Pepper Lunch!

Finally!!

I heard so much about this new dining place and I finally tried it!! Situated next to Mos Burger at Ngee Ann City, contrary to its name, it does not only serve lunch!

First impression when I got there, it’s a fast food kinda service. And secondly, the person taking my order did seem to be too happy serving me!! Nonetheless, I am willing to endure the prudent humiliation for food.

Basically, you choose your food, pay for it, get a number and wait for it at your table. But the novelty comes when your server (this time a polite guy) serves the hot stone dishes and explains in detail how to eat it.

Yes, the first time in a fast food outlet where I am taught to eat!!

BE CAREFUL of the hot stone, it’s really hot (duh)!! But the management took the effort to put a piece of paper around the stone to prevent people from burning themselves. It could be because of angelic consideration or lawsuits (go figure). LOL.

Beef Pepper Rice

I chose this dish because it’s e cheapest (but still not cheap)! Luckily my dear old sister offered to treat me, knowing that I was sucked dry during the Christmas season. Haha.

Now, the instructions:

1. Mix well to cook (butter hidden inside but I cannot really taste it)

2. Mix mix mix!! (literally without too much strength)

3. After mixing it, pour the sauce of your choice (Honey Brown Sauce or Garlic Soy Sauce)

4. Mix well again (yes, again)

5. Now it’s ready

There are 3 different instructions for 3 categories. But basically you can mix and match or even opt out of it (free country okay). For those with an adversity towards salty food, dun add the sauce@!!

My advice: take your time to eat! Fucking hungry kids, dun waste your time burning your tongues and starting bawling!!

Anyway, the beef was tender with a slight peppery taste. The excessive corn surprisingly enhanced the taste of the meat and the sweetness for the rice. I added the Honey Brown Sauce and it’s like….. hm…… more salty than sweet.

Overall a very good dish.

Rating: 8/10

Hitokuchi Cut Steak

My sister chose this. From the picture below, you can see more bean sprouts than anything. But the meat was succulent and rich in taste (though the number of pieces was too pathetic) but the vegetables (especially the carrots) tasted really fresh!!

Instructions:

1. Spread special butter on meat (have no idea how special it was. Hopefully it comes from cows)

2. Quickly turn over the patty as it cooked really fast!

3. Cook the vegetables (Eh….. Forget also can eat lah. Fresher!!)

4. Pour Sauce of your choice (aforementioned)

5. Place meat over vegetables to avoid overcooking (Hm…….. we didn’t do that)

6. Enjoy (we did. Haha)

This dish is recommended if you wish to have a small meal (not filling one)!! I didn’t say that, my sister did. For those on low carbs diet, this will suit you best!

Rating: 8.5/10

Overall, a meal well eaten (I didn’t feel the pain of spending) but I hated the way the smell lingered on my polo tee!! Like I was stuck behind the cooking stove of a hawker centre!! KNS…….

Price was not that economical for the quantity served though it’s beef (not sure which part it came from). Haha. Have this meal the last for the day so that you can go straight home and bath!! And when you mix, don’t wait too long hor; the meat will stick onto e stone!!

Custard Apple

How many of you know what a custard apple is? Anyone of you has seen one before?? I did a mini survey and apparently, out of 5 persons, not one knows what the heck it is!!

I guess I was fortunate to live in a kampong before, plus the fact that my family was in a fruit business, resulting in ample opportunities to eat fruits with a personal favorite for the custard apples!!

However, before the 24th December this year, I had not touched even half a custard apple since 1996!

Coming back to my first question, custard apple looks like a soursop and has as many seeds as one but with a taste that is fructose sweeter!! This one (picture) I tried came from Taiwan, was in fact a hybrid between a custard apple and pineapple and you cannot get it in Singapore!! Neh Neh Neh Neh!!

I cannot describe how good it was… but I have one word to summarise it; fabulous! Okay, fabulous cannot even describe it!! It’s just so amazing!! No wonder it cost $6 a piece!! Well, you can get to taste it in Singapore (the original custard apple) but it’s half the size and cost around $2, provided you can get it. *evil grins*

Fortunately, my sister still has one last one. Apparently, her hubby was not that adventurous with food so it goes to me!!!!!!!!!!! LOL~~~~~~~~~ *prays it wun rot by the time I collected it from her place*

Movies - Not Just Entertainment

Have anyone of you ever ponder on the true meaning of movies except for the widely accepted fact that it’s just for pure entertainment? Have you guys and gals, for a single moment; relax after the movie and think, just a simple thought, of what the movie can teach you about your life, your relationships, your environment, your world….

Take King Kong for example. A simple though exaggerated story about a humongous ape that lives for a simple love. I mean exaggerated as in who the hell can survive the constant active swaying by the big ape!! I am surprised Naomi Watts didn’t die of concussion! Haha. .

Anyway, before the 80s, this story will be considered as anthropomorphism, pure fiction, impossible! But now, new research has shown that animals like dogs and even cows are capable of human emotions. But back then, a life (albeit non homo-sapiens) was easily sacrificed due to the inability to understand the "human" emotions.

We can laugh about "Singapore" being made as a reference in the movie but do we know that in the 1930s, Singapore was widely acclaimed as an "in" city? We can laugh about how stupid King Kong was to be lured by Jack Black and how persistent he was to just get Naomi Watts back. But numerous stories where animals were so attached to human owners that they will starve without them were often reported.

Another movie was the recent Jack Neo movie "One More Chance". Yes, I heard yawns!! But well, I like his movies for the simple reason that I can relate to them still laugh about it.

The movie was about convicts. I feel for them, I can understand their anguish but who can deny the way we react when we heard that an ex-convict is applying for a job in our company? Who will also calculate that 3% of hardcore gamblers amount to roughly 120,000 countrymen?? But what we see are only figures but can anyone deny that 120,000 persons can made up one fairly small city??

Movies exist for a purpose(s): For us to know, for us to understand, for us to learn, for us to dwell deeper into the meanings behind the movie. Not for us to just leave our popcorns, drinks in the cinema and proceeding to a Karaoke session.

Next time, watch a movie and ponder, just for a second..

A Very Impt Issue!

Today I shall side track from my usual foodie reviews and dwell on the ever important issue that everyone must take note!! Basically this post should be stuck on the face of those damn f*cking drivers (me inclusive) on the road!!

Can’t you guys be a little bit more patient?!?! Im driving a Toyota Corolla DX that is like almost 30 years old, lack air-con, lack a fifth gear (80km/hr and my car will have fits) and has a f*cking (literally) new driver holding tightly to the steering wheel!?!? Disregarding the fact I am a new driver, you guys should also be more considerate on the road!!

How can you just cut into my lane when we were all in a f*cking jam and I was going across e yellow box!! What if the damn car in front just stopped and I will be stuck nowhere near!! You wun be fined but I will be! Just because I am a new driver shouldn’t make you inconsiderate drivers think:"New driver, tats all!!" F*CK k?!?!

Listen up, the driver of SDY3094E (12/12/05 at around 7 pm along Upper Thomson road) or whoever that knows this driver, please be considerate!! U want to rush home, I want to rush home too!! And I have no air-con cooling the sweat beads rushing out of my body!! You know how damn frustrated and hot I am?! In addition, I need to pee, poo and my dog is waiting for me to be fetched!! Fine! I give you the benefit of doubt! If you have better reasons than mine, I will apologise.

I came across another driver, a taxi. Yes, multiple horror stories about this group were famous and I always tot they were just a small percentage. Rest assured, I still think so. But today, this CityCab of SHB 1257M was travelling behind me along a residential estate (normally speed limit ard 60-70) and i was on the second lane driving a comfortable 60km/hr when he flashed his high beam on me! Another bastard!! And after that he honked at me! When he finally got to the first lane, he stared at me!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARgh!!!!!! I have a good mind to just email CityCab and demand an explanation. Should I or not?

I have been talking guys but I am sorrie babes, you are not to be spared either! A few months back, I was driving around Thomson Medical Centre (hospital?) when i was at a merging lane where I had the right of way when this b*tch driving a Benz cut across me! I give it a slight horn because we were near a hospital, must be considerate mah, but she BOCHUP!!! She accelerated and I had to brake and the best thing, she had such low concern for her life and others (she had a few kids in the car) that she went on to speed across the 1st lane!! And I tell u, it was considered heavy traffic there and I did admire her stupidity.

Thanks for listening to me. Driving is stressful…… when u have a non air-con, no fifth gear, 30 year old Toyota Corolla that is gonna be "put to sleep" next year.

I will post more photos of those bad drivers. Am i breaking the law? When I am merely admiring their audacity of displaying their stupid powers in threatening other lives?

New Eatery - Qun Zhong (群众)!!

Yes!! Another new eating place! My elder sister treated me this northern China cuisine at Tanjong Pagar today. Called Qunzhong, literally means mass population (I think). When I stepped into e place, I was quite appalled by how little decor they have inside. Basically, it felt bare but the whole place was fully occupied!! Eventually we had to share a table with two other guys! So you can guess how popular it is!

We ordered a total of five dishes as follows:

1) Zha Jiang Mian ("Fried" Sauce Noodles)

This dish appeared as a normal dish of thick noodles with a generous helping of the meat with sauce and a tidy sum of cucumber! Generous when compare the bowl, which was quite small by my standard. Lol. The main ingredient was of cause the sauce, which was just right, without being too salt-ish but to me; it’s the cucumber that made the noodle tasted good. Just imagine the crunchy and fresh taste of cucumber with the tasty, flowy meat sauce~~~ Can imagine or not? hehe.

 

Price at $4.00 a bowl.

Rating: 9/10

2) Guo Tie (Fried Dumplings)

When I first saw this dish, I tot it looked over fried. It was like chao tar (burnt)!! The initial bite was a bit tasteless with only the generous ginger and vinegar flavor. However the second one was much better (without my generosity). The other skin looked black, did not taste burnt and was in fact, crunchy. The ingredient comprised of more vegetables compared to other guotie I have eaten. The overall combination made u want to eat and eat and eat!! The more I ate, the more I liked this dish!!

Price: i forgot… I think $7.00 for 10.

Rating: 10/10

3) Xiao Long Bao (Small Dumplings)

This dish was often my most favorite dish in those Shanghainese and Beijing restaurants and I normally take reserved my best regard for this dish. To tell you the truth, the xiaolongbao here was really nothing…….. Yes, nothing!! I prefer crystal jade at any time~! The most important thing to eat this dish was the soup or sauce that is found within each dumpling! And the one here had a funny taste and lacked the special meat taste that all soup in xiaolongbao should have!! I was utterly disappointed with this dish though I have to admit they are not the worst I have eaten.

Price: Forgot again but i think its $7.00 for 10.

Rating: 5/10.

4) Tang Yuan (Soup Balls?) Haha.

This dish was actually quite novel since it was the first time I tried tang yuan with two different soup (do u call that soup!?!) base. One was rose and the other was guihua (also a type of flower). The best thing was that the soups dun taste sweet and was instead very thirst-quenching. The tang yuan were a bit routine (with the normal sesame paste, peanut) and small… But I have to mention that there was tang yuan with the lotus paste filling. Surprisingly there was a nut within the lotus paste (presumably walnut). Luckily I bit using my back molars instead of my fake front tooth; would definitely have broken it!!

Price: $3 per bowl.

Rating: 8/10

5) Dou Sha Guo Ping (Bean Paste Pancake)

As with xiaolongbao, I have great expectations about this dish. I tried it at yum cha and crystal jade and I love both of them!!! So, while I eagerly wait for the dish to come, with the overflowing emotions of thinking how tasty it should be, it finally arrived on my table. For one, it looked burnt. With a bite, it tasted burnt!! Thirdly, it was too expensive!! Sigh, another disappointing dish.

Price: $9.00 for a plate.

Rating: 4/10

The service was not good although the last auntie who gave us our change was very friendly and had a really nice smile. There’s one who complained to us (the customers) haughtily:"if you want to order, can order all in one go so that it’s easier for us?”

Luckily, the nice lady came last so my impression of this place was somewhat damped.. Lol. To me, i find this place a bit expensive with the lack of ambience and service (we spend $40 odd). But do try the guo tie, I love it!!!The place is at neil street!!