Kopitiam @ Vivocity

Lunch was a quick affair, as both JK and I needed to run errands for our respective babies (diapers, brown rice, quick stop at Toys'R'us... you know, the usual stuff for a busy working mom).

Vivocity has a number of food courts (including the famous Food Republic on the third floor). We went to Kopitiam at Basement 2 - for an easy quick meal.

My hotpot bak chor mee (SGD4.50) was better than I expected. I hope it's not MSG-laden. The noodles were a little soggier than I would have liked, but otherwise it was a tasty bowl of thin mee pok tossed in a delicious mix of vinegar, soya sauce, ketchup, chili.

And look at the generous array of ingredients. Pork balls, pork slices, minced pork, liver, sliced mushrooms and a fried pork wonton. All were nice, not too fatty, not too oily. They also add some bits of fried lard in this, so be warned.

The soup had a dumpling and an egg in it. Not too shabby at all.

Then we ran our errands and I was tempted to buy some mooncakes. Because, they even had this chinese orchestra performing next to their stand, can? Wow, this mooncake sale is serious business, man, with so many stalls vying for customers.

Chocolate Cake from Canele

This is the best cake I have ever eaten. It was dense and rich and not too sweet. See how elegantly it is decorated!

And it came in such a beautiful box - a flat tray with a box cover and gold ribbons, not those cheapo fold-it-yourself things.

Canele is the baking arm of Les Amis, with branches at Robertson Quay and Paragon. You might want to check it out if you wish to order a cake sometime.

Wow.

Classy!

Happy Birthday J!

Vehicles for Cutie / Waraku @ East Coast Park

I am an extravagant parent.

bored or all tired out?

As you can see from this picture - Cutie is getting bored with his tricycle. Even though it's barely a month old!!


Sigh.

Mommy? Will you buy the car please? Please?

So, indulgent parent that I am, I bought Cutie one of those Flintstone cars. So named because it does not have any pedals or motors, and is run by leg power only.

Yayy, Mommy's buying the car! Vroom!

He seems to like it! So much so he refused to let others have a turn on it. Even when a very pretty mei mei asked him nicely. Which is so unusual because he is typically so generous when it comes to sharing toys. Especially with pretty girls. Yes yes, so it appears that he does like his new car, but let's see how long it lasts.

After hanging out at East Coast Park (which we seem to do a lot these days), we ended up at Waraku Japanese Restaurant (which we also seem to do a lot these days).

It was an easy choice, since it's convenient, air-conditioned and baby-friendly.

DH had the Waraku Hiyashi Ramen (SGD8.80) served chilled with a sesame dipping sauce. The nice thing about this is that they served 2 different types of noodles, soba and inaniwa udon (thin udon). There was also egg and prawns and julienned cucumber which provided an interesting crunchy contrast. It was a hit on a hot sunny day.

I also had cold chirashi udon (SGD12). This was served with slices of sashimi, seaweed and bonito flakes on top. It was an interesting take on chirashi sushi (which is slices of sashimi served on rice). The noodles were coated with a slippery substance like chilled egg white, but I can't really be sure what it is. I quite liked it, but DH didn't really care for the slippery texture.

Central @ Vivocity

Central (where people meet) (B2, Vivocity) has a few branches around Singapore, which I have seen but have never eaten at.

So, as PL and I were trying to decide where to eat, we decided to try this place out.

It is a little more expensive that other places - average mains of about SGD8, with their desserts an exorbitant SGD4 or SGD4.50. They also don't serve water. Uggh. Pet peeve of mine.

My braised beef noodles (SGD7.50) arrived in an interesting bowl - made out of 2 bowls joined in the centre. It was a good conversation piece, but it was a bit irritating because it made eating my noodles more difficult.

The noodles were not as springy as Hong Kong noodles should be. A little too fat and a little too soft. The beef was tender but I think they should have used more sinewy tendony cuts. This was alright but not fabulous. Oh, and they didn't have the right type of chili (Hong Kong style chili with the chili oil).

We also shared a plate of fried pig intestines (SGD6.80). PL gave this a thumbs up, as it was not oily, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I quite liked it too. But it had a strong porky smell to it, but I am not sure if it was just me since I seldom eat much pork these days and so the odour may have affected me more.

Maxwell Food Centre

MC and CT wanted to go to Chinatown to see a chinese physician since they both had neck and back aches.



I tagged along, even with any ailments or maladies, becaue they said they were eating at Maxwell Food Centre after that. Oooh! Maxwell Food Centre?! I'm in.



I also saw the tuinalogist. ("what on earth is that?" you ask. A specialist in tuina (the ancient form of Chinese massage) so I am told. It does sound a bit dodgy doesn't it?). He gave me a head massage to clear my sinuses and to make my eyes more sparkly. I think it felt a bit like the massage my hairdresser gives me. It cost SGD28. For that price, I usually get a hair cut as well!



No matter. I was here for the food anyway!



First up, char kway teow. Haven't had this in ages. This was very good. Very fragrant, good wok hei, and lots of ingredients.


This satay bee hoon was excellent. The satay sauce was savoury and tasty, and the ingredients were fresh and succulent. Love cuttlefish!



We also shared some poached chicken, some braised pork rib noodles, and had tang yuen dessert.



Count me in next time! There's lots more good food to be discovered in Maxwell Food Centre!

Marutama Ramen @ Central

I've been to Marutama Ramen (Central Mall, #03-90) before, but DH hasn't. So when he proposed date night (ie that he and I go out for dinner, without Cutie), I suggested this place.


DH had the signature Marutama ramen (SGD12) while I ordered the Aka ramen (SGD15).

The Aka Ramen (SGD15) contains springy chicken balls, some strips of seaweed, some chopped spring onion in a tasty slightly tangy stock made with 7 types of nuts. I ordered this with some trepidition as it contained coriander and I didn't like coriander all that much. If the coriander was minced and cooked as part of the stock, I would be doomed. Fortunately, it was just a sprinkling on top, which I removed with ease.

I preferred this soup base to the Marutama soup base because it was very unique. It didn't taste strongly of chicken, but it had a comforting hearty fragrance. The slightly tangy touch made this one very appetising ramen.

I ordered an extra boiled egg for SGD1. For instructions on how to cook the perfect wobbly boiled egg, see this post from Chubby Hubby.

We also shared some interesting sides.

Braised Pork Belly (SGD6). This was tasty but rather too fatty so we didn't finish it.

Yaki Pork Belly (SGD7). I highly recommend this one. This Grilled Pork Belly was crisp on the outside yet was tender and devastatingly delicious. With a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of Japanese chili powder, it was sublime. DH and I were still talking about it on our way out.

Don't forget to order the cha shu as well. It was still melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious. DH and shared an additional portion for SGD4.

DH and I, whilst waiting for our food.

We didn't have to wait very long for a table, despite the queue. 2 seats at the counter were available, but the group of 4 in front of us had to pass, and the other couple in front of us wanted a table. So we quickly grabbed the counter seats. DH and I love to sit at the counter anyway. I like to see the Japanese chefs at work, and I think they also like to be appreciated.

Doesn't DH look a little weary in the photo above? I think it was cos he was so hungry.

He looks a lot more satiated and happy in this photo!

Tiong Bahru Chwee Kueh @ Bedok Interchange

One of the inexplicable oddities of Singapore hawkers is that they like to name their stalls after locations where the stall is NOT located - Rochor Beancurd in Serangoon, Blanco Court kway chap in Old Airport Road etc. (ok, it's actually not that inexplicable, I am told that it is because the stall is named after its PREVIOUS location).


And so we have Tiong Bahru Chwee Kueh in Bedok.

Luscious cakes of steamed rice flour topped with crunchy, savoury preserved radish. The topping is not too finely minced, so there is some interesting texture. This is a perfect combination.

This is the more traditional way of serving chwee kueh (compared to the other stall that I patronise which adds more fusion-type ingredients like sesame seeds).

I remember I used to have a colleague whose mom hand-made these delicious things. He brought them to the office for me once, and it had meat-filling inside!! That was awesome!

This morning's breakfast was kindly bought and delivered by YS, who even considerately had the topping and chili packed in separate containers (at an additional cost too!). Thanks YS! A chwee kueh breakfast on a rainy morning just warms my heart and my tummy.

Look, I think Mr K likes it too. Local breakfasts, so common to most of us, are probably something of a Fear Factor thing for Mr K (alright, I exaggerate!). After all, we Asians eat everything, so who knows what goes into these things right?

PS. the photo is deliberately overexposed to protect Mr K's identity. If you can tell who Mr K is, drop me a note, and I will have to find other ways of concealing his true persona.

Strawberry Banana Smoothies @ Home

This is really simple and easy to make. And, so refreshing on a hot afternoon!

Recipe:

1 punnet of strawberries (about 250 g)

2 large bananas or 3 small bananas

1/2 cup of milk (substitute with yoghurt or ice cream for creamier texture)

1 cup of ice (about 8 - 10 cubes)

directions:

1. slice up all the fruits

2. put them all the blender

3. add milk and ice

4. blend, blend, blend.

Serves 2.

There you go, enjoy!

Chat Masala @ Upper East Coast Road

DH and I have reached our verdict.



Between Chat Masala and Kinara, Chat Masala wins hands down. We came here for dinner over the weekend, and although both places were quite crowded, we opted for Chat Masala.





Actually Chat Masala's naans were not as fluffy as those in Kinara. Although these naans were still enjoyable. We ordered 2 garlic naans, 1 cheese naan, and 1 lacha paratha.

Fish curry. This was slightly tangy and spicy. With 3 sizeable chunks of fish. MIL liked this gravy best.

Butter chicken. This was creamy and delicious. DH's and my favourite. It was not spicy-hot, but it had a nice fragrance of spices.

Palak Paneer. This is cubes of cottage cheese cooked in pureed spinach. It's a really healthy dish, and it was also delicious.

We mopped up the gravy from all the dishes. I think the choices tonight were excellent. Kinara's dishes are too salty for my palate, but Chat Masala's dishes are all interesting and delicious, with a perfect pairing of spices and textures. I particularly like the fact that everything takes effort to prepare and tastes different. (you know, not like some places where the fish, the chicken, the beef are all covered with the same boring sauce).

Aji by Hanabi @ Vivocity

DH wanted to come to Vivocity to buy something (a British Columbia double-layered windbreaker), so Cutie and I decided to have dinner at Aji by Hanabi (Vivocity, #01-158).

We usually end up having Japanese when Cutie is around, as somehow Cutie has developed a preference for chawanmushi and noodles.

Foie Gras Chawanmushi (SGD16). This is the most expensive chawanmushi I have ever eaten. Except maybe for the sharks' fin chawanmushi, but I didn't pay for that, so I don't know how much that cost.

Its presentation was quite unusual, since it didn't come in the typical cylindrical chawanmushi cup (this was more of a flat dish), and the foie gras was more like a puree on top (rather than the cubes of foie gras that I was expecting).

This is obviously modern-fusion Japanese, rather than traditional Japanese. DH and I both enjoyed it though. The foie gras was fragrant and flavourful, and provided a unique twist to this traditional appetiser. I think there might have been a few strands of sharks' fin on top too, which added an interesting texture.

My tempura soba (SGD18). It was beautifully presented - I really liked this bowl which was slightly slanted and therefore made this photo very easy to take. The tempura wasn't very nice as the batter was too thick and too hard. Tempura batter should be really delicate and light, not like eating goreng pisang.

DH's sushi moriwase (assorted sushi, SGD36). DH said it was ok, but nothing exceptional.

Before heading to Vivocity, DH and I brought Cutie to East Coast park. I think he had a good time...

Building sandcastles...

and riding his tricycle...

Akashi @ Tanglin Shopping Centre

I enjoyed my lunch at Akashi with Mr C so much, I brought DH to Akashi Japanese Restaurant (Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19 Tanglin Road #B1-09).

We asked for an omakase kaiseki for 2.

This is chilled tofu with century egg topping. It was interesting and very tasty. This is my first time trying this, so it was indeed novel and refreshing.


Next up, Sashimi Platter (SGD109) (clockwise from top left: tuna belly (chu toro), flounder, yellowtail (hamachi), salmon and ark shell (akagai)). As you can tell, this is really premium stuff. Mouthwateringly delicious. The slices of sashimi were thick and juicy, and very fresh. I wish they gave us otoro instead of chutoro. Otoro is very very marbled, so it literally just melts in your mouth. That day, when I went with Mr C, they served us otoro. Chutoro is less fatty and less marbled.

braised pork belly. Very tender and juicy. Akin to Chinese braised pork, but this was slightly sweet, probably because of the addition of mirin.



Fried fish. Eaten with a squeeze of lemon, it was crispy and flavoursome. Not at all greasy or heavy.

Chutoro sushi topped with uni. How unique. I've never eaten toro sushi like this. The addition of uni created a burst of flavour and texture in my mouth. As you can see, the serving of toro is very generous.


Clam miso soup to cleanse the palate. This is very very sweet. Not chockful of fish like at Inagiku, but this was sweet and light.

Grape ice cream for me and Yuzu ice cream for DH. DH wanted to go for macha ice cream again but I vetoed him. Both were served with soft red beans. I recently had lots of Japanese grapes (both the tiny champagne ones and the large black Kyoho ones), so I was still in a midst of a grape craze. I am amazed how Japanese grapes can taste so much sweeter than any other grapes I have ever eaten. So fragrant and the grape flavour just pervades all your senses. And the texture! They are so firm, almost like a grapey jelly. Nothing like any other grape I have ever eaten. How do they do it?


Cutie also went to Akashi (if you look at the photos above closely, you see his hands in one of the shots). Cutie had chawanmushi, which he liked, but his favourite part of the meal was playing with the bowls and spoons that the restaurant staff placed in front of him.

Inclusive of 2 glasses of shochu (japanese plum wine) with soda, we paid a reasonable sum of about SGD200.

Food Bloggers' Dinner @ Le Papilon

Ooh, my first Food Bloggers' dinner! I didn't know what to expect.



I wasn't even sure if I qualified to attend, to be honest, since I only started blogging so recently. (In fact, I was quite sure no one would know who I was, and I would therefore be extremely embarrassed. But surprise! There was at least 1 person who did read this blog, and all this time, I thought I only had 2 readers ! Now I realise, I have 3!! Thanks Mia dearie!).


Well, there was great food, great company and great fun. DH and Cutie had a good time too.



And we were so lucky! We received a set of Italian cooking spoons... Perfect! Cutie was all tired out, so here he is, sleeping in my arms.



Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio and Barracuda Fish Mousse with Miso Cream. It was an interesting and harmonious blend of flavours, textures and colours.

Jasmine Tea Perfumed Duck Consomme made with Fiji Water, Foie Gras Tortellini. This seemed like a very interesting dish. What a clever way to present foie gras. This would indeed be a burst of flavour, theoretically. However, I think the proportion of foie gras to pasta skin was a little unbalanced, so I only tasted tortellini, not the foie gras. (I would also add that, this could be my fault as I arrived late, and maybe the chef thought that I wouldn't be coming so didn't cater for another portion of foie gras?)

Escargot with Herb-Garlic Butter on Button Mushroom GratineeParsley Oil and Arugula Salad. Enjoyed this very much. Again, a clever juxtaposition of flavours and textures - with the spongy mushroom, chewy escargot and slightly crunchy garlic.

Rigatoni tossed in Crustacean Oil, Tiger Prawn, Shaved Bottarga and Parmesan Cheese. Sorry for the poor photo. This was my favourite. Delicious and tasty morsels of pasta which were perfectly al dente.

Char-Grilled King George Whiting Fillet with Toasted Mustard Seeds andSaffron Tomato Sauce. This was very good as well. It was fragrant and tender. I liked how the chef decided to char-grill the fish. It really added oomph to this delicate dish. And, it looks so pretty!

Palate-cleansing raspberry sorbet. Chef ran out of blood orange sorbet, boo hoo. This was good nevertheless.

Slow-Cooked Oxtail in Feuille de Brik Parcel with Truffle Butter and Jus Gras. My other favourite of the evening. How creative. I was expecting oxtail with a bone in the centre, but I barely recognised this. Is it really oxtail? Yes it is! Tender, sinewy oxtail wrapped in phyllo pastry, thereby rendering it totally different from what I am accustomed to. I liked the addition of the pastry which added a light yet interesting crunch. Very clever.

Passionfruit Symphony Souffle, Macaroon (with passionfruit mousse inbetween) and Creme Brulee. Sorry for the bad lighting. I liked the souffle best, as it was light and airy. The creme brulee was a little too piquant and the mousse was a little too stodgy. The souffle however was a masterpiece. And see how beautifully it is presented in a passionfruit skin.

I am glad to have met these other food bloggers, and I can't wait for the next one Colin!

Osaka Gastronomy Part 3

The day before we left Osaka, we asked the hotel concierge for recommendations on where we could get good okonomiyaki (Osaka is where okonomiyaki originated, after all!).

So we arrived at Yukari, a popular okonomiyaki restaurant.

We ordered 3 of their specialities, which they promplty cooked for us on the hotplates in front of us.

LEFT: seafood okonomiyaki with prawns and scallops.

MIDDLE: okonomiyaki with spring onions and an egg in the centre.

RIGHT: okonomiyaki with mentaiko seasoning and grated wild mountain yam.

MIL and I both liked the one on the right best. Texture wise, all were about the same, but the mentaiko added a twist to the flavour of the okonomiyaki, and the wild mountain yam (aka wai san) had an interesting crunchy yet slippery texture, which added a unique dimension to this dish.

We later walked down the street and had huge ice cream cones each. DH had a double scoop of macha!