Sage The Restaurant: Australian Beef and Lamb Tasting: Grassfed vs Cornfed Beef?

Roast Beef Carpaccio

Do you like raw beef?  I don't.  At first I thought it is because I don't know how to appreciate raw beef or that I haven't eaten a good one.  But after trying Carpaccio of different kinds, Beef Tartare and even raw Wagyu beef, I think I can now say categorically that raw beef is just not my thing.

So when Chef Jusman So presented his Beef Carpaccio, I was quite hesitant at first.  But his version wasn't the familiar Carpaccio that I was expecting.  It was a Roast Beef Carpaccio where there was raw meat in the middle but cooked on the outside so that it had that charred beefy aroma which, to me, is what eating beef is all about.  Eaten by simply dipping it in mustard and a fresh sprinkling of parmesan cheese, I must say that this is the best Carpaccio I have come across.  4.25/5

But is it Carpaccio at all?  I reckon this should just be called thinly sliced Roast Beef.  The Carpaccio that I am familiar with is made of raw meat.  The dish was invented in the 1950's in Harry's Bar in Italy in response to a patron's request to eat raw meat and was named after the famed Italian renaissance artist, Vittore Carpaccio, whose hallmark was a reddish hue in all his paintings.  So Carpaccio should technically be about thinly sliced raw meat. I mean, if you sear the outside of a Beef Tartare, it would be called a Hamburger wouldn't it?.  But I am not complaining.  Whatever the dish was called, it was excellent and brought out the beefiness of the Australian beef rump that was used.

Feature in Ezyhealth and Beauty Magazine: Sep 2010

Feature in Medical Grapevine: Sep 2010

Teochew Kueh: Why is there Red and White Png Kueh?

Png Kueh 90 cents each

Ever wondered why the Png Kueh is made in such an odd shape and comes in red and white varieties?

Even though these snacks are popularly known as Png Kueh, we Teochews actually call these dumplings Poong Tor which literally means "rice peaches".  In Mandarin, they are known as 桃粿 which means "peach dumplings". The peach is regarded in Chinese lore as a symbol of longevity.  There is reference to the sacred peaches of immortality in the story of Sun Wu Kong (The Monkey King) where he ate the sacred peaches of the Jade Emperor's garden and obtained immortality. So the Chinese used peaches as an offering in religious ceremonies as a symbol of longevity.  Since peaches are only in season once a year, dumplings like the Png Kueh and even Pao that is made in the shape of peaches are used out of season as offerings.  Both of this items have the familiar pink hue to make them look more like peaches.

Join us for a cup of kopi and get your ieat T-shirts!

Raintesting the T shirt in Sandakan - Photo by Cactuskit

I am glad to announce that the new ieat T shirts are finally ready for collection!

But before we made them available, we ran some safety and quality tests on them during our recent Ieat Makan Mission (IMM) trip to Sandakan.  I am glad to report that after some rigorous testing, our IMM team gave the T shirt two thumbs up!

Qiang Ji Dessert Stall: Nuts over Ginkgo

When I was young I remember my Teochew grandma (actually both grandmas where Teochew) loved ginkgo nuts.  We would use the stone pestle to crack open the seed and then use a toothpick to remove the greenish embryo because it was the part of the seed that gave it its bitter taste.  We called them "peh kngueh" 白果 in Teochew and I never really like them as a kid and could not understand what the fuss was all about.  I think it was because we used to just boil them in a sugar syrup that is flavoured with pandan leaves and to me, the nuts tasted a bit bland and sometimes bitter if the embryo was not removed. Of course, kids nowadays are more likely to come across ginkgo nuts in their cups of chawanmushi at the Japanese restaurant.  Even then, my kids would not eat them.

Sum Long Teochew Braised Duck: Everything Teochew except the Hawker!

Let's talk duck.

There are basically three different types of ducks being sold in Singapore.  They call them Chai Ya (lit Vegetable Duck), Ban Chai Ya (Half Vegetable Duck) and Fan Ya (Rice Duck).  The one that you will most likely eat at hawker centres would be the Cai Ya.  They are the common white coloured Pekin Duck, a breed that grows very quickly to reach table size.  The Ban Chai Ya, from what I can gather, has tougher meat and is excellent for braising, but the cost is much higher than the Chai Ya so only very passionate hawkers would use them.  The Fan Ya is even more expensive and is used only on very special occasions.

Mattar Road Seafood: The last stall on my Hawker Legend Trail

When I started my blogging adventure four years ago, there was a list of hawkers which I set myself the target of blogging.  These were the Makansutra Hawker Legends.  This was the very first list that Makansutra had come up with.  Subsequently, they have come up with lists every year, but have called them Streetfood Masters instead.  To me, this first list of the Best of the Best Hawkers represents the Best of the Best of the Best, because they were probably the lowest lying fruit at that stage.

It took me four years but I have at last blogged every hawker on the list!  (Applause please).  Ok, I admit that along the way, I was a little distracted and lost my focus for a while.  It was because of the Hawker Legend list that I found Hillstreet Char Kway Teow which is till this day my favourite Char Kway Teow.  I also learnt the pleasures of Leng Heng's Kiam Chey Arh (Salted Veg Duck) and the secret of Meng Kee Satay Bee Hoon.  It took me a few visits before I managed to eat Ah Chuan's Oyster omelette because he was always closed, but man it was worth it.   It was not all wonderful tough.  There were also ones which left me wondering what the fuss was all about, like Garden Kway Chap and Shukor Stall's Roti John, which coincidentally are both located at Serangoon Gardens Food Centre.

And now, finally, I have completed the task with this post on Mattar Road Seafood.


White Pepper Crab

The old couple here operate a tiny little stall selling seafood of all types.  Since they were legends because of their chilli crabs, this was the first dish we ordered.  Okay, I have to tell you that the chilli crabs did not meet up to my expectations.  They were after all legends, so I guess I had very high expectations.  The crabs were very fresh, but somehow the chilli sauce did not quite cut it for me.  4/5

However, I must say that I really admire the old couple as they are still putting in so many hours even though they were getting on in years.   I spied their white pepper crab dish and managed to snap a photo.  The aroma was very good, but I did not taste it so I can't say beyond that.  At $32 per kg for crabs, the price is quite reasonable and this is one of the places that you can eat chilli crabs and still order other hawker fare.

Conclusion

At last, the project I started in 2006 has finally been completed!  This chilli crab did not meet up to my expectations, but I am sure they have lots of fans who would vouch for their dishes.  Perhaps you can voice your support for this old couple?

Mattar Road Seafood BBQ
Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-63
Open 3pm to 11pm
Closed Tues and Wed

ieat's inaugural overseas Makan Mission! Sandakan here we come!

Today marks another milestone in the life of the blog.  We shall be making our very first Makan Mission trip later this evening, bringing a group of 15 Kakis to Sandakan to present our cheque of $22K to our friends from Sandakan.  Our ieat Team members, Cactuskit, Soundman, Rockett Girl, Cactuskitty, IF, Holydrummer will be following me on this trip and we will be accompanied by the Nuffnangers and a few other kakis.

Peach Garden Restaurant: Registration for the Canon - ieat Food Photography Workshop is Open!

Thanks for your overwhelming response!  The class is full, but you can still be put on the waiting list.  Please write to cliff_lim@canon.com.sg.  We will try to accommodate as many as possible.

Scallop and Prawn "Dragon Eyes" Dumpling $4.50++

The next Canon-ieat Food Photography workshop is going to be held at Peach Garden Restaurant at the OCBC Centre, so here is a bit of a teaser of what you can expect.

Situated on level 33 of the OCBC centre, the Peach Garden Restaurant has both the food and the views.  I was there last weekend to finalize the logistics of our workshop and managed to try some of their Dim Sum dishes and they were excellent!

Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice: How did Hainanese Curry Rice come to be?

Hainanese Pork Chop $2 per portion

Hainanese curry rice is defined by the four classic dishes of Pork Chop, Curry Chicken, Chap Chye and Kong Bak right?  Ever wondered why?

If you go to Hainan island, you will not be able to find Hainanese Curry Rice because this is a style of cooking that is only found in Singapore.  The Hainanese were excellent cooks and were often employed by the British as well as the wealthy Peranakans as chefs in their homes.  They got the Pork Chop idea from the British and the rest from the Peranakans.  Curry Chicken, Babi Ponteh and Chap Chye, these were some of the Nonya dishes which the Hainanese cooks adapted for Hainanese Curry Rice.  Nowadays, it is instantly recognized Hainanese Curry Rice.  Sure, other economic rice stalls might sell curry, kong bak and chap chye, but they always have a slew of other dishes.  If you go to a Hainanese Curry Rice stall, these few dishes are the main attraction.  You really don't need anything else.

Glory Catering: Nonya Style Poh Piah that is Uniquely Singapore

Nonya Poh Piah $2.20 per roll

Although Poh Piah originated from China, we have a version that really is unique to our little island or at least amongst the Peranakans living along the Malayan Straits.  When you first eat this version of the Poh Piah, you might not really take to it because it is slightly different from the ones we are used to. For one, they don't use the fried crunchy bits and secondly, they use freshly ground chilli instead of the chilli sauce in a typical Hokkien Poh Piah.

Soon Heng Noodle: Bit of Yong Tau Foo, Bit of Wanton Mee

If you are at Pepys road to eat Tong Lok Kway Chap, it would not hurt you one bit to order some Yong Tau Foo Wanton Mee from the stall next to it.  Yes, I know it is a Wonton Mee stall, but they also serve homemade Yong Tau Foo and the soup is robust and full bodied.  Just like Tong Lok, it also feels very old school and it is a great starter while waiting for your Kway Chap. 4.25/5

Garage: Chef Tim's ieatishootipost Menu Tasting Session is Opened!

Wagyu Foie Burger $22+ (no service charge)

You all know Chef Tim right?  He was the guy who has been helping me with the videos on how to cook fish and chips and different ways of cooking an egg.  Those of you who have seen the videos will know that Tim is the type of guy who really goes into great details when it comes to cooking.  He eats (literally), sleeps and dreams about food all the time.  So, when you get a person like Tim and put him in a kitchen where he can get his hands on anything he wants, it usually means you are in for a treat. I have been wanting to organize a session where you can get the chance to try his dishes and I am glad that I have finally managed to work something out!

ieat's Prata Workshop: Prata Satu and BTW Will You Marry Me?

Last weekend's Prata Workshop must have been the most memorable of all the workshops I have conducted.  One of the guys used the occasion to propose to his girlfriend while she was making the Roti Prata in front of 12 other couples!  Yeah!  Now ieatishootipost is into Makan & Matchmaking sessions!

Tong Lok Kway Chap: There's No School like Old School!

The Kway in Kway Chap

Kway Chap.  The two words that always remind me of my days in the operating theatre assisting in colorectal surgery.  I have shared it before in a previous post, but it's just something I have to share again for the benefit of our newer readers.  Colorectal surgeons love Kway Chap!  It's the first thing they rush out to eat right after the operation!  And you thought that Hannibal Lector is just a figment of someone's imagination!

Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a winner!

Having much deliberation and devious ways of teasing the tastebuds of our Hawker Food Hopefuls, we have finally found the Hawker Food Champion!

Ok, I have to admit that the person having the most fun was probably me.  I took my job of chief interrogator quite seriously as it was my job to create the sweat beads on the foreheads of our would be food critic.  So before the taste test began we scoured Old Airport Road Food Centre looking for stuff that would make our contestants gag, grimace or choke.  Whatever it took to get a nice photo and a laugh.

ieat's inaugural Beef Appreciation Session!

Photos by ijeff and greengrocer

Well, judging by the response of the kakis from the first Beef Appreciation class, it looks like I need to start organizing Beef Appreciation Session II!

Yes, our participants were introduced to cow anatomy, shown how to cook a beef steak, how to slice it and how to appreciate the difference between grassfed, grainfed, Wagyu and Aged USDA prime Ribeye.  I think the only complain was that everyone wished they could have a whole Ribeye steak to themselves!

Killiney Curry Puffs: The best Curry Puff is a Fresh Curry Puff!

Epok Epok $1.20

Have you ever wondered how I find all the makan places on the blog?  Well, when I first started the blog it was quite easy.  Just look for lists of all the best food places that people have posted on the internet. Once that began to dry up, I started our own forum to let our kakis exchange notes about what they have discovered.  Very soon, we have our very own makan brigade and it's just a matter of asking the brigade Captain, a post currently held by Soundman where to eat lunch in any given week.  Then of course there are the plethora of email that come in to tell me about this stall and that.  By the way, I had quite a few requests this week from people who want in on the makan brigade. Well, we operate a meritocratic system that is opened to anyone with a mouth and a stomach.  All you have to do is to join the forum, start communicating with our kakis and very soon, you will be invited to a makan session somewhere!

There is no Carrot in Carrot Cake!: My first book!

Front Cover

You might have read about this book on the front page of the Sunday Times recently. Prof Tommy Koh was calling for hawker food to be taught in culinary schools so that we can preserve the integrity of our hawker dishes.

Anyway, my publishers Epigram had asked me to contribute photos for this book which is written as a guidebook for tourist who may not know about our local dishes. I was quite surprised that Epigram has made me a Co-Author of the "Carrot Cake" book so now I can actually say that I have published a book! It certainly was not something I ever thought I would do.