Pork Chop Fried Rice from Din Tai Fing; the most blissful dish I ever ate

People rave and run to Din Tai Fung for Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) but for me, it is the Pork Chop Fried Rice that makes my life so much more magical, special, and blissful. On this trip, I was probably the only diner who did not bother with the soup dumplings or the other delicious-looking starters. I wanted to go to heaven and all I needed was this plate! Sometimes I will order their Chilli Wanton but for this particular trip, I wanted to give myself, my whole self, to this plate of egg fried rice.

And boy did I reach heaven on my first bite and remained floating until the very last grain! Each grain of short-grain rice still remained distinct with a bite. Each grain was also well coated with beaten egg making every mouthful full of eggy bites. The fried rice was also especially clean. No brown or burnt bits yet it still tasted smoky and heavenly fragrant. The five-spice marinated pork chops atop are always thick, juicy, and exterior crispy. Din Tai Fung triumphed in creating this seemingly simple and effortless plate.

This plate was so good. I was trying my very best to exercise mindful eating by eating as slowly as I could and savouring every small bite, in the hopes that I would eat less of this fattening dish fried with oil. But dammit, after half hour, I still could not resist the last grain on the plate! Every bite was so danm comforting. I screamed out (in my head) at every bite. I didn’t want it to end. I considered ordering a second plate but my waistline called out to me. I went home to rave about it to my Mummy. I saw the look in her eyes. Her eyes twinkled. I know we will both go back for it. The only question is, shall we each have one or one to share? I know my Mummy will want to share so I must start thinking of reasons why we shouldn’t.

I feel so lucky to have been served this plate. I feel so lucky I have no egg allergies (actually there is such a history in my family but I can’t be bother to find out for myself). I feel so lucky to be single and not married to a person whose religion prohibits consuming pork. I feel so lucky this plate can be so easily attained. But mostly I feel so damn lucky to be a Chinese!

Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse

I passed my Bar exams last Friday! So a family treat to a steakhouse was in order because nothing says “celebration” like a good hunking piece of steak! This ultra special occassion meant it couldn’t be just any random steakhouse. It had to be one that must be reputable AND open on a Sunday afternoon because the Chen-family don’t do heavy dinners.

After much thought and research, it had to be Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse. The other steakhouses in Singapore like Morton’s and Bedrock do not open for lunch service on Sundays. Plus I have already been to those two many times so they no longer screamed “special”. Ruth Chris and Cut steakhouses were out of my budget (I am saving that for promotion to senior positions ;)) Wooloomooloo steakhouse was low on my list, twice I have been, twice I left unimpressed. Plus they had some annoying and restrictive Sunday Brunch menu for $68++ per person. Forget it! So Bistecca, it was and lucky lucky us because it was a very good choice! The hulk of a steak we ordered was simply divine. The other food we had was equally as delicious. The Chen-family left the restaurant thrilled and so satisfied!

The best part of Bistecca was not only were there magnificent steak options on the menu, there were also pastas (which I had been craving for) and pretty unusual ones too. That afternoon, my family allowed me to order WHATEVER I wanted. Arh, freedom is sweet! so I got for us three pastas for starters, a 1.1kg Costata steak for our mains plus four sides dishes to compliment the beef, and some desserts. It was a good afternoon.

Annoyingly, I deleted some photos thinking I uploaded them onto this site but did not. The lost pictures are: Crema di Spinaci: Cream of Spinach with home-made spicy sausage, Patata: Tuscan fries rosemary crushed garlic, Beetroot Salad with Aged Ricotta, and the desserts: Tiramisu and Chocolate Tart. But without further ado, here are some pictures which I kept to lust after for weeks to come…

For starters: Warm Focaccia bread with Olive oil. Our meal started off on a very good note with these pillowy-soft bread baked in house. It must have been clear we thoroughly enjoyed it for the waiter happily brought us a new tray even before we finished the two on our tables. Yay to great service!

Our first pasta for starters: Orecchiette in a Parsley Pesto, Roasted Prosciutto, Cherry Tomato, Pecorino Cheese and Vernaccia. It was the roasted proscuitto that called out to me. When this plate arrived, I was delighted to not see a green cheese-rich pesto. The orecchiette was wonderfully al dente.

Second pasta: Coniglio: Tagliatelle with Rabbit Ragout, pancetta and wild mushrooms. At first I was disappointed to see a dry-looking pasta land on our table but my disappointment was uncalled for for the ultra tender and juicy rabbit was just so freaking palatable. Very impressive.

Third pasta and starter: Granchio: Squid Ink Tagliolini with crab, fennel, chili and lemon

Now on to the most important part of lunch and only point of our presence in Bistecca,

1.1kg Costata, Wagyu F1 bone-in rib eye, MBS 6+

This is was pure joy. There was so much lucious meat! Arriving evenly sliced up, every piece was pink and juicy within, charred and crispy on the edges – so worth every penny of mine.

Unabashedly, I grabbed an extremely rare piece, and another that was pure F.A.T. The pure fat piece was rich and so so soft. I felt like I was floating on clouds the entire time it was in my mouth. It was the stuff made of dreams, y’all!

And the meatiness continued even between the huge bone. This saw my Dad and I having the time of our lives tearing off the meat because we firmly believe that’s where the tenderest pieces are.

I knew it was worth it when my family was still talking about it a day later; we all could not get enough of it! I firmly believe another visit will happen very very soon.

Three sauces were served alongside the magnificent meat; Salsa verde, Gorgonzola with mascarpone fresh herb, and Pepper with Balsamic reduction. They were not very memorable but then again, with the 1.1kg piece of meat, it was hard to remember anything else.

 

Asparagi: Charcoal grilled asparagus

This was highly recommended on the internet and rightly so. Each asparagus were large and sturdy looking to the point of SOLID. Smoky and cooked through but still retained a bite – it was a very luxurious asparagus!

The desserts were also not very memorable but I love this place! I came for steak and Bistecca delivered with aplomb! What else could I have asked for?!

Popeye’s, I’m so behind.

So bad for the body but so good! The chicken skin so crispy and full of flavour. The buttermilk biscuit was even better than the I last had it, years ago. Extremely crispy exterior, tender soft interior. The Cajun fries, so beautifully irregular coated in a thin crispy batter.

An emotional day called for a heavy sinful lunch. I shall spend the rest of the day repenting.

Chris Donnellan at Ding Dong

I had no idea who Chris Donnellan was until my Best Friend and I went to Ding Dong and were presented with the grim news that their usual menu was replaced with the said guest chefs’ specials. I was miffed! We were presented with an A5 paper and there were dishes I had never heard before. Crucially, they were not the dishes I had in mind. I am not big on spontaneous activities, and I was so looking forward to the Vietnamese Scotch Eggs and Red Curry Wagyu Beef. My Best Friend, on the other hand, was extremely game and swiftly ordered the $75++ per head “Feed Me” menu.

At the end of the meal, I felt sorely embarrassed to have kicked up a fuss about the limited options for Chris Donnellans’ dishes were impressive! When compared with the usual Ding Dong menu, I honestly think we got a better deal. There were six dishes that evening and each portion was small but I was extremely grateful to not end the night with an overbearing stuffed tummy. Overall, there were more hits than misses. The “missed” dishes were only due to an overload of seasoning. But the playful pairing of textures and flavours made for an exciting meal. So without further ado, let me show you what we had that evening.

Betel Leaf with Hand Picked Crab, Pomelo, Fried Shallots and Sweet & Sour Tamarind Dressing  

This was a refreshing start. Fresh juicy pomelo with shredded crab topped with a small piece of cucumber, and the hot shallots provided a wonderful burnt aroma. These combinations on its own would have been mild but was fortunately amped up by the Betal leaf which gave it a herbicuous and peppery punch. It was the unique tasting leaf that made this dish exciting. Although, shame about the muted Sour Tamarind dressing but the lack of it meant this first dish was devoured cleanly without dressing dripping down our arms.

Next up, two dishes arrived together: Banh Trang Nuong – Grilled Rice Paper with Pork Mince, Dried Shrimp, Chilli Jam, Quail Eggs and Spring Onion & Duck and Shitake Dumpling with Spiced Duck Broth, Enoki Mushrooms and Black Beans

The grilled rice paper “pancake” was my second favourite of the evening! Grilling the Vietnamese rice paper was a genius idea! I usually eat it soggy but I saw the kitchen downstairs lay the rice paper over a small charcoal grill, placed the minced pork stuffing on it, and poured beaten quail eggs on top towards the end. The grilled rice paper was so thin and crispy, and contrasted with the juicy minced pork mixture. My only complain would be chilli jam not spicy enough.

Duck and Shitake Dumpling with Spiced Duck Broth, Enoki Mushrooms and Black Beans

I loved this dish for the rich and smooth duck broth that was a little sweet, the generous densed dumpling filling, and the bold take on an Asian classic. But I didn’t like that each person was only served two pieces; I could not get enough! I was also unable to appreciate the game-y duck taste (but I was told that was the usual braised duck taste). However I thoroughly enjoyed this dish mostly because duck dumplings are rarely seen and the double duck combination was so hearty.

Crispy Fried Duck Leg and Banana Blossom Salad with Nuoc Cham and Thai Basil

This was the biggest “miss” of the evening, and it was the generous fish sauce that killed this dish; all I could taste was the saltiness. My tongue was so dehydrated and craved for water within two bites of this salad. When I did attempt to “dry” the duck from the sauce, it was a joy! The duck skin was crispy with tons of fat underneath. The duck meat was fortunately not dry. But the banana blossom was lost on me; I honestly thought I was just eating a green papaya salad.

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks with Peanuts, Hot & Sour Coconut and Mint Salad

This was my favourite of the evening and one I still think about, two days later!!! Extremely tender beef cheeks was drowned in a thick peanut and dark soy sauce-rich gravy. It was also strangely sweet. The best part was the unusual pairing of the slightly grilled coconut flesh with the beef cheeks. The coconut successfully cut across the richness of the beef. My oh my, what a splendid dish and wonderful end to the savouries. This dish was served alongside Japanese Rice. I want to come back just for this dish!

Vietnamese Honey Parfait with Chilli Cherry Compote, White Chocolate and Freeze-Dried Plum

This was not stellar which was a shame considering the usual Ding Dong menu had a highly raved Malacca Chendol dessert. Still those round white mashmallow-looking Parfaits was essentially vanilla ice-cream coated with toasted coconut; so delicious! The berries compote could have been more tangy and the white chocolate raspberry shards were a tad random. It was rather disappointing but did not make me forget the wonderful savouries before.

I would go back to Ding Dong. The Western take on Asian flavours is extremely exciting. Asian Fusion seems to have such a bad rap but I see it as Globalisation. The Western take is such a nice change from the usual stir-fried or deep-fried options in Chinese restaurants.

I read around the internet that Ding Dong’s food was very much just pricier “street food”. Rubbish! Maxwell Food Centre on the next road sure does not serve up food like that. And I have four food poisoning episodes to prove to you that Ding Dong is nothing like street food.

White Chocolate Cornflake Scone from Da Paolo Gastronomia

After close to two weeks of high protein breakfasts, I was bored so this morning I decided to treat myself to a White Chocolate Cornflake Scone. I woke up feeling ultra-skinny (as I had slept 9 hours before) and today is going to be an emotional charged day so I needed something sinful. As breakfast was only available below my office, this meant I did not have to wake up early and race towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast before I run out the door to catch a ride with my family. This was also a nice change. I woke up the usual early time but spent the hour lying in bed thinking, falling back to sleep briefly, waking, and watching the daylight peak out from the side of my curtains. This short lie-in was great! Not rushing and having a slow morning was such a luxury. I was always so anxious to prepare a healthy breakfast in the morning.

The scone was good but a little too sweet to be recommended for the first food of the day. The exterior of the scone was all crispy and crusty, and smelt strongly of white chocolate which reminded me of artificial chocolate. Most of the cornflakes in the scone could be found in the exterior thereby adding even more crunch. The interior was a stark contrast to the exterior. It was soft and the center was underbaked so it was a bit liquid-y.  I threw the whole bag of scone into the microwave for a quick 30 secs heat and after I could hear the crackling of the cornflakes. Through the cracks of the exterior, I could also see the inner liquidy portions glistening from the heat. The scone was huge and I could not finish, even for a big eater like me. But what a treat!

I end off here with pre-scone-selfies of me looking all slim and fit like I spend the days just eating boiled eggs, chicken breasts and salads, and work out like an energizer bunny. Enjoy! Haha.

Genesis Vegetarian Health Food Restaurant

This afternoon I visited Genesis on Circular Road and was so famished, I wolfed down two of their veggie rolls; the Yuba Roll and Penang Popiah. They were so good! Throughout the late morning I was weirdly craving for vegetables, specifically non-oil-based and must be warm. I think I am dreadfully bored of salads so it was Genesis to the rescue. Genesis is a highly rated, widely praised vegetarian restaurant and I was sure I was in safe hands. I googled the restaurant extensively and already knew what I wanted before noon. I have a soft spot for tofu in any forms so their Yuba Roll (Taukee Roll) was especially appealing to me. The Yuba Roll was basically thick juicy and chewy beancurd sheets filled mostly with even juicy spinach and a small amount of mushroom and carrots. This also came with their signature red pepper sauce. The Penang Popiah which was wrapped in seaweed seemed a little sad and strange at first but the filling (cabbage, turnips, carrots, tofu and almonds) was sweet and a crunchy appetizer, it reminded me of the traditional popiah offered in non-vegetarian places so I was massively pleased and satisfied.

Overall these two rolls impressed me with their ultra fresh ingredients, and were served piping hot on hot plates. HURRAY! I.could.eat.this.everyday.

A Revelation In Maison Ikkoku

Last night saw my girl friend, Kim, and I make a spontaneous trip to Maison Ikkuko on 20 Kandahr Street for some bespoke cocktails. We had two cocktails but one of them turned out to be revelation for both of us. Our initial plan was to attend a Brazilian Music party but it was so quiet, we bolted without even walking onto the dancefloor. Luckily we were in Arab Street and in recent years the area has become so exciting. There were many many al fresco bars and a few more pricey bespoke cocktails bars. Kim and I walked up and down Haji Lane which was filled with the alfresco bars but none tickled our fancies. My first choice was Bar Stories on Haji Lane but on the second level. It was full so we decided to try our luck with Maison and we were very lucky. Not only did we secure counter seats within minutes, we also had the most deceivingly potent cocktails ever! Sitting at the counter was great too as it was stocked with the widest array of spirits, blends, and fruits in every form. I spotted mason jars labelled “Truffle Whiskey” and Truffle Cognac”. It took me a while to take everything in.

For the cocktails, we ordered two. First up, we requested for a sour and no sugar concoction. And what arrived was a dark purple blend with shards of ice cubes: Blackberry, Lemon, Italian Hazelnut, and Vodka. When sipped, there were lemon peels underneath the ice and every sip saw us chewing a lemon peel. Flavour wise, it was alright. Not particularly sour but it was still quite appetizing and did not taste very alcoholic so my friend and I had a good time drinking it. We decided to order another.

This time we wanted something very different and ordered a spicy, no sugar combination. When the drink arrived, it looked very inviting with it’s bright pink with a raspberry floating on top. It was a Raspberry, Italian Almond, Vodka and Jalepeno concoction! On first sip, the spiciness hit me like a slap on the cheeks. It shook me! I was not expecting the strong spiciness but I loved it. The almond flavour was discernible and subtle and there were hints of raspberry undertones. Kim and I had a good time with this drink. I wonder why spicy cocktails have never occurred to me before when I love spicy food?!

The Bartender was also very friendly.

The alcohol was not strong to us at first but after the two drinks, we were both very red and happy high!

I read on the internet some really interesting combination such as Banana Surprise and Jalepeno Sour. I shall go back one day and ask for a Peanut Butter and Jam combination. The best cocktail I ever had was a Peanut Butter concoction from Bar Stories. Still, Maison Ikkodu made for us a wonderful Friday evening.

An Intoxicating Lunch at Lolla

Today is my payday and as per tradition, I treated my Mummy to a nice lunch which usually means a pricier-than-usual meal. This meal was also another cause for celebration; my Mummy and I have both lost weight and just 1kg away from our target. You see, since Monday, we embarked on an hour jog/ walk in the evening around our estate together. So we were both extremely pleased with the results and what better way to celebrate than lots of meat and carbohydrates?! Haha.

My Mummy is not a picky eater and never craves for expensive food. My parents are contented with hawker food or Chinese Tze Char. But when my sister and brother-in-law raved about Lolla especially the Echire Butter, my Mummy was sold and she could not resist when I suggested Lolla. Slightly regretting for picking Korean Fried Chicken over Lolla for my birthday last week, I knew my Mummy was going to be my partner-in-crime, and three days before, I reserved two seats by the counter for our feast. This afternoon, I was especially pleased because all that I wanted to order, my Mummy agreed with me. She just wanted the Echire Butter. From the very start of the meal, when the famous Sea Urchin Pudding arrived, we both fell in love with Lolla. Every bite we took saw us nodding our heads in unison. There were many silent moments between us but that’s because we were lost for words, and the only compliment we could muster was “Hao Chi!” Mandarin for delicious.

So let me show you what we had this afternoon:

Sea Urchin Pudding

Almost everyone who visits Lolla orders this savoury squid ink custard topped with a generous amount of fresh creamy Uni and served cold. When it was first placed on our table, my heart leapt with joy at the roundness of the little ceramic bowl. Isn’t it cute??? I wasn’t the least bit disappointed with the size as I fully expected it; having read everywhere on the Net how tiny it was. It was also supposed to be very rich – an umami overload. But my Mummy and I had other ideas. We did not mind the richness but we knew it was going to be perfect on the Baguette yet to have arrived so we stopped eating to wait for it.

This dish impressed us the most. My usually-fearful-of-textureless-food Mummy quickly took a liking to it. It was rich but not overwhelming. And there were so many flavours involved that it was hard for us to notice the lack of texture. This dish also excelled because the orange Uni was super fresh. I have tried bad uni before and just that little tiny bit made my gag. I was so grateful for this afternoon’s Uni.

The blackness of the custard which resembled black tar was especially inviting!

Next up was the Toast with Echire Butter:

My Mummy was most looking forward to this. A round disk of this French butter was served with slices of toasted baguette from Maison Kayser.  This butter was as dreamy as was praised, and could ever be. I wish I was eloquent enough to describe the joy of what I tasted but lucky for me, someone else described it better:

Beurre d’Echire, with its unmistakable flavor, a combination of creme fraiche’s slight sourness and fresh cream’s sweet wholesomeness, its remarkable spreadability and its sensuous slow melt, epitomizes the differences between French and American butters.

The butter was lucious and rich. It’s slow melt meant I could roll it around with my tongue to satisfiably savour the lusciousness. Contrasting it with the simple toasted baguette made for a complete fulfilling experience.

The Pudding was evidently not rich enough for me because I still smeared on my Sea Urchin Pudding that was patiently waiting aside on a huge dallop of the french butter. Euphoria!

Then the Spanish Tortilla with Smoked Eel arrived.

Generous chunks of smoked eel atop a fat well-browned Spanish Tortilla filled with duck fat potatoes and bits of underdone egg within. I was very excited about the smoked eel. The light pink meat was dense yet surprisingly delicate, and was pungent like bacon with hints of smokiness. So combining all the elements in this dish, there was the luscious eel meat, soft potatoes and tender egg; can you see why this dish is so freaking amazing?!

Then our final dish of the afternoon arrived, the Beef Tongue Escalopes.

I love love love beef tongue. Ever since my Dad took us on a gastronomic expedition to Brass Rail Salt Beef Bar in Selfridges, London, for Ox Tongue sandwiches with pickles when we were little beef tongue had always been a family favourite. Brass Rail’s beef tongue was always succulent, still fibrous, and just a tad gamey. It took a while to ignore that the texture resembled one’s own tongue but once so, major joy!

For Lolla, I was most surprised by the large pieces of beef tongue that had been flattened by a mallet and pan-fried. It was drier than what I remembered in Selfridges but still resembled a steak. The three generous pieces were served with red pickled radish and a homemade Smoked Paprika Mayonaisse with hints of citrus. Delightful!

In the middle of all these, I could not help but notice the organised spices next to me. Especially appealing to me were the Cacao (because it is so expensive!), and Juniper Berries (Gordon Ramsay used it to make a Banana Tarte Tartin).

However there was one aspect in Lolla that could be improved. When serving a dish, to explain to diners each component on the plate. This will not be difficult for counter seats. I experienced it in Momofuku Seiobo and the short introduction only increased my excitment knowing there were so many textures and flavours on just one plate.  It was a perfect way to start an adventure for every dish. It would make for a more enriching dining experience.

Lolla was still wonderful. So many suprising and contrasting textures and flavours kept every bite exciting. My Mummy and I were already planning our return visit (in two months) but in the meantime, I got my eyes set on Jaan. 🙂

Awesome Foursome from The Green Bar

This was my lunch today, the Green Bar’s Awesome Foursome salad. A bed of lettuce leaves topped with four types of grilled vegetables: red peppers, four shitake mushrooms, zucchini, and butternut squash. I had the delicious pesto vinaigrette on the side, and like yesterday, the dressing was not necessary thanks to the moist vegetables.  This was a terrifically hearty bowl. The vegetables were uber fresh, and the sweet butternut squash provided excitment to the savory bowl. The textures from the different vegetables prevented the bowl from turning boring.

After four days of high protein breakfasts and salad for lunch combined with an hour of cardio everyday has seen me drop 2kg. I have one more kg to go and it is going to be hard as I am getting sick of salad. Time for me to devise a new routine to prevent me from falling off the wagon. Thank goodness it is Thursday. Tomorrow I have an epic meal at Lolla with my Mum which will, no doubt, be filled with loads of potatoes and bread with lovely butter. It is going to be the most enjoyable cheat meal ever. I can feel it!

Tandoor Tandoor Salad from The Green Bar, died and gone to heaven

If you have been following my Raffles Place lunch series (thank you, thank you), it had been quite clear I was trying to destroy myself. Those fried vegetarian food, big slabs of cakes and brownies, and the healthiest would be that Rice Bento that was topped with a big piece of fried chicken and sodium-rich gravy. Looking back, I have no regrets; those were some beautiful tasty memories. But last week I looked at my body and nearly barfed. I was bloated all over and the worst was my tummy that had swelled to cover my rib cage. I gained weight and I was fat! For the record, I am an ugly fatty. Some people look beautiful when they have hips but not me, when I gain weight, it starts with my face which swells up resembling the Michelin Man.

I had to do something. All that running and weight lifting did not seem to be helping so I knew it had to be my food intake. I mean, what else could it be?! Inadequate sleep? I sleep on average at 6-7 hours so it can’t all be that. So very painfully and expensively, I changed up my lifestyle. I quit my morning toasts for Banana Protein Shakes or Oatmeal with Boiled Eggs, and Salads for lunch.

It has only been three days but the results have been noticeable. Not on the weighing scales, the numbers seem to remain the same, but my rib cage is now more pronounced. I feel less bloated, not sure about energy wise because I am forever an energizer bunny. The scariest part is that I have not craved for a cake or chocolate croissant since I started. Does the high protein intake leave me so satiated? Does it really curb my cravings? Who knows but not spending money on just flour and sugar makes me feel good.

Now back to the Raffles Place lunch series. On Monday and Tuesday I had Salad Shop because all my friends raved about it. Quite honestly, it sucked. The portion was soo small! I finished the medium sized bowl and promptly ran to grab an expensive box of fruits. What a waste of money and effort.  And none of the ingredients offered were memorable. By Tuesday, I was bored out.

So this afternoon, I went for a salad at The Green Bar. One of the best things about Raffles Place is the high number of salad bars. I like to think it is due to the high ratio of expats which is wonderful because I am always spoilt for choice! It was my second visit to The Green Bar, the first being last year and I had the Wicked Strawberry salad.

I chose the Tandoor Tandoor this time as the red chicken in the picture looked so inviting! Honestly, The Green Bar is underhyped. My salad was delicious and left me satisfied. A bed of salad leaves was topped with raw onions, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. But the best best part of it all was the grilled bright red tandoori chicken and potatoes that were served hot and quite possibly, straight from the grill. I tell you, eating the hot chicken and potato was such a breath of fresh air. The chicken was so juicy and wonderfully seasoned with me not complaining for more salt! I asked for the honey-yoghurt dressing on the side and just had a smear of it which really wasn’t necessary as the chicken was enough to moisten everything up and prevented the contents in my wooden bowl from turning into rabbit food. The chicken peas were fun. I ate slowly as I spent most of the time picking on it. Oh what a delight, this salad was!

Next up for me would be the Foursome Grilled Veg Salad and the Greek Salad for I spy grilled chicken. 🙂