377. KUMO Sake Bar - Hiyashi Beef Rice

 

Hiyashi Beef Rice Original

Kumo has extended their area to occupy the shop space that is more visible from the road. This shop space is used as a sake bar and they serve Hiyashi Beef Rice during lunch time. Every time I walk past the sake bar, there are people eating in there. One day, I decided to find out what's on their menu. Not many choices to choose from. Either the hiyashi beef rice, the hiyashi beef rice with a soft boiled egg or the tonkatsu. We all went for the hiyashi beef rice original, topped up with a glass of honey lemon. For a moment, one may mistake it for curry rice. Hiyashi beef rice is apparently quite a popular dish in Japan. 

Our order didn't take long as we could see the chef in the opposite open concept kitchen dished out the hiyashi beef rice to the serving counter. We sat at the top bar counter and I sneakily threw glances at the customers' (mostly Japanese) plate. They ate with such delight, finished every bit of the demi glace beef sauce. To be exact, it was more of a minced beef sauce. I thought a tad too minced for what I would prefer. Also a tad too salty. The lunch companions had the same felts. In fact, I felt the beef taste was also too strong. Very much like canned minced beef. Unlike the other Japanese customers, I could barely finish the minced beef sauce. I did a quick research online. Information available said hiyashi's main ingredients generally contain red wine, tomato, onions and button mushrooms. I supposed the one served at Kumo is the original rendition of a Hiyashi Beef Rice. The beautiful tomato definitely helped to ease a bit of the richness taste in my mouth. 

I am not sure if the locals take this dish as well as the Japanese. 

Have you tried this? What's your comment on this dish?

KUMO Sake Bar

Icon Village,

12 Gopeng Street, #01-58

376. Triple Three - Norwegian Delicacies

I went on an invited dinner session by Triple Three, attracted by the email titled seafood from Norway. Salmon was the first thing that came across my mind. Forgive my shallow knowledge, I forgot that there are much more than just salmon that swim in the sea in Norway!

 

Chef Adrian Levoid

It was quite nice to have this Norwegian-born young handsome chef, Adrian Levoid with us for the night. Not only good food for the palate, handsome chef pleasing to the eyes as well. A promising chef indeed. He is only 25 years old. The night was lined up with delicacies. Chef Adrian personally prepared 3 of his signature dishes for all the invited guests. First of all, the scallops which he had us seeing him demonstrating in the above picture.

Scallops (Jerusalem artichoke, watercress, Japanese onion and fennel seeds)

I am quite sure that I was kidnapped by the mash that laid underneath the scallop. It was something quite different, I thought. Ah! The artichoke. Have never tasted one before. It was butter creamy and sweet. Nice. The seared scallop was fresh and sweet, quickly melts in the mouth (not in the hands). Surprisingly, the two matched well though the artichoke was also sweet, contrast in taste was distinct. 

Neither one stole the limelight.

We are young.

King Crab (Chervil, cauliflower, sauce on the shell)

The presentation of this dish made me think of the movie "Life of Pi". The boy left sailing on a boat. Despite perils, survived strong. So here was the king crab. I felt the king crab itself was already bursting with sweetness, the cauliflower puree was probably more than required. Still, down it with the freshness of seafood.

 

Salmon Asparagus (brown butter emulsion and fennel seeds)

This was one of the best I had for the night. Salmon was really fresh. Chef Adrian had done it to such tenderness that really melts away in my mouth the moment I had them and I just wanna sing "I got the moves like jagger". I felt the fish moved like a jagger. The brown butter emulsion tasted like salted caramel.

The night was not left lonely with these 3 dishes. 

 Oooo I loved the Norway sweet prawn! The Norway halibut, salmon.......Just not enough with one serving. Kee Chiew! for a YES! to another serving.

Norwegian Seafood Bouillabaisse 

(Monkfish, Codfish, Mussel, Norway Lobster Scampi,Sweet Prawn)

I thought the broth was rather rich but a tad too salty.

I must say the poached lobsters were super good. Too bad that my photo did not turn out well due to the lighting and because I was using my phone to capture these photos. My dslr didn't work that night. The meat was succulent and sweet and Viola! Again, one is never enough.

 

Freshly shucked oysters was yum yum, the king crab was mama-mia. 

That night was the night that I probably had the most seafood fresh seafood from a buffet line. Yes, from the buffet. I am rather fussy about eating seafood at buffets, not the ones by Triple Three though.

Last but not least, never leave the table without the delectable desserts. 

Join in the celebration of seafood from Norway with Triple Three!

Available from 12-28 March 2013, for dinner only. 

For reservations, please call 6831 6288 or email dine.orchard@meritushotels.com

Thanks to Triple Three for having me. 

375. Chui Huay Lim Teochew Club

I have heard rave reviews on Chui Huay Lim but has yet to try the food. Maybe it's because of Teochew cuisine which doesn't appeal to me as much as the western food and I thought if I were to go, it will definitely be with the family, prim and proper. The opportunity comes right at the time when I decided to go during my birthday month. Chui Huay Lim belongs to Jumbo group, so does Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh if you have not known. Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh is located at Chui Huay Lim Teochew Club now. 

We decided lunch. We were first served a small cup of tei-guan-yin tea. The fragrant aroma quickly filled the air.

Pumpkin Broth Shark Fin's with Truffle Oil

I have never been a fan of pumpkin for I felt it tasted weird to be made a savory dish in most of the Chinese cuisine. I browsed through the menu and this was one of the chef's recommendation. Rather unique, I thought. Intrigued by how it would taste, I went for it. It was surprisingly tasty. The pumpkin taste was not very overpowering and was made tastier with the chicken broth. The old folks at the table ate with curiosity without knowing it was the truffle oil that caused the strong 'moldy' smell.   

Pork Trotters Jelly

I loved this dish. I think it is very amazing how a Teochew dish can actually be made a cold dish. Dipped into the vinegary chili sauce, it was heavenly.

Teochew 'Puning' Fermented Bean Chicken, 走地鸡

I wondered what's Puning. Did a quick search and got to know that Puning is actually a city, one of the counties where Teochew prefecture existed. As a foodie, I'm more intrigued by the free range chicken's taste. There were seasoned mustard laid underneath the chicken. Every mouthful of the chicken is springy and the slight sourish taste of mustard goes so well together. The fermented bean didn't make the chicken too salty nor did it made the chicken over salty. It is indeed a good dish to go with rice!

 Deep Fried Ngoh Hiang

The old folks commented the ngoh hiang was good but I'm not a fan of ngoh hiang so I'm not commenting on this dish.

Deep Fried Teochew Liver Rolls

 

Liver rolls! First time have I eaten this dish. It was also my first time to hear of liver rolls. It was soft in texture and it didn't taste weird nor bad. If you are a fan of liver, I mean chicken liver or pork liver which I think could have been a mixture of the two, you should go for this.

 Teochew Fried Kway Teow with Diced Kai Lan

This is not something new to me. It had a very strong 'wo-hei' smell. I felt it could have been better if there was more chye-po. A tad oily. 

Overall was a very satisfied lunch for me. Enjoying a good lunch with the old folks on a lazy afternoon is never better than having a rushed one on a busy weekend. 

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Club

115 Keng Lee Road

375. Nana's Green Tea

Nana's Green Tea will be opening another outlet at Plaza Singapura this Friday, 21 December 2012. On this special day, they will be offering a 1-for-1 matcha latte. On top of that, Nana's will be donating half of their proceeds to two beneficiaries. This charity drive will be for the entire day and will be graced by Mr Gerard Ee, the executive director of Beyond Social Services. Do a part, to give and share for this Christmas. What's more you will enjoy a jolly drink on the house when you purchased one. Ho Ho Ho!

374. Ember

A colleague is making her pilgrimage to Israel for 2 weeks and decided that she wanted a good lunch. So, I suggested Ember @Keong Siak St  and we quickly placed a reservation. The place seemed to make use of day light infusion into the area. Quickly served to our reserved table, we were welcomed by the brightly lit smile from the waitress who has recognised a frequent patron, another colleague of mine. It was my first visit.

Quickly, we placed our order. The smell of the warm sun-dried tomato and herb infused foccacia immediately filled our nose. Yummy good. We had pan-seared foie gras with orange reduction. The generous slab of foie gras soon arrived at our table and we digged in anxiously, enjoying the fats that melted instantly in our mouths.

2 of us ordered the duck confit, I went for the pork belly after much persuasion from my colleague and the waitress and another colleague ordered the marinated cod with black miso. I managed to steal a generous try of the duck confit. The Duck Confit though crispy was kept moist in the meat. Paired with the 48-hour cooked cameralised onions with thyme and mushrooms, the taste was good enough for a praise but somehow lacks the oomph somewhere.

My 12-hour Cooked Pork Belly with Savoy Cabbage, Apple Puree & Spiced Calvados Sauce arrived and I managed with a giggle when the waiter said your chocolate pork instead of your pork belly. No idea how the relation came about. He must have been too nervous as he explains what are the sauces on plate. Clearly, I can identify mustard sauce and sweet sauce but not the one contained in the test tube. It was pork jus in layperson. The pork belly skin was very crispy and the meat was a tad too tendersoft that it got disintegrated easily at the touch of my knife and pork, leaving the crispy skin and meat apart. Someone we knew claimed it the expensive sio-yok.

There is always room for desserts. Naturally, it's a one of each for us 4. Crispy Caramelized Pear Tart with Homemade Bailey Ice Cream , Frozen Nougat with Seasonal Berries , Warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and the Cameralised French Toast with Nutella and Vanilla Ice Cream.

We attacked the frozen nougat first before it melted. The nougats with pistachio and nuts coupled with the lychee sorbet quickly melted in our mouths. Before I realised, we cleared one dessert.  

Cameralized french toast with the nutella did not induce any unfamiliarity. In fact, I think it works better for morning breakfast.

The cripsy caramelized pear tart was delicious, crispy and flaky, lighter than expected in taste. Has a nice almond taste. The taste of bailey in the ice cream on the other hand seemed to be less evident.

Chocolate is a must, said my colleague when placing our orders for desserts. Don't think it does justice to her statement, I find the chocolate fondant too sweet and rich and luckily, we each got just a quarter.   

Overall, for a 3-course set lunch of $39.50++ is definitely a steal, value for money. Our bill worked out to be estimate $54 each with additional top up for a foie gras appetizer.

Restaurant Ember

Hotel 1929

50 Keong Siak Street

Operating Hours
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.00pm
Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.00pm
Closed for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays,
Dinner is closed on Sundays.

Reservations Contact
T: 65 6347 1928

373. ChateauAsia - Champagne Tasting

Just before the week ends smoothly, I find myself again accepted an invite - the invitation to ChateauAsia's wine tasting held at Tower Club. My vague recollection of some brochures on wealth banking reminded me of Tower Club's exclusivity for her members, situated on the 64th level penthouse (Straits Bar) of Republic Plaza. Very near to my office, I thought. It was rather an easy access up to Tower Club. When I've arrived, Straits Bar was already crowded with many people. The night has already begun with champagne free-flow. I did a quick search online before I make my way to the event and saw that the event was also opened to public, selling on Eventbrite and probably some others as well. Early birds pay $50, they've got a great deal!

ChateauAsia is an online shop specialising in wine, French wine. Everything via a click and the wine is delivered to your doorstep. They also have monthly tastings at Quinze Bouteilles (literally fifteen bottles) in Chinatown if you would like to taste their wine selection before making any purchase. You could also pick up your bottles at Quinze Bouteilles.

Food to lace the stomach. Salmon canapes, Parma Ham Melon, Creamy Mushroom Vol au vent and etc.

The event brought me to 6 types of champagne. Chardonnay, Jaillance, Charles du Roy But, Paul Louis Martin Grand Cru, Heidsieck Monopole Rosé Brut, Ruinart Blanc de Blanc and lastly the most expected Dom Perignon 1999.

Just an occasional drinker, not a wine connoiseur to start with, and here champagne, definitely an introduction to a new arena. I was first welcomed by Chardonnay, Jaillance ($25/bot). Single variety of grape, as it's name suggested. Pale yellow under the light, tiny bubbles and light on the palate. Drink young.

Charles du Roy But ($49/bot) was more refreshing than the first and had a similar citrus and floral smell. However, the sourish index was also relatively high as my sense of taste advised.

Heidsieck Monopole Rosé Brut ($75/bot) was the one I was more keen to go for. Rosé, always one of the ladies' favourite. Light, vivacious and the bright & clear colour definitely sweetened the mood. Generally, it was the berries that got the wine gone pink. And the colour intensity of Rosé is not constrained within pink. Got to know from the lady boss that there is a practising winemaking technique called blending method, mixing the wine with red wine to achieve the impart of the colour. Note that winemaking is very much dependant on types of grapes produced under unpredictable weather conditions.

Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

Smelled citrus and floral, was light and crisp to the palate.

Dom Perignon 1999 ($229/bot). I learnt that those wines with years are called vintage wines, meaning to say the grapes used for making the wine were grapes harvested in the same year. Dom Perignon is always a vintage champagne, meaning not made in weak years. Also explains why they are expensive. The champagne was smooth to throat and had very elegant streams of small bubbles you could almost count. Cheers to the night!

Thanks to ChateauAsia for having me at the event.

For more information on ChateauAsia, please visit www.chateauasia.com



372. Say MOGi !

Good Day, Folks! I'm back to blogging after a long hiatus. A whole good 2 years away from food blogging. I have not decided to retreat to the hills and live in seclusion. Life just got a tad busy with other prioritised commitments. My motto has always been here - Life's too short to miss the good food. The invitations have not ceased though I have not been blogging, evident from the last blog post. Still hope to share useful information through my humble blog. However, as a fresh start, I've decided to change my blog to Grande.Eats, literally Great Eats.

A week ago, I received an email. At first glance, I thought it was some spam mail that I have received more often than not. A more careful read spurred my curiousity. Hmm...interesting, I thought. And I clicked 'send' to the reply "Hi, will be more than glad to accept this invitation". Definitely more than eager to see what's in store.

It was an invitation by Mobile Media Creations (M2C) for the introduction of this new phone application called "MOGi" (mol - gee) - Singapore's First Mobile Wallet Application. Founded by 3 men who have decided to create this innovative application using their good experience from the days in the telecommunication industry. This MOGi app works as a platform for merchants and shoppers especially targeting at the ladies for a fuss-free spending experience. There are currently 156 merchants on the list, from shopping, dining to play and even relaxation. And I believe the number is going north.

App users can buy value cards of availble amount offered by the merchants. What comes along are the bonus "credits" given when you make such purchases. Hey, this works more worth than swiping the credit card off the counter. Not forgetting loyalty cards where loyalty points will be accrued to your account with the particular merchant, fuss free again for gifts redemption with MOGi. These merchants uses POS system for bill payments. All users need to do is login to MOGi and pay the bill by scanning the QR code generated and amount payable gets deducted from the value card you have purchased. Pss....it works like a prepaid card. Top up the value anytime on your next visit. It's instant ! 

Users can purchase deal vouchers at great discounts and get coupons for free stuff!

There are other functions which I find the app useful. You can gift the value card to your friends too. You will also be able to receive alerts on the current promotions, birthday reminder alerts, vouchers expiry alert and etc. Share great deals on facebook and twitter - the power of social media.



Try downloading the app. I believe it's going to be wonderful as more merchants rock the list.

Thanks to M2C for the experience on the functionality of MOGi app.

Cheers to success! 

371. Tawandang Microbrewery

YUM SENG! The last dinner of year 2010 has to be good and it was! Decided to try Tawandang, it's new outlet at Suntec. Woosh! The place was huge.

Pork Knuckle! It was very cripsy and dipped into the special chili sauce, it was heavenly.

Another fried dish and it came with a different dipping chili sauce. It was so nice as well.

Cockles and nah.....I'm not a lover of it. But the rolled vermicelli went very well with the peanutty sauce.

This is a die-die must try dish! I love it!! Squid in a lemongrass soup and as the warmer warms the soup, the juicy squid immersed in the soup makes the soup sweeter. There was also roe in the squid. Yummilicious!!

Pineapple rice was moist and with the raisins and nuts, it went well with the rest of the dishes we had.

Overall, we were all very satisfied with the food we had because we find every dish yummy. However, it was on the rather pricey side. Final bill worked out to approximately $220+ for 4 pax. Singaporeans, always willing to pay more for nice food! I'll be visiting it again soon!

Tawandang Microbrewery

Suntec Convention Centre #01-01

370. Manbok Korean Seafood Restaurant

Salad topped with five-grains goma sauce alike
Pan-chan served at Manbok. I loved the black beans the most!
Tteobokki was very nice except that it was a tad spicy. Yummy!

The pork belly was a little to our dismay. We felt it was not oily and not well-marinated enough. Lacked the fragrance and thus the oomph!

Seafood Pa-Jeon

I didn't like it. The big leeks were a little too much for me. Perhaps the amount of seafood added was a tad too many and thus the middle of the pancake turned out to be mushy like it was not thoroughly cooked.

The beef was good. Well-marinated, tender beef is the one that you should not miss.

The kimchi hotpot makes a good dish for cold weathers like now......rainy seasons. It will just warm your body up. Topped it with ramen and it's woolala.....more pleaseee......

The steamed egg was with compliments from the boss. Steamed egg.....not very much to our liking.

Manbok Korean Seafood Restaurant
63 Tanjong Pagar Road