29 November, 2008

$2.50 ONLY - Waffle with Single Scoop Ice Cream

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Small talk: Stay tuned and HFB will be right back - preparing for his good friend's wedding!
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Holiday season is approaching and what’s a festive season without something sweet and joyful, like a dessert – so as a gesture to reward his loyal readers this Christmas, HFB brings you a Christmas Promotion with Waffletown for the period of December.

All you to do is to print out the above coupon voucher and present it before one orders a set meal, and you are entitled to purchase a Waffle with Single Scoop Ice Cream at ONLY $2.50 (Usual Price: $3.90)!!! Do not forget that each coupon is only entitled to a single redemption – so please remember to print multiples if the whole group are going down. Other terms and condition applies. Oh and www.hisfoodblog.com is proud to be the official media for this Christmas promotion. Ho ho ho!

#01-02 Balmoral Plaza,
271 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 259708



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Posted by His Food Blog at 11:41 PM 0 Comment(s)

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27 November, 2008

The BEEFY Series Part 9 - Fine Cuts

If you a meat aficionado, you will be delighted to know that besides Astons, there is another value-for-money joint to satisfy your beef cravings. Situated at the basement of The Central, Fine Cuts looks like your usual meat counter that is readily available at any supermarket – showcasing alluring cuts of affordable-priced premium Beef, Pork and Lamb imported from USA and Australia. However, what sets it apart from the rest is their “Pick N Grill” option, where one is able to pick a piece of meat (min. 300gms) and have it served to you with Potato & Green Salad for additional $8.00 above the retail price.

HFB was spoilt for choice, and had problems selecting the meat as every piece was so tempting – it was as though all of them were calling out to him “Pick me, pick me” – especially the USA Kobe Beef Striploin – but sadly the wallet has other ideas.

A little background about their Kobe Beef – it is grown in USA by cross-breeding the Wagyu bulls from Kobe with premium American Black Angus to form a proprietary herd that has developed into one of the finest groups of Wagyu/Angus cross cattle in USA.

Eventually, HFB picked up what he thought was the next best choice – the USA Premium Black Angus Ribeye. At $7.00/100gm, HFB thought it was pretty value-for-money. Over at Fine Cuts, do not expect thick sauces to be drizzled over the meat, but only simple seasoning of Salt and Ground Pepper – however even then HFB thought the pepper was slightly generous.

However, if you are one that really hates a naked piece of steak – they do accompanied your piece of meat with Black Pepper Sauce, which was surprisingly not too bad at all.

The meat was pretty fabulous, it was nicely charred grilled, and succulent with juices. It had what HFB thought was a right balance of tenderness and “beefiness” at the same time. At $30.00 and $33.00, for my friend’s steak, i.e. both pieces of meat weighted slightly more than 300gms, HFB thought it was a pretty good deal.

What’s more to come was when we were told that they were having a promotion, and that for a purchase above $35.00, we were entitled to a free serving of USA Beef/Pork Sausages. We opted for the Pork Sausages, and although it was nicely grilled on the outside, we thought the sausages could be rested a little longer as the natural juices gushed out the moment we took a cut on it. It also wasn’t as meaty as HFB would have liked, but given that it was complimentary HFB couldn’t really complain much.

With no service charge implemented, HFB pretty liked this no frills, unpretentious approach of this joint. And if one liked what you have eaten, you could always pick the uncooked off the counter and bring them home for a feast yourself.

Rating

Food:4.5/5 (Tender yet beefy piece of steak)
Service: 3/5 (Basic service - no service charge)
Ambience: 3/5 (Simple, no frills)
Price: 4/5 ($71.65 for 2)
Total: 14.5/20
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#B1-44/45, The Central
Singapore 059817

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Posted by His Food Blog at 10:20 PM 8 Comment(s)

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24 November, 2008

The BEEFY Series Part 8 - Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow

Which local profession is the best traveled on our little island? Answer: Taxi Driver. And little wonders why they are able to suss out delicious food around our modest city. This particular stall was based on one taxi uncle’s recommendation while I was in his cab. A quick Google search revealed that it has a rating of “Die, die must try!” by Makansutra but interestingly there isn’t a write-up by any local bloggers on it. As such, that made HFB more determined to find out why.

Located along Hougang Street 21 near Kovan MRT station, Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow serves both dry and soup version of beef noodles. For $4.50 for a medium bowl, patrons can have a bowl of beef noodles consisting of mixed ingredients like Beef Balls, Beef Brisket, and Sliced Beef.

HFB finally understood why the stall was rated so highly by the Makan Matas – with a dash of salted vegetables, the soup was VERY intense and fully flavoured. No wonder HFB observed customers kept coming back for refills. What topped the cake was the fact that the beef brisket was devastatingly tender, that it disintegrated the moment one gave it a soft chew.

Although the Kway Teow itself was nothing to shout about, but in HFB’s opinion, Cheng Kee’s soup version was definitely superior to the much over-hyped Hock Lam.

So what about the dry version you might ask – surprisingly it wasn’t half as good as the soup adaptation.

The gravy had a bitter tinge, which HFB suppose comes from herbs used – the aftertaste wasn’t pleasing and HFB would not recommend it especially if one do not take well to herbs.

HFB also tried going back for refills of the soup and was disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as the one that came with the Kway Teow – he noticed that it was scooped from a different pot. Overall, one will never go wrong with the soup version and the beef brisket. Oh, and for your information, the same coffee shop served a pretty mean Rojak as well.

Rating
Food: 3.5/5 (Soup version is fantastic, but the dry version was disappointing though)
Service: 4/5 (Soup refill at no extra cost)
Ambience: 3.5/5 (Spacious Kopitiam)
Price: 3/5 (Pretty pricey but HFB thinks the beef brisket is worth it!)
Total: 14/20
Blk 203, Hougang St 21
Wong Poh Kopitiam
Singapore 530203

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Posted by His Food Blog at 9:43 PM 18 Comment(s)

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19 November, 2008

Wasabi Tei - A HFB's Investigation

“This must be the biggest scam of all time!!!! I have tasted the most horrible Japanese food served in a restaurant. Taste the worst sashimi, sushi & saba fish ever!!!! And it cost me $47!!! I feel cheated by all these who review the good food. To me it’s the worst Japanese food I have ever tried & I will never go back even if it’s free!!!!” - neoscan

“Salmon had blackish orange colour, instead of the usual fresh orange with bright white stripes. Taste it and felt like puking straight away as it had a strong smelly fishy taste. No point serving big slices of stinking fish. I rather have thinner sweet ones at the same price over at Waraku. Saba fish was stale & burnt. Fish had no juice in it. Tasted dry & blunt. Hygiene was a major problem as well. The chef did all the handling of raw fish; slicing fishes, handling rice, pick trays, plates all with minimal washing of his hands right in front of us! That was a big turn off. And to cap it off, I went off with a bad stomachache due to the bad raw fish. What a awful night!” - neoscan

These were the exact comments (after some minor edits) by Neoscan on Wasabi Tei – and you can read it off here. HFB was rather disturbed by it simply because Wasabi Tei is one of the places he goes for his comfort food. So after work one Monday, HFB decided to pop over to find out whether did their standard really dropped? Rushed down to Far East Plaza before 6.30pm and we were lucky to be seated right away. If you haven’t already know, every customers seated on their 16-seater counter are immediately charged $2 – which could be offset with either a can of soft drink, or a cup of hot green tea (refillable). We opted for the latter.

One might also wish to know that you would want to have your order taken at one go or the menu stated one would be charge additional 20% for re-ordering later. The complimentary dish of Braised Seaweed with Beancurd Skin and Chicken soon arrived, and even though HFB frequent this eatery, this simple dish never once failed to tickle his taste buds and prepared him for what it is to come later. Served piping hot with a hint of sweetness in it, the beancurd skin and chicken is braised so tender. HFB has to admit those “black stuff” looks daunting to him in his first few visits (The couple are famous for being a Food Nazi, such that HFB didn’t dare to ask them what it was) until one day he could hold back no longer and found out it was actually seaweed. How silly of him!

Although HFB have to agree that the Hygiene level of the chef isn’t up to mark – he doesn’t wear glove for food preparation – the Sashimi Moriawase ($25.00) was still as good as HFB remembers, and none of those that Neoscan has described. The Salmon Belly was still full of fat and smooth to consume and the Hotate, or Scallops – Oh sooooooo sweet!

The other “must order” is their Chawamushi. Freshly steamed upon ordering, at $5.00 each, HFB considers them a steal!!!

Choked full of Mushrooms that threatened to overflow when one dipped in their metal spoon; one will also discover the treasures of Chicken and thick strands of Vermicelli hidden deep within the smooth silky steamed egg. Oh and how could I forgotten about the Prawn.

The Codfish Claypot ($18.00) has slowly become one of HFB’s favourite since it is another dish that comes boiling hot and generously packed with vegetables – HFB loves his greens!

One thing I love about Wasabi Tei is that the chef really do not restrain on the cut of his fish – sashimi included. Thick slices of codfish provide a satisfying bite, although HFB always do find the soup a tad sweet for his liking.

And as usual, the all time favourite fruit served after every Japanese meal – Watermelon – to round off the satisfying meal.

So after a thorough investigation, HFB concludes that he stood by what he said about the good food served in Wasabi Tei – otherwise you gotta try it to believe it! HFB got to warn you though of the long waiting time.

Rating
Food: 4.5/5 (Soup too sweet for liking, but overall still great)
Service: 2/5 (What service? But no service charge though)
Ambience: 4.5/5 (Cosy but smoky)
Price: 4.5/5 ($57 for two - value for money)
Total: 15.5/20
14 Scotts Road
#05-70 Far East Plazza
Singapore 228213

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Posted by His Food Blog at 12:21 AM 15 Comment(s)

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17 November, 2008

This Cake Makes Me Happy

Doesn't this Gelare Ice Cream Cake makes you happy?


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Posted by His Food Blog at 12:54 AM 11 Comment(s)

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11 November, 2008

泉香鱼口粥 (Quan Xiang Fish Porridge)

What constitutes to a nice bowl of Teochew Fish Porridge? Ask HFB, and he will tell you its “fresh fish, tasty stock and the grains not overcooked” over and over. Started way back in 1966, HFB would dare say 泉香鱼口粥 (Quan Xiang Fish Porridge), now located at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, is one of the best in the west.

With choices of the usual Batang Fish ($3, $5 and $7) and the pricier Red Garoupa ($5, $7 and $10), what one gets is a bowl of piping hot “Cheng” fish porridge, with a minimum dash of fried shallots. HFB opted for the $5 batang option and it gotten him a good 10 or so slices of fish – even if he finds them too thinly sliced for his liking. Fish slices were smooth and fresh without the lingering fishy smell, but HFB did find it frustrating at the lacked of bite.

The soup though was a delight – it was sweet and light on the palate, and it has HFB’s favourite Tang O, or Garland Chrysanthemum added within – definitely a good choice these days for those feeling under the weather.

The grains were excellently cooked to bite – every grain was firm and not mushy – HFB resisted to call it al dente, but that’s what came closest to mind. And of course, a Teochew Fish Porridge experience cannot be completed without the Fermented Bean Sauce as dip.

Overall, it would have been a satisfying experience if not for the measly serving – would probably opt for 2 portions of $3 instead on my next visit.

Rating

Food: 4/5 (Nice piping hot bowl of "cheng" fish porridge)
Service: 3.5/5 (Waited for 15 minutes)
Ambience: 3.5/5 (Food Centre but pretty well-ventilated)
Price: 3/5 (Serving portion could be bigger)
Total: 14/20
116 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#02-146, Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre
Singapore 588172

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Posted by His Food Blog at 11:16 PM 4 Comment(s)

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06 November, 2008

Sik Wai Sin Eating House - Cantonese Tze Char

Notorious for its long history of prostitution, Geylang Road, fronted by low-rise shophouses – protected from urban redevelopment in keeping with its history and heritage – is also famous for the delicious food offerings. And Sik Wai Sin Eating House, once voted Top 50 restaurants in Singapore by the Sunday Times along the likes of Morton’s, Au Jardin, Les Amis, Iggy’s, and Garibaldi, is one of them.

Although located in a dingy tiny coffeeshop, Sik Wai Sin is nothing short of a stalwart in Cantonese-styled Tze Char (literally means “cook and fried” in dialect). In order to bring out the best in each dish, HFB quickly realised that one do not have many choices when it comes to dishes to order – almost every table was eating the same fare!

Stir-fried KaiLan with Garlic was well fried, and wasn’t over-cooked – with stump of the vegetables still retaining crunch. The savoury sauce was flavourful, but dish was oily overall.

One of their signatured dishes, the Homemade Tofu Fried with Giant Prawns, in Egg Sauce was a joy to consume. The tofu was well woked with aroma, and the prawns, lip smacking juicy and crunchy – certainly a brilliant pairing with a bowl of rice.

The Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish certainly brings back the good old memories from my grandparents’ time. A dish, which HFB would claim to be traditional, he reckons not many youngsters nowadays would take to this dish because of the fishy smell (from the salted fish). Although another nice dish to go with the rice, HFB finds that the dish was slightly overcooked and thus, the meat was slightly tough. A pathetic serving of the salted fish, nevertheless any extra and the dish will be too salty for consumption.

The Steamed Fishhead is probably their trademark dish, and it was inevitable that one would find this on almost each and every table. Comes in only one serving size (big that is – we tried asking for small), the humongous fishhead can easily feed a handful of adults. Covered in Bean Paste and Pork Lard, it’s probably the latter that sets it apart from the many other steamed fishhead out there. Rid of the muddy taste of a typical fresh-water fish, the fish is fleshy and tender – so much so that even a non-fishhead eater has plenty of meat to go for. Go with a spread of the bean paste and a piece of lard and “nirvana” is the only word that came close to mind.

The last among all dishes served, the Sweet and Sour Pork wasn’t really worth the wait. Although the pork is nicely coated with an intensely tangy sauce captured via an incredible high heated wok, HFB found the meat a little too tough to chew – probably from over-frying. Since being served last, the meat also gets to one towards the end.

*Prices of dishes are not quoted due to restaurant not producing an itemised receipt. However, HFB did remembered not paying more than $30 per pax for the dinner.

Rating

Food: 4/5 (Lean towards being oily but overall still good)
Service: 3/5 (Waited quite awhile for the last dish)
Ambience: 2.5/5 (Hot and stuffy, place is cramp)
Price: 3.5/5 (Affordable but slightly pricey for tze char's standard)
Total: 13/20
287 Geylang Road
Singapore 389334

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Posted by His Food Blog at 11:19 PM 4 Comment(s)

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03 November, 2008

Ristorante De Parma - Falling in Love with Desserts!!!

Located at the quiet end of a row of shophouses (that also houses Ice3 and Frolick) along Kensington Park Road, Ristorante De Parma has the expressions, "simple and minimalistic" engraved all over, coupled with warm lighting that exudes a sense of soothing comfort for a slow relaxing dinner. However, as weather was cooling that night, we opted for one of the two outdoor tables.

Complimentary bread served with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette although came warm was nothing extraordinary.

Le Zuppe, or soups was Minestrone alla Genovese ($6.90), the classic Italian vegetable soup. There are different variations of minestrone soup – divided into different villages or towns, each customise to regional or seasonal ingredients. And in the traditions of Genoa province, it is distinguished by the generous use of herbs in its preparation, and specifically the addition of Pesto. HFB really loved this soup! A delightful surprise from the usual minestrone that is watered down and tomato-based, their version was intense in flavours from the herbs, yet light on the palate.

A must for all mushroom lovers, the Fungo di Portobello ($14.90), was a huge grilled Portobello mushroom dish garnished with bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes & olives, drizzled with their own house dressing. Every bite of the thick mushroom produced a juice-gushing moment. However, HFB just wasn’t used to the fact that the accompaniments, especially the bell peppers came contrasting cold (although HFB was assured by the staff that that’s the way they served it) and was also pretty disappointed that a rotten leaf of purple lettuce was left unchecked and dished out to us.

Listed as a new item in the menu, the Foie Gras de Canard ($27.90) was pan-fried and topped with Caviar & accompanied North East Atlantic Langoustine & Smoked Salmon. HFB clearly wasn’t impressed with this dish – the duck liver was too dry for his liking, and the langoustine and smoke salmon didn’t add any value to this dish – harshly speaking, it was akin to 3 separate items put scrappily together that didn’t gel at all.

One of their house favourite, the Prosciutto Di Parma con Rucola Pizza ($26.90), is topped with Parma ham sourced directly from Italy and HFB’s personal favourite – Rocket Salad!

Also special request to add shaved Parmesan Cheese as topping was addressed. HFB ranked their version a close second to Da Paolo’s Pizza Bar purely due to the fact that it’s more costly.

What really hit the umami spot were the desserts that night. The Chocolate Fondant ($12.90) oozed yummy molten chocolate when one breaks the exterior crust, and the paired vanilla ice-cream definitely aid to its cause.

Slightly expensive considering the serving portion but definitely worth it if you consider Morton’s charges theirs at $25.00.

One should definitely not leave Ristorante De Parma without giving their signatured Tiramisu ($12.90) a try. Aesthetically well presented with what HFB considered a sizeable portion, it was definitely one of the finest tiramisu HFB had tried. Everything from the sponge, to the Mascarpone cheese and alcohol level was so well balanced that HFB wouldn’t mind dropping by just for it after dinner.

Special mention to the service staffs that HFB reckon was pretty well trained and polite. It was much appreciated unlike one other particular fine dine establishment and their snobbish service attitude.

Rating

Food: 3/5 (High marks for the soup, and dessert, but downgraded for the rotten leaf of veggie)
Service: 4.5/5 (Well-trained and polite)
Ambience: 4/5 (Simple, yet warm and comforting)
Price: 4/5 ($112.64 for 2 is affordable for a nice quiet dinner)
Total: 15.5/20
14B Kensington Park Road,
Serangoon Gardens
Singapore 557265

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Posted by His Food Blog at 12:09 AM 9 Comment(s)

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