Golden City Carrot Cake: Carrot Cake with Ikan Bilis and Crispy Fried Chye Poh!

Carrot Cake $3 portion

I found it! I found it!

The best carrot cake I have tasted is just a stone's throw away from home and it took me so long to find it!

You know, I haven't eaten any outstanding carrot cake that I can really put my finger on until I came across this one. What makes it special is that not only does this lady fry the carrot cake until it is crispy on the outside, but she adds in these delightfully crispy Ikan Bilis and Pre-Fried Chye Poh as well. The Chye Poh is really like manna from heaven!

OK, classic carrot cake connoisseurs might cry foul over the use of ikan bilis in the carrot cake, but I am telling you that after tasting this one, I feel that everyone else should be adding ikan bilis as well.

Aunty buys really good quality ikan bilis and prepares it herself twice a week. She fries them till they are super crispy and flavoursome. The chye poh is also pre-fried and she adds a little bit of sugar into them to give them that extra edge. The combination of the crisp savoury ikan bilis with the sweetened chye poh, soft carrot cake and fried eggs is something I just can just sit there and slowly savour with my eyes closed.



This stall used to be selling fried Hokkien Mee when the Aunty's husband was still around. But since his passing, they don't sell fried Hokkien Mee anymore. In fact, it was her late husband who first suggested that she added the ikan bilis for extra kick!

Truth be told, the first time I met her, I almost thought she was a bit of a Food Nazi. You see, I ordered my carrot cake without chilli, but when it arrived with chilli, I made the excuse that my kids don't eat chilli, and she grumpily changed it for me. What to do? I was scared that if I said I don't take chilli, she might just ban me from the stall! (I did offer to pay for 2 plates of carrot cake in the end but she refused to take the money albeit still grumpy)



But luckily, she turned out to be quite a nice lady when you get to know her. Just be nice to her okay? And when you ask for extra chye poh (Power Up to get Max Ooomph!) offer to pay extra 50 cents for it and keep that smile on her face.

Conclusion

Best carrot cake I have had for as long as I can remember! It's a 4.5/5 for the standard plate but when you add the extra chye poh it becomes a 4.75/5

Golden City Carrot Cake
1 Telok Kurau Road
Open 7.30am to 2pm
Closed Tuesdays








What to do next:

Check out the Fang Choy next door
Go down the road for Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee
There's a Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee opposite
Check out other Carrot Cake stalls
Check out other stalls run by little old ladies and gentlemen

....Read more!

Cilantro Modern Asia: Wagyu Shabu Shabu $15!

This Stall in Closed

Wagyu Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki $15 (Normal Beef Shabu Shabu $7)

There are some things that sound too good to be true. Now if you are an optimist, your response to such things is to quickly go and find out if it really is true but if you are a pessimist, then you would sit back and mull over the thought that there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

So would you consider yourself an optimist or pessimist if I were to tell you that you can get a Wagyu Shabu Shabu for $15? It's no bull (pun intended), this Wagyu Shabu Shabu is going for $15, but there is one catch --- you have to eat it in a coffee shop. "Phew, that's not too bad", I think I hear you say.

Now, for the readers who are really really skeptical, I post the picture on the right for you. Hope you are convinced.

When Jacky of Cilantro (Remember $15 Foie Gras?) said she was going to do modern Japanese food at her Marine Terrace branch, I was excited. Excited because, I know that she would go all out to give the customers something of quality but at rock bottom prices.

Good Japanese food depends on good produce and sadly a lot of places that sell Japanese food in hawker centres are not giving us good quality stuff. Now, I am not talking about the top grade Otoro, but simply a place that sell Mid-Ranged Japanese food at Hawker ranged prices. That would be a great idea for a family outing wouldn't it? Thankfully after a bit of gentle prodding, Jacky caught on the idea and decided to procure some Wagyu for the launch of her stall in Marine Terrace. Now it is up to the response from the general public to decide if we are going to see more Wagyu in coffeeshops!

For $15, you get around 5 slices of beef plus a pot of either shabu shabu or sukiyaki stock. They also serve Ponsu and Goma sauce to go with it which is quite unexpected of a $15 shabu shabu! There really is not need to tell you that the Wagyu is really melt in your mouth beefy goodness is there? 4.5/5


Wagyu Don $9.80

So what else would you do if you invested in an expensive meat slicer and you have a few kg of Wagyu Sirloin in your fridge? Why, you do a Wagyu Don, that's what. Now believe me, you don't have to Argue with Wagyu. The meat is just plain tasty no matter what you do with it. It's great whether it's dipped in soup, fried in teriyaki sauce or even eaten raw. So I'd say this could be the best bowl of Gyu Don I have tasted if only they had used better rice and the teriyaki sauce was tweaked a little. Jackie assured me that they will be changing the supply of rice to match the quality of the Wagyu. Whatever it may be, you'd be hard pressed to get something with the name "Wagyu" on it for less than $10 anywhere in Singapore. 4/5


Charshu Ramen $6

The Ramen here is very commendable. The soup is tasty enough, but I thought it could be just a little smoother (ie more fats from the marrow dissolved in the soup). Amagada on the other hand said the soup was surprisingly nice. The Chashu here is really good and quite addictive. Incidentally, don't you think Chashu is a bit of a misnomer? Should be called Lor Bak instead right? 4/5


Family Feast $18

The Family Feast is designed for families with kids (like mine). How often have you gone to a Japanese Restaurant and every time you order the tempura, it comes only in a small portion for $12? What we need is a family feast type platter where you get a variety of fried favourites like Pork Tonkatsu, Breaded Prawns, Chicken Karage, Potato Croquettes, Nuggets and Chicken Wings. As mother would say, "Jia Kau Song Song" (Eat till you are satisfied). Nothing out of the ordinary, but it's a dish the kids would love and gives the adults an excuse to indulge. 4/5


Teriyaki Chicken $6

I have to include this picture because I managed to catch the drop of lemon juice falling onto the Teriyaki chicken. Ahhhh, satisfaction.

Anyway, teriyaki chicken is a staple for any Japanese eatery and although it is easy to do, (who hasn't cooked teriyaki chicken at home?), it is very hard to get that special smoky charred taste. It is highly dependent on the quality of the soy sauce used. The one here is competent but I felt still had that "Chinese" taste to it. Kids will love it, but I still haven't found.... what I'm looking for. 3.75/5


Pan Seared Tuna $9.80

For the more adventurous, Cilantro offers a few more upmarket dishes like this Pan Seared Tuna in miso sauce. It is the kind of thing that you don't readily find in most of the Japanese Chain Restaurants in Singapore. Definitely worth a try if you are tired of the standard Japanese fare. 4/5


Banana Chocolate Mousse Cake $4.90

For dessert, you have to try their Banana Chocolate Mousse Cake which will satisfy most chocoholics except for the most fastidious ones. 4.5/5. The tiramisu is also very good. 4/5

Conclusion

We need to demystify the Wagyu and bring this wonderful tasting meat to the heartlanders. I hope to see more Wagyu appearing in food courts and mid ranged Japanese restaurants which will increase the awareness and demand for this product which will in turn mean that it will become standard fare for more Japanese eateries out there. When the Ah Gong and Ah Mah start to coin their Hokkien word for Wagyu, then we know we have reached our goal. In the meantime, if you want to continue to see Wagyu in the coffeeshop, then you have to do your part to go down and support them so that they will continue to sell it!

Now apart from the Wagyu (which is great even as sashimi), the rest of the fare is competent but don't go there expecting the same standards as your favourite Japanese restaurant. The main selling point it that it is a place where you can bring the kids to eat pretty decent Japanese food and not burn a hole in your pocket.

Cilantro Modern Asia
Blk 59 Marine Terrace (Coffeeshop)
Opens 10am to 10pm daily
Disclaimer: I had an active role in planning the menu

What to do next?

Read about the $15 Foie Gras
Read about other Japanese Food
Read about other stalls in Katong and Joo Chiat
Grab a traditional cup of Kopi at the rustic Chin Mee Chin after that!

....Read more!

Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice: Surprisingly good

It is human nature to side with the underdog. So when it comes to chicken rice, not many people would go with the big players like Boon Tong Kee, citing that they are too commercial, lacks the personal touch etc etc.

With over 20 chicken rice stalls already blogged, this site would really not be complete without one of Singapore's largest chain of chicken rice stalls. So it was only a matter of time before I blogged BTK. I have had this chicken rice several times already before I started by blogging, but never really thought much of it. (Didn't analyse food as much then as I do nowadays) However, on the insistence of Holydrummer who swears by this chicken rice (the East Coast branch), I decided to blog it sooner rather than the later.



The overall experience was surprisingly good. BTK was able to put a whole chicken rice package together that resulted in satisfying chicken rice experience. From the rice to the chicken to the chilli sauce, I thought that even though not one item actually stood out, they were all competent and worked well in harmony. The several items that I really appreicated though were the pickles that come with the chicken. Though not traditional served with chicken rice, I thought they added a little bit of a zing to the whole experience and I especially enjoyed it. The other item was the minced ginger which they provided. It was also a little on the sweet side and very fragrant. One of the best ginger sauces that I have come across.

Conclusion

So there you have it, I am surprised that I actually enjoyed it so much. Maybe its because I usually like things a little on the sweet side and so the pickles and ginger did it for me. I am sure there are going to be lots of supporters and detractors of this chain. Whatever it may be, one thing is quite safe to say. If you have overseas visitors and want to introduce them to chicken rice, BTK is a good place to consider since you are assured of reasonably good chicken rice in a modern and clean environment. It's a "soft landing" to test their level of tolerance before bringing them to the hardcore, roadside, eat with your fingers, "D" rated type stalls.

Boon Tong Kee (Katong)
199 East Coast Road
(Opp Holy Family Church)
Open for lunch till 10pm daily

....Read more!

Ieatishootipost feature in Lian He Zao Bao

Click on Image to Read

A very warm welcome to Lian He Zao Bao readers! Thank you for visiting the blog. I hope you all find something good to eat!



Click on image to read

When I started the blog 2 years ago, I never thought I would see my picture on the front page of zbW and a full 3 page feature! It is indeed an honour and I would like to thank:

1. God for making all things beautiful in His time. The Lord is good and does "exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think...". The glory belongs to Jesus.

2. My parents, parents-in-law, my wife Lisa (Amagada) and kids James (ieatjr) and Megan (ieatprincess) for their support and especially for waiting patiently while I take photos before we can start eating!

3. The Merry Makankakis: Smart, liverpool, damien, sumosumo, Cactuskit, khim, jems, Holydrummer, Holybro, Holybunny, SCS butter, Happi Mummi, fashionfoodie, wahcow, vVv and many more who help me organize the sessions and support the events. There are so many more to thank, so sorry if your name is not included in the list yet.

4. And finally, thanks to all readers of this blog! It is your comments and participation that keeps us all going!

As the article mentioned, we are in the midst of planning our next Charity Event sometime next month. I will let you all know the details a little later. I hope to get your support!

Khim is helping me to translate the article to English! Thanks Khim, on behalf of all the "Ang Moh Pai" readers! I only managed to make out about 60% of it and I actually know the story already!

For our new readers, you might like be interested in the following links to familiarize with the blog:

Introduction to ieatishootipost: Click Here

Below are the links mentioned in the article:

ieat Creations
ieat Experiments
Makan Sessions
Sakura Chicken
Charity Events
Creative and Canon advertorials
Cilantro
ieat SuperBurger

To view the Channel U feature click here

The article talked about the Singapore Blog Awards organized by Omy. If you would like to support the blog with your vote, please click below and vote for ieatishootipost! Thanks very much.



Click here

Here's the Translation for all our Ang Moh Pai Readers! Big Big thanks to Khim and Holybro!

Summary

Local well-known food blogger ieatishootipost.blogspot.com commenced in 2006, it had accumulated 1 million hits a year after; 2 years later – today, the blog was even nominated for “Most Insightful Blog” category in the “S’pore Blog Awards” organized by Omy.

Doctor Food Blogger

When the owner of local well-known food blog ieatishootipost.blogspot.com, Dr. Leslie Tay (39 years old), started the blog more than 2 years ago, little did he imagine the recognition he would have today.

As a start, he only wanted to make up for a deprived childhood. “When I was young, my father seldom brought us out for meals, I had no idea where all the famous hawker food are!”

In 2006, he began to be interested the Singapore local cuisine, always going online, looking for chicken rice, char kway teow, hokkien prawn mee, etc.. through word of mouth. “I wanted to make up for my deprived childhood in a big way!”

But he realized that no matter how good the comments came from readers, the blog will not be persuasive and convincing enough just with word and no pictures of the good food. “I’m interested in photography, as far as I can recall, there seems to be no one in the local scene that have used photos of hawkers’ fare as a main topic. I was wondering, why don’t I take pictures while writing the blog, recording the experiences and photos at the same time.”

So, in August 2006, ieatishootipost commenced, it accumulated 1 million hits within a year and now 2 years later, the blog has been nominated for “Most Insightful Blog” category in the “S’pore Blog Awards” organized by Omy.

Family doctor’s Extra Curriculum

It’s Leslie’s identity as a doctor which adds on to the appeal of the food blog.

Everyday at 2pm, when he is taking his afternoon break at Karri Family Clinic situated at Tampines Street 83, he would drop his white doctor’s robe, take off his stethoscope, jumped into the identity of a cuisine reporter; before the opening of the clinic’s evening shift at 6.30pm, he uses this time to run all over Singapore, in search of food worth recommending, then "serves” up all these mouth-watering , fantastic findings onto his food blog which gets 8,000 hit daily.

ieat has got nearly thousand of posts to date. Leslie’s style is neither braggy nor pretentious, but like the media, he knows how to capture one’s curiosity using interesting ideas like “Where is the President’s favorite poh piah and favorite teh tarik stall located?” to attract readers. How many hidden gems are there in hawker centres located from North to South locally? Leslie will find out for you. Or, if you have something in mind, you can search based on the type of local fares like bak kut teh, beef hor fun, chicken rice, etc.. With one click, you get to see what the food looks like and where to find it.

2 months ago, Leslie even started a forum, creating different interesting topics for the 800 plus registered readers. Leslie explained with pride that this forum connect foodies together. Next, he would even hope to create another avenue where all food bloggers can gather together to exchange thoughts.

Sponsors knocking on the door

Food bloggers like Dr. Leslie Tay have increased in numbers the past 2 years. 2 years ago when Leslie started writing the food blog, there were only a handful of food blogs. Now, there is a long list of local food bloggers, some of the better known ones even catch the attention of F&B proprietors. There is yet a new trend, that is, more and more F&B companies are eagerly engaging PR companies to join and manage food bloggers. These e-generation food reporters are challenging the traditional food critics, especially when youngsters nowadays like to surf the net, food blogging on the boundless internet also manages to capture foreign readers, attracting these foreign foodies into our country for different kinds of cuisine.

Dr. Tay revealed that he, just like that media reporters, often receives invitations from various restaurants, hawkers as well as PR companies, to try out their dishes. Even visual & electronic equipment brands like Creative & Cannon came knocking on Leslie’s door, expressing interest on sponsoring and introducing the fantastic gadgets through Leslie’s blog and thus, delivering the message through the internet.

Also, readers from as far as Ukraine, England and United States had treated Leslie’s blog as a food guide, often sending him emails: “I’ll be coming over to Singapore on this particular date, what should I eat?” Leslie used to reply every single email, giving them some recommendations. Now, he would invite these readers to browse the blog, or join the internet forum and let the other readers provide the recommendations.

From Makan Sessions …

Using “fussy” to describe his taste buds, Leslie has a mum who is a chef. He has a strong interest in cooking too. When he was studying in Australia, he used to cook by himself. His best dishes would be sweet and sour pork as well as various soups.

Speaking of how he chose his food entries, Leslie replied: “Some are just fate, other times, I will tend to look for dishes with a more interesting angle." Have you heard of sakura chicken? There is a farm in Malaysia using Japanese’ method to rear chicken. Cultivating chicken without any injections, yet the chicken remains juicy and tender. I find it very interesting. Singaporeans love to eat chicken rice, I hope to be the first to spread the news!”

Browsing through ieatishootipost, one can see why it has dominated the other food blogs. This place is bursting with activities, like makan sessions, ieat experiments and ieat creations. This active blogger, through “spicy” activities, unceasingly seeks readers’ participation, thus winning the hearts of many readers.

The makan sessions are Leslie’s plan to get like-minded makan kakis to share good food together. “Just like the ‘durian degustation’ held earlier. Durian comes in different breeds. There are many people like myself, who don’t know the difference between Shan Mao Wang, D24, Red Prawn, Black Pearl, XO, etc… So I organized a degustation. The concept is similar to wine tasting.

… to Charity Makan Events

That durian degustation even enticed a Japanese couple to join. Each person paid $25 and within 2 hours, a specialist explained the characteristics and taste of over 10 different types of durian, following the tasting of the durians by the readers.

Leslie not only have to eat, listen and take notes, he is also busy clicking his camera, capturing the marvelous shots and then uploading it onto the blog, letting those who were unable to attend the event enjoy the post on the blog. What is surprising is that such makan session can also be turned into a charity event to contribute back to the society.

During the first year anniversary of ieat, Leslie and western restaurant called Astons organized a charity makan session. The attendees paid $100 each and filled the restaurant that night while Astons provided the meal at no charge. The readers not only enjoyed a sumptuous meal, a mini auction was also held to raise funds for Andrew and Grace Home (for Troubled Teens)

Leslie said food blogging is usually about introducing good food, but he wanted to do more. Leslie has found a meaningful way to contribute back to the society by organizing charity events through food blogging. “We can’t bring anything with us when we depart this world. What legacy can you leave behind? What kind of change can you bring to others?”

Dr. Tay yearns that his effort is able to touch someone’s life. His mind is continuously revolving around this concept: Every week, a restaurant sets aside some time and invite a group of not-so-fortunate people to enjoy a delectable meal. Hence, not only is the restaurant able to bring joy and happiness to people, it is also a way of giving back to the society.

Leslie hopes after the ieat event, others will follow suit. “Most importantly more will benefit, more will come forward and offer their humanitarian assistance and spread the happiness across.” During this interview, he is already planning the next charity makan session with Astons.

Suggesting to Hawkers to come with new dishes

Besides the makan sessions, Leslie also love to gather makan kaki to do experiments, naming it ieat experiments.

He cites the satay experiment as example. “East Coast Food Centre has many satay stalls, but which one is the best? Once, a group of makan kakis and I went there to find out. We ordered chicken satay from each stall and everyone then voted the best based on the satay and the fragrance of the satay sauce.

The inspiration of his experiments normally comes from his observations and “wacky ideas which he is thinking of”. Example whether "tariking" the teh actually made a difference to the taste of the Teh? He had his eyes blindfolded, noted the taste of both teh, with and without the “tariking” and the results were posted on the blog.

To understand the eating habits and preference of Singaporeans, Leslie added polls to collect opinions: “Last October’s poll attracted 4,000 readers to vote for the local’s popular dish & in the end, Hokkien Fried Prawn mee came up tops. There was also the most popular dessert as well as Singaporean’s favorite cuisine.”

But what Leslie is satisfied most, are the ieat creations. These are new dishes that he suggested to the hawkers.

“There is a western food stall, Cilantro, in one of the coffee shops in Bukit Merah. I found their food to be so-so. If they want to have an impact on local food and attract customers to their stall, they can’t be just another western food store selling the usual spaghetti and lamb chops. I told the owner, if they could dish up Foie Gras at just a price of $15, now, that would be interesting!”
Cilantro took his advice. When it dished out the first Foie Gras in a coffee shop, it invited Leslie back for tasting. “In the end, when the post was on the blog, Cilantro was unable to cope with the crowd over that weekend!”

Leslie’s attitude towards local cuisine is no doubt positive and enterprising. He wanted to bring the latest and the better quality great stuff to everyone.

“Like the Foie Gras, this is a challenge to the hawker. Generally speaking, hawkers are willing to try new things. If the response is good after the dish appears on the blog, then the new dish will become a regular item. Likewise, if the response is lack lustre, then the hawkers can treat it as a new attempt and publicity.”

Another ieat creation that Leslie speaks about is the Boston Lobster Fried Tang Hoon which he suggested to a cze char stall in Geylang. He said that since no cze char stall had ever include Boston Lobster in its menu, this will be the first. Also, the second version of ieat Superburger will be rolling out soon.

As if introducing his own baby, Leslie said: “This first version of ieat Superburger was introduced in September 2006. My idea is to give burger lovers that super value burger experience. So I challenged Aston. Subsequently, the team really created this Superburger! First grill the hand-chopped steak, add on the fresh and crispy lettuce, caramelized onions, bacon, etc… And price it at only $12.50! They even had the burger named after my blog, it’s named ieat Superburger.

The burger has been selling like hot cakes ever since its introduction and became a regular item on the Astons menu. Recently, Leslie has another new idea. The second version of the ieat Superburger will be introduced soon. He only revealed that it is square-shaped. As for what is in the burger, Leslie smiled and said: “Wait and see!”

A Heart Warming Story

Because Doctor Tay comes into contact with people from all walks of life, he summarizes all his experiences as “interesting”

“There was this Singaporean lady who migrated to Adelaide. She contracted cancer, and her days were numbered. I received a letter of thanks from her, saying that the food shown in the blog brought her back many pleasant memories, and reminded her of her childhood days where she would dine in different places. As I read her letter, my tears fell. I would never have known that a simple food blog like this would be able to touch a heart.”


Doctor Tay also mentions the founders of Andrew and Grace Home:” On the 1st week of this couple’s marriage, Andrew rented a room to a problem female student for her to stay in. Now, to raise funds they even lost their home. Thus the both of them and a group of problem teenage girls stayed in an old hostel. To raise funds they were willing to do almost anything like shaving their heads and running marathons. Andrew was like their father to them.

Food is one thing. Being able to keep yourself full is another. But behind the story of good food lies many extraordinary stories of ordinary people, this is even more heart-warming than food itself.


Coming back, what Doctor Tay is concerned about is not so much about his story.

In the blog there is a link, which is actually about herbal soup located in Geylang, but in a few words, he also conveyed the message of the problem of prostitution. :”They are all standing out! This social topic is of grave concern and should be noted by people. I stand here, bringing to you in a relaxed manner of what I see. The people usually see my point.”

Looking back on the growth of ieat, Doctor Tay says:”It has been a good learning experience, but what makes me happy, is that when I do take a shot of a dish which I really love frequently, and then share it with others. Food that tastes nice can never lie. It has a mysterious force, which somehow makes the pictures of it look better!”

One last thing is that, if it really tastes good, it should never be eaten alone, or you might taste a sense of loneliness and solitary.

....Read more!

The Ieat Durian Degustation II: Ah Loon and Ah Teck's Boutique Durian Stall

The pictures say it all. When it comes to Durians, we Singaporeans will throw any manner of decorum to the wind. It is one of the few times that you can actually eat with your hands, get durian all over your face, and talk with your mouth full without mom telling you off. This is especially so when mom is also in the thick of things.

Yes, when it comes to durians, it is the fruit that is the main focus and nothing else matters. No one bothers that the tables are not cleaned, that you can throw the seeds into a dirty plastic box and it is permissible to stuff a whole durian segment in your mouth because you got to use your hands to open the durian. Do it with a chicken drumstick and everyone will be staring at you!

So it is when over 80 durian kakis gathered outside a provision shop to enjoy the fruit together. From Neurosurgeons to students, retirees to property developers, there are no social barriers when it comes to durian. The only criterion for admission is that you love the fruit.

The degustation session covered 5 varieties of durians that evening. We started with D24, then move on to Hong Xia, Black Pearl, XO, Golden Phoenix and finished up with the prized Mao Shan Wang. The characteristics of most of these have already been covered in my previous posts, so I will only highlight the Black Pearl which was voted best durian for the night.


The Black Pearl

The Black Pearl is easily recognizable by its elongated Rugby Ball shape which is something close to the heart of this ex-Saint/Rafflesian.



The flesh is is greyish white and most of them have little "pearls" of black in the flesh. The shape of the segments are also elongated and looks very much like those fried fish cakes. The texture is pastey and the aroma is only mildly pungent. However it is distinctly sweet with a taste that I find as difficult to describe as the colour Red.



The small size of the segment is offset by the tiny shrivelled seeds, so you still get quite a nice mouthful of flesh. I am told that is it best eaten by popping the whole segment into your mouth, spitting the seed out and then spend the next few minutes savouring the taste while swallowing a little at a time. 4.5/5

Conclusion

I think all our durian kakis went home very full and very satisfied that night and woke up this morning with Durian breath! Don't forget to drink lots of water everyone!


Ah Loon showing off the characteristic star shape pattern of the Mao Shan Wang

Ah Loon and Ah Teck Durian
231 East Coast Road
97514828





Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sumosumo, Holydrummer, Holybro, Holybunny and Cactuskit for helping to organize the event!

Photos by Cactuskit and Ieat

Read about the other breeds of Durians here



Remember to vote today! Click here

....Read more!

Battle of the Bak Chor Mees at Fengshan Food Centre

With Cactuskit and ToothFairy

No. 7's Bak Chor Mee

Ok, many people know about this two Bak Chor Mees at Fengshan Food Centre. But which one is better? Before we set out to answer that question, another interesting thing of note is that when we talk about Bak Chor Mee, most people refer to the dry version with vinegar, chilli and whether they want liver or not. But somehow when they talk about the Bak Chor Mee here, everyone seems to know that we are referring to the soup version of this dish. It almost seem as if this is the only place to eat Bak Chor Mee soup.

So back to the question of which is better. Both stores have got its fair share of accolades but the inner stall (No. 7) seems to get a longer queue of people. So, is this a case of people simply following the crowd or is No. 7's Bak Chor Mee really significantly better than No. 8's?

In true ieatishootipost fashion, we sacrificed our money and calories so that you, dear reader, don't have to.


No. 8's Bak Chor Mee

Just by looking at the 2 bowls of Bak Chor Mee, one notices that No. 8's bowl is bigger. However, the contents of the noodles look quite similar. Perhaps No. 8's has just slightly more minced pork than No. 7's.


No. 8's Bak Chor Mee

Tastewise, the noodles of both stalls were similar. (I wouldn't be surprised if they shared the same supplier!). The soup of No. 7 is just slightly more tasty then No. 8 but the difference is so small that unless you ate them side by side, I doubt that you will be able to tell the difference.

Conclusion

So there you have it. The herd mentality works! The stall with the longer queue does have a better bowl of noodles. However, if you asked me, I would just order from whichever stall has the shorter queue on my next visit.


Xing Ji (Inner Stall)
No. 7
5pm to 1am plus
Closed Mondays

Seng Hiang (Outer Stall)
No 8
5pm to 12.30am Open daily
Fengshan Food Centre
Blk 85 Bedok North Road

....Read more!

Kim's Joo Chiat: XO Hokkien Mee: A Tale of Passion and Tenacity

With sumosumo, khim, Don, jems, holydrummer/bro/bunny, cactuskit.

XO Hokkien Mee $12

This is one for the oyster lovers! Imagine a plate of hokkien mee topped with a rich seafood sauce made from prawns, sotong and oysters. Ooh... it has gotta be shiok. Shiok enough to get a guy like Cactuskit to visit the place 4 times over the last three weeks. Skiok enough to get him to persuade me to eat there three times and to bend my arms to give it a higher score. Shiok enough to get him to organize a special supper so that the other kakis can savour its shiokness. Man, if a plate of hokkien mee can drive him to do all this, I wonder what he was like when he was pursuing his wife!

Now the truth of the matter is that after my first taste, I decided not to blog it since I have already blogged Kims at Joo Chiat before. But then I was told by Cactuskit that the problem is that I ate it during the afternoon and I had asked them not to add the chilli which is an integral part of the recipe. OK, so I went on another night with some other kakis and specifically asked for the evening cook to fry the Hokkien Mee for us. Verdict 4.25/5. Good enough to blog. But Cactuskit was still not satisfied and threatened to lead a coup against me unless I got some seasoned foodies to try the XO Hokkien Mee together with him. Anything less than a 4.5/5, he said, could lead to grave circumstances.

I can never say no to such passion as well as the fact that the guy is bigger sized then me and he has been quite a good moderator over at the forum. So the whole group of us found ourselves sitting in Joo Chiat last week to offer our final verdict on this XO Hokkien Mee. The XO btw stands for Xtra Oysters and not extra-ordinary or the fact that they add XO to the Hokkien Mee.

'

The Verdict:

Cactuskit: 4.6/5
Holydrummer: 4.5/5
Jems: 4.25/5
Holybro: 3.75/5
Holybunny: hehehehee
Sumosumo: 3.75-4/5
Khim: 4/5

So there you have it! See, I was right to give it a 4.25/5 in the first place which reflects an average score for the kakis!

Now that you see how varied the opinion is over the XO Hokkien Mee, it behooves (thank Ps Prince for that word) every HKM lover to go and try for themselves and see if it is really that great. If you love it, you have Cactuskit to thank for his tenacity and perseverance in getting this story posted. If you feel you wasted your time, petrol and calories, you know who to look for. You can find him in the forum.

Conclusion

If you like oysters and the wet type of Hokkien Mee and always eat yours with sambal and crispy lard bits, then you will give this at least a 4 to 4.5. If not.. too bad.

Incidentally, Kim's Jr is exactly like his dad when it comes to having his picture taken. Must have gone for PR classes!

Remember to vote today! Click here

The previous post about Kim's is found here

Read about the top Hokkien Mees in Singapore by clicking here

Kim's Seafood Place
37 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427761
11am to 2am daily
67421119

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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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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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