The ieat Forum has so far been quite useful for people to discuss and recommend food places that are still not on the blog. Thanks to everyone who has taken the effort to write in their recommendations!
The new host will have added functions like a proper registration as well as the ability to insert pictures, links and so on. So I really look forward to seeing PHOTOS of food that you all have taken!. You will also be able to PM each other and even have live chats.
The Forum functions as a source of places to blog. So the more you all rave about a particular place, the more likely that it will eventually appear on the blog with credits to you of course!
Oh yes, if you notice, there is a section for "Makan Sessions" which we will be using very soon to organize our next makan session this month! So get yourselves registered and join in the fun!
I think it was my brother-in-law who told me this account of him going up to the Durian Seller when he was still a kid, enquiring about the Durians he was selling. The Durian Seller asked him whether he had any money, to which he replied "No". The Durian Seller then scolded him in Hokkien: "bor lui ai orh jia liu lian?" (No money want to learn to eat Durian?!).
According to a Harris Poll, the least trusted occupations in the US are actors, lawyers and stockbrokers. I think in the Singapore context, Durian sellers must be one of the top three. How many of us have been tricked by a Durian Seller before? Oh yes, I have heard of and experienced first hand, how they switch Durians, rig the scales, try selling you the ones with the worms in it, and trick you into thinking that a Thai Durian is a D24. Thankfully, there are some reliable ones around and when you find one, people tend to stick with them. So I am sure that many serious Durian lovers out there have their own personal Durian broker.
Durians are just such an interesting topic that I could write quite a few blogs on them. From the way they make your throat sore, to the urban legend that one can die from eating Durian together with whiskey. In fact, there people have been documented to have died from eating too much Durian as in the case of a kidney failure patient who died of high potassium levels. (Durians are high in potassium). I am not sure if there has been cases of diabetics slipping into diabetic coma due to sugar high sugar levels, but I won't be surprised.
One of those things that have always puzzled me in my medical profession is how Durians can cause sore throats. Of course the Chinese attribute it to heatiness, but I have yet to settle on a satisfactory physiological explanation for it. Our western medical textbooks certainly don't have a chapter on "Durianitis" (Sore throat caused by Durian). I suspect it may have something to do with how the smell can linger on your fingers for such a long time. The same tenacious substance must also linger at the back of your throat for a prolonged period of time, thus causing inflammation. Funnily, in my years of practice, very few people have ever consulted me for a Durianitis. I guess it is because the remedy is already quite well known. At any rate, there isn't a Anti-Durianotic for Durianitis and I have never had to issue an MC for a Durian sore throat. (At least nobody ever admitted to it)
I guess when it comes to Durian, the D24 is perhaps the best known brand around. But this one is getting so common that our very smart Malaysian neighbours have come up with hybrids in order to get Singaporeans to dig deeper into their pockets. So nowadays, D24 is no longer the best. You've got Mao Shan Wang (Cat Mountain King), XO and a list of D numbers from 1 to infinity. I bet you that in 20 years' time, we will be dealing with D8878 or something like that. So I thought it would be interesting to actually blog a few of these money grabbers.
Mao Shan Wang $18 per kg
First up is the popular Mao Shan Wang (Cat Mountain King) which is the current hot favourite. The flesh is a deep golden colour and is sweet and creamy with very little fibre. Quite a safe bet if you are trying to impress someone. But be wary. The deep yellow colour indicates a high sulphur* content and you might want to make sure that you are not caught in a lift with your boss or your first date for a prolonged period of time after eating this! Even though opinions on the smell of fresh Durians is equivocal, you can be certain that the reaction to the smell of Durians after they have been processed by the body is quite universal. 4.5/5
*Sulphur is the main ingredient for hydrogen sulfide which is what makes fart smelly
D1 $10 per kg
The D1 is good for those who don't like things too sweet. Yes, the same people who order Kopi "C" Siu Dai (White coffee with less sugar) also ask for "Liu Lian Siu Dai". This one has a pastey, dry texture and a milky taste to it. I was told that the milky taste appeals to a lot of kids. I guess as parents, we would like to think we are doing our kids a favour by feeding them something that has milk associated with it, kinda like giving them Kinder Buenos eh? 4/5
Golden Phoenix $18 per kg
The Golden Phoenix is good for those who are going for a really good Durian which is still relatively good value for money. The Durian in the picture is actually quite small, about the size of my hand and only weighs 0.5 kg. However it is very fleshy and the seeds are all tiny. So you get quite a bit of flesh for a such a small Durian.
Golden Phoenix
The taste of the Golden Phoenix is actually quite good. It is sweet and creamy, perhaps just slightly less pungent than the Mao Shan Wang. It is the most "value for money" amongst the $18 per kg Durians. 4.25/5
D100 $18 per kg
As always, I've kept the best for last! The D100 is a new hybrid of Durian which is just hitting the market, so it is still relatively uncommon. Durian lovers who like Durian which have a bitter bite will be very pleased when they see the slightly grey tones in the yellow flesh.
Its flesh is thick and super creamy and the slightly bitter taste that is darn shiok! It's got my vote for best Durian of the lot! 4.75/5However, because it is a new cultivar, stocks are limited, so you will have to call up first if you want to go specially to try this one.
717 Trading is probably one of the most renown Durian sellers in Singapore. Rumour has it that SM Goh actually procures his Durian from here as well as many Mediacorp artistes and Hong Kong stars. Their autographed Durian gloves line the wall of the stall.
Owner, Mr Goh has built up a reputation for himself over 30 years because of his integrity when it comes to selling Durians. It does go to show that honesty is the best policy over the long term. Besides that, he is also involved in the yellow ribbon project by getting all his Durian pastries baked by prisoners so that they can learn a useful trade in preparation for their release back into society.
For those who don't like to get their fingers dirty, but still want to enjoy Durians, the Durian puff might be a good alternative. The Choux pastry is competent, but not as soft and fluffy as I would like. However, this is made up by the rich and creamy D24 Durian cream filling. For me, I still prefer to eat the fruit rather than all the other derivations, be it ice cream, cakes, etc etc. But if you are into Durian puffs, this one is not bad and certainly has one of the best Durian fillings I have come across. Not surprising since it comes from a Durian seller. 4/5
Conclusion
I am no Durian expert and in the past, I was usually quite happy just eating the $5 Durians during peak season. However, now that I know better, life might not be quite the same again! As they say, ignorance is bliss. Aiyah, remember hoh, "No Money Don't Learn to Eat Durian!"
717 Trading 22 Yio Chu Kang Road #01-01 Highland Centre HP 96751821 www.717trading.com Mr Goh Kwee Leng Call first to check if stocks are in!
I used to believe that in order to prepare a good chicken rice, the rice had to be fried with garlic first to coat the grains with a thin layer of flavoured oil before cooking in chicken broth. That was how my Hainanese mother-in-law taught my wife to cook it.
When I ate the rice at Yeo Nam Kee, I started to wonder what the process of frying the rice first actually does to it. I guess the only way to find out is to conduct a simple experiment at home. But until I do that, I seeked the opinions of a few experts I knew. One was the owner of a famous chicken rice chain and the other is a self professed "all the chicken rice in Singapore cannot beat my mother's" chicken rice expert. Their answers caused a paradigm shift.
It seems that the frying process was not as important as the broth and the chicken oil used in the cooking, and in fact both the experts don't even think it is necessary to do it. Well, this just raises a lot more questions. I wonder if the frying process does something to the texture? And to ask a more fundamental question: How should chicken rice be judged? Of course, taste is one factor. But how about the texture? Should the grains be whole and chewy or broken and soft? Should it look perfect and display an homogeneity of colour like the one here or should it look a little uneven in colour and broken like Thien Kee's?
The rice here is the picture perfect -- almost a bit too perfect. Each grain is whole and coated with a thin layer of oil and the texture is just right. However, I just can't help but feel that it was too "clean". When you add chicken broth to the rice while cooking, you would invariably get those little "protein and blood precipitates" so that your rice would have little specks in them. At least that is how chicken rice at home usually turns out. So I am not sure what to think when the rice turns out so clean.
Tastewise, it was alright but certainly not exceptional. It was the kind of chicken rice that I could get from a lot of chicken rice stalls nowadays. Carnineviand, the foodie who recommended this stall had already warned me that the standard of the rice here varies. According to him, it is unbeatable on good days, but pretty ordinary on others. I guess I must have come on one of those "ordinary" days. 3.75/5
Half Chicken $15
On the other hand, the chicken here is quite shiok. It's the plump and juicy, city dwelling (as opposed to kampung), voluptuous and sexy type of chicken that I prefer. And the chicken has managed to retain a lot of its "chickeny" flavour since the stall owner here makes it a point not to soak the chicken in ice water for too long and thus wash away all the natural oils and juices. You can just about make out the nice bits of jelly on the surface of the chicken. 4.25/5
Hainanese Pork Chops (Small) $10
Being a traditional Hainanese joint, I just had to try the Hainanese Pork Chops here and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. They were seasoned well and the there's that light tingly crispiness about it that hints of the fact that they still use crushed cream crackers to coat the pork loin before frying. The only thing lacking is the canned peas which have been replaced with frozen ones. Otherwise, it was pretty enjoyable 4.25/5
Conclusion
Now I am really determined to get to the bottom of this chicken rice conundrum. What constitutes traditional chicken rice? What do chicken rice afficianados look for in a good chicken rice? Is frying the rice before cooking a critical step? And most important of all, where can I find that gold standard plate of chicken rice in Singapore?
Yeo Keng Nam (Traditional) Hainanese Chicken Rice No 8 Braddell Road 10am to 9pm Closed on Monday except when PH 62854261, 62854153
Well, we are one week into the polls and it looks like Bean Curd is quite firmly in first place followed by Cheng Tng. After a few days of close competition, Yam Paste has now extended its lead over Ah Balling.
Smart commented that this is quite amazing. Years ago when he was a young man, Ice Kachang would have won hands down!
Anyway the polls are still opened if you have not voted yet! Who knows, Cheng Tng might still overtake Bean Curd as Singapore's favourite dessert.
The polling widget is found on the right column ----------------------------->
I hope you realize just how much a part of you food really is. You are what you eat - literally. Don't you find it amazing that a simple thing like milk can eventually turn into hair, flesh, fat, nerves etc etc? Well, that's all a baby eats for the first six months so whatever growth it experiences is all made from that milk! Just as amazing as how corn can turn into a mouthwatering USDA Prime Steak. But aside from being the very building blocks for your body, food has also a big role in programming your personality.
I know myself that even though I love a hamburger, the thing that I really cannot do without is rice and soy sauce. Same thing with my long time best friend, ChinChaiGuy. Being married to a Chinese girl, he has been made to eat Cantonese style steamed fish, herbal soups and the like almost every day. Exquisite cuisine to be sure -- if you are Cantonese. But for my poor friend, what he really wants, even though he is a chin chai (not fussy) kind of guy, is to dig his fingers into some rice and spice!
Now I have eaten in Little India quite a few times and I will say this -- It is good to go with an Indian friend. It's one of the few places in Singapore that I sometimes feel like a foreigner. You know how many times I get the "Pffffttt" look when I ask for fork and spoon? They really can't understand how we "chopstickers" can enjoy our food if we can't lick it off our fingers. So when I am with my friend, he does all the ordering including getting the fork and spoon for me.
Now, even though I call him the ChinChaiGuy, he really isn't all that Chin Chai. He does have restaurants that he would never go back to again and he did take a long time choosing a wife. (Well longer than me anyway and I am not Chin Chai ok?) So I can at least trust that he brought me to a decent place to eat.
This place sells South Indian food and that means lots of spicy goodness. The first thing that I would recommend is the Dum Briyani. For those who complained that the Briyani at Ali Nachia was a little to plain, you would be happy with this one. This is chicken Dum briyani and each and every grain of rice is coated with curry spices. I nearly thought I was eating rice mixed with curry, but then again that is what Dum Briyani is. 4/5
Now all the rest of the curries were pretty good as well. I enjoyed most of them, but you know, I just felt there was not one that stood head over the rest. Not that I can remember anyway, cos after a while, the taste of all that spice becomes un-differentiable and all I could sense was the heat. It was just like the first time ChinChaiGuy invited me to his home in Sec 1 and his mother's curry was so hot that I spent the rest of the night gasping for air in the void deck. My friend, on the other hand, went home truly rejuvenated that day with enough fiery spice in him to prepare an equally fiery Sunday sermon that coming week. Just in case you want to hear what the curry did to the sermon, please click here. (Title of the sermon was: "Is there more to life than this?" It should have been "Is there more to life than curry?)
Conclusion
Overall a pretty decent meal, but then again it tastes much the same as many other Southern Indian eateries in Little India. I am not a big expert when it comes to spicy food and I must admit that I don't really have a favourite place for South Indian food.
So where would you all recommend for a die die must try South Indian joint?
Iniavans Indian Cuisine 37 Chandar Road Tel: 62965915
In my post on Kway Guan Huat Poh Piah, I mentioned that this is one of the stalls that our President frequents. You might have noticed that I also created a new label called "President's Picks" which showcases some food that President Nathan likes to eat. So, aside from Kway Guat Huat, I also know that our President drinks the Teh Tarik at Hilmi Sarabat Stall as well as tar pau the prawn noodle soup from Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle. ($4 portion, not the big prawn one).
Now, whether our President is a foodie or not is anyone's guess, (I am placing my bet that he is) and you might be wondering, "So what?". Well, I think that being a man who can basically have access to any food that he wants from anywhere around the world, he should have quite a discerning palate. Anyway, I think he has done a great job as President and this is just my simple way of honoring him.
So, do you know of any other stalls that the President frequents? Do write in and let us know!
There is also another new label called "Heritage Hawkers" which lists out all the Hawkers that have been feeding Singaporeans for generations. Eateries like Zam Zam (who just turn 100), Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow, Tong Ya Coffee and Saji's Indian Food are just some examples. I am trying to cover as many of them as I can, so if you know of any that should be part of the list, please write in to tell us as well!
So do you all think it is possible that hawkers actually throw plastic straws and bottles into the oil to make their goreng pisang more crispy? Or is it all another hoax?
At any rate I am sure you will agree with me that eating stuff fried together with PVC is a health hazard!
With smart on 1st trip, ieatfamily on 2nd trip A thing of beauty!
If you are a Poh Piah lover, then you really have no excuse if you have not been to Kway Guan Huat. Not only is this eatery a part of the Singapore food heritage, the Poh Piah here is quite simply, darn shiok. At last, a Poh Piah that made it into the "Really Must Try" list.
Just take a look at the skin. Nice and translucent, yet it holds a chock full of filling without breaking or allowing the sauce to ooze out. The texture is chewy and it leaves that wonderful sweet carbo aftertaste upon chewing. The second most important ingredient is, of course, the turnip filling. The savoury sweet filling here has that wonderful umami oommph. It's no wonder as they actually de-shell Sri Lankan Crabs in order to add crab meat into the filling. You can't really see the crab meat, but you can definitely appreciate that crustacean sweetness. Thirdly, the homemade crispy bits which are actually made from some sort of fish paste adds that wonderfully sweet crunch to the Poh Piah.
Put them altogether and you get a wonderful matrix of flavours and textures. Chewy (skin), crunchy (crispy fish bits), juicy (turnip), crispy(lettuce and bean sprouts), sweet (sauce) and spicy (chilli) plus and interesting contrast between the warm filling and the cool vegetables. This is the inexplicable beauty of a expertly rolled, fully packed and turgid Poh Piah. 4.6/5
There is only one thing that I am not quite happy with and that is the fact that the filling is microwaved just before making the Poh Piah. I felt that traditionally, it should be scooped up while it is still bubbling in the pot. I think it would have made a difference to the amount of juiciness.
Crispy bits and Poh Piah skin ($16 per kg) can be bought separately
The best thing about the Poh Piah here is that it is fully customizable as well. They sell the standard version here for $2 each. But if you came all the way from Tuas and just want the premium stuff, just ask Zita to pack for you the works ($3.50). And you can even get to choose from not just one, but four different types of crunchy bits. Ahhh, heaven!
Zita is the Lao Ban Niang here and she has told me that she welcomes her guests to bring their own stuff to put into the Poh Piah. Crispy Pork Floss and XO sausages immediately comes to my mind. Some of her other customers have added stuff like seaweed.
Poh Piah Set for 2 $16 (Eight sheets of Poh Piah skin - refillable)
If you like to roll your own Poh Piahs instead, they also sell Poh Piah sets here where you get the filling in a claypot and all the ingredients so that you can do it all yourself. I thought it was quite ingenious. You pay them a little more to do the work yourself! Hmm, it's just like paying to go pond fishing I guess. They also sell sets that you can bring home to have your very own Poh Piah party.
Now if you think that making a Poh Piah is easy then think again. Amagada and I made our own Poh Piah initially, but we got Zita to make one for us and boy there was a difference. It's got something to do with the proportion of ingredients and also how you roll the Poh Piah. One of the crucial things that I observe is the initial side folds. Notice that she brings both sides to meet each other in the middle before proceeding to roll the Poh Piah? That makes the Poh Piah really full and the double layer of skin gives it more skin to chew on in every bite.
Conclusion
What else can one ask for in a Poh Piah? The fundamentals are all there and you can even bring your own fantasy filling. Plus, the old shop has got a rustic charm and a sense of history to it, being able to trace its roots all the way back to 1938 when it was being sold from a push cart. It really doesn't get better than this.
Oh and before I sign off, I was told that the President's maid comes regularly to tar pau the Poh Piah home. Guess that's another one to add to my list of Presidential Hawker Stalls.
Kway Guan HuatJoo Chiat Original Poh Piah Skin& Kueh Pie Tee 95 Joo Chiat Road 63442875 Zita 96773441 Open 10am to 8pm daily Closed on Mondays
This is the story of Easter as told in the book of Matthew. Listen out for the voices of Angela Bassett and Blair Underwood. Incidentally, you don't hear him in this clip, but they got Samuel L Jackson to do the voice of God! Now, that I got to hear.
If you are asking the question, how can Christians be so sure that Jesus rose from the dead? Then you are just the right person to come attend the Alpha course which is starting this week!
The Alpha course provides the opportunity to for these questions and other questions to be asked in a relaxed and non-threatening environment.
Here are some other questions often asked during an Alpha course:
1. How does a "good" God allow so much suffering in the world? 2. How come Christians worship a 3-in-1 God? 3. If I become a Christian, must I get baptized, go to church and give money? 4. How come Christians got so many different denominations? 5. You mean if I simply believe in Jesus, when I die I go to heaven? So easy meh?
So if you have always been wanting to join a group of people who are also asking similar questions, do sign up and come along this Friday evening. You can write to me at leslie.tay@gmail.com.
This is an edited video clip from scenes of the Czech movie "Most". The story is familiar but I never realised that it was made into a movie. For those who don't know the story yet, I don't want to spoil it for you, so just watch it and tell us what you think.
For myself, I can hardly bear to think what I would do in a situation like this.
Such is the extent (and beyond) of God's love for us when he gave his only Son to die on the cross on Good Friday. A huge price was paid so that this Friday can be "Good" for us.
Hope you have a blessed Easter and may you come to know the love of God in a deeper and more meaningful way. Thanks to Stanley Tay for providing the link
With fashionfoodie, bashful hunter, carnineviand, khim and friends
The good people from Noor Jannah's who were responsible for the Prata Bomb, have just moved to their new location at Jalan Masjid. As you would recall in the previous post, the neighbours were complaining about the smoke from the BBQ pit and as a result they couldn't grill their satay outside anymore. So they actually moved to another location and starting doing this Bone Steak Hor Fun which became a big hit after it was featured in the Suria Channel. When the owners of the coffeeshop saw how successful they were, they decided to take back the coffeeshop and run it themselves. As a result, this nice Malay couple found themselves having to move again. So now they have settled in Jalan Masjid, a place where they can panggang their Satay in the open and lead a Kampung like existence, hopefully for a long time.
I really enjoy eating at Noor Jannah's because they are not afraid of experimenting with new things. The raisin bomb, cheese bomb came into existence because of our zany experimentations and the bone steak hor fun became a reality because of the Satay Man's (Sha) secret fantasies.
This is my very first review of a Malay Cze Char. In fact, it is the first time I am eating Malay Cze Char. With all due respect to our Muslim readers, I have never really thought of eating Halal Cze Char because I had always assumed that there was no way Halal Cze Char can be that good since they don't use any pork to cook. However, I was proved wrong as the Hor Fun turned out to be quite tasty and I dare say better than a lot of Chinese Cze Char Hor Fun. Our group felt that the Hor Fun deserved a 4/5 even though it still lacked that elusive wok hei flavour. We were however not quite sure about the combination of Bone Steak and Hor Fun. The taste was just too jarring for our liking. However, it might appeal to people who love the strong taste of mutton. Guess it's something you will have to try for yourself!
If you like Malay Style Mee Goreng, then we would recommend you this particular one. Before this, I only know of Indian and Chinese Mee Goreng. Fashionfoodie told me that this version is the Malay version, which was more like the Chinese version but is more savoury than sweet. He gave the Mee Goreng a 4.25/5.
We confirm that you can now find the raisin and cheese bomb here and the good olde prata man from Malaysia is also resident. So this is going to be my regular prata spot since it is close to home. They have also introduce coin pratas which are mini pratas the size of a drink coaster. At six pieces for $2, it's great for the kids but a heck of a lot of work for $2 if you ask me. 4.25/5
Finally, my favourite (Malay) satay has found a home in the East. Not just I say, but the rest of my makankakis who are tasting the satays for the very first time also agree that the satays here are really good. Sha uses only thigh meat and they are big enough to remain juicy after grilling. We all agreed that it deserved a 4.5/5 You can also get beef tripe satay here, though it was a little too soft that evening and only scored a 3/5. However, Sha has informed me that he has already rectified the problem, so it should be much better now.
Like most Muslim 24 hour joints, the coffeeshop also serves a lot of other stuff. Frizz grill is also here for those looking for western food in the middle of the night. They also have a stalls selling Naan Bread and Ayam Penyat. Located in close proximity to two other 24 hour Muslim eateries, this stretch along Upper Changi Road is fast becoming a hub for those looking to satisfy their hunger 24/7.
Conclusion
To my surprise, Malay Cze Char actually turned out to be quite good. You'll just have to try the bone steak Hor Fun out for yourself to determine if you like it. The place has got a laid back kampong charm to it and coupled with a very good Prata and Satay, I can see myself having supper here quite often.
Noor Jannah's Kitchen 2 Jalan Masjid 90373623 Opened till very late for now Open 24hrs soon Disclosure: This was an invited review
With ieatfamily, Chinchaiguy, skinnyfoodie and cafelatte Claypot Crab Vermicilli $15
I have eaten very little Thai food in Singapore. I used to love Thai food, but I must have eaten Thai food less than five times since we came back from our 2 year stint in Bangkok. And that was like five years ago. I guess it must be that I have never found really authentic Thai food in Singapore and also that I just cannot get myself to pay $6 for a plate of Khao Pad Gai (Fried Rice with Chicken) when I used to buy it for 20 Baht (80 cents) just down the road from my apartment.
My favourite Thai food is difficult to find in Singapore. It is typical Esarn (North East region of Thailand) cuisine which comprise of Som Tam (Green papaya salad), Khai Yang (Grilled Chicken) and other salads eaten with Sticky Rice. Except for Golden Mile Complex, you can hardly find this in any of the Thai Restaurants in Singapore. In fact, the Thais themselves love Esarn food. If I were to pick the top Thai food that is most eaten by my Thai friends, I would say it is Som Tam with lots of chilli padi eaten with Sticky Rice. It is to the Thais what Hokkien Mee and Chicken Rice is to us Singaporeans.
Prawn Cakes $2 per pc
When I was invited to Joe's Kitchen, I was told that the chef was previously the head chef from Parkway Thai. With a name like Joe, I thought he was a Singaporean guy. But I was pleasantly surprised that Joe turned out to be a Thai guy who had married a Singapore girl (our secret weapon for attracting foreign talent). Not only that, but Joe's from Esarn as well! OK, Thai food cooked by a Thai guy in his own little restaurant. This is worth checking out!
I was pleasantly surprised with the Thot Man Goong (Prawn Cakes). The texture was perfect. It had a nice springy consistency with bits of prawn in it and marinated just right. Same stuff I used to get in the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok. 4.5/5
Mango Salad $6
The Green Mango Salad was also refreshingly good. Joe gave it a bit of twist by garnishing it with deep fried cuttlefish which gave it that extra ooomph. The heat and saltiness has been toned down so it did not have quite that kick you'd often get in Thailand. However, he confirmed that he does use palm sugar rather than granulated sugar, so it is still quite authentic. I'd like mine with a dash more fish sauce and vinegar though. 4.25/5
Stuffed Chicken Wings $2 per pc
Stuffed chicken wings are one of the easiest things to eat and great for the kids. One of the things about the Thais is that the labour cost is so low that they can afford to get people to do the most labour intensive work. I remember eating seafood in Thailand where they actually served the meat from the crab legs ready peeled! I used to imagine a group of ladies in the back using their teeth to crack open the shell and pulling out the meat from the crab legs! Suffice to say, I never really developed a taste for ready peel crab legs served cold with a dip.
The same amount of labor intensive work goes into preparing the stuffed chicken wings. For every wing, someone has to dislocate the joint, pull out the radius and ulnar bones of the midwing and then stuff it with a mixture of water chestnuts, corn, chopped chicken meat and mushrooms. Hard work but really easy to eat! Being partial to anything with crunchy water chestnuts, I really enjoyed this. 4.25/5
Green Curry Chicken $4.50/$8.90
One of the problems I find when eating Thai food in Singapore is they way they have to modify the dish to suit the local palate. So take for instance the Green Curry Chicken. The spices have been toned down and they have made it richer by adding more coconut milk. They also made it less sweet. Instead of the baby green brinjal which comes in two sizes (chickpea and egg sizes) they use the mature purple ones. I found that the Green Curry lacks balance and the coconut milk was overpowering. 3.5/5
Pineapple Fried Rice $4.50/$8.90
A proper pineapple fried rice needs to have the rice baked in the pineapple. This is quite obvious from the name of the dish in Thai (Khao Ob Saparot - Rice baked (in) Pineapple). However, even in Thailand, this dish is often simply a fried rice with pineapple. A nice pineapple fried rice should be mildly spiced and have that sweetness of the pineapple infused into the rice. But the fact is that most of the time you get to taste the Pork Floss and the Cashew nuts. Unfortunately, Joe did not choose to bake the rice in the pineapple, so this is rightly called pineapple fried rice and I found that again he has toned down on the spices. This dish can be so much better. 3.75/5
Tom Yum Soup $4/$8.90
Tom Yam Soup is arguably the most famous Thai dish overseas. In order to make a good Tom Yam, the soup stock has be great. The Tom Yum soup at Joe's is very good, although, again I found that the spices have been toned down. I think that it might be wise for them to actually let the guest choose the amount of spice they want in their dishes. You know, like 3 grades of spiciness - Ang Moh level, Singaporean level and Thai level so that we can get to custom it to our liking. For me, I would have liked the Tom Yum to be more hot and sour. 4/5
One of my favourite Thai dishes is Prawn Baked Vermicilli which really is a Teochew dish that the Thais have adopted. The secret to a good vermicilli is that piece of pork fat that they place at the bottom of the deep pan when they cook the dish. Aiyah, Joe removed the pork fat because most Singaporeans are health conscious. You want a die die must try Crab Baked Vermicilli? You need that extra ingredient! 3.5/5
Conclusion
Judging from the dishes that did not have to be modified to suit our local tastes, I think that Joe has the ability to cook up a really authentic Thai meal if he was given permission to. I would really love it if they would add Sticky Rice with Som Tom and Khai Yang to their menu. Too many Thai Restaurants assume that Singaporeans will not like it, but I am sure that a place selling these dishes will be a hit with Singaporeans.
At any rate, Joe's Kitchen is a great place to enjoy Thai food where it is small and informal enough for you to get to know the chef and his wife. For me that means that I can get them to cook the dishes the way I like it. Aside from that I think the prices are also quite reasonable, so it is worth checking out the place if you have a craving for Thai food.
Joe's KitchenBlk 125, Bukit Merah Lane 1#01-182 (Opp Alexandra Hospital) 11am to 3pm5pm to 10pm 62708484 Jamie 98577007 Disclosure: This was an invited review
The results for Singapore's favourite dessert are in! Thanks to the 110 people who wrote in with their nominations. Here then are the top 8 in no particular order:
Everyone gets to choose 3 of their favourite desserts.
Last year, a lot of people were surprised that Hokkien Mee edged out Chicken Rice as Singapore's favourite Hawker Food. Will there be any surprises in the Dessert category?
The Polls are now opened. You can pick your top 3 desserts from the polling widget in the right column.
So, what are your predictions for Singapore's favourite dessert?
Thanks to holydrummer for consolidating the numbers for me.
Who hasn't heard about the eccentric Mr Tan Kue Kim who wears a gold rolex and long sleeve shirt while frying hokkien mee? He was most famous back in the eighties when he was dishing out $15 bowls of claypot Hokkien Mee and people were lapping it up without complaining. Those were the Food Nazi days. Then something happened and Kim disappeared from the scene for a while only to reappear in many different places, much to the confusion of the everyday Singaporean.
What happened to Kim? Some say he had a few wives to look after and they sapped up all his money. Some say he gambled his fortune away on horses. Then there is the question over the number of different stalls which have sprouted up across the island with the same brand name. Are they genuine Kim's or is there a family tussle over the brand name. And where is Kim nowadays?
These questions were always at the back of my mind whenever I drive past a Kim's outlet. As luck would have it, I drove past the stall along Jalan Eunos one day and spied a man frying Hokkien Mee wearing a long sleeve shirt! Ah, could this be my chance to get to the bottom of this mystery?
Mr Tan turned out to be quite a personable man who is not shy of the camera and yes, he was wearing his gold Rolex and long sleeve shirt. So I asked him the $69,000 question. What happened in the 80's? What brought down the Kim empire? Was it the gambling or the bickering wives? (Yes, I actually asked him that)
Well, what he told me turned out to be relatively mundane. At the peak of Kim's popularity, he bought a building in Geylang (Kim's) which lost him a lot of money because one of the groundfloor tenants who was supposed to move out did not. As a result of the financial disaster he decided to retire for a while. Oh yes, he also said categorically that he only has one wife.
Kim's now operates a number of stalls all over the island. According to him, his sons are in charge of the other stalls but they are all under the Kim's umbrella. No family feud, no juicy gossip, just simply a family business. Well, it's up to you to believe what you wish, I am simply reporting what I got from the boss's mouth. Do tell us your version of the story.
Kim's hokkien mee is pre-fried and left to rest and refried when you order your plate. According to Mr Tan, this is done so that the noodles taste better and not to save time. He uses only sea prawns and the best sotongs which he proudly showed me. Those who like the thick bee hoon, wet style Hokkien Mee would be happy with this Hokkien Mee. The other commendable item is the wonderfully fresh and crunchy lard bits which will not disappoint lard lovers. It could have been even better if they still included the pork belly and fried the noodles a little more to get all that nice flavor in. 4.25/5
Conclusion
Although the Hokkien Mee was good, I felt it must have lost a bit of the magic it had when it was at its prime. Fortunately for me, Mr Tan has agreed to cook my fantasy plate of Hokkien Mee which would have the noodles simmering in a claypot together with Sio Bak and Pork Balls. Stay tuned for that review!
Kim's Hokkien Mee 62-B Jalan Eunos Jn of Jalan Kechot and Jalan Eunos 67478766 www.kims.com.sg Opened 11.30am till 1am daily
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