There is little doubt that Japanese food is still the current favourite foreign cuisine amongst Singaporeans and the trend doesn't look like it is going to wane anytime soon. You get a sense of this just by observing the number of new Japanese eateries that are appearing everywhere. But we also know this from the poll results that was done earlier this year. So judging from the trend, I think we are going to see more Japanese eateries appearing and they are going to move away from the general Japanese fare to more regional and specialty cuisine as the restaurants try to differentiate themselves from the established players. One of the new players in the scene is Tomo Izakaya. An Izakaya is basically the Japanese version of a Tapas Bar or Dim Sum restaurant, in the sense that they serve a variety of small dishes which you can order to accompany your drinks. Being situated in Clarke Quay, I think this concept would work well with the afterwork crowd looking for a place to unwind.
The food here is quite decent and there are several items which really caught my attention. The first was the Uni shot which is fresh Uni submerged in Sake with a wasabi and soy dressing. The Uni here is very fresh and the restaurant prides itself in having their seafood flown in from the famed Tsukiji Market in Tokyo twice a week. Certainly a very nice starter! 4.25/5
Tuna Bowl (Part of Tempura Udon Set) $16
Aside from the freshness of the seafood, another indicator of the quality of a Japanese eatery is the standard of the sushi rice and the wasabi. The rice is is very good and perfectly seasoned such that, like the Gardenia Bread slogan from long ago, it's "So good, you can even eat it on its own!". 4/5
Braised Pork $12
I highly recommend the Braised Pork dish. I think the photo speaks for itself. The braised pork was superbly done with that "melt in your mouth" texture and that elusive "Kong Bak" taste. I would be very happy to come here and just eat this! 4.5/5
Saikoro Steak Lunch Set $14 The lunch sets here are pretty good value which is an important consideration in our current economic climate. Most of them are priced in the teens and you get quality that you can taste in a very cosy setting.The Saikoro Steak Lunch was very good value as I got more cubed Australian Sirloin than I expected for the price. The meat was a good and was tender and flavoursome. I thought that the sauce could be a little sweeter to give it a bit more ooomph. 4.25/5
Sashimi Plate $58
Being an Izakaya, they strive to serve all your favourites here and that must include Sashimi. I am not a big fan of Sashimi but I can appreciate that the seafood here is very fresh. I especially liked the amaebi (sweet prawns) and the uni (sea urchin). Of course, you get what you pay for so don't come here expecting really cheap prices since all the seafood are flown in from Japan. 4/5 Beef Robatayaki
If you are going for drinks and nibblies, then I am sure you will end up with some Robatayaki dishes. I tried a few and in general they were good but not quite spectacular as it lacked that charred flavour that I was expecting. They don't serve Karubi beef or US Angus which I feel should be included in any joint that wants to label itself as a "Robatayaki" which has the connotation of a higher end form of Kushiyaki. I also couldn't find Butabara (Pork Belly) on the menu which was again something I would expect at a Robatayaki joint. I think this is one department that can be spruced up prior to their official opening. 3.5/5
Salmon Roe Shot
Conclusion
This would be wonderful place to hangout with a few friends after work for drinks and a few bites to eat as the location is great and it's got a really cozy laid back ambiance. The lunch sets are pretty good value and the Braised Pork is something I would highly recommend if you have a few calories to spend. I do hope to see them expand their Robatayaki menu to include good quality Karubi and Butabara.
Update: 23 Oct 2008
Sorry there was an error with regards to the Braised Pork Set. The Braised Pork is not part of the lunch set but can be ordered as a separate dish on its own.
Tomo Izakaya 3A River Valley Road (Clarke Quay) #01-04 (opp bridge) S179020 63330100 Open for Lunch and Dinner This was an invited review
Tetsu is one of the latest Japanese Restaurants in Singapore that is differentiating itself by offering Kushi-style Tempura and Tonkatsu that is prepared "Live" in front of diners. I wonder if the name "Tetsu" is sort of a combination of TEmpura and TonkatSU? Seems quite likely to me. Personally, I enjoy watching the food preparation process, which is why I decided to pay this place a visit.
When I was young, I was often assigned the task of running down to the coffeeshop to buy Hokkien Mee or Char Kway Teow for supper. Those were the days when the hawker stalls were position in front of the coffeeshop rather than at the back like nowadays. I always like to observe how they would prepare their dishes. I still like to do it now and am always attracted to restaurants with an open kitchens. You get to learn a few cooking techniques and at the same time get entertained by looking out for "Bloopers". Like there was this time I saw the chef cooking a Lobster tail and he accidentally dropped it on the floor while cutting it. It was fun to see him struggling on the one hand to try to save the precious produce while at the same time knowing that "Big Brother" is watching him.
Anyway, I thought I would take this opportunity to make use of my Creative Vado again to show our readers how to make Tempura. If you have ever tried to make Tempura at home with the premix that you get from the Supermarket, you will know that it never turns fluffy like what happens when you eat at the restaurants. The secret is that there is a special technique involved while they are frying it as the video will demonstrate.
Another thing you might be wondering if you ever tried to cook tempura prawns is how they manage to get the prawn so straight while deep frying? Some people actually taught me that you should stick a skewer into the prawn while deep frying to keep it straight. However, the trick is simpler than that as this clip shows:
Alright, hope you managed to get something out of the video. Truth be said, I wouldn't cook tempura like that at home as all that extra batter is not very healthy. The fact is that even in Japan, homecooked tempura is simply a very thin crispy batter without all the "Frills". I guess the "Frills" are a cheap and effective way of increasing the size of the prawns.
Rosu Katsu Set $24.50 (Rosu=Loin)
I must say I was quite impressed with the overall presentation of the Tonkatsu. They specially import Japanese Bread Crumbs which give that wonderful crisp, light and fluffy crust. The set comes with four different condiments. Aside from the classic Tonkatsu sauce (Japanese Worchestershire Sauce), they also provide mustard, miso based sauce as well as salted Japanese curry powder.
The pork was tender and juicy and the crust was perfect. However, the pork did not have that nutty floral aroma that you get from a really good quality pork. For a restaurant that wants to promote itself as the premier place for Tonkatsu, the word "Kurobuta" was noticeably absent. 4.25/5
Inaniwa Udon
Tetsu imports this very special udon which is smaller in calibre than the normal udon. (Shall we call it Udon-Kia like Mee Kia?). The texture is silky smooth and very very nice on the bite. One of the best Udons I have tasted. 4.25/5
Roast Pork with miso sauce (new dish)
We all liked the roast pork here. Very flavoursome, tender and juicy. This is one dish we could have more of. 4/5
Conclusion
Being one of the new players in fast growing Japanese food market, Tetsu's strategy of specialising in Tempura and Tonkatsu prepared "Live" before customers is very interesting and the place has a great ambience. I feel though that they should go further by providing quality produce like Wagyu, Kurobuta, Wild Salmon and Sea Prawns in order to give consumers that extra something to make itself stand out from the crowd.
Tetsu 163 Tanglin Road #03-18 Tanglin Mall 68363112 Lunch 11.30am to 3pm Dinner 6pm to 10pm Disclaimer: This was an invited review
Remember the Italian/Singaporean couple I blogged about last year who opened a little stall selling pizzas at HDB prices? Well, they have decided to move upmarket and have opened a cosy little restaurant in the beautiful countrysidish part of Singapore known as Wessex Estate.
Portsdown Road is one of those last places in Singapore where you can still enjoy that "countryside" atmosphere and daydream about our colonial past. In fact, the whole of the Portsdown and Dover area used to be home to the British who find the "rolling hills" around the area to be reminiscent of home. The church which I attend, St John's St Margaret's, which used to be known as St John's Garrison Church, was the Anglican Parish Church catering to the needs of the British forces. The original triangular building is still there and being used to conduct services although the main service is now conducted in our new sanctuary.
Personally, I find the colonial period to be very romantic. It was a time when much of the world was still being discovered and ceiling fans were still manually driven by coolies. Think Indiana Jones and you know what I mean. I could almost imagine myself in that period as I sat in the the nice little courtyard with sunlight streaming into the restaurant and the smell of freshly cut wood in the air. Ok, I think it is apparent to you by now that I like the atmosphere of this place very much, so on to the food.
The pizzas are better quality than their "HDB" pizzas at La Pizzaola but still quite reasonably priced. The crust is thin and chewy and the tomato based sauce is less tangy which was my main complaint the last time I ate at La Pizzaola. I would highly recommend the rucola with parma ham pizza which really did satisfy my pizza craving that day. 4.25/5
We were because the kids were clamoring for pizzas after church and the last thing I wanted to do was to end up at Pizza Hut.With so little calories to waste, a nice Italian Pizza is actually not much more expensive and definitely tastes better than the commercial variety. But in order to have a more balanced Italian meal, we ordered some pasta as well just to try try. The Spinach ravioli was alright but could have been more tantalizing if the sauce was a little more cheesy. 3.75/5
Chef Owner Loris
Conclusion
Good pizzas combined with the laid back atmosphere of Wessex Estate. This certainly looks like a place I can go back often to get fulfill my pizza cravings. At least it beats having to bring the kids to Pizza Hut!
PS: Just spoken to Jennifer and confirmed that they have closed La Pizzaiola already. You can read about their first eatery here.
Ever wondered what the big fuss is over Mao Shan Wang? Or what is the difference between XO and D24? Or whether you can eat Hong Xia (lit Red Prawn) if you are allergic to prawns?
There are now so many branded Durians out there that there should be Durian appreciation courses just like what we do with wine! I think it's all to common that when Singaporeans eat Durians, the main concern is about where to go so that they don't get cheated. A lot of times, you either need to know a trusted Durian seller or know someone who does. Why can't there simply be a place where you can buy good Durians at an honest price?
So with those concerns in mind, I set out to see if I could find a place to conduct a Durian Appreciation session for our readers. As fate would have it, I met an old boy whom I used to book for coming to School late (I was a prefect then -- not so uptight now) who just happened to be the brand manager of Four Seasons Durians. They have just opened a new Durian cafe at Joo Chiat and it was also his idea to challenge the way Singaporeans enjoy the fruit. So when I broached the idea of a Durian Degustation, he readily agreed organize a session for us.
The idea is simple. Eat several breeds of Durians in a set course so that each one can be appreciated and have a Durianologist educate us on the different breeds so that our kakis can learn to differentiate between the real stuff and the fake stuff. Another important point was to fix the price per head so that we can all enjoy the session without worrying about whether we are still going to have spare change end of the night.
Now it takes a true Durian lover to gather at 10pm on a Monday night and pay $25 in order to eat the fruit. This gathering really did separate the true believers from the pew warmers. For those who don't have a habit of buying Durians by the kilo, $25 might seem a lot of money, but for the faithful Durian Devotees, $25 can sometimes mean only half a fruit. Our group of Devotees that night came from all walks of life and at different levels of enlightenment. But we were all gathered for the ritual shucking of the Durian followed by the partaking of instant gratification.
Hong Xia (Red Prawn) aka 101 12/kg
Our Durianologist, Richard started off the night by showcasing the Hong Xia* (Red Prawn) Durian which is easily recognized by the reddish colour of its flesh. Before he brought out the actual Hong Xia, we were presented with the cheaper D13 which was $8/kg which can easily be mistaken for the real Hong Xia which is the D101 $12/kg. The D13 and D101 are really very different fruits but both have similar red-orangey flesh. The big difference between the D13 and the D101 is that the D13 can sometimes be bitter while the D101 is always creamy, sweet and easy on the palate. Fashionfoodie remarked that it was one that you can eat a lot of without getting too jialat because it was not as pungent as the rest. The Hong Xia got the most votes for the favourite breed that night. 4.25/5
*A note about Hong Xia. It spoils quickly, so if you plan to buy it home, eat it immediately as it might be spoilt by the next morning.
D24 Durian $15/kg
The D24 is a popular breed which I think is so ubiquitous now that one really doesn't know which is the real D24 and which is not. The real D24 is thick and creamy (almost pastey) and very aromatic. 4.25/5 There was another D24 XO ($18/kg) version which was a little runnier and bitter which was my personal favourite for the night. 4.5/5
We had a brief intermission after the third course of Durians for people to run to their cars when the traffic police came to book people for parking illegally. Fortunately no one was issued a ticket, but the brief adrenaline rush was great for digestion.
Mao Shan Wang $20/kg
Mao Shan Wang is by far the most famous and sought after Durian amongst Durian lovers. But as with all the hype surrounding this particular breed, our expectations were very high. Most of the seeds were what we Teochew call "Zhu Hook" ie shrunken. So you get lots of flesh and very little seed.
I have now eaten this breed a few times and personally I feel that there were times when it was really good and other times when it was just so so. The really good ones were sweet, really creamy and had a bitterness that really hits you at the back of your palate leaving a nice "Karm Karm" (neutralized) aftertaste. The ones we had that night were not quite up to most of our expectations so a lot of our kakis came away feeling that it was "overrated". I felt it might have been that particular shipment that day because you really can't explain why people would be willing to fork out $20/kg for it otherwise. For that amount of money one would almost expect them to guarantee that the Durian would make you swoon or your money back! 4/5
XO Durian $18/kg
Richard served the XO* last because it was the most pungent and bitter of the lot. Served slightly runny so that it has some time to ferment, the XO was not as creamy but really very pungent so much so that our Japanese guests that night were holding their breaths while politely nodding their heads at the same time. Actually this was my second favourite of the lot. If you think of Hong Xia as Gouda then this is Blue Cheese. Might not be for everyone but it's the one to choose if you wish to scare some unsuspecting foreigners! 4.5/5
*There were only 9 XO durians available that night. They are usually reserved for the owner's personal consumption and only available on special request.
Boss Victor and his "Tao Chiu" (Expert)
Conclusion
It was a great night of fruit and fellowship for the true believers. Some actually got scolded by their partners for overindulgence but we rejoice for being persecuted for our devotion. I think we all got to learn a few things about Durians from Richard who also tells me (this is the promo part) that Four Season's policy is to build its reputation on honest dealing and to ensure that the customer always get what they pay for. In the next few months, they plan to open an air conditioned cafe proper which will showcase their Durian processing kitchen as it churns out Durian confectioneries like cakes and puffs. I think the future is indeed looking very bright for our next generation of Durian Devotees!
Thanks to Cactuskit and Holydrummer for helping me organize the session and to Richard for agreeing to do a degustation.
Four Seasons Durian Cafe 212 Joo Chiat Place, Off still road. For corporate functions and parties contact Richard at 96536625
Peramakan has been my gold standard for Peranakan food since I blogged them back when they were still in Joo Chiat. Since then they've moved over to Keppel Club and I heard rumours that perhaps the standard of the food had dropped. So it is time to revisit them again to find out the truth. I am glad (and very relieved) to report that all is well with my favourite Nonya's cooking!
Ayam Buah Keluak $14 Extra Buah Keluak $1.50
The first thing I asked for was the Ayam Buah Keluak which I raved about the last time. It's still the best version of this dish that I have come across. They actually go through the effort of scooping out the kernels and cooking them until they are wonderfully fragrant before stuffing them back into the nut. Besides that, the gravy is also chock full of finely ground nuts as well. So if you are a fan of Buah Keluak, you will love this. (I am not a big fan and I still loved this!)
Truth be known -- and please don't tell my mother-in-law -- This is the only Ayam Buah Keluak dish that I really truly enjoy. My father-in-law also loved this, I think more than the version my M-I-L cooks, but no one around the table would dare to say so. One thing I find about Nonyas is that they are all fiercely defensive about their own cooking and most of those I speak to think that they have the best Nonya recipes in the world! You agree?
Anyway, it takes 3 to 4 kernals to fill one shell, which is why they sell the extra nuts for $1.50 each. The dish itself comes with only 2 shells. Do yourself a favour and order at least two for each person. The other wonderful thing is that the chicken meat here tastes really fresh and comes in large chunks as compared to some of the other places where the chicken becomes overly soft after staying in the pot for too long. After tasting and blogging several versions of this dish, I am now upping the score for Peramakan's Ayam Buah Keluak to 4.75/5
Beef Rendang $12
The other dish I remembered was really good the last time was the Beef Rendang. The standard is still much the same except this time I felt it was just a fraction less tender as I remembered on the last occasion. Still it is a beef rendang that is a cut above the rest. The great thing about the beef here is that they use shin beef which has all that nice tendons which turn into gelatin after spending several hours over a slow fire. 4.5/5
The thing that I have always liked about Peramakan is that they don't compromise on food quality, which is why their prices are just a bit more than other places. But I think the small premium is worth the quality of food you get.
Otak Otak Makanan Laut $14
The seafood otah was good though I still prefer the type that is wrapped in banana leaf and BBQed over charcoal. Baking it like this tends to dry it up a bit. However the rempah is still very good and you get real chunks of seafood in the otah. And instead of using banana leaves, they use kunyit (tumeric) leaf instead, so the flavour of the dish is a little different from your usual Nonya style Otah. 4/5
Udang Goreng Assam $16
The Prawns might not look like much but the assam sauce was really shiok and its the kind of thing that makes you want to eat more rice. And for a change I could also taste the "prawniness" of the prawns. A lot of restaurants use the cheaper farmed prawns nowadays which really lack that wonderful sweetness of wild prawns. Kelvin confirmed that they use wild caught Sea Prawns which are so much better that I could tell the difference even with all that marinade. 4.25/5
Penang Nonya Pork Ribs $12
The Nonya Pork Ribs is another of their signature dish here. I didn't really like them all that much the last time and my taste for it hasn't changed much. They were good, but maybe I haven't acquired the taste for dishes made with Tao Cheo (Salted Beans) just yet. 3.75/5
Chendol $4
Do save some room for desserts as they are all very good here. The Chendol is one of the best around. They make their own Chendol (those green wormy things) here and I must say that they managed to get it to the texture I like. A lot of other homemade chendols tend to be a little on the powerdery side. But this one has more of that udon like consistency. The kidney beans are also cooked to perfection with each bean soft on the inside and the skin is soft enough to be easily eaten while still resilient enough not to break apart. That's how I think the beans should be and not cooked until its all mushy. The fresh coconut and gula melaka is excellent and will satisfy any Nonya dessert connoiseur! 4.5/5
Apom Berkuah $6
The other really special dish is their Apom with banana sauce. Very sweet, very rich, very sinful and very good. If you are coming specially for this dish, do ring up to ensure that they reserve some for you and they are very popular with the regulars. 4.25/5
Durian Pengat $5
And Durian lovers must try their Durian Pengat which is a kind of Durian Mousse served with sweet potato and yam. It's that deadly combination of Gula Melaka, Coconut and Durian... make sure you don't drink XO after that or according to the urban legend, it might be your last meal. 4.25/5
Conclusion
Peramakan is still my gold standard for Peranakan food. The best thing is that now the restaurant can seat 140 people comfortably and parking is so convenient. So don't let the fact that it is located in a Club get in your way of a great Peranakan meal!
PeramakanLevel 3 Keppel Club 10 Bukit Chermin Road S(109918) Open for lunch and dinner 63772829 www.peramakan.com This meal was hosted by Peramakan
With Big MOG, ieatfamily and friends Fisherman's Pie $26++
I think I finally figured out how to make fusion work.
You see, the problem with local fusion is that when stuff tastes too much like the local dish, most people would wonder why they would want to pay so much for something they can get at a hawker centre for a fraction of the price. So the simple solution to the problem is to ensure that what you are serving is 80% Ang Moh and 20% local and not the other way around.
So take for instance Persimmon's Fisherman's Pie. It is more like a Fisherman's Pie than it is like laksa and it worked very well for me. I have a thing for puff pastry with creamy seafood sauce -- just love the way the puff pastry soaks up all that yummy creamy sauce oohah.
Persimmon's version of the Fisherman's pie marries the classic recipe with a hint of laksa taste but without the coconut cream or the spiciness. It was chock full of fresh seafood and not too jialek. It's akin somewhat to Japanese style curry where you get all that umami flavour of the spices but without the heat of an Indian curry. So when you eat Japanese curry, it is distinctly Japanese but with a Indian influence. Similarly, the Fisherman's pie is still distinctly Irish but with a Singaporean influence which is what I think made this dish work. 4.25/5
White Pepper Crab Cakes $16++ (2 pieces)
Crab cakes are another of my all time favourite starters. For one thing, it takes away all the effort of having to peel the crab meat yourself. (Some little old lady at the back of the restaurant has already peeled it for you and hopefully she isn't breaking her dentures doing it) This version is supposed to be reminiscent of our famous white pepper crab dish. It was tasty but I felt it needed some sort of creamy sauce to go with it. It would also have been better if it were slighty thicker so that it keeps the moisture in better. 4/5
Linguini laksa-leaf pesto $26++
Laska Pesto seems to be the in thing for many restaurants recently. The laksa leaf has such a wonderfully distinct taste that one can't help but think of laksa when you taste it. So even though the pasta dish is only made from olive oil and laksa leaves sans the spices and coconut milk, you still can't help thinking about Laksa. As I have said earlier, I think this version works better because it is still closer to the Ang Moh end of the spectrum than the Singapore end. So you are still eating a Pesto Pasta but with a laksa twist. 4/5
According to Sharon, the Curried Chicken Wings were an inspiration from childhood when mom used to deep fry the leftover overnight curry chicken wings. So we are talking about Chicken Wings which have already been thoroughly infused with that wonderful nonya curry flavour before deep frying. The taste was really good but the problem I felt was that the flesh was not as moist as a freshly fried chicken wing. 3.75/5
Mushroom ravioli $22
Being an unabashed carnivore with an obligatory concern about my cholesterol levels, I am always on the lookout for vegetarian dishes that can provide me with as much epicurean epiphany as a foie gras lollipop. Although the Mushroom Ravioli is still some way from hitting that threshold, I must say it is a veggie dish that was revelatory in its own right. The Ravioli is filled with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mushrooms and is wonderfully crunchy and savoury. But the real gem is in the chilli cream sauce which was surprisingly good. The funny thing is that if I did not tell you it is made of red chilli, you might not have guessed it. It's a little sweet and hinted of the chilli fragrance without the heat. I could think of a few more ideas with this sauce like maybe a lasagna. It blended perfectly with the Ravioli and the wonderfully sweet sauteed Portabello mushrooms. 4.25/5
Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao
Since this was a lunch hosted by Sharon (who also owns Epicurious), we also got to taste test some experimental items for her next menu. One of these was the Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao. The concept is a XL Xiao Long Bao (extra big small dragon pao - maybe we should just call it a Long Bao) which has the normal meat filling but with a nice chunk of Foie Gras inside. If you are a meat lover like me who always orders the "meat lover's pizza", you would find this a real treat. However, some of the other people around the table found it a tad heavy. What might be a good idea is to serve it with something like a caramelised black vinegar sauce which provide a bit of zest to the otherwise sluggish flavours of the meat and liver.
Conclusion
I don't usually like fusion very much but I must say that there were a few items here that really did hit the right note for me. The place is bright, cheery and informal and would be great for a casual lunch or dinner. As I alluded to from the beginning, my opinion is that local fusion can only work if the dish was more western than local. What do you all think?
Persimmons 50 Tiong Bahru Road #01-07 Link Hotel Singapore Tel: 6227 2271 Open daily This lunch was hosted by Sharon
The meat pie was one of my favourite eats when I was studying in Australia. You can get them at just about every corner eatery that you can find. It's one of those foods that I often get a craving for, just like Hokkien Mee and Satay.
It's not easy to find a classic Aussie Pie in Singapore. A lot of the pies here are made of puff pastry rather than the shortcrust pastry. Lucky me, Big Ben's is a great little pie shop that is just round the corner from where I live.
Steak, Bacon and Guiness Pie $3.50
What I like about these pies is the fact that they are close to what I used to eat in Australia. The crust is just right such that they are not overly crumbly but firm to the bite. You could almost describe it as "Al Dente" but not quite. My favourite flavour is the beef and mushrooms. They use nice chunky beef here and its just comfort food for me. I think that the amount of beef chunks have been reduced somewhat in recent days due to the increasing food cost. Although it might not be as good as the best pies I had in Australia, at least it comes close to a better than average pie there. 4.25/5
Chicken Pie $3.50
The chicken pie is one of their best sellers, but I did not like them as much as I like the beef pies. Even in Australia, I seldom eat chicken pies. I felt the gravy was too watery and herbally for my liking. 3.5/5
Conclusion
A pie to satisfy my craving for an Aussie pie. Now ieatjr has also developed a taste for it too!
Big Ben's Place15 Swan Lake Avenue (Opera Estate) 68760737 Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm www.bigbensplace.com.sg
When the reporter from Channel U asked me to pick a place where we can stage the interview, Ya Kwang immediately came to mind. I chose Ya Kwang because Jason decided to introduce Cze Char dishes right after the first blog post on their Kway Chap. It was during that meeting that I discussed with Jason about the possibility of introducing a Lobster Noodle dish that was available outside of a hotel or fancy restaurant. It became the first of many unique new Cze Char dishes to be introduced our local food scene.
So after 10 months of blogging (on this and other blogs), the print media finally took notice and featured their Crab Bee Hoon on the Sunday Times last week. I thought this was a good example of how blogging is changing the way eateries are being marketed in our day and age.
Personally, I feel that restaurants have not fully realize the potential of blogs to make or break a restaurant. Of course, blogs are still very much in the infancy stage compared to the main stream media when it comes to marketing. However, as the experience in the Malaysian elections have shown, it would be a mistake to simply ignore the blogs. I think it is only a matter of time before PR agencies are hired by the restaurants to manage bloggers. This would be a whole new ballgame for the PR agencies because they will be dealing with a group of people whose nature is to fiercely defend their right to independence and free speech.
On the other hand, consider the impact that a group of 20 or 30 food bloggers reviewing the same eatery all at the same time. All we need now is a nexus whereby they can all be mobilized simultaneously. It's an uphill task trying to get a whole bunch of individualistic "cats" to behave like socialistic "dogs". There have been food bloggers' dinners organized in the past to try to bring food bloggers together, but these have only been a "blue moon" affair. The community of food bloggers in Singapore still tend to remain fragmented. Some would perhaps argue that it should remain this way. Though I believe that blogging should retain its independent flavour, I also see the marketing potential of some form of association. I am trying to plant the seed for such a nexus by creating a special segment in the forum where Singapore food bloggers can get together to discuss food blogging issues. It's a start but there is still a long way to go.
One of the emerging players in this whole equation is the blog advertising agency Nuffnang whose ads are supported in this blog. Nuffnang is emerging as the de facto association for bloggers by organizing gatherings and forums where bloggers can all congregate to discuss contemporary issues. The next logical evolution is for Nuffnang to segment its registered bloggers into the various categories and mobilize them to provide reviews of different products. I think that would be an attractive proposition to advertisers. Currently they are already doing product advertorials but on a wider, less specialized scale.
Anyway, enough of theorizing, back to the appetizing.
500g Lobster Tang Hoon $60
For this occasion, we wanted to do something that would look impressive on TV, so we went with the Boston Lobster again. Nothing spectacularly imaginative, just substituting Crab for Lobster in his already popular Crab Tang Hoon dish.
This dish combines one of my favourite carbs with my all time favourite seafood. Korean Tang Hoon is one of those magical foods that I simply fell in love with when I first tasted it in Sydney. (My hometown of Eastwood is almost like a little Korea!) And I fell in love with Lobster the first time I had it in Phuket. Not only because they are nice to eat (and very exclusive), their are probably the prettiest and most photogenic of seafoods. The bright red colour never fails to make a good picture, and the shell and tomalley (that green stuff in the head) always imparts the savoury taste of the sea to starchy staples of any kind. So it was a impressive no brainer. 4.5/5
Conclusion
I would like to apologize to the 11 Lao Shis (10 from St Andrew's and Kang Lao Shi of RJC '87-'88) who have tried their utmost to teach me mandarin. I tried my best but as you can see, I have not made further progress in the last 20 years. And if it makes you feel any better, I am still occasionally waking up in the middle of the night thinking that I am sitting for my Chinese Exams the next day. So I hope it shows that I really did try. And to the rest, please give me a break, my Chinese is not "Half past six", its a proper D7!
Thanks again to all the readers of this blog. Your comments and constant encouragement continue to fan the charcoal fire and keep the satay grilling!
Update 1 Nov 2008
Please note that Jason has sold his business as of 1 Nov 2008. We wish him all the best as he ventures down under!
Ya Kwang Dai Pai Dong 709 Geylang Road(Lor 37) 11am to 11pm daily 98170006 Lobster orders before 7 pm
Here's the translation of the Video provided by jems based on the transcript: Thanks jems!
Some bloggers like to make use of their online blogs to introduce food they love to eat. There's this particular blogger who sets out to eat all the local hawker food and blog it on his blog as a food directory for netizens.
Dr Leslie Tay loves food and also loves photography. He combined these two interests one and a half years ago, started an online food blog, going around Singapore tasting hawker food, took pictures and uploaded them onto his blog, added his critic, categorized them into various categories for easy lookup for the netizens, averaging a hit rate of 8000 a day.
Some hawkers even voluntarily requested for Dr Tay to blog about them, hoping that it will help to boost their business. Dr Tay said, " Some said it does not affect much. It's very hard to say, but for most of the unique ones, I give full marks, or rather not full marks, but 4.75, most of them will see a significant improvement in business."
There's a stall situated at Geylang which is famous for its Crab Beehoon and Lobster Noodles, after Dr Tay's introduction saw an increase in business by 50%. There are even Indonesian netizens who after reading the blog, specially flew into town to try his food. Ya Kwang Da Pai Dang's boss Jason Tan said, "When they were here, they were carrying luggage, to come and eat my Lobster Noodles, I just find it very amusing, Dr Tay's blog can evoke foreigners to come try my stuffs."
Other than introducing good food, Dr Tay also from time to time suggests to the hawkers how to improvise and create new dishes, for example this Lobster Tang Hoon. Netizens also discuss in his forum how never to waste calories on yucky food.
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Tomo Izakaya 
