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WE HAVE MOVED!

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Jing-le All the Way

Of all pictures, why this one? I love how beautifully broken-in the Soon Hock fish (or Marbled Goby), looks...The scalded fish tasted spectacular...clean and tender - we gobbled it up rather quickly between the five of us even though we were so stuffed...Yum cha galore, steaming hot soup, claypot ginger chicken stew, fatty pork knuckle in sweet black vinegar, signature wasabi prawns, all this and more can be found at the newly-opened Jing @ One Fullerton (Tel : 6224 0088). Just walk in any weekend, and pay one price to be fed everything on the menu - a la carte buffet - S$36++. Paired with my favourite pu-erh tea, the brunch experience was one big adventure as all of us went for almost everything on the menu and polished designer bowls and plates, and licked cleanly off every copper cutlery we touched. It was that good, and such a value-for-money meal must be given 110% devotion and commitment (in tummy and soul)= infinite satisfaction. Like the 50-over items on the menu isn't enough, we ordered an additional plate of Boston lobster with ee-fu noodles for another $18++. And ended with a sugar overload - mango and pomelo with sago, and avocado drinks served in chilled champagne flutes, assorted tropical fruit platter, Chinese pastries (wasabi and red bean roll was delish), and homemade ice-cream (milo flavour ran out :( ). We were stuffed as bloated sushi...burp.

What's New at the Old Market?

I guess the only thing that's worth going to Lau Pa Sat Festival Market (18 Raffles Quay;http://www.laupasat.biz/)

for is the satay served on the street. Over 120 stalls, with loads of different global cuisines to pick from under your nose, the stall lights and menus can be quite deceiving to the untrained eye. Especially at the seafood ones which don't really put up prices, and freshness of crustaceans and fish are questionable sometimes. Everything else is so-so...the char kway teow we ordered last night were tasteless and lacked colour, the local desserts such as ice kachang were sub-standard - served more like a fat ball than a tall peak of colourful sugar syrup and sweet corn. The only saving grace were probably Rojak Ministry, yum cha and the kooky young coconuts. I walked around inside in circles, and noticed that there was a mini concert playing Jewel's '90's hit, You Were Meant For Me, going on right in the centre of the 150-year-old national monument. Yawn-worthy.

What An Eggy Delight!

What the heck is this, you may ask. Well, at Crystal Jade Kitchen(http://www.crystaljade.com/crystal_jade_kitchen.htm) there are loads of stuff to choose from the placemat that's also a menu - over 20 different congee and another 20 variations of noodles - my favorite being the shrimp dumpling noodles...slurrrrp...I have to say though that the dishes served in the Casual Dining category of restaurants are getting better, and the decor's more relevant to the times. Instead of the traditional hideous red banquet seats and round tables with the boring white table cloths, the chairs are lean in design, and the booth seats are mighty comfortable. It is still very Chinese, what with the shouting of orders in the kitchen, and taking orders on paper chits, written in huge Chinese characters, and chatter amongst service staff in Cantonese. I love it! Back to food...What the heck is this picture? It's huge prawns partially submerged in a platter of egg custard served very warm...yumsssss...the "2 egg with Chinese spinach" dish is an all-time favorite and can be eaten all by me-self. Really, Crystal Jade Kitchen is consistent in food quality, affordable in price and accessible in many countries within APAC.

The Grainy Craving

I truly dislike rice, but since the acidic-tummy episode which struck me not too long ago, porridge is my new best friend. The warm feeling in my tummy, and the calming effect it has on my body is unmistakable. Century and salted eggs are yums in my tums...And a good handful of chopped you tiao (fried dough sticks) gives me the crunch that I crave for almost always in all dishes all the time (sans the spring onions and fried onion thingeys). Very picky, huh...Ever since I embarked on my quest to try the best chok in Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, I have decided that Imbi Palace (No.8 Jalan Barat, Off Jalan Imbi; +603 2145 4822) serves the best chok. Ever. Straight out of the pot, the smooth blend of grains, sesame oil, pin-like ginger straws and generous chunks of black century egg, peppered lightly with super-crunchy you tiao, is unsurpassable by any other name. A big hit with the local crowds especially during the yum cha weekends, this is truly worth the trip across the causeway.

Hey Mykii...You Didn't Blow My Mind

We decided to trot over to Mykii - pronounced as mee-kai, (17D Lorong Liput, http://www.mykii.com.sg/) and dived into the lunch specials which were not bad at all. All four of us ordered different mains (soup + main course = S$9.80++). E and me went cold on pasta with fresh tomatoes, mock crab meat and straw mushrooms topped with an almost-perfect sphere of fried egg. The mock crab meat was yuck - and honestly, if serving a cold dish, best to serve in a chilled bowl, or over a hidden pouch of ice in a glass bowl - accompanied by a tall shot of tomato puree. The chicken and tofu burger was not bad at all, and was as tasty as it looked (check out the picture on the sidebar). However, the Dory which K waited eagerly for, looked like an absolute mess - the fish looked like it was carelessly thrown on the plate and haphazardly dressed in creamy sauce. We were clueless about what that fish plate was about. Will I visit again? Most definitely. The a la carte menu looks more exciting than the lunch offerings, and way sexier - Prawn Casserole In Spicy Tomato With Kaffir Leaf Pilaf and Pot Roasted Chicken With Almond & Olive Pilaf.

It's A Family Thang

Try to figure out what this is...hah! Shepherd's Pie @ Swensen's (Thomson Plaza, http://www.swensens.com.sg/). My family had a craving for fish and chips so we landed up at our all-time, value-for-money family place at Thomson Road over the weekend. My dad, being the rebel that he is, decided to go English on us and dug into the local version of the potato-meat combo and soup. Dinner was nothing fancy, just wholesome tastes which brought back many Swensen's memories for us kids. Years ago, we used to end off with Coit Tower, Firehouse Happy Birthday and Banana Split. Times have changed as everyone's watching their sugar intake, and I've grown accustomed to a low-sugar, no-lactose, no-dairy diet. So only my mum polished her tall sundae glass of ice-cream, whipped cream, heavy chocolate fudge and cherries...Sigh...When I was young I listened to the radio, waiting for my favourite song...When it played I'd sing along, it made me smile.

Steak Me

All that hoo-hah about Astons has led me to believe that it's 90% hype and 10% truth...cause you know, it takes just one food guru to give two thumbs up, and suddenly there's droves of people buying and biting into every word he or she watches on tv. So here we were at Astons Specialties @ The Cathay (http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/) and D chose the most expensive steak in the house, medium-rare ($29.90). I was highly suspicious that the medium rare would end up served as porterhouse medium so I just sat on the sidelines and munched on onion rings and barbequed baked beans - It was almost 11pm...so forgive me, I have a waistline to shrink. In less than 15 minutes, the steak appeared and it was B-E-A-U-TEE-FULL. As you can tell by the picture - succulent old-fashioned steak lazed with crunchy cajun potato strings and sauteed vegetables. The meat was juicy and oh-so-pink, and so very tasty in its natural jus...We are definitely big fans of Astons...yummilicious

Satay, Satay, Satay!

I luuurve Bali, so it's only natural that I stepped into Ubud (793 Bukit Timah Road #01-01, 6469 3313) with two friends. The ikan pangang (or satay lilit) took a new twist - skewered succulent and moist fish cakes over heated charcoal. Mmmmm...and the sweet and spicy sauce that came with it made it yummier. My friends had chicken rendang and we ordered a crunchy pure-veg salad with a very powerful and flavorful salad dressing. The ambience was alright - traditional Balinese music in the background and cute Balinese portraits hung on the walls. What was baffling though were the lack of drinks available - only Coke, Sprite and Lime were available out of approximately 10 soft drinks as apparently the f&b manager didn't replenish the stock. And there weren't any noodles on the menu! What a shame :( I always love chilling out at Warung Made in Bali and inhaling their mee goreng istimewa with kecap manis (fried noodles with sweet black sauce) and cut chilli...shiok-a-doodles. Back to Singapore's version of Ubud...there's a whole menu page devoted to different chilli's around a dollar each portion. I find that extremely strange. Why doesn't the restaurant just work on really good Balinese fare on their menu with a really yummilicious dessert section instead of selling dollar-dips? Hmmmm...and those noodles need to be fried into the menu some time soon...

Tastey, Tastey

Mmmmm...I love wild rice, especially when they're fraternizing with sunflower seeds, raisins and granny smith apples. What a big bowl of fibre...I love Toast! (#02-11 Ngee Ann City, www.marmaladegroup.com) My girlfriends and I love the cupcakes - Limonata is my favourite, though the Nutella one is the popular choice. There's also Elvis (chocolate and banana), Red Velvet (Coconut shavings and berries) and the Ultimate Chocolate (slightly over S$4 each). There's also mushroom quiche, salads and sandwiches galore which go down well into the tummy with the very special homemade iced lemon tea. Book a seat early for lunch as the bistro tends to fill up pretty quickly...and for dinner, eat early as they close around 7pm.

Pretty-licious Noodles

Lunch has become very pretty with tcc's (The Coffee Conoisseur's) picture menu of pastas, sandwiches, soups and salads at all 29 individual "boutiques" (yes, they're called boutiques -
www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com). They're everywhere! My favourite haunts are at Millenia Walk, Clarke Quay and Anchorpoint. The latter has beautifully quaint French decor, and the off-white tones make the lunch hour pass by a tad slower and more relaxed. What you see here is Seafood Aglio Oglio (which bunny had). The Mentaiko Spaghetti with Salmon Tataki and Shiso Salmon Spaghetti are very tasty. If you can fit the desserts in, (must, must!) do dig into Strawberry Fantasia and Orange Flamingo. I prefer the former. But we did have the option of adding a shot of liquer to the orange sweets - Cointreau to be exact. It wasn't cheap though - the arty citrusy dessert was S$8.50 and the Cointreau shot cost another S$8.50. All in all, the portions are satisfying and very affordable. Me have the privilege card too :) But forget to use it usually :(

The Fatty Truth

Surpsingly this flower burger was pretty good...we ordered pasta and other appetizers too at The Pasta Shop (#02-03/14 Wheelock Place). The fatty meat was moist and tender, and yup, fatty. It was very tasty, and satisfying especially when eaten with the 3-inch toast, accompanied by super fried fries. The seafood pasta I had was so-so forgettable. And the appetizer we asked for was forgotten. I think the outlet just opened and the team then was still very young and untrained so the service was a little clumsy and irregular. When it came to sweets, the star desserts were out (hmph) and the remaining selections looked dismal. Sigh.

Back to Basics

I love Cedele at Great World City (http://www.cedeledepot.com/) for their freshly made soup especially the veggie ones such as Moroccan Spiced Carrot and Wild Mushroom. It comes with the free-flow bread bar too (S$9.50 for a humoungous bowl). E decided to check out the seafood spaghetti though (tomato-based)...2 measly shrimps, another pair of unimpressive mussels but yummy fish hidden by the stringy carbs (S$17.90). Has anyone told you that women are like spaghetti and men are like waffles? It bears absolutely no relevance to Cedele...hahahah...I have to say I'm happy that my favourite bakery-and-bistro-and-now-restaurant chain is everywhere! The oatmeal raisin, lavender almond and Mexican Wedding cookies are the best - no transfat and light tasting - at S$1.30 each.

Ball of a Time...

Pity these glutinous rice balls weren't plumped with black sesame paste. Instead the peanut filling was alright. The balls were swimming in pretty sweet ginger soup...okay lah...I think the red bean ice with thick condensed milk, and topped with ice-cream was not only gigantic but awesome :) Red bean was not only found on the outside but swirled in with the ice on the inside...Get your brain freeze at Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe at Plaza Singapura (http://www.xinwang.com.sg/)...

I Think It's Shrimp

What in the world is this, you may ask. I had a hard time figuring it out for myself, too...I have a feeling that it's little fried shrimps which I ordered at Yangon at Feel (No. 124, Pyihtaungsu Ave., Dagon Township Wartan Rd, Danathiha Centre; 0600 hrs - 2030 hrs). It's like point-point rice, you know? Just point at any dishes at the main counter - mutton curry, lentils, vegetables, over-spiced chicken, steamed rice, fried noodles, - and the longyi-staff will serve these dishes at your table. The restaurant can be quite dark especially in the afternoon since they don't use much electricity but the food's very tasty and doesn't cost much. Many tourists flock here. Why shouldn't you...

Breathe Privé

Privé (No.2 Keppel Bay Vista, http://www.prive.com.sg/) is so breathtaking...I adore the anchored yachts and the alfresco areas at the bakery and restaurant. The seared tuna fillet here is a very generous portion lying on a little heap of arugula. I love seared anything! But this fillet was seared so very well, drizzled with olive oil. I wish I had taken this picture with my camera instead of my cell phone! My next mission is to try out every single item on the menu by end April!!!

Shokudo Shiok!

Have you checked out Shokudo "Streets of Japan" just opened in the basement of Heeren (where Marche used to be)? I love it! Friends and me decided on udon and rice, but Bunny went for cheese omelette with mushroom, decorated with bonito flakes. You order, the chef swipes the credit card, and they make it fresh from the pan - voila! I wished I had that instead of char siew spicy ramen...The eggy roll was so gooey and warm and yummy...at 8 dollars only...

To the T, To the O, To the A-S-T

This is just too good to miss out on. You have to try Peanut Buter and Condensed Milk on 4-inch toast, even if you're lactose-intolerant. Sweet and satisfying. Seriously, seriously. I've had this in Hong Kong, but the toast at Tong Shui Cafe (54 Zion Road, www.tongshuicafe.com) kicks ass. And it's open till 6am everyday...comfort food...mmmmm....In between the white fibres, there's melted butter too...a-ma-ma-zing...

Midnight Feast

I don't know what the fascination of Bak Kut Teh, or "meat bone tea", amongst Asians is really about. Apparently, this pork rib has been submerged in a complex-tasting broth of strong smelling herbs such as cinnamon and star anise. Added to the soup is a strong dose of black pepper to give it that fiery kick. Yong Bak Kut Teh @ 233 River Valley Road has a regular crowd. Especially after clubbing hours, the coffee shop tables are occupied by teenagers and young executives. The open air makan place has been open ever since forever, and was still serving food at 5 a.m. yesterday. Usually the popular side dishes to complement the pork ribs are salty vegetables, sweet groundnuts and a healthy serving of simple white rice. I don't get it...

Paddy-Cake, Paddy-Cake

Hungry already? At House (8D Dempsey Hill, 6475 7787 - www.dempseyhouse.com), I always love the presentations almost as much as I love putting the food in my mouth. 7-Layer Pancake is especially good with a massive dressing of Canadian maple syrup (yes, Canadian). And fresh fruit conserve...rich old-fashioned butter helps with the calorie-imbibing experience. Live large and live very well (...well beyond your means...) xoxo

Sway-cows

Swakows or shrimp dumplings are my comfort food - low in calories, rich in taste, and well-measured in texture. We had this at Peach Blossoms @ Marina Mandarin one weekend, with a gazillion other yummy yum cha thingeys at an a la carte buffet price of $30.80++ per pax. My only gripe is that one diner can only have a pick of one dessert...how lonely and sad is that??? :(

Pok, Pok, Pok...

Apparently this chicken rice stall attracts a long line of hungry people especially during lunch. Is it the cheap price of $2.50 per plate that lures poeple here? Or the fragrant boneless white chicken meat? Or the well-flavored rice? My friend says the smooth pureed orangey chilli keeps her wanting for more pok, pok, pok everytime we're at Redhill Market. The wanton noodles and freshly-squeezed sugarcane juice are popular with local diners too. I hate rice, but I'll try it out...one day...when I'm sick of the wanton noodles (egg noodles with slices of barbecued pork and soft or fried dumplings), yong tau foo (selection of seafood and vegetables with noodles), and fried char kway teow (fried rice flour noodles with cockles and slices of fish cake and meat in black sweet sauce)...

Zhou's Kitchen is So-So Kitchen

I'm a yum cha freak. I make it a point to taste the Cantonese snacks the island can offer. Usually steamed or fried, my favorite place to go is Imperial Treasure Nan Bei @ Takashimaya. However, we decided to check out Zhou's Kitchen @ Anchorpoint. Char siew bao (steamed barbecued pork bun), pan fried carrot cake, shrimps wrapped in fired beancurd skin, scallop dumplings, mango dessert roll...and a whole lot more between the two of us. The selections were alright, smaller than usual...and pricier too. The service was not bad, though we were asked to order a number of times even before we had a minute to peruse the menu. We'll probably not return. Too boring for me.

Putting the FUN back in FUNghi

This was such a fun pasta selection at lunch today by my colleague. We landed up in Pastamania at Funan. It's called Miso Mushroom - Japanese influenced tastes of course. Bunashimeiji mushrooms with miso, cream and tonkatsu sauce and bonito flakes. The light and thinner-than-air fish flakes (a.k.a. katsuo-bushi) were interesting to watch cause they swayed swiftly from one side of the plate to the other for a long long time...like they were alive. Thank goodness my order was Spicy Portobello - nothing exciting besides difficult-to-get-rid-of galicky breath :(

Eighteen Chefs

We were at Eighteen Chefs yesterday @ Eastpoint Mall last night. They're known for their gazillion combinations of cheese baked rice. I was very happy to have bumped into Chef Benny Seetoo (chef/owner/friend). My girlfriend and I, however, opted for the daily specials - she got herself Japanese Curry Rice with ebi, and Beer Battered Fish & Baked Beans for me :) Value-for-money since the set meal came with soup of the day, generous portions of garlic bread, and chocolate ice-cream. Mmmmm....They've spread the love to their latest outlet at Fusionopolis (www.eighteenchefs.com).

Dial 789

Not the best pic, but the flavor composition is beautiful - what is it? It's a gorgeous presentation of poached egg (which looks like a mangosteen!), dome-shaped mushrooms, balanced carefully on a crisp piece of toast, layered with seasoned vegetables. You'll probably never see this on the menu at newbie champagne bar & restaurant, 7atenine @ Esplanade (http://www.sevenatenine.com/sg/index.html) but check out their Latin Asian tapas and original mojitos and Atomic No. 2...xoxo

Fiver Meal in Little India

This was my lunch 20 minutes ago. This is possibly my most favorite place to have Nepalese food - fluffy yet crispy naan with lentil curry and geenrous portion of fish, chicken or mutton, potatoes, as well as bismati rice all in one meal at FIVE BUCKS! Everest Kitchen @ Little India is the yummiest ever...the authentic momo's, fried lady's fingers and shrimps in papaya are irresistible.

Go Green

I know, at Steeple's Deli, arguably the first deli ever in Singapore, one must order their open-faced burgers or meaty sandwiches with Swiss cheese. However, I opted for the Waldorf Salad seasoned with balsamic vinaigrette - chunks of green apple and walnuts and raisins. A pure Gardener's delicacy...And top it off with clean-tasting carrot soup and super thick chocolate milk shake...so yummy...

Best Brekkie for 2009

White omelette with crunchy green asparagus and freshly seasoned tomatoes were definitely food for the gods at SALA Samui. What a glamorous brekkie, me thought. For the lactose-intolerant and dairy snobs, you won't regret biting into the light, fluffy egg whites, dunked into sweet ketchup and beautifully burnt rosti. Everyday of your life.

Chee Cheong F-U-N

Chee Cheong Fun or starchy rice noodley sheets are simply funky when presented as Chee Cheong Fun Maki @ People's Park Hawker Centre in Chinatown. Stuffed with sweet chicken floss embedded with chopped peanuts, cushioned by carrot strips and a good chunk of cucumber, I say this snack/dinner is HEALTHY! Smeared with hey bee or spicy dried shrimp, drenched with even sweeter soy sauce and a drizzle of my favorite sesame seeds. I inhaled almost the whole roll...in tandem with chee cheong fun curry noodles, Cantonese gyoza, and Sichuan sweet & sour soup with mee sua...So what did you put in your mouth today?