BaaMee Bangkok in SG: Must-Try Thai Tom Yam Wanton Mee

Tucked in the corner of Jalan Besar is a newly opened stall with a signboard that says "Thai No. 1 Wanton Noodles and Pig Trotters". Helmed by a Thai chef, this place has barely opened for less than a month but some pictures on its facebook page look promising. My pick is none other than the signature Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee ($5) which was astoundingly tasty and addictive.
Topped with a colorful mixed of garlic, peanuts, dried chilli, whole black pepper and some unidentified crispy elements, the thin strands of Thai egg noodle are fired up aggressively with a pool of tom yam sauce that comes from the same tom yam soup base for the soupy version. The fried pork lard was in short supply and the char siew was dry and flavourless. But this was not a huge problem since there were some unexpected crunchy chye poh and the noodles were consistently light, springy without clumping together. 

The soupy version ($5) was disappointing as the broth was sweeter than spicy; nothing much reminiscent of the robust and perky Tom Yum Goong.

For the non-spicy eaters, there are the original Thai Wanton Mee ($4.50) and the Pork Trotters Noodles ($5). Both were quite bland but the Wanton Mee had a tantalizing aroma of pork oil. Good thing that there is always a bottle of fish sauce standing by on every table.

Pork Trotters Noodles ($5)

Every order of noodles (except the Pork Trotters noodles) come with 3 plump meaty wantons, with a skin that was soft and melting. They were so tasty that we ordered an additional bowl of Tom Yam Wanton Soup ($6/10pcs) 

Another highly recommended item is the Kaa Moo aka pork trotters. We had the platter ($6) that comes with pig intestines, trotter skin and braised eggs.

Compare to the traditionally rich Taiwan-style braised gravy, the sauce is significantly milder and the meat is uncompromisingly soft. Purists who swear by the authentic sweet Thai version may want to add more sugar from the condiments on the table but I was thankful that this dish was customized to suit local palates.

At the end of the day, nothing is as memorable as the terrific bowl of Tom Yam Wanton Mee Dry. It was definitely spicier than expected but this is a good thing. As old habits doesn't die out fast, I tossed more chilli flakes into my bowl and continued slurping happily right till the very last bits. 

BaaMee Bangkok

45 Syed Alwi Road Singapore 207636

Daily 10am-10pm 

No GST or Service Charge

https://www.facebook.com/BaaMeeBKK

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Miam Miam x Horrible Bosses 2 : Win Tasty Treats & Movie Passes

In collaboration with the movie Horrible Bosses 2, Miam Miam, the French Japanese fine casual cafe kitchen, has come up with the "Miam Miam My Best Boss Meal" set meal at $22.90 (up to $28.90++) featuring its Signature Miam Miam Spaghetti alongside a drink (MM premium coffee/Earl Grey Tea) and French Salad till end of November.

There is more reason to try this other than the attractive pricing because it was fuss-free yet so tasty that it kept our spirits flagging. Each portion of raw pasta is measured to 110g and cooked exactly for 7.5minutes to achieve that perfect al dente bite. 
 However, I doubt the science is what makes this dish a success. Like a typical Japanese wafu pasta, the cream is kept to a minimum or literally non existent. But when French butter, onion, shoyu and some secret broth is reduced in a right way and tossed with sausages, spinach and bacon, the dish  ($16.80++)  turned out brilliant, better than it should be for what went into it. 

Interestingly, the Riz Noir ($16.50++) which resembled a Spanish squid ink paella, is made with Hokkaido's top grade ika sumi powder. The grains had a delectable firm chewy bites and garlicky flavour, though the scrambled eggs were far from the soft runny Japanese style omelette. Meanwhile, it was the opposite situation for the Souffle de Nuage ($17.50++); slightly clumpy glutinous rice-like tomato grains that are cleverly masqueraded beneath the golden and cheesy tasting whipped eggs. 

For the sweets, french toasts  ($10.80++) with their irresistible buttery aroma are probably the best morning call one like to receive but these stiff, slightly dry brioche deprived of the moist eggy flavour seems to lack a bit of that charm.

 

Matcha desserts such as matcha parfait  ($11.80++)  or matcha souffle ($11.80++) are made with top grade matcha powder from Japan but unfortunately the taste did not come forth.

However, the Varlhona chocolate soufflé ($13.80++) was excellent. Though it did not rise tall and high as I imagined, this dense baked chocolate dessert has a delicious molten center achieved by precise execution of oven time and the bonus drizzle of chocolate sauce on top. Do place the order early as it takes up to 20-25 minutes to prepare.

From 1st to 18th December, you stand to enjoy a free matcha soft serve, matcha souffle, Miam Miam spaghetti or a pair of horrible boss movie passes with every minimum spending of $80 in the INSTANT SURE WIN lucky dip. Also, you may want to check out their facebook campaign at https://www.facebook.com/miam.sg to win $50 worth of MM vouchers.

  

Miam Miam

Bugis Junction #02-14

200 Victoria Street S188021

Westgate #01-21/22

3 Gateway Drive S608532

Mon-Fri 11.30am-10pm

11.30am-10pm

More promotion details on https://www.facebook.com/miam.sg

http://miam.sg/

Special thanks to Miam SG

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Medz Christmas SG 2014 : Rainbow Log Cake

I never hold any good impression of rainbow cakes but I must confessed Medz's version is so far the best rainbow cake I have. And what could be a more colorful cake than the thing itself when it is dressed up with chocolate ganache to look like a Christmas log cake. 

Shaped in a rectangular form, the 1.2kg festive rainbow cake ($46.90++)distinguishes itself from the mediocre ones with the superbly moist sponge layers constituted of fine-textured particles, a far cry from those dry stale versions with big pockets.

Thankfully, they did not take the shortcut of drenching the layers with too much sugar syrup or clogged it with too much distasteful buttercream. Though food coloring can't be totally absent in the construction process, each layer is highlighted with a different flavour. I could taste orange, blueberry, peppermint, but not the cream cheese, caramel, chocolate chips and almond. But at least the effort is there. No wonder it has been voted the best rainbow cake by 8days.

Staying rooted in tradition, there is also the Chocolate Yule Log Cake ($43.90++), whose chocolate sponge is as moist as the layers in the rainbow cake. This 100% Callebaut dark chocolate would be a decadent, perfect classic treat if the chocolate pearls enrobed in the chocolate cream had not lost the desired crunch. 

The savoury selection of Medz "Warm Gifts from the Heart" Christmas menu includes the Mediterranean Spice Infused Whole Turkey ($118) which is on par with the rising quality of christmas turkeys in recent years. However, it was challenging to identify any spice redolence or tackle the sinewy Foie Gras and Chestnut Stuffing. 

Oven-roasted Pork Knuckle 

Pork Roulade

Disappointingly, the skin of both the oven-roasted Pork Knuckle ($68++/1.5kg) and Provencal herbs Pork Roulade ($68++/1.2kg) were less than crispy and required quite a fair bit of chewing. Nonetheless, the pork roulade was especially delightful as the plump mini raisins cuts through the garlicky robust flavoured filling beautifully.

There are plenty of other desserts made in-house by the pastry team; red velvet, strawberry sweetheart, hazelnut feuilettine, waffles, chocolate souffle and chocolate lava cake but nothing could be better than it's festive rainbow cake for a jolly merry X'mas!

 

Medz 

Millenia Walk

9 Raffles Boulevard

11.30am-11.30pm Daily

For promotion & outlet details: http://www.medzs.com.sg/

Click here for X'mas goodies catalogue

 

Special thanks to Medz

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Creme De La Creme: Kyoto Cream Puffs now in Tokyo

Located amidst the high-end commercial district of Roppongi Hills, Creme de la Creme stands out with the unique pure white-wash exterior. This takeaway-only cream puff specialty shop originates from Kyoto and this only outlet in Tokyo opened in April 2013. 

What makes this cream puff shop special is the Wafu flavours and not choux pastry. Besides this Matcha Eclair, there is the white miso paste eclair.

Shaped like a caterpillar, one experience the slight astringent matcha flavour that is lightened with fresh cream in every mouthful. The choux pastry is not too bad, just like the rabbit cream puffs from Nicolas in Ginza, but nothing of astounding intricacy. 

Plain, Chocolate, Matcha, Raspberry, Custard. 

These 5 little "dragon balls", dainty-looking but powerful on taste. Instead of the familiar custard cream, each ball unleased thick, dense filling because the custard base has been blended with traditional bean paste. Hence, their puny sizes are a good thing.  

Look out for seasonal specials, like this Fruit Baton Choux (¥696) that comprises fresh tomato custard cream, tomato whipped cream, orange, blackberry and juicy sweet marinated tomato. 

It was created as part of an art exhibition that was ongoing at Roppingi Hills Mori Tower. In fact, everytime there is a special art event, Roppongi Hills will rope in all the restaurants to create a list special food dishes to attract gourmet afficionados. Good marketing strategy I say, since eating is much a form of art just as art is a form of eating.

Alternatively, catch the fruits when they are in season by having the Melon Baton Choux (¥561) 

If you would like to pack something back on your trip, get the Choucre (available in chocolate). It is an example of A + B=C, or how the Japanese likes to play with their products. Think Chocolate Ramen. A fusion of choux cream and financier cake, it was meant to be reheated to let the volatile lava gushed out when you bite through it. Well, I tried both ways, hot and at room temperatue. I overheated the cake and the oil separated from the chocolate ganache.   

Want to find a nice cooling place to enjoy your treats? There are plenty of outdoor benches outside the shop. Chop a good spot and you can eat your Kyoto Cream Puff and view Tokyo Tower in front of you. 

Creme De La Crème  
(No English Menu)

Roppongi Hills (Takeaway) Outlet

http://www.cremedelacreme.co.jp/

Kyoto Main Outlet

604-0682 Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Karasuma Takeyamachi, Shoshoicho, 225

1F Shop Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sun/PH 10am -6pm

2F Cafe 11.30am-6pm 

Check out my facebook page for the latest updates!

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Four Seasons Singapore One-Ninety Mezze Dinner Buffet

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons SG

Get ready to pack on the pounds with the newly launched Mezze Dinner buffet at One-Ninety in Orchard. This latest instalment features a main course and buffet spread of appetizers and desserts at an unbelievable price of only $58++!! Buffet sounds highly inviting but the showpiece is the main course that comprises a selection of wood-fired steaks and seafood, grilled over apple wood at more than 200 degrees Celsius in temperature. 

Some of the mains require additional charges but they are very worth the extra bucks. Take for example the Rack of Lamb from Australia that truly exemplifies the skills of Chef Owen who is a master at handling tricky cuts. The marinade is nothing fancy, but the meat is superbly succulent and tender, as if I was slicing a raw eggplant.

Rangers Valley Wagyu Rump

Perfectly seasoned and grilled, the flesh of the Rangers Valley Wagyu Rump is rosy pink and each chew releases mouthful of flavourful beefy juices. On the other hand, the Red Label Organic Salmon Tranche turned out to be a huge fish mammoth, bearing the grilled marks after being slapped on the blistering grill. It could shine more with some dash of salt as the citrusy yuzu velouté sauce easily masked the original taste. I wonder how the other fish--Mediterranean Sea Bass tastes but it seems like the red meats are the forte.   

Highlights from the cocktails: Singapore Sangria (a signature exclusive cocktail with addition of Asian fruits such as dragonfruit, star fruit and lychee liquor), Wasabi Martini, Lemon Mojito 

Wine lovers will be in good hands as there is a series of cocktails curated by Head Bartender Sebastian Vaquez to complement the meats.The booze intensity is clearly quite high as even wine lovers squealed at the initial sips. 

From the appetizer table, there is a wide spread of salads, primed cured meats and seafood that are reflective of Italian and Mediterranean influences. Smartly zipped up with subtly sweet thai dressing, the cold lobsters were undoubtedly the hot favourite of many but my eyes and hands maneuvered naturally towards the pot of hummus and tahini. Yes, it was so smooth and moreish that I dunked some onto the crackers which I sneakily smuggled from the cheese platter.

There isn't many things that can taste better than a super creamy, oozing Italian bread, except when the mascarpone filling is truffed. Like a posh "pizza", this Truffle Foccacia is a MUST-TRY from the ala carte menu and I'm glad it's no longer the sole privilege treat to the VIPs. Cheers to this one.

As with every meal, I cannot forget what is arguably the most important part to me: desserts.Helmed by Pastry Chef Yoshihide who was previously from Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi, there is a touch of zen on the delicately soft petit mousse cakes. Some were too sweet but the Blueberry Crumble Mousse Cake got me obsessed with the sweet and salt coming through every lick. 

The pastry team seems to know the cacao bean very well as the chocolate treats were clearly the jewels of the dessert table. They were so decadent that one would be forgiving towards the slightly chewy over-chewy macarons. Sparkling like a bar of gold, the well-tempered Chocolate Yuzu Tart doesn't hit one in the face with a sharp citrus taste but it crawls in gradually towards the centre of the tart.


There is a gorgeous dark chocolate ganache cake topped with raspberries but it could not surpass the supremacy of the Hazelnut Royaltine. This signature cake of Four Seasons lives up to its reputation with a satisfyingly thick and crunchy feuilettine. Probably a seasonal Italian inspiration, the "chocolate salami" is another dessert snack with its rewarding crumbliness and incorporation of salt that cuts through the cookie beautifully. Even "mainstream" desserts such as mixed berry crumble with buttery rocky-road chunks or the cloud-like bitter Chocolate pot de Crème stood notches above the rest. 

Signature Hazelnut Royaltine

(Clockwise from top) Hazelnut Linzer Torte, Chocolate Salami, Pear and Berries Crumble, Macarons

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons SG

At a very reasonal price of $58, the Mezze dinner here goes beyond the sophisticated meal experience by creating a very welcoming, intimate ambience as if one is dining at home without feeling rushed or disturbed by loud, noisy conversations. Located just right next to the kitchen is the Chef Table which can seat up to 14 guests, making it a highly suitable option to host gatherings with your family and friends.

But ultimately, it's all about the food. Driven by the philosophy of freshness and seasonality, there is of course one big catch: the menu changes all the time, so the yummy lobsters or chocolate yuzu tart might not appear on the buffet table on your visit. No worries, everything here is first rate.

Enjoy 20% off the price of $58 from now till 20th December 2014!

Mezze Dinner Buffet at One-Ninety Four Seasons Singapore

For reservations, book online here or call

190 Orchard Boulevard S'pore 248646

6.30pm-10.30pm 

http://www.fourseasons.com/singapore/dining/restaurants/one_ninety/

Special thanks to Four Seasons SG

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Narutoshi Taiyaki 鳴門鯛焼本舗 : Taiyaki the Tradtional Way

When it comes to taiyaki, I only looked out for one thing-the pastry skin. I don't expect it to be as thin and crispy like a wafer. I'm contented as long as it's not soggy and stale. The filling is always very sweet, so no point debating about the sweetness. 

Perhaps due to having too many mediocre taiyaki in the past, I was simply amazed and delighted when I found Narutoshi Taiyaki. This shop stresses on the concept of "Tennen Taiyaki" (natural taiyaki), which means that the taiyaki is made using the method of  一丁焼き (icchouyaki) .

Each taiyaki is made on individual 2-kg fish-shape heavy iron cast and slowly grilled by rotating the casts several times. Yes...2kg!! Looks simple from the outside but who would have thought it would be such a laborious affair? 
 

Hence, this churns out significantly fewer taiyaki than typical taiyaki shops that fills 20-30 moulds in one single iron cast, cover and wait for them to be cooked without flipping. 

 

The result is an unbelievably thin yet fluffy pancake skin that is bursting with rich, sweet filling. I had the Naruto sweet potato instead of Kuroan red bean (黒あん）because Naruto (a city located in Tokushima Prefecture)  is famous for its Satsumaimo. 

It now has several outlets all over Japan and thus it is very convenient to try it.

On the other hand, there is another taiyaki shop called Ajisaki located at a corner of Seibu Ikebukuro depachika that seem quite popular especially during weekend. I have been eyeing at the regular matcha taiyaki because matcha is used not in the filling but in dough.


Finally, I had the chance to try it but it was a major disappointment. It had committed a major yet common mistake of taiyaki --Too thick dough with too little filling. The seasonal Matcha with Red Bean and Warabi mochi was slightly better, but still no way in comparison to Croissant Taiyaki or Narutoshi Taiyaki.  

Narutoshi Taiyaki　鳴門鯛焼本舗　(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
Tokyo outlets in Takadanobaba, Kanda areas
Other nationwide outlets in Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Kobe 

http://www.taiyaki.co.jp/menu.html

Ajisaki Taiyaki  味咲き

Seibu Ikebukuro Department B1

Direct access from JR Ikebukuro Station

Daily 10am-9pm (Sun: 10am-8pm)

Map and details here

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