food. We had two generic bread rolls (one each) in a basket, served shortly after ordering. Kudos that they were at least warm.

Not before long, our appetizers, we had caprese and smoked salmon carpaccio, came along.

Between the two, I liked the caprese better. Ironically, the salmon carpaccio was ordered for my sake, I think. :)

For our mains, we both chose pastas to satisfy the carb monster in us. It was tagiatelle with mushrooms and truffle sauce for the friend. It had robust mushroom flavour, topped with a bit of truffle oil. Alas I preferred the pasta to cook for a couple more minutes. I had the cheese ravioli with tomato basil sauce.Very ordinary.

While the food was average, the portions were fairly generous i.e. we did not have room for dessert! Plus, the service team was nice and polite. They seemed to struggle to keep up when the restaurant got busier, which isn't much of a biggie; just a little patience required.

I heard so much about this place from a couple of friends before so I was kinda glad to have finally checked it out. Admittedly, Donna Carmela has its own charms - the off the beaten track location, the bungalow house setting - very quaint and just the kind of place perfect for a casual date for you who is looking for ideas :)

(pardon the quality of photos; used a iphone 4 in poor lighting)

Donna Carmela

242 Pasir Panjang Road
Pasir Panjang Village

Tel: +65 6476 3242

Fashion: Anthropologie

2011-02-05T20:18:00.000+08:00

So much for trying to save money. I seem to be able to find something to shop for all the time! Photographs of my latest buys from Anthropologie where there is a sale going on. Go on, check it out!

Food Review: Goto

2011-02-02T15:11:00.003+08:00

Recently, I introduced a couple of church friends to Goto. We went for lunch one Saturday and I was surprised we were the only customers that afternoon. The food was expectedly well put-together, i.e. good quality ingredients and well executed.

I found the portions just sufficient to be satisfied. I say this only because I found the dinner course to be an overload of food for me. $68 + for lunch isn't cheap but in exchange for a mini kaseiki meal of a certain calibre, it is worth a splurge once in a while.

Left: Stewed soybeans and konnyaku
Right: Broiled prawn with egg yolk, bamboo with miso, spinach with sesame seed

Sashimi
Clockwise: Hamachi, Hirame, Salmon

Nimono
Simmered vegetables (taro, daikon, carrot and sweet pea) and Gluten with yuzu miso sauce

Tempura with seaweed salt
Burdock, asparagus, sweet potato, squid, seabass

Cold Udon


Dessert Platter From left: warm mochi with azuki beans, pineapple and strawberry, macha ice cream

Food Review: Ming Kee Live Seafood

2011-01-29T21:45:00.001+08:00

I am a big fan of the dry type of crab bee hoon and if you are a fan as well, you would know the two most talked about crab bee hoon restaurants are Sin Huat and Ming Kee.

Well, I blogged about Sin Huat before. In short, the thick bee hoon had robust flavour and "wok hei", while the crab remained succulent. There were lots of roe, in small dough-like lumps but they were chewy and overcooked.

So what about Ming Kee's? You might ask.

Well, the crab itself was huge but didn't possess much roe. That, plus I suspect the broth which was used to "kong" (simmer) the noodles was not very flavorful either, resulted in a dish that fell short of all that expectations built up from various other reviews. I would choose Sin Huat's over Ming Kee's anyday.

That said, what I would return for at Ming Kee are the following:

1. Fried fish skin. They were thin, freshly fried until crispy and seasoned just enough to require the soy sauce dip that comes with the dish. I'm going to order two of this next time. One for me.

2. Fried mee sua with seafood. These noodles were so much better with great flavor and generous amounts of seafood.

That sums up my meal at Ming Kee. Any other crab bee hoon places to recommend?

Food Review: Bistro Soori

2011-01-25T13:02:00.001+08:00

This lovely little restaurant is the come-back child of local chef Jimmy Chok. In the day, I love how I could see the modern backdrop while dining in a retrofitted traditional shophouse.

The restaurant is lovely with simple brown and white tones, clean and elegant look. Low back cushioned arm chairs felt comfortable unless I found it a little too high and I had to do a hunch and bendover all through the meal.

I was looking forward to my first meal at Bistro Soori and when my business lunch date didn't turn up on time, I got worried she perhaps couldn't find the place. Her cell phone ring tone revealed she was out of country and I just felt disappointed and embarrassed that I might have to walk out of the restaurant alone after sitting there for 20 minutes.

But I was glad I stayed to have lunch alone. The cream of mushroom soup, which could be thicker and more robust in flavour, was generous and did a good job in warming me up.

The main course of cod fish was well cooked if not quite ordinary.

Dessert was a strawberry dessert with sweet and thick balsamic syrup and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I loved the contrasting textures and tastes but wished they served better ice cream that did not taste like Wall's. Not that there is anything wrong with Wall's but not in a classy restaurant I thought.

Lunch concluded with Nespresso coffee served with an interesting milk container that reminded me of something not so appropriate to mention here.

My lonesome affair felt like a welcomed respite when compared to the dread of going back to the grind.

Bistro Soori offers classic, no frills food and a much needed break away from the world, even just for a couple of hours.

Food Review: Forty Hands

2011-01-23T20:36:00.003+08:00

Safe to say that this will be the umpteenth review on this coffee place but I just have to add my version as well because it is not often that a cafe makes a deep impression.

I am not going to give you the long story about the origin of the place, blah, blah; all that can be found on their website here.

But what I will tell you is that the surrounding neighbourhood that the cafe is tucked within has such a quaint and retro feel that I felt like time has stopped. Old-fashion provision and coffee shops lace the streets. I saw regulars sitting around, enjoying their afternoon coffee break, not in a rush to go anywhere. I enjoyed my walk around the streets, peering into the shops as much as I did enjoy my latte (S$5) and my truffled mushroom sandwich ($9) in the cafe.

I am glad that the cafe is enjoying so much attention. As it draws foodies and coffee enthusiasts from afar, such as myself, the beauty of the old Tiong Bahru estate could be discovered as well.

Forty Hands
Blk 78 Yong Siak Street #01-12 Singapore

Tel: +65 6225 8545

Win a pair of tickets to Art Stage Singapore

2011-01-13T08:01:00.000+08:00

http://www.artstagesingapore.com

Yesterday was just a crazy day with the launch of Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (and some say Asia)'s premier art fair!

I had a preview and let me tell you, the galleries and works are pretty amazing. I am not really an arty-farty sort of person, can barely tell different mediums and styles, but to me, the works are still pretty eye-opening. I would not have expected anything less from such a reowned art fair director (Lorenzo Rudolf).

Let's hope this fair will propel Singapore onto the international radar screen of the arts industry :)

Anyways, you can check out details here: http://www.artstagesingapore.com/

BUT, dear M-eats.com followers, I have a pair (2) of tickets to give away. Just leave a comment on this post by 14 Jan, Friday, 6pm with a note on your thoughts about the current arts industry in Singapore and how you envision it to be in, say, 10 years' time. I am curious! Anyway, most interesting and visionary answer win those tickets!

Hope to get your comments fast and furious :)

Cheers!

No Signboard (Geylang)

2011-01-01T17:41:00.001+08:00

My first meal out in 2011 was at No Signboard (Geylang) and I was glad it was a good one. There were some folks from overseas who were in town and we wanted to bring them somewhere good to eat chilli crab and other local tze char dishes. We chose No Signboard because we have not been there before and heard a lot of good reviews about the food at the Geylang branch (the original).

There were eight of us so we managed to order quite a number of dishes. The prices are above average but luckily, the quality of the food compensated and I was happy the guests seemed to enjoy the dishes too. Alas, I did not take any pictures because I was quite shy in front of strangers. But here's my take on what we ate:

1. Chilli Crab ($45/kg): Crab was cooked perfectly well. The crab was also cracked open at the right places that I didn't really need any mechanical assistance. There was plenty of sauce for the man tou to dip into. The sauce was neither too starchy nor spicy, which was good to me in fact. But it lacked a certain depth and complexity.

2. White Pepper Crab ($45/kg): Again, the crab was cooked very well. It was "fall off the shell" tender! Together with the white pepper sauce was lots of spring onions and they really complemented the fresh crab meat.

3. Cereal Prawn ($40/med): There were about 16 medium prawns. I requested to deshell the prawns, leaving the heads and tails on so we could skip the shelling process. I could also then eat the whole thing head and tail. The prawns were fresh and not overcooked. They were very generous with the cereal as well, deep fried and crispy with aromatic buttery tones.

4. Fried Baby Squid ($15/med): well done - crispy little squid coated with sweet black sauce. Hit the mark.

5. Salad You Tiao ($15/med): Many places over-fry the you tiao but here, they were fried to a nice golden brown and the squid paste to you tiao ratio was good so you could taste both ingredients and the squid paste was still "Q" .

6. Sambal Kang Kong ($? / large): Tender stalks of vegetables were cooked with a spicy and fragrant sambal. Not too oily at all. Wished there was more to go around.

7. Venion with Ginger and Spring Onion ($35/large): I didn't try them but the guests walloped them pretty quickly so I think the dish couldn't be too bad.

8. Fried Mantou (4 mini ones/order): they were okay; could be more crispy.

9. Fried Ee-fu noodles ($17/med): It was just enough for each of us to have a small bowl of noodles. Simply fried with straw mushrooms, the noodles were cooked until al dente, a feat in my opinion, and absorbed the tasty stock. It made a decent carb dish to fill us up a bit more.

So there you go, my first experience with No Signboard. We spent about $41 / head (all-in). I heard the other branches are not as good. I don't know if there is any truth to that, but I'm inclined to stick to the Geylang branch.

No Signboard (Geylang)
416 Geylang Road
Tel: 6842 3415
Valet Parking available

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:46:00.001+08:00

Here's to another new year of inspiration, fulfillment, joy and love!

2010 was a good one filled with good eats and satisfying the wanderlust to Spain, India and China. 2011 is not looking bad. I will be back to Japan and most likely pay a re-visit to the east coast of USA. Hit me with recommendations!

Food Review: Matsu

2010-12-28T22:08:00.001+08:00

You know that feeling of familiarity when you bump into a long forgotten acquaintance or friend? That was how I felt when I was having lunch at Matsu.

Matsu may not ring an immediate bell but you could probably remember Shibaken, a Japanese French restaurant located at the second level of the Gallery hotel. I believe that at one point in time, Shibaken was pretty popular, no doubt brought by its interesting concept (Japanese take on classical French cuisine) and unique restaurant layout (sushi-bar counter style ala L'Atelier). But it never really made it and then it fell off the radar. Later, the original chef left as well.

Matsu is the newer version of Shibaken and named after Matsu-san, one of the original chefs from the old restaurant and now the executive chef at the new restaurant. His food is no longer just about classical French techniques but more contemporary and lighter on the palate as well.

At lunch, there was 3 different sets to choose from, good for different budgets and levels of hunger. I chose the bamboo set, $48++ with 4 courses.

Course 1: Appetizers which comprised of marinated mushrooms, capellini with pesto, Japanese turnip puree with fromage blanc (an acquired taste this one is), amberjack sashimi with coriander dressing and ume jelly (this was super yums!), salad and foie gras mousse on a half-homemade bun that the boy got to enjoy on my behalf.

Course 2: Cream of cauliflower soup that had a wonderful creamy texture that you know is pure goodness and not thickened artificially by flour and what-not.

Course 3: this was the main course, and I chose the baked salmon in filo and burnt butter caper sauce out of the four options. Unfortunately the salmon was slightly overdone, but nonetheless, it was still quite enjoyable particularly with the tart capers. The potato gratin on the side was cold and just not as good as it could be.

Course 4: dessert was matcha pound cake with azuki bean paste and homemade lentil ice cream. There was little synergy between the two items except that the ice cream had a beany powdery texture that matched the cake and red bean paste. Dessert was probably the weakest point of the meal.

We were the only people during the lunch service on Saturday. Maybe because of the lack of a crowd, we had the attention of the friendly restaurant manager, Connie, who chatted with us extensively throughout. After the meal, we hung out a little bit, talking to Matsu-san and another chef, Shaun (or is it Sean?) about knives among other things. It was a lovely lunch really. Now that I rediscovered Matsu, I wouldn't mind going back more often.

Mumbai: Britannia & Co.

2010-12-22T08:18:00.001+08:00

Even if it was right after a late-ish brunch, my colleague could not resist showing me to another place, an institution marked by its retro-checked tablecloth, creaky wooden chairs, cocktail-style-folded serviettes, dusty metal-bladed fans, peeling paint and finally, the four generations of Parsi-owners working in the restaurant. For some reason, Britannia reminded me much of our own Colbar.

low tech

We were full, it was less than 1.5 hours since we ingested any food. But we were there and Bombay duck was actually available (it was not available previously when my colleague ate there). We had to eat!

BOMBAY DUCK??

Did you know that Bombay duck is actually not a duck dish? Well, I found out it is a fish, coated with a fragrant spice rub, and small enough to be deep-fried whole and could be eaten bones and all. Somewhat like sardines, but less fishy and very moist and soft. Most of the bones were soft enough to chew through and swallow. The spice rub was very addictive and despite being very oily, I wished I could eat more.

Berry vegetable pulao

The colleague needed some substantial food (read: carb) and he ordered a special berry veg pulao (pilaf), which essentially is similar to a briyani, but tossed with dried cranberries and a mixed vegetable masala. It was very tasty, but again, anything cooked with much ghee would not taste too bad. There were three fried potato balls on the sides and contrary to what I thought, they were unfortunately not very memorable.

old school fans

cocktail fan-styled serviettes

entrance

Britannia is one of those rare gems and long standing restaurants that oozes with history and memories. Recommended!

Opposite New Customs House,
Ballard Estate Fort City, Mumbai
Phone: 022/2261-5264

Paris: L'Arpège (***)

2010-11-09T21:00:00.000+08:00

On route back from Spain, I stopped over in Paris to visit a dear friend SW and her family who kindly hosted my stay. We are both big foodies and took the opportunity to check out L'Arpège, a 3* Michelin restaurant by Alain Passard. He created a big hoo-ha back in early 2000s when he decided to focus his cuisine on vegetables. Following shortly, he bought and developed a farm to grow vegetables especially for his restaurant. The only reason why I was particularly keen to try his food, being the big veg-head that I am, was precisely our mutual love and respect for vegetables. Many of his disciples also picked up the love of vegetables, notably David Kinch from Manresa restaurant and Singapore's own Chef Gunther Hubrechese, whose cuisine reveals his five-year training under Chef Alain Passard at L’Arpège.

I had lunch at the end of July 2010. It was a memorable experience for a few reasons. Firstly, although it is a 3* restaurant, there was not a note of snootiness about the restaurant. Our host was friendly and explained the menu when we had questions. We also had the company of SW's daughter, V, and everyone made sure the little one was catered for as well. Secondly, at L'Arpège, you know vegetables truly reigned when there was a different vegetable on every table, sort of like a table setting, replacing the usual flower in a vase. It was a welcomed change and we had a couple of cute little squashes on ours. Finally and most importantly, the Comte cheese. Oh, I could still relive the moments I was eating the cheese. It would also mark the downfall of all other cheeses that I ate since.

Although the meal was memorable for those reasons, it did not blow me away like I wished it would. I would love to return just for the cheese though.

Amuse 1: Fresh fried waffle chips. Addictively good chips. Little V was so sad when they ran out and could not refill for us. However the manager managed to get us another plate a few minutes later so that was a really nice surprise.

Amuse 2: Tartlets of two varieties. One was a pickled beet with fresh radish and the other was a mousseline and a sweet fruit jam.

Amuse 3: Another tartlet that was a chickpea puree and chopped cucumbers and radishes.

House bread: a dense and thick slice of sourdough bread with big open crumbs. It had a rustic charm and was served with excellent butter that was so creamy and favourful. I normally don't take butter but could not stop eating bread with butter. Just to proof further how good the butter was, Little V ate the butter on its own!

Course 1: Cucumber with oyster mousse. The oyster mousse was extremely fishy in a good way, also extremely rich and creamy but the cucumbers took the edge off. The palates were extremely awakened by this dish.

Glass of French white wine recommended by the sommelier. Crisp and not too dry, it was perfect for most of the dishes.

Course 2: Cold tomato soup with mustard ice cream. This was so good because of the pure clean taste of tomatoes and a richness added by the complementary ice cream.

Complimentary: garden tomatos, shaved beets and asparagus with pesto. The raw vegetables here stood out like shining stars against the black sky. Eating juicy tomatoes was just perfect for a hot summer day in Paris.

Course 3: Ravioli wrapped various finely-diced vegetable fillings, floating in a consommé of celery root. The soup was pure and clean. The raviolis had a skin that was rather bland but the fillings were nicely seasoned. There were so many different vegetables I could not tell them apart. But I remembered tasting some crunch, sweetness, crisp, earthiness, etc. Complexity in simplicity.

Course 4: Garden Pizza. The crust was a pastry crust so it was soft, pliable with buttery notes. There was not a whole lot of cheese, just some shavings. Just some leafy greens, yellow tomatoes and drizzle of olive oil. It was awesome. Little V devoured most of this. I like how Passard "Frenchified" the Italian pizza using French pastry dough as the crust.

Course 5: Sweet Onion Gratin. Buttery notes against the caramelized sweetness from the onions. It tasted like a rich, fibrous sweet and salty onion jam that I could not get enough of.

Course 6: Roasted root vegetables with couscous. Here again the vegetables were cooked in tons of butter and I could do withouh the couscous and half the portion. But the root vegetables shone with natural sugars teased out through the butter poaching.

Couse 7: Sole with pesto sauce. Simple and well executed. The olive oil was fruity and really delicious. More bread was requested so I could soak them up.

Course 8: Cheese "table". Literally, the cheeses sat on a huge slab of wood that was part of a large tree trunk. It was quite a sight really. I was so full at that point and only could manage two.

I had the best Comte cheese ever (right). After a bit of research, I learnt that the supplier is Bernard Anthony, who was discovered by Alain Ducasse and only supplies to the world's best and deserving. I had a three- year old comte, although most people had the four. The cheese had a rich yellow color and a nutty aroma. Upon tasting, I found that the cheese had the tiniest crystals embedded within, a result of aging and the crystals melted on the tongue and exploded the mouth with intense flavours. I would come back just for this. The Comte was so good I forgot what was the other cheese I had (on the left).

Our table decoration.

Millefeuille constructed using alternating thick and thin flakey pastry. It looked rustic as it stood alone on a white plate, shards of pastry all over the plate. The layers of creamy mousse creme could have been sweeter to counter the very tart summer berries. It was a huge portion that I struggled to finish.

The accompanying raspberry sorbet was so tart I could not manage a couple of mouthfuls. The dessert was unfortunately the weakest link.

The petit fours comprised petite tartes aux pommes and macarons of beetroot, basil and tomato. They were strange flavours but were actually quite palatable. Little V, of course immediately made a face and pushed them macarons aside after one bite. The apple tart was forgettable.

L'Arpège
Add: 84,rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France
Tel: 01 45 51 47 33
www.alain-passard.com/

Private Affairs

2010-11-07T18:16:00.000+08:00

Encouraged by a fellow foodie to check out what could be one of the best kept secret in town a.k.a best value for a 3-course set lunch, I trotted over to the East one Saturday to lunch at Private Affairs. Indeed, for $28++, Private Affairs delivered in terms of value. Fortunately, the delivery did not stop there and the food was really pretty decent. But, unfortunately, we were the only people dining that Saturday. What a shame that the restaurant don't see more patrons. Could it be lack of awareness? Or that the restaurant is simply not attractive to make trip down? If it is the latter, I am pleased to share that Private Affairs will be moving to Boon Tat Street sometime soon (next year?). Hopefully the great lunch deal remains and the restaurant would get to enjoy more diners.

Back to the food. I would strongly recommend that you give the lunch a shot. Here is what I had last month:

"

Complimentary bread - foccacia (front) and hazelnut bread (back) that tasted like fried man tou studded with chopped hazelnuts

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fried Vegetables and Oyster

The soup was poured ala minute. Gimicky but oh well.

One of the best soups I ever had. The flavour was bold, robust with hints of smokiness. The single fried oyster was fresh and briney. The tempura vegetables could have been served on the side instead to keep the crispiness.

Pan-roasted snapper with yuzu (?) sauce. No complains as it was well executed with right amounts of seasoning and perfectly cooked fish with a crispy skin.

Apple Cake: apple cinnamon 'spaghetti' with pistachio mousse and apple jelly with lemongrass sorbet. The dessert was fun to eat and the sorbet, though it melted really fast, had a refreshing taste that I really liked.

Rhubarb cake with (?) ice cream. This dessert was probably the only dish that I thought needed more work. The cake was stodgey and one dimensional. The ice cream had too much stabilizers and not 'cold' enough.

Private Affairs
45 Joo Chiat Place
Tel: 6440 0601

Recipe: Sticky Date Pudding

2010-11-06T12:20:00.000+08:00

Going out to eat is always a fun and interesting thing to do. I unconsciously like to pick out on human behavior towards food and try to rationalize them. This post is about a girl's reaction to sticky date pudding. Whenever I am with girls, their reactions to seeing this dessert on the menu would almost always invoke some sort swooning and I could "see" their hearts fluttering in excitement. Then they will comment:

"Oooh! They have sticky date!" (and that is the dessert that they will order)

"Aiyah, I have to sin again *insert fake sulky face*" (because they will have to order it whenever they see it on the menu)

"Ok, I know what I want! *excited face*" (they will happily select their dessert first, even before looking and selecting a main course)

I cannot understand why those reactions. I think it is probably because of my bias against toffee / caramel desserts, as they are more often than not too sweet for me and their sticky texture means they will stick to the insides of my molar teeth and I absolutely don't like that when it happens.

Anyway, I got a relatively huge pack of Saudi dried dates as a gift recently and decided to indulge the friends with a home-made version of this popular dessert. It was surprisingly easy to make and maintained its position as a crowd pleaser at the potluck.

Here's how you could do it too!

Ingredients (makes 19 cupcake sized puddings)
250 grams pitted dates, chopped
(Note 1: I intentionally left mine in larger chunks so there would be more bite in the pudding.
Note 2: if you use darker colored dates, your pudding comes out darker. Duh, but yes, I need to make that point. I used lighter colored dates so mine was more toffee colored.)
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1.5 cups boiling water
125 grams butter (salted), softened
(Note 3: Salted version is optional but I really find that some salt would lift up the taste of the dessert against the sweetness)

1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1.75 cups self-raising flour, sifted
(Note 4: I only have plain flour so I added 2.25 tsp of baking powder to my 1.75 cups of plain flour)

Caramel Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
300 ml thickened cream
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
60 gram butter

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease at least 18 muffin / cupcake size tins and set aside.
Place dates and bicarbonate soda into a bowl. Pour in the boiling water and allow the mixture to stand for 20 minutes. The dates should soften up and disintegrate a little.
Using a mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Using a large metal spoon, add and fold through the date mixture and flour, alternating between the two, until the mixture is well combined.
Spoon mixture into the prepared tins, filling up to 2/3rds of the tin.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Do not overbake or the pudding will become really dry.
While cake is baking, make the caramel sauce. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan. On medium heat, cook, stirring often, until the sauce comes to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Then turn off and wait for pudding to be done.
Once pudding is ready, take out and pierce all over with a skewer.
Spoon, using a teaspoon, about 2-3 tsp of the caramel sauce over the warm pudding (in the tin).
Then remove the cakes from the tins, and place upside down. Spoon another 1-2 tsp of caramel sauce over the underside.
Serve warm, immediately, with remaining sauce and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I stored my pudding in a tupperware in the fridge. Same thing for the caramel sauce. At the potluck, I microwaved the pudding and the sauce separately, for 10-15 secs each, until warm. To plate, remove a pudding, spoon some sauce over and add ice cream.

Pavé Chocolates

2010-11-06T09:14:00.000+08:00

One Saturday's random venturing into the East saw us at Pavé Chocolates at East Coast Road. Highly recommended by A, this little dessert shop sells more than chocolates. There were quite a few entrements that caught our attention and because we trekked all the way to there, we wanted to try at least one. The Miyuki was green tea cake, green tea mousse, purple sweet potato mousse and layer of apricot jelly. It was just a wee bit dry but the flavour was pretty good. It was also what got me craving for a really good macha cake. Yummy.

ETA (6 Nov): I met the inspiration behind the Miyuki creation! I was invited to a friend's place and one of his guests was a Japanese lady called Miyuki. Without a thought, I blurted out that I just eaten a cake called Miyuki. It turned out that Chef Nicolas from Pave was a good friend of Miyuki's husband, and had created the Miyuki especially for their wedding! Such a lovely coincidence :)

Pave Chocolates
93 East Coast Road,
Singapore 428792
Monday: Closed
All other days: Noon to 10.30pm
Tel: 63420677

Food Processor

2010-11-03T07:24:00.000+08:00

I do not own a food processor although it is something quite common in a US household.

Since there are macarons and pesto to be made, the urge to get one is increasingly nagging. What brand of food processor would you recommend?

Birthday Cake - The Vert by Flor

2010-11-01T23:16:00.000+08:00

The cake from Pave sparked off an intense craving for green tea cake and a search for a good one for my birthday. After reading through the limited number of reviews on "best green tea cake in Singapore", I was ready to give up as the reviews failed to ignite any excitement or confidence from me. Finally, I decided to take a gamble on "The Vert" from Flor Patisserie. I figured a Japanese baker would have some national pride to do a good job using one of Japan's national pride, the maccha green tea. Besides, its description seemed to affirm that:

A layer of green tea sponge base, followed by the harmony of vanilla   cream and fragrant green tea mousse, and finally covered by a thin layer   of cold, green tea jelly. FLOR Patisserie uses Kyoto-uji matcha (green tea) powder for this  particular green tea cake for its clear and pristine flavour and aroma. 

Adorned with sweetened Japanese chestnuts.

Well, I am pleased the gamble paid off! I loved the mousse cake. It was exactly as described. It had an intense green tea jelly on top, and layers of green tea mousse and green tea genoise, sandwiching a thick layer of vanilla mousse. The sweetness could be toned down just a little but was perfectly acceptable as it was. Candied kuri (Japanese chestnut) topped the cake. As it was slightly more meaty, it added some element of texture. The Vert has to be chilled and kept chilled. After just about 15 minutes in the open, the mousse layers were starting to give way. I preferred the cake to be slightly colder and firmer. It was so good I had two large slices. Now the green tea monster is satisfied. If you ever have that sort of weird craving, you know where to go!

Flor Patisserie

#01-01, 2 Duxton Hill
Singapore 089588

Phone: +65 6223 8628
Business hours:
Monday to Saturday: 11am- 7pm
Sunday (Public Holidays): 11am- 6pm

Birthday meal at Tatsuya

2010-10-31T09:52:00.001+08:00

Dinner at Tatsuya, one of Singapore's more popular Japanese restaurant, is one that requires some sort of an occasion, at least for me. The lunch sets are good value for money but going omakase at dinner is really an indulgent, fun experience that I wish for all sushi fans to have an opportunity to experience. In my case, what better ocassion could I ask for other than my birthday, especially the last birthday before I turn big 3-0?

On a Saturday at 7:30pm, the sushi counter was still relatively quiet less than half-filled. Closer to 8pm, the rest of the dinner crowd started filling up the restaurant and counters. The waitresses in their body-hugging kimonos walked hastily back and forth, back and forth behind us, along a narrow corridor to fulfill orders from hungry diners. The sushi chefs, all five of them behind the counter, never had a free moment. Their deft hands could not stop moving and that busy scene went on for another good two hours.

Initially, the chefs almost all had their sashimi knives on, long and sharp. They were slicing beautiful slabs of fresh fish for sashimi course. Then there was the shiny long metal chopsticks that could neatly arrange and decorate the plates. A dollop of wasabi, beautiful little stalks of shisho (oba) flowers, and a cute crysanthemum flower that looked like a cheerful yellow button added visual aesthetics to our rectangular platter of sashimi. The kanpachi, creamy and pristine, was my favourite of the night. But that was after another delicious seasonal sashimi of katsuo (bonito) in a ponzu vinegrette. It was so good that I zoomed right into the dish, forgetting to take a picture of it. That said, the hairy crab from Hokkaido mixed with its own crab miso was a close second, if not for the bits of cartilage. I don't like akagai (ark shell) but Tatsuya's was fresh and crunchy.

Then the kitchen took over, giving the Chef a breather to concentrate on other diners. We had a couple of lovely seasonal dishes in the form of grilled sanma (pacific saury) and a snow crab leg tempura.

Shortly after, the Chef got busy again. He sliced the fish for the sushi neta, then crafted each piece of sushi followed by either blow-torching and / or dressing. Tatsuya's sushi are modern, refreshed with special sauces and interesting toppings that add texture and flavours. Sometimes, the sauces could be overpowering, such as in the case of the hotate (scallop) with goma (sesame) dressing. If you are a purist, then forget Tatsuya. But most of them, the additional things made sense. Look at the anago sushi. It was soo good! Grilled ala minute, it was dressed with a little sweet sauce. It was deliciously warm in the mouth, disintegrating easily with the sushi rice. But it would have just been too one dimensional if not for the crispy bits of fried salmon skin bits that the Chef used as a topping.

Dinner ended with a house-made custard pudding with vanilla-infused brown sugar syrup. It was creamy, soft and rich. By then I was too full to fully enjoy them. The boy did not have the luxury of seconds until then. But the sushi chefs were still not done for the night. The leftover fish had to be packed and the counter cleaned down good and proper. I guess the sushi counter at Tatsuya would never be a tranquil scene. Yet against that energetic backdrop throughout the night, my heart and mind just focused on one thing - how blessed and happy I was to be there experiencing the moments with someone really special.

This post is for you D.
xoxo

Seville: Abantal (1*)

2010-10-23T09:59:00.000+08:00

Amuse bouche 1: tuna tartare and potato salad

The other meal that impressed me a great deal was at Abantal, a 1* Michelin restaurant located in the city of Seville. Touted as a modern take on traditional Andalusian cuisine, I had no benchmark and no expectations going into the meal. That was probably why I walked away feeling like Abantal was a little gem that caught the eyes of just a few. The meal was worth remembering so much so I tried to look up the young talent behind the restaurant,Chef Julio Fdez Quintero, to find out more about his food and philosophy. Alas, nothing remotely interesting was available online.

The dining room at Abantal was simple and classy with brown tones and wood as the main themes. The food was presented simply as well, letting the food speak for itself. It was a meal that I wished I had more stomach room so I could try more of Chef's dishes. It would be a meal that I want to return to Seville for.

Amuse bouche #2

Inside the cup was a medley of chopped apricots, almond, microgreens. But...a cold soup of sweet garlic and almond was poured over. After the mediocre amuse #1, this completely upped the game. The balance between flavours really made this dish.

Appetizer 1: Squid ink rice with squid and razor shells. This was jaw-dropping awesome. Okay, admittedly, I have a bias for all things squid ink but this was truly flavourful and reminded me of the sea with each bite. The razor clams were meaty too, adding that bit of texture. But it was also very rich, I don't really want to know how much butter could have gone into the dish but I could have easily just have this appetizer as a main course.


Appetizer: Seabass carpaccio was a little underseasoned but the little cubes of cheese and ikura made up for it.


Main: Hake served with chickpeas and spinach stew and pinenuts was an acquired taste. Two generous pieces of fish from one side of a fish (i.e. the entire fillet) were welcomed but one of them, the thicker cut, was way underdone.

Main: Poached cod in olive oil with roasted aubergines and grilled artichokes was okay. The cod wasn't the oily sort that I like so it scored lesser points for me. I enjoyed the vegetables more. Haha. The eggplant was in the form of puree and the grilled artichokes were what it was with a good amount of smokiness from the grill.

no bread, but a cracker, was served alongside. it was dense, crunchy and not much taste.


Dessert: Cherries in Liquor with vinegar ganache , white chocolate ice cream and candy of raspberryThis dessert was another memorable dish. The vinegar in the ganache was a surprisingly complementary flavour and took the edge off all the other sweet things going on such as the cherries and icecream and the bottom layer chocolate cake (which was also very oh-so-good as it was dense and fudgey).

Abantal
7 Alcalde Jose de la Bandera
41003 Seville

M-eats.com

2010-10-14T22:16:00.003+08:00

I went and did it! The name change is official.

If you have a bookmark to this site, please remember to change it to:
www.m-eats.com

In future, the blog shall be more varied beyond food. Please continue to support :)

Bedrock Bar and Grill

2010-10-13T14:57:00.000+08:00

Freshly baked bread and a whole head of roasted garlic in oil

This, is what I would return to Bedrock alone for. Soft, white bread freshly baked in the open hearth, spread with softened cloves of caramelised garlic and its accompanying oils, and a good sprinkle of salt to season the whole deal. I could make a meal out of this complimentary dish alone, but of course I would not do that. I still ordered a set lunch.

Ravioli with mushrooms

The skin was a little beyond thick but the cream sauce was quite flavourful.

Pan-fried fish with poached egg and bacon

The fish was tender but not very flavourful unfortunately. I don't think it was intentional. The egg would have been redundant if not for the bland fish that made the runny egg taste extra good.

Poppyseed Cake

Isn't poppyseed banned in our little island? In any case, the cake was decent. The thick clotted cream was even more awesome.

Apple Tart with Vanilla Icecream

The tart was, erm, quite a failure with too stodgey and thick a crust and too little apple. The vanilla ice cream was extremely good though, speckled with vanilla beans, smooth and rich.

Spain: Akelare (***)

2010-10-09T18:14:00.000+08:00

Back to Spain...

I fell in love with the restaurant's surroundings the moment I viewed its website. I knew it was going onto my "to-go" list. The restaurant is probably worth a visit just to see the specatular views over the Cantabrican sea.

I didn't specifically request but we got a window seating anyway. On hindsight, I would definitely recommend for anyone making a daytime reservation to make a special request for the window. Eating with a panoramic view of the vast deep sea and clear blue skies was priceless!

Although Akelare has the reputation of being a classic restaurant, I found the menu to be seasonal and rather interesting, with bits of innovation and dishes full of flavour.

Amuse Bouche 1

I learnt that Akelarre Restaurant has its own garden where many of the ingredients used in its recipes are carefully grown.

The meal at Akelare was my favourite one in the trip. Great food, great view and great company - cannot ask for more. Here goes the food..

Amuse bouche 2

The amuse bouche brought smiles on everyone's faces. A whimsical box of cute little snacks contained a macaron-looking snack that was actually cured tuna and rice crackers. Then there was a swiss roll spread with black pudding. The cute little pigs were puffed up rice crackers topped with a thin translucent slice of bacon. Lastly, the candy looking thing contained a powder that oddly reminded me of chicken flavoured Twisties. It was awesome and that set the stage for the rest of the meal, where all the dishes delivered memorable visual presentations and deliciousness.

Amuse Bouche 3

After all that amusement, we were prepared for our main courses next, not two more amuse bouches! But we welcomed them anyway. I had a creamy and refreshing gazpacho, served with bitter arugla and a crispy parmesan "lollipop". This was served only to me, because the restaurant knew I did not take meat and thus, could not really enjoy the pork cracker and swiss roll. I thought that was especially thoughtful. In a white porcelain spoon, we had a sweet and intense melon soup in a jelly, topped with some crispy bits.

Then we got on the meal proper.

Delicious multigrain bread with the crispiest of crust and warm innards. A generous serving of butter balls were placed on the table when my friend requested for some. Even though I knew the risk of getting full on bread, I found myself getting a second and then a third.

Prawns and French Beans cooked in "orujo" fire

This was my choice of mains. Fresh shrimp flambeed over lava rocks and liquor in a sturdy iron pot. The shrimps were then plated beautifully tableside with ice plant, a puree of green peas, and a powder made from shrimp shells and rice. The shrimps were tender and creamy. Together, the flavors and textures were subtle but just perfect.


Roasted Lobster Mozzarella ball spiced up with a powder that was not spicy, but fragrant. That was a whole lobster, including the "miso" laid beneath and the meat was done barely cooked. The texture was very good.

Iberico pork braised, with green tea powder

Hake with goose barnacles

Very clean flavours and slightly Asian with the thick sauce. Hake is a firm white fish that is light and not very strong in flavours. Goose barnacle is not any part of a goose, but a sea crustacean that tasted like a clam / geoduck. This dish was just okay for me.

"Zebra" fish

We were wondering about the inverted commas but it became clear immediately when we saw the dish. Squid ink was used to paint onto the squid's body to mimic a zebra. The squid was so tender that hardly any work was required to chew it through. The mash on the bottom (can't remember what it was) was flavourful and went well with the squid.

"Another Apple Tart" - a signature dessert

The apple tart was comprised of a luscious apple cream sandwiched between puff pastry and wrapped in an piece of printed "tent" that tasted like fruit leather (think: Uncle Toby roll-ups).

Nuts, Lemon and Cinnamon in Equal Equilibrium

I didn't like the dessert too much. The lemon cream was really sour but objectively, it was balanced off by the sweet cinnamon cream. Perhaps it was all just too creamy and heavy, I felt it was quite one dimensional despite the crispy shells. That was probably because the shells were more than a little hard so I really could not be bothered to eat them.


Grape, milk and cheese My least favourite dessert because they were too individualistic and did not really combine well to me.

Mignardises

The bowl was covered with an edible skin that was pear flavored. It hid chocolate with ganache and caramelised hazelnuts underneath.

Paris: Nodaiwa

2010-10-06T00:14:00.005+08:00

After a couple of weeks in Spain, I stopped over for a couple of days in Paris before returning to Singapore. The first day, I indulged in a girly and chi-chi lunch at L'Apege with my dear friend SW and her little precious daughter. We had lots of fun there but I will share that in a separate post.

The following day, a Saturday, we had the company of her husband as well and all of us went to lunch at Nodaiwa as SW was having a craving for Japanese unagi. Now, that would likely elicit a "Unagi in Paris??" response but I trusted SW as always.

I knew Nodaiwa was an offshoot of a famous unagi-ya in Tokyo and later learnt that Tokyo served naturally-bred unagi while the outlet in Paris did not have the luxury of the same quality and used bred species from the European waters instead.

Without going into the long and short of preparing unagi, it is an understatement to say that a good dish of unagi is difficult and tedious to prepare. In the usual Japanese tradition and rigeur, it takes many years for cooks to become good at anything : ).

For lunch at Nodaiwa, there was a few sets that offered good value to add a little variety in your meal. Much like a good steak meal at Morton's, one gets to choose bewteen three sizes of unagi (180g, 230g, 300g). The only difference between an unadon and a unaju is that the former is presented in a bowl, with sauce while the latter is prepared and placed in a lacquered box.

I ordered a Matsu set. It comprised of a small unadon (130g), raw tuna sashimi, miso soup and sunomono (pickled vegetables).

The eel was tender and moist and the accompanying generous drizzle of sauce over warm, sticky Japanese rice was such an inviting sight. The sauce, which tasted sweet, salty, thick and delicious all at once, was almost caramelised and glistened over the grilled eel like a shiny layer of topcoat over fresh manicure. The restaurant had a special spice called sansho, which smelled a little like lemon grass but less intense. It added a different flavour when sprinkled over the unagi that was quite interesting. I think I prefered mine neat. The rest of the meal was nothing memorable except that the sashimi was less than stellar.

After unagi, we shopped in the area with the intention of stopping by Pierre Herme for ice cream. Available only in the summer, SW could not stop raving about the ice cream. Her favourite was the Ispahan, their famous rose and lychee-flavour combination, and that was what she got. I got the less known Montebello, a strawberry and pistachio combination.

Each cup of ice cream cost 5 or 6 euros (I cannot remember exactly) and tasted smooth and sweet. One cup after a big lunch seemed impossible to accomplish, and it was borderline heavy if not for the fruit. But I could not stop digging in. The flavours were strong individually, with bits of texture from natural fruit and bits of nuts. SW's little girl knew exactly what she wanted as well. Salted caramel was pretty good too, with a more sticky texture. I am not as big fan of a fan of caramel as the little girl but it must have been good because she finished one helping without much of an effort at all.

Nodaiwa
272 Rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris, France
Tel: 01 42 86 03 42

Pierre Herme
4 rue Cambon
75001 Paris, France

Recipe: Lemon Curd Tart

2010-09-30T07:58:00.000+08:00

Lemon Curd Tart

I love tarts, really because I need an excuse to indulge in the buttery and flaky tart shell. Whenever I see carb-phobes intentionally leaving the shells alone, I wished the shells could scream at them like "Don't be silly! I am worth the calories!"

Then I love lemon desserts.  So when you put lemon curd in a tart shell and place that in front of me, not only do you get a marriage made in heaven, you also get one excited lady who cannot wait to dig in.

Recently, I attempted to make my own lemon curd tart. I based the tart shell recipe off Chez Pim's one pie dough and the lemon curd recipe from no other than Pierre Herme. Well, the final product was uh-maze-zing although I wished the process would be less of a pain in the butt.  It was not like the recipes were difficult but they were at times long and tedious. The results were worth it though.

The pie crust was just what I was looking for: super buttery and flaky. The use of salted butter gave the dessert a slight savoury twist against the sweet curd.  The curd itself was thick and creamy, and miraculously, tasted light despite all that butter that went into it. I cut back on the sugar just a little (minus 2 tablespoons) and it was not noticeable.

Dinner Party: Tapas

2010-09-27T07:33:00.002+08:00

Encouraged by the tapas experiences in Spain, I organised a Tapas Party ala Chez Mia.
On this note, I thought I should explain the concept of Chez Mia. It is the branding I created for my dinner parties. Chez Mia aims to please hungry tummies, be the ground for innovation and creativity. It happens as and when I feel stressed enough I have to cook up a storm.

So what was on the menu?


Flan for dessert. Creamy, dense, silky, sweet.

Tortilla de Patatas - an ubiquitous tapas found possibly in every tapas restaurant in Spain.
disclaimer: I didn't make this - my galfriend did :)

Pintxos - of sardines and anchovies

Chorizo - Iberico Bellota Grade from Spain. The friends LURVED it.

Paella - makeshift in a large baking tin. Tried to make it as authentic as possible without the use of a paella pan. But I got the delicious smokey flavours from the lovely caramelised and charred bits on the bottom (called 'soccarat')

stewed squid and chickpeas - addition of thyme and oregano gave this a lovely flavour. squid was a little tough though.

Recipes to come. Hope I have inspired you to host a dinner party too! It's fun : )