FatPapa - Chiak Ba Boh?

2007-07-08T23:19:00.000+08:00

The Great Curry Puff Shoot-out

Chiak Bah Boh?

Watched a show over Channel 8 about 5 places selling great curry puffs last week. Having nothing to do over the weekend, decided to review all 5 places in 1 single sitting. Besides, this is the 1st time fatpapa is doing this curry puff shootout thingy - so who won eventually?

Legend (or Channel 8) has it that the best curry puffs can be found at the following 5 places:

1) Old Airport Road FC (Wang Wang)

2) Ang Mo Kio, Blk 722 (Tip Top curry puff)

3) Hong Lim FC (Tanglin)

4) 1A (various outlets over the island)

5) M hotel, M2000 Cafe

Now what makes a good puff? Crispy or Soft Skin? Spicy or non-Spicy fillings? Its all up to the individual actually - for some those limp 30 cents for 1 curry pok can be world's best but for some $30 one then can consider world's best. So what I have done in this shootout comparison is strictly based on those exquisite tongue of mine and of my opinion only. Judge at your own risk! And please don't sue me hor....

So we began on this curry puff expedition by first checking out the HongLim (HL) ones before swinging east towards Old Airport Rd. Here we hot a brick wall - 10 people queued up in front of the stall with no curry puff in sight. Gave up the wait and hit north towards Ang Mo Kio for Tip Top and 1A curry puffs. Finally flew down south towards M hotel - our final destination and last of the 5 famous puffs - for our shootout location.

As I only managed to find 4 of the 5 puffs, this shootout will have the old airport rd one missing. I remembered eating it sometime ago but can't remember much, just that it is quite nice. So i have decided to give all 5 puffs a cursory 3.5 stars out of 5 first, and see how far off the final rating is from the standard. So in this case, since the old airport one is not reviewed - it gets a cursory 3.5 stars out of 5.

(1 being best, 4 being worst; Y = yes, N=no)

M hotel TipTop HongLim 1A

Skin 1 4 2 3

Spiciness 4 2 1 3

Juiciness 2 4 3 1

Flavour 3 1 2 4

Egg? N Y Y N

Price $3.50 $1.00 $1.20 $1.10

Individual remarks

M Motel: Best puff skin of the lot. Soft, layered, not too thick. Healthier choice as the puffs are baked and not fried. The puffs are also the least spicy of all, bodering on the sweet. $3.50 (exclusive of GST) is a liitle expensive, but you can really taste the chunks of chicken meat in this one.

Tip Top: The skin is a little like the "Old Chang Kee" type, a bit thick and rubbery. Not to my liking. The fillings are also very dry but that probably also explains why the curry is spicier and flavourful. If you like the taste of Indian curry, this one really tops the group. At $1 per piece, it is also the cheapest.

Hong Lim: Has the crispiest skin of the lot and is also the spiciest. The spice has a nice endnote that hits you right in the gut lasting long after devouring the puff. Perhaps the most well balanced of the 4, with the right mix of flavour, spiciness and juiciness.

1A: Worst of the lot. Even though it has the juiciest fillings, it suffers from lack of taste which just doesn't titilate the senses. Too commercialised - it simply tasted like its mass produced and lacking in character.

My take? The Hong Lim one. Most well balanced of the lot combining great skin, flavour and spiciness. The M hotel one is quite good actually, the flavour is sweet but flavourful. Didn;t like the Tip Top skin, but the fillings though a bit dry, is perhaps the best around. 1A? Sorry didn;t quite hit the mark.

Fatpapa rating

M hotel: Cursory 3.5, Fatpapa 4

Tip Top: Cursory 3.5, Fatpapa 3.5

Hong Lim: Cursory 3.5, Fatpapa 4.25

1A: Cursory 3.5, Fatpapa 2.5

Old Airport Rd: Cursory 3.5

2007-05-30T15:38:00.000+08:00

咸菜鸭

Chiak Bah Boh?

Its been eons since I last blogged. Today I am a bit free and and due to constant nagging by me wifey, I have decided to relaunch my postings.

This time it is about duck - the salted kind. Actually done this review long time ago and the pics are tucked like kiam chye somewhere in my laptop. This accidental review was done (yes! accidental!) becos the original intended review didn't quite make it. You see, my original intent was to review the so called Bak Kut Teh at Sin Ming Rd (Blk 22) but as it was a Sunday, the queue was long, and the most pek chek thing is that the Bak Kut was only SO-SO (the ter kah - braised pig trotters was actually not too bad). So while we waited and waited for our Bak Kut, my attention turned to this stall selling teochew braised ark (ark = duck in teochew) that had a healthy queue lined up infront of the stall. So being the typical Singaporean - I joined the queue.

Disappointing...

What came certainly didn't disappoint. You start salivating at the very sight of it - the kind you get before munching on 酸梅. The Ark came in a thick rich broth that was delightfully salty, sour and spicy, with big chunks of salted veges, sour prunes, mushrooms and tomatos thrown in. In fact, the soup was so peppery that we soon worked up a sweat after taking it. The duck was tender to the bone but some may complain that it is a tad overdone. My take? The meat is secondary - whats alluring is the OOmmmpph the soup possess. With a plate of white rice - Purrrfect! The teochew braised duck also not bad but don't miss the Kiam Chye Ark!

Fatpapa rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (2.5 stars out of 5 for the Bak Kut Teh)

2006-10-27T20:51:00.000+08:00

阿宝 BBQ Seafood

Chiak Bah Boh?

Who blogs on Friday nites anyway? I doing this specially for someone so that her Mother doesn't need to cook dinner on her own birthday. Happy Birthday Auntie - even though having Char Siew should have be the better option...

My friend once mentioned to me that Bukit Timah Food Centre has the best BBQ Stingray on this planet. I didn't believe it then and when he brought me there I also didn;t believed him even though he claimed that the cook was having an off day. Nothing spectacular.

I never tried it ever since.

For some unkown reason, I had to treat my wife to something special for dinner and unfortunately ran out of places to eat. So I thought - why not since we are in the area. We ordered the previously "nothing spectacular" bbq stingray not expecting any exceptional suprises.

$%$$#%^^&^%* The stingray is fresh but what makes it really outstanding is the sambal chilli. The sambal chilli had a distinct black pepper taste which is seldom found elsewhere and this gives it the edge over others because it gave it an extra facet of flavour. The bbq stingray also was not oily, slightly crispy on the outside but not over done. Perfect!

Perhaps the cook really had an off day on that fateful night 5 years ago...

Fatpapa rating: 4 out of 5 stars

2006-09-27T14:14:00.000+08:00

Bukit Timah Secrets Reloaded

Chiak Bah Boh?

Bukit Timah has recently developed into a "niche" dining area from the "so infamous" Newton FC to the more upmarket 6th Avenue / Turf City area and the very "atas" (read: snobbish) Greenwood Place. Riding on the wave of such renaissance, a couple of interesting restaurants have sprung up at the "previously so very dead" Railway Mall. There were previously 2 pubs, a couple of cake shops and a small supermarket along this stretch of shops. Now, there is a famous ramen shop, a 24hr prata / kaya toast place as well as a 24 hr fish ball noodle shop.

First up, an unpretentious italian deli called Garbaltis (or something - didn't really check properly). No menus here - the menu is right in front of you in the refridgerated counter. They have everything ranging from pastas, pizzas to seafood to roast meats or cuts. Evrything is sold by the weight - so u just choose the amount you want and the staff will weigh and heat it up for you. The lasagne and pizza are really good - in fact very authentic (chef is an italian) and the pasta came with chopped red chillies (which I have since adapted into my very own seafood marinara creation) which gave it a nice spicy twist. Do be forwarned though - don't get too greedy with your selections - the bill can be a tad expensive.

I think I am the first to make this review. Hooked! A Fish & Co copycat but a far better imposter than the real thing. When Fish & Co first started in Singapore (by some ex SIA fella), the concept was fresh and an instant hit. following such success, there were a few copycats that emerged by didn't quite hit the same heights as Fish & Co. Fish & Co has since opened several outlets across the country but disappointingly i feel that the standard has also dropped tremendously since its flagship days at Plaza Singapura. Chanced upon this outlet 2 weeks ago and was told that this joint is opened by the same creators of Cafe Cartel. Thought it was a bit odd to open their first flagship in a place as "ulu"(read: rural) as Railway Mall. After trying the food, I am inclined to believe that we should see this at more popular places in the near future. I had their self recommended fish and chips and my wife had some herb snapper with spaghetti. For side dishes, we had Otah Toast as well as some chicken wing name I can't remember (as you can see - the chicken wings didn't leave an impression so try at your own risk). For seafood to taste good, it is extremely imprtant for it to be fresh cos no matter how good the condiments are or sauces, a bad fish is a bad fish - nothing can change that fact. So I was plesantly surprised to find that the quality of the fish used were all exceptionally fresh - no cutting corners here. The snapper with herbs and spaghetti that my wife had was also delightfully tasty and most importantly - Fresh! The Otah Toast was quite good too, with real chunks of dish meat but i would prefer the taste of the otah to be spicer and stronger. Due to its opening special, we were also served party portions of the Shark vindaloo. The shark meat was good but we found the curry a bit weak but still relatively ok. Prices are reasonable and the portions quite big - slightly cheaper than Fish & Co and with better quality. The jury is still out on them whether they can still maintain the same standards in future with expanded operations.

Fatpapa rating:
Garbalti's (or something) - 4 stars out of 5
Hooked! - 3.5 stars out of 5

2006-09-05T21:17:00.000+08:00

Bukit Timah Secrets

Chiak Bah Boh?

I really need to be more consistent with my posting...but truly I have been gathering good eats, do let me intro you to some Bukit Timah secrets...

Bukit Timah Plaza...a once forgotten place I used to visit when I was young...yes...I do remember the old Yaohan, the "Strawberry Shortcake" near the glass lifts, "Gallen Sports" where i bought my first New Balance running shoes...distant memories now.

Haven't visited this place for eons and it really took me by surprise when I popped by for lunch one fine staurday afternoon...

Check out the queue! There were like 15 pple infront of me at a plain looking food kiosk selling authentic nonya food. Newspaper cuttings splashed all over the main counter...must be good. Tried the Laksa and it certainly didn't disappoint. Lemak but not too ovepowering. Mee Siam is nicely sour and the famous "Nasi Kunyit (Curry Chicken with yellow rice)" is certainly something to look forward to - especially the yellow rice which carried a nice tinge of cinnamon. One grouse though - the servings are a bit small and the food is not exactly cheap, not that the lot of us queuing up really cared.

Nonya Delights

Still hungry, we came across this shop selling Nasi Lemak tucked just around the corner. Quite aptly named "Nasi Lemak House", this non-pretentious looking shop sells Malay Nasi Lemak as well as Nasi Padang. The nasi lemak was alright but the real killer is the beef rendang - whoa steamz sia...not too mushy and each mouthful releases a burst of flavours.

Quite full now - we took a nice stroll around the mall and chanced upon this taiwanese eatery called "Liu San". Operated by a bunch of cheery staff, we sat down to have a taste of what it has to offer. We had "Guo Tie" as well as "Or Ah Mee Sua (Oyster Noodles) and was pleasantly suprised to find that the stuff didn't turn oyt to be all that bad. Apparently everything (yes everything including the cakes, coffee, desserts) are all self made. The Guo Tie was excellent and the Mee Sua quite good too. The coffee beans are also specially selected and mixed by the chef cum owner - a full sized effigy can be found beckoning you at the shop front. Nice!

Wah lau...really eat too much liao....

Fatpapa rating:
1) Nonya Delicatseen (3.5 stars out of 5)
2) Nasi Lemak House (Nasi Lemak - 3/5 stars; Beef rendang - 4/5 stars)
3) Liu San (4 stars out of 5)

2006-06-15T13:24:00.000+08:00

Yung Kee Roast Goose, Hong Kong

Chiak Bah Boh?

This post is made specially for Audrey aka Shimeimei. You MUST try this in Hong Kong and please please please help me buy 1 box of 皮蛋 and Roast Goose when you come back in 7 weeks time ok?

We came to know of this restaurant during the flight to HK. An auntie told my wifey this is a "must go, must eat" place in HK and highly recommended the roast goose. It even had a webby (www.yungkee.com.hk) and i quote from their website, "In 1968, Yung Kee has been named by the Fortune Magazine to be one of the Top Fifteen Restaurants in the World, the only Chinese restaurant on the list." Top 15!! How often in your life time can you have the privilege of dining in one? So the first thing we did after checking in the hotel was to pay this place a visit.

First impessions? Nay....nothing to crow about. Place was small and we had to 搭台 (something that is really common in HK but we absolutely dislike...mebbe we SGPs not friendly enough). We were given a plate of their famous 皮蛋 and boy did it look gorgeous! Unlike the local SGP version where the yolk is one big mash, the YungKee one had clear distinct rings and an absolutely stunning gluey interior. One bite.....ooooh...crunchy on the outside, creamy in the inside. Fantastic!

We ordered their 三拼 (suckling pig, famous roast goose, char siew) and I also had a bowl of wanton noodles. When the dish came, no words were uttered...simply out of this world! The goose really lived up to its name, more tender than any roast duck that i have tasted, texture of the meat is a little more exquisite than duck meat, and the fatty skin...melts in your mouth! 真 #$%&!&amp;amp;amp;^(&* 的好吃！！ The wanton noodles were however only so so...

Fatpapa rating: 4.99999999 stars out of 5 (MUST TRY!!!!)

Address: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong Island (just next to Lan Kwai Fong)

2006-06-06T21:03:00.000+08:00

Hokkien Mee

Chiak Ba Boh?

Wah Lau eh.... its been almost 3 months since I last blogged. I promised a local review the last time, so here goes.

Hard to find good hokkien mee nowadays. Too many pretenders pretending to whip up this simple dish. Soggy noodles, bland sauce, miserly prawns, shitty chilli are common grouses.

Here we have one that posses none of the above. Found this accidentally actually, tucked away on east coast road, along the same stretch leading up to siglap centre, St Michaels school and the Hong Kong Tea Cafe (Wang Jiao). This stall is located at a "FoodMore" coffeeshop right beside the road, and is called Geylang Lorong 29 fried Hokkien Mee. What is special about this hokkien mee is that the noodles are fried over charcoal...not over gas. This seemed to give the noodles a nice charcoal smell and a nice "wok hei". The noodles are done just nice, with thick pieces of sotong and prawn, and the "chup" is thick and strong. Chilli is alright though, though if belacan chilli is provided it would be better imho. Comparable to the famous Old Airport road one (the one just kenna the Makansutra hawker legend one...) even though the one at old airport rd is a little over rated...

Fatpapa rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

A few shops down, you can find a shop selling Bak Kwa... apparently been there for ages...much much much better than Bee Chun Hiang.

2006-03-02T23:40:00.000+08:00

My two princesses...1 month on...Abby & Ally

2006-02-06T01:08:00.000+08:00

Ally & Abby

Born 04/02/2006.

Abby Ally

2005-12-29T14:32:00.000+08:00

Fatpapa goes Malacca (III)

Chiak Ba Boh?

See that? Some of you ( u know who u are...) may remember these...yes its that lard bursting, cholesterol laden popiahs that FC made us all eat on our last lab outing. Managed to find it even though it was night time when she brought us there. If you can find "Madam Kings" departmental store in Malacca, u wouldn't miss it as the stall is usually parked right outside. Like all roadside stalls, don't let the look fool u. Not exactly "Michelin" class and certainly hygeine is not the order of the day, RM 1.50 gets you a thick, fat slab brimming with thick strips of "Bang Guang" (Turnip) cooked in lard and upon special request you can have chockful of lard rolled in....(health warning: too much lard may be harmful to you and your family). Sinfully delicious!

Fatpapa rating: 4 stars out of 5

Teochew "Hee Kiaw". Recommended by some foodie magazine, so just dropped by to try. Our stomachs were already full to the brim liao, but there was always space for a little more. This stall only opens at night after 6pm and can be found in a open air hawker centre near the City Bayview hotel. If travelling from the NSH toll towards Malacca town, it is on the left hand side of the road slightly before the City Bayview hotel. It is usually brightly lit at night, so should be hard to miss. The "Hee Kiaw" here are made fresh everyday and the skin is a lot more crunchier than the mass produced one you get here in Singapore. The fillings are flavourful, but a little too heavily seasoned in my opinion. Comes served with insipid looking noodles that you have to season yourself with dark soy sauce. Quite alright actually but nothing out of this world. The "Hee Kiaw" though fared better.

Fatpapa rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

This ends my short food review on Malacca. Back to Singapore then...

2005-12-15T21:14:00.000+08:00

Fatpapa goes Malacca (II)

Chiak Ba Boh?

How to visit Malacca without having their famous Chicken rice balls? Eh...Fatpapa must have gotten it all wrong, that looked like a normal plate of Chicken rice..where got balls!? You see this place "He Ji" is so famous that the whole restaurant was packed when we visited. This one is a nicely renovated place a few shops away from the old shop at Jonker street opposite the OCBC bank next to the river. You wouldn't miss it. So we ordered a plate of chicken rice balls and sat down to wait. 5 mins went by.....10 mins went by....15 mins went by....eh...where got need so long to have a plate of chicken rice one? So we asked the waiters and found that they had problems churning out the rice balls so have to wait some more. If we want, we can just have the rice but not the balls....anyways since the balls are made from the rice...should taste sama sama lah...mebbe just imagine a bit can oredi...

So we had that miserable plate of chicken rice. I must say this - u wanna eat chicken rice no need to go Malacca....Singapore much much better....really nothing to crow about. Mebbe the rice is a lot more pungent than what you get in Singapore but the chicken is really only so so...Mebbe the balls make then really special but i guess the novelty wears off after a while. However, the shop is packed to the brim so mebbe Fatpapa is just bias.

Fatpapa rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Next up...Nonya kuehs and Mee Siam. This one comes strongly recommended by my parents. The Mee Siam I heard is legendary...and the nonya kuehs are not to be missed. However u have got to reach their house (yes...i really meant house!) by 4pm otherwise their stuffs will be transported to nearby pasar malam for sale. We only managed to try the nonya kuehs...cos the mee siam was oredi packed smacked under trays of nonya kueh in the van when we arrived. So I had "Onde Onde" instead.....wah lau eh....steams sia....coated with thick fluffy coconut shavins (see pic above)...one bite would send the "gula melaka" smashing into every orifice in your mouth, complete with a sugar like core that breaks up upon impact...."lau chup" ah....

You can find this place if you travel on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock from Jonker street. Drive all the way until u see a Walls (or Kings) ice cream factory on your left and turn into this small lane. Drive all the way in till you hit the sea and turn left. There should be a small courtyard immediately on your left, just park your car there and walk into the house. You should enter their kitchen. I have attached a map for reference.

Fatpapa rating: 4 stars out of 5

2005-12-05T23:33:00.000+08:00

Fatpapa goes Malacca (I)

Chiak Ba Boh?

Fatpapa has went international wor! These are a series of ground breaking reviews done on a recent trip (food expedition in fact :P) up north to our friendly neighbours in Malacca. Left Singapore around 10am and reached Malaccca just in time for lunch at around 12:30pm. First stop comes highly recommeded by my parents, a nice swanky restaurant near Century Mahkota (see map below - at Melaka Raya) by the name of 北栈 (Bei Zhan - North Resthouse). Saw reviews of this restaurant in some local food magazine, so the food must be quite good.

The food didn't disappoint. We had sambal fish (whole fish!), 扣肉包, ee fu noodles, sambal kangkong, prawns (or tou fu i tink)...all for around $90 malaysian ringgit. That's around $45 singapre dollars....super cheap for 4 ah! And considering that this is a pretty upmarket place in Malacca - heard u need to make reservations for dinner on weekends, very good value for money! The fish is super fresh, the meat sweet and got 海的味道...excellent quality. The 扣肉包 - yummy! comparable if not better to 西湖's (see earlier review). The ee fu noodles are 招牌菜 and lived up to its name. Sambal Kangkong - spicy belacan with a nice wok hei....woah salivating as i am writing this...

Next time in Malacca, do go try....this one comes highly recommended!

Fatpapa rating: 4 stars out of 5

2005-11-26T00:59:00.000+08:00

Sunset Gems

"Song Boh? (aka 爽吗?)"

Chiak Ba Boh?

I apologise for not blogging more regularly. Been procrastinating too much recently. Anyways, I mentioned in my last post (see Cze Cha) that if you were to look hard enough, you can find some gems in Sunset way.

This is an ice cream parlour called "The Daily Scoop". As the name suggests, they make their ice cream fresh everyday This little joint can be found deep inside Sunset Way in a stretch of shops after passing under the railway track. All the ice cream are home made and their flavours are pretty exotic. I had Cempedek (Jackfruit) the other day and also Kahlua ice cream! Heard the durian ice cream is not bad too. The ice cream here is smooth and more importantly, not too sweet and doesn't leave an artificial aftertaste. Nice quiet place too, great place for dating couples.

Fatpapa rating: 3 stars out of 5

Off the beaten path. Hey...tell you a secret. Next to this ice cream parlour, there is a nice, small steak restaurant that serves in pretty good stuff. You can come in slippers or dressed to kill, there is something for everyone. There are nice al fresco dining as well as candlelit tables and the food is supposedly done by some celeb chef. Tried once. Not too bad. Nice place to impress the ladies. Nearer to the main road, there is a small cafe that sells excellent chicken pies, quite good actually - Bon Ami i tink it is called...

btw....that's not me up there...

2005-10-18T22:02:00.000+08:00

Cze Cha

Now you see it...

Now you don't...

Chiak Ba Boh?

Waah...it's been almost a month since I last blogged...how time flies. Actually did this review quite some thing ago, a bit unwittingly though. Wifey has been craving for many stuff recently, so more out to please than by design, stumbled right into the quite neighbourhood of Sunset way looking for Zheng Fa Live Seafood actually...but i just managed to turn her attention to this brightly lit stall located just behind the restaurant (Phew!). So we sat down for a standard Cze Cha meal for 2: 1 x Sambal Kang kong, 1 x Mongolian Spare Ribs, 1 x Hotplate beancurd.

Whacked kah liao liao ah...

The Kang Kong had a nice "Wok Hei" and the star of the meal - Mongolian Spare Ribs were immacutely done. Peppery with a tinge of sweetness, the meat was done to tender perfection. Beancurd was so so though...

Fatpapa rating: 3 stars out of 5

Fatpapa Tip of the Day: Venture even deeper into Sunset way...trust me...you will find some gems there :P

2005-09-22T23:49:00.000+08:00

Fish Head Curry

Chiak Ba Boh?

Had a bad week...Burned 2K+ on a darned gearbox and crappy E.Coli that simply refused to transform. Haiz...there goes my bonus :(

Haiz...

Haiz...

Haiz...

Eat also sianz 一半 .... but not to take anything away from the excellent Fish Head curry that this stall "Xiang Heng" @ Alexandra Village Food Centre serves, this is perhaps the best Fish Head Curry I have tasted so far. For $15-$17 bucks, you get a big "Ang Goh Li" head simmered in hot tangy curry. The immense mix of spices and the couldron of unique flavours cannot be described in words. Try to believe. This stall is situated next to the famous BBQ seafood stall at Alexandra Village and sells roughly the same things. Though some may beg to differ, FatPapa thinks that stall is simply overated. If you guys are around the area for some BBQ seafood, sample the stuff from both stalls and you will know what I mean.

FatPapa rating: 4 stars out of 5

Btw, JM109 finally decided to transform today! I have created an antibiotic resistant bug! Haha!

2005-09-16T11:34:00.000+08:00

肯德鸡

十年了...肯德鸡...我依然爱你...

2005-09-07T22:54:00.000+08:00

西湖小吃

Chiak Ba Boh?

This is a 扣肉包 from 西湖小吃.

Enuf said...

FatPapa rating: 3 stars out of 5

Remarks: The original 西湖小吃 can still be found at Farrer road where it has been since...dunno when..but very long lah...Farrer road was where i spent most of my childhood and this modest eatery at its heyday was virtually packed to the brim everyday. I remember watching Jaws in this big open space right outside the restoran where the screen was created by draping a big piece of cloth outside a block of flats. Heavenly smells from the restoran would waft occasionally in the air and I would cast lustful looks at the restaurant, whilst Jaws was tearing up a helpless man into pieces...
All that buzz is gone now...like all old estates...most familiar shops have closed down or moved on...I remember that aquariam i visited almost everyday after school, the provision shop that i would get my daily dose of Kaka (20 cents) and Xiao Ding Dang (50 cents) chocolates, and the bookshop where me and my brother were accused of stealing an eraser...all that just a distant memory now.

2005-09-05T22:46:00.000+08:00

老中中五香虾饼

Chiak Ba Boh?

If you have not noticed by now, 我终于走出了 Bukit Panjang. The last one probably marks the last one from Bukit Panjang. You see, Bukit Panjang is a relatively small estate smack right in the middle of Singapore. Blame it on Tony Tan, Bukit Panjang has not grown much in size for the last few years cos the MRT he promised to build is still nowhere in sight...now that he has retired...死无对证 liao lor...so to have 3 reviews dedicated to food in Bukit Panjang is quite a feat by itself.

Dropped by the famous food place called Jackson at Macpherson for supper recently (Health warning: Supper is bad for you and your family). It has got my favourite "ngoh hiong" of all time. I don't know whether this stall has any connections with the Chinatown 中中五香 that can be found all over the island, but this one certainly beat the rest pants down. Mebbe it has just been around longer, that's why its called 老中中. Well you can probably see the usual fare I would order from the posted picture: Tau Kwah, Ngoh Hiong, 虾饼 and fishballs - all for only $2.80. Cheap ah! My favourite would be the Tau Kwah and the fishball. The Tau Kwah is fried to crispy goodness on the outside but smooth and creamy inside. The fishballs are big, bouncy and crunchy. Dip these into the tangy chilli sauce...赞! You can probably tell how good this is by the number of recommendations stuck all over the stall front. This place doesn't sell fried bee hoon and i think is also quite famous for the "Guan Chang". I have never liked "Guan Chang" so normally I would give it the skip.

FatPapa rating: 4 stars out of 5

Remarks: This place is like God's gift to the supper crowd with several nice stalls that operate late into the night. I heard there is a stall that sells great porridge, I will review that the next time i drop by for supper. I wanted to order the porridge the last time I went, but the queue was a little intimidating so I had ngoh hiong instead...and of course many others :P

2005-09-03T14:53:00.000+08:00

美利潮洲大饼

Chiak Ba Boh?

一年一度的"月饼节"又要来临了，送走了饿鬼，现在又要迎接嫦娥的到来.

This one is not your usual mooncake. Its actually teochew piah (潮州饼) but many buy it as substitute for traditional mooncakes. The first time i tasted it was when my boss bought this for the lab a few years ago...I have never looked back ever since. It has became almost routine to buy this for my parents and in laws every year during the mooncake festival. I almost forgot this year...luckily boss bought one for the lab...

This shop is located at a very old estate in Commonwealth Crescent, where the original "Hong Kong Street Chun Kee" used to be. They sell various flavours and sizes but my favourite is still the 白豆沙 one, simply delicious! The skin is flaky and the 豆沙 is not too sweet. The texture is so smooth that it melts like sugar in your mouth. I bought the yam one recently, not too bad, but i still prefer the 白豆沙 version. Not for the halal conscious! Prices at $11 per 大饼.

美利呀美利。。。我爱你。。。

FatPapa rating: 4 stars out of 5

Remarks: The 大饼 is equivalent to 4 traditional moon cakes and at $11, is quite a steal. Not sure whether this is true, but i think they only make 大饼 during mooncake festival, so grab it while you can!

2005-08-30T00:18:00.000+08:00

无招牌海鲜汤

Chiak Ba Boh?

Haven't done any reviews for quite a long time. Haven't been eating out a lot recently, just the same old places cos wife's not in the mood and of course...work, work, work and more work...
Took this picture just the Sunday that flew by recently - its just one of our favourite stalls in Bukit Panjang, but mostly it is just plain heart warming stuff...I call it 无招牌XXX again cos - you guessed it...actually I juz don't know the stall's name and I was a bit lazy to walk up to the stall and check. I don't actually remember seeing one...mebbe its a feature with stalls in Bukit Panjang.

Enough blabbering.

Situated at a coffee shop at Bangkit (off Bukit Panjang Ring Road again) - named Bangkit Food House as shown above in the photo (juz behind that pillar there...), this stall opens in the morning thru lunch everyday and serves fantastic seafood and fish soup. Don't be deceived by the photos, you will have to wait quite a while especially on Saturdays and Sundays. I find the fish soup quite ok only but the seafood soup is something to behold. Laden in tasty clear broth, are generous pieces of Batang fish slices, prawns and other condiments. The soup is also served with pieces of Bak Chor which makes it a winner. The Bak Chor is well marinated with a hint of fried "Bian Yu" (Sole Fish) - simply delicious! Tell you a secret, actually this soup is quite simply to make, the only thing that sets this apart from the rest is that all the ingredients are extremely fresh...you can almost see the cut-up fish still gasping for air lying in a dustbin tucked in a corner behind the stall... and the Bak Chor....no, no, no...its air pork from aussie land and not exactly nice to 挂猪头 at the stall...Worth a try if you are around the area. Prices at $3 a bowl.

FatPapa rating: 3 stars out of 5

I have been reviewing a lot of stuff in Bukit Panjang. So sorry...but I will try to 走出 Bukit Panjang and review some stuff elsewhere...I have some in mind, so give me some time to visit them when I can. Ciao!

2005-08-18T21:40:00.000+08:00

无招牌烧腊

Chiak Ba Boh?

My mother once told me - for the best 烧腊 (roast meat) you must always look out for the big round metal roasters in the kitchen. You can never go far off if you can spot one. While checking out my neighbourhood coffeeshops, bored of the usual stuff, i ventured on a non-descript coffeeshop that i have never bothered to visit even after staying 2 years in the estate. Situated at the newly built cluster of flats at Senja located just off Bukit Panjang Ring Road, in a coffeshop that I don't even know its name (a stone's throw away from a small NTUC supermarket), my "tum chiak" (贪吃） nature took me into the coffeshop in search of anything interesting. And then I saw it - I turned to my wife and said， “Ah Li, 有炉的!"

This roast meat stall doesn't have a signboard, so i will just call it "No Signboard Roast Meat (无招牌烧腊)". Hooked up behind the clear glass counter is the usual fare associated wuth this type of stall, 烧鸭, 叉烧 and 烧肉. I tell you, you will salivate at the sight of those 叉烧, nicely roasted to perfection with bits of charred ends! The 叉烧 is covered virtually in a nice red sauce, shimmering and dripping with oil. If looks can kill, this one definately slaughtered the competition! You could also see the 诚意 in the roast duck and roast meat. The uncle at the stall cuts the meat whereras the auntie mans the noodle section.

To the ultimate taste test - the well marinated 叉烧 is tender to the brink of melting away in your mouth, unlike many that looked dry and tasted even drier. The roast duck is reasonably well done and the 烧肉 tasted even better. What's surprising is that the 云吞面 did not disappoint. The whole egg noodles are smooth yet crunchy with every bite. Coupled with the excellent "melt in your mouth" pieces of 叉烧 - one word to describe...赞! The soup version tasted just as good - good thing to have in a wet cold day. Prices start from $3 -$5.50. Open most days.

FatPapa rating:4 stars out of 5
Pull radius: 30km

Remarks: You know, the uncle really has got a great way with meat and the auntie superb with flour but i must say they really "Kua Buay Kwee" (看不开). You see, One day I wanted to try their roast duck, so i ordered a plate but uncle suddenly took out the 烧肉 from the roaster and the devil in me wanted some to try. So i casually told the auntie, "Auntie, 加烧肉!" But Auntie replied "加烧肉要两块". "我只要一点点...一块可以吗?" “不可以..." Ouch...

btw, Tan Wei Lian won against all odds! “...不在乎他在台上不能做的，而是它能够呈现给你的..."

2005-08-15T17:20:00.000+08:00

Chye Tow Kway

Chiak Ba Boh?

Located in a dingy coffeshop along Upper Bukit Timah Road (Off Bukit Panjang, Opposite Mindef, next to the new condo project (The Linear). This inconspicuous stall "Mei Fa Na Shou Cai Tou Guo" probably makes (imho) the best Fried Carrot Cake on this side of the island - much better than the one (and many fake ones) at the nearby "7 mile" market across Beauty World Centre. I used to patronise the one at "7 mile" when I was young and was probably one of my favourites. The old skinny old uncle with white hair fries the carrpt cake to perfection and there was usually a long wait for a $1.50 plate. I don't know whether the uncle is still around (i dunno but the uncle then didn't particularly looked in the pink of health - i hope he is still well and healthy) but I think the current standard has dropped tremendously.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand - This stall (Mei Fa that is) makes their own carrot cake and fries it to crispy perfection. Order the white one rather than the black one and you will know what i mean. The carrot cake is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. Compared to the famous carrot cake stall at Redhill market (one of my faourite), the "kway" is a bit harder but this is more than compensated by excellent frying technique which the Redhill one lacks. The Redhill one on the other hand has the tastiest and smoothest "kway" (imho) of all the carrot cakes that I have tasted so far. Prices start at $2 and the stall is open most days.

FatPapa Rating: Mei Fa (3.5 out of 5 stars); Redhill (4 out of 5 stars)
Pull radius: Mei Fa (20km); Redhill (50km)

Remarks: The coffeshop also has a stall that sells Prawn/Pork Intestine Noodles. Unlike the usual Prawn noodle, this one uses black soy sauce, the style more commonly found in Malaysia. Either you love it or you hate it - I found it quite ok, worth a try.

2005-08-14T13:17:00.000+08:00

Chiak Ba Boh?

"Chiak Ba Boh"? (Have you eaten?) The cleaning auntie at my office will always greet me when I meet her along the corridor. "Chiak Ba Liao, Le Leh?" (I have eaten, how about you?) is my usual reply. Kind auntie she is...always worried about me going hungry (I didn't tell her I had Yong Tau Foo for lunch again though). It's really funny that someone would rather ask you whether you "Chiak Ba Boh?" than "Le Ho Boh?" (How are you?). But then I kinda felt that the former is a lot more faceted than the latter. "Chiak Ba Boh" - Isn't a bliss to be full? The warmth in the stomach and the tightness at the waist - such joy! Isn't it a blessing to be able to have a satisfying meal be it a "Man Han Quan Xi" (Imperial Feast) or just a simple plate of "Chap Chye Peng" (Economic Rice)? And apparently if you can have a satisfying meal, it simply meant that you have nothing to worry about! (except for the calories!) Cos your next meal will come - and the next after the next...shouldn't you be happy that you don't have to worry about the (next + n) meal(s)? Mebbe the auntie meant more than a simple "Hi! Bye!". A casual remark but so deep in meaning. For that, we should give her a double PhD in "Hospitality" and "Environmental Engineering". Some people with PhD's don't even say "Hi!" to you along the corridors - lagi worse if they don't even know your first name.

I still don't know the kind auntie's name - and I doubt she knew mine.

2005-08-13T23:41:00.000+08:00

家传菜 - Heirloom Recipes

I have always enjoyed watching "家传菜" (aka Heirloom Recipes) on Channel 8. I think there are currently 3 instalments to this series. Every episode would have people from all walks of life come in and describe a "家传菜" that would evoke their memories - be it their childhood, family or friends. Intresting to watch as there would be a heartwarming story behind every dish.

I shared with my mother one day over dinner that if the producers of this story wanted me on the show, there would be 2 dishes that will definately be my "家传菜" The 1st would be "甜猪肉" (Sweet Pork) and the 2nd "白菜汤" (White Cabbage Soup). It was just a casual remark but my mother made "甜猪肉" the next time i went home for dinner - after I reckon, a 15 year hiatus...and her reason for not doing so? "I thought you all don't like..."

Now for the recipe...

"甜猪肉" (Sweet Pork)
Ingredients
"五花肉" - Pork Collar (~600g) You can either cut the meat in slabs or you can just leave it uncut
Finely chopped garlic
Sugar
Peeled hard boiled eggs
Cooking Oil

Method
1) For around 600g of meat (well at least this was the amount i bought last time i prepared this dish), add ~2 tablespoons of garlic and fry till fragrant. You may char the garlic a wee bit but not too much.
2) Add sugar - lots of it (its Sweet Pork!) 4 - 5 tablespoons should suffice. Caramelise together with oil and garlic.
3) Add in dark soy sauce - buy good quality ones...avoid the watery ones. 3-4 tablespoons should suffice (i usually agar one...add more if u think the pork not black enuf...if add too little the pork may not be "giam" enuf)
4) Put in the pork. DO NOT ADD WATER. Slowly braise over small fire in a covered pot. Turn the pork in the pot occasionally so that it is well lathered with the black sauce. Your pork will start to "sweat" now...the thick black sauce will turn watery as the pork starts to "lau chap". Allow the pot to simmer for 1-2hrs. Do not open the pot except tp turn the pork.
5) The pork should now be ready (i think). Open the lid and start to reduce the sauce. Put in the eggs now to brown it. The eggs shld readily pick up a nice brownish tinge. The pork is ready to serve once the sauce thickens to a quarter or less of what it originally was. Careful not to burn the pork otherwise you will get "苦猪肉" (Bitter pork)
6) Transfer the pork onto a plate. Cut into bite size portions. Cut the braised eggs into 1/2s or 1/4s according to your own liking. Finally, layer the sauce left over in the pot onto the pork and eggs.

There you have it! "甜猪肉". My heirloom recipe. Why "甜猪肉"? It never occured to me till quite recently, only after i have prepared this dish myself. Its CHEAP. The pork costs $6 and mebbe the eggs another $2. The rest of the condiments are basic stuff (garlic, soy sauce etc) that u can usually find in the kitchen. I remember when i was young, my mother would cook this dish for the whole family (of 5) and this could last us 1-2 meals. The pork goes especially well with rice and for $10 - $15, that's great value! And yeah, I remember our old flat at Farrer Road where I spent most of my childhood. I don't remember my mother cooking this dish ever since we shifted places. So it was with loads of memories when I tasted this dish after so long.

Well, I shan't bore you guys too much with the 2nd dish "白菜汤" (White cabbage soup). It's really easy to prepare. For the untalented and uninitiated, this dish is really peanuts (not the $60,000 kind). Cut white cabbage, "Wong Bok", into pieces, throw them into a pot. Add chicken broth. Boil slowly over small fire until the cabbage become soft. Add fish balls, YONG TAU FOO (arrgh!), "Hee Peow" (Fish maw) or whatever u want into the pot. The taste of the soup is simply heavenly, especially after cooking for a long time. This dish is nothing special, but it did evoke happy memories. For me, it always represented the CNY, especially the 1st day of the CNY. We would usually use this soup for steamboat on reunion dinner and have the same thing for breakfast the next day, which is the 1st day of CNY. The soup would taste even better now, with loads of seafood and abalone. Most importantly, after partaking breakfast, my parents would give each of us an Ang Pow and so starts a day of "财源滚滚来" (Fortune roll roll in)...got $$ got good food, not to mention good soup...this type of "Kang Tau" where to find?

So how, Mediacorp? Got space on your 4th instalment of "家传菜"? I promise at least to look good on TV...

2005-08-13T16:43:00.000+08:00

Yong Tau Foo