Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant: I am now truly a Sashimi Convert!

On Commercial Shoot with PowerAunty and gang

Appetizer: Sardine sheet, pitan tofu, river shrimp, semi-grilled tuna belly, yam $12.50

It's not everyday that you get to eat a $200 per head meal. The last time I did it was in Tokyo, but that was when I fulfilled a life's dream of eating Matsuzaka beef. For guys without a corporate account like myself, spending $200 on a meal requires a good excuse or in the case of Rakuichi, a blessing.

PowerAunty had invited me along for a commercial shoot at Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant. Her friend, the owner of the restaurant had asked her to help gather some calefare to star in a video commercial they are shooting. With us that day was Chef Tom Kondo who is a Japanese Chef. So I had a Japanese Japanese (sic) expert on hand to tell me about the exquisite dishes we had that day.

You will get to meet Chef Tom later on in the blog as we have been shooting a series of Video Blogs where I will be accompanying Chef Tom to the Japanese Supermarket to buy groceries. He will be showing us how to choose the different Japanese sauces and ingredients and then show us some simple Japanese recipes which you can also cook at home. That is "Akan Datang" (coming soon), so this is just a teaser.

When PowerAunty invited me for this lunch, I had no idea it was going to be a showcase of the best that Rakuichi had to offer and we only really found out the actual value of the meal afterwards. But don't be taken aback, Rakuichi is one of those places where you can order a Bento box from as low as $18 to a meal as high as the sky if you want.

Japanese food is always a joy to photograph (the worst is rojak) and even more so at Rakuichi where there seems to be quite an emphasis on immaculate presentation. The appetizer was a work of art and I would admit that I enjoyed it more with my eyes then I did with my tongue. But that is not to say it is not good. It is just that the presentation of the sardine sheet (small little deep fried fish) arching over little river prawns was such a delight to look at that I derived more enjoyment photographing it than actually eating it. But as an appetizer, it really does fire your anticipation of what is coming next. 4.25/5


Sashimi Boat: Botan prawn and sea urchin shown $466 for 6 persons

The bulk of the price of this $200 meal lies with this Sashimi boat. I have been slowly developing my interest in Sashimi and after this particular meal, I would say that I am truly a convert. Really good quality Sashimi is divine and I realise that the reason I did not like Sashimi before was because I hadn't eaten the good ones. This is the best Sashimi I have come across. I know it is not cheap but you really can't get quality unless you pay for it.

The Uni (Sea Urchin) is served in its shell and the icy cold roe is an absolutely dream to eat. We simply wrapped a bit of it in seaweed, add a bit of cucumber, fresh wasabi and sesame seeds. It was the sweetest, freshest Uni I ever had. 4.8/5


Otoro: Tuna Belly

The rest of the items on the boat were similarly excellent including the scallops and ark shell which are currently in season. Then of course there is the Otoro (Tuna Belly) which was served in big generous slabs, beautifully pink and chilled. I was however a little confused about the pattern of marbling on the Otoro. The Otoro I had in the past all had a more intricate reticular marbling pattern. So my first impression of this "Otoro" was that it was "Chutoro" instead. Chutoro, as you know, is the part between the actual belly (Otoro) and the flesh (Akami). It is not as fat as Otoro. Perhaps our Sashimi experts can enlighten us? 4.5/5


Fresh wasabi on sharkskin board

There are some people who prefer processed Wasabi because it tends to be spicier. But I prefer the fresh version because it adds the taste of Wasabi without too much heat and the slightly fibrous texture is a nice contrast to the smooth flesh of the fish. As Japanese food continues to enjoy its growing popularity in Singapore, we will be seeing more of these fresh Wasabi around.


Deep fried prawn and vegetable $12.60

I included this picture of the deep fried prawn because I think it is a nice photo, but I am partial to this prawn wrapped in beehoon. Still prefer tempura style prawn. 3.5/5


Grilled skewer set: Fish belly with leek, eggplant miso, gingo nuts, pork belly, mushroom wrapped with bacon, mushroom with minced chicken: $36

The other dish I would highly recommend is the grilled skewer set. In particular the grilled pork belly is fabulous. This is actually Yakibuta which is pork belly which has been braised first before grilling. The seasoning is excellent though the pork was just slightly dry. Still, it was quite memorable. 4.25/5. Ironically, I derived the most enjoyment from a non-meat item. The eggplant with miso was perfectly balanced. Soft on the inside, charred, sweet and smoky on the outside, it's a vegetarian dish which any carnivore would be more than happy to eat. 4.5/5


Grilled Ayu (Sweetfish) with salt: $16

I had seen this Ayu (Sweetfish) before, live, the last time I was in Tokyo. It looked a little bit like a miniture trout (when it was alive) and I know it is a favourite among the Japanese. This seasonal fish can be found in the rivers of Japan and is often eaten simply grilled with salt. It is said that the flesh is sweet, hinting of flavour of melons and cucumber. It was interesting for me. I found the flesh very fine but I think I should have eaten it freshly out from the grill because it was a bit dry after I finished with the photography. Trust the Japanese to be able to make you pay $16 for it. I don't think we will ever be able to get the Japanese to pay $16 for Ikan Kuning. 4/5


Simmered Kinki (red eye fish) $146

This is the first time that I am eating Kinki. When it comes to steamed fish, I think we are most accustomed to the usual Coral Trout, Parrot fish, Seabass that is served Cantonese style. So this Japanese style simmered Kinki was really something quite novel. This fish was really fresh and the flesh was so delicate and smooth that it just dissolves in the mouth. Not cheap, but very good. 4.5/5


Gindara Bento Set $46.60

The meal I had was so good that I had to go back a second time the following week to try their Bento sets which are quite good value. This return trip was more modest but the food was still excellent. The Gindara Bento is one of the more expensive sets but as you can see in the picture, you get, amongst other things, a whole tray of sushi and sashimi accompanied by teapot soup, prawn and vegetable tempura, gindara teriyaki, salmon eggs and deep fried river prawns. If you have a few friends, it is just a matter of ordering a few of these sets to share around and you will get to try a lot of different things. The prices start from $18 and they have quite a few interesting sets in the $20 - $40 price range.


Rainbow Set $36.60

I would highly recommend the Rainbow Set. Actually, this was highly recommended to me by PowerAunty and I think you can see why when you look at the photo. The visual and gustatory appeal of this set is well balanced. This one is not just eye candy. Besides looking good, you will derive a lot of pleasure from savouring the different types of Aburi (torched) Sushi as well as a plate of fresh sashimi.

Conclusion

There are many segments in the Japanese restaurant industry. You have the low cost sushi trains found in shopping centres and the high end Japanese restaurants found in 5 star hotels. Rakuichi falls somewhere in the upper range in terms of quality but mid to upper range in terms of price. I think it is a place where you can get your quality at quite a reasonable price.

But don't just take it from me. Chef Tom is a regular here and according to him, this place sells the freshest sashimi at prices which are not inflated like elsewhere. Definitely worth a visit for lovers of Japanese food.

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Rakuichi
Blk 10 Dempsey Road #01-22
(Near Jones the Grocer)
64742143
www.rakuichi.com.sg

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Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette: At long last!

With Taukwa

Oyster Omelette $4

I have been waiting 3 years to eat at this stall. No kidding. The last 5 times that I visited Toa Payoh Lor 7 food centre, it was either on a day when he was closed, not yet opened or on holidays in China.

When I first starting blogging back in 2006, one of the first group of hawkers that I targeted were the Hawker Legends listed by Makansutra. This was the first batch of hawkers who won the award and I think that most of them deserved the honour. Three years on, I have almost completed the list. After Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette, there is only one more left and that is Mattar Road Seafood BBQ. Ok, must press on to finish what I started three years ago!


Ah Chuan: The most important thing is to control the fire

I have been largely disappointed with this particular dish the last few times I have eaten it. Mind you, this is a high calorie, high cholesterol kind of dish, so when you eat it, you really want to make sure that the calories are worth it. From my point of view, this is a dish with simple ingredients so it is really dependent on skill and experience to get it right. The flavour comes basically from eggs, oil, oyster and fish sauce and I feel a good oyster omelette should not even need to be bathed in chilli to taste good. But even if you prefer it with chilli, the chilli sauce here is well balanced and has the right amount of sourness to cut through the oil.

The texture on the other hand is a bit more complex. There's got to be just the right balance of crispy starchy bits, crispy brown egg bits, chewy starcy bits and sticky starchy bits. And of course it is a given that the oysters must be fresh.

I must say that this is the most satisfactory Oyster Omelette I have eaten since I started blogging. The oysters are big, juicy and fresh and the texture of the dish is just perfect. The only thing I can think of that would make it even better is if he fried it in pork lard. 4.75/5

Conclusion

Oyster Omelette is one of those dishes that I try to avoid eating too much of because it really isn't all that healthy. So if I were to have the craving for oyster omelette, this is the one stall that I will head to gurantee that my calories are not wasted.

What to do next:

After eating the Oyster Omelette, go for Chendol at Dove Dessert!
If you still have the stomach, you must not miss Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Kway Teow.
Check out the rest of the Hawker Legends.
Where else to eat Oyster Omelette.

Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette
Toa Payoh Lor 7 Food Centre
Stall #01-25
3pm to 9pm
cloosed on Tuesdays

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Zento Contemporary Japanese Restaurant: Want to take on Iron Chef Morimoto?

Wagyu Beef and Shrimp Tempura roll with melted Gruyre and garlic sauce $30

If you are a fan of the Iron Chef series, then the mention of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto might conjure up images of fantastic Japanese creations which his critics would say is not Japanese at all. This is the paradox. Chef Morimoto, the man responsible for the highly acclaimed Nobu Restaurant in New York who plays the role of Iron Chef Japan is supposed to represent Japanese cuisine but he always comes up with creations so bizarre that some might question its "Japaneseness". But..... he still manages to beat his challengers most of the time.

Chef Morimoto left Nobu after the series to start his own restaurant, Morimoto, in Philadelphia. This is where our young protagonist comes into the picture. Chef Gunawan Wibisono, an Indonesian by birth, worked his way up the Sushi ladder without formal training to eventually work at Morimoto's kitchen. After he left Morimoto, Chef Gunawan opened Zento in Philadelphia and won numerous praise for his contemporary Japanese cuisine. He and his wife had recently moved here to open another branch of Zento to introduce his creations to Singaporeans.

Truth be told, I was attracted to the fact that there are several dishes at Zento which are inspired by Chef Morimoto. Short of travelling to the US to taste the mighty Morimoto's food, I guess this is the next best option. With the dearth of Japanese restaurants opening up in Singapore, Zento takes Japanese cuisine to uncharted waters. Just like Morimoto's creations in the Iron Chef series, the judges might not think it is classically Japanese, but it tastes so good that they award him the win anyway. After all, when it comes to food, it all boils down to how the it tastes right?


Zento Sashimi Set - Otoro with Caviar, Miso marinated Salmon, Madai with onion vinaigrette, Wasabi encrusted Tuna, live oyster with fish and Yuzu sauce $29 (one and half portion shown in photo)

So if you have been enamored by Japanese food, as are a lot of Singaporeans currently, you would be very glad to know that Zento will challenge you to re-define Sushi and Sashimi. If you have read my previous posts on eating raw fish, you would know that I am quite a late bloomer to the Sushi/Sashimi scene. I went from " I will never ever walk into one", to "Only if I have to accompany my wife into one", to "Hey let's go eat some Sushi!" only of late. So for me, I am starting to really like Sashimi, but I still have a soft spot for a bit of char grill flavour.

If you are still find eating raw fish a little distasteful, then the Zento Sashimi Set might just change your mind. Here you are presented with five different types of fish which have been blowtorched to cook just the exterior. Then, instead of the usual wasabi and soy sauce, they provide different toppings for the different fish. The Aburi (blowtorched) Otoro with Caviar is, as you can imagine, quite heavenly as is the miso marinated Salmon Belly. 4.5/5


Scallop Carpaccio $25

You can follow the Sashimi set with the Scallop Carpaccio which is also excellent. This is again a creative departure from Scallop Sashimi as they top the scallops with Yuzu sauce, ginger, garlic and Mitsuma leaves, then bathed it with hot grapeseed oil. The combination works very well to bring out the sweetness of the scallops. 4.25/5


Rock shrimp tempura with spicy kochujan sauce $15

Now we get to the two dishes which were Chef Morimoto's creations. The Rock Shrimp Tempura with a Korean inspired kochujan sauce can be really addictive. However, this dish did remind me a lot of what we can get at the Cze Char places. Perhaps it is novel for the Americans, but I think a lot of Singaporeans will find it very familiar. That said, it was still a dish which resonated with me. 4/5


Tuna Pizza $22

The Tuna Pizza is basically it's a crispy thin tortilla chip topped with hiyashi wakame (seaweed), raw tuna and a secret sauce which is imported from the US. The flavours are excellently balanced and the crispy tortilla is a nice contrast to the cold tuna and wakame. Another dish I would order again. 4.25/5


Wagyu Shrimp Tempura Roll with Melted Gruyre and Garlic Sauce $30

Now to the piece de resistance. I have to qualify first that one of my favourite things to eat is a piece of grilled marbled beef with a mouthful of pearly sweet Japanese rice. So I only needed to take one look at the dish to know that the chances of me raving about it is quite high. I am glad to report that I wasn't dissappointed one bit. I think it was brilliant of Chef Gunawan to depart from the usual way of straightening the prawns out for tempura and keep its elegant curved shaped. The curves serve to remind you that beneath that lightly torched Wagyu beef is a tender and juicy giant shrimp! For me, this would be the perfect "Steak and Surf".

The Gruyre cheese sauce gave it just the right amount of creaminess to complement the crunch of the tempura batter and add a wonderful umami kick to the beef. I could just come here and eat just to eat this one dish. 4.75/5


Mango Sashimi - Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Avocado and Mango $25

For those who are trying to cut down on carbos, the riceless sushi rolls are an interesting concept. Instead of the usual Sushi Rice, they taken a few calories off, but still retaining some carbo satisfaction by using rice paper. I like the novelty of the dish but felt the sweetness of the honey mustard sauce overpowers the natural sweetness of the sashimi. Good for dieters. 3.75/5


Volcano Roll- $25

I love these small chef owner eateries. It really is a labour of love rather than just a job for the chef. I was told that all the dishes here have been passed by his greatest critic who is none other than Dyana, his wife. If you visit the restaurant, you will get to be introduced to the dishes by her who I think is the real boss of the restaurant. (But maybe I am just extrapolating from my personal life). This passion translates to procuring the freshest fish and making all of their sauces in-house. I mean you just have to respect someone who bothers to make their own coriander oil right?

One of their signature dishes is this Volcano roll which is a deep fried Shrimp Tempura roll with smoked salmon, avocado, crabstick and masago. This is a very tasty Sushi roll whose identity (I am afraid) might get mixed up with the stuff we see at S____ Sushi. The addition of the masago (capelin roe) and their special homemade sauces gives it that extra special touch. 4.25/5


Philly Roll - Salmon, Cream Cheese and Scallion $14

There are so many more items on the menu which I can talk about but I shall stop here with the Philly roll, which I guess celebrates their humble roots from Philidelphia. Cream cheese and salmon is always a great combination, but this is the first time I have seen this combination in a sushi roll. I am partial to this one but Amagada loves it. 4/5

Conclusion

Zento means "Future" (前途 qian2 tu2) in Japanese. I guess its name reflects what they are trying to do by sharing the same spirit of innovation as Iron Chef Morimoto to challenge age old traditions to create new taste sensations. Anything that is novel is always worth a try, but when it is truly good, what is novel will eventually become a classic.

I think there are a few classics in the making here.

Special for ieatishootipost readers:

Complimentary dessert when you mention "ieatishootipost"!

Makan Session in the works:

I am in the midst of organizing a special 10 course tasting menu for everyone which will feature some of the dishes here, including, of course, the Wagyu roll. The special menu will be $38 nett and be held on a Saturday at 2pm. Can I have an indication of how many would be interested to attend?

In order to be notified of this and other events, please join our ieatishootipost facebook group.

Zento Contemporary Japanese
Blk 18B Dempsey Hill
Singapore 249677
64740378
Open daily for lunch and dinner
www.zento.com.sg
This was an invited review

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Uncle Gen's Hong Kong Cuisine: The latest stall to make it to the Really Must Try list!

Hong Kong Steamed Rice with Chicken and Salted Fish $3.30

As the number of blog posts approaches the one thousand mark, it amazes me that there are still so many new places that are still waiting to be discovered. Indeed, Singapore might be a tiny red dot, but if the world atlas were drawn according to the number of great eats, I reckon we should at least be the size of a one dollar coin. After blogging about hawker food for the last three years, I find that my list of places to visit is still quite long. A lot of this is due to our intrepid group of makan kakis who scour the island for great places to eat and then post their own reviews and pics in the forum. Now that we have another thousand or so members in the facebook group, the to do list will just keep getting longer. So, many thanks to everyone who have written in to recommend their favorite food haunts, you guys really keep the blog going.

This next stall was discovered by Cactuskit whose mouth watering photos in the forum caught my attention immediately. You know, one of the joys of food blogging is finding a stall where the food is really very very good, yet still relatively unknown and best of all, you can eat it everyday and still have money left in your wallet! Cactuskit's post looked like it fit the bill, so it was immediately placed on top of the to do list.


Yam Cake $1.80

I haven't eaten Yam Cake for a long time because I haven't really come across one that was worth the calories. Most of the Yam Cakes I come across are cold, hard and rather dry. Not so with Gen Shu's (Uncle Kum) version. He tells me without hesitation that there are three important criteria when it comes to Yam Cake in Hong Kong. First, its got to be soft, then its got to be moist and finally and most importantly, it has got to be flavoursome. This one fits all three criteria and is one of the tastiest Yam Cakes around and even better than a lot that is being served in classy dim sum restaurants. Well worth the money, the calories and the queue! 4.6/5


Pork Rib and Red Bean Soup $3.30

If you love double boiled soups then you are going to love this place. Gen Shu has 20 different types of soups which he serves here and they are all chock full of ingredients. If Pork Rib and Red Beans doesn't sound exotic enough for you, then you should ask him when he will be serving his Pig trotter with Oyster and Season Gourd soup. Anyway the soup I had that day was excellent. For $3.30, you really can't complain as you get a bowl of flavourful soup with so many pieces of tender soft pork ribs. 4.5/5


Mince Pork with Salted Egg Steamed Rice $3.30

It is not often that I come across a stall that almost everything is good. I say almost because I didn't taste everything but whatever I had that day was good. This is not surprising once you realise that Gen Shu happened to be the Head Chef of Mouth Restaurant for 15 years before he retired. Being a chef of such experience, he is able to call his stall a "Mei Shi She Jia" (Gourmet Kitchen). What that means is that you could give Gen Shu a whole Pig and he will be able to make use of every part of that pig to cook a series of unforgettable dishes for you. But more than that, Gen Shu is one of those Hong Kongers who is simply passionate about Hong Kong cuisine. What that means is that he doesn't stinge on the ingredients. When you eat his steamed rice, just taste the soy sauce that accompanies it and you will know what I mean. There is soy sauce that is concocted in a laboratory and there is soy sauce that has been properly fermented and aged. Gen Shu is just the type of chef who knows his soy sauce as a sommelier knows his wines.


Steamed Rice with Preserved Veg and Pork Belly

If you are going for the steamed rice then I would highly recommend the chicken with salted fish. This is one where the taste of the chicken and the salted fish has really infused into the rice so that each bite is full of the umami goodness of the salted fish. This is really almost as good as it gets. 4.75/5.


Hong Kong Style Congee $3

As with all the other dishes which we tried, the Congee here is really good as well. Full of ingredients and the Congee, in true Hong Kong fashion, is smooth and flavoursome. All this for $3! 4.5/5

Conclusion

It is usually very risky to give a stall such a big endorsement. However, with Gen Shu, I am quite confident that most readers who go there will come away very satisfied that they have found something that is Cheap and Good! No..... Cheap and Very Very Good.

Gen Shu Mei Shi She Jia
Toa Payoh Lor 4
Blk 74 Food Centre #01-03
Opens 6am till sold out around lunch time
Closed on Mondays

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Tan Soon Mui Beancurd: Unexpectedly surprised

Freshly made Bean Curd. 50 cents

This was such an unexpected find.

I could tell you about how the stall is three generations old, founded by the grandpa in 1966. I could tell you about how they remove the skin from the soy beans to make sure you don't get that waxy taste in your mouth. I could tell you about how they use four ingredients to make the sugar syrup.

But I don't need to. All I have to say is that this is the BEST bowl of Bean Curd I have eaten for a long while and it is only half the price of the other famous ones which I have blogged. The bean taste is evident and the texture is sublime. It's excellent and it is ironically one of the cheapest bowls of bean curd around! 4.6/5


Chin Chow $1

Those of you who have heard of Tan Soon Mei before will probably know them as a manufacturer of Chin Chow. In fact, they have a factory which produces Chin Chow for sale to hawkers. However, if you want to eat some of their special Chin Chow, it is only available for sale at their very own stall here.

The special characteristic of this Chin Chow is the texture and the way it is served. It is served like a bean curd and the texture is somewhere in between the common Chin Chow and Bean Curd. I really enjoyed the texture, but I thought it was lacking in any special Chin Chow taste. Still, it is quite a refreshing bowl of dessert for a hot Singapore day. (Which is really everyday) 4/5.

Conclusion

I am quite sure it is the best bowl of bean curd for 50 cents or even for $1 for that matter. The texture of the Chin Chow is unique but I would like it better if it had a more herbal taste.

Tan Soon Mui Beancurd
Serangoon Way Market and FC Stall 41
8am to 8pm
Closed on Mondays

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Riyadh Muslim Food: Crispy Fluffy Prata made with Passion

With ieatjr

Five Prata Stack 70cent each

Ah Prata, one of my all time favourite breakfast food. I don't know why, but it might have something to do with how my Pa used to bring me to the coffeeshop in Toa Payoh Lor 8 to eat prata. If I remember correctly, $1 used to buy 10 pratas and you could bring an egg to the prata man so that he can add it to the prata for you. As with most kids, I started off eating prata dipped in sugar. Then gradually, I learnt that dipping it in the curry can be quite shiok, albeit a little spicy. But I still liked the sugar so I ended up dipping in the curry, then the sugar. I sometimes still eat it that way nowadays.

Speaking of eating Prata as a father and son (or daughter) thing, I too brought my son to eat prata with me on this occasion. He still does not want to dip in the curry, hopefully one day he will realise what he has been missing. It's amazing that my fondest memories with my Pa are just these simple things we used to do together while my brothers were still to young to tag along. So I guess it is important to remember to spend one-on-one time with your own kids regularly so that they have some fond memories to accompany them for life.


Mr Abdul Aziz explaining how to make a perfect prata

Unfortunately, with the proliferation of 24 hour prata joints, the standard of Prata in Singapore has been waning and in some places it is just plain bad. The reason is very simple. It all has to do with ownership and passion. In the past, men from India used to come to Singapore to etch a living for themselves. So they would open a prata shop and through sheer hard work and long hours, make a name for themselves. Nowadays, the guys flapping the prata are all hired men from India and Malaysia, and unless the boss correctly incentivise them, it is difficult to ensure quality.

I have been hunting around for stalls where the owners still take pride in making their own dough and flapping their own prata. A place where they are still passionate about a simple dish which has been taken for granted and neglected.

Mr Abdul Aziz of Riyadh Muslim Food is just one such person. His father was the one who started the famous Thesevi's which made Jalan Kayu prata a household name. When he parted ways with his brother, he started up his little stall here in an industrial park in Defu Lane. That was 20 years ago and he is still doing much the same as his father had done.



It is heartening to see a bucket of handmade dough instead of what most stalls do nowadays which is to buy them ready made. So whenever I eat at a Prata stall, I always lookout for the dough in a bucket rather than in a cardboard box. Amazingly, his dough is still handkneaded and not made with a machine. Mr Abdul tells me that handknead is still best and he doesn't have space to put a mixer in his small shop. He still adds QBB pure Ghee in his dough to give that savoury buttery taste as well as Carnation evaporated milk. The other ingredients are Prima's Ikan Terbang brand Flour, salt and sugar. The was tight lipped about the proportions. Doh! Or should I say, Dough!


Special order Double Dough prata $1.40

Aside from the dough, the secret to a really good prata is simply passion and technique. Although Mr Aziz does not personally flap each prata nowadays, at 70, he is still there at the stall every minute of its opening to make sure that each prata comes out the way he wants. That is the work ethic of the first generation migrants of Singapore and amazingly, Mr Aziz still holds an Indian passport even though he has been here since the 50's.



The pratas here are hard to beat. As with the Jalan Kayu pratas, they are small but crispy and flaky and very flavourful. As far as prata goes, this is probably one of the best ones around and the best thing is that they insist on making the prata when you order, so you are assured of fresh pratas all the time. They still do some ready made ones for those people who are in a hurry, so make sure you let Uncle know that you are in no hurry for a great prata. 4.6/5

Conclusion

This Prata is really special. It might not be as convenient as a 24 hour prata stall, but the limited timing just means that each prata is still made under the strict supervision of the Prata master. If you really love prata, this is one place you have to visit.

Riyadh Muslim Food
Blk 32, Defu Lane 10
Stall 12, Soon Soon Lai Eating House
6.30am to 7pm daily
Closed last Wed of each month

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Cugini Italian Restaurant: Unbridled Italian Passion

Sardinian Style Spaghetti with olive oil, mullet roe, chili, garlic and Mediterranean prawns $22++

There is only really one ingredient that you need for really great food, and that is passion. But not just passion, you really need unbridled passion that defies practicality.

So many times I have met with Chefs who are passionate about their cooking but somehow they are held back. If they are working in someone else's kitchen, it is always the boss who clamps down on food costs. When they are the owner, they have to think about keeping the business afloat and time with their families. So the initial fiery passion gets toned down to a slow simmer.

When it comes to pasta, a good freshly made pasta is not so easy to find in Singapore. Most restaurants resort to using dried pasta, albeit good quality ones, because it is said that the weather in Singapore makes it difficult to duplicate the fresh pasta that you get in Italy. So practicality tells you to just do what everyone else is doing and just order your pasta. But passion insists that you somehow find a way to do what you believe is how pasta should be eaten.


Freshly made Spaghetti: Excellent texture and bite

Like most Singaporeans, I am used to eating dried pasta. By now everyone knows that pasta needs to be eaten "Al Dente" which basically means that it is still firm to the bite and not overly soft such that it has the texture of the canned alphabet soup. The way to do this is of course, not to overcook it. However, sometimes I feel that in their enthusiasm, inexperience cooks actually undercook their pasta such that it comes out still too hard. Yes, you can cook it till the white in the middle just becomes translucent but I feel that the perfect bite is a point somewhere in between that and it becoming too soft. What you really want is a pasta that has enough chewability but tender enough so that it is starchy rather than crunchy.

All the pastas at Cugini are handmade by the two Italian chefs who are like two boys having a lot of fun in the kitchen. Most of the time, I find that freshly made pasta lacks a certain amount of bite. But I had the most wonderful experience last week when I took my first mouthful of the spaghetti. The texture is really very special and definitely one of the most satisfying pastas that I have tried. It has enough bite in it but still tender and the feel of the spaghetti as it slides into the mouth is excellent. 4.5/5


Thinly sliced Guanciale (Cured Pork Cheek) Taken from the pizza topping

Now, I'd be happy just eating the Spaghetti here with some olive oil and Parmesan cheese. But if you are looking for something with a more robust flavour, you might want to try the Amatriciana. This is quite special as are a lot of their other sauces. Their bacon, for example, is not the stuff you buy from the supermarkets. They specially import a cured Pork Cheek known as Guanciale which is used in all their toppings and sauces. Gerri tells me that their basic tomato sauce is made from specially imported fresh Italian tomatoes. Two types are used, the usual Roma tomatoes as well as San Marzano tomatoes which are the ones that must be used if one is to fulfill one of the criteria of a Vera Napoletana Pizza. (True Neapolitan Pizza)


Guanciale: Italian Cured Pork Cheek

I have been on a pizza craze lately and have been doing a lot of research on the perfect pizza. Now of course, everyone has their own preference when it comes to pizza and I think that the current fad amongst Singaporeans is leaning towards the thin crust pizza. But when it comes to pizza, there really is a gold standard which is enforced by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Because there are so many styles of pizza in the world now, this Association acts to preserve the style of the pizza which is widely acknowledged as the original from Naples.

I have yet to taste a true Napoletana Pizza in Naples, but I have tasted some pizzas in Australia which were truly amazing. Once you have eaten a great pizza, you'd come to the conclusion that it is all about the dough, the tomato sauce and the cheese. A really good base is soft, chewy and gives you that carbo rush as you chew on the bread. The bottom and the rim has got to be just slightly charred and when combined with the tomato and cheese, it should be enough to get you thinking about the pizza for a long long time.

These guys have put in a lot of effort to make sure that the pizza is as close to what they get back home. They tell me that the dough is made with a closely guarded family recipe which has been passed down through the generations and insist that whatever recipe that you can find on the internet and in cookbooks are not 100% accurate as no self respecting Italian family would ever share their secret.


Napoletana style pizza topped with Guanciale, Aragula and Basil $24++ (pizzas range from $16 to $24)

This pizza will not pass the strict criteria for a Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) but it certainly fulfills quite a few of the requirements. The dough was, in the words of the VPN rules "soft, elastic and easy to manipulate and fold", more like the texture of a Naan Bread rather then a water cracker which some thin and crispy pizzas are like. The use of San Marzano and Roma Tomatoes in the sauce also conforms to the rules.

However, the rules state that nothing else may be put on top of the pizza except Buffalo Mozarella, Oregano and Basil, so having slivers of Guanciale and Aragula on top of the pizza is like the Chinese proverb says, to "Hwa She Tian Zu" (Drawing legs on a snake - which turns the snake into a lizard). And then the rules are also very strict in stating that the pizza must be cooked in a wood fired oven. (They use a pizza oven here)

So, this pizza will not be given the stamp of a VPN, but I would say that the dough and sauce comes closer to a VPN than any other pizza I have eaten in Singapore. So if you order a Pizza Magherita, you would get a pizza which is very close to a VPN, except for the fact that it wasn't cooked in a wood fired oven. But at the end of the day, the real question is, would you enjoy a Pizza Magherita or one which has slivers of Guanciale and Aragula over it? For me, I am one who believes in discerning the spirit of the law, rather than strict conformity to the letter of the law. So I appreciate the authenticity of the the pizza base and sauce, but the addition of one of two toppings just adds that extra dimension. (You can tell I really like this Guanciale, don't you?)

The pizzas are very good here and I can appreciate the effort that the guys here put into the pizza to make it authentic. But until I get to eat a real Napoletana Pizza in Naples, I still have this niggling feeling that the best is yet to be. 4.25/5


Squid Ink Ravioli with Seabass in Lobster sauce $31++

They have five different types of Raviolis here. We tried the Squid Ink Ravioli which was unexpectedly good.I was told that they specially import an Italian Seabass to make the filling and you can tell from the taste that it is different from the locally farmed Seabass. (Actually it is a different fish altogether). The sauce complemented the the ravioli perfectly. Very balanced and has that wonderful seafood flavour without the overwhelming fishiness. 4.5/5


Mauro and Gerri

Conclusion

There is no doubt that these guys are passionate about their food and go to lengths to ensure that they are serving up food that they grew up eating. I think the prices are quite reasonable given that a lot of the stuff they use have to be imported. I loved the pastas, but I will need to try their pizzas in the evening when the oven is really hot and the dough has more time to proof to catch them at their best.

They've got a great set lunch for $13++ where you can order selected pizzas and pastas. I was told that the lamb dishes there were supposed to be really good and there is this Ravioli with ossobuco (veal shank) that I really want to try soon.

Special for ieatishootipost readers:

Mention "ieatishootipost" and get 15% off the menu price. Offer valid for Mar 2009

11 Unity Street,
Robertson Walk #01-27/28
68369541
www.cugini.com.sg
This restaurant was recommended by our reader, Rachelle who arranged for our menu tasting

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Barcook Bakery: Ooooh so soft and silky, but don't fight ok?

Cheese and Raisin Bread $1.30 ea

In case you still haven't heard, there's this place at Hong Lim Centre that sells really soft and irresistable bread which sells out everytime a new tray comes out of the oven. Like every other new pastry fad that hit Singapore, this stall is attracting long queues of people waiting impatiently for a bite of their buns. Such queues are a real hotbed for fights and quarrels to erupt.

Oh yeah, we Singaporeans love to queue and it is precisely because we love to queue that fights can sometimes occur. When you go to a place where there is no culture of queuing, everyone just jostle and push to get to the front, buy their thing and go away. I saw this incredible scene on TV once, I think it was in India, where the ticketing counter is just a little hole in the wall for people to stick their hand in with the money, grab their tickets and go off to celebrate the fact that they have managed to buy some tickets. I think that such places ironically have less fights than places like Singapore where there is a strong queuing culture.

While I can't say categorically that a fight had actually broken out at Barcook Bakery, I do have first hand information that some of our makan kakis who had gone down there did get themselves involved in some less than cordial verbal exchanges with the staff of the bakery. It was something to do with someone behind the queue being served ahead of someone in front of the queue. Thankfully fights don't actually break out all that often given that all of us would somehow be in a queue somewhere in any given week. Aside from being affected by those Courtesy Campaigns (I can still remember the jingles), I think a lot has to do with the fact that Singaporeans are not as verbal as say, the Americans or Australians. So a lot of the time we would rather just keep quiet rather than speaking out should we happen to see someone cut the queue. So actually fights don't actually break out all that often and when it does, it gets reported in the New Paper.



Anyway, I managed to get to the front of the queue without incident and lucky for me, there was a tray of the famed Cheese and Raisin Buns which just came out of the oven. So I quickly bought a few and took a photo of a tray of the buns above. Believe me, a tray full of the buns is not a very common sight.

One of the reasons for the perpetual queue, aside from the fact that the buns are absolutely delectable when they are fresh out of the oven, is that all the bread here is made with the Sponge and Dough method which is a technique of baking sweet dough buns which takes more time than the normal sweet dough buns. Essentially, the Sponge and Dough technique is a two step process where the dough is allowed a first rise, followed by a second step where the rest of the ingredients are added, followed by a second rise. The result is a sweet dough with a silky soft texture. This technique is no big secret but there are few bakeries which will bake all their breads this way because it is very time consuming.

The Cheese and Raisin buns are one of the best sweet dough buns I have come across. The texture is very good and their creamed cheese filling is generous and creamy but not overly jialak. When eaten fresh out from the oven, it must be one of the most shiok things you can get your hands on for around a dollar. 4.5/5

Conclusion

As they say, "all good things come to those who wait" (no idea where that phrase came from). So if you are willing to wait in the queue for a while, you will be rewarded with a very nice treat for afternoon tea indeed! But remember to be patient, take it easy and don't fight, ok?

Barcook Bakery
531 Upper Cross Street
#01-54 Hong Lim Complex
Singapore 050531
65336588
Mon-Fri: 8am - 6pm
Sat-Sun: 8am - 4pm

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