年年有余

祝你在这新的一年里，吃得饱，睡得好。




幸福饮茶
181 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh
#02-602 Singapore 310181
63631717

Miharu Authentic Ramen

Gallery Hotel? Where is that? That was my response when F suggested dinner at Gallery Hotel. Little did I know hidden at a corner of this hotel is a humble-looking Japanese restaurant, Sapporo Ramen Hiharu (美春).



The homely restaurant seats about 20 or so only. Yet there was no crowd when we were there on a Friday night. I came to realize that it's the Japanese culture that the customers usually slurp up their noodles quickly and leave for sake bars.

There are also two floor seating tables available for a truly authentic Japanese dining experience.



Spotting Japanese at Miharu is a sign that the food is authentic!



So what exactly is authentic at Miharu? The popular Sapporo Nishiyama brand noodles served at Miharu, were made with well water and are specially imported from Japan. These noodles were frozen when they arrived and has to be thawed for 3 days in order to achieve the perfect texture. Sapporo noodles were very popular in Japan and has no doubt attracted many Japanese here in Singapore.

The menu was nothing fanciful. Mainly Sapporo Ramen in different soup base and sauces. It costs about $12.50-$13.00 for a huge bowl. The noodles was chewy and good, the soup brimming with flavour, was however too salty. You can request for the soup to be less salty as stated on the menu though.



The egg which looked like braised egg tasted nothing like Chinese. It was soaked in a secret soy blend for half a day and later boiled to perfection with a melt-in-your-mouth orange yolk.





These meatless gyoza($6.00) were filled with chives only.



We ordered the long beans also known as Yasai itame($4.50) just to complete our diet with some greens. Nothing special.



Overall, dinner was good. But in comparison, I still think Marutaman Ramen at Central(now at Liang Court too) is better. Marutaman Ramen is however pricey and forever crowded. (I will blog about it next time.)

So if you want a quiet and authentic Japanese dinner without having to queue for hours, why not head down to Gallery Hotel which is just down at Robertson Quay.


Sapporo Ramen Miharu
76 Robertson Quay #01-11
Gallery Hotel
6733 8464
Open 12-3pm, 6-10pm
Closed on Wednesdays

The Little Nyonya

Because of the highly rated drama The Little Nyonya (小娘惹), my mum like many, was hooked on TV for the past weeks. To relive the nyonya experience, I took her to Ivins for authentic peranakan food on her birthday last weekend.

As expected, the place was packed. We waited for 15mins before we were seated and that was after I reminded the waitress that I had made a reservation. It took another 40mins before the food was served. Nevertheless, I must say it was worth the wait. But by then, we were all famished and I didn't want to prolong everyone's agony and took a snapshot of each dish quickly before they were attacked.

My first visit to Ivins was ages ago when it was at the other end of Upper Thomson Road. It has since shifted to Jalan Leban which is further down the road, along with other restaurants. Limited parking lots but there's a carpark behind the hawker center not too far away.

The Curry Fish Head($13.20) was the highlight. Served in a claypot, it kept the the flavourful dish warm throughout our meal. The gravy was thick and the fish fresh.



The Ayam Buah Keluak($5.90) is not my favourite. The gravy tasted like peanut sauce which I don't prefer and the buah keluak(according to M) is an accquired taste. My mum, however, was digging into it literally.



The interesting thing about Peranakans is that they are allowed to eat pork even when they are originated from an intermarriage of Chinese and Malay.

"The Peranakans were partially assimilated into the Malay culture (especially in food, dress, and language), while retaining some Chinese traditions (religion, name, and ethnic identity), thereby creating a fusion culture of their own."

K told me it's because the marriage involved a Chinese royal family and they had the rights not to follow the book but set their own rules. I googled and couldn't find any fact to back this up. Can someone enlighten me?

Anyway, like the origin, the Babi Ponteh($4.90) is allegedly a very popular nyonya dish. Lean pork was stewed for hours with preserved bean paste. My niece loved this(and she's also a huge fan of The Little Nyonya).



The Lady's Fingers Sambal costs $3.20 for a really small plate. The good thing about small serving is that you can order a wide variety to share. Even when there's only two of you. It was by the way, very good.



Udang Goreng Assam($5.00), was not too sweet and just enough zest. MM loves the unique taste of the tangy tamarind sauce.



To complete your meal, there are also a good variety of decent desserts in small portion for only $1.20 a bowl. The Chendol was quickily sold out when we wanted to order another.


Gula Melaka Sago (Tapioca jelly bits served with coconut milk and brown sugar)


Buboh Cha Cha(Sweet potato and yam in sweet coconut syrup)

It's a totally different experience dining at Ivins compared to True Blue which is more upmarket. Authentic and unpretentious, if Ivins is not the best peranakan restaurant, it's definitely the most affordable. Go early because the Nasi Kuning(coconut-flavoured rice) and otah were sold out by 8pm.

Happy Birthday, Mum. Today is her birthday. :)


IVINS @ Jalan Leban
No. 2/4 Jalan Leban,
Upper Thomson Road
6451 4622
11 am to 9 pm (Lunch/Dinner)
Closed on Thursday

IVINS @ Binjai Park
19/21 Binjai Park Bukit TImah
64683060
11am-3pm (Lunch), 5pm-9pm (Dinner)
Closed on Thursday

Coffee, tea or me?

Matchazuki Latte($7.20) at TCC is a concoction of Matcha (Green Tea) with Azuki (Red Bean) and Latte. Sounds like a weird combination but it is surprisingly good.

Satisfying Smoked Salmon Salad

It's always nice catching up with old friends. Met up with IR and AD for lunch at Coffee Club a week ago.

IR loves salad. In fact, she's the one who introduced me to salad. Before I got to know her, the word salad does not exist in my dictionary. Haha! Still, to me, salad is an appetizer. Or a side. There are just too many choices on the menu for me to settle for salad as the main course.

I won't order salad alone because it's not filling enough for my big appetite. The taste is always expected and it's too simple to prepare. And salad is boring for I'm never a health conscious person. :P If there's any salad that appetizes me, it got to be the Classic Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon($10.80) from Coffee Club.



Crisp romaine lettuce drizzled with signature caeser dressing and served in a homemade cheese bowl. The savouriness of the smoked salmon and crispy cheese bowl complemented the less exciting vegs. Nothing out of this world but the combination was just perfect. Perfect for me.

The Warm Duck Confit Salad tasted very Chinese. Reminded me of braised duck with a touch of balsamic vinegar.



The Roast Beef sandwich with caramalised onion was a tad too sweet for my liking. :(



I much prefer salad with oil based dressing but the smoked salmon caesar salad has just whet my appetite for more. :)

The crab is out of the bag

I'm glad the truth is finally out in the papers.

I've been wanting to blog about this since the opening of the other "copy crabs". Because I'm related to the crab chef, Mr Tan Yau Heng, I've received many calls from friends asking me if Mr Tan has left First Grade Seafood in Joo Chiat Place.

The answer is no. Just like the The Sunday Times(11 Jan 09) has clarified.

House of Seafood@180 in Yio Chu Kang claimed to be 'formerly known at Joo Chiat Place', is obviously a marketing ploy to mislead the customers. The Chef who once worked at First Grade Seafood Palace was in charge of cooking other dishes, not its signature crabs.

Then came the Chef's Crab Seafood Restaurant which declared that the "famous black pepper crab from the Joo Chiat area has made its way to Katong" in an ad they put up. This is even more ludicrous because the chef was only responsible for killing crabs and slicing the ingredients back at First Grade Seafood Palace.

The chefs may have worked at First Grade Seafood Palace at some point but never the key chef for crabs. Yes, they may have picked up a trick of two but experience is something they can never possess overnight.

Having said that, I'm not jumping to conclusion that the copy crabs are not as good. Perhaps not everyone bothers who's the real McCoy or can taste the difference. But the fact that the one and only crab chef, Mr Tan, who has worked at First Grade Seafood for over 20 years, is still cooking up a storm in Joo Chiat Place remains a fact. The customers should have the rights to make their own choice and not be misled by ambiguous declarations.

So if you want the good old authentic Joo Chiat Place black pepper crabs, head nowhere else but Joo Chiat Place.

Here are some exclusive photos of Mr Tan at work. :)







Besides black pepper crabs, they serve Singapore's favourite chilli crabs too.



Mr Tan handles four woks at a time. The orders for crabs alone are enough to kept him busy throughout the night.







The Mee Goreng is also one of their specialties. It's very spicy and yummy, unlike the sweet Indian version which I don't prefer.



I love the crispy Seafood You Tiao too.



All I can say is only the original gets copied.

For those who are interested to read the above article, drop me a note. :)

First Grade Seafood Palace
247 Joo Chiat Place
6440 5560
(Closed on Wednesday)

A Healthy Supper

Besides the 24Hr Prata shops, where do you usually go for supper? Swee Choon Tim Sum is not only a great alternative(fully air-conditioned) but a healthier choice for midnight snacks too. ;)

There's a wide variety of regular dim sum and other dishes like xiao long bao(dumplings) and la mian(handmade noodles). The unique Mee Sua Kueh(fried vermicelli cake) is a must-try! It's something I haven't tried anywhere else. Sorry I didn't have a closeup shot of it because everyone was starving.

Overall, food was good. Although it's not as fantastic as 搵到食, it offers better value. I'll definitely go back for supper and better pictures some day.

By the way, Swee Choon is also frequented by celebrities if you're interested in star-gazing in the middle of the night. :P






Swee Choon Tim-Sum Restaurant Pte Ltd
187 Jalan Besar
Tel: 6294 5292
Mon to Sat, 6pm to 10am
Sun, eve of PH and PH, 6pm to 12pm

Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery

This is the famous Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery I mentioned in my earlier post about traditional bread.



They have a wide variety of flavours mostly priced from $0.60 to $0.80. The uncle appeared to be very hasty when taking orders and stressed indecisive T out. But he was just being efficient and was actually very friendly.



They were served warm.



Look at the softness of the buns! W, we should try to achieve this with your KA!



Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery
49A Serangoon Garden Way
Stall #45 Serangoon Gardens Market And Food Centre

what's hot about this dog?

A friend from Malaysia came down to Singapore and before he left, had to make a trip to Holland Village. He told us there's this very yummy hotdog he once had at a BBQ and he wanted to bring some home. Knowing that he is quite a foodie himself and has no problem cooking up a storm in the kitchen, his recommendation is worth checking out. Curious, I followed. Only to realize the sausages were the ones found at Cold Storage. Can't blame him, he's not local.

He didn't head to the gourmet section but straight to the chiller for Johnosonville Smoked Sausages. He grabbed two packets of Beddar Cheddar at $11.50 for a pack of 6. That's like almost $2 per sausage! And they are not those huge gourmet sausages. I always thought that those pre-packed sausages are not as fresh as the ones priced by weight. Therefore, the vacuum packed ones should be cheaper. Not necessarily so.



Some days later while we were super-marketing, I told P about Johnsonville and found that he loves their sausages too. Being Mr Nice, he bought me a pack.

The very next day, he bought some frozen roti prata to my place. Of course I was more than willing to replicate the prata sausage by GoGo Franks for him. Cheddar cheese sausage covered with mayo, chilli sauce, mustard, sautéed onions and snugged in-between crispy prata. OK, mine was the unhealthy version because I didn't have any greens to go with it. Still, P went against his diet and enjoyed his snack to the last bite.







I saved one sausage just to savour its original taste and cooked it according to their cooking direction.

"Place links in a pan, add ½ inch of water and cover. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, turning often."

You know how sausage always curls up when you fry it. This sausage was not very happy to end up in my stomach after I pan-heated it. Haha! It was however healthier! No oil added. ;)



Every mouthful was oozing with cheese and bursting with flavours. The skin was crisp and the meat was evenly ground. Most cheese sausages are too salty but this was just right.



Johnsonville sausages are available at all Cold Storage and Jasons Market Place.

chicken puff

As a curry puff lover, it is only natural that I was quick to try out the black pepper, chilli crab and other new flavours the puff makers came up with. Still, nothing beats the original.

Lately, Old Chang Kee introduces the Chicken and Mushroom Puff($1.20). Not too exciting. Sounds like a regular chicken pie in shape of a curry puff. But being greedy and always keen to give new flavours a try, I bought one.

To my surprise, it tasted good. Could have been better if it was a little peppery though. It was oozing with chunks of mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and chicken. Another plus point was that it was piping hot. Not warm, not hot but piping hot. That explains why you can always feel the heat when you pass by an OCK stall. I didn't feel gelak after eating which always happens when I have their huge curry puff with super thick skin.

Overall, worth a try but bring your own pepper. ;)

delicious dim sum

It just so happened that K had to go down to Sunshine Plaza(somewhere we don't frequent) in the morning to deliver his work, we ended up at Victor's Kitchen for brunch. While he was away, I had a good one hour deciding what I wanted to eat. It was between the Fried Wanton Mee and Dim Sum. Since there are so many Parklane Fried Wanton Mee around Singapore, both of us agreed on Victor's. I always love having dim sum for breakfast. Nothing beats a fulfilling breakfast to kick-start your day.

The "restaurant" is pretty small with maybe seating for less than 25. Getting a seat for two is however not a problem at that hour when most people have started work.

The must-order dish is prawn dumplings(har kau). And Victor's king prawn har kau is filled with royal goodness.





The steamed carrot cake didn't look as appetizing as the those fried ones I love, was served with this interesting mixture of chilli, fried shallot, dried shrimp and oil.



K thinks the char siew pau was good but the ones from 找到食 at Geylang are still the best.



This is something with quail's egg. Can't remember the exact name but yes, they are something nice and different from the regular siew mai I don't quite fancy.



Being hungry and greedy, we also ordered porridge and prawn chee cheong fan. The skin was not too thick and the prawns were fresh. It was a tad oily but chee cheong fan is most of the time.



Only after I told M about my hearty breakfast that I realized Chubby Hubby has highly recommended Victor's Kitchen.

"Victor Leung and his wife moved here from Hong Kong only last year. And they moved for one of the best reasons I can imagine—so that their kids can take advantage of Singapore’s public education system, which is one of the best if not the best in the region. I really admire this incredibly friendly couple. They picked up, moved here and have started from scratch for the sake of their kids. Victor has 20 years experience as a dim sum chef, and has worked in several countries. His last job, before coming here, was in the dim sum kitchen at the New World Hotel in Kowloon. If you’re a dim sum fan, you must, must, must check out this tiny, inexpensive and simply fantastic find. Even if you’re not, I urge you to visit, for no other reason than to support Victor and his wife." - Chubby Hubby


Victor's Kitchen
91 Bencoolen St Sunshine Plaza #01-21
Opens Tues-Sun, 10am to 9pm
9838 2851 (He also does catering)