Mid-Autumn 2018

Yesterday was the light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 though it usually takes place after Hungry Ghost Festival – today is the last day. Two more weeks to buy mooncakes as Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 24 Sep (Mon). What stood out at this year's Takashimaya Mooncake Fair was that many added macadamia nuts to their traditional mooncakes without salted egg yolks, and most of the lotus paste was too sweet for my liking. To indulge your loved ones who should not be eating sweet stuff, try the a-tad-sweeter mooncakes from Shangri-La Hotel or The Ritz Carlton. Or get the ones from Mandarin Orchard, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant by Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel or Golden Peony by Conrad Centennial Singapore if you do not have a sweet tooth. Could not resist the latter's 40% discount and got its Golden Peony Traditional Baked Treasures, choosing the champagne cream box over the crimson red one for the 4 pieces of mooncakes in different flavours. Hoping to reuse the box, just like the one from Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore that I bought 2 years ago.

Mui Kee

Not knowing how long the queue will be at Mui Kee, I have put off visiting the restaurant on the 1st floor of Shaw Centre since it opened in March this year. It started in Mong Kok, Hong Kong in 1979 and was first brought into Singapore by the Les Amis Group as a pop-up stall at the Botanical Garden last year. Decided to try our luck as we were in the area around 9pm yesterday and were seated immediately. Probably because the place closes at 10pm (last order at 9.30pm). My dining companion was not impressed with the sliced fish kway teow soup while I could neither rave about nor fault the homemade pork meatballs congee. The silky smooth congee had a consistency more watery than the Cantonese ones I was used to, was a tad bland but perfect when paired with the well-marinated tender meatballs and crispy dough fritters. Add side dishes such as fried beancurd skin and dace fishcake, or chee cheong fun and claypot dishes respectively for lunch and dinner.

Chinese New Year 2018 – Goodies Galore

Familiar names at Takashimaya's Chinese New Year Festive Celebrations include Bengawan Solo, Christine's by The Cookie Museum and Home's Favourite. Instead of presenting two boxes of cookies in a tiffin-looking tall box, HarriAnns uses real tiffin this year. There were also many salted egg yolk baked and fried goods, and more stalls selling healthier choices. Despite reducing the amount of sugar in its eggless cookies, Divine Cookies' cookies were not bland – crumbly Coffee Baileys cookies with a lovely aroma and taste of coffee, and refreshing Yuzu Orange. A tad expensive though. I like Coco & Frank's flourless cookies without colouring and preservatives, and will be buying its Macadamia and Earl Grey Almond cookies (could smell and taste the tea with real leaves in it). As three beautiful tins can be packed into a complimentary gift box, which can go into a "Fu Dai" bag, am undecided between the Salted Egg and refreshing Tangerine Dark Belgian Chocolate cookies for my third tin.

Greyhound Café

It has been more than a year since Greyhound Café opened in Singapore, on the 1st floor of Paragon. If you are looking for a nice quiet place to chillax in the midst of bustling Orchard (what an oxymoron) and have deep pockets to burn a hole in, this is it. Nice – because of the chic industrial modern minimalist décor with a "glasshouse" in the middle, graphic printed walls and zinc sheets. Quiet, probably due to the prices with items on the menu at double or triple that in Bangkok and higher than most other Thai restaurants here. Says a lot when we can easily get seats without prior reservations for dinner on a weekend, doesn't it? Started as a fashion label in 1980 and expanded into the food business two decades ago with presence now also in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and London among others.

Fat Cow

Chose to dine at Fat Cow, located on the 1st floor of Camden Medical Centre, during the recently-ended Singapore Restaurant Week (from 28 Oct to 4 Nov) as I have heard and read many positive reviews about this Japanese restaurant that specialises in Wagyu. Visited on a weekday for lunch and started with an appetiser. Could neither rave about the salad and miso soup nor fault the flavourful and silky smooth chawanmushi. There were two main courses – Fat Cow Donburi and Fat Foa-Gura Don. The former comprises slices of tender charcoal grilled wagyu beef, recommended to be done medium rare, which went well with the perfectly-cooked onsen egg and shredded leeks over rice. Loved the glazed melt-in-the-mouth foie gras in the latter and am not complaining about the not-too-tough wagyu cubes over rice. While both were delicious, they lacked the wow factor. Its dessert of honeycomb ice-cream also failed to impress.

Tsuta

It has been almost a year since the world's only Michelin-starred ramen restaurant, opened by chef-owner Yuki Onishi in 2012, arrived in Singapore. There is always a queue whenever I pass by Tsuta at Pacific Plaza and the only time when I do not see anyone waiting, it is closed. So imagine my delight to spy empty seats in the Japanese restaurant, located on the 1st floor, when I walked past on a weekday. Waited for my turn (there were a few people in front of me) and ordered a Ajitama Shio Soba, adding a Yuzu Wonton, from a big touchscreen. Chose original Japanese taste over less salt for the seafood and chicken broth mixed with Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt, and served with green olives pureed in truffle oil. The long straight thin noodles were cooked just right in a delicately flavourful broth that was a tad oily, with a subtle aroma and taste of truffle that did not overwhelm. Char Siu was tender and nicely seasoned while flavoured egg had runny yolk the way I liked it. I loved the wonton skin and yuzu so the filling of minced meat was not cloying.

Mid-Autumn 2017

It is the time of the year again, to visit Takashimaya Mooncake Fair. Loved Shangri-La Hotel's handcrafted silk boxes with pearl buttons as handles to pull open drawers of mooncakes, and Peony Jade's baked premium mother of pearl white lotus paste with melon seeds mooncake. New flavours from the latter include mini snowskin mango mousse, passion fruit and coconut as well as mini snowskin crème brûlée and blueberry cheese. Not only are Sze Chuan Court by Fairmont Singapore's snowskin and baked white lotus paste with single yolk and macadamia nuts mooncakes shaped like peaches, its boxes (except the premium mooncake box) is also shaped like a peach. Reminiscent of the spice trade along Singapore River in the 1800s, Summer Palace by Regent Singapore's mini- and regular-sized mooncakes are individually packed in round and square metal tins respectively inside a carry-and-go pine wood box. I liked its mini snowskin signature black sesame paste mooncake but found the baked white lotus paste mooncake a tad sweet.

Dutch Baby Café

Located at the basement of Paragon, Dutch Baby Café is opened by Japan Foods Holding who also owns Ajisen Ramen and Menya Musashi among other brands. Models of the food and drinks are displayed at its entrance, just like many Japanese restaurants and cafés such as Chabuton and SaintMarc Café. Recess in the wall reminiscent of red bricks, served as display shelves. Together with bench seats against wooden tables and chairs, the place exudes a homely feel. As its name suggests, Dutch Baby Cafe serves Dutch Baby pancakes made with eggs, flour, sugar and milk. Available as either sweet or savoury, they are served on hot cast iron pans straight out from the oven. According to its website, Dutch Baby pancakes originated from Germany and were reintroduced in the United States. The name was a result of the American owner's daughter pronouncing Deutsche as Dutch.

My order of Maple Grapefruit had succulent lemon chicken and crunchy lettuce accentuated by juicy grapefruit and orange – the former with a bitter aftertaste and the latter a tad sour, drizzled with sweet maple syrup. Loved the aroma of egg in the pancake and preferred its crispy sides to the bottom layer which was not pillow-soft as described. The place also offers fruit tarts from Fruit Paradise and omelette combo plates where you get fries and side salad with choice of rice or bread, scrambled egg or sunny side up, and pork cutlet or chicken steak or demi-glace hamburg. I visited on another weekend to try its pork cutlet omurice. Could neither rave about the not-too-oily-or-dry pork cutlet nor fault the perfectly-cooked rice and omelette. Except maybe that the rice should be inside the omelette.

Joyden Canton

Having heard rave reviews about Joyden Canton at HillV2, I was looking forward to my visit at its 2nd branch. Located on the 4th floor of Shaw House or Isetan Scotts, this is definitely more convenient for people who do not stay in the west. I was pleasantly surprised that only a few tables at the 140-seater restaurant were occupied for dinner on a weekend. Decided to order two appetisers instead of a main course as they were going for $5.20++ each, in celebration of our nation's birthday (terms and conditions apply for the promotion that is valid 'til 31 Aug). While I could neither rave about nor fault the pan-fried carrot cake with homemade XO sauce, the stuffed chicken wing with glutinous rice did not sit well with me. As both dishes were too salty for my liking and I struggled to finish the latter, decided to wash them down with sago & pomelo in mango puree. Do not expect chunks of mango. And consistency of the "puree" was thin like juice. It was a disappointing end to a barely-palatable meal.

Nara Thai Cuisine Revisited

There are now two branches of Nara Thai in Singapore, at B3 of Ion Orchard and 3rd floor of Westgate. While I have visited the restaurant a few times over the years, it has always been to the former. For appetiser, my dining companions and I usually go for its tangy green mango salad or pomelo salad. The latter consists of crunchy and juicy pomelo and prawns, with cashew nut and shallots in a spicy and more-sweet-than-sour dressing. Instead of River Prawns in Spicy Lemongrass and Lime Soup, we would order Tom Yum Kung with chicken. Could neither rave about its tender Gai Pak Panang, or barbequed chicken in spicy Thai marinade that reminded me of our local satay, and Kaeng Phed Ped Yang (roasted duck red curry) nor fault the Kang Panaeng Moo/Gai – red curry with pork/chicken, Phad Thai with chicken and stir-fried minced pork with chilli and hot basil served with steamed jasmine rice. And nothing beats washing these food down with an ice-blended plum juice.

Kam's Roast

Have wanted to try Kam's Roast since its opening last November in Singapore, its 2nd branch and the only outside Hong Kong. Located on the 1st floor of Pacific Plaza beside Michelin-starred Tsuta Ramen, it is in the same building as another Michelin-starred restaurant – Tim Ho Wan on the 2nd floor. Kam's Roast Goose, founded by the 3rd generation of the founder of my favourite Yung Kee (what a mouthful), has been awarded a Michelin star in Hong Kong since it opened in 2014. We were seated immediately when we visited on a weekend for late lunch. My dining companion ordered crispy roast pork rice while I had seasonal vegetable soup noodles and we shared a quarter-portion of roast duck. While I loved the springy noodles, could neither rave about the pork nor fault the tender and succulent duck. If only the skin was crispier.

Tim Ho Wan – Has the Standard Dropped?

3 years have passed since Tim Ho Wan 1st landed on our shores. Now, the Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant has expanded its presence to 8 locations across the island – 112 Katong, Aperia Mall (Lavender), Atrium@Orchard (Plaza Singapura), CityLink Mall, ERA Centre (Toa Payoh), Pacific Plaza, Tai Seng and Westgate. Last weekend, I visited its newest branch at Pacific Plaza and ordered my favourites. The Steamed Egg Cake was as airy-light, soft and fluffy as the 1st time I tried it though the caramelised taste was more muted than the ones in Hong Kong. Skin of the Steamed Prawn Dumplings was not as springy and translucent-thin as I remembered, and a tad mushy but did not stick to the paper on the bamboo steamer basket. I preferred the succulent and well-marinated prawns in Singapore to Hong Kong's. While Spring Roll with Egg White seemed oilier, the skin was still crackling-crispy thin and went well with the egg white, prawns and chopped carrots. By the way, breakfast sets are also available at CityLink Mall's takeaway counter.

Paradise Teochew Restaurant

Paradise Group is not an unfamiliar name in Singapore, along with Crystal Jade and Imperial Treasure. About a year ago, it opened Paradise Teochew Restaurant on the 3rd floor of Chinese Swimming Club's Sports Complex at Amber Road. Its 2nd branch, also on the 3rd floor, took over the space previously occupied by Crystal Jade Pristine at Scotts Square. As we were there for dinner on a weekend, did not have a chance to try its dim sum. Instead, we ordered braised sliced duck (Irish fat duck) and sautéed scallop with asparagus in XO sauce. The former came atop surprisingly good braised beancurd, was tender and not as salty as the latter. Lightly flavoured without being bland, and not too oily. While I had these dishes with plain white rice, a dining companion ate porridge with condiments and another tried its sliced pomfret porridge. Nothing to rave about or fault, and overall a pleasant experience.

Kanshoku Ramen Bar

I thought there was an aroma of truffles in the air. Sniffing around to trace its source, it seemed to come from Kanshoku Ramen Bar. Located at B3 of Ion Orchard between Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House and Wrap & Roll, this is a local brand and its 3rd branch after The Metropolis and Orchard Gateway. We found a table for four and sat ourselves down. An order chit (but no writing instrument) was brought to us. My dining companions ordered Signature Kanshoku Ramen while I had the dry version of Truffle Ramen. Also shared Black Truffle Edamame – simply edamame drizzled with truffle oil, and Pork Gyoza. The latter was the best dish of our meal as the Hakata-style ramen was a tad hard and mine was too dry despite the onsen egg. Could neither rave about the Ramen Egg that we added nor fault the torched caramelised Chashu that one of us found sweet.

Chinese New Year 2017 – Goodies Galore

Now that the Christmas feasting is out of the way, it is time to indulge in Chinese New Year (CNY) goodies. There were a few stalls at Takashimaya this year that I do not recall seeing previously such as Frenzies, Kele and Nature's Krafters. The latter is a Singapore company that harvest Bentong ginger from the foothills of Malaysia's Bukit Tinggi where the air is crisp and the water pure, into different forms – powder (also available with molasses sugar), fermented slices (with honey or honey and lemongrass) and mixed with other natural ingredients. Probably the beverage we would need to aid digestion after over-eating. Tried Kele's golden pineapple balls, supposedly the best in Singapore, for the first time and was surprised I did not find them earlier. Now, it ranks among my favourites.

Royal London Duck

London Fat Duck is was a joint venture between the Fei Siong and Akashi groups when it opened last year. The partners have since parted ways and while London Fat Duck expanded its presence from Scotts Square to VivoCity and Waterway Point in Punggol, Fei Siong has opened Royal London Duck on the 4th floor of Mandarin Gallery where jones the grocer used to be. It can also be found at Centrepoint, Compass One in Sengkang and West Mall in Bukit Batok with plans for another branch at Millenia Walk. When we visited the Cantonese restaurant at Mandarin Gallery for dinner on a weekend, only a few tables were occupied. Could neither rave about its Royal London Duck (do not expect crispy roast duck skin) nor fault the succulent Prawn Wanton Noodle Soup except that its portion was a tad small. Loved the wok-hei and aroma of egg in its XO Sauce Fried Turnip Cake which had a crisp outside with soft, not mushy, insides. A satisficing hassle-free meal right smack in the middle of Orchard Road.

Mid-Autumn 2016

Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 15 Sep this year. While the Takashimaya Mooncake Fair usually starts during the Hungry Ghost Festival, the light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown only take place after. Was looking for above-average mooncakes in beautiful packaging and settled for Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore – two doors with knobs open to reveal two drawers that contained two mooncakes each. I would prefer two baked mooncakes each of white lotus paste with single yolk, and low sugar white lotus paste with macadamia nuts. However, flavours could not be mixed so bought the latter. At 25% off, it was reasonably priced. Grand Hyatt stood out from the rest in that there are 9 snowskin and 4 baked flavours for you to choose from. 8 mini snowskin or 4 traditional mooncakes fit into an exquisite box and flavours include snowskin black sesame, Buddha's hand truffle mooncake and traditional baked sesame lotus double yolk with bamboo ash mooncake.

Akanoya Robatayaki

The door is always closed, whether or not the place is opened for business. On the left of the entrance, you can see its opening hours. My dining companions and I made a reservation for dinner on a Saturday. Sliding the doors apart, we stepped in and saw three U-shaped counters where diners sit around. Behind each are two chefs and separating them from us are raw ingredients – some in their packaging while meats were skewered on sticks and seafood covered with ice for freshness. Like a marketplace as the staff who served us, shouted our orders with the respective quantities in Japanese and the rest (if they were not busy) acknowledged as loudly together. Food was slow-grilled and passed to diners via a wooden oar, just like how Japanese fishermen used to grill their catch over an open fire using an oar.

Hashida Garo

Tokyo's Hashida is headed by Master Sushi Chef, Tokio Hashida while its 1st restaurant outside Japan is helmed by his son, Chef Kenjiro Hashida. Better known as Hatch (pronounced as Haa-chi), he has since opened a 2nd establishment in Singapore to reach a wider audience with his culinary creations and share his personal passion for the visual arts. Both are located at Mandarin Gallery – Hashida Sushi on the 2nd floor and Hashida Garo on the 4th. Though the latter is a place where desserts meet art, main course is also offered as part of its set menu served with Wagashi of the day and hand-picked Japanese tea of the day. These are, however, only available during lunch and dinner times and the first-flush-tea harvested once a year is not refillable. Garo means gallery in Japanese and this "unique multi-faceted space aims to hold a visual and gastronomic feast for the senses through a creative amalgamation of food with art". As my dining companions and I were there for dinner on a weekend a few months back, the menu may have changed since.

Chinese New Year 2016 – Goodies Galore

With Chinese New Year (CNY) round the corner, have you bought festive goodies and new clothes? While I would not be able to help you on the latter, could share on the former. I went not once, not twice or even thrice but four times to Takashimaya's CNY Festive Celebrations. There seemed to be fewer stalls selling nuts, baked and fried goods. Instead, there were more dried goods and frozen seafood stalls with even SK Jewellery jumping on the bandwagon. What stood out this year was many stalls were baking pineapple tarts on the spot, so the place was filled with the aroma of butter and sweet pineapple. I ordered the ones from SunnyHills, and kueh lapis from Bengawan Solo. As Kee Wah Bakery did not bring in its Chinese sweet crispies, I bought its pineapple shortcakes and almond crisps which I fell in love with after someone bought and brought it back from Hong Kong as souvenir.