Showing posts with label .Area: Serangoon Road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label .Area: Serangoon Road. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Blue Jasmine @ Park Hotel Farrer Park - Halal Thai Restaurant With A New Refreshed Menu

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Blue Jasmine is a 100-seater halal Thai Restaurant on the 5th floor of Park Hotel Farrer Park. Open for slightly more than a year, the restaurant has refreshed its menu. Besides the traditional dishes that define Thai cuisine, in the refreshed menu, it also offers regional specialities that is lesser known in Thai cuisine.

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Tom Yum Sea Bass 'Poh Tek' 3.8/5

We probably have been used to tom yum soup but a lesser known similarity is the Tom Yum Sea Bass 'Poh Tek' ($20). Poh Tek is a type of tom yum that is made with different proportion of spices and ingredients. It supposes to be very spicy which needs to include deep fried chilli and basil. Deep fried sea bass is also added for a totally different experience to the classic tom yum soup. I personally find that it can be spicier.

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Cha-Om Fried Egg 4.5/5

The Cha-Om Fried Egg ($12) is my favourite item among the new dishes I tried. An egg mixture of sliced acacia leaves, fish sauce, pepper powder are whisked together and fried and rolled into shape. The fragrant fried egg roll is best eaten with the shrimp paste sauce that tasted like our local chinchalok. The sauce is really spicy but damn shiok, elevating the whole enjoyment.

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Yellow River Prawn Curry 3.5/5

Not all curry is spicy. Take for example the Yellow River Prawn Curry ($26) topped with betel leaves and microgreens. In fact it is sweet not spicy. The curry is creamy and coconuty. It is best to go with a plate of steamed rice. The prawn is also fresh and crunchy.

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Holy Basil Krapao (Squid) 4/5

I thought Thai only use Thai basil for the basil minced pork or chicken dish, I am definitely enlightened by the dish, Holy Basil Krapao ($24). I enjoyed the layer of aroma from the basil on top of the spiciness from the sambal. Note worth is well cooked long beans that has a nice crunch but not on the raw side.

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Roast Chicken Esarn Style 4.2/5

The marination of the Roast Chicken Esarn Style ($16) is so flavourful that I can have it on its own. The accompanying dipping sauce is the fish sauce type. I thought the shrimp paste sauce from the Cha-Om Fried Egg goes better with the roast chicken. 

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Thai Fried Kueh Teow (Seafood) 3.8/5

Don't be mistaken, this is not Pad Thai but Thai Fried Kueh Teow with Seafood ($18). It is indeed quite similar to our local char kway teow with a hint of wok hei aroma. The taste is more savoury and less sweet compared to our local version, probably to the use of fish sauce in the frying.

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Thai Chendol 4/5

Last but not least, we end on dinner on a sweet note with the Thai Chendol ($12). The chendol has more ingredients than our local version, such as the addition of red and blue rubies, young coconut and jackfruit.

Note: This is an invited tasting. 


Blue Jasmine
Park Hotel Farrer Park
10 Farrer Park Station Road
Level 5
Singapore 217564
Tel: +65 68248851
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 630pm - 10pm (buffet dinner)

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Nasi Lemak Kukus @ Selegie Road - Free Flow Coconut Rice

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My intend trip to Selegie was to check out Chef Kang's Kitchen after he got a Michelin Star. However the restaurant was fully booked for the next 2 months and I was told to make a reservation instead. Leaving the place disappointed, I made a detour to Nasi Lemak Kukus around the corner.

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Nasi Lemak Kukus is somewhat similar to the Chinese Chap Chye Peng (Economic Rice) but nasi lemak with items such as fried fish, chicken wings, sausages, egg, mutton rendang, chicken rendang, curry chicken, sayur lodeh and more. Customers can help themselves to the free-flow coconut rice and only charge for the food they picked to go with the coconut rice.

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You may wonder what is Kukis? Apparently it meant steamed. This is because the coconut rice at Nasi Lemak Kukus is cooked using a traditional method of steaming the rice instead of boiling. Coconut milk is also added after the rice is cooked and it goes back to the steamer again allowing the coconut milk and rice to be infused together.

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Nasi Lemak 3.8/5

For my plate of nasi lemak, I had the fried chicken, egg, fried fish and mutton rendang. I could not remember how much I paid for it but it should be around $7-8. It is not cheap at all. If you want to keep your cost down, just go for the Chicken Wing Set at $4, which comes with a chicken wing, an egg, a fish and ikan bilis. Not forgetting the sambal chillis. Nasi Lemak Kukus offers two versions. One is sweeter while the other is really fiery. I prefer the latter which is really shiok.

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Dining at Nasi Lemak Kukus is quite an unique experience. At 12 noon, the staff will hit the gong, maybe it is to signal opening or lunch time and the shutter will be pulled up to allow customers to enter. It's all DIY here. You scoop your own rice, pick the food you want and pay at the end of the line. The standouts for me are their the fragrant coconut rice and sambal chillis. Food is average though.


Nasi Lemak Kukus
229 Selegie Road
Singapore 188344
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Little India (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Little India MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Monday, July 24, 2017

Chef Kang's Kitchen @ Mackenzie Road - The Newly Awarded Michelin 1 Star Restaurant For 2017

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With the release of the Michelin Guide Singapore 2017, one of the newly awarded 1 Star restaurants is Chef Kang's Kitchen at Mackenzie Road. We were quite lucky to get a table at the restaurant which only has 4 tables. I heard the waiting list is a up to 2 months if you want to savour Chef Kang's cooking.

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Marble Goby Soup 4.8/5

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Our lunch started with the Marble Goby Soup ($98 small). Chef Kang shared with us that the soup base is prepared a day in advance, using chicken feet, old hen and fish bones, boiling it over slow fire. The soup was creamy, sweet and refreshing, with a lot of depth. I noticed a special ingredient in the soup which is Taiwan olive, giving the soup a zesty touch like sour plum. This is definitely a must order here.

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Pork Ribs with Portuguese Sauce 4/5

The next dish we tried is the Pork Ribs with Portuguese Sauce ($28). The pork ribs were chunky and succulent. The Portuguese sauce is rather unique which is something new for my palate to register. The sauce is prepared from a vegetable stock base whereby corns, mushroom, garlic, onion, curry powder, butter and cheese were added, for a creamy consistency.

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Prawn Paste Chicken Wings 4.5/5

I received mixed review of the Prawn Paste Chicken Wings ($24). We were advised by our common friend to skip this dish. However we still end up ordering it to taste it for ourselves. Surprisingly we love it. It is obvious that it did not have that thick batter and strong prawn paste flavour. The version at Chef Kang's kitchen is more subtle and has a hint of bitter charred flavour. The batter also felt more airy and biscuity. Chef Kang shared with us that he used the technique of "slapping" the batter onto the wings instead of coating them, which differentiate the texture.

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Braised Angie Luffa with Egg White 4/5

A simply dish it may seen but the Braised Angie Luffa with Egg White ($28) is not easy to get it right. The angie luffa if not done right will be mushy but this has a good crunch to it. However I thought the egg white was a bit overcooked, almost scrambled egg like texture already. I recommend adding a bit of the black vinegar to the egg white for an accentuated enjoyment.

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Simmered Rice Noodles in Superior Stock 4.2/5

We actually wanted to try the braised fried noodles with pork crisp but it was not available. Hence we changed our order to the Simmered Rice Noodles in Superior Stock ($25). It was a great choice and we all enjoyed it. The rice noodles braised in seafood and chicken stock is a good slurping goodness, perfumed by the crispy pork lard.

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Ice Cream in Coconut 4.5/5

If you are a fan of coconut, then you should not miss the Ice Cream in Coconut ($9.80). Served in the husk, there are coconut ice cream, coconut jelly and the coconut flesh. Coconut in three ways.

Many people has commented that its not worth eating at Chef Kang's kitchen because it is very expensive for zichar food. I agree with the pricing but we need to recognise this is a private kitchen. Chef Kang cooks every dish himself. In fact he has given refinement to the dishes.


Chef Kang's Kitchen
25 Mackenzie Road
Singapore 228681
Tel: +65 62386263
Nearest MRT: Little India (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 1130am - 230pm, 545pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Little India MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and cut through the carpark. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles @ Tekka Food Centre - A Taste Of Nostalgia By Pretty Hawker

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In my previous post, we had fish ball noodle by a handsome hawker. Today we are going to Tekka Food Centre to have prawn noodle by a pretty hawker, Ruifang. Ruifang is a third generation hawker who runs the Tekka branch while her aunts run the Whampoa stall.

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The history of the prawn noodle dated back to 1950s when Ruifang's grandfather was selling the dish along the street of Whampoa. Her dad and grandmother opened their very first physical stall at the Whampoa Market in 1973 when it was first built.

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Dry Prawn Noodle 4.2/5

I tried both the Dry Prawn Noodle and Prawn Noodle Soup. My preference is the dry version for the shiok sambal sauce that complements the noodles perfectly. The addition of deep fried shallots and pork lard elevated the flavour further. Have it together with the peeled prawns and pork slice for a taste of nostalgia cooked using a recipe that has been passed down for three generations.

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Prawn Noodle Soup 4/5

Perfect for the rainy days is the Prawn Noodle Soup which comes in a thick brown broth that is packed with the crustacean's essence. I could also tasted hints of sweetness probably from the used of some other seafood such as clams to sweeten it. Overall it is a hearty and comforting bowl of prawn noodle.

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I read that Ruifang starts her day at 2am preparing for the day's ingredients and soup. I could not imagine the finance graduate would leave her office job to be a hawker. This is really hard work just to be ready for the day to serve a bowl of prawn noodle. So next time, don't forget to show a little bit of appreciation to the hawkers, especially when it is a pretty lady.


545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles
Tekka Food Centre
665 Buffalo Road
#01-326
Singapore 210665
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Little India (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 630am - 2pm (or until sold out)
(Closed on Sat-Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Little India MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]