Nominated for Most Insightful Blog: Please vote for me!

Ieatishootipost has been nominated as one of ten finalists for the "Most Insightful Blog for the Singapore blog awards organized by omy.com.sg.

It would really mean a lot to me if this blog could win some sort of award, so I am asking you all to do me a favour and cast a vote for me! And if you really want to support this blog, you can actually cast one vote for me every day until the end of July!

You can do this by clicking this link

And then choosing my icon - the circled lobster head



My sincere thanks to everyone who votes! Oh and if you do sign up and vote you stand a chance of winning travel packages to Bangkok, Vietnam and a luxurious resort holiday in Phuket!

Thanks to Alvinology for the nomination.

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Cilantro: Foie Gras hits the Heartlands!

This stall is closed

Escargot $8

When I first started the blog, I wrote about Astons and eBlackboard and how these eateries are bringing affordable western cuisines to the heartlands. I hinted then, that we will see more and more Restaurant Style Western Food stalls in our heartlands. And it came to pass that Singaporeans are now enjoying the likes of Botak Jones, Crazy Ang Moh and Astons in a coffeeshop environment.

Now we move on to the next level. Foie Gras and Escargot in our heartland coffeeshops.

Actually the development is inevitable. With the increase in rental and food prices, Singaporeans are finding it increasingly expensive to dine at restaurants and restaurants are finding the high rental prohibitive to their businesses. That was the case with Cilantro, who used to be a fine dining restaurant at Purvis Street which earned rave reviews from the media. When their landlords increased their rentals, they decided that instead of continuing to work hard to feed the landlords, they would bring fine dining cuisine to our heartlanders instead.

Notice I never said "fine dining" but rather "fine dining cuisine". This is because it is still to be seen if Singaporeans will pay higher prices to eat at coffeeshops even though the food is fine dining standards. Or put another way, is fine dining just about the food or is it also about the service and the ambiance? If we can judge from the experience of Botak Jones and Astons, I would say confidently that a large segment of Singaporeans will take to this type of cuisine at coffeeshops IF the price is right. We Singaporeans are practical and more importantly we are know a good bargain when we see one.

So what is a good bargain? How about Escargot for $8 and Foie Gras (Goose, not duck liver) at $15 without GST and service charge? I think I got your attention.

This is the 2nd time I am trying Cilantro. During my first visit 1 month ago at the Old Airport Road Food Centre, they were still undecided as to whether the heartlanders will be willing to pay a little more for fine dining. So I ended up eating their "not so fine dining" standard fare. It was good but I felt that it wasn't exciting enough to be blogged, so I encouraged them to really give Singaporeans the good stuff they used to serve at their restaurant. I really believe that Foie Gras in a coffeeshop would cause some excitement, especially with the ieatishootipost makan kakis.


Foie Gras (Goose Liver) $15 (Special promo for ieatishootipost readers $12)

So here it is! $15 Foie Gras! And they are not cutting corners. They use Goose liver which have been marinated in Szechuan peppercorn and other spices, panfried till it is crisp outside and served with an excellent brown sauce reduction flavoured with truffle oil and topped with raisins which have been soaked in Black Vinegar and sweetened with rock suger.

I am not kidding. This is the one of the best Foie Gras I have eaten and certainly the cheapest. The Foie Gras is super creamy and oh so umami. And the sweetened black raisins were an excellent complement for the savoury Foie Gras. For those of you who have not tried Foie Gras, this would be a great opportunity to be introduced to the dish. If you think that you would never like liver, just remember that Foie Gras does not taste anything like the liver you know. Trust me, it's the only liver I eat. 4.75/5

The escargot was surprisingly good. Everytime I had escargots before, I thought they tasted like a cross between a rubber band and salted fish. But this one was surprisingly tender and flavoured with a mild curried butter. Ok, I still don't really appreciate the taste of the escargots itself but I think as a whole they make for a tasty appetizer. 4/5


Lamb Rack $20

The other dish that tingled my tastebuds was the lamb rack. Lamb has a very strong flavour, so I usually like it with a sauce that is fruity and sweet. They use an excellent chilled NZ lamb rack here which has been marinated with lemon grass and other spices before grilling and served with a piquant brown sauce. Rather than causing fusion confusion, I thought the combination of Asian spices to the lamb rack was excellent. The lamb was really tender with that melt in your mouth quality about it. So good that I am still thinking about it. 4.5/5


Smoked Duck Breast Pizza $6

One thing that was really good that I remember from my first visit was the Smoked Duck Breast. They actually marinate and smoke their own Duck and it is very good. The pizzas here will be great for the kids. I like the the chewy quality of the Mozarella they use here but I think the pre-baked crust needed a bit more tweaking. With the smoked duck pizza, I reckon a BBQ sauce like those served with Peking Duck would have made a better combination. 3.5/5


King Prawn Mee Sua

The Mee Sua was a little hard to figure out at first. I had really no reference point for this dish. It didn't come across as a Western dish with an Eastern influence or vice versa. To me it tasted a little like chicken broth with noodles.



However, the one thing that I did appreciate was the Mee Sua. It wasn't powdery like the Mee Sua that I was accustomed to. Instead it had a very unique bite to it that I really grew to appreciate. It was then that I found out that they were using Japanese Mee Sua! That was a first for me and I really give it to the Japanese for being able to make Mee Sua that tasted better than all the Mee Sua that I have eaten before! If you are the sort that likes noodle soups and ramen, I think you will like this one. 4/5

Conclusion

Be a part of Singapore Culinary history and be one of the first to eat Foie Gras in a coffee shop! Whether or not Singaporeans will be willing to pay for fine dining in a coffeeshop remains to be seen. But I think that we will be seeing more fine dining in our coffeeshops in the near future.

Special Promo for ieatishootipost readers:

Go to the stall and mention the blog and pay $12 for the Foie Gras. This is the normal portion not a mini portion. But you guys Zi Dong a bit and buy some of their other stuff okay? There are limited portions of foie gras so it may be a good idea to call up first to reserve yours.

Update: 4 Sep 2008

Due to lack of supply, the Foie Gras promotion will cease on 15 Sep 2008

Update: 9 Oct 2008

They have revamped their menu, so these items are no longer available.

Cilantro Modern Asia
Blk 28, Jln Bukit Merah,
#01/4476 S(152028)
www.cilantro.com.sg
10am to 10pm
Open daily
Disclaimer: This was an invited review.
97950289

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Trading my Stethescope for an Apron!

Thanks to Spring Singapore and Nuffnang, I got the chance to hang up my stethoscope for a day and experience what it is like to be a Chef (Something I always wanted to do). With the Integrated Resorts just around the corner and Singapore positioning itself as the Centre for the Arts, I am happy to see that Spring Singapore is also trying to promote the Culinary Arts by showcasing the life of a Chef in Singapore. Just imagine if Singapore could become the regional centre for Gastronomy as well! Wouldn't that be great for Singaporean foodies? But in order for us to get there, we need creative and passionate people to make feeding other people their life's mission.

When I was approached to write this post, Aurum immediately came to mind. It was a place where I could write about "molecular gastronomy" and at the same time provide a role model for aspiring chefs by showcasing its Award Winning Team headed by Chef Edward Voon. Edward had worked his way to becoming a Chef by the age of 33 and has won enough medals to give him a neck ache. He was part of the The Singapore Culinary National Team who was crowned overall champions of the Salon Culinaire Mondial held in Basel, Switzerland in 2005. Not bad considering this prestigious competition, considered by many to be the culinary "Olympics". Imagine an island best known for its Chilli Crab and Chicken Rice beating the Europeans at their own cuisine! Now that is something every potential Singaporean chef-to-be can aspire to.

But before you start dreaming about all the glory, let me tell you first hand that a chef's life is not easy. But like everything else in life, passion and determination can overcome every obstacle. By the end of my day with Edward, I was exhausted even though he was pretty easy on me. I was expecting some sort of boot camp where I would be screamed at, and maybe scolded with some Hokkien expletives by a Singaporean version of Gordon Ramsey. But Edward turned out to be quite a nice guy and my introduction to the kitchen can be considered a "soft landing".

Aurum is the first restaurant in Singapore to experiment with "Molecular Gastronomy" a term made popular by Ferran Adria of El Bulli. With the popularity of this type of cuisine, it seemed only proper that the most wired, interconnected, High Definition TV capable, most modern this and that country with the world's tallest revolving observatory and the world's first night Grand Prix, should also have a restaurant showcasing what modern technology can do to food. Food is after all the number one thing that makes Singaporeans happy, so we must also have the most modern type of cuisine in order to be in the forefront of creating happiness.

My day started off with the all important job of cutting vegetables. I couldn't wait to apply my surgical skills onto the unsuspecting celery. Now, those of you who are familiar with French cuisine or have at least watch Ratatouille, will know that the French are very exacting in their vegetable cutting. No, this is not like your Aunty at the Hawker Centre chopping up garlic. Each cube of celery must the the same size and shape. Edward told me that this was the first step in the making of my lobster risotto dish.

After passing my first test of being able to cut vegetables without the shedding of blood, I graduated to the more glamorous but back breaking work of wrapping wantons. Now, just so that they can charge you $10 per wanton, they have to make things a little more difficult by making wanton skin from olive oil and Parmesan cheese. This resulted in a wanton skin so delicate that it was extremely difficult to handle. I think I must have destroyed like 4 skins in order to get one right. All that work so that a diner can pop it into his mouth in one bite!

So the day went on with the laborious task of preparation without even the whiff of sizzling beef. I guess most laypersons like myself would not have realize the amount of preparation that had to be done before the fun bit can begin!

At any rate, I got to know the culinary team, each of whom were at different stages of their careers. Some of them are just starting out as Cook Grade 1, others were Chefs de partie and Sous Chefs. It may take anything from 5 to 20 years to eventually become a Chef depending on your ability. But if you are passionate about what you do and go hard at it, you could become a Chef by your early thirties like Edward. I was told that a top Chef in Singapore could earn anything from $10 - 20K which is quite decent. Like any professions, it is the cream of the crop that earn the big money, so you have to be good at what you do. But the advise from Edward to would be chefs is that you really do need to be passionate about food in order to do this job well because it is very hard work and oftentimes you don't get the recognition you deserve.

But on the other hand, passion and hard work can also fly you all round the world to taste all the wonderful exotic foods just like what Edward is doing this summer when he does a stint with Thomas Keller at the World renown French Laundry. Fly round the world eating the best food around.... now that is my dream!

Anyway back to dinner where the fun really starts. As the diners started to roll in, the wonderful aroma of sizzing butter started to fill the air. I got to finally cook my risotto under the careful direction of Edward and even got to do some Wok Hei (Flambe if you prefer). Although the cooking really does take skill and experience to make sure you get it right, that's just the technical bit. The real challenge is what the Chef actually does by coming up with fresh ideas for new dishes. And the reward is when the patrons send word back to the kitchen that the dish was "Fantastic! Umami!". Which was exactly what happened when the foie gras hot pot was served. Imagine the smell in the kitchen with foie gras being fried in the butter and finished with "air of truffles". I knew it had to hit the umami button of some lucky diner outside!

And so through each course, the chef would walk out to talk to the diners and back to the kitchen to cook the next dish, all the while pushing his team to perform at their peak. It was an adrenaline rush which left me exhausted by the end of the night. Exhausted but satisfied that at least someone out there enjoyed the wanton I made. That's just one wonton, imagine the amount of satisfaction on the part of the whole team!

So with Spring Singapore doing its bit to attract more talent into the Culinary Arts, I think we should be seeing further elevation of the Chef profession in Singapore. I don't see why Singapore can't be the Regional Centre for the Culinary Arts with a first class Culinary School like "Le Cordon Bleu" and an "El Bulli" style restaurant where our Chefs can do their research in a World Class Culinary Research Lab churning out novel dishes and techniques for transforming food. But in order to do that, we cannot always be relying on foreign talents. As with every other industry, Singapore must produce its own talents that are good enough to be in demand globally.

With events such as the World Gourmet Summit and the Singapore Food Festival, the Culinary Arts are really getting more recognition in recent years and I even read on the Singapore Chef Associations website that Michelin Guide has Singapore on its radar next. That means that we might be seeing some local "Michelin Star" Chefs soon! Now that would be an exciting development indeed. With all these things that happening, I think the future is indeed looking very bright for our aspiring Chefs.

This post was done in support of Spring Singapore's promotional drive to recruit people into the F&B Industry.

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ieat on 938live!

Today's recommendation is Central for Japanese food safari!

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Japanese Food Safari at Central

According to our polls, Japanese food is currently the favourite foreign cuisine amongst Singaporeans. So since everyone likes Japanese so much, I shall post not one, not two, not even three, but four Japanese restaurants in this one post. And believe it or not, I ate them all in one day! As my mom would say (in Teochew) "Don't want to do, never do. Want to do, do until like mad!".


Well, let me mitigate my madness by saying that the idea is actually not mine. But thanks to SoShiok.com, I was actually one of six bloggers who won a prize to go on a Makan Safari, which is a nicer way of describing Justified Gluttony. This was a bloggers' event so I was on tour with Kelvin from Timeless Fascade. You can also check out his blog for more pictures and reviews.

For those who may not be in the know. Central is the newest centre for everything Japanese. This is because it is managed by the Parco group which is a Japanese company. The shopping centre is home to many Japanese chain restaurants as well as grocery shops which cater to both the Japanese working here as well as us locals. So far, I have only tried Tom Ton's there so the wife and kids were all very eager to see what else is good.

Our Safari started at Wakashachiya which is a place specializing in Curry Udon. You heard right, the Japanese also have their version of Curry Mee but of course a mildly less fiery version. The Curry sauce was better than usual, but I don't think I could get used to having it with udon. You get your bowl of curry udon with a choice of toppings ranging from Tonkatsu to cheese to grilled eggplants. For me, I think I still prefer Japanese curry with rice. 3.75/5



What really caught our attention though, was the Hitsumabushi which is a form of Unadon (grilled eel with rice) but eaten in 3 ways. It was kinda cute as they would serve it with a little card to tell you how to eat it. (Try saying this in Japanese "Engrish")

Number one way: Scoop some eel and rice-o into small bowl and eat plain-o. Number two: Scoop some eel and rice-o into small bowl, add yakumi (seasoning made from seaweed and other stuff) and eat-o. Number three: Scoop some eel and rice-o into small bowl, add yakumi and pour the dashi into rice and eat-o. After you finish 3 courses, fourth course, you eat any way you like-o!

Actually this dish reminds me a little of Thunder Tea Rice! The eel was a little crumbly but the sauce was excellent. I never did like Thunder Tea Rice and so I go for Numbers 1 or 2. 4/5

Our next stop was Ma Maison, a restaurant which I have always wanted to visit when I was in Parco Bugis but never got to because of the long queue. Now, the Japanese are great at adapting foreign cuisine to make it very distinctly Japanese. Some even say that they can take, say, a traditional Pasta dish and transform it into what it SHOULD taste like.



Pork Tonkatsu is one good example of what I mean. This is essentially a European dish that the Japanese transformed into something that is now considered by many to be the best version of a deep fried Pork Cutlet. The Tonkatsu here might not the best one I ever eaten but it is certainly served in the quaintest fashion. It comes with the sauce served in a "Winnie the Pooh" like honey pot and you get to grind your own salt. The crust is good but I found the pork to be just a tad dry. 4/5

If you have never walked into Ma Maison, you should. Especially if you are out on a date. Even my wife and I, who are a bit "out of date" when it comes to going "out on a date" were thinking about what a romantic place it would have been to share a meal together. Now with two kids who can't sit still, it is still a nice place to have a family meal but without all that "Rou Ma" (lovey dovey) kind of stuff. Like how the Japanese have "Japanized" European food, they also managed to "Japanize" traditional European decor such that the place is distinctly Japanese though recognizably European.



Of the several dishes that we tasted, I liked the Doteni Burger best. Although the pattie was served well done (You don't have a choice), it was nicely seasoned and the beef stew that they served it with was an excellent complement to the sunny side up and pattie. It's another good example of what I mean by Japanized Western cuisine. 4.25/5



Our next stop was Santouka which specializes in Ramen. Ramen has gained popularity amongst Singaporeans in recent years but I must admit I haven't really gotten into it. One of the reasons, I suppose, is that I don't like the idea of paying over $10 for what is essentially a glorified bowl of noodle soup. Plus the Japanese "Chashu" is not really Char Siew, but more like Loh Bak.

I was however very impressed by the Japanese "Hawkers" who where serving out the noodles. I wonder how much they get paid to do their job? I have always imagined that with their higher standard of living, it would be quite expensive to employ a Japanese Expat to come to Singapore to "Lou Mien" (Dip Noodles in Hot water). I am sure our Hawkers here can do the same job but for a fraction of the pay. But you know, if the person cooking the noodles were shouting out orders in Hokkien instead of Japanese, maybe the noodles would not taste as authentic.

Anyway, amongst the different flavours that we ordered. The "Shio" was the best. The soup was milky and savoury and actually quite good and I must admit, better than our normal Bak Chor Mee soup. The milkiness of the soup was achieved by boiling the pork bones such that all the fat in the marrow is mixed in with the soup forming an emulsion. So if you always believe that soups are good for you, think again. This is a high cholesterol soup which is why it is so shiok!

Soup aside, I found that the noodles that day had a strong "Kee" taste which I would have marked down any of our local Bak Chor Mee stalls. However, I am not sure whether Ramen is supposed to taste like that since the other foodies did not seem to mind it. 4/5



For lovers of Salmon, their Sake-Ikura Don might be a good place to get your salmon fix, especially if you like the fishy salty burst of Salmon Roe in your mouth. Basically this is flaked cooked salmon and roe on rice. My wife and daughter loved it. For me it was like eating cooked salmon and roe on rice. Know what I mean? 3.5/5



By the time we got to our last stop, Waraku, we were already pretty full except for my son who had been saving his appetite for his favourite Japanese restaurant. Waraku has been one of our regular places to eat Japanese food because it serves pretty decent food at decent prices. So we often go there for my son's favourite dish of Tempura Udon. Waraku does serve one of the best Udons you can find in a mid range Japanese restaurant. The texture is always very good and it has enough gumminess and a good bite.



This time around we were so full that we could only manage some sushi and sashimi and move onto the dessert. We have never really tried the desserts at Waraku and so our Green Tea Ice Cream with Mochi and Red bean paste came as quite a pleasant surprise. The green tea ice cream was refreshingly creamy and I suspect, must be imported from Japan. The red bean paste was excellent with just that hint of saltiness that nicely balances out the sweetness. 4.5/5

Conclusion

So there you have it, a Japanese Food Safari right here in Singapore. Actually it would be a good introduction to Japanese food for the uninitiated. Would anyone else be interested in attending a whole day food safari of some of the restaurants in Central? If we can get 20-30 people, maybe I can persuade them to organize one for our readers! So if you are game, do write in the comments with the number of persons required. No obligations at this stage, just gauging the level of interest.

Thanks to SoShiok.com and the Hori-san from the management at Central for organizing this event.

One more restaurant which I blogged previously was Tom Ton which serves marvelous Kurobuta Tonkatsu

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Updated - Chinatown Food Centre

Finally managed to visit the new Chinatown (Kreta Ayer) Food Centre to update the locations of the stalls which I blogged when they were still at the Temporary location. You can see the stalls by clicking here.

The Food Centre seems to be abuzz with so many things to eat! Will be posting some more stalls soon. In the meantime, you can also visit our forum where our foodies have been busy reporting on the good food there! Here's the link.

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Beach Road Prawn Noodle House: Does taste alone determine the success of an eatery?

With ieatjr


This is reportedly the most successful hawker in Singapore with monthly sales of $139,200 or at least that is what Mr Lee declared in last year's newspaper report. So what is it that makes a hawker so successful? Your first response might be that the food must be out of this world. But in my experience that is not always the case. Other factors like location, ease of parking, service and price also have a big part to play.

The prawn noodle here is of course of a certain standard or else they wouldn't be as successful as they are. However, if you compare their taste with that of the stalls which also originated from the patriach, Mr Lee, viz Jalan Sultan and Joo Chiat Prawn Noodle, you would agree with me that the taste of the soup is quite similar. So the fact that this particular stall is doing so much better than the other two begs the question, why?

I haven't been back here for almost a year I think and I have to admit that my latest visit left much to be desired. Firstly the price of a bowl of Prawn noodle has gone up. The smallest bowl now is $5.50. And for that price you are only getting one measly little prawn (split in half) and some pork ribs. The soup was still ok, though not as shiok as I remembered. Both Amagada and I have eaten here quite a few times and this latest visit was the most disappointing. 3.75/5 Hopefully this is a once off and they are not letting their success affect their standards.



Ngor Hiang seems to always go hand in hand with prawn noodles. This stall is located within the same restaurant and is operated by another relative. Most of the items are still handmade and some of the items like yam fritters and the lup cheong are quite good. The pork Ngoh Hiang was quite average though. This stall doesn't really need to be outstanding to do well since they just ride on the success of the prawn noodle. 4/5

Conclusion

Probably the most famous prawn noodle around but quite disappointed that the quality seems to have faltered. With the price increase, they are also one of the most expensive around now but that doesn't seem to have affected their business much. As I alluded to earlier, there are several factors involved in the success of any eatery and taste is but one of those factors.

Beach Road Prawn Noodle House
370 East Coast Road
S428981 63457196
8am-4pm daily
Closed on Tuesdays

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Zhen Zhen Porridge: Silky Smooth

I finally managed to eat the famous Zhen Zhen porridge!

The distinctive feature about this porridge is that they cook the grains until it has all but dissolved. Lots of people actually rave about this porridge and even they even got 6 chopsticks from Makansutra which is full marks. I was however a little ambivalent about it as I felt it was almost like eating a bowl of thickened cream soup.



Granted, for $3, you actually get a chockful of ingredients in the porridge. I ordered the mixed porridge which had pork, slice fish and century eggs. It is really value for money and the fish was very fresh. But I have to admit that I still prefer my porridge to have a few grains in it. Nonetheless it is certainly a very unique bowl of porridge which is well worth a try. 4/5

Conclusion

Good bowl of porridge but I don't think that I am all out sold on the idea of cooking the rice till it all dissolves. Too much like eating pure starch to me.

Zhen Zhen Porridge
Maxwell Road Food Centre
Stall 54
5.30am to 2.30pm
Closed Tuesdays

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Geylang Claypot Rice: Still using Charcoal!

With oil prices soaring, we should all turn to alternative fuel sources like charcoal for instance. That would be good news indeed except for one problem --NEA. Yes our friends at NEA will not allow this wonderful food enhancing fuel source in any of their hawker centres or coffeeshops, so we can only find them in private places.

I can understand that charcoal can infuse a nice smoky flavour when used to grill meat, but I have yet to comprehend the scientific basis behind using charcoal to cook claypot rice or fry hokkien mee. How can the smell of the charcoal somehow permeate a metal wok or claypot to infuse flavour to the food? According to the Lor 29 Geylang Hokkien Mee uncle, it is supposed to have something to do with the wider coverage of the flame such that the whole bottom surface of the wok is sizzling hot. So with claypot rice, maybe it has something to do with the flames coming up the side of the claypot and making all burnt rice round the sides of the claypot?



It takes quite a while for the claypot to get to your table since they cook everything from scratch. I have eaten here quite a few times in the past before they opened their new extension. It used to be that you needed to call up to order your claypot rice before you came or risk waiting an hour to eat. However, with their newly opened extension, I managed to get my claypot rice within 20mins.



For me, the beauty of eating claypot rice lies in the crunchy burnt bits of rice that is stuck to the side of the claypot mixed with the flavour of the salted fish. Alas there wasn't enough salted fish that day so it lacked a bit of ooomph. 4/5



There are two dishes that you won't waste your calories on though. The deep fried soon hock is wonderfully crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and the sauce has got just the right amount of sweet umami to make you want to eat more rice. 4.25/5



The other dish that the whole family loved was the tofu prawns. They make their own egg tofu here so it was wonderfully silky and tasty. The sauce again was excellent and the prawns were fresh. The kids finished up all the tofu. 4.5/5


Unbranded durian $5 each

The best thing about eating around Geylang is that you can find Durians there all year round. However, the best time of the year for Durians is still around this time when they are in season! I know we have a lot of Durian lovers out there, so this should get you to start drooling!

Conclusion

Claypot rice was a little disappointing this time around, but the other two dishes were still as good as before! Now with their new air con extension, they are even opened for lunch!

Geylang Claypot Rice
639 Geylang Road
Jn of Lor 33
67444574, 67443619
11.30am to 2.30pm
5pm to 12am

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The ieat Durian Degustation Session: Four Seasons Durian Cafe

Please see updates at end of post

Ever wondered what the big fuss is over Mao Shan Wang? Or what is the difference between XO and D24? Or whether you can eat Hong Xia (lit Red Prawn) if you are allergic to prawns?

There are now so many branded Durians out there that there should be Durian appreciation courses just like what we do with wine! I think it's all to common that when Singaporeans eat Durians, the main concern is about where to go so that they don't get cheated. A lot of times, you either need to know a trusted Durian seller or know someone who does. Why can't there simply be a place where you can buy good Durians at an honest price?

So with those concerns in mind, I set out to see if I could find a place to conduct a Durian Appreciation session for our readers. As fate would have it, I met an old boy whom I used to book for coming to School late (I was a prefect then -- not so uptight now) who just happened to be the brand manager of Four Seasons Durians. They have just opened a new Durian cafe at Joo Chiat and it was also his idea to challenge the way Singaporeans enjoy the fruit. So when I broached the idea of a Durian Degustation, he readily agreed organize a session for us.

The idea is simple. Eat several breeds of Durians in a set course so that each one can be appreciated and have a Durianologist educate us on the different breeds so that our kakis can learn to differentiate between the real stuff and the fake stuff. Another important point was to fix the price per head so that we can all enjoy the session without worrying about whether we are still going to have spare change end of the night.

Now it takes a true Durian lover to gather at 10pm on a Monday night and pay $25 in order to eat the fruit. This gathering really did separate the true believers from the pew warmers. For those who don't have a habit of buying Durians by the kilo, $25 might seem a lot of money, but for the faithful Durian Devotees, $25 can sometimes mean only half a fruit. Our group of Devotees that night came from all walks of life and at different levels of enlightenment. But we were all gathered for the ritual shucking of the Durian followed by the partaking of instant gratification.


Hong Xia (Red Prawn) aka 101 12/kg

Our Durianologist, Richard started off the night by showcasing the Hong Xia* (Red Prawn) Durian which is easily recognized by the reddish colour of its flesh. Before he brought out the actual Hong Xia, we were presented with the cheaper D13 which was $8/kg which can easily be mistaken for the real Hong Xia which is the D101 $12/kg. The D13 and D101 are really very different fruits but both have similar red-orangey flesh. The big difference between the D13 and the D101 is that the D13 can sometimes be bitter while the D101 is always creamy, sweet and easy on the palate. Fashionfoodie remarked that it was one that you can eat a lot of without getting too jialat because it was not as pungent as the rest. The Hong Xia got the most votes for the favourite breed that night. 4.25/5

*A note about Hong Xia. It spoils quickly, so if you plan to buy it home, eat it immediately as it might be spoilt by the next morning.


D24 Durian $15/kg

The D24 is a popular breed which I think is so ubiquitous now that one really doesn't know which is the real D24 and which is not. The real D24 is thick and creamy (almost pastey) and very aromatic. 4.25/5 There was another D24 XO ($18/kg) version which was a little runnier and bitter which was my personal favourite for the night. 4.5/5

We had a brief intermission after the third course of Durians for people to run to their cars when the traffic police came to book people for parking illegally. Fortunately no one was issued a ticket, but the brief adrenaline rush was great for digestion.


Mao Shan Wang $20/kg

Mao Shan Wang is by far the most famous and sought after Durian amongst Durian lovers. But as with all the hype surrounding this particular breed, our expectations were very high. Most of the seeds were what we Teochew call "Zhu Hook" ie shrunken. So you get lots of flesh and very little seed.

I have now eaten this breed a few times and personally I feel that there were times when it was really good and other times when it was just so so. The really good ones were sweet, really creamy and had a bitterness that really hits you at the back of your palate leaving a nice "Karm Karm" (neutralized) aftertaste. The ones we had that night were not quite up to most of our expectations so a lot of our kakis came away feeling that it was "overrated". I felt it might have been that particular shipment that day because you really can't explain why people would be willing to fork out $20/kg for it otherwise. For that amount of money one would almost expect them to guarantee that the Durian would make you swoon or your money back! 4/5


XO Durian $18/kg

Richard served the XO* last because it was the most pungent and bitter of the lot. Served slightly runny so that it has some time to ferment, the XO was not as creamy but really very pungent so much so that our Japanese guests that night were holding their breaths while politely nodding their heads at the same time. Actually this was my second favourite of the lot. If you think of Hong Xia as Gouda then this is Blue Cheese. Might not be for everyone but it's the one to choose if you wish to scare some unsuspecting foreigners! 4.5/5

*There were only 9 XO durians available that night. They are usually reserved for the owner's personal consumption and only available on special request.


Boss Victor and his "Tao Chiu" (Expert)

Conclusion

It was a great night of fruit and fellowship for the true believers. Some actually got scolded by their partners for overindulgence but we rejoice for being persecuted for our devotion. I think we all got to learn a few things about Durians from Richard who also tells me (this is the promo part) that Four Season's policy is to build its reputation on honest dealing and to ensure that the customer always get what they pay for. In the next few months, they plan to open an air conditioned cafe proper which will showcase their Durian processing kitchen as it churns out Durian confectioneries like cakes and puffs. I think the future is indeed looking very bright for our next generation of Durian Devotees!

Thanks to Cactuskit and Holydrummer for helping me organize the session and to Richard for agreeing to do a degustation.

Update: 10 Dec 2008
Our kakis report that this store is now closed.

Four Seasons Durian Cafe
212 Joo Chiat Place, Off still road.
For corporate functions and parties contact
Richard at 96536625

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