No Name Hainanese Curry Rice: Maximum Ommph, Minimum Fuss

Crispy Fried Pork

There is really only one word that would adequately describe this meal and that word is SHIOK! Somehow "really tasty", "yummy", "delectable" and all the other adjectives don't really capture the emotional response as well as the word "SHIOK" or even better, "D__n SHIOK!". It just rolls off your tongue and I think it must also cause the release of endorphins when you say it. It really is almost like uttering a vulgar expletive because it does give release to your pent up emotions inside when you taste something that hits the spot. I reckon the Singapore Tourism Board should intentionally market it to tourists so that it has the same level of recognition as "Oishi!" and "Aroy Mak!".

This meal can be found in the most predictable of places, viz in an old run down coffeeshop reminicent of Singapore in the 60's. It is so unassuming that the stall doesn't even have a name, let alone a signboard. They don't even bother to light up the dreary trays of food! It goes to show that for Singaporeans, when it comes to food, it is all about substance over style, Shiokability over show.

The Crispy Fried Pork here is really D__n Shiok! Unlike some other stalls which I have tried, the crispy pork here is like eating Keropok. It is crispy right through and when you add it to the plate of rice covered with the deluge of curry, lor and cabbage gravy, it really is heavenly. Give me just these two things and I am a happy man. 4.75/5


Rice with Curry, Lor and Chap Chye Gravy. 50 cents

Now I always say that the only thing better than really good food is when the really good food is cheap as well. So here is probably the cheapest way for you to fill your tummy, still have change for your dollar AND still be able to say SHIOK! Yes, I have confirmed that they will actually sell you a plate of rice with 3 gravies for 50 cents and it comes with a plate and utensils.


Hainanese Curry Chicken

Now the star of the show is the Crispy Pork. The rest of the dishes like the Curry chicken 4/5, Braised Pork 4.25/5 and Stewed Cabbage with "Lion Head" 4.25/5 are all very good but not as outstanding. However, taken as a whole package, it makes for a very satisfying meal.

Conclusion

Shiok Not Enough! Veeeery Veeery Shiok!

No Name Hainanese Curry Rice
Blk 40 Beo Crescent
6.30am to 3pm
Closed Wed

Absolute Haven: Fine Dining for the whole Family

Mother's Day Celebrations

Risotto Rice Cakes $8++

There is no problem looking for good food in Singapore if money is not a problem. You just have to go to some really high class restaurant and enjoy a great meal. The tricky thing is how to find a place that serves great food but at a price which would not make you think about going there only on special occasions. Plus, as our blog monitoress, Khim would testify, sometimes you can spend a lot of money at a fancy restaurant and still need to go to the hawker centre afterwards because your stomach is only half full (or half empty depending on whether.... aiyah you heard it all before)

Anyway, I am very pleased to find a restaurant that I think khim would approve.

Absolute Haven was started by a brother and sister team who's idea is to provide value-for-money, fine dining in an informal setting. This is the kind of idea I like since that means that I can bring my kids along and still enjoy a great meal.

We started off with their signature appetizer which is Risotto Rice cakes. Imagine potato rosti but made of rice instead. I liked their parmigiana sauce which has just the right balance of sweetness and tang to it. The Rice Cakes was a little novel for me and I can't really decide if I actually like Rice which is crispy on the outside but mushy like a thick porridge within. Still the strength of the sauce made for quite a tasty bite. 4/5


Yorkshire Pork Rack $23++

Let's move quickly to the dish that I am highly recommending.

When it comes to Grilled Pork Rack, the Yorkshire White Pig is Champion over the Berkshire Black Pig (Kurobuta) in my books. I have a stack of Grilled Kurobuta Pork Rack photos still sitting in my hard drive that will never see the light of a LCD screen. They were expensive and really nothing to write about (at least those that I have tried). Now the Yorkshire Pork Rack is a different story. I have had this twice and both times it has raised my eyelids and delighted my tastebuds.


Not easy to get Pork Chops to remain juicy!

The thing about Pork Chops is that they get dry very easily if not done well. But the Yorkshire Pork Rack tends to be juicy and tender and the pork has a wonderful nutty and earthy flavour about it. Part of the tenderness is due to the fact that they marinade the pork in milk before cooking. They grill it quite nicely here such that the Pork has that wonderful smoky charred flavor. Quite a big portion for $23 and around half the price of the Kurobuta Pork Rack that I've had elsewhere. The jus has just enough umami to bring out the full flavour of the pork. 4.5/5


Lamb Rack $26++

Would you agree with me that it is easier to come across lousy beef than lousy lamb? Most Lamb racks can still "make it" even if they are not cooked well. My usual complain with lamb is that there is never enough to eat because they are so small.

I am happy to report however that you get 3 quite generous cuts of Lamb Rack here and they use quite a good quality Australian chilled lamb, so its tender and juicy. The sauce has just the right amount of sweetness which I like with stronger tasting meats. It was so good that the kids were clamoring for more and we had to order a second portion just for them! (And for the M-I-L too) 4.5/5


Pesto Cod $26++

$26 here buys you two generous slices of "White Cod" (Not gindara, my guess is it's probably Sea Perch) as well as a deep fried soft shell crab which I think is great value. I found though that the pesto sauce was a little too mild. I think it could be better with more ground up pinenuts and a stiffer parmesan to give it more punch. 3.75/5


Panna Cotta++

Not everything is rosy though and the dessert dept needs a bit of a brush up. We tried the Panna Cotta and the Creme Brulee and all I can say is that if you are the type who is concerned about health, then the desserts here will suit you well. However, I think that most dessert lovers will go for something that is sweet and creamy so the stuff here might not make the grade for them. So I hope that they can work on this dept so that we can all finish the meal with something that is more on par with their appetizer and mains. 3/5

Conclusion

If only this place had been around when I was still dating Amagada! It would have been quite an affordable place for a romantic dinner! Great place for a set lunch too except that the interior lighting needs to be changed because it is too dim when there is bright sunshine shining through the narrow main entrance. Oh yes, and for those who like to complain about places charging for ice water, you'll be pleased to know that ice water here is not only free, it is nicely scented with slices of strawberries as well.

Absolute Haven
70, Princep St (Opp Parklane)
63334358
www.absolutehaven.com.sg

Yeo Keng Nam Chicken Rice: Should the Rice be fried first?

With the ieatfamily


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

Wow Wow West: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree!

Chicken Chop $4

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

This song was based on an actual incident in 1973 where a recently released convict was on the bus home after serving a prison term. He wasn't quite sure if his wife still wanted him back after three long years. He said in his letter that if she had chosen to move on with her life, he would understand. But if she wanted him back, she should tie a yellow ribbon round the Old Oak Tree as a sign that he should get off the bus and come home.

As, the bus approached his home town, he was so afraid of disappointment that he asked the bus driver to look out for the yellow ribbon for him instead. When they finally saw the Oak Tree, it didn't just have a single ribbon, the tree was full of yellow ribbons! His wife wanted him to know, without the shadow of a doubt that he had been forgiven and he had a family to come home to!

We all know about the power of forgiveness. How many times have we done something wrong and needed to seek forgiveness from someone? Remember the sense of relief when the person you wronged eventually smiles and accepts your apology?

But here we are talking about a bigger wrong. Someone who has committed a crime against society and has been put in Prison for a period of time. Having paid the price for his transgressions, is he now accepted back into society?

So what does all this have to do with a Wow Wow West? Well, quite a lot really.

Eric Ng (that's his car on the right), the owner of Wow Wow West wasn't an quite an ex-convict himself, but he did spend some time at Boys Town when he was younger. He started attending Church after Boy's Town and began his career in the food and beverage industry working at places like the Raffles Hotel. He still does catering for the Istana (I was told that his honey baked ham was a favourite dish amongst the big wigs there). But he recalls that there was a time in his life when he was not serious about his faith and his family life was not exactly smooth sailing.


Pork Chop $5

Things came to a head one day when his eldest daughter ran away from home. It was at this time of trouble that he realized he really needed to get right with God. He made a deal with God that if his daughter would return home, he would dedicate his life to serving him as a counselor with the halfway house.

Well, you can guess what happened. His daughter did come home, so Eric made good his promise to God.

Now he employs ex-offenders (fully salaried) who work daily at his Western Food Shop up till 11pm. He then sits down with them and counsels them, sometimes till 2am in the morning. Although most of these men have already turned their backs on their previous lives, it still takes time to work out some of the issues which still haunt them.

It was such a joy to talk to Eric who tells me that though it can be very trying at times to work with the ex-offenders, he feels that his rewards have been bountiful. His whole family now helps out at the stall whenever possible and the business is brisk. His stall is easily one of the busiest at the Food Center, a testament to God's Blessings, says Eric.


Fish and Chips $5

I realise that there are really two styles of Hawker "Western" Food nowadays. The traditional ones have that local flavour as most of them would incorporate Asian ingredients like MSG and soy sauce in their marinade. However, there are those like Wow Wow West whose food taste more "Western" as they use mostly herbs like basil and tarragon and avoid the use of MSG.

The thing that struck me most about the food was the generous amount you get for the price. The first dish we were served was the Fish n Chips which was HUGE for only $5. Seriously, it was the size of a Ping Pong bat and it was thick! The bread crumb crust was also executed well so it was crisp but not oily. Now the only thing is that they use Cream Dory which can sometimes taste a bit muddy. I was impressed with the homemade coleslaw here which is cold and crisp and easily better than KFC's. The tartare sauce could be a little more tangy and have more pickles, but hey at $5, one should not complain too much. 4/5

The other best selling items here are the Chicken Chop and Pork Chops. Both are seasoned with western herbs which was alright for me. But you know, sometimes I still like the more traditional marinade with the MSG oomph. Again the portions are generous. For $5, you get 2 thick slices of pork loin the size of your hand (lady's) and a whole Chicken Maryland only costs $4. I like the way the meat is pan fried till there is a nice crust on the outside. 4/5

Conclusion

Value for money, "Western" Style western food with a great story to boot! Their foot long Pork Cheese sausage is just $3 and $5 if you get the set. They sell Beef Steaks here for $5 (did not try). The food is well executed and pretty decent. Definitely one for those looking to satisfy a big appetite for a few bucks!

Update: May 2008

The owner Eric has moved over to ABC brickworks food centre and given the ownership of the original stall at Bukit Merah View to the former inmate that he helped to train. I haven't got the number of the stall but it is just a few stalls away from the Pao store that I recommended.

Wow Wow West
#01-301 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre,
Block 115 Bukit Merah View
Open 10am to 11pm
Catering available: Call 93808571
Link to Breakthrough Missions Website

YY Kafei Dian: Authentic Hainanese Fare?

I really don't know why Hainanese Food has such an effect on me. I am not sure if it is the nostalgia attached to it since I have so many fond memories of old Hainanese Coffee Houses like Silver Spoon and Cairnhill Steakhouse. Many Hainanese men worked on "Ang Moh" ships where they learnt how to cook western dishes. When they arrived in Singapore, they modified their cooking to suit our local tastes. If you think that fusion cuisine is a modern phenomenon, then you should really consider Hainanese style food and think again.



Don't you think that Hainanese Pork Chops is fusion cuisine? Essentially it is a Pork Schnitzel seasoned to suit local tastes and served with Pototo Chips and Peas. I am a big fan of Hainanese Pork Chops. So much so that there is even a special label for this particular dish. One of our readers, jcys, alerted me to this particular one which he described as "old fashioned killer" pork chops.

What I like about the pork chops is that instead of bread crumbs they still use the crushed up "Jacobs" Cream Crackers for the crust which is how it is done traditionally. This really makes the crust just that much more crispy. The other thing I like is that instead of using Pork Loin, they use the Pork Neck (I think) which is the same cut used for Sweet and Sour Pork (Ku Rou Yoke). This cut of meat tends to be more juicy, chewy and flavoursome. So overall, I would say this is one Pork Chop that you'd need to add to your list of must trys. 4.25/5

The Hainanese Chap Chye here is good but still pales in comparison with my all time favourite over at Chin Chin. It did not have enough of the cuttlefish flavour which I really enjoy. 3.75/5



The Chicken Rice here is pretty standard for Chicken Rice nowadays. The chicken is soft and succulent even though they cook it till the marrow is dark red color. That really gives more assurance that I will not be getting salmonella poisoning after eating it. (Yeah, Doctors think like that) As you can see from the picture, they are able to cook the chicken such that there is a nice layer of gelatine under the skin which is a real plus point for me. The rice is good but nothing much to rave about. 4/5



One of the dishes which we were pleasantly delighted with was the Crispy Sotong. The batter has a very nice spicy vanilla flavour to it that reminded me of cereal prawns. It goes really well with the plain Chicken Rice. 4.5/5



Although YY Kafei Dian is probably most famous for these Soft Kaya Buns, there are other traditional Hainanese Desserts that they serve on weekends that we did not get to try. One is the Arh Buah which is similar to the more familiar Muah Chee. Guess I have to make a return trip for this.

The buns are all baked on the premises and are super soft. I think that for these type of buns, one really goes for the texture. I found the buns was rather plain and the crust too light and dry for me. It was not the savoury buttery style buns like Chin Mei Chin or Gideon. Amagada really loved it though. 4/5

Conclusion

It was a great after Church lunch for the extended family. We all had chicken rice, several dishes and finished it off with Kopi and Kaya buns and still had change for $50. When I was there I spied that they had a Hainanese Kong Bak which looked like quite a killer dish, (in more ways than one) and one of the guys in the adjacent table was raving about it. So looks we'll be back one of these days.

YY Kafei Dian
37 Beach Road #01-01
8am to 10.30pm Daily

The First ieat-weMeet-weEat session: The Aftermath

With liverpool, smart, iwatch_ueat, Amagada, Laplace, Caesium, eastcoastlife, EdAltis, sorjourner, SCS Butter, Happi Mummi, neuros neuros and friends still thinking about their pen names.


Create Your Own

Phew! After a month of planning we finally had the very first ieat-weMeet-weEat session. Here is the report and pics for those who could not make it. The ieat-associates have all rated the food and the results are in. So I am not going to comment on the food, but instead I will just post the pics and let the ieat-associates write their individual reviews instead.

The evening started with the ieat table quiz where everyone got their brains churning by trying to identify pictures of different foods from the blog. After 2 rounds of intense, appetite stimulating brain work, tables 1 and 2 were tied. It was eventually up to Caesium to break the deadlock with his brilliant answer to the question: "What is ieat's favourite lens?" (Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro)

The ieat-guru honours went to Happi Mummi after several rounds of intense brain wringing questions. She was deadlocked with liverpool in the naming of foods that have yet been blogged. Eventually she tipped liverpool with her strategic answer to the question: "How many hits does the blog get daily on average?" Liverpool, due to poor strategy and lack of self control, blurted his answer point blank -- 1200, to which Happi Mummi immediately quipped 1201! She won because the blog currently gets around three times that number of hits.

The final surprise of the evening was the arrival of our special guest -- The Butcher, who had just finished a hard days' work experimenting with possibly a first in Singapore and probably in Johor and Batam. He had finished his very first batch of Wagyu Sausages and whisked down to let the ieat-associates give their feedback on his new creation!

All in all, I think we all enjoyed the evening (me especially)and it was great to eventually put a face behind the pen name.

Here then are the pics of the 9 course meal we had and the aggregate ratings that were given. OK guys, time to Zhor Gang! (Do some work) Over to you to give your review of the dishes!


Cold Dish - Shark's Fin Egg Fu Yong, Braised Chicken, Heh Zhor 3.5/5


Special 4 Flavour Soup with Sliced Abalone 4/5


Thai Style Fried Fish 3.75/5


Dog Stew Duck 4/5


Home Made Tofu 4.5/5


Pork Rib King 4.5/5


French Beans with Sambal dried prawns 4.25/5


Special fried La Mien 3.5/5


Yam paste 4/5



Wow! This is the very first time I have come across Wagyu Sausages. Unfortunately the Wagyu Sausages were cooked by the Zi Yean Chef who simply blanched the sausages and served them. They should rightly be grilled so that the Wagyu fats could sizzle and release their aroma. Anyway it was still a real novelty and left a nice beefy aftertaste on the palate.

Acknowledgements

• Butcher Chia for providing the Wagyu surprise and the Sausage Samplers for everyone
• SCS Butter and Happi Mummi for organizing the games and sponsoring the table gifts and prizes
• iwatch_ueat for calling everyone up, registering and collecting the money
• Smart and Liverpool for encouraging me to stage the event
• Everyone who turned up and their support for ieatishootipost
• Apple and Lao Ban Niang from Zi Yean Restaurant who were extremely helpful with the organization of the event

Ha! eastcoastlife has already beaten me to the report! Hers came out on the night itself! Click here

Zi Yean Restaurant
Blk 56 Lengkok Bahru #01-443
64740911