Express Nyonya Fare in a Tingkat.......Singapore

TOP; Left to Right: Steamed Kai Lan, Assam Fish, Ayam Buah Keluak

BOTTOM; Left to Right: Beef Rendang, Chap Chye, Bakwan Kepeting Soup

Inquisitive pairs of eyes study our express Nyonya fare as we tuck into the warm tingkats (tiffin carriers). I used to be in their shoes whenever I walked past this open-concept eatery that has just started in a neighborhood mall. A 30-odd-seater Nyonya hash house outfitted with contemporary furnishings including a massive multi-purpose-counter occupying one third of the shop space serving as a cashier, menu billboard and kitchen. Pay and collect your food when you have chosen your Prix Fixe and you can also add on A la carte dishes if you want to; which we did for variety’s sake. The newly conceived dining concept reminisced the 1950-1960s when Singapore was still very eco-friendly and disposable lunchbox wasn’t brought into the dining scene yet.

  

Food here is kept warm in piping hot steamers with many tiers of storage drawers. Once your order is confirmed, the wait staff will use tongs to take out the pre-cooked tingkat-dishes. Prompt execution of service which saves both time and labor. In addition to walk-in throng, they cater to nearby office horde who desire to lunch-in with the tingkats.

  

At this moment, I personally feel that the dining concept is more inviting than the fare we have. The “Assam Fish” (Steamed fish in tamarind sauce) that arrives with our Prix Fixe unfortunately carries an unmentionable stench; the vegetables for “Chap Chye” (Nyonya-style Stewed Mixed Veg) & “Bakwan Kepeting Soup” (Clear Soup with Signature Meatballs & Bamboo Shoots) are uncouthly chopped which make it difficult for me to chew and enjoy without niggling about the soup spattering onto my top. Also pepper is dusted on our soups before our nods. (I am slightly allergic to pepper as it tends to irritate my throat) The “Ayam Buah Keluak” (Chicken with Buah Keluak, an Indonesian nut in tamarind sauce) comes drenched in an oleaginous gravy and each serving contains one and only precious Buah Keluak which can upset its avid fans. I wish the gravy could have more kick and I believe they are capable of doing better.

  

The “Hee Peow Soup” (Clear Soup with Fish Maw) is already sold out at 7pm on a Thursday evening; much to my disappointment. The second better choice, “Bakwan Kepeting Soup” tastes as good as my grandma’s cauldron. The secret, I guess, is the sprinkling of deep-fried minced garlic bits onto the soup which enhances the flavor, together with the homemade meatballs adding punch to its texture. The blanched “Kai Lan” is kept simple using their in-house sauce to drizzle atop but it tastes crunchily-delectable. The “Beef Rendang” (Beef in dried curry sauce), my fave of all tingkats consists of beef cubes smothered in a seasoned gravy which is definitely commendable.

  

There is still plenty of room for them to work on their food which should be accentuated while the dining concept continues to play a secondary role to its potential success. I hope my second visit, if affinity comes, will leave a deep impact to nod my head for the third one.

  

Where to locate: Tampines Mall, Tingkat Nyonya Express Dining, 4 Tampines Central 5, #B1-K21, Singapore 529510, Tel: 67838140

  

When to go: 11.30am – 9pm daily

  

What’s best liked: All Nyonya Fare are served in tingkats except the drinks; no more waiting for the Chef to heat up his wok

  

What’s least liked: Curious shoppers-by tend to stare at your tingkats, no desserts for the sweet tooth.

  

What’s the Price: SGD 8.90 for 1 Meat Choice + 1 Veg Choice + 1 Soup Choice & Steamed Rice or SGD 9.90 for 1 Seafood Choice + 1 Veg Choice + 1 Soup Choice & Steamed Rice. Add $1 for a drink if you order the Prix Fixe; A la carte dishes from SGD2.90-4.90

PS: The abovementioned eatery is not the same as posted on 20.09.11 under
       "my Dining Spree!"

“Super Cooler”…….Singapore

Fresh coconut strips atop a serving of coconut juice settling down on a base of wheatgrass concentrate. A novel cooling drink which puts my mind wandering that I am strolling along a white sandy beach in Ko Samui Island with my new romance and occasional balmy breezes blowing across our blushed faces on a hot languorous afternoon. The feeling is akin to the effects of drinking this Super Cooler; cooling and lovingly sweet at the same time. An innovative concoction between 2 different characteristic liquids; the coconut juice reminds you of the vast sea and the wheatgrass concentrate, the lush farm. As you muddle using the straw/spoon, you will agree it is indeed a Superb Cooler and makes an awesome dessert-drink as you sip the sweetness and savor the toothsome strips.

Where to locate: “Simpang Bedok”; Enak Enak Hongkong Tea House Pte Ltd, 342 Bedok Road (Bedok Shopping Complex) Singapore 469520, Tel: 62461211; Alfresco Dining

Who goes there: Late night supper-getters, local artistes, rich neighborhood

Price: SGD3.00 per serving

My 5Ss of Flavors

As the Lion City grows more affluent, people will inevitably hanker after the 5Cs commonly known as credit card, car, condominium, cash and country card membership. But for me, I desire only the 5Ss of flavors in my meals, and to me that is a luxury already. The 5Ss flavors consist of Sweet, Salty, Sour, Spicy and Smack, a distinctive flavor.

Being an avid lover of good food, I am constantly on the radar for awesome food news which eventually I will share with you all on my blog. A close friend just returned from Vietnam and passed me some local delights. One of which is this dish of 5Ss flavored, dried and sliced plums with a note of plummy smack. This is my first time tasting such delectable preserved fruits! I can’t even find something on par with it in Singapore…to my dismay.

If you happen to be in Da Lat City of Vietnam, do pay the night market a visit and discover more edible treasures! (If you also happen to know me, please bring me back a caddy of these 5Ss preserved plums!)

The Beauty Of Pandan.......

In my recent combat with a few detestable cockroaches which have been audaciously invading and settling down at my workstation, I discovered a ‘secret weapon’ online to counterattack them. This 'secret weapon' is a natural insect-repellant; safe to sniff and conveniently available; also a tropical plant that has long, slender blade-like leaves. As the leaves age, the fragrance will grow stronger and permeates the surrounding. Every morning when I walk into my office, I feel as if I have entered Pandan Valley, sniffing the welcoming lovely fragrance that bars the entry of my little crawling enemies.

This secret weapon is none other than Pandan, a quintessential ingredient in making cakes, kueh, desserts and even principal dishes such as curry. She for sure holds an important supporting role in Southeast Asian cuisine. Her fragrance has mesmerized me and recalled my past infatuation with her. Years ago, I was having a tea-break at an eatery and I got to imbibe a cup of Pandan tea. The taste was forever etched on my memory since then; an unforgettable calming and soothing fragrant cuppa.

To brew and imbibe the perfect cuppa; boil some water first. When the water starts boiling, decoct a bunch of fresh, clean pandan leaves into the pot/kettle. The more pandan leaves you decoct, the stronger the aroma. The decoction is a pale-light-greenish-syrupy liquid enriched with the goodness of Pandan.

Next, infuse an English tea bag (preferably Lipton Brand) into a cup of the decoction and steep for 1-2 minutes. (Do not steep for too long or the tea will overpower the fragrance) Finally, add sugar for a refined taste and enjoy this calming & soothing cuppa as you sip.

My Antidote Meal

A beautiful and slim Hong Kong friend once shared with me that a hearty meal will cheer her up. It is hard for me to decipher her doing especially when I know where she is coming from; she’s very health-conscious unlike me. But I couldn’t agree less with her.

Lately, I have discovered a killer combo meal which can instantly lift up my spirits. I called it my antidote - ‘Ayam Penyet with Nasi (Smashed Fried Chicken with White Rice) & a bowl of Sayur Asam (Sour Soup)’.

The quintessential relish for this meal, Sambal Belacan sets to ‘ignite’ your Indonesian Courses. To neutralize its hot, fiery spiciness; add Kecap Manis, a dark-colored sweet soy sauce. The sambal belacan teams up well with the crispy smashed deep-fried battered chicken and her side companions: deep fried beancurd and tempeh (fermented soybean cake).

The accomplice, Sayur Asam (Sour soup) is made up of peanuts, corn, white melon, long beans, white cabbage and tamarind. This wholesome bowl of vegetable soup gave me a well-needed dosage of zest as I slurped and savored.

One mouthful was spicy, piquant and crisp-well-salted and the next mouthful was sweet and tart as I indulged alternately between these 2 killer-dishes. I felt high akin to popping ecstasy and for the next hour or more, I felt blur, distant from my blues; a new discovery of food therapy for my soul. I believe this combo meal will be a favorite of Tom Yum Goong’s fans out there. (To check out my antidote meal, please visit www.ayampenyetria.com/home.html)

.......my recent dining spree in Singapore

Very often at interviews, you will be asked the question: “so, tell me more about yourself”. Hence, I decided to write more about myself but in the food aspect… If you have been following my posted articles, you will know that any interesting or out-of-the-market dining concept will capture my hands to pen it down online. Plus, any out-of-the-shop food item/window display will produce the same urge on me. Don’t get me wrong, I am not in the F&B industry or some genius marketing director. I am just very passionate about food and anything that associates with it. Just as a chef who revels in the satisfied look of the customer after a polished-off meal, so do I; I feel tremendous joy and encouragement when people devour my articles.

I shall start off rattling on my recent dining spree with different people. First, I had a fantastic evening of Italian Fare with a bosom friend and it created a beautiful memory stored up at my ‘CPU’. The aforesaid Italian dining experience was one that integrated its simply chic interior, dear pricing, meticulous service, extravagant produce and bona fide culinary art into a good package deal. Keep it up, Procacci!

Next, I visited an authentic French restaurant with this same bosom friend of mine. However, I was very disappointed with their produce. Take for an example, their famous Foie Gras, it tasted as if the goose had very serious body odour…very obliging for me to bite and swallow despite it being buttery smooth and ready to melt on my palate. I must admit the culinary skill was relatively good but the mediocre produce spoiled the signature dishes we ordered and hurt my pocketbook in the bargain. Food and dining are very subjective topics and separate issues too. For this case, unfortunately, the produce did not pair up well with the culinary skills.

It may not be an expensive meal or some sublime-interior restaurants to enrich your dining experience…Take for instance, I just recently visited a small-sized and affordably priced Indonesian Restaurant situated within a neighborhood mall. The ‘Ayam Penyet with Nasi - Smashed Fried Chicken with White Rice’ and a bowl of ‘Sayur Asam - Sour Soup‘ was a killer combo meal for me which I will mention more in the next post. Good food, good pricing and good location if you don’t mind the nose-to-tail seating arrangement!

In another dining episode, I was invited to an authentic Turkish restaurant for dinner (owned and cooked by Turks). The online reviews are good and strongly recommend this mid-end restaurant to foodies…But, to my dismay, both my companion and I did not enjoy the food and service. First, the food came and filled up our midget table. The wait staff did not bother to advise us on their serving portion and the food was served as if offered to the farm animals. The presentation was horrendous compared to my colleague’s recent Turkish meal pictures and lastly, we are not used to their style of cooking. Strangely though, we looked around and saw a few families of expatriates, not Turks, scattered around us and heartily tucking in. I guess this is what they called, ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ but for this scenario, “Savory lies in the palate of the beholder”.

To sum it up, my other dining scene was at a Nyonya family-style restaurant accessibly located at a neighborhood mall. Again, food was reasonably priced; décor carries a note of Peranakan heritage. We tried the traditional dishes such as ‘Ayam Buah Keluak – chicken pieces stewed with keluak nuts and spices’, ‘Chap Chye – a stewed dish of mixed vegetables’ and etc…Maybe because I have tried better home-cooked authentic Nyonya dishes, I still prefer my preceding dining experience! I guess it could be because a commercial kitchen does not have the luxury of time to stew the dishes over a longer period to produce a more potent aroma and flavour. Certain dishes still do require the patience and time to achieve peak delectable results. I am sure, for this case, the Babas & Bibiks will agree with me.

Overall, I feel strongly that food needs to be cooked with passion and sincerity, I am sure the taster can feel it somehow or other; I will for sure!

PS: I shall not mention the names of mediocre restaurants; so no recommendation on them!

If it’s your birthday today.......

How would you celebrate? Well, head down to any Fish & Co restaurant and order a fishy meal, followed by making a birthday song dedication. The wait staff will double up as a choir, gather around your dining table and be more than willing to sing you a birthday song using their loud, angelic voices. On top of that, upon flashing your identity card, you get a 10% discount off your entire bill + a complimentary dessert and fishy surprise.

For once, I see another benefit of carrying my identity card; it serves as a discount card too. How I wish that identity card of mine carries the same function as a cash card and I can shop for free on my birthday!

Or you may want to proceed to any Swensen’s outlet and flash your identity card to receive a complimentary “Firehouse Happy Birthday” ice-cream sundae set aflame. It has been an unspoken tradition of Swensen’s for years to encourage diners on their birthdays.

Remember it’s your birthday and lots of people out there want to be part of your celebration too. I applaud these restaurateurs for going the extra mile in their marketing promotions to make us, the customers, feel special. Perhaps, this is also what they want to achieve, brand loyalty!

If you know of any unique or extraordinary birthday promotions (for non-members), please do share with me/us!

*Abovementioned birthday promotions do not require membership!