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The must-order dish when I step into a Thai restuarant got to be Tom Yam Soup. In fact, that's the first thing most will name when Thai food is mentioned.
The best Tom Yam Soup I've tried so far is from Renn Thai in Ngee Ann City many many years back. It was the authentic clear soup base kind unlike those super oily and cloudy Tom Yam Soup you get from food court. The food was pretty pricey according to my paycheck back then, so I didn't go back again. And along the way, I discovered Simply Thai. The Tom Yam Soup was just as good, although with lesser ingredients, was much more affordable. After a few good years, Simply Thai disappeared! But I found Thai Express along with some super nice ex-colleagues. :) The sliced fish tom yam soup with vermicelli is so spicy and good you'll be lost for words.
And now when I've time, I make my own. Here's a Tom Yam Goong recipe I got from a cookbook of popular Thai dishes. Tried and tested. You will be surprised how easily you can spice up your life.
Looks can be deceiving for this harmless looking soup will burn your tongue! :P
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
450g king prawns
1 litre chicken stock
3 lemon grass stalks
10 lime leaves, torn in half
225g can straw mushrooms, drained
3 tbsp fish sauce
50ml lime juice
chopped spring onions and coriander leaves
red chillies, chopped
Steps:
Shell and devein the prawns
Rinse the prawn shells, place them in large saucepan with stock and bring to boil. I added an additional cup of water and a few prawn heads. Too many will make the soup taste fishy.
Bruise the lemon grass stalks with knife and add them to the stock together with the lime leaves. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until stalks change colour and is fragrant.
Strain the stock, return to saucepan and reheat. Add mushrooms and prawns. Cook for a few minutes or until prawns turn pink.
Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, spring onions, coriander and chillies. Taste and adjust the flavours if you prefer it spicier, saltier or more sourish.
With just a mini budget, you're in for a big treat at Timo Mini Italian Cuisine. Timo means thyme in Italian. Not surprisingly, thyme is a basic ingredient in Italian cuisines.
Timo is sandwiched between stalls of famous traditional local favourites in Maxwell Market. A humble stall selling spaghettis, pizzas and desserts, Timo draws the younger crowd who are opened to new taste. I may not be that young but being a huge fan of Italian fare, this new boy-next-door won my heart over the other familiar local delights.
The first time I went Timo with J and JP, I tried the Black Pepper Chicken Spaghetti ($4.00). It was pretty decent for the price I paid. The Chocolate Lava ($3.50), however, was more than decent. It was sinfully tempting. We were very impressed by the presentation as something that pretty was never expected to be served here, in an old-fashioned market. After admiring the chef's masterpiece for some time, we decided to keep the chocolate pie warm and attack before the ice cream melts.
It was heavenly. The Chocolate Lava is what I call a simple pleasure. If this was served on a porcelain plate, it'll probably cost twice as much. 
The Chef told us we have to try his pizzas on our next visit if we can afford to wait for 15-20 minutes. On my second visit, I didn't think twice and went straight for the Seafood Pizza (6", $7.00), served fresh from the oven.
The crust is thin, light and crispy, the toppings fresh, moist and tasty. It was definitely worth the wait.
The only mistake was sharing the pizza with JP! We ended filling up our stomachs with the famous DIY hum chee peng across Timo.
I think apart from instant noodles, that was the first time he actually cooked and I got to taste it. Haha!
You know those roasted black pepper and honey glazed chicken you can get from the hot deli corner of Cold Storage? They aren't gourmet food but may not be a bad choice if you want to pack a simple dinner home from the mall and do not feel like fast food.
My own version of the roasted black pepper chicken is very simple. Tasty and juicy but not as oily. Good as a marinate for BBQ wings and whole spring chicken too if your oven has the rotisserie function.
Ingredients:
chicken thighs
dash of salt
cooking wine
dash of light soya sauce
oyster sauce
dark soya sauce for colour
McCormick coarse black pepper
McCormick Italian Herbs or MasterFoods Mixed Herbs
Steps:
Season the chicken with the ingredients in that particular order for at least two hours, if not overnight. Cover the chicken with black pepper generously. I will sprinkle extra rosemary on top of the mixed herbs. On a separate note, it'll taste just as good with only rosemary, that is of course if you like the distinctive taste of rosemary.
If you're using wings, just cook them in the oven at about 175ºC for 15 minutes and grill them for another 5 mintues or until brown. Coat the wings with the remaining marinate on and off.
If you're using the whole drum with thigh, wrap it up in aluminum foil and pour in all the marinate. Cook it for 20 minutes at about 200ºC. Open it up and grill it for 5-10 minutes or until brown.
If you're cooking the whole chicken, stuff some garlic and herbs in the chicken. Read the oven instruction manual for cooking time and temperature.
Drizzle the remaining gravy on the chicken and serve hot with rice or baked potato.
