Thohirah Restaurant: Briyani Challenge Round 1 of 3

With iwatch_ueat and SuperSatayMan


Since my blog on Allaudin's Briyani, people have been writing in recommending their favourite Briyani's around Singapore. So I have decided to go on a Briyani Pilgrimage to try to find Singapore's, dare I say, "Ultimate" Briyani. My first stall is one which I frequent and up till last week, my favourite Briyani. People look for different things in a Briyani. For me the rice is of prime importance, then the meat and the curry and I also like the cucumber achar/salad to be nice and sweet to contrast with the savoury flavours of the curry. I opt for fried chicken rather than curry chicken because my stomach complains when I have too much curry.



The rice at this stall is nicely done. Every grain is separate and unbroken. The springy texture is satisfying to the bite. The cucumber achar at this place is also very good. I love just eating the rice by itself without the gravy. 4.25/5 I have to concede that overall, the combination of the curry, the rice and achar was not as shiok as others I have tried.

Conclusion

Rice texture is tops, taste is great but not quite the ultimate Briyani.


Thohirah Restaurant
258 Jalan Kayu (Next to the carpark)
64812009
Opened 24 hours

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Thasevi Food: Famous Jalan Kayu Prata!

Ah Prata! One of the reasons I left Australia to come back to Singapore! You can't beat fresh Roti Prata and a cup of Teh Tarik for breakfast in the morning! Given that Roti Prata is one of my favouritest foods, its amazing that this is the first Roti Prata I am blogging after over 200 entries!



What better Prata to start with then the arguably most famous Prata in Singapore? Oh yes, its like counterfeit watches, everybody copies only the really famous brands. Similarly, everyone wants to call themselves Jalan Kayu Prata when the fact is that the restaurant does not have any branches! "Jalan Kayu" is synonymous with Prata and the name nowadays means more than a location. It's come to mean a typical style of Prata that Thasevi had made famous ie the small, round and crispy type.



The prata is good. Its crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside and surprisingly, not too oily! My complaint is that it is too small such that you really need to eat 4 to satisfy the prata craving. 4/5 The curry was very tasty and complemented the prata well.

Conclusion

I continue to lament the falling standards and decreasing size of Singapore Prata. This is the most famous prata but even this still falls short of the ultimate prata. My dream prata would be one that is made from Ghee and Evaporated Milk, big, thick, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The last time I had a really memorable one was at the Shangrila Resort in Sentosa during my Wedding Night. (Yes, I remember the prata, can't remember what happened after that). Most of the prata in Malaysia would easily beat Singapore's. For Prata's sake, won't someone just give us an ultimate prata?

Thasevi Food
237 & 239 Jalan Kayu
64811573
Opened 24 Hours

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Satay Power!

Latest: Zsa Zsa has closed its doors as of 17 Oct 2006. It will be making a comeback to Jalan Kayu soon. Stay tune!! ieatishootipost will be the first to let you know!

The banner says: Satay Power. Big in Size, Bigger in Quality, Power in Taste.

I can't argue with that.

Unlike many other "hawkers", Sha is a fine example of the 21st century food seller who strives to beat the competition through innovation and excellent service. Afterall, he should know about service standards as he was until 2 years ago working for SIA as a flight steward.

He differentiates his satay by making it extra big and full of chuncky chicken pieces. I was already quite happy with his satay, but this time round he decided that the ultimate chicken satay should also contain pieces of chicken skin to ensure that this is the most juicy and flavoursome satay. And the result is incredible. See for yourself!

Chunky Chicken Pieces with Chicken Skin for Oomph

Juicy and Meaty with bits of burnt caramelised skin - Phwaa Sayah!!

Can you believe this costs 50 cents a stick?

Sha has also been busy improving on his Super Power Beef Satay. The Super Power Beef is specially catered for the beefeater who needs his weekly dose of bovine protein. Gone are the days of pathetic pieces of grisle on a stick, instead, Super Power Beef puts a slab of sirloin steak on a stick.

Not just beef... This is beef Sirloin

Sirloin Beef Set $12.50

Any beef lover would be happy to see the size of the Super Power Beef. However, I still found that the beef was a little too chewy for me and there wasn't enough fat to keep the meat juicy. I think it could be further improved if a different cut of beef was used. But then again people always complain that I am fussy. Undetered, Sha is looking at how to improve on the Super Beef Satay... stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

Zsa Zsa's Warong's Jln Kayu Satay Club

The Super Power Beef and special chicken satay can only be found at Zsa Zsa's Warong located in Jln Kayu, just next to the Thesevi's Roti Prata stall. For those who would complain about chicken skin, all I can say is that there is still less skin on a stick of satay then on a chicken wing. And at any rate you can always remove the skin. Aside from the fantastic satays, the restaurant also serves Indonesian cuisine. Must try the fried chicken wings with sambal dip. Hmmmm...

Those of you who enjoy satay goreng, ie satay that is fried in a wok instead of BBQed, will be happy to know that you can also purchase this from Sza Sza Warong raw and cook it for your dinner party. Chicken $12, Beef $13, Mutton $16.

Conclusion

My pick as the best Chicken Satay in Singapore (so far) and, at 50 cents a stick, definitely best value as well.

Zsa Zsa's Warung
247 Jln Kayu
64824783

4.5/5 for the Chicken Satay
3.5/5 for the Super Power Beef

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