Trail of Crumbs

Marutama Ra-men

2012-01-18T18:44:00.001+08:00

Went to The Central at Clark Quay for dinner today. My sis said "let's go eat ramen!". This is where we she dragged me to:

I've never had a good opinion of ramen. Korean ramen tastes like Korean instant ramen (they did too good at job at the instant thing), which sort of killed off its novelty. My sis assured me that it was nothing like that. It turned out to be:

12 bucks for a small bowl of noodles with a slice of meat and some veggies? An extra buck for a braised half boiled egg? Come on sis, you been had!

I ordered spicy chicken soup but when the dish arrived, the soup was clear and missing the usual red colour. This being a Japanese restaurant and all made me lose some faith in the spiciness. Carefully managing my expectations, I sipped a spoonful of soup. Hot and spicy. Nice. Not sure of where's the chicken though. It did not have the usual chicken taste but it had a rich flavor.

On to the noodles! It looked finer than the Korean type. Looked like Mee Kia actually. Slurp! Chew chew. It is Mee Kia. You've been had lah sis! So small bowl how to satisfy my hunger? Chomp chomp chomp. Actually the noodles tastes good with the soup, taken together it had a home made taste.

Hmmmm. Oh! There's the egg. At least something to fill my tum tum. Chom- huh? Such an odd feeling. Normal braised eggs are hard and your teeth sinks into the egg where you expect it. But this braised half boiled egg AVOIDS your teeth, only to delay the unavoidable. And when you do bite into it, a warm, wholesome and rich egg yolk just fills your mouth. Wow. And the taste is different somehow. Nice. Very nice.

We ordered a side of Gyoza, which was freshly prepared and did not have any signs of hardening. The vinegar used was fragrant and not overly sour.

Overall, this restaurants is worth a taste. And it turned out to be very filling!

Boss, tau huay break lei!

2007-08-05T22:58:00.000+08:00

Tau huay. A common breakfast item of an average Singaporean. Frequently asked for by Ah Guan of PCK Private Ltd. So, what is this tau huay? Tau huay is actually the Hokkien term for jellied beancurd. In Mandarin it is called Dou Hua, literally meaning Bean Flower. And yes, it does look like some exotic chinese name you would find in English adventure novels. But in Singapore, it's more chic to order things in Hokkien, hence the popularity of the name Tau Huay. Try it: Tau huay ji wah! (one bowl of tau huay!)

Tau huay, like many other foods such as fried dough sticks and sugarcane juice, are perceived as food with no distinguishing inter-stall difference, i.e. no difference of where you buy it from. This is untrue! If you think all jellied beancurds are the same, then please try the famous Rochor Beancurd. Located at Short Street, Rochor Beancurd is a cut above the rest!

Silky soft and soothingly sweet, Rochor tau huay must be one of the reasons why Ah Guan keeps asking his boss for Tau Huay breaks! I want a break too!

Temptation Island

2007-07-22T00:27:00.001+08:00

This week, after all the sunny days, sudden rains and warm nights on this sunny island set in the sea, let's chill at a cool new place Wendy and I have found: Island Creamery! Located at Serene Center (Bukit Timah area), Island Creamery boasts of great local flavors for their ice creams! Smooth and soft, once you start, you cannot stop!

We had coconut (which is logically the white side) and Teh Tarik (which is logically the brown side, since the white one is coconut). The coconut ice cream was a little more oily than usual, which is expected if you used real coconut milk to make the ice cream. It did make us feel a little guilty eating such sinful stuff, but we balanced the energy intake by eating more teh tarik ice cream. Hmmm, somehow that doesn't sound quite right. Anyway, the teh tarik ice cream was fantastic! The initial taste was of milk tea and as the ice cream melted further in your mouth, the bitter taste of tea bursts in your mouth, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. It was so good! So much so we ventured on to another exotic looking dessert:

Mini baked Alaska! Ahoy matees, look out for iceberg ahead! Hmmm, what is a Baked Alaska in the first place? And what is it doing in an ice cream parlor? Well, in contrast to it's warm exterior, it has a rather cold heart (sounds like some ex-CEO of some charity). It's a dessert that was inspired by the Chinese in the 19th century, and it is made by encasing a core of ice cream with beaten egg whites and subsequently baking the bugger at high temperature. The bubbly egg white acts as a very good insulator against heat, so what you get is a browned exterior but a chilly ice cream core. This dish, however, is not very fantastic. We just tried it out for novelty. Actually it was me who bugged Wendy to buy it. But, as I always say, don't trust me, go try it! (again, this sounds weird....) :>

Satisfaction Guaranteed!

2007-07-15T23:43:00.000+08:00

Ever tried to spell the word "guaranteed" without the use of spell check of a dictionary? I have only recently figured out the exact spelling. It's one of those words that I simply cannot spell by going with it's pronunciation. Anyway, following up on the ever hot durian topic, have you ever wished you could have high quality tasting durian without having to:

-know how to choose a good durian?
-have the arm power to carry the durians home?
-have a good pair of jeans that can protect your legs should your failing armpower cause the bag of durians to brush ever so cruelly across your leg?
-be adept at the use of a cleaver? (no, no chainsaws Jason)
-throw all those empty husks away? (not my turn again!)

If your answer is positive for any of the above questions, then here is the answer for you! Located at The Swissotel Merchant Court, Ellenborough Market Cafe has this amazing durian treat called Durian Pengat! Click here to see the picture. Like the essence of durian from the Heavens, the Durian Pengat is smooth and the taste packs the punch of a dozen D24 in one small bowl. With every spoonful, the savory taste of durian bursts in your mouth, just like the way all the good bittersweet durians that you have ever eaten does. Truly a culinary delight! But before all of you rush down immediately right now ( like I am compelled to), be forewarned that, like the original spiky fruit, this dessert comes with a price. And a high one, nonetheless. Remember the takeaway plastic container commonly used at food centers? Well, for one container of Durian Pengat, it costs $14. 14 buckeroos! If the price scares you now, maybe it is time to practice your cleaver chopping. But for those who are truly durian lovers, please please please try!

I ate a durian

2007-07-07T23:13:00.000+08:00

I ate a durian.
Although the durian husk was tough and spiky,
in the end,
the bittersweet creamy treat found within was all worth it
(especially when it was opened by someone else).

***confessions of a lethargic durian lover***

This is a durian. It is covered with spikes but you have to open it. How?

Step 1, place the durian on a stack of newspapers.
Step 2, hold the durian down with a corner of the stack of newspapers.
Step 3, look on the bottom of the fruit (the end without the stalk) and try to locate the lines formed by increased density of spikes. They should radiate from the bottom of the fruit.
Step 4, using a cleaver, deal a sound blow exactly on the line and remember to avoid chopping off your thumb. Do not remove the embedded chopper!
Step 5, twist the embedded chopper and you will find that the husk will split along the line. You can now remove the chopper and split the fruit completely with your hands. Do remember that the spikes are still there and injuries might occur when you try to grab the fruit too enthusiastically.

Ta-da!Opened!

Pick up and fruit and eat it. Note that there is a large seed inside! (choking hazard: keep out of reach of young children)

Yummy..... Do note that the fruit is very strong smelling and your subsequent burps of pleasure may result in the people who are unacquainted with the fruit to start suspecting a gas leak in the building. Burp. Excuse me.

Unlike most other fruits, which, upon finishing them, the most you have to do is to throw the skin away. But for the durian, as it is a very heaty fruit, excessive consumption could result in you feeling extremely hot and uncomfortable for the rest of the day. Coupled with the fact that the fruiting season of durians coincide with the hottest months of the year in South East Asia, some medical intervention is needed! (and no, it's not to avoid eating the fruit)

What you have to do is simple: Take the empty husk and put some salt into the depression where the fleshy fruit used to be. Add some water and stir it with your fingers. Drink the water and dispose of the husk with great care (kicking a bag full of durian husk will be an effective reminder for the rest of your life) It is believed that this step has to be performed in an empty durian husk or else it will not be effective. So don't just drink salt water from a cup! Enjoy!

Original post- Responsible Blogging (status: foiled)

2007-06-29T23:58:00.000+08:00

It has been a long long time since I last posted on this blog. If you guys had waited for my recommendation before going for dinner, I'm sure many of you would be in a nice bright peaceful place full of pastry and other sweet nice things. Well, the last year has been a hectic university final year for me, with all the project reports and stuff. That's my excuse you say? Well, for those that are familiar with the university schedule, yes, I did finish my finals in early May and have been slacking since then. But the reason why I haven't blogged since my exams was simply, a writer's block. I can't think of a good topic to talk about! So I thought of talking about a Balanced Diet. Why do health professionals always ask you to eat a balanced diet and exercise 30 minutes a day for most days of the week? Do they even do that themselves?

Food pyramid from the Health Promotion Board

See what a boring topic it was headed to? But my savior arrived then! Meet Anna! Wow! Look at all the pictures! Pastry from the heavens! It reminded why I became a food blogger in the first place: I was not meant to save people through diet but to worship food! Food! Food! So go everyone! Eat and be happy! By the way Kenneth, with a mom like that, you must be really, really happy.

Photo by Kenneth, with permission from the author.

GingerBread Man

2006-12-25T11:04:00.000+08:00

I came across a young boy munching on a piece of gingerbread man on Christmas eve. He caught my attention when he started making weird expressions on his face upon his first bite. This aroused my curiousity and I began to wonder how does it taste like. Is it hard or soft, sweet or spicy? Kiah Shen who was beside me, couldn't give me a satisfactory answer. So he made his way to the Coffeebean cafe counter and purchased a gingerbread man to let me have a taste of it.
"Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I am the gingerbread man."
Childhood imaginations of the fleeing gingerbread man being pursued by a hungry mob and the prospect of eating it filled me with a slight sense of guilt. These thoughts were disrupted when Kiah Shen came back with a big gingerbread man on a plate and now I had to decide which part should I eat first. The head, hand or leg? Oh, not the head! Those big staring white chocolate eyes! That'll have to be the last. So I broke off the leg and took my first bite. Hmm... not sweet nor spicy. The texture was ok, not too hard. Smells nice but the taste was not fantastic at all. Well, this was a bit of a disappointment after all the anticipation. Maybe that's why it's only popular during Christmas, no?

Floggers unite?

2006-08-12T23:53:00.000+08:00

I got to know recently from Nibbles and Scribbles that there is a Food Bloggers Dinner! Too bad $60 per head is too much for a poor undergrad like me... Any sponsors?

Banzai!

2006-07-03T23:46:00.000+08:00

Haiz, it's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog...~

I have been on hospital attachment for the past few weeks and it's been tough for a rookie like me. Thank goodness it's ending soon! For poor people like me who have to work tomorrow, maybe this can lessen the Monday blues!

Yes! For depressed people working in the Ayer Rajah area, (including dellusional NUS students whose semester is about to start), this is the comfort food YOU are looking for.

Located at Ayer Rajah Food Center, Don Japanese Cuisine (#01-13) sells Donburi of ABOVE restaurant stardards but for a fraction of the price. I particularly like the Tempura Prawn set. The prawns are fresh, seasoned and fried to perfection and does not feel too oily! It comes along with fried shitake mushrooms and a healthy portion of sliced lettuce, all of which sits on a thin piece of egg which lies over the calrose rice. The savoury tempura sauce adds an intense assault on the tastebuds, and the overall feeling can only be described in one word: Oiishi!!! Plus the miso soup, tofu side dish and fruit, it's all going for only $4.50 per set! Truly an gastronomical yet affordable recommendation, courtesy of ToC.

Teriyaki Chicken Don tastes good too! (Actually everything they sell taste good...) This stall only opens Mon to Fri, 10am till 4pm and Sat from 10am to 2pm. Note the working hours! You wouldn't want to cry over the crumbs!

Another busy week!

2006-06-09T23:44:00.000+08:00

Hiya people! No new food intro yet but rest assured that there'll be more to come. Just to follow up on my last post, many thanks to Monkey who gave me the picture lead. I thought it'll be difficult cos I don't know the Serangoon area that well and Monkey didn't leave any other clues... But the wonders of the Net prevails and I have pinned down the location of River South (Hoe Nam) Prawn Noodles eating house! All thanks to Google and a fellow food enthu blog, Nibble & Scribble! Do look through her very informative blog, she covers more of the food of the Northern and the central area of the Island. (heng ah!)

*update! The noodles taste good but are not quite the best we have tasted. Lacks a certain Xfactor. Actually the best one we tasted was found in Whampoa Market, but he sold his stall and it sucks now, so sad...

Busy week!

2006-05-28T22:27:00.000+08:00

This week was a hectic week for me, so no new food post. Can anyone direct me to a place that sells good:

Prawn noodles?

Tracking down Botak Jones...

2006-05-19T17:26:00.000+08:00

Working on a reliable lead, my search for Botak Jones lead me down to the bowels of Singapore: Pioneer. In case you have no idea where Pioneer is, it is just next to Tuas, on the western tip of Singapore Island and around 20 years ago it was all sea. It is that ulu (out of the way). So, in contrast to our previous practice of letting visitors of ToC find their way to the recommended stall, we'll bring you there this time round!

According to our sources, Botak Jones can be found in Pioneer Sector 2. But that area is quite big, so where can he be? Thank goodness Botak Jones has techno-savvy followers who divulged his whereabouts in an online forum. It seems that he is at 32 Pioneer Sector 2.

But how to get there? By a bus service apparently. Upon investigating the map at Boon Lay bus terminal, the bus to take is no. 257. Take the bus to stage 17 (look at the EZ link card detector for the stage number) then you would have arrived at Sungei Kadut Eating House.You can also pick up the bus route info on the bus itself to facilitate your exploration!

Just at the corner of the eating house you'll find:

Wah! Finally reached! Trust me, 17 stages on the bus is something only the poor army boys at the nearby Tanjung Gul Camp and devoted foodies can endure! Just kidding. Oh, of course Botak Jones is a western food stall. Didn't I say so in the beginning? I'm no hitman you know. Anyway, that happens to be how I got the lead: someone who goes for reservist in that camp told me. Ok, what am I gonna have? Hmm, a Cajun Chicken please!

Whoa! It looks impressive! Like something out of a restaurant. But for a reasonable price of $6.50, it lives up to what is written on its signboard: DAMN GOOD FOOD AT A DAMN GOOD PRICE. The fries are crispy and showered with spices. Not like those MSG laden Shaker Fries from Mac I assure. There is a healthy (huge) portion of still refridgerator-cold coleslaw. Nice! And the chicken was great! I'm not well versed in western food but the cajun chicken was well seasoned with spices and the meat was not tough or powdery, something which is quite unexpected when one uses breast meat. I could literally taste professionalism in their food.

They also have lotsa other food like sandwiches, burgers and sauages. All the stuff you find in western restaurants can be found here! And judging by their large numbers of ang moh customers, you can guess their food is good! Apart from good food, their service is also excellent! I really enjoyed my trip to this stall.

They also have a website you can visit: http://www.botakjones.com/
They provide delivery in Tuas area, and catering. Check them out! Dun visit them on Sundays though; they are closed. Saturday they work till 5pm. But if you really wan to try their food on Sunday, you can go to their Ang Mo Kio branch (more accessible also lah!):

Yue Hua Food Place
Block 608 Ang Mo Kio Ave. 5
Note: this outlet is closed on Monday!

Chwee Kueh

2006-05-13T00:13:00.000+08:00

Chwee Kueh used to be something that Chinese usually ate for breakfast. But as with many other foods, the voracious Singaporeans manage to convert it into something that is eaten throughout the day. Personally I feel it's rather light, meaning that it feels like more of an appetiser rather than a meal. The sight of this food reminds me of one of the silly little troubles I faced when growing up:

Chwee Kueh actually has a name in Mandarin (chwee kueh is the name in Hokkien dialect). The Mandarin name is Shui Guo, which sounds exactly like Fruit in Mandarin. So when I was young, my teacher always told us to converse in proper Mandarin. So the problem came when I wanted to eat this food. Do I tell the owner I want chwee kueh (Hokkien. Unacceptable) or shui guo (might be mistaken as trying to buy fruit and be laughed at)? So the answer was simple: ask mom to buy it or eat something else. But as time went by and I knew more words, I realised that there's nothing wrong with using dialect. Plus there's no way to avoid it either. Lots of food names are in Hokkien, like char kway teow, hum (cockles), ban jian kueh, or lua and many more. Since I'm such a foodie, I just can't resist all of them. Dang, the need to survive can really change a person. "Boss, one chwee kueh eat here!"

A great stall that sells chwee kueh is a stall located at Jurong West St 52 Food Center, stall no.01-27: Tiong Bahru Jian Bo Shui Kueh. The chwee kueh is exceptional in that the combination of the mild tasting and translucent kueh, the chye poh and aromatic chilli go really well together. The kueh is very soft but not squishy or sticky. The chye poh ( a diced preserved vegetable) is very crunchy and not too salty, unlike some stalls I had patronised. The chilli is not too hot and has special ingredients that make it very aromatic. So can you imagine the oral ecstacy of chewing such a marvellous combination? Why bother to? Just go try it today!

Long Lunch Break

2006-05-03T23:00:00.000+08:00

Hello hello! Sorry for the long break. I had exams and it wasn't really very palatable. Well, life goes on and we all need to eat! Yay!

Whoopee! Nothing like high cholesterol to start the holidays! Eggs, starch and fresh, large oysters perfectly stir fried into a crispy pancake and stacked together to give you this wonderful dish called Hao Jian or Fried Oyster (it's not normally called oyster omelette as that refers to another dish. It's quite complex but if you would treat me to lunch I would love to tell you more!). Eaten together with its partner chilli sauce that is both hot and mildly sour, the resultant flavour and texture can only be described as oishi! ( a term japanese people use when they are eating something especially delicious. For better effect, say it while being goggle eyed and remember to cover your mouth. For a demo, watch more of Japan Hour!)

For a good stall that sells fried oyster, try the one from a stall named Fatty Weng, located in a coffeeshop called Yong Xing noodle house and restaurant at Bukit Batok West Block 156 Market!

What's cookin'?

2006-04-17T23:13:00.000+08:00

Look at the utensils laid out! Can you guess what's coming up next?

A mug of oil, a mug of dark soya sauce, two bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, one ladle and one plate.... Hmmm, what can we be having?

Knew you wouldn't waste time guessing! We're having claypot rice! Whoopee!

The stall we patronised is located in a coffeeshop at Blk 328, Clementi Ave 2, and its stall name is New Lucky Claypot Chicken Rice. The thing that I love about the claypot rice at this stall is the chicken! It's extraordinary! The texture of the chicken meat is like nothing I've ever tasted. So tender and moist, even the breast meat too. The salted fish bits added an unexpected salty punch to the dish at times and the chinese sausage was so sinful. I nearly tried to send Wendy off for some miscellaneous task so I could eat more of the claypot rice. Mine mine mine! Gluttony aside, do take note that the stall is closed on Wednesdays.

Oh, by the way, claypot rice needs a little more work from the customer before it can be eaten.

Trail of Crumbs (ToC) Ultimate Stepwise guide to claypot rice preprandial preparation:
1. Take out the chicken and put it on the plate.
2. Add the dark soya sauce and a little bit of oil.
3. Mix the rice well with the ladel. The rice should appear uniformly darkish brown after proper mixing.
4. Taste and repeat step 2 to 4 is necessary.
5. Dish out the rice into the bowls, take some chicken and it's Chow Time!

Chickern lice, er, chicken rice

2006-04-08T00:05:00.000+08:00

After a long period of trying out the chicken rice in the west side of Singapore, I have discovered one of the best chicken rice of the West: Xing Yun Hainanese chicken! Stall no. 01-202. Located in Jurong East market, the chicken rice they prepare is excellent! Firstly, the meat is very tender, the rice is aromatic but not too oily and the chilli sauce is absolutely wonderful! Not too hot and not too watered down.

Tip of the day: When you order chicken rice, you CAN specify the parts that you want or the parts that you don't. Try not to take the breast meat (this applies to all chicken rice stalls). Normally breast meat is more tough and doesn't taste so good. For me, I always tell the vendor that I don't want breast meat. The price remains the same, but the difference in taste is, ah, so great.

Breakfast @ Bugis

2006-04-01T22:35:00.000+08:00

One fine morning, for reasons I tried in vain to recall, we were in the Bugis area. With breakfast in mind, we entered the Albert Food Centre, which is located near the Famous Kwan Im Tong temple. Upon exploring the area, we realised that there was a moderately long queue outside a stall called Fatt Kee Shou Shi (means a stall named Fatt Kee selling cooked food, literally) which sells bee hoon, porridge and yam cakes. This should be a normal sight except this stall sells them in much smaller portions than usual. The prices are also proportionally lower. I guess this is sales method caters to the insatiable but fickle appetites of the average Singaporean, thus boosting overall sales and popularity. I bought a few items to try:

The bee hoon is not great with my standards, but Wendy seemed ok with it, saying that it had the taste of rice, which is supposed to be good. But the porridge, wah, is very good. Ever drank homemade fish soup? Can you imagine porridge made with that soup? Not too thick and not too watery? Is the mental simulation too much for you? Fret not! Try the porridge from this stall! It is very good! I actually went back and bought one more bowl, because having one just seemed not enough.

While you're queuing for the food, do look out for the Taichi Beehoon auntie! If she's there, you're going to be treated into a wonderful performance where she focuses her mind and Spiral Taichi forces to create portions of fried bee hoon that are of equal quantity (I suspect it's to the nearest gram). That's why the fried beehoon in the picture is more conical in shape than the conventional ones.

Haiyah! Chicken chop!

2006-03-24T23:00:00.000+08:00

And no, Haiyah! is not the name of the shop. The shop is located in a coffee shop called S21 Cafe at Clementi Ave 4 Blk 308. The name of the stall is Clementi Fried Chicken & Burger and it is Halal western food stall that sells chicken chop and other assorted fried items like fried chicken, fish and chips and chicken cutlet. But I particularly like the chicken chop because the meat is moist and the marinade they use makes the chicken chop taste quite unique. The bad point about this shop is that its standard fluctuates, so sometimes it is not as fantastic as when they are on form. You'll have to 'bo heng suay' or try your luck!

Chunks of chicken, fries and coleslaw followed by teh-O: shiok!

Easter hunt continued!

2006-03-20T22:42:00.000+08:00

Alamak! NOBODY tried to find the egg tarts? So sad. It must be because less people are coming to this blog. Must advertise. Hey, best food in Singapore! Food blog, best in Singapore and Ubin ah, lelong lelong! Want to know where to eat next? Come to this blog! Yeah! (ok, lets not overdo it)

Well, with all the previous clues, Wendy and I looked high and low for the legendry egg tart. With lotsa luck, intensive interrogation of taxi drivers and good old help from Kedai Buku, we managed to stumble on the X mark of the treasure map: Taman Sri Trebau!

Located near Pelangi, which means Raindow in malay, this part of JB is a nice a interesting eating spot. It has lotsa food and a food centre which houses many BBQ fish stalls and it seems that one of the stall sell very good Begger's chicken. Why do we say this? Well, this is one of the clues that we food hunters use. If an area has a high density of a certain type of food, it is highly likely that there is one or two stalls that sells a very delicious version of that food! (eh, I giving out my trade secrets lei. Come to my blog please!) This explains the laksa situation at Katong and beef hor fun of Geylang.

Battle of the Golden balls

2006-03-11T10:19:00.000+08:00

Directed by a lead, we headed to Golden Mile Food Center, which is also known to the locals as the army market, to test out the glutinous rice balls (tang yuan). There are actually two rival stalls in this food centre. How do we know they are rivals? Well, when they sell exactly the same stuff in exactly the same flavors and soup, you'll know there's competition in the air. Actually, this is how we see if there's something particularly good at a certain location. If there is, scores of other stalls which sell the same thing will be there to snatch business from first time customers who stumble in from a recommendation.

With anticipation of good food, we ordered glutinous rice balls from the two stalls and crept to a place out of sight of the two stall owners. Then the ultimate test: munch!

Eh? Both stalls don't taste different. Texture is similar, the taste of the paste is similar also. But the bad thing was that both dun taste exceptional, aka normal. We deliberately bought all the flavours to try, but all of them tasted normal. I must say that we were disappointed.

A few months after the failed Battle of the Golden balls, Wendy ~~suddenly screamed into my ear~~ enthusiastically told me that she had just eaten the best glutinous rice balls. The anticipatory widening of my eyes rapidly narrowed when she said that is was so good that it was better than the ones she made herself. As she dragged me to Ghim Moh food centre, I mentally prepared myself to eat something that tastes 'better than what she makes'. Before I could finish my prayers, I found myself standing at the corner of the food centre where the stall was. 01-43 Ah Balling peanut soup. Oddly familiar.... Oh, it was one of the stalls we tried in Golden Mile Food centre! But since we were already there, we got a bowl of all the flavors of glutinous rice balls.

I closed my eyes and put one into my mouth. Then my eyes open with shock: ultra nice! Wonderful even! Like biting on puffs of cloud which burst into rich flavors! The peanut soup was wonderful too! Not too sweet. I particularly enjoyed the sesame flavored ones. Thanks for bringing me there Wendy!

Step back into the good ole days...

2005-08-22T22:34:00.000+08:00

One fine day after lunch, Hansel and Gretel went out for a walk in the woods. Thinking that a short walk would aid in their digestion, they happily (but unfortunately) walked into the witch's woods. Of course, soon they were lost. With panic rising within them, they were overjoyed to see some signs of civilisation: a house made of bread!

This was what went through my mind as Wendy and I stared at the shop before me. I was initially attracted to the shop as I thought a fire had devastated it a few days ago. There was soot everywhere! On the walls and ceilings, even on those bricks on the shelves.... eh? What the....?

Are those bread?! Wah say! So much carbon! Definitely carcinogenic! But, like Hansel, I chose to buy one loaf to try. After all, how many of these authentic bakeries of the past still exist? Anyway, they cut off the carbonized skin of the bread when I bought them, so it was all nice and white and everything. The bread was good, I suppose. See, actually I don't like plain bread that much. But it was very fragrant and very fresh! Bagus!

Anyway, when I was paying for the bread, I jumped at the chance to ask for permission to take photos of the bakery. Luckily, the owner graciously agreed, but on the condition that we were not allowed to take photos of him. (camera shy, eh?)

Then we were off! Snapping here and there, we saw many things that we have never seen before. Like the worker getting bread out of the huge, old oven with a long, carbon covered stick. Wow! That's not something you see everyday! And the bread! All the glorious bread! Can someone pass the curry chicken? I just have to dip those bread in curry! In nice thick smooth CURRY! Chilli crabs will do too!

But there is something that photos can never represent: the aroma! Yes! The mouthwatering aroma of bread baking in the oven! The smell of years of baking everyday seem to emit from the very walls, and as I stood in the shop, I began to appreciate its truthful and wonderful appearance. Surely hunting for food has never been as zen as this experience!

If you want to go and have a look, this shop is at the row of shop houses just in front of the market at 92 Whampoa Drive. You can't miss it: it is very obvious. Have fun! The bakery awaits you!

Alert! Heaven approaching!

2005-07-02T23:32:00.000+08:00

What's that? It's heaven! No! Its Makan Mania of the 60s!

But it's over! It was held at Bugis Junction from the 1st till 3rd of july! Got lots of old and new hybrids of old food.

Have you ever tried:

Ahhh! It was a foodtastic day!

Easter hunt.

2005-05-14T22:24:00.000+08:00

Yes, I haven't updated my food blog in a while. No, I'm not lazy. I prefer to say that I'm uninspired by the food around me. None of the food around me seem to evoke any sense of awe anymore. So, to get that feeling again, Wendy and I decided to go to Johor Bahru to look for a pastry that kept appearing in her mind: Egg tarts!

Robot eyes?

Don't underestimate the taste of these egg tarts. Wendy actually HATES egg tarts. But this single one egg tart found in JB actually won her heart over and stayed in her mind ever since. However, we had only very limited clues of where the egg tarts were bought. Therefore, acting on little clues obtained from her father's accounts, we set out to find the Ultimate Egg Tart!

The clues which we had:
1) Bought in "XX Garden" -XX花园. From conversations with colleagues, we realised that the place may not be a garden but the name of a place, which we, on further probing, assumed to be Malaysia Garden-大马花园
2) A place where Singaporeans go to eat seafood.
3) Plastic bag and packing had no indication of the name of the shop.
4) Egg tart's crust is not brittle yet crumbles at the the instant of biting it. The egg is moist, soft, not too sweet and is creamy in consistancy. The egg has a yellow surface but its centre is pale yellow in colour. The combination of the crust and the egg can only be described as heavenly!

Divine!

In other words, it is the BEST EGG TART we've ever tasted!!!
With these information, can you find this treasure at the end of the rainbow? You should try, it's very fun!

The market's movin

2005-05-03T21:18:00.000+08:00

Didn't post for a long time liao. But now that my exams are over, I can finally continue blogging.

I went to Corporation Drive Food Centre today for some fish soup and realised that finally the market will be relocated to its new premise nearby. They'll close officially on the 8th of May. In case you have no idea where I'm talking about, almost all the food that I've talked about in my previous posts comes from there. Haiz, all the history gone overnight just like that. Thank goodness I took some photos for rememberance.

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Anyway, not all the stalls have gone and luckily, my Lucky Fish Bee Hoon stall is still open for business. And I have to say that it still tastes quite good. I'll update the location of the stalls once they have moved into the new permises. Just wished you guys have tried the food...

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Challenge!

2005-03-07T00:12:00.000+08:00

Hmmm, due to public discontent that Wendy and I only comment on other people's cooking and never do any of our own, we decided to create a few dishes for your critique. We chose to make a fruit cheesecake and Or Ni, which is a chinese dessert.

Swimming Fruits

Our Fruit Cheesecake, still waiting patiently in the cake tin! Look at the colourful toppings. There are peaches, pineapples,honeydew, watermelon and some of the Mandarin Oranges left over from Chinese New Year! Let's get it out of the cake tin! Oh the suspense! Oh the calories!

Collapse! But still good...

Oh no! Due to a miscaluculation of resultant strength of the gelatin covering, the gelatin began to collapse under its own weight! Oh the horror! Despite the mark deduction for the appearence, the taste of the cheesecake was wonderful! The sinfulness of the cheesecake was redeemed by the goodness of the fruits, making it an overall divine experience. So nice.....

Or Ni

Next dish that is coming up is the Or Ni! As with many Chinese desserts, this is a very sinful one. It is made of mashed yam simmered in coconut oil with lots of sugar. Ginko nuts were added too. There final product is a light purple creamy paste with Ginko nuts dispersed in it. Its sweet taste and smooth texture immediately tell you why it is a favorite dessert during Chinese weddings: To wish that the newlyweds have a sweet and smooth marriage. Ah, bliss...

Buay tahan!

2005-01-26T22:56:00.000+08:00

After weeks of eating porridge and soupy stuff, Wendy and I can finally take it no more! We decided to ignore the the feeble warning alarms at the back of our minds and allow ourselves to indulge in a meal of Fried Bee Hoon. Yes, been hoon. We talked about it earlier on the previous postings. Go read if you dun know what it is!

Basiacally, the stall is still in Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre. The name of the stall is Bee Hoon Kuay Teow Mee and Rice. It is located on the second storey of the food centre. Yes, I know it isn't a stall name, it's more of a menu. But that's what's written on the signboard, so..... Anyway, what this stall sells is what is locally referred to as economic bee hoon, cos it is cheap and you can add additional stuff like chicken wings, fried eggs, Taiwanese sausages, etc. The usual favorites of Singaporeans!

Look! How can you resist?!

This stall is recommended cos the bee hoon here is not oily at all, plus the chicken wings (when freshly fried), taste heavenly! Remember to say yes when the uncle asks whether you want chilli, cos it is also worth a try! (However, nowadays, the business has become slower since their move to this new location, so the Chicken wings are not so fantastic anymore.... Sigh...)

The stall is open everyday except Sunday, and from late afternoon till late into the night (just my guess as I don't have the habit of waiting until people close shop) Do go and try!

iIlness taboos...

2005-01-23T13:48:00.000+08:00

As the ancient Chinese saying goes: "Fortune never happens twice but misfortune never comes alone." Soon after the recovery from my illness, Wendy falls ill. She started off with a very bad sore throat which eventually led to flu-like symptoms and finally with a bad cough.

The Chinese believe that certain food tend to aggravate various disease states. For example:

If you have a cough, refrain from eating chicken and oranges, cos these will agitate your throat and make your cough worse. Staying away from bananas are important as it is believed to cause the body to produce more phlegm.

A sore throat is indicative of an excessively "heaty" body system. Therefore, to prevent the aggravation of the condition, one should avoid "heaty" food like chocolate, fried and baked food, red meats like beef and especially mutton, foods that contain chilli or are hot and finally fruits like rambutans and durians are a strict no-no. A heaty system is also said to cause acne, so for the image concious people out there, refrain from these foods! (to avoid fried food is healthier too, in the view of Western medicine)

Chinese believes in duality, like yin and yang, so if there are heaty food then there are cooling food. Food that cools the system includes vegetables and fruits like cucumbers and watermelons. Hyper cooling food exist too, and examples of these are bitter gourd, pineapples and mangosteens.

A body system that is extremely cooled or heated will result in diseases. Therefore, balance is the key. (this also appears in Western medicine where a balanced diet is important for the general well-being of the body) So, do not over-indulge in food from either categories! One can instead choose more neutral food like apples, pears and white meats like chicken and fish so as not to antangonize the body's balance. However, please bear in mind that diet is only part of the contributing factors to the body's balance of heatiness and coolingness. Activities like late nights or take long afternoon naps and repeated, drastic changes in the surrounding temperature can also disrupt the body's natural balance.

The Chinese also believe that disease can also arise from ingesting too much toxins. (Toxins?! From where?! I dun take arsenic!) Well, it seems that this "toxin" is not the conventional type that we know. This toxin (or "Tok" in Hokkien), is present mainly in marine animals like crabs, prawns, cuttlefish and squid. One should avoid the overconsumption of these organisms. Coincidentally, these organisms are high in cholesterol, so the Asian belief may not be wrong, as high cholesterol levels in the body does lead to diseases like heart attack.

Yes yes, it looks good...but...

Hmm... Wendy is still unwell. Maybe I shouldn't type too much. Oh well, if you feel unwell, just visit the chinese physician! (or locally referred to as "Chinese sinseh") :>

Breakfast?

2005-01-10T13:05:00.000+08:00

My premonition of sickness proves to be accurate. I fell sick soon after my last post. But now that I'm better again, I'm ready to reveal the next food on my to eat list. This food is still found in the Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre. If you are wondering whether I'm a lazy guy who only chooses to eat at the nearest food outlet and who delusionally thinks that the food is great in order to pacify his hungry but lazy stomach, you are wrong! It's just more convenient to do food research by concentrating on a certain area.

So, if you happen to read this blog in the morning, you might want to consider trying the Niang Tou Fu aka Yong Tau Fu from the Fa Ji Niang Tou Fu. Located on the second floor of the food centre, this stall provides a large variety of food items to choose from. In case you are not familiar with Yong Tau Fu, you just choose six or more pieces of food items and give them to the stall vendor who will then ask you for the type of noodle you want. You can choose bee hoon (yes please!) or yellow noodle or kuay teow (flattened nice noodles).

So colourful! So nice!

Upon making your choice of noodles, the next choice would be whether you want your noodles and food items to be swimming in soup or not (if you want the soup and noodle to be separated just tell the person you want it dry) If you want it dry, you'll have the option of having it hot (as in chilli paste) or not. Do try the dry bee hoon version with chilli. We find it really good!

Chinese Culinary

2005-01-02T21:45:00.000+08:00

Traditionally, the Chinese have categorised food according to their innate properties. The term "heaty" referred to food that stimulates the body system, "cooling" referred to food that soothes the body system and "neutral" referred to food which neither stimulates nor soothes the body system. Chinese culinary aims at achieving a good sense of taste as well as balancing these innate properties. Ginger is commonly used in fish bee hoon and other kinds seafood preparations to dissipate the fish odour. Ginger is considered as "heaty". In order to create a balance, some fish bee hoon will have slices of bitter gourd in the soup because bitter gourd is classified as "cooling".

2004-12-23T22:39:00.000+08:00

Waiting?

Dong Zhi

2004-12-21T21:40:00.000+08:00

Today is Dong Zhi, literally meaning the "arrival of winter". It is an important festival of the Chinese calendar and the Chinese regards this day as a day of thanksgiving. Dong Zhi is celebrated on the longest night of the year, when sunshine is weakest and daylight is the shortest. It usually falls between Dec 21 and 23 in the solar calender.

Dong Zhi is the last festival of the year. It coincides with the winter solstice and it is a time for the entire family to get together to celebrate the past good year. Some Chinese traditionalists believe that everyone turns a year older after Dong Zhi. Glutinous rice balls known as Tang Yuan are made, cooked and eaten to signify unity and harmony within the family. Tang Yuan can be plain or rolled around a filling of sesame, peanuts, red bean or almond. TangYuan are often cooked in peanut or ginger soup. The round shape symbolizes wholeness and unity.

<>I just finished a bowl of Tang Yuan which my family makes them ourselves. Some Chinese practise the custom of eating the number of Tang Yuan according to the age, for e.g. one eats 12 Tang Yuan when one is 12 years old. However, I usually eat more than my age because I am greedy. Haha. Tang Yuan are easily available in supermarkets and food centres. There are two places that sell quite delicious Tang Yuan, at Outram Park and Beach Road. Kiah Shen and I will update the exact location later.

Journey to the West

2004-12-18T20:23:00.001+08:00

Wendy and I both live in the West, so naturally we are more familiar with the food around this area. Therefore, we decided to start off the trail from our turf. But sadly, if you are the kind that cannot stand places with no air conditioning, we suggest you stop here, because in our opinion, most of the really good Singaporean food are found in food centres (locally known as hawker centres), and in coffee shops, which can be slightly uncomfortable but relatively safe.

Now, first on the list is the ultimate die die must go hawker centre in the West:
Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre .

This newly made food centre is located on the old site of an old food centre, which was known to the locals as "60 stalls". (cos there were 60 stalls in the food centre. Simple, rite?) It is located beside the new Jurong Town Community Centre. You can't miss it.

If you love seafood, here's the stall for you! Located on the third floor of the food centre is a shop named BBQ Fish. (Unit 03-178) If you can read chinese, it also says that it is the Woodlands branch. It opens in the evening and 7 days a week.

This shops sells the best and freshest barbequed seafood that I have ever tasted! You can choose a variety of seafood like fish, crayfish, squid, shellfish and stingray! Upon choosing your seafood, the chef will 'barbeque' it, (I suspect he fries it) and serve it covered with the best chilli paste ever, all on a preheated iron plate.

Oooooh! BBQ stingray... ooooh....

You can also complement your meal with a plate of steaming vegetable, like what the locals call petai (acquired taste. Dun try if you generally cannot stand strong taste) or you could choose the Sambal KangKong (this dish is nice!) For the choice of seafood, I haven't tried them all but my personal favorites are their BBQ stingray and squid. Oooooh.... yum yum......

Sambal kangkong! Our favourite!