Entree Kibbles

Monday, January 03, 2011

Prawn Rolls (虾枣) @ You Huak Restaurant (友发餐室)

When i last dined at You Huak for its famous white bee hoon, i couldn't help but notice that almost every table had a plate of deep fried ball-like items my mom calls Poh Yien (apparently hokkien for crispy balls).

It was only much later in my twenties that i realised Poh Yien to my family is Hae Zho (prawn roll) to many others; that totally explained why my terminology drew a blank on many faces!

Now, my mom makes a most delicious hae zho (prawn balls or prawn rolls) which doesn't require any kind of sauce (tomato, chilli, honey etc) to make it tastes even better!

Hence, you can imagine my level of standard when it comes to this dish.

Needless to say, i did order one plate of hae zho when i finally brought my mom to try the white bee hoon in You Huak! When almost every table has the same dish, there must be some bloody good reasons involved!

And the best part? I could not pinpoint any good reason why people want to order this! If this is considered good, i am seriously considering the option of persuading my mom to open a small eatery!

Hae (虾) means prawns in Hokkien. And surprise! There was (maybe) only a thinly veiled seafoodness with each nugget loosely packed with a mixture of pork meat and diced up water chestnuts.

If you really want to insist on a positive factor, it would have to be the crispy beancurd skin that cackles with every bite! Nonetheless, i still need chilli in order to force each and every one of them down my throat.

At S$10 for 15 nuggets (or balls or whatever you call them), do you think i will go back purposely for the hae zho?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Let's just stick to white bee hoon.

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Location

22, Jalan Tampang

Directly Opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre (not Sun Plaza)!

Read my original post HERE

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong (梧槽大伯公) @ Balestier Road, Singapore

When you mention Balestier road, it's always about the tau sar piah, the durians and maybe, the Sun Yat Sen memorial hall.

Although it's a weekly (almost) schedule for me to drive to Balestier, the reason is not due to any factors stated above!

My dearest mom will ask me to send her to a diminutive Taoist temple that worship Tua Pek Gong (which by the way, is what Hokkien Chinese called their paternal grandfather's eldest brothe) so that she can partake in her faithful prayers.

The boring son, me, will either play iPhone games in the coolness of the air-conditioned car or sweat it out in the sun to take pictures!

This temple (literally translated as Rochor Tua Pek Gong), has a long history (at least for Singapore) that goes back to 1847; a mere 28 years after Sir Stamford Raffles miraculously 'discovered' the lion city.

Used to seeing statues of Chinese deities out in the open with minimal barrier, the metal grilles gave an impression that the statues here could be more valuable than expected, given its long history.

It's so old in Singapore's perspective, there are at least two plaques lining the temple's ceiling that bear the period of the Qing Dynasty!

The picture above shows one dated from the era of the tenth emperor of the Qing Dynasty; Tong Zhi (year 1856-1875).

With a private carpark on temple grounds that takes up more space than the single storey temple itself, i am quite amazed that such a small temple can still attract a constant flow of worshippers!

One of the most noticeable structures in the temple compound is the traditional Chinese opera (wayang) stage. Mind you, besides boasting a history of more than 100 years, it is also the only freestanding wayang stage on mainland Singapore!

And don't think it's just a white elephant! During major religious events like the Chinese Ghost month, puppet shows and Chinese operas are still staged despite waning popularity.

Colourful ornaments adorn the temple's roof that look more like opera performers instead of deities. Not sure if there's indeed a direct link to the century-old stage.

Worship of the master tiger (虎爷); an animal deity that supposedly has the power to suppress evil and the ability to generate wealth. Chunks of raw meat were purposely placed in the carnivourous tigers' mouth as offering.

Conventional burner lacking the modern smoke control facility continues to be in use in this temple, which can be an eyesore for environmentalist.

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Location

Right next to Combat Durians.

Friday, December 31, 2010

DB Bistro Moderne (Daniel Boulud) @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

DB Bistro Moderne

@ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

I am not a person who enjoys fine dining.

At least for this very moment of my life, it's mission impossible to see me in a restaurant that requires me to pay more than ~~S$50~~ (after thinking for a while) S$100 a person and observe mealtime decorum that makes eating real painful.

The number of stars given by the reputable Michelin guide is not a valid consideration when food, to me, is only meant to fill my stomach as a basic need. There's only so much i will pay in order to have food that more than satisfy my not-very-picky palate.

When Mr Kon suggested the celebrity restaurant by Daniel Boulud (who earns three Michelin stars for his establishment in New York) in Marina Bay Sands for our Christmas dinner, i was hesitant.

Korny, knowing my disdain for incredibly expensive food, suggested paying for this French-American meal while emphasising that the prices are actually not that exorbitant!

Given my zero knowledge on French and i presume the same goes for most of you; i will give a general translation of what i thought we had in DB Bistro Moderne.

Cavin's Term: Hams

Official Term: Assiette Lyonnaise

Essentially an appetiser with hams, something called terrines (jellied meat loaves) and a plate of warm French country bread.

Terrines were something i have never had before; high quality house-made luncheon meat that was slightly more saltish.

My bad for not being able to truly appreciate this dish.

Cavin's Term: Foie Gras

Official Term: Foie Gras Terrine

Sighz... I am breaking my own promise (please read here)!

This large piece of Foie Gras wasn't very impressive (it's still full of buttery fats though) as i prefer pan-fried foie gras which has a very distinctive and addictive taste.

The accompanying bread; brioche, was another story altogether.

Unlike normal plain bread, this gently toasted bread had a rich buttery content that made it even as delicious without any spread.

Cavin's Term: Seafood Stew

Official Term: John Dory Bouillabaisse

Originating from the French city of Marseille, i found that this plate of fish stew (supposedly) had an overbearing seafood taste that covered every ingredient due to the strong tasting mussels!

By itself, the mussel was plump and super delicious! The whole combination, however, was just not as outstanding.

Cavin's Term: Chicken Stew

Official Term: Coq Au Vin

My suspicion told me this looked exactly like the black soy sauce chicken stew my mom whipped up a few months ago. But this is French-American cuisine!

Of course the taste was not the same.

Wine was added, resulting in a sourish flavour that was both smooth and palatable. The submerged mushrooms in all that dark gravy were also comfort food for mushroom lovers like me. Given two options, my vote would unfortunately still go to my mom's sweet yet flavourful chicken stew.

Spetzle, a bowl of odd looking flour lumps (and tasted like that), was given with the chicken stew.

Cavin's Term: DB Burger

Official Term: DB Burger

A burger that was the deciding factor to dine at DB bistro, this was basically (according to the website) "a Sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs and foie gras on a Parmesan bun".

Cut nicely into four separate pieces, each was a difficult mouthful of delicious juiciness!

While the thick medium-cooked patty was a marvelous piece of art, the tiny portion of foie gras in the middle gave at most a fleeting, almost unnoticeable moment for my taste buds!

Cavin's Term: Chocolate Souffle

Official Term: Cladoutis Tout Chocolat

Authentic chocolate lovers will love this for the chocolatey bitterness i totally dislike! Life's already bitter enough for goodness sake!!! The vanilla ice cream on the side, however, was a total contrast to the souffle; a strong vanilla fragrance that was the best i have experienced!

I was anticipating hot chocolate flowing straight out of the cake with a slight poke of my fork but i took such a long time to take pictures; the chocolate had solidified slightly.

Cavin's Term: Ji Dan Gao

Official Term: Warm Madeleines

Given a reason to patronise DB bistro again, it would have to be their madeleines.

These shell-like pastries had a slightly crisp bite and were impossibly light tasting with a touch of zesty lemon.

By the time this last item arrived on our table, my stomach was at the point of bursting. That said, my right hand just could not resist taking one after another of these tiny cakes (numbering a total of 20) and popping them into my mouth!