a prime dinner

I've tried Astons Specialties but dinner at Astons Prime was a totally different experience. All thanks to CL for the delightful birthday treat. :)

Astons Prime serves more premium cuts of meat. Of course, there's a price to pay but still, both restaurants offer great value.

I really enjoyed the Deep Fried Oysters after having too many(although not even half of what M had) raw ones at The Line. The wasabi mayonaise sauce complimented the starter very well.



I am no expert when it comes to steaks and can't even recall the names! But I do remember it's supposed to be veal and cost about $30. Served with buttered mushrooms and mashed potatoes, I like the feeling when my steak is served sizzling on the hotplate.



However, we later realized the beef got overcooked after awhile even when it was cushioned by the onions.



This slab of meat(about $20) was soaked in red wine before it was cooked. I can't even remember the portion but it was just enough for me.



The meat was very tender and juicy.



What's red meat without red wine? ;)



There's no ambience and not an ideal place for a romantic dinner. But there's also no service or GST charges. In short, you are only paying for quality food.

I'll definitely recommend Astons Prime to MM, a meat lover.

Sunset Grill & Pub

This entry is dedicated to E.

I've known E for merely two years. If I remember correctly, I've not gone out with her alone more than twice. They say, it doesn't take a food connoisseur to tell if the food is good. Likewise, it doesn't take a decade to find out E is a nice girl.

She's helpful, kind, caring, sincere, friendly, trustworthy, responsible and the list goes on. One thing all her friends will have to agree is that she is very good at organising.

Lately, I got to discover this really cool dining place and other interesting shooting locations all thanks to her. Sunset Grill & Pub is located at Singapore Flying Club, overlooking a beautiful sunset and, if you're lucky, private jets taking off or landing.





I was a tad disappointed to learn that Sunset Grill & Pub is opened by the owner of Jerry's BBQ & Grill. I'm not sure if Jerry's is related to Buckaroo BBQ & Grill but somehow I prefer the latter. No, I'm not about to start a debate who is better. After all, I love both their signature buffalo wings.

We skipped the main course and ordered a variety of appetisers to share.


Fried Button Mushrooms ($13.50)


Cheese Fries


Fried breaded calamari and prawns


Mussels in creamy olive oil sauce

The highlight got to be the highly acclaimed fiery buffalo wings with spiciness from level 1 to all the way to 30! If you're up for the challenge at level 30, your name will be on the hall of fame. Or rather hall of flame!



Try the wings last in case the spiciness numbs your tastebuds. For the chicken hearted, there's also the non-spicy version.

We started with half a dozen of at level 3($19.50). Tasty, tangy, spicy. Still enjoyable. For someone who can't take spiciness like E, that's her limit. KT thought it was no sweat and we doubled up to level 6 for the next half a dozen($21.00).

First bite, it was just as spicy as level 3. A few seconds later, the spiciness started to bit my tongue. I sipped a mouthful of ice cold beer to put out the fire but it only worsened the situation. After the beer went down my throat, my mouth started burning. I could however finished the whole thing without tearing. KT on the other hand, was screaming for water in between bites. *LOL* And poor KC felt miserable after finishing up his share.

I can't imagine how spicy level 10 is, let alone 30. O_O|||

After the burning sensation which left us with Angelina Jolie's lips, we had something sweet to neutralise our tastebuds.



Happy birthday, E. Hope you had a great time. :)

Sunset Grill & Pub is a nice and secluded laid-back place to chill out. I suppose many came here because of its rustic ambience. You may want to set off earlier as the area is quite a maze.






P/S: Thanks, E, KC&JT. It was a great trip. :)

Sunset Grill & Pub
Republic of Singapore Flying Club
140-B Piccadilly, Seletar Airbase,
East Camp
6482-0244
Opens daily from 4pm to 10pm

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)

two chefs are better than one

Oftentimes, my photos don't do justice to the mouthwatering food I blog about.

Reasons being:

1. I felt bad having everyone wait while they were salivating at the food.
2. I like to eat it hot like mum always orders.
3. Everyone was starving.
4. The food smelled so good we couldn't resist.
5. The lighting was poor.
6. My hp camera didn't do a good job(because I didn't bring my other camera).

These are really not excuses. Especially when everyone is starving, I can't be 'styling' the food and taking my own sweet time to find the best angle for the perfect shot. However, having picture-perfect-not pictures gives me an excuse to revisit the place if the food is worth recommending.

Two Chefs Eating Place is definitely one of the places I'm revisiting for better photos because of the first four reasons.



As the name suggests, this eating place was opened by 2 brothers from Ipoh. I didn't get to meet either of them but the auntie who served us was very helpful and friendly. As it was our first time here, K & I pretty much left the menu to W. Commonwealth Drive sounds like a complete foreign country to me.

To start off, the cold cockles were really good appetiser. Soaked in some garlic and chilli padi laced vinegar and wine sauce and sprinkled with spring onions, the cockles were fresh and juicy. For extra kick, eat it with the chilli!



Another must-try is their signature Butter Pork Ribs. The deep fried pork ribs were covered with their golden magic powder and curry leaves. The powder is actually milk powder fried with butter and other secret ingredients.



The pork chop to be exact was tender and very fragrant. However, the meat hardened when it turned cold. Slightly sweet but savoury in general, it reminded me of cereal chicken. Best part was, it didn't taste porky at all. Thumbs up!

The Three Eggs Spinach is something I was introduced only a years ago. The first time I tried it was at a Cantonese cze char place along Keong Siak Street. And I later discovered Dian Xiao Er's really nice. This was a bit bland and too watery(which K preferred because he doesn't fancy salted egg).



The Golden Mushroom Tofu though another signature dish, wasn't a favourite of mine. The homemade tofu was buried in the Enokitake and swimming in a brown gravy. The tofu was smooth and nice but perhaps the overall taste was too expect. I much prefer the good old hotplate version complemented with egg.



We wanted to order Herbal Prawns but it was sold out! Auntie recommended Pepper Salt Prawns which turned out nothing like what the name suggests. It was wet and sweet. :( The prawns were however, fresh. :)


The bill totalled up to $58 for 4 persons. Good food at great value! I'm definitely going back with my friends.


Two Chefs Eating Place
116 Commonwealth Drive #01-129 64725361, 94379712
11.30am - 2.30pm, 5pm - 11.30pm
Closed on Monday (Lunch)

pot of gold

As a teochew, I should like fish according to M. Yes, I do. But I think I'll pick grilled cod fish with herbs or pan-fried buttered dory or baked salmon with cheese or simply fish & chips... over teochew steamed fish or sliced fish soup. Still, I won't resist teochew styled fish when I feel like something light and healthy. It just so happened that P is on a healthy diet these days due to his poor health report and constant nagging from his mum(and also because of the rainy weather), we decided to opt for something we don't usually crave for, teochew fish head steamboat at 天外天 along Serangoon Road.

I heard that you've to wait for two hours during peak hours for your food to be served. Thank goodness that night wasn't that crowded though it was fully packed.

There's a variety of fish like pomfret, red garoupa and others depending on season for you to choose from. We ordered the medium pot for 5($32.00). Sinking in the sweet and potent soup are yam, lettuce, fried flatfish and thickly sliced fresh pomfret fish. You can even top up the soup for free. For those who can't stand the fishiness of certain fish(just to clarify, I don't find it fishy at all), you can dip the fish in the special garlic, chilli, lime and vinegar sauce. I like it with just freshly cut chillies in soya sauce.



I believe the fish head pot is not the only reason why customers are coming back to 天外天 even when waiting time can be ridiculous. Other dishes are equally delicious too. My favourite got to be the spicy prawn and tofu. It tasted like chilli crab but not as sweet. One can easily finish up a bowl of plain rice with just the thick and appetising gravy alone.



奶白 (nai bai) is like a mini version of 小白菜 and is not available at every cze-char stall. Stir-fried with garlic, crunchy and tasty.



You'll find this dish on almost every table. The crispy prawn roll was deep fried to perfection. Not too oily or dry. Unlike some that tasted like minced meat, you can actually taste the shrimp and crunchiness of the water chestnut. However, I still prefer those that are not coated with flour. Especially the ones my grandma used to make.



There are quite a few famous fish head steamboat restaurants around, especially 南华昌(Nan Hwa Chong) which is rated top by the local papers, I've yet tried so I can't really compare. And MM insisted 天外天 was really nothing fantastic because she has tasted better and I'm still waiting for her to bring me there. But 天外天 has enough drool factors to bring me back when I feel like having a warm family dinner. At least this is one meal you won't feel guilty after feasting.

Just a sidenote, there are apparently two similarly named Nan Hwa Chong Fishhead steamboat at Jalan Sultan. The so-called original restaurant is the one named 南华昌（亚秋）鱼头炉.