The First Noel: A Magnificent Gift in Paltry Wrapping!

Have you ever gotten a gift so beautifully wrapped that you got really excited only to be dissappointed when you finally discover what it really is?

Given a choice I am sure most of us would choose a great gift with paltry wrapping rather then the other way around.

As I watched "The Nativity Story" recently, an interesting thought came to mind. If Christmas is about God's gift of His Son to the world, then why didn't God bother to wrap it up properly? You know, the big pre-launch marketing campaign followed by a host of angels preceeding a golden chariot with the number plate "Heaven 777" on it, lots of trumpets blaring out the Heavenly Anthem to herald the arrival of the heavenly gift.

But no, the baby had to be born in a manger surrounded by horses, cows, sheep and a couple of shepards. Sure, there was a bright star in the sky and a choir of angels appearing to the shepards, but that's quite "low key" even by Singaporean standards don't you think?

This was the baby whom the prophet Isaiah foretold 700 years before when he wrote: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given!" But why did God have to give the world his Son? The answer is simple, yet profound. He gave his Son because WE were worth that much to Him.

I was very touched today by a play performed at church that illustrates this point and I want to share it with you all.

Once there was a Pastor who fell in love with a prostitute. He loved her despite what she was in the past and decided that he would marry her, knowing that this marriage would not be looked upon favourably by the members of his community. At first, this girl would not accept his proposal because she felt she could never erase the sins of her past and that her sins would cause the young Pastor trouble as well. But after much persuasion, she relented they were married.

The next few years of their marriage was plagued with stares and gossip from others. But in spite of all that, he still persisted in loving her. But eventually, the girl felt she could not live with the gossip anymore and left home, which only invited more criticism from the community with the usual "I knew it couldn't work" She finally found herself doing the only job she knew to do in a place far away from home.

The Pastor never gave up loving his wife. He finally sold everything he had and set out to search for her, eventually finding her in a place of ill repute where she was being auctioned off for the night. By the time the Pastor found her, she looked filty and used. She was being auctioned off at a bargain basement price when the Pastor took out all the money he had and bidded a price that took everyone by surprise. At a going rate of 35 cents, he bidded $500 which would have won him the bid except that he reached into his pocket and pulled out $20 more and shouted $570 instead.

When he finally held his wife in his arms, he told her he was sorry that that was all he had and that he would have bid much higher because she was worth so much more to him.

God gave his Only Son because we are of such value to Him! He gave his Son so that he could die on that Cross 33 years later to make it possible for all of us to return to God. Even the name had been picked before his birth. "Jesus" in Hebrew means "God saves".

Perhaps for some of you, Christmas means the light up along Orchard Road, feasting on Turkey and Ham, Santa Claus, presents and parties. If it is, then may I suggest that you are only really admiring the nice gift wrapping. It is when you actually unwrap the package and get past all that glitter and noise, that you discover what is truly special about Christmas. Christmas is about a baby born in a manger. But more than that. When you look into that baby's eyes, realise that you are worth so much to God that he would give that baby in exchange for YOU!

At the first Christmas, God gave a magnificent gift wrapped only in swaddling cloths. Nowadays Christmas is so wrapped up with all the extra ribbons and glitters that we might just get so carried away admiring the gift wrapping that we miss the gift itself! May we all look past the wrappings to truly behold this magnificent gift of God!

Mild He lays His glory by,

born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth,

born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King"

This will be my final post for the year. My sincere thanks to all ieatishootipost readers for your support, emails and comments. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year of Makaning!

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Teck Kee Hot and Cold Dessert: Lotsa You Tiao Please!

With smart, liverpool1965, iwatch_ueat and tamago


The one thing that I always complain when I eat Tau Suan is the stinginess of the stallowners when it comes to adding the You Tiao.



Not here, this is their standard serving of You Tiao with their Tau Suan for $1. And before some people start saying that there was more You Tiao because the owner saw our big cameras, let me assure you that I saw other customers walking away with just as much You Tiao, PLUS I kept asking the owner if this was the normal serving and he insisted that it was! So not only you suspicious, I also suspicious, OK?

The Tau Suan was good, though the beans could have bit more bite. It was not too sweet which pleased smart but not liverpool1965. Can't please everybody. For me, one of the better Tau Suans around and definitely happy with the amount of You Tiao given. 4/5



The Cheng Tng did not thrill me much. The lotus seed deserves mention though as they were really nice and soft, not the crunchy type that you get sometimes. 3.5/5

Conclusion

You will be happy seeing all the You Tiao on top! And if you don't please write in the comments and let everyone know!

Teck Kee Hot and Cold Dessert
Stall 31 Adam Road Food Centre
12pm to 12am
Closed on Mondays
64697238

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Ibrahim Mee Stall: Roti John that's soft on the inside, crispy on the outside

With smart, liverpool1965, tamago and iwatch_ueat


Forget what the stall sign says about this being a mee stall. Go straight for the Roti John and you will, as William Hung said, have no regrets! The Roti John is the best one I have had for years. The secret is in the use of a really nice soft bun instead of the usual french loaf. The skin only turns crispy when they toast it in wok after they fry the side with the egg. What you get is a crispy rather then chewy crust and soft, melt in your mouth bread which has absorbed the flavours of the egg, margarine and spicy mutton. They also serve with with a killer sweet chilli sauce which they prepare themselves!! Until I taste the ex-Taman Serasi one recommended by smart, this is my current favourite Roti John in Singapore! 4.25/5



We were less impressed with the mee goreng however. It was good but not exceptional. 3/5

Conclusion

Go for the Roti John!

Ibrahim Mee Stall
Stall No 4 and 16
Adam Road Food Centre
11am to 4am daily
Alternate Mondays off

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Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle: Its the Chilli that makes it shiok!

With liverpool1965, tamago, iwatch_ueat and smart


This is another prawn mee frequently talked about by forummers. The first thing that really impresses you when you get there is the quality and size of the prawns. The prawns are not the common pond bred tiger prawns that you get at most stalls, they are Wild Prawns harvested from the Sea. The flesh is tender and sweet and really a treat!



We tried both the dry and the soup versions. The soup was very good, though it was a tad diluted that day because of the rain. "Huh? What does rain got to do with the soup being dilute?", I hear you say. Well, because of the heavy downpour, the number of bowls sold in the morning was down, so that means the soup did not get as many blanches with the prawns. (Which is why if you like good soup, you should go after the lunch or dinner peaks!)



The Dry Version was Super Darn Shiok! This is possibly the best Dry Prawn Noodle I have eaten! The chilli is more savoury than spicy and its just got that X factor that kept me thinking about it that night. The stallowner shared that aside from using good belachan, the other secret ingredient is their use of good quality Indian spring onions. $5 for a bowl with medium sized prawns 4.6/5 (Dry version)

Conclusion

Currently my pick for best Dry Prawn Noodle.

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle
Stall 27 Adam Road Food Centre
9.15am to 4pm
6.30pm to 2am

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Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak: At Last! A Nasi Lemak with Good Rice!

At last!!! A Nasi Lemak that is really shiok! This Nasi Lemak is so Shiok that I was told the Sultan of Brunei Tar Paus it back to the Embassy when he comes to visit Singapore! (Why doesn't he just buy over the stall and set it up at the embassy? He got Michael Jackson to come sing him Happy Birthday didn't he?)



Check out the rice in this place. This is the first time I am eating Nasi Lemak made with Basmati Rice! The Basmati Rice gives it a lighter texture, better flavour and the grains are beautifully separated. It is better for Diabetics too since it has got a lower glycaemic index (it does not cause the sugar levels to raise as quickly as jasmine rice). The Sambal Tumis is equally shiok and you should not miss the Sambal Cuttlefish which they offer as an optional side dish.

Conclusion

Currently the best Nasi Lemak I have tasted so far! (Halal version) 4.5/5

Selera Rasa (Adam Road No.1)
No 2 Adam Road Food Centre
7am to 10pm
Monday to Sunday

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Basil Alcove: 10 course Christmas Extravaganza

Carpaccio Beef

I have been pestering Xander to do a 10 course degustation type menu since the first time I ate there and was very glad he finally decided to do one for Christmas. The principle is the same: Take something which would otherwise cost an arm and a leg and do it for the cost of a hand and a foot. So here you are!! Presenting the 10 course Christmas Extravaganza Set Dinner Menu, which I feel should not be called "Degustation" anymore as the portions are really quite substantial!

First up is the Carpaccio Beef which is marinated beef served rare with a few strokes of mayonnaise. Lovers of raw meats would appreciate this! I still like my beef cooked though! 3/5


Trio Mitili

You get 3 mussels done in 3 different styles. Cheese and tomato, pesto and white wine sauce. I liked the cheese and tomato and the pesto but ambivalent towards the white wine sauce. 3.5/5


Beet Borsht with Asparagus Cappucino

OK, after a shaky start we start to get to the good bits! The Beet Borscht with Asparagus Cappucino is reminiscent of the pea soup made famous by Ferran Adria. The Borscht is a warm Russian Soup topped with a Cold Asparagus flavoured froth. Drink it all in one go to appreciate the contrast of the warm with the cold as well as the tang of the beetroot with the savoury flavour of the Asparagus. As I said, it's getting interesting! 4.25/5


Tacchino Lampone

Turkey Breast is first roasted then Pan Fried and eaten with a dressing made from Cranberries, Walnuts and Yoghurt. Pan Frying the Turkey breast was a great twist to the otherwise dry turkey breast and the sweetness and tangy flavour of Cranberries always complement turkey so well. The addition of yoghurt gave it that extra creaminess which was good, although I would have liked more cranberry and less yoghurt. 4/5


Mescolanza Funghi

The description on the Menu reads "Assortment of Mushrooms" but when you get down to it, it was a button mushroom sandwiched between a pair of Shitake Mushrooms. Ay, Xander, two types of mushrooms don't constitute an "assortment" hor! The mushrooms were sauteed in a pink peppercorn sauce which worked very well. 4/5


Strawberry Sorbetto

Ok, so after 5 very interesting starters we finally get to cleanse our palates with this strawberry sorbet which was topped with some homegrown mint pesto. Xander grows a lot of the herbs himself because some of these European herbs may not always be available in the Supermarkets!


Marmellata Lamb

Palate cleansed, now to the mains!

These toasted lamb cutlets are really very good and the orange and cherry marmalade was a interesting departure from the tradtional mint sauce. The quality of the lamb this time round was very good and had enough fats to give the meat a strong but not overpowering lamb flavour. It was served with a salad and a small serving of mashed Sweet Potato which I really enjoyed. 4.5/5


Lobster Thermidor

This was the one item that I really wanted Xander to do and he delivered it with a delightful stretch of the imagination. The baby lobster was first baked and covered with a cream sauce then topped with parmesan cheese and grilled. It was served with a shot of flamin' Kahlua, Grand Marnier and Baileys. Dipping a cheesy bit of lobster tail into coffee liquer was paradise for the palate! Its the kind of gourmet moment which would be permenantly etched into your temporal lobes! 4.75/5 (Probably not for everyone, but for a guy with a penchant for the combination of the sweet and savoury, this was heavenly!)


Torta Formaggio Mango

This is what Xander calls a "deconstructed" mango cheese cake. "Deconstructed" just means, "I have put all the ingredients together but have not baked it yet". Slices of mangoes are enveloped in creamy mascapone cheese and topped with Baileys and blueberries. 4.25/5


Panna Cotta

Sticky chocolate fudge topped with a pineapple and coconut flavoured cream. I have decided I don't really like Panna Cotta. Don't like Ang Moh desserts with grated coconut. 3.5/5

Conclusion

You are not going to get a 10 course (11 if you include coffee and tea) meal like this anywhere else for $65. The courses are pretty substantial with only one item in 10 which was a palate cleanser.

For those who think they can't finish 10 courses, there is a 6 course menu which includes the first 4 starter with a choice of either lamb or duck for $32 and a 7 course menu which includes the first 5 items with either Cod or Lobster for $48. The menu is only valid from 20-24 Dec and is by reservations only. Hopefully if this concept works, Xander might offer this type of menu on a more permanent basis. I certainly hope he would!

Basil Alcove
190 Middle Road, #01-07, Fortune Centre
(You got to walk out of the building.It is along Middle Road)
63361318
Open 12pm to 10pm
Closed on Mondays

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Sushi Tei: Pleasantly Surprised!

I think I have just found a Japanese Restaurant that has the right balance of quality and price for the family!! It's been a while since I visited Sushi Tei, but my friend AC Towkay insisted that our family will like this Sushi Tei outlet over at Raffles City, so since people recommend, might as well go and try.



I was very plesantly surprised by the quality of the Beef here! I have been searching high and low for this since they changed the supplier of beef over at another Japanese Restaurant chain that I frequent. Now, you can of course get this quality of beef at any good Japanese Restaurant, but not at $12 for a Sukiyaki Set! For an extra $8, you can order another plate of beef. Now I find that very good value indeed.



Nice streaky beef like this should be just lightly blanched in the savoury sukiyaki soup and left to melt in the mouth! Just take your time to enjoy each slice cos there's quite a bit of cholesterol yah?

The Sukiyaki stock here is very good although it is a tad on the salty side. It is easily fixed by adding some hot water. The good thing is that they will refill the soup for you so that you get enough soup to get your Umami high. (Umami (Japanese for savoury) is the fifth taste sensation after sweet, salty, bitter and sour) 4.5/5



We were very happy with the price of the normal sushi here. My kids love tamago sushi and they are only $1.60 per plate (2 pieces). I simply had to order the Dragon Roll for the sake of taking a nice picture. (it was worth ten bucks just to admire the beauty of the presentation and to take a few pics)



The Dragon Roll is one whole Deep Fried King Prawn wrapped with Seaweed and Sushi Rice and topped with slices of Avacado with Japanese Mayonnaise dressing. The Sushi Rice at Sushi Tei is very well seasoned and has that nice aftertaste. 4/5



Now if you have a party of 4 to 6 (especially if you have kids) make sure that you ask for these special rooms. The kids can move around and make all the mischief they want but nobody on the next table will look at you with that (You should really control your children, look!) Besides, it's a real novelty the first time you get to eat there.

Conclusion

This has now become my usual Japanese Food place. Great environment, child friendly, very good quality food and the price is not exorbitant. Even if it lacked all the above, I would have been happy simply to find my yummy beef sukiyaki for $12!

8.5/10 (T3+V2.5+S2+E1)

Sushi Tei - Raffles City
252 North Bridge Road #03-13/14
Raffles City
6334 7887

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Zi Yean Restaurant: New Favourites, Old Favourites

With mien, liverpool1965, smart, iwatch_ueat and tamago


Zi Yean has been one of my favourite Cze Char/Restaurants since the days when they were still at Stirling Road. Since moving to their new premises at Lengkok Bahru, they have been offering a really good value Dim Sum and La Mian Menu which I have already blogged about earlier.

If you are a true Canard Connoisseur, you will immediately recognise that the weird looking thing in the picture above is Braised Duck Tongue. Duck tongue is one of those things that you put in the same basket as Chicken Feet. It's stuff that Westerners throw away that we Chinese have elevated to a delicacy. I have to be honest and say that I really don't know what the fuss is all about. Its just a bit of savoury salty morsel with a bone in the middle that caught me by surprise. How can one talk with a stiff tongue? Guess that's why they only go Quack Quack! $12 per plate 3.75/5




Those around the table who love innards really loved this dish which is Chicken liver, mushrooms and chopped vegetables wrapped in a crispy skin. So far, the only liver I really enjoy is foie gras. This one was alright but I would not say that I love it. 3.5/5



Now let's get down to the stuff I like. This Dog Stew Duck was was something that got all of our tails wagging. Man it was shiok. Dog Stew is traditionally eaten in China to provide "Heat" during the cold winter months. Here in Singapore, we don't eat dogs (legally), so the Chef replaced Goofy with Donald and wella! The Duck was superbly braised till its tender and it did not have the "fowl" smell. The gravy was so awesome that we literally ordered extra noodles and licked the plate clean. This gravy is very similar to the one used for Beef at Guangdong Wanton Mee which we are beginning to recognize as Dog Stew Gravy. $12 per portion 4.5/5



The classic Abalone and Mushroom dish was done very well. The Abalone was braised for more than 10 hours so that it has absorbed all the stock and become tender to the bite. The mushrooms were also very good quality and cooked to perfection. $25 4.25/5



This dish has been popular in Hong Kong for quite awhile but this is the first time I got to taste it in Singapore. Braised Pomelo Skin is healthy, high in fibre, low in fat and good for the skin. I found the texture powdery and quite bland. Trying to find a frame of reference for it is difficult and we thought that pumpkin would come closest. I don't know how to appreciate this, but I am sure Hong Kongers will love it. $10 3/5



Another "Happening" culinary trend is the use of Sour Plums in dishes. Those who want to try something new might like to order the Sour Plums Drunken Prawn. Live Prawns are first soaked in wine infused with dried plums then quickly deep fried and then tossed in a ginger, spring onion and dried plum sauce. I found the taste and sweetness of the plums a bit overpowering to the extent that I could not appreciate the natural sweetness of the live prawns. But it was a very novel experience. $5 per 100gm 3.5/5



This is my favourite "Must Order" dish at Zi Yean. The Stir Fried Ribeye is done very well and everytime I eat this I still shake my head at how nicely marinated and tender the beef is. If you are fortunate, you might get more of the tender marbled part of the ribeye which is simply marvellous. $12 4.5/5



The Emperor Chicken is another of their signature dishes. I could just eat plain rice topped with the Mei Chai/Chai Poh stuffing and be happy. $16 per whole chicken. 4/5

Conclusion

The Duck, you must try the Duck!! Everyone around the table are bringing their families back just for the Duck. Prices are still quite reasonable and if you choose to dine in Air Con comfort, the difference is only the 5% GST.

8.25/10 (T3+V2.25+S2+E1)

Zi Yean Restaurant
Blk 56 Lengkok Bahru
#01-443
64740911 (Air-Con)
64710253 (Non Air-Con)

You may also like to see tamago's review by clicking here

Disclosure:
This was a prearranged tasting session organized to provide feedback on some of the new dishes that the restaurant is offering.

Postscript:

Some useful information has been provided by tiantianchi from the makansutra forum:

Dog Stew Duck can also be found at the tze char stall at the junction of Sims Avenue and Aljunied Road. Ping Duo Yuan or something like that for the stall name. This is a popular dish in Malaysia. The style of cooking ( ie the ingredients used - basically the 5 spices and fu yu) is similar to stewing dog meat which was banned ( in the 80's if I do not remember wrongly) and the brilliant chef was trying to replicate the taste of dog stew and he found the gamey taste of duck came rather close ( and also catering to more people whom do not eat game meat such as wild boar), thus became his choice. Duck tongue ( in various form of cooking - stewed, braised, plain boiled, ma la, salt and pepper) is not that difficult to find. Places like Crystal Jade and Lei Garden have them on their menu..also here http://umami.typepad.com/umami/2006/03/tiong_bahru_lun.html#comments

Using pomelo skin in dishes has been around in HK for donkey years. Done well, it is similar to winter gourd.

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Northen Thai: Tom Yum Soup with a Twist!

With smart, mien, iwatch_ueat, fertilefoodie and accidentalfoodie


I have been eating at this stall for 2 years and I am still amazed why they have not gotten a newspaper writeup or have any mediacorp stars' face pasted on the stallfront yet!! Time and time again, when I bring my friends here, the response has always been a resounding SHIOK!! This time round, the four new foodies all agree that this stall deserves a rating of between a 4 to a 4.5.

Besides the taste, the other great thing is that the Tom Yum Fish Soup is unlike anything I have ever eaten here or in my 2 years living in Bangkok! It is not the classic Tom Yum that we know. The soup is more like a cross between Tom Yum and Tom Kha (With coconut milk). The soup is robust with the flavours of lemongrass, basil, chilli padi and Kaffir lime leaves to give it that tangy and spicy taste with just a tint of coconut to give it some body.



The other thing to die for is the crispy fried fish. For me at least, the fried fish was astounding! It has just the right balance of seasoning (and most likely MSG) to get your umami receptors happily pinging away.

Conclusion

You must try this because it is not only really shiokadoo, it is the only version of it I know of anywhere in Singapore! $3 4.5/5


Northen Thai
Coffee shop at the Cnr of Tyrwhitt
and Kitchener Road
10.30am to 4.30pm Closed on Sundays

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786 (Azmi Restaurant): Same food, same coffeeshop since 1944

With mien, smart, accidental foodie, iwatch_ueat, fertilefoodie


For those who want a taste of a blast from the past, head down to the junction of Norris and Serangoon road and you will find an "ancient" coffeeshop run by a whole bunch of Indian Muslims who look like they've been there since 1944!

The shop's specialty are the Chapatis which are still made fresh from flour that is purchased from a flour mill just 2 shops away. You can't get fresher than that!



There are many curries here you can choose from to accompany your Chapati. What I really enjoyed was the mutton curry, potato and cauliflower and the mutton keema. 4.25/5 When you are hungry, a few pieces of whole wheat Chapatis with some curry is sure to hit the sweet spot!



I don't know how long this old man has been doing this. I tried to ask but the situation was like what we Teochews say, Zik Zia Koei Zik Zia Arh (a chicken and a duck). So we were lucky just to be able to eat and pay for the food.

Conclusion

Good food and great place to sit and think about what Singapore was like in the good old days.

786 (Azmi Restaurant)
Junction of Serangoon Rd and Norris Rd
7am - 10.20pm Daily










Acknowledgement: Recommended by mien, who has been eating here since he was knee high!

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