TCS

The Coastal Settlement
200 Netheravon Road (Opp Commando Camp)
Tue-Sun (1030am-12am)
6475 0200

An "Old School Charm" indeed.

Hidden in the far eastern end of the island, The Coastal Settlement was one heck of a drive to get to (even for an Eastie like me), but its eccentric contemporary decor (think shelves lined with Vespas) and kampong feel made the journey totally worthwhile.

I am going to be brutally honest about the food here though as I don't really think much of the few dishes we sampled. In fact, I am going a little 'hmmm' about how the food served on that day turned out a little different from what have been previously written about by other famous food bloggers who were there on personal invites by the owner(s). However, that being said, I would still head back there just to hang out on a nice afternoon with good company as they have really nice pockets of sitting areas around. Plus, i love the kampong feel of the surroundings too (less the eerie now-defunct hospital opposite the eatery).

 

The most exciting part about the visit to TCS wasn't the food, but the exploration of the ex-army-barrack-warehouse interior. The quaint decors were well-juxtaposed against a modern contemporary lighting and layout. Some decors were 'live', like this fighting fish - with great ambitions nonetheless.

Now, about the food!

For starters, we ordered a recommended snack (thanks Clar): Fried Portobello Mushrooms with Truffle Mayo - $15. ( i know, everyone is jumping on this 'Truffle Fries' bandwagon). I personally am a big fan of mushrooms, so this was a great way to start the meal for me...except for the fact that the cooks over-timed the frying and the coated breadcrumbs were almost charred when it was served. Gave me a crazy sore throat after that.Thankfully, the mushrooms underneath the layer of coating still retained its juiciness, the mayo was nice too..so in all, it wasn't too bad.

 There was a whole list of Singaporean hawker dishes featured in the menu, but we sure as hell weren't willing to pay $16 for a plate of Nasi Lemak within a 1 km radius of the fabled Changi Village Hawker Centre(rumoured to be close till the end of this year though).  So, we went 'angmoh' and ordered 3 western main dishes. The first of which was the Rosti Sausage served with Arugula and a dollop of sour cream. Being the underdog, I was quite pleasantly surprised at the way this dish turned out. The potato shreds used for the rosti were not your normal Marche-sized ones, they were flatter and broader, which gave the entire potato pancake a smoother texture. Interesting!

2nd main dish: Prawn Aglio Olio with XO Sauce - $22. Overpoweringly (is there such a word?!) flavourful. Left my dining partner (Fish) a little overwhelmed. The essence of the flavourings were derived from the XO sauce served at some Chinese restaurants we have over here. We tasted lots of dried shrimps. It was a nice dish, but a little 'jer-la' to conquer an entire plate by yourself, so, share!

 Finally, the highly-acclaimed Char-grilled Wangyu Beef and Mushroom Pizza -$23. The pizza dough was a little undercooked and chewy, and it sure did not look like the one featured in thefoodnomads.com You can say I was feeling really cheated when I read that review! Other that that, the wangyu beef and mushrooms were great, and the caramelization of the toppings really did give a nice finishing touch to the pizza.

For deserts (upon Fish's insistence), we ordered the Waffles - $14. Definitely a big thumbs-up for erm, food art. The 'sides' provided were bananas, strawberry, cracker crumbs and chocolate ice-cream, all dusted with some powdered sugar. Mix and match for each bite! Waffles were so-so only.

It was an enjoyable dining experience in all. I guess largely due to the great company and the rustic ambiance of the dining area. Again, a little too pricey for my liking (petrol $$$ not even included yet.grr.), but still worth a visit or two in the near future!

Deih Gua Mee Sua

Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup
467 Changi Road
Opens from: 5pm-4am

Easties would have been well-acquainted with this late-night supper establishment opposite Kembangan MRT station by now. It is one of my go-to places whenever the tummy makes pleading noises past 11pm.

The star dish of this popular zhi-char place will have to be the pork liver meesua (deih gua mee sua). Of course, for those who get a little queasy just by visualizing pork kidneys and livers, you can opt for the lean pork slices version of it. I personally know of two people who would do just that :)

The soup interestingly gets more 浓 (and saltier) as the night goes by.  Really flavourful broth. Please do not expect those clear 黑鸡汤 that your mum prepares at home. This is farrrr from it. Besides the broth, I have also always been impressed by the fresh pork/livers/kidneys that they use. The kidneys really do pack a crunch when you bite into it. They get the timing just right.

I have tried the other zhi char dishes too, nothing seriously fantastic. Their steamed fish and lala dishes seem to be quite popular though!
One added word of caution: be prepared to put up with nonchalent service staff.

Trust me, that bowl of mee sua is crazily comforting on one of those rare chilly Singapore nights.

Locale @ De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate

Add: De Bortoli Yarra Valley, Pinnacle Lane, Dixons Creek, Victoria, Australia

Opens: Thu-Mon from 12pm (lunch), Saturday from 630pm (dinner)

Links: Website & Menu/Wine List

I have always wanted to blog about this wonderful place from the trip Down Under that took place more than 5 months ago but... Procrastinator is my middle name, so tadah! Better late than never huh? :)

 

A little introduction:De Bortoli Yarra Valley is located an hour east of Melbourne on a 240 hectare plot of land.  The De Bortolis migrated from Northern Italy to Australia in the 1920s and settled down in the Bilbul Region (New South Wales). I guess it was almost by accident that Vittorio De Bortoli (first gen De Bortoli winemaker) discovered his flair in wine-making with some surplus grapes from the fruit farm he acquired in 1927. The tradition was then passed on and now, De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family wine company that is one of the larger privately-owned companies in Australia.

Their 'flagship' wine has got to be the award-winning Noble One (sweet wine - my favourite!) which I should get my hands on one day since their other desert wines that were available for tasting at the recent Savour 2012 event were splendid. Swear it was the best among all the other exhibitors and I am sure R would agree too! The Yarra Valley vineyard (they have 3 other sites all around the country) however, is well-known for producing cool-climate wines like Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Anyways... I digress, I am here to talk about the food @ the vineyard's very own restaurant - Locale :)

Well firstly, I am an easy foodie to please. Any restaurant that serves F.O.C freshly baked bread with their home-made dip to start my meal has already won half the battle. And of course, Locale did just that.  My memory fails me but I think the bread was of the rustic Irish Soda genre, and it went down well with the dip/olive oil combi that came with it. There were some really yummy chips drizzled with herbed cheese too.

Side dish & Vegetables (contorni e verdure): we ordered the Italian roast potatoes with garden rosemary & garlic (AUD 9). Best side dish ever! The rosemary-infused potatoes and whole garlic cloves were roasted to perfection. Not charred or undercooked - just about right. It might sound odd but I vote this side dish as my favourite among all the other dishes served throughout lunch.

 

First Course (Primi): Fresh linguine with pancetta, guanciale, calabrese salami, tomato & spring onion (AUD 18 for 1/2 size). This, to be honest, was a tad bit disappointing. The linguine was done al-dente, the flavours from the olive oil, pancetta and other ingredients were great. However, I think it was too salty - no thanks to the pancetta (Italian bacon). I hope the chef did not throw in even more salt though! Was totally an overkill and not particularly enjoyable. Probably would have to ask the chef to go easy on the pancetta or salt if you do order it.

 

Second Course (Secondi): Seared milawa free range duck breast & confit leg with braised farro & white onion purée (AUD 36). Outstanding dish. The duck breast was cooked evenly through and the confit leg was crispy on the outside and really flavourful as a whole. Although a little pricey at AUD 36, it was well worth the $$$. (ok, I admit, I can't say that with full conviction since I didn't pay for it :p)

side notes: Confit by the way, in its most traditional concept, is a salt-curing process in which the meat is seasoned with salt, garlic and sometimes herbs. It is then cooked in its own fat (theoretically) before serving. Farro (just in case you are wondering), is a kind of grain from a certain wheat species. Widely-used in Italy.

The service staff were attentive and helpful with wine-pairing suggestions. The interior decor of the restaurant was simple and I loved how it was filled with the lovely afternoon sunshine pouring in from the huge windows. The walls are lined with photos of the De Bortoli family from when they first arrive in the 1920s - a great pictorial history. Strolling around peeking at their photos was a nice pre-meal activity. And of course, after-meal activities are aplenty in a VINEYARD. Head downstairs for more wine and cheese tasting frenzy or head out into the open air and marvel at the manicured valleys that extend way into the horizon around you.

Locale is definitely one of the places I hope to have the privilege to re-visit.

Dear Thuriya - by JLoo

Event: Dear Thuriya/Bright is the Night
Venue: Esplanade Tunnel
Date: 13 April - 6 May 2012
Genre: Photo Exhibition

What defines a life-changing trip?

To me, its when you feel an unfathomable connection with the land and/or its inhabitants + an absolute sense of camaraderie with your travel partner(s). Its when a door inside of you previously bolted, gets unlocked and you feel the unbridled freedom of exploring a different realm of thoughts/experiences that you never knew existed within you, keeping you addicted for years to come.

For me, the Grand Canyon wilderness backpacking trip in the Spring of 08 just about tops the list (life-changing in every sense of the word), S.Dakota-Seattle Road Trip (spectacular sights in the Land of the Free), Northern Vietnam in 09 (first encounter with tribal markets and people, hill explorations), Australia 11 (self-inflicted physical toil in the mountains, never knew we could cover such great distances;)...

Intrigued by Polaroids

Myanmar in Jul 11 however, holds a special place in my heart. Albeit a short 5 days whirlwind of a trip, it had undoubtedly drawn me into the lives and stories of the enigmatic characters we met along the way, going about their daily lives in a land that has only very recently flung its doors wide open to the outside world.

J and Thuriya

One of the characters I met was Ashin Thuriya, a little child monk living in a monastery at Mandalay whom J met and befriended on the streets in 2009. He has "a face you will never forget" I was told, and how true it was.

An outing at Mingun Paya

Anyways, let J's pictures do the talking. Dear Thuriya photo exhibition will be on at the Esplanade Tunnel from 13 Apr 2012 to 6 May 2012. A synopsis of her work for this particular project can be read here. Do visit it!

The 3 brothers

And to J: Thanks for inspiring, for living large, for loving freely and for reminding me how infinite life experiences really are.

Disclaimer: The photos shown here are part of my own collection shot using a very humble entry-level DSLR. See the real/pro shots itself (by J) at the Esplanade Tunnel!

Savour 2012: Come celebrate the delicious

I am not even going to pretend like I am an expert at gourmet food products and chi-chi restaurants, but attending Savour did assist in helping me turn up that notch by a tiny bit. Big thanks to R for the impromptu date + early afternoon excitement as we dashed from class to class (hits & misses) and Fish for the late afternoon entertainment (ice cold cider was very much welcomed in the sweltering heat).

And because I am in a terribly lazy mood, here is a summary of the inaugural event from the website itself:

"The SAVOUR concept is a first of its kind in Singapore, with a philosophy to unite the finest food and drink with a plethora of expert master classes, live demonstrations, fun workshops and culinary shopping, in an event that is accessible to all. Within one purpose-built venue, one can find an alfresco Gourmet Village teeming with award-winning restaurants helmed by celebrity chefs, a bespoke indoor Gourmet Auditorium complete with a state-of-the-art kitchen where culinary master classes are held, and a Gourmet Market that boasts an international showcase of artisan food and drink exhibitors."

Now, on to the pictures (only had my IXUS 100 then, so pardon me!)

Gourmet Village - where you eat

Somersby Apple Cider
Pranced around the tents under the mid-day sun. Heat was close to unbearable. Which made the Somersby Apple Cider (from Sweden) soooo appealing. $9 per bottle. Gulped it down towards the end of the event. Thanks Fish for the treat!
Looks like Somersby Cider (brewed by Carlsberg) is engaging in some really intense marketing. I now see them by the troves at NTUC. Easy drink as its really light (4.7% vol alc) and has 15% real apple fruit juice. Sweet! Best served over ice.

Fragrant Steamed Yellow Pumpkin Rice: with XO sausages and pan-seared foie gras in sweet port wine sauce by Sam Leong (Forest @ RWS).
Best dish that we tried (Thanks R). Pumpkin was so evenly steamed and the rice was really fragrant and tasty.Not an advocator of foie gras but I did try a piece. Yummy, but again, I wouldn't buy anything with foie gras on my own accord :P
The 福 print on the pumpkin skin was kinda cool (and pretty) too.

Menage-A-Trois: Scallop mousse, green tea smoked salmon and soy mirin marinated ikura, sous-vide ocean trout, steamed bulot, micro basil and rouille dressing; sushi rice croquette, spanner crab, salmon sashimi and edamame puree by Chef Emmanuel Stroobant (St Pierre).
Woah.. hang on a second. All that in those 3 petite pieces? See, thats why there are times I can never understand chi-chi food. Didn't even know there was a riot of flavours going on there till i typed it out. Also, warm raw salmon didn't really go down well with me. I only ordered it because it was the cheapest thing on the St Pierre's menu (15 Savour Dollars) + I became a fan of the Chef after emerging from his class just minutes before. He is a funny guy.
Cod 2.0 For All Your Senses: Cod brandade flavoured with 'dashi' stock and served with cod skin crackers by Chef Hans Valimaki (Chez Dominique - Finland, 2 Michelin stars).
Fish was dashing around preying on dishes with cod in it (please don't ask me why) and happily trotted back to our table with this. Cod was done just right, nice and flaky, but I especially liked the green barley-like bits underneath it.
Potato and Malt: Sea buckthorn potato ice cream with malt by Chef Hans Valimaki (again).
Quite and ingenious desert! We had 2 of it. The Sea Buckthorn Potato Ice Cream was covered with a thin layer of white choc (love it). The crunchy bits at the side also provided contrast with the smooth cool layers of ice cream. Thumbs up.

Gourmet Auditorium -where you learn

Only managed to attend 1 Masterclass during our 4 hours at the event. Thankfully, it was an entertaining one by Chef Emmanuel Stroobant of St Pierre (nope, never been there before) who could really consider switching career from a chef to a stand-up comedian. His sidekick sous chef (young dude from OZ) complemented his show really well too.

As you can see, I was just wowed by his showmanship and not particularly by the dishes. In fact, I can't even remember what they were except for the fact that foie gras was the main ingredient used and since I don't forsee myself buying any fattened diseased liver in this life (those poor ducks/geese, seriously), I decided to just be entertained by his antics.

Gourmet Market - where you nibble for free

Held within the F1 pit building itself, R and I managed to spend a good 20 minutes downing wines from all over the world at the free wine-tasting session. Mixing champagne, sauvignon blanc, Moscato, Merlot, desert wines in an empty tummy at 12pm was no joke! We then sauntered to the cheese appreciation class, but got turned away as the class was already fully packed (we were on time!!) and ended up at a random Tomato (Rougeline nonetheless) cooking class by Jimmy Chok. Had to rush off (before food tasting, grr) for the Artisan Bread Making by Jason Tan of Nick Vina. Helpful tips!

Cold Storage's Three Sixty (flagship store @ ION) took up an entire section too with free food tasting (cheese, wine, wangyu beef, carviar...). All premium products! I had a whale of a time going around the cheese section. My weak spot.
Didn't think much of the Iberico Ham from Spain though.


Albeit $43 poorer (that is how much a Saturday afternoon session ticket costs), I still hope that Savour would be back next year!

Five & Dime

Add: 297 River Valley Rd (free parking!)
$$$: $20-$50/pax
Website: http://www.fiveanddime.com.sg/ (add them on facebook too)
Cuisine: Western/Fusion
Type: Restaurant/bar/coffee/bakery/desert place
Opens from: 12pm-12am (Mon-Fri, closed on Tue), 10am-12am (Sat), 10am-10pm (Sun)
Phone: 9236 5002


" When you know what you want, the whole world conspires you to achieve it" - Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

Just 2 weeks ago, I was driving through the River Valley region when I caught sight of a resplendent white-washed shopfront - the only eye-catching building sitting juxtaposed against a row of dimly lit traditional colonial-style shophouses. The full glass frontage allowed me to take a momentary peak into the interior, which had a brick/wood finishing and was filled with late-night diners. I was drawn to it for that fleeting instance - "Definitely need to drop in one day!" I thought to myself. Alas, just like many other transient moments in life, the once-gleaming image in my mind faded into oblivion as time passed by... Also, my zonked-out goldfish memory didn't help much, I couldn't for the life of me recall the name or the exact road/location of the eatery which I chanced upon. The one that got away.

Fast forward 2 weeks.

A belated birthday meet-up for Wq saw J wrecking her brains the whole of Saturday as our original plan of munching at Club Street Social was unfortunately foiled by a private event. Further iterations of dining suggestions proved to be uninspiring until a Whatsapp message by J in the late afternoon "Booked Five & Dime at 830pm, 297 River Valley Rd" closed the issue.

Five & Dime. Hmm. Sounds familiar.

830pm - Saturday, saw me staring wide-eyed as I rolled into the free parking spot just adjacent to the charming shophouse I passed by a fortnight ago.
Five & Dime. That was it! Serendipity :)

...............

Five & Dime is a gastrobar owned by chef Teng Ei Liang from Truffs (which I should really check out soon). The center piece of the restaurant was the wooden-top bar which was lined with jars of icing biscuits (you know those little biscuits topped with oh-so-sinful coloured icing from our yesteryears?) and delish baked goods. A clever mix of brick walls, colonial-style mosaic floors, wooden table tops and pastel-toned chairs gave a really warm and toasty feel as I settled in. The smartly-dressed service staff who all came with a friendly disposition and an eagerness to serve as they pranced around the cafe was also definitely a plus. Loved the vibe of this place!

...............
Wq and I were famished while waiting for queen J to arrive so we started our night with the Mac & Cheese and Salmon Rocket Salad. Waiting time was not too bad considering the fact that the restaurant was packed. We were tucking in to the Mac n Cheese just 10 minutes after we placed our order.

Mac & Cheese: with creamy lobster sauce under melted mozzarella, parmesan & cheddar.
Our first reaction: "huh? $16 for this? " However, it was not long after that we begin to realize it was worth every single dime (no pun intended).
The Mac & Cheese was served in a stoneware dish that measured no more than 5 inches in diameter (which explains our initial disappointment). Disappointment soon gave way to delight as we ate our way through the little shell macaroni soaked in the rich cream sauce ladened with tiny bits of lobster. The best part was the melted cheese. Heaven.

Salmon Rocket Salad: flamed salmon on rocket with wasabi marin dressing.
The flamed salmon was done to perfection. Cooked half way through and raw on the underside. We were satisfied with the portion. There were 6-7 huge rolls of salmon placed along side with the salad. Marin dressing was also tweaked just about right.


After much effort (about half an hour worth of it) in restraining ourselves from licking up J's portion, she finally arrived.. and things went crazy from there. We ordered another 2 main dishes + 1 appetizer + 1 desert! Gosh, just the thought of it is making me feel sick already.

Fish & Chips: mini battered fillets and hand-cut fries
Brit's pub grub done pretty well I must say. The smaller than usual battered fish (Japanese Sutchi - shark catfish) was juicy and flakey. The batter layer was crisp on the outside but really spongey on the inside. Interesting texture! The tartare sauce that accompanied the dish however, was watery and not that great.

Mentaiko Pasta: pasta in creamy mentaiko sauce and chicken yakitori
What is Mentaiko? Beats me. Googled response: marinated roe of pollock and Chubbyhubby has a write-up on it if anybody is interested: http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=465
I wasn't really wow-ed by this pasta even though it was apparently Five & Dime's signature dish. The yakitoris lacked the flame-grilled fragrance and the pasta sauce tasted almost like a more concentrated version of your typical carbonara. Was hoping for more of a distinct taste from the Mentaiko (even though I had no idea what on earth it is when i ate it).

Wings: 1/2 dozen of 9-spiced chicken wings
You could sense the amount of effort taken in 'spicing-up' these wings. Like your har-cheong-kai, but 10 x better and juicier. Another 1 of the restaurant's signature starter dish. But I wasn't exactly in the wings mood yesterday, so i gave up after eating after 1 1/2. Give me BBQ chicken wings at Lagoon Hawker Centre anytime!

Pandan Creme Brulee
I am not typically a Creme Brulee person but since the desert menu was limited and it was recommended by the staff, caved in and agreed to give it a shot. The fragrance of the pandan permeated the entire smooth custard base. It was served with a handful of raspberries at the side, which I found a tad bit too sweet and failed to complement the star of the show. But of course, the fun part of Creme Brulee always lies in breaking the burnt caramelized top - and feeling it all crunched up within your palette.


In all, i would definitely head back there for brunch, cocktails and some dishes that ran out when we visited (meatballs and braised pork belly). The priciness is more than outweighed by the impeccable service from the staff, effort put into the food and the charming ambience. Of course, to us Singaporeans, free parking always helps too.

Sri Kamala Vilas Restaurant

Add: Blk 662 Buffalo Road (Tekka Market), #01-16
$$$: $4-$10/pax
Cuisine: South Indian
Great for: Thosai, Bryani Rice and some say, chicken masala

Paid a visit to Sri Kamala Vilas one Saturday with an intention to introduce spicy Indian cuisine to Sha - a Chinese-Canadian-wanderer friend of mine who decided to check out the Singapore scene mid last year and has stayed here ever since. -waves to Sha-

My original plan was to gallivant around the entire Little India neighbourhood within 2 hours, popping by stores that have been featured on cyberspace for their fabled Indian cuisine. However, grand plan failed due to the sweltering weather and people who were still in bed 1/2 an hour before our meet-up time. -glares-
Anyways... I ended up picking Sri Kamala Vilas Restaurant as our one and only stop for the Indian food "hunt" as its location was convenient, which means no wasting of precious eating time winding through the intricate maze surrounding Serangoon Road.


I have done my research on this place and have heard people raving about their thosai and chicken masala. These 2 dishes naturally made it into my order list. Besides that, I also ordered the masala thosai and chicken bryani set. On hindsight, I should have just stuck to the (n-1) rule as the food that was piled onto the table afterwards would have been enough to feed an army! I am of course exaggerating, but you catch my drift..

Chicken Bryani
This was one surprising dish. It was not brought up in many of the sites that I visited, but it turned out to be a pleasant experience. The texture/wetness and the flavourings of the rice were done just right. I love bryani rice because of the thousand and one spices that go in there. Cumin, garlic, saffron, corriander, bay leaves...just to name a few. Its just magical how these spices come together to bring you the end result. I shall leave my comments about the chicken to the next section.
Chicken Masala
This was one of the most exalted dishes that reviewers claimed was a 'must-try'. Maybe the bar was set too high- the chicken masala was one of the few dishes that did not meet my (and some of the dining partners') expectations. The sauce/coating was great -crazily spicy (please have some ice cold Coke on stand-by) and aromatic. The meat however, was simply too dry and tough for enjoyable human consumption. The flavorings also failed to penetrate into the depths of the poultry. That being said, i am not expert at Indian cuisine, so if there are any readers out there who has tasted a good Chicken Masala before, please let me know so I could have a benchmark!
Paper Thosai and Masala Thosai
The paper thosai was awesome. Just the right thickness, and very large. The accompanying coconut chutney, sambal and curries complemented the dish really well. It was the biggest paper thosai i have eaten. Enough to feed 2 grown man!
The Masala thosai was also another popular dish. After a couple of bites though, you get very 'jelah' or 腻 ( someone enlighten me with proper english words to describe this phenomenon please). Masala thosai fyi, is simply thosai stuffed with spiced mash potatoes. It was a bit of a carb overkill. Thank goodness we had a 'rotation' system to prevent getting really sick after the meal.

Overall, I would recommend a visit to this stall...but definitely not just because of their Chicken Masala. It has a great atmosphere, popular with the Malays & Indians, good thosai and most importantly, very affordable! The above dishes + 2 masala tea at only $20.90. And..as mentioned, these 4 dishes would be enough to feed 6 grown adults (okok, not an army..).I went with 3 others and there were so much leftovers I felt bad about it.

Do recommend great Indian food if you have any in mind:) drop a comment!