Saturday, September 29, 2007

Singapore's First German Cafe

With 4 events to organise between now and 6 Nov, coupled with a raw recruit and another celebrating the birth of first daughter, I have had zero time for blogging this week. My apologies to all of you who had come and left in disappointment!

In vengence, my hubby and I decided to throw caution to the winds and indulge! Hence this evening we drove to Werner's Oven at Upper East Coast. According to their name card, this was the first German bakery and cafe in Singapore.

For drinks, we debated whether to order the German beer but my hubby decided to opt for the ice chocolate instead - thus giving us a reason to make a return visit!



For food, we had three dishes. First we had the popular ox-tail stew. The meat was bone-tender (to borrow my daughter's word). With only two apiece of ox-tail and potato, it was a bit steep for the price. Nevertheless, it sure brought back memories of my mummy's top-class version which was not only richer and tastier but came brimming with carrrots, onions and potatoes.



The boiled bratwurst sausages were served with potato salad. I spread the sausages with the mustard provided and popped them into my mouth. Mmm...it sure tasted crunchy, fresh and succulent. Non-oily and thus nutritious. By the way, 'bratwurst' means sausage made from pork or beef. Brat means fine chopped meat, and wurst means sausage. My hubby finished the entire potato salad! You form the verdict yourself.



The recommended meat loaf comes with bread dumpling, sauerkraut (cabbage fermented in red wine) and potatoes (not again!). Nevertheless, this was the indeed the highlight of the evening!



Surprisingly, the bread dumpling was tasty and rich! Did I say this dish certainly provide another reason to come again?



For dessert, we went to the bakery 2 doors away and ordered carrot cake, apple cheese cake and walnut brownie. Ooo-la-la, am I in heaven or what? Let me worry about the tummy tomorrow. Today, I am in German Heaven!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Hog's Breath Cafe - The Real Deal

Have you ever tripped over yourself, just trying to find the perfect steakhouse for a perfect slab of good ol' char-grilled meat?

Well, look no more, that is, if you're in Perth. (Or any aussie state for that matter)

Yesterday, Sam and I had a good opportunity to dine with Uncle Paul and Aunty Lily (friends of my father's), and an earlier decision was made to lunch at Hog's Breath Cafe at Northbridge.



Stepping into the surroundings made me feel like I was back in the 1960s, with cowboys and ranches and Clint Eastwood for that matter. The entrance was one of a vintage entrance to a typical cowboy's pub - very Hog's Breathish and no fuss-like nonsense. Wooden chairs and tables line the premise with old signboards and vintage car plates punctured here and there on yellow-washed walls.

Hog's Breath Cafe's specialities are undoubtedly their prime steaks, slow-cooked for up to 18 hours in a hot oven and char-grilled at the end to seal in maximum flavour. But for those not particularly fond of steaks, they do serve burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and other meat like poultry and fish. However, don't expect any vegeterian options, except for the salads, Hog's Breath is definitely for the carnivorous of appetites.

Whilst Uncle Paul & Aunty Lily opted for the Hickory Smoked Prime Rib, I opted for the Blackened Prime Rib. Sam, not a big fan of steaks that day, went for the Hickory Lamb Shank.

We decided to go for a serve of their garlic and herb bread for the appetizer, and boy, was it fricking good.



I love their garlic bread immensely. The garlic scent wasn't overpowering as compared to other garlic bread I've tasted. I liked how the bread was firm but not overly crispy and tough in texture. Just perfectly soft in the middle. One's definitely not enough for this greedy girl.



Hickory Smoked Prime Rib - I didn't get a taste of this so no views about it, but from how frequently it gets ordered by Uncle Paul & Aunty Lily whenever they patronise Hog's Breath, it must be something good, isn't it? Topped with Hog's Breath own smoked BBQ sauce and an accompaniment of curly fries and fresh veggies.



Sam‘s Hickory Lamb Shank according to her was fall-off-the-bone tender and utterly delicious. Acompanied by side dish of Dianne-amite sauce, mashed potato and fresh veggies.



Oooh, just looking at this picture makes me hungry again. Ordering the Blackened Prime Rib left me with no regrets. Deliciously moist and tender, this steak definitely puts all the other steakhouses to shame. Seasoned with Cajun spice, the salty flavour of the meat just permeates through my tastebuds upon chewing a chunk from my fork. The cut definitely has a good balance of fats and meat, and oh goodness, the fat immediately melts in your mouth with a salty, smoky flavour. Mine was medium-well, and I got what I ordered, so props to that. Accompanied by a special side dish order of mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes and fresh veggies.

I was enormously bloated nearing the end of my dish so we didn't have the chance to order any desserts but apparently, the mud cake is totally wicked as well according to Sam, so I shall be ordering that at my next visit!

One thing to note though, although Hog's Breath Cafe has a few franchise outlets in Singapore, reviews of the food served at the Singapore outlets doesn't look really appetizing and a blow to Hog's Breath Cafe's reputation as Australia's best steakhouse yet. Once again leading to me, shaking my head heavily, and wondering whether steakhouses in Singapore are capable of cooking perfect steaks. No one wants a steak rock-hard on the outside and all red and raw in the middle do they?

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Kaiseki Meal at Kuriya

Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese meal analogous to Western haute cuisine. Usually the meal courses are served in various ways of cooking methods. At Kuriya, Great World City, where I had my Kaiseki lunch, the 6-course meal comprises an appetiser, a fried item, a steamed item, sushi, soup, dessert and coffee. The dishes are served excellently by the polite and knowledgeable staff. In fact, they had the foresight to place the kaiseki menu on the table so that I can follow the courses and identify the various items in each course.

The appetiser, itself, consisted of 5 items: scallop and flying fish roe jelly, french beans tossed with sesame sauce, braised sardine with plum, brised japan chilli leaf, conger eel and cucumber. I like the refreshing and cooling scallop and flying fish roe jelly best.



The second course was the fried item. Essentially, tempura, the deep fried dish comes with prawn, potato and other vegetables. What was unique: the three gingko nuts that were placed strategically around the dish. Healthy and decorative!



The steamed item was salmon and mushroom with chrysanthemum sauce. The mushroom pieces were mixed with broken japanese rice to form an almost gruel paste.



The Nigiri or hand-pressed sushi was filling! This was served with the soup: minced crab meat and prawn in clear soup with egg white. This was one of my favourites!



Finally, the dessert which almost took my breath away. Not expecting much, I was unprepared for the magnificent sight that was in front of me. The waiter described each item: vanilla ice-cream, mocca mouse cake and assorted fruits. Together, with the coffee, I was completely satisfied with the entire lunch experience that day! The entire 7-course meal: $35++.



My lunch partner had the teriyaki salmon set at $24++. The salmon was done with crispy skin and no bones. The set comes with a smaller dessert (but equally well-presented) and coffee.



Saturday, September 15, 2007

Tiramisu and Ben 10

If you are thinking what is the connection between tiramisu and Ben 10, wonder no more.

'Twas two nights before my father's birthday, i.e. today, that my sis saves the day...or more correctly night!

My hubby and I were watching TV at my father's when raps were heard at the door. Sis and her family entourage appeared with a cake to celebrate our father's birthday!

From Breadtalk, the tiramisu cake was burdened with candles galore to signify our ageing and senescent father.



Now, it has been a number of years that I've tasted a cake from Breadtalk. Surprisingly, the cake was light and not very sweet. The cream and cocoa combination was a counterfoil to the soft vanilla sponge. However, the cake could do with some rum.



As usual, my nephew demonstrated his appetite by downing 3 pieces...while giving his aunt a short course on Ben 10. 'Tis the story of 10-year-old Ben Tennyson who discovered a mysterious device, and gained the power to change into 10 different alien heroes, each with uniquely awesome powers. Shown on cartoon network, the series is the latest hit for Singaporean lads!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Sis Comes A-Knocking!

Staying in an apartment without my family gets me missing times when me and my sister used to rule the house back in Singapore. As for my sister, staying in a hostel without a proper kitchen isn't the sort of environment one would like to cook in.

Therefore, Sam came over to my house today to cook spaghetti bolognese, an utterly simple but favourite dish for both of us. According to wikipedia, bolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce for pasta. However we twisted the recipe a little and threw in some mushrooms with our minced beef as well.



I love red onions. Sweeter than brown and white onions, they impart the most incredible sweet fragrance to the bolognese sauce.



Button mushrooms are fantastic. Perfect for salads, soups and stews, this thing we term a fungus just goes to prove how important and flexible it is.



Our lip-smacking result. The flavours of the tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and beef simply combined together like they were made for each other, producing a glorious beefy stock. Common ingredients in every supermarket and absolutely easy to prepare, spaghetti bolognese is a winner with everyone, from kids to full-grown adults.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins



What happens when you can't differentiate the labelling on a product, thereby foolishly buying plain yogurt instead of a vanilla-flavoured?

Why, you make blueberry yogurt muffins of course.

Upon lifting the lid off my Mundella product and licking a spoonful of the creamy white substance, I found, with a blow to my stomach, that I had purchased a 99.7% fat-free plain/natural yogurt instead of my favourite vanilla-flavoured one. Disappointed and mentally abusing myself for my stupidity, I placed the yogurt back in the fridge, leaving the matter aside. Couple of days later, while on the net, I decided to browse through recipes which could utilise my abandoned bottle of yogurt, sitting like an outcast in the cold room. From yogurt dips to toppings for mediterranean pilafs, plain yogurt was pretty flexible in its use. People subsitute yogurt for milk in curries and creamy sauces, which begs for healthier and less fatty dishes.

Uses aside, I finally decided to make blueberry yogurt muffins. I love muffins, and blueberries even more. So what can be better than having two at one go?







Fresh-out-of-the-oven muffins are just breath-taking. They smell so amazing and they have the most wondrous colour ever. Once you look at these, you'll never go back to making muffins out from those muffin mix boxes again!

The blueberries lend a natural sweetness, making the muffins not overly sweet but enriched with a blueberry flavour. Texture-wise, not very crumbly like those bakery-style muffins, leaning towards a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. Light and fluffy, these muffins are so delectable, you can eat them everyday for brekky!



Blueberry Yogurt Muffins
2 cups plain flour
1 cup fresh/frozen blueberries
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 200 dC.
Line muffin pan with paper cups
Beat egg, then stir in yogurt and oil. Mix in dry ingredients until well-combined/fully moistened. Fold in blueberries. Fill paper muffin cups until 2/3 full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 12

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Power Protein

Saturday breakfasts are looked forward eagerly by my hubby and I. 'Tis the time to catch up on the latest news, gossips, movies,...etc; and plan the weekend activities. Do we need to go to the grocers? What shall we eat for dinner? Whose parents are we visiting this week? When shall we call our children?

Over unlimited cups of coffee, we pour over our newspapers and scan the IS magazine for the newest food joint to appraise. We people-watch the customers inside and the passers-by outside our breakfast joint.

This morning was no different. At our favourite Coffee Bean outlet, my husband who has a penchant for protein ordered his usual salmon and egg muffin. This is truly one of the most economical yet wholesome breakfast one can find in Singapore. At only $6.50, my husband can have his fill of protein to power his lean, mean frame. The accompanying side salad. doused with french dressing, provides some of the fibre for the day.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Ready-Made Roast Chicken & Balsamic Salad

Have you ever had days when you're just absolutely reluctant to drag your lazy self to the kitchen and make a satisfying meal from scratch? Well, yesterday was one of those 'on strike' days for me.

Yesterday found myself browsing the aisles of Woolies after a day at uni. I thought of making gnocchi for dinner, but then you have to get the minced beef, the packet of gnocchi, the herbs and spices, and suddenly, it wasn't very appealing. All of a sudden, some Woolies staff announced that they were selling whole roasted baby chickens at $5.50 each, and I drooled, yes upon the price, but not least the smell of these ready-made darlings.



For a side, I made some salad (baby rocket and mini roma tomatoes) with balsamic dressing (recipe below) to go with the roast chicken. I adore balsamic vinegar and therefore cannot do without my frequent dosage of balsmic dressing with simply any kind of salad.



Absolutely heaven and easy on the bucks.

Balsamic dressing
olive oil (or extra virgin)
balsamic vinegar
wholegrain mustard
salt & pepper

Mix concentrations of ingredients above to taste. Drizzle on salad.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

A Double Celebrative Affair

The HengHua (or Xing Hwa in Mandarin) people are from Putian, Fujian, China. Heng means lucky, whereas Hua means people. For our 23rd wedding anniversary and my nephew Timothy's 9th birthday celebrations, my husband, sister, nephew and I chose to have lunch at Pu Tien Restaurant along Kitchener Road. Recommended by a friend who raved about its tasteful yet healthy and non-oily dishes, we decided to take a chance on Pu Tien to celebrate this momentous occasion.

Although it was a weekday lunch hour, the place was 80% full. The waitress was quick to highlight a $56 set lunch for 4 which comprises 6 dishes including sea bass, prawns in bamboo, tau kee with vegetables, and complimentary longan dessert. We decided to ask the waitress to recommend the place's most popular dishes and finally settled on:



- cockles steamed with garlic and chilli
- mee sua fried with mushroom, taupok, clams, prawns, pork belly, peanuts and vegetables, and topped with deep-fried seaweed,



- fried duck wrapped in yam,
- fried pau with pork strips
- home-made bean curd stewed with mushrooms and carrots
- oh-nee or sweet yam with gingko nuts



The homemade Bean Curd is so smooth it practically slips down your throat; the cockles sizzled with garlic was pungent and reminded my sis and I of our childhood when our mum used to steam an entire plate of cockles for dinner; the yam with duck was smooth and acted as an effective counterfoil to the duck's strong taste, the pork strips were pounced on greedily by my nephew while the fried bun or mun tou, with white sesame seeds, were a refreshing change from the usual steam kong bak pau version. Finally, the wet mee sua was simple but choc-a-bloc with ingredients and I have to admit that I had more than 1 bowl of it! Of course all four of us enjoyed the oh-nee, including Timothy, who reached out to have second helpings from his mummy's bowl.

We left the restaurant satiated and eager to come back to try the rest of the dishes in the menu. I must also add that the service standards are relatively good. The waitresses were observant to your needs (eg. changing plates, filling up tea) yet not intrusive.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Tuna Saves The Day

One of the more common fishes around in supermarkets, canned or otherwise fresh tuna is low in fat, doesn't increase your cholesterol and mighty rich in omega-3 fatty acids (which are the good kind of fats).

I didn't used to like tuna when I was a little girl. Whether it was a tuna sandwich/bun or anything tuna-related, my mouth wasn't that enthusiastic about it. I suppose the only meal that had me eating tuna out of my hands were weekly tuna paninis at Coffee Bean. Man, those guys really know how to make picky little food eaters (like me) eat their fish. Anyway, that feeling hasn't gone, which is rather ironic that tuna saved my day. Maybe one of the reasons why I wasn't really fond of tuna was how grainy it was coming out of a can. They weren't soft and tender like cod or other white fish. Rather abit like salmon, another fish with a sort of grainy texture.

To cut a long story short, I got inspired by Jamie Oliver's recipe, 'Jools' Favourite Saturday Afternoon Pasta '(Jools, being his wife). The thought was if his wife's favourite pasta had tuna in it, there couldn't be any harm could it? Besides, the ingredients could be easily manipulated and more importantly, only simple ingredients were required.

And?



The result was fantastic. The aroma of good quality tuna with that hint of olive flavour after being canned in olive oil was unmistakable. Canned tomatoes and canned tuna make an absolute perfect pair. Using red onions instead of white/brown allowed instant sweetness to permeate through. It was by far, and I do not exaggerate, the best and simplest spaghetti I have ever eaten yet.



Supper was another affair. I made onigiri and sushi while using leftover tuna pasta sauce and tuna flakes in oil. Cooking the sushi rice in a pot was quite a disaster, something which I will definitely never attempt again. I suppose it was bad karma on me for forsaking my good old buddy - rice-cooker. The rice grains were still a touch hard in the middle, leaving me to microwave the rice for about 3 minutes. This is the first time I made an onigiri (without a mold) and I'm pretty proud of my result!



Kawaii!! ^_^

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Vietnamese Coffee

Yesterday, I had my first cup of gourmet vietnamese coffee at a chic restaurant along Club Street.



The coffee was served in a tall glass. On top of the glass was a metal filter pot. Into the filter pot, the efficient waitress poured the stream of freshly brewed unfiltered coffee. The entire sequence was done with great showmanship or should I say, show-womanship! The taste was not as strong as Columbian coffee and provide a fitting finishing touch to a 4 course meal comprising :

Gỏi Cuốn – Rice paper rolls with poached prawns, lettuce, bean sprouts, chives, mint leaves and rice vermicelli. Served with traditional sauce

Bún Tôm Nướng – Grilled tiger prawns with rice vermicelli, cucumber and lettuce. Garnished with mint leaves, basil, crushed peanuts and served with a unique sweet and sour chilli sauce

Ca Tuyet Hap Oliu – Fresh cod fish fillet steamed with crushed black olives, garlic, ginger, spring onion, chilli and mix capsicums.

Dau Hu Chien Toi Ot – Pan fried tofu with chilli and garlic

While my lunch partners prefered the cod fish and prawns, I was thoroughly enjoying munching into the cunchy vegetables and prawns wrapped in the fresh rice paper. You dip the rolls with the accompanying sauce and pop them into your mouth. For a light eater, the dish can be a meal by itself.



If you have not guessed by now, the restaurant belongs to the IndoChine Group. The restaurant chain focuses on viet-thai food. On Club Street, the restaurant is located on the 2nd floor. They also serve a $35 net 5 course set lunch.

I made a definite resolution for a return visit.