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

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

XO Hokkien Mee $12

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

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

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

'

The Verdict:

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Remember to vote today! Click here

The previous post about Kim's is found here

Read about the top Hokkien Mees in Singapore by clicking here

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

Cilantro: Foie Gras hits the Heartlands!

Escargot $8

When I first started the blog, I wrote about Astons and eBlackboard and how these eateries are bringing affordable western cuisines to the heartlands. I hinted then, that we will see more and more Restaurant Style Western Food stalls in our heartlands. And it came to pass that Singaporeans are now enjoying the likes of Botak Jones, Crazy Ang Moh and Astons in a coffeeshop environment.

Now we move on to the next level. Foie Gras and Escargot in our heartland coffeeshops.

Actually the development is inevitable. With the increase in rental and food prices, Singaporeans are finding it increasingly expensive to dine at restaurants and restaurants are finding the high rental prohibitive to their businesses. That was the case with Cilantro, who used to be a fine dining restaurant at Purvis Street which earned rave reviews from the media. When their landlords increased their rentals, they decided that instead of continuing to work hard to feed the landlords, they would bring fine dining cuisine to our heartlanders instead.

Notice I never said "fine dining" but rather "fine dining cuisine". This is because it is still to be seen if Singaporeans will pay higher prices to eat at coffeeshops even though the food is fine dining standards. Or put another way, is fine dining just about the food or is it also about the service and the ambiance? If we can judge from the experience of Botak Jones and Astons, I would say confidently that a large segment of Singaporeans will take to this type of cuisine at coffeeshops IF the price is right. We Singaporeans are practical and more importantly we are know a good bargain when we see one.

So what is a good bargain? How about Escargot for $8 and Foie Gras (Goose, not duck liver) at $15 without GST and service charge? I think I got your attention.

This is the 2nd time I am trying Cilantro. During my first visit 1 month ago at the Old Airport Road Food Centre, they were still undecided as to whether the heartlanders will be willing to pay a little more for fine dining. So I ended up eating their "not so fine dining" standard fare. It was good but I felt that it wasn't exciting enough to be blogged, so I encouraged them to really give Singaporeans the good stuff they used to serve at their restaurant. I really believe that Foie Gras in a coffeeshop would cause some excitement, especially with the ieatishootipost makan kakis.


Foie Gras (Goose Liver) $15 (Special promo for ieatishootipost readers $12)

So here it is! $15 Foie Gras! And they are not cutting corners. They use Goose liver which have been marinated in Szechuan peppercorn and other spices, panfried till it is crisp outside and served with an excellent brown sauce reduction flavoured with truffle oil and topped with raisins which have been soaked in Black Vinegar and sweetened with rock suger.

I am not kidding. This is the one of the best Foie Gras I have eaten and certainly the cheapest. The Foie Gras is super creamy and oh so umami. And the sweetened black raisins were an excellent complement for the savoury Foie Gras. For those of you who have not tried Foie Gras, this would be a great opportunity to be introduced to the dish. If you think that you would never like liver, just remember that Foie Gras does not taste anything like the liver you know. Trust me, it's the only liver I eat. 4.75/5

The escargot was surprisingly good. Everytime I had escargots before, I thought they tasted like a cross between a rubber band and salted fish. But this one was surprisingly tender and flavoured with a mild curried butter. Ok, I still don't really appreciate the taste of the escargots itself but I think as a whole they make for a tasty appetizer. 4/5


Lamb Rack $20

The other dish that tingled my tastebuds was the lamb rack. Lamb has a very strong flavour, so I usually like it with a sauce that is fruity and sweet. They use an excellent chilled NZ lamb rack here which has been marinated with lemon grass and other spices before grilling and served with a piquant brown sauce. Rather than causing fusion confusion, I thought the combination of Asian spices to the lamb rack was excellent. The lamb was really tender with that melt in your mouth quality about it. So good that I am still thinking about it. 4.5/5


Smoked Duck Breast Pizza $6

One thing that was really good that I remember from my first visit was the Smoked Duck Breast. They actually marinate and smoke their own Duck and it is very good. The pizzas here will be great for the kids. I like the the chewy quality of the Mozarella they use here but I think the pre-baked crust needed a bit more tweaking. With the smoked duck pizza, I reckon a BBQ sauce like those served with Peking Duck would have made a better combination. 3.5/5


King Prawn Mee Sua

The Mee Sua was a little hard to figure out at first. I had really no reference point for this dish. It didn't come across as a Western dish with an Eastern influence or vice versa. To me it tasted a little like chicken broth with noodles.



However, the one thing that I did appreciate was the Mee Sua. It wasn't powdery like the Mee Sua that I was accustomed to. Instead it had a very unique bite to it that I really grew to appreciate. It was then that I found out that they were using Japanese Mee Sua! That was a first for me and I really give it to the Japanese for being able to make Mee Sua that tasted better than all the Mee Sua that I have eaten before! If you are the sort that likes noodle soups and ramen, I think you will like this one. 4/5

Conclusion

Be a part of Singapore Culinary history and be one of the first to eat Foie Gras in a coffee shop! Whether or not Singaporeans will be willing to pay for fine dining in a coffeeshop remains to be seen. But I think that we will be seeing more fine dining in our coffeeshops in the near future.

Special Promo for ieatishootipost readers:

Go to the stall and mention the blog and pay $12 for the Foie Gras. This is the normal portion not a mini portion. But you guys Zi Dong a bit and buy some of their other stuff okay? There are limited portions of foie gras so it may be a good idea to call up first to reserve yours.

Update: 4 Sep 2008

Due to lack of supply, the Foie Gras promotion will cease on 15 Sep 2008

Update: 9 Oct 2008

They have revamped their menu, so these items are no longer available.

Cilantro Modern Asia
Blk 28, Jln Bukit Merah,
#01/4476 S(152028)
www.cilantro.com.sg
10am to 10pm
Open daily
Disclaimer: This was an invited review.
97950289

Zhen Zhen Porridge: Silky Smooth

I finally managed to eat the famous Zhen Zhen porridge!

The distinctive feature about this porridge is that they cook the grains until it has all but dissolved. Lots of people actually rave about this porridge and even they even got 6 chopsticks from Makansutra which is full marks. I was however a little ambivalent about it as I felt it was almost like eating a bowl of thickened cream soup.



Granted, for $3, you actually get a chockful of ingredients in the porridge. I ordered the mixed porridge which had pork, slice fish and century eggs. It is really value for money and the fish was very fresh. But I have to admit that I still prefer my porridge to have a few grains in it. Nonetheless it is certainly a very unique bowl of porridge which is well worth a try. 4/5

Conclusion

Good bowl of porridge but I don't think that I am all out sold on the idea of cooking the rice till it all dissolves. Too much like eating pure starch to me.

Zhen Zhen Porridge
Maxwell Road Food Centre
Stall 54
5.30am to 2.30pm
Closed Tuesdays

Chicken Rice Company: The Next Generation of Chicken Rice?

With Damien and Liverpool

Sakura Chicken: Will this herald a new wave of chicken rice stalls?

Singapore is the Chicken Rice capital of the world. And the standard of our Chicken Rice is so high that even the average Food Court Chicken rice stall is anytime better than what you get in other countries. I remember trying to find a good Chicken Rice when I was living in Bangkok and believe me, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. However, even though the overall standard of Chicken Rice is very good, Chicken Rice Connoisseurs would all agree that the Golden Age of Chicken Rice ended when the legendary Swee Kee closed its doors over twenty years ago. Back in the good old days, they used to farm their own chicken and the owners were fastidious about picking only the best mother hens to put into the hot soup. Nowadays, even though most hawkers know the technique of making a succulent white chicken, they are limited by the quality of the chicken they get from Malaysia.

Around twenty years ago, some enterprising hawkers decided to introduce the Kampung Chicken to Singaporeans. The Kampung Chicken is leaner and tastier than the normal Battery Hen not just because it spends its days exercising its legs in an open aviary, but just because it is a different breed of (French) chicken. It was touted as a healthier yet tastier choice for chicken rice lovers. They have since cornered a significant part of the chicken rice market.

My problem with the Kampung Chicken is that even though it has a more chickeny taste, it really lacked the nice chunky and succulent texture of the normal White Chicken and the drumstick is so lean that it really is almost like eating duck! What I want is the tender, fleshy and tasty mother hen of Swee Kee!



Enter the Sakura Chicken which might herald the next wave in the evolution of Chicken Rice in Singapore. From the same people who brought us Kobe Beef and Kurobuta pork, our Japanese friends seem to have the uncanny ability to come up with delicately delicious delicacies. The good news is that the Sakura Chicken is now being farmed in Malaysia using Japanese technology so they don't need to be airflown here. The chicken is not given any hormones and like the Kampong Chicken, also given enough leg room to roam around an opened and air conditioned enclosure. They believe that this results in "Happier Chickens" which in turn makes for tastier chicken chops. (I guess the chickens are only "happy" cos they are oblivious to the fact that they are destined for the table). The chicken also takes 60 days to grow to palatable size as compared to the 45 days for normal battery hens, so all this just means that you are going to expect to pay more for a tastier treat.



The Sakura Chicken has less fat than the normal chicken. That's good if you are always concerned about having to change pant sizes every few months. The skin is thin with little fat so you won't be getting that succulent jelly texture when you bite into it. But the flesh is indeed really voluptuous, tender and tasty. The interesting thing about this chicken is that the red muscles ie thigh sections come out slightly pink when cooked. So it looks as if it is undercooked. (looking at the red marrow, I'd say they might be just cooked and certainly not overcooked) On the other hand the breast meat comes out really snow white!



For those who always find breast meat a little dry and tough, this chicken might make you change your mind. I found the breast meat succulent and delicate with a good chicken flavour. It really does have all the characteristics that make you want to say: "Oishi!" (Japanese for delicious). One has to hand it to the Japanese, they really know how to inject their Zen simplicity culture into their produce.

I wouldn't say it is the best Chicken Rice Chicken I have ever come across but I think this chicken has a lot of potential in cornering a significant part of the chicken rice market. And with Singaporeans all crazy about Japanese food as shown by our latest Poll, I'd say that there will be a lot of interest in this new Chick on the (chopping) Block. 4.25/5

Because the Sakura chicken does not have much fats, the rice is flavoured from the broth of the chicken. It was ok but I think a bit more R&D needs to go into the rice. The rice was a little mushy and did not have that wonderful fragrance wafting through the air when served. 3/5



Instead of the normal ginger, they provide a ginger-spring onion garnishing which good though I felt it lacked the bite and heat of a good "old" ginger paste. The chilli and soy sauce also needs a little more R&D in order to get all the ingredients to blend together. It felt like a band playing with instruments which are just slightly out of tune.

Conclusion

I think this is a great idea and this Sakura Chicken can potentially corner another portion of the market. So I am predicting that we will be seeing more competitors serving Sakura Chicken very soon. One of the concerns is the price of the chicken. They sell a 1.6kg bird for $30, so it might be a little too much of a premium for some especially if the rice, chilli etc still isn't quite up there with the major players. Whether Chicken Rice Company will be able to capitalize on their first mover advantage and be another major player in that market will depend on them getting the fundamentals right and being able to identify and target the right segment of the market. Whatever it may be, the future is looking brighter for Chicken Rice lovers.

PS: They are currently having a promotion for $2 per plate of chicken rice for a limited time only. All you have to do is to go up to them and say: "ieat-ishoot-ipost" to get a plate of $2 chicken rice! Thanks to Damian from the Chicken Rice Company.

The Chicken Rice Company
Lau Pa Sat Stall 18 St 2
9am to 10pm daily
www.chickenricecompany.com
Our meal was hosted by CRC

Bak Changs with a Char Siew Twist

Char Siew Sio Bak Chang $2

Duan Wu Jie (Rice Dumpling Festival) is just round the corner so its time to talk about Bak Changs. I always try to include something for special festivals when I can, but I am not like a full time SPH journalist who has the luxury of being able to track down the top ten Bak Changs in Singapore and write a full spread about it. (Wouldn't it be great if I could?) So usually it just depends on what comes my way. It so happens that I bumped into Mimi of D'bun last week and she quickly mentioned that she is making some Char Siew Sio Bak Chang for the upcoming festival. Char Siew Bak Chang? Now that would be interesting, don't you think?

When I was growing up, mom and my aunties used to come together to make Bak Changs for the festival. Those days, you only got to eat Bak Changs around this time of the year. But somewhere along the line, people started to make them commercially and before long they were available round the year. There was something special about being able to eat Bak Changs only at certain times of the year. You are always looking forward to it. I guess the same thing has happened to things like pineapple tarts and even seasonal fruits like durians. Somehow or other mooncakes seem to have been able to preserve its seasonal status. I wonder why this is so?



When it comes to Bak Chang, my all time favourite is the Teochew Sang Teng (Double layer) Chang. It's got the usual fatty pork, chestnuts and mushrooms but what sets it apart is the ball of sweet bean paste wrapped in pork mesentery in it. Till this day I still remember the look of the mesentery (the transparent membrane attached to the intestines) and how it was wrapped around balls of bean paste. The sweetness of the bean paste is a nice contrast to the savoury fatty pork but its something not everyone likes which is why it is not as readily available as the other types of Bak Changs.



The Char Siew Sio Bak Chang will appeal to those who love Nonya Chang. It is the same Char Siew that they use for their popular Char Siew Pau but for the Bak Chang version, a bit of Ketumbar (coriander seeds) and winter melon is added, so in that way it is similar to a Nonya Chang. The glutinous rice is also prepared by flavouring it with Pandan leaves first. And of course, not forgetting that piece of Sio Bak hidden inside the Bak Chang. It's like finding that piece of chicken in a curry puff! For someone who also likes Nonya Chang and everything a little sweet, I really liked this one too! 4.25/5


Sea Cucumber in Bak Chang - Special Order $5

I must confess that for me one of the most enjoyable bits of a Bak Chang is the combination of the slimy pork fat with the starchy glutinous rice. Unfortunately, its not the healthiest thing for one's heart. What Mimi has done was to use Sea Cucumber (76% protein, 5% fat) as a substitute and I must say that the soft gelatinous sea cucumber really does give you the same sensation as the pork fat but without the guilt. The Sea Cucumber ability to soak up the flavour of the braised pork also means that you could almost mistaken it for pork fat if no one told you about it first.

Sea Cucumber is a Chinese delicacy, so it doesn't come cheap (mimi using quite a good quality one) and you also have to order it 3 days in advance and they cost $5 each. D'bun also make the normal Hokkien style Bak Changs at $2.50 each which are available over the counter.

Conclusion

Very good bak changs overall. Each grain of glutinous rice is nicely flavoured, soft, moist and gummy. The Char Siew Sio Bak chang is a nice variation of the Nonya Chang with the added charcoal BBQ flavour which I enjoy. For those who like fatty pork but need to look after their waistline, the Sea Cucumber really does make a good low calorie substitute.

Now, where can I get a nice Teochew Sang Teng Chang?

D'Bun
358 Joo Chiat Road
Jn of Marshall & Joo Chiat Rd
63448110
www.dbun.com.sg
8am to 10pm

Aurum: Memories Etched in Gold

With Amagada

Martini Gold Lychee Cavier - Part of a set of 6 "Aurum Insanity" $28

I have always wondered if I would ever end up as a chef if given a second chance at choosing a career. Well, now thanks to Nuffnang and Spring Singapore, I get the opportunity to spend a day as an apprentice cook with one of Singapore's most creative chefs, Edward Voon, who was Captain and manager of the Culinary Team which won the coveted best Gourmet Team award in this year's Food and Hotel Asia event. But before I get to do that, Edward suggested that I should at least come over to have a taste of his creations first.

The kind of cuisine that Edward dishes out is what I would call experimental cuisine. Some call it "molecular gastronomy" but I beg to differ. There is nothing "molecular" in the strict sense of the word. It is true that turning peas into something that resembles an egg yolk but still retaining the taste of peas (ala Ferran Adria's Liquid Pea Ravioli) is a veritable feat of food engineering but at most it occurs at a cellular level. So it should rightly be called "cellular gastronomy", but I am just being pedantic.

Whatever you call it, I really enjoy this type of manic food mutilation which turns the kitchen into a chemistry lab. At this point, a lot of what is being done is essentially to change the texture of produce whilst preserving its taste. So, for example, they turn ham into a liquid, olive oil into powder and vinegar into air (foam). I reckon in the future our Alchemists cum Chefs might even be able to cause a concoction of chemicals to precipitate into beluga caviar -- now that would truly be molecular manipulation!

This type of stuff might not appeal to everyone especially if you are the type that likes to eat a big hunk of meat to fill the tummy. But for me, I felt like a kid opening my presents on Christmas Day.

One of the interesting starters we had was the Martini Lychee and Gold Caviar. It tastes like Lychee but the refreshing little globules bursts in your mouth like Ikura (Salmon Roe). And real gold dust was actually used to give it that twenty four carat look. In case you are wondering, gold can be eaten. As a matter of fact, we even use it to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. It was certainly the most memorable palate cleanser I have ever come across.


Mini Foie Gras, Port Wine jelly (Part of the "Aurum Insanity" set)

The foie gras is the one dish that really got us excited. I am tempted to give this dish a 5/5 for sheer amount of enjoyment I got out of it. The foie gras terrine had the colour and consistency of hazelnut cream that you often find in chocolates. It was smooth, almost slightly sticky and full of intense foie gras flavour.



The shell was made of Port Wine Aspic (Jelly) which had the consistency of the egg white (or should it be egg black?) of Century Egg, but tasted like Port. The combination worked extremely well. I could easily eat ten sticks of this and forget about everything else.


Liquid Ham "Replicated Crunch" (Part of "Aurum insanity")

Liquid ham is basically a ham and cheese sandwich in the form of an egg yolk with bread crumbs sprinkled on top. This is very much like the Liquid Pea Ravioli in concept but instead it is filled with a warm ham and cheese liquid that tasted exactly like, well, ham and cheese. I thought this might taste better if it was cold though. The warm ham was a tad too heavy and sluggish for me.


Omelette of the XXI Century

Omelette of the XXI century takes the classic Spanish Omelette and metamorphasizes it to fit into a Martini glass. What it had was caramelised onions on the bottom with egg yolk sabayon slowly cooking in hot potato puree topped with a slice of truffle. The potato puree had the consistency of a mousse rather than a puree and although it was very light, the taste of the potato was pretty intense.

The thing I find about this type of cuisine is that the altered textures and presentation really focuses your mind onto trying to identify the taste of the food presented. As a result, you gain a profound appreciation of the taste of simple things like egg yolk and potatoes which are actually very tasty everyday items we frequently take for granted.


Golden Shitake Broth $16

The Golden Shitake Broth gives new meaning to the phrase "Instant noodles". The olive oil suspension in the syringe immediately turns to noodles when it is squirted into the hot shimmering Shitake Broth which had gold dust swirling inside. It was certainly a interesting dish to "wow" your date. The broth was really salty like what you get with a Sukiyaki. Just imagine an Ebi Tempura in a Shitake flavoured Sukiyaki soup and you got what it tastes like.


Grilled Peppery Angus Beef $60 200g

Now after about eight amazing appetizers, I must say that main course was a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, the Peppery Angus Beef Steak is probably the tastiest steak I have had this year but we were expecting it to come in a liquid form or otherwise disguised beyond recognition. I guess sometimes you really don't want to improve on perfection which is a USDA Angus Beef steak. The one thing they did was to add some edible Gold leaf which was made from polenta and saffron. I must have eaten more gold that night then in my whole lifetime and strangely all my joints are feeling quite supple!



For dessert, a hospital like trolley was wheeled in front of us with a trough of freezing cold liquid nitrogen. You can actually draw some up and treat the warts on your feet and save yourself the cost of the meal by not seeing the Doctor! Just kidding..... if you have any warty lesions please see your Doctor yeah? Anyway the liquid nitrogen is used to quick freeze the white chocolate mousse and to do other nifty things like turning diners in to "fire" breathing dragons.


Chocolate Nitro $20

What emerged from the liquid nitrogen was a ball of liquid white chocolate encased in a crisp meringue like shell. The little chocolate brownies were little more than a garnishing. If you love Pavlovas (which I do), then you will certainly love this dish.

Conclusion

There have been a handful of truly memorable dinners that Amagada and I have shared together and our meal at Aurum has just been etched into that exclusive list. It wasn't just that the presentation were novel, but a few of the dishes were actually quite shiok. Of course there were some items which I felt could be further improved, but overall, I'd say that the degustation menu ($198++ for 15 courses) is worth every cent for the experience you are getting. If you still prefer ala carte, they have a special $98++ set which serves normal portions so that you get to choose one entree, soup, main and dessert. The "golden" memories are worth every cent, in my opinion.

Though we might still have a long way to go before we get anywhere near El Bulli, it is good to know that we have home grown talents like Edward who are boldly going where no Chef has gone before. So I am glad to be part of Spring Singapore's drive to attract more of our young people into this industry.

Postscript:

The bad news is that Aurum will be shutting its doors on 27 May and relocating somewhere else. Meanwhile there will be a 2 month hiatus while Edward does a stint at the French Laundry to get new inspiration.

Aurum
Blk C, #01-02A
The Cannery Clarke Quay
Open for dinner only
www.aurum.com.sg
68873733
Closed on Sundays

Ser Seng Herbs: Musings of a Turtle Virgin

With smart and Mr.YaKwang


OK I admit it, I am a turtle virgin, so when smart suggested we go for Turtle Soup, I felt an emotional mix of excitement and trepidation at the same time.

Turtle soup is not for everyone and there's a lot urban legend surrounding this esoteric dish. Many believe that this dish is an aphrodisiac, warms the body and increases alertness. I am no expert in this, but I think it sounds as if there are some ingredients in the turtle soup that causes the blood vessels to dilate. So, dilatation of blood vessels in your skin would cause you to feel warm. More blood to the head increases your alertness and better blood flow to the John Thomas might mimic the effects of Viagara.

Now, eating Turtle soup in Geylang with two other men might be a especially risky if you happen to be a politician or a preacher. It is especially worse if you also look as if you are going to be withdrawing your CPF soon. Good thing I don't look like either, so I was quite safe. Smart on the other hand, looked like a golden honey comb glistening in the sunshine.

It was 2.30pm in the afternoon and the restaurant was quite packed with many golden honey combs and busy buzzing bees. It is the kind of scene that is becoming all too common in Geylang. It was common knowledge a few years ago that if you were in Geylang for food, then you should head for the odd number Lorongs and avoid the even Lorongs. It is unfortunate nowadays that parents have to think twice about bringing kids to eat in Geylang in order to avoid having to explain the process of the birds and the bees. The proliferation of shops selling adult toys is also another recent phenomenon to hit Geylang. Unlike the Western, more "liberal" countries where there are rules to keep these shops hidden from the view of children, in "conservative" Singapore it is ironic that a child can be staring at these adult toys easily from along the main road. Are there any readers from the appropriate Ministry reading this? Perhaps it's time to form a committee to look into this whole issue?



The beauty of Turtle Soup (I am told) is all that soft gelatinous skin and shell which you would love if you love Fish Head. Boiling all that cartilage makes the soup a little more smooth and viscous very much like Shark Bone Soup. Tastewise, the soup tasted like the standard herbal soup to me and all that soft gelatinous stuff didn't thrill me that much.At $40 per claypot of Turtle Soup, I am happy to say that it is money that I can save for something else. 3/5 Smart on the other hand came away well rejuvenated and glowing with renewed energy. He gave it 4.25/5. I guess you either love it or eat it just once and never again.

Conclusion

Maybe when I grow a bit older I would like it. At this point in time, I would save my calories for something else.

Ser Seng Herbs
29 Lor Bachok (Inside Lor 21 Geylang)
1100 - 1900,
Off on Thu 67483953

Ieat Makan Session at Joe's Kitchen

My mother would have described it as "Kee Ka La Kior". (lit Kee Ka La sound ie noisy)

And that probably sums it up for the first ieat Makan Session for 2008. Well that's what you get when you try to cram 47 people into a small eatery which can comfortably seat 40. But hey, it's a great way to meet new friends and share a 14 course meal in "togetherness"!

For this session, I had asked Thai Chef Joe to whip up some dishes which I was accustomed to in Thailand which is difficult to find in Singapore. He did better than that, he even simulated a real time "Bangkok" blackout in the middle of dinner. It is amazing that when the lights go out, our kakis response is the predictable "OOooooooo" followed by a period of silence followed by someone making a wise crack to break the silence. Err, the guy making the wise crack that night would have been me!

Anyway, we were treated to some authentic Esarn food which comprised of sticky rice eaten with Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad), grilled chicken and pork neck. After spending two years in Thailand, I must say that these has become my favourite of Thai dishes although it took some time to grow on me. Not surprisingly, a lot of our kakis didn't take to it immediately. Trust me, after a few more goes, you'd prefer this over the normal Thai food. There is a good reason for it being the most popular dish in Thailand, you know.



The Kao Dang Na Dang is also another dish not commonly seen here. It is basically an appetiser comprising crispy rice cakes with a savoury minced pork and peanut dip. I thought that the chef was a little too generous with the peanuts that night and as a result the dip was a bit too oily. But some people like holydrummer was saying it was the best stuff he had ever tasted! Could still be better, my friend, with a bit more tweaking!



A lot of our kakis likened the grilled pork collar to a Thai style Char Siew. Khaw Mu Yang, or grilled pork collar is one of the most common street foods in Thailand and commonly eaten with sticky rice and Som Tam. I really miss this dish as it is not very commonly found in Thai restaurants here. Most of the kakis found it very good, though I can tell you that it can be even better if it were cut thinner and grilled till the fats melt and causes the smoke from the charcoal to flavour the meat. (Joe told me he will tweak it a bit an add it to the menu!)

Joe actually went out to buy a new grill just so that he could make the grilled pork and chicken dishes for us. The grill also meant that now he can also chargrill the condiments like lemongrass, onions, galangal, ginger etc before adding it into the Tom Yum Soup! Thanks for making the extra effort Joe!



Speaking of Tom Yum soup, Saturday's version was the closest to the one's I had in the street stalls of Thailand so far. It had the right amount of hot and sour to get the salivary glands going. Initially, he had wanted to make seafood Tom Yum, but I requested the fried fish Tom Yum instead. In retrospect, I think some of the kakis would have appreciated it more if there was seafood in the Tom Yum to give it a sweeter taste. Nevertheless, dipping a piece of the tasty, crispy fried fish into the Tom Yum soup was definitely one of the highlights of the evening for me.



The crab tang hoon drew mixed reviews from our kakis. Eastcoastlife liked it. In fact it was the only dish she liked out of the whole menu. You can read her review here. Bashful Hunter on the other hand thought it was the only item on the menu that was not so good. He was comparing the crab tang hoon with Ya Kwang's version. So it really goes to show that taste is indeed subjective even amongst a group of seasoned foodies.

Conclusion

Thanks very much to Joe and Jamie for so kindly hosting us on a Saturday night and for making the extra effort to specially cater the menu to my specification. I was happy to be able to eat my favourite Som Tam, Gai Yang with Khao Niao and also Mango Sticky Rice.

Thanks especially to Damien for organizing the makan session!

And of course thanks to everyone who turned up to add to the Chaos of the Makan Session! I hope everyone had fun and look forward to seeing you all at the next one!

If you all know of any particular restaurant which can host our makan session, do write in to let me know!

You can read Keropokman's reviews here
Eastcoastlife here
The rest of the comments on the Forum here
Ladyironchef's cleavers a bit blunt, so stay tuned

Link to previous post on Joe's Kitchen

Joe's Kitchen Blk 125,
Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-182
(Opp Alexandra Hospital)
11am to 3pm 5pm to 10pm
62708484
Jamie 98577007

Ya Kwang: Italian Cze Char

With Camemberu, Keropokman and Amagada

Huay La Ban Mian $5

You would be forgiven if you thought that this was a blog about Italian food. This is not a plate of Pasta con Vongole. It might look like Vongole and maybe taste a little like Vongole but Vongole it is not. Instead, it is a Fried Ban Mian with Huay La and it is eaten in a coffeeshop amidst the smells of Kway Chap and exhaust smoke.



This is a relatively simple dish. The secret lies in the type of clams used. Jason uses what he calls a Huay La (Huay = Flower) as opposed to the more common La La. The Huay La is much sweeter than the La La and that characteristic bitter aftertaste gives the al dente (should I say QQ?) homemade Ban Mian a great sauce to create gastronomic symphony. Certainly a most unexpected hawker dish!. 4.5/5

This is actually my second time eating this dish in a week and this time I gatecrashed on Keropokman's lunch AGM of the Alumni of Batu Pahat Bloggers. By the time I got there, the alumni was already halfway through their agenda and two eyeballs short of their steamed salmon head! You can read Keropokman's account here and Camemberu's here. So not say I say but other bloggers also say that this Ban Mian is good, ok?


Prawn Tang Hoon $7

I did not want to eat crab that day, but I was still yearning for the marvelous Korean Tang Hoon, so I requested that Jason do a Prawn Tang Hoon for me instead. The dish came with a pleasant, and unexpected addition of belly pork as well. The Tang Hoon was wonderfully slurpilicious as usual, however the prawns did not give it as much kick as the crab usually does. OK, still managed to satisfy my Tang Hoon craving but not quite hit the umami spot. 4/5


Teriyaki Beef Hor Fun $5

Jason loves everything Japanese and used to run a Japanese stall over at Suntec City. So there is a lot of Japanese influence in his food. The Kway Chap for instance uses Kikoman soy sauce instead of the normal Soy Sauce. I tried his Teriyaki Beef with rice set which was so good that my son finished the whole thing before I got enough of it. So I asked Jason to try something new for me. Instead of rice, I asked him to fry a Teriyaki Beef Hor Fun instead.

Well, let's just say that it was so good that one of my fellow bloggers Tah Powed a portion home. I like the fact that Jason uses a really nice beef and he doesn't tenderize it by soaking it in bicarb. So the beef is nice and beefy and the homemade teriyaki sauce is quite shiok. The Hor Fun still can be improved as it did not have that wok hei flavour. That aside, this is a dish that I am looking forward to eating again soon. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Not many stalls get repeated blog posts. What can I to do? Everytime I come here to eat, I either discover something new or create a new dish!. So how not to blog? Anyway these one dish items would be a great idea for a quick lunch if you are tired of the samo samo and want to try something tasty and novel. Hope you enjoy it and if you have any ideas for something new, just ask Jason to try it and write about it in the forum for everyone to know!

Click here to read the other Ya Kwang Posts.