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.

Special for ieatishootipost readers
Mention ieatishootipost and get 10% off the total bill.
(Cannot be used with other credit card promotions)

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

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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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China La Mian Steamed Buns: Cheap and Good Xiao Long Bao

With Holydrummer, Holybro and ieatjr

Xiao Long Bao $5 for 10

Slowly but surely, our hawker scene is changing to reflect the cultural transformation of our society.

Our Chinese culture is made up primarily of Southern Chinese people predominantly from Canton and Fujian province. Our forefathers came to our shores to seek a new life and some of them ended up opening hawker stalls selling food that they are familiar with. Now we are seeing new waves of migrants from other parts of China who are settling down and calling Singapore home. Some, like the friendly couple who run this stall, came first to work at the restaurants and later became permanent residents. They work hard, save up enough money and start a business of their own selling food that they are most familiar with. Who knows? In a couple of years, they might own a whole chain of restaurants selling Shanghainese food.

Seeing Xiao Long Bao being served at a hawker stall is a welcomed sight indeed. This is one of my favourite snacks but so far I can only eat it at a restaurant. This is not the first time I have come across hawker stalls selling Xiao Long Bao, but it is the first time that I have come across a stall which sells a descent one.



I had Holydrummer and Holybro with me that day who, being half Taiwanese, have eaten some of the best Xiao Long Bao in Taiwan. So I had some really good tastebuds with me that day. They both agree that this is one tasty Xiao Long Bao. The soup in the bao is excellent and not oily. And importantly, the skin is thin enough to be able to see through but still not break when picked up. It is not a perfect Xiao Long Bao as I felt that the skin could be just a little softer, but at $5 for 10 baos, I would be quite happy to just come here to get a quick Xiao Long Bao fix. 4.25/5



I remember my father telling me that Grandpa came to Malaya with just a small bag of clothes. They then arranged for him to be married to Grandma who would remain in China until he could afford to bring her over. At that time, Grandpa's intention was to make enough money in order to start a business in China. This couple shared with me a similar story where both of them are here to work in order to send money back for their kids in China. Well, only time will tell if their son will eventually speak Singlish and serve NS.

Conclusion

This is the cheapest Xiao Long Bao that is worth eating. In fact, we were discussing if the Xiao Long Bao were even better than some of the ones being served at the restaurants. I would say that soup wise, it will rival some of the best around.

China La Mian Steamed Buns
Chinatown Smith Street Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street #02-135
Singapore 050335
97435287
10am to 9pm Closed Thursdays

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Cherry Gardens: Dim Sum for that special occasion

Crystal pacific grouper dumpling

If you ever need to find a place to impress your future mother-in-law and pop the question to your future father-in-law, then bringing them to Cherry Gardens for Dim Sum might make it a bit more difficult for them to say no.

Afterall, a future son-in-law who is willing to splurge over $100 just for ONE dim sum dish can't be all bad, especially if he has just started on a new job after completing NS.

Yes, this is the type of Dim Sum place for that special occasion or business lunch where you need to impress. And the way to impress them is to order their symphony of live pacific grouper which will be prepared in three ways. The first course is the crystal dumpling where the fish fillets are wrapped in crystal skin, then steamed with soy sauce and ginger. How much you have to pay is dependent on how big a fish you order and how big a fish you order will depend on how desperate you are to impress.

But I jest.... or maybe not.

You don't really have to order the live pacific grouper. It can still be quite impressive if you just brought them here for the normal Dim Sum as the rest of the dishes are also very good. (You just have to make sure that the future in-laws don't already know that there is the special live pacific grouper dumpling or else, not ordering it might still make you look like a stingy fella).



They have quite a wide variety here, but one of the items that impressed me most was the Kurobuta Charsiew bao. They are probably one of the best Hong Kong style Charsiew Baos I have come across. 4.5/5 I heard their Kurobuta Sio Bak and Charsiew here are also well worth the calories, so that is on my next "to eat" list.



The other impressive dumpling is the Teochew crystal dumpling. Actually, it is the skin of the dumpling which impressed me most. Beautifully transparent yet with an excellent level of chewiness, it perfectly complemented the crunchy vegetables in the dumpling. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Great place for Dim Sum for that special occasion.

Cherry Gardens
5 Raffles Avenue
5F Mandarin Oriental
Singapore Tel: 6885 3538

First recommended to me by Damien
I was invited to give my opinion of this Dim Sum by Cuisine & Wine Asia magazine whose article was published in their June issue.

Weekend ala carte dim sum buffet $45++

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Powershot Seminar: My photos on Today

I look forward to meeting with those of you who are coming this Saturday for the seminar! Make sure you pop over to say "Hi" after you got Thomas Ong's autograph! I just got informed that they got quite a nice goodie bag and refreshments are provided, so actually $10 is quite worth it. For those who haven't signed up yet, the details are here.

For those interested in buying the Canon SX200IS, my friends over at John 3:16 camerashop are offering a special package for ieat readers. All you need to do is to mention ieatishootipost and they will give you an extra Card Reader and Camera Case. Currently they are selling their Canon Powershot SX200IS for $640 with an 8GB SD card.

I have bought almost all of my equipment from John 3:16 starting with my very first Canon 500N film camera more than 10 years ago. I remember that Sam actually sat me down and taught me all about photography the day I bought my camera. Then off I went the next week to take pictures in the mountains of Nepal. I have photos to prove just how good a tutor he was. Anyway, I can vouch for their excellent pre-sales and after-sales service. They are one shop where you can go in, play with a few cameras and walk out without buying anything and they will still be nice about it. So, if you are looking to buy your next camera, do pop by John 3:16 and if they don't live up to what I say, let me know and I will personally go down to the shop and complain to Sam's father for you.

John 3:16
Funan the IT Mall
#05-46 (Just in front of the escalator)
63371897
96748664

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Winners of the Food Levitation Competition: Congrats!

1st Prize Yuling

Congratulations to Yu Ling who walks away with the Powershot A1100IS and a Canon 5D MKII USB memory drive. I have to agree with the judges that this is a beautifully composed photo and the Har Gow really looks like floating in the air without any form of support. It has that "How did the photographer do that?" kind of feel when you look at it.


Consolation: Henri Bernando

Congrats also to Henri for this beautiful photo of a hand reaching out for a floating egg. The hand adds an interesting element to the photo. I guess it would be even more impressive if the egg was hovering a few more inches higher. Henri wins a Canon 5D MkII USB memory drive.



Our second consolation prize goes to Chan Tuck Leung with this interesting shot of a levitating apple. Apparently, he did not use the method which I used for the onion. Would anyone like to guess how he managed to do it?

All winners will be contacted by Canon on the collection of the prizes. Thanks to everyone who took part in the competition.

You can have a look at all the other entries at www.digitaldreams.com.sg/food.

The previous posts on this subject are archived under "My Favourite Pics"

Many thanks to Canon for sponsoring the competition.

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Levitating Food Photo Competition: One more week to go!

There is just one more week to go for the levitating food photo competition! So if you are the type that likes to wait till the day before the exams to start preparing, you got only a few more days to go before you start taking your photos.

More photos have been uploaded and you can view them at www.digitaldreams.com.sg/food.

Just a few tips as we move into the final stretch of the competition.

There is a lot of emphasis on creativity, so as long as your food depicts food that is floating in midair, it can be submitted. What we are looking for is a photo which makes you go "Oi! How did he manage to take that picture?". So the more you think out of the box, the better your chances of winning!



Here are two more photos I took using a different technique. See if you can guess how I did this one.

You can still win that Canon Powershot Camera! For competition details, please click here.

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Floating Food Pics: New Photos uploaded!

Some excellent photos have already been submitted for the competition. Here is a nice one from one of the participants which I hope will inspire you all to bring out your cameras and start shooting! Remember there is a Canon Powershot camera and other prizes to be won!

To have a look at the entries please visit www.digitaldreams.com.sg/food

For contest details, please click here.

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The Food Levitation Effect revealed: Submit your own Photos and win attractive Prizes from Canon

Ok, its time to reveal how these series of floating food fotos are taken.

Some of the theories are very imaginative indeed and although I used one specific trick, the other theories just might work as well.



Those of you who guessed that I used a toothpick got it right. This optical illusion is based on the same principles as the Balducci levitation technique which is used by David Blaine in his street magic. Essentially it is just a matter of giving the illusion of a floating object by playing with the line of sight.

Here is my explanation of why this trick works:

1. Most of us assume that the supporting structure would be directly placed under any object, so in this case when the toothpick is placed behind the onion, it just does not seem as if it should be able to balance. When placed at the correct angle, the brain is fooled to believing that the onion is floating.

2. The effect is enhanced by the fact that the background is blurred while the object is clear. Even without the toothpick, it will look very distinct. This is achieved by taking the photo with a large aperture ie a small f stop, in this case f2.8. The blurred effect is also enhanced when it is taken at the zoom end of the lens which in this case is 70mm.

3. It is important for the basket to be in the picture as it serves as a frame of reference to enhance the effect. When we look at the picture, the eye perceives the height of the basket to be around 5 cm and so when the it sees the onion at the same level as the rim of the basket, it enhances the illusion of the floating effect.



On the earlier occasion, I took the pau picture with a leftover pau just when we were about to leave the restaurant. It was just one of those things that suddenly struck me when I was contemplating whether I should just finish off the pau rather than having it go to waste.



The pau is bigger and heavier than the onion, so I had to balance it on 2 toothpicks. I was quite lucky that the toothpicks fit snugly into the gaps of the bamboo steamer. There wasn't much time so the photos did not come out as well as the onion shots. I had to cheat a bit by removing a some shadows with photoshop, which is why I did not show this photo in my first post as I cannot claim that is has not been "photoshopped". If I had a bit more time, I could have just moved my camera just a fraction higher and taken the perfect shot. This angle actually works better than the previous picture I posted.

Anyway, there you have it. Now you too can try taking some levitating food photos.

I spoke with the good people at Canon and managed to get them to run a competition so that you can also showcase your floating food photos on their digitaldreams.com.sg website.

Here are the rules:

1. The theme is levitating food. You can use any technique you like to achieve the effect but please no pies in midair on route to someone's face. It has to look as if it is just hovering in mid air.

2. No alteration of the photo is allowed. The photo must be submitted without being "photoshopped".

3. The photos have to be resized to 800x600 pixels

4. You are allowed to submit as many entries as you like. Entries are to be sent to: greatfoodshots@gmail.com

5. Photos will be displayed on Canon's digitaldreams.com.sg website.
(Some photos have already started coming in so you can click on the link to view them)

6. Please include your name, email and contact number when you submit your photos. Put contact number as your filename.

7. Closing Date is 30 April and winners will be notified. The judge's decision is final and so on and so forth, blah blah blah.

Here are some of the prizes you stand to win:


Canon Powershot A1100IS

The grand winner will walk away with Canon's latest A series Powershot A1100IS camera which features 12.1mega pixel images and their latest Smart Auto mode (an improved Easy mode), Motion Detection and Face Detection that can detect up to 35 faces.


Canon EOS 5D Mk II miniature with 1GB flash memory

The 3 best entries will win a Canon EOS 5D Mk II miniature with 2GB flash memory.

Many thanks to Canon Singapore for sponsoring the competition.

You can view the photos at www.digitaldreams.com.sg/food which will be updated regularly throughout the length of the competition.

Remember to submit your photos to: greatfoodshots@gmail.com

I look forward to seeing your levitating food photos!

Read comments from our readers in the previous two posts here and here.

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House of Bamboo Noodles: The Mullet - Love it or Hate it?

Mullet in Banana Leaf $15

There is nothing particularly sexy about a Mullet. In fact, the word "Mullet" is one of those soft core derogatory words that just sounds cute enough not to be overly vicious. So calling someone a "Mullet" in the US is akin to calling him a "Sotong" (squid) here which refers to a person, for example, an NS boy, who wouldn't know that he should throw the grenade after he pulls out the retaining pin. Then of course, we had those Mullet hairstyles which Billy Ray Cyrus used to wear of which I am sure would make your hair stand on end.

But there is one group of people for whom the word "Mullet" conjures up some gastronomic excitement. My father falls into this group. That is part of the reason why I am writing this post which is dedicated to my dear old dad. He is a typical Teochew Ah Hia who just loves this fish which we Teochews call "O Her" lit "Black Fish". I still remember how excited he would get when he gets back from the market with his prized Mullet. Within the hour, the fish would be steamed and he would sit down with mom, the Mullet, and a saucer of "Tau Cheo" (fermented bean sauce) and start extolling the wondrous chunk of "fat" that is found in the stomach of the fish. Needless to say, we three boys have not been properly introduced to this extraordinarily ordinary fish, so to my Dad, the Mullet is Max Ooomph, but to me, it's like Phewweee! Fishy sia!



Anyway, if you happen to be a Mullet lover, you will be happy to see this prized piece of "fat" in the belly of the Mullet. Now, anatomically speaking, you don't just get a piece of fat in the middle of your abdominal cavity, so what I figured out is that this "fat" actually refers to the Mullet roe or the male Mullet's milt sac. Perhaps the Mullet maestros can confirm this for us?

Anyway if the Mullet is famous for anything, it must be for its roe. The Teochews love it, as do the Italians who sun dry and cure it to make Bottarga which I actually don't mind eating. A bit of shaved Bottarga with pasta is a real treat as it does taste a bit like caviar. Perhaps my dad was right all along....

If you like Mullet, the House of Bamboo Noodles is dishing out fresh Mullet which is simply wrapped in Banana Leaves and pan fried. The owner happens to be Teochew and loves the fish. For me, sorry lah Pa, I tried it again but still cannot fully appreciate it. It's still a bit too fishy. It's a 3/5 for me but a 4.5/5 for others like Cactuskit who was the one who alerted me to this dish.

Conclusion

So, are you a Mullet connoisseur or do you shun Mullet like moi?

Tai Shek Hai House of Bamboo Noodles
283/285 Joo Chiat Road
Jn of Koon Seng and Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427539
63455095
10.30am to 11pm daily

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Floating Pau? The secret is this very special Onion!

Shot with the Canon EOS 5D MkII with the EF 24-70mm L lens at 70mm
The image was resized and sharpened with slight adjustment to the brightness and contrast only

Remember our floating pau? Well, that was taken at a whim at the restaurant. When I got home I got a bit more time to refine the technique and so this is a much better photo of the same technique used with the floating pau.


Shot in HD with the Canon EOS 5D MK II with EF 24-70mm lens f2.8

This video will give you a big clue as to how it was done. This clip as not been altered except to to downsize it for uploading.

The concept is the same as some of the illusions performed by magicians.

So any new theories?

The technique will be revealed next week.

Read our readers' theories on the floating pau here.

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One very special Pau!

Just playing around with my new Canon EOS 5D Mk II. This photo has not been "photoshopped".

Can you see why I say this Pau is very special?

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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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