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Nice blog for nice Asian dishes

batuchka — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:10:27 GMT

TREAT & TRICK
Can even learn how to cook yourself :angel::lol::015:

Juicy & Delicious Food Blog

eventer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:03:57 GMT

Came across this food blog belonging to two ladies ...

Their blog site is - juicyndelicious.wordpress.com

and they just started their first TV episode...

+ YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

Discuss: Suggestion/Recommendations for Shabu Shabu?

Maruku — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:24:57 GMT

Hi anyone know of any good places for shabu shabu in SG serving quality beef/pork (kurobuta)?

Only ate once in my life in Taipei then (Grand Formosa Sheraton). Dun think the one in MarinaSq is good (next to Secret Recipe/Kenny Rogers).

I craving to wack for a buffet preferably...haha.

Thanks!

Spruce at Phoenix Park, Tanglin Road

hisfoodblog — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:44:52 GMT

Spruce is about simplicity and quality of raw products – or at least that’s what it strive to achieve from their food offerings.

Helmed by owner Chef Travis Masiero, who is an American, his cuisine is said to pay homage to his humble American roots, influenced by the smell of Mediterranean, North Africa and continental Europe.

Stepped past the entrance and one would be greeted by the casual yet sophisticated ambience in the heart of Orchard Road (Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park to be exact).

While Spruce is opened 7 days a week from morning till night, HFB was there for dinner. We were ushered to the private dining area which sits approximately 10 to 12 pax – nicely suited for business lunches or dinner.

While waiting for the others, we ordered the Hand Cut Chips with Sage ($5.00) to fill our growling tummies.

Thick and crisply fried, it was straightforward comfort food. Simply addictive! We also had another side of Creamy Macaroni and Cheese ($7.00), which HFB thought while aesthetically boring, it was decent enough.

Interestingly enough, their menu has a section titled “To share or not” – which offers simple solid dishes to go around. Order was made for 3 of them including – Three Dips with Assorted Toast and Crisp ($16.00), Warm Spruce Olives with Fennel, Thyme and Orange Rind ($12.00) along with Ahi Tuna Tartar with Toasted Ciabatta and Avocado ($21.00).

HFB is not a fan of olive, thus wasn’t able to comment on it, but the dips and the tuna tartar is a must order if you have a table big enough to share! The dips were packed with awesome flavours and goes really well with the toast and the tuna tartar was really good – very fresh and goes well on its own or with the bread, but best when one tried it with the avocado. HFB did and it was divine!

For the main, HFB opted for the Prawn Pasta with Zucchini and Parmigiano Cheese ($22.00), and all excitement looking forward to sample the dish was gone the moment it was served up. It was probably his fault that he didn’t enquire beforehand, but he certainly wasn’t expecting a bowl of orecchetti pasta served up in a bowl looking like a serving of breakfast cereal with a table spoon. Secondly, He was half anticipating a couple of huge-ass king prawns looking all juicy and ready to be chomped, but alas it wasn’t meant to be – the prawns although plentiful, were halved and thus lacked bite. Gone in a flash (how long does one need to down a bowl of cereal honestly) – HFB wasn’t feeling quite satisfy with his main to be honest (he prefers to “interact” with his food more) and ended up waiting for the rest to finish their mains before we moved on to dessert. What a pity!

Warm Ginger Date Pudding with Chocolate Toffee Sauce ($12.00) was the dessert for the night. With a tint of ginger that doesn’t put many off, the combination with the ice cream was good. And by right coupled it with the sauce should send it up higher by a few notches, but regrettably the toffee sauce was too sweet for consumption.

The sweetness simply overwhelmed the whole dish, and when feedback, Chef Travis mentioned that desserts are meant to be sweet and that’s how they eat it America – anybody care to shed some light into this?

You can view all the photos here.

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar @ Bishan Park

hisfoodblog — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:43:20 GMT

Canopy, located within lush gardens of Aramsa Spa in Bishan Park is positioned as an Australia style café that provides the perfect getaway for families, couples and pet lovers alike.

The new outdoor Canopy Bar also provides a unique setting for one to lounge and enjoy a mug of beer, or glass of wine with friends and loved ones.

HFB was served first the Trio of Hot Prawns Cocktail ($16.00 for usual serving), Smoked Pepper Duck ($16.00 for usual serving) and Eggs Benedict ($12.00 for usual serving).

The only thing that HFB could remember on the prawns was the accompanied Avocado and Mango, nothing memorable to say the least. At least the eggs was decent with a runny yolk, but he did find the Hollandaise sauce slightly salty. The skin of the smoked duck was nicely seared and retained that nibble of fats, giving it a juicy bite.

Next up, we were served a series of mains to share. The Grilled Pork Rack ($25.00) wow HFB with its serving size. One would get a perfect thick piece of meat for a good bite. However, what would make it more awesome if Kurobuta Pork was used instead – the juicy layer of fats would definitely enhance and ensured a more luscious finish. Alas, it was not to be and HFB did find their meat a tad dry for his liking.

HFB do not usually order fish for his mains (only on this instance), and the Red Snapper Fillet ($26.00) didn’t do anything that would change that. It was another decent dish that didn’t register an impression. Enough said.

“Twirl it round a fork and slurp it up” – at least that’s what their menu suggest one to do it when you order their Crabmeat Aglio Olio ($19.00). However, HFB would advise against it – this dish was clearly thumbs down for him. Close to saying it wasn’t fresh; the crabmeat didn’t have that clean, bright taste of the sea. Pasta wasn’t as al dente as he loved it to be.

Canopy also served vegetarian menu from the Green Room Café next door, where one can also have a healthy obsession for quality ingredients with playful exuberance on their table. They strived to change the way one view vegetarian cuisine forever, and HFB applauded that they did. Their Curry “Lamb” Pie ($14.00) made of mushroom and carrot filling served with Vine Tomato Sauce really did tasted like lamb – so much so that one of the participants commented that it was something she never quite tasted before even though she was a vegetarian for 12 years! The curry was flavoursome and nicely spiced. Bravo!

The WOW dish of the day was their Gnocchi, made of Pumpkin, Spinach served with Parmesan Cheese and Semi Dried Tomato. HFB never really liked gnocchi as the starch fills him up quickly. Usually made from ordinary wheat flour, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients, their version however dominantly used pumpkin, that gives it a more sweet tasting flavour and a less starchy finished. Paired it with the semi dried tomato, and the sweet and savoury combination works harmoniously. This dish was addictive!

The brunch was wrapped up with desserts of Homemade Sticky Date Pudding and Old Fashion Apple Crumble ($10.00 each).

While the former tasted delightful with the butterscotch sauce and a pretty warm and moist texture, the latter paled in comparison with its slightly dry finishing and lacklustre taste.

You can view all the photos here.

zoukout 2009!

laroman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:14:22 GMT

ZoukOut 2009

whos goin this year's zouk out??

any1 know how they split the venue this year?

Masquerade Party with G.H.Mumm Champagne at $110!

daldaldo — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:59:30 GMT

Venue: Maska, 50 Armenian Street (Near SMU/Timbre Substation)

G.H.Mumm Champagne Promotion going on all night with G.H.Mumm Promoters =)

Original Price: $187, Promo Price: $110

Come in your elegant, historical, or fantastic masquerade costumes and enjoy a free glass of G.H.Mumm Champagne! *Masks will be provided!

A special guest Jazz Band will be playing during the event with their soothing tunes as well!

New food delivery service in Town!!

petros2310 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:38:49 GMT

For all kinds of parties, business functions, meetings, or if you just don't have time to step out of the office for lunch/dinner, there's a NEW FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE in town!

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Rama Thai Sharksfin Restaurant

feizhu — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:07:10 GMT

The plan was simple. We would go to Ah Yat Tian Xia at Orchard Central on its opening weekend to take advantage of its seemingly value for money premium sets (abalone and the likes). Alas, it was not meant to be as the place was fully booked. Not wanting to abandon our abalone plans, we settled for Rama Thai instead, which was also offering premium items at a discount.

The restaurant is located amongst a row of shophouses along the winding Tanjong Pagar Road. Decor is simple and reminds me more of a pub then a restaurant, but that may be due to the fact that there was a sizeable bar counter at the side. Capacity peaks at about 50 pax or so.

Australia Whole Abalone - The abalone was probably 8 head and quite well prepared if I may say. There wasn't the noticable raw taste that I personally dislike and carried lots of bite without coming across as too chewy or hard. The gravy didn't threaten to overwhelm either by being overly starchy.

Sharks Fin with Crabmeat - Apparently a signature of the restaurant (it's in the name), the soup was light without being too laden on the starch but could have done with a pinch less salt. The fins were decent size pieces (probably not dorsal fins) that came across as a wee bit too soft for my liking. The upside to it was the very generous portion size and the amount of crab meat that went into the soup. Decently nice and filling.

Asparagus with Prawns - The asparagus were of the larger variant, retaining its crunchiness by virtue of not being overcooked. Coupled with big, crunchy prawns and succulent mushrooms, I don't see anything to dislike about this dish.

Pork with Gingko Nuts - I liked this dish quite a fair bit. Simple yet tasty. The pork came in rather large slices and carried a mild chewy texture, dipped in light saltiness. The gingko nuts gave it a healthier connotation, not that they tasted bad or anything. Just a small lesser known fact that I thought I would share. Pork is actually white meat, not red meat as most people would think.

Rama Thai Fried Rice - A little too oily and bland was the first thought that came to mind after I popped a spoonful of rice into my mouth. However, credit has to be given for the mild wok hei (could have done with more though) that the rice emanated as well as the ingredients that went into the dish - cashew nuts, prawns and crab meat.

Birds Nest - There was a 1 for 1 promotion on the birds nest and we couldn't resist the temptation to treat ourselves with this sweet Chinese delicacy. Honestly, at $30/bowl ($15 after 1 for 1), I hardly think it was worth it. It was quite a small bowl and the nest came in bits and pieces, unlike the good quality ones which come in one huge piece. But as the old Chinese adage goes, 一汾钱一汾货, so no grouses.

See all my pictures here.

Hai Tien Lo dim sum buffet

feizhu — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:18:20 GMT

Popped by Hai Tien Lo (HTL) for lunch one glaring weekday afternoon. The restaurant is currently having a "cardholder dines free" promotion until the end of November with a minimum of 2 pax for their weekday dim sum lunch.

One of the huge draws (at least for me) of HTL is its excellent views of the city scape and its uncluttered seating arrangement that allows most, if not all tables a window side view without bearing the brunt of being exposed to direct sunlight. An ideal place to have a leisurely lunch in my humble opinion.

Deep Fried Cheese Rolls - Very well deep fried crisp wanton skin enveloping a prawn filling with hints of cheese. Honestly it was a little unsettling for me and the excessive oil factor was quite a turn off.

Pan Fried Seafood Dumplings - The 锅贴 (Pot Stickers) were just bad. The skin was too thick and tasted more chewy and limp then crispy. It could have done with a lot more flavouring as well. I gave up after the first mouth.

Poached Beijing Dumplings with Vinegar Chilli Sauce - The 饺子 was a little oversoaked in the mildly spicy and vinegarish sauce which rendered the skin unbearably soft. At least the prawns were fresh but could have done with more crunch. Overall decent but not something I would order again.

Pan Fried Rice Rolls served with Conpoy Sauce - This dish of rice rolls (猪肠粉) differed from the usual dim sum offering in that it is pan fried till lightly charred on the surface before serving. Coupled with a savoury sauce boasting mild flavours of shrimp, it was delectable - fragrant and tasty.

Stewed Ee Fu Noodles with Crab Meat - You have a choice of either this noodle or the duck & silver bean sprout fried rice (limited to 1 order). The noodles sounded more appetising hence we went for it. Limp would be a good word to describe the noodles as it seemed a little too soft. However, the crab meat was generous and overall nothing too fancy.

Crispy Stuffed Beancurd Skin - The beancurd skin (腐皮卷) reminded me of samosa, with its triangular shape and puffed up appearance. Crisp beancurd skin covering fresh shrimp and pork filling sans the reused oil taste, what's not to like?

Steamed Carrot Cake - This looked deceptively hard and dry and I half expected it to provide stiff resistance to my fork. On the contrary, it was smooth with bits of meat for that added texture but could have done with a more robust taste. The sauce was lightly salty and savoury but there was just too little of it in my humble opinion.

Steamed Mushrooms stuffed with Prawn Paste - I envisioned a huge mushroom stuffed with prawn paste in the center. What I got was a mushroom with a huge lump of prawn paste sitting atop and drizzled with egg white sauce. Perfectly fine I guess and very decent with the woody taste of the mushroom providing a nice backdrop against the mild fishiness of the crustacean paste.

Steamed Prawn Dumplings - Semi translucent (albeit a little too thick) skin offering a peek of the generous mound of fresh and crunchy prawns buried within. Served piping hot and wolfed down in a matter of seconds. That's the magic of it.

Steamed Barbecued Pork Buns - I am a sucker for carbohydrates hence I never fail to order the buns at any dim sum session. Straight out of the steamer, the BBQ pork buns were very good. Fluffy and moist flour with a generous serving of BBQ pork that threatened to elevate my sugar levels close to that of a diabetic. Sesame seeds mixed in with the filling provide a nice crunch to the overall texture. If you have a low tolerance for sweet stuff, my advice would be to skip this entirely.

Steamed Sea Cucumber in Abalone Reduction - The sea cucumber was soft almost to the point of being jelly like. Not exactly my cup of tea.

Deep Fried Vegetarian Taro - Decent without coming across as too oily though it was very well deep fried to a crisp. The presence of vegetables within provided an extra crunch amidst the smoothness of the taro.

Steamed Pork Dumplings - Thankfully, the siew mai had a significantly larger proportion of lean to fatty meat, which cut down on the nausea quite a bit. The presence of prawn paste in it upped the taste factor but overall texture seemed a little on the soft side.

Chilled Mango Pudding served with Cream of Mango Sago - Aesthetically pleasing, the mango pudding came served with Nata De Coco. Decent and a nice sweet conclusion to the oily dim sum session. If mango pudding isn't to your liking, there is the option of Hashima for dessert as well.

Being a promotion, the 2 of us paid a mere $38 nett ($76 before discount) for our lunch, which is a steal considering the stellar ambience, decent service and reasonable quality of food. Sure, some items are forgettable but the value for money proposition is undeniable.

See all my pictures here.

help

dexter_ng_18 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:30:39 GMT

hi ppl...i'm desparately out of ideas on where to bring my gf for our first month anniversary..pls give me some ideas...our anniversary is like 2 days away!!!..omg....

teadot giving out $5 drink voucher if u are their fan in facebook

winniegirl — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:04:21 GMT

Hey guys... wanna share with u all this benefit as I happened to see in Facebook ..........

Teadot is encouraging ppl to join as a fan b4 8th Nov 09 and they will give out a $5 Drink voucher to you.... ... it's very easy to join de... just simply copy this link Login | Facebook and you click to become a fan can le.........

that's all... got other benefit will share with you all again...........:p

Hatched

feizhu — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:53:03 GMT

Finally! A place that sells all day breakfast and nothing else - a casual eatery by the name of Hatched, which apparently is the brainchild of a former SAF scholar who probably decided that eggs and breakfast were his calling.

The eatery is housed in Evans Lodge, a rather dilapidated building along Evans Road that is home to a prata shop as well. The interior of the place is charmingly cozy, with bright sunlight frittering through the side windows. Capacity probably peaks at about 30 people or less, making reservations a must, especially on weekends. Special mention goes to the menu, which is extremely colourful and cute but probably caters more to the ladies then guys.

Dippy Eggs and Soldiers - Cutesy names and aesthetically pleasing food presentation aside, this dish didn't wow one bit. The dipping bread sticks looked tantalising but had a funny mildly rancid taste while the soft boil eggs didn't taste anything out of the ordinary (Read. Your local coffeeshop standard). A pity there wasn't enough Parmesan cheese or limp bacon bits to go around.

Burly Benedict - This was a double portion and it sure wasn't big. The eggs were nicely poached but the muffin wasn't spongy enough for my liking and was overly greasy. However, the major disappointment came in the form of the corned wagyu beef, which was a little rubbery and tasted very processed. It didn't help that the salt content was excessively high as well.

Croque Madam - The Ciabatta bread was rock hard and I mean it literally. I had to muster up quite a bit of strength in order to cut through it with my knife. Seriously, hurling it at someone could have caused a minor concussion. The grilled kurobuta ham tasted no different from ordinary ham which makes it a waste of good pork. The side of mashed potato could have done with a little butter but at least the mushroom drizzle was decent.

Papillote - I thought that the smoked salmon was a tad too salty for my liking, masking the taste of the scrambled eggs. A very normal dish to say the least. I don't even know why we paid $12 for it. Well, at least the tomato was nice.

Ever had the feeling of being full but not the least bit satisfied? Well that was what we felt after our $58 brunch for 3. I like the vibe and decor of the place (save for the less then ideal car park lots) and I like the culinary concept. However, food quality treads in the average zone and the long waiting time for the food doesn't exactly help things. Lets hope, for Hatched's sake, that they buck up because I hate to see such a concept go to waste.

See all my pictures here. :019:

Ministry of Steak

feizhu — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:21:31 GMT

A new steak house has set up shop around my neighbourhood recently in an attempt to loosen Aston's stranglehold on the steak market for low to mid tier pricing steaks. Named Ministry of Steak (MOS), the name sounds like a rip off of the now defunct Ministry of Sound (also MOS for short) in Singapore.

Tucked away along the row of shophouses at Serangoon Gardens where the new NTUC is and just a stones throw away from Astons, MOS suffers from low visibility as the entire row of shops face away from the central bus stop. This particular unit has changed hands quite a few times due to low human traffic so it remains to be seen if MOS can thrive in such an obscure location.

Mushroom Soup - You have the option of adding $3 and getting a calamansi drink + a soup, which happened to be mushroom soup. The soup was rather watered down but at least it was decently creamy and had bits of mushroom in it. Not too bad for the price.

Pork Chops - With a name like Ministry of Steak, pork chops probably aren't their forte but this dish didn't turn out half as bad as I expected it to be. Sure, the meat was a little too chewy in certain areas and the garlic sauce a little too runny, but portions were generous and it beats eating tough pork chops served at some places.

Prime Sirloin - Cheapo me chose the cheapest steak on the menu - the prime sirloin. I must say that I was quite impressed by the handling and preparation of the meat. Beautifully grilled to medium rare as per my request and harbouring a moderate hint of salt, the steak was succulent and boasted natural beefy sweetness. You get 2 sides with every main course and my coleslaw and fries tasted decently fresh. Nothing to holler about though.

Black Pepper Steak - This was essentially the same cut as the prime sirloin, except that it came with black pepper instead of garlic sauce. And if it looks darker, yes it is, due to the fact that it was done medium well. A little drier and tougher, but still good for those who can't stand really stand the sight of blood.

The emergence of MOS in the area is sure to give Astons a terrific run for its money, given its quality and competitive pricing (3 of us spent $35). Throw in air conditioning and decent service and I know where I'll be satisfying my steak cravings again. This time I might just be tempted to try out the grade 5 wagyu for $30.

See all my pictures here. :songdah:

The French Stall

t2r3st — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:41 GMT

Had my sumptuous dinner today at The French Stall @ 83 MacPherson Lane #01-263. ;D

PS: Just happened to know that their official opening of The French Stall @ 83 MacPherson Lane #01-263 on Tue,27 Oct. Free food from 6~8pm.

Bill for my dinner pictured above.
Btw, there's 2x pumpkin soup as we ordered a set each.

Food is good for me, so far I'm very pleased with it. Not too sure about how others think thou.
That's probably why there's free food tasting on their official opening on Tue, 27th Oct from 6-8pm. =)

Everyone's invited: Login | Facebook

Go try if you're interested. (: