Food for Thought: Chef Hide Yamamoto

Last year, we celebrated darling wife's birthday at renowned Chef Hide Yamamoto's newest restaurant at Marina Bay Sands.  The restaurant is one of the 2010 Global Chef Award Recipients.

Darling wife posing with the waiting team

Born in Japan, Chef Yamamoto was trained mainly in Italy and France.  He has graced kitchens such as the legendary Roger Verge in Provence, Chez Nouz Hama in San Franciso and The Jockey Club at Washington DC's Ritz-Carlton Hotel.  He holds the esteemed distinction of serving three generations of Presidents - Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

In 2005, Chef Yamamoto became the first Executive Chef of the Mandarin Oriental in Washington DC and later returned to Japan to be appointed as Chief Executive Chef for Mandarin Oriental Tokyo.

The MBS branch is Chef Yamamoto's fifth to date, but his first and only in Singapore.  The MBS outlet is a multi-concept 128-seat restaurant. It is divided into four main sections offering different menus and experiences - sushi, robata, ramen and teppanyaki. The restaurant also boasts a very well-stocked saki bar.

Since it was a special occasion, we settled for Chef Yamamoto's S$350++ per head Teppanyaki Dinner Course consisting of 8 dishes including Grilled Lobster, Grilled Whole Abalone in the Shell, and Grilled Wagyu Beef.  For this course which is the most expensive on the Teppanyaki menu, Chef Koji Nagashima was assigned to attend to us.  We had our own teppanyaki counter, our own Japanese chef and three service staff to pamper us throughout the meal.

Suffice for me to say that every dish was excellent.

Seafood Platter

The platter of seafood, our first dish, comprising wild salmon, octopus and sweet shrimp was not only a delight for the eyes but a feast to our palate too.  I must say that the cut of octopus was the most tender and juiciest I have ever had in Singapore. 

Sashimi - Threadfin and Fatty Salmon

What followed was a small serving of the highest grade sashimi - two thick slices of fatty salmon and 2 slices of Threadfin.  They were so fresh that they simply  melt in your mouth.

Live lobster

The dishes just got better and better.  The live lobster (which was on display before our eyes while we were relishing the freshness of the sashimi) was grilled to just the right degree.  While the meat was firm it did not have that dry chewy texture as a result of over-cooking.

Abalone in shell

After the lobster, we were served each a whole abalone in its shell.  I would have preferred it to be a little undercooked but our attending waiter advised that the Japanese like it chewy.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed the freshness of the shellfish. As in the lobster dish, Chef Koji has very ingeniously used the natural fluids from the shellfish for marinade, thereby enhancing the full oceanic flavour.

Wagyu beef

Selection of grilled vegetables

After the abalone came the wagyu beef which was the highlight of the entire meal.  It was served on hotstone and had on its side a selection of grilled vegetables.  Both darling wife and I exceedingly enjoyed the beef which was cooked expertly to perfection.  Chef Koji has chosen the best cut which had been hung for several weeks.  We have eaten wagyu beef at different restaurants in Singapore but this is by far, the best.

Handmade ramen with seasonal vegetables

To complete the meal, we had the special handmade ramen in concentrated miso soup served with seasonal vegetables.  To be honest, we were both quite satiated by this time to really be able to enjoy the ramen, which I am sure would have, otherwise, been much better appreciated.

Red bean with glutinous rice ball

No meal is complete without a good dessert.  Chef Yamamoto's red bean with glutinous rice ball was typically Japanese but with a French twist.  Two precious pieces of French marron made all that difference to an otherwise common dessert.

Vanilla parfait for the birthday girl

At the end of our meal just before I asked to settle the bill, our dedicated service team presented wifey with a vanilla parfait topped with a candle and a 'happy birthday' choclate wedge.  Everything was done very tastefully low key without too much fanfare.  We really liked that. 

Hide Yamamoto

Marina Bay Sands

8 Bayfront Avenue #02-05

Ambiance:  8.5

Service:  9.5

Food: 9.5

Pricing:  $$$$$

Recommended dish: any of the Teppanyaki dinner course; Wagyu beef

People and Places: Archanes, Crete Island, Greece

Archanes has won some coveted European awards including the 2nd best restored village in Europe and 1st in long term development prospects. Strolling through the village, it is easy to understand why - the streets have been newly stone-paved, there are splendid displays of blooming flowers, fruit trees and plants in the yards, terraces and balconies of the houses. All of these make walking around Archanes a delight to the senses.

After a hearty lunch at a local bistro, we began our exploration of the village on foot. The exterior surfaces of the buildings are dyed with watercolors in ochre and terra sienna tones, a dye that gives nuances in warm red. These colors exude an overall warm tone.

What makes Archanes so very charming, however, is its inhabitants.  The villagers welcome visitors with wide open arms.  We were busy taking photos of a typical Cretan village house when its owner came out and invited us in.

We entered the house through a courtyard filled with flowering plants and fruit trees. The various rooms surround this central courtyard which functions like an open air living room, against a backdrop of colorful blooms.  The courtyard is the hub of the house where the family gathers for meals and entertain friends and visitors.

Although we had planned to stay for just a few minutes, Elena succeeded in persuading us to stay for tea and meet various members of the family.  We were completely bowled over by her warmth and hospitality.  When we finally bade farewell, she offered us a parting gift of pomegranates - a symbol of wealth and good luck - harvested from their own tree, no less.

Holidays are not about just the sights, food and shopping.  It is experiences of kindness, love and generosity like what we encountered in Archanes that make holidays extra special.

Getting to Archanes:
We got into Archanes from Heraklion by bus.  Regular buses depart from Bus Station A (near the port) every half hour in the early morning and thereafter every hour on the dot.  The bus will pass the Knossos Palace, so it is possible to cover both Knossos and Archanes as a day trip.

Food for Thought: Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is most commonly associated with Hainanese cuisine. It has its roots in the well-known Hainanese Wenchang Chicken. Surprisingly, many who have eaten the original recipe in Hainan Island feel that the Singapore version is much more tasty.

The traditional method involves boiling the entire chicken in a bone stock. To achieve the perfect texture for the rice, a separate rich chicken stock is created specifically for cooking the rice thereby producing its full body flavour.

The Hainanese prefer using older and more plump birds to maximise the amount of oil extracted for use in preparing the dish. However, over the years, the newer Cantonese version has adopted the use of younger birds to produce more tender meats to cater to the taste of the new generation Singaporeans.

I am glad to have found two chicken rice institutions in Singapore that still retain the traditional methods of preparation. They are Yet Con and Nam Kee.

 Nam Kee's chicken drizzled with a combination of oil and soya sauce, making it really tasty and delicious.

Nam Kee's char siew is enhanced by a home-made sweet sauce.

Besides its very well-known chicken, Yet Con is also famous for its roast pork served with preserved salted vegetables.

Yet Con's famous Roast Pork served with preserved salted vegetable

Yet Con's chicken with its ample fats makes the meat tantalisingly smooth.

Nam Kee Chicken Rice

201 Upper Thomson Road (opp Sin Ming Plaza)

Yet Con Chicken Rice

25 Purvis Street