Chye Kee Chwee Kueh

I always thought that the best Chwee Kueh in Singapore is located at Tiong Bahru. Never would I imagine it to be located a bustling food market in Macpherson.

The stall is run by an elderly couple whose noble intention is to keep their cost low and affordable to the general public. Unfortunately, their children does not intend to continue the Chwee Kueh business when the parents retire in 2 years time.

The Chwee Kueh and salted turnip garnish is freshly made daily. This Chwee Kueh stall is definitely a winner costs 10 pieces for $2.

Chye Kee Chwee Kueh
Blk 89 Pipit Road
Macpherson 37

Famous Penang Road Teochew Chendol

Found this reccommendation on my iPhone app. Penang Street Food app gave nine reccomendations and at random I chose this stall to fix my Chendol cravings.

From Penang Road, Lebuh Kong Kwee looks congested with people wanting to fix their cravings on Cendol and the many other famous street food that exist here.

Paid 2 Ringgit for a bowl of Cendol. Cendol appears watery but "Lemak" with its generous portion of coconut milk. The green jelly is soft and not hardened by placing them alongside ice shavings. The kidney beans give an alternative soft, chewy texture that blends well with the coconut milk and gula melaka.

It was indeed a satisfying and refreshing desert on a hot sunny day.


Lebuh Kong Kwee (Off Penang Road)
Open: 11:00am - 7:00pm
Close: n/a

Canepa Novisimo Cabernet Savignon 2010

Bright ruby red in appearance. On the nose, its clean medium intensity with aroma characteristics of red cherry, dried plum and raspberry, chocolate. On the palate, off-dry in sweetness, with medium-high acidity. Medium tannin, medium body with fruitty, spice flavour characteristics and finishes long.

This wine pairs excellent with roast red meat especially roast duck. Other pairing includes pastas and creamy cheeses.

Chile has a system of regional DOs (denominations of orgin) in which regions are divided into subregions. The names of these are usually taken from the rivers that flow from the Andes to the Pacific.

Sunshine, fertile soils, a mild moderate climate and meltwater from the Andes combine to create ideal conditions for production of quality Cabernet Sauvignon in Central Valley.

Jose Canepa set sail from Southern Italy in Genoa to apply his entrepreneurial and innovative spirit in making Chilean wine in Central Valley. He claims to be the first winery to use stainless steel tanks and setting a trend for the industry in Chile.

Scallops & Vegetable Stir-Fry Noodles | The Adirondack Chick

Scallops & Vegetable Stir-Fry Noodles The Adirondack Chick

Spaghetti with Vongole

Who says you need expensive ingredients and top range cookware to produce deliciously exciting food?Spaghetti with Vongole should not be a difficult recipe to dish out in our humble kitchen. You do not need top of the range kitchen ware, raw material. The focus here is technique to dish out a flavoursome pasta dish. All you need is spaghetti, generous portion of vongole especially if you them, lots of garlic thinly sliced and of course oilive oil.

Heat up the pan with oil and add the thinly sliced garlic. When you could smell the aroma of the garlic in the kitchen add white wine to taste. Let the white wine burn off for around a minute and add the Vongole and start tossing. Add more white wine during this time and continue to toss the vongole. Be mindful not to lift the pan off the fire during the tossing motion lossing the heat in the process.

Add a knob of butter and continue to toss the vongole. Add freshly chopped basil and freshly grounded pepper to taste. Finally add pre-boiled, drained spaghetti and allow the spaghetti to be infused with the sweet aromatic juices of the vongole with white wine. Pasta now is ready to served on a plate, drizzle extra virgin oil over the spaghetti and garnish with dry basil or parsly to taste.

Voila, now you have a aromatic plate of tasty, delicious Spaghetti Vongole ready to be served.

Vegetarian Pine Tree Cafe 長春橱

Who says that vegetarian food has to be bland and not tasty to the palate? To locate this cafe, all you need to do is to look for the escalator. The cafe is immediately visible on the left at the end of the escalator ride. The first sight to welcome you would be the spread of vegetarian Yong Tau Foo. Since it is vegetarian, the filling shall not be fish paste. The Tau Kua is soft and juicy and bitter gourd not cut to smaller pieces so that the fillings does fall off.

Another dish that we like is chestnut with brown rice. This dish is served with a generous portion of Kai Lan stem sliced and cooked to perfection. A delicious and healthy vegetarian meal.

The wonton noodle is really springing or in our local lingo "Q". Sauce is tasty but you need to give the noodle a good stir with your chopsticks and spoon to enjoy all the goodness of the sauce. In fact, it so good, I almost fogot that it is vegetarian.

Vegetarian Bak Kut Teh was also on the menu and we decided to give it a shot. Soup was tasty and yet not overpowering with herbs. A great soup to drink on its own or to eat with rice. Ingredients include mock meat made with mushroom stems, sweet corn, bean curd skin, black fungus and goji berries or wolf berries.

In general, a vegetarian cafe with a good spread of dishes to appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians wanting to try out a vegetarian meal. Business was good with a steady stream of customers. According to the name card, they have another outlet at Blk 29, #01-52 Bendemeer Road (Hawker Centre), Operating Hours: 6am - 2pm. Rest on Saturday.

190 Middle Road
 #02-13/ #02-09
Fortune Centre
Tel:  9815 4940 / 9681 5457
Operating Hours: 9am - 9pm

Sharpening Your Competitive Advantage in French Wines

“Sharpening Your Competitive Advantage in French Wines” on Sat 29 Oct, 9am – 12pm at Suntec Singapore  in conjunction with Wine For Asia 2011 and Wine Fiesta 2011@WineforAsia.

If you like French wine and want to articulate French wine names and terms correctly with Basic French Phonetics training. Understanding more of the label with the knowledge of French wine terms, French AOC system and its reflection of its geography. Understanding the growth classification of Bordeaux and Burgurdy. This course includes a French Wine Style Mapping Wheel which is your guide to the taste profile of French wines.

This course is particularly relevant to those who deal with French wines, whether to advise on Purchase of French wines or just as a consumer. The course is now open for registration. Only 50 seats are available for open registration, please register on-line at http://www.sp.edu.sg/.

The two speakers are Malcom Tham whose accolade is not limited to Accredited International Bordeaux Wine Educator, Bordeaux Wine School and Fernard Klee who was voted Best Sommelier 1985 for Wines and Spirit of France in Belgium.

Niu Che Shui Famous Glutinous Rice 牛车水著名糯米饭

The owner was once well built and muscular. Through the many years of assiduously working in the kitchen and serving. The stress has taken a toll on his back and now he has a hunch. However he still bounces like a teenager as he serves his glutinous rice to his customers.The glutinous rice served can either be sweet or salted or one could request to have a mixed of sweet and salted. I was also told that many such stalls sprung up after the war as it was considered a daily staple or comfort food.

I was not particularly fond of glutinous rice but my encounteer with Niu Che Shui Famous Glutinous Rice certainly made me return for more...

牛车水著名糯米饭
Niu Che Shui Famous Glutinous Rice
Blk 335 Smith Street
#02-40 Chinatown Complex Food Centre

Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu

The yong tau fu here are freshly made and steamed at the adjacent stall. One could taste the freshness of the fish paste. The tofu presents itself and tender and fresh. The queues are long, but fast moving. Be prepared for a 15-20 minutes wait.

The signature taste comes from the sprinking of ikan bilis on the noodles. This gives cruch and sweetness while one savour the noodles, fresh yong tau fu accompanied with ligh sweet broth.

The chilli sauce adds extra acidity to the noodles and makes the experience more appetizing. The frequent customers here simply pour the chilli sauce next to the noodles to save time. I did the same and loves the kway teow infused with the chilli sauce and it makes an excellent photograph too.

Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu
Blk 335 Smith Street
#02-87/88 Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Opens Daily 5.45am to 3pm

Thye Moh Chan Cake House



Tau Sa Piah (Before Baking)

With the influx of commercialisation and globalisation. Traditional pastry shops face the grim destiny of fierce competition and a tussle for talents to continue the business. Thye Moh Chan which has been in operations for nearly 70 years selling traditional tau sa piah and peanut brittle cakes had succumb to such challenges.

Freshly baked Tau Sa Piah

Another one bite the dust........

Thye Moh Chan Cake House
53 Geylang Lorong 27

中秋節 The Mid-Autumn Festival

The mid-autumn festival which falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar months is a much celebrated chinese festival.

According to a famous chinese fable, the legendary archer Hou Yi and his kind-hearted wife Chang Er were a loving couple. To reward Hou Yi for his heroic deeds, the Goddess of Immortality granted him an elixir that promises eternal youth. One fateful day, the evil Feng Meng slipped into Hou Yi's residences to steal the heavenly elixir. To prevent the elixir from falling into the wrong hands, Chang Er swallowed it and immediately found herseld drifting towards the moon.

The common folks heard of Chang Er's sacrifice and flocked to ask for continued peace, showing their gratitude with sweet pastries and fruits. It is now said that during the mid-autumn festival, when the moon is full and at its brightest, one can see the willowy silhouette of Chang Er - Now the Goddess of the Moon.

The custom of gift exchanging during this festive period has since been observed and mooncakes remain the favoured gift of the season.

咖喱饭 Curry Rice @ Whampoa Drive

This is the curry rice at Whampoa Drive that keeps me wanting to go back for seconds.

The sotong is a must try that is slightly sweet and spicy. It has a firm texture and goes well with the curry rice.

Pork chop is cut to bite size and glazed with tangy gravy cooked with onions.

Lor Bak is not cooked to the point that it melts in your mouth but texture is good. It goes well with the rice and medium acidic curry.

Stewed cabbage with black fungus is a must order. The ingredients especially cabbage is infused with flavours of the gravy.

咖喱饭 Curry Rice
Block 94, #01-13
Whampoa Drive
Whampoa market & Food Centre

Bali Nasi Lemak

Bali Nasi Lemak is located near the end of Geylang Lor 15. The unique menu here includes stir fried petai with sambal, curry chicken and kecap manis chicken. One can also ask for alternative white rice instead of rice cooked with coconut milk for the health conscious.

Sungei Road Laksa 结霜橋叻沙

This is the famous laksa coined "Kek Sng Kio Laksa". The laksa is affordably priced at $2. Visually the laksa is very appealling with bright colours. It taste even better with the light yet "lemak" broth. The way to eat this is to take a spoonful of cockle, thick bee hoon, gravy, bean sprouts and corriander and allow the flavours to dissipate in your palate. Cecilia described the "lemak" flavour as if you are eating love letters.



Sungei Road Laksa



The laksa broth is kept warm on traditional charcoal fired stove, giving the gravy a dintinctive flavour. I have a fellow colleague Adrain that used to stay around this area. Adrain told me that this is a laksa where one bowl is never enough. He usually has two bowls of $2 dollar laksa to satisfy his laksa craving.

Block 27 Jalan Berseh

#01-100 Top 33 Kopitiam

Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm

Closed on 1st and 3rd Wed of the month

Tauge Ayam Kue Tiau (Onn Kee Restaurant) 安記芽菜雞沙河粉

Ipoh is famous for its good food and one of its signature dishes are Ipoh bean sprouts chicken "芽菜雞" , Ipoh bean sprouts chicken consists of chicken meat, assorted chicken innards and bean sprouts boiled in water and served with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Ipoh's bean sprouts are very fat, short and tastier than those produced outside Ipoh; thus, Ipoh's beansprouts also receive orders from other states.

Famous bean sprout chicken noodles like Onn Kee are located at the junctions of Yau Tet Shin Street 姚德勝街 and Osbourne Street.

No. 48/ 51/ 53

Jalan Yau Tet Shin

30300 Ipoh

Perak

No.2 潮州麵 Teochew Noodles (Zion Road)

This is a minced pork noodles cooked teochew style that I have been patronising since my childhood days. This stall used to be located at a corner coffee shop called Loon Seng. Loon Seng Coffee Shop was situated at the junction between River Valley Road and Kellock Road. Now this corner coffee shop is now occupied by Papa Mia.

Noodles are cooked right mixed with sauce from a pot of braised mushrooms. It is then topped up with minced meat, pork ball and garnished with spring onions and tipo fish bits. Soup is served with seaweed.

No.2 潮州麵

#01-02

Riverside Food Centre

70 Zion Road

Bistro @ 896 Dunearn Road

Recently, I was buying plates and cutleries at ToTT Store and chanced upon this bistro tucked at the corner. Tried the Stew Pork with Soy Egg paired with a bowl of French Onion Soup. Not only does it looks good but tastes great too!

Stew Pork with Soy Egg

French Onion Soup

Bistro
896 Dunearn Road
Sime Darby Centre, #01-01A
Singapore 589472

Tel: 65-629-7077

Maison Brotte - Chateauneuf du Pape, La Fiole du Pape

This wine is vinified from the best hand picked grapes. A blend of 80% Grenanche, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah. Syrah gives the structure of the wine and good finishing. It has plenty of character and evokes a hint of spice.

This wine is sold in a misshapen bottle covered in phoeny dust. There are normally 3 or 4 vintages included in the blend and the current version includes the 2006 (about the best blend that Robert Parker said he had tasted of this cuuvee).

The wine reveals classic notes of garrigue, lavender, pepper, earth, sweet kirch, roasted mushroom and meat juices. Already drinking well, it should continue to proovide pleasure over the next 8 years.

Duck, Char Siew Rice

This stall serves excellent roasted meat and attracts a huge crowd during lunch time. This stall is actually next to Hong Kong Gourmet which was earlier featured in my earlier blog.

Their roast meat menu includes roast pork, roast duck and char siew. On top of its menu of roasted meat. It also serves double boiled soup of water crest soup chicken soup should one wish to have a soup to go with the rice. Soup is slightly bland but pairs well with the roast meat and rice.

As you can see from the signboard, the boss is also not very keen in branding his stall except to name it literally Duck, Cha Siew Rice.

Duck, Char Siew Rice

Pioneer Food Village

Pioneer Road

Ng Ah Sio Pork Rib Soup Eating House

This eating house has been on my list of "must visit" for a while now. There were also a couple of time when I went there but it was closed. That made me more determined to want to try the pork ribs at this eating house as i have heard and read many good reviews.

The ribs are tender and soft. Soup is peppery and tasty. Cecilia liked this stall better than Founder's as she find the soup there too sweet. In my opinion, I like the the ribs and soup. We also ordered pork kidney soup  and it taste good.

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup Eating House

208 Rangoon Road
Singapore 218453
Tel: 6291 4537