Chik's Crib: 2016

28 December 2016

Tas-Mania Things to do in Coles Bay

Travel December 28, 2016 0

Coles Bay is a pretty far drive, though the beachfront apartment makes the long drive worthwhile. You'll be bashing through the country roads for quite a bit, and what I mistook for the sound of raindrops was in fact bugs splattering against the car at 100km/h.

Word of warning: Coles Bay is very rural. Don't count on things like having wi-fi or 4G reception. The nearest supermarket is a 30 minutes drive away at 100km/h, and has a small, expensive and frankly dodgy selection of meat (Some have expired 5 months ago). If cooking for yourself here, it's a good idea to plan your meals and to stock up on groceries while in Hobart.

Devil's Corner

Tas-Mania: Things to do in Hobart (Part 2)

Travel December 15, 2016 0

Didn't expect there to be a part 2, did you? Neither did I. I'm surprised by how much there is to do in Tasmania...

Richmond

A town of just 880, it is about half an hour north of Hobart. The hilly region comprises of several cheesemakers, wine-producers, chocolatiers and ice-creamery, all concentrated in one tidy region. Once in the area, each attraction is within 10 minutes of one another. It's an easy detour if you're heading to Port Arthur's attractions, and frankly, I enjoyed my time at Richmond more.

Wicked Cheese Co

Website

Opens daily, 10am - 4.30pm

Raindrop Cake Recipe

Recipe December 08, 2016 2

Yes.

It's a glorified jelly.

But calling it a cake makes it that much more fun. The essence of this recipe is adding a big pinch of agar agar powder to 250ml of water and let simmer for a minute, and let set in the refrigerator. And presto! A colorless, flavorless jelly that crumbles water-like in your mouth.

Tas-Mania: Things to do in Hobart (Part 1)

Travel December 04, 2016 0

Booya! Our final exams ended 18 hours ago, but already, life on campus already seemed like a distant memory. Did I really spend the last 6 months studying close to 12 hours a day? I can't imagine sitting still at my table for one more moment. We took a 50 minutes flight to Tasmania the very next day. Virgin offers a competitive rate, and came with 20kg of check-in luggage.

Pro-tip! There are travel brochures around the airport. As you exit the plane, keep a lookout for these brochures, which advertise the different markets and local producers of Tasmania. You can also pick up a map of the city of Hobart.

Our car rental from Hertz was waiting at the airport. We snagged a Holden Trailblazer, a 7-seater, 4 wheel drive behemoth. It was massive. Baring the occasional logging truck, we dwarfed every other vehicle on the roads. It was just right for the five of us. (We carry an impressive amount of baggage.) We initially requested the RAV-4, but the Trailblazer, with its insanely powerful, Diesel-running engine and rear view camera, was an upgrade. I was never one to shy away from cracking a Holden joke - "how do you halve the value of a Holden?" "Drain all the petrol out of the tank" - but I'm impressed at the comfort of this car.

Pic by R

Sing Hon Loong Bakery

Review November 15, 2016 0

At first, I wasn't at all excited when R told us there was an Asian bakery around Whampoa Food Centre. After all, Polish Rye Bakery had already set the standard so high with its gorgeous rustic loaves of bread (and for such a good price too!). But since we are already in the area, I thought it'll be a shame not to visit.

I'm glad we did! There is a joy of that comes from discovering something unexpectedly magical. Sometimes it's checking out a local coffee shop right in the heartlands. Or something as simple as a well-made plum torte, and the smell of spices mingling with the baked plums and the buttery dough waffling out of the oven throughout the room.

Introduction to Chinese Desserts: Red Bean, Green Bean and Mung Bean (Yellow Bean) Soup Recipes

Recipe September 01, 2016 0

It's wonderful how a simple bowl of a traditional Chinese dessert can lift up one's spirits, especially during the cold winter months when the wind is howling outside.

I'm no expert at making desserts, especially Asian desserts, but these were easy as pea to cook. There isn't really much to it, and the 'recipes' here are more of a guideline. The instructions are quite forgiving, and can be adjusted easily to suit your taste. If you like it thinner, add more water. If you like the beans mushier, leave it boiling on the stove for a longer period of time while you engage in a more pleasant hobby (say, tinkering around your blog). I experimented with an electric hot plate, which cooks faster than a traditional flame stove.

Kluska

Review August 26, 2016 0

Is there a culture that you cannot find in Dandenong? Dandenong Pavillion serves some of the most delicious burgers I've had. One of the best meal I've had in Melbourne was from Afghan Rahimi. Ethiopian food can be found at Gibe African Restaurant, and right across the street is Polish Rye Bakery which is worth every praise online. If you hanker for Middle Eastern pastries and Lebanese pizzas, A1 Bakery has your back and is just a short walk down. (Asian food is a little underrepresented from my list, but I didn't come all the way from home to eat Chinese food. People praise Singapore for being a cultural melting pot, but exotic cuisines in Singapore usually command a hefty price tag...)

Bonus tip!: Dandenong plaza has complimentary 5-hour parking and is walkable to Polish Rye Bakery, Kluska and A1.

So when the Polish midwife who I was shadowing recommended Kluska to me, I just had to visit. Walking into Kluska feels like entering someone's home; the restaurant retained the floor-plan of a house, and everything from the curtains to the little doilies on the tables feel homey.

Pierogi are traditional Polish dumplings filled with a variety of stuffing. A main course of pierogi here has 10 dumplings, while each entree ($8.50) is half the price and has 5. We bantered with the waitress and she gave us several personal recommendations (she really didn't like the chicken or the buckwheat with cottage cheese fillings.) The potato and cheese was on-point: the filling was creamy and smooth and was absolutely gorgeous. The beef was decent, and I liked that they used shredded beef and not minced beef. The cabbage had a sour and pickled taste, which my table-mate was quite fond of. We were so impressed, we ordered another round.

O'town

Restaurants in Melbourne August 18, 2016 0

I got into a pleasant conversation when I ran into a Singaporean expat from a while back. Having been in Melbourne for a much longer time than I, he's been around the block quite a few times. I wrangled a list of restaurant recommendations from him (and passed on my favourite Middle Eastern restaurant in exchange).

One of his favourite Singaporean restaurant is O'town, and I could see why: the ambiance made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Nothing against Pappa Rich or Petaling Street, but their service and layout seem more impersonal in comparison. Coming to O'town feels like going home. It wasn't overly crowded with hoards of people to squeeze through or new arrivals waiting for you to finish up and leave, but had the just-right amount of people to create a pleasant din of conversation around you. We reached 15 minutes to 8pm, and there was no difficulty finding seats. The service was really efficient as well. We were seated and served in 10 mins

The Fried Octopus ($9) was delicious! It seemed a little soggy when I picked it up, but the texture was fresh and crunchy. For $9, there was plentiful to go around.

Wanton Mee with Cha Siew ($10) was decent. It was average in taste, but the portion was large and plentiful. I almost couldn't finish. Almost. The noodles were decent, but the cha siew was unremarkable. You could probably get better results with a bottle of Lee Kum Kee sauce and pork neck.

We shared a bowl of chendol ($7.50). This one we didn't finish: the shaved ice was too coarse.

The Verdict
The portions were very generous, especially for the price. It's a decent choice for Singaporean food; the food tastes like home and it's a cozy place to linger and chat. We left feeling satisfied and happy and we will be back to try other dishes. (I hear the Dark Sauce Wanton and Ipoh kwey Tiao with chicken is great.)

Must-try
Fried Octopus

12 August 2016

Domino's Pizza

Melbourne Restaurants August 12, 2016 0

I can't believe the price of Domino's here. A whole pizza for $5? What sorcery is this! I should eat pizzas more often.

As long as you walk in before 9pm, pizzas are $5 each. N and I split the the Americano ($5). Because my metabolism is not what it once were, four slices each was filling enough. Another pizza, and I would have been completely stuffed. The topping was sparse, but at this price, we could hardly complain about it being a bad deal.

Because pizza always go with coke, I added on two sides ($6): a large coke and fries. I was expecting crispy fries, but they turned out to be oven-baked. Sitting packed in a little container did little to improve its texture, and oven-baked fries is always disappointing. They taste one rung above boiled potatoes. Sell wedges instead next time, and I'll be one happy camper. Please?

05 August 2016

Chokolait

Review August 05, 2016 0

Is Chokolait in the area where White Tomato is? Hm. No? We're still going anyway. I don't go to the city often, and since I'm already there, I might as well tick all the boxes.

With N constantly telling me that their Pavlova ($12.95) is the best that she's had, I entered with a great deal of expectation. It looks amazing, and tasted pretty good as well. I appreciated how the sweetness in the meringue here is more moderated, unlike Hopetoun Tea Room's.

White Tomato

Review July 29, 2016 0

Based on a friend's raving recommendation, White Tomato landed a spot on my "Restaurants-to-go-to" list. Contrary to my initial impression, White Tomato is not a brunch location, but a Korean BBQ restaurant that has made a name for itself in the city.

I'm a big fan of eating Korean BBQ for lunch because that's when restaurants are far less crowded. Plus, the natural light makes the food photography turn out better in spite of my sub-par skills. We had the 3 Pork and Chicken Set ($45.90), and chose Chilli Pork Belly, Soy Pork Scotch, and Pork Belly.

Singapore Kampong Restaurant

Singaporean food July 22, 2016 0

Studying in Melbourne over the last four years, I rarely eat Singaporean-style food here. Sure, I occasionally patronise Petaling Street or Papa Rich if my friends are going, and I go crazy over the stir-fry beef hor fun from Nudle (Chadstone). But for the most part, I get my Singaporean food fix when I go back over the holidays, where I can indulge in my Singaporean food cravings from renowned hawkers at a fraction of the prices here in Melbourne.

But unlike me, a certain sad boy hasn't been back to Singapore in 4 years and counting. In the spirit of brotherhood, S and I visited the newly-opened Singapore Kampong Restaurant in Clayton.

Waya

Review July 14, 2016 0

Waya is one of those restaurant in Glen Waverley that enjoys a perpetual crowd around meal-time. My first visit was with Miss XS in 2014, and since then, I've been a faithful (if sporadic) customer. My last visit was actually a few months ago, when a group of us went after a Degas Exhibition.

My favourite dish here is their Crab Cream Croquette ($7). It's my die-die-must-order dish whenever I come. Think crispy breaded exterior, with a rich, creamy, piping-hot crab mix interior. They used to have 4 croquette per order, but has now scaled it down to 3. :(

For this visit, I had the Beef Curry Don ($11.50). It's well-flavoured, with more than just a tinge of spiciness. I like it, even though I was gulping water down. The portion size was great as well. I almost couldn't finish. Almost.

Another dish I love is the Waya Maki ($12.50). Salmon, tobiko and avocado? Sold.

R and J shared the Salmon Sashimi (6 for $6), which I didn't try, but they mentioned that it was fresh. R also had the Unagi Bento ($15.80), and they were pretty impressed with it. Guess I found something for me to order next time I come.

I wasn't a big fan of their Katsu Don (Pork Cutlet with rice - $12.50) on my last visit, but that's more to due with the rice, which was too dry for my liking. I remember their fried pork cutlet then was good. I must say, Waya does their fried food well. J had the Tonkatsu ($7), and it was perfectly fried without coming across as oily or unhealthy - the mark of a good Japanese chef.

Tonkatsu

Just in the interest of keeping my review complete, I also had the Chahan (fried rice - $9.50) on another past visit. Like the Katsu Don (below), Chahan also had a thumbs up sign, but it was a disappointment when I tried it. The rice was too moist and was clumped together, and was pretty tasteless. I'll stick to their other main courses when I return.

07 July 2016

Kang Na Roo

Restaurants in Melbourne July 07, 2016 0

Kang Na Roo is a restaurant just round the corner from Hudadak, a local mom-and-pop shop that serves delicious Korean Fried Chicken. I see Kang Na Roo whenever I head into Clayton, but I'm a creature of habit who gets my Korean fix at Hudadak and Hodori Korean Garden. There was never much reason for me to step into Kang Na Roo, until, well, a couple of friends recommended their hot pot really really highly.

We had the Gam Ja Tang (L - $48), a pork marrow stew loaded with potato, carrots, mushrooms and pork. It was large enough to feed 4-5 people. The soup wasn't overly spicy. Perfect for me. The soup is so fragrant, I could see myself living on just the soup, some potatoes, and a bowl of rice day after day.

The hot pot took a while to cook, and we loaded up on their Seafood Pancake ($16.50). It was done well, with crispy edges that went well with the sauce.

One thing I can never get sick of is the Glazed Sweet Potato side dish that is a common fixture in Korean restaurants. The ones here are great. Kimch-whassit? It's all yours. I'll have another bite of sweet potato.

On another visit, I had the Beef Bulgogi ($14.50), and my friend had the Beef Spare Ribs ($18). The beef spare ribs was more flavourful, but it's a little bothersome to have to eat around the bones. (That's how lazy we are.) I prefer mine: put into mouth, chew, swallow, repeat. Easy.

Warning! Kang Na Roo do get crowded during lunch and dinner times, so call ahead for a reservation. They'll hold your table up to 15 minutes. Understandably, they do get a little huffy if you don't show up on time.

01 July 2016

A1 Bakery

Review July 01, 2016 0

I found this gem of a Middle Eastern bakery a couple of months ago, just around the corner from Polish Rye Bakery. Hardly a day goes by without me thinking about coming back. I was confused as heck when I first tried ordering from their pastry section, but now I'm starting to wrap my head around their system. There are two ways of buying: per piece (about $1.50 per piece), or by weight (which is much cheaper!).

Afghan Rahimi Restaurant

Review June 24, 2016 0

Afghan Rahimi Restaurant is my our new favourite Middle Eastern restaurant. Because of my strong recommendations, N came for the first time to celebrate a mutual friend's birthday. N was so impressed, she demanded to come back in a couple of months' time for her birthday. The restaurant is usually occupied but not crowded, which is a pity because they serve up some of the most amazing meals I have ever had. Together with the warm service and the generosity of the owner, this is one restaurant that truly deserves to be more well-known. Dandenong can be a little dodgy at night, but with street-side parking directly in front of the restaurant, there's no reason not to visit.

We always get the Banquet, which lets you try a good number of variety of dishes and has free-flow rice and naan. The banquet is $35/pax, but I walked away each and every time feeling absolutely stuffed and happy as a clam.

Polish Rye Bakery

Restaurants in Melbourne June 17, 2016 0

Well.

Hello there.

Welcome to my new favorite bakery in town.

My old favorite is a bit run down - there's no place to sit, there's always a crowd of people walking by and the service is pretty cold. This one however has just the right mix of proportion - there are tables to sit and chat, and pleasant store assistants who are delighted you sample their traditional polish recipes and are pleased to introduce all their house-baked pasties to you. (Pro-tip: come at a off-peak period!) And best of all, there's always people popping in through the door and leaving just as quickly clutching their gorgeous bread, so you know their loaves haven't been sitting around for days.

Ah Chew Desserts (Bugis)

Singaporean food June 10, 2016 0

My favourite-est place for traditional Chinese dessert. It's not the most accessible place, but I drop by every once in a while whenever I'm in the area (and drag a couple of long-suffering friends with me as I go.)

Chocolate Beet Cake with Strawberry Sauce Recipe

Desserts June 03, 2016 0

So, I finally got around to making a beet cake. It sure ain't easy trying to gather up the ingredients, and I made a trip to Dandenong Market just to get my hands on some beets.

One thing I learnt: beet STAINS. A lot. My formerly white blinds is now stained with flecks of purple, but hopefully, my landlord doesn't read my blog.

If you are reading this right now though: *I swear* the blinds was like that already when I moved in.

Chocolate Sherbet Recipe

Recipe May 26, 2016 0

For the health-conscious ones among us(and perhaps the weight-conscious too?), you'll be happy to know that this has no cream. Say wha? Yes, it's made with milk and milk only.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and call this a guilt-free ice cream. Unlike my other stabs at healthy-eating, this is the rare one which taste is not sacrificed for a lower calorie count. In fact, I think I read somewhere - is it from Sherry Yard ? - that told me using milk for a ganache intensifies the chocolate profile, while using cream makes the mixture richer but dilutes the chocolate taste. I'll cite the source when I come across it again, but don't take her word for it, try this and see it for yourself. This chocolate sherbet is intensely chocolate-y, and slightly sticky and dense, not unlike a gelato. Out of all the chocolate desserts I've made (there's quite a few chocolate flourless cakes in the mix, including my all-time favourite), this may be the most intensely chocolate-ty of them all. A couple of spoonful of this ice cream is all it takes to sooth any chocolate cravings. R told me a few days later that this was the best chocolate ice cream she ever had. Suck it Haagen Dazs.

I remember being shocked at the price of a scoop of chocolate ice cream from Awfully Chocolate when I visited last holiday. How can they charge so much for a scoop!? After I was done churning this ice cream, I scribbled down some calculation for this recipe.

*Sun Lik sells Valrhona cocoa powder at a very reasonable price, compared to Simon Johnson in Melbourne. Sun Lik's price seemed a little dodgy to me at first (seeing how Amazon sells 250g for USD$14.35 (SGD$19.80). But the math does seem to work out if Sun Lik repackages the 3kg bags, which would end up about SGD$15.70/500g.)

**Prices in Singapore taken from Sun Lik. (Dated 2015). Price in Australia from Costco and Simon Johnson. (Dated 2016). The prices listed here are as far as I am aware, the cheapest in Melbourne and Singapore. If there are other places selling at a lower price, let me know. (So I can sweep their shelves empty. And maybe then update it here).

Two things surprised me:

1) despite how much cheaper Callebaut chocolate and milk is in Australia, the lower cost of cocoa powder from Singapore more than off-set the difference.

2) Did it cost $7 to make this batch of chocolate ice cream? I've excluded the cost of vanilla extract, Kahluà, sugar (and yes, the ice cream machine with a three-digit price tag).

This recipe makes about two pints, so the ingredients costed a little more than I expected. I got a few more scoops from my ice cream machine than from Awfully Chocolate, although there's definitely a few more steps involved in churning your own ice cream... Now that I look at Awfully Chocolate, I can see why they fetch such a high price. Although, I still haven't quite worked out how Haagen Dazs can sell for $3 a pint in US...

Tips for using an ice cream maker:
1) Skip the soft silicon spatula, and use a stiff wooden spatula to scrap the ice cream out instead.
2) And, although I haven't tried this for myself, I've heard that you can run two batches of ice cream back-to-back using the same frozen canister (and make double the quantity!)

Chocolate Sherbet
Original recipe by David Lebovitz
Makes about 3 cups (3/4l)

Because the flavour profile of this ice cream leans heavily on the quality of the cocoa powder, use a good-quality one. Either Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder is appropriate, although David has a preference for Valrhona Dutch-process cocoa, which I have grown to favour as well. Adding Kahluà gives the sherbet a more scoop-able consistency. The coffee flavour melds beautifully with chocolate, but feel free to omit it, or to use another liqueur.

Ingredients
2 cups (500ml) milk
80g sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Kahluà or other coffee-flavored liqueur (optional)

Steps 1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine 1 cup of the milk with sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Set over heat. Bring to a full boil while whisking, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 30 seconds.

3. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate, vanilla, and the Kahluà. Stir in the rest of the milk.

4. Taste, and if the chocolate is a bit grainy, puree it in a blender to smooth it out.

5. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Oh don't have an ice cream maker? Shame. Looks like you have to do it the low-tech way...

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