Coq and Bull Rotisserie and Grill

Last time I was passing by the restaurants on Greenwood Avenue, I noticed this place as having steak tartare on the menu, so I made a mental note to myself to come back here (2 Greenwood Avenue, 6468-9262) and try it. And today, I did. Using the steak tartare as an appetizer (which means a 100g serving - they can blow it up in further 100g increments if you want it as a main course), I started mixing away. It was decently fresh, but I have to say that I still prefered the spicier taste that I got in Spain. (Is it because this is more of a French style or something? I suppose that this place is part of the Les Amis family.)



I then moved on to the Australian Ribeye, which to my surprise, was very, very tender and tasty. It was seriously one of the most tender steaks that I've had, and I didn't even order the wagyu option that they had. They provided bearnaise and red wine jus sauces for it, but I didn't bother touching those - I prefer naked steaks anyway. I wasn't a big fan of the side salad though (it seemed like just oil on the leaves).

Anyway, the service here was very attentive and friendly, which was nice. And Atkins dieters can unite in joy at this place as there is nary a mention of carbs on the menu at all - it's almost literally all meat. In fact, the only carbs I could find was the bread. Despite the much better than average experience here though, I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon. Something about the overall taste just still brought back memories of Sebastien's, which I was not a big fan of (I guess I just don't like French food that much in general). Oh well; I'm glad I tried this place though. And I know where to come if I really do crave their steak tartare one of these days.

Ko Ryo Jeong

This place is located at International Plaza #02-59 (6324-3120). I had the kimchi jige (they apparently weren't serving kalbi tang today). It didn't really stand out either way - it wasn't bad, but I've had better. The kimchi was also a bit fresher than I prefer (I want a little more stank in it), but at least the beansprouts had a good dosage of sesame oil.

I still haven't been able to find a Korean place in Singapore that are nearly as good as the ones in LA or Seoul, but I do plan to come back here again just to try their BBQ to see if it's any good (it looks like they have a bulgogi set for two).

More dishes from Samar

We went to Samar for lunch today, where I wanted to try some more of their dishes. We started with the obligatory hummus and babaganoush together with a basket of bread (they force you to buy a separate basket of bread). Interestingly, they were served in big lumps rather than being spread out in a flat dish with olive oil and such. The flavor was fine, if a bit light, but it was the first time I had seen it laid out like this.



My main dish was the mansaf, which is apparently frequently served at Palestinean weddings. This had more taste than the mandhi that I had the other day, especially with seasonings encrusted on the little bits of fat on the lamb. But, just as with the other day, the rice was a bit bland, and I had to throw on lots of lemon juice and salt to give it more flavor. They also had a simply-named roast chicken, which wasn't necessarily bad, but it was so simple that it almost seemed like something that can be made at home.

I wish the food here had more kick to it. Even something as simple as roasted onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers would do the job (or even a little butter in the rice). Well, at least the iced Syrian kamaradeen drink was still refreshing with its apricot nectar.

Shinryoku Yakitori Restaurant

I had passed by here quite a few times after leaving Chuan, and had always wanted to come check it out (8 Purvis Street, 6338-8472). But only when I came inside tonight did I realize that this is actually the same yakitori joint that I used to frequent on Liang Siah Street across from Bugis before they shut down (and fortunately I discovered the pleasure of Nanbantei not long after). I guess they moved over here...and I didn't even realize it until now.



Then again, I wasn't really missing out on that much, as I was reminded of today. A couple items, like the chicken and the shiitake, simply could have used a longer time on the fire to bring out a little more flavor. The service was dog slow (and inattentive - they didn't even realize that my drink was empty), and the air conditioning hardly worked tonight.

But to be fair, many items were still worthwhile. The asupara maki was nearly done just right, with a good amount of bang from the bacon. The kawa chicken skin was crispy and super thin, while the yaki onigiri was done with just the right amount of crispy crust (and covered in seaweed, no less). And it looks like they had some kinda of cold homemade udon that sounded pretty good, although I did not get a chance to try it.

I definitely prefer Nanbantei over this place as it is faster and tastier (at least, in its pre-Tatler days). But if Nanbantei were not around, then I would come here, as I'm not a huge fan of Shunjuu.

Samar Cafe, Kandahar Street

Being a former resident of West LA, I really miss Persian Food. The closest thing to Persian food out here in Singapore is Turkish food, which - in my experience here at least - has not been anything great. But then I learned about Samar (60 Kandahar Street at Baghdad Street, 6398-0530), which serves all sorts of "Arabic cuisine." I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, it got off to a really poor start with the kofta kebab, or "deep fried minced beef kebabs in tahini sauce, served with fresh bread." It was left so long in the deep fryer that the crust was nearly an inedible rock hard shell - almost like a really bad falafel. Once I got inside, the meat tasted OK, but geez - what a bad start to the meal.



The meal then progressed to their signature Mandhi Lamb Shank, which is a Yemeni dish, apparently. Fortunately, this was the complete opposite of the kofta kebab; the meat was so tender that it practically fell off the bone when I touched it. The basmati rice underneath was also a nice touch. Still, there was really no taste here. The lamb was supposedly marinating for a while, but I really couldn't taste much. Only after I squeezed lemon and shook salt on it did it start to take off for me. Had I not done so, this would have really been a bummer. Strangely, they didn't provide any roasted onions or tomatoes or anything like that either, which would have completely changed the dish. Maybe this naked taste is how it's done in Yemen? To their credit, they did provide a little tray of sauces, but none of them hit home with me; one was like a salsa that almost seemed catered to local tastes (or was it the Yemeni chili sauce?), while another was a yogurty-based thing with the consistency of nasal drip (it may have been the sesame tahini, but it sure didn't seem like sesame).

Feeling rather disappointed (and still a bit hungry), I grabbed the menu again, looking for something else. I decided to fall back on something I had in Morocco: harira, a hearty soup. Fortunately, this had a lot more flavor (and in many ways tasted better than the one that I had in Marrakech), but even then, the little bits of meat in here were clearly not of the best quality. The warm sugee pudding (made of semolina) was bearable - but it really depended on the raisins and dates to give it flavor. Sadly enough, I think the things I liked the most were a couple drinks: an iced Arabic tea with some fruit juice in it, as well as a karkadeh tea made from hibiscus leaves, making it taste a bit similar to Tazo's Passion tea.

I tried so hard to like this place, but unfortunately it fell a bit short (and they don't take American Express). Well, this place is open 24 hours though, so I know that I'll be giving it a second chance; I saw quite a few other things on the menu that piqued my curiosity (and no, it was not the chicken rice, fettucine, and mee rebus in the "global food" section of the menu - ugh!). They also had hookah pipes to smoke too if that's your thing.

Hong Sheng Restaurant (Cze Cha)

In all the years I've been in Singapore, I have never had cze cha, which is basically a stall that will cook all sorts of Chinese dishes as you sit out in the open on plastic chairs (you don't even really need a menu). This one, at Block 203 Toa Payoh North, has apparently been around for ages, and even has a near-top rating by Makansutra. We certainly got to try a huge spread tonight.

The meal started with some sort of claypot fish head stew, which had a nice touch thanks to the deep fried fish sitting in the middle. Other highlights included the shrimp paste chicken (not too unlike the wings at No. 5 Emerald Hill, although slightly harder to eat), some noodles called yee mee that had a nice rich almost butter-like taste, and that quintessential dish from Singapore, chili crab. I didn't like the chili crab here too much as it was a bit sweet, but nonetheless, the food here was decently good (even if all of them got rather goopy after a while).

Food-wise, it kinda reminded me of Cantonese restaurants back in San Francisco - sans air-conditioning, though. Don't come here if you're looking for a nice ambience - get ready to get down and dirty, and be prepared to eat with your hands (not to mention put ice in your beer - an appalling concept but not completely unreasonable in this warm weather).

Esmirada Mediterranean Restaurant

OK, I didn't intend to go get gazpacho soup two days in a row. I came out here since Esmirada (442 Orchard Road #01-29) has a nice patio to relax on while nibbling on their yummy lamb chop skewers. But I forgot that they had gazpacho soup too, which certainly sounded good on a warm sunny day.

So I got it. And it was indeed refreshing. It was slightly more sour (and less garlicky) than Via Mar's, but nonetheless still fresh and tasty. I also got of course their lamb chop skewers, which, as you can see in the photo, come on an inverted dangling contraption where the juice from the moist meat drizzles down into the catch tray. The best thing about them is the lightly salted crust on the outside, providing a great complement to the "meat-on-a-fire" taste (I didn't even bother with those little sauces that they gave). The onions and eggplant are of course also great on a fire. Thank God that they give a baked potato too, since the portions are pretty small. But I guess it's just right for a Sunday afternoon snack.

Another Breakfast at Bombay Woodlands

Here I go again - more breakfast from Bombay Woodlands. Having tried half of the chaat menu here so far, I asked for another recommendation, and today I got the Bombay Bhel Puri. It wasn't bad - made from puffed rice, it was kinda like a bowl of Rice Krispies and instant noodle crumbs mixed with a Mexican salsa - but very tangy. I usually also get rice-based idli for breakfast here too, but today I tried their wheat-based one, which was a bit spicier. I didn't mind it, but I think I prefer the untouched fluffiness of the rice-based idli better.

Via Mar, Esplanade

I haven't been here in a while, but I used to come here (Esplanade Mall #01-10/12, 6423-0900) a lot whenever I got Spain withdrawals. Being able to sit out in the open air is kinda relaxing on a sunny weekend too, especially with nice little plates of goodness in front of you, which is why I came back here today. That leads to the obligatory sangria and gazpacho soup, which isn't as good as I've had in Spain, but they do a decently good job here nonetheless. The chorizos fritos is always on my requisite list here too - they sit in a very tasty and savory oil (without being greasy) that's great for soaking up with bread.



One of my favorites from Madrid was gambas al ajillo, or shrimp in garlic and oil. The shrimp that are used at Via Mar are much much bigger than the little ones in Madrid, but today they were also surprisingly fresh, and of course still tasty sitting in the oil and garlic (and little chili peppers too). I was impressed; I don't think my previous experiences with this dish at Via Mar were ever this good.

Finally, I finished off my afternoon snacks with a tortilla (this is of the Spanish egg variety, mind you, not the Mexican flatbread). This was a bit boring though as it was just a big flat potato omelette. I probably could have done without this. (Actually, I wanted to get the paella instead, but that would have been too much food...I still need try the paella here one of these days.)

Due to the dishes above (aside from the tortilla - I've had some other duds here too), I prefer Via Mar over that Ocho place at Chijmes. But I heard that place closed down (replaced?) anyway. Unfortunately the service at Via Mar can be a bit spotty sometimes, but I don't mind when it comes to that killer chorizo. Mmm...

Sushi Kikuzawa, Orchard Road

I wasn't very hungry tonight (considering that I had just eaten some leftover pizza at 4 PM), so I figured that I'd go for a really light meal. I had passed by this place a couple times in the past (360 Orchard Road #02-13, 6738-3833) and had always been intrigued but had never come in. Tonight I wanted to change that.

It's set up like a couple of the little cult-following sushi joints back home, where the venue is a very thin sliver of a restaurant, featuring only a long sushi bar, and that's it. (And indeed, I found the place populated with a few Silicon Valley folks inside yakking away! Wow - I had forgotten how much Californians loved sushi.) I hesitated a second when I noticed that they featured an all-you-can-eat buffet, but nonetheless I still went in just to be sure.

The food proved to be all right. The fish wasn't as fresh as I have had in Japan, but it was probably one of the better sushi meals that I've had in Singapore. They started with some sashimi and plenty of other little starters by default, after which you picked your sushi. The tataki toro had a nice fatty taste (although a bit too much garlic), while the bonito fared well with the good pinch of ginger on top. To my surprise, the chef also pulled out something I hadn't seen since Japan: a blowtorch, which he used to heat the unagi. Nice.



The highlight of the meal for me was the deadly fugu, or poisonous blowfish, which I was surprised to see on the menu, especially since everything that I had heard about fugu was that it had to be served by licensed chefs (in dedicated fugu shops) who knew how to handle the deadly toxins (to which there is no antidote, BTW, and it literally kills people who eat it every year). This being just one item in a buffet of all things outside of Japan, I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive. But I had never tried it before (and had always wanted to), and eventually cooler heads prevailed when I realized that my chances of getting hit by a bus out on Orchard were probably greater than my chances of getting poisoned at this shop that I know has been here for quite a while. So I went ahead and ordered it. A friend of mine who had tried fugu in Japan once had told me that it was actually pretty tasteless, and indeed, he was right. This fish was seriously so bland that even the rice supporting it underneath had more flavor. Even though I knew that, it was still a bit of buzzkill (and no, there wasn't any tingling feeling either). Hmph - if it weren't for all the hype surrounding this delicacy, I probably wouldn't even eat it. There is seriously no flavor at all.

Anyway, all in all, I don't regret coming to this place. While not a knockout for me, it was still one of the better sushi experiences I've had in Singapore. The head chef was very friendly and fun to watch as he prepared sushi behind the counter. And at least now I can say that I've eaten fugu.

Sarpino's Pizzeria Delivery

I'm not a huge fan of thick crusted pizza, so this isn't exactly a favorite of mine, but I'm putting it in here since I need to remember it next time the office needs to order pizza in for lunch - it beats the crap out of that Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza place (interestingly enough though, Sarpino's is apparently a Canadian chain). The ingredients here at Sarpino's are leaps and bounds more generous and tasty than Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza, even when reheated in the microwave like I did today.

Given the choice, I still prefer places like Casa Roma or Pasta Fresca for pizza. But I don't think those are exactly the "mass delivery" type of joints, so the next time we need pizza delivery to the office, my vote is for Sarpino's (for lack of a better choice).

Shinn Unkai, International Plaza

The chashu ramen here (10 Anson Road #02-33/37, 6221-7575) was seriously the most spartan bowl of ramen that I've ever had in my life. Consisting of nothing but noodles, chashu, and scallions, this bowl lacked everything else that one would come to expect from a bowl of ramen; no bamboo shoots, no sesame seeds, no bean sprouts, etc. And the chasyu was sliced strangely thick with absolutely no fat on it.

Well, it didn't taste as bad as it sounds. I wolfed it down pretty quickly nonetheless, and it still had a decent taste. But I have to confess that I would much rather have a bowl with a layer of oil or a stick of butter floating on top. It's certainly less healthy, but oh is it tastier.