Singaporeans travel for good food. I totally agree. If you ask me to travel all the way to Pasir Ris for chalet, I probably have to think thrice and still decided not to go. But… when I was told to meet for dinner right at the far east of the island because this seafood place is very good, ON LAH! It’s not easy to find this place. I told the taxi uncle that it’s near to Changi prison, we still made the wrong turn. But all is worthwhile.

The owner of The Catch actually supplies seafood to hotels/restaurants. So you can expect fresh seafood at affordable prices. The menu is big, with close to 100 dishes that range from interesting appetisers to seafood and meat prepared in both popular and novel ways. We started our dinner with Deep Fried Silver Bait ($8). Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, the chopped garlic with spring onion adds a bold flavour to it.

Crispy Brinjal with Salted Egg Yolk ($6) is one of our favourite with discs of eggplant well coated with golden salted egg yolk. Salted egg yolk sauce whetted my appetite for more, it’s rich in flavour with contrasting texture between the brinjal and batter.

Chinese wine is a must-have in my kitchen and I love to add splashed of wine into my dishes. Hence, Lala Clam Boiled In Chinese Wine ($14 small, $21 medium, $28 large) works for me. All you need is just sweet and juicy clams t do the magic. Cooking it in a delicious broth with splashes of wine, there is nothing more I can nitpick.

Deep Fried Soon Hock (seasonal price) is decent. The fish is fried till perfection and lightly lathered in a brown broth. The freshest fish is used to ensure that it is crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

The Braised Noodle with Seafood in XO Sauce ($14 small, $21 medium, $28 large) is a favourite among many of us. XO sauce is a goldmine. Just add some of it in your noodles and it instantly makes an interesting dish. I like it that the XO sauce coats the meepok very well, it is mildly spicy but very fragrant and flavourful.

They didn’t have flower crab for that night so we ordered the normal Crab with Egg White & Chinese Wine (seasonal price). The crab is naturally juicy and sweet, and its freshness is accentuated by steaming it with silky egg white and Chinese wine. I am sure flower crab will work better but this is already quite satisfying with lots of meat and decadent crab roe.

Honestly, I was full by now and wanted to give their Roast Chicken with Glutinous Rice ($58) a miss. But when it arrived on my table, the reddish brown glistering skin is just too tempting. “Maybe I will just have a bite,” I said. But I cleared my plate. It needs one day advance order, so do let them know early.

Ok carbs overload. But we ended the night with a comforting bowl of Yuan Yang Poached Rice with Seafood in superior broth ($24 small, $26 medium, $48 large).

Service here is attentive (note: this is NOT a food tasting session) and the staff are full of smiles. I am impressed with what The Catch has offered. The dishes I have tried that night are simple and no frills, but they are able to deliver the taste and quality for every dish they put on our table, which makes me want to go back for more.

The Catch Seafood Restaurant & Bar
Address: 27 Cosford Road
Tel: +65 6546 2155
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am to 2.30pm; 6 to 10.30pm. Closed on Mondays

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Homemade meals do not need to be difficult, complex, time consuming or stressful. Perfect Italiano cheese is the simple solution to make your everyday meals effortlessly outstanding, exciting and enjoyable. This blog post, I have shared two simple recipes for Croque Monsieur and Stuffed Mushrooms. Don’t forget to hashtag your own cooking creations #perfectitalianosg!

P/S If you wish to own a FREE Perfect Italiano cooking kits, scroll to the bottom of the blog for more information!

To be honest with you, out of so many recipes I have done for Perfect Italiano, Croque Monsieur is the simplest but the tastiest recipe for me. I really love watching the cheese melt in oven and it tastes so good with ham. Next time, I am going to try bacon.

Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Cheese is really stretchy and melts beautifully with every bite. I have added Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese, which guarantees a rich and bold flavour. They are perfect for making mouth-watering pizzas, sandwiches and lasagne.

Croque Monsieur

2015-06-13 00:50:46

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Ingredients

1. 2 slices bread
2. 2 slices ham
3. 25g Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese
4. 25g Perfect Italiano Parmesan Grated Cheese

Instructions

1. Lightly toast bread for about 2-3 mins
2. Place ham on bread and add Perfect Italiano Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses
3. Cover with another slice of bread
4. Top with a generous layer of Perfect Italiano Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses
5. Bake at 180°C preheated oven until top browns nicely (about 15 mins).

Adapted from Perfect Italiano

Adapted from Perfect Italiano

Miss Tam Chiak http://www.misstamchiak.com/

If you want, you can add 2 tbsp cream sauce to make it richer. If not, I think Perfect Italiano cheese is good enough on its own. This is an easy and delicious breakfast!

Using Perfect Bakes which combines three cheeses, I added the cheese to the mushrooms for a superior flavour and delicious golden crust. Perfect Italiano Perfect Bakes is a full-flavoured Cheddar blend with a little Mozzarella for stretch and Parmesan for bite. When the Perfect Bakes is sprinkled on the surface and sent into the oven, it does not go oily and bakes a delicious golden brown crust. You can stuff this into the mushrooms and send it to oven. For this, I sprinkled it on the mushrooms and paired it with fried noodles.

Stuffed Mushrooms

2015-06-13 00:52:06

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Ingredients

1. 2 large Portobello mushrooms, stalks removed
2. 100g Perfect Italiano Perfect Bakes Cheese

For Stuffing

1. mushroom stalks, chopped
2. 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
3. 1 tbsp thyme, chopped
4. 1 tsp garlic, chopped
5. 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6. Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix stuffing ingredients together in a bowl with olive oil
2. Stuff into the mushrooms
3. Top with Perfect Italiano Perfect Bakes cheese
4. Bake 180°C in oven for about 10mins or until top is golden brown.

Adapted from Perfect Italiano

Adapted from Perfect Italiano

Miss Tam Chiak http://www.misstamchiak.com/

Here’s a tip for you, if you prefer smaller bites, go for button mushrooms instead!

From 15 May to 15 July 2015, Perfect Italiano is giving away FREE Perfect Italiano cooking kits for every purchase of $30 worth of Perfect Italiano products. Accumulated receipts are allowed. Prizes will be sent directly to winners by registered mail. Strictly limited to 700 sets on a first-come, first-served basis.

View more: http://perfectitaliano.com.sg/promotions

My favourite Japanese restaurant Tamashii Robataya opens a new casual restaurant & sake bar concept called “Bōruto“. Located in Golden Castle building, upon entering the restaurant you will be greeted with a gold painted gate with two Chinese words “金城” which speaks of its history. Chef/owner Patrick Tan has been wanting to do a sake bar since last May and it took them about half a year to find a location. As this place was previously an art gallery, it took them another 5 months to convert it to a F&B space. Now, this 3-weeks-old restaurant serves more than 120 types of sake specially imported from different parts of Japan.

While sake may be the star at Bōruto, the kitchen presents a constellation of tapas dishes that shine in their own right. The menu comprises cold dishes, small bites, small plates, carbs and desserts. Inspired by Chef Patrick’s visits to izakayas and Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan, the dishes are given an innovative or localised twist; eschewing traditional Japanese styling with the authentic Japanese ingredients presented in contemporary fashion instead.

Worth a rave is the Saga Gyu Tataki ($28.80) where saga beef is seared to perfection and served with salted seaweed and saffron. With fine marbling through the pink meat, it literally melts in your mouth. Another one is the Murugai Saka Mushi ($18.80). Bathed in butter, Japanese sake and garlic, the mussels were cooked with tomatoes and minced pork, creating a sensation in the mouth. When you dip the crispy homemade bread into the soup, it felt like I was eating garlic bread.

From the selection of small plates, the Teba-Gyoza ($15.80) is a popular choice featuring grilled chicken wings with the bone removed and in its place, stuffed with gyoza ingredients such as minced pork, wild vegetables (nozawana) and silver fish. The stuffing retains its moisture without being too oily. Squeeze a bit of lemon for that tangy hint.

Besides the Saga Gyu Tataki, another of my favourite is Zuwai Gani Sausage ($30.80). One by one, the chef manually filled the sausage casing with Japanese queen crab meat. The “sausage” is first steamed before pan-fried, and served in reduced crab bisque with homemade bread. Look at the huge and fat “sausage” that’s full of crab meat, they are very creative and generous with the crab meat.

If you prefer to fill up on carbs, the Kamo Tsukemen ($18.80) is a unique and thoroughly delicious option where Japanese somen is served with braised duck soup. Using duck bones and dashi, the clear soup is sweet and flavourful. For tempura fans, go for their Ebi Tempura Donburi ($18.80) which doesn’t work well for me. I very much prefer their Oyako Donburi ($16.80). It looks the simplest and readily available in another restaurant, but Patrick took efforts to create their homemade house sauce instead of the usual dashi broth.

There also have Supearibu ($25.80) that was sous vide for 12 hours before grilling it with just salt and pepper when orders are made. Served on the side is wasabi salt and yuzu pepper. Excellent meat and you can see the different layers of fat and lean meat in each piece. My only small gripe is, the meat was sliced too thick (for a lady perhaps), as I have a hard time chewing the marbled meat.

On the dessert menu, there’s the familiar Truffle Crème Brulee ($6.80) to the more inventive Champagne Soupe with Warabi Mochi ($8.80) and Ooling Cha Nashi with homeade Sakura Ice Cream ($12.80). I can’t really decide which is the one I love most. I like the truffle aroma in the creme brulee, the soft warabi mochi, as well as the poached pear with oolong tea.

Boruto serves a wide range of sake, beer and whiskey which are all cheaper than other restaurants. Their sake ranges from $68 to $2800. I tried their Homemade Strawberry Wine ($10) made using fresh strawberries from Japan. Adding lemon, rock sugar and 12% shoju, the strawberry wine is fermented for 3 months. Alternatively, try the Homemade Plum Wine ($23) which takes more hard work. The chefs need to poke alot of holes on each plum manually to get the flavour and it has to be fermented for 6 months before serving.

Bōruto
Address: 80 South Bridge Road #01-01 Golden Castle Building
Telephone: 6532 0418
Website: www.boruto.com.sg
Operating hours: Mon – Sat 4:30 pm to 12am, closed on Sundays

The newly revamped Capitol Piazza is definitely shaping up nicely, with more interesting cafes and restaurants opening. I have visited Dazzling Cafe, and last weekend, I dropped by Angelina Tea Room for high tea with my friends.

For more than a century, Angelina Tea Room has been a landmark for gourmet Parisian cakes and pastries. This brand has finally arrived in Singapore, serving the famous hot chocolate drink and Mont Blanc cake, whose recipes have been a well-guarded secret for centuries.

It’s not surprising that Angelina’s hot chocolate ($12) is one of the best in Paris because Paris is a haven for chocolate lovers and if you don’t do it well, you generally cannot survive there. It’s still as good, using three kings of African cocoa from Niger, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, their rich chocolate mix has an exceptional taste and flavour. To add to this treat, fresh whipped cream is served on the side.

As for their Mont Blanc ($13.50), which combines meringue, light whipped cream and chestnut paste vermicelli, this recipe is Angelina’s famous trademark pastry since 1903. It’s kinda disappointing here and absolutely not comparable to the one in Paris. The chestnut puree is just not fresh. You know how it’s like for other Mont Blanc right? The soft puree is usually piped beautifully to form a mountain. But here, it’s sticky and sweat, and felt like the chestnut cream has been stamped onto the cream. When I asked the waitress, I was told that all pastries are made in their Paris kitchens and air-flown directly to Singapore. Unfortunately, the freshness and quality seems to be compromised.

What seems to last better is their Paris New-York ($13) – Angelina’s reinterpretation of the Paris-Brest, in which the pecan replaces the praline. The choux pastry is light and buttery, filled with pecan praline light cream and crunchy pecan praline heart.

Besides pastries, Angelina also serves a range of snacks and mains which the waitress assured me that it’s made in Singapore’s kitchen, hence the menu may vary from the ones in Paris. Some of the recommendations include traditional crusted onion soup, truffled mushroom omelette and mushroom risotto. Brunch menu is available till 2.30pm on weekdays and weekends.

Despite the elegant and sophisticated interior, the place is rather cramped and I felt quite claustrophobic sitting at a corner, sharing a small little table with two of my other friends. With only two plates of cakes on our table, there was even not enough space for our teapots and we have to place it on another table. Can’t imagine if we were to order their mains.

Angelina Tea Room
Address: #01-82, Capitol Galleria, 15 Stamford Road, Singapore 178906
Tel: 63840481
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm daily

Cambodia’s food scene has been slower off the mark. But now, thanks to the diligence of a handful of chefs, Cambodian food is starting to make something of a comeback. Cuisine Wat Damnak in Siem Reap is the first Cambodian restaurant to make it onto a prestigious international restaurant list, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, where it was named Best Restaurant in Cambodia.

This is fantastic news for Cambodia. The award puts Siem Reap on the global culinary map and it brings a positive impact on tourism. Joannès Rivière, owner of Siem Reap’s Cuisine Wat Damnak, came from the Loire Valley. He studied cooking in France before moving to the United States to work as a pastry chef. In 2003 he moved to Cambodia to be a volunteer cookery teacher at the NGO-run Sala Bai Hotel School. From there he went on to become the executive chef at the Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap before opening his own restaurant in 2011. We took a tuk-tuk to Cuisine Wat Damnak. I feel it’s not easy to get to the restaurant, but people kept telling me that I had to go, that the food is amazing. I am glad we made it on the last night of our trip.

Cuisine Wat Damnak serves two set menus each night, priced at US$19 for five courses and US$26 for six. Their dégustation menus change on a weekly basis to maximise the use of seasonal fruits, vegetables and fish, some of which are only available for a three week period every year. Some items are difficult if not impossible to source through the local market channels, but they go the extra mile and hunt them out so that it can be incorporated into our menus.

The food we enjoyed here allowed me to consider Cambodian food in a way I never had before. You won’t find the traditional Khmer food like amok. Rather, we were treated to unique dishes that we have never heard before. Maam, which is fermented fish paste cooked in banana leaf, is quite interesting in flavor. It was salty and a bit sour, and I liked its meatiness with minced pork and egg, herbs, flower and local crudités. Another dish that is worth the rave is Stir Fried Boneless Frog Legs with Angkor stout reduction, lotus roots, stem and seeds. The bold stout reduction adds flavours to the plate of vegetables.

The Tonlé Sap croaker fish in light curry broth with toasted rice and moringa was another highlight. The flesh is sweet and firm, and contrasts nicely with the fresh coconut tree heart. We ended the night with steamed dark chocolate cake, pandan whipped cream and rice praline. The decadent chocolate cake is so moist and spongey. I like the fragrant and airy pandan whipped cream that complemented it.

Cuisine Wat Damnak has entirely transformed native dishes seen on the streets into haute cuisine. I like how Chef Rivière has creatively used the ingredients in his cooking. It’s not easy to get a table here so make sure you make your reservation early.

Cuisine Wat Damnak
Address: Between Psa Dey Hoy market and Angkor High School, Wat Damnak village, Sala Kamreuk Commune, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +855 (0) 6396 5491
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 6.30pm till 9.30pm
Website: http://www.cuisinewatdamnak.com

In a rural Cambodian village a disfigured young man is rejected and ridiculed. He wonders why he is cursed in this way and seeks answers and help from the gods. They answer his prayers by transforming him into a beautiful woman who attracts the attention and desire of the village men. But they quickly discover there’s something evil behind the beauty.

Based on traditional Cambodian folktales, Sokrias (Eclipse) is a story of rejection, revenge, spirit possession and eventual forgiveness by the Phare Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap. After a day of tour in the sticky heat, all I wanted to do is to lie flat on my bed with a glass of wine. But when I knew that we were going to Phare, The Cambodian Circus, I was very excited!

All performers in Phare The Cambodian Circus learn their skills through Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS), an Association providing arts education in Battambang, Cambodia. Young people from the streets, orphanages and struggling families in the community come to PPS to learn, express and heal themselves through the arts.

PPS formed 20 years ago by 9 children and their art teacher when they returned home from a refugee camp after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. As survivors of the war, empowered by the creative self-expression learned through their art-making, the group wanted to share this gift of the arts with the underprivileged children of Battambang.

They founded an art school and a public school quickly followed to offer free education. A music school and theatre school were next, and finally, the circus school. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the alternative schools.

Phare, The Cambodian Circus, is more than just a circus. No, there is no elephant nor monkey in the circus. Instead, through theater, music, dance and modern circus arts, Phare aims to tell uniquely Cambodian stories. I really love the energy and talent of the young circus artists. They are accomplished in acrobatics, contortion, aerial ballet, balancing, tightrope walking, fire dancing, vaulting, juggling, music, dance, drama, mime and comedy.

Srey Leak is one of two female performers in Eclipse. She does contortion, handstand and hand to hand to in the show. Srey Leak grew up in Battambang and has been with Phare for 12 years. She came from a poor family and sold cakes with her mother and sister before joining the circus.

A teacher from Phare Ponleu Selpak came to talk to her one day and asked her to go study at the school. At first, her mom wasn’t happy because she needed her to help sell cakes to make money. So Srey will work at home in the morning, and go to school in the afternoon.

In between acts, they do a spirited, high-energy dance to the upbeat rhythms of the traditional xylophone, guitar and drums. It’s an hour of uplifting fun that is so contagious. Phare The Cambodian Circus offers these students and graduates somewhere to hone their skills and a place to earn a decent wage. Money that will take them out of poverty and give them self-respect and freedom.

From March to October, Phare Cambodian Circus has daily performances at 8pm. From November to February, their daily performances start at 8.15pm, with performances on Monday, Thursday & Saturday at 6pm. At Phare Cafe, they also offer delicious 3 course set dinner menus for dining before or after the show. Blue Pumpkin store is available too. Here are the prices.

Preferred Seating (Seat A) :
Adult (age 12+) : $35 / Children $18 (5 to 11)
Reserved seating, front 3 rows of the middle section, a bottle of cool water & a special gift from the Phare Boutique

Open Seating (Seat B):
Adult (age 12+) $18 / Children (age 5 to 11) $10
Open Seating. Please come early for the best seats.
Under 5 years : free

Phare, The Cambodian Circus
Address: Comaille Road, Siem Reap (behind Angkor National Museum – in front of Angkor Century Hotel)
Tel: +855 (0) 15 499 480 / +855 (0) 92 225 320
Website: http://www.pharecambodiancircus.org/circus
Email: ticketing@pharecambodiancircus.org

Since 1969, Muthu’s Curry is the pioneer of the distinctively Singaporean fish head curry. To commemorate 46 delicious years, it has launched a limited-edition heritage Mannuvasanai menu ($32++ for two) from 15 June to 31 October 2015 to pay tribute to the hometown of the restaurant’s founder – Chettinad, Tamil Nadu.

Chettinad is located in the Sivaganga district of southern Tamil Nadu. The important spices in Chettinad-style cooking includes black pepper, coriander and shallots; and as with all Indian cooking, the key is in the preparation of the masala – or spice mix – and patience while cooking to ensure it combines with the ingredients, rendering layers and complex flavours.

The Mannuvasanai menu consists of five signature Chettinad dishes, made from traditional recipes passed from generations. A unique dish is Vazhathandu Kootu – a palate awakening dish featuring carefully sliced banana shoots with yellow split lentils (moong dal), coconut milk, cumin seeds and green chillies.

Vendaikkai and Mochai Mandi is a healthy combination of white kidney beans and lady’s fingers that have been cooked in unpolished rice water, tamarind juice, chilli powder, coriander and whole garlic. Something addictive is Vazhakkai Varruval, which is unripened bananas marinated in tumeric, chilli powder, cumin, fennel and coriander, lightly battered and shallow-fried in a fragrant thadka base of curry leaves, cumin and fennel.

Here comes the spicy flavours! Milagu Vautha Kozhi is rounded off with the heat from masala made with ginger, garlic and chillies. The 1-hour simmering process renders extremely tender meat that is well-infused with bold flavours. Uses only the freshest mackerel fillets, Vanjaram Meen Kulambu is marinated with a malasa marinade of tumeric, garlic, ginger, shallots, tomatoes and green chillies. The tumeric provides a tingy of aciditiy that is balanced with coconut milk.

To calm out palate and balance the spice, homemade buttermilk is served. It is a calming concoction of churned yogurt and water with the addition of thadka made with coriander, cumin and mustard seeds. The Indians believe in the ‘cooling’ and digestive qualities of this drink.

These dishes are served with white rice and homemade mango achar. A small salt is usually added to the plate to symbolise the bond between host and guest. To end off, has a bowl of Payasam, which is a sweet South Indian rice pudding mixed with young coconut for a refreshing touch. Mannuvasanai is available from 15 June to 31 October 2015 at the Race Course Road flagship restaurant. It is priced at $32++ for two, and is available from Monday to Friday only.

When you are at Muthu’s Curry, don’t forget to try their signature Fish Head Curry ($22 / $27 / $32). Served with juicy okra and pineapple chunks in a rich gravy blend with aromatic spices, it has a touch of tamarind that’s filled with the spicy tastes that are unique to Muthu’s. Other favourites include Chicken Malasa ($5/pc), Butter Chicken ($12), Stir Fry Mysore Mutton ($11), Lamb Chops ($14) and more.

In addition, Muthu’s Curry @ Race Course has underwent a renovation and you will be charmed by brand new rustic surroundings inspired by homes and palaces of Chettinad, a marked change from its previous modern decor.

Muthu’s Curry
Address: 138 Race Course Road, #01-01
Tel: 6392 1722
Opening hours: 10.30am to 10.30pm
Website: www.muthuscurry.com

When I was young, my mother would bring me to have a plate of chicken chop for tea break every Saturday. Yes, it’s tea break. Not for lunch nor dinner. Having western food in a coffee shop was a luxury then because they are usually twice the price of other hawker dishes. Now, western food stalls are everyone and many stalls I have tried are offering better dishes and wider variety.

One of the stalls I have tried lately is West Grill Station at Teck Ghee. They have another stall in Ang Mo Kio (Blk 722) as well as other parts of Singapore like Bishan, Pasir Ris, Serangoon etc. We first went for the safe choice – Signature Grilled Chicken ($7.90) and Hot & Spicy Grilled Chicken ($6.90). A thick and huge slab of Signature Grilled Chicken arrived on my table. The tender chicken is baked with cheese till golden brown. I actually prefer Hot & Spicy Grilled Chicken which only gives a slight kick but you get the fragrance and flavour from the chicken. Chicken grill is done right, but the sides are abit sad.

Our makan buddies joined us later for supper (they are open till after midnight) and they were raving about their baked rice which they always come back for. True enough, I had a spoonful of Cheese Baked Rice in cheese cream sauce ($6.50) and Cheese Baked Penne in tomato sauce ($6.50) and fell in love with it. Firstly, the portions are huge. Secondly, they actually took an effort to first fry their rice before making it in cheese, hence it is very tasty.

The portion is not small (for me, it’s huge) and for that price, you quite good quality dishes. They also have a Rosemary Lamb with Mint Sauce ($10.90) which is super cheap and air-flown Prime Sirloin Steak ($10.90). Will be back to try more dishes!

West Grill Station Teck Ghee
Address: 339 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 #01-1601, Singapore 560339
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westgrillstation

I am not the fastest when it comes to identifying the newest cafes in town. I can if I take extra effort to work on it, but I don’t really want to waste my calories on the same egg benedict and french toast every single visit. Rather, I picked the cafes I wish to visit after reading reviews and only select the ones with interesting menus. Sin Lee Foods is one of the cafes in my list. In a old neighbourhood on Bukit Ho Swee, the cafe is converted from a old coffeeshop. They have kept the name and original signboard, but modernised the menu that many people love.

The indoor seats were taken, but I totally don’t mind the alfresco area for better food photos. The heat was actually quite uncomfortable but it’s all worth it. Firstly, my cup of Cappuccino ($5.50) has a Instagram-worthy latte art of two swans. Then, we started with the Salted Egg Sweet Potato Fries ($12) made with salted duck’s egg sauce. Anything salted egg works for me. Hipster anot! LOL

Aburi Broccoli Salad ($12) features smoky torched broccoli florets drizzled with white balsamic, papadum, red sugar. I totally wanted to skip this while browsing the menu. What? Papadum? How can an Indian cracker pair with broccoli? But, the cafe did an excellent job with their menu (not saying about the quality of the menu) because it says “Trust us on this, you’ll want more!”. Indeed, I WANT MORE! I thought the papadum was melon seeds. The smoky broccoli totally ups the game, and who would expect that red sugar balances it well.

My favourite creation is the Beef & Grain ($25). Seared marbled striploin is served with wet orzo “rice”, runny free range hen’s eggs, ginger, furikake and scallions. Orzo “rice” is actually a type of pasta shaped like large rice grains. The striploin is tender and the orzo rice has bold flavours.

The Fried Chicken & Waffles ($21.90), touted as “the one and only” by Sin Lee, is topped with a seasoned, juicy leg piece, accompanied by a creamy homemade slaw. The caramelized syrup tries to unite the flavours together. Honestly, the waffle is not bad. The chicken is good. But this doesn’t work for me. Being a traditionalist. I still prefer my waffles sweet with ice cream.

For desserts, we ordered the Banana Beignets ($9.50) which are fried to order and served with condensed milk and freshly grated parmesan. But I thought the batter was too strong and thick. Surprisingly, Croissant and Bread Pudding ($14) works better. The buttery croissant and salted caramel sauce is a perfect match.

I like how Sin Lee Foods try to be different from other cafes. I like how they take the leap of faith and try be creative in combining different ingredients together which creates unique but palatable dishes. Despite its tucked-away address, the space is regularly humming with patrons.

Sin Lee Foods
Address: Blk 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee #01-164
Tel: 6377 3170
Opening hours: Tuesday — Friday 11am to 9pm; Saturday 9.30am to 9pm; Sunday 9.30am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays.

I had an enjoyable afternoon tea at Clifford Pier last weekend with Elisah, an interior design blogger from Amsterdam. Offering distinctively local afternoon tea menu, the set offers a mix of sandwiches, savoury items, assorted pastries, cakes and scones that may be topped up.

Each afternoon tea set comes with traditional local coffee (Kopi), tea (Teh Tarik), or rose syrup milk drink, Bandung, constituting a perfect accompaniment to an idyllic afternoon in the plush settings of the restaurant. We started our afternoon tea with bite-sized delights which include the Kurobuta Pork Kong Ba Bao with Man Tou, a traditional snack of braised pork belly with garlicky soy sauce, sandwiched in a steamed bun. In The Clifford Pier’s rendition, the Kong Ba Bao is given a premium touch with the use of Kurobuta Pork. There is also a dish of Chilli Crab Bao to represent our local iconic dish, but I thought they can be more generous with the chilli crab fillings.

There are also innovative items such as the Bak Kwa Jam Sandwich, featuring charcoal-grilled, pureed and diced pork served on local bread (roti) and Hae Bee Hiam Sandwich, where house-made fried dried prawns seasoned with local spices are served on local bread (roti).

Hand-crafting popiah egg skins from scratch, the Mini Popiah is wrapped in Handmade Nonya Egg Skin. I like the Nonya Chicken Curry & Roti Jala Wrap, featuring an authentic Nonya curry based on Shermay’s grandmother’s chicken curry recipe. The fragrant curry and fork-tender chicken is wrapped in a delicate lacy pancake made fresh by hand with a traditional Roti Jala dispenser.

No afternoon tea will be complete without an assortment of sweet indulgences, including the rustic Pineapple-Vanilla Thumbprint Cookie, a classic butter cookie filled with homemade pineapple-vanilla jam, and a five-point Roselle Jam Linzer Cookie that salutes Singapore’s national flag with its star shape and enticing red hue.

I like the Bandung Macaron, a dainty and pretty confection in pink that conjures up childhood memories with sweet flavours of the rose syrup often used in local beverages and desserts; as well as a Sugee Financier, a mini version of the beloved Nonya and Eurasian butter cake made of sugee (semolina) and accented with a hint of local rose extract.

Paying tribute to the pier’s colonial past, the afternoon tea menu also offers traditional English scones, but not without a twist. The Buttermilk Scones baked fresh daily are served with a refreshing Roselle (Hibiscus) Jam. The scones go perfectly with clotted cream and Homemade Pineapple-Vanilla Jam flavoured with ample vanilla seeds.

The items in the Afternoon Tea are uniquely local which reminds me of the afternoon snacks I used to have in the past. They are classics with simple flavours. The Singapore Heritage Afternoon Tea menu will be available from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm daily. It is priced at S$38 per adult and S$19 per child.

The Clifford Pier
Address: 80 Collyer Quay, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore 049326
Tel: 6597 5266

Gordon Ramsay is one of the the biggest name in the food industry. With many michelin-starred restaurants under his belt, as well as a number of well known TV programs such as Hell’s Kitchen and Masterchef USA, he seems to be everywhere. Finally, this celebrity chef has opened up an outlet of his well known London restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen in Singapore. The local version is modelled on the London original, offering classic British European fare in a lively and bustling space facing the spectacular waterfront.

Inspired by local ingredients, Bread Street Kitchen features an extensive menu that showcases a mix of vintage and modern British favourites. The roasted veal carpaccio with dill pickles, quail’s egg and tuna dressing ($26) was pleasant. The quail’s egg was marvellously runny-yolked, and the pink-middled roasted veal carpaccio tasted delectable with the tuna dressing.

There is nothing very exciting about the menu, just safe reliable dishes. The slow roasted Dingley Dell pork belly ($28) has a beautiful gold cracking which yield a satisfying crunch. Not sure about having the whole slice of meat for myself, it will be good to cut into small pieces for sharing, just like what they did for the Hong Kong outlet. Nevertheless, the tender and succulent meat had just the right amount of fats and lean, complemented with spiced apple puree which cuts through the savouriness and offers a welcome contrast.

The restaurant’s traditional fish & chips ($26) was decent, paired with crushed peas and tartar sauce. The batter was light yet substantial, without being the slightest bit greasy, whilst the fish was perfectly flaky and moist. On the side, we had a serving of macaroni cheese with garlic roasted crumbs ($16). The macaroni was soft and fulfilling, indulgently bathed in cheese and accentuated by punchy garlic roasted crumbs.

I also really enjoyed the roasted black cod with crushed potatoes, salted capers, artichoke, red wine and lemon sauce ($44), even though the price was slightly steep. The black cod was beautiful, delicate and light, whilst the sauce was moreish. Our table happily licked it clean between us!

From the grill section, savour dishes such as Dingley Dell Pork Chop ($44), Roasted Baby Chicken with chimichurri ($34) and Irish Angus Rib-Eye 28 days aged ($68), as well as the hearty Lamb Chops ($44). Tender meat with a nice gravy, all very well presented. You can also make your own surf and turf with any grill, half lobster or king crab at $25.

Sweet delights includes classic British desserts such as Chocolate fondant with salted caramel and mint chocolate chip ice cream ($20), Coffee and white chocolate parfait with poached blackberries ($18), Banana sticky toffee pudding ($18), Pineapple carpaccio with passion fruit ($15) and many more.

The “interactive” bar area features a communal table and allows for mixologists to offer a lively drinking experience, perfect for an after-work catch up, serving both classic and innovative cocktails with fresh ingredients and a selection of world wines.

It was interesting to see how quickly the restaurant filled up, even on a Tuesday evening, so there was no doubt that the pulling power of the Gordon Ramsay name was just as strong as ever. Why not, it has a decent menu, and a beautiful view of the waterfront and city skyline. Book your table fast, I heard seats are filling up very quickly.

Bread Street Kitchen
Address: Marina Bay Sands Bay Level L1-81, 2 Bayfront Avenue, The Shoppes, Singapore S018972
Tel: +65 6688 5665
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30am – 5:30pm daily; Dinner 5:30pm – 10pm (Sun-Wed), 5:30pm – 12am (Thu-Sun)

Everyone knows homegrown tastes better. I am always a supporter of local produce. Even though we are a small city state and imports more than 90% of your food, do you know that we actually have about 200 food farms in Singapore, of which 3 are hen layer farms, about 50 are leafy vegetable farms and about 130 are fish farms.

Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) is launching the Singapore Restaurant Month that will take place from 1 July to 10 August 2015. With support from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Union Pay, this inaugural festival will offer the public a unique opportunity to savour local produce – namely eggs, fish and vegetables – that will be featured in 50 newly-created dishes from 50 restaurant brands.

Among these 50 restaurant brands will be 12 heritage restaurants that have graced the local culinary scene for decades. They have endeared themselves to the palates of Singapore diners for many years, standing strong amid transient food trends. Notable names in this honour roll include Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, Red Star Restaurant, Islamic Restaurant and Fatty Weng Restaurant. Staying true to their rich culinary history and techniques, these pioneers are an indelible part of Singapore’s food landscape.

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Cafe Iguana
Address: 30 Merchant Road, #01-03 Riverside Point, Singapore 058282
Tel: 6236 1275
Website: www.cafeiguana.com

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At Cafe Iguana, they are a colourful Pibil Pescado in Red Chile sauce ($30++, inclusive of an SG50 margarita or Iguana lager). At first look, it looks like sambal stingray that we usually eat in zichar stall. However, this is actually seabass grown locally. An aromatic sea bass dish that will everyone licking their lips in anticipation. 

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Portico
Address: 991B Alexandra Road, #01-10, Singapore 119970
Tel: 6276 7337
Website: http://portico.sg

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The Portico menu has been imagineered to provide hearty food using fresh seasonal ingredients – where possible these ingredients are sourced locally or are taken from their own edible garden. They work very closely with Tiberias Harvest, which offers fish delivered within hours from its sea farm, located off the north-eastern coast of Pulau Ubin. Portico’s 3 Grain Laksa Risotto with homemade Pulau Ubin Seabass Fish Cake ($50, part of a five-course SG50 menu) was my favourite for that night. Using three different grains namely barley, quinoa and orzo pasta, the grains absorbed the laksa flavours well. It’s soft and paired with fresh prawns and a unique fish cake made of seabass. Even though the fish cake was a little too salty for many, I like the strong and bold flavours.

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Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
Address: 201 Keppel Road, Singapore 099419
Tel: 6272 8822
Website: http://pfs.com.sg/restaurants/prima_tower/

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Established in 1977, Prima Tower revolving restaurant let diners enjoy the panoramic view of the sea. You would hardly expect to find a restaurant nestled on top of a grain silo, yet the Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant is one such outlet that has become an endearing Singapore landmark. One of the unique Beijing dishes that will be served during Singapore Restaurant Month is the Sauteed Bird’s Nest with Egg White ($70). Inspired from the traditional Sai Pang Xie, the name of this dish means ‘better than crabs’ as it tastes like crab yet it does not contain any crab meat. Hong Kong Master Chef Chan has replaced scallop and fish with BIRD’S NEST. It has an intense egg smell with contrasting texture from the bird’s nest, vinegar was not included in this case so as not to overpower the bird’s nest . 

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Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant
Address: 1 Fullerton Road, #01-09 One Fullerton, Singapore 049213
Tel: 6336 8118
Website: http://www.palmbeachseafood.com/

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Located at one Fullerton, home to our Merlion, Palm Beach Seafood has always been creating unique Singapore dining experience. We ended off with a last dish from Palm Beach – Fried Baby Barramundi ($18/500g). Yes, it is very cheap and Palm Beach will only be the one selling this baby barramundi during Singapore Restaurant Month. It’s good enough for 2 pax and paired with cuttlefish tossed with honey & kaffir sauce. So what are you waiting for?

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Other heritage restaurant includes Zi Yean Restaurant, Islamic Restaurant, Red Star Restaurant, Fatty Weng Restaurant, Chin Lee Restaurant, Spring Court Restaurant and many more. Other restaurant brands spans traditional, modern, Asian and western concepts around the country; giving diners exciting options of original creations that best highlight the selected produce.

Local production plays a supporting role in ensuring food supply resilience, plus it is fresher, safer and tastier when you buy local produce. Support homegrown produce, support our heritage restaurants. Singapore Restaurant Month will take place from 1 July to 10 August 2015. For more information, please visit http://singaporerestaurantmonth.com

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Dessert is like a feel-good song and the best one makes you dance. What’s your favourite dessert? For me, coffee and ice cream are my stress relievers. However, hot and cold food can trigger a twinge or occasional tooth pain for people with sensitive teeth.

Don’t let your teeth determine what you eat. Sensodyne has launched the “Great Little Moments” campaign, which hopes that you enjoy your favourite moments by relieving teeth sensitivity from food and drinks that trigger the pain. In Singapore, we have organized “The Singapore Tea Party” where we’re looking for Singapore’s favourite ice cream, dessert, tea and coffee vendors.

Last weekend, all the top nominated vendors were invited to showcase their products for the public to sample. The Singapore Tea Party has showcased some great desserts like Udders, Lady M, Tong Heng, Alfero, Pacamara, Jin Jin Dessert and No Name Cheng Teng.

Pacamara was serving pour-over coffee at Singapore Tea Party, which is a beautifully simple and accessible way to brew a single cup of coffee with clean, fully developed flavor and body.

Despite the increase in cafes offering fancy cakes, the old school egg tarts from Tong Heng never disappoint. The soft and smooth egg custard is encased in a light and flaky pastry.

Derrick and I love Alfero’s ice cream very much after trying its chendol ice cream at Gelato World Tour a few months ago. This time round, I tried the pistachio and salted caramel. I like the latter one which is just as smooth, creamy and delicious as you’d imagine, with the perfect balance between sweet and salty.

It’s my first time trying yummy sundaes from Udders. Their original portion is too huge for me, if only these mini versions are available as well. With homemade caramel, strawberry, crunchy choc and Valrhona Grand Cru sauces, plus crushed Oreos, caramel and digestive biscuits, it’s IRRESISTIBLE!

Jin Jin’s Power Chendol uses premium raw gula melaka from Indonesia and cook it painstaking everyday by the owners themselves. The special gula melaka sauce has a sticky texture like caramel and a hint of saltiness. So power, now can I have more gula melaka please?

Lady M Confections arrived with their signature Mille Crêpes featuring no less than twenty paper-thin handmade crêpes layered with ethereal light pastry cream. We also had Gâteau aux Marrons with two layers of almond flour cake hug a soft whipped cream center. Crosshatch pipings of chestnut-infused cream, lush and true to flavor, graces the entire surface of the gateau. Both are delicate and irresistible!

Doing a video interview with my partner Derrick to share about my favourite desserts.

Congratulations Udders for winning the popular choice award!

Big thank you to Sensodyne for having me! With Sensodyne, I am carefree when indulging in my favourite desserts now.

Whether it’s ice kacang at your favourite hawker centre or having fish curry with your family, share how Sensodyne has helped you enjoy Great Little Moments like you used to and stand to win a staycation at Resorts World Sentosa’s Ocean Suites. Visit: www.sensodyne.com.sg/great-little-moments.aspx

Writing this blog has taken me all over Singapore, but not to a hospital – until recently. You must be wondering, “why does Miss Tam Chiak travel all the way to a hospital to have dinner?” Well, a reader Kimberly dropped me a mail to recommend me trying Samsara Gourmet, a Chinese restaurant in a hospital. I was surprised to know that there is even a restaurant in the hospital, so we decided to check it out.

Owned by Miss Violet Lee, she won the title of Miss Singapore in the 1980s, but chose to work in the most rural part of China and eventually became the Group Managing director of Guocoland (China) Limited, a Singaporean real estate company. She came back to Singapore a few years back and decided to open a restaurant.

Samsara is helmed by an ex-chef from Tung Lok with more than 20 years of experience under his belt. Truth be told, I do not expect much, but the meal turns out to be not bad. Serving homely Cantonese cuisine, the decor and layout doesn’t look very impressive but the cooking is not bad. We started with a vegetarian platter and the vegetarian satay is as delicious as regular satay.

Only the dish above is vegetarian, while the rest of the dishes we had were classic Cantonese dishes. Chef’s Fish Maw Soup ($8/pax) had lots of oomph. It comes brimming with curls of spongy fish maw and sweet crabmeat. It is good without black vinegar, but a dash of it punches the soup up very nicely.

Another house special, Fragrant Pumpkin Prawn Balls ($20 small, $30 medium, $40 large), turns out to be a variation of salted egg yolk prawn. The prawns are sauced with pumpkin sauce and the almonds add a lovely texture to the prawns. For wasabi lovers, go for their Sauteed Prawn Ball in Almond Wasabi ($20 small, $30 medium, $40 large).

Claypot Rice is a great dish with well marinated chicken meat and Wing Wah lup cheong, specially bought from Hong Kong. What enchants me is also the fragrant soya sauce, an aroma which makes me hungry at once. For something healthier, Jade Gourd stuffed with Assorted Vegetables and Beancurd ($14 small, $21 medium, $28 large) is a good choice.

The Samsara Signature Chicken ($18/half, $36/whole) looks like plain poached chicken, but the kampong chicken boasts good flavour. It was steamed without much seasoning after which, dipped in ginger sauce before consumption. The minced ginger dip is a fragrant and tasty compliment to the chicken, while the chilli sauce added just the right kick. This is clearly my favourite dish for the night.

People usually say beautiful women have blank minds, but Violet is an exception. Being a devout follower of Buddha, she found a space to open a restaurant in Mount Elizabeth with Buddha’s calling. Even though she started with no F&B experience, I believed it’s her personality of embracing challenges that drove her to success.

Samsara Gourmet
Address: 38 Irrawaddy Road, 01-05, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore 329563
Tel: 6734 3138
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 9am – 9pm; Sat 9am – 6pm. Closed on Sun

In Penang, there is a Char Kway Teow uncle who wears goggles when stir frying his char kway teow. In Singapore, we have a Hokkien Mee uncle who wears goggles when stir frying his hokkien mee. At ABC Market, 66-year-old Mr Toh fries up plate after plate of Hokkien Mee triumphantly to hordes of customers daily.

Friendly Mr Toh is the second generation hawker. His father started selling hokkien mee in a push cart in Tiong Bahru during the olden days. When his son took over in 80s, they moved into ABC Market.

In case I get slammed for getting special treatment because I write a blog, here’s a disclaimer. I ordered 3 plates of hokkien mee ($5 each), each plate of hokkien mee only has two prawns. For photo purpose, we took extra two prawns and a few slices of sotong from another plate of hokkien mee and place it on this plate. Hence, you see a big portion of the hokkien mee. Sorry about the confusion.

Anyway, I think this hokkien mee stall is worth recommending. Some of you may say it’s too wet, it’s not consistent… Come on, for a 66 years old uncle to stand for 8 hours to fry, I think can give and take right? And once he retire, nobody is going to take over and this place will be gone.

It’s a joy to watch the uncle fry the noodles. He did it so deftly, cooking the garlic, splashing generous amount of crustacean stock, and covering the noodles with a wooden lid to let the flavours absorb into the noodles, each plate of Hokkien Mee is moist with huge fat prawns. The noodles were flavourful, and had a moderate smoky flavour.

If you are someone who needs to pair your hokkien mee with sambal chilli, I am sure you will like Yi Sheng’s chilli. Adapted from his dad’s recipe, their sambal chilli has ikan bilis in it, super shiok. If you don’t feel the kick when you eat his noodles, perhaps mix a spoonful of sambal chilli with the noodles. Super shiok!

Yisheng’s plate of hokkien mee comes with good sized prawns (quantity depends on how much you order), a scattering of squid rings and sambal chili on a mound of simmered and fried yellow noodles and bee hoon. And there is also lime to add to the flavours. Mr Toh said that Yi Sheng will not continue into the next generation as his children have their own careers and nobody are willing to take over the business. Such a pity. Oh, it is better you give Mr Toh a call to order your Hokkien Mee.

Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Address: ABC Brickworks Food Centre #01-13, Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
Tel: 9862 9296
Opening hours: 3pm to 10:45pm, closed on Wednesdays

Footsteps from the tranquil riverfront, Shinta Mani Club at Siem Reap is a sleek and stylish hotel that places an emphasis on responsible tourism. Located not far from the famed Angkor Wat temples, this boutique hotel is for culture vultures who want to stay right in the middle of a peaceful oasis but not far from the vibrant tourist sites.

I took a little longer than usual to draft out this article on Shinta Mani Club because there were just so much to say and so many photos to share. It forms the bulk of my experience in Cambodia and I truly enjoyed my stay there. From the moment we stepped into the club, the the staff were friendly and obliging, making our stay a magical one.

On arrival we were greeted with a glass of bubbly as welcome drink and a scent infused towelette to freshen ourselves. The hotel provided us a mobile phone encouraging us to call and seek guidance if required and a detailed book of Angkor Wat that will certainly makes our sightseeing the next day more informative.

Apart from Complimentary Wifi available throughout the hotel, the hotel invested heavily to provide guests premium Illy coffee and Harney & Sons Tea in every rooms. There is even a very chio coffee machine for me to practise my barista skills. Haha! I’m kidding, you don’t need any skills to make coffee, just press a button and that’s it!

The minibar in the room is also FREE and replenished daily. Angkor beer anyone? (while I continue to watch the handsome man on TV)

The most important factor when staying in a hotel is comfort. Shinta Mani’s bed is indeed very comfy. There is also ceiling art found directly above the king-sized bed and terrazo bathroom with rainshower.

The architecture is a highlight and so is the menu at Kroya. Shinta Mani Club’s restaurant, Kroya, serves up an innovative menu of mouth-watering Khmer delights prepared using fresh ingredients and local herbs and spices. The Cambodian soft rice noodles with fish broth and mixed vegetables is excellent, I also like the tender braised beef noodles with bean sprout and bok choy.

Besides oriental taste, they also have western breakfast such as eggs benedict on brioche, pancakes with honey etc. We love the outdoor dining area so much that we kept bringing our food out to take photos! Shinta Mani Club also conducts cooking by homegrown chefs, where you can learn how to cook traditional Khmer dishes, minus the hard work and sweaty brows.

The hotel also has a superb restaurant located in the Old Market Area called AHA restaurant. AHA serves tapas style starters as well as main dishes – both complemented by an international wine list. I will share more about it in my upcoming blogposts.

After a heavy breakfast and a busy morning of sightseeing, I went back to the club to indulge in a massage at the serene spa. Their popular Shinta Mani Spa Signature Massage combines a selection of four aromatic oils and special massage techniques, leaving me rejuvenated after the session.

The quiet and leafy setting is something that will charm your socks off. The interiors are designed by acclaimed architect Bill Bensley, who is described as the king of luxury resorts, combines western style with Khmer influences for the club. By the evening, I like to sit at the tranquil courtyard, either doing a cooling dip in the pool or enjoying cocktails, smoothies, juices, coffees, teas or snacks at the adjacent grey hued pool bar.

We had 7 set Khmer Tasting Menu which follows the seasons and the local harvest. The appetizer was interesting as we were presented with tamarinds chicken dip with crispy frangipani. Yes, frangipani deep fried till golden brown. I didn’t know we can eat frangipani! Then we were presented with a beautiful set which consists of Khmer organic white rice and brown rice, banana bud and chicken sour soup with holly basil, grilled prahok in banana leaves and traditional crudites and wok-fried prawn and fresh kampot pepper corn and mixed herb. Khmer tasting menu costs USD 31 per person. The band will play relaxing tunes from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Shinta Mani strongly supports responsible tourism and community outreach through the Shinta Mani Foundation. USD5 of your nightly room rate will be donated to the Shinta Mani Foundation to provide free hospitality training to less fortunate members of the Siem Reap community, and create a positive impact for the people of Cambodia.

Every Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday from 4-9 PM, Shinta Mani is having Well Made In Cambodia a new weekend market & street fair, an extension of their community outreach. You have the opportunity to purchase fine quality artisan products & luxury goods that redefine what it means to be made in Cambodia today. Each item for sale has been produced by a new generation of talented Cambodians. The greatest benefit of Well Made In Cambodia will be to these Cambodians, including many in need, through both direct income and skills development. Live entertainment, artist workshops and wholesome food will round out the market’s festive & diverse offerings. It’s free and open to public!

Thank you Shinta Mani for making my stay such an enjoyable one!

Shinta Mani Club
Address: Oum Khun St/Shinta Mani St, Siem Reap 00000, Cambodia
Phone: +855 63 761 998
Website: http://shintamani.com
Prices start from USD150

The dining scene at Siem Reap has evolved rapidly. Chanrey Tree is one of the promising restaurant along Pub Street, and it has been a popular choice since 2013.

Located in heart of Siem Reap along the riverside, Chanrey Tree serves traditional Khmer food in a lush contemporary setting. Chanrey Tree’s fresh spring rolls is one of the best I have eaten. Wrapped with minced pork, chicken, river shrimp, pineapple, cucumber, rice noodle, lettuce, chive and khmer herbs in soft rice paper, the flavours are clean and fresh and served with peanut dressing.

Crispy rice crackers is an old-fashioned starter which is always everyone’s all-time favorite. Combined with a flavorful and creamy “Natang” Sauce filled with minced pork, chrimp, coconut milk and peanut, it is a perfect complement of tastes. For a classic salad dish, go for the chicken salad with banana blossom, peanuts, herbs and Khmer dressing.

My favourite is “Char Khroeung”. With a choice of frog leg, chicken or beef, the meat is stir-fried with delicious blend of Khmer spices including lemongrass, turmeric, lime leaf, galangal, garlic, peanuts, Chinese celery and spring onion. We picked the frog leg version, such simple flavours perfectly executed.

Using local free-range beef tenderloin, we really enjoyed tucking into the Khmer version of Beef Lok Lak that is stir fried in =garlic, pepper lime sauce and wilted green leaf. Each thin slice is in fragrant peppery juices and best paired with white rice.

‘Amok’ is one of the national dishes of Cambodia. This wonderful combination of fresh fish with rich spicy coconut custard. Usually steamed in a banana leaf, it is served in a bowl here. The steamed bar fish has a firm but moist texture, and served with green “gno” leaf.

Using Free-range Khmer chicken roasted till perfection with honey and rice brandy, Roasted Khmer Chicken has a unique pairing with young jack fruit and lemongrass, served with prahok dipping sauce and fresh crudites.

Ending the night with deep fried sticky rice and taro balls, topped with ice cream. It smells amazing but unfortunately, I was quite full to finish it all. The balls are dense but not too sweet. We also had Khmer white sticky rice with Jack fruit, ripe mango and longan.

Chanrey Tree
Address: Pokombo Ave, along Siem Reap river side (50m before Preah PhrumRath Pagoda)
Tel: (855) 63 76 79 97
Opening hours: 11am-2.30pm; 6pm-10.30pm daily
Website: www.chanreytree.com

One of the main reasons to visit Cambodia is to experience at first hand the world-famous temples of Angkor. We had the chance to go for a temple tour organised by ABOUTAsia.

After collecting my entry passes at the Archaeological Park Entrance, we walk through Ta Nei temple from the West entrance to the East entrance. Located deep in the jungles of Angkor, Ta Nei temple is ideal for the adventurous traveler. It is not a popular tourist destination but you will be greeted by the tranquility and interrupted voices of travelers.

Ta Nei was built late in the 12th century. King Jayavarman VII is responsible for the design and construction of the temple. He dedicated the stone monument to the principles of Buddhism. Some of the carvings are still in pretty good condition.

Archeologists have left Ta Nei as it originally was, for the most part. Tree roots split open the temple stone, and jungle flora sprawls out across the temple grounds. Ta Nei has been the object of minimal reconstruction and clearing efforts.

After the visit to Ta Nei, ABOUTAsia has specially prepared a light breakfast around this peaceful area before exploring further. Eating croissants on the premium tuk tuk, how cool is that! We can also sip English Breakfast tea lor! We then carry on to Ta Keo temple. Known as the “mountain with bronze peaks”, it is a pyramid of five levels reaching a total height of 22m.

Finally, we reached the magnificent Angkor Wat. The temple is busy at any time of day, but late morning is the quietest time for us to explore and admire this architectural wonder and the world class bas reliefs. We went by the quieter and less frequented Eastern causeway. Do you know that it was originally a hindu temple, built by Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.

The construction of Angkor Wat was not an easy task as it involved lots and lots of quarrying, detailed artistic work and digging. The task involved thousands of people working at one time. Although most tourists know of the Angkor Wat temple complex, the city comprises of Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple which are equally intriguing.

Out of the temples we visited, I love Bayon Temple the most – a spectacular central temple of the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Bayon is known for its huge stone faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, with one facing outward and keeping watch at each compass point.

It is also called the temple of the smiling gods, with 54 towers containing over 200 large faces of the Bodhisattva. We had some quiet time there yesterday evening, admiring the faces of buddha smiling at every corner. Their smile created is mysterious yet peaceful. Bayon is a sight to behold. It forms a nice picture backdrop that one treasures forever.

Cambodia goes far beyond temple visiting. Their food culture is also not to be missed. Khmer food takes influences from a variety of countries. It was a French colony previously and had many influx of Chinese immigrants. The country is also influenced by neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.

Khmer food usually consists of rice and freshwater fish because they have Mekong river and Tonle Sap which provides fresh breeding grounds for fish. One of the classic Khmer dish is Amok, made from fish, coconut milk and curry paste, steamed in a banana leaf cups (similar to our otah, maybe our ancestors learnt it from there). Asian spices and seasonings were used, such as fish sauce, palm sugar, lime, garlic, chilies, coconut milk, lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime and shallots.

During our stay in Shinta Mani Club, we had a chance to learn Khmer Cooking from the homegrown chef! Our cooking class started with a market tour where we visited a local wet market and understand the ingredients which Cambodians usually used. Then we went back to our hotel and had our cooking class at Kroya!

The first two dishes were simple – Green Mango Salad and Sour Kang Kong Soup with Catfish. What got me interested is learning how to cook the Fish Amok and Sweet Dumplings. Here’s the recipes to share with you!

Fish Amok

2015-07-03 00:25:25

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Ingredients

1. 100g fish, slice about 1 cm thick
2. 25g coconut cream
3. 10g coconut cream
4. 10g kaffir lime leaves, julienne
5. 10g red chilli, julienne
6. 20g green curry paste
7. 10g fish sauce
8. 10g sugar
9. 20g chicken powder

Curry Paste

1. 150g lemongrass
2. 30g galangal slices
3. 5g kaffir lime leaves
4. 50g turmeric root
5. 10g clove garlic
6. 10g shallot
7. 10g ginger

Instructions

1. Blend the curry paste by adding all ingredients together. Set aside.
2. Make banana leaf cups. Cut banana leaf 15x15cm square, use toothpick to join the edge.
3. Combine fish, paste, 25g coconut cream, fish sauce, sugar, chicken powder and marinade for 15 mins.
4. Steam for about 15 minutes.
5. Add coconut crea, chilli and kaffir lime leaf on top and serve.

By Shinta Mani

Miss Tam Chiak http://www.misstamchiak.com/

Sweet Rice Dumpling

2015-07-03 00:14:43

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Ingredients

1. 100g sticky rice flour
2. 100g coconut milk
3. some grated coconut
4. 1 tsp salt
5. 2 palm sugar cubes, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Make the dough by mixing rice flour with coconut milk until smooth paste.
2. Take about 15g of dough, wrap it with a palm sugar cube and roll.
3. Cook the dumplings in boiling water until it floats up. Remove and soak in ice water.
4. Cover it with grated coconut and serve.

Notes

1. You can also use mung beans as fillings and coat with sesame seeds.

By Shinta Mani

Miss Tam Chiak http://www.misstamchiak.com/

Shinta Mani Club
Address: Oum Khun St/Shinta Mani St, Siem Reap 00000, Cambodia
Phone: +855 63 761 998
Website: http://shintamani.com

I never knew about Lim’s Fried Oyster until recently, when the foodies met for supper at Jalan Besar Food Centre. Hidden in a corner at the ground floor of the food centre, they have been around for about 4 decades. Lim’s father used to open a roadside stall in Jalan Berseh. When the food centre was built, they moved in and it is now managed by the second-generation Lim.

Here, the Teochew Ah Hia makes the batter by himself. They have two types for chilli in the stall. One that is added to the fried oysters during frying, the other is used as dip to go with the ready plate of oyster omelette. He makes the chilli paste that is added into the fried oysters. It has a lovely fragrance from dried shrimps, it is a pity if you decide to skip it.

I like my fried oysters with a heavy egg ratio. And if its sides are crispy with a little burnt marks, it will be perfect. Lim’s Fried Oysters is very well executed. To cook a plate of fried oysters, you really need some skills. The ingredients for this dish is always the same. We have eggs, flour, oil, oysters and fish sauce. So what makes a stall different from the other is probably the batter and the control of the fire.

Each bite was made up of crispy, charred and fragrant skin encasing a morsel of moist, and gooey combination. You get the perfect texture of chewy and crispy starchy bits. The plate I had was moist and it was fried with some chilli sauce to bring out taste even better. The plump and succulent oysters here came from Korea, it’s XL size as compared to other stalls. Each plate is topped with coriander leaves, and please dip it into the thick and tangy chilli sauce. It’s shiok!

I am happy to know that the stall does excellent 唐山炒 (Tang Shan Chao). It is the traditional wet version of fried oyster which we seldom see it here in Singapore. I had it about 10 years back from a food court stall who used to do very very good Tang Shan Chao, but no longer does it. As compared to the usual ones, this texture is softer and less crispy.

 

A video posted by Maureen Ow (@misstamchiak) on Jun 25, 2015 at 7:18am PDT

Each plate of fried oysters is always stir-fried with some chilli sauce. If you can’t take chilli, please inform them in advance. Each plate is priced at $5, $8 or $10. Must add the chili sauce for that extra ommph!

Lim’s Fried Oyster
Address: #01-32, Berseh Food Centre, 166 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208877
Tel: +65 93860732
Operation Hours: 6pm to 12am daily (impromptu off days)