牛刀

Panoramas

2011-12-05T23:39:00.001+08:00

Here's a panoramic shot of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo. It was a pain in the nuts to stitch them together but here's the finished product.

This one is from the Cinque Terre at the town of Manarola.

Eurotrip Pics Part 4

2011-12-05T03:38:00.001+08:00

Final part...

Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux.

Mont St. Michel.

Courtship along the Seine.

Louvre, Paris.

Versailles.

Eurotrip Pics Part 3

2011-12-05T03:23:00.001+08:00

Part 3...

Grand Canal, Venice.

Colosseum, Rome.

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

Magic Fountain of Montjuic, Barcelona.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao.

The Wind Comb, San Sebastian.

Eurotrip Pics Part 2

2011-12-05T03:08:00.001+08:00

Continued...

View from l'Aiguille du Midi.

Lyon.

Les Calanques de Marseilles.

Marseilles.

Gare de Monaco.

Manarola, Cinque Terre.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre. Sadly 2 months ago a terrible mudslide destroyed much of the town and rendered it a disaster zone. Find out more here.

Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence.

Eurotrip Pics Part 1

2011-12-05T02:56:00.001+08:00

Here's a series of non-food pics to enjoy.

Fireworks on our first night at UTT.

Troyes downtown.

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris.

La Tour Eiffel.

Visit of champagne country.

Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian

2011-11-29T16:03:00.001+08:00

Final set of pictures from Spain.

Fried bacalao from Casa Labra at Madrid.

We went to La Bouqueria right after we arrived in Barcelona...

... and stumbled into El Quim. The wild mushroom were quite good.

However, what stole the show were the small cigalas which were still alive on display counter. These little briny jewels were flamed in brandy.

Another notable meal in Barcelona was at Kaiku on the Barceloneta seafront. When in Spain one automatically craves for paella but the truth is that authentic paella is from Valencia and most of the examples you find elsewhere are but lame imitations. The rice dishes at Kaiku are technically arroz but they still did well to quell my paella craving.

Arroz Negro con Sepia - the pearly smoked bomba rice cooked in squid ink is quite tasty.

Fideuà - pasta stewed in stock on a paella pan.

Buying Jamón Ibérico from the famed Jamonissimo.

The next destination is the food paradise of San Sebastian/Donostia. In the first morning we visited the Mercado el Bretxa. Unfortunately we had neither the time nor the kitchen to cook in.

Large cigalas are more pricy than lobsters.

Pintxos at La Cuchara de San Telmo.

Giant scallops with Iberian Bacon - cooked through but not tough at all. The texture of these scallops are markedly different from the Japanese scallops imported here - they were significantly more muscular and robust.

Kokotxas or hake throats in pil-pil sauce might not be for everyone but is a definite winner for me. The sauce is full of natural gelatin.

A massive lobe of foie gras on applesauce - nothing quite like pan fried fresh foie. I wish I had more!

Carrillera (beef cheeks) stewed till fork tender in local Rioja. Yum!

Arrive early if you want to beat the crowd!

Other pintxos at San Sebastian. This is from Bar Goiz Argui just outside the market.

Dionne's breakfast on the left, mine on the right. Mine was a phenomenal combination of ham, hard-cooked egg, roasted pepper, crab in mayonnaise, an anchovy fillet and olive oil. It was the best pintxo bite I had.

I think these were from Bar Gandarias.

And these from A Fuego Negro.

Fried tomato 'soup'. I frankly don't get it.

More bacalao.

Italy: Florence, Venice, Naples

2011-11-29T01:40:00.001+08:00

More goodies now from Italy! Unlike many romanticized impressions of Italy, I found that good food isn't as universal as they would like you to think - especially when you are a tourist and not familiar with the language. Rome and Cinque Terre were especially disappointing. Research in advance or regret.

I very much wanted to try a lampredotto (cow's stomach) sandwich from the market but I ended up with boiled brisket. Nevertheless, it is still scrumptious with the piquante sauce that is no slouch in the spice department!

I wanted to try Bistecca Fiorentina so I selected Le Mossacce. I must say I was not too impressed with the steak but the chunky minestrone soup was a hit with Dionne.

The trick in Venice is to venture far away from the well-trodden tourist hot spots. Ai 40 Ladroni is a 10 minutes walk from the main streets in the residential district of Canneregio. Their cuisine made every step of the walk worthwhile. These mussels were cooked to precise second. Reference material for any future mussels.

The Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia is also a success. The pasta absorbed the tasty sauce which, despite its colour, was light on its feet and fresh-tasting. It looked like a crippling portion when it arrived but everyone polished off their plates.

We liked Ai 40 Ladroni so much we returned for dinner the next day. This time I tried the Spaghetti alla Vongole which is also nice but not as sublime as the rendition in cuttlefish ink sauce. We shared a platter of expertly fried fish - prawns, baby squid, whitebait and sardines.

In Venice we also tried their version of tapas called cicchetti at All'Arco.

Baby octopus stuffed with fish roe - this is really good!

I felt like I needed some vegetables in my system and these really hit the spot.

We took a day trip to Naples exclusively for pizza. The original plan was to visit Pompeii but it was so baking hot it would have been suicidal to be out in the open. We made it to Pizzeria Sorbillo just before closing. The Napoli pizza is very different from what we have here. It is cooked very rapidly in the intensely hot oven so the rims are nicely puffed and charred while the dough in the centre remains very soft and chewy. I requested for a magherita with buffalo mozzarella and was surprised at how resilient the cheese was. I would have liked to try more versions to confirm if that is a norm or an anomaly.

France: Nice, Bordeaux and Brittany

2011-11-29T00:47:00.001+08:00

Here are some of food photos I collected in my magical summer around Europe.

Summer is the season for strawberries and these from Carrefour as as great as any.

Tomatoes from the Troyes Market - incredibly sweet, juicy and delicate. One of the best tasting things I ever put in my mouth.

Boudin Noir also from the market. It looks quite scary but trust me it's delicious when fried crispy and accompanied with caramelized apples and mashed potatoes. Though I cannot imagine myself tucking into one that is boiled.

We missed out on trying the Soupe de Poission in Marseilles so I followed a Chowhound recommendation to Chez Acchiardo in Nice. The fish soup was awesome - murky and deep brown but bursting with the essence of the sea. Rub a raw garlic over croutons and smear on some rouille and it all comes together vecry nicely.

Nice looked like a nice city to explore if the crowds thinned out a little. I would like to return in future.

One city that I wouldn't return in Bordeaux. Yes, the Place des Quinconces was breathtakingly beautiful at sunset but rest of the city was mind-numbingly boring.

Anyhow the other highlight of Bordeaux was the famous l'Entrecôte chain. My steak, requested saignant, was done perfectly rare and very tender. The lengendary sauce was addictive and the fries hot, crispy and free-flowing. This took care of my steak-frites craving. The picture below shows half of one's steak, the other half is kept warm on a heated platter.

The final stop before returning to Paris is the picturesque coast of Brittany. We visited Saint-Malo, Mont Saint Michel and the fishing village of Cancale. We had the obligatory one dozen oysters at the market. They tasted fine but were a little flabby at this time of the year. Summer is not the time for oysters.

While not the prime time for oysters, summer is definitely the prime time for lobsters! Not wanting to risk paying high prices to dine on inferior produce, I bought the lobster from Vivers de Cancale who supplies Roellinger's les Maison de Bricourt. At any rate, these lobsters are sweet sweet sweet! It needs no sauce for the tomalley (liver) is so creamy you use it as a dip. Just reminiscing it makes me salivate!

Paris: Chez l'Ami Jean - Round 2

2011-11-28T23:30:00.001+08:00

After my first meal at Chez l’Ami Jean 2 months earlierwhich left me pining for more, I returned for a second round on the last leg ofmy epic trip before flying home. With Max and Jia Le held up at the airport,our dining party was reduced to a man date between Desmond and me. C’estdommage!

This time, I was determined to have the complete CarteBlanche instead of the reduced menu we had last time. Walking in for the deadlast seating at 9.30pm, and we were starving and ready.

We began with a mushroom soup – an intense earthy stock wasenriched minimally with cream then frothed - quite similar in mouthfeel to thefish bisque we had previously. Bits of crisp bacon and fresh peas providedcrunchiness and truffle oil upped the aroma factor, lifting an often abused classicpreparation to the echelons of fine dining.

The next course was a repeat of the last meal – a clay crockof baby scallops steamed in its own juices with butter and plenty of chives.The scallops themselves were frankly quite bland and mild. The best part ofdish was the sweet broth collected at the bottom of the crock which I liberallysoaked up with bread. I was therefore quite mad when the crock was abruptlyremoved while I was floundering in my head to find the French to ask thewaitress to leave it there!

Any remnants of displeasure vanished when the second fishcourse arrived. A whole tail of Brittany lobster braised in butter paired with awedge of caramelized peach. The firmness and sweetness of the blue Homardlobster is far superior to the “live” lobsters we get imported here inSingapore. The fruity peach and briny lobster would have been brilliantlypaired with a slice of foie gras. I would attempt that soon!

Through the night, we saw many tables end their savourycourses with a generous but manageable half rack of lamb. We were expecting thesame as we watched the action in the kitchen when from the corner of my eye Ispotted a massive Cote de Boeuf being brought out. Instinctively, I craned byneck to search for the lucky quartet it was heading for only to have my vision suddenlyall blocked out by a crusty slab of ribeye. Queried by our Audrey Tatoulookalike waitress, “Ça va?”, we could only nod dumbly in speechless shock.Yes, that 1 kilogramme Wagyu ribeye steak was for us to share. Quickly, it waswhisked away, carved and returned on a bed of sautéed Girolles and braised babyturnips then sprinkled with parsley breadcrumbs. The steak was seared rare (wewere not asked for our preferences). It was quite tasty, almost bordering onsweet and rich without being overly fatty - I guess that the beef came from ahybrid Wagyu cow. The use of breadcrumbs here was a genius touch. When coupledwith the beef, it somehow gave the illusion of a more substantial and crunchyouter crust. There was enough for 3 servings each as well as the bone in adoggy bag.

Just as we felt ready to die from a burst stomach, Chezl’Ami Jean’s famous rice pudding was served. Much have been written on thisdessert and it was truly as good as people claim. To quote FoodSnob, “A big,big bowl of pearly white rice pudding (also like grandmother made) with swirlsof confiture de lait... The riz was velvety and smooth;strong enough to hold a wooden spoon upright, but not sticky. The bomba rice– a Valencian, premium-quality short grain, quite starchy and considered thebest sort for paella – was an inspired choice. The fat grains were firm anddistinct, but had just started to melt around the edges, exaggerating the rizau lait’s creaminess… easily the best rice pudding I have ever eaten.”We barely made a dent in the huge bowl.

We were also served 2 mini-desserts – a chocolate moussewith cinnamon cracker as well as a bowl of marinated persimmons.

In all, the execution at Chez l’Ami Jean was flawless andits serving more than generous but it would not be unfair to say that the CarteBlanche was rather safe and conventional. Perhaps we arrived too late fordinner and ingredients were running low and/or they deliberately do a less adventurousmenu for international tourists. To illustrate what Chef Jégo is capable of,take a look at Barbara Austin’s review on her blog – veal and salmon, foie grasand cod, lobster and boudin noir etc.When I return I have to find a way to convey my willingness to try their morecreative offerings.

San Sebastian: Asador Etxebarri - Wood, Smoke and Ash

2011-08-13T14:49:00.009+08:00

Etxebarri’s story has already been told and retold countless times. The restaurant is nestled in the rolling hills of the Axpe (with a population of 2 digits by my estimation) deep in Basque countryChef Victor Arguinzoniz practises unprecedented precision and finesse on the technique of grilling. His obsessions range from making his own charcoals in temperature–controlled ovens to manufacturing his specially-designed grills and grilling paraphernalia. For more on the restaurant and the man behind it, read this excellent article from Food and Wine.

On the morning of the meal I met with Aleta, whom I met on the TripAdvisor board, who has kindly volunteered to drive us to Axpe and join me for lunch. It would have otherwise been a 2 hour trip each way by bus! Thank you Aleta! After a missed exit and a couple of false turns, we made it to Axpe. Etxebarri lies in its central plaza.

We settled down on a window side table looking out to countryside. The tasting menu looked terrific but I was also intrigued to try out their legendary house-made Chorizo. If both my wallet and my stomach were bottomless, I would have also gone for some clams, anchovies and a whole turbot. Alas, if only I had consecutive-day reservations!

After an amuse of cubed beets, French beans and crisped bacon, we began our main meal with some fundamentals – bread and butter. An unabashedly-thick slab of hand-churned goat butter rest atop a hunk of grilled country bread. The butter was quite light and airy which magically dissolved in the mouth without leaving a trace of oiliness. Flecks of ashed salt imparted appropriate seasoning.

Next came an platter of Chorizo which we ordered a la carte. Perhaps dried charcuterie is just not my thing, but I found it rather unmemorable. Certainly, it was still much better than anything else I tried in Spain.

The tasting menu resumed with a massive oyster, shell intact. Underneath sits a plump oyster firmed gently on the hearth and branded with wisps of grill marks. It came with some smoked seaweed and its own juice. One typically characterizes oysters as salty, briny and soggy but Etxebarri’s interpretation, perhaps through a controlled dehydration on the grill, imbues a certain meatiness to the mollusk. Superb.

I was quite excited to try Percebes (Goose Barnacles) at Etxebarri for here, I will be definitely encountering the best examples of this mysterious delicacy. They are harvested from the ocean-pounded rocks of Galicia often at extreme risk to the Percebes divers. Consequently, even at the market, Percebes go for a mind-boggling 120 Euros/kilo. Resembling the toes of some prehistoric reptile, they look extremely out of place on the dining plate. The soft outer casing is peeled off to reveal the edible interior with the texture somewhere between a squid and a clam. The grill treatment adds a gentle smoky dimension to the sweetness and brininess.

Again and again, diners have declared Etxebarri’s prawns to one of the very best they ever had. These Gambas de Palamos, caught along the Costa Brava, are not exactly local produce but it is certainly a worthwhile trip northwards for these crustaceans to land in the hands of Chef Arguizoniz . When cooked, the hues of red and orange were so bright they threatened to bleed into the air. Interestingly, the aroma of wood fire on this dish is quite evident, even though the prawns themselves look very gently heated. Instead of sucking on the heads like savages, I split them open lengthwise to extract every drop of that elixir. The flavour is unfathomably rich with a sweetness that reveals itself only later. Heaven.

It is hard to follow up on the climax of the previous plate. Therefore, wisely so, the next dish of baby octopus and spinach played for me the part of a palate cleanser. The octopus is the most heavily charred and smoked item thus far (but still quite tender and mildly sweet) and when these characteristics are combined with the metallic spinach, it results in a refreshing bitterness.

The final dish before the mains was a quartet of baby squids on my caramelized onions. They were grilled with their skin still intact and then stuffed with their own tentacles. Blistered over intense heat, they rode an impossible balance between springy, tender and even crispy on the edges. I never knew that it was possible for squid to be so delicate and flavourful. They were undoubtedly of impeccable provenance. Yet another reference point dish.

A simple plate composed of a piece of grouper and summer vegetables, all grilled. The precision of the grilling was commendable – the tasty skin was quite crisp while the firm white flesh yielded to squeaky and juicy flakes. Visually, the coagulated proteins on the grouper made for a messy presentation but provided evidence of its freshness. The fish was minimally seasoned and allowed to speak for itself. The grilled vegetables were all nicely done but I felt that they were overcame by the heavy application of the lemon-butter sauce.

The final savoury course was another all-time favourite of Etxebarri. They use beef from retired Galician dairy cows at least 5 years old. Their age, combined with their grazing diet, results in a deep beefy flavour. Being a table of 3, we received a massive dry-aged beef chop grilled on the bone, sliced and perked with sea salt. Because of its relative leanness, the cooked surface of the beef is rather woody but the rare insides is pleasantly supple and tender if you manage to avoid the sinews. This made the chewing experience a little tedious. The fat, tasting richly of butter and hazelnuts, was unfortunately trimmed off most parts of the steak. I also wish that they left the cap on, for that is my favourite cut of beef!

Next, a perfect quenelle of reduced milk ice cream in a pool of wild berry sauce. Some report that the milk has been smoked but I could not detect any hint of it. However, the ice cream is still quite unmatched in smoothness though I would have liked it better if served more chilled and firmed.

The second desser was a wobbly cheese flan so delicate that its metal mould was only removed upon service. Even though ordinary in appearance, its depth of flavour blew the socks off the previous dessert. Creamy, cheesy and eggy, it was an ultimate comfort dessert.

I will be back for more.

Paris: Chez l'Ami Jean

2011-06-07T06:22:00.008+08:00

Here's some pictures from Chez l'Ami Jean. It was an overall excellent experience with both the food and service. I am not going to write about it now as I am hoping for a second meal in July to make a better assessment.

A Teaser

2011-03-26T03:25:00.003+08:00

Just to torture some of my readers (you know who you are!). Here's a teaser of what to look out for in about 2.5 months during my trip:

Asador Etxebarri - Mecca of grilling perfection. My entire schedule was planned around this lunch. Read more at Yaokui.

Chez l'Ami Jean - Recommended by Gastroville as well. How can I go wrong? Read more at Hungry in Bangkok.

Pizzeria Sorbillo - We only have time for one (or two if we rush) pizza in Naples. I hope this is a right choice. Read more at Scattidigusto. Use Google Translate!

La Cuchera de San Telmo - Best Pintxos on Earth? Read more at Dudes on Food.

and many many more!

Dusting Away the Cobwebs

2011-03-25T23:33:00.006+08:00

Ah I’ve been too busy to work on this blog on mine. Taking 3 Physics and 1 French module was a bad idea. Especially the French! Still, it’s not completely due to tedious academic work that I’ve been neglecting my virtual presence – I’m also hammering out my vacation details this summer. Yes, I am Europe bound!

Anyway, it doesn’t mean that when my blogging stop, my cooking halts too. I always say I am a foodie first, then trailing far behind, a photographer and then a blogger. Here’s a duo of my effort in the past months. In case you are wondering why deep-fried themes seem to cluster together, it’s called oil recycling.

I made a second attempt at fish and chips with some appreciable improvements. Instead of depending on an oil thermometer, I winged the oil temperature and did not too badly. I got the blanching of the fries spot on but I think my deep frying temperature was a tad too high. Still, I suspect that it’s not completely because of the temperature that my fries turned out more brunette than blond. I think that the residual sugar in the potato is browning prematurely. Perhaps they needed a more thorough rinsing. For the fish, I used the same batter but this time I employed the Japanese tempura trick of sprinkling more batter on the fish after dropping it in the oil.

The next preparation is unabashedly lifted from the menu of the Parisian 3-star restaurant Ledoyen. I read about it on Gastroville and Food Snob and even though it’s simple prawn ball, I am strangely attracted to it. And boy, when I tried to replicate it, I found that there’s nothing simple about it at all. First, I tried substituting the pastry with shredded wanton skins. Fail. Next, I used spring roll sheets. It was passable, but only just. I finally gave in and used phyllo pastry and shredded it filament thin. Success! The filling was a whole tiger prawn as well as some minced prawns to give it shape.

Though impressive looking, I found these prawns inferior in taste and texture to smaller deep sea prawns. It is ‘garnished’ with a grilled half of another prawn. The saucing component was what perplexed me. I thought it was some sort of foam that’s not accessible to a home kitchen until I chanced across La Recette du Jour with its recipe for a Lemon and Olive Oil Mousse dessert. Obviously I couldn’t replicate exactly the recipe but only draw inspiration to come up with a savoury version of it. With all 3 elements in hand, the constellations aligned and there you have it, a 3-star dish.

A Birthday Gift to Myself

2011-01-18T20:08:00.008+08:00

After a year and a half of resistance, I finally broke down and bought from Korin.com the Suisin Hayate Yanagi-ba on the final days of the Winter Sale. This knife was forged by Master Smith Keijiro Doi “under the lowest possible temperature so that there is minimal carbon migration from the hagane (cutting edge) to the jigane (cladding)”. It is said that the success rate of this type of forging is southwards of 20%. Such is the quality of his work that even partially successful blades, sold under the stamp of “Hayate Light”, still command over US$400. Doi-san has been forging knives since 1946. Here’s a mesmerizing video of his manufacturing process from Chef's Armoury:

I was, in fact, yearning not only for the Hayate but the Shiro-Hayate. The difference being that the Hayate uses Hitachi Blue #2 steel – a tougher alloyed steel while the Shiro-Hayate employs the White #1 – a pure carbon steel that attains unparalleled sharpness. Sadly, Doi-san has stopped working with White #1 a few years back due to his declining eyesight.

I had bought the knife without any intention of using it – at least until I have the skills to justify it. Right now, it will remain as a drawer queen. Here’s it with my other drawer queen, also from Suisin, a Gin #3 (stain-resistant) Damascus Funayuki.

Taste Paradise @ Ion Orchard

2011-01-18T04:03:00.003+08:00

I don’t really enjoy writing negative reports, so I am going to be brief.

Carrot Cake in XO sauce – Okay. Savoury but I prefer it when the shredded radish shows up ocassionally in the carrot cake.

Peking Duck – Drowned in sweet sauce. Perhaps we should have wrapped the crêpes by ourselves.

Shark’s Fin in Stone Pot – Flavourful chicken stock ruined by heavy-handedness with cornstarch. Generous with the fins, at least.

Bamboo Clams – Scrawny.

Eggplant in Claypot – Over salted.

Braised Beehoon – Okay.

Service – Disordered and rushed.

Conclusion – For $65 a person, avoid!

Sole Pomodoro – Wood-fired Pizzas

2011-01-18T03:48:00.004+08:00

I read about Sole Pomodoro from ieatishootipost a couple of months back. That was close to the start of exams and immediately followed by the holiday season. So, for 2 whole months, I could only simmer in my anticipation for their pies. Therefore, it was only natural that on the first possible weekend, I headed straight there with the Sunday Brunch Club.

Unlike other wood-fired pizzerias in Singapore which uses partially gas-powered ovens, Sole Pomodoro distinguishes itself by using a fully wood-fired oven. It’s actually possible to see the chef having to top up the fuel rather frequently – the wood burns itself out much quicker than charcoal.

We shared 4 pizzas and most memorable were the Calzone Tradionalle and the Buffala. I thought the former would have been perfect as a hearty and satisfying breakfast pizza. I couldn’t recall what the exact toppings were but the egg inside, almost like a sauce, binded all the elements well. The top crust was charred but still tender, airy and aromatic – the Neapolitan style, according to literature. However, if I were to be picky about it, I would say that the crust on the underside was a touch too blonde for my liking.

Although I thought that the Margherita is supposed to be topped with buffalo mozzarella, Sole Pomodoro makes an apparent distinction between a Margherita (with basil) and a Buffala (without basil but with buffalo mozzarella). Presented with this difficult choice, I was keener to try out the latter. The buffalo mozzarella definitely set itself apart with a creamier texture and an almost yoghurt-like taste. It quite rightly demanded a solo performance on the pizza stage.

Towards the end, we were quite stuffed but still, we couldn’t resist a sampling of their Tiramisu. It was like eating a cloud.

Serious Beef Cheek Ragù Bolognese

2011-01-06T16:26:00.007+08:00

"To most people outside Italy, Bolognese is lowly refectoire fare... But in Bologna, one of Italy's most prestigious cities for food, ragù bolognese is a legendary dish that is not only part, but defines the city's identity... Two legendary Bologna home chefs, sisters Margherita and Valeria Simili, have become the most respected authority on all things related to Bolognese pasta. In their book 'Sfida al Matterello', a manual in Italian to teach the principles of homemade pasta, la sfoglia bolognese, there is a whole chapter about making ragù. It is called 'His Majesty the Ragù'.” – FXcusine.com

Here’s my take on the recipe. To take a step further, I’ve read that the original Bolognese contained shredded, not minced meat so I used cubes of beef cheeks. This kicks the ass of any meat sauce pasta I have ever eaten.

(edit) Supplement photos:

Iron Chef Recipes – Cabbage, Scallops and Foie Gras Risotto

2011-01-06T15:55:00.005+08:00

Iron Chef is the greatest culinary show ever produced. Even till this day, I can think of no cooking programme that approaches close to it the skills and techniques you can pick up by watching battles between real chefs using all the imaginable tricks up their sleeves to win. Unlike in scripted programmes where everything is nice and easy and the results are always perfect, Iron Chef is raw, every mistake and miscalculation is immediately apparent. Also to its benefit is that Iron Chef predates the age of avant garde molecular cuisine which I am apathetic towards. I first got interested in cuisine watching Iron Chef and I cannot imagine a better start. Visit ironcheffans.info to download episodes.

Here is a rough recreation of Challenger Hiromi Yamada’s dish in Battle Cabbage (217) – a Cabbage, Scallops and Foie Gras Risotto.

The risotto I made this time is one of my best so far after many experiments. Here’s what I learnt:
1. Use more onions that you think you need, they add sweetness and lightness to the risotto.
2. Cook slowly on low heat and stir gently. To diffuse the heat evenly, the pot was placed over a thick carbon steel pan. Towards the end, check the doneness frequently and remove just before al dente.
3. Don’t be shy with the seasoning. Also, for risotto I tend to use white pepper instead of black.
4. For a wetter risotto, add more stock and then thicken with cream/mascarpone cheese. I find that the rice alone has insufficient starch to make a creamy but wet (as in the liquid to rice ratio) risotto.
With these tricks, combined with the basic techniques which are left as an exercise to the reader (inside joke, by the way) to discover, you can apply it to any variation of risotto dishes.

The scallops are large frozen Hokkaido ones which can be found at the more upscale supermarkets. They were done in a ghetto sous vide (under vacuum) style. I never thought that I would have the need to sous vide anything until my repeated frustrations with controlling the doneness of scallops. The molluscs were bagged in a small ziplock and immersed in a large insulated mug of water at 56 ˚C (some people go as low as 50 ˚C ) for 30 minutes. Check out the results for yourself.

Brocollini Duo

2011-01-05T17:40:00.005+08:00

Here's a duo of brocollini efforts. First up is a simple breakfast of lengths of brocollini and woodwillow mushrooms pan roasted with a soft boiled egg for dipping on the side.

The next day, I made a risotto with the the stem diced and mixed in the rice, the heads roasted and a few whittles of raw brocollini stem. For texture, there were parmesan chips and crisp pancetta.

"Sunday" Brunch - Lam's Abalone Noodles

2010-12-29T02:21:00.006+08:00

Met with the Sunday Brunch Club again but this time on Christmas morning. We were wondering around pointlessly in the Balestier area when I recalled driving pass Lam’s Abalone Noodles (阿南鲍鱼面) all the time and being intrigued by their prominent soup urn or vat, if you find the former expression inappropriate.

First up was a neatly presented plate of perfectly golden roast pork belly. I thought the skin was a wee bit soggy but still a competent offering overall.

Fishcake was, well, fishcake.

And then the true star of the day was this little crock of abalone soup made from double boiling chicken, pork, abalone, dried scallops and fish maw and then topping off with a few ladles white Chinese stock (白汤) when ready to serve. The secret of the urn was finally revealed when the soup was brought to us. It is charcoal fired from the bottom and within the urn there are shelves where individual soup crocks, filled with the ingredients and a little water, are stacked.

Anyone who says abalone is tasteless will be silenced by the umami that dominate the broth. The milky stock, already very tasty on its own, was able to stand its own ground against the abalone, resulting in a harmonious overlap. The scant abalone cubes in the soup were quite good, tasting almost sweet.

Their noodles was no slouch too, especially their zingy chilli sauce and a liberal sprinkling of lard. The whole piece of dried fish was a unique touch.

Ah Lam certainly warrants repeated visits.

Fish and Chips

2010-12-24T22:23:00.006+08:00

If you love the feeling of sweating oil out of your pores even after 2 showers, try making Kilkenny-Battered Cod and Triple-Cooked Chips at home.

Chips are a pain to do. After reading a few sources I settled on following the most tedious, that is, Heston Blumenthal’s recipe. (You can actually see the book in the background in the picture below.) There’s not a whole lot of choice when it comes to potatoes in Singapore so I went with the trusty old Russets.

The general steps were to:
1. Peel, cut and rinse.
2. Steam until tender.
3. Dry.
4. Blanch in 130 °C oil.
5. Dry.
6. Fry in 190 °C oil.

Controlling oil temperature is still a bit of a black art for me but I think my thermometer is reading 5-10 °C too low and my fries took on too much colour in the blanching process. You can see the test fries below, they were pretty good but not exactly mind blowing. The crust was crumbly and crunchy but the interior was too dry and lacked texture of fluffy potatoes I was hoping for. Still, not too bad for a first attempt.

The cod was done in the same batter prescribed in the tempura post a few months back. By the time I done mine (the cook eats last!), the beer has sort of fizzled out but the first few servings had much puffier coating. I was quite proud of my control of the cooking time. The fish came out yielding and moist. Then again, cod is a pretty forgivable fish to cook.

Still, there’s lots of room for improvement so hang in there for Round 2...

Sunday Brunch – Hoe Nam Prawn Noodles and Lao Zhong Zhong Ngoh Hiang

2010-11-16T03:53:00.007+08:00

Sunday brunch last week was the celebrated prawn noodles at Hoe Nam. One wonders what drives Hoe Nam to operate their long hours. Dedication to customers? Profit? Insomnia? Either way, the customers still throng in so I suppose it works for everyone.

In what is almost a ritual when eating at Hoe Nam, I went across the street to get some Ngoh Hiang from Lao Zhong Zhong – there will be plenty of time to make the purchase and finish it before the noodles arrive. To quote a HGWer, Lao Zhong Zhong is an institution for Ngoh Hiang. Rightly so, I felt. Arriving in the late morning, we perhaps even had the luxury of fresh oil in the wok and every item turned out light, crisp and not greasy at all. The prawn cracker is my perennial favourite – airy and crunchy. What could be a better starter before a prawn noodle? I also love a prawn cracker when having Hokkien Mee but that’s another story. Special mention also goes out to the Tau Kwa which tasted richly and properly of beans. Their chilli sauce was spot on too.

Now the prawn noodles. Where do I start? The stock, silly! I thought that day’s soup was perfect. It’s not the strongest tasting prawn stock but it contained purely the sweet essence of prawns without its negative elements (i.e. bitter and muddy notes). The silky mouthfeel and big umami was definitely a result of the rapid boiling of gelatinous pork bones – giving the prawns a solid canvas on which to express themselves. A dash of chilli powder and some fresh chilli takes it lofty heights. My friends thought it was too subtle - different strokes. Noodles were excellent too. I always have Kuay Teow Mee as I find the yellow noodles itself to be too cloying. The prawns were a little better than average but still nothing to shout home about but I quite liked the tender pork ribs. Of course, no prawn noodle could go wrong with a sprinkling of fried onions and little flavour bombs of crispy lard on top.

The Sunday Brunch club:

Alexis

Weixun

Victor

And Your's Truly

Imperial Treasure 'Super' Peking Duck

2010-11-16T03:03:00.006+08:00

Meh. It was underwhelming. Sure, the skin was shatteringly crispy and everyone promised it to be and delivers a rush of duck oil as fat melts in your mouth. The problem is the taste. I found it offensively gamey and livery, almost muttony, and I am one who loves my foie gras. It is definitely an issue with the quality of the duck rather than the technique. In fact, I thought that the cooking merited an almost perfect score. Perhaps I scored a dud with that particular duck.

We also had some dim sum. I won’t belabour with the details of it but I thought it was quite competitive in terms of pricing and quality. It’s definitely a notch above Crystal Jade but, of course, pales in comparison to specialists like Lei Garden (used to be).

I would return to give the duck another chance, if not, it’s still a decent place to drop by for dim sum. Apologies for the lack of pictures – did not have my camera with me.

A Modest Grill

2010-11-15T02:54:00.007+08:00

My modest attempt at some yakitori after inspiration from Kushigin.

Chicken wings turned out to be more satay-style bbq than yakitori. No idea why.

The yaki onigiri turned out quite well - sticky but not mushy rice.

Last up was a flash-grilled prawn in miso soup.

Kushigin 串銀炭火燒

2010-11-02T16:24:00.006+08:00

Cuppage Plaza and the adjoining Orchard Plaza are veritable treasure troves of Japanese entertainment. The congregation of Japanese KTVs naturally drew the opening of several authentic restaurants to serve the homesick expats. I have only been and returned several times to Kushigin (串銀炭火燒) and am seldom disappointed with the food. The atmosphere is wonderful too, just last evening we were the only 4 of about 6 locals in a restaurant packed full of Japanese working men (exclusively men, somehow) looking to wind down... on a Monday night.

Surprisingly, the tebasaki (chicken wings) were the first to arrive. They usually take quite long but I guess these were already started before I placed my order. So what’s so special about them? These dainty little fellows are obviously not from the usual breed of chicken. They are devoid of the excess fat under the skin which lends to a satisfying crunch as you bite in and a burst of hot chicken juices and fat embedded between the skin and meat.

Not pictured were the grilled chicken skin and the liver. The liver can be a hit or miss affair. Today, I thought it spent a few seconds too many over the coals. However, when the chef gets the window just right, meltingly tender chicken liver is just as decadent as foie gras. Unfortunately, they ran out of bonjiri (chicken arse) this time. I highly recommend that you abandon your inhibitions and give that arse a chance.

The grilled negi (leek) and negi (eggplant) are also my perennial favourites but they fell somewhat short of their mark today. The leek was a little stringy and the pieces of eggplant were too small for sufficient impact. Still, they remained sweet and juicy. I quite like the balance of flavours by the sharp salty soy and stinging grated ginger.

Asparagus Maki is somewhat of a misnomer, I feel. In this case, the asparagus clearly plays a supporting role behind the smoky and crispy pork belly. Full marks for the meat, but the young asparagus lacked definition.

I forgot to picture the Mini Tomato Maki, scoffing down the little balls of fire as soon as they were set down on the table. Here’s my recommended eating method: pop in mouth and bite softly until the tomato juice just trickles out. Slowly savour until you can stand the heat then chew. Unlike the asparagus, the tomato is unmistakably the star here.

The Shishamo was Ivan’s order but I was surprised by how well it turned out. The last few times I have ordered any fish (an Ayu and a Saba comes to mind), they have been way overcooked for my taste. The Shishamo stood well under the grill and the eggs were quite creamy.

Last up was the slightly unusual but delicious Grilled Fried Tofu. The crunchy smoky crust gives way to smooth tofu. Again the combination of grated ginger and soy works well.

The order in which in your dishes emerge can be hilariously random sometimes but in all, a great start to the week after a weekend struggling with quantum mechanics assignments.

Caution, Sharp Objects!

2010-11-02T15:57:00.006+08:00

Gyuto (牛刀) translates to “Cow Sword” in Japanese. It just refers to a western style chef’s knives and since the Caucasians eat alot of beef... you get it. It’s the most versatile weapon in my arsenal of a dozen knives and my current workhorse is the Ichimionji(brand) TKC(line/steel) 240 mm(blade length) Gyuto(shape). I got in from the actual Ichimonji store on Doguya-Suji in Osaka but it only bloomed into its maximum potential when I got home with it. At first it tended to wedge in hard vegetables but after thinning and convexing the edge, it cuts gorgeously. Here’s it freshly sharpened and snapping a free hanging hair into two.

To learn more about kitchen knives, visit Knifeforums.com but be warned - its a terribly addictive habit and you need to have deep pockets.

Pizza

2010-10-17T23:26:00.005+08:00

Not my work but my brother's recipe for the dough. Toppings are sliced cherry tomatoes, shiitake 'shrooms, Hungarian salami, buffalo mozzarella and Scarmoza.

Shanghai Hairy Crab

2010-10-15T23:06:00.006+08:00

It’s the Shanghai Hairy Crab (大閘蟹) season! Every year my Mom’s friend will gift us a few from a reputable dealer in Shanghai. That’s imperative, for a bad example will have you wondering what’s with all the fuss about this little creature. I eat mine the patient way, getting every bit of meat out and then mix the whole glorious mess in the semi-liquid roe. The taste? Simply incredible – imagine a uni and salted egg yolk custard.

Steak Sandwich

2010-10-15T22:30:00.006+08:00

Enfin, les petites vacances! A couple of weeks ago I had a craving for a nice juicy steak sandwich after viewing this article on Serious Eats. It's interesting, but I thought the chipotle mayo didn't add much to the steak. Instead of slicing the steak after grilling I butterflied it thinly to give it more surface to brown.

Bee Hoon stewed in 奶汤

2010-10-04T03:00:00.006+08:00

I must admit I completely lifted this dish from Fook Weng restaurant which is helmed by Chef Kang, formerly of the Canton Wok fame. The new place serves up some sublime cuisine too, but sadly on both the occasions I went business was really slow. Their struggle was clearly reflected in how this Bee Hoon soup evolved between the both times I had it. The original version combined poached prawns and scallops with thin sliced asparagus for crunch but when I next had it, they lowered the price and substituted the scallops with an unidentifiable tasteless fish and the asparagus were replaced with broccoli stems. Still, I wish them the very best and hope to return soon.

Start out with a Nai Tang (奶汤) and add some fish racks. I won’t go into detail about the recipe but the whole idea is that under vigorous boiling, the proteins and fat from the meat incorporate into the liquid to make a whitish and slightly creamy stock. Poach the prawns and scallops and set aside. If you are using unshelled prawns then use the peelings to make a flavour boosting prawn stock. For the greens, I used Kailan bone as it was available but it’s flexible. Blanch the Bee Hoon until half cooked and then drain well. This step is important! If you don’t drain the blanching liquid will dilute your lovingly prepared soup. When ready to eat just complete the cooking of the noodles in the stock. Top with shredded and fried dried scallops and with dried flatfish flakes.

Chikuwa Tei

2010-09-28T17:48:00.009+08:00

10 days gone without blogging. It doesn’t look very long but it sure feels like it. While I am still sitting on a pile of work, I think I deserve a break after battling through Edbert’s quantum mechanics homework.

Fans of the old Wasabi Tei in Far East Plaza ought to know that Chef Peter Teo has moved to a swanky location in Mohamed Sultan. This new place, Chikuwa Tei (nothing to do with chikus, mind you), couldn’t be more different from the old restaurant. For the uninitiated, Wasabi Tei is (the restaurant still exists but with a different owner) this dumpy little store which sits barely 20 in a U-shaped counter. The chef ran the kitchen singlehandedly with his wife doing the cleaning. This system obviously produces a lot frayed nerves and rarely a meal goes by without Chef Peter making a sharp rebuke to his wife or an indecisive customer. Once, he even had a policy to take order from each person only once! Things have improved in the new place obviously.

Chikuwa Tei still excels in all things raw. We had the Sashimi Platter which had generous slices of salmon, salmon belly, yellowtail, tuna, swordfish, sakura shrimp and a scallop. All were great, especially the swordfish which was firm, springy and bursting with intramuscular fats. On the day we went, the restaurant happened to receive a shipment of deep sea scallops and botan ebi. How could we miss that? The freshly shucked scallops were on a totally different plane in sweetness and texture from the regular ones. To describe it, the fibres of the flesh are still well defined and when you bite into it, it breaks apart almost like the scallop has been blanched ever so rapidly. By the way, did you know that even most sashimi-grade scallops were blast frozen? I cannot vouch for the botan ebi though. It tasted fine but the slimy texture is not to my liking.

The grilled fish (eel, cod and salmon) are all still as good as they used to be. They are boldy grilled to the point where the skin almost burns while not overcooking the flesh. The sweet and intense teriyaki goes well with rice. The thinly sliced raw cabbage salad may be overlooked by some, but to me it remains an enigma how he gets rid of the bitterness and ‘greeness’ of vegetable.

Unfortunately, that’s about as far as the strength of Chikuwa Tei goes. I thought the cod nabe was ho-hum. Worse still was the assorted tempura which came soggy and oily. Obviously, the quality control in the back kitchen still has some way to go.

If I were to return to Chikuwa Teo, I will stick with either of these strategies: stick with sashimi and rice or order one of the grilled fish sets.

Yan Kee Bak Chor Mee

2010-09-15T03:25:00.006+08:00

This unassuming store within BK Eating House at Boat Quay is one of my favourite supper spots. Usually we think of Bak Chor Mee with Mee Pok but this place is unique as they do a Mee Sua version as well and that’s what I always order. Mee Sua is a rice noodle that is easy to overcook into a lumpy mess but this place manages to time to cooking so precisely the noodles retains a slight bite while turning just tender enough to absorb the sauce. I find the lighter Mee Sua a welcome deviation from the eggy Mee Pok. The highlight of the sauce is the strong vinegary hit from Chinese black vinegar mixed with a savoury chilli paste and wonderfully aromatic pork lard. The addition of crunchy deep fried ikan bilis (tiny anchovies) is another genius touch.

The Black Sheep Cafe

2010-09-15T02:02:00.009+08:00

The Black Sheep Café is a little gem that used to be tucked away in an idyllic corner of Seletar which was great since it was a 2 minutes drive from my place. My brother used to be a regular and I tagged along occasionally but when they moved to Mayo Street, our visits came to a halt. Fast forward a couple of years and I thought it would be nice to drop by.

Chef Ratha still operates a one man show in the kitchen, but this time with a lot more space than his old restaurant. The menu is still pretty much unchanged, sporting well-loved classics like the baked brie and duck confit.

We started by sharing a Baked Brie crusted with pistachio and citrus fruit compote. As usual, the cheese failed to hold its structural integrity (as far as I remember, there was only once when I had this dish at the old place did the cheese maintained its shape). That’s not important, however. The sweet-sour compote offsets the creamy melting cheese to make a very nice appetiser.

Evelyn had the Duck Confit with Apple Rosti. Duck confit can get cloyingly oily and taste preserved but one can tell that this version was made only recently and skilfully fried to rid it of excess oil. The tangy mango relish pairs well with the duck leg and especially well with the crisp skin. I always liked the Apple Rosti but this time I found it slightly limp – perhaps too little oil in the pan.

My snapper came quite awhile later. The thick piece was seared and then finished in the oven in a text-book demonstration of how it’s supposed to be done. The flesh retained its firm texture, juicy interior and most importantly, tasted properly of sea fish.

Desserts were Ratha’s ever present Flourless Chocolate Tart and a Kahlua Soufflé. Both were excellent but a special mention goes out to the soufflé as the most spectacular one I have ever seen.

The Black Sheep Café is highly recommended if you can spare a couple of hours for a meal. Costs about S$50 a person for 3 courses + wine.

Crab Ravioli

2010-09-06T04:34:00.037+08:00

This crab ravioli is an idea that’s been floating around in my head for awhile. While I am one who never minds getting my hands and fingers dirty tunnelling for every morsel of crab, there are times you wish somebody has done all the work first. Unfortunately, that somebody still turns out to be me which leads to this ravioli being hands down the most time consuming dish I ever attempted.

I’d never have started on this dish if I didn’t score these amazing crabs at the market. These are some of the best I’ve had in ages – the meat was dense and sweet. All too often, crabs sold nowadays have spent so much time in tanks without room to move that their meat turns watery and cottony. Anyway, steam the crab until done and then pick out the meat. Unshell the claw meat in one glorious chunk. That will be the piece de resistance in the centre of each ravioli. Bind the loose crab meat with minced prawns, scallops and mascarpone then moisten with milk. Figure one medium-large crab to make 6 large ravioli.

For the sauce, toss cherry tomatoes and garlic in salt, pepper and olive oil then roast in a low oven for 1.5 hours. Make a stock from the crab legs. Puree the tomato, garlic and stock and strain very thoroughly.

Making pasta is tricky. None of the recipes I followed were ever exactly right. I guess that our humidity causes the flour to have greater moisture content. Yet, you don’t need to be a chemist to make pasta dough. The dough communicates with you. If it’s crumbly, the dough is too dry and you need to add something wet and if it’s sticky, dust with flour to dry it up. Personally, I use the following ratio: 20g semolina flour, 80g organic unbleached flour, 1 large egg yolk, 2/3 of the large egg white, 1 tsp olive oil, a pinch of saffron steeped in a little warm water and a pinch of salt. This yields enough dough to make 6 large ravioli or 2 small portions of long pasta.

Here, I rolled out the dough with poppy seeds folded in. Cut out 8-10 cm diameter rounds, using a bowl as a guide.

Be sure to fill each ravioli generously. Somehow the stuffing shrinks while cooking.

Cook in rapidly boiling salted water for 4 minutes, drain and serve on a pool of the roasted tomato puree. It’s really nice with a few pieces of crispy chorizo.

Pork Belly Rice

2010-09-06T02:14:00.009+08:00

Here's something I done quite long ago but never posted. It’s a sort of Chinese-Japanese fusion. The pork belly pieces marinated generously in dark soy were browned on a low fire together with garlic, ginger and galangal for a long time to develop the caramelized flavours. At this point, you can just add water and then stew for a classic down-to-earth soy-stewed meat. However, I deglazed with mirin for sweetness and then added a light dashi stock for the Japanese twist. Towards the end, sweated onions were thrown in and cooked for a few minutes. Thinly sliced negi and ginger helps counter the richness.

Vietnam 2010 - Day 4

2010-08-30T03:39:00.011+08:00

Just as we started, the final meal in Vietnam was another bowl of Pho but this time at Pho 24 just 2 stores down from Pho 2000. Pho 24 is altogether a more modern joint with many franchises and definitely more comfortable to dine in. Broth wise, the one at Pho 24 is more rustic and cloudier than over at Pho 2000. Both have its merits but my vote goes to Pho 2000 for the cleaner taste. The noodles are identical as far as I could tell. Meat wise, the selection at Pho 24 is much more satisfying – offering raw fillet, tendons, brisket and meatballs whereas Pho 2000 only has the boiled shoulder. I was intrigued to see Creme Caramel on the menu and ordered one to try. It should have stayed off the menu.

Last minute shopping for coffee and nuts concluded the trip.

Special thanks to Jeremy for sharing his pictures for me to post here. Any shots that look better than mine usually are are probably his.

Vietnam 2010 - Day 3

2010-08-30T03:32:00.015+08:00

Day 3 had the potential to be a great excursion to Vung Tau but mistakes were made. I thought we could explore the whole place on bicycle, but turns out the terrain was a lot more challenging than expected. Look at how dramatically the hills rise over the town. It’s no wonder they emulated Rio de Janeiro in building a statue of Christ on one of the summits.

Lunch was supposed to be an orgy of cheap seafood and beer. I pre-scouted a restaurant. 3 years ago, Hai Sang Song was frequented by locals for its great value. We took a cab there and settled on the table. Something was wrong. This place looked too nice to be serving cheap food. The waitresses were too attentive and circled around our table like vultures. Suspicious, I got up to inspect the seafood tanks. WTF! 1.5 million Dong per kilo for the local lobsters (cleverly written only in Vietnamese)? That’s like SGD$110. Screw that! Back at the table, my friends was hungry and wanted some soup. I wasn’t paying attention to them as I was still looking at the ridiculous price charts. That’s a fatal error. The waitress has slyly directed him from a prix fixe soup to a seasonally priced crab hotpot which I only discovered when the item was brought to us. When I revealed that we’ve been had, our appetites have all but dissolved. Avoid this place like the bubonic plague.

The day was rescued with a stroke of wild luck when we took a cab to Cholon (Chinatown). The driver spoke pretty good Mandarin and we got a relaxing guided tour of the district in air conditioned comfort. Towards the end we asked for a dining recommendation and were directed to a place for Lau Canh Chua – fish hotpot. Everything about the restaurant radiated of good things to come. From charcoals pits, not fanned, but blown by freaking air pumps to 3 fully occupied levels of dining space.

Fish hotpot is probably not the right term – it was chock full of ingredients: fish heads, fish fillets, fishballs, fishcakes, dried fish flakes, meatballs, pork liver, pork kidney, pork stomach, fried pork skin, squid, prawns, cabbage and preserved vegetables in chicken/fish broth all managed to find room in the snug hotpot. The flavours were pure Chinese but much more hearty than what we find in Singapore.

Vietnam 2010 - Day 2

2010-08-30T03:20:00.008+08:00

The second day started with a tour of Cu Chi tunnels. The history was interesting but the exhibits were merely recreations of the real thing. We intended to lunch at the famous Banh Xeo restaurant at district 3 but of all days of the year, it was closed for the first day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Luckily, our cabbie spoke fluent Mandarin and recommended us a place for Bahn Cuon which is basically Chee Cheong Fun wrapped around ground pork and pork lard. A nice lunch but it was nothing to write home about.

This, I think, is some sort of fried bean cake.

Here, we were way out of downtown Saigon and away from all other tourists.

Dinner was the tourist attraction of Quan An Ngon, which is basically a congregation of food stalls in spruced up surroundings with excellent service and great value. We made up for our missed Banh Xeo here. The crepe-like pancake was nice and crispy on the edges but the centre was just a touch soggy. It’s a nice appetiser nonetheless.

The Bo Kho, which is sort of a Vietnamese take on Boeuf Bourguignon was served with a small loaf of baguette. On the surface of the flavour profile, there was definitely a hit cinnamon and star anise and perhaps cloves and turmeric too. Propping up the spices was taste of patiently caramelised tomato puree. You can actually still see the slick of red tomato oil. The unapologetically fatty beef drives home the message that we were in serious territory of deliciousness. My only qualm with this dish was the criminally under-toasted baguette.

The rice paper rolls and chicken sticks there were rather average. We also ordered a Pho and a Bun Luon (noodles with fried eel). They were both respectable though both tasted suspiciously of the cursed Maggie Chicken Stock. Seriously, that stuff is ruining great food up and down Asia.

Vietnam 2010 - Day 1

2010-08-29T23:24:00.021+08:00

It’s been 11 days since I posted on this, my pet project for the summer. For most of this week I was in Vietnam for a last-minute holiday just as the vacations draws to an end. Add a couple of days to sort out the photographs and think about what to write and here we are on the cusp on the commencement of the new academic year. Thankfully, tomorrow would be just a lecture reviewing the basics of quantum mechanics. =)

Now, however, I shall attempt to review my trip chronologically.

The first meal in Saigon was the ever predictable Pho Bo. We had ours at Pho 2000 just beside Ben Thanh market. The texture of the rice noodles came as a surprise. I expected the thick Bee Hoon mouthfeel but was instead rewarded with something more like ethereally thin Ipoh Hor Fun that disappears down the gullet. The broth here is done the classic way at low temperature and long hours with massive quantities of beef bone. It's light and clear but the beefiness oozes through ever drop of it. As warned, the boiled beef shoulder was just that – boiled meat.

The itinerary for the first day included the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The first two were admittedly forgettable unless you are really into the Vietnam War.

Traffic conditions.

Note the 'X' over the USAF emblam.

We were introduced to the Monsoon season with a sudden downpour as we headed towards the War Remnants Museum. We ducked into a cafe at the Sports Club nearby and experienced best coffee I’ve had in Saigon. It’s a common practise to serve a light green tea on the side. The effect is undisputedly Yin and Yang. The coffee was sweet (maybe too sweet), chocolaty, thick and heaty while the tea is light, refreshing and cooling. In an ideal world I could sit there all day long with a good book.

Potrait of war victims.

Vietnamese calligraphy, I like.

Not sure, but sure feels like a Soviet-inspired monument.

And nobody gets electrocuted.

I quite liked the cathedral but the decision to isolate the building on an island with traffic running on all 4 sides is pretty imbecilic.

Notre Dame Cathedral - Thou Shalt Never Get A Clear Shot.

Next meal was at a Northern Vietnamese restaurant serving Bun Cha – Quan Ho Tay. I have been craving for that since I first saw it in Bourdain’s No Reservations which sort of inflated my expectations. Turns out, Bun Cha is a really really simple and light dish. There are 3 elements in it – the rice noodles, this time more substantial than the noodles in the pho but still very light, the basket of greens and the dip which was sweet, sour and rich with rendered pork lard. If I am to take a wild stab, I would make the dip with some pork broth, fish sauce, pickled cucumbers, the pickling liquid, sugar, honey (there was a hint of something floral) and lard. I found the charcoal grilled patties and pork slices were more like accompaniments rather than the focus of the dish although I definitely wouldn’t mind doubling the amount of meat. To eat, dunk some noodles and greens in the sauce and slurp just like soba.

Al fresco dining option.

The place also serves a mean Banh Tom – battered small prawns and shredded sweet potato. One could tell that it was freshly made and fried to order as the prawns still maintained their juiciness despite the batter being very crisp.

I also walked passed this Bahn Mi store that was once voted as the Best Sandwich in Saigon. Obviously, this woman hasn’t sold out and fell prey to the evils of business expansion. Despite the torrential rain there were a line of locals queuing and she was already running out of baguettes when I arrived. All I could take home was the maddening fragrance of grilled meat.

Since the Ben Thanh Night Market was just at my hotel’s door step, we stopped to sample a Bun Bo Hue – Hue style beef noodles and Bun Mam – seafood noodles with a punchy prawn paste broth. Both were rather tasty but unrefined.

Night Market at our door step. Sweet!

Kingfish Sashimi and Tempura

2010-08-18T00:56:00.008+08:00

My dad unexpectedly brought a sashimi-grade kingfish fillet back from Sydney, giving me a chance to use my recently acquired vintage ‘Tamahagane’ Yanagi-ba (sashimi slicer). The edge didn’t disappoint though my technique leaves room for vast improvement. I didn’t have much to use in terms of garnish so I had to make do with half a lime and some needle cut cucumbers.

The rest of the fillet was done tempura style with some small prawns with the head left on, onions, shiitakes, red and yellow papers, sweet potatoes and eggplants. My batter? 2 parts all-purpose flour, 1 part Dragon Boat brand Crispy Flour and enough cold beer to get the correct consistency.

Prawns, Chorizo and Anchovy Linguini

2010-08-16T00:22:00.010+08:00

Anchovies in pasta sauce is great, and it’s a shame that this flavour is hard to come by here. I guess putting anchovies in the menu still constitute a small risk some restaurants are not willing to take. The way it is done here, browned patiently with garlic, puts the anchovies firmly in the background while giving the sauce a savoury depth.

Browning the anchovies and garlic. Prawns pre-seared. Prawn shell stock boiling away.

Chorizos (not shown) were crisped and then the base tomato sauce added. Allow it to brown before adding the stock.

Add stock, reduce, dump in ¾ cooked pasta, stew and reduce.

Serve with basil and lemon peel.

Yau Zham Grouper

2010-08-15T02:02:00.008+08:00

I got inspired to attempt this restaurant classic while watching the TV. Usually, you need a truckload of oil to deep fry fish as crisp as they do professionally but I found that if you dry your fish very thoroughly, you can get away with shallow frying in about a centimetre of oil. After butterflying it I let it dry in front of the fan for an hour until the skin feels dry and leathery. If you look carefully I actually broke the fish and then hid the damage under the spring onions =P. I like this recipe even better with a generous fillet of cod. Just remember to score the skin well.

Woodwillows

2010-08-15T01:39:00.006+08:00

Mycofarm mushroom farm is only a couple of minute’s drive from my place. Of the varieties they cultivate, I think the woodwillow is the most interesting in texture and taste. Sauté in a screaming hot pan with butter and garlic and deglaze then with a little wine. It may sound unusual but I like to season with light soy instead of only salt. Poached egg on the side and a nice toast complete a hard-to-top breakfast.

Beef Cheek Bourguignon

2010-08-09T02:02:00.008+08:00

I realized all my posts so far have a Japanese theme. Here's a change of flavour with an old French classic. While traditional recipes call for cuts like shoulder, I think that the cheek is the most superior of stewing meats with a good proportion of fat, collagen and muscle.

The trick with Bourguignon is that it is easy to get something cloyingly sweet. Use less vegetable and instead of only wine, I used half wine and half stock for the braising liquid. Aromatics came from a bouquet garni, clove and star anise.

Couldn’t resist showing off the Ichimonji TKC Gyuto which I sharpened with a convex bevel.

The braising liquid and vegetables were blended, strained and then mounted with butter for the sauce.

Winter 2009 - Japan - Others

2010-08-06T02:39:00.014+08:00

This is the last of my Winter 2009 series. Its just collection of food-related pictures.

Amazing looking mushrooms at Himeiji farmer's market.

Knives at Sakai Ichimonji store on Doguya-Suji arcade in Osaka. Doguya-Suji is a restaurant supplies district clustered with many knife shops.

Famous crab at Dotonbori.

Grilled oysters and oyster farms at Miyajima. Home of the famous Itsukushima Shrine

The most amazing little alley near Shinjuku packed full of yakitori joints. I hate myself for missing out on yakitori while in Japan. The entrance of the alley is near the Uniqlo corner store just outside Shinjuku station. Follow your nose and you won't miss it.

Horse sashimi.

Hand made udon at Roppongi. Easily the best noodle dish I had in the whole trip. Somehow I didn't find any ramen places which I liked better than Marutama.

Sushi train joint in Ueno.

Parting words of wisdom.

Winter 2009 - Japan - Shunju Mishuku

2010-08-06T02:29:00.008+08:00

The Shunju chain of restaurants was recommended while I was searching for a destination for a fancy multi-course dinner below my 10,000 yen budget. I arrived early at the Mishuku branch in Shibuya and was given a spacious counter seat in front of the sashimi station with the head chef working in front of me. They had an English menu from which I selected the 8,000 yen set dinner.

The first course was a selection of seasonal vegetables and salads arranged on a large basket – sort of a salad bar that was brought your side. I didn’t think much of it at first and only picked little sampling of each. Damn, was I mistaken! The cabbage, simply washed and cut, was crunchy and full of natural sugars. Also noteworthy were the boiled spinach which was tender yet not overcooked at all and the sweet potatoes which tasted like candies. Luckily I managed to convey the message to the waiter that I would like to have a second helping of the course which they gladly obliged.

Next was a sashimi platter with Chu Toro, Kampachi, Tako (Octopus), Tai (Snapper) and fresh wasabi. On the side of the Tako are pieces of suckers that had an interesting texture. The Tai, known as King of Snapper, was in its winter prime with the flavourful fleshing tasting almost milky and the Chu Toro, which I suspect was lightly cured on Konbu, was unctuous and buttery.

The third course combined a piece of deep fried Anglerfish liver and Daikon in a Yuzu soy broth. The rich and slightly powdery liver was perfectly matched by the sweet and juicy radish with the broth binding both elements with the fragrance of Yuzu.

Charcoal grilled duck, which was the main meat course was the only let down of the meal. The duck, which was imported, was cooked appropriately rare but retained an unpleasing livery taste.

The final savoury course was oyster rice cooked with broth in a tradition cast iron pot. Much like a claypot, this method enabled the bottom layer of rice to char a little and add an extra dimension to the already flavourful rice.

Dessert was a pear sorbet with pear jelly.

Winter 2009 - Japan - Daiwa Sushi

2010-08-03T02:38:00.013+08:00

Having a sushi breakfast at Tsukiji, as touristy as it may be, is a rite of passage. There are 2 famous sushi joints at the market – Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi. I went considerably late in the morning after touring the market and there was an intimidating queue for both of them. I opted for the shorter queue at Daiwa Sushi.

Daiwa Sushi has all the elements of a successful restaurant like one sees back here in Singapore. It started out in one stall and soon it had to expand to a neighbouring one except in the process all they had to do is to throw in a sushi counter and some chairs. Such carelessness in the decor reflects a well-placed confidence in the quality of their food to draw in the diners.

Anyway, as a single diner, I was offered a place relatively quickly and I slipped into the narrow path between the seats and the wall into probably the worst seat in the restaurant. I barely had enough space for my plate between a fellow diner to the left, the cash register to the right and the sushi counter in front. Being obviously foreign, I was offered the Omakase set menu which I promptly rejected in favour of picking from the counter display.

I started with the more common – Salmon, Tuna, Samma, Eel, Yellowtail etc and I regretted immediately. I cannot have sushi outside of Tsukiji ever again. All the Japanese restaurants in Singapore? They offer gluey cold rice cakes with pieces of fish stuck to them. Even in Japan, the quality I experienced at Daiwa is head and shoulders above all the other sushi joints. Surprisingly, it was not the fish but the rice which was most memorable. Each sushi was a warm pillowy bed of rice which had the ability to stay whole when you pick it up but crumbles and melts in your mouth. The temperature of the rice warmed the squeaky fresh fish just right to fully bring out its flavours.

Next, I moved on to the Otoro (Tuna Belly) which was very different from what we get here in the sense that it was less fatty and tastes purer of fish with a slight acidic zing. Again, the heat from the rice was crucial in melting the tuna fat into a heavenly semi-liquid state. The Sakura Shrimp and Scallop were also very, very good.

Then, the Sea Urchin, Uni, on the smallest bite of rice just enough to keep the roe from falling through and surrounded by a thin crispy of seaweed. By this time I have abandoned the chopsticks and was eating with my hand. I brought it close and detected the waft of the ocean but something was lacking - an annoying medicinal iodine smell that accompanied every Uni I ever had. This urchin was pristine, probably hours fresh. The sweet essence of the sea lived in it. I got so crazy over it I had 3 of them. This is good enough to be my last meal.

I also had the Shirako, which was the sperm sac of a cod fish. This won the approval and admiration of the chef. He exclaimed, 'Shirako.. ahh.. Shirako. Goooood! Very winter!' It tasted disappointingly neutral of creamy fish fat.

The meal lasted a brief half an hour and the above is the only picture I have of the meal. Now, I am writing this post almost half a year from my visit to Daiwa Sushi entirely from memory. It was that good.

Winter 2009 - Japan - Tsukiji Market

2010-08-02T17:28:00.024+08:00

Ahh, Tsukiji, the Mecca of seafood and the poster child of Japanese excessive plundering of the oceans. Admittedly, the morning aroma of fish, blood and diesel takes getting used to. But if you are a foodie, it will be a sin of the greatest order if you give Tsukiji market a miss when you are in Tokyo. My trip to Tsukiji will probably be rather different from other travellers. Failing to do proper research, I didn’t realise there is both a wholesale area and a market outside of the complex. I only toured the wholesalers, and this adventure is not suitable for everyone.

The famous tuna auction was closed to the public during my trip owing to the New Year's rush. Still, attending that would entail waking up at an ungodly hour and spending a fortune on a cab ride. I hear some real hardcore foodies just hang around in Izakayas near the market all night until the next morning to catch the auction. That seems like a great idea for my next foray.

Here are the pictures.

All about the tuna.

Steel on Tuna action.

Tuna Filleting with a massive Maguro Bocho.

Fish!

Anglerfish and its liver. A winter delicacy.

Scallops.

Tiger Prawns.

Langoustine. Probably imported.

Squid.

Penshell.

Shirako - One of the most bizzare things I tried in Japan. This is the sperm sac of a cod fish.

Tools of the trade.

Tasty tasty murder.

Wagyu

2010-07-30T01:46:00.015+08:00

Before writing this post, I struggled for a little while trying to compose an opener for this blog. I gave up, and thought that it’s best to just let the ingredients do the talking.

Here goes...

Beef would make an auspicious first for this blog. The blog’s name: Gyuto, translates literally to Cow Sword or, more appropriately, Chef’s Knife. And to drive home the theme, let’s start with the king of beef, Wagyu. I am sure most are familiar with Kobe Beef. Kobe is a location, and over there they breed Wagyu (和牛). Now, the Wagyu breed is not bred exclusively in Japan. Outside of Japan, the most successful breeding programs are in Australia. To find out more, surf: Vicsmeat and Kawamura Steakhouse.

Here, I have a sirloin from Master Kobe with Marble Score 9+ from Vicsmeat, Sydney. You cannot serve a piece of MBS 9+ beef as a steak, it is simply too rich (read oily). Thus, a 200+ g piece actually goes a long way to serve 3 to 4 people.

For this piece of beef, I was inclined to fire up some charcoals and do it properly. Good charcoal imparts a heady smokiness and a sweet aroma to the meat. All it needs is just a minute on each side until the beef fat bubbles and crisps. Slow roasted cauliflowers, carrots, shiitakes and asparagus make up the accompaniments.

To cut into the richness, grated ginger goes into the ponzu dipping sauce.