Chik's Crib: January 2015

30 January 2015

Tai-I-Want! Trip: Day 1

Travel January 30, 2015 2

I've always wanted to go to Taiwan, but I just never really got around to it until now. This always surprises people, because I am just so ling long ching chong. I have an irritating habit of replying in Chinese even though a conversation begins in English. After a few sentences, they invariably switch to Chinese too. Ha!

My trip to Taiwan started off early at 7am, when I reached Changi Airport. There was a couple of hours to kill before our flight took off, so my friends and I sat around the food court.

Tai Wah Pork Noodles, which serves the best ba chor mee I ever had.

I rubbed my eyes to check it's really the Tai Wah I know and love. But as much as I wanted to buy a bowl, it seems like a shame to fill up my stomach right before flying to Taiwan, so I took a rain-check. [Update! My sister tried it and said the noodles here were a far cry from the original.]

When we got onto the plane, I didn't pay much attention to the safety because I thought I have heard 'em all. Which was kind of a mistake. The flight had a lot of turbulence, which was bad news for J, who was slightly afraid of heights. Midway, I was trying to remember: was it a parachute or a life-vest under the seat? It's a valid question. Stop judging me. J was a little too preoccupied to reply. I tried to distract her by sharing my phobia about luggage falling onto my head, which strangely didn't calm her down.

She told me that if there was a fire, she'll feed me to the flame. I countered that my jacket is flame-retardant. Like the owner, but for flames.

In hindsight, I'm sure there are better retorts I could have used. But it seemed to prove my point. I'll call it a draw.

Alice Medrich Cocoa Tuiles

Recipe January 27, 2015 0

Another recipe I wanted to try ever since I had my first tuile at Chez Dre, I finally got around to doing it. I took a bite of the finished product from this Alice Medrich recipe and I had no regrets about making it.

Okay, I did have one. I halved the recipe because I wasn't sure how it would turn out, and now I'm wishing I made the full recipe instead. This cookie is delicious, with a deep, intense chocolate flavour. (Like all of her chocolate recipes.) When completely cooled, it shatters into shards when you bite into it.

It was really easy to make: I was done mixing all the ingredients in 10 minutes. This is the first cookie recipe that I made that I've been really impressed by.

Llao llao

Review January 26, 2015 0

Could it be? I don't usually fangirl over ice cream places. The frozen yogurt chains in Singapore all sound the same to me, such is my indifference. But I'm really excited about llao llao (pronounced yao-yao), a frozen yogurt store that hails from Spain. Maybe it's the hype getting to me, but it is indeed, one of the most impressive frozen yogurt I have ever had. When I walked out of NUH clutching a cup of frozen yogurt with its tell-tale green, oversized spoon (they have a few branches, mostly around the west and central Singapore), a girl grabbed her friend's arm and exclaimed excitedly "llao llao!" And that's when I knew llao llao has arrived.

It also happened to be my 3rd trip in four days. But hey, who's counting?

Imperial Treasure

Singapore January 23, 2015 0

There are quite a few dim sum places dotting the food landscape of Melbourne, including a rather good one a few minutes drive away from where I stay. But they pale in comparison to the ones in Singapore, and every time I return, I book an emergency session with my family for dim sum, pronto.

Imperial Treasure at Jem Shopping mall.

One of my favourite haunts is Imperial Treasure, which serves some of the finest dim sum in Singapore. Miss XS tells me the branch at Ion Orchard is the best, but generally, all branches have a consistently high standard.

The porridge at Imperial Treasure is so smooth and the rice is so fine, it's almost like they blend 'em. As a matter of fact, I'm going to stick the porridge that I make in the future into a blender, to see whether it really improves the porridge's texture. The plain porridge, which goes for $1.80, is a steal.

Parrozzo (Almond Cake) Recipe

Recipe January 22, 2015 0

Parrozzo is an traditional Italian cake in Abruzzo, a region on the East coast of Italy. It's made with ground almond and semolina flour, which gives it a rustic texture. It's traditionally made in a dome-shape and glazed with chocolate and is served during the Christmas season. It's a long way off to Christmas, but I will not be deterred...

I halved the recipe and couldn't find a suitable bowl to bake it in, so I wounded up using a heart-shaped pan. I was still planning to glaze the cake in chocolate, but my chocolate seized. It could be due to a number of reasons: I was using a skillet instead of a saucepan for the water-bath; I was using milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate; I used a wooden spatula, which is frowned upon because they may contain residual water or oil between the wood fibres. I didn't feel like making another batch of chocolate, so I just left it at that, and did a simple dusting with confectionery sugar. Don't be like me.

But on the bright side, I ate up the seized chocolate, and the grainy texture was strongly reminiscent of Cadbury's Bubbly range. Methinks I found their secret recipe. Could it really be easy?

Parrazzo

Serves 6

Original recipe from Dolci: Italy's Sweets by Francine Segan.

(I halved the recipe below when I made mine, and baked it on a heart-shaped pan instead. The baking time was reduced from 50 minutes to 20 minutes.)

Ingredients:
140g blanched almond (finely grounded), or almond flour
100g semolina flour
Pinch of salt
55g butter, softened
150g sugar
4 eggs, separated
Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
Flour, for dusting the cake pan
70g Dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 155 degree Celcius. Butter and flour an ovenproof dome-shaped bowl, about 720ml in volume and 6 inches in diameter.

If using whole/sliced almonds, grind the almonds to a fine powder in a food processor. Add a couple of tablespoon of semolina flour when grinding the almond to soak up almond oil released during grinding.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Using a spatula, stir in the semolina and almond flours, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter and salt until well-combined. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites to very stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter and pour the mixture into prepared bowl for baking. Bake for about 50 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, or in a microwave. Spread the chocolate over the cooled cake and let the chocolate set before serving.

20 January 2015

Power Nasi Lemak (Boon Lay)

Singapore January 20, 2015 0

In Australia, 12am is bedtime. In Singapore, 12am is just about time for supper, whether it be nasi lemak, a mountain of fries and nuggets from McDonald's or butter pratas from The Roti Prata House.

Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak is consistently rated as one of the best nasi lemak in Singapore, and it has become one of my holiday tradition to drive there for supper. It operates from 5pm-2am. We usually go about midnight. And people wonder why I get even less sleep during the holidays in Singapore. But in my defense, it's not just me. Midnight suppers are ingrained into our Singaporean foodie culture. Every single time we go, we rub shoulders with office folks who just got off the late shift. So it was a bit of a shock when I first moved to Melbourne, where everything closes by 6pm.

Even though Hungrygowhere says it opens only in the evening, it was operating when we passed by recently on a Sunday morning, and true to its reputation, there was a queue snaking from the front of the store. It honestly doesn't matter whether you're there at 10am or 1am. There is always a queue.

The front of the store, displaying certificates of just about every food award in Singapore.

For suppers, the service was brisk and efficient, but with a hi-bye transactional feel. On my recent morning trip however, they were much warmer, and the Malay servers even took the time to crack jokes and impress us with their excellent Chinese.

We had the Nasi Lemak Chicken Set ($3), and ordered an additional Fish Fillet ($1.20).

The sambal chili was excellent, and the chicken wings had perfectly crisped skin. I should have copied the lady before me, who got half a dozen extra chicken wings with her order. The fish fillet was cold and soft though , which was contrast to my midnight experiences, when the stall enjoyed a much larger crowd. It is a halal store, so don't do what somebody here did, and ask for luncheon meat. Twice.

Must-Try:
Chicken wings. Get more.

Department of Caffeine

Review January 20, 2015 0

[UPDATE: DOC is closed down as of 2016]

When Miss XS told me she wanted to try the waffles at DOC, I wrinkled my nose. I was never a fan of waffles. Even when I share one, it was just too filling. I gave a non-committal mm-hmm and filed it in my mind as a distant 'maybe'. Because I can never be right, I enjoyed the waffle the most out of everybody there when we finally went.

We had the Valrhona Chocolate Waffles with Butter Rum Bananas, Vanilla ice cream and Crispy Royaltine ($22).

Department of Caffeine

Review January 20, 2015 0

We had the Valrhona Chocolate Waffles with Butter Rum Bananas, Vanilla ice cream and Crispy Royaltine ($22).

Full of Crab

Singapore January 18, 2015 0

Full of Crab and I was love at first bite. And we did not stop until we were indeed full of crabs. And prawns. And crayfish. With seafood as fresh (and delicious!) as the ones served up to our table at Full of Crab, how can we pause?

The sea-theme of this restaurant, with puns scribbled all over every nook and cranny of the restaurant.

Nakhon Kitchen

Thai food January 18, 2015 0

Nakhon Kitchen is a Thai place in Singapore that Miss XS insisted I have to try. She said the food was comparable to Jinda Thai, Melbourne's current 'it' Thai restaurant (and my favourite restaurant in my lil' Melbourne-Singapore sphere). But the original store at Hougang was a little out-of-the-way, and I bidded my time until Nakhon opened a branch at Pasir Panjang.

It made a great first impression: the place was clean, bright, and nicely-decorated. There was no air-conditioning (think Aston Express in kopitiams), but powerful fans kept the heat at bay.

I started with a Thai Iced Lemongrass ($3), which was insanely refreshing. I'm addicted to it, but I've never been able to find it in any of Melbourne's Thai restaurants, and their Thai staff always give me a most perplexed look when I ask them about it. The paranoid cynic in me is starting to suspect it's a drink made for stupid tourists like me, and no self-respecting local would even touch it. But I'm its biggest fan, and I'll follow it 'round 'til it loves me. Lemon, Lemongrass Tea. So there. The bottle of Singha Beer goes for $6, and is most definitely legit-ly Thai.

The Tiny Roaster

Singapore January 17, 2015 0

From the Classical style through the Gothic and the Rococo period, architecture has come a long way. The 21st century is probably the Hipster Period, because everywhere I look, from Melbourne to Singapore, I see restaurant designs which sets my hipsters-alarm a-tinkling. There will be large communal tables (invariably wooden), dangling lightbulbs, inspiring messages and whimsical paintings. Frankly, I love everything about it, and could spend ages walking around the interior of those restaurants. Except I'll probably get in the way of the staff who'll probably tell me to get my ass back to my seat. So I just sit forlornly at the table and crane my neck around and around. Hipsters and I have a love-hate relationship.

A sure sign that the hipster design is catching on is when I see eateries around my place with such a design. And The Tiny Roaster, a dedicated coffee joint that sprung up in my old neighbourhood 10 minutes away from West Coast Plaza, was a sure sign that the Age is upon us all.

When I walked in, the scent of freshly roasted coffee was so strong, I knew we were in for a treat. For a joint that is self-described as 'Tiny', it sure packs a wallop and has rightly earned a place in my heart. So serious they are about their coffee that they serve no food here. If you're looking for a muffin or a slice of cheesecake, you're in the wrong place. This is for hard-core coffee lovers only.

Dinner at Timbre @ The Substation

Western Food January 16, 2015 0

Whew. Whatever virus or bacteria it was, it really did a number on me. It's been close to three weeks since I reached Singapore, and I spent most of the days blowing my nose and coughing. And avoiding all kinds of food on account of my sore throat. Well, the last part is kind of true. I hold off my impulses until I get almost well, and decided to indulge in a chocolate cake or a plate of nasi lemak or durian ice cream or yuan yang. And then I'll be back again at square one. There's a psychological experiment that concluded with how children with good self-control can translate into later-life successes, and the results don't seem to bode well for me.

But finally after the third week, and with a dose of antibiotics to cover all possibilities, I finally do feel better. And just in time for a friend's birthday too, which we celebrated with dinner and drinks at Timbre.

(Although, I did missed out on a lobster roll dinner at Clifford Pier with some of my friends the week before... But we can't win them all.)

About 4 plus in the evening, we made our way towards Dhoby Ghaut station. There was a slight detour because all the construction in the area, but we finally found the entrance to Timbre via an unassuming alley between the Peranakan Museum and the Substation. I am horrible at directions and can get lost anywhere even on campus. But on the bright side, I am kick-ass at using Google Maps.

Supper at Tim Ho Wan (Kallang)

Singapore January 14, 2015 0

One thing I like about Singapore is how late the restaurants stay open. From prata to nasi lemak, there is no shortage of options for a supper. Like say, at 2am. And now we can add dim sum to the growing list, with Tim Ho Wan offering a new menu from 10pm-7am.

Miss XS's friend brought us there. I may have said it once or twice or two thousand times, but I'm in danger of losing my Singapore citizenship because I'm not at all in tune with the restaurants in Singapore. Heck, I've never been to Tim Ho Wan before this, despite being a big dim sum fan. Mostly because of the 2 hours queue, and I've never been one patient enough to wait in line. and we decided to go there to try the food, but mostly to see how popular Tim Ho Wan will be with the midnight crowd. We already had a heavy dinner at home, so yes, we were more kaypoh (nosy) than hungry.

We got there at 10pm, and there were a couple of people waiting in line. After we join the queue, minutes later, we were shocked to see a long queue of at least 20 people behind us. Guess now we know.

Mexican Cantina

Western Food January 13, 2015 0

I don't know why, but I often go to Mexican Cantina around the exam period. Perhaps it's the holy trinity of carbs, meat and alcohol. Or the fact that there is cheese pooling over every dish. Or the fact that it's a mere 12 minutes drive from my campus at Clayton. Anyhoo, it ticks every check on my box, and whenever my schedule starts heating up, I invariably find myself seated at Mexican Cantina.

On my recent visit with my family, the five of us ordered a litre of Sangria ($20.95) to share, which I thought was just right. But given that one was the designated driver, one abstained from alcohol, and another was taking medication, 1L suddenly seemed like a lot for two. It was cold and refreshing, but try as we might, and with our grandma eyeing our every sip, we left the remainder undrunk.

The best dish was Our Original Nacho's (small: $19.95, regular: $23.95, large:$27.95). What's not to like about hot, fresh, crunchy nacho chips, served with an abundance of guacamole, cheese, tomato and sour cream? Their version was some of the best nacho's I ever had and I couldn't get enough of it. Even Miss XS, who hates nachos with a passion, loved it.

South Melbourne Market

Western Food January 12, 2015 0

My first impression of South Melbourne Market is very positive. The aisles are much wider than Queen Vic Market, and there is a sense of orderliness and cleanliness.

And of course, the cheese. I finally found a place that stocks my long-sought after Brie de Meaux.

Padre Coffee has a presence here. They have excellent coffee beans that you can buy to make your own brew with, and you can read more about them here.

I have found my favourite fruit stall in the world: one that comes well-equipped with an industrial orange juicer that is manned by two affable men. I grabbed an empty 2L can, and asked if they fill it for me on the spot. They obliged, and started feeding oranges into the machine. It was pretty impressive, and I (almost!) wanted to ask if I could have a turn.

Yarra Valley Road Trip Part 2

Western Food January 11, 2015 0

Yarra Valley hosts a number of Farmer's Markets, and I was fortunate enough on my first visit a few months back to chance upon one. They had a lot of gorgeous things on sale.

There are a number of stores selling food too.

For more information on when farmer's markets are available, check here and here.

Yarra Valley Road Trip Part 1

Western Food January 10, 2015 0

Yarra Valley is another popular location to make a road trip to when you're in Melbourne. Luckily for us, it's a place that can be covered in a day's trip. Some of Melbourne's wineries, chocolatiers and cheese farms can be found there and it's worth a visit when you're craving a change of scenery.

The ride there was a snooze; thank god for highways. As we exited the highway, we passed by Coldstream Brewery. Since everyone could use a break, and because someone needed a toilet, we pulled up a for a pit stop.

It wasn't a microbrewery, like I thought it would be. It was, however, a pretty chill place on a lazy Wednesday morning, and there was plenty of space for everyone.

We had a Coldstream Pale Ale, since we're using the restroom and all. I thought pale ales would be light, but this was as bitter as any dark ales I had tried. Damnit Calvin, should have stuck with the apple ciders.

We reached Yarra Valley around lunchtime, so we promptly went straight for Innocent Bystander.

Huff Bagelry

Western Food January 09, 2015 0

A few stores down from Mrs Kim's Grill is Huff Bagelry. It's one of my favourite brunch places in Melbourne, and I can't wait to go back and get re-acquainted with it soon.

The last time we went, I ordered a mocha. I couldn't remember much about it, which naturally means the coffee was good. (In Melbourne, the coffee standard is generally excellent, and the ones that stand out in my memories are either really exceptional, or those really horrigible terrigible ones). My friends ordered a Matcha Latte, which they loved.

Summer Brekky ($8.50) is my favourite bagel order, with the heavenly pairing of ham, cheese, hollaindaise sauce and avocado. I didn't even like hollaindaise sauce before this. (I even had to look up how to spell it. Twice. Give me an medal y'all.)

Autumn Brekky ($9) is another order that we love, and I had it a couple of times before (usually because I mixed it up with Summer Brekky). It's delicious in its own right.

Green Tea Latte, left

And can we stop for a minute to talk about how gorgeous poppy seed bagels are? Cause they are. I don't know why they're not available in Singapore, because I could just eat them all day. Do you know that eating a dozen poppy seed bagels can get you high? True story. Although, as delicious as the bagels are, I don't think I can eat a dozen in one sitting.

On another trip, I had a bite of my friend's #10 Tuna Pattie, cheese, yellow pickles and rocket ($8.50), and it was pretty decent, if a little unremarkable.

I usually also order a couple of bagels to go (poppy seeds of course) - $1. Their Cinnamon and Raisin ($1) also piqued my interest. I tried their Blueberry Bagel ($1) but I couldn't taste any blueberries.

Must-Try:

Summer Brekky with Poppy Seed Bagel

The menu can be found here and here on Urbanspoon

07 January 2015

Queen Vic Market

Melbourne Restaurants January 07, 2015 0

I'm almost ashamed to say that I spent my first year in Melbourne, as well as most of my second, without visiting any of Melbourne's famous markets. My schoolwork takes up a great deal of time yes, but looking at all the other people who are juggling multiple extra-curriculum activities or work commitments, I'm sure I can do better in my study-life balance. Going to another continent to study should be filled with new experiences, exploration and fun. So my New Year's Resolution, for the second year in a row, is to play more. At the end of my five years, when people ask me what I have done in Australia, I want to be able to say something more than "Oh you know, I go to school on the weekdays... study on the weekends... I sometimes go groceries shopping after school... and I stay home and cook for myself... (indistinct mumblings)..." As my syllable preaches constantly, all work and no play makes Calvin a burnt-out boy. And no one wants to be around a grouchier-than-normal version of me.

Queen Victoria Market is located in the Northern area of Melbourne just off the city boundaries, and is easily accessible by both train and by car (Look for free 2-hour parking just slightly beyond the paid parking area!). Queen Vic market also has a huge tourist presence and have stores that cater to tourists looking for memorabilia, and you can find anything from boomerangs to 'I heart Melbourne' shirts. Over the last couple of months, I have brought quite a few number of people to Queen Vic and chalked up a number of hours walking up and down the aisles. There was a store selling vintage clocks, and I badly wanted one.

Brighton Beach and The Royale Brothers

Western Food January 06, 2015 0

A trip to Melbourne is incomplete without going to Brighton Beach. When I first went, I didn't see the appeal of the beach, but after going several more times, I'm starting to see its charms.

The first time I went to Brighton Beach, we made a pitstop at Chadstone en route to the beach, and bought sushi and my favourite beef hor fun to picnic. It was in the middle of winter when we went, and the crazy, chilly Melbourne wind was working double-time up and down along the coastline. And I've learnt that there are a few things more precious than a beach front view, namely warmth. Although the sight of a few seagulls looking miserable and flapping morosely against the sea gusts was rather precious to watch as well.

Because the seagulls just looked so cold and hungry, we wanted to feed them the remainder of our meal. But it was a dicey option, considering that we just learnt the month before that Mad Cow Disease came about because farm cows were fed sheep b rain matter. So in the interest of human kind, we did the gracious thing, and let the sea gulls go hungry.

As we huddled together in the cold, we started thinking about what we could feed the seagulls. My second plan involving seagulls, as well as a copious amount of laxatives, was briefly entertained. But then, like any mature adults, we reasoned that the car-owners of Brighton didn't really do us any injustice. And if we were to supplement the diet of any birds, there are a few other areas where we would start first. So I guess what I'm trying to say is if you piss me off, watch out even if you're not in Brighton.

30 January 2015

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26 January 2015

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22 January 2015

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