Chikuyotei Dining, Ngee Ann City

I had always passed this place on the way to Tonkichi, but I never came here even though I was intrigued. The only reason we came here tonight (Ngee Ann City #04-28, 6738-8954) was because there was a huge line in front of Tonkichi and we didn't want to wait. It turned out to be a mixed bag of surprises, both good and bad.



The biggest surprise was the yaki matsutake (a difficult to harvest and hence expensive mushroom from Japan), which they priced out at a whopping S$24 (US$14.50) for eight skinny slices. They brought out a little flame for us to grill them on and dip them into a sauce. These mushrooms are supposed to have a distinct spicy aroma, but here's where it disappointed as there was really no flavor - it just tasted like any other mushroom. At about US$2 a slice for barely a smidgen of food, that was not a bargain, and probably not something that I'll opt for again.

This place has always been rather proud of its unagi (freshwater eel) too, as it's apparently flown in fresh from Japan. In this case, the S$24 (US$14.50) price is worth it. You can immediately tell the difference between this unagi and all the other cheap stuff out there - there is a subtle amount of fat in this unagi that provides a much richer taste and delicate texture. Wow - nice one. They also offered a "deluxe" version for twice the price (and a 30 minute wait) - I wonder how that one tastes.

Probably the best thing about this restaurant is thus the ingredients, as further emphasized in the saba shioyaki (grilled mackerel with salt), which had a delicate yet crispy fatty skin for flavor and texture, as well as the negitoro maki (fatty tuna and spring onion sushi). But you pay for it too - the negitoro maki was S$19 (US$11.50) for six small pieces. Apparently that fatty tuna is quite an expensive one, including one dish featuring it for over S$100 or US$60. These guys also had the ever-pricey marbled wagyu beef on the menu for similar prices, which we obviously passed on. Fortunately, the tempura was not that expensive, but was still very light and fluffy, unlike that rubbish one gets in American Japanese restaurants with all that heavy batter.

So anyway, I feel like I got reamed in the end at this place with the heavy price tags and the still unfilled stomach. The prices are justified in the high quality of the ingredients, but I doubt I'll come here again (maybe just for the eel). The service was pretty spotty here too: the servants mixed up orders, ignored us part of the time, while also being too eager to clear beer bottles that were still full. Next time, I hope the line at Tonkichi is not as long as I don't want to come here for a consolation prize.

Halia Restaurant, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Halia, which means ginger in Bahasa, would lead one to think that this place was serving Malay food. Instead, the menu featured fusion. I've never really been a huge fan of fusion (nor Malay food for that matter), although admittedly some concoctions can be good. Unfortunately, this place (1 Cluny Road, 6476-6711) was a bit of a yawner to me.



Our starters included the "crisp black pepper softshell crab with wasabi aioli," "tataki of blue fin tuna belly with arugula, avocado, tomato, kalamata olive, wasabi vinaigrette," and a salad with prawn satay. These were generally better than I thought they would be: the softshell crab had a nice greasy touch, the seared tuna went well with the avocado, and the prawns were grilled just the right amount. But none of it was anything that I would get cravings for.

We shared our main courses too, including the "fillet of char siew salmon with honey soy glaze, haricot beans, arugula and orange dressing," "aubergine & tofu tower - baked eggplant, portobello mushroom, sauteed young spinach, broccolini and agedashi tofu in a light soy broth," "chili crab spaghettini - Singapore-style spicy, sweet and tangy crabmeat sauce," and "linguine vongole laksa - little neck clams in Peranakan-style aromatic cream sauce with blue ginger rempah and laksa pesto." Just as with the starters, they were generally good in their own right, but I had my complaints too. The salmon was prepared delicately but the honey glaze just seemed out of place. The aubergine tower was also very light and fresh yet tasty, but a bit of a bore (and these towers these days are such a cliche!). The chili crab pasta was cooked just right, but lacked the spicy and tangy edge that I'm accustomed to with real chili crab. The linguine was actually probably the best of the bunch with a rich creamy sauce, but I'm not a huge fan of some of those Peranakan (Malaysian Chinese) spices.

The thing that probably bothered me the most about this place was how it tried so hard to be classy. In the process, it just blends in with all those other chichi fusion places and doesn't stand out. It's a bit too snotty for me too (and the service could have been more prompt). The food was certainly above average from a quality and taste standpoint, but the fusion concoctions are simply unncessary to me. I doubt that I'll want to come here on my own accord - I'd prefer to stick to the real McCoys.

Jing Jing Dessert House, Singapore

This place was dedicated to desserts (kinda like what you would find in HK with Chinese music playing overhead), and wasn't too bad, I must say. I had the coconut milk peanut covered tang yuan, which is a warm Chinese dessert of little glutinous rice balls with sweet ground black sesame seeds inside. It doesn't sound too appetizing, and indeed, it doesn't look too appetizing either with the black stuff oozing out. But it is good. It's a very lightly sweet taste but with a punch of sesame flavor, which I absolutely love. This is probably one of my favorite Chinese desserts.

I didn't quite try anything else, but they have a pretty extensive dessert menu (apparently they stake claim to "the very creative mango with coconut ice and the house's specialty [of] strawberries [and] mixed fruits in spiced red wine, not to forget the old day's roasted sweet potatoes"). It's across the street from the "whispering man" hot pot and is open until 11 PM (midnight on weekends...36 Temple Street, 6221-5531).

Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha (Bak Kut Teh)

Bak Kut Teh, or a Fujian pork rib soup, simply kicks ass. It may look like just murky dishwater in the photo, but trust me - this photo does not do it justice. You have to get the local Singaporean variety - nothing else. If you get the Malaysian variety, it is filled with all sorts of Chinese herbs. Granted, I've never actually tried the Malaysian version before, but those herbs are not my thing. The Singaporean version, on the other hand, is a much lighter yet peppery and garlicky tasting bowl of soothing delightfulness.

My favorite vendor is Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha, which is conveniently located at 7 Keppel Road (PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex) during the daytime (7AM - 3PM, 6222-9610), and over at 593 Havelock Road in the evenings (6PM - 4AM, 6235-7716, both closed on Mondays). Their broth is the epitome of that peppery, savory, garlicky (gotta love the whole cloves in there!), yet light taste that I love. A standard accompaniment is yio tiao (these long deep fried Chinese dough things that you get in Taiwan for breakfast with your soybean milk), which is cut up into pieces here. It's perfect because it soaks up the soup and yet provides a greasy addition. One usually also eats it with rice, but I prefer the mian sian (thin noodles), which also come in a soup with nice scallion and garlic garnishings. Freshly cut chili peppers in a dark soy sauce is also commonly used for dipping (oh yeah - you can eat the pork too - ha ha). Finally, one can choose from all sorts of other sides: salted vegetable (which is pretty good with rice), tofu (which is the brown thing I got in the upper corner of the picture here), or - for the more adventurous - intestines. And these intestines are often filled naturally, if you know what I mean. (Yuck!!)

These guys are usually open late, as you can see by the store hours, which means that it's great for a post-drinking snack (Founder Rou Gu Cha on Balestier Road with its entire rib is also a favorite of mine, although I tend to like this one a little more due to its spiciness). It's also a breakfast dish, which is why it's open early (kinda like that other light savory broth that I love, pho!). And actually the teh in its name is Hokkien for "tea," so you're technically supposed to do a Chinese tea drinking ceremony with it (really potent tea in tiny tiny little cups). But I don't bother. The broth is so good that I would willingly come for just that alone, and they'll usually give you free refills of the broth too.

Awesome, simply awesome. If you don't like pepper or garlic, then stay away (I've had friends from HK who hated this stuff). But if you love the two, and if you come to Singapore, then you have to get this, especially since it's not really available anywhere else in the world.

LH Cold Gourmet Plate

I guess this is still a part of Marchesi's menu, as simple as it is ("Air-dried beef, Cream Cheese with Chives, Gruyere and Yogurt Cheese, toasted Grains and Baby Leek"). There's not much to say here, aside from the fact that it tasted just like it sounds, and was quite good. The "baby leek" (basically a scallion) was a nice contrasting touch, but of course with a really bad side-effect of Dragon Breath.

LH Connoisseurs on Board - Gualtiero Marchesi

Wow I just realized that LH's Connoisseur's on Board program also features celebrity chefs (like SQ). Today's meal was done by Gualtiero Marchesi, an Italian Michelin star chef and head of the eponymous Ristorante Gualtiero Marchesi in Erbusco, Italy. Today's dinner started out with the Smoked Marlin with Artichokes and Pear Chutney. It actually wasn't even what I ordered (they ran out of the Italian ham platter), but it turned out to be really good: a refreshingly clean taste with a nice mildly acidic touch for contrast. Wow.



Next up was the Pan-seared Halibut accompanied by creamed Leeks and Rice Medley. This was another pleasant surprise. It doesn't look like much in the photo, but the halibut was done just right and tender. The rice was a good companion to the creamed leeks, which was my favorite part of the dish. Wow. I'm thoroughly impressed. I'm a bit bummed that I missed the dessert (I went to sleep early to beat jet lag) - it featured a panna cotta with passion fruit puree (a light egg custard) that they even gave the recipe for.

A Layover in Frankfurt’s Hauptwache

On the of the things I love about flying Lufthansa is having to stop in Frankfurt on most trips, and the airport is conveniently located near the train that takes you right into the middle of town quickly. This time I was hoping to go to die Kleinmarkthalle market for some good food. Unfortunately, it closed at 6:15 PM (as luck would have it, I did not get there until 6:13 PM – ack!!). But it wasn’t that bad in the end. I eventually found a festival-type setup in Konstablerwache just one train station away, where I was able to secure a decent sausage (2.80 Euros, or US$3.50), grilled on the fire. It wasn’t quite as tasty as a previous sausage I had off the streets of Frankfurt, but it was still decently greasy (gotta laugh at how small the bun is though!). There were a couple vendors with these huge round grills suspended with chain links over a fire – now that’s a BBQ!



I also grabbed a couple Binding beers for two Euros a pop (US$2.50). It was a lager, but it was exactly what I needed after a sweaty thirsty day. And just for kicks, I took a look at both McD’s and Burger King’s menus while I was walking along to verify John Travolta’s line in Pulp Fiction: “In Paris, you can buy a beer at McDonald’s.” Granted, this wasn’t France, but at least they do serve beer at McDonald’s in Germany.



Anyway, this kind of little stopover is what makes Frankfurt great. I highly recommend flying Lufthansa and intentionally setting a long 6 hour stopover here if you can. You effectively get a free mini vacation out of it for little or no extra charge. Besides, I don’t mind the mildly sour German potato salad from the lounge either. :)

Exploring Rome Fiumicino Airport

Having to route through Rome again on my way home, I found a few things worth noting. First off was the “Italian Food Shop” (yes, that’s how the sign is labeled) near some of the gates. Step inside and you get a good whiff of all the great Italian ingredients we’ve come to know and love: pasta, cheese, salami, olive oil, wine, etc. I thought I had gotten sick of Italian food after these past few days, but all the odors in this store just made me hungry again.



Hence, the next stop was what appeared to be a tacky cafeteria that was not really known to passengers (seeing that it was upstairs) but known to all the local employees. The food actually looked pretty darned good in the windows, and after that experience in the shop earlier, I had to get a taste. Boy, was it great. The highlight was the penne – cooked to perfection texture-wise, and with an amazingly rich and spicy sauce. A big bowl of parmesan was available too, and I dumped that stuff on. Add some of the usual eggplant and a salad (unfortunately he didn’t understand my Italian when I tried to order the mushrooms though) plus some breadsticks, and it was good to go. Yum. That was a surprisingly good plate of penne – I hope I can get something similar back home at Cantina.

I also grabbed a local Nastro Azzurro beer on the way out. It was pretty thin, just like that other local beer I had. I probably won’t get any cravings for these lagers – I still prefer English ales. Finally, here is another interesting local drink, Slam, which appears to be Pepsi Italy’s version of Orangina (a bit more artificial though).

A Traditional English Breakfast, Newcastle

Here’s just a basic English breakfast: bacon, sausages, egg, tomatoes, beans, and toast. There’s nothing special here – it’s just what I ate for breakfast here at the airport. I did not get tea though.

Wedding "Breakfast" at Matfen Hall, England

Here at a good friend's wedding in Newcastle Upon Tyne, I learned three interesting cultural things about England:

(1) A wedding dinner is called a "wedding breakfast," not because it is actually breakfast, but rather because of the traditional sense of the word: breaking fast.
(2) A wedding "breakfast" is usually served at around 4PM, meaning you must eat a very big (morning) breakfast or a very small lunch...unless there is a spread of food later in the evening for late arrivees.
(3) Sorbet is often served between the starter and main course, instead of as a dessert. The intention is to cleanse the palate before starting the main course. Perhaps this was borrowed from the French?

Anyway, this meal was really good, dispelling any traditional stereotype that English food is boring. The Salad of Tiger Prawn and Baby Gem with Marie Sauce and Sun Blushed Tomato Pesto was very fresh. The Gin and Tonic Sorbet was crisp and clean, which was perfect for the job described above.

The Braised Shank of Lamb with Rosemary and Red Wine Sauce was the standout though: the meat was so tender that it fell off the bone, and with almost none of that signature lamb taste (apparently this "country house hotel" uses only organic ingredients). The cabbage in particular was one of my favorites. Finally, the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch sauce was nice and warm, without being excessively sweet. This was a pretty darned good meal overall, and certainly very hearty and filling.

A pint of the local North Yorkshire-based John Smith’s Extra Smooth ale is always a welcome addition too (even if it takes a couple seconds for the head to settle) – geez I wish we could find more ales in Singapore.

Baguette Sandwiches on EasyJet

On this European no-frills airline, the only food service is one that you have to pay for. And there are no big-ticket items - the biggest thing was what I ordered, a Cheddar cheese "baguette," which wasn't even really on baguette, but rather a much softer bread. And it didn't have butter or mayo in it - rather, it had a tomato and pepper chutney, which was a bit too sweet for me. This was a bit of a letdown.

The other interesting thing to note is the Schwepps "Lemonade," which is effectively like Sprite or 7-Up. That's kind of interesting considering that Americans consider lemonade to be that real lemon juice and sugar water concoction rather than anything carbonated and artificial like Sprite or 7-Up (which instead is a "lemon-lime soda"). I guess the English don't look at it that way?

Ristoranti Sabatini in Trastevere, Rome

I must have been cursed with a "can't find the food that I planned on" disease on this trip. I could not find the allegedly famous Da Baffeto pizza place yesterday. So tonight, I went with a trusted source: Zagat, which had some pretty good reviews of Paris, a trattoria at Piazza San Callisto in the famed Trastevere area. But it was closed! (Maybe because it was Sunday?) So we stumbled down the alleyways and tried our luck with Sabatini (Piazza San Maria 13, 06-5812026). It actually turned out quite well, but as part of that curse, the artichoke was unavailable (out of season), and the Roman or Jewish styles of preparation are supposed to be quite good.



Anyway, enough griping. This place, which did have quite a number of tourists inside speaking English, was actually quite good. The spaghetti alla carbonara was full of the cholesterol-bomb flavor of eggs and cheese yet not excessively rich (although the bacon was quite salty and fatty - almost as much fat as in one of those Taiwanese sausages on the street). The filetto di tacchino con funghi (turkey filet with mushrooms on the side) was an amazingly thin slice of pan fried heaven, with just the right amount of salt and grease. All the accompaniments (wine, dessert, coffee, and even the breadsticks) all proved to be quite respectable.



And the service was very good. (He asked if anyone wanted cappucino after the meal though - is that a sign of lack of authenticity, or is that a sign of cultural sensitivity knowing that outsiders tend to order that after dinner? He's probably just a prudent businessman.) Well, I'm glad that today's meals generally turned out much better than yesterday's...I was getting worried for a sec there. I wouldn't mind coming back here again...the mounted prosciutto looked pretty tasty too, as were the steaks I saw being grilled on a fire. Yay!