Italy: Florence, Venice, Naples

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.

Taste Paradise @ Ion Orchard

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!

Serious Beef Cheek Ragù Bolognese

"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:

"Sunday" Brunch - Lam's Abalone Noodles

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.

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

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

Bee Hoon stewed in 奶汤

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.

Yan Kee Bak Chor Mee

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.

Crab Ravioli

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.

Vietnam 2010 - Day 4

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 1

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!