Discovering places like Chui Xiang Kitchen is really what this blog is all about. I really like these small eateries where the owner is also the chef. Chef owner restaurants are more common with cafes and Western eateries, but when it comes to Zi Char and local cuisine, you often find hired hands in the kitchen. Sometimes the owner doesn't even know how to cook! But when you find a small restaurant where the owner happens to be the chef, chances are that the food is going to be a little more special.
Chef Kang’s Kitchen: The Return of the Canton Wokman!
Congrats to Chef Kang for winning One Michelin Star for 2017! Fans of Chef Kang of the defunct Canton Wok will be ecstatic to know that our favourite Cantonese Chef is back and this time he means business! After a short hiatus, Chef Kang has opened a little boutique restaurant which seats only 40 pax and […]
It's one thing to know how to cook and another thing to be committed to the art of cooking. Some people might know all the steps needed to make a dish properly but would take short cuts for the sake of practicality. I am one of them.
Copon Norp Restaurant: Ozaki Beef Odessey and beyond
I have been asked on several occasions about what I would choose as my final meal and the answer would invariably be a slice of grilled Wagyu Beef on top of of a mouthful of sweet short grain Japanese rice. Beef has always been my favourite meat. It has been since I was a kid, […]
Spring Court Restaurant: The Oldest Chinese Restaurant in Singapore
Did you know that Spring Court Restaurant is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Singapore? I admit that I never knew it until I visited Spring Court recently. Perhaps those Gen Xers and Baby Boomers might recognize it by its old name, “Wing Chun Yuen” which was THE place for Chinese Weddings back in the days […]
If you are a child of the 60′s and 70′s, lunch at the Red Star restaurant will transport you back to the days when the only stress was whether you get to be chosen for the soccer team during recess time. Red Star is the kind of restaurant that some people would love while others […]
Har Kou My apologies to all wine connoisseurs. I know that you all love your fermented grape juice and I am sure that it can be paired with Dim Sum, but being a traditionalist, (I am a fair weather traditionalist – you will probably read another post where I extol the marvels of modern cuisine) […]
This restaurant is closed Beijing Roast Duck $88 Don’t you feel sometimes that life is more than just a series of random events happening just by pure coincidence? Well, at least for me, I have always felt that there is an invisible hand guiding me onto the next subject to write about. Recently I have […]
Cafe de Hong Kong: The Search for Fried Rice Paradise
Review and photos by Joao Roasted Crispy Chicken I lived in Melbourne, Australia during my university days and it was during my time there that I discovered my favorite flavor of fried rice. It was (and still is) served at this place on Elizabeth Street called Rose Garden BBQ Shop. Casual dining, family-owned, home-cooked Hong […]
Congrats to Putien for winning one Michelin Star 2016! Fried “Hing Wa” Beehoon Among the Chinese in Singapore, the Hing Wa ethnic group is one of the smaller and lesser known ones. I must confess, prior to writing this post I had little knowledge of the Hing Wa people or their cuisine. Who are the […]
Lai Wah Restaurant: Origins of Yu Sheng and Yam Ring
Lucky Raw Fish Yu Sheng $45 You must feel a little incredulous to see an article about Yu Sheng in May. Well, this is no ordinary Yu Sheng, this is the original plate of Yu Sheng that was first introduced to Singapore during the Chinese New Year of 1964. Up till then, Yu Sheng had […]
Tung Lok Signatures: Its the season for Hairy Crabs!
It is no wonder that Hairy Crabs are a delicacy in China. If these furry little creatures where found in the West, they would simply treat them as pests because they are so difficult to eat. If you are the type who don’t like to eat crabs because you find it difficult to extract the […]