E A T H A R D

Dad's Birthday Celebration Day 2

2008-10-07T15:00:00.010+08:00

I know I know.. I'm abit boring lately and I really need more discipline on the blogging.
Nudge me please!

I've been too preoccupied with the major changes in my life of late. So please bear with me on the delayed updates. heehee.

For Dad's actual birthday celebrations, it was another lunch affair for the family and his 知心好友们. haha! We went back to...

Ah Yat Even 28 Seafood House

First we had some platter that consists of:
Roasted Duck
Roasted Pork
Fried Cube Tofu
Fish Beancurb Skin

Steamed Prawns, very juicy and succulent.

Roasted Chicken

Minced Garlic Bamboo Clams, woah.. 好吃!!!

Braised Sea Bass with 大葱

Choi Sum with Crab Puree

Man tou for Chilli Crab

Lastly... the King of all...

All Hail for the Chilli Crab!! ~!

The Complementaries:

more 壽桃

and some mini pastry mooncakes that were served warm. nice.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Life has been such a whirlwind...

Before I end off. Let me present you with a quote that truly speaks of my current status.

Fight for your own life and the freedom to choose life, joy,
and what it brings!

Btw, orange is the new black... be sure to inject some orange into your Fall wardrobe.. or you can make up by drinking more orange juice... wahahaha....

Dad's Birthday Celebration Day 1

2008-10-02T14:00:00.004+08:00

Woo. It has been such a hectic week for me... There was something on everyday. So much to attend to... and just too much to eat. haha... no complains when there's food. And so my system finally decided to shut down today...

Doctor: Okay, you have a cold, cough and sore throat. I can give you two days MC.

Me: Oh ok... Erm, one day would do.

Doctor: Ok! You sure? I'm going to print the MC now.

Me: Oh... Err.... Hmm... *after 10 secs of Er-Hmm-Er-Hmm*

........ ok lar.

As the chinese always say... 禍從口出..

Let's take a look at 我是怎麼禍從口進!!

Ｔhis is a 壽桃.

Traditional Longevity Birthday Bun

十月一日不只是我國的兒童节和中國的國慶日之外，恰巧地也是我父親的生日。

是啦。。他是很大的兒童！嘿嘿。

On the eve of my Dad's birthday, we held a 9 course lunch for 7 tables at the Boon Lay Raja Restaurant. Those invited were mainly my Dad's business pals, good friends and some close relatives.

Sampan 冷盤(cold dish)? Heehee... it's 缤纷五福拼盤

Five Fortune Hot & Cold Combination

龍蝦超好吃的！

You might not have noticed where the lobster is... 'cuz it's being covered by the mayonnaise! But it was damn good and fresh.

close-up

長壽面

Longevity Noodles

Table size birthday cake!

Ok... I was too busy eating, socializing, and entertaining people. Also, it's abit unglamourous lor to be snapping away in front of my Dad's friends... hehehe.

Wait for celebration 2 food pics... promise I won't disappoint la :P

Boon Lay Raja Restaurant 文礼楼

Address: Block 135, Jurong East Street 13, #02-337, Singapore 238857

Phone: 6563 6643

Opening Hours: Opens daily

Lunch: 11.15am to 2.15pm

Dinner: 5.45pm to 10.30pm

Nearest MRT: Jurong East MRT Station

Getting There: Opposite Jurong East MRT Station, above NTUC Fairprice

Just to share with you guys more background information about this restaurant.

Boon Lay Raja Restaurant was first established in the 1979 (older than me! yay!), and they cater for most occasions such as Wedding Banquets, Buffet Caterings, Annual Dinner Function as well as Family Day Events.

I have been here many many times since young. They are definitely one of the BETTER pioneer restaurants in Singapore and serves very good quality Chinese dishes at reasonable prices.

Their signature dishes - Braised Shark's Fins with Dry Scallop & Crab Meat, Roasted Crispy Duck with Mango, Home-made tofu with mushroom, Heavenly Roasted Crispy Chicken, Asparagus and Celery Scallops, and alot more! They also serve Dim Sum.

They have promotional set menus and changes them regularly. Now for the best part - NO SERVICE CHARGE OKAY!

Don't be put off by the location, it's only a stone's throw from the Jurong East Entertainment Centre.

Definitely worth a visit. :)

California Niabell Table Grapes

2008-09-24T13:15:00.006+08:00

Look what I had for dinner!!!

Absolutely diiiivine!!!!!

Niabells are round, thick-skinned, dark purple to black seeded berries with an earthy, rich flavor that is similar to Concord.
They are best grown between August - October in mild winter areas.

Tastes so good that I felt like I was having wine!

Niabell Grapes is my favorite fruit now...

My Dinner Tonight...

2008-09-19T23:26:00.009+08:00

Kimchi

Stir-fried French Beans

Steamed Pumpkin Chicken

"ABC" Soup

Fried Egg with Tomatoes

Happy Hours at Brewerkz, Riverside Point

2008-09-16T18:00:00.019+08:00

Stephy had a 15% off voucher and invited A & myself to join her for some Happy Hours Beer. I gladly made myself available. At the same time I wanted to try Brewerkz after hearing so many good reviews about the place. Better late than never.

Really so good meh? Better than ICB?

Before I left home, I googled for reviews of the place to 'prep' myself up. Haha, so garang right. Indeed most of the reviews were fare; Brewerkz have an extensive list of beers, portions of food were huge, furnished with multiple tv screens planted at all different spots, coupled with a few pool tables and dart boards --- all with a higher price tag. Of course, you are getting a riverfront view leh? Got al fresco some more can do people watching! Alot of SPGs also.

Stephy thinking of which beeru* to order.
* japanese slang

What we ordered:

2 pints of the Best Seller, low bitterness with a floral hop character.
Cold and tasty.

1 pint of 'can't-remember-what-flavor'. hee.
It was a very new interesting experience for me.

Aiyo! Beer so cheap!
A pint for about only SG $7+ during Happy Hours.

But don't increase the price after I say this ok?

The Food:

Onion Rings - SG$10 something
humongous rings! but I had better (in North Carolina with Howard...)

Large food portions, think Amercan restaurants like Billy Bombers.

Angel Hair Pasta - SG$20 something
pesto sauce & button mushrooms - also not impressive.

Some Chocolate Mud Pie thinggie... t'was heavenly good!
also SG$10 something

If you like your meals all over-sized, this will be the place for you. Having been to the states a few times, I am so not impressed by the food here (since it was opened by an American). Probably the flavorings had been adjusted to suit the localized taste-buds.

Overall, it was a decent experience, albeit the not-so-cheap food. Food at ICB is so much better and at a fraction of the price.

The beer is great though, surely will come back for more! Next time I want to try the Beer Sampler!! All the 12 draught beers in miniature glasses lined up on a tray!

Brewerkz Riverside Point
30 Merchant Road #01-05/06 Riverside Point
Singapore 058282
Tel: (65) 6438 7438

Operating Hours:
Mon – Thurs 12pm – 12am
Fri, Sat & Eve of PH 12pm – 1am
Sun 11am – 12am

Average price:
approx. S$ 25 - 35/person

Gathering for Mid-Autumn Festival

2008-09-15T21:39:00.018+08:00

For Mid-Autumn Festival this year, we gathered at Granny's new place.

New apartment, new furnishings,

and new member *JAIME* to all our future family gatherings!

For starters, we snacked on various brands of mooncakes... from Hong Kong to Singapore...

this is the infamous 伍仁月餅 (from 大中國)。

aka cashew nuts with sesame etc fillings.

Sorry。。。 mixed nuts flavor not for me!!

SKIPPED.

I had the egg custard mooncake from Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong .

No pictures of the packaging... was too busy savoring this little pastry!

好吃！

Luckily we took some snacks. The caterer came so late that most of us were famished.

I recommended Four Seasons Catering since I had used them for my BBQ party two years ago; they left a good enough impression on me and I really liked the way they co-ordinated all the dishes and display formations... ahaha, I dig visual presentations!

But this time, everything seemed to fall short of expectations.

Summer Set

minimum order: 25 pax

SG $13 per pax

1) Karapu Fried Mee Siam

very so so...only... I think you can tell from the looks of it.
At least the prawns were of decent size.

The spread and it's 'elevated' formation

Serviettes from Four Seasons

Even the cutlery also got formation, mai siao siao!

Left: 2) Mixed Shrimp Beancurd

Right: 3) Sambal Sotong

Both tasted normal... ok lah, the sotong not bad. Spicy enough.

Left: 4) Golden Scallops

.. golden, you mean fried huh??

Right: 5) Assorted Maki Sushi Platter (100 pcs)

Left: 6) Deluxe Lo Han Chye

Right: 7) Crispy Butter Prawn

Prawns were not 'buttered' enough..

Bottom row:

8) Sze Chuan Fish Fillet with Dried Chilli

Which part of the dish taste Sze Chuan? I think more sweet and sour..

9) Four Seasons Chicken

After one bite and you're hooked!

Obviously their signature dish, very good! The best dish among all.

Me alone had about 7pcs of it. I saw the boys ALL went back for at least 4 rounds of re-fills!

10) Dynasty Crispy Chicken

... unfortunately the chicken all turned soggy by the time they get to our place.

Dessert: Almond Beancurd with Longan & Jackfruit

The dessert rounded it up well. It was home-made! I had two rounds of it.

Cordial Drink: Fruit Punch

Maybe my expectations really too high. Haha!

Me EAT with my whole HEARTly... so I am really HARD to please.

豬仔 Piglets, Mid-Autumn Festival

2008-09-14T23:55:00.011+08:00

豬小妹 !!

Jaime & Reena

小屁屁！

Visit to 大中國餅家 Big China Bakery, Chinatown

2008-09-14T22:30:00.021+08:00

Die die also must go chinatown and FEEEEL the mid-autumn festival 'mood'.

Aiyoh, damn hot lor! ... having to roam (alone) in the sheltered Sago street, but it was good fun.

Alot of uncles and aunties chat me up... they must be surprised seeing such a YOUNG lady shopping for mooncakes alone. hahaha... or was business THAT bad!?

Long queue at the old time favorite.

Dua Bao Suay Bao

literately means Big Bag Small Bag

I know this price list came a tad too late... heehee, but it will be a good reference for next year's planning.

... very ching chong lor !!! haa haa ...

ching chong = exaggerating

Stiff Chilli Part iii

2008-09-07T02:47:00.011+08:00

Friday Dinner Date

Seafood Soup

SG $9

Mussels, Clams, Prawns & Squids

Pizza Affumicata

SG $16

drizzled with chilli flakes

Fettucine Ciocara

SG $12

Basil, Bacon & Mushrooms

Tomato Linguine with Mud Crab

SG $26

... ran out of linguine?

Ferraro Rocher Gelato

SG $4

(Note: it is actually $4 for a single scoop instead of two)

Total Bill: SG $73.70

(including 10% Service Charge, no gst)

Green Tea Mooncake, The Baker's Cottage

2008-09-06T17:27:00.011+08:00

I shall annouce once and for all that ALL my mooncakes are supplied by Auntie Annie!!!

The family has received toooo many boxes of Mooncakes this year. So I brought some to the office to share with the colleagues. I reckoned this Green Tea Mooncake would be popular among the ladies --- and really is! Why? "Cuz not so sweet lor!"

The Baker's Cottage

The Baker's Cottage (TBC) was established in 1994, specialized in the production of buns, pastries, cakes, cookies, mooncakes and frozen dough. Its products are distributed through its retailing channel, Baker's Cottage Confectionery Sdn Bhd(BCC), which to date has 26 outlets in Malaysia.

Baker's Cottage is known for their distinctive quality and taste.

Using only the freshest natural ingredients concocted using traditional recipe and are not only wholesomely nutritious but also of consistent quality with value for money.

Hence, the tagline "Traditional Goodness You Can Taste".

If you like what you see, you can find The Baker's Cottage mooncakes at the

Raffles Exchange at Raffles Place MRT.

THE BAKER'S COTTAGE SDN BHD

3rd Floor, Wisma Westcourt

126 Jalan Kelang Lama

58000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : 03-79808086

Fax : 03-79803854

D/L : 03-79803828

Email : tbcsales@thebakerscottage.com.my

Web site: Http://www.thebakerscottage.com.my

Sri Bistari Famous Nasi Ayam Penyet, Changi Village

2008-09-02T18:00:00.004+08:00

Known as the new Nasi king of Changi Village,
Nasi Ayam Penyet is a traditional kampong staple originating from Indonesia.

Nasi Ayam Penyet literally means flatten chicken rice.

Although still unknown to many,
Nasi Ayam Penyet is fast becoming Singaporean's new favorite dish.
It is batter-less fried chicken on rice with a killer sambal chilli sauce and a pretty cherry tomato salad served on a traditional wooden platter.

A $3.50 portion comes with a fried quartered chicken, done Indonesian style with spices and no batter, a plate of chicken flavored rice, a fat dollop of sambal, chicken soup,

a lettuce-cucumber and cherry tomato salad served on a thick wooden platter.

The Chicken Rice, kinda sticky texture. Not bad.

Chicken Soup

Address:
Blk 3, Changi Village Rd
01-40 Changi Village Market & Food Centre

Opening Hours:
10.30am-1am daily

Branch:
1 Tunku Aman Rd
Malay Village (Geylang Serai)
Sedapura Food City

Opening Hours:
10.30am-12.30am daily

1 2 6 搵到食 , Geylang

2008-08-31T20:39:00.011+08:00

Isn't this Hong Kong!!
根本就是香港嘛！想騙誰！？

皮蛋粥
Century Egg Porridge
SG $3

意米水
Barley Drink
SG $2

炸大蝦
Fried Prawns
SG $3.50

蝦餃
Prawn Dumplings
SG $3.20

香港叉燒包
Hong Kong Char-Siew Pau
SG $3.20

芋頭飯
Yam Rice
SG $2.20

燒賣王
Giant Siew Mai
SG $4

炸蝦卷
Fried Prawn Roll
SG $3.80

菜單
Order List

海鮮伊面
Seafood E-mee (noodle)
SG $4

非吃不可！
Highly recommended!

吃光光
All cleared!

Total Bill: SG $29.50 (GST inclusive)

Address:
126 Sims Avenue

Tel: 6746 4757 / 6745 4869

大中國餅家 Big China Bakery, Chinatown

2008-08-31T20:00:00.008+08:00

More gifts from Auntie Annie!!!

每年中秋期間市面上推出的新口味月饼多不胜数，不过本地有一家老字号的饼家，年年制作传统口味的月饼。

它就是《牛车水大中国饼家》，不用特別的包装，也不必创新，仍旧受到广大的欢迎。包括只有二十來歲的我。哈哈！

这门家族生意是从爷爷那一代传下来，有至少七十年的历史了。

现在掌管饼家的第三代传人谭永翔就是从小就看着父亲制作月饼长大。

不到一天的時間，這盒烘烤過的原味蓮蓉月餅已被全家人吃光光了！
要過中秋，一定要先從傳統的月餅吃起！

大中国饼家

电话: 六二二七五七零一

Stiff Chilli Part ii

2008-08-27T10:00:00.006+08:00

The thinest crispy crusted mushroom pizza I've come across

Pasta all'Inchiostro
Squid Ink Pasta

This has got to be the best from Stiff Chilli!
Done al dente style, the light cream sauce is done just right.

Complimentary from Bernard (again..) hee.

If you eat as hard as me, loves simple italiano foods and somewhere cozy,
'out-of-singapore' with an ol'world mix of new and old fixtures, u should try Stiff Chilli.

Checklist before you go to Stiff Chilli

Reservation - the place is quite small so do make your booking first.
The Street directory should be with you before you go there. They can be quite pain to find if you don't know Jalan Besar well.
Empty stomach - I recommend to try all 3 courses. Including their gelatos.
Good mind, body & soul applicable for dinners only. So that you can endure through the noisy ching-chong music from the neighbour! *Highly recommended*

.
.
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.
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and last,
your wallet. Dang!

Stiff Chilli Part i

2008-08-22T00:50:00.009+08:00

The Sunday Times 100 Best Dishes article (front page)
October 14, 2007

A trip to Stiff Chilli in Jalan Besar, Singapore, is a walk down Balinese memory lane. On the walls hang framed black and white memories of royalty and coy Balinese girls with sarongs around their waists, and not much else.

Chef and proprietor Rodney Holt is passionate about preserving the history of Bali as he is with dishing out the best pasta. The Australian who worked as Italian chef with Aman Resorts and Hyatt Indonesia and F&B Director with Begawan Giri Resort loves culture and history, which may have something to do with meeting his wife AAA Putri Girindrawardani who descends from Bali royalty. Her grandfather, Ketut Ngurah Karangasem, was the last king to reside in the palace that’s at risk of ruin due to age and neglect. --- extracted from http://www.stiffchilli.com/

Before I start, you have been forewarned -
I LIKE STIFF CHILLI. Thus, my reviews may sound biased.

Stiff Chilli's menu is simple trattoria - a few good antipasti, a great selection of thin crust pizzas and pastas. A fine wine list, and divine gelatos to round it up.

They have no linen table clothes, too bad if you're that particular. But the friendly and helpful service from Mister Cool Bernard would suffice. :D

Do listen to his recommendations. This guy is the only waiter in the restaurant so he does everything and knows his stuff very well. Catch him on a good day and he'll even throw in complimentary shots. But more often than not he displays a rather unusual sense of humour.

Don't get what I mean? Then you must visit Stiff Chilli. Go, go!

The unique lampshades, look carefully... what do you see... heehee, plastic food covers!! Smart.

And inverted Stiff Chilli signage.

The Starters

Complimentary Bread, served with a mini platter of sauces, namely olive oil, vinegar and chilli sauce. Bread is fresh from the oven, so so good and you can ask for refills. !! Ahh boys, don't you like it already?

I'm such a failure I can't remember all of the names for the dishes.. boohoo... I was very hungry you know? And thrilled... and distracted by the all the quirky fixtures set in the original post-war conditions...and and... the disturbing ching-chong karaoke emanating from upstairs... you get the drift?

To the best of my memory... that's pumpkin soup and rocket salad with parma cheese at the back.

Calling it seafood fettucine would be too cliché so I shall leave it anonymous.

This is by far the best pasta I've had in Singapore. Looks are deceiving so don't judge. Eat to judge. Eat Hard.

.... I think that is foie gras with steak.

hahaha! Thanks for putting up with me...

Coming from me you will know this is not the end of Stiff Chilli... so stayed tuned.

I'm still trying to figure what did Bernard mixed into the shot that got me.... all dizzy fuzzy.

Address:
279 Jalan Besar
Tel: 6297 5509

Operating Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am - 2am
(Closed on Mondays)

海天楼 Hai Tien Lo Mooncakes, Pan Pacific Singapore

2008-08-20T23:57:00.002+08:00

Woohoo! The second on my list for favourite Festivals is finally here!!!! ^v^

I HEART MOONCAKE FESTIVALS!

But that also means more yoga and belly dancing. Uh-oh Hot dog!! (totally irrelevant, from a youtube video I watched recently... it's darn funnee lah!!)

It's 海天楼 leh... atas one hor... so happy lor.

Hee... Thanks Auntie Annie for the thoughtful gift. It's really sweet of you.

Chinese Chests seems to be a big mooncakes packaging trend for most restaurants and hotel groups this year.

These exquisitely-crafted mooncakes are inspired by Hai Tien Lo's Master Chef Lai Tong Ping.

White Lotus Seed Paste with Melon Seeds 瓜子白蓮蓉月餅

YUP, I ate half of it for after-dinner desserts. Fattening I don't care....

The price is reasonable. $40 for 4 pcs... Hmmm, prices for mooncakes are pretty steep this year. So it's better to buy in bulk to get more discounts. Haha...

Address:
7 Raffles Boulevard
37/F Pan Pacific Hotel
Tel: 6826 8338 / 6336 8111

Desserts, PS Cafe

2008-08-16T23:57:00.009+08:00

After JAM's session.
Miss A and I. One famished the other super UNHIGH.
12 midnight, on the nation's birthday.
At PS Cafe, Harding Road.

M's Carrot Cake (we don't know what is M but it's called M's carrot cake)

... and Miss A totally disliked it... why walnuts?!!
Me: Wow there's walnuts!!! I LOVE WALNUTS!!! Super chunky lorrr!! Woohoo~!
(and that's her Ice Longan Tea at the background. I opted for the House Blend Tea instead, nice!!)

Double Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Miss A: Yuck. What are they trying to feed? And what's this? Chocolate cream?
Me: Mm m mm.... it's 12am you know, they can't sell finish... so for the portion lah... mmm mm.. but the chocolate is good...

(After 10mins)

Miss A: I can't finish any of these.
Me: Yaaaa, meee tooo... . . . very gerlat.

By the way.. I was the unhigh one. 8P

Steamed Sweet Tapioca with Coconut Cream, Thai Express Vivocity

2008-08-16T19:16:00.005+08:00

Man-Cheam, Steamed Sweet Tapioca
.. bathed in Creamy Coconut Creammm... 8P~

I miss Thailand... Sawadeekup... Koppunkup... Maiau...

Da Lu Claypot Chicken Rice

2008-08-12T18:00:00.008+08:00

Margaret Drive... I used to come here very often when I was staying at Granny's place till elementary school. 5th Auntie would always bring me here for Fish ball noodles and desserts. This is the neighborhood that houses all the memories of my childhood days.

Located on the 2nd level of the food centre, I only discovered this stall a few years back. They are very very low profile but Claypot connoisseurs will know this place.

The BF seems to be a fan of claypot chicken rice. Well, I like the charcoal burnt crispy rice stuck on the clay pot MORE. (I know it's cancerous...)

For my expatriate friends, *er-hem* I really have quite alot...
Our Singapore version of Claypot Chicken Rice is basically cooked with marinated chicken pieces, chinese sausages, bits of fragrant salted fish and vegetables in an earthen clay pot. It is traditionally cooked till the rice at the bottom is somewhat charred and burnt, which is what I savored MOST.

We ordered some Yau-choy to keep ourselves busy before they serve the rice (normally it takes about 10-15mins for the rice to be ready) BUT. They actually served them together. So you can imagine how famished we were by then.

I also like to have lots of salted fish in my rice, it enhances the taste of the claypot chicken rice. This is optional depending on personal preference.

The claypot rice drizzled with dark soy sauce all ready for the hungry people!!!

Da Lu is on the same level as the famous Sin Kee Chicken Rice (VERY FAMOUS VERY GOOD). I can't remember the cost of the meal... thankyouBF... but it should cost nothing more than SGD 20 for 2.

Blk 40A, 2nd level corner shop facing the church
Margaret Drive Food Centre

Tian Wai Tian Fishhead Steamboat Restaurant 天外天(鸿记)潮洲鱼头炉

2008-08-07T21:11:00.013+08:00

Looks like I was on some quest for the best steamboats in town.

This place needs no introduction. They are so popular!!!

It's true that Singaporeans go all the wayyyyyyy for food. And EARLY. We dropped by for dinner on a saturday evening but to our horror, all the tables were packed from the coffee shop to the back alley!!! (they own the coffee shop) It was only 6pm and there were at least 10 persons in line before us queueing to order. The "waiters and waitresses" don't even attend to you, because they are too busy ushering the dishes and cutleries.

My advice is to go before 6pm or after 830pm to avoid the crowds. Patrons were all seated almost back to back with each other.

The dishes they serve are pretty much home-cooked style and they only have a few on the menu. As this is both our first time, we ordered the famous Fried Hay-Chor, Prawn Roll ($7) which is home made. Wow I like it so much! It is basically deep-fried beancurd skin roll wrapped with shrimp meat filling and eaten with a dab of sweet honey plum sauce. This is addictive and the sauce is just awesome!

Sambal Kangkong ($6), in my opinion it is normal and tastes like anywhere else. We should have ordered the Sweet Potato leaves instead...

The signature dish at Tian Wai Tian is of course, their famous Fish Head Steamboat.

They serve two types of fish for the Fish Head Steamboat ($20), the red groupa and the white promfet, which we had. The soup base is always a very important item for any steamboat as all the essence of the ingredients are cook together in it. There were lettuce, yam, seaweed, fried flat fish bones (which was super tasty! BIG LOVE) and lots of ginger. The fish slices were very fresh. Yummay!

The soup was very tasty, sweet and delicious. NO overdose of MSG and best of all they make an effort to do their rounds of topping up for every table. So the guys can have more rice without worrying not enough soup! haha...

Given the reasonable pricing and first rate soup, I've definitely return for more. I can't wait to try their famous Har Jeong Gai (Shrimp Paste Fried Chicken) !! I have this spot for har heong gai one.... oooh...

Address:
1382/1383 Serangoon Road (off Opal Crescent),
near the PIE Upp Serangoon Exit. If you're coming by train, stop at Potong Pasir MRT on the North-east line

Operating Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 2pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 4.30pm - 11pm

麻婆豆腐小厨's Hotpot by 天下第一涮

2008-08-04T13:06:00.016+08:00

火锅 Hot pot, or less commonly known as Chinese fondue, refers to several Chinese varieties of steamboat stew. It consists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter.

There are many variations of Hotpot in Asia; Japanese Shabu-shabu, Hong Kong's Cantonese Steamboat, Thailand's Sukiyaki(it's not the same as Japanese sukiyaki beef) etc. In Singapore we have the Hainanese Hotpot, there is an authentic outlet at Golden Mile Complex basement level, which is just opposite street from 麻婆豆腐小厨. :) I will blog about that restaurant next time. Hee.

One of the most famous variations which happens to be my favorite is the 四川麻辣火锅 (Sichuan Hotpot).

A special spice known as 花椒 — "flower pepper" or Sichuan Pepper) is added. It creates a sensation on the tongue that is both spicy and burns and numbs slightly, almost like carbonated beverages. You have the liberty to choose between the chicken broth or the 麻辣(spicy) broth. In this case my favorite is a combination of both, 鸳鸯锅.

Last year, I was introduced to this Sichuan restaurant by a good friend and had been getting my steamboat fixes here ever since. I love this place! Must Try !!

(I was told this is a subsidiary outlet to the original Mapo Doufu Restaurant 麻婆豆腐饭庄 at Thomson.)

I never went back to Bugis area after I've tried this outlet. Besides serving their famous Sichuan hotpot buffet, they also have ala-carte dishes which are very reasonably priced. I have not tried but heard alot of good reviews.

Another BIG plus is they serve some cold-dish appetizers, side dishes as well as dim sum. !! Comes with the buffet. Very good.

Booze. Must have... the hotpot is too hot. Need some booze ya?

Ingredients:

Meat -
Thinly sliced Beef/Pork/Chicken/Lamb, Fish slices, Prawns, Crab, Mussels, Clams, Beef balls, Fish balls, Squid, Cuttlefish, Sliced Ham, Hotdogs

Vegetables -
Bok choy, Choy sum, Fat choy, Garland chrysanthemum (tong ho), Bean sprouts, Shallots, Varieties of mushrooms, straw mushroom, Chinese black mushrooms, Tofu, Tofu skin, Thinly sliced potatoes, Taro, Tomato, Corn, Eggs

Starches -
Niangao, several types of Chinese noodles

They also have a wide selection of condiments. Another love!

Hoisin sauce, Soy sauce, Coriander / Cilantro, Spring onions, Sesame oil, White pepper, Sa cha sauce, Chili flakes, Chilli sauces, Sesame butter, Chive flower paste (韭菜花酱), Satay or Peanut butter sauce, made by mixing peanut butter with water to a thick consistency (or hua sheng ru fu)

Prawns and all the shelly stuff. A pity they ran out of frozen crabs... Btw, they only served frozen crab for the buffet hotpot. Live crabs for ala-carte. Fair enough.

Record time: 2 hours. Previous sessions, 3-5hours. There was one time the girls sat through from dinner at 8pm all the way too 1am. Hahaha...

In my opinion, this place is definitely great, fresh foods and value for money. I go there all the time... but I will make sure they have the crabs before I visit again.

Sichuan Buffet Hotpot: S$17 nett

麻婆豆腐小厨 (天下第一涮) Mapo Doufu Kitchen
345 Beach Road
Tel: 63963121
Open Daily: 11am-2am

P.S They are air-conditioned. :) You can sit outdoors if you smoke...

Famous Queenstown Po Piah

2008-08-01T12:57:00.007+08:00

Popiah, 薄饼 is a Hokkien/Chaozhou-style fresh spring roll common in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Popiah is often eaten in the Fujian province of China and its neighboring Chaozhou on the Qingming Festival. It is sometimes referred to as 'run bing' or 'bao bing'.

A popiah "skin" is a thin paper-like crepe or pancake made from wheat flour (rice flour is sometimes used) which is covered with a sweet sauce (often a bean sauce, a blended soy sauce or hoisin sauce or a shrimp paste sauce (hae-ko), and optionally with hot chilli sauce before it is filled. The filling is mainly finely grated and steamed or stir-fried turnip, jicama (known locally as bangkuang), which has been cooked with a combination of other ingredients such as bean sprouts, French beans, and lettuce leaves, depending on the individual vendor, along with grated carrots, slices of Chinese sausage, thinly sliced fried tofu, chopped peanuts or peanut powder, fried shallots, and shredded omelette. Some hawkers, especially in non-halal settings, will add fried pork lard. As a fresh spring roll, the popiah skin itself is not fried.

I don't usually enjoy this snack... but after trying this stall I want to plan for my first Po Piah party!!

Oh wait before I forget, this stall does catering for parties at a minimum of $50. But my mum knows how to make Po Piah so I have no reason to cater... heehee.

Hooow to get there?

Queenstown Popiah
Blk 40A, #01-484
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Tel: 9781-6307
Opening hours: 11 am - 9 pm

Hakka Lei Cha 客家擂茶

2008-07-07T13:07:00.005+08:00

I am not a Hakka, am Teochew and I enjoy Lei Cha.

The dish consists of seven main types of vegetables and herbs which tops the fragrant rice.

The ingredients include chopped shallots, chye sim, kailan, cai por (preserved radish), tau kwa (beancurd), long beans, nuts, and the mani vegetable.

'Lei', which means thunder, refers to the booming sound of pounding.

'Cha', means tea.

How is it prepared?

Pound the pepper, tea leaves, sesame seeds, peanuts and the Yomogi, 'ku zhi xin' herb to make the lei cha paste.

Add hot water to the paste and it becomes a soup to be poured into the rice or to be served separately.

It is an acquired taste, too minty for my like, I tried the soup once and decided it is really not for me. But I like lei cha fan so I still eat it regularly.

This low-fat, low-cholesterol dish is said to be good for weight management and detoxification.

It is also said to help in reducing stomach wind, ease digestion, nourish the lungs and throat, and cleanse the blood and lower blood pressure.

But Lei Cha is not for everyone. Either you like it or you hate it. If you're looking for an easy detox method, you should try this dish.

There are only a few such stalls in Singapore. The following are some of my personal favorites :)

Thunder Tea Rice 家乡河婆客家擂茶
Blk 345 Jurong East Street 31 #01-29

BOON LAY PLACE MARKET & FOOD VILLAGE
Blk 221A/B #01-96 Boon Lay Place (S)641221

Thunder Tea Rice 家乡河婆客家擂茶
51 Telok Ayer Street, China Square Food Centre #01-31

Jia Xiang Ho Po Hakka Lei Cha Fan 家乡河婆客家擂茶
134 Sims Ave (S)387456 (Near Lor 17 Geylang)

Weekend Brunch @ PS Cafe

2008-07-06T23:27:00.011+08:00

PS - Project Shop, from the owners behind the project shop blood brothers label.

Recalling my first dining experience at the PS cafe was Valentine's Day last year at the Paragon branch. I was nursing a really bad cold at that time so it was a pity I didn't get to enjoy the dinner very much. Overall the food was very average but of good presentation. The dishes kinda reminded J & I of our NY trip, which was extremely warming and loving for the V-day. Haha!

Second visit to the cafe, this time I wanted to try Harding Road for it's lush greenery. The weather was cooling and we sat outdoors. Food still wasn't that great. But they never fail to impress with the decor and furnishing. There is always a very understated sleek elegance in their style. Obviously PS cafe scores alot of points from me for retaining a very cosy ambience and it certainly doesn't feel like one is in Singapore. More like Aussie?

Poached Eggs Portobello Mushrooms

Generous serving of two poached eggs, halved tomatoes, bacon with potato gratin(very good!) and vegetables

Pancakes

Blue Cheese Forlorn

Caramelised cheese with bacon, rocket and cherry tomatoes. I usually don't take cheese but the blue cheese is actually quite good, taste very tarty. heee

Marshmallow Brownie with vanilla ice-cream

Service - 2 words. Very bad. Most of them have big time attitude problem. J was so pissed that it took us 3x to call for "ice-water". They must be too busy checking out the upscale 'hip' crowd that they had forgetten they are waiters...

I will probably be back just for the desserts.

Address:
28B Harding Road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road)
Tel: 6479 3343

Famous Chicken Chop Hor Fun, Changi Village Hawker Centre

2008-07-04T11:55:00.010+08:00

Both J & I love fine dining and hawker food. More often than not he will crave for the chicken chop hor fun at changi village, and I have since adopted the same "crave" 5 years ago. 爱屋及乌 mah...

But today I was craving for FRIED WANTON. I really love fried wanton!! Flat or Fat I all eat!!!

As usual J sticks to his Must-Eat...

I love having beans sprouts in my noodles. And lots and lots of chilli, Shiok!

Sugar cane juice to complete the meal.

Sorry this time no address. But it is not difficult to find. Situated at the last block of stalls with all the goreng pisang (fried banana fitters), you can see the stall owner from this very sneaky pic. Uncle very hip hor... fushcia leh...

To-Ricos Guo Shi Kway Chap, Old Airport Road

2008-07-03T16:10:00.009+08:00

I'm having a few posts from Old Airport Road Food Centre today; a place that houses everything from western to eastern cuisine. It's MY kind of gourmet haven, with all the BEST stalls in town. Must-Eat!

To-Ricos used to be from the famous Blanco Court before it was re-developed into the medical centre.

The 'Kway', Sheets of rice noodles in light soya sauce soup

Ter-kar, pig trotters

Kiam-chai, preserved salted vegetables

Braised peanuts, tao-pok(beancurd skin), lor-neng, and pork innards(intestines)

I've heard many people 'lao-sai' after they had To-Rico's... and I too suffered the same fate...

To-Ricos Guo Shi
51 Old Airport Road Temp Market
#01-136
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 4.30pm

Toa Payoh Rojak, Old Airport Road

2008-07-03T13:37:00.007+08:00

One of the Must-Eats in Old Airport Road Food Centre. Owner Mr Cheng first set up the stall in 1971 in Toa Payoh Central. This is probably the only hawker stall that has a ticketing system. Take a queue number and wait for your number to be displayed on the LED at the stall before placing your order.

It was only 2pm on a Saturday afternoon and my card reads 99. ???!

I don't know what's the hype but I've had better elsewhere...

Address:
51 Old Airport Road
#01-108 Old Airport Rd Market Hawker's Food Centre
Tel: 6958 9380
Opening Hours: Noon to 8pm, closed on Sundays

Miss Sweet Tooth @ Old Airport Road

2008-07-03T11:50:00.006+08:00

Or-ni with pek-ge
aka yam paste with ginko nuts

Ah Balling
aka 'tang-yuan' or assorted rice balls with sesame, nuts and yam paste fillings

Pulau Hitam with pek-ge
aka black glutinous rice with coconut and ginko nuts

Thai Express, Raffles City

2008-07-02T23:08:00.007+08:00

Dinner with the girls on friday evenings is just pure madness. We can't stick to our plans, and we can never get into the places we want. We settled for Thai Express since we can't stand the queue at Shokudo, aww I was craving for quantity! But anything Thai is hard to go wrong...
We ordered some entrees.

First to start was the Kanom Pang Na Kung (Prawn Toast)....
LOVE IT

Next up is some stuffed deep fried beancurd skin with fish cake and vegetable fillings...

Miss T's Stick Noodle with Sliced Fish White Tom Yum soup...

Miss J's Phat Kung Woon Sen (Succulent Prawns stir-fried with Glass Noodles)

Lastly, my Khanom Chine Kaeng Khiew Wan Pla
(Thai Laksa with Fish in Jade-Green Gravy)

VERY VERY GOOD AHHHH!!!

I love Thai Express. Simple and always good.

Raffles City Shopping Centre 252 North Bridge Road
B1-13/14 The Raffles MarketPlace
Singapore 179103
Tel: 65-6883 1490

Ah Yat Even 28 Seafood House 阿一一口价海鲜楼

2008-07-02T13:03:00.018+08:00

I am still trying to figure what this is. To be served either raw or dip it into the hot stock just like steamboat style. It is some kinda fish... unfortunately i can't remember the name.

Garlic Steamed Scallops!!! LOADS and LOADS of garlic. VERY GOOD

Steamed Fish... and I lovelovelove spring onions...

Braised Slipper Lobster
... My god. It was SUPER SUPER FRESH. Another thumbs up!

We had more food than these but later on all my concentration went onto the food... haha.

Address:
207 River Valley Road
#01-53 UE Square
Tel: 6235 8779

Spring Court

2008-07-01T22:51:00.015+08:00

Spring Court, located in a heritage building at Chinatown, is one of the oldest restaurants in Singapore. They are celebrating their 79-year Anniversary. As usual, there is no surprise this year. Their "famous" Peking duck dish is still going for 79cents. After two years and still promoting Peking duck... Quak quakkkkk....

Famous 79cents Peking Quakkk

Prawns, cant remember the name of the dish but they were super super fresh

This is turtle meat.. ... .. I didn't try

Szechuan vegetable soup

Steamed fish

White chicken topped with ham and vegetables

close-up

Braised Winter Melon with Mixed Vegetable & Mushrooms

Could be bland for most but overall a very healthy dish. I kinda like it actually...

ADDRESS:
52-56 Upper Cross Street
Phone: 6449 5030
Nearby Stations: Chinatown

109 Teo Chew Yong Tau Foo

2008-06-09T22:50:00.005+08:00

Choose your own mix. We were feeling more tou-fu and fried wanton... YUMMY CRISPY

Has anyone tried teochew yong tau foo?

tokyo ::: rice bowls

2008-06-03T12:28:00.005+08:00

We stumbled on this "raw" shop around the corner of shinjuku... Just in time for me to get my sashimi fix.

My "tsubei" bowl with "nato"
this is very very good

J's Minced pork(raw) bowl with miso

Supper. We shared this minced pork(cooked) bowl.
Basically this is just like our chinese "ja jiang mian" but done in the Japanese way... not bad

this is like omu rice but done traditionally. the gravy was so good, not starchy at all

tokyo ::: amazing sets

2008-06-03T12:12:00.005+08:00

For approximately SGD 7,50 a set, this is what you get...

authentic kariage, please don't eat kariage in sgp, it's a shame compared to the real stuff

sobalicious... i am addicted to soba

udonicious... fat and so Q

The croquette you get in nippon is just simply melty... heaven

Buy your amazing sets from here... :)

tokyo ::: sushi

2008-06-02T18:10:00.001+08:00

Even the cheapest sushi tastes better than any sushi you can get in SGP. pouts.

tokyo ::: ramen

2008-06-02T13:34:00.011+08:00

Day ichi :: @ Shinjuku

Day ni :: @ Asakusa

Day san :: @ Omotesando

tokyo ::: of crepes & easter chocolates

2008-06-02T13:20:00.005+08:00

strawberry cheesecake & chocolate bananas

Sun with Moon

2008-06-02T01:10:00.012+08:00

Before our Sex and The City movie(ok, it was overrated, draggy & I didn't really enjoy the show, except for SJP's outfits), Dollie & I had dinner at Sun with Moon. It was a year ago that I dined here. I still remember it being top on my list for japanese restaurants... hmmm... I wonder what happened...

My Chirashi Kodon
It is typically a mixed sashimi bowl. I love variety! haha.. for this you get tuna, scallop, squid, salmon, prawn, swordfish, roe & unagi, a slice of each

Dollie's Hokkaido Ramen
Char siew and corn, and sorry, the egg fail hor

One last look at my bowl... yummms.

They are currently running the Kyushuu menu but nothing(prices) catches my eye. heeee.

ADDRESS:
#03-15/16/17, 501 Orchard Road, Wheelock Place
Singapore 238880

The Banana Leaf Apolo 1974

2008-06-02T00:55:00.003+08:00

We have always dined at the Banana Leaf along race course road. But its high traffic and rushing for high turnover rates is just a pain for couples who want to enjoy their food quietly(peacefully). So we decided to try the outlet at little india arcade today.
There was no turning back to the RCR branch...

Nasi bryani. Favorite.

I LOVE FISH HEAD CURRY. MUST HAVE!

This place is HUGE but very very comfy. A/C on full blast.

And so I heard this outlet is super packed at night so you might really want to go there very early... we dined at 530pm and had the entire restaurant to ourselves.
Needless to say, service was superb and we had a great time. :)

Eat Hard's First Post

2008-06-01T23:50:00.002+08:00

This is just a hobby.
I love to eat. :o)
Life is short, so eat HARD.
Note: This blog is picture heavy. You have been warned.