UNBEARABLE LIKENESS OF AN ANGEL

My Thoughts for the Day: If I Were A Bird.

2012-01-17T10:53:00.003+08:00

This morning I spent some time mingling with the residents at the Shelter’s patio – a favourite place for them to gather perhaps for a puff but more so for togetherness.

While the residents were engrossed in idle prattle, I sat there watching the birds. Birds surely must be one of God’s most beautiful creations. They are so light, so happy. A little noisy sometimes but cheerfully so. I watched them intently with great envy.

At that moment, I thought of St Francis of Assisi who had a gift for understanding birds and attracting them.

Surely, these birds must be God’s greatly favoured. They need not worry what to wear or what to eat. They have the freedom to come and go as they wish.

This morning, they have chosen to remain on ground feeding on bits of bread and rice. Yet, when they want, they may soar high up into the skies beyond the reach of mere human. High up where they can talk, at close range, with their creator – our Creator who sometimes appear so far away, so distant, so out of reach.

If I were a bird, I’d fly now to a place where no man has ever been or dare to tread; a place where time stands still. And just be me.

It may have been a short break from work but, for me, it was a very precious moment spent in quiet contemplation.

Food for Thought: Bangkok Thai Food

2012-01-12T00:28:00.005+08:00

Over the years, many Thai eateries have sprouted all over Singapore in the heartlands, around the Bencoolen Street area and in major food centers. Some are really quite good while others are just poor imitations of what you'll find along the busy Bangkok streets. There is this place in Chinatown that I must recommend you. In fact, this month alone, I have eaten 3 times at this no-frills food stall simply known as Bangkok Thai Food.

It is a self-service place, where you choose what you like from colourful numbered photographs pasted all over the stall front. Then you place your order with the counter staff. If the names of the dishes are too long to read out, just provide the number of the dishes you want - 'one No. 13 and three No. 8'. He'll scribble your order on a piece of paper and then shout the instructions to the cook in Thai. It will make you feel like you are actually in Bangkok!

Tonight, after my tuina session at Tan Kim Cheong, I popped in at Bangkok Thai Food once again. My solo dinner consisted of 1 order of Garlic Chicken with rice and a 'sunny-side-up', a plate of stir-fried kang kong with bean paste, garlic and chili, and a complimentary bowl of plain tom yum soup. All of these cost me S$7.

Garlic Chicken with a 'sunny-side-up'

Stir-fried kang kong

Complimentary tom yum soup

If you are not expecting Royal Thai cuisine but are looking for a simple and wholesome Thai meal, then look no further. Bangkok Thai Food's menu includes all the popular Thai street food like pineapple fried rice, olive rice, pad thai, garlic chicken with rice, basil chicken with rice, papaya salad and more. Although it is not halal certified, the stall does not use pork or lard. The best part of the whole deal is its pricing - very affordable with noodle and rice dishes around S$4 per portion. Their daily specials priced at S$3 per portion are truly a bargain!

Like many of the roadside stalls in Bangkok, the taste is robust with a mixture of sweet, sour and hot. I normally ask for 'hotter' and they have not disappointed me, so far.

Bangkok Thai Food

#02-107 Kreta Ayer Food Center

Smith Street, Chinatown

Ambiance: N/A

Food: 7

Pricing: $

Recommended dishes: Stir-fried kang kong, Basil chicken with rice, tom yum fried rice, garlic chicken with rice.

Cooking for Love: Ushering in 2012 with Blessings

2012-01-07T02:18:00.006+08:00

2012 started on just the right note, for wifey and I, with Fr Andrew Wong marking us with God's blessings and sharing with us a New Year cake to welcome Jesus into our home and hearts.

The Happy New Year Cake with compliments of Fr Andrew Wong

Michael and Lynna blessing our guests. Shown here is Lydia.

Our guests blessing us in return. Shown here is Vivien.

After the blessings of guests, Fr Andrew in his own uniquely playful manner, blessed the food before the guests tucked in the home-cooked nyonya fare.

Fr Andrew blessing the food.

For this special celebration, my repertoire included 7 popular Nyonya dishes. Like a true blue baba, I prepared everything from scratch following very strictly the method and recipe handed down from mom. Absolutely no ready mix was used. The aroma of a wide array of herbs and spices wafted from the various pots and pans in the kitchen and any self-respecting gourmet would have sniffed out the fragrance of kunyit, lengkuas, serai, daun limau purut, chili kering, bawang putih, bawang kecil and belacan. And here, you'll see the end result of all that chopping, frying, stirring and simmering:

Sambal Petai

Babi Pongteh

Ayam Buah Keluak

Nyonya Stewed Chap Chye

Sambal Udang Masak Merah

Acar Nanas

Nyonya Ba Mee

And of course, the guests besides enjoying the food also had a wonderful time browsing through our collectibles, chatting and catching up with the latest 'shop talks'.

The girls exchanging cooking tips.

Fr Andrew gravitating towards the breakfast alcove where the altar is located.

Myra, Florence and Annie enjoying the food.

Darling wife showing Fr Andrew, Florence & Myra

our collection of Royal Copenhagen and Royal Doulton wall plates.

Fr Andrew, the entire group of Comforters of the Afflicted with wifey and I.

God-daughter Laura with Angela in their private cosy corner.

Fr Andrew with Vivien.

It has been a very good start to the new year and we look forward to hosting many more friends and relations for the rest of 2012. A house is not a home if it is not filled with the presence and warmth of loved ones.

Food for Thought: Toh Soon Cafe

2011-11-17T01:42:00.004+08:00

One look at this rather nondescript backlane shack of a kopi-tiam and you wouldn't expect much of it. But truth be told, this kopi-tiam which takes up what little space there is between two rows of shophouses has been serving coffee and toast for more than 30 years to generations of appreciative Penangnites.

The menu is limited - steamed bread, toasted bread, half-boiled eggs, coffee, tea, milo and nasi lemak. You can consider them specialist in coffee and toast. You won't see any modern contraption in the tiny kitchen counter which lines one wall of the back alley. The bread is steamed over boiling hot water while toasting is painstakingly executed by a helper who squats, mesh in hand, before a charcoal filled hand-made oven made from a cut-out drum.

The place is almost always crowded, so be prepared for a long wait. But you'll be rewarded with a cup of richly flavoured coffee and a plate of kaya toast. Although some bloggers have commented that the bread was not evenly toasted and the spread too thin, I was happy with what I got.

Don't mind the mis-matched cups and saucers. What's more important is the offering in the cup. In my case, the teh si less si was done just the way I like - full bodied tea with just a hint of evaporated milk.

The bread was evenly toasted without being burnt. It is crispy on the outside but remains soft on the inside - it is not often that we get it done this way in Singapore. Some of the chain stalls here tend to slice the bread to thin and over-toast it, rending it too dry.

And as you can see from the photo above, there is a generous spread of kaya to make any kaya toast afficionado happy.

It was a pity that we didn't order the half-boiled egg but we'll definitely do so on our next visit.

Toh Soon Cafe
Backlane off Campbell Street
Chinatown, Georgetown

Food: 8
Price: $
Recommended dishes: Kopi-O, Teh Si, Kaya Toast, half-boiled egg

Food for Thought: Some Things Are Different

2011-11-16T01:04:00.003+08:00

There are some things that are done differently in Penang.

Take for example chye tow kway. In Singapore, this is normally fried with eggs and chye poh and comes in two versions - white (crispy egg batter) and black (with sweet sauce). But in Penang, their char koay kak is fried in black sauce with egg, taugeh, prawns and strips of sotong. A good place to have this dish is at New Road off McAlister Road.

When we think chee cheong fun, immediately visions of it drenched in sweet sauce and chili sauce comes to mind. Also popular is the Hong Kong-style which has fillings of different ingredients like prawns, char siew or chicken strips. And in Penang, they have what is known as fried chee cheong fun in dried prawn sambal - a dish that is unique to Penang. It is really delicious and personally I prefer this to char koay teow. Try it, you'll surely like it.

In Singapore we call it orh luak; in Penang, orh chien. The main differences are the amount of starch used and, of course, the size of the oysters. They use less starch and more eggs; and the oysters are larger. Although I am not a fan of this dish, I can still see that the Penang version looks much more appetizing.

Food for Thought: Old Winston Coffee Garden

2011-11-15T00:57:00.005+08:00

It was by chance that we came upon Old Winston Coffee Garden along Jalan Anson while taking shelter from the heavy rain. Since it was about noon time, we decided to have lunch there. A wide array of local food is available there including dim sum, noodles, cze char and bak kut teh.

Siew Mai

Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun

Ee-mien

San-mien

Bitter Gourd stir-fried in egg

Stir-fired Kai Lan with Dried Fish

However, the one dish that really stood out was the Bee Hoon in Herbal Chicken Soup. This is a 'die die must try' dish when you are in Penang. The soup is delicately fragranced with different types of Chinese herbs, yet the herbal taste is not too overpowering. The chicken is tender and still manages to retain its natural flavour. It was so good that I slurped up the soup right down to its last drop.

Bee Hoon in Herbal Chicken Soup

Old Winston Coffee Garden
Jalan Anson, Georgetown

Food: 6.5 for all other dishes; 9 for the Bee Hoon in Herbal Chicken Soup
Service: 7
Price: $

Food for Thought: Cintra St Yu Char Koay

2011-11-13T16:02:00.005+08:00

Lebuh Cinta in Penang's Chinatown is home to some of the best foods you can find on the island. Amongst them is a shop that makes yu char koay, ham chin peng and huay ai chi on the spot and sell them piping hot.

The yu char koay is as good as the one in Melaka that I rave about so much. Even if you don't like them piping hot, it is okay to let them cool down first. It will remain crispy and not get all soggy like the ones we often find in Singapore.

It is perfect as an afternoon snack with hot coffee or milo.

Lebuh Cintra Yu Char Koay
on Cintra Street (opp De Tai Tong Restoran)

Food: 9
Price: $

Food for Thought: Penang Teochew Chendol

2011-11-12T21:55:00.013+08:00

There are now several outlets for the Famous Teochew Chendol clustered around Penang Road and all of them display, rather unbashfully, photographs of Singapore's funny man Phua Chu Kang and his wife. So which is the authentic Teochew chendol? A Penangnite told us the original vendor used to operate from a pushcart outside Hong Leong Bank on Burmah Road. We couldn't locate him but found another outlet at Komptar. It is a stylish cafe with a facade of stained glass and colourful pictures of their most popular menu items.

The chendol served here reminds me of the Indian version ala Rex Cinema - those of you who are old enough may remember the famous Indian chendol stall in the cinema's back lane.

The cafe uses santan that is not so creamy and the chendol has a light greenish hue and is not as elastic. The upside of it is that it is not so sweet - great for weight-watchers. Personally, I prefer Chendol 88 in Melaka.

Besides chendol, they also serve ais kacang and other hot and cold desserts as well as some popular Penang hawker fare.

Picture shows a very happy and satisfied darling wife with DPH volunteer, Helen Choy.

Famous Penang Teochew Chendol
Komptar (right under the overhead bridge)
Georgetown, Penang

Food: 6
Ambience: 7
Service: 6
Price: $

Food for Thought: Restoran Sun Yoon Kee Seafood

2011-11-12T00:21:00.008+08:00

This venerable old-style cze char restaurant is smacked right in the middle of Penang's Chinatown on Cintra Street. There is no printed menu. The owner or one of his helpers will tell you what's available for the day but, on any given day, you can expect to sample several of its signature dishes such as braised Golden Coin tofu, deep-fried fish maw with sea cucumber, deep-fried home-made tofu, chop suey with seafood, and stewed black bean spare-ribs with bitter gourd. A choice of about 4 to 5 types of double-boiled soups are also available each day. The choices change daily so regular customers can look forward to something different each day.

Sun Yoon Kee offers home-style cooking, so don't expect any modern interpretation or fanciful presentation.

The Golden Coin tofu is pepared quite differently from the way it is normally done in Singapore. The tofu pieces float in a pool of smooth 'raw egg' gravy with a sprinkling of scallion, carrot and mushroom. To my relief, the gravy is not thick and starchy which was a plus point for me. I totally dislike gravy that is overly starchy. The tofu pieces were soaked long enough to absorb the flavour of the gravy. I award full marks for this dish.

Although most of us would have thought chop suey to be concocted out of the remains of vegetables, the chef here uses only the good parts of brocoli and cauliflower. These vegetables are stir-fried with various types of seafood and slices of lean pork. This was another satisfying dish.

The dishes seem to get better and better. The deep-fried fish maw braised with sea cucumber was darling wife's favourite dish. The shitake mushrooms, sweetcorn, carrot and bits of kailan not only add colour to the dish, but also helps to enhance the overall taste.

Personally for me, the black bean spare-ribs stewed with bitter gourd was, hands down, the best dish. Okay I may be bias here - bitter gourd is, after all, my favourite. Still, no one can possibly quarrel with this dish. Everything about it is just nice. The spare-rib is tender, the bitter gourd is soft and the gravy is tasty yet not too robust to camouflage the unique taste of the gourd. This is a 'die die must try' dish.

Restoran Sun Yoon Kee Seafood
35 Lebuh Cintra
Chinatown, Penang

Food: 8.5
Service: 8.5
Ambience: 9 (if you enjoy nostalgia)
Price: $
Recommended Dishes: Golden Coin Tofu; Deep-fried Fish Maw with Braised Sea Cucumber; Stewed Spare-ribs with Bitter Gourd

Food for Thought: Apong Guan

2011-11-10T23:52:00.008+08:00

Uncle Guan is definitely not camera-shy. He is ever ready to pose for photos like he did with our group. In fact, he is sort of a local celebrity having been featured in the local newspaper, magazines and several food blogs, and now in mine!

Having been in the business for 47 years, Uncle Guan turns out miniature apong (pancakes) with clockwork precision. Here, Uncle Guan shows us the correct way to slice bananas. Without looking at the banana, knife or his hands, he is able to cut the fruit into equal thickness at supersonic speed.

Then he adds 2 slices of banana for each apong followed by a small dollop of canned corn.

Here is the finished product - piping hot and delicious apong balik.

Even with his stealth and dexterity, there is usually a very long wait - we waited almost 60 minutes for our order to be ready. But it was worth every second of the wait.

Apong Guan

Location: Burmah Road (opp shop by the name of 'thinkdisplay')

Direction: From Komptar Complex, follow the direction of the traffic until you reach the stretch after Penang Plaza. Apong Guan's mobile stall is on the left hand side of Burma Road opposite a row of shophouses. Look out for 'thinkdisplay'.

Price: 40sens per piece

Food for Thought: Chef Hide Yamamoto

2011-08-06T15:01:00.002+08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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

2011-08-02T01:42:00.004+08:00

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.

Access to the home was through a courtyard filled with flowering plants and fruit-bearing trees. The various rooms of the home surround this central courtyard which functions like an open air living room, against a backdrop of colorful blooms. This is 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 our holidays extra special.

Food for Thought: Chicken Rice

2011-08-02T00:58:00.007+08:00

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

Food for Thought: Mama Thira

2010-12-16T01:21:00.002+08:00

Of the many restaurants in Greece that we ate at, few can hold a candle to Mama Thira on the island of Santorini. Housed in a typical fisherman's cottage on top of the cliff in Firostefani with views to the volcano and Caldera, this family run restaurant has mum helming the kitchen as chef. The food whipped up by the chef is incomparable.

Our dinner consisted of an appetizer of tomato cutlets, Greek salad, dessert and coffee or tea. For the main course, we settled for the house specialty - catch of the day.

Not a lover of tomato, I often avoid any dish that has it as a main ingredient. To my astonishment, I found Mama Thira's tomato cutlet to be really delicious. Brought to our table freshly fried, the batter was still crispy but the tomato on the inside remain juicy and retained much of its natural sweetness.

The appetizer was served alongside fresh home-made bread and a large plate of traditional Greek salad.

The highlight of the meal was, of course, the catch of the day grilled over wood fire to charred perfection. The meat on the inside, however, remained moist, tender and tantalisingly sweet. The sea bream is a white fish commonly found in many different parts of Europe but no one can dispute that the Mediterranean gilt-head bream is the tastiest of all sea breams and most celebrated. Its succulent and coarse flesh is ideal for grilling. We had grilled fish at other restaurants throughout the trip but none could compare with Mama Thira's.

After the main course, we were served a dessert of sweet cookies with coffee and tea.

Mama Thira Restaurant

Clifftop, Firostefani

Santorini, Greece

Ambience: 7.5

Service: 8

Food: 9

Pricing: $$$$

Recommended dishes: Grilled catch of the day, tomato cutlets

Food for Thought: St Pierre

2010-08-24T21:07:00.023+08:00

Dinner with wine pairing at St Pierre Restaurant was definitely the highlight of my dining experience this year. I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about Chef Emmanuel Stroobant and his food. Owner Chef Stroobant has worked very hard to put his restaurant on the map of culinary distinction. In fact, his restaurant is the only Singapore establishment to earn an admission to Relais & Chateaux – the definitive guide to the world’s finest hotels and restaurants.

Over the years, St Pierre has received numerous accolades. Starting with Best New Restaurant Award for Excellence in 2002, it went on to receive many other awards including in 2007, the Restaurant of the Year Excellence Award by World Gourmet Summit. Chef Stroobant also received the Chef of the Year Award in 2002. In that same year, Wine and Dine magazine credited the restaurant with the Most Innovative Menu.

Like world-renown Chef Ferran Adria whom he greatly admires, Chef Stroobant started training, at a very young age, in the kitchens of Michelin star restaurants of Belgium where he was born. In 1987, he was named Best Apprentice Chef and at 23, he opened his own restaurant, Le Bal, in his home town, Liege.

Soon, the kitchens of the world beckoned him and he re-located to Australia before moving to Malaysia, and finally setting up home in Singapore. While working in Malaysia, he received the award for Best Expatriate Executive Chef by World Asia Media in 1999.

The evening’s degustation menu consisted of an amuse bouche ensemble of assorted nibbles; Millefeuille of Hokkaido Scallop; Slow poached Maine Lobster; Confit of wild salmon served with wild mushroom duxelle; Low temperature roasted lamb shoulder; Red wine glazed US Beef short rib; and Yuzu scented genoise with goma nougatine, mango sorbet and honey scented feuillantine.

The first appetizer, Millefeuille of Hokkaido Scallop, was good but lacked the wow factor. The pieces of scallop were scented with preserved black truffle, wild chives, ikura, citrus zest and crème fraiche. The crème fraiche, to me, was a tad too wet and milky when it should have been creamy with a velvety smoothness. What made the dish good was the freshness of the scallop which had the ‘melt in your mouth’ texture. This dish was paired with KJ Vintner Reserve Savignon Blanc 2008.

I was really impressed by the second appetizer – the slow poached Maine Lobster served on roasted hearts of Romaine. The garnishing on the plate included sweet garlic confit, parmesan croutons and bottarga emulsion. The lobster, although cooked (I would have preferred sashimi), remained tender and retained its natural sweetness. But what I really enjoyed most about this dish were the charred hearts of Romaine which had a robust woody flavour. It was paired very well with KJ Vintner Reserve Chardonnay 2008.

Chef Stroobant has his way of keeping the best for later. The dishes that arrived at our table ‘from this moment on’ were all of exceptionally high standard.

The confit of wild salmon served with wild mushroom duxelle was outstanding, to say the least. Wild salmon, unlike its cultivated relatives, tend to be more marbled, moist and rich in flavour, thus making it a popular choice with food gourmand. Chef Stroobant’s clever use of crispy smoked bacon and momotaro tomato infused choron sauce enhanced the natural taste of the wild salmon to even greater heights.

In traditional French cooking, duxelle – a reduction of chopped mushroom (sometimes mushroom stems) and herbs – is used as stuffing. Chef Stroobant used it as a base for the lamb. It was a totally new way of presentation yet it did not distract attention from nor ruin the taste of the dish.

The wild salmon was accompanied by KJ Vintner Reserve Merlot 2006.

Equally outstanding was the low temperature roasted lamb shoulder served with pan grille scented eggplant puree, lamb jus and ratatouille. The adept Chef roasted the lamb to pure perfection. It is not often that I walk away from a restaurant, happy with how they had done my steak. At St Pierre, I have no complaints, only praises. The meat was very slightly burnt on the outside but delicately tender and succulent on the inside – just the way I like my meats prepared. KJ Grand Reserve Merlot 2006 and KJ Highland Estate Taylor Peak Merlot 2005 accompanied the dish most satisfactorily.

The last of the main course, though simple in presentation, reigned supreme in its preparation. The red wine glazed US Beef short rib was superbly prepared and its taste quite exquisite. It was served with bone marrow, potato bouchon and organic baby vegetables and paired with KJ Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and KJ Highland Estate Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

Short ribs or Jacob’s Ladder (as the English call it), are a cut of beef perfect for long cooking as in pot au feu, a classic dish of French origin. Because short ribs tend to be tougher than other cuts, it can be challenging to prepare as a steak. But Chef Stroobant had it proven otherwise, much to my delight. Just by this dish alone, he has won my admiration and respect.

For dessert, Chef Stroobant created Yuzu scented genoise with goma nougatine, mango sorbet and honey scented feuillantine. Everyone loved the dessert and my only complaint was not having enough of it. A very sweet dessert wine, KJ Late Harvest Chardonnay 2006, accompanied.

Chef Stroobant has taken me on a culinary trip that is so sublime that St Pierre, now tops my list of favourite Continental restaurants in Singapore.

St Pierre Restaurant

3 Magazine Road

#01-01 Central Mall

Ambiance – 6.5

Service – 8

Food – 9.5

Pricing - $$$$$

Recommended dishes – Chef Stroobant’s Degustation Menu of the Month

My Thoughts for the Day: Eulogy for Mom - Theresa Agnes Goh Ah Soy

2010-08-03T22:48:00.007+08:00

Born 1919; Died 2010

To everyone of us, mom is the best.
In my case, mom is better than best; she is extraordinary.

Over the past few days, some of my childhood friends came to mom's wake. All of them remember my mom very fondly and had nothing but good things to say about her. I cannot but agree with them fully.

As the youngest in the family, I spent much time with my mom - going to the market, preparing the daily meals in the kitchen and talking. We talked about many things and shared many thoughts. Mom was my best teacher.

She taught me to be a good son and a good brother. But she also taught me that to be a good son and brother was not enough. She constantly reminded me to strive to be a good person. Mom taught me well and I am what I am today because of her love and guidance.

Some of you may remember mom as a ravishing beauty. But more than just external beauty, mom possesses great inner beauty. Think of all the superlatives in the dictionary, put them together and you get the perfect description of mom. To me, mom is the embodiment of everything that is good and beautiful.

Most of you already know that I love my mom dearly. The truth is, I adore her.

When I was ready for marriage, my idea of an ideal wife was someone who is like mom - someone who has all the qualities that mom possesses. And I am indeed thankful to God that He has blessed me so richly with a beautiful mother and an equally beautiful wife.

People and Places: Innsbruck

2010-07-13T00:15:00.013+08:00

If there is only one place in Innsbruck that I could spend a day again, where would it be?

Most definitely the Altstadt or Old Town - the historic centre of the city. You will never run out of things to see in the Old Town which is filled with narrow houses, beautifully painted facades, handsome doorways, oriel windows, and fine examples of old Tirolean architecture. In fact, you'll be hard pressed for time to 'stand and stare' at the sumptuous display of Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo buildings that reflect Innsbruck's past importance as a ducal residence.

The semi-circular quarter of the Old Town, enclosed by a ring of streets known as the Graben ("Moat") is now a pedestrian precinct making it easy for tourists to go on foot, explore and get lost.

The Goldenes Dachl or Golden Roof located at the t-junction of Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse and Maria-Theresein-Strasse is, indisputably, the most famous building in Innsbruck and the most photographed too. It is the mecca of very visitor to the city.

This magnificent Late Gothic oriel window roofed with 2,657 gilded copper tiles was built in 1494 to commemorate the second marriage of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I to Bianca Maria Sforza of Milan. Maximilian is known to expand his territory not through conquests but by marriages. Not wishing to alienate the allies gained by his first marriage, to Maria of Burgundy, he had an image of himself between the two women painted on his balcony. For many years, the balcony served as a royal box from which the court could sit in luxury and watched civic festivities in the square below. Today the building houses a museum on the life of Maximilian.

Right across from the famous roof, painted in a pretty pink, is the Rococo Helblinghaus named after Sebastian Helbling who operated a small cafe there in 1833. The original Gothic townhouse was purchased by Johann Fischer in 1725 who had the façade decorated with late Baroque plasterwork and front oriels. The ornamental screen façade is highly embellished with sculpture and decorative elements such as lavish acanthus, busts, masks and shells. It is an outstanding example of bourgeois grandeur.

The arcaded Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse is lined with handsome burghers' houses including the Goldener Adler Hotel, one of Europe's oldest and time-honoured inns established in the 14th century. A marble panel at the hotel's entrance lists the many famous personalities that have stayed in the hotel in the past including Emperor Joseph II, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and many more. It was from here that the Tirolean patriot, Andreas Hofer, addressed the people in 1809.

At one end of Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse stands its oldest preserved building, the Ottoburg, a Gothic residential tower built by the city wall in the 15th century. Its gray facade is brightened up by red and white shutters. Although both the purpose and the owners of the building have changed frequently throughout the years, the Ottoburg has long housed an excellent restaurant, the historic Ottoburg which first opened its doors to customers in the year 1745. It serves traditional Tyrolean specialties.

All along Herzong-Friedrich-Strasse and the side streets that fan out from it, are interesting arcaded buildings. The 16th century Trautsonhaus with its reliefs, bay-windows, painted facade and marble fountain is worth mention.

So are all of these arcaded buildings which, today, house cafes & restaurants, boutiques and specialty shops, hotels & family-run inns.

Standing proud and high above all other buildings in the Aldstadt is the old Stadtturm. Originally built in the 14th century, together with the adjoining Old Rathaus, it serves as a watchtower. Today, many tourists walk up its tower for one of the most beautiful views of Innsbruck and its environs.

Food for Thought: The White Rabbit

2010-06-27T23:03:00.012+08:00

The White Rabbit's website promises 'impeccable fine dining without the stuffiness'. This very aptly describes our dining experience there some months ago during the Singapore Restaurant Week - that is the 'stuffiness' bit.

The restaurant is a converted chapel located in the Dempsey Road shopping and dining enclave. The owners have retained the original architecture (smart move) while fitting the cavernous space with generally clean-cut furniture with a splattering of antique pieces. The colour scheme is kept almost monochromatic thus accentuating the beauty of the original stained glass. There is absolutely no clutter.

Similarly, the table setting and food presentation are stylishly modern and simple.

The 3-course set menu comprised a freshly shucked oyster served au naturale with pork sausage on the side for appetizer; Sole Meuniere for the main; and Chocolate Mousse with raspberry sauce for dessert.

The appetizer was really 2 dishes in one. The freshly shucked oyster was served au naturale and because it was very fresh, all it needed was a dash of lemon juice. Accompanying it was a lone sausage which looked rather uninspired and uninspiring. I didn't particularly like the taste of it either as I found it a tad too salty.

Sole Meunière is a classic French dish consisting of sole fish that has been dredged in flour then pan fried in butter and served with the brown butter reduction sauce and a dash of lemon. In classic service, the whole sole is sauteed tableside and boned by the server. However, at White Rabbit, the sole was cooked in the kitchen and served whole on the bone. Perhaps, the fish used was too little to be filleted!

My first serving of the sole was rubbery and tough and I had it returned to the chef who promptly replaced it with no questions asked. Points deducted for not ensuring the quality of the ingredients used even though the dish was, overall, quite tasty. Otherwise, I don't have any other complaints as Sole Meuniere is really a straightforward dish to prepare and no self-respecting chef should make a blunder out of it. By the way, the baby potatoes were delicious. And darling wife loves the fish - she didn't get the tough one!

The dessert was good but it did not really excite me the way desserts normally do. I felt it was a very safe choice since one can never go wrong with Chocolate Mousse. This being a Restaurant Week menu, I would have expected something more creative and daring.

Overall, an enjoyable dining experience mainly because we liked the surrounding and the service. The waiting staff were careful not to be too intrusive when we were eating. But once coffee and dessert were served, they made the effort to come around to exchange pleasantries with us and discuss the restaurant's concept, design and architecture, since they consciously took note that these were topics of interest to us.

The White Rabbit

39C Harding Road

Tanglin

Ambiance: 9.5

Service: 8.5

Pricing: $$$

Food: 7.25

People and Places: Sitges

2010-06-01T00:32:00.013+08:00

Located 35 km south of Barcelona, the beachfront town of Sitges is known for its carnival, sunny weather and, of course, its night life - especially its vibrant gay life. It is, after all, the gay capital of Spain. But there is much more to Sitges than just the gay scene.

In the summer months the main beach, de la Ribera, will be crowded with swimmers, suntanners and boat paddlers. Besides suntanning and swimming, it is also a popular spot for sand castle building. Fortunately, I was there in spring when the place was less crowded and much quieter. One lone man was building a sand figure all by himself.

The inverterate shopper will also find Sitges' many shopping lanes interesting to explore. Narrow lanes fanning out from the beachfront, such as the Carrer de Pau Barrabel, are lined on both sides with shops selling the latest in European fashion. I bought a lovely black lace blouse for darling wife from one of these boutiques. For the younger set, there are shops that specialise in kitsch and novelties.

For visitors in pursuit of cultural interests, Sitges will not disappoint either. I enjoyed the Museo Cau Ferat which once was the residence of Santiago Russiñol, the painter who gave much of his life to the advancement of the Modernist movement in Catalan. In its heydays, it was notorious for the many 'modern style' parties hosted by Russinol, which made Sitges famous among the artistic circle.

I was impressed with the paintings, sculptures, and personal belongings of the artist, displayed exactly as they were when he stayed there. The museum, which houses a small Picasso, several el Grecos as well as other pieces by Catalan Modernists, has a very homey feel to it. The name Cau Ferat is derived from the many metal decorations found throughout the house. Even its windows are dressed in wrought iron.

Steps away from Museu Cau Ferat is Maricel Palace, bought by millionaire Charles Deering in 1912 to house his vast personal collection of paintings. One part of the building is the art museum while the other is being used as a civic center.

Not far from these 2 museums, on Placa de L'Adjutament, is the marketplace which is best visited in the morning. Although not as large as many other town markets, it takes pride in its high quality salted Atlantic cods.

Whiles Sitges is good by day, it really comes alive when the sun sets. This is when the whole population - locals and visitors - gravitate to the many narrow lanes that are lined with watering holes, restaurants and clubs. Carrer del Pecat or Sin Street, is the place to be at. Here, you will find Pacha, the famous disco chain with branches in Ibiza, Salou, Barcelona and many other major Spanish cities and towns. While the clubs beckon the other visitors, it was really the restaurants that caught my attention.

La Oca, a famous chicken rotisserie, serves one of the best spit-roasted chicken in town. Needless to say, that was my choice for dinner.

Getting There from Barcelona:
By Train - From Sants or Passeig de Gracia station, take the train that says VILANOVA G on the front. Journey time is about 30 mins and the fare is 4.3Euro one-way.
By Bus - Take Bus Nº N30 from Ronda Universitat near Plaza Catalunya or from Gran Via next to Plaza España. The bus leaves on the hour every hour up to 4am.

Food for Thought: The Humble Yong Tau Foo

2010-05-31T00:42:00.005+08:00

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

Block 10 North Bridge Road

#01-108

Ambiance: Hawker centre setting

Food: 8

Service: 7

Pricing: $

Food for Thought: db Bistro Moderne

2010-05-30T03:12:00.010+08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

2010-05-30T00:26:00.012+08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

2010-05-12T22:23:00.007+08:00

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

Corner Jalan Masjid and Changi Road

Opposite Masjid Kassim

Food: 7.5

Price: $

Food for Thought: Novus @ The National Museum

2010-05-12T00:04:00.009+08:00

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.

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.

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).

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.

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: $$$$

Food for Thought: L'Entrepot Bistrot

2010-04-08T16:18:00.014+08:00

This is one of the newer outlets operated by the Esmirada Group of restaurants.

Fronting the Singapore River at Clarke Quay, the walls of L'Entrepot are adorned with copies of old French posters illuminated by the warm glow of soft lighting. One wall at the far end of the dining room has been cleverly converted into a wine cellar. The overall feel is cosy - just like a typical French bistro in Paris. For smokers and those who enjoy the outdoors, there is al fresco dining by the banks of the river.

It was Laura's birthday and French immediately came to mind, remembering how much she enjoyed her birthday treat at a Greek taverna in Place St Michel, Paris way back in 1994.

True to the original bistro fashion, L'Entrepot's menu consisted of simple one-meal dishes that could be cooked in quantity and kept to be served over a number of days. Slow-cooked food like braised meat are its staples.

Laura ordered Beef Bourguignon. This was (once upon a time) a popular peasant 'comfort' food but it has been refined over the years into haute cuisine. Today, it is a French standard, its recipe having been codified by Chef Auguste Escoffier, who received the Legion D'Honneur in 1919 for his work in promoting French cuisine to the world.

To create the perfect beef bourguignon, the meat should be marinated in Burgundy red wine and cognac together with a variety of vegetables, herbs and spices at least 48 hours prior to cooking. The mushrooms sauteed in clarified butter are then added only after the meat has been simmered to the desired texture. L'Entrepot served their version of the stew over a bed of potato mash, topped with sauteed mushrooms. Laura was very pleased with her choice of main course, as was I with my lamb shank.

The shank of lamb is not the most tender part of the animal and is, therefore, best eaten braised over slow fire for a long period of time. While some lamb shank recipes call for vegetables such as mushrooms and celery, L'Entrepot uses mainly root vegetables like onions, carrots and cassava root. The lamb is braised in a rich rosemary jus giving it a robust flavour, which in my opinion is important for any lamb dish.

Darling wife's Atlantic Cod was served on potato mash and a red pepper compote in a sea of poultry jus. The fish was fresh and the meat remained firm even though it was cooked to well done. I thought it was tasty although Lyn wasn't really 'mad about it'.

We had originally asked for soup - lobster bisque - but the waiters had forgotten our order, so we had it cancelled without any problem. A large bowl of Caesar's Salad was shared between the three.

Fresh crisp Romaine lettuce is tossed with croutons, bacon bits, parmesan and thick wedges of spiced chicken fillet. One of the best Caesar's Salad we had in a long while.

When dining at a bistro, you can look forward to good home-style cooking and a homey atmosphere. But do not set your expectations too high as far as service is concerned. This was exactly the case with L'Entrepot Bistrot. I was not overly disappointed because I have experienced the 'bistro' culture in Paris on many occasions. For those who have eaten in a Parisienne bistro, you will notice that they are mostly owner-managed. Which means they are often manned by 2 staff only - the owner being the chef and his spouse who would double up as waitress, cashier and hostess. So expect to wait for service! I guess that culture has somehow caught on in other parts of the world as well.

After dinner at L'Entrepot, we adjourned to Alegro for coffee and Spanish dessert.

L'Entrepot Bistrot

#01-02 Block E

Clarke Quay

Singapore 179024

Ambiance: 7

Service: 6

Food: 8

Pricing: $$$

Recommended Dishes - Caesar's Salad, Beef Bourguignon, Lamb Shank

Food for Thought: Barcook's Cream Cheese Raisin Bread

2010-03-26T16:41:00.003+08:00

Barcook Bakery started in 2008 as a single stall at Hong Lim Complex and has since opened two other branches at OUB Centre and The Central.

The bakery takes pride that it has at its disposal, a team of expert bakers who believe in the use of fresh ingredients in order to maintain highest quality. In their own admission, their breads are of superior quality and I cannot find any reason to dispute that.

What you will get from Barcook are freshly baked breads and buns, dished out warm from the oven, and packed to go within seconds - particularly so for its hot favourite which is the cream cheese raisin bread (rather more like a bun). This signature flat bread filled with cream cheese and raisins actually made them famous.

What makes their breads stand out is the texture, achieved through the application of the time-consuming sponge-and-dough method. It involves fermenting part of the ingredients for a period of time before adding the sponge to the larger recipe. The result is bread with a soft yet elastic texture thus making it more chewy than the normal sweet dough.

There is normally a long wait for their 2 signature breads - the cream cheese raisin and the German muesli loaf. But, believe me, the wait and lack of proper coordination (since there is no queue system) is definitely worth it.

BreadTalk, too, carries the cream cheese raisin but their version pales in comparison to Barcook's.

Barcook Bakery

#01-09/10 The Central

6 Eu Tong Sen Street

Clarke Quay Station

People and Places: Andorra

2010-01-12T13:40:00.013+08:00

I first visited Andorra way back in the early 1980s and had the good fortune to make a return visit in the year 2004, following my presentation at the IAVE International Conference held that year in Barcelona.

With an area of not more than 181 square miles, it is one of the smallest countries in Europe and remains to this day, a principality. Since 988, Andorra has been in the ownership of the Bishop of Urgell who is based in Seu D'Urgell, a nearby Catalonian town. Today, Andorra is co-owned by the President of the French Republic.

Avenue Meritxell - mountains form its backdrop

Avenue Meritxell - major street in Andorra de Vella

The people of Andorra have the 2nd highest human life expectancy in the world — 82 years. If you have been there, it is easy to understand why. Other than Andorra de Vella - its capital - the country is mostly countryside. Once you are out of the capital, you'll see miles after miles of rugged mountains and verdant valleys. This, of course, is its summer scene. During the winter months, most of its mountain slopes are covered with heavy snow, making Andorra a popular ski destination.

The Town Hall in Andorra la Vella

Being a mountain state, space is something that it definitely does not have. Imagine a permanent population of 24,000 people and a vast number of camera-wielding tourists, crammed into the small capital city of Andorra La Vella. What its citizens have learnt is to practise patience and acceptance. There is no point complaining or pressing on one's car horn, when caught in the traffic jam along narrow and over-crowded Avenue Meritxell - the capital's main thoroughfare. The people of Andorra have learnt to take life easy in spite of the inconveniences.

Outside of La Vella are numerous interesting little villages that are worth visiting. During my last trip, I took time to explore La Cortinada and Ordino. I need not say much about these places. The photos say it all!

La Cortinada - Church of St Marti

La Cortinada-Mola L'sierradora

Ordino - view of the valleys

Calle Major - Ordino's main street

Calle Major - lined with hotels and restaurants

Ordino Town with the Casamanya Mountain forming a stunning backdrop

Food for Thought: Welcoming 2010 with a Big Bang

2010-01-05T14:14:00.011+08:00

Every year ends on a very climactic note with birthday and Christmas celebrations and in like manner, we usher the new year. Without any exception, 2010 was welcomed amidst great revelry, flowing freely with good wine and sumptuous food, starting on 31 Dec, continuing on to last weekend.

This season, we had some of the best Ozzie wines from Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and other parts of Australia, courtesy of David Paik - wine connoisseur and importer. (Log on to www.nbswines.com to read more about David's products.)

A small gathering of close friends (David, Cyndi and Laura) sat around my antique kopi tiam table in our breakfast alcove, on New Year's Eve, reminiscing 2009 and celebrating life. The Korean long-stemmed strawberries and selection of cheeses (including one of my favourites - Camembert) were perfect accompaniment to the white Southern Fleurieu Pinot Grigio (Vintage 2008) from the De Lisio Wines vineyards. When we ran out of white, a very good red Shiraz (2004), also from the De Lisio Wines vineyards, was served.

New Year's Day was spent with family at my new ground floor flat. 16 handpicked guests, mainly siblings and their offsprings, were treated to a home-cooked meal.

The menu was lovingly put together by darling wife and I. It included Rosemary & Salted Lemon Chicken with root vegetables; Beef Stewed in Brandy and Spice; Hami Melon Salad dressed with Kiwifruit Vinegar topped with feta cheese and black Greek olives; Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic & Bacon; Char-grilled Vegetable Ravioli in Home-made Pesto sauce; Penne tossed in extra virgin olive oil, Italian herbs & Parmesan cheese; and mixed grilled seasonal vegetables. For dessert, Laura prepared her wickedly delicious Tiramisu.

Last weekend, David cooked for us the best Korean food I have ever eaten anywhere in the world. His home-made bim bim bap and spicy salmon soup were simply out of this world. I, who have stayed clear of Korean food for so many years, am fully converted! Thank you, David (and Cyndi).

I can't help thinking 2010 would be a very good year for us all.

Food for Thought: Japanese Dining Sun @ CHIJMES

2009-12-23T13:49:00.024+08:00

December is a hectic month for many but more so, for us. Preparation for Christmas and shopping for gifts are interspersed with lunches and dinners with our dearest friends. You see, both darling wife and I celebrate our birthdays in December. We have had umpteen meals but I guess the one I should write first about, is my dinner for Lyn at Japanese Dining Sun, CHIJMES.

This restaurant gets a listing in practically every food blog that I know of. Most are rave reviews. Personally, I don't understand what all the hype is about, although I must agree that it does deserve mention for 2 things - its minimalist decor and food presentation. Quality of food, however, does not measure up to the reviews I have read.

Since we were celebrating darling wife's birthday, I was so looking forward to enjoying a kaiseki meal but this was, sadly, not offered. However, they did have a Hokkaido promotion which promised the freshest ingredients air-flown from Japan.

We ordered several dishes for sharing - tuna sashimi, a beef uramaki (or western sushi), Zensai Mori, and a mixed grill platter. Darling wife ordered the Ishikari Nabe from the Hokkaido promotion menu. For dessert, we had 2 servings of Milk Shu Cream with azuki bean paste on the side.

The sashimi maguro was fresh, leaning towards a 'melt-in-the-mouth' texture. This could be because we were eating tuna in winter (in the northern hemisphere) which is the best time for harvesting the fish when its body has a natural built-up of fats. Though Sun's sashimi was not the best we have eaten in Singapore, it was definitely better than what an average Japanese restaurant has to offer.

Served together with the sashimi was the beef uramaki. We liked its presentation especially the minimalist-design crockery. Regrettably, it did not stand out beyond its presentation. It wasn't all that bad but it just didn't excite my palate as much as it was visually attractive. I wish they didn't nozzle so much mayonnaise on top!!!

The one dish that was truly a feast for the eye was the Zensai Mori or selection of appetizers. Had it not been for the fact that the cheek of pork was over-done, I would have given this dish full marks. Still, the saving grace was that the pork was well marinated and therefore, very tasty. The other items were very good with varying degrees of complexity in preparation. The edamame beans, though plain and straightforward in its preparation, provided relief from the robust onslaught of different flavours from the fried crispy shrimp, sauteed Bunashimeji mushroom, black-peppered cheek of pork, and sesame-mayonnaise fried chicken. Nevertheless, the Zensai Mori was our favourite dish.

The mixed grill platter was a let-down. The only item on the platter that we enjoyed was the grilled kurabuto pork in thick caramelised sauce. Everything else was overcooked!

Birthday gal enjoyed her Ishikari Nabe (salmon soup with fresh picked seasonal vegetables) prepared using the freshest ingredients airflown from Hokkaido. The salmon was fresh and cooked just right. The soup was tasty.

The highlight of the meal has to be the dessert - Milk Shu Cream (fresh cream in puff) served with traditional azuki bean paste on the side. We ordered 1 to share but ended up ordering a second serving because it was really that good.

It was very thoughtful of the management to present darling wife a tofu cheese cake with a candle on top. We appreciated the gesture and it made for a very pleasant end to the meal.

Japanese Dining Sun was crowded even on a Monday evening. But I gather that it has become so popular mainly because of its affordability. Our tab for two persons was, surprisingly, under $120.

Japanese Dining Sun

#02-01 CHIJMES

30 Victoria Street

Ambiance: 7.5

Service: 7

Food: 6.5

Pricing: $$$

Recommended dishes: Zensai Mori, Ishikari Nabe, Milk Shu Cream, Sashimi maguro

Food for Thought: Bee Heong Palace Hokkien Restaurant

2009-11-25T16:46:00.013+08:00

Numerous dining options are available in the Amoy/Telok Ayer Street area. There are Japanese, Korean, Continental and even fusion. For Chinese food lovers, restaurants like Swee Kee Ka Soh and Beng Hiang have been catering to diners for many years.

Darling wife was recently introduced by my cousin, Gracie, to Beng Heong Palace on Telok Ayer Street. Not entirely new to Hokkien food lovers, Beng Heong has been in business for nearly 30 years and has recently moved from Cecil Street to its current location.

We ordered the set meal with a Duck Salad as an extra dish since this is a favourite of both darling wife and I. The set meal comprises hae chor, braised half chicken, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, kong bak pao, and double-boiled white fungus with gingko nuts for dessert.

We were pleased with our first dish, the Duck Salad. We found it to be better than Beng Hiang's but still not as good as the one prepared by Beng Thin Hoon Kee's chef. The dressing was not too starchy but, fortunately for me, too sweet. The julienne of fruits were freshly cut and as such, the cucumber and melon were crisp and not limp (fortunately). They were generous with the duck meat which were cut into thin strips to complement the julienne of fruits.

Hae Chor or prawn rolls was served next. This is one of my favourite dishes and I like all versions of it - Nyonya, Teochew or Hokkien. Beng Heong's version is heavy on the meat rather than the prawn. To achieve the desired texture, the chef added ikan parang paste to the mix. The Teochew version often has yam paste in it while the Peranakans add water chestnut and chicken innards. I like them all! Bee Heong's did not disappoint us either.

The braised half chicken, prepared in foil, managed to cook well without losing its juiciness. At the same time, it was able to absorb the marinade. Chestnut and mui choy were added to make it more flavourful - good for those who enjoy robust tasting food. I enjoyed this dish very much and wished I had rice to go with its gravy.

We chose broccoli over the recommended siu pak choy. Many eating outlets blanch their broccoli very lightly in water to retain its crunchiness. I was glad Beng Heong adopted the traditional method of boiling the broccoli until it is sufficiently soft. This was a plus point for me since I don't really care much for crunchy vegetables unless they are in my salad.

The last dish was the kong bak pao which was somewhat of a letdown for me. Pork belly was used but, sadly, not to it best advantage. Pork belly when stewed at the right (low) heat over a long period will give it a delicately smooth texture. The fatty parts will turn almost gelatinous and should separate itself from the lean when placed in the mouth. Unfortunately, this was the case. Also, the meat was a tad too salty for my liking.

The complimentary dessert was, on the other hand, light and delightful. In my opinion, it was a very good ending to the meal. Especially so when it was served immediately after the kong bak pao as it helped to wash down the saltiness of the dish.

Overall, darling wife and I enjoyed our dinner at Bee Heong Palace. We particularly like the Duck Salad, prawn roll, braised chicken and the double-boiled white fungus with gingko nuts.

We were also impressed by the service provided by the waitress who had recently arrived from Fujian Province in China. She had a very pleasant personality, was soft spoken, polite and served us throughout the meal with a smile. She made our dining experience more enjoyable.

Beng Heong Palace Hokkien Restaurant

134 Telok Ayer Street

Ambiance: 6

Service: 8

Food: 6.75

Pricing: $$

Recommended Dishes: Hae Chor, Braised Chicken, Duck Salad, Double-boiled white fungus with gingko nut

Food for Thought: Big Wong King

2009-11-13T01:51:00.011+08:00

Big Wong King, a Chinatown classic, has been for many years a big draw for New Yorkers and tourists who are looking for authentic Chinese food at 'down to earth' prices. It has been around for more than 30 years and as one New York reviewer commented, "it has never failed me".

This is the sort of place you would come for the food. Everything else doesn't matter. Forget about ambiance or service because you won't find any of these here, anyway. The waiters are loud and impatient; the decor is barebones and rather spartan. Its owners probably were more concerned with functionality than aesthetics.

But you will not leave this restaurant hungry or angry. Like us, you will probably leave sated and satisfied. Although some reviewers have noted that portions have become smaller over the years, we found it to be quite generous. In fact, we were not able to finish what was served to us. The congee and noodles came in very huge portions - enough to be shared by two. And if you like your food fast, the kitchen here prepares theirs at breakneck speed. We didn't have to wait very long as the food were served soon after we placed our orders.

Lunch on our first visit consisted of congee, steamed rice flour crepe, wonton noodle and steamed seasonal vegetable.

Darling wife's milky white congee looked remarkably bare, at first sight. She gave it a good stir and lo and behold, thick slices of fish surfaced from within the depths of the bowl. The congee, using short grain rice, was cooked for long hours in order to achieve its smooth and creamy consistency. The sweetness of the fish was enhanced by the fragrance of the freshly chopped scallions and toasted peanuts, making Big Wong King's congee a real winner.

I had, for my main dish, a bowl of wonton noodles. The most important thing about this dish, to me, was the texture of the noodles. While there is one camp that prefers it to be chewy and rubbery, I belong to the other camp that prefers it to be soft, but not too soft as to render it soggy and tasteless. And that was precisely how it was done here at Big Wong King. To me that was a definite plus point. For US$5.25, what I got was a bowl of noodles with a generous helping of BBQ pork and plump dumplings. The dumplings, filled with flavourfully marinated minced pork and shrimps, were really scrumptious.

We ordered steamed rice flour crepe (chee cheong fun) and steamed vegetables to go with our main course. They were both good. A variety of vegetables were available that day but on the recommendation of the waiter, we decided on stem of kale, not something I would normally settle for. The ones I had in Singapore were either too fibrous or were overcooked. At first bite, Big Wong's kale was crunchy but as I continued chewing, I found that the inside was soft and tender - the way I like it.

The steamed rice flour crepe were very thin and filled with boiled prawns. The crepes were served with light soya sauce without any garnishing. Like darling wife's congee, its presentation was rather plain but its savoriness was out-of-this-world! It has to be one of the best Chinese rice flour crepe I have eaten anywhere in the world.

When you are in New York City, don't forget to have a meal at Big Wong King. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, this is one of the best Cantonese restaurants in NYC's Chinatown.

Big Wong King

67 Mott Street (between Bayard and Canal)

Chinatown, New York City

Ambiance: 5

Service: 5

Food: 8

Pricing: $

Recommended dishes: Wonton noodle, congee with sliced fish, rice flour crepe, steamed vegetable with oyster sauce, roast meats (duck and pork)

Food for Thought: Restaurant Gasthof zur Post, St Gilgen

2009-11-09T19:57:00.031+08:00

The family-run hotel and restaurant opened its doors to its first guests in 1330. At that time it served as a coaching inn. On inspection, you will find that its foundation and certain portion of its facade dating back to the medieval period are still intact.

Over the years Gasthof zur Post has hosted many famous personalities. In August 1784 the wedding of Mozart's sister Anna Maria, nicknamed 'Nannerl', took place there. Today, the restaurant offers a rich selection of delicious regional and Austrian specialities, traditional fare and seasonal delicacies. The freshly caught fish from Lake Wolfgang is especially popular. In fact, all ingredients are from the Salzkammergut region thus ensuring freshness.

The waitress recommended trout which was caught that very morning from Lake St Gilgen, only a stone's throw from the hotel. Darling wife had it poached in Austrian white wine with leeks and other fresh garden greens.

Poached Trout in White Wine

The reason darling wife chose a poached fish dish was because we know that poaching is healthy and more importantly, it brings out the character of delicately flavoured fish such as trout.

The chef managed to poach the fish at precisely the right temperature and timing, rendering its meat extremely fine and smooth. The court boillon is white wine base with herbs and fresh vegetables. Deviating from the general rule of poaching, the chef used the poaching liquid as the consomme for the dish. The lightness of the fish dish is well balanced by the robust flavour of its side dish - wasabi mashed potato garnished with chives. The pungent wasabi perfectly complements the slightly sweet tasting potato. It is not a traditional Japanese dish but a Japanese fusion creation.

Wasabi Mashed Potato

I chose Wiener Schnitzel for my main course. This dish is made up of thin slices of veal coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried to a dark golden brown colour. No one can say he has been to Austria without eating this dish which has become part of Viennese or Austrian culture. It is found on the menu of almost every restaurant in the country. But not everyone does it with veal; many have, regrettably, substituted pork for veal.

Zur Post has stuck with tradition and used veal. The Wiener schnitzel arrived piping hot which is how it should be served. All it took was one bite, and I was convinced that was the best Wiener schnitzel I had ever eaten anywhere in Austria or the world, for that matter. While the coating was crispy, the veal on the inside was moist and tender.

Wiener Schnitzel

The main dish was served with a potato salad dressed with a rich creamy sauce and sided by a generous heap of lovely lamb's lettuce. Native to temperate continental Europe and best plucked in spring, this salad leaf is not easily available outside of Europe and even more uncommonly found in Asia and Singapore. I was extremely delighted to have the chance to enjoy the sweet and nutty flavour of this rare salad leaf which I was told, is very expensive because of its delicate and perishable nature.

Potato Salad with Lamb's Lettuce

The meal at Restaurnt Gasthof zur Post was one of the best culinary experiences we had during this trip. I have given a very high 9.5 ranking for food quality and added it to my list of favourite restaurants around the world.

Restaurant Gasthof zur Post

8 Mozartplatz

St Gilgen, Austria

Ambiance: 9

Service: 7.5

Food: 9.5

Pricing: $$$$

Recommended dishes: Poached Trout in white wine; Wiener Schnitzel, Grilled Sole

People and Places: Berchtesgaden

2009-10-31T21:57:00.008+08:00

Bavaria in the southern part of Germany is filled with noteworthy towns and villages, many of which are popular tourist attractions in themselves aside from being bases for both summer and winter sports.

Take Berchtesgaden, for example. Despite being in a remote location, the town and nearby Schoenau am Königsee possess world class sport facilities and is popular with the locals as well as sportsmen from nearby Austria.

Even if you are not there for the sports, you will find many architectural gems within the small township - enough to keep you occupied for a full day. In the area around the Town Square, you will find many restaurants and cellars offering authentic Bavarian cuisine and wines. Berchtesgaden is one of those European towns which has a special appeal to me so far so that I have visited it more than once.

Food for Thought: Ah Loy Thai

2009-10-31T20:35:00.012+08:00

Having dined at numerous Thai restaurants including some of the best in Singapore like the highly acclaimed Sabai @ Ngee Ann City, Yingthai on Purvis Street, Sukhotai @ Boat Quay and Thanying @ Amara Hotel, we have finally found our favourite Thai food in a little unpretentious eaterie located on the groundfloor of Shaw Tower, Beach Road.

Ah Loy Thai is run by a husband-and-wife team assisted by several foreign workers. This is a no-frills establishment which means you wait around until a table is available and expect to wait at least 20-30 minutes during the peak hours. You then complete your order form and pay up at the cashier. The food, when ready, will be brought to your table by the foreign helpers. If you require any extra orders, go back to the cashier.

You will find all of this inconveniences, including the long wait, to be worth the while when you have tasted the food. They are of surprisingly high quality considering the very affordable pricing. I don't recall anything costing more than $10 on the order form.

Darling wife and I have eaten here many times over the past 12 months. Some of our favourite dishes include the following:

Deepfried Fish with Spicy Thai Sauce

Stir-fried Morning Glory

Minced Chicken with Basil

Crispy Mango Chicken

Thai Papaya Salad

Fried Vermicelli with Seafood

Thai Iced Cheng Tng

Aloy Thai Restaurant

100 Beach Road

#01-39/40 Shaw Tower

Ambience: 6

Service: 6

Food: 7.5
Pricing: $

Recommended dishes: All that is featured above.

Food for Thought: Pagi Sore

2009-10-26T00:41:00.028+08:00

We were at Bayewood Collection when childhood friend, Tong Leng, felt like having something spicy for dinner. There are several options in the area but Pagi Sore immediately came to mind. I have eaten there many times and have never once been disappointed.

The restaurant was started in 1989 in a shop house along Duxton Road. It is now finally settled, after moving around for a while, at 88 Telok Ayer Street, Far East Square. 20-year old Pagi Sore has received numerous awards including the Excellent Food Award in 2002 and is listed among the Top 50 Restaurants in Singapore by The Straits Times.

Its signature dishes are unmistakably the popular Cumi Bali, Petai Udang Pedas, Ikan Otah Kukus and Ayam Bali.

However, I thought we should try something different and so our parade of dishes included Rendang Sapi, Ikan Assam Pedas, Ayam Gulai, Terung Tau Chio, and Asparagus Udang Belacan. For dessert we had pudding lapis mangga, alpukat and sirsak sorbet.

The rendang sapi was tasty but lacked the fragrance of fried coconut. Also, I found the beef to be a little on the rough side - perhaps the meat was too lean. I prefer it to be stewed longer until the meat is tender and streaky. Those who enjoy thick sauces will definitely appreciate this dish which is drowned in its own gravy.

For the ikan assam pedas, red snapper was used which was a good choice since the meat of this fish has a firm texture and a sweet, nutty flavor that lends itself very well to everything from hot chili to subtle herbs. The gravy has a combination taste of sweet, sour and hot which is how a good assam pedas should be.

To make the perfect accompaniment for the terong tau chio, the kitchen staff prepares the special sauce daily. The main ingredients of the sauce includes preserved soya beans, diced chili and garlic. The eggplant is blanched in boiling water and very quickly taken out to prevent it from getting overcooked. The cook succeeded in preventing the eggplant from becoming too soft and soggy or undercooked and raw, for that matter.

Ayam Gulai is a watery version of kari ayam and normally less milky, hot and spicy. Unlike curry which uses thick coconut milk, diluted coconut milk is used in gulai and therefore not so jelak. The chicken was very tender yet remained as a whole piece and not disintegrated. Overall, this was a satisfying dish.

We had originally planned to order petai udang pedas but it was sold out. So, we settled for the prawn stir-fried with asparagus in sambal belacan. I didn't think asparagus went very well with sambal belacan and therefore did not enjoy this dish. When ordering this dish, indicate to the waiter whether you prefer your prawns denuded.

As there were three of us, we decided to order one dessert each to share. The pudding lapis mangga was pretty to look at but tasted ordinary. My alpukat or avocado cream had a good creamy texture but that was the only good thing about it. The gula melaka was too sweet although it looked diluted! However the sirsak sorbet was very good. The soursop pulp was blended very fine before chilling which made it very smooth.

Over the years (from its Duxton days right up to the present), Pagi Sore has managed to maintain consistency in standards which is why I keep going back there. It is one of my favourite Indonesian restaurants.

Pagi Sore
88-90 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 048470

Ambiance: 7

Service: 7.5

Food: 8
Pricing: $$

Recommendations: Ikan otah kukus, petai udang pedas, cumi bali, sirsak sorbet, ikan assam pedas, ayam bali

Food for Thought: Nicolas Le Restaurant

2009-10-24T01:21:00.044+08:00

Le Restaurant is the brainchild of French chef, Nicolas Joanny, who hails from the Provence in the southern part of France. His love for fine ingredients stems from growing up in a family of food lovers who grew practically every food that was laid on the table, right down to the olive oil which was home-produced.

Nicolas graduated from the renowned Culinary Institute in Burgundy, Chateau Chinon, at the age of 17. During the second year of his study, he attended training under the watchful eyes of famous chefs at two prestigious Three Michelin Star establishments.

No promising chef would miss the opportunity of working in Paris. Nicolas worked at top-notch Parisian restaurants such as the 2-Michelin star Le Vivarois and 3-Michelin star Taillevent (which I recently recommended to Chee Koon when she visited Paris). Later in his Paris career, he was chosen as personal chef to ex-French prime minister, Alain Juppe.

Before coming to Singapore, he spent 4-years in Bangkok as Executive Chef of Le Vendome which is internationally recognised as one of Asia's top French dining spots. Last year, Nicolas set up Le Restaurant in a restored house, part of the Bukit Pasoh Conservation Project.

Nicolas acknowledges that his style of cuisine is traditionally French with emphasis on the use of products from the Provence. He uses mainly natural jus and emulsion rather than cream. He understands and respects the natural flavors of each ingredient that he uses to create traditional seasonally changing French menu. His philosophy and culinary skill are best displayed in his 6-course tasting menu.

The menu for the night included several appetisers, a main course, dessert and complimentary coffee/tea with pralines.

As soon as we had finished placing our order for the main course, freshly baked bread and duck rilettes were brought to our table.

The rilettes was raked and packed tightly with just enough oil to ensure a smooth texture, which is the mark of a good rilette. The softness and smoothness of Nicolas' duck rilettes went very well with his freshly baked breads.

Soup was then served. Nicolas had chosen potato soup topped with a thin strip of Parma ham. At first glance, the soup resembled Louis Diat's Vichyssoise. However upon tasting, I found that it had a very light and delicate flavour without the strong overtones of leek which Diat uses in his creation. The soup dish was combined with Australian yabby done two ways. On one side of the soup dish was a filo wrap filled with yabby meat, deep-fried to a crisp golden brown. On the other, sat a yabby completely clothed in its shell and grilled to perfection.

A prawn dish followed the soup. A sizable blue prawn was denuded and grilled. This wasn't my favourite dish as I found the prawn to be a little over-done causing it to lose much of its natural juices. It was a tad too dry for my liking.

My grouse with the prawn was soon forgotten when I tasted the Japanese hen egg. Infused with white trufle essence, its taste was simply sublime. A tiny slice of kurobuta pork accompanied the steamed egg. The pork definitely added to the dish's presentation. Did it enhance the taste of the steamed egg? I am not so sure that it did but that didn't really matter at all.

Next up was North Atlantic scallop served with an ensemble of different meats including bits of shrimp and chicken. The scallop was very lightly seared in order to retain its sashimi quality texture. Of course, it tasted wonderfully velveteen and I voted this the best appetizer of the meal.

For main course, I selected the slow roasted rack of lamb from Tasman fields. This is Chef Nicolas' version of the famous French favourite, Carre D'agneau. Chef Nicolas uses only the best imported Tasmanian lamb. I ordered medium rare and true to honesty, it arrived done to my preference. It was rare but not overly bloody yet the meat was tender and had the 'melt in your mouth' texture. Darling wife opted for the 200-day grain fed beef tenderloin. One bite of the main courses and we were convinced that these were the creation of a Chef de Cuisine.

Dessert was white chocolate soup (not my favourite) and Chef Nicolas was very kind to whip up a creme brulee infused with vanilla for me even though this was not offered on the tasting menu for the day. Not quite in the same league as the crema catalana that I have eaten in Catalonia, it was still definitely better than many others I have tried outside of Spain. Darling wife's white chocolate soup with Belgian chocolate was interesting in its presentation.

Chef Nicolas' culinary skills and adeptness have the ability to sway one's mood and make one forget about any other inconveniences that might have been encountered. I was told not to use flash photography hence, the rather poor quality of the photographs used here . I thought this was a rather unusual request by the management. I have used flash photography in many of the world's top restaurants including our very own Au Jardin Les Amis and Tatsuya, and have never encountered any problem.

Despite this small inconvenience and the fact that the restaurant lacked the ambiance of a fine dining restaurant, I would still recommend it simply because the food was good.

Nicolas Le Restaurant

31 Keong Saik Road

Bukit Pasoh Conservation Project

Singapore 089138

Ph: 62242404

Ambience: 6
Food: 8.5
Service: 7
Pricing: $$$$$
Recommendation: Chef Nicolas Tasting menu

My Thoughts for the Day: Calmness of Mind

2009-09-25T11:14:00.006+08:00

"As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life."

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Food for Thought: Yong Lee Restaurant

2009-09-12T12:45:00.022+08:00

Stepping into Yong Lee is like going back in time. You'll be transported back to the sixties, when coffee shops had their stalls lined up at the shop-front and seating was provided at the 'back-of-shop'. There are wooden tables and chairs, and enough old photographs, calendars and sponsored clocks (carrying different product names) to keep you busy while waiting for your food.

Although many such coffee shops still survive in Bangkok, particularly in Rattanakosin and Chinatown, Yong Lee (at the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 15) is much more accessible for tourists who depend largely on public transportation. Located midway between Asoke and Nana, it is a mere 5-minute walk from either of these stations.

Looking in from outside, the restaurant doesn't look too inspiring. Two sides of the corner shop are open to the pavement which means diners are exposed to the noise and fumes from the heavy vehicular traffic of Sukhumvit Road. Lighting is poor, and the old rafters (don't look up) seem to not have been cleaned in ages! The staff's attitude towards customers is brisk and no-nonsense but, thankfully, they are not outright rude.

However, the aroma wafting from its kitchen is tantalising enough to tempt anyone into venturing forth. The serving at Yong Lee is quite ample. Our afternoon snack of wonton noodle and a plate of steamed chicken with mushroom was really sufficient for a full meal.

Although their wonton noodle is not the best in Bangkok, it is still good by comparison to many that I have eaten in Singapore. It is prepared following 'old-tine' recipe handed down through the generations. The noodle is soft, just the way that I like my noodles to be. But the best part about the dish is its soup and dumplings (wonton). The soup is prepared using stock made from dried fish (tik por) which, is a very traditional method of preparing wonton noodle soup. The dumpling's skin is thin and melts in your mouth. Coarsely ground pork (mixture of lean and fat meat) is marinated with soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil, giving it a most delectable taste. The fats adds smoothness to the texture. Because the meat is not ground too fine, you can actually eat and taste the pork. Many stalls, nowadays, tend to grind the meat too fine resulting in a paste-like texture.

The steamed chicken (pak chum kai) was sauteed in oyster sauce and a variety of mushroom. It was a tasty dish and would have been even better had they not used mainly chicken breast meat (not my favourite part of a chicken).

Yong Lee's serving portions are generous beyond expectations. They have also managed to maintain the standard of the food over the years, at the same time keeping prices reasonably low. No wonder, it is always crowded during meal times. Take note that they close for the day quite early (or as soon as the food is sold out), so arrive early if you are planning on having dinner here.

Yong Lee Restaurant
Corner of Soi 15 and Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok

Ambiance: 8 (for nostalgia)
Service: 6.5
Food: 6.75
Pricing: $
Recommended Dishes: Wonton Noodle

Food for Thought: Keng Sin Cooked Food

2009-09-09T13:40:00.021+08:00

Recently I stumbled upon a cze char stall at Teck Ghee (Ang Mo Kio) which serves what I consider 'comfort' food, just like what mum used to prepare when she has time for only a 'quick fix' meal.

Their specialty is fish head done in different styles including curried and stir-fried. However, as both darling wife and I were really looking for something basic, we ordered 3 simple dishes, which to our delight, were very well executed by the chef.

The first dish was white bait in omelete. The omelete was thick and fluffy with just enough white bait to give it that full body flavour. Some may find it a tad too salty but this dish would be the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of porridge.

The prawn roll (hei chor) was done in typical Teochew style with plenty of yam in it. The bean curd skin was fried till crispy (an important factor in determining the quality of a good prawn roll; at least to me it is). The ingredients were well mixed with the yam thus creating a very smooth texture. While the dish was tasty, we found that the taste of the yam sort of overshadowed the other ingredients. Still, I would grade the dish as 'good' and worth trying.

For vegetables, we ordered belachan kang kong which the waitress recommended. We were not disappointed. The first plus point was that it isn't as greasy as the ones we have eaten at some other cze char stalls. We liked it also because it didn't taste too sugary although I can't say for sure that none was added. And most importantly, the finished product was not wet and soggy. The leaves and stalks were still green and crisp when the dish arrived at our table.

It was our first time eating at Keng Sin and we walked away filled and happy. And yes, I should also mention that the tab was a mere $14.80 for three dishes and two servings of rice.

There are several other very popular stalls at the same food centre, the most famous being the braised duck stall that also serves fish. I have made a mental note to go back and try this stall.

Another stall at the extreme corner facing AMK Avenue 1, cooks up a storm dishing out plates of braised fish head. Will write reviews about these stalls once I get the chance to try them out.

Keng Sin Cooked Food
Stall No. 01-22
Block 341 Ang Mo Kio Street 32

Ambiance: N/A
Service: 7.5
Food: 8.25
Pricing: $

Recommended Dishes: Belachan kang kong, white bait omelete, prawn roll

Food for Thought: Chong Pang Nasi Lemak

2009-09-05T23:31:00.040+08:00

There has been so much hype about Chong Pang Nasi Lemak, I thought I should give it a try. Especially so when it is located just 3 bus stops away from my flat.

It has been in business since 1973 and boasts a string of accolades. Among its accolades are The Green Book Best Food Award 2005/2006 and Top Winner of the Channel U Yummy King Award, plus many personal recommendations from friends and food blog reviewers.

It is my habit to give a quick scan of the food display before I place my order. CP's display does nothing to whet my appetite - I shall not venture to describe in detail. As I have said many times, food enjoyment is not just about taste, it is also about display and presentation.

A quick scan also detected dishes which I won't, beyond my wildest imagination, link to nasi lemak. I am talking stuff like sweet and sour pork, stir-fried mixed mushroom, Chinese sausages, Hash Brown and a plethora of other dishes not commonly thought of as condiments or accompaniment to traditional nasi lemak.

As the saying goes, 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'. Alas, all four members in our dinner party agreed that the food was sub-standard. The curry vegetable was tasteless, as was the fried chicken wing and fried chicken drumstick. The deep-fried chicken parts were crispy (living up to its claim) but lacked taste or flavour.

I ordered otah which I found to be completely devoid of any fragrance of herbs or spices - it was reduced to nothing more than a pulp of ground buah keras. Even the sambal wasn't robust enough and lacked the oomph.

All of us left the place in wonderment as to why and how they could have won those awards! This is one place I would not lend my personal recommendation.

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak
447 Sembawang Road
(near Yishun Avenue 5)

Ambiance: N/A

Service: 6

Food: 1

Pricing: $

Recommended Dishes: Honestly, none.

My Thoughts for the Day: Give Thanks

2009-09-05T12:15:00.012+08:00

Standing on the escalator step at the MRT station, I was staring straight ahead of me, thinking of nothing in particular, more like looking into emptiness, my mind a total blank - completely shagged from a day of sheer hard work.

Suddenly, the poster caught my attention and the famous quote by Ralph H Blum stared right back at me - "There is a calmness to life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

These words kept ringing in my mind as I walked from the station to my flat which, is but a stone's throw away. I couldn't comprehend myself at the moment. Why I couldn't shake loose those words from my head; neither did I understand their significance in my life.

I pondered on those words through the night. Even as I sat on my well-used and worn settee listening to Earl Klugh plucking on his acoustic guitar, those words kept flashing across my mind, to the point of irritation. Blum was messing with my music and it was annoying me!

I can't enjoy music unless I give it my 100% concentration which, explains why I 'sit in music' only past midnight when the rest of the world is asleep.

I had to admit defeat, turned off the music and retired to bed. Blum won and those same words rang through my ears incessantly, until I finally fell asleep.

Peace at last.

The next morning I awoke to the tune of Henry Smith's Give Thanks running repeatedly through my mind. I didn't think very much of it at first. I got out of bed and dove straight into the rhythm of my morning ritual - brushing teeth, dressing up and getting ready, in earnest, to face the new day.

On the train, on the way to the office, (at this stage I am normally already out of my morning stupor), I recalled the opening line of the song which is, 'Give thanks with a grateful heart'.

That was when I asked myself, "how often do I give thanks?"

Frankly, not often enough.

I am quite sure I am not alone in this.

At that moment, I resolved to myself that I will give thanks every day of my life. Henceforth, I shall live my life in gratitude.

Individually by themselves, these words were nothing more than just ordinary, used everyday by so many, perhaps without giving much thought to their real underlying meaning.

But put together, they are so dynamic, they possess the power to touch and transform lives.

People and Places: Bangkok's Nai Lert Park Fertility Shrine

2009-09-05T10:31:00.014+08:00

Swissotel Nai Lert Park is one of the few hotels within the city of Bangkok that sits on a large estate - 8 acres of lush tropical gardens to be exact. This is the estate of one of Bangkok's millionaire philanthropists, the late Mr Nai Lert.

A bronze statue of Mr Nai Lert, with a leopard by his side, stands majestically in front of the hotel's main entrance. The following words are inscribed on the brass plaque placed in front of the statue:

"Nai Lert Sreshthaputra (1872 -1945) was Thailand's first and foremost developer, inventor, as well as preserver of Bangkok's green environment. He introduced ice, modernized sea-going vessels, and initiated white boats, trams, and metropolitan white buses."

For all of his good deeds and contributions to the community as philanthropist, inventor and nature conservationist, Mr Nai Lert was royally bestowed the title of "Praya Bhakdinorasreth" (Beloved Millionaire). His legacy continues to live on at Nai Lert Park, where he lived.

Tucked away in an obscure corner of the hotel's expansive compound is one of Bangkok's surprises. I am referring to the very old private shrine, (believed to be more than a hundred years old), which contains hundreds of wooden models of the male genitalia. They are respectfully placed there by women seeking to be pregnant.

The centerpiece is a small spirit house, placed on a high pole covered in colourful cloth. Placed in front of the spirit house are candles and other forms of offerings such as fragrant snow-white Jasmine and pink and white lotus buds. Beside the spirit house, which embodies the goddess Phra Mae Tuptim, stands a 3 meter (10 feet) tall wooden penis, draped in colourful banners. Small ceramic figures, known to the local Thais as "Lords of the Land", are placed in front of the spirit house.

There is very little known about the beginnings of the shrine. The only documentation points to the fact that Mr Nai Lert built a spirit house for the spirit who was believed to reside in the large Sai (Ficus) trees. Over the years, it has evolved into a fertility shrine and its reputation for granting the wishes of women who desired to become pregnant spread wide across the country.

Not usually promoted as a sightseeing attraction, it is not documented in most tourist guidebooks. Neither are there signs at the hotel directing guests to it. However, if you ask the hotel staff, they will politely show you its location.

For Half Hour Meals

2009-08-14T12:27:00.003+08:00

People and Places: Nonthaburi

2009-07-08T16:44:00.058+08:00

Ask Bangkokians where Nonthaburi is and you will most likely get very different answers from different people. Some say it is part of metropolitan Bangkok. Others say it is a separate city and is provincial capital to the province of Nonthaburi, that is the province that lies directly north of Bangkok . Yet others will tell you it is a distant province that is not so easy to get to on your own.

In actual fact Nonthaburi, which is technically a separate province located about 20-km northwest of Bangkok, is contiguous with the sprawl of the Bangkok metropolis. Its existence dates back 400 years when Ayuthaya was the capital of the kingdom. And according to the latest national census, it is the country's second largest city with a population of 270,000.

Whether it is a province by itself or a part of Bangkok, Nonthaburi is definitely worth a day's trip.

There are many ways to get to the city of Nonthaburi - by road, bus or ferry along the Chao Phrya River. We settled for the last option since this is the most leisurely of the three, the fastest and cheapest. The boat ride costs 13baht per person one way and offers magnificent views of Bangkok from the river.

On arrival at the jetty, immediately to the right, stands the old Provincial Hall built by King Rama IV of the Rattanakosin era. The building is of European architecture decorated with patterned woodwork and the Fine Arts Department has registered it as a historical site. The Provincial Hall has been re-located to Ratchawitthayalai. Catty-corner to the old Provincial Hall is Rim Fang floating restaurant. It is an unpretentious wooden structure with a large section that floats out on the river. This, is the main dining hall. More about the restaurant in my next posting.

Lynna and the City's Watchtower

The market is a sea of people and street vendors proferring a very wide range of merchandise and food. You'll see mainly locals here; in fact for the entire afternoon, my wife and I were the only camera-wielding tourists around. Durian stalls are in abundance together with the ubiquitous mangosteen, lychee, and stone apple. This is because Nonthaburi is located in a fertile basin alongside the Chao Phrya river and is perfect for fruit cultivation. The province produces many award-winning durians.

We left at about 5pm but I was told that it really gets maddeningly crowded in the evening when the office workers are out to shop.

Waiting for our city-bound bus

Although there are many interesting sights to visit in Nonthaburi including temples, gardens and fruit orchards, I think its best feature really is its people and lifestyle and of course the sight, colour and smell of its local market.

Food For Thought: Sorroongroj Duck Noodle

2009-07-05T21:40:00.029+08:00

55 years ago, Khun Sia Pairat began operating a duck noodle business in its current shop premises at Nang Loeng Market, after his original Chinatown outlet was razed by fire. 55 years later, the shop still stands albeit with some modern trappings like the addition of air conditioning, and expansion to 2 more shop spaces, one next door and one directly opposite.

Although, in recent years, there have been new players that have set up similar business within the vicinity, Sorroongroj Duck Noodle still held the trump card by being faithful to the old-school family recipe which is a well-kept secret.

The founder concocted the dish himself and all that could be revealed was that as many as 19 different herbs and spices and duck carcasses are used in the preparation of the stock. After 2 gruelling hours of brewing over slow fire, whole ducks are then introduced to the stock for a further hour of braising. This way, the duck gets infused with the aromatic flavour of the herbs and spices. No wonder, the duck was so tasty and succulent.

Duck Noodle - prepared according to old-school recipe

Today, the business is run by the founder's son, Montkon. In an effort to attract more people to declining Nang Loeng market, he has added other popular Thai standards on the menu.

M & M - Montkon and Michael

Two of these are the crispy crab rolls and wonton with crabmeat soup.
The crab roll is deep fried until the bean curd crust is crispy. The inside, however, remains crunchy and moist and you actually get to taste pieces of crab meat. Darling wife voted this the best crab roll she has eaten.

Darling wife's soup consists of a generous helping of freshly picked crab meat, plump dumplings filled with prawns and marinated minced pork, and fresh green chye sim. A sprinkling of golden fried shallots and a drizzle of garlic oil was added to enhance the flavour of the soup.

All three dishes including the lemongrass tea that we had were excellent and we were extremely pleased with our meal at Sorroongroj.

Sorroongroj Duck Noodle
Nang Loeng Market
Thanon Nakhorn Sawan
Rattanakosin Island

Ambiance: 8
Service: 8.5
Food: 9.5
Pricing:$
Recommended Dishes: Noodle with duck braised in herbs and spices; wonton and crabmeat soup; crispy crab roll; iced lemongrass tea

People and Places: Bangkok's Nang Loeng Market Part 1

2009-07-05T19:50:00.027+08:00

You could very well be strolling down Thanon Nakhorn Sawan without realising that behind the double-storey King Rama V period row-houses, stands one of Bangkok city's most interesting and atmospheric markets. King Chulalongkorn inaugurated it in 1899.

Although it is more than a 100 years old, it does not look it, thanks to a recent makeover which saw the installation of stainless steel tables and chairs in the main eating hall. The cooked food stalls surround this hall while the fresh meat and vegetable stalls fan out from the centre of the market. The market is large covering the entire area of three 'trangs' or back lanes that run off from the main street.

While the centre part of the market looks new, thankfully the Rama V period buildings and wooden family houses that surround the market still retain their old-world charm.

We arrived close to lunch time and the place was already teeming with workers from the surrounding government offices. In fact, several ministers and politicians are known to have their own personal favourites at the market.

You can easily tell whether a stall is good by its crowd. Judging from the huge number of people gathering around Ratana's cooked food stall, we are convinced of its popularity and quality.

Ratana - popular with lunch-time crowd

Ratana - fried fish with crispy Basil leaves

Ratana - Thai-style steamed fish mousse

Ratana - steamed fish with ginger and scallions

At one end of the market stands a decrepit looking 2-storey wooden building. Today, it is used as a warehouse but in its heydays, it was a popular Thai cinema. It opened in 1918 showing silent movie to hordes of people who would pay a fee and then entered the movie hall and selected their own seats on wooden benches. Sala Chaloem Thani had been in service to the people of Rattanakosin for 75 years before it finally closed down in 1993. It now waits to be revived to its old glory.

Sala Chaloem Thani

At the other end of the market is the most celebrated of all of Nang Loeng's food stalls - Sorroongroj, famous for its stewed duck. More in my next posting.

People and Places: Bangkok June 2009

2009-07-05T17:33:00.026+08:00

It felt good to visit my second home, Bangkok, after being away for 12 long months.

This time, we were joined by 12 Chinese Group Volunteers from Dover Park Hospice. They were all very easy going and were fantastic as travel mates. It was very much a 'free-and-easy' trip, hence we all got to do what we like such as shopping, eating, spa and massage and, of course, exploring the streets of Bangkok (and getting lost)!

I enjoyed a great bargain for my 7-night stay at Swissotel Nai Lert Park, founded by the notable Mr Nai Lert Sreshthaputra - nature lover, environmentalist, inventor, developer and philanthropist. The hotel occupies the land where Mr Nai Lert used to live in until his demise in 1945. Tucked into one corner of the sprawling compound is the famous 'fertility' shrine built by the hotel's founder. It recently underwent a major re-decoration and I was lucky to have been assigned a room in the new section which adopted a minimalist approach to its design.

I am really glad that on this trip, we discovered some real gems which I shall be adding to my list of 'things to do in Bangkok'.

Take the provincial town of Nonthaburi, for example. It is about 75-minute boat ride out of Bangkok city but once you get there, you won't regret the long journey. Bear in mind though that it is faster by ferry than by bus. On Rattanakosin Island, we found Nang Loeng Market off Thanon Nakhorn Sawan, and explored the cafe culture of Na Phra Lan Road, directly outside the Grand Palace.

Nonthaburi - second largest city in Thailand

Nang Loeng Market - more than a century old.

Na Phra Lan - Food, Beverage, Art and Atmosphere.

At the same time, we had some disappointments like Rioja and Les Nympheas which received good reviews in both the Tatler Magazine and Bangkok Post. Sadly, both did not meet my expectation, even though I did not set them too high.

Cooking for Love: Rosemary Chicken

2009-06-13T16:45:00.013+08:00

One of my favourite one-dish poultry meals is Rosemary Chicken which darling wife, Lynna, prepares with such tender loving care.

It is amusing to watch the way she so fastidiously massages the chicken - both inside and out. First, with 'PacificSalt' sea salt. Then with lemon, garlic and rosemary - but not necessarily in that order. Finally, she drenches the whole chicken very generously with extra virgin olive oil and leaves it to rest. The resting, I believe, is to allow time for absorbing all of the goodness and flavour of the marinade.

The chicken is stuffed with whole salt-boiled lemon and garlic bulbs before it is put into the oven, for a gruelling period of roasting. To avoid over-charring and dryness, she takes it out of the oven once every 30 minutes to baste it in its own juices and more extra virgin olive oil.

At last, a combo of vegetables goes in the roasting pan - potatoes, pumpkins, corn, Japanese sweet potatoes, and capsicum of different colours.

The product of what might seem to be hours of hard work, is a poultry meal I can only describe as simply the best.

Food for Thought: Yum Thai Cuisine

2009-06-01T23:16:00.015+08:00

One of our favourite dining places in New York city is Yum Thai Cuisine on Times Square. It is a small take-out outfit with a little more than a dozen seats for in-house diners. It does get pretty crowded during peak hours when diners join the already long queue of people who are ordering take-outs. But the reason for the long queue is the fantastically authentic Thai dishes whipped up by the lone chef in the small galley-style kitchen. It is open-concept so you get to watch the chef at work.

The pricing is also very reasonable with most main dishes costing less than US$10. Dining here will definitely not burn a hole in your pockets. But the real reason why we ate here at least four times during our month-long stay in NYC, was because the food was so good and we enjoyed it so much.

Some of our favourite dishes include the seafood noodle, rice with basil and pork, Thai-style fried rice, duck salad and deep-fried fish cakes. They were all good - much better than what we have eaten at some other more upscale and expensive Thai restaurants in NYC.

Eating at this hole-in-the-wall eatery made us feel like we were actually in Bangkok.

Yum Thai Cuisine
West 44th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenue)

Ambiance: 3

Service: 6

Food: 7.5
Pricing: $-$$

Recommended dishes: Thai-style Fried Rice; Duck Salad; Deep-fried Fish Cakes; Rice with Pork and Basil; Seafood Noodles

Food for Thought: Kyomomoyama @ The Central

2009-05-18T13:31:00.073+08:00

Kyomomoyama opened its first outlet in the Mitsukoshi Shopping Mall in Taipei in 2004 and it became an instant hit with the public leading to the establishment of 2 more outlets in Taiwan within a fairly short period. Its overwhelming success prompted its management to expand its operations beyond Taiwan's shores. Singapore was chosen.

The branch at The Central, headed by Chef Nakada Makoto, is by far the largest of its outlets with a seating capacity of about 100 diners.We arrived early, slightly before 7.00pm. It was already dinner time yet only a handful of tables were occupied. Hence we were able to secure a window seat with a stunning view of Clarke Quay and the Singapore River. It was good to see that when we left the restaurant at about 9.30pm, it was almost fully occupied.

Darling wife ordered a dinner set comprising tempura prawns and vegetables, salmon sashimi, grilled unagi, chawan munshi and a salad. The set had its usual accompaniments - miso soup, pickles, fruits and ice cream.

The portion of the grilled unagi was generous for a dinner set. Although the skin was pretty well-charred, the eel remained moist and soft on the inside which was a definite plus point. The Chef did well to use the kabayaki marinade very sparingly, thus playing down the sweetness of the sauce which in turn heightens the natural sweetness of the eel. Overall, the unagi was very well executed and in our opinion, met the mark.

The Chef was equally generous with the tempura which came with 2 pieces of fried prawn fritters and vegetables. Unlike my grilled prawn, darling wife's tempura version was tender and tasty.

Another dish from darling wife's dinner set that deserves mention is the sashimi. Three slabs of salmon sat in a tiny porcelain bowl, visually enhanced by a lone chrysanthemum. While the texture and freshness of the sashimi are nothing out of the ordinary, its dainty presentation stole our hearts.

My choices from the a la carte menu were Spider Roll and Kushiyaki Moriwase or mixed grill on skewers.

The Spider Roll sushi was filled with crispy soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, sweet fish floss, crab roe and black sesame. At $8.50 for a serving of 4 delectable pieces, one couldn't possibly complain, although my only complaint was not having enough of it.

The Kushiyaki Moriwase was a steal. The dish came complete with 6 skewers of grilled items including lady's fingers, shiitake mushrooms, salmon, prawn and scallops. The grilled vegetables were excellent as were the scallops and salmon which were both slightly under-charred. The prawn, regrettably, was over cooked rendering the meat dry and almost tasteless.

Kyomomoyama's dessert menu has offerings of 6 different kinds of traditional Kyoto sweets, including ice cream and home-made almond tofu. However, it is the home-made plum wine jelly which we highly recommend.

This is the type of eating place I would suggest for friends looking for a decent Japanese restaurant that offers value for money. Its moderate pricing (in the range of $30-$60 per person) promises not to burn a hole in your pocket even if you should choose to indulge in the most expensive items on the menu. I was not unhappy with the quality for the price I paid.

Kyomomoyama @ The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-87 The Central @ Clarke Quay

Ambiance: 6

Service: 6

Food: 6.5
Pricing: $$

Recommended Dishes: Plum Wine Jelly; Kushiyaki Moriwase; Spider Roll; Dinner Set with Grilled Unagi.

My Thoughts for the Day: The Artist

2009-05-13T02:10:00.007+08:00

What is the mental and emotional make-up of an artist? Oftentimes, I wonder. Eccentric like Dadi, temperamental like Goya or morbid like Van Gogh? Or perhaps all of these wrapped up into one?

My sister who is a person with disability paints rather well and she is definitely all of the above. When in a state of blissful sanity, she would be artistic, creative, imaginative and much more.

She painted these. Judge for yourself but I think they are all excellent examples of what and how introspective works of art should be.

They are for sale from S$250 upwards. Anyone who is interested may drop me a note in facebook or send me a message mlbk888@yahoo.com.sg

Food for Thought: Celebrating Mothers' Special Day

2009-05-13T00:49:00.021+08:00

We take every opportunity to celebrate with food and I gather it's not just me. In fact, it's a Singaporean thingy - somewhat a culture. So last week, starting from Tuesday, we have been celebrating Mothers' Day with food. The climax of our celebration was, of course, spent with mummy dearest at home together with siblings and our spouses.

Godson Boon Yang and daughter-in-law celebrated darling wife's special day with dinner at The Chicken Hotpot, Level 4 of Square 2.

Goddaughter Laura attended church service with us on Sunday morning followed by lunch at Nanbantei's Cuppage Plaza's branch, Khugisin Charcoal Grill.

My celebration for Darling wife ended on a high note with a romantic dinner at the Taiwanese franchise, Kyomomoyama at The Central, overlooking picturesque Clarke Quay and the Singapore River.

My Thoughts for the Day: Mothers

2009-05-12T23:23:00.012+08:00

It's okay that Mothers' Day has passed us by several days. It is never too late to pay tribute to this special breed of women and what better way to do so than by sharing some of my favourite quotes by famous people about them. Here goes ...

What are Raphael's Madonnas but the shadow of a mother's love, fixed in permanent outline forever? ~Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

My mother had a slender, small body, but a large heart - a heart so large that everybody's joys found welcome in it, and hospitable accommodation. ~Mark Twain

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

If I was damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o' mine, O mother o'mine.
~Rudyard Kipling

The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. ~Carrie Latet

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb

Food for Thought: Cooking for Love

2009-04-17T21:49:00.026+08:00

Since my mum has been taken ill and bed-bound, I rarely had the time to cook for friends. Several Sundays ago, I had the opportunity to prepare for our Godson and daughter-in-law a meal 'cooked with love'. It was nothing lavish - just a simple 4-dish home-cooked meal comprising babi pongteh, udang kichap manis, nyonya chap-chye, and ikan sambal tumis.

Like all other cuisines of the world, there are more than one way to cook a dish. Take for example, pongteh. While most peranakan families cook babi pongteh, there are some who prefer to substitute chicken for the pork. I stick with tradition and use pork belly for this dish. I first fry the pork, dried Japanese mushrooms and bamboo shoot in the rempah, using a wok, until the meat is fully cooked before transferring it to the pot for simmering over low fire. Most cookery books recommend simmering for at least 45 minutes. I simmer for 2 hours minimum to achieve the desired texture - when the fats can be separated from the lean meat with the mere touch of a fork. To thicken the gravy, I add a generous amount of ground shallots when I tumis the rempah.

As most members of the family enjoy seafood, I prepared 2 seafood dishes - the ikan sambal tumis and udang kichap manis.
What I do for the prawn dish, is to replace the kichap manis with normal black sauce so that the dish would not be overly sweet. I also use an ample amount of thinly sliced bawang (onions) to give the dish the taste of natural sweetness. And to give it a dash of spiciness, the finished product is garnished with white pepper and chopped coriander.

The only dish that evening that was really hot and spicy was the ikan sambal tumis. To make the sambal really hot, I use bird's eye chili (chili padi). The fish is first rubbed with salt and rinsed before it is deep-fried until crispy. Then it is topped with the sambal tumis. This dish can be prepared without much fuss.

The vegetable of the day was stewed nyonya chap chye. I prefer my chap chye to be stewed (like mum used to do) rather than fried. My mum would stew the vegetables until they are really soft. When served as an overnight dish, the cabbage would sometimes become disintegrated. This way, all the sweetness of the vegetables would be absorbed into the gravy which we would slurp up with our rice. The following photographs show the stewed version which is quite different from the fried chap chye which has become more popular in recent years and are often served in peranakan restaurants.

Food for Thought: Dinner with Celebrity Chef Philip Chia

2009-04-17T21:34:00.016+08:00

Philip Chia's passion for cooking began at the age of 6, with him pounding spices with a "batu lesong" to make sambal belachan at Joo Chiat Road. His celebrity chef status was sealed when he was invited to present 12 Peranakan Wedding dishes for TV Sitcom "Sayang-Sayang". In 2008, Philip started Rice Cooking Studio http://www.rice.sg/ (excerpt from Modern Living).

Michael (L) posing with Chef Philip Chia (R)

I was fortunate enough to sample Chef Philip's cooking at the cosy residence of Nyonya Marlene Foo. By special invitation, Chef Philip whipped up a simple meal for a small group of babas and nyonyas. The menu consisted of ayam pongteh, chap chye, otak otak and sambal ikan bilis. Complementing the nyonya dishes were Marlene's lotus root soup and tofu which were equally sedap.

Although I normally cook babi pongteh rather than ayam, I still found that the dish was good to taste with chicken. In order to thicken the gravy, Philip added potatoes.

I liked the way the otak otak was presented. Instead of one huge lump (which normally doesn't appear too appetising to me), it was cut into bite-size square of equal dimension. The otak otak was rich and lemak (the way I like it). And the chef has cleverly chosen to garnish each individual piece of the otak otak with shredded herbs. Besides adding a touch of decoration to the dish, the herbs give it a taste of freshness to counter the richness of the santan.

The highly acclaimed nyonya chap chye may appear to be a simple dish to cook - but I would beg to differ. There are many rendition to this dish. Some are purely vegetarian since this is the dish that most peranakans would eat on the 1st and 15th day of the Chinese lunar calendar. Others prefer to add shrimps for sweetness, yet the Hainanese have been known to even addlittle slices of babi panggang to enrich its taste. Chef Philip added carrots to the dish to give it the extra sweetness.

No nyonya meal would be complete without its condiments. Chef Philip prepared a trio of condiments comprising sambal ikan bilis, fresh scallions and sliced chili in soya sauce as opposed to the traditional sambal belachan, achar and ikan ahsin.

Food for Thought: Make-your-own Ice Kachang

2009-03-30T23:39:00.015+08:00

Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than being creative.

In this case I am talking about making my own ice kachang. The usual ingredients must not be forgotten - chendol, lima beans, jelly cubes and palm seeds. Then bury these beneath a mountain heap of shaved ice. Decorate your mountain in brown, green and red and let the syrup soak into the shaved ice. Finally, top it with bits of fruit cocktail and it is ready for your enjoyment.

Courtyard Cafe
Garden Hotel
14 Balmoral Road

Ambience: 5/10
Service: 5/10
Food: 5.75/10

Recommended dishes: Nasi Lemak buffet, make-your-own Ice Kachang

Food for Thought: Dolce Vita @ The Mandarin Oriental

2009-03-30T16:46:00.038+08:00

Dolce Vita, located by the poolside of Singapore's Mandarin Oriental, offers stunning views of the city's skyline and Marina Bay. However, its best feature is the authentic Mediterranean, Spanish and Italian cuisine presented with a contemporary touch put together by award-winning Italian Chef Marco Pedrelli.

Dolce Vita has won awards such as Singapore's Top Restaurant by Wine and Dine and Singapore Tatler's Best Restaurant in 2007 and 2008.

I personally like Dolce Vita for its intimate ambiance. Tucked away in a quiet corner on the fifth floor of the hotel, it is accessible from the pool. By night, the place is transformed into an oasis of peace and tranquility. That is why I chose to spend our wedding anniversary here.

The restaurant offers a 6-course degustation menu for $110 per person not including taxes and service charges. Do not be put off by the foreign sounding names that the Chef has given to the various courses, the Maitre D' will be at hand to explain what and how each item is prepared.

We started our repasse with appetisers - French Atlantic Oysters for my darling wife and Asparagus with Wild Mushrooms for me. French Atlantic Oysters, particularly those cultivated around the estuary of the Loire River, have reached a certain level of refinement and are famous for their excellent taste and texture. They are generally more expensive since only a selected few are cultivated per square metre thereby allowing them to fatten in a rather non-competitive and clean, disease-free environment. No one can dispute that these oysters, no matter how simply served, are among the very best in the world.

Soup followed the appetizers. Being a seafood aficionado, she naturally settled for Lobster Bisque while I opted for the Zucchini Flower soup since it is not everyday that we get these flowers in Singapore. Zucchini flower is the quintessential Italian flower used in cookery and they are best picked in the summer months when they are most flavourful. Both the soups were very light without leaving any aftertaste of creamy richness. We didn't feel jelak after finishing the soup.

Our main course consisted of Seared Monkfish, Moroccan Lamb with fennel stewed in a Tajim and Suckling Pig served with Wild Mushrooms and Apricot chutney.

The monkfish far surpassed even the mahi-mahi darling wife had at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne in New York City. While it is one of the most bizzare looking of all Atlantic fishes, its meat is amazingly fine and delicate. Food-lovers know that the secret to successful monkfish cookery is to avoid overcooking. The Chef had taken great care to char the fish only lightly on the outside leaving its white meat slightly undercooked to keep it moist and tender on the inside. The combination of greens, seasoning and potato gave the fish a completeness of taste rarely achieved.

I was overwhelmed with joy to find Moroccan Lamb on the menu. Of all the meats, lamb is my favourite, especially when it is 'milk-fed'. For this dish, Dolce Vita uses only the choicest 'milk-fed' lamb - lamb that is fed exclusively on its mother's own milk. The flavour of such lambs, normally not more than 6 weeks old when slaughtered, are believed to be finer than older lambs. These young lambs are highly prized in certain parts of Europe during Easter when they are used for spit-roasting.

While I have eaten some of the best lamb dishes in Europe, I have thus far, found only one place in Asia that prepares it well (and that has to be Crepes & Co in Bangkok). At Dolce Vita, the pieces of lamb were rendered so soft and tender, it almost melted in my mouth. The sauce was thick and robust with the fragrance of fats from the lamb, sweetness of dates and figs and pungentness of fennel.

The Chef has ingeniously compressed deboned pieces of meat from the roasted suckling pig into a square patty topped with sweetened apricot chutney. Most of the fats had been removed - a healthy approach to eating suckling pig. The sweetness of the chutney complemented the delicate texture of the pork fillet which was baked until crispy on the outside.

All the 3 main courses were so good, it was impossible for us to decide which was the best dish. At the end, we had to conclude that they were all equally good.
Although the dessert were not as elaborate in its presentation as the rest of the meal, it was delightful to the taste. My trio of strawberry, apricot and melon mousse was to die for. Darling wife's pineapple jelly with coconut ice cream was simply out of this world!

And because it was our wedding anniversary, the Chef presented us with a special gift - a chocolate mousse large enough to feed a party of ten.

Dolce Vita
Poolside, Level 5
The Mandarin Oriental
56 Raffles Avenue

Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 8.5/10
Food: 8.5/10
Pricing: $$$$$

Recommended Dishes: Suckling Pig, Grilled Monkfish, Moroccan Lamb, French Atlantic Oysters, Zuchinni Flower Soup

Food for Thought: Chendol House 88

2009-03-04T00:23:00.020+08:00

Chendol is a popular dessert in Melaka. You find chendol stalls all over town, at almost every street corner. Among them, Chendol House 88 stands out as being one of the better ones.

It is housed in a dilapidated looking corner terrace unit on Jonker Street. The cavernous interior is part antique gallery and part cafe. Besides chendol, they also serve nyonya kueh-kueh,laksa and other popular local dishes.

In spite of its large seating capacity, the place is almost always crowded, so expect to wait especially when you drop in during the weekends.

They use authentic gula melaka - definitely a plus point. The lavish helping of gula melaka is thick and sticky. Likewise, the santan is thick and creamy. However, it is a tad too sweet to my liking. Also the santan didn't taste as fragrant as some others.

Chendol House 88
88 Jonker Street
Melaka

Ambiance: 6.5
Service: Self-service
Food: 5.75

Pricing: $

Recommended dishes: chendol, laksa, nyonya kueh kueh

Food For Thought: Kopi Tiam in Melaka

2009-03-02T01:22:00.023+08:00

Sometimes, the best local food can be had, not in lavish restaurants, but rather in old-style coffee shops. When in Melaka town, I will definitely make it a point to have at least one meal at one of my favourite coffee shops. It is located at the junction of Jalan Bunga Raya and Renaissance Hotel.

This coffee shop is usually crowded but its patrons normally do not linger around too long - they are what we term the 'eat-and-go' crowd. So it would pay to just wait a while until a table is available which normally shouldn't take too long.

What I find most irresistible are its wanton noodle, char kway teow and deep-fried spring rolls. I have been asked to rate them according to preference but have found this difficult to do. Not because it is a chore but more so because it is quite impossible to rate 3 dishes that are all equally good.

Would I be exaggerating if I said everything about the wanton noodle is just perfect? To me, the texture of the noodle is of utmost importance. It should not be too rubbery and chewy, neither must it be too soft and soggy. While most stall-holders in Singapore would cook the noodles first in boiling hot water then immediately dip it in cold water to prevent over-cooking, this particular stall-holder is so skilled and adept that she allows the noodles to be cooked long enough in hot water and immediately transfers it to the plate to be mixed with various sauces including light soya sauce, chili, lard and sesame oil - and it is ready to be served at the right texture. The wanton and prawn dumplings are also very good.

I have this special connection with deep-fried spring rolls and it is the one item that I will never miss when having dim sum. Each bite brings back cherished memories of dim sum meals with the family at restaurants in Singapore that no longer exist such as Mayflower, Peking Garden, Singapore Conference Hall, Tropicana, Chevron etc.

The ones at this Melaka coffee shop are so shiok, you actually get to taste the sweetness of the turnips and enjoy the crisp of the pohpiah skin. And the best part of it is that it leaves none of the bad after-taste of rancid oil.

Most char kway teow in Melaka are dark (plenty of sweet sauce) but not this particular stall. They will offer you the sweet sauce separately. I prefer mine hot with plenty of chili sauce. The egg is slightly over-cooked (or burnt to put it bluntly), the bean sprouts on the other hand are undercooked and crispy, and the kway teow is cooked just right with enough lard to give it the smoothness. There are also bits of green chye sim, squid and of course fresh cockles (but we opted to leave this out).
Time and again, I have told myself that I would try the chicken rice when I next visit ... well, perhaps the next visit. Even without the chicken rice, every visit to this coffee shop has been a most satisfying one for me.

Coffee Shop
Jalan Bunga Raya (corner of Renaissance Melaka Hotel)
Melaka

Ambiance: 7.5/10 (if you like reminiscence)
Service: 7.5/10 (all the stall-holders are friendly including the coffee-shop owner)
Food: 8/10
Pricing: $

Recommended dishes: Wanton noodle, char kway teow, fried spring roll

People and Places: Wien, Austria

2009-02-24T00:43:00.027+08:00

Linke Wienzeile No. 40 - fine testament to the Viennese Jugenstil Art Deco era

I am taking some time off from Melaka to share my thoughts about one of my favourite cities in the world - Vienna, capital of Austria. Together with Vancouver and Melbourne, it has been voted the top 3 best places to live in.

Over the centuries, the city has been residence to some of the world's most important and famous people such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Mahler, Freud, Klimt, Hundertwasser, Otto Wagner, Gerhard Fuchs and many many others.

Why do so many people gravitate towards Vienna and choose to make it home? The answer is simple - Vienna is refined and delicate, artistic and cultured. The city and its people, its palaces and buildings, even its streets and pavements exude an air of Romanticism.

Sipping tea in a London tearoom transports me back to the classic days of Jane Austen and E M Forster. Dipping into a dish of ice cream in a Rome gelaterie energises me and I feel exuberant. Whereas, savoring a piece of torte in a Viennese cafe transforms me into a complete Romantic (with a capital R).

When in Vienna, you don't need to do very much to be happy. I could spend the better half of a day just standing in front of Klimt's 'The Kiss' and be totally mesmerised by it. And the other half of the day can be spent having a tete-a-tete with my darling wife as we sip tea and enjoy a wedge of Sacher Torte. Just like that, a day passes us by in Vienna leaving me with a decided sense of accomplishment.

Vienna is, at the same time, a city of contrast.

Karlsplatz Stadbahn Station - best in Art Nouveau architecture

Strolling down its wide boulevards, you will get to admire different architectural forms from the classicist to the Modernist. Some of my favourite buildings are the Karlskirche (Baroque), Stephansdom (Gothic), Karlsplatz and Kettenbruckengasse Stadbahn stations (Art Nouveau), Linke Wienzeile 40 (Jugenstil Art Deco), Kunsthaus Wien and Hundertwasserhaus (Modernist). The city is like an architectural encyclopaedia.

Hundertwasserhaus - leading example of the Modernist Movement in Vienna

People ask why I keep going back to the Austrian capital. The answer is obvious ... Vienna drips with culture, finesse and good taste!

Food for Thought: Carnation Milk Crab

2009-02-23T14:44:00.029+08:00

Restoran Lee serves crab in many different ways. However, the towkay neo is sure to recommend her signature dish - the carnation milk crab. Since we were there we thought we should try something new and different instead of the usual steamed or BBQ crab (my fave) or pepper crab.

To be honest, I didn't like my crab cooked in milk. The taste of the carnation milk was, in my opinion, too lemak and overpowering. It completely drowned the flavour of the spices and other ingredients used in the dish. The end result of which was none too satisfactory, at least for me. Fortunately, the crab was fresh and meaty.

Anyway, I still walked out of the restaurant a happy man since the other dishes were all good.

Let me start with the Black Pepper Spare-ribs. They came, not in huge pieces, but in little bite-size morsels. Each morsel is coated in a rich dark sauce (which gladly wasn't too sweet) with a healthy amount of black pepper. The taste was sublime to say the least.

For a Hakka like me, a good meal is incomplete without the wholesome tofu dish. And I must say that Restoran Lee's claypot tofu is one of the best I have tasted. The silken tofu is not sweetened like the ones available in our local supermarkets. The vegetables used in the dish are all very fresh. And the gravy in this claypot dish is not thick and starchy like the way that most cze char stalls in Singapore do it. Darling wife and I enjoyed this dish very much.

The last dish we had was voted the best dish by the two ladies (darling wife and daughter-in-law San Kyi). A good vegetable dish can only be as good as the freshness of its raw ingredients. This statement holds true especially for the Ti Wang chye, a vegetable plant that is indigenous to Malaysia. The method of cooking was simple - it was stir-fried in oil and garlic. Yet it satisfied our taste buds far more than the complicated concoction that is their signature dish.

Restoran Lee
155 Jalan Bendahara (across the street from Bayview Hotel)
Melaka

Ambiance: 5/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Pricing: $-$$

Recommended dishes: Black Pepper spare-ribs, ti wang vegetables stir-fried in garlic, claypot tofu.

Food for Thought: Yung Lai Siang Hokkien Prawn Noodles

2009-02-23T13:39:00.020+08:00

Tucked in a quiet corner of Jln Bunga Raya where it meets Jln Bendahara is an old coffeeshop that must have been around for quite many years. Since our last visit, the shop has been given a new lease of life with a brand new looking signboard and extension to the next unit.

Unless you are an inveterate food explorer who takes the time to burrow through the town's nooks and crannies in search of good food, you may (like so many others) inadvertently give this place a miss.

What brings me back to this dinghy coffee shop time and again is its delicious Hokkien prawn noodle. Unlike the Singapore version, Lai Siang's soup has a rich reddish tint and is really hot and spicy to the taste. Besides prawns and kang-kong, there are also tiny strips of crispy deep-fried cruellers.

Yung Lai Siang is also famous for its home-made Grandpa's chicken and curry puffs, as the newspaper reports hanging on the walls attest.

Yung Lai Siang
Jln Bunga Raya (where it meets Jln Bendahara)
Melaka

Ambiance: 6/10 (if you enjoy the good old days)
Service: 6/10
Food: 8/10 (for its Hokkien prawn noodle soup)
Pricing: $
Recommended dishes: Hokkien prawn noodle soup and home-made curry chicken puff

Food for Thought: Kafe Bulldog

2009-02-17T00:27:00.038+08:00

Kafe Bulldog has been featured in various food reviews and more recently, on local television as part of the Little Nyonya series. But the reason why we specially made the trip there was because it came highly recommended by my good friend of more than 20 years, Paul Lim.

The name certainly doesn't sound anything like a place that serves Peranakan cuisine. The owner explained that they decided to continue using Kafe Bulldog since it was already well known by that name, even though it had actually been renamed. But do not let the name deceive you for you will be in for a very pleasant surprise.

On entering, you will be impressed (as we were) with the way the owners decorated the place. There is a koi pond right beneath the air well, paraphenalia from days gone by adorn the walls, and interesting keepsakes are artistically placed all around the dining room. Some of the interesting items include an old-fashioned gas oven (just like the one my dad used for baking his famous butter cakes), manual typewriter with ribbon cartridge and a Singer sewing machine.

Even if you do not have time for a meal at Kafe Bulldog, it is worthwhile dropping in just for a drink. They have a good selection of fresh fruit juice at half the price of what you would normally pay in Singapore.

The best thing about Kafe Bulldog, of course, is its food. What you get here is food prepared the same way mama or neo did.

Of the dishes we had, two stood out and left an impression on me. The otak-otak is prepared using fish meat that is freshly scrapped, without adding too much flour, thus giving it the right texture. You actually get to savour the fish and its sweetness and not just the taste of flour and rempah. The rempah used in the dish also has the right mix of herbs and spices.

The other dish that is outstanding is its nyonya pohpiah, for which it is famous. Unlike some Peranakan food outlets which, for convenience, uses the Hokkien-style pohpiah skin made of flour, Kafe Bulldog remains true to Nyonya tradition by using egg skin. To me, this is a plus point. More importantly, they took the effort to stew the turnips until soft in a light brown gravy. Also they kept the turnips moist instead of squeezing it completely dry; this way you get to taste the juicy goodness of the bangkuang.

Another dish that deserves mention is the sambal udang petai. The prawns are fresh and the chef was careful not to overcook it. We were also quite pleased that they put in the extra effort to devein the prawns. I did not detect the use of sugar in the sambal which to me, is another plus point.

The other dishes we order were Ayam Pongteh, Chap Chye, Ikan Bakar and Oyster Omelete. All of these were of acceptable standard. The chap chye was tasty but not done to my liking. I prefer it to be stewed until the cabbage is mushy and all of its ingredients have fully absorbed the flavour of the taucheo. As for pongteh, I much prefer babi to ayam. However, the pongteh gravy was good.

For dessert, we had ice kachang and chendol. We were happy with both. In fact we prefer the chendol here to the famous Chendol 88 at Jonker Street. The santan is more fragrant and the gula melaka is less thick.

Kafe Bulldog (Restaurant Flavours Nyonya & Asian Cuisine)
145 Jalan Bendahara (opposite Bayview Hotel)
Melaka

Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 6.75/10
Pricing: $

Recommended Dishes: Otak-otak, Nyonya Pohpiah, Sambal Udang Petai, Chendol