Here's wishing all our readers a very Happy New Year!
Although 2009 looks to be quite a rough year ahead, we all know that there is always one thing that brings joy to the heart and that is food and friends. So even if we got to cut down on the more expensive gourmet meals, we can still gather with friends at the hawker centre and have a good time. So we will continue to source out the best and most value for money eats around Singapore. Remember that you too have a role to play by letting us know your favourite eating places. The blog is now in its 3rd year of existence and very soon we will reach 5 million hits. Thanks for all your support and also to our makan kakis who have been organizing the various makan sessions. Now, if you have been a lurker, please do come out of the closet this year and post a comment and then come and join one of our makan sessions so that we can get to know you! Our makan kakis are a friendly and welcoming bunch and it really doesn't matter if you are a chef or if you can't tell the difference between basmati and jasmine rice. As long as you like to eat and make new friends, you are most welcome to join us. The makan sessions are organized through our forum which you can access here.
This year, we will also be having our very first overseas makan trip which is being organized in conjunction with Canon. During our trip to Penang, we will be joined by prominent Penang bloggers CK Lam and Penang Tua Pui. I look forward to meeting with some of our readers who have signed up for the trip.
I am also looking at upgrading some of the functions of the blog to make it more user friendly for everyone. Throughout the year, I have been receiving many feedback on how the blog layout can be improved and I am seriously considering a change to the Wordpress platform so that I can introduce more functions to the blog. So look out for a revamped ieatishootipost this year.
Even though we will be making changes to the blog, rest assured our mission blurb still remains the same:
Mission Statement
ieatishootipost is dedicated to giving you 24 hour access to information which will help you satisfy your hunger or make you more hungry.
Thank you very much for reading and I wish everyone a Fantastic New Year of Food, Fun and Friends!
Resolutions for the New Year:
Yes, I have been a lurker for long enough, I am going to post my first comment and wish everyone a Happy New Year! Click Here
I have had enough looking at pictures of other people enjoying food, I am going to join the forum and go for the next makan session: Click Here
Nah, I still like to keep to myself and lurk around. Click Here.
Our recent polls showed that the Hokkiens have the least proportion of foodies as compared with the other dialects groups. Of course this does not mean that they don't have a few lip smackingly shiok dishes in their culture. One of the best dishes in the world that the Hokkiens have given us is the humble Hokkien Mee which is in my opinion, the most underated of Singaporean dishes. Every tourist knows about Chicken Rice and Chilli Crabs but not all of them are as familiar with Hokkien Mee. If you all remember our polls last year on Singaporean's favourite hawker dish, Hokkien Mee came first, ahead of Chicken Rice to everyone's surprise. Thankfully there are quite a few great Hokkien Mees around and I am still finding gems even after blogging over 20 stalls. Now you might be wondering why I did not blog this stall earlier. The fact is that when I was here last year but I did not think much of it. However, this time round, I was very pleasantly surprised at how good it actually is.
The main characteristic of this Hokkien Mee is its gooeyness which intensifies the crustacean taste of the the stock. The noodles were well fried and the chef is no friend of pigs, so you get your lard and belly pork strips here. The prawns and sotong are tiny and only serve as a garnishing. What you are going for is just a satisfying, full flavoured, fried noodle dish. 4.5/5
Conclusion
Simple, no frills, gooey and tasty Hokkien Mee. As I alluded in the title, the irony is that the stall extols its patrons to come daily but are only opened six days a week.
Tian Tian Lai (Come Daily) Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee Blk 127, Toa Payoh Lor 1 #02-27 Singapore 310127 9.30am to 9pm Closed on Mondays (how to come daily?) Ordering Hotline: 62518542/96717071
A big thank you to all participants of the 2nd ieat-Canon Food Photography Workshop. It was really fun to see so many cameras decending upon some unsuspecting Amaebi. The great thing about having so many avid photographers around is that everyone understands the importance of taking your time to take a nice photo so no one was complaining that they were hungry and wanted to eat soon.
A lot of the participants this time round were new DSLR owners and got the opportunity to explore all the functions of their new camera. I also got to play with the new Canon 5D MkII camera and was amazed by its capability in low light conditions. Now, this really is a camera that can make the food (or a person) look better then it actually is. No kidding.
Without further ado, here then are the prize winners from our 2nd workshop! 1st Prize: Alex Putin
2nd Prize: Foong Ching
3rd Prize Tina Tham
Congrats to all our prize winners. Please contact Jino to collect your Canon 5D MK II brochures and other goodies.
If you missed this workshop and are really interested to attend the next one, do write in to jino_lee@canon.com.sg and we will let you know when the next one is planned.....Read more!
For our Christmas Eve dinner this year, we had a four course set dinner in an exclusive, by invitation only, eatery set in a rustic kampung environment. What makes this particular eatery so special is that it is run entirely by the girls of AG home. We have been supporting Pastor Andrew's work with troubled teenage girls since our Charity Dinner last year and it is always inspiring to see the the love that both Andrew and Grace shower upon the girls. It took them awhile to set up the Cafe after their move from Telok Kurau last year, but they managed to get it ready in time for this year's Christmas and New Year dinner.
The Cafe is run entirely by the girls under the supervision of volunteer chefs. This year, Jackie from Cilantro Modern Asian got involved and she played a pivotal role by donating some kitchen equipment and training the girls. They are also helping to provide supplies like their smoked duck breast and pizza bases.
I met Sam, the girl who is currently managing the Cafe. Sam just completed her 18 month stay at AG Home. She started using ketamine since she was 13 but only got caught five years later. Her friends were all sent to prison, but somehow she was sent to AG Home instead. She told me that she used to spend $1000 a month on the drug.
It was during her 18 month stay that she saw God's love for her through the lives of Ps Andrew and Grace and the volunteers at the home and she decided to accept Jesus into her life. After her discharge, Ps Andrew asked her what she would like to do with her life and she responded by saying that she would love to run a Cafe. So now she is in charge of managing the Cafe under close supervision from Jackie.
For our Christmas Eve dinner, we had a salad of Coral lettuce with bacon bits, homemade Potato Croquette, Black Pepper Chicken Chop and Cheesecake. The set dinner costs $25 and a similar one is planned for New Year's Eve.
Now, the food is actually not bad, but of course there are still a lot things that can be improved upon. They have just been opened for 1 month and so they are still raising money to buy a few more things for the kitchen. I actually quite liked the Potato Croquette and ordered an extra serving for myself and the kids. Their normal cafe menu will feature some of the items from Cilantro such as the duck breast pasta and pizza. They also have a non-alcoholic bar with an expresso machine and soon they will be offering fruit smoothies as well.
The Cafe is basically a training ground for girls who are interested to work in the food and beverage industry. There is no rental and wage cost, so the money raised is used to pay for the food costs and to buy kitchen equipment. In keeping with the Christian practise of tithing, they also contribute a portion of the money to other charities and the rest is used for the running of the home.
So, if you have no plans yet for New Year's Eve, why not consider a Set Dinner at Ag Cafe? Jackie just confirmed that she will personally be there to make sure you get a good meal. The Cafe is opened to invited guests only (Readers of this blog are considered invited guests) and it is best to give them a call to let them know you are coming. If you can't make it for New Year's Eve, you can still drop in at other times for their normal Cafe menu.
PS: They also rear prize winning Goldfish and Koi in the premises which you can buy when you are there.
You can read more about AG Homes here The AG Home website is here
Cafe AG 6A Mattar Road S387715 93887926 (Sam) 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm Saturday lunch only Sunday closed Please let them know that you have been invited by ieat
Many thanks to Damien and Champagne for organizing our end of the year Makan Session!
Thanks for everyone for turning up and making the Makan Session a great success.
For me the best dishes of the evening has to be the Ter Kah, Pumpkin Prawns and the surprisingly shiok hotplate Oyster Omelette. I think everyone would have to admit that $18 for a 10 course meal is just about as cheap as it could get considering we had so much seafood and the portions were all so big. To read more about Siang Hee, please click here
If you missed out on this Makan Session, don't worry, there is always something being planned at our forum. So do sign up and we look forward to seeing you at the next session!
Siang Hee Restaurant Blk 89 Zion Road #01-137 S160089 11am to 10.30pm Closed once every 3 weeks on Tuesdays 97364067 Ah Yoke
Christmas means many things to many people but it might also mean different things to the same person at different stages of life.
When I was a kid, Christmas meant a day off from school and great shows on Channel 5. My family never really celebrated Christmas. So all those stuff about turkeys, gifts, Santa Claus and Christmas Trees was something that happened on TV which had no relevance to me. My wife on the other hand loved Christmas as their family would celebrate by going to their Auntie's house for festivities. They weren't Christians at the time, but one of her Aunties was and they would merrily follow her to midnight mass and do the presents and other Christmassy stuff. Those were the good old days when they still used cotton wool to put on Christmas trees to simulate snow and you could work out the age of the Christmas tree from the colour of the cotton wool.
Now of course we celebrate Christmas together as a family and have the Christmas tree lit up and presents for the kids. But it is still my wife who does most of the decorations and the planning for the festivities. For her, it is something that she had always grown up with. For me, I go along with it but I sometimes find it really stressful, if you know what I mean.
But the festivities are really all the outward stuff. One can have the tallest Christmas tree, the present you have been always wanting, (for me that would be the Canon 5D Mk II and for my son, an Xbox - both of us will have to wait till next Christmas maybe) but those things will only bring you happiness for a short while. The joy of Christmas is really what happens on the inside and what happens on the inside is dependent on our relationship with our loved ones and for Christians, with the Saviour who was born on this day.
So Christmas is always a time for me to remember the birth of Jesus. I guess the nativity scene is something that most people recognize immediately and will be able to tell you that the baby in the scene is the infant Jesus. But knowing that the baby is Jesus has as much impact on you as knowing that the next president of the US is Barack Obama. But if you could pick up the phone and call Mr Obama, that would be a different story altogether.
Just recently, I managed to watch the short movie about the life of gangster turned pastor, Rev Neville Tan. There was a part in the film where he was kept in solitary confinement for a period of time and was starting to turn crazy. His fellow inmate passed him some toilet paper which turned out to be pages torned out from the bible. Since he was bored he started to read it starting with the account of the birth of Jesus. He recalled that when he got to the part about a Virgin giving birth, he could not help but laugh and laugh as he found it amazing that Christians would believe such a thing.
Of course, naturally speaking, a virgin could not give birth. I guess to most people who do not know Jesus, this would be preposterous. However, in the case of Neville, his life took such a dramatic turn after he accepted the Lord into his life that one would have to say that it was easier to believe in a Virgin birth than to believe that a person as hardcore as Neville could be so completely and utterly changed.
We are all brought up with the adage: "Seeing is believing", but sometimes we have to believe first and than we shall see or as St Augustine, the 4th century theologian puts it,
“Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”
For Neville and indeed for many of us, it is after he took that step of faith that he understood who the baby in the manger really was. And because of that child, instead of living a wasted life, he lived life to the fullest.
We live in uncertain times and I personally know of people who are in difficult circumstances. I can do only so much to help, but I know and am fully convinced that it is Jesus who can make the real difference. He has done it in my life, the life of Neville Tan and countless others. That is why we call Him Saviour and that is why we celebrate Christmas.
Have a Blessed and meaningful Christmas everyone!
If you would like to know more about Jesus, please email me at leslie.tay@gmail.com
Humans are creatures of habit. But habits are not bad, they are used by our brain to automate certain processes so that you don't have to waste time and extra energy to make certain decisions. When it comes to food, we also form habits of ordering certain foods when we eat so that we don't have to waste too much brain power.At least for me, whenever I eat Thai Food, I always end up ordering the same stuff. It saves the hassle of having to risk ordering something you are not going to like. Same goes with Northern Indian, Japanese and so on. But every now and again, you might want to venture out to try something new. Well, if you are in such a mood, then you might find something like Miang Karm a bit more adventurous.
In Thailand, this dish is actually available from the Supermarket where all the condiments and the Betel Nut leaves are packed in styrofoam trays with gladwrap. All you need to do is to make a little pouch from the leaf and put in all the condiments and pop it in your mouth. This dish is not readily available in Thai restaurants here but one restaurant that does sell it is Yellow Light Thai Food. I really enjoy this dish as a starter, it is refreshing and the combination of the fried coconut and the tangy sauce gives it a nice zing to start your meal. 4.25/5
Fried Salted Egg Yolk Ball $3 each
Yellow Light is actually a Thai Restaurant started by a Penang lady of Thai descent around 30 years ago. It called "Yellow Light" because it did not have a signboard, so the regulars all recognized the place by the yellow light that was hanging outside. Even though the restaurant did not originate from Thailand, the owners work very hard at making sure the food is as authentic as it gets.
Aside from the Miang Karm, I also tried their Fried Salted Egg Yolk Ball which I must admit, I have not come across even though I spent two years living in Bangkok. It is essentially a salted egg yolk wrapped with a paste made from minced pork and deep fried. Certainly something new to try if you haven't come across it before. 3.5/5
Belachan Fried Rice $12
For those who like the pungent smell of dry Belachan, you would like this dish. I especially like the sweet pork belly that they have as one of the condiments which go very well with the savoury rice and dried shrimps. 4/5
Tom Yum Soup $12
I felt the Tom Yum soup lacked a certain kick that day. It is unfortunate since I feel that the owners here really do emphasize a lot on authenticity and they make a lot of effort and passion goes into the dishes since the owner happens to be the chef as well. The soup just lacks that sourish ooomph that day. 3.75/5
Green Curry Chicken $12
Their focus on authenticity can easily be seen in the extra effort they put in to procure the small pea sized brinjals that are always seen when you eat Green Curry in Thailand. The green curry is good but again lacks the special something to get you to order that extra portion of rice. 3.5/5
Conclusion
Nice little family run Thai restaurant. The chef owner puts a lot of effort into making the food authentic and so you can find some things here that is not found in other Thai Restaurants in Singapore. However, it is a constant debate over whether to keep the food authentic or to modify it to suit the local taste. All the effort of getting stuff like baby brinjal might just go to waste because Singaporeans don't appreciate them at all. If you are looking for Thai food that is a little different from elsewhere, this might be a place you would want to check out.
Yellow Light Thai Food 95 East Coast Road Singapore 428793 11.30am to 2.30pm 6pm to 10pm Closed Mondays 6345 7324
There are two things that I can say about Wow Wow West. First, this is a place where the food really value for money and it is the best place outside of a buffet where you can guarantee that you will eat till you are full. Second, the generosity and the goodness of Eric the owner never fails to warm the heart. Now, if I didn't have the second point to write about, I would have gone on to tell you about how big the portions are and how Eric looks at the customers to in order to decide how big a Chicken Chop he would give. So if he saw Holybro, he'd give the extra large piece and Holybro would have gone away with a big grin on his face. When he sees a petite office girl, he would give a smaller piece as most of them will not be able to finish a big piece. It works out well most of the time, unless he gives a small piece to a girl like Khim (or bottomless pit she is popularly known), then there will be trouble. The same $5 will buy a large, medium or small piece depending on how hungry you look. So if you are particularly famished, but look like Fiona Xie, do let him know you want an extra large piece of chicken!
But that is not really the story I want to talk about. I feel the bigger story is how faith and redemption can affect one man's life and how a changed man can in turn change the world. (or at least the world around him)
When I first met Eric, he was still running his highly popular stall at Bukit Merah. At that time, I wrote about how his own life had changed when he became a Christian and found his life's calling in helping ex-prisoners establish a new life back in society. (That story here) While they were still in the old stall at Bukit Merah, he had trained a total of nine ex-prisoners before he managed to find one who was capable of taking over the running of the stall. We all thought that what he was doing was great but what he did next was even more astounding. I learnt later that he actually gave the stall away to his disciple and then proceeded to open a brand new stall over here in ABC Food Centre to start building his business scratch!
Giant Cheese and Pork Bratwurst $3 each
Now what he has done is noble indeed, so noble that he has earned the respect of the Black Society bosses who all decreed that he and his family are not to be harmed in anyway even though he is actively trying to rehabilitate some of their brothers. I guess integrity, nobility and respect is something that the underworld values highly.
Just recently, I got hold of some DVDs showing that there is hope even for the most hard core of prisoners. I was very touched by the inspiring stories of the lives of two ex-convicts, Neville Tan and Kelvin Soh who eventually found God and made a complete change in their lives. These locally produced short movies are well produced and are very touching. During this Christmas season, you might be invited to someone's place to watch the DVDs and to learn more about the how the baby born on that first Christmas changed the lives of hard core prisoners like Neville Tan and Kelvin Soh. If there is hope for them, surely there is hope for everyone, whatever your situation might be. You read more about the movies here
Anyway, back to the food. There is no doubt that the food here good but I think what draws the crowd every night are the generous portions of nourishment for the stomach as well as the soul. Wahcow finished up the chickenchop even though he just had lunch followed by some really well marbled char siew at Fatty Cheong's (later post). That just means either that the food is really good or Wahcow is just greedy. The chicken chop scores a 4/5 from me.
Conclusion
Food is good and I doubt is anyone will ever complain that the portions are small. But it is his story of conviction and selflessness which I find most compelling. If you know of any other stall with such a strong social cause, do write in and let me know!
What to do next
Read more about "The ironman of Changi Prison", Neville Tan here Read more about the drug addict turned Gospel Singer, Kelvin Soh here The first post on Wow Wow West is here Read about Benny, the ex-con who now runs 18 Chefs, here
Wow Wow West ABC Brickworks Food Centre #01-133 10.30am to 9pm Closed on Sundays
Alright, so many people say Penang food is so good that we have to go find out for ourselves! So if you have always heard that Penang Char Kway Teow is so much better than Singapore's and want to experience it for yourself, do join us for our photography tour of Penang! This tour will be of most interest to those who like to shoot and eat. It will be led by Jino Lee, Canon's professional photographer and Penang boy. Special arrangements have been made so that there will be photo opportunities which would otherwise elude the casual tourist. And of course, Food, Food, Food. I am looking forward to blogging some of the great eats in Penang as recommended by Jino as well as our resident Penang food expert, Damien.
For those who are toying with the idea of getting a DSLR, this might be a good opportunity for you to try before you buy. Canon will provide Canon 400Ds for readers who want to spend a few days trying out a DSLR! It would be a great opportunity to learn some basic photography techniques as well!
For more details and registration, please check out the Canon website here
Date: Feb 1-4, 2009 Cost: $880* or $550 without air tickets Closing Date: 24 Dec 2008 Limited to 18 pax
*We will be staying at 5 star accomodation and the price includes photography tutorials and tour arrangement fees. Food not included.
NB: It is not necessary to own a Canon camera. Any camera will do, but you will get the most out of the trip if you are using a DSLR.
Congratulations to Nuffnang Singapore for successfully organizing the very first blogger blood donation drive on Saturday, 29th November!
A total of 150 intrepid bloggers turned up for the event to do their bit for the blood bank. I am sure some must have been fighting belonephobia (fear of needles), but in the end, it was the combination of friendship and an atmosphere of fun which helped them get over the fear. Besides, it was a great way to make new friends and of course there was lots of food as well.
If you have missed this blood donation drive, don't worry, as I am sure there will be a sequel some time in the future. In the meantime, you can see what you missed here.
I love Paus ever since I was a kid. I remember one of the best Big Paus I ever ate was when I was still a student. The Pau was made in the corner coffee shop along Serangoon road just before you turn left to get onto the PIE. (Diagonally opposite Jackson's Food Centre) They used to mix the pork with chunks of chicken with the bones still intact (if you are lucky you might get a wing!). It was one of those things I would save my pocket money and look forward to eating right have school. Sadly, I have no idea where they dissappeared to. The household names for Paus in those days were Tanglin Pau and Tiong Bahru Pau. I remember that they too were very good and us boys (my two brothers and myself) would often look forward to driving out to buy Teck Kee Tanglin Pau. The fat man logo on the bottom of each pau was a signal for our salivary juices to start flowing. As with most things, when these two established brands expanded, the quality dropped. They are still one of the better paus around and would probably be blogged one day, but it is still the good old 'mom and pop' stalls that excite me most.
This is one juicy pau!
So when our Hougang expert, Bugger listed down this stall in our forum as selling the best big pau in Singapore, it did not take me too long to wake up extra early on a Sunday morning to find out whether our friend's tastebuds are reliable or not.
This stall had just moved from Hougang Ave 7 to its new location, so their old customers are still trying to locate them. According to Bugger, I would have to put up with a long queue otherwise. I am glad to tell you that our friend's tastebuds aren't bad at all. This big Pau is easily the juiciest Pau in Singapore and is chock full of crunchy turnips which I love. There is no egg in it and the meat filling is a little on the sweet side which suits me fine, but some readers might complain that it is a little sweet. Tastewise, if it just had that bit more ooomph, it would have gotten the same rating as Tanjung Rhu's. 4.5/5
The other items like the Siew Mai and Char Siew paus were all very good but not as exceptional as the Big Pau. The Lo Mai Kai was a beauty but sadly the glutinous rice was somehow not as sticky and fragrant as I liked. All these items are a 4/5. While I was taking photos of the stall, one of their customers told me that their Fan Choy is really really good, but unfortunately he bought the last one! Aiyah, I really hate it when someone tells you something is die die must try, then tell you it just sold out! (Well, he did graciously offered to give his to me, but really paiseh to accept his offer)
Conclusion
This is so far the juiciest Pau in Singapore that I have come across. The meat could have been more fragrant but the joy of biting into a Pau and having the juices trickle down your hands should get most Pau lovers excited.
What to do next?
For Bugger's list of Hougang eats, click here Find out the other places for Pao here
Man Ji Handmade Pau Blk 327, Hougang Ave 5 6am to 1pm daily 98359221
Does the thought of tender, juicy beef sizzling over a charcoal grill thrill you? Yeah, me too. A slice of nicely grilled Wagyu Karubi dipped in Tare sauce eaten with a mouthful of good Japanese rice is as a wonderful a treat as a Scooby Snack. The only problem is that such a treat usually burns a hole in your pocket and its normally reserved for that special occasion. US Karubi - All you can eat Buffet from $43++
So, if you which to keep your pocket intact but still want to be able to satisfy your beef craving, then you might want to consider a "all-you-can-eat" buffet. Nowadays, you can get a pretty decent "all-you-can-eat" buffet for $20 plus. But for that kind of money, you seldom get really good beef. They might throw in some normal Australian or NZ beef into the buffet, but the beef is seldom that good.
So unfortunately, if you want good beef (and "good" anything else in life), you usually have to pay for it. But even if you have to pay more for it, we still want to get "value for money" right? We are Singaporeans after all.
Now, most people will not consider a $43 buffet "value for money", but when the buffet has "all you can eat" USDA grain fed Karubi, then for Beef lovers at least, this is a reasonable price to pay to satisfy that craving for good beef.
Wagyu Tokujo Karubi $45.90 per 100gm serving
Having tried both the US Karubi and the Aust Wagyu Karubi that day, even my kids can tell you that the Wagyu is the better cut. However if you were to consider that the Wagyu is $45.90 per 100gm, and for the same price you can get unlimited US Karubi, Pork jowl, Scallops etc, then the buffet is definitely better value for the money. The US Karubi 4.25/5 is actually very good and you'd probably be very happy with it if you did not have the Wagyu 4.5/5 to compare.
Conclusion
Great value if you are after an "all you can eat" Yakiniku buffet with good beef. The US Karubi is very good, but if you really want to splurge, then you should go for the Wagyu Karubi. This new branch at United Square offers Charcoal BBQ which is different from their main store which uses gas. Overall, the meat and seafood (they've got good sized scallops) is very good quality so no complaints there. The only one thing I would like to see is a variety of sauces to go with the beef. I found the standard sauce not sweet enough and there was no option for an alternative.
Post Script:
Thanks to an Anonymous reader who alerted us to the fact that if you add $20 more to the standard buffet, you are able to include Wagyu in your buffet. Now that means for $63++ you can have all you can eat Wagyu Karubi. That is certainly very very good value for money for Wagyu! I have just called them and they confirm that it is "all you can eat" on three Wagyu items which includes the Karubi.
Update: 17 Dec 2008
Thanks to the clarification from the Exec Chef of Yakiniku Daidomon. The $20 addition to the buffet does not include the Wagyu Tokujo Karubi that you see in the picture, but they have 3 other cuts of Wagyu, Wagyu Karubi (short rib), Wagyu Harami (skirt) and Wagyu Nakaochi (meat between the ribs).
Yakiniku Daidomon 101 Thomson Road #01-14/15 United Square Shopping Mall www.daidomon.com.sg Buffet $43++ for weekdays $48++ for weekends
With Sumosumo, Champagne, Mr Yakwang, Jems and our latest makankaki, lovejade Xiao Long Bao $6.50 for rack of 8
Some foods come and go, but I think in the case of Xiao Long Bao (XLB), it has gone past the stage of being a fad to becoming a firm favourite amongst Singaporeans. And I would not be surprised if 20 years from now, XLB is considered as Singaporean as Hokkien Mee. Although it is still sold mainly in restaurants at the moment, we are beginning to see some stalls beginning to sell them in Hawker Centres. Now, you might think that it is far fetched to say that the XLB will become a Singaporean dish, we might as well say that Pasta will be considered a Singaporean dish since we are beginning to see lots of stalls in hawker centres selling Italian food. But there is one big difference. We are going to have a bigger population of Singaporeans of Northern Chinese descent in the future. Right now, they are still considered "China born Chinese" but their offspring will become Singaporean and bring with them their own cuisine and culture. So as our Dialect mix of mainly Southern Chinese become more diluted with the Northerners, our "local" food will surely change as well.
Testing the Xiao Long Bao skin for resilience
Anyway, I for one have grown to like this little dumpling a lot and whenever I hear of a new eatery selling it, I am always tempted to go try them out. So when Sumosumo started raving about the food at this place, it did not take us long to organize a makan session to check out the XLB.
I think part of the success of the XLB is the fact that it is a dumpling with distinct characteristics. It is easy to tell if the XLB is good or not even before you put it into your mouth. When you get presented with your rack of XLB, the first thing to observe is the number of folds it has and whether the skin is thin enough to see the pool of soup inside. Then comes the acid test which is the ability to pick up the XLB without the skin breaking. Some restaurants take so much pride in this that should your XLB burst before you put it in your mouth, that they would happily replace the XLB should it burst before its appointed time.
Well, the XLB here certainly passed the skin and soup test, what remains is the taste of the meat and the soup which I thought was very good but just lacks that X factor to make it truly exceptional. At $6.50 for a rack of 8 XLB, it is certainly good enough to make me think of coming back and ordering 2 racks and a pot of tea for a nice lunch. 4.25/5
Seaweed Tofu $9.80
There were several other dishes here that were surprisingly good. The homemade Seaweed Tofu was unexpectedly good. This is one of those really popular dishes that a lot of restaurant and Cze Char places are dishing up nowadays, so I have had it on numerous occasions, but this one really stood out. The tofu itself was very eggy and there was something in the sauce that had that "eat more rice" quality about it. 4.5/5
Sliced Pork Belly with Garlic and Chilli oil $9.80
The other dish that we ended up ordering extra plates of was the Sliced Pork Belly with Garlic and Chilli Oil. Everyone was quite unanimous about this dish. It is quite addictive and is an excellent first dish to wet your expectation for the rest of the meal. Actually we had it as a first dish and the last dish since we couldn't get enough of it. 4.5/5
Bittergourd with salted egg
The bittergourd dish drew mixed responses. Some of our kakis really loved it but I felt that the combination of bitter with salty just did not do it for me. Bitter goes well with sweet, like coffee or Durians, but bitter with salty is a difficult combination to get right. 3/5
Pancake with Chives $6.80
The Pancake with Chives was a little different from the usual as it had minced pork in it. For $6.80 it was excellent value I thought. Tastewise I felt that the crust lacked a certain amount of chewiness underneath the crispy crust. However, the mince pork gave it a great savoury flavour. 4/5
Conclusion
Fancy finding a Little Chinese Restaurant in Little India. If you are looking for an alternative place for your Xiao Long Bao fix, you might just like to pay this place a visit. Parking is convenient, prices are reasonable and there are a couple of dishes that will make you go "Phwaa!". Another great thing is that they open till midnight, just in case you suddenly get a craving for XLB late at night.
What to do next?
We did a poll to see how people eat their XLB, the results are here
Hand in Hand Beijing Restaurant 141-143 Jalan Besar Between Hindoo and Veerasamy Roads 68415301 11am to 12 midnight daily
You are cordially invited to our End of Year Makan Session which will be held at Siang Hee Restaurant. Our makankakis, Damien and Champagne have arranged a sumptuous 10 course menu for us which will feature their signature Pumpkin Prawns and Crispy Ter Kah. Here are the details:
Venue: Siang Hee Restaurant Blk 89, Zion Road, #01-137 S(160089) Date: 19th Dec, 7.30pm Cost: $18 per head Menu: 1. Crispy Ter Kah 2. Pumpkin Prawns 3. Marmite Pork 4. French Beans 5. Special Tofu 6. Oyster Egg 7. Hae Cho 8. Fried Garoupa with Thai Special Sauce 9. Soft Shell Crab 10. Hor Fun
There are limited seats, so if you would like to come, please let Damien know ASAP by writing to: Kamient@hotmail.com
Hope to see you there!
You can read the review on Siang Hee here. Latest updates and chitter chatter at our forum.
I have never been a big fan of Sushi. In fact, I have never been a big fan of fish either when I was younger. Now, that's a big confession coming from a Teochew Ah Hia 'cos, as you well know, we Teochews (are supposed to) love steamed fish. We love fish so much that we prefer to eat it unadulterated. So for us Teochews, the fish must be fresh, and best eaten just steamed with a dash of Tau Cheo (Fermented Bean Sauce). I guess that is why I hated fish when I was younger 'cos my parents loved to eat the real fishy steamed fish such as Mullet and Peh Dou Her (Rabbit Fish) and that threw me right off.
So you can imagine my excitement when I was first introduced to Sushi many years ago while I was studying in Sydney. It was about the time when the Aussies themselves were being introduced to this form of Japanese cuisine. Fish? Hmmm......ambivalent. Raw fish? You got to be kidding me! But as the years went by and Sushi became more popular, I had to learn to eat it since sometime, somehow, somewhere..... someone is bound to say "Hey! Let's go for Sushi today!". Boh Pien (no choice), peer pressure. Later on, the pressure came from my wife, who just absolutely loves Sushi. What to do? The CEO loves Sushi, so very difficult to say no. Then now, the kids also love Sushi. Aiyah, when the shareholders also say they want Sushi, even more difficult to say no.
The Sushi afficianados would encourage me by telling me that I have yet to taste really good Sushi as most of the stuff you get in Singapore just cannot compare to the Sushi in Japan. So, I waited patiently for the day of my epiphany believing that when I get to eat the "real" Sushi, then I shall know the truth and the truth shall set me free.
So, this trip to Tokyo was to be my time of rebirth. This Sushi Ignoramus shall finally behold the sublime beauty of the raw fish! So I set my goal to eat the best Otoro (tuna belly) in the world since this is what all the Sushi lovers seem to love so much. I always believe that if people can love something a lot, then there must be something to love. So I was determined to find this fantastical fillet of fresh fish which is going to change my life forever.
Queue at Sushi Dai, Sushi Daiwa is further down
Where better to find this wonderous wedge of Tuna than at Tsukiji, the World's biggest Fish Market? And being the Kiasu Singaporean, I had to go for the most famous restaurant with the longest queues. I wanted to make sure that the only other way to get it any fresher is to take a bite off a live fish.
The two most famous shops at Tsukiji are Sushi Dai and Sushi Daiwa. They are both located along the same row of shop at block 6. When you get off at Tsukiji, make your way down the left hand side of the main market and you should find it. The next piece of advise is important so pay attention.
The ladies running the restaurants can be quite the Food Nazis as they run the restaurants in a very regimented fashion. When you are queuing up, make sure that all the people who are going into the restaurant are in the queue because you will not be allowed into the restaurant unless all members of the party are present. Oh yes, this rule is clearly stated at the front of the restaurant...... in Japanese. Not only that, if you get to the front of the queue and your friend is not there, not only won't you get into the restaurant, you will need to start queuing again from the back of the queue. Guess how I learn about this rule?
Lucky for me the people who got put in front of me happened to be Singaporeans and seeing what happened, they very graciously offered to let us go back in front of them. Ah, it's good to know that we Singaporeans do look out for each other!
It was a good thing that when it was finally our turn, we managed to be shown into the restaurant together with our newfound Singaporean friends (or else quite Paiseh leh). Now at last, the moment of truth had come! Now I shall be able to capture this precious moment of enlightenment. But alas, when I whipped out my camera, the lady promptly told me that phototaking was not allowed in the restaurant! Doh!! (Then how did all those pictures of the restaurant online get taken I wonder?)
Otoro (Picture taken from another Sushi place)
So I managed to only take the one good photo from my momentous occasion which is the first picture you see. (The one above was taken at a less prestigious Sushi place in Ueno.)
Anyway, what can I say about the Sushi?
Wow, it was very fresh indeed and it is certainly the best sushi I have eaten. But I am far from being the newest Sushi fan. I mean, the Otoro was great, but for me, I wouldn't pay $20 bucks for it in Singapore. The Uni was very very creamy and savoury but again not something I would crave for. The one thing that was quite an eye opener was the Grilled Sea Eel (Anago) of which was the house specialty at the restaurant. Now that one was surprisingly creamy and quite shiok.
Video explaining proper Sushi etiquette - you must watch this!
For those of you who might be preparing for a trip to Japan to have your Sushi moment, may I advise you to brush up on proper Sushi etiquette but having a look at the video above. Japanese society is very regimented and it would be wise to familiarize yourself with the rules or risk getting thrown out of the restaurant! (And the video is quite entertaining too!)
Conclusion
Now, in case you are under the mistaken belief that every Japanese likes Sushi, may I say that I know of some who also can't understand what the big fuss over raw fish is about. From this experience, I can say however, that the Sushi in Japan is really very fresh, and the difference between what you get there and here is quite apparent even for me. But at the end of the day, if you are planning a surprise birthday treat for me, please don't think you are doing me a great favour by inviting me to the most expensive Sushi restaurant in town, unless they serve Matsuzaka beef as well.
I am sure that when you see this type of multilayered curry puff, you would immediately think of 1A curry puffs right? This very unique and indeed very Singaporean snack can now be found in many shopping centres around the island. But did you know that there are really two 1A curry puffs in Singapore? There is one which operates all the franchise stalls in Singapore, then there is another one which is still operated by a feisty old grandma in Henderson. Guess which one came first? This is yet another one of those copycat hawker stories, a phenomenon which I am sure you are familiar with in our country. Just think of Rotiboy, Doughnuts and Bee Cheng Hiang and you know what I mean. It seems to me that we Singaporeans are much better at copying others than coming up with original stuff. Just look at home renovation designs for instance. You know, at one time it looked like every newly wed couple's master bedroom has that obligatory photo hanging above the bedhead. I think the phenomenon boils down to two very strong character traits of the Singaporean. The first is that we tend to be very Kiasu (scared of losing out) and the 2nd being that we are a conformistic society. So, being Kiasu, it is much easier to copy an idea that works rather than take the risk with something new. And being a nation of conformists, we, like a shoal of sardines or a flock of sheep, just follow what the others are doing. Don't know what to do? Just follow law!
Anyway the story of 1A (there is no A1 curry puff as far as I know) is just another case study of this phenomenon. As you probably guess by now, the stall in Henderson (according to them) is the originator of this particular type of curry puff. It turns out that it was first made around 17 years ago by this Teochew Ah Mah (Granny) who was at the time making fried Poh Piah (springrolls) and Soon Kueh. One day she just decided to combine the two and came up with the multilayered crispy curry puff that we are all so familiar with. The Curry Puff later became known as 1A Curry Puff as their stall then was at Blk 1A Eunos Crescent. According to them, the other 1A was started by someone who used to work at their store.
If you do an internet search, you will find other stories about how this curry puff originated and I am not in a position to say what really happened. But I do find Grandma's story quite plausible (It's between a sweet old granny and a businessman, so who would you believe?). If you have more information to shed some light on this, do let us know.
Crispy Curry Puff $1 ea
Anyway, the curry puffs here are really good. The skin is crispy and thin, more like a Malay Epok Epok rather than the Chinese style Curry Puff which uses short crust pastry. The filling is also quite moist, almost as if there was a bit of gravy in it. I actually quite like the Sardine Puff which really reminded me of the Malay version except that you get the multi layered crispy skin. 4.25/5
The Ah Mah who invented the Crispy Skin Curry Puff
Conclusion
I don't know if there is such a thing as copyright of Hawker's names but I do notice that there are many hawker stalls claiming to be the "original" stall of famous brand names. At times it can be quite confusing and sometimes it can affect the business of the real original stall. Just the other day I spied a banner somewhere in Bukit Timah proclaiming that they were the original 132 Mee Pok and recently I also wrote about the confusion over Eng Seng black pepper crabs. Is this something we all just sit back and accept as part of our society, (like the fact that you almost never get your handphone back when you lose it), or is it something that we should work towards changing?
So, if you are a curry puff lover, you should check this one out and see if this "original" crispy skin curry puff is better than the rest. And do let us know your version of the 1A curry puff story.
