Its official! Singaporeans like Singapore Food!

So the majority of Singaporeans still like our local food!

Of the 1320 people who voted, the majority (68.5%) said they still prefer Singapore food. What was surprising though was how popular Japanese food is (53%), surpassing Chinese/Cantonese Cuisine (32.2) by quite a significant margin. Of the European cuisine, Italian cuisine (13.5%) was the most popular. More people would choose Thai (10%) over French/European (5%) cuisine.

So if you are planning to open a foreign cuisine restaurant, you best bet is to go with the Japanese!

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ieat on 938live!

Today's Lunch Pick is Persimmons!

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Persimmons: Fused to Amuse

With Big MOG, ieatfamily and friends

Fisherman's Pie $26++

I think I finally figured out how to make fusion work.

You see, the problem with local fusion is that when stuff tastes too much like the local dish, most people would wonder why they would want to pay so much for something they can get at a hawker centre for a fraction of the price. So the simple solution to the problem is to ensure that what you are serving is 80% Ang Moh and 20% local and not the other way around.

So take for instance Persimmon's Fisherman's Pie. It is more like a Fisherman's Pie than it is like laksa and it worked very well for me. I have a thing for puff pastry with creamy seafood sauce -- just love the way the puff pastry soaks up all that yummy creamy sauce oohah.



Persimmon's version of the Fisherman's pie marries the classic recipe with a hint of laksa taste but without the coconut cream or the spiciness. It was chock full of fresh seafood and not too jialek. It's akin somewhat to Japanese style curry where you get all that umami flavour of the spices but without the heat of an Indian curry. So when you eat Japanese curry, it is distinctly Japanese but with a Indian influence. Similarly, the Fisherman's pie is still distinctly Irish but with a Singaporean influence which is what I think made this dish work. 4.25/5


White Pepper Crab Cakes $16++ (2 pieces)

Crab cakes are another of my all time favourite starters. For one thing, it takes away all the effort of having to peel the crab meat yourself. (Some little old lady at the back of the restaurant has already peeled it for you and hopefully she isn't breaking her dentures doing it) This version is supposed to be reminiscent of our famous white pepper crab dish. It was tasty but I felt it needed some sort of creamy sauce to go with it. It would also have been better if it were slighty thicker so that it keeps the moisture in better. 4/5


Linguini laksa-leaf pesto $26++

Laska Pesto seems to be the in thing for many restaurants recently. The laksa leaf has such a wonderfully distinct taste that one can't help but think of laksa when you taste it. So even though the pasta dish is only made from olive oil and laksa leaves sans the spices and coconut milk, you still can't help thinking about Laksa. As I have said earlier, I think this version works better because it is still closer to the Ang Moh end of the spectrum than the Singapore end. So you are still eating a Pesto Pasta but with a laksa twist. 4/5



According to Sharon, the Curried Chicken Wings were an inspiration from childhood when mom used to deep fry the leftover overnight curry chicken wings. So we are talking about Chicken Wings which have already been thoroughly infused with that wonderful nonya curry flavour before deep frying. The taste was really good but the problem I felt was that the flesh was not as moist as a freshly fried chicken wing. 3.75/5



Mushroom ravioli $22

Being an unabashed carnivore with an obligatory concern about my cholesterol levels, I am always on the lookout for vegetarian dishes that can provide me with as much epicurean epiphany as a foie gras lollipop. Although the Mushroom Ravioli is still some way from hitting that threshold, I must say it is a veggie dish that was revelatory in its own right. The Ravioli is filled with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mushrooms and is wonderfully crunchy and savoury. But the real gem is in the chilli cream sauce which was surprisingly good. The funny thing is that if I did not tell you it is made of red chilli, you might not have guessed it. It's a little sweet and hinted of the chilli fragrance without the heat. I could think of a few more ideas with this sauce like maybe a lasagna. It blended perfectly with the Ravioli and the wonderfully sweet sauteed Portabello mushrooms. 4.25/5


Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao

Since this was a lunch hosted by Sharon (who also owns Epicurious), we also got to taste test some experimental items for her next menu. One of these was the Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao. The concept is a XL Xiao Long Bao (extra big small dragon pao - maybe we should just call it a Long Bao) which has the normal meat filling but with a nice chunk of Foie Gras inside. If you are a meat lover like me who always orders the "meat lover's pizza", you would find this a real treat. However, some of the other people around the table found it a tad heavy. What might be a good idea is to serve it with something like a caramelised black vinegar sauce which provide a bit of zest to the otherwise sluggish flavours of the meat and liver.

Conclusion

I don't usually like fusion very much but I must say that there were a few items here that really did hit the right note for me. The place is bright, cheery and informal and would be great for a casual lunch or dinner. As I alluded to from the beginning, my opinion is that local fusion can only work if the dish was more western than local. What do you all think?

Persimmons
50 Tiong Bahru Road
#01-07 Link Hotel Singapore
Tel: 6227 2271
Open daily
This lunch was hosted by Sharon

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Last Chance to Vote for your favourite Cuisine!

The voting station will close by the end of the week!

So do remember to cast your vote for Singapore's favourite cuisine.

The voting station is on the right column------->

Read the details of the post here

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Yi Bao: Still the most Underated White Chicken!

With ieatfamily

Half Chicken $12

This is my 20th post on White Chicken so I think I have some credence to say that after all the dust has settled, there is one White Chicken in Singapore which in my opinion still stands out as the one in which I would travel halfway around the island just to eat. And the funny thing is that a lot of people might not agree with me and I can't understand why.

Thus, I again crown Yi Bao's (Formerly Yee Cheong Yuen) White Chicken as Singapore's most underated White Chicken. Perhaps the trouble is that people don't really come for the chicken rice but for the Ipoh Hor Fun and so the White Chicken suffers from an identity crisis.



Looking at the way Yi Bao has redefined itself, I would surmise that expansion plans might be underway to replicate a few more of this Malaysian food joint across Singapore. Aside from changing to a name that identifies with one of Malaysia's most famous region for good food, they have also begun to print placemats with their menu on it, very much like Crystal Jade's. If this does not herald an Invasion, what does?

Forget the Indians (Mr Tea), HongKongers (Hong Kong Cafes) and the Philippinos (Hotshot Burgers), we are being invaded by our closest neighbours, the Malaysians! You might also know of the White Coffee chain which has just started their first stall at Big Splash, selling Black "White" Kopi and Ipoh style food as well. Make no mistakes, the Malaysians are coming!

And I am actually looking forward to it!

Everyone knows that food in JB and Petaling Jaya are quite shiok. So it is about time some Malaysian entrepreneur start a chain of good Malaysian food eateries in Singapore so that I don't have to travel all the way to Petaling St for a nice plate of KL Hokkien mee or JB for Ayam Ding Ding! Comon' where the heck are you guys and what's holding you back?



I have been eating the Chicken here since Youth Fellowship days at St James Church. I remember at the time that the "Wak Kai Ma Tai Min" (XL Chicken Noodles) was my number one dish which I look forward to eating every Sunday. Thankfully, the chicken today is still as yummy as it was then and I can actually afford to buy half a chicken to enjoy rather than to slowly appreciate my $2.50 portion as a student with limited pocket money.

OK, the purists would cringe to see all that Oyster sauce on the chicken, but I love it. The texture of the chicken here is the best around. The skin is crunchy and they always have that wonderful layer of subcutaneous (under the skin) gelatine what is so wonderfully slurpy. The meat has just the right amount of tenderness and is so savoury the it makes me wonder if they soak the chicken in brine before cooking. Anyway, it is my all time favourite white chicken and I am giving it 4.6/5



Then finally there is the chilli which goes so well with the chicken. This is the only one chilli that I actually enjoy. It's got just the right balance of sour and sweet and it's not overly spicy so it might not appeal to everyone.

Conclusion

Best tasting white chicken in my books, but the chicken rice purists might vehemently disagree. OK lah, taste is subjective and blah blah blah. Still, it remains my number one place for Wak Gai Hor Fun and the kids love it too.

Yi Bao
31 Lorong Liput
Holland Village
6468 7737
Link to previous post here

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The Winner of the Name a Thai Restaurant is.......

Congratulations to INDIGO who has won the naming of a Thai Kitchen competition!

There were a lot of great suggestions that have been submitted so it was not an easy decision to make. But after much consideration, Jamie and Joe has decided to change the name of the restaurant to:

Joe's Thai Kitchen

Now two other people have also picked the same name, sumosumo and damien but because Indigo was the first, he has won the dinner for six. The judges decision is final and blah blah blah.....

Please write to my email and I will link you up with Joe's Kitchen for your meal there.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the competition!

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Big Ben's Place: Eating the Humble Pie

With ieatjr


The meat pie was one of my favourite eats when I was studying in Australia. You can get them at just about every corner eatery that you can find. It's one of those foods that I often get a craving for, just like Hokkien Mee and Satay.

It's not easy to find a classic Aussie Pie in Singapore. A lot of the pies here are made of puff pastry rather than the shortcrust pastry. Lucky me, Big Ben's is a great little pie shop that is just round the corner from where I live.


Steak, Bacon and Guiness Pie $3.50

What I like about these pies is the fact that they are close to what I used to eat in Australia. The crust is just right such that they are not overly crumbly but firm to the bite. You could almost describe it as "Al Dente" but not quite. My favourite flavour is the beef and mushrooms. They use nice chunky beef here and its just comfort food for me. I think that the amount of beef chunks have been reduced somewhat in recent days due to the increasing food cost. Although it might not be as good as the best pies I had in Australia, at least it comes close to a better than average pie there. 4.25/5


Chicken Pie $3.50

The chicken pie is one of their best sellers, but I did not like them as much as I like the beef pies. Even in Australia, I seldom eat chicken pies. I felt the gravy was too watery and herbally for my liking. 3.5/5

Conclusion

A pie to satisfy my craving for an Aussie pie. Now ieatjr has also developed a taste for it too!


Big Ben's
Place 15 Swan Lake Avenue (Opera Estate)
68760737
Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm
www.bigbensplace.com.sg

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Aurum: Memories Etched in Gold

With Amagada

Martini Gold Lychee Cavier - Part of a set of 6 "Aurum Insanity" $28

I have always wondered if I would ever end up as a chef if given a second chance at choosing a career. Well, now thanks to Nuffnang and Spring Singapore, I get the opportunity to spend a day as an apprentice cook with one of Singapore's most creative chefs, Edward Voon, who was Captain and manager of the Culinary Team which won the coveted best Gourmet Team award in this year's Food and Hotel Asia event. But before I get to do that, Edward suggested that I should at least come over to have a taste of his creations first.

The kind of cuisine that Edward dishes out is what I would call experimental cuisine. Some call it "molecular gastronomy" but I beg to differ. There is nothing "molecular" in the strict sense of the word. It is true that turning peas into something that resembles an egg yolk but still retaining the taste of peas (ala Ferran Adria's Liquid Pea Ravioli) is a veritable feat of food engineering but at most it occurs at a cellular level. So it should rightly be called "cellular gastronomy", but I am just being pedantic.

Whatever you call it, I really enjoy this type of manic food mutilation which turns the kitchen into a chemistry lab. At this point, a lot of what is being done is essentially to change the texture of produce whilst preserving its taste. So, for example, they turn ham into a liquid, olive oil into powder and vinegar into air (foam). I reckon in the future our Alchemists cum Chefs might even be able to cause a concoction of chemicals to precipitate into beluga caviar -- now that would truly be molecular manipulation!

This type of stuff might not appeal to everyone especially if you are the type that likes to eat a big hunk of meat to fill the tummy. But for me, I felt like a kid opening my presents on Christmas Day.

One of the interesting starters we had was the Martini Lychee and Gold Caviar. It tastes like Lychee but the refreshing little globules bursts in your mouth like Ikura (Salmon Roe). And real gold dust was actually used to give it that twenty four carat look. In case you are wondering, gold can be eaten. As a matter of fact, we even use it to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. It was certainly the most memorable palate cleanser I have ever come across.


Mini Foie Gras, Port Wine jelly (Part of the "Aurum Insanity" set)

The foie gras is the one dish that really got us excited. I am tempted to give this dish a 5/5 for sheer amount of enjoyment I got out of it. The foie gras terrine had the colour and consistency of hazelnut cream that you often find in chocolates. It was smooth, almost slightly sticky and full of intense foie gras flavour.



The shell was made of Port Wine Aspic (Jelly) which had the consistency of the egg white (or should it be egg black?) of Century Egg, but tasted like Port. The combination worked extremely well. I could easily eat ten sticks of this and forget about everything else.


Liquid Ham "Replicated Crunch" (Part of "Aurum insanity")

Liquid ham is basically a ham and cheese sandwich in the form of an egg yolk with bread crumbs sprinkled on top. This is very much like the Liquid Pea Ravioli in concept but instead it is filled with a warm ham and cheese liquid that tasted exactly like, well, ham and cheese. I thought this might taste better if it was cold though. The warm ham was a tad too heavy and sluggish for me.


Omelette of the XXI Century

Omelette of the XXI century takes the classic Spanish Omelette and metamorphasizes it to fit into a Martini glass. What it had was caramelised onions on the bottom with egg yolk sabayon slowly cooking in hot potato puree topped with a slice of truffle. The potato puree had the consistency of a mousse rather than a puree and although it was very light, the taste of the potato was pretty intense.

The thing I find about this type of cuisine is that the altered textures and presentation really focuses your mind onto trying to identify the taste of the food presented. As a result, you gain a profound appreciation of the taste of simple things like egg yolk and potatoes which are actually very tasty everyday items we frequently take for granted.


Golden Shitake Broth $16

The Golden Shitake Broth gives new meaning to the phrase "Instant noodles". The olive oil suspension in the syringe immediately turns to noodles when it is squirted into the hot shimmering Shitake Broth which had gold dust swirling inside. It was certainly a interesting dish to "wow" your date. The broth was really salty like what you get with a Sukiyaki. Just imagine an Ebi Tempura in a Shitake flavoured Sukiyaki soup and you got what it tastes like.


Grilled Peppery Angus Beef $60 200g

Now after about eight amazing appetizers, I must say that main course was a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, the Peppery Angus Beef Steak is probably the tastiest steak I have had this year but we were expecting it to come in a liquid form or otherwise disguised beyond recognition. I guess sometimes you really don't want to improve on perfection which is a USDA Angus Beef steak. The one thing they did was to add some edible Gold leaf which was made from polenta and saffron. I must have eaten more gold that night then in my whole lifetime and strangely all my joints are feeling quite supple!



For dessert, a hospital like trolley was wheeled in front of us with a trough of freezing cold liquid nitrogen. You can actually draw some up and treat the warts on your feet and save yourself the cost of the meal by not seeing the Doctor! Just kidding..... if you have any warty lesions please see your Doctor yeah? Anyway the liquid nitrogen is used to quick freeze the white chocolate mousse and to do other nifty things like turning diners in to "fire" breathing dragons.


Chocolate Nitro $20

What emerged from the liquid nitrogen was a ball of liquid white chocolate encased in a crisp meringue like shell. The little chocolate brownies were little more than a garnishing. If you love Pavlovas (which I do), then you will certainly love this dish.

Conclusion

There have been a handful of truly memorable dinners that Amagada and I have shared together and our meal at Aurum has just been etched into that exclusive list. It wasn't just that the presentation were novel, but a few of the dishes were actually quite shiok. Of course there were some items which I felt could be further improved, but overall, I'd say that the degustation menu ($198++ for 15 courses) is worth every cent for the experience you are getting. If you still prefer ala carte, they have a special $98++ set which serves normal portions so that you get to choose one entree, soup, main and dessert. The "golden" memories are worth every cent, in my opinion.

Though we might still have a long way to go before we get anywhere near El Bulli, it is good to know that we have home grown talents like Edward who are boldly going where no Chef has gone before. So I am glad to be part of Spring Singapore's drive to attract more of our young people into this industry.

Postscript:

The bad news is that Aurum will be shutting its doors on 27 May and relocating somewhere else. Meanwhile there will be a 2 month hiatus while Edward does a stint at the French Laundry to get new inspiration.

Aurum
Blk C, #01-02A
The Cannery Clarke Quay
Open for dinner only
www.aurum.com.sg
68873733
Closed on Sundays

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Digital Life Feature on Bloggers and Ad Revenues

So surprised to see my own picture on the front page of the Straits Times today! I knew that there would be a feature in Digital Life, but I wasn't expecting that they would put my photo on the front page!

I thought that the article was a little overly optimistic about portraying blogging as a revenue generating engine. Certainly, a few of the top bloggers in Singapore are blogging professionally, but for many of us, blogging is a simply an enjoyable hobby. Yes, the ads do earn a few dollars but certainly not enough to pay for the food that I blog and certainly not for the petrol cost.



They made a few mistakes with my blog which I wish to clarify. In the article, they said that Advertisers include Biblegateway.com and Sgflyerking.com. Firstly, the daily verses that you see at the bottom of the blog is not revenue generating. It is simply there to remind me that "Man does not live on bread (or Chicken Rice) alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (italics - mine). Secondly, I have no association with Sgflyerking whatsoever except that it might have appeared once on Google Adsense.

When they asked me how much I earned from the ads, I told them that after a year and a half of blogging, I still haven't earned enough from the Google Ads to buy a new Laptop. But unfortunately, that was not what was conveyed. I feel that blogs are only just being recognized as a platform for advertising, so potential advertisers are still unsure about whether to take the plunge. Furthermore, to put an ad in the blogs, they have to deal with individuals and not professionals so there is no widely accepted practice or price range in order to go about doing this. So as a result, it is still not easy to attract companies to put ads on blogs.



This is why I support the local ad agencies such as Nuffnang who are trying establish a local industry standard for blogs. But I think the future looks bright for bloggers and at the rate things are going, I am hopeful that one day I might be able to make the hobby pay for itself and perhaps be able to buy me some new camera equipment and a new Laptop (I am working on a laptop with only a 20GB harddrive and whose battery is completely dead - any company out there would like to sponsor?)

So if you are thinking of making a career out of blogging, make sure you have a good backup plan first.

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Ser Seng Herbs: Musings of a Turtle Virgin

With smart and Mr.YaKwang


OK I admit it, I am a turtle virgin, so when smart suggested we go for Turtle Soup, I felt an emotional mix of excitement and trepidation at the same time.

Turtle soup is not for everyone and there's a lot urban legend surrounding this esoteric dish. Many believe that this dish is an aphrodisiac, warms the body and increases alertness. I am no expert in this, but I think it sounds as if there are some ingredients in the turtle soup that causes the blood vessels to dilate. So, dilatation of blood vessels in your skin would cause you to feel warm. More blood to the head increases your alertness and better blood flow to the John Thomas might mimic the effects of Viagara.

Now, eating Turtle soup in Geylang with two other men might be a especially risky if you happen to be a politician or a preacher. It is especially worse if you also look as if you are going to be withdrawing your CPF soon. Good thing I don't look like either, so I was quite safe. Smart on the other hand, looked like a golden honey comb glistening in the sunshine.

It was 2.30pm in the afternoon and the restaurant was quite packed with many golden honey combs and busy buzzing bees. It is the kind of scene that is becoming all too common in Geylang. It was common knowledge a few years ago that if you were in Geylang for food, then you should head for the odd number Lorongs and avoid the even Lorongs. It is unfortunate nowadays that parents have to think twice about bringing kids to eat in Geylang in order to avoid having to explain the process of the birds and the bees. The proliferation of shops selling adult toys is also another recent phenomenon to hit Geylang. Unlike the Western, more "liberal" countries where there are rules to keep these shops hidden from the view of children, in "conservative" Singapore it is ironic that a child can be staring at these adult toys easily from along the main road. Are there any readers from the appropriate Ministry reading this? Perhaps it's time to form a committee to look into this whole issue?



The beauty of Turtle Soup (I am told) is all that soft gelatinous skin and shell which you would love if you love Fish Head. Boiling all that cartilage makes the soup a little more smooth and viscous very much like Shark Bone Soup. Tastewise, the soup tasted like the standard herbal soup to me and all that soft gelatinous stuff didn't thrill me that much.At $40 per claypot of Turtle Soup, I am happy to say that it is money that I can save for something else. 3/5 Smart on the other hand came away well rejuvenated and glowing with renewed energy. He gave it 4.25/5. I guess you either love it or eat it just once and never again.

Conclusion

Maybe when I grow a bit older I would like it. At this point in time, I would save my calories for something else.

Ser Seng Herbs
29 Lor Bachok (Inside Lor 21 Geylang)
1100 - 1900,
Off on Thu 67483953

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Absolute Haven: Fine Dining for the whole Family

Mother's Day Celebrations

Risotto Rice Cakes $8++

There is no problem looking for good food in Singapore if money is not a problem. You just have to go to some really high class restaurant and enjoy a great meal. The tricky thing is how to find a place that serves great food but at a price which would not make you think about going there only on special occasions. Plus, as our blog monitoress, Khim would testify, sometimes you can spend a lot of money at a fancy restaurant and still need to go to the hawker centre afterwards because your stomach is only half full (or half empty depending on whether.... aiyah you heard it all before)

Anyway, I am very pleased to find a restaurant that I think khim would approve.

Absolute Haven was started by a brother and sister team who's idea is to provide value-for-money, fine dining in an informal setting. This is the kind of idea I like since that means that I can bring my kids along and still enjoy a great meal.

We started off with their signature appetizer which is Risotto Rice cakes. Imagine potato rosti but made of rice instead. I liked their parmigiana sauce which has just the right balance of sweetness and tang to it. The Rice Cakes was a little novel for me and I can't really decide if I actually like Rice which is crispy on the outside but mushy like a thick porridge within. Still the strength of the sauce made for quite a tasty bite. 4/5


Yorkshire Pork Rack $23++

Let's move quickly to the dish that I am highly recommending.

When it comes to Grilled Pork Rack, the Yorkshire White Pig is Champion over the Berkshire Black Pig (Kurobuta) in my books. I have a stack of Grilled Kurobuta Pork Rack photos still sitting in my hard drive that will never see the light of a LCD screen. They were expensive and really nothing to write about (at least those that I have tried). Now the Yorkshire Pork Rack is a different story. I have had this twice and both times it has raised my eyelids and delighted my tastebuds.


Not easy to get Pork Chops to remain juicy!

The thing about Pork Chops is that they get dry very easily if not done well. But the Yorkshire Pork Rack tends to be juicy and tender and the pork has a wonderful nutty and earthy flavour about it. Part of the tenderness is due to the fact that they marinade the pork in milk before cooking. They grill it quite nicely here such that the Pork has that wonderful smoky charred flavor. Quite a big portion for $23 and around half the price of the Kurobuta Pork Rack that I've had elsewhere. The jus has just enough umami to bring out the full flavour of the pork. 4.5/5


Lamb Rack $26++

Would you agree with me that it is easier to come across lousy beef than lousy lamb? Most Lamb racks can still "make it" even if they are not cooked well. My usual complain with lamb is that there is never enough to eat because they are so small.

I am happy to report however that you get 3 quite generous cuts of Lamb Rack here and they use quite a good quality Australian chilled lamb, so its tender and juicy. The sauce has just the right amount of sweetness which I like with stronger tasting meats. It was so good that the kids were clamoring for more and we had to order a second portion just for them! (And for the M-I-L too) 4.5/5


Pesto Cod $26++

$26 here buys you two generous slices of "White Cod" (Not gindara, my guess is it's probably Sea Perch) as well as a deep fried soft shell crab which I think is great value. I found though that the pesto sauce was a little too mild. I think it could be better with more ground up pinenuts and a stiffer parmesan to give it more punch. 3.75/5


Panna Cotta++

Not everything is rosy though and the dessert dept needs a bit of a brush up. We tried the Panna Cotta and the Creme Brulee and all I can say is that if you are the type who is concerned about health, then the desserts here will suit you well. However, I think that most dessert lovers will go for something that is sweet and creamy so the stuff here might not make the grade for them. So I hope that they can work on this dept so that we can all finish the meal with something that is more on par with their appetizer and mains. 3/5

Conclusion

If only this place had been around when I was still dating Amagada! It would have been quite an affordable place for a romantic dinner! Great place for a set lunch too except that the interior lighting needs to be changed because it is too dim when there is bright sunshine shining through the narrow main entrance. Oh yes, and for those who like to complain about places charging for ice water, you'll be pleased to know that ice water here is not only free, it is nicely scented with slices of strawberries as well.

Absolute Haven
70, Princep St (Opp Parklane)
63334358
www.absolutehaven.com.sg

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Next ieat Makan Session@Swa Gardens

Teochew Cold Crabs

Our "Big Ass Moderator" Sumosumo has arranged a couple of his favourite Teochew dishes at the Swa Gardens restaurant in Macpherson. Amongst the "World Best" dishes there are the Orh Nee and the Fried Chye Poh Kway Teow! So do sign up and come meet other ravenous foodies!

Venue: Swa Gardens Restaurant
Date: 7 June (Saturday)
Time: 7.30pm
Cost: $35-$40

Please go to the forum for full details and to sign up. Click here

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Molly Malone's: Beer Batter Fish n Chips!

With Damien

Fish and Chips $16 (6 pieces)

It always fascinates me when I think about how far apart the cuisines of France and Britain are. One one side you have Foie Gras, Truffles and Pressed Duck and on the other side of the channel the national dish is Fish n Chips and Meat Pies.

Many would not think of Fish and Chips as fine dining, but it is the kind of food that you sometimes just crave to eat. Nowadays you can find Fish n Chips in almost every corner of Singapore and there are many different variations of it. The fish can be coated with bread crumbs, thin and crisp batter, tempura or even Hainanese pounded cream cracker batter.

Personally, I still like it with the original beer batter and you can find this over at the Cricket Club, but the problem is that it is only available to members and their guests only. Thankfully, Molly Malone's also makes quite a mean Beer Batter Fish n Chips which is available to plebians like myself.



What I like about the batter is that it is crispy on the outside but it has that nice layer of moist and tasty batter on the inside that gives the fish that extra bit of moisture and tastiness. Fishwise they use a very good grade White Basa (Dory) here. I might get lamblasted by the fish fanatics for saying this, but I actually think that you don't really need an expensive fish to make a good Fish n Chips. Any good quality white fish would do. I have tasted Fish n Chips made with John Dory, Atlantic Cod, Haddock and Sablefish and I would admit with a degree of abashment, that I found White Dory to be as good, if not better than the premium alternative. 4.5/5

Conclusion

One of the best Fish n Chips I have eaten. The beer batter is very good and they serve it with malt vinegar and tartare sauce. Funny that you would find such great Fish n Chips in a pub rather than a fish restaurant! Then again, you always find great food in Pubs.

Molly Malone's Irish Pub
56 Circular Road (Boat Quay)
Telephone: 6536 2029

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Power of Love Concert: In support of AG Homes

The Andrew and Grace Home provides a safe haven for troubled teen-aged girls. I wrote about one particular girl last year who was hooked on glue sniffing but who eventually found her calling in life through running. You can read her story here.

The girls are putting on a concert telling the story of how one of their ex-girls whose life had been transformed by the power of love and given a second chance to fulfill her lifelong dream.

This concert is organized in conjunction with Temasek JC and they are doing this to raise $100,000 for their performing arts and music programme.

So do purchase a few tickets and help support their work with the girls.

Date: 6 June 2008 (Friday)
Time: 3.30pm and 7.30pm
Venue: DBS Auditorium
Ticket Prices: $20
Contact Eunice or Han Yong for tickets: 96465883/97458144

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Hong Ji Mian Shi Jia: Translucent Mee

With Liverpool and smart

Wanton Mee with extra Char Siew $3.50

I am beginning to see that there are really two broad groups of Wanton Mee fans. One group focuses just on the quality of the noodles. They don't really care if the Char Siew or Wanton is quite ordinary, they just go for the noodles and chilli. Damien belongs to this group.

The other group go for the overall package. The noodles must be good enough, but it has to come with tasty, juicy Wanton and a substantial Char Siew that is at least roasted with charcoal. I belong to this group.

OK with that background, you will understand more clearly what I am trying to tell you about this Wanton Mee that Damien recommended. This is apparently his number one favourite Wanton Mee stall and trust me, Damien has eaten at a lot of Wanton Mee stalls.

Well it is the kind of Wanton Mee that on first impression will elicit a "You mean I travelled all the way here to eat this?" kind of response. At $2.50 per plate it is undoubtedly cheap but the few slivers of Char Siew that looks as if it has been cut by a microtome look more like garnishing than a topping. But that's okay, with just a request to "Geh Liao" and $1 more, the noodles can be dressed with a bit more modesty.



The good thing about this Wanton Mee is the noodles which are really thin, translucent and flat rather than round in cross-section. I actually like mee kia (fine noodles) which is flat rather than round because I find that the bite is more lively. I think the flatness makes the noodles more curly compared to round noodles. Just like the difference between the hair on your head and the other major cluster of hair on your body. You all know of course that the hair on top is round and the one at the bottom is flat, right? I am only guessing about the noodles but the trivia about the hair is fact.......sorry, hope I didn't throw you off flat noodles forever.

The wantons here are a waste of calories. Full of wanton skin with very little mince, it really is very disappointing for such a well decorated stall. However, the Char Siew here is excellent. They still make their own with a Charcoal oven hidden in the corner of their tiny stall. Sweet and succulent with just enough of the crunchy burnt bits. The only problem is you have to ask them to pile in on in order to get some real satisfaction. 4/5

Conclusion

We were there in the afternoon, so the old man was not the one cooking. I was told that his braised pork is really good. So maybe in the mornings you might get a better plate of Wanton Mee. It was certainly one of the better Wanton Mees around and would please the group of people who just go for the noodles.

Hong Ji Mian Shi Jia
#01-05 Telok Blangah Market and Food Centre
Blk 79 Telok Blangah Road
Closed on Fridays
Open 7am till 7pm

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Name a Thai Restaurant Competition!

Our friends at Joe's Kitchen have listen to your comments regarding the name of their restaurant and have decided to change it!

But they are having a difficult time trying to come up with a new name, so they have requested for help from our readers. And to make it worth your while, they will be awarding a Dinner for six at their restaurant to the winner!

So get cracking and do remember to write in with a registered pen name so that we can notify you should you win.

Competition ends next Saturday. The judges decision is final and blah blah blah..... you know all the rest.

Here's the previous post of the restaurant.

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The ieatishootipost East Coast Lagoon Satay Challenge!

One of the things that really frustrates me every time I visit East Coast Lagoon FC is the fact that I never really know which of the 10 Malay style satay stalls is really the best. I always end up ordering randomly from whoever does the best touting that night. Sure, there is Haron 30 satay (Stall 55) which is the one that a lot of people recommend, but having tasted it a few times, I remain unconvinced that it is really the best one there. I have this niggly feeling that there is a better Satay around just waiting to be discovered.

So, being a Scienty Fienty(as opposed to Arty Farty) type of a guy, there was only one solution to the problem and that is to do an experiment -- A Randomised, Double Blinded, Controlled Trial (yeah right) to find out which Satay is indeed the best.

Test Design

What I did was to mobilize a dozen test subjects, order Satays from every stall there and taste test each one to find out whether there is a clear favourite. Our unwitting but intrepid test subjects are all experts in their own rights, each with at least 20 years of experience in eating. Of course that's just counting biological age. The true "eating" age of some of them far exceeds their biological age as evidenced from the subcutaneous storage of unused calories.

Unfortunately for us, 3 of the stalls were closed that night, so we sampled Satays only from the following stalls: 49, 50,51, 55, 56, 58, 60.

We decided only to taste test Chicken Satays since that is the most popular choice. 10 sticks of Satays were ordered from each stall and each judge graded both the Satay and the quality of the peanut sauce.



Here then are our panel of Satay judges: From the far left: who, jems, khim, Melbournite, TeochewHKer, carnineviand, khim(again!), holydrummer, holybunny, holybro, J-star and Dodo. Big round of applause for them who unselfishly sacrificed their calories so that you can save yours! Clap clap clap clap!


The Aftermath

You would think that with 10 Satay stalls all competing for the same customers, that competition would be stiff. But the unfortunate truth is that a lot of them taste quite similar and most of them were quite lack lustre. Our judges were penning down more phrases like "terrible, no taste at all, not marinated enough", than adoring accolades.



There was however a real difference in the quality and style of the Satay gravy that was provided. These ranged from "watery, burnt nutty taste to "consistent" and "can taste peanut" You can appreciate from the picture just how wide a difference there was.

Three of the seven stalls sampled procured their Satays from suppliers, but some make it a point to cook their own peanut sauce. It seemed to me that the sellers are trying to differentiate their products with their sauces rather then on the Satay itself.


Chicken Satay from the winning stall

The good news is that there was a clear winner that night (with only a minority opposing). Our judges rated this Satay as "Tender and plump, grill taste good and can taste the chicken".



The accompanying peanut sauce was thick and chunky with generous amount of coarsely ground peanuts. The interesting thing is that the Satay from this stall comes from a supplier, but they do cook their own peanut sauce. And the other interesting thing is they are actually an Ikan Bakar cum Satay stall rather than a specialised Satay stall!

So, without much ado, let me present Musa Ikan Bakar Stall -- winner of the ieatishootipost East Coast Lagoon Satay Challenge. 4/5

Musa Ikan Bakar Stall
51 East Coast Lagoon FC
Open 4pm till late
Closed on Mondays
64422976



Post Mortem

Personally, I still feel that the overall standard of the Satay here can and should have been better. The problem is that there are so many stalls and no clear favourite, each stall does well enough just by enticing the passersby with their perfunctory "Satay sir?". They don't see the need to put in effort on their part to improve their Satay. Think about it, every stall we ate at literally serves the same chunky thigh meat Satay. No one thought about maybe adding the chicken skin, or even doing Chicken Mince like the legendary Fat Man Satay of the old esplanade Satay club. It is just complacency mixed with contentment - a lethal concoction for blah food.

Then, there is this funny thing amongst Singaporeans about not wanting chicken skin in their Satay. I am not saying that eating chicken skin is good for you. You should not eat too much of it especially if you have high cholesterol levels or are overweight. What I am saying is that the same people who frown at eating chicken skin in Satay are also happily munching away at BBQ chicken wings, chicken rice and wagyu beef . It's a form of gastronomic hypocrisy that has permeated our society.

I think that is what most Satay sellers assume.

As a result, you don't see any chicken skin in Satays in Singapore whereas they are still widely available in Malaysia. And then we all complain that the Satay is better across the causeway.

Satay is one of the "must try" dishes in the minds of many tourist that visit Singapore. Yet I can't even name one great Satay in any of the "Satay Clubs" at East Coast Lagoon or Lau Pa Sat! It is truly a great disappointment, but also a great opportunity for some enterprising young entrepreneur to rise to the challenge and give us a "die die must try" Satay for us all to enjoy.

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