Pu Tien (Heng Hwa) Restaurant

We chinese are blessed with such a diversity of different cuisines unique to the myriad of dialect groups. In the old days, our forefathers came from most of the southern coastal provinces, thus we have grown up with Teochew, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainan etc cuisines. Nowadays there is an influx of chinese migrants from all over China which has resulted in many new restaurants offering what is still recognisable as chinese cuisine but with enough twist in it such that it gets you excited when you look at the menu.

The Heng Hwas are also in the Fujian province (Same as the Hokkiens) but in Singapore they form a minority dialect group. There are only four restaurants in Singapore offering Heng Hwa cuisine and many of them have been opened only over the last decade or so. The owner is himself Heng Hwa and so are all the chefs, so be assured that you are getting authentic Heng Hwa cuisine.

So without much ado, let me take you through my virgin experience with Heng Hwa cuisine.

We started off with this icy cold strips of bittergourd which is eaten with a honey based sauce. A bitter-sweet experience to say the least. Been there done that. Good to try but will try something else next time. $3 3.5/5

The Heng Hwa variation of the Kong Bak Pau has got shredded pork and cabbage filling instead of the familiar 3 layered pork. This is shiokadoo!

Plus they even have sesame seeds on top of the buns. Highly recommended. $2.50 per pc. 4.5/5

Don't let the look of this dish deceive you. The stir fried yam is soft on the inside and has a nice caramelised crispy outside. I could eat a whole bowl of this! $8 for the small plate is a bit expensive though for a vegetable dish. 4.5/5


The Steamed Crab with Tang Hoon looks better then it tastes. It makes for a very pretty picture. The tang hoon is ok and you can imagine what steamed crab tastes like. $36 is a bit expensive for what is maybe a 500g crab. No next time. 3/5


This is another dish that is more presentation then taste. The prawns are very fresh and it is steamed in bamboo with herbs in it. Tastes almost the same as drunken prawns sans XO, novel only in presentation. $18 for about 10 prawns - you are paying for the bamboo thingy that you can't even bring home. At least I got a pic of it. 3.5/5

Bamboo clams with garlic sauce is quite shiok. But I am curious why these bamboo clams are so short? Sweet and tasty and even thought it is smothered with garlic it does not overpower it nor leave you with the ability to kill Dracula. 4/5

This is their superfine bee hoon which was highly recommended. Alas it looks better then it tastes. Found it a bit dry and not enough flavour. Give this one a miss. But it sure looks nice and it is cheap. $4 3/5


Braised Tofu was also highly recommended, tastes good but not exceptional. $8 3.5/5

What you must try is the pumpkin puree with ice cream in the background. That is something I tried for the first time. Imagine a sweet pumpkin soup that has been chilled and served with ice cream. Yum! 4/5 The ice jelly with mix cocktail is pretty ordinary, better off buying this at the hawker centre. 3/5


Conclusion

There are some shiok items and enough curiosity about the other items on the menu to get me back again. If you stay away from the seafood items, you can actually get quite a good feed for very little as they have many items that are less then $10. I found the seafood prices are a little inflated.

All in all a very good experience. Word of warning though, it is very crowded during the weekends so be prepared to wait. They have a valet parking service at the front of the restaurant. Next month, they will be opening another branch at Vivo City.

8/10 (T3+V2+S2+E1) More novelty in presentation then taste per se but the food is good enough to recommend.

Pu Tien
127 Kitchener Road
6295 6358

Acknowledgements

Thanks to makansutra's venerable makanguru, eslim for this great recommendation

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Astons Super Burger is on the Menu!

Updates at the end of the blog

Pictured here with fries, but actual burger served without the sides

Great News! Due to the constant demand for the Astons Super Shiok Burger which I featured in my earlier blog, (Click This) Aston has decided to stock all the ingredients to make this most magnificent of Burgers. From 3 October 2006, this marvellicious Burger will be available anytime you step into Astons.

In this follow up blog, I want to take you behind the scenes to show you just how much love and dedication go into making a humble Hamburger. After this, I am sure I won't have to tell you "not to try this at home", cos it is much more comfortable to let Aston sweat over the hot stove while you enjoy a ice cold can of Diet Coke (Have to save calories mah!). Believe me, the Burger tastes better if you are not sweaty and greasy when you eat it.


The first step in creating the World's 2nd Best Burger (Leave room for possibilities) is to chop up 200gm of sirloin steak, (Well if you want to be pedantic, the first step is to slaughter the cow) making sure that you have an adequate amount of fat in it so that the pattie is really juicy and full of Beefy flavour (You have to save up your calories for a few days for this Burger!)

The chopped steak is then molded into a thick pattie, with barely any seasoning except for a dash of salt and peppar.


Pop it over a open grill to sizzle while you get all the other stuff ready. Now you might be wondering why the steak is not falling apart since Aston did not put any eggs, flour or binding agents in it. The secret is in chopping the beef just before molding it. The protein strains being freshly bruised still have ability to bind each other. (So if someone where to chop up your thigh, quickly mold it all back and hold in place with tight jeans)


In the meantime, take some finely sliced onions and coat in secret batter with black sesame seeds and deep fry it. Ok don't cringe. This stuff is just heavenly. You will notice that Aston does not use the el cheapo iceberg lettuce. He uses crisp Romaine Lettuce and nice big tomatoes to ensure you get a balanced diet. See, you are getting three proteins and three veg! Balanced.


Meanwhile quickly check back at your pattie and at the same time pop 2 rashers of streaky bacon on the grill. The bacon is there so that you get a balance of 2 different types of meat yah? Remember, don't ever press the meat down with a potato masher (like they do with Ramly Burger). You want all the nutricious juices from the meat to stay INSIDE the pattie.

Now, just before serving, brush the pattie with Astons Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce and lay 2 slices of Kraft cheddar cheese and the 2 aforementioned slices of bacon on top and let the cheese gently melt and mold to the pattie, holding the sauce in.

Thada!! Aston has decided to name this burger in honour of the psychologically challenged blogger who first instigated him to create this over-the-top burger. So when you go to the restaurant, ask for the "ieatSuper Burger". Bit embarrassing, but I would like to share the honour with my fellow makansutra makankakis and all the ieatishootipost blogsters who came down and pestered Aston till he decided to add it to the menu. Guys, YOU made this burger possible. And by the way, if you have any crazy idea, do make it known to Aston through his blogsite, AstonSpecialties.blogspot.com and if enough people want it, he'll name the creation after you too!


What is there to say? Phwaa Sayah! Don't worry about the meat being medium-well, it was left on the grill a bit longer because an inexperienced photographer was taking an inordinate amount of time taking a simple shot.

Taste wise, this pattie is hard to beat. Juicy and Beefy, one bite and I feel like a cowboy. YeeeHah! Combined with the crispy onion frost, BBQ sauce, Aston Secret Special Sauce (not shown - secret mah), crunchy lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and cheese this is easily the best tasting, value for money Burger in town. One piece of advise, ask Aston for extra BBQ sauce if you still feel something is missing.



Conclusion

Aston is quite a perfectionist and he puts a lot of effort into the little details. I am almost going to give this burger a perfect score. OK, I admit I am a bit biased for obvious reasons, so please don't believe me, go try it yourself.

Shiokness Score: 4.75/5
Overall Score: 9/10 (T4+V3+S1+E1)

Update: 1 Oct 2006: Aston now has his own blog where he will keep you updated on the special promotions. Watch out for the upcoming Wagyu Ribeye! Click This for Aston's Blog

Update: 8 Oct 2006: Forummers have noted that the burger comes without fries, but my pics show fries. OK, to be very clear $12.50 only for the burger, no fries, no lettuce, no +++

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"Godzilla" Da Pau - Size Does Matter

Update: 2 Apr 2007: Godzilla Da Pao Returns! Now at G C Food Court at Elias Mall. Click Here to link to the latest Blog

Update: 24 Jan 2007: The previous owners of Godzilla Da Pao are no longer there. But the stall is still being operated under new owners. They still sell a big Pao but it is nothing like what is blogged here. The original Godzilla Da Pao owners are still looking for a new location. Will update you all as soon as I know!

NOTICE 15 Jan 2007: Godzilla Da Pao has ceased operations at the current location because there is a change of management of the coffeeshop. They are currently in the midst of relocating. We will keep you posted on the new location.

Who says size doesn't matter? This "Godzilla" sized pau was, until recently, only found along the highways of Malaysia, though some have spotted it in parts of China and Yokohama. Now you can get this in Singapore!

There is a recent welcomed resurrection of the handmade pau after a distressing period of time when it looked as if the factory made paus have all but eradicated this local favourite. But thankfully the Generation Xers (ie my age group) have rekindled the industry after being fed up with eating poorly disguised protein molasses wrapped in a synthetic skin.

In order to differentiate themselves from the number of new handmade paus shops springing up everywhere, this unassuming little Pau Shop in Tampines started to make these XL sized pau three months ago. At first it was only made to order, but it proved so popular that now it is a standard item in their store. It's not the most beautiful pau in the world but it never fails to impress the first time you behold one. You will invariably get two types of response. The food lovers can hardly wait to sink their teeth into one. More petite ones would be frightened/disgusted/appalled by the size of it. (This reaction is well worth the price of the pau)

I call this a social pau. It's meant to be shared. Imagine ordering 5 of this for an extended family picnic. Everyone gets to fight over who gets the salted egg, the sausages, mushrooms and egg. Ah..... family bonding.

When you break open the pau, you are immediately greeted with the savoury bouquet of juicy chunky meat, salted egg, mushrooms and chinese sausages. There is one whole egg and a whole salted egg yolk in each pau. Each pau is roughly equivalent to 8 standard sized char siew paus. The meat tastes very fresh and the salted egg, mushroom and chinese sausages combines very well with the meat. Its almost like a mobile claypot chicken rice sans rice. Unless you have a Godzilla sized appetite, this pau should comfortably feed 2 people. It costs $3.50 each. Considering the amount of special ingredients and the number of people it can feed, this is very good value for money. Shiokness Score 4/5


They also offer a novel Coffee Skin Tau Sar Pau (50 cents) which has quite an unique flavour. The Char Siew Pau (60 cents) is also quite good. The unique feature of this Pau shop is that the skin tastes very homemade, (its made from yeast rather then bicarbonate) much better then commercial type that you always get with factory made paus. Shiokness Score: 3.5/5



The Siew Mai is definitely tastier then your factory produced one. Don't expect real roe on top for 50 cents each, but still worth trying. Shiokness Score 3.5/5

Conclusion

What's there to say? If you have not eaten this before, go get one and watch your family/friends'/colleagues' jaw drop. It's worth $3.50 even if you just use it to scare someone.

Pau Stall in Ming Sheng Coffeeshop
828 Tampines Street 81
97523815
Opened in the mornings and until sold out in the afternoon around 4pm

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Crispy Roast Chicken

Had lunch at one of my regular haunts. This shop is little known outside of Simei, but serves one of the best "Roast Chicken" in Singapore. I put Roast Chicken in inverted commas because it is not actually roasted, but deep fried, very much like the crispy skin chicken that you get in resaturants.

After the chicken is soaked in a secret mixture of herbs and brine for about 2 minutes, it is left to dry for about one to two hours before deep frying.

Just prior to deep frying, a handful of this five spice mix is rubbed into the inside of the chicken. Then the whole bird is put in a vat of boiling oil. If you look closely, you can probably make out the MSG crystals. This powder is really tasty!

Crispy fried chicken. Almost as good as the ones you get in the restaurant but at a fraction of the price. A whole chicken is $18 and half chicken $10.


The meat is usually succulent and mixed with the five spice powder in the inside of the chicken. Pow! Chicken Heaven. Unfortunately today, I think the chicken was a little overdone and not a juicy as it was before. I have eaten here for the last 9 years and on the day I decided to blog it, the standard dropped! I hope this is a one time thing. But even with the chicken overcooked, it still beats most of the other roast chicken I know. Shiokness Score: 3.75/5 (normally 4/5)


Conclusion

Crispy skin chicken at hawker prices! Still not as good as the crispy skin chicken at some of the five star restaurants, but still very tasty. If you are allergic to MSG you have to be careful though.

7.5/10 (T3 + V2.5 + S1 +E1) Good enough to give it a try!

Snack Shop
Blk 248 Simei Street 3
#01-136
6786 3901

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Is there Food In Heaven?

Food is such an integral part of everyday life and there is nothing better then finding really good food, except when the really good food is also really cheap (Ai Piee You Ai Qiee, Hua Ai Zhao Lui - want it cheap, want it good and hope to get some change). So are we going to miss the pleasure of eating good food in Heaven? Or is Heaven going to be a place that only serves the "die die must try" food from all over the world across the whole length of human existence? (I am fantasizing about a Heavenly Food Fare --- All free some more!)

It seems amazing to me at times that combinations of certain plants and animals can so delight the human palate. Take for example the humble soy sauce. Made from fermented soy beans, it goes so well with the various meats that if soy sauce wasn't invented, there would be no Japanese, Korean and Chinese cuisine. Again, why would a combination of cumin, coriander, tumeric, lemon grass, salt and sugar combine so well with chicken skewered on a bamboo stick and grilled over charcoal (Satay)? Could it be that God in his graciousness, made a world with all these combinations of food for us to discover?

So, since we enjoy food so much on earth, will we continue to enjoy gastronmic pleasures in the afterlife? If Chinese tradition would have us believe, one still gets hungry in hell, such that once a year, the departed spirits are allowed to return to earth to feast for a month.

Certainly God is not against feasting. Or else he would not have instituted the various feasts recorded in both the old and new testaments. The passover feast for example was to be commemorated every year in remembrance of how God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. When he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the temple, it was so that all the people could feast and enjoy the food as well.

In the new testament, Jesus himself alluded to the great feast in the Kingdom of God. Luke 14:15. The prophet Isaiah also wrote about "a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine --- the best meats and the finest of wines." Isaiah 25:6 which would be served when the Kingdom of God is eventually established on earth. The disciple, John, in his vision of Heaven wrote "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" Rev 19:9. It seems that the Bible is clear that there is going to be great feasting in Heaven.

But does this mean that there is going to be an unending buffet of Shiok Shiok Char Siew, Sio Bak, Hokkien Mee, Kobe Beef, Lobster Mornay and Pizzas in Heaven? Surely if you ate these for eternity, it can also get quite sian (Boring). (I always imagine heaven being a place where you can eat and not get full or fat or high cholesterol) Or does it have a spiritual significance?

In Psalm 36, King David wrote that we would "feast on the abundance of your (God's) house; you give them drink from your river of delights". Again in Rev 22:1-2, we learn that there is a river of the water of life.....flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city (heaven). Jesus himself invites us to drink of the living water that He will give. He said that "whoever drinks the water that He gives will never thirst", for the water He gives will become in the person "a spring of water welling up to eternal life". John 4:13. It would seem this "water" does not refer to the physical but to something spiritual.

The prophet Isaiah gives us the answer to this conundrum. He writes "For I (God) will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring. " Isaiah 44:3. Here water is referring to the Holy Spirit and the thirsty land and dry ground refers to Israel's offspring ie Christian Believers. Water is always very closely linked to the Holy Spirit as seen during Jesus' Baptism when the Holy Spirit decended upon him as a dove and also in the act of Creation itself when the Spirit of God "hovered over the waters" Gen 1:1. Thus the water that Jesus gives that wells up to eternal life is none other then the Holy Spirit Himself.

So if water has spiritual significance, how about food? In the story of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus multiplied 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed the masses. John 6: 1-15. After this miracle, people began to follow him thinking that he is the Messiah who will provide for their physical needs by re-establishing the nation of Israel. Jesus was very clear in his mission. He said, "you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill." He cautioned them, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life," John 6:26-27. He goes on to say that he is the "bread of life. He who comes to me (Jesus) will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35. So the food that we are to partake is spiritual food rather then physical food.

I think that the great banquet in heaven does not have the food we are familiar with on earth. No, it is much much better. The food we eat satisfies us for maybe 6-10 hours, and when we eat too much of it, it becomes really Jia Lard (Indigestion). The food we are going to enjoy in Heaven is food that when eaten will give us LIFE itself, that is unimaginable joy and satisfaction than is beyond our imagination. It is like a person when he first tastes Grade A Kobe Beef, after that Angus Prime is not going to satisfy anymore. The food and drink we partake is God himself, ingesting his very spirit into our beings. No, let's not imagine Heaven to be full of the World's best Char Siew and Sio Bak. That would be too mediocre!

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story about a man who was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests to come. One gave an excuse and said he had just bought a field and he must tend to it. Another said that he just got married and cannot come. In the end the master was so angry he asked the servant to go down the street and invite all the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind to come. So the invited guests missed out on the great banquet. Luke 14:15-24 The moral of the story is that people are so busy about their earthly physical needs, that they forget to feed their spiritual needs. They focus so much on what is temporal that they miss out on the eternal.

Perhaps the question to you is not, "is there going to be food in heaven?", but rather "You have been cordially invited to attend the Great Heavenly Makan Session - Please RSVP".... HAVE YOU MADE RESERVATIONS?

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How to interpret the Food Rating

People have been confused about the way I rate food, so I want to help you, my valued reader to understand how I rate food.

I usually give an Overall Rating of the whole dining experience at the end of the blog. The overall experience is based on a few factors of which taste plays the major role. Below is a table outlining the weightage given to the various factors:

Weightage Table for Overall Rating

1. Taste - 4
2. Value for money - 3
3. Service - 2
4. Environment -1

From today, the new Overall Rating will be upon 10 to better reflect the weightage.

In my experience, unless you have an unlimited amount of money, you really need to manage your resources to maximise your satisfaction. For example, you can have a really nice steak, say at Morton's and pay $90 for it. If you quantify the satisfaction by giving satisfaction points, you might give it 9 points for satisfaction. So the amount of money you pay for 9 points of satisfaction is $90 or $10 per point (Satisfaction Cost Unit - SCU=$10). Now let's say you went to e.BlackBoard and had their $12 steak ($11 plus extra fries) and you derive 6 points of satisfaction from it, your SCU is $2. The SCU plays a big part in your decision making process on whether to go to a certain establishment, which is why "Value for money" has a weighting of 3 in the overall rating.

Good service will also enhance the enjoyment of food. If you ever had to wait 20mins for your Mee Pok Tar only to be scolded by the hawker when you say "Mai Hiam, Mai Ter Kwa and Mai Tau Gay", suddenly the Mee Pok Tar doesn't taste as shiok. You know what I mean.

Environment plays a small role in my books, I really focus on the taste and value for money. So I really don't mind sitting beside a drain to eat my KL Hokkien Mee if it is supershiok. However, if the supershiok Hokkien Mee is also in a pleasant, convenient, easy to park environment, then it deserves to score better.

So when you interpret the Overall Rating, do understand that I take all these into consideration. As in the example above, Morton's may rate 4 because of the quality of the steak, service and environment, but e.Blackboard may also rate a 4 because they score on "value for money". It certainly does not mean that Morton's steak taste the same as e.Blackboard. To simplify things, rather then give a rating for each factor, I just emphasise why a certain place is rated highly by putting a remark beside the overall rating. (So please read carefully the remarks!)

Now when it comes to individual food items, say in my Zi Yean Dim Sum, La Mian blog, the rating is a Shiokness Score and reflects only the taste of the item.

This is how to interpret the Shiokness Score.

5.0 - Phwaaa Sayah!! What secret ingredient did they put in this to make it so shiok? I am already planning my next trip back. I can't get it out of my mind and continue to ruminate on it throughout the night.

4.5 - Shiok Ah! This is almost as good as it gets. I am definitely coming back next week.

4.0 - Wha this is good man! I am going to be a regular customer

3.5 - Good lah, I'll eat this again if I am in the vicinity

3.0 - Edible though nothing to rave about

2.5 - I rather save my calories on something better.

2.0 - Why bother? Or if you wish you can bring your worse friend to eat this.

1.5 - Now I am really upset. Even my worse friend does not deserve to eat this.

1.0 - This grade of food does not deserve to exist as it ruins your whole day!

Hope this clears up the air and Happy Responsible Makaning!

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Zi Yean Dim Sum, La Mian

Most people know about Zi Yean's Cze Char, but you may not know that since they moved to their new premises a year ago, they have started offering Dim Sum and La Mian. Dim Sum is an excellent way for the whole family to enjoy a Sunday brunch together which is why I am always on the lookout for good and affordable Dim Sum Places.

Most Dim Sum places will serve the standard fare of Har Kow, Siew Mai, Cheong Fun, Phoenix claws and so on. And most places would serve a pretty descent Siew Mai such that they usually differentiate on size and price. Of late, Dim Sum places are also trying to differentiate by offering novel items. Zi Yean is following this strategy and offering several interesting items which I would like to highlight.

Above are 2 items that are quite nice. The first one is the shredded yam cake. Instead of using pieces of yam set in rice flour, here you get shredded yam seasoned and fried till nice and crisp on the outside. One the right is their fried pumpkin cake which I really like. It has got pieces of chinese sausages and dried shrimps and the pumpkin gives it a really fragrant, sweet taste. $2.50 per plate with 3 pieces. 3.75/5 for both

By the way, these go really well with their excellent Hae Bee Hiam, which they provide as standard condiment. Mmmm. 4/5 for the Hae Bee Hiam



What I really want to rave about is the Stewed Beef (Gnao Lam) La Mian. The Gnao Lam is the best I have tasted for a long time. Very tender and they have managed to get the balance of spices just right. You MUST try this. (The only way that they can improve on this is to use more Shin Beef) The La Mian is made fresh and you can really appreciate its smooth texture. The Minced Pork and Vegetable La Mian is also very very good. The best I have tasted so far. It has got the distinct taste of young bamboo shoots. They managed to get just the right balance of zest, spice, sweet and umami. Another MUST try. Best of all each bowl only costs $3.80 with no added taxes.

4.5/5 Definitely ordering these next time!

La Mian Chef pulling the La Mian

Another unique dish is the pork and salted fish rice. The pork and salted fish is very nice, but I found that there was not enough flavour in the rice as it is just plain steamed rice. 3/5

Scallop dumplings 3.5/5

Siew Mai and Har Kow as standard Dim Sum fare. These are all quite good. Each cost $2.50 for a basket of 3. 3.5/5 for most of the dumplings. Personally, when it comes to the various steamed dumplings, they all taste quite similar to me after you put the Hae Bee Hiam or chilli sauce on. Some would say I just don't know how to appreciate Dim Sum.


Another interesting item is the Gou Bu Li (Dog don't care) Pao, aka Tianjin Meat Pao. Quite nice and certainly something very different from your standard pork pau. The Gou Bu Li has plenty of shredded onions in it. $2.50 for plate of 3. 3.75/5

I tried to give you a view of a half eaten Siew Mai. You can probably just make out the prawn sticking out.

Lao Ban Niang, Ms Angela Chia with Head Hong Kong Chef Wu (on her right) and the La Mian Chef. Those of you who are familiar with the history of Zi Yean would know that it was previously owned by Ms Angela and her partner who subsequently retired when they moved to the new premises.

Conclusion

Yet another place for affordable and tasty Dim Sum. Zi Yean is divided into an aircon restaurant and a non-aircon coffeeshop. Both serve the same food, but there are several items that are exclusive to the restaurant. If you dine at the restaurant, you will be charged the standard taxes although the prices of food remain the same. Eating at the non-aircon area is good value since there are no extra taxes. The La Mian is exceptional value for money and a MUST try, so you might just want to pop in for a quick working lunch or, if you have to entertain, book a table on the aircon side.

4/5 Good Dim Sum, Great La Mian, Affordable Prices!

Zi Yean Restaurant
Blk 56, Lengkok Bahru, #01-443
64740911
Tim Sum is served from 7am to 4pm

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Foo House Bar & Cafe

Found another place to have a really nice hamburger! This burger has probably got the juiciest and beefy pattie I have had. Again, I insist that any self respecting burger should be made of chopped beef rather then mince. This one has got 220gm of shoulder beef and because shoulder beef has got a higher amount of fat, that translates to a really beefy tasting burger. The Picardy Burger costs $9.90 and you add $1 for extra toppings such as egg, bacon, mushroom. So my burger with the lot costs $12.90 which is exellent value given the quality of the pattie.

Foo House's food is the responsibility of Ex Executive Sous Chef of the Grand Hyatt, Robert Foo, who until recently used to be responsible for the menus of restaurants such as Mezzanine. Foo's House also serves a delightful roast duck which has been served at the Grand Hyatt for the last 20 years. The taste of the duck was really good, though the meat could be a little more tender.

If you like Hainanese Cuisine, then this is one place where you can get a late night, traditional Hainanese Pork Chops with a beer and ESPN. Probably the only Irish Hainanese Pub/Cafe in Singapore! The Pork Chops are done traditional style with crispy pork chop and a zesty tomato based sauce. Would have liked my chops a little thicker and juicier but this is the traditional way that Hainanese Pork Chops are prepared.

Conclusion

I visited the cafe during lunch so the atmosphere was not that great. I think this place would work well at night. Foo House has been opened for 3 months and has already a loyal following of customers yearning for the fusion of Irish Stew and Hainanese Pork Chops. Certainly worth a visit if you are looking for a Pub with really good food.

3.75/5 Great Burger and Hainanese Food in a Pub/Cafe atmosphere. Would have scored higher if the price of the pork chops was more competitive.

Foo House Pub and Cafe

6 Jln Pari Burong (near Bedok Fire Station)

Closed on Mondays
Lunch 12pm - 3pm, Dinner 6pm - 12 midnight
Closed on Mondays
64453110

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e.BlackBoard: Real Steak at Hawker Prices

The information in this Blog has been superseded by a newer Blog! Please click HERE!

Please read the updates to get the latest feedback from other readers!!


This 300gm NZ ribeye steak costs just $11. Do I really need to say anymore except to tell you where you can get it?

E Blackboard is the newest kid on the block that is bringing restaurant styled western food to the HDB heartlands. Foodies will have already heard of the likes of Astons and Botak Jones who are dishing out great western food at prices you'd think there must be government subsidies. Gone are the days of the thinly sliced beef steak with the obligatory baked beans and chips. The HDB heartlander is now internet savvy and knows a steak from a emaciated piece of dead cow that has had the dickens beaten out of it.




This is the real deal! Still can't believe it's only $11 right? I think we have been overcharged for steak all this while! Now please don't compare this with US Angus that you get at places like Black Angus. You do have to pay for good meat. The difference is this. If you are to bring me out for steak, I'd still choose Morton's of Chicago. Of course US Angus Prime tastes better, but you'd have to pay the equivalent of at least 7 to eight of these for one.









My only complaint is that the steak was not cooked evenly. This bit was ok but there was another part of the steak which was overcooked. The boss told me that they are having teething problems with their brand new grill and should be fixed soon. (They have only been opened less than a week)







Aside from the steak, they also have quite a commendable Waldorf salad at $3.50 per bowl. Full of crunchy apples, walnuts, fresh lettuce and homemade salad dressing. Hard to find anything with walnuts for $3.50 really.








The seafood marinara is pretty decent. For $6.50, you get a clam, lots of crab meat (someone actually complaint that there was too much), prawns and a nice tomatoe sauce that has chopped tomatoes in it. However, I thought that the dried oregano and basil was a little too strong and reminds you of the standard spaghetti dried herb mix that you usually throw into your spaghetti bolognaise.



The other thing that the chef does really well is the cajun seasoning. The cajun spiced chicken ($6.50) is actually very very good. The chicken has got that unique smokey cajun taste and they use quite a good supplier of chicken thigh meat such that the meat actually tastes quite, well chickeny.




Lamb chops $8 were a tad on the thin side for me. If it's meat you are after, you are better off with the steak. Its served with a homemade citrus butter which was actually quite good.

After receiving various feedback on the quality of the fish and chips, I decided to head back to try it myself a week later. Whoa, this is almost the same as what you would get at Fish & Co and its only $5. The dory is creamy and season just nice. One little secret I would share with you. Ask for the other sauce that goes with the grilled Salmon. That one is made of fresh herbs and its amazing with the fish and chips. Normally, they would give their homemade tartare sauce which I find a little on the sweet side. (If too many people start to ask for this he might have to charge for it but it is worth it) Definitely the best $5 fish and chips I have ever eaten.

The homemade mash potatoes is very nice and they also have this jumbo garlic chicken sausage for $7 (probably a bit too expensive for a sausage)


The burger set comes with fries and consists of a 150gm of minced beef pattie. Certainly much better tasting beef (and bigger) than MacDonald's. Not much to rave about except that at a typical pub, they would give you the same thing for $10.






Conclusion

Where to find $11 Ribeye Steak in Singapore? Food quality is very good for the price you pay. My pick for the must try dishes are the Fish and Chips, Rib Eye Steak and the Cajun Chicken.

4/5 Scores mainly because it is real value for money. It's a steak I can afford to eat every week! (Please read updates)

E.Blackboard
Blk 18 Bedok South Road
#01-87
(In the coffeeshop at the opposite end of the block from the carpark entrance/POSB Atm)
91776074 (Bryan Lim)

Opens for lunch till 9pm daily
Closed on Mondays

Update 1: 26 Sep 2006. On my second visit, I noticed that the Ribeye was not the same quality as my first one. The portion is about the same size but it was not as marbled and lacked the central piece of fat. So there are some initial quality control issues. You will have to ask Bryan for the quality of the beef before hand if you want to make sure you get a decent steak. Bryan is now busy ironing out these issues. Last week problems with the grill has been solved.

Update 2: 30 Sep 2006. Today there was some feedback from friends of mine who said that the steak was still not up to standard. Unfortunately his supplier has been very inconsistent. Bryan has asked me to convey to you his apologies. He is busy trying to change supplier. I will personally go down on Tuesday to make sure that the quality is up to par. Until then, don't order the beef. Chicken and Fish still good.

Update 3: 4 Oct 2006. At last they got their beef steaks supplier problem settled. They are now using Angliss which is a reputable supplier. Below is a picture of the ribeye I took today. I felt that the quality is better then the initial one I featured. They now also offer a 200gm cut for $9.

Update 4: 10 Oct 2006. The feedback from our forummers suggest that most people want a better quality beef. Because of this, Bryan has decided to change the Ribeye to 250gm NZ Chilled Beef for $12.90. The previous beef was frozen beef which is much cheaper. I have not tried it yet, so those who go can you please post your feedback to the rest of us?


Update 5: 16 Oct 2006: This is the new supply of chilled NZ ribeye. $12.50 I did not think it looked very Ribeyeish in that it did not have the ball of fat in the middle and the nice tender bits around it. It was tender but not that beefy in taste but definitely more juicy. Aiya, I still liked the very first one, ie the first pic. But some initial positive feedback has been trickling in since he switched to chilled beef. You can find it here, here and here.

....Read more!