Masizzim @ 313 Somerset - Expanded Menu Offering Shabu-Shabu, Crabmeat Egg Roll & More

The popular Korean restaurant, Masizzim has expanded their menu, offering new dishes such as Shabu-Shabu, crabmeat egg roll and spicy octopus. The new dishes will be available at both the 313 Somerset and Westgate outlets.

Shabu-Shabu 4/5

The newly launched Shabu-Shabu comes in spicy and non-spicy soup base. Customers have a choice of pork collar ($17.90 single portion), beef short plate ($19.90 single portion) or premium wagyu beef ($24.90 single portion) for the their shabu-shabu. Each shabu-shabu set also includes a bowl of assorted vegetables and mushrooms, Korean ramyeon and dipping sauces. Diners can also request for add-ons which is available at a nominal price.

Bulgogi Rice Ball Pork and Beef 4.2/5

Following their popular seafood-based rice balls, Masizzim has added new renditions incorporating Bulgogoi Fried Pork ($9) and Bulgogi Fried Beef ($10) into the mixed grain rice with seaweed, kimchi and sesame seeds. If you are new to the dish, it is served in a deconstructed bowl whereby customers need to get their hand dirty, to shape their own rice balls.

King's Ribs 3.5/5

Slow cooked to fork tender in Masizzim's secret stew sauce is the King's Ribs ($16.90). It is then stir fried with capsicums, red dates, king oyster mushrooms, chilli powder and sesame seeds. Unfortunately I find the sauce a bit too sweet for my liking.

Spicy Octopus 3.8/5

Another new dish on the menu is the Spicy Octopus ($17) served in a bed of blanched beansprouts. I thought the sauce can be more fiery. Customers can also eat it like a wrap, wrapping the baby octopus in the soft tortilla. I feel that the restaurant can serve more of the soft tortilla as it goes really well with the spicy octopus and beansprouts.

Crabmeat Egg Roll 4.5/5

Last but not least, my favourite item of the expanded menu is the Crabmeat Egg Roll ($12.90). This is great for sharing. Stuffed with real shredded crabmeat and seaweed, the omelette is sweet, fluffy and pillowy. One word - Oishii!

Overall I feel that diners will enjoy the new dishes at Masizzim and it has given diners more choices and reasons for a re-visit. Moreover, the price is pretty reasonable.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Masizzim
313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#B3-02
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 65095808
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Direction: 
Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to 313 Somerset. Take the escalator to basement 3. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Soi Thai Soi Nice @ JEM - Popular Royal Thai Hotpot Comes To The West

Known for their Royal Thai Hotpot, Soi Thai Soi Nice has opened its third outlet at JEM. In conjunction with the opening of this new outlet, you will be introduced to more Thai dishes that are less commonly offered elsewhere in Singapore.

Royal Thai Hotpot 3.5/5

Bringing families and friends together is the Royal Thai Hotpot ($38.80 Small/ $68.80 Large). Like a Korean army stew, there are fried softshell crabs, sausages, cabbages, prawns, scallops, instant noodles, enoki mushrooms and egg. The Tom Yum broth has a good balance of tang and heat. What I really love about it is that the sourness that comes from the natural acidity of the lime, hence it doesn't leave a vinegary aftertaste. My favourite ingredients are definitely the mushrooms and cabbages that release bursts of tom yum flavours in every bite. I forgot to mention that their signature fried pork belly were in the hotpot as well! Albeit lacking the crunch, they were still quite yummy with fats. I wish the soft shell crabs could be left out though or make it optional. It doesn't quite make sense to me to eat soggy soft shell crab.

Soft Shell Crab Salad 3.5/5

Ideally, fried soft shell crabs should be presented on its own, such as in Soft Shell Crab Salad ($15.90). The raw greens and onions cuts the greasiness of the fried batter. The soft crunch of the fried soft shell crabs complements excellently with the sweet and spicy sauce. You will wonder why Thai sauces just seem to be able to make every dish moreish.

Grilled Oyster 2.8/5

As a starter, Grilled Oysters ($3.90 per piece) is available, which is paired with garlic bits and fish sauce. Beware, it is really garlicky.

Waterfall Seabass 3.5/5

A new notable dish is this Waterfall Seabass ($32.90) which delights me with its clear, piquant spicy sauce that is not anywhere near those gluey and starchy sauce that drench the fish underneath. This homemade spicy sauce is bright, tangy with heat and yet it tastes clean in the mouth. I like how they dressed the fish with heaps of herbs which add freshness to every bite. The skinnier part of the fish was really crispy but some parts of the fish were too dry, stripping away its natural sweetness.

Cha Om Omelette 2.5/5

Their Cha Om Omelette ($11.90) was somewhat disappointing. I tried it elsewhere which was full of the Cha Om. I love the crunch and the combination of the egg and Cha Om was really good. This, however, has too little Cha Om to bring out that unique flavour of the herbs.

Snowflake Yam 2.8/5

We had an interesting dessert to round up our meal - Snowflake Yam ($8.90 Small/ $12.90 Medium). First the yam cubes are deep-fried and coated with sugar, then stir–fried to recrystalise the sugar to a sandy finishing. When I poked my fork through the sugar coating, I could see and feel how crusty it was. Cocooned within, the yam that was really soft and fluffy. It was a real pity that the sugar coating is really way too sweet. The sweet-savoury version from Putien is still my favourite.

Coco Paradise 3/5

Coco Paradise ($6.90) is a beverage but I see it as a great option for a dessert. A ice Thai tea float with coconut ice-cream, a great way to beat the heat and cool your body down from all the stimulating food.

You can always fall back on those Thai dishes that your are familiar with but over here at Soi Thai Soi Nice, do try venturing out to some less commonly known dishes to whet your appetite.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Soi Thai Soi Nice
50 Jurong Gateway Road
JEM #03-21
Singapore 608549
Facebook
Website
Tel: +65 63391391
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 10pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 11am - 10pm

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

Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen (陶然居) @ Upper East Coast Road - A Wonderful 8-Course Private Dining By Self Taught Chef

Together with 10 other foodie friends and after waiting for a good 2 months, we finally get to check out Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen (陶然居) at Upper East Coast Road. The venue of the private dining is actually at Chef Sam Wong's home. It opens on weekday and every night he can only accept two table of guests. We paid $80 per pax for a 8-course meal.

There are 2 rooms at Chef Sam Wong's home. We are seated at the bigger room which can sit up to 16 guests. The small room sits around 8-10 pax. Don't worry, it is air-conditioned, so you can dine in comfort.

Chef Wong does welcome his guests to step into his kitchen. This is probably the kitchen where one's grandmother used to cook in. At Lucky House, this is where Chef Wong works his magic.

Charcoal Boiled Pork Shoulder, Arrow Root and Peanut Soup 3.5/5

Our first dish is the Charcoal Boiled Pork Shoulder, Arrow Root and Peanut Soup. This has been slow cooked over charcoal fire for hours. Accordingly to Chef Wong, he used 3 batches of charcoal to cook this pot of soup. No salt is used either. For some, this may taste a little bland but I actually enjoyed the natural flavours extracted from the different ingredients and herbs.

Steamed Wild Caught Red Garoupa 4.2/5

I noticed Chef Wong was frying the shallots before drizzling them over the the Steamed Wild Caught Red Garoupa. It gives the fish a beautiful aroma, complementing the freshness of the wild caught fish.

Concubine Chicken 4.5/5

I not sure why the dish is called Concubine Chicken but the sight of it just makes me want to sink my teeth into them. The flavoursome chicken was tender and juicy. One of my favourite dishes of the night.

Fried Prawn with Rose Liqueur 4/5

The Fried Prawn with Rose Liqueur was plump, huge and crunchy. I find the seasoning a bit heavy for this dish but it goes well with a bowl of plain rice.

Lucky House Roasted Duck 4.5/5

A signature is the Lucky House Roasted Duck. The duck is marinated in fish sauce and soy sauce for 2 days and air dried. It is then charcoal grilled in his hand-built oven. The result is smokiness, crispy skin and tender meat.

Fried Organic Vegetable 4.8/5

Chef Wong doesn't like to use salt and garlic in his cooking. Hence we are surprised how sweet the Fried Organic Vegetable tasted. He shared that he uses fish sauce in placed of salt. On top of that, these vegetables are freshly harvested from a local farm.

Crayfish Omelette 5/5

The dining group's favourite dish has to be the Crayfish Omelette. I think we all have the initial thought that it is just a simple egg omelette dish. Never did we expect that the fluffy egg cooked to golden brown with chunky crayfish meat is such a perfect match. It has brought my love of egg omelette to a whole new level.

Shandong Peanuts and Kidney Beans Soup 4/5

Wrapping up our dining is the Shandong Peanuts and Kidney Beans Soup. Mildly sweetened with the used of rock sugar, I enjoyed the nutty soup which is quite refreshing after all the richness from the previous dishes. It is like have a cup of tea after a great meal.

For those that is hoping to dine at Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen, you have to be patient as the reservation is up to a good 2-3 months now. For those driving, parking is very limited. You have to park around Evergeen Gardens private estate. You are also welcome to bring your own wine as there are no corkage here.


Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen (陶然居)
267 Upper East Coast Road
Singapore 466413
Tel: +65 98237268
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bedok (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 630pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bus Stop at Bedok MRT station (Stop ID 84039). Take bus number 137. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Lai Huat Signatures @ China Street (Telok Ayer) - All You Can Eat At $29.90

Lai Huat Signatures known for their sambal promfret has opened a new outlet at Telok Ayer area offering a wide range of Chinese food adopted from their Geylang outlet. Recently the outlet has launch an all you can eat a la carte buffet with around 20 delectable dishes, at $29.90 per pax.

Fish Maw Soup 2.8/5

Although it is an unlimited a la carte buffet, each table is given only one servicing of the following 5 items. 1) Signature Samba Fish, 2) Fishmaw Soup with Crabmeat, 3) Choice of either poached live prawns/cereal/salted egg prawns, 4) Choice of either chilli or black pepper crayfish and 5) Hokkien style Kong Bak Pau.

Salted Egg Prawns 3/5

We started with the Fish Maw Soup with Crabmeat which I thought was way too starchy. I also could not traced any crabmeat in it. For the prawn dish, we opted for the salted egg prawns. The flavours were there but the texture was kind of mushy. Definitely not the best I have eaten.

Hokkien Style Kong Bak Pau 3/5

For the Hokkien Style Kong Bak Pau, my dining partner felt that there was a slight sour taste in the pork belly while I thought it lacked the robustness of a good braising sauce.

Black Pepper Crayfish 3/5

For the choice of Chilli or Black Pepper Crayfish, we decided to try the black pepper version which has a fiery kick to the crustacean. Once again it's not the best quality but for the price I am not complaining much.

Sambal Promfret 4/5

The highlight goes to the Sambal Promfret that is topped with a geneeous servicing of aromatic sambal. The combination of the spiciness and crispiness was rather shiok. However some may find the fish meat on the dry side.

Prawn Paste Chicken 3.5/5

After trying the five standard items that will be served only once, we proceeded to order from the rest of the unlimited items. The Prawn Paste Chicken was juicy and had a nice exterior crispiness. If the prawn paste flavour could be stronger, it would be better.

Onion Omelette 3/5

Naibai Vegetable 3/5

The Onion Omelette and Naibai Vegetable were a comforting addition to the spread. They were decent but nothing much to shout about.

Hainanese Pork Ribs 2.8/5

I remembered reading from the menu the dish is called Hainanese Pork Ribs but it turned out to be pork chop instead. The pork chop was too lean and dry for my liking. Even the bread crumb was lacklustre.

Ginger Spring Onion Sliced Fish 3.5/5

One of the better dishes among the spread is the Ginger Spring Onion Sliced Fish. I enjoyed the lovely flavours of the spring onion and ginger coming together with the moist sliced fish for a delectable finish.

Singapore Beehoon 4/5

Wrapping up our meal at Lai Huat Signatures, we had the Singapore BeeHoon. Putting the controversy name aside, it actually quite flavour. It is like upgraded version of your morning breakfast with seafood.

I can't say the a la carte buffet is the best but for $29,90 per pax I think it is quite reasonable priced. Moreover if you are a bigger eater, you can eat to your content.


Lai Huat Signatures
23 China Street
Singapore 049565
Tel: +65 66363828
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Direction: 
Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk down Cross Street towards Far East Square. Turn right onto China Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Putien @ Ion Orchard - Duo Tou Clam, A Delicacy For Over 600 Years

It has been a good 5 years since I last visited Putien. My memorable of Putien has been their homely Xing Hua cuisine. It seems like during these 5 years, the culinary standard at Putien has been elevated to a new level. I was pleasantly surprised with the food during my recent visit to Putien at Ion Orchard to check out Putien Ingredient Festival 2016 with the Putien Duo Tou Clams Festival spearheading the celebration from April to August.

So what is so special about Dou Tou Clams? Apparently this unique specialty from Dou Tou Village in the Hanjiang district of Putian has over 600 years of history. The golden shell clams that are harvested are second to none mainly because of the rare black mud where they are bred, which is rich in nutrients, pure and with little sand particles. Hence the clams are especially plump and meaty, growing up to 6cm in length.

Steamed Putien Clam with Minced Garlic 4.2/5

During the Duo Tou Clam Festival from April to August, Putien will showcase numerous way of cooking this delicacy. The Steamed Putien Clam with Minced Garlic ($20.90/$31.90) is steamed lightly with minced garlic, spring onion and chillis. To enjoy the sweetness of the clam, drizzled a bit of the soy sauce in the middle onto the calm, and eat it together with the minced garlic.

Steamed Putien Clam with Wine 4.2/5

The Steamed Putien with Wine ($20.90/$31.90) is filled to the the brim with Duo Tou clam. It is then steamed in a upright form with Hua Diao Chinese wine. The natural sweetness of the clam is further perfumed by the aroma of the Chinese wine. That's not all, don't forget to drink the essence of the broth at the bottom of the bowl that collected the juicy of the clam.

Salted Spicy Putien Clam 3/5

The Salted Spicy Putien Clam ($20.90/$31.90) comes with a flour batter coated around the Duo Tou clam and deep fried to crispy before lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. I thought the batter was a bit thick and I could not really taste the sweetness of clam which I got to enjoy in the other cooking styles.

Putien Clam Omelette 3.5/5

A reminiscent of home cooking, exactly the way how the people in the village in Putian enjoys it is the Putien Clam Omelette ($20.90/$31.90). A simple execution but has that comforting feeling of home dining. Must to pair it with the Putien homemade chilli sauce.

Stir Fried Putien Clam with Ginger and Spring Onion 4.5/5

The golden coloured shell of the Duo Tou Clam can be seen in this dish. The traditional way of cooking the juicy and meaty clams is to stir fried it with ginger and spring onion. The Stir Fried Putien Clam with Ginger and Spring Onion ($20.90/$31.90) is wholesomely executed for the fullest appreciation of its natural sweetness.

Baked Putien Clam on Hot Plate 4.5/5

The Baked Putien Clam on Hot Plate ($20.90/$31.90) is the next best way to bring out the natural sweetness of the clam with a gentle dip of the sea salt. It felt like a gentle sea breeze blowing onto the shore, tantalizing the taste buds with a natural briny goodness.

Putien Clam Soup with Tofu Meatballs 4.2/5

The Putien Clam Soup with Tofu Meatballs ($20.90/$31.90) is both comforting and hearty. The clams are boiled together with an assortment of cauliflower, snow peas, and tofu meatballs for the natural sweetness. While the soup is very refreshing and in which you can taste the sweetness of the clam, the other star is the tofu meatballs. Painstakingly made in house, this is one of its kind. The taste of soy bean together with the silky texture is a new for me and I could not hold my excitement in tasting something new and good in my food journey.

Putien's Duo TOu Clam Festival will be available from April to August 2016. Savour the different ways of cooking this delicacy that is second to none with over 600 years of history. Do also look forward to other promotion such as Yellow Croaker Fish Festival such from July to September 2016 and Seaweed Festival from October to December 2016.


Putien
Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-12
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 65094296
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 1130am - 430pm, 530pm - 10pm

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