Auntie’s Wok and Steam @ Andaz Singapore - Celebrate Asia Street Food By Top Female Chefs

The start of the year 2020 sees female power taking over Auntie’s Wok and Steam at Andaz Singapore. As part of a culinary series that aims to celebrate the unique taste of Asian street food, a scheduled line-up of top female chefs of different Hyatt hotels in Asia will set up a short-term residency at Auntie’s Wok and Steam, and they shall be whipping up their city’s authentic street food tastes and flavours. Kickstarting this culinary series is Chef Tubtim Warapai, who will be presenting to you Thai cuisine from her hometown of North-east Isan with a specially crafted a la carte menu, lunch and dinner sets, which will be available daily from 3 to 14 February 2020.

Prices for the a la carte menu start at $12 per dish and $26 for the lunch tray sets which include an appetizer, main and dessert. Set dinner menu which we had tried is priced at $68, which showcases Chef Tubtim Warapai's home-cooked local specialties such as Chicken Green Curry (Gaeng keaw wan gai) and Crab Fried Rice (Khao pad poo).

Som Tum 3.5/5

You get to choose any 3 dishes from Appetizer. Som Tum is what most of us are familiar with - the spicy, sweet and sour green papaya salad that we love in our summery weather. What I like about this Som Tum is that the fish sauce is not as assertive like some others, and definitely not as fiery as well.

Grilled Pork Neck 4/5

The next two dishes are the must-order - Kor Moo Yang (Grilled pork neck) and Nam tok Thai Beef Salad. Grilled Pork Neck is blessed with the right amount of lean meat and fats and when grilled perfectly, like ours, they get really tender and flavorful. But what really pushes the experience up a notch is the accompanying spicy Isan dipping sauce that counters the fatty pork neck - nam jim jaew chilli sauce. Like most Thai sauces, it is tart, sweet, spicy, and nutty with tamarind, herbs, sugar and ground peanuts, and ours had such a good balance of flavours that I had the remaining for most of the other dishes too.

Thai Beef Salad 3.8/5

The Thai Beef Salad is essentially beef slices mixed with dried chilli, kaffir lime and mint. Similar to the grilled pork neck, the beef slices had a beautiful texture to it. The condiments did not at all overpower the meat but they combined to serve as a refreshing counterpoint to the beef.

Tom Yum Talay 3/5

You get to select 3 Mains as well. Tom Yum Talay, again, a hot and spicy soup that we have grown to love. Although it lacked the usual shiokness from the sour-spicy kick that I was craving for, the fresh and succulent ingredients somewhat make up for it.

Crab Fried Rice 4/5

Khao Pad Poo (Crab fried rice) was yummy with chewy-tender fried rice and I love the chunks of scrambled organic egg that marbled the rice. Topped with chunks of crab meats, tossing them together gives a satisfying textural bite.

Gaeng Phed Goong 4/5

Gaeng Phed Goong serves up tiger prawns in red curry. The curry can certainly be more robust I feel, but it suits diners who can't take much heat.

Mango Stick Rice 3.8/5

For Dessert, on the menu are Mango Sticky Rice and Tub Tim Grob (Red rubies). Don't expect them to be street-food quantity but the sweetness of them will satisfy that post-meal craving for sure.

Red Ruby 3/5

Written 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.


Auntie's Wok & Steam
Andaz Singapore
Level 25
5 Fraser Street
Singapore 189354
Tel: +65 64081255
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 10pm
Weekend & PH Yum Cha Buffet: 12pm - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Jam at Siri House @ Dempsey Hill - Monthly Tasting Table Feast

I am back at Jam at Siri House for the monthly Tasting Table. It is a monthly feast event whereby a sumptuous spread of over 20 small plates is offered tableside from roving trolleys. Similar to those traditional dim sum house, you just need to pick the dishes you want to try from the trolleys.

Osmanthus Jelly 4/5

Mee Sua 2.8/5

During my visit which falls in the Chinese New Year period, the Tasting Table incorporates a few Chinese New Year inspired dishes such as the Osmanthus Jelly ($6) and Mee Sua ($12). Osmanthus jelly is an interesting take of the Chinese dessert, making it into a savoury dish. The jelly block is actually made with osmanthus and bonito and then topped with smoked trout roe and Siberian caviar. As for the mee sua kueh, I thought it was a bit disappointing. This fell short of Swee Choon's version, which comes with a layer of crispy vermicelli.

Bufala 4/5

A light starter is the Bufala ($8). I enjoyed the addition of tangerine and yuzu dressing which gives the milky ciligini di bufala a lift in enjoyment, with the toasted watermelon seeds for texture.

Chawanmushi 4.2/5

At a glance, the Chawanmushi ($8) looks rather ordinary with the kani. It is not until I took a mouthful of it and my eyes brightened by the sharp flavours of Thai cuisine. The egg custard is steamed in tom yum broth and topped with fried lime leaf, injecting the bright flavours of Thai cuisine into the traditional Japanese chawanmushi.

Chicken 4.2/5

A hearty and delicious dish is the Grilled Chicken Oysters ($12) that is fragrant by the crab fat garlic butter. The char on the chicken gives it a further smoky bitterness, giving it an aromatic finishing. I like the touch of adding diced water chestnut for the extra textural bite.

Kingfish 4.5/5

For something clean and tasty, go for the Hiramasa Kingfish Carpaccio ($12) which is cleverly paired with umeboshi vinaigrette, pickled green chilli and lumpfish roe. It complemented the clean flavour of the fish while not stealing the limelight of the main ingredients.

Beef 3/5

I can understand what the chef is trying to do with the Wagyu Tri Tip MB 6/7 ($12), it is a twist to the local satay. It comes in the form of grilled wagyu skewer, pickled shallot and a glutinous rice ball, elevating the components of the traditional satay. Unfortunately, I thought the meat was a bit tough for my liking, but I adore the other support items on the dish.

Tiger Prawns 4.2/5

Grilled to perfection with crunchy texture is the Tiger Prawns ($12). It is paired with laksa anchovy emulsion to complement the sweetness of the deep sea tiger prawns.

Corn Dog 3.5/5

I find the Corn Dog ($6) is a fun and playful dish, bringing out the childhood in me. Instead of the usual sausage with cornmeal batter, it uses Taiwanese pork sausage coated with cornflake. It is best to enjoy with the accompanying Sriracha mustard sauce.

Grilled Pineapple 4/5

For dessert, I decided to go for the Grilled Pineapple ($8) since the dish sort of reminds me of the popular pineapple tart snack eaten during Chinese New Year period. Grilled pineapple is served on top sugee shortbread and paired with pineapple tarragon ice cream. A deconstructed form of the pineapple tart.

While I enjoyed the food at Jam in my previous visit, I mentioned that the price is on the steep side. The tasting table, on the contrary, is more reasonable with price ranging from $6 to $12 per dish. I also like the concept of roving trolleys, which injected charm and interaction into the whole experience. Their next Tasting Table is on 19 March 2020, you can Book via http://bit.ly/tastingtablemarch or call +65 96670533. Do check the website regularly for the next upcoming Tasting Table.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Jam at Siri House
Dempsey Hill
8D Dempsey Road
#01-02
Singapore 249672
Tel: +65 96670533
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line), Holland Village (CC Line), Farrer Road (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop along Orchard Boulevard (Stop ID 09022). Take bus number 7, 77, 106, 123 or 174. Alight 7 stops later. Walk up to Dempsey Hill. Walk right to the back of the cluster. Walk to destination. Journey time 30 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop at Block 12 (Stop ID 11401). Take bus 106. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to Dempsey Road. Walk up to Dempsey Hill. Walk right to the back of the cluster. Walk to destination. Journey time 20 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Farrer Road MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop opposite Farrer Road MRT station (Stop ID 11119). Take bus number 174 or 564. Alight 5 stops later. Walk up to Dempsey Hill. Walk right to the back of the cluster. Walk to destination. Walk to destination. Journey time 20 minutes. [Map]