Review: Antoinette at Palais Renaissance

We came to this outlet many months ago and had to wait almost an hour for seats, but I think the Antoinette fad has died down, and we are glad for that.

Came without reservations at 1145am and could get table, thankfully.  

And I am not sure if it was my mind playing tricks on me, but the food didnt taste as good as the first time I had it.  The wow factor was gone.

We ordered the same 2 items as the first visit - the Antoinette crab salad and the crepe.

And ordered a French onion soup this time.  We were a little disappointed with the French Onion soup actually.  The 2 pieces of baguette they put in the soup practically soaked up all the soup and left it like a caramelised onion pot.  Plus it was too salty.

On our way out, we saw a delivery man delivering boxes of frozen food to the kitchen.  Guess my hub is right, nowadays food chains seldom cook their food on the spot.  for efficiency and cost effectiveness, the central kitchen is deployed.  That's the business model and food items like beef bourgeon and french onion soup are most likely to fall pray to this business model.  Not that they taste less delicious, but it is just strange to be raving about refridgerated, reheated food, isnt it?  (P.s, not that previously it wasnt from a central kitchen).

Truffle Porcini Mushroom Risotto

It's been a while since I last cooked this.  And back then, it was with just normal portabello and shittake mushrooms.  I am using porcini mushrooms for the first time.  Turned out that the taste was indeed muskier.

Adapted from noobcook, my fave recipe site.

Ingredients
(Serves 6-9)

- 30g/1 oz  porcini, 10 shittake mushrooms, 1 box white jap mushrooms
- 2.5 litre mushroom stock (I used mushroom stock concentrate, about 12 tsp in 2.5 litre water)
- 3 cup (450g) unwashed risotto rice, such as arborio
- 45g + 90g butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp truffle oil
- 2 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 90g grated parmesan cheese
- a small bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (I used dried pasley)
- sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
1. In a small bowl, add porcini mushrooms and just enough hot water (about 200ml) to cover them. Let it stand for about 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are reconstituted. Roughly chop mushrooms and strain soaking liquid through a fine sieve.
2. Combine the strained soaking liquid with the chicken/vegetable stock. Warm in a saucepan or microwave oven.
3. In a heated pan, add olive oil and 45g butter. Saute the onions on low heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 – 8 minutes.
3. Turn up the heat and stir in the rice for a minute until nicely coated. Add white wine and wait a few seconds; you will smell the lovely aroma of the wine as it sizzles and evaporates.
4. Add the first ladle of hot stock and the chopped mushrooms. Stir continuously and simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the stock, then add the next ladle of stock. Continue doing so until the rice is cooked with a slight bite in the middle, about 20 minutes. If you ran out of stock, use hot water.
5. Remove the risotto from heat and stir in remaining butter (cubed) and parmesan cheese. Cover with lid and leave the risotto to relax for a few minutes.
6. Season with salt (if necessary) and black pepper. Dish risotto onto a serving plate and garnish with chopped parsley.

Nasi lemak - steamed rice

Experimented by my friend! Steamed is the way to go for the rice I heard! Inspired by our nasi lemak feast in KL recently!

Seafood Bouillabaise

Lovingly cooked by our dear family friend!  10/10 again!

Haze-stay-home-brekkie

The PSI index rose to a peak of 155 last night and we were cautious not to let our coughing girl get too exposed.  So breakfast was home cooked.  I braved the haze to cook at the wet kitchen outdoors ok? (hahaha wasnt that bad la)

Father's Day Lunch

Last weekend was Father's Day.  Instead of our usual dinner at a zichar or chinese restaurant, my brother was adventurous and suggested a cookout for our dad.  I of cos suggested western food, as almost every day is a chinese dish day.  My elder brother, younger brother and I each cooked a dish or two and the meal turned out so sumptuous!

The MENU :
1) Prawn with pumpkin and banana mash
- created by my brother, no recipe required!  he's got this Jamie Olivier thing in him, literally half naked chef as halfway through cooking he felt so hot that he stripped to his swim trunks and jumped into the pool (twice!)

2) potato salad

- a bit more usual fare but i love how my brother accidentally added too much vinegar and it became more citrusy!  Nice touch on the parsley too, looks good right?

3) Squid ink linguine in seafood

- my creation, recipe found here

- everyone slurped, slurped and slurped!

4) Honey glazed chicken chops

- never knew my elder brother could cook and this proves that our entire family can!

- he just marinated the chicken with regular pantry ingredients (ginger, lemon, soya sauce, oyster sauce, pepper) and then cooked them in happy call for about 7 mins each side, and returning them to the pan with a honey glazing.

- the result was yummy with my HB saying it's the best dish of the meal!  (my HB is the chicken man by the way)

5) Dessert : Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

- I haven't cooked this for more than 1 year, the first time being Valentine's Day in 2012, i think.

- so glad that it still turned out ok, meaning the recipe is super reliable!

I think we should do more cook outs as a family!

Squidink linguine with seafood

Not to be mistaken with linguine that are already made black with squidink uncooked, this is the one where the sauce contains squidink. This is the version we prefer and we first had it at pasta brava at Craig Road. IMO, they serve the best squidink spaghetti / risotto in town at midrange pricing. Of cos there's others but they are usually pricier.

I tried making squidink risotto before but I didn't put enough squidink so it turned out grey instead of black. Decided not to take my chances this time and bought extra packets of squid ink. ($1 per 4g pack is sold at Culina).

• SERVES: 6
• PREP: 15 mins
• COOK: 15 mins

Easy recipe for pasta (usually spaghetti or linguine) coated in a savoury squid ink sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 servings (about 360 grams) spaghetti or linguine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 chilli padi (bird's eye chili) de-seeded and sliced thinly (optional) 
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 medium squid cleaned & sliced thinly
• 16 medium prawns, deshelled and shells kept aside
• 1 1/2 onion chopped finely
• 4 sachets (4 grams) squid ink (nero di seppia)
• prawn stock (cooked until prawns shells)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tbsp tomato pasta sauce
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning may substitute with fresh herbs e.g. rosemary and thyme, chopped finely
• 60 grams butter cubed
• salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water, until al dente. Drain pasta.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan, add chilli and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add squid and prawns, and stir-fry briefly until the squid and prawns are just cooked and turns opaque. Set aside. 
3. Add onions to the pan with the squid and prawns juices, fry on low heat for a few minutes until the onions are nicely sweated. Then add squid ink, Italian seasoning and prawn stock.
4. When the sauce bubbles, Stir in butter and wine and 1 spoon of saved pasta water. You may tweak the consistency of the sauce by adding more prawn stock. Season with salt (only if needed) and black pepper.
5. Coat cooked pasta and cooked squid and prawns in the squid ink sauce. Serve hot. Top with parsley garnishing.

prepare your tissues and napkins in advance!

Review: Da Luca Italian Restaurant

Oh, Goldhill Square.  Used to be a place I would have to walk past at least twice a day.  Such fond memories of the Novena enclave and its restaurants.

I remember we gave Da Luca a shot when it first opened in 2010.  There was probably only another table of customers.  And based on past experience, restaurants have not been able to survive long in that spot.  We liked what we ate, a simple crab meat pink sauce linguine and squid ink risotto and told ourselves we would be back.

And back we were!  Since it was so near to our old place, we would definitely eat it at least once a month or two, perhaps?

Since we moved, I had less chances of going back.  It would surely be one of my options whenever I craved for Italian food though.

On one of those Fridays, I craved for Italian and went there with our family friend.  For starters, we had the mussels in white wine sauce and the burrata with parma, rocket and balsamico.  For those who don't know what are burratas - they are like buffalo mozzarella but with a much softer, creamier centre.  The mussels were so so only, maybe not in season.

For mains, we shared the Florentina steak (i think 1.5kg bone in).  This was perfectly done and came with a separate plate of my favourite sides - grilled corn, asparagus, mushrooms and potatoes.  I can assuredly say that this place serves the best Florentina steak in town.

The dinner was especially enjoyable with the presence of 2 bottles of italian red too.  Coupled with the company of good friends and lack of kid, this was mini heaven to me.

Da Luca Italian Restaurant

1 Goldhill Plaza

#01-19/21 Goldhill Plaza

Tel: 62584846

Review: Lao Shan Kwey Chap

We are very selective about our kwey chaps.  Nothing mediocre will do.  The kway has to be smooth, the pork has to be tender, the lor has to be tasty, the ingredients cannot be porky, the chai buay must pass my test.

What's my test, you may wonder.  It is a sourish, soft but yet with a bite taste and nothing too oily please.  I have taken chai buay since I was 5 so I am very exacting in my requirements.

For a small unassuming little stall tucked in a kopitiam in Ang Mo Kio, Lao Shan meets all of our requirements.  The most rated item has to be the kway.  Which makes me wonder - don't all of them get kway from the same supplier?  But why are some better than the others?  And can such a small stall make its own kway?

The pork belly is ok, tender but not the best we have had.  But the kway really does make up for EVERYTHING.

We always go there in the mornings for breakfast after we drop off our girl, so there's no queue whatsoever.  I wonder if it is popular for lunch and dinner.  Looking at their opening hours, I really pity the old man.  I don't see any son or daughter helping out at the store, so this is really a gem to be treasured.  May not be around much much longer.


Lao San Kway Chap
Blk 232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3
6am to 12mn
Closed on Monday

Braised spare ribs and bitter gourd in tau cheo

I always wonder, how do working mums do it?  After work, can still manage to cook for the family?  This week,  my girl has classes till 6pm and by the time I am home, it is 630pm, just like a regular work day. And because my parents are also working the whole day at their house this period, I have kindly taken up the responsibility to be a filial girl and cook for the family.  Good girl right?

Ran out of ideas on what to cook today and saw bitter gourd in the fridge.  Wanted to cook noobcook's claypot chicken and bitter gourd but my dad said to use spare ribs instead.  He only said very briefly, braise the ribs with tau cheo.  Fullstop.  Luckily we live in the internet age....

So with noobcook's recipe as a base, I managed to recreate the dish my parents instructed me to cook!

Ingredients
(serves 4)

- 10 to 12 pcs of short spare ribs
- half a bitter gourd
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp tau cheo (soya bean paste)
- 1 tbsp black fermented beans (rinsed, patted dry and mashed slightly with a fork)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced (or about 1 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp Chinese wine (shao hsing / hua tiao)
- light soy sauce, to taste (optional)

Sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar

tata!  my not so good looking dish, but oh so yummy

complemented with a plate of greens - spinach with century eggs

Directions

1. Cut the bitter gourd in slices.  If you wish to remove the bitterness, you may rub some salt on the flesh portion and leave for a few minutes before rinsing the salt off.

2. Heat sesame oil in clay pot, stir garlic till brown, then fry tau cheo & fermented black beans until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add spare ribs and bitter gourd. Stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink on the surface.

4. Add sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Cover pot with lid and simmer for about 15 minutes. (see note)

5. Season to taste with light soy sauce or salt, if needed. If you like, add a splash of Chinese wine to the cooked stew as a finishing touch, and off the flame when you smell the lovely aroma of the wine.

Note : if you are using normal wok, you may need to simmer longer for at least half hour before the ribs are tender.  However, with HCP, it should be faster.

Review: Food for thought

This isn't a full review of food for thought at botanical gardens. We come here sometimes for their breakfast and pancakes and playground. I'll perhaps cover that in another post if I've got time.

Today I dropped my maid off to the Philippines embassy for her passport. Looking at the size of the embassy building and the scarce crowd, I was optimistic that the process won't take too long. So I decided to take lunch while waiting. (Truth is : I knew i would not be able to resist the bak changs my parents brought if I Went home!)

Food for thought was the nearest choice. I ordered the oriental duck salad and a iced lime tea wine cooler.

The oriental duck salad was rather delicious and definitely healthy. Or so I think. Smoked duck breast, orange slices. Lychees, raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. I can definitely do this more cheaply. It cost me $13.

The iced lime tea wine cooler was an utter disappointment. I couldn't taste tea, lime, nor wine. At $8, I could have spent my money more wisely. 

Just after I ordered, my maid texted me and said her appointment starts at 3pm. And I dropped her at 145pm. I am so going home. 

Oh ya, this is a kid friendly place if it isn't raining. An outdoor mini play structure should keep the little one occupied. Affordable kids eat too.

Food For Thought (Botanic Gardens)

1 Cluny Road

#B1-00 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Tanglin Gate

Grilled peri peri chicken thigh

For Christmas, one of the items I asked for was nando's peri peri sauce as I like it as an easy marinate for grilled chicken. I ended up receiving 6 bottles of it, all different flavors, thanks to my over zealous friend.

I used it to oven grill some Chicken wings before but either the marination time wasn't sufficient or I couldn't bask the sauce over as often as I would have liked. So fail. 

This time, I tried using the scan pan grill pan. Total marination time was about 2.5 hours and cooking time was about 20mins in total. It turned out definitely juicier and more flavored as I was continuously basking it in marinate. However, I think next time 

1) no need to use the grill pan because the burnt residue accumulates under the grill lines and gets stuck onto the chicken. Anyway the grill lines aren't that visible. I'll try HCP next time.

2) I should buy boneless chicken thigh as cooking would be more even and faster. According to hub and parents. 

Now to source for more grilled chicken marinates! 

pardon the chow tar bit keke

Toasted cheese sandwich

I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets. I know I'm not the worst because i m too self aware to let it get out of hand. But occasionally when the price is right and the size is right (won't take up too much storage space) I'll jump into it. 

When I saw the sandwich toaster at mediya I knew I had to have it! I love my toasted sandwiches / paninis, even though this doesn't have the beautiful grill lines that I'll love. 

Strangely though I only managed to make it like 2 months after I bought it.  But boy, it was fast and yummy! I only needed to put it on the stove for about 2 mins max, and warm melty cheese sandwich is ready. In fact, any longer it would get burnt.

For this, I had ham, cheese, corn, mustard and tomatoes. Yummy! 

Review: Provence bakery at holland village

We are always at a loss of where to eat breakfast whenever I have facials in the morning at holland village. The hawker centre stalls don't entice me much and I don't feel like having crystal jade all the time.

Then I chanced upon Provence and realized that they have breakfast sets from 830am onwards! 

Freshly baked bread, ham and egg and tuna croissants / sandwiches, done jap style, who can resist?👍

There is a no frills cafe seating upstairs which serves sandwiches sets and coffee / tea. Coffee is nothing to shout about but drinkable. The breads are clearly the main draw. Never had I had mini croissants so crunchy and drizzled with a sweet honey / maple syrup glaze.

Quick and yummy breakfast! 

Review: Fat Cow

Every now and then, my hub would have a crazy suggestion for lunch. Although a SAHM, I'm pretty lazy to cook lunch as my maid cooks lunch for my girl, there would be always leftovers in the fridge for my maid and my brekkie is usually rather filling so I can survive till tea break. So when a suggestion for lunch comes along, I would initially be reluctant but would succumb.

Today's lunch is a restaurant specializing in all things beef called Fat Cow. Apparently they have the wagyu don that yoyogi does very well which is why my hub wanna go. We packed up our girl's lunch and went there with our helper. 

And we were not disappointed.

Set lunches are pricey with at least $30+ or $40+ for beef dishes. 

Hub was looking for more than just sets so ordered ala carte of a tai carpaccio with black truffle. That was really good as the truffle added depth to the light tai.

We ordered the fat cow donburi set ($38) and the fat foa gura don ($42) to share.

The fat cow donburi's wagyu is slightly seared and topped with an onsen egg. Generous in portion, this beats yoyogi's price point but my complain is that it lacked a little saltiness flavor. There should have been more sauce to cover the rice, and the sauce more salty. 

The fat foa gura don was the winner as the flavor of the don was enhanced by the sweet-salty-buttery taste of stir fried mushrooms. Not to mention that the chunks of foie gras were aplenty. Generous is an understatement. 

If you are looking to impress with a subtle yet classy business lunch, this place does it well. Just be prepared to pay for the quality.

Fat Cow

1 ORCHARD BLVD #01-01/02
CAMDEN MEDICAL CENTRE
SINGAPORE 248649

T. +65 6735 0308

Review: Fu Shi Roast at Shunfu market

 Our regular Saturday brunch venue after we drop off our girl to art class at midview city. I feel so guilty for not staying with her during her class but oh, I really can't resist the char siew and wanton noodles. The noodles texture isn't the most crunchy but they use a unique sauce mix that is like superior stock, and that makes the entire noodles light and not jerlat. Another place that does it this way is the Kok Kee wanton mee at lavender food court but fu shi now beats it hands down.

Now to the char siew. Ooh, just thinking of it makes me salivate. The marination and charred-ness of the half fat, half meat cuts that we always request is unbeatable.  We always also upsize the char siew portion. 

Looking at the picture gives you an idea what I mean :p 

Fu Shi Traditional Roast and Wanton Noodles

320 Shunfu Road

#02-25 Shunfu Mart Food Centre

Tel: 92378157

Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays