Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Lao San Kway Chap in Ang Mo Kio - Simple, Fulfilling and Delicious

Kway Chap is not my usual go to comfort food, and the reason is that not many kway chap stalls in Singapore can conjure up a good bowl of kway chap.

Across the causeway, it is a whole different story. Most of the kway chap there are quite immaculately prepared and presented. In many instances here, the biggest issue is the cleaning of the pig internals that usually puts me off.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Grand Mandarin Restaurant - A Classy New Kid on the Chinese Gastronomic Block

It's quite easy to be jaded by Chinese fine dining these days. While Singapore has been infused with all forms of international gastronomy, very little has changed when it comes to Chinese cuisine.

The various attempts at infusion has only caused more confusion. More often than not, the fusion aspects are merely superfluous, and rarely do they actually work.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Tian Kee and Co - A Slice of Dakota Crescent Nostalgia Until December 2016

We sat on the high stools back facing from the main cafe and glancing at the main road, and the sense of old Singapore came flooding back almost instantly.

Then came news just yesterday that this entire neighborhood will make way for redevelopment come 2017. The persistent deconstruction of Singapore's past, has present Singapore really come to this?

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Taiping Fish Porridge in Johor - A Tale of Two Boys and a Giant Garoupa

When you are fifteen, the last thing a Singaporean boy would think of doing is to run a fish porridge stall with his even younger sibling all by themselves for an entire day.

But that is exactly what the two lads at this delicious Taiping Fish Porridge in Johor Bahru is doing every single day. And without fail.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Matsuri at Parkway Parade - A Creative Ramen Place

Chef Keisuke Takeda is a renowned ramen specialist, having won accolades in his homeland for being innovative and creative in his ramen creations.

As part of his ambition to bring his brand of ramen to the rest of the world, Keisuke has been expanding at a rapid pace in Singapore. He has just launched his 6th outlet, the rather longish titled Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Matsuri at Parkway Parade.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The Audacious Cakery - Pastries in Everton Park

Everton Park has become a mecca for cafe hoppers in recent months, with a number of of old shophouses refurbished to become hipster cafes.

Situated amongst these newer establishments, is a bakery cafe that has been around for slightly longer. It is run by a former corporate executive turned baker.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Immanuel Tee of Immanuel French Kitchen - The Promise of a New Generation of Great Singapore Young Chefs

Immanuel Tee was working hard in the kitchen on that Saturday morning when we visited Two Wings. What struck me then was that his was the only stall that was working, way before service time.

He is still a young lad, but he has already apprenticed under Andre during his stint at Jaan, and having worked at Guy Savoy and Keystone as well, Immanuel has certainly picked up a thing or two from such reputable kitchens.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck - More Than Just Duck

The Chew family has been making and selling their signature Teochew braised duck for more than 3 decades.

Today, the founders' son, Melvin has started to take over from his parents, and under their watchful eyes, Melvin is determined to preserve the food business that they have worked hard over the years to build up.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Whale and Cloud - The Little, Initimate Cafe Hideaway

The address reads 48 Niven Road, and the signage displayed 48 3/4. Yes, it was not lost on me that this little whimsical ode to Harry Potter was only one of the fantastical touches to Whale and Cloud.

There wasn't a proper signboard either, just an OPEN word displayed on the side wall. The door is like an entrance to a hidden world. And what an amazing little world it is!

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Club Vivaa at Jurong Kechil - Chilling Out to Local Comfort Food

Little did I know that hidden from the main road of Upper Bukit Timah where Beauty World is, houses a cosy little chill out bar that serves good old fashioned local food.

What is even more impressive is that it is run and operated by Julie, who does all her own cooking as well as managing the club and bar joint's operations. And she is the the mixologist there too.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Penang Kia Prawn Mee in Compassvale, Sengkang - From Flying to Cooking

The two main faces at this newly opened Penang Kia Prawn Noodles stall have been making news lately, largely due to the fact that both husband and wife used to work in Singapore Airlines as SQ cabin crew.

They are now situated in the heartlands of Sengkang, hidden in a coffeeshop among the HDB flats. There was also an elderly gentleman in the kitchen, and I assume he is the father of the wife and he used to run a Hokkien mee stall too.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

The Assembly Ground - From Retail to Bistro

A lot of us remember the old CD and record stores from the 90s and early 00s. Mention names like Sembawang CD and Supreme Records, and we all remember patronizing these places for the latest music and movies.

The last of these, Gramaphone, had their final store in Cathay Cineleisure, which occupied the ground floor near the main entrance. Sadly, Gramaphone is gone today.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Thai Village at Indoor Stadium Walk - More Than Just Shark's Fin

Most of us tend to associate Thai food with tom yam, pineapple rice and pad thai, but there is also Teochew Thai cuisine which is often overlooked.

Teochew Thai food is quite close to classic Teochew Chinese cuisine, but is infused with Thai flavors and seasonings. Teochew Thai is also famous for shark's fin, which has become a controversial issue of late.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Salmon Tartare with Soy and Pickled Japanese Cucumbers - A Simple Dish to Make at Home

A lot of you might not be aware that citrus acid is a method of cooking, just like frying or boiling. Although it does not create natural heat in a protein, it does change the molecular structure of the fish or meat.

Thus, ceviche is a very popular way of adding citrus to raw seafood or fish to create a simple and delicious appetizer or dish.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Witbier Cafe - Pairing Beer With Comfort Food

I used to frequent Kandahar Street to buy home the wonderful swiss rolls from Rich and Good Bakery. In the last few years, along that same stretch, a number of chill out bars have popped up to provide a nice after hours place to relax and unwind.

Witbier Cafe was among the first to headline that area, and among the owners of this establishment is a beer importer with a passion for good food.