Back from Macau

Mummee and daddeedee brought me to Macau last weekend! I had such a fun time and I learnt how to say "egg tart".  These are so yummy!  

New Helper

I am mummee's little helper! I mop under the sofa, navigate around small cars on the floor, and even sing my "抹抹抹" song as I mop the floor. I am a good good boy mummeee!

Taiwan A-Sha Noodles

These instant noodles are all the rage in Taiwan....they are apparently so popular that you can only buy them online, and it takes one month to arrive because of the long waiting list (they limit production to maintain quality). Being curious, I made an order for a few packets to see what all the fuss was about. Including shipping costs, the final damage came up to about SGD2 per pack.

and....they were pretty good although not knock-me-out fantastic. Very fresh tasting (no preservatives used) and with a bouncy "QQ" texture. I especially liked that these noodles weren't pre-fried unlike the other types of instant noodles on the market, and hence I had no qualms about letting Ethan sample some. The noodles come in a variety of textures (mee kia, mee pok or ban mian) and seasonings (original, sesame, spicy, szechuan peppercorn). My favourite was the hell-fire peppercorn flavouring - superbly tongue numbing and tingling!

Although considering the long waiting time (I waited more than 1 month), the inconvenience of purchasing from overseas (Customs / AVA is sticky about bringing food products into Singapore!) and rather steep price, I think I will stick to buying Japanese ramen from Isetan for my noodle fix in future.


www.a-sha.com

Ethan eats steak at Lawry's (Pictorial)

So mummee says, since I am well-behaved, I now get to go out to nice restaurants with mummee and daddeedee. Hmm, i must look as sweet and innocent as possible so i can go out more often!

i love prime rib steak! No rubbishy minced beef for me, only babies eat that. More, daddeedee, more!

No, it's not my birthday but I don't know why the cake is right in front of me. It's daddeedee's birthday! Happy birthday daddeedee!

Details on the food experience at Lawry's here.

Medz, Orchard Central

I usually try to give Marche-type restaurants a wide berth (mediocre food, expensive prices, long queues) but Medz, located in the bowels of the dizzingly confusing Orchard Central turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Giving us a positive first impression was the interestingly done-up interior, with lots of turkish lanterns casting warm jewelled tones on the mosaic tiled walls, and a warm and inviting ambience.

With a medley of offerings from the various Mediterranean countries - French, Italian, Turkish, Greek, Spanish, etc, there was no fear that we would not find something to our liking.

I opted for the truffled chicken (SGD10) from the French stall. This was good - tasty and flavourful and not disguised with lots of sauce, with our only slight quibble being that the breast meat was a trifle dry. You can help yourself to a range of spreads (like herb butter) to go with the chicken too. At this price, a steal.

Our other choice of Adana Kebab (SGD10) - a minced lamb skewer - was also a winner. The aroma and scent of the spices complemented the robustness of the lamb meat beautifully without being too overpowering, and the slightly charred exterior imparted a wonderfully smokey taste to the kebab, while the interior remained juicy.

This is one place I wouldn't mind coming back to in future if my tastebuds are feeling fickle!

Medz
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central
#B2-01/03

Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Seafood Restaurant, Melaka

Ever since Chubby Hubby blogged about his great experience, we've been curious about this Teochew restaurant in Melaka, located in a small street near the touristy Jonker Walk area. From the outside, Teo Soon Loong Chan looks like a rather dingy and nondescript hole-in-the-wall eating place.

The entrance is almost entirely blocked by the outdoor kitchen, leaving only a tiny gap to squeeze through into the eating area.

The inside is tiny too, with space enough for only about 7 or so tables, but clean and welcoming, with cheery red tablecloths. Very Chinese!

We had a Teochew-style steamed pomfret, fried vegetables, fried pork and Teochew yam paste - Or Ni, all for about RM80 (SGD32). The cooking was pretty good, but not really earth shaking, we've had better Teochew food at Chin Lee. Still, this was worth the visit just to watch Ethan wolf down half the pomfret all by himself. That's a lot of fish! I wonder where all that food goes to?

Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Seafood Restaurant

57 Lorong Hang Jebat

75200 Melaka, Malaysia

http://www.tslcmalaysia.com/

Melaka Feb 2012 (pictorial)

So we decided to risk a couple of sleepless nights and screaming fits (mine!) and take Ethan on another trip to Melaka. The trip turned out unexpectedly well, and most fortunately Ethan even managed to sleep well in the hotel bed. Thank heavens. There was no screaming in the end. Only smiles all around! And lots of nasi lemak and chicken rice wolfed down by our hungry toddler.

strapped safely into my car seat and zooming down the expressway!

our room in Hotel Equatorial!

sliding off the bed is so much more fun than staying still on it for photos!

mummee's all bright-eyed from getting enough sleep. I just want my nasi lemak!

Seb's Bistro, Rochester Park

Sebastian's at Greenwood Park was one of the restaurants that I had wanted to eat at but didn't get the chance to before it closed down a few years ago. So when I heard that Sebastian Reuiller had opened a new place at Rochester Park, I jumped at the chance to check it out.

Located on the premises of the now (alas!) defunct Cassis, but with a distinctly more laid-back and rustic feel, Seb's Bistro offers only out-door dining (bad luck for those hot weather and mozzie haters) and has a children's playground next door. The tables and chairs did look somewhat worn down and worse for wear, whether this was a result of the tropical weather ravages or from abuse by children I was not sure. But in any case, we were there for the food, which did not disappoint.

I can't help but order duck confit whenever I see it on the menu and this was no exception. Seb's Bistro's duck confit with braised red cabbage and apple ($29) was a winner, with crispy skin, just-right level of saltiness, still soft duck meat, and the interestingly tangy cabbage and apple accompaniment.

Even better was the weekend roast. A darn good prime rib roast, pink and delightfully succulent, beefy and savoury. Not one for the faint hearted, prepare to loosen your belts. We ordered the ladies cut (400g, $35) and it was almost too much for us even with Ethan sharing some of the beef.

Merry Kissmas, mummmmee!

Note though, that the full menu options are only available on weekends. On weekdays, the offerings are much reduced, focusing on light eats (sandwiches and such).

Seb's Bistro
7 Rochester Park
www.rochesterhouse.com.sg

db Bistro Moderne, Marina Bay Sands

I had been wanting to visit the celebrity chef restaurants at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) ever since they first opened, but for one reason or other, the visit never materialised until two weeks ago, when i was galvanised into action by the news of Santi's impending closure (more on Santi in a later post).

When you have a toddler in tow, dining out becomes severely curtailed by several considerations - does the restaurant open in time for him to have an early lunch? does it welcome tolerate unpredictable toddler moods and noises? is child-friendly food available? etc etc. It was thus a relief to find out that yes, db Bistro Moderne has high chairs available and opens its doors for an early lunch at 1130am.

An American take on the much loved Parisian bistro, the ambience and atmosphere at db Bistro Moderne was convivial and casual(ish), with all the typical bistro accoutrements and fittings (red velvet and dark wood).

I plumped for the famous original db burger ($38) (sirloin burger with braised short ribs and foie gras). The minced beef patty was beautifully cooked to a medium rosy pink and the middle was stuffed with a generous heap of the braised short ribs and a small lobe of foie gras. Unfortunately I wasn't able to tell how the entire concoction melded together in gastronomic decadence because I was only allowed to eat the beef patty. All the good stuff landed on ...

mummee, stop taking photographs and feed me that yummy stuff quickly!

.... yup, Ethan's plate. He finished it all (and half the bread basket) but only had a taste of the foie gras before deciding he didn't like it. Check out his special fine dining bib!

This is what my mangled original db burger looked like, post-Ethan. It tasted pretty ordinary, the beef wasn't all that tasty and I was expecting a lot more at this price point. To be fair, I guess it would have been a lot better with the addition of the short ribs and foie gras (although, how does one manage the logistical feat of eating such a towering burger without deconstructing all its parts?). Servings were huge - we couldn't finish the admittedly very delish and somewhat salty fries, more's the pity. I loved the Piper Heidseick champagne though (thanks UOB) and had two glasses all to myself - was kinda hoping that the champagne fumes would send Ethan into an early nap stupor but no such luck.



db Bistro Moderne
B1-48, Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Ethan at Marina Bay Sands (to be continued)

Oops....it's been almost 4 months since any new postings appeared on this blog! We are all doing very well and very happy, just that I've been extremely busy running after little toddler Ethan. Plus, I sheepishly admit that I went through a phase of watching movies and Chinese drama serials every night, thankfully my latest addiction has recently ended its run on TV so this leaves me with more time to blog.

Here are some quick snapshots of Ethan's latest adventure at Marina Bay Sands Skypark...to be continued with his gastronomic adventures at db bistro moderne!

i must bring a car everywhere i go! must must!

mummmeee, this is so exciting! quick quick hurry hurry!

hmm, this is nice, walking around up high.

mummeee, the tiny cars are more interesting than the bird in the sky! look, mummee, look!

Ethan's first durian experience

Mummmee, mummee, I like this smelly durian!!!

No more durian??

(2 seeds is quite enough for one small toddler at one sitting!)

Happy Birthday, Ethan

Music credit: Baby Don't You Cry (The Pie Song) sung by Quincy Coleman

Le Saint Julien, The Fullerton Waterboat House

Our first Restaurant Week meal for this October 2011 edition was at Le Saint Julien. With pleasant memories of our previous lunch at Boathouse, I was eagerly anticipating an even better meal at this stalwart of the french fine dining scene. Unfortunately, we found the experience rather underwhelming.

Our starter, the terrine of foie gras and chicken with medley of mushrooms and cress looked tempting and indeed the foie gras was excellent, silkily creamy and smooth, with hints of warm aromatic cognac. However I felt that the cold chicken was a tad insipid and flavourless. Was it our mistake in eating the two terrines separately? Were the duo supposed to complement each other in both taste and texture? But then, we weren't told whether these should be eaten together.

E's main of garlic and parsley crusted skate fish with bouillabaisse sauce was a little puzzling to our tastebuds accustomed to eating skate fish (aka stingray) smeared with generous lashings of sambal belacan. The beautifully crispy garlicky crust, while delicious on its own, did little to complement or disguise the naturally strong tasting skatefish.

Thankfully, my main of crispy rice with duck confit and truffle oil emulsion, with smoked duck breast sauce fared better. Beautifully cooked rosey pink duck breast slices, moist and tender. Although I must say that I had better duck in France.



Our dessert of Clafoutis (french traditional custard cake) with signature caramelized chocolate mousse was adequate but unexciting. And that perhaps sums up my issue with this particular lunch at Le Saint Julien. With an occasion out requiring me to conjure up alternative baby sitting arrangements and Ethan's lunch with what seems like 2 heads and 8 hands, I expect much more than the pedestrian, staid, and mundane. I want to taste sparks, excitement, joie de vivre and passion. Sadly, I didn't get any of that at Le Saint Julien.

Le Saint Julien
3 Fullerton Road #02-01
The Fullerton Waterboat House
www.julienbompard.com

Novus (guest post by W)

Note: I ambitiously booked three restaurants for Restaurant Week, and this is the story of the second restaurant. Guest-written by my lovely friend W.

Emma emailed me earlier in the week asking whether I would like to take over one of her two lunch reservations this weekend, as baby E acted up when she and E went out for lunch on Monday, and she didn't think they should leave him at home two days in a row this weekend. Since Z and I were already booked for dinner tomorrow, I decided to take up her offer on Saturday. Just as well, since Z and I have never gone to Novus before..

Turned out to be quite a modern looking restaurant (a little strange, considering it's situated in the National Museum!), with the decor geared more towards its bar than restaurant, perhaps. The service was attentive, possibly coz the restaurant was completely empty when we arrived. For the $40 set menu, there were three options each for starter and main (including one veggie option each), and two for dessert. We were pleasantly surprised by the bread basket, which arrived with olive oil/vinaigrette, flavoured butter and some olives. This was followed by the amuse bouche, crab meat mousse flavoured with wasabi, served on a black sesame cracker. Nice touch!

For starters, Z had the cured salmon, topped with dollops of yuzu gel and oyster leaves - very zesty and refreshing. While I went for the foie gras anglaise, which was like a custard made from duck consommé and foie gras, embedded with strips of duck meat and a chunk of foie gras and some gingko nuts. Certainly a new take on a traditional favourite..

For the main, Z had the red snapper served on risoni, which was cooked to a nice softness. I was disappointed that there were bones in the fillet - not very becoming for a fine dining restaurant, surely! My choice of stuffed and rolled chicken was pretty nice, cooked sous vide to retain the moisture of the chicken breast, stuffed with wild mushroom and served with a medley of seasonal mushrooms..

We each chose a different dessert, with Z having the Valrhona Chocolate Test, literally 5 types of chocolate desserts in increasing concentrations of cocoa content. Interesting, though perhaps the first three (aerated mousse, souffle and sorbet) were better than the last two (custard and dehydrated chocolate). I had the Black Sesame & Mango Creme, both of which were very very flavour-full. I particularly liked the fact that there was strawberry ice-cream in the centre of the black 'snowball', even if the taste wasn't particularly strong.

Z and I both enjoyed our meal, and more importantly, felt that the restaurant had gone to great lengths to make the dining experience a lovely one. For each of the courses, the restaurant would provided a little card with some information on the dish or the ingredients used. At the end, on our way out, the service staff also handed us a little Chinese takeaway box with a cupcake each! Very nicely done, and a fitting end to a good meal!

Big Boy

i am eleven months old today!

Mummmeee is very very busy so she says i can write this! Yippee!

ermm...

ahhhh...

ooops...

i forgot what she asked me to say....it's more fun playing with my car....bye bye!

NB: It's been a busy busy three weeks, E was away in the States for work so i had my hands full with Ethan and dealing with the household stuff, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry etc at the same time. Hopefully this blog will see more food related updates soon, now that E is back home and we can resume our weekly lunches.