Food for Thought: The Humble Yong Tau Foo

The humble yong tau fu is a popular Hakka dish.  There are many versions available such as the famous Ampang at Sembawang Road, the original Hakka at East Coast Road, the ikan bilis version at Chinatown and many many more.

But of all these, my personal favourite is still Lao Huang's at North Bridge Road Market.  There are the standard ingredients and a selection of deep-fried ngoh-hiang and bak yee as well as a small selection of stewed items like taupok and taukwa.

They make the extra effort to separate the deep-fried ingredients from the soup so that they do not become soggy and limp but will be piping hot and crispy when brought to your table.

You also have the choice of having it with soup or dry with noodles or rice.  The noodles are served with minced pork that have been simmered in a rich and very tasty gravy.

If you opt to have it with soup, you will not be disappointed either.  You will definitely enjoy the natural sweetness of the bean based soup.

This stall has received numerous awards including the Green Book Best Food Award for 2009/10 and the Best Hakka Niang Tou Fu by Yummy King.  But to eat at this well-known stall, get there before noon as they finish early.  The last time I got there by 12.30pm, almost everything was sold out.

Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu

861 North Bridge Road

#01-108 North Bridge Road Food Center

Ambiance: Hawker centre setting

Food: 8

Service: 7

Pricing: $

Food for Thought: db Bistro Moderne

During dinner with Laura Calder at the Fullerton Hotel, advertisements by Daniel Boulud were running continuously on 2 large screens.  That reminded me of our dining experience at Chef Boulud's db Bistro Moderne in New York City - a modern French-American bistro where Chef Boulud displays his contemporary interpretation of French classics.  The bistro is, incidentally, Zagat-listed.

On the menu is the original db burger priced at a cool US$32.  It is a sirloin burger filled with red wine braised short ribs and black truffle served on parmesan buns.  We didn't get to taste the famous burger.  Instead we ordered the 3-course restaurant-week meal.

Darling wife had tartare of tomatoes, grilled mahi-mahi and a tropical sorbet dessert.  I had the soup with black truffle oil, gnocchi with ragout of veal, and chocolate mousse.

Soup with black truffle oil

 

Tartare of tomatoes

There was nothing exceptional about my soup.  Darling wife's tartare of tomato, on the other hand, was creative and good to the taste. It consisted of layers of thickly sliced Brandywine and Dixie Golden Giant tomatoes, topped with green olives, jalapeno chili, feta cheese and an assortment of beans, seasoned with herbs and drenched in olive oil.  The combination of oil and herbs enhanced the fresh taste of the fruits and vegetables. 

Gnocchi with ragout of veal

Being the lover of pasta that I am, I couldn't really find any fault with the gnocchi which was, for a start, of the right texture.  Although the Italians normally would dress gnocchi with either tomato sauce, pesto or melted butter, Chef Boulud had chosen a gravy that was richly flavoured by both the stock of veal and oven-roasted summer vegetables.  It was so good, I slurped up every last drop of the gravy. 

Grilled mahi mahi

The sub-tropical mahi-mahi fish has large moist flakes and are perfect for grilling.  Unfortunately, it was a tad overcooked and tasted dry. Its presentation was also uninteresting.

Tropical sorbet

The desserts were excellent.  It was both well-presented and tasty and gratefully not to sugary sweet.  Needless to say, they received top marks from us.

Chocolate mousse

Although db Bistro Moderne claims not to be an haute cuisine restaurant, I must say that the food presentation and style of cooking are of definitely very high standards for a bistro.

Its decor is simple and modern.  We were seated in the more casual front section which features a stone-tiled floor and Wenge wood-panelled ceiling.  On one wall, hangs a series of floral photographs by Christopher Beane, who after being diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma in July of 2005, went on to produce a new book entitled 'Flower'.  The book was descibed as "a passionate celebration of both the beauty of the natural world and the indomitability of the human spirit".

   

DB Bistro Moderne

55 West 44th Street

Manhattan, NYC

Ambiance: 7

Food:  7

Service:  6.5

Pricing: $$$$

Recommended Dishes: The menu changes with the season so it is not possible to make any recommendations.

Food for Thought: Dinner with Laura Calder

Dinner with Laura Calder was held on 25 May at the Fullerton Hotel.  During the introduction, Hian Goh, who co-founded Asian Food Channel with Maria Brown, very cleverly qualified that Laura is not a chef but a food writer and TV personality.  He went on to joke that the if the food wasn't good, the kitchen staff of the Fullerton should be blamed.  That, more or less, set the tone for the entire evening.

The best part of the meal, for me, was the amuse bouche -Kir Royale served with Gougeres or French for Cheese Puffs.  Everything else that followed was unsatisfactory to me.

Foie Gras on Asparagus

The Foie Gras served on asparagus must have been left to stand for too long.  By the time it arrived, it didn't taste good at all.  Foie gras should be lightly pan-fried until it is crisp on the outside but still soft and moist on the inside.  With your first bite, the insides should ooze out and melt on your tongue.  That, to me, is the perfectly prepared foie gras.  The ones served at dinner that night tasted like stale wood pulp soaked in oil.

Fennel Soup

The Fennel Soup was not any better.  Fennel has a unique taste that is quite similar to licorice or anise.  However, Laura's version of the soup was so rich in cream, it overpowered the aromatic qualities of the fennel.  I found this to be such a shame.  A good fennel soup should highlight the aroma of the fennel, not the cream or the vegetable stock that goes into its preparation.

I came with high hopes for the main course - Halibut with Spring Vegetable Medley.  This being a North Atlantic fish, is seldom served in our local restaurants.  Halibut is prized for its delicate natural sweetness, snow-white colour and flakiness.  It is also extremely low in fat content hence its very dense and firm texture.  Most chef agree that it is best eaten broiled, poached or very lightly grilled when fresh.

Halibut with Spring Vegetable Medley

What arrived at our table were two delicate pieces of Halibut fillet that looked very appealing to the eyes but, unfortunately, not to the taste.  They were either overcooked or left to stand for too long (yet again).  Our lady friend from across the table commented that it tasted just like frozen fish.  Again I was disappointed and I wasn't even expecting the likes of Halibut cheeks which, incidentally, are a delicacy.

For friends who know me well enough, desserts are the most important part of the meal.  It helps to cleanse the palate after a meal or 'cuci mulut' as a Peranakan would say.

But I felt rather let down at the quality of the two desserts served.  The poached pear in red wine with cognac whipped cream and the lemon tart were inferior by comparison with what we have eaten else where. 

Poached pear in red wine

The pear was bland (or 'tasteless' to be more honest) and hard.  There was nary a taste of the red wine, the spices or sugar.  To me it was one big flop of a dessert.

Lemon Tart

The lemon tart could well be described as 'looks are deceptive'.  The crust was uncooked and the lemon flan was again, totally tasteless.

The saving grace was the star herself.  She was lots of fun and yes, she did a cooking demonstration of 3 dishes before dinner was served.  And of course, she went round to say the obligatory hello to all the diners and posed for photographs.  Many of us were there mainly because we are fans of Laura so, ultimately, it didn't really matter that dinner was one huge let-down.

Darling wife with Laura Calder

Event:  Dinner with Laura Calder by AFC

Venue: Town Restaurant, Fullerton Hotel

Menu and Recipe: By Laura Calder, Food Writer and TV Personality

Preparation: By Kitchen Staff, Town Restaurant
Pricing: $$$$$

Food for Thought: Gado Gado

Mommie dearest makes one of the meanest gado gado. But she's too old to be cooking now.  Still, every once in a while I would have this yearning for gado gado and only a really good one would satisfy that craving.

One day while heading back to Kembangan Station from church (OLPS), I passed by Al Salam Restaurant.  At one table, someone was eating gado gado and it looked so good.  Naturally I was tempted and I wasn't disappointed that I succumbed to the bait that afternoon.

I don't have to say more - the photos tell it all.

Al Salam Restaurant

457 Changi Road corner Jalan Masjid 

Opposite Masjid Kassim

Food:  7.5

Price: $

Food for Thought: Novus @ The National Museum

Novus Restaurant Bar Cafe Courtyard is set within the historic National Museum on Stamford Road.  Many diners have described the restaurant as splendidly stylish while others have said it is alluring.  To me, the only part of the decor that spells 'classy and sleek' are the furniture by Paul Smith and Jasper Morrison.

However, what it lacks in decor and style is compensated by the creativity of the restaurant kitchen which put together, quite successfully, an interesting menu that would titillate the taste bud of even the most discriminating gourmet.

The menu consisted of Black Pepper Crusted Yellowfin Tuna with Lime Emulsion and Mesclun for starter, a choice of either Braised Beef Cheeks in Brown Jus or Pan-fried Sea Bream with Beurre Blanc Foam for the main course, and Bombe Alaska for dessert.

Black pepper crusted Yellowfin Tuna

The starter was sublime!  The tuna had that 'melt in the mouth' texture.  Its pepper crust was far from overpowering and it was very well balanced by the soothiness of the lime emulsion.  Both darling wife and I voted this the best starter of the three restaurant week menu we tasted this season.

Braised beef cheek

Darling wife ordered the Braise Beef Cheek.  Overall, it was well prepared.  However, Lyn found it a tad too gamy for her liking.  My sea bream, on the other hand, was undeniably good.
 
Sea bream is a firm white flesh, fine-grained fish.  Its succulent meat makes this fish perfect for pan-frying, roasting or baking and has been used by some of the world's great chefs such as Raymond Blanc (Pan-fried Sea Bream served with Ratatouille and Tomato Coulis), Olivier Roellinger (Sea Bream Roasted with Bay Leaf and Lemon), and Jacques le Divellec (Sea Bream with Fennel and Ginger Scales).

Sea bream served with beurre blanc

The Novus kitchen has chosen beurre blanc, literally 'white butter' in French, as accompaniment to the sea bream.  Beurre blanc is a rich sauce made with reduced vinegar and white wine.  Its light foamy texture complemented the fine grains of the fish very well.  It was the perfect marriage of meat and sauce.

Bombe Alaska

Since the dessert was named 'Bombe Alaska', I was expecting dark rum to be splashed over my dessert, the lights turned down and the whole dessert flambeed while being served.  But none of these happened.  What was served was actually the Baked Alaska version created by Delmonico's Restaurant (New York's Lower Manhattan) in 1876 to celebrate the acquisition of Alaska.  Still, Novus' concoction comprising ice cream on sponge cake blanketed in meringue was fabulous.

Novus  Restaurant Bar, Cafe & Courtyard

National Museum of Singapore

93 Stamford Road

Singapore 178897

Ambiance:  6

Food:  8

Service:  6.5

Pricing:  $$$$