Sorry for the lack of pictures, I am facing some issues posting the pictures. Will try to post the photos asap.
PRICE: About $18 for a set lunch
TASTE: Yummy
SERVICE: Attentive
I absolutely love this place. It is among my long-time favourites. If I choose to go broke at any restaurant, it'd probably be Shimbashi Soba. The zaru soba is just irresistable. I ordered the set lunch which included rice with vegetables and mushroom, zaru soba and salad. My sister also ordered a set lunch but hers was rice with tofu and egg, zaru soba and salad. Both of us ordered Mugi Cha for drinks.
When our lunches were served, it seemed to be a lot for two girls to finish. But once we got started on the food, nothing could stop us and we chomped our way through the entire meal. And, for the record, my elfin sis even cleaned up every single bit of rice and every single strand of soba. The rice was fragrant with the smell of japanese soya sauce and the mushrooms were fresh with their all-natural MSG. The mushrooms were cooked thoroughly but still maintained their crunchy texture, not like some places where the mushrooms are so overcooked.
What more can I say about the zaru soba? The soba master has a certificate of accreditation from the Japanese government! The soba is freshly produced in the restaurant from buckwheat from Tasmania. Each strand is smooth and absorbs the soya-based dipping sauce (Tsuyu) very well. The sauce was so light in taste that it perfectly complemented the zaru soba without overwhelming the original taste of the buckwheat.
Even though we had so much to eat, we weren't feeling particularly glutted. We felt that we had a good amount of food. My guess is that our meals were generally healthy and not at all greasy. That's why we weren't feeling glutted. Furthermore, we had the iced Mugi Cha to quell any form of greasiness. Mugi Cha is roasted barley tea. One can really smell and taste the roast.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Food for Thought at North Bridge Centre
Price: $5plus for a slice of cake
Food: Would love to visit again =)
The entrance of the cafe has a lovely display window beside it and it seemed all so English and pretty. Besides, the cafe's lovely name just beckoned to me. It made me curious as to what sort of an establishment it is. Consequently, I found out that this cafe is a social enterprise, one that believes in giving back to society. It neither charges GST nor service charge. Thus, when my dad went to give tips in a jar, he realised that it wasn't really tips, it was a well-building fund so that other people can have clean water someday also. The cafe undertakes other social projects as well. A well-conceived idea indeed.
My dad and I ordered Aunty Sandra's Chocolate Malteser cake, a cafe latte and a hot chocolate. The cake was rich, moist and fresh. The bananas generously used in the cake was the taste of sweet freshness. I am not a big fan of banana cakes because they usually use banana essence and very little bananas. But, this cake was very different, the rich taste of the chocolate was made less cloying by the use of fresh slices of bananas. I think I could easily gobble up a few slices of it without getting sick of it. Well, provided my belt doesn't tighten too much, haha...
The hot chocolate was a tad too sweet and the chocolate was nothing fantastic, I have a lurking suspicion that they use Cadbury cocoa powder. Nonetheless, hot chocolate is still one of my favourite beverages for the warm fuzzy feeling it gives to the drinker.
Food: Would love to visit again =)
The entrance of the cafe has a lovely display window beside it and it seemed all so English and pretty. Besides, the cafe's lovely name just beckoned to me. It made me curious as to what sort of an establishment it is. Consequently, I found out that this cafe is a social enterprise, one that believes in giving back to society. It neither charges GST nor service charge. Thus, when my dad went to give tips in a jar, he realised that it wasn't really tips, it was a well-building fund so that other people can have clean water someday also. The cafe undertakes other social projects as well. A well-conceived idea indeed.
My dad and I ordered Aunty Sandra's Chocolate Malteser cake, a cafe latte and a hot chocolate. The cake was rich, moist and fresh. The bananas generously used in the cake was the taste of sweet freshness. I am not a big fan of banana cakes because they usually use banana essence and very little bananas. But, this cake was very different, the rich taste of the chocolate was made less cloying by the use of fresh slices of bananas. I think I could easily gobble up a few slices of it without getting sick of it. Well, provided my belt doesn't tighten too much, haha...
The hot chocolate was a tad too sweet and the chocolate was nothing fantastic, I have a lurking suspicion that they use Cadbury cocoa powder. Nonetheless, hot chocolate is still one of my favourite beverages for the warm fuzzy feeling it gives to the drinker.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Thunder Tea Rice at Maxwell Hawker Center
PRICE: $2.50 (white rice), $3.00 (brown rice)
TASTE: YUMMY!
The stall's signage struck me immediately. Never in my life have I ever heard of such a dish. It's a traditional Hakka dish. It's rice mixed with nuts and vegetables served with a bowl of tea. We asked for our white rice to be substituted with brown rice. The substitution comes at an additional fifty cents.
Before I poured the tea into my rice bowl, I took a mouthful of the rice. It was a tad salty without the tea. However, when the tea was poured over the rice, the light tea taste provided a stark contrast with the salty rice. A yummy and extremely healthy combination.
TASTE: YUMMY!
The stall's signage struck me immediately. Never in my life have I ever heard of such a dish. It's a traditional Hakka dish. It's rice mixed with nuts and vegetables served with a bowl of tea. We asked for our white rice to be substituted with brown rice. The substitution comes at an additional fifty cents.
Before I poured the tea into my rice bowl, I took a mouthful of the rice. It was a tad salty without the tea. However, when the tea was poured over the rice, the light tea taste provided a stark contrast with the salty rice. A yummy and extremely healthy combination.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Apologies
Apologies to all readers. There will be no posts for a couple of days due to some family issues. I will be right on track as soon as I can.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Cafe Swiss at Swissotel
PRICE: S$23 per person for the semi-buffet
FOOD: Good quality and well-executed
SPECIAL MENTION: 15% discount for AMEX card holders. Beautiful interiors, bright and airy.
Went with Wai Ling to Cafe Swiss at Swissotel recently. Both of us had the semi-buffet (appetizers and desserts). We don't really eat a lot so this was ample food for us. Right from the beginning, the service was impeccable, with the staff being very polite and personable, very unlike the polite and stoic ways of most hotel staff.
Swiss food is particularly interesting because it is an amalgation of cusines from the four major influences providing very varied choices. Meaning that there's something for everyone. There was quite a large variety of appetizers for us to choose from, ranging from warm chicken consomme soup to baby octopus salad. The pork bratwurst on plate 1 of my appetizers was left an impression. It was tender and the cold salad left it juicy.
The slices of smoked salmon were also very good that I had to take two slices of the smoked salmon coated with herbs. It was succulent and fresh. The herbs really brought out the taste of the salmon nicely and gave more dimension to the taste.
Desserts or postres (spanish) are always my favourite part of the meal. The selection at Cafe Swiss was rather narrow for the desserts but the desserts on the line were pretty tasty. I took a special liking to the Toblerone Chocolate Cake. It sounds very unhealthy. Yeah, it probably is unhealthy but it is pure delight when in the buccal cavity.
We were extremely full at the end of the buffet and extremely satisfied. Kudos to swiss cuisine.
FOOD: Good quality and well-executed
SPECIAL MENTION: 15% discount for AMEX card holders. Beautiful interiors, bright and airy.
Went with Wai Ling to Cafe Swiss at Swissotel recently. Both of us had the semi-buffet (appetizers and desserts). We don't really eat a lot so this was ample food for us. Right from the beginning, the service was impeccable, with the staff being very polite and personable, very unlike the polite and stoic ways of most hotel staff.
Swiss food is particularly interesting because it is an amalgation of cusines from the four major influences providing very varied choices. Meaning that there's something for everyone. There was quite a large variety of appetizers for us to choose from, ranging from warm chicken consomme soup to baby octopus salad. The pork bratwurst on plate 1 of my appetizers was left an impression. It was tender and the cold salad left it juicy.
The slices of smoked salmon were also very good that I had to take two slices of the smoked salmon coated with herbs. It was succulent and fresh. The herbs really brought out the taste of the salmon nicely and gave more dimension to the taste.
Desserts or postres (spanish) are always my favourite part of the meal. The selection at Cafe Swiss was rather narrow for the desserts but the desserts on the line were pretty tasty. I took a special liking to the Toblerone Chocolate Cake. It sounds very unhealthy. Yeah, it probably is unhealthy but it is pure delight when in the buccal cavity.
We were extremely full at the end of the buffet and extremely satisfied. Kudos to swiss cuisine.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Piper's Pies at Raffles City
PRICE: $3 for a small pie
FOOD: Yummy!
Decided to have a light dinner and since my sis and I were always curious about the nosh sold at Piper's Pies, we decided to give it a go. My sister ordered a Spinach Cous-cous pie and I ordered a Piper's pie (chunks of beef with black pepper). The meal came complete with a Lamington.
Above: Piper's Pie
The Piper's Pie was absolutely yummy. It was served piping hot. Look my dear readers, it wasn't merely warm, it was smoking. Usually places serving pies do warm up the pies. However, they don't really heat them to smoking levels because of the fear of burning the puff pastry. Talking about the pastry, it was fluffy and wasn't too thick. I hate it when my pie is all puff and hardly anything within. Thankfully, my Piper's Pie had pieces of chunky beef in it. Tender to the bite, I enjoyed chomping through it.
Above: Half-eaten Piper's Pie
My sister's Spinach Cous-cous pie was a vegetarian pie, with spinach and pumpkin as the main stars of the pie. If you like quiche, you will like this.
Above: Spinach Cous-cous
We completed the meal by sharing a Lamington which, is essentially two layers of sponge cake with chocolate icing and dessicated coconut drizzled on it. On it's own, it would be a little too sweet for my tastebuds. However, we had it after our pies (salty) so it wasn't that bad, rather good in fact.
Above: Lamington
This little Australian pie shop really does serve very authentic pies, reminiscent of the pies I had in Australia. I will definitely want to try their other pies also. It was so good that I bought two for my dad and mom.
FOOD: Yummy!
Decided to have a light dinner and since my sis and I were always curious about the nosh sold at Piper's Pies, we decided to give it a go. My sister ordered a Spinach Cous-cous pie and I ordered a Piper's pie (chunks of beef with black pepper). The meal came complete with a Lamington.
Above: Piper's Pie
The Piper's Pie was absolutely yummy. It was served piping hot. Look my dear readers, it wasn't merely warm, it was smoking. Usually places serving pies do warm up the pies. However, they don't really heat them to smoking levels because of the fear of burning the puff pastry. Talking about the pastry, it was fluffy and wasn't too thick. I hate it when my pie is all puff and hardly anything within. Thankfully, my Piper's Pie had pieces of chunky beef in it. Tender to the bite, I enjoyed chomping through it.
Above: Half-eaten Piper's Pie
My sister's Spinach Cous-cous pie was a vegetarian pie, with spinach and pumpkin as the main stars of the pie. If you like quiche, you will like this.
Above: Spinach Cous-cous
We completed the meal by sharing a Lamington which, is essentially two layers of sponge cake with chocolate icing and dessicated coconut drizzled on it. On it's own, it would be a little too sweet for my tastebuds. However, we had it after our pies (salty) so it wasn't that bad, rather good in fact.
Above: Lamington
This little Australian pie shop really does serve very authentic pies, reminiscent of the pies I had in Australia. I will definitely want to try their other pies also. It was so good that I bought two for my dad and mom.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Prosperous Kitchen at Thomson Plaza
SUGGESTIONS: Provide veggies to go with the Dongpo Meat because that dish can get a little too heavy on the taste buds.
FOOD: Good
PRICE: about $80 for 4 persons
Prosperous Kitchen is a restaurant that serves up Cantonese food. My family had dinner there today because it was near home. This is perhaps my fourth time visiting this establishment. We ordered Sichuan Sour and Spicy Soup, Double-boiled Green Apple and Corn Soup, Dongpo meat (stewed fatty pork, eaten with buns), Salad Prawns with Fresh Fruit and Pork Floss, Poached Box-thorn with Three Types of Eggs and Braised Beancurd with Golden Mushrooms and Dried Scallops.
First up, it was the Braised Beancurd with Golden Mushrooms and Dried Scallops. It was yummilicious! The braised beancurd had a slight charred taste about it, adding an unique taste to the dish. The tofu was very smooth and just slid down the spoon into my throat. The dish came with spinach but the spinach was more non-descript. The spinach seemed blanched for way too long, leaving it limp and soggy.
Above: Braised Beancurd with Golden Mushroom and Dried Scallops
Next up was the dish of Salad Prawns with Fresh Fruits and Pork Floss. The prawns were so very fresh, there was crunch in every bite. The crunch was almost audible. There were very few pieces of fresh fruits, just a few bits here and there. The prawns were cooked beautifully. However, I am not a big fan of restaurants using canned or jarred Mayonnaise to coat veggies and meats. It was way too sweet for me.
Above: Salad Prawns with Fresh Fruits and Pork Floss
The Double-boiled Green Apple and Corn Soup was yummy. But, I couldn't really taste the green apple very well. There was neither the sweetness nor sourness commonly associated with green apples in the soup. It tasted more of nice homemade corn soup.
Above: Double-boiled Green Apple and Corn Soup
Sichuan Sour and Spicy Soup was extremely appetizing. The thick soup was to my taste, I always like my soups a little thicker with corn flour or starch as the thickener.
Above: Sichuan Sour and Spicy Soup
Above: Buns that came along with the Dongpo meat
My dad loves a good dish of Dongpo meat with buns. Dongpo meat is stewed fatty pork. It is usually the meat from the pork belly, meat with streaks of fat in between. The gravy was kinda sweet and the meats were infused with the taste. But, fatty meat and mere buns can be a little heavy on the stomach. It would have been nicer if they had provided fresh veggies to go with the meats and buns. I just couldn't eat the streaks of fat and had to cut most of it off.
Above: Dongpo Meat
Finally, the Poached Box-Thorn with Three Types of Eggs came to the table. I have tasted this dish at this restaurant and at another restaurant. Today's dish was not of the usual standard of the restaurant. The various flavours of the ingredients were really separate and were not fused together properly. Also, the broth was a little too watery.
Above: Poached Box-Thorn with Three Types of Eggs
Our orders today were rather extreme in standards. Some were really fantastic while others were really just blah. My guess is the restaurant chefs had problems sticking to standards because of the large crowd today due to Fathers' Day. Nonetheless, this shouldn't be an excuse for a restaurant.
FOOD: Good
PRICE: about $80 for 4 persons
Prosperous Kitchen is a restaurant that serves up Cantonese food. My family had dinner there today because it was near home. This is perhaps my fourth time visiting this establishment. We ordered Sichuan Sour and Spicy Soup, Double-boiled Green Apple and Corn Soup, Dongpo meat (stewed fatty pork, eaten with buns), Salad Prawns with Fresh Fruit and Pork Floss, Poached Box-thorn with Three Types of Eggs and Braised Beancurd with Golden Mushrooms and Dried Scallops.
First up, it was the Braised Beancurd with Golden Mushrooms and Dried Scallops. It was yummilicious! The braised beancurd had a slight charred taste about it, adding an unique taste to the dish. The tofu was very smooth and just slid down the spoon into my throat. The dish came with spinach but the spinach was more non-descript. The spinach seemed blanched for way too long, leaving it limp and soggy.
Above: Braised Beancurd with Golden Mushroom and Dried Scallops
Next up was the dish of Salad Prawns with Fresh Fruits and Pork Floss. The prawns were so very fresh, there was crunch in every bite. The crunch was almost audible. There were very few pieces of fresh fruits, just a few bits here and there. The prawns were cooked beautifully. However, I am not a big fan of restaurants using canned or jarred Mayonnaise to coat veggies and meats. It was way too sweet for me.
Above: Salad Prawns with Fresh Fruits and Pork Floss
The Double-boiled Green Apple and Corn Soup was yummy. But, I couldn't really taste the green apple very well. There was neither the sweetness nor sourness commonly associated with green apples in the soup. It tasted more of nice homemade corn soup.
Above: Double-boiled Green Apple and Corn Soup
Sichuan Sour and Spicy Soup was extremely appetizing. The thick soup was to my taste, I always like my soups a little thicker with corn flour or starch as the thickener.
Above: Sichuan Sour and Spicy Soup
Above: Buns that came along with the Dongpo meat
My dad loves a good dish of Dongpo meat with buns. Dongpo meat is stewed fatty pork. It is usually the meat from the pork belly, meat with streaks of fat in between. The gravy was kinda sweet and the meats were infused with the taste. But, fatty meat and mere buns can be a little heavy on the stomach. It would have been nicer if they had provided fresh veggies to go with the meats and buns. I just couldn't eat the streaks of fat and had to cut most of it off.
Above: Dongpo Meat
Finally, the Poached Box-Thorn with Three Types of Eggs came to the table. I have tasted this dish at this restaurant and at another restaurant. Today's dish was not of the usual standard of the restaurant. The various flavours of the ingredients were really separate and were not fused together properly. Also, the broth was a little too watery.
Above: Poached Box-Thorn with Three Types of Eggs
Our orders today were rather extreme in standards. Some were really fantastic while others were really just blah. My guess is the restaurant chefs had problems sticking to standards because of the large crowd today due to Fathers' Day. Nonetheless, this shouldn't be an excuse for a restaurant.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Casuarina Prata
SPECIAL MENTION: Very near Lower and Upper Peirce.
PRICE: $0.70 for 'kosong' (plain prata) to $3.50 for something more special like Mushroom Cheese Prata
FOOD: YUMMY!
This is the place where I get my bi-monthly or tri-monthly dose of the horribly unhealthy PRATA! I love Casuarina Prata and am very glad that it is very near my home. My sis and I decided to go there for dinner because we were stranded at home without dinner. We chose to sit outside and not in the outlet because of the grease smell that lingers. We ordered 4 'kosongs', 1 Mushroom Cheese prata and 2 Milo Dinosaurs.
Above: Prata
Personally, my favourite prata is always the good ol' unadulterated prata. The 'kosong' prata at Casuarina has a crispy and flaky edge. Apart from the crispy edge, the center was doughy and chewy. I like it that the ghee smell wasn't very strong. We were provided with fish currry and chicken curry. I preferred the fish curry because the slightly sour taste of the curry went well with the sweeter taste of the prata.
Above: Fish Curry
The Mushroom Cheese Prata is essentially prata with melted cheese with sliced mushrooms folded into the prata. It was yummy! Basically, I love mushrooms with their au naturel MSG. Surprisingly, it was a nice combination. But, definitely not for those who are watching their sodium intake.
Above: Mushroom Cheese Prata
Milo Dinosaur is essentially iced milo with lotsa undissolved milo powder topping the drink. It is a very sweet drink only meant for people with a very sweet tooth, like me! The sweet and milky taste quells the spiciness in the curry.
Above: Milo Dinosaur
PRICE: $0.70 for 'kosong' (plain prata) to $3.50 for something more special like Mushroom Cheese Prata
FOOD: YUMMY!
This is the place where I get my bi-monthly or tri-monthly dose of the horribly unhealthy PRATA! I love Casuarina Prata and am very glad that it is very near my home. My sis and I decided to go there for dinner because we were stranded at home without dinner. We chose to sit outside and not in the outlet because of the grease smell that lingers. We ordered 4 'kosongs', 1 Mushroom Cheese prata and 2 Milo Dinosaurs.
Above: Prata
Personally, my favourite prata is always the good ol' unadulterated prata. The 'kosong' prata at Casuarina has a crispy and flaky edge. Apart from the crispy edge, the center was doughy and chewy. I like it that the ghee smell wasn't very strong. We were provided with fish currry and chicken curry. I preferred the fish curry because the slightly sour taste of the curry went well with the sweeter taste of the prata.
Above: Fish Curry
The Mushroom Cheese Prata is essentially prata with melted cheese with sliced mushrooms folded into the prata. It was yummy! Basically, I love mushrooms with their au naturel MSG. Surprisingly, it was a nice combination. But, definitely not for those who are watching their sodium intake.
Above: Mushroom Cheese Prata
Milo Dinosaur is essentially iced milo with lotsa undissolved milo powder topping the drink. It is a very sweet drink only meant for people with a very sweet tooth, like me! The sweet and milky taste quells the spiciness in the curry.
Above: Milo Dinosaur
Monday, June 11, 2007
Ambush at Takashimaya B2
Miffy Goodfood reporting:
SPECIAL MENTION: Very small dining area so be there early to secure yourself a seat during meal times.
PRICE: about $15 per person
FOOD: Good
Walk all the way past the food court of Takashimaya and you will find yourself amidst a few bistros. Ambush is one of the few there. It was my owner's second visit to this little bistro. Ordered Prawn Fritata with linguine in the style of Aglio Olio, Scallops with Linguine in Cream Fish Roe sauce, Straight Iced Coffee and Lemonade.
Above: Scallops with Linguine in Cream Fish Roe Sauce
My owner's order was the dish of Scallops with Linguine in Cream Fish Roe Sauce. I think the linguine was over-cooked, it was more than al dente, a little too soft for my taste and no longer firm. But, the Cream Fish Roe Sauce was really good, not too thick and had bits of crunchy fish roe in it. The scallops were seared nicely but I'd have liked it better if it were grilled. Grilled scallops always seem to lock in the fresh flavour of scallops.
Above: Straight Iced Coffee
The Straight Iced Coffee is quite acidic, has good aroma but lacks body. I think Iced Coffee should always be chilled to teeth-chattering temperatures. This wasn't the case for the Straight Iced Coffee.
Above: Prawn Fritata with Linguine in Aglio Olio style
SPECIAL MENTION: Very small dining area so be there early to secure yourself a seat during meal times.
PRICE: about $15 per person
FOOD: Good
Walk all the way past the food court of Takashimaya and you will find yourself amidst a few bistros. Ambush is one of the few there. It was my owner's second visit to this little bistro. Ordered Prawn Fritata with linguine in the style of Aglio Olio, Scallops with Linguine in Cream Fish Roe sauce, Straight Iced Coffee and Lemonade.
Above: Scallops with Linguine in Cream Fish Roe Sauce
My owner's order was the dish of Scallops with Linguine in Cream Fish Roe Sauce. I think the linguine was over-cooked, it was more than al dente, a little too soft for my taste and no longer firm. But, the Cream Fish Roe Sauce was really good, not too thick and had bits of crunchy fish roe in it. The scallops were seared nicely but I'd have liked it better if it were grilled. Grilled scallops always seem to lock in the fresh flavour of scallops.
Above: Straight Iced Coffee
The Straight Iced Coffee is quite acidic, has good aroma but lacks body. I think Iced Coffee should always be chilled to teeth-chattering temperatures. This wasn't the case for the Straight Iced Coffee.
Above: Prawn Fritata with Linguine in Aglio Olio style
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Nyonya and Baba Restaurant at Vivo City
SPECIAL MENTION: One of the few conveniently located peranakan restaurants. Rice is free-flow. Rice is important because the food is good! My owner managed to finish her bowl of rice, a rare feat! And my owner's sis had TWO bowls...
SUGGESTIONS: Have set meals with fewer dishes because the set meals really had too many dishes and my family was afraid we wouldn't be able to finish the food.
PRICE: About $20+ per person
FOOD: Sedap!
Had a good evening out with my owner and her family. We went to Nyonya and Baba restaurant at Vivo City and the family went back to their roots. =) My owner happens to be a nyonya. My family ordered Fish Head Curry, Tauhu Titek (Tofu with prawns in gravy), Sambal Kangkong, Ngor Hiang (minced meat with chestnuts rolled within a crispy skin) and Chendol.
Above: Half-eaten Achar
The appetizer of achar opened up the appetite, it was a refreshing mix of vegetables. I liked it here because the vegetables were fresh and crisp. Achar is basically vegetables pickled with vinegar and usually served cold. The mix usually consists of small bits of carrots (my favourite), cucumbers, pineapples and a tiny bit of chilli. It really cleansed my palate.
Above: Sambal Kangkong
Sambal Kangkong and Ngor Hiang were served together. Sambal Kangkong was oh-so-lovely... not as oily as most other restaurants and very flavourful with the strong sambal belacan taste. Nonetheless, I think the level of spiciness could have been kicked up a notch.
Above: Cut-up roll of Ngor Hiang
The Ngor Hiang is always an interesting dish with chestnuts mixed with minced meat rolled in beancurd skin and deep-fried. It is one of my favourite dishes because of the unique texture of the crispy skin with the tender minced meat and crunchy bits of chestnut. It is usually cooked with five-spice powder. Here at the restaurant, the Ngor Hiang was good but could have been better if it were deep-fried to perfection. The skin wasn't crisp enough. I guess the oil wasn't hot enough when they put the roll in for frying. The dish was made more even more lovely with the dipping sauce of ketchup manis, a type of sweet soy sauce. The sweet ketchup manis brought out the taste of the flavours of the ngor hiang well because it contrasted with them.
Above: My owner's bowl of Tauhu Titek
Tauhu Titek is tofu with prawns. It was served in salty gravy. Titek is one type of peranakan paste, made with shrimp paste, chillis, candlenut and shallots. The gravy went well with the plain rice. For me, I think the highlight of this dish was the gravy. The taste of the gravy was distinctive, I really cannot imagine this taste in any other cuisine. Alone, the gravy would have been too salty but with rice, it was purrrrrrfect.
Above: Big pot of Fish-Head Curry
One of the hardest dishes to perfect is the Fish-head Curry because of the stewing time and heat. At Nyonya and Baba, the meat was cooked thoroughly but it was not overcooked. Sedap! The curry was assam curry with plenty of lemongrass and limau perut. Thus, it was sour and spicy. I liked it especially because the meat was infused with the flavour and was not a separate taste. In the words of my owner's sister, "when they opened the lid, it was the moment of truth", haha... The fragrance of assam, spices, lemongrass and smoke really penetrated the air and was a treat for the nose. This is their specialty and rightfully so,
An important part in a peranakan meal is the sambal belacan (toasted chilli with shrimp paste). How it tastes usually depends on the preferences of the chef. At Nyonya and Baba, the sambal belacan had lime juice in it and an additional half a lime on the side to make it even more sour if you should desire it more sour. My owner's parents told me that her grandpa liked sambal belacan cooked with lemongrass and lime juice. I guess what her grandpa liked was the combination of two different types of sour tastes.
Above: Chendol
We washed down our spicy dinner with Chendol, a sweet cold dessert. Chendol here consisted of shaved ice with coconut milk, gula melaka (palm sugar from coconut trees), bits of starch 'noodles' (the green pieces) and kidney beans. Kidney beans aren't usually found in Chendol. Usually, red beans are used. This is definitely only for sweet-toothed people because it is pretty sweet. For me, it was definitely a sweet end to the meal.
Sakuraya Fish Mart at Parkway Parade
MIFFY GOODFOOD reporting:
SPECIAL MENTiON: You have to ask for sushi rice, green tea and miso soup. They are not on the menu because there isn't any menu. You can get various Japanese groceries here too.
PRICE: about $20 for every type of fish you choose
FOOD: YUMMY!
Sashimi is one of my favourite foods. Sakuraya Fish Mart sells some of the freshest sashimi. My lovely ower did the ordering today, she ordered swordfish, tuna, amberjack, salmon and scallops.
Everything was very fresh, totally yummy, no fishy taste at all. Swordfish is my all-time favourite because of the texture of the meat, the meat has more muscles and less fat so every slice has adequate bite to it. The wasabi was really good, not too noxious and really went well with the sashimi.
We ordered sushi rice, gree tea and miso soup as well. The sushi rice was really refreshing and the sweet taste provided a nice contrast to the sashimi slices.
Everyone left with a satisfied tummy filled with sashimi and sushi rice. Miffy enjoyed the food a lot!
SPECIAL MENTiON: You have to ask for sushi rice, green tea and miso soup. They are not on the menu because there isn't any menu. You can get various Japanese groceries here too.
PRICE: about $20 for every type of fish you choose
FOOD: YUMMY!
Sashimi is one of my favourite foods. Sakuraya Fish Mart sells some of the freshest sashimi. My lovely ower did the ordering today, she ordered swordfish, tuna, amberjack, salmon and scallops.
Everything was very fresh, totally yummy, no fishy taste at all. Swordfish is my all-time favourite because of the texture of the meat, the meat has more muscles and less fat so every slice has adequate bite to it. The wasabi was really good, not too noxious and really went well with the sashimi.
We ordered sushi rice, gree tea and miso soup as well. The sushi rice was really refreshing and the sweet taste provided a nice contrast to the sashimi slices.
Everyone left with a satisfied tummy filled with sashimi and sushi rice. Miffy enjoyed the food a lot!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Hog's Breath at Vivo City
SPECIAL MENTION:Also available at Holland Village and CHIJMES
SUGGESTIONS: Don't overcook the salmon. Either use chicken thigh, some other more tender part of the chicken or tenderise the chickn breast more for the Djon Chicken dish. Leave the fish fillet in the batter for a longer period of time for the Fish and Chips.
FOOD: Very good for the beef. Average for the rest.
PRICE: $20+ to 40+ per person
Visited Hog's Breath at Vivo City with my family for dinner. The service was pretty good. I am not being biased here but it was definitely prompt. Dad had Salmon with Lemon Sauce, Mom had Djon Chicken, Sis had Fish and Chips and my owner had Thai Beef Salad. We ordered a Cranberry juice, an Orange juice and a Lemon juice.
Above: Thai Beef Salad
The Thai Beef Salad was delicious. The beef slices were seared nicely, leaving them tender and juicy. The beef slices were also marinated with Teriyaki sauce so it was rather tasty. The slices were thick enough for bite and yet thin enough such that it absorbed the marinade well. The salad was normal garden salad except that it had beef slices and crunchy uncooked noodles bits. One issue with the salad was that it came with quite a bit of rocket lettuce. I think I have already emphasised my disdain for rocket lettuce. Although you may think rabbits like lettuce, I don't quite like extremely bitter rocket lettuce. You need armoured tastebuds to like it.
Above: Salmon
I can't really comment about the other dishes because I didn't have them. But, the salmon was a little too tough. My guess was that it was cooked too long and became overcooked. The deep-fried sweet potato chips that came with the salmon was a pretty interesting concept.
Above: Djon Chicken
The Djon Chicken was a few slices of chicken breast and it was kinda tough. Out of all the parts of the chicken, chicken breast is the toughest and least tender portion of a chicken. I never liked eating chicken breast. The baked potato that came with the Djon Chicken was a little overcooked. The skin of the potato was a lil burnt.
Above: Fish & Chips
My owner's sister had Fish and Chips. The restaurant used beer batter for the fish. Beer batter is always nice for fish and chips. However, I think that the fish fillets could have been soaked in the beer batter for a longer period of time. So that the taste of the fish and the taste of the beer batter aren't two separate tastes. One thing I liked about the Fish and Chips was that the dish was not too greasy.
Okay, Hog's Breath's specialities are indeed ribs and steaks. My Thai Beef Salad was the best of the dishes because of the wonderfully seared beef slices. Remember, ribs and steaks.
SUGGESTIONS: Don't overcook the salmon. Either use chicken thigh, some other more tender part of the chicken or tenderise the chickn breast more for the Djon Chicken dish. Leave the fish fillet in the batter for a longer period of time for the Fish and Chips.
FOOD: Very good for the beef. Average for the rest.
PRICE: $20+ to 40+ per person
Visited Hog's Breath at Vivo City with my family for dinner. The service was pretty good. I am not being biased here but it was definitely prompt. Dad had Salmon with Lemon Sauce, Mom had Djon Chicken, Sis had Fish and Chips and my owner had Thai Beef Salad. We ordered a Cranberry juice, an Orange juice and a Lemon juice.
Above: Thai Beef Salad
The Thai Beef Salad was delicious. The beef slices were seared nicely, leaving them tender and juicy. The beef slices were also marinated with Teriyaki sauce so it was rather tasty. The slices were thick enough for bite and yet thin enough such that it absorbed the marinade well. The salad was normal garden salad except that it had beef slices and crunchy uncooked noodles bits. One issue with the salad was that it came with quite a bit of rocket lettuce. I think I have already emphasised my disdain for rocket lettuce. Although you may think rabbits like lettuce, I don't quite like extremely bitter rocket lettuce. You need armoured tastebuds to like it.
Above: Salmon
I can't really comment about the other dishes because I didn't have them. But, the salmon was a little too tough. My guess was that it was cooked too long and became overcooked. The deep-fried sweet potato chips that came with the salmon was a pretty interesting concept.
Above: Djon Chicken
The Djon Chicken was a few slices of chicken breast and it was kinda tough. Out of all the parts of the chicken, chicken breast is the toughest and least tender portion of a chicken. I never liked eating chicken breast. The baked potato that came with the Djon Chicken was a little overcooked. The skin of the potato was a lil burnt.
Above: Fish & Chips
My owner's sister had Fish and Chips. The restaurant used beer batter for the fish. Beer batter is always nice for fish and chips. However, I think that the fish fillets could have been soaked in the beer batter for a longer period of time. So that the taste of the fish and the taste of the beer batter aren't two separate tastes. One thing I liked about the Fish and Chips was that the dish was not too greasy.
Okay, Hog's Breath's specialities are indeed ribs and steaks. My Thai Beef Salad was the best of the dishes because of the wonderfully seared beef slices. Remember, ribs and steaks.
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