ieat Annual General Makan (AGM): Registration is now opened!

It's Christmas time and we are going to celebrate with the biggest Ieat Makan Session ever.We are planning for 300 ieateers to come together for the first ever ieat AGM (Annual General Makan). The AGM will be more than just another Makan Session, there will be fun activities, games, entertainment, goody bags and much more. We want this to be our annual get together so that everybody can get to meet everybody to talk about everything.

Canon Powershot S90: Power in your Shirt Pocket

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Canon Powershot S90 Camera

I have been using the Powershot S90 for the last two months and I have to tell you that I have not been so thrilled by a compact camera since my Canon Powershot G1 which was my very first digital camera years ago. For DSLR users like myself, compact cameras just don't deliver images that are up to par, especially one that is compact enough to fit into your shirt pocket. But when I shot my first few photos with the S90, that all changed. The photos from my S90 had a certain quality about them that looks as if it could have come from a DSLR!

I have been playing with the new Powershot S90 camera for a few weeks now and based on my own experience as well as those of my kakis who have also bought the S90, I have to say that the S90 is the best "Shirt Pocket Size" camera that I have come across. Having the Powershot S90 meant that I could now have a camera in my pocket that can take photos of a quality that I would be proud to post on this site.

Slideshow 1: Key Features of the Powershot S90

There are lots of things going for this little camera but I will highlight a few which I have been very impressed with. The following slideshow will demonstrate some of the key features which I feel make this camera stand out from the rest. The first is the front ring which can be used for a number of features like being able to use it to zoom in on your subject. I will also show how easy it is to get excellent shots at night and some interesting shooting modes that you can use to create very interesting photos.

Slideshow 2: Low Light Shots (photos have not been edited except to resize for slideshow)

This camera is specially designed to take excellent night shots. It does this by combining a relatively large 1/1.63 inch, 10 megapixel CCD sensor with a bright f/2.0 lens and Canon's Digic 4 software. The heart of the camera is this newly developed sensor (the digital film) which is designed to bring out the colours and dynamic range while keeping image noise to a minimum. I was very pleasantly surprised at just how good the camera was at taking low light shots. Of course, it can't compare with my EOS 5D Mk II especially if you need to enlarge the photo for print, but it does deliver very competent photos for web publishing.

The camera comes with many creative settings that make for some very interesting photos. It is a very fun camera to use because you can simply point and shoot and out comes this photo with a "Wow" factor!

Slideshow 3: Nostalgia mode (photos have not been edited except to resize for slideshow)

One of the settings that I have been having lots of fun with is the "Nostalgia" function. I use this function a lot as it gives my pictures an edgy, newspaper print type feel. It is excellent for capturing candid photos of people, geometrical shapes and has proven to be very useful on those cloudy days when the colours are really dull. The Nostalgia function is not just about turning the photo to black and white. The camera also adds other elements to give the photos an aged look, like desaturating the colours, increasing the contrast and adding grain. As you can see from the slideshow, the effect makes for some pretty fascinating pictures.

Slideshow 4: Food photos (photos have not been edited except to resize for slideshow

Of course, we have to talk about this camera's ability to take food photos. When I first got hold of the camera, the very first set of photos I took was of food. As you would expect, the capability of the camera to capture food photos is of paramount importance to me. The first few shots convinced me that this really is a compact camera that I can confidently bring around with me on days where I am too lazy to bring my EOS 5D MkII along. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

The real test is, however, how the compact and the DSLR images compare side by side. In the photos below, you can see how my two cameras performed. Considering the fact that the DSLR set up is almost 10 times the price of the Powershot as well as more than 10 times the weight, I think that the quality of the photo produced by the Powershot S90 is quite acceptable. The images of the EOS 5D Mk II is of course still superior especially if you enlarge the photos. But if you are taking pictures to post on the web, the quality of the image is an acceptable trade off for the convenience of not lugging a big camera around.



OK, let me tell you what I don't like about the camera.

Firstly, Canon could have made the camera look a little more expensive by adding chrome bits and leather looking bits. Secondly, the battery life is not very long. I have used the camera continuously for about one to two hours before running out of battery power. It is a real pain but it is necessarily so because the camera uses a CCD sensor which consumes more power than the CMOS sensor that most compacts use. The result is a better image at the expense of a shorter battery life. Another thing I don't like is that the various shooting modes under the SCN function is too easily changed with the dial behind the camera such that you find yourself shooting in another mode because you inadvertantly touched the dial.

Despite these things, the Powershot S90 delivers images which make people look twice, which at the end of the day, is what counts. Best of all, the camera can be put into your jeans pocket without people noticing that it's there!

Slideshow 5: Gallery of my favourite shots (Some photos have been edited by an image editor)

This final slideshow is a showcase of some of my favourite photos taken over the last few weeks using the various creative modes of the camera. Some of them have been touched up with imaging software so that you can see the full potential of what this camera is capable of. As you can see, I use the "Colour Accent" and "Sunset" modes quite a bit.

Group Buy being organized

I have already organize the first group buy for 10 of our makan kakis and so far all of them have been very happy with the camera. I am currently organizing another group buy, so if you wish to get one before Christmas please write to me. Our group buy price is $670 (RRP $749) and it comes with a 8GB SD card, a tripod and a carrying case. I will also be arranging a free S90 workshop for our group where we will have a professional photographer conduct a workshop on how to get the most out of your new Powershot S90.

If you are interesting in the group buy, please write to leslie.tay@gmail.com and in the title write "Powershot S90". I will give you details on how to collect your cameras. Closing date: 20 Dec 2009. You should be able to get it before Christmas!

You can read more reviews of the Canon Powershot S90 here
Explore the Powershot S90 at their official site here

Note:
Except for Slideshow 5, all the other slideshow photos are taken directly from the camera and simply resized to be uploaded onto the web. The Sushi photo for the S90 has been cropped slightly. The photos have been resized to 800x600 pixels and you can have a closer look by clicking the "View all images" button at the bottom of the slideshow.

Ieat learns to eat Sushi: Supplemental

Engawa - Halibut Belly - $12

I use the word supplemental because it reminds me of how Captain Kirk used to say in Star Trek when he was recording his Captain's log. It just means that this is a quick post to add on to the other sushi posts.

Sembawang Confectionary: Taste of the 80s - The Pandan Chiffon Cake

Pandan Chiffon Cake $4.80

I think the Pandan Chiffon Cake can be one of the litmus tests to see if you are Gen Y or Gen X. If you are a Gen Xer like me, you might remember fondly the days when the cake was extremely popular in the 80's. If you are Gen Y, you might not have even tasted the cake or you might have come across it at some time but paid very little attention to it.

The Pandan Chiffon Cake holds a very significant place in my Temporal Lobes. In fact, I would even say that this particular cake has somewhat influenced the way I live my life.

Lee Heng Restaurant: No milk XO Fish Head Bee Hoon!

San Lou Hor Fun

In England there is the pub. In Japan, the Izakaya. Here in Singapore we have the Cze Char (lit cook fry). The Cze Char really started as a kitchen away from home where you get to eat home style cooked food. I guess, in the old days when most of our forefathers were immigrants who have left their families back in their home country, the Cze Char is their surrogate home kitchen where you come back from a hard day's work to find something to eat.

The ieat AGM (Annual General Makan)

Just to let you all know that we are in the midst of planning the ieat AGM - Annual General Makan session. Every year we usually have our main makan session around October to celebrate the blog's anniversary. However, this year, that did not happen in October because, well, it just did not happen.

As you all know, our makan sessions have proven to be very popular and so a lot of people have been disappointed that they could not get a seat. I know this is a problem since most restaurants can only hold up to 100 pax. So, for this end-of-the-year, Xmas, AGM, I have specially booked a restaurant that can hold up to 1000 pax so that everyone can join in.

CuisinArt MP14N Food Processor: Pizza Dough in 5 minutes!

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Earlier this year I started to make my own Italian style pizza. I thought it would be interesting to have a pizza party where I provided the base and everyone else could bring their own toppings and design their own pizza. This would be something a little different from the usual pot-luck and BBQs.

A pizza is basically a flat yeast bread with a tomato sauce and cheese. Once you have this base, you can have a whale of a time thinking up different types of toppings for your pizza. You can of course buy ready made bases at the supermarket, but making your own base is more satisfying. Not only is it cheaper, but the taste is 200% better.

ieat Crab Fest: The Aftermath

Photos by ieat, ijeff and holybro

Big thanks to everyone for making the ieat Crab Fest a big success! We had 100% attendence and that is not too bad for 130 pax! Thanks guys it makes it much easier for us to plan for future makan sessions!

Very big thanks to holydrummer and holybro for organizing the makan session! Excellent job guys!

Thanks also to Amy and Jason who were very generous with the Crab Menu. I think no one is complaining that they did not get their $50 worth of Crabs! From the general feedback of the night, it seems that most people thought that the Alaskan King Crabs were the best crab and the golden sauce was the best sauce especially when eaten with the fried Man Tou. The feedback from our kakis was also that you really don't need 8 crab courses although it was great to be able to taste a wide variety in order to decide what you would order the next time.

Tong Siew: Oyster Omelette got two types

Oyster Omelette (Orh Nerng) $4

You know there are two types of Oyster Omelettes right? There is Orh Jian or Orh Luak which is the type where a sticky starch is added to the eggs to make it sticky and crispy, and there is Orh Nerng which is omelette without the starch. The beauty of the Orh Luak is the fact that the starch adds a sticky and crisp contrast to the oyster. On the other hand, with the Orh Nerng, you get to enjoy the taste of the fluffy, tender eggs with the oysters which is also very shiok.

Xi Le Teng Dessert Stall: 70 year old lady, 70 cents dessert

Red Bean Soup - 70 cents

Red Bean Soup always reminds me of my kindergarten days at the PAP. It's nostalgic in a sort of a bad way 'cos I always remember it is the worst red bean soup in the world. Rather than having whole beans or even half beans, it's just the shell of the red beans in a big bowl of rather translucent sweet water that has a tinge of red in it.

Red Bean Soup must be one of the simplest desserts in the world to prepare which probably explains why the Aunty at the PAP prepares it every week. Plus it's cheap. There are really only three ingredients that you need and they are Red Beans, water and sugar. But of course you could make it a little more special by flavouring it with pandan leaves or dried orange peel. The more sophisticated would add sago and dried longans in it. But for the PAP kindergarten, water, sugar and Red Beans are all the ingredients they used. (In descending order of quantity)

The Polls: Singapore's favourite Crab Dish

Based on the comments so far, it looks like Singapore's favourite Crab dish is no longer Black Pepper Crab or Chilli Crab. I am predicting that Crab Bee Hoon might be the current National Crab Dish. Only one way to find out and that is to conduct a poll!

So the poll booth is opened! Tell us which is your favourite crab dish! You get to pick two of your favourite crab dishes.

Online Surveys & Market Research

KL eats: Move over Ramly, here comes the Oblong Burger!

Ramly burger stall at Ampang Jaya 7-11

One of the things that the venerable Malaysian Tourism Minister should have claimed as truly Malaysian is the Ramly Burger. Nobody will ever dispute that the Ramly Burger is a Malaysian invention. In fact, I would go on to say that it is one of the Shiokest things that Malaysia has ever produced. In case Mr Ramly has not been conferred a Datukship, I think he should. Datuk Ramly has created a burger that can hit the spot where many an expensive gourmet burger have missed.

Now, if you have only tried Ramly burgers from the Pasar Malams in Singapore, then you really have not tried a Ramly burger. It really is not the same. The thing that makes a Ramly a Ramly is not the Ramly wrapper, but the Ramly meat pattie. That pattie is made from a very special animal called the Malaysian cow. That's right, they are the ones you see chewing on cow grass by the roadside whenever you drive up north. That cow (or at least the parts of it that don't make it to the butcher), together with the Ramly spices make for one heck of a delicious pattie. Unfortunately, our AVA have doubts about the palatability of their patties, so they are banned from being imported into Singapore. So the Ramly Burgers here are only Ramly on the outside but Aussie on the inside, much like a Porsche with a Kia engine.


Shallow frying an egg with the double patties in margarine

But a real Ramly pattie is only one part of the equation. The other big part of the equation is a healthy slathering of Planta margarine. Yes, the Ramly pattie, eggs and bread are all literally deep fried in Planta margarine. This stuff is so bad for you that its gotta be good right?


Yep!


I am sort of glad that you can only find the Ramly Burger in Malaysia because if it was found in Singapore, I would probably eat it too often. Yes it is good, so good that I finished a whole double Ramly after a whole evening of eating!



Introducing the Sempoii Oblong Burger!


But wait, it gets better!


We were told that there is a new brand of Malaysian burger which is threatening Datuk Ramly. The new kid on the block is Datuk Sempoii who chose to differentiate himself by making oblong shaped patties, aptly known as the Oblong Burger. You will notice on the banner that they proudly proclaim that their patties are made of 90% pure meat! Sounds good, but it really makes you wonder what the rest of the 10% is made of. And the other thing is, if they are proud of the fact that they are 90% pure meat, than what percentage of the Ramly pattie is actually meat?



Planta and Oblong Patties - a deadly combination


The oblong burger is made much the same way as the Ramly. The patties are first shallow fried in Planta Margarine, then wrapped with an egg and placed on top of a hot dog bun with a generous squeeze of chilli sauce, margarine and BBQ sauce.



Ugly but truly adorable - the Oblong Burger

We were all quite surprised that the burger was even better than the Ramly Burger. The pattie was more beefy than the Ramly burger (90% pure meat remember?) and though it is probably the ugliest burger you will ever get to lay eyes on , MAN IT WAS GOOD! Seriously seriously good. Good enough to risk your life for 10 minutes of sheer pleasure. Seriously.



Got to experience MH (Malaysian Hospitality) flying MAS


Anyway, I think Malaysia is a treasure trove of eats just waiting to be discovered. The thing is that Malaysian food is more similar to Singapore food than Thailand or Indonesia. So you can find a lot of stuff which are familiar yet novel at the same time. The best thing is that all the wonderful places are only a short flight away such that you can do food trips over the weekend. So besides KL and Penang, I have my radar set on Ipoh and Kuching next! Do write in if you have any recommendations for these places!

Om Burger

Lorong Kolam Air Lama 1
Ampang, KL
(in front of 7-11)

Write a review and win a dinner for two at Cugini!

Not everyone wants to maintain a food blog but I know that there are a lot of foodies amongst our readers who are really good at recommending a good place to eat every now and again.

So, what I thought would be interesting is if our facebook group wall can be made into a community food blog where everyone recommend something good to eat. Even if you don't like to write a review, you can still join in the fun by commenting or even just clicking that you like the particular review. I think it can be a place where our foodies can interact and find something good to eat.

Just to make things a little more interesting and to get things going, I am running a competition where the best review will win a prize. This week's prize is a dinner for two at Cugini restaurant worth $150.

You can read about Cugini here:



Here is what you need to do:

Post a review with at least one photo of something you think is worth recommending on the ieatishootipost facebook group wall. You can see it here.

Rules:

1. Your review must not exceed 250 words (not including the address)
2. You must have at least one photo
3. It can be about any stall or restaurant in Singapore
4. You must include the address of the restaurant
5. You can submit as many reviews as you want

Judging Criteria

1. The quality of the review (50)
2. The photo (10)
3. The level of interest it generates (20)
4. The number of "Likes" it generates (20)

Prize:

1. Dinner at Cugini worth $150
2. Inclusion of member to " Foodie of the Week" list

Please Note:

1. Have fun! Don't take it too seriously.
2. The judge's decision is final
3. Closing date for entry: 15 November
4. Winner will be announced on 22nd November
5. Dates are subject to changes
6.. This is quite a new idea so please understand that there will be bumps along the way, but hopefully I can streamline it so that it becomes a regular feature where everyone can benefit from each other's review with the bonus possibility of winning a prize along the way.

So what are you waiting for? Let's eat, shoot and post!

To go straight to the Facebook Wall click here

New Rong Ge Liang Hong Kong Roast: Cheap and Good, The Singapore Dream

Roast Duck $15 for half

I think it is unfortunate that a lot of eateries fail to appreciate how much Singaporeans value the value of value. Kia Su (Afraid to lose out) is one of the key cultural pillars of our society and a major aspect of being Kia Su is the compulsion to make sure that we get the best value out of everything that we buy. This Singaporean characteristjavascript:void(0)ic is so ingrained that sometimes it can be quite embarassing especially when you are on holidays to see a fellow Singaporean bargaining at the top of the voice and refusing to buy something just because the stall owner won't lower the price by 50 baht ($2). I think this is because the last thing they want is to find out that their friends managed to get the same thing cheaper than them when they do the post shopping evaluation later in the evening. This is Kiasuism in action.

Not that I condone it, change it we must if we want to live in a more gracious society. But like it or not, eateries that fail to realise how important the price point is when designing their menu might have to learn it the hard way. That is how our friend Aston managed to go from a hawker stall to a chain of Steakhouses in such a short time. There is no secret to his strategy really. He just sells a good quality steak at the rock bottom price. It will come as no surprise to you that his profit margins are much lower than a lot of other places but he makes it up with volume. Other eateries like Cugini had to learn this the hard way, but I am glad that now that they understand the Singaporean culture better, they have revamped their menu prices such that they are now 30% less than when they started without compromising on quality.



So when you see a stall with a long queue in Singapore, it is usually one of two reasons. The first one is of course that the food is very good, but sometimes there is a long queue because the food is not only good but cheap. I have seen this phenomenon on many occasions. Singaporeans do have a nose for a good deal and some stalls generate a queue because of competitive prices. Of course the food has to be of an acceptable quality as well.

I think this stall falls into the latter category. Both the charsiew and the sio bak is very good but not really good enough to generate a queue as long as what we usually see during lunch. I think that the queue is a combination of a very good product but also very competitive prices. Both Char Siew and Sio Bak gets a 4/5.



The Roast Duck is however very good and certainly one of the best ones I have tasted. The meat is fragrant and not gamey and is very tender. At $15 for half a duck, I think the price is very competitive as well and is certainly offers a compelling reason to join the queue. 4.5/5

Conclusion

If you are willing to join the queue, you would be rewarded with a very nice and reasonably priced roast duck! Guess everyone knows a good deal when they see one!

New Rong Ge Liang Hong Kong Roast
Blk 269B, #01-235 Queen St
Singapore 180269
9am to 8pm daily
Closed 1st Wed of the month

Eleven Fingers Curry Rice: Extra Thumb, Extra Taste!

Braised Pork

If I were to open an Economical Rice Stall, I would open one that sells Hainanese Curry Rice. The reason is simple. With Hainanese Curry Rice, you only really need six dishes. A good Chicken Curry, Braised Pork, Chap Chye....... Ok, you only need three dishes. The rest can be side dishes which really don't need a lot of skill, like fried luncheon meat and eggs. Of course, having crispy fried pork would be another bonus but as long as you have the Hainanese trinity of dishes, you should be ok.

Our peculiar way of eating Hainanese Curry Rice might be a challenge for some foreigners. I mean, Curry mixed with Black Braising Sauce mixed with gooey stewed cabbage doesn't sound particularly appetizing does it? It's no wonder that Hainanese Curry Rice has never made it to the Tourism Board's list of things to eat in Singapore. It just takes too much effort to convince a tourist that it is a serious dish rather than a prank to poke some fun at an unsuspecting foreigner.


Chap Chye doused with Chicken Curry

But for Singaporeans, the unlikely combination is just heavenly. Somehow it works and it works at a level that really produces a Umami Bomb. I feel it everytime I eat Hainanese Rice. It is one of those dishes that really satisfies when you have just finished that 20km roadmarch.

This particular stall was recommended by SCS Butter, a man whose passion for food is as evident as the nose in front of your face. So everytime SCS Butter says something is good, my radar usually will zero in on the eatery. He is the same guy who recommended the Her Giao at Lau Sim, Northen Thai Tom Yum Fish Soup and Middle Road Pork Ribs Noodles which I am sure you all will agree are great finds.

Anyway, the dishes here, taken individually are a 4/5 at most. But when you combine the three together, it becomes a 4.25/5. I might have given them a higher mark if they had the crispy pork which is what makes the No Name Curry Rice at Beo Crescent my current favourite Hainanese Curry Rice.

Conclusion

If you are near the National Library and really hungry, this is a great place to satisfy that hunger with some really unattractive but extremely tasty grub.

Eleven Fingers Curry Rice
Blk 269B, #01-235 Queen St
Singapore 180269
Closed alternate Fridays