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I'm those who'll pick fried hokkien mee over fried kway teow. Simply because fried kway teow is sweet for my liking. The only fried kway teow stall I patronise is the one at Army Market. No pork, no lard and served with a healthy portion of vegie. That's however not the main reason for I'm not a health conscious person. It's the special touch of crispy and savoury fried ikan billis toppings that somehow neutralised the sweetness a little. But no, this isn't the savoury fried kway teow I'm going to introduce today. The first time I tried the authentic Penang Fried Kway Teow was in Penang itself. It was savoury! I fell in love with it instantly and tried the same dish from different stalls for every meal. And they were all just as tasty. My friend W, who is from Penang, was amazed by liking for Penang Fried Kway Teow and my huge appetite. :P So, she was quick to introduce me to Jason Penang Cuisine when she discovered the stall at ABC Brickwork Market. This was the closest thing to the one from Penang. The kway teow (flat rice noodles) was the skinny type, unlike some places that used the thicker version instead. Served with a generous serving of clams and fresh prawns, it was spicy and yes, savoury. The bean sprouts cut down the oiliness and they wasn't too cooked or soggy.
W just asked me to a Penang buffet in the West which she heard is pretty good. I don't fancy Asam Laksa or Chendol and wonder how much worth of Penang Fried Kway Teow can I gobble up. :P Oh, I do like Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee too. Exactly how unhealthy (and gluttonous) can I get? :P
My memory of a fulfilling bowl of Lor Mee is from Amoy Market I had when I was working during vacation more than 10 years ago. Interestingly, I found out that the Lor Mee stall's owners happened to be my ex-colleague's parents 10 years later. Anyway, her mum has rented out the stall (still selling the good old Lor Mee) ever since her dad passed away. :(
Anyway, I only discovered how satisfying this bowl of Shark Meat Lor Mee ($3.00) from Tiong Bahru Market was lately.
Be prepared to queue unless you plan to go during off-peak hours. The portion of noodles was really small but the shark meat was pretty generous. This is one rare occasion when I finished up the noodles before the ingredients. The shark meat was deep-fried to perfection, not too oily or dry. The extra bits and pieces of deep-fried crisps added more bite to the gooey noodles covered with thick and tasty gravy. Other ingredients include slices of fishcake, pork belly and bean sprouts. Importantly, add lots of garlic, chillies and vinegar for extra kick! Attack!
I used to work with a client marketing shark fin during my advertising days. He educated me that they, as responsible fishing partners, do not condone indiscriminate fishing practices by disposing the sharks back to the sea cruelly after removing their fins. But, they actively advocate purchasing the whole carcass of the shark for its bones and meat.
It makes me wonder if consuming shark's meat is as cruel as eating its fins. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both. :P Well, you can opt for the regular Lor Mee at $2.00 if you're a conservationist. ;)
These are mini croquettes ($3.00 for bag of 5) I bought from a Japanese food fair at Takashimaya basement level. There are many other interesting Japanese snacks and food. I think it ends in October so it's still not too late to pop by if you plan to head town the next few days.
What's so special about these croquettes is that they come with a pack of seasoning. Two flavours to choose from, black pepper or consommé. I thought black pepper was too expected so I bought the consommé. What you have to do before eating is like the steps you do with the seasoned fries from Mc Donalds or Mamee Noodles. Sprinkle the seasoning into the bag of croquettes, grab the opening and shake it. Tear open along the dotted line and enjoy! It was a tad too salty because greedy me added the whole pack of seasoning. :P
To me, Russia is the place of birth of countless classic cameras. To me, Russia is the largest country in the world. To me, Russia is a stranger. And that includes Russian food.
There are probably only a few Russian restaurants in Singapore, and Shashlik Restaurant being the most popular, is a must-try since I don't think I'll ever get to visit Russia in my lifetime. The name Shashlik or shashlyk comes from a popular skewered dish throughout the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
Shashlik transports one back into the 70s with waiters and waitresses, mostly between their 50s and 60s, dressed in maroon vest, pushing wooden trolleys in a dimly lit restaurant tucked in a corner of Far East Shopping Center. Reservation is recommended regardless of its secluded location.
I shall start with the desserts because they are what made my heart melt. My favourite is the Cherry Jubilee ($16.00, serves 2). It was "cooked" and prepared before our eyes.
The warm cherries soaked in liquor blended perfectly with the melting ice-cream. Every mouthful was love at first bite.
The Baked Alaska ($16.00, serves 2) is ice-cream cake with meringue covered with mountain of whipped cream, drizzled with rum and heated to crisp. It was heaven on earth.
The desserts are so popular that they have to restrict diners from coming just for desserts because of the limited seats, especially during weekends.
The mains are mostly steaks and skewers. Shashlik Beef ($25.00) is Russian beef kebabs, tender, tasty and perfectly seasoned. Shashlik Pork ($22.00) is not too dry or tough but palatable even when I'm "semi-halal".
Steak a la Russe ($26.00) is good too but tasted like regular European food.
These mains were served with "Russian Salad".
This is some caviar-stuffed-eggs appetiser I had on my first visit. Can't remember the actual name, price or taste. So I guess it isn't worth trying. :P
Many complained about their poor service but I haven't experienced anything indigestive. Apart from the bad reviews on their service (and my bad pictures), Shashlik is definitely worth trying even when it usually totals up to $40-$50 per person for a full meal. Just remember to leave some room for desserts!
On a separate note, I got to taste some unique and interesting Russian food a couple of months ago at Russ'a Delights, Sim Lim Square foodcourt. Very excited to open my appetite and welcome new flavours as I'm always curious about Russian cuisines, I ordered the unfamiliar Kotlety ($7.90) and cabbage rolls ($4.90).
They were quite decent and flavourful. I wikipedia-ed and figured that they were Russia local delights. Unfortunately, before I can get to know Russian food a little better, the stall has wound up.
To date, Russia still remains as a strange but special place.
*Really sorry for the lousy pictures as the place was really dim and they were shot with my hp. :(
My best knowledge of Indonesian food is Sanur Indonesian Restaurant. I've tried Rice Table and Riverside Indonesian Restaurant but after many years, I still go back to Sanur whenever I feel like Indonesian. The thing I love most about Sanur is its fiery sambal belacan chilli. Each time I visit Sanur, my tongue will be burnt even before the main dishes(mostly spicy) are served. Because I just couldn't resist dipping the keropok with the chilli sauce. The chilli is available for purchase. ;)
Lately, F introduced me to a new Indonesian dish, Ayam Penyat ($5.50). Ayam Penyet Ria is an Indonesian restaurant with franchises in Jakarta, Medan, Batam and Surabaya. It is apparently very popular with Indonesians especially, and has opened two outlets in Lucky Plaza alone. And yet, one still has to queue during peak hours. I guess this is a sign of authenticity.
Ayam Penyat is actually chicken thigh hammered flat with a wooden pestle, then deep-fried. The chicken is a tad dry and the crisps didn't really help to ease my throat. Maybe I should have ordered their soup to go along. Anyway, what complimented the not-so-fantastic dish was the sambal chilli. Power! It reminded me of Sanur's. So much kick!
I also tried the Bawal Lele (deep fried pomfret) which was not as dry.
The Gado Gado (keropok salad) is not my choice. I would rather eat the keropok with the chilli! :P
All in all, I'll definitely go back for the chilli and at the convenience of Orchard Road. But to substitute Ayam Penyet for KFC, no way. Right, K? ;)
I finally got to try 兴化 cuisines for the very first time. But instead of the well known Pu Tien (莆田）, Z brought us to Ming Chung Restaurant at 67 Maude Rd (just one street away from Pu Tien, Kitchener Rd).
The "white lor mee", which is their signature dish, was loaded with clams, pork, veggies, prawns, fried bean curd. I find it too bland for my liking even though the vinegar supposed to bring out the flavour of the dish.
The "la la" (clams) was my favourite. Spicy and garlicky, it tasted very much like vongole.
The fried bee hoon was tastier compared to the signature noodles, although nothing to shout about.
The fried prawn balls were deep fried to perfection. Crispy and not too oily with the sweetness of the prawns intact.
While chatting over dinner about 兴化 cuisines, we decided to swing by Pu Tien (莆田） for some desserts.
Z highly recommended The Pumpkin Cream with Ice Cream ($4.80) which was rich and creamy yet not too sweet.
The Sweet Potato Balls($12.00) were great munchers to go along with the Pumpkin dessert. I don't like pumpkin or sweet potato per se but surprisingly, I enjoyed them both.
All thanks to Z's fame, desserts were complimentary. :)
兴化 cuisines appeared to be simple and unpretentious. (Looking at Pu Tien's scrumptious menu, I reckon I've to try them to verify that.) Irregardless, if you like homecooked style food, I'm sure you'll enjoy a hearty meal at Ming Chung Restaurant. They opens from 3 pm till midnite and are closed on Mondays.
No, I'm not talking about hungry ghost festival. Eating supper seems to be something habitual to Singaporeans. One can easily pop by a 24hr coffeeshop or prata place to beat their late night hunger pangs. Even Mc Donald's is now 24/7. However, I was pretty intrigued to find a foodstall that only opens at midnight. And interestingly, you'll spot a queue on most nights. I have to find out what is it that their business has been running 顺顺利利 (smoothly) for years.
Shunli Niang Toufu is located in Bukit Merah View Market. You won't miss it because it's the only stall that's lit up at such wee hours. 
The choice of ingredients is regular. I believe the secret of its success lies in the stock, and the chilli sauce. Served in a 555 stainless steel bowl, the food did not look appetizing at all. But with a sip of the soup flavoured with green chilli paddies and ikan bilis, that didn't really matter. (It was really dark anyway.) It was very tasty. The ordinary ingredients also tasted extraordinary with the special sauces. If you think niang tofu is boring, I beg to differ.
I really don't mind having a healthy supper.
I'm never a west person for I've lived in the north since young and schooled in the east. Only of late, I got acquainted with the west due to work. And it got me interested to learn more about the west side story. I've only been to Sunset Way once but that was like 3 years ago and the sun has since risen and set countless times. The HDB estate has now developed into this so-called next Holland V with alfresco dining. Not much of a view though, but diners are pampered for choice with restaurants serving different cuisines including Japanese, Thai, Italian, etc. Ironically, my friends and I decided to settle for a more comfy air-conditioned dining instead because of our long walk earlier.
Rocky's Pizza is right at the corner of the array of restaurants. Unpretentious and in fact, feels kind of homely with waitresses in their 40-50s serving us like mums. We ordered a 12" Boston Special ($23.80) and a Lasagne ($10.70). The 12" pizza was huge! 8 huge slices enough for 4 to share! Tasty, cheesy and appetizing. The crust although was not the authentic crispy kind, was light and thin. Toppings was generous and it tasted very homestyle. The Lasagne was a delicious blend of meat, cheese and lots of sauce. We had a satisfying meal accompanied by familiar Italian tracks playing in the background.
Sorry for the lousy pictures which I shot with my handphone hastily as we were all starving.
On my second visit to Sunset Way, I brought my friends to Grill-Out. This time round, I got to enjoy the alfresco dining experience amongst lush greenery. As mentioned, not much of a view, but doesn't really matter because it was really dark. The service was excellent. From making reservation, taking orders, refilling our glasses, clearing the plates and keeping the kids entertained, they did a perfect job. The food however was a little disappointing. To begin with, there was no soup on the menu. I wonder why.
We started with with salad and bread which were complimentary. Nice. Appetisers came Clams with garlic and white wine and Kurobuta Pork Skewer. There wasn't enough garlic and white wine to cover the fishiness of the clams. I'd prefer the garlic to be finely chopped such that they'll be trapped in the clams. The pork skewer was not well-done and they were chewy. We told the waiter and he assured us it was perfectly safe to eat because it was Berkshire pig. But eating rare pork is the last thing I crave for.
I ordered the U.S. Black Angus Ribeye ($30) which was on promotion and it came twice the size. It turned out I got loads of extra fats. I washed it down with a glass of House Red ($6.80). The most affordable red wine ever. As a side note, the U.S. Kobe Ribeye ($60) was highly recommended but spending that amount at a suburban joint didn't seem rational. :P So, do drop me a note if you've tried and think it's worth the try. :)
The Yellowtail Cheek with wasabi sauce ($18.00) was the best on the table. The portion was generous. The wasabi sauce goes well with the crispy skin and tender meat. S thinks that it tasted better than the Yellowtail Fillet (more expensive than yellowtail cheek) which was on their Today's Special. I didn't try the Pork Collar which was decent according to K.
The overall dining experience was pleasant. And I believed the service has contributed largely.All in all, Sunset Way is a great place to chill out while not having to dress up for the occasion. After sunset.
Unfortunately, the view at the restaurants wasn't this magnificent. These were shot on the deserted railway tracks 5 minutes away (plus another 5 for trembling across the rusty tracks). They don't name the estate Sunset Way for nothing.
P/S: Thank you, IL & E, for the eventful day and "homemade ice-cream". ;)
This is a recipe for pork roast I adapted and improvised from Betty Crocker's Best of Baking. As I'm quite selective when it comes to pork dishes, I choose to substitute the roast with chicken. It tasted equally good, I imagined. Well, what it matters is it's good enough for him. :)
Ingredients:
chicken thighs
salt
black pepper
cooking wine
margarine
olive oil
rosemary
garlic (finely chopped)
onion (finely chopped)
Steps:
Make a few cuts in chicken thighs with a sharp knife.
Season with salt, black pepper and wine.
Mix rosemary with garlic.
Insert garlic mixture in cuts.
Melt margarine in shallow roasting pan in oven and sprinkle with onions.
Place chicken thighs in pan and drizzle with olive oil.
Bring to heat at 180ºC for 40 minutes.
My foodie fans are complaining that I've been eating too much and blogging too little. Here's a drink to quench their thirst first. :P
Post-Museum Pour-spiced apple tea ($2.00) from Food #03, is a concoction of apple tea, mint leaves, lime, longan and some spices. Unique and refreshing after a long walk around Little India.
I'm no big fan of vegetarian food but I'm impressed with the concept and feel of Food #03. You can check out what's cooking in their very healthy kitchen. I will definitely drop by again for their Tempeh Burger sometime. No GST, no service charge, no microwave oven. And yes, they recycle! I wonder what they recyle! Haha! Let's go green!
