Daawat Tandoori. Service par excellence.

Getting out of the pouring rain and jumping into the hot shower.

And curry for dinner. Of course :)

Naans. They had a good offering of different naans. Be sure to specify how you'd like your naans done. We asked for them soft and they came soft just as requested. :) I had the kashmiri and it was chock full of nuts and fruits. Mmmm!

Two servings of fruits and vegetables right? I've settled the fruits. Now for the vegetables. It was a vegetable shahi korma. Mixed cocktail vegetables. Now the understanding was cocktail as another word for mixed. Right? No. When it arrived, it was fruit cocktail. Complete with the papaya bits i love and random cherry bits. For a moment, it seemed we made a wrong choice. Well, it was curry so we mixed it all up anyway. And you'll never guess. It was absolutely naan worthy. :) It was entirely mopped up by dinner's end.

Do you know the origins of butter chicken? According to a Discovery Channel documentary, this indulgent recipe was invented in 1950s, by a chef at the Moti Mahal located in Daryaganj, the central region of Delhi. Initially famed for its Tandoori Chicken, the cooks there used to recycle the leftover chicken juices in the marinade trays by adding butter and tomato. The tandoor-cooked chicken pieces were then tossed in this sauce and there. was. butter chicken!

Pieces of boneless tandoori chicken cooked with butter, tomato puree and various spices including cumin, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, pepper, fenugreek and dried fenugreek leaves (Qasuri Methi) that contributes generously to the distinctive flavour of this dish and of course, topped with fresh cream.

I was just giving random feedback about the spice level of the butter chicken (too spicy for some) to the waitstaff and within minutes, the boss was at our table, asking if we needed anything changed. He said he heard something was too spicy and he was more than willing to get it changed for us. We were already halfway through and told him that it was just a comment, I was more than happy with it really. :) He went on to tell us about how the spice level can be adjusted with differing proportions of tomato based sauce and said that we should let them know immediately if it wasn't to our taste. 

Genuine concern for your dining experience. This doesn't happen very often and least when I expected it at such a quiet and homely establishment. A very humble man, he enquired about the rest of the dishes and accepted our compliments with shy thanks. That's service par excellence for you. Just randomly during a point in time of our meal, I was looking over at the laptop that the boss was surfing on and when he saw my line of sight, he was all ready to jump out of his seat to see if there was anything he could get for me. I quickly smiled and assured him otherwise. Service quality. check!

Pun totally intended :)

Just because I wanted ice cream. Early Grey for me. Very heavy on their vanilla base. Which works for me :)
Affordable prices and good quantities of ice cream. Lots of repeat visits for me and everyone else!


 Daawat Tandoori Restaurant

207 Upper Thomson Road

Yew Lian Park

Singapore 574346

Tel: 6252 4497/ 6822 3716

Standard Chartered Card Holders get 10% off total bill till 30th April 2012 and there's no service charge. :)

Chomping down at Chomps.

Haven't been here in a while. Che Jian/ Chia Keng Hokkien Mee has shifted their location to the second stall on the left hand side of the hawker centre complete with a brand new signboard. Today's beehoon didn't seem to have spent enough time in the wok to fully absorb the stock so that made it lacking in taste somewhat. Perhaps just this batch that he fried. Lard toppings were crunchy as usual with their brilliantly complementing sambal chilli that I always need an extra spoonful of.

Carrot cake was good although a little heavy on the salt and prawns fried to death from being the hot frying plate too long. I'd only order the white version at this stall though. The black version isn't as tasty as in other places I've tried. That's just my personal take on it.

Satay beehoon. Looking a lot nicer than it tastes. The serving size was pathetic at a cost of $4. And what made it worse was that it was served lukewarm. Hmm. I expected the beehoon to have been blanched once more and the satay sauce to be well heated. Expectations. Oh well.

Was good dining out with the notsolittle brother.

And Christmas IS coming right up! :)

Makes me happy just seeing this on the racks at the NTUC outlet in myVillage at Serangoon Gardens.

there's nothing like fresh.

On a cold, wet and rainy day.

I took refuge at Sembawang Hills Food Centre for a lunch date with my girlfriend who works further down the road.

And there was no question about it.

My choice of food that is. (Amazing, I know :))

Fish soup. With rice no less.

Instantly,

It made the world look brighter.

Two simple things.

A good meal. Awesome company.

Simple.

 

鱼三鲜汤

590 Upper Thomson Road,
Sembawang Hill Food Centre
Singapore(574419)

Sembawang Hill Food Centre

Coffee Shop Surprise

What would your reaction be to a customer standing at your store looking at the menu but not making a move to order? In a coffeeshop, that is. That customer would be me, yes indecisive my other name. I was half expecting to be ignored or clucked at irritably. None of that though. I eventually voiced my inability to decide between that or laksa and I was met with an understanding smile in return. What a surprise. :)

Wasn't up to taking coconut milk today so I made a quick decision to order a meepok dry. It's been awhile since I had pork and was braving myself for that porky smell but there was none of that. :)

A simple affair at lunch with juicy minced pork bits, a few slices of fishcake with two soft and chewy fishballs on the side in soup. At $2.50, this was value indeed.

Parents are out of town which means my servings of fresh fruits have come to an abrupt stop. To make up for that, my Zespri happy pack came by the courier last evening. The fuzzy kiwi thumbdrive is just the cutest! :))) And there's even a 4-pack of kiwi fruit. The green variety though. Leaving that for my brother and since I was out on a course, I went shopping one lunch for these packs of fast fruits to the rescue. :)

Berry blend was a welcome change from the usual cranberry packs I pick up at the supermarket. A marked difference in costs, but a whole lot more variety in taste. <3

Lian Wah Kopitiam

Blk 133 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3

Comfort Food

Michelin starred it won't be. Just two days apart and not a shred of consistency. I had a thosai in a pretty neat triangle and a generous filling after a double wait time. It was mushy at first spear and my heart pretty much sank along with it.

Food. Is a lot closer to my heart than you'd think. :)

But it got better with the next few forkfuls. Wasn't all mush. There were chunky bits and all of that lovely yellow creaminess. And this time? Not even a subtle taste of spice. Just tasted like boiled potatoes. Small Indonesian potatoes. Saved from blandness by side servings of sambar and dhal. And actual curry chicken gravy. After a majorly drenched cooling off in the rain walking to the bus stop and back home, it's all I could do to boost my immune system with a curry night out. :) 

Even if I wasn't offered a lift and almost passed out from hunger. Just being dramatic. :p

Ending the week with. Comfort food.

The Muppets :)

It's gotta be Ms Piggy. She's a prima-donna pig who is absolutely convinced that she's destined for stardom, and nothing is going to stand in her way. An essential trait for everyone who thinks they can't possibly achieve greatness. What your mind can dream, you can achieve. Like Ms Piggy, winning a beauty contest and meeting the love of her life- Kermit. And somewhere down the line, he reciprocates her feelings (finally) and they eventually get married. Most girls are afraid to be labelled as pigs. It could be the weight issue or looks. But all that is but physical and only skin deep. And even with all that, Ms Piggy gets her break onto a bacon commercial and nabs the frog of her dreams. That's my fairytale to hang on to. :) That's essentially why I love her.

Catch The Muppets in cinemas this 8 December 2011 and like the Official Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page!

On a curry weather day

Thosai is a South Indian cuisine. Think crepes and you're just about there. 

Baking begins with a batter of rice flour and various pulses (usually dhal/ fenugreek seeds/ lentils) which needs to be fermented for at least eight hours. There's a version from Sri Vijaya Vegetarian restaurant along Selegie Road that grinds their own rice to make Thosai. And there is a marked difference in the taste. Trust me. Your tastebuds will know the difference immediately.

A ladleful of batter is scooped onto a flat griddle and quickly spread out by moving the ladle in a circular motion starting from the middle outwards. Like crepes really. The batter is left to cook until little holes begin to appear and the underside has turned into a delicious golden brown. Thosai is usually eaten with dhal, a coconut chutney and "sambar". From left to right in the picture shown respectively.

The thosai here had a crispy skin with chewy insides. Those at Sri Vijaya are fluffy! The potato masala was creamy and light. If I didn't see the spices, I would have missed their mild-tasting addition altogether. It was too bland for me. I'd prefer my filling to have the addition of a bit more salt and tang from the spices to complement the plain thosai. 

This was my attempt to eat healthy at a prata place. And I'm glad I did.

Note to self: Never ask for chicken curry gravy if I ever ordered prata here. It was just a terrible excuse for a chicken curry gravy. It tasted like a lot of curry powder and little of anything else.

Fish curry gravy next time. Everytime from now on.

Casuarina Curry Restaurant

136 Casuarina Road (Off Upper Thomson)
Tel: 6455 9093   Fax: 6455 1230

Operating Hours: 7.00am to 12.00 Midnight 

煮炒

honeyed. perfect sheen from the glazing. meaty. fatty but only enough to ensure that the meat from the ribs are tender and moist.

simple. but oh so satisfying. fried pieces of egg tofu. drenched in a generous egg drop sauce. flavoured with seafood flavours from the fresh prawns and a smattering of belachan. appetizingly shiok.

clams. no-frills version. no tricks. just fresh flower clams. steamed.

we saw a man having a crab all to himself with some mantous and a bowl of rice. not as satisfying the rich peanut version over at Jumbo but equally generous on the egg drop sauce. and if i tell you it's not about the pincers. would you believe me? :)

veggieboost! crunchy crisp. flash fried in a hot wok. good.

Fragrant-ly oily. Deep fried prawns. Crispy crunchy butter bits. If it's all about the prawns to you, it's all about the crunchy salty-sweet bits to me. 

The acrid smell of prawn paste. Skin on fried to a crisp. Moist, juicy, tender flesh within. Finger licking good.

Address: 122 Casuarina Road, Singapore

Tel: +65 6452 2824

Daily from 5 p.m. - 1.30 a.m.

traipsing down thomson road

a good ending :)

Antoinette- C'est une affaire de femme

The idea of scones and a pot of tea were what I grew up with, but only found in Enid Blyton books.

It isn't a retro rewind but what I'd personally see as a reprieve of the industrial revolution in the subtlest sense. This Parisian style pâtisserie, salon de thé (tea room) and restaurant does well in recreating the exquisite high tea experience of the French and has clearly distinguished itself from the competition with its elaborate doneness.

There are places for high tea and then there is Antoinette.

This 26 seater was a cozy affair indeed with midnight blue velvet plush seats that make it a perfect venue for a tête-à-tête. There's even a fake fireplace that sits in a corner of the restaurant. Be prepared to wait if you're visiting in more than two. And wait you shall, because who would bear to leave the comforts of the chair and the charmingly muted shades of gold and pastel blue?

This colorful repertoire of Parisian style desserts was just too painful for one as indecisive as I. And there were familiar favourites from Chef's Pang's creations as the former executive pastry chef at the Les Amis Group's Canele. Decisions decisions. Sometimes a man does come in handy. A quick text to a friend and his immediate reply to check out the chocolate desserts helped me cut to the chase and settle on one. Yes, just one. The interior may be excessive but my head was screwed on tight and it told me that my stomach was most definitely not in excess of itself in capacity. :)

Choosing a burger was easier than I thought it would be. Just base it on your choice of meat. :)

We're beefing it up with the Burger Royale. Pretty chargrilled lines that show up on the brioche give it a crisp exterior while maintaining that fluffiness of bread. How did they do that? The aged cheddar was beautifully melted over the thick juicy patty of beef packed full of juicy flavour in each bite.

Watch the juice when you slice into it.

And that's because I haven't seen anyone eat with hands here. There's a certain je nai sais quoi about this place that heightens one's awareness of social graces and table ettiquette.

The tomato relish left a refreshingly clean aftertaste on the palate unlike ketchup. And no, you do not need to ask for sauce. There's enough of all that in the burger for you to want to protect that lovely original mix of flavours.

The petit salad was simply dressed with balsamic vinegar and although I'd have preferred potato wedges/ chips, these crisps served at the side were the thick handcooked variety a la Kettle Chips and are apparently imported from France. Now these, you can use your hands. Don't try spearing these with forks.

Half a serving of this was more substantial than I thought. It might've been because of our choice of beef?

But I could see how this would cater to the men who visit.

The Antoinette ($9) was a layered cake of earl grey-infused milk chocolate mousse, dark chocolate earl grey tea cremeux, earl grey tea crumble and chocolate biscuit. And a ‘bubble’ of raspberry coulis sat atop this beautiful chocolate confection.

Not normally as how the chocolate overtakes every other flavour, the earl grey was distinct in taste and fragrance, giving a slight bitterness that did well to balance out the sweetness of milk chocolate and the tart sourness of the raspberry coulis bubble when burst. Don't greedily pop that into your mouth. You'd be looking like a lemon for a bit. Take a forkful deeper within to cut into the brittle biscuit texture of the hazelnut feullitine which contrasts beautifully with the softness of the mousse. You'll be hardpressed to leave any morsel of this dessert behind. And if you were thinking about it, you really shouldn't be caught licking the plate at this place.

This was more than just a tea patisserie where my expectations were only limited to dainty treats that would hardly line the stomach but here at Antoinette, I've been surprised with well-executed and substantial dishes for more than just a spot of tea, perhaps even a dining place for full meals. The men would be well fed with the food, never mind the interiors that were obviously meant for a feminine affair.

While its ostentatious, over the top furnishings and that check presented in a silver jewel box (!) were a little too much for me to handle at first, I'll soon be back for more. Perhaps at the other outlets next time and well prepared to pay some rather dear prices.

And just a random bit of information, Antoinette is part of the Sugar Daddy Group which also owns and operates American-style bakery Pique Nique at Ngee Ann City. This I walked past on my way to Mandarin Gallery and their pricings were equally extravagant. You're definitely needing a sugar daddy for this if you were making visits on a daily basis.

Antoinette, 333A Orchard Road, Mandarin Gallery, #02-33/34,

+65 6836 9527 

http://www.antoinette.com.sg/

The Eastern Restaurant @ The Centrepoint

The Eastern Restaurant is obviously a case in point for locality considerations when opening a restaurant.

Tucked into the deep recesses of The Centrepoint at Orchard,

diners would not even walk there to consider it as a possible dining outlet.

It doesn't help matters when there's a chinese restaurant situated nearer to the escalators.

And this hongkong restaurant has a HK chef from Mak's Noodles at its helm.

So yes, all that contributed to its less than stellar diner count everytime I walk pass the restaurant.

Walk pass. Never into.

Till this bloggers tasting fiesta came about.

For a restaurant that's been around for ten years, they are still coming up with new dishes from time to time to add on to the menu.

Hits and misses, I hope the ones that don't see too many orders get removed from the menu after awhile.

The sausage salad lite bites was a miss with a tough breaded crust and terribly boring sausage.

While the tofu dish was a simple but well executed dish.

It didn't conjure up the poetic justice that should have been with its name by its looks but it did have a very pleasant surprise of a fresh shrimp encased within each tofu piece.

Fried noodles with a generous amount of bean sprouts and sliced carrots and spring onions that added the much needed colour to this otherwise brown gravy coated dish.

Solid la mian noodles of a good doneness with generous slices of fish.

It was just too bad that the sauce was a tad too salty, it overpowered everything else.

And no, I couldn't manage to finish it if I wasn't planning on drowning myself in chinese tea to quench my thirst as an aftermath.

The fried rice was a better bet. Fragrant and resplendent with fresh shrimp and ham and a smattering of floss and scallions. This was a makeover for any leftover rice to die for. And that not an exaggeration. This would actually make me choose rice over noodles anytime. At this restaurant anyway. I don't usually take rice if I had a choice. Hmm.

So this dinner was really supposed to be about the xiao long baos.

Just by coincidence, I had din tai feng just the day before for lunch.

I don't know if it's just the branch at Bishan but those had awfully thick skins and it didn't help that the air conditioner was blasting such that our steamer of xlb was cold within moments of arriving at our table.

Suffice to stay, i didn't enjoy it much.

These however, had a thinner skin by comparison but still kept the soup within safe when picked up with chopsticks and hot for a while yet.

While it could do with a bit more soup, it was well flavoured and very enjoyable xlbs indeed! :)

Brand name and fusion cooking aside, if you're looking for the authentic type xlb with nothing more than just the traditional pork filling, this is where it's at.

Then it was time for desserts. The design on these babies brought images of shuttlecocks and golf balls to our minds. But really, they were simply molten salted egg yolk buns. I took a bite and held it out for a picture. It's not flowing! I was disappointed and left it on the plate while I kept the camera away. The next time I checked, it WAS flowing! Not that this flowing thing is a mark of a good liu sha bao but I quickly picked it up and took another bite. This was good! A salty sweet medley that was well balanced for its savoury and sweet notes. While not comparing it with the better ones out there, this was better than the ones at Imperial Treasure at Ngee Ann City. :)

 This is a dessert of choice for me where available. Easily shared and more often than not, a crowd pleaser for most dinners. The proportions were good on this. Ample red bean filling wrapped within a layered filo pastry.

I'd be back for a few of these :)

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time...

Mr Herbivore :)

meats. i mean, meets Ms Carnivore.

Falls in love

And then there was. Lil' Seafood-ivore. 

With a couple of tablespoons of dashi miso paste...

And some other additions

They came, they swam, they cooked.

A one pot bubbling dish for the family of Omnivores.

And they ate happily ever after.