Spicy Thai-Thai Cafe @ Aljunied

If you think that Thai cuisine is all about Tom Yam Soup, Phad Thai or Pineapple Rice, then it's time to make a trip to Spicy Thai Thai Cafe, a casual Thai style eatery in the Aljunied heartlands that serves North-Eastern Thai cuisine with some Teochew flair.

The Claypot Lala Beehoon ($18) justified a visit on its own, with the succulent fresh clams, chillies and moist beehoon that soaked up the peppery broth. The addictive, vibrant flavors immediately sparked an enthusiastic response across the table that borders on mania. 

The Fried Lad Na, thai style deep fried hor fun, paled in comparison as the stock was slightly diluted and lacked much aromatic character. Nonetheless, the chef's deft hand in seafood is also evident in the Basil Mussels ($15), submerged in a funky, umami-laden broth enhanced with aromatic cilantro and Thai Chilli. 

More delicate tongues can rest eat with the BBQ Pork Collar, slices of beautifully burnished meat with a distinctive caramelized aroma. The Chicken Wings $6 for 4pcs were slicked in a delectably sticky and sweet coating but the meat was too dry. 

Some of the cuisine here reminded me of comfort home-cooked dishes that go superbly with a bowl of rice. The Dill Pat Omelette ($8) is a well executed puffy "chye poh neng" that comes without the radish but a special legume called cha om (or English Cattle) that is grown in Thailand. For a unique twist, try the Water Fry egg, a pool of tasty and tender scrambled eggs studded with occasion chopped chillis, spring onions and served with Thai Style Crispy Sun dried fish ($12), which disguised sneakily as the brown conch-like decoration at the corner. Other tasty gear on offer includes the fish cakes and prawn cakes ($2 each) 

Looking like the tempura vegetables, the Deep Fried Kangkong ($10) would probably be a great snack to go with beer or simply with the special thai sauce--a nutty, mildly spiced concoction with mixed with minced pork. These were not too greasy but I prefer still prefer stir-fry vegetables because the greens were zapped of its original taste after a dip in the high-temperature oil.

The real treat here is THE FISH. To ensure that the spicy, complex lemon broth stays piping hot till you even finish your desserts, the owner goes the extra mile to serve the Thai Walking Cat Fish ($28) on charcoal , an authentic way of maintaining the heat and quality. With fresh meat of melting texture, this dish kills two birds with one stone as one can skip the Tom Yam Soup and slurp down the hellaciously hot soup to the very last drop. 

Something a little more extravagant would be the Red Emperor Fish Snapper (seasonal price) that is steamed and sprinkled with garlic, chilli's and slices of lime. This second fish of the night is as much an achievement as the previous catfish, or perhaps even better as the flavours are sharp and seasoning is bang on. 

Other desserts include Thai Red Ruby ($3.50) Lemon Grass Jelly with Aloe Vera Cubes and Calamansi ($2.50)

The desserts were those usual suspects that one would rattle off from a typical Thai menu but they were above pedestrian quality. My favourite was the Tapioca in Coconut Milk ($3.50) . These starchy roots were as soft as sweet potatoes and the warm temperature of coconut milk heightened the natural sweetness--a welcome change from the usual cold, stodgy version. The Sticky Glutinous Rice with Mango ($6) took me by surprise too, with the rice yielded a perfect texture.

Given such an extensive menu of more than 50 items, I am really impressed that the chef can manage to maintain such a stellar quality across most of the dishes here. Though I did not manage to try my favourite Tom Yum Soup or Papaya Salad this time round, I was very satisfied with the robustness of the herbs and spices here. With a constantly changing menu and very reasonable prices, this is definitely another great place for Thai food 

Spicy Thai Thai Cafe

Daily 11am-12am 

Blk 115 Aljunied Ave 2 #01-35

Singapore 380115

http://spicythaicafe.com/

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Funawa Asakusa 舟和 浅草: "Imo" that won't make you Emo

There are few sweet potato specialists in Asakusa and Funawa 舟和 is probably the most famous shop and oldest imo yokan shop in Tokyo (since 1902). Most tourists might have tried the imo yokan soft serve ice cream at its outlet along Nakamise Dori towards the temple direction but do you know that it operates a Wagashi area as well? 

Tucked off the busy main street is its main outlet that houses a cafe on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Most people come here for kakigori or anmitsu during summer. Since Funawa is famous for its sweet potato sweets, it has introduced its very own Matcha Sweet Potato Parfait (900 yen) 

Though the star is the creamy matcha soft serve, one can dig out several pieces of its signature yokan, together with bitter matcha jelly cubes and two types of Satsuma imo senbei (see that yellow and purple "ears" of the parfait?)
  

The signature yokan (a kind of traditional condensed bean paste) has been on sales since 1903. It does not contain any preservatives nor artificial flavoring. Still, I found it too sweet but it did pair very well with tea. 

Similarly, the Imo Yokan ice cream is just as intense as the yokan itself. But this is probably a good thing since we are all looking out if the flavour of any particular soft serve is discernible, isn't it? And yes, this is pretty yummy. 

Besides its main outlet (Honten), there is also another outlet in Asakusa offering a slightly different menu. Other cafe outlets include Takadanobaba and Jiyugaoka but for the quickest access to its traditional sweets, just head to the major depato. 

Funawa Asakusa　舟和 浅草　Since 1902

Shin Naka-mise Dori (At a corner of Orange Street) 

Map Here

Cafe hours: Weekdays 10.30am-7pm 

Sat 10am-8pm

Sun/PH 10am-7.30pm 

(L.O. 30 minute before closing)

Website http://funawa.jp/

Japanese Menu here

Other nearby eats in Asakusa: Kikumaru, Kagetsudo , Yoshikami , Tempura Sansada, Umezono

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Takumen @ Circular Road : Virtual Ramen Goes Real

It's interesting to see how ramen moves from reality to virtual space and back to ramen again. Japan's online ramen delivery store, Takumen, has launched its first restaurant not in Japan but in Singapore. Small, brightly lit and minimal, the space is just like a typical ramen-ya in Japan, minus the enthusiastic welcome shouts and loud slurping noises. It currently showcases the signature bowls from 6 famous ramen shops in Japan, each prepared from scratch by one single Japanese chef who has amazingly mastered all the secret formula and recreating the same quality to the smallest detail in the tiny kitchen.

Tori-Paitan Ramen by Hajime 3/5

Ramen is hardly the lightest grub out there and this perfectly oily chicken-broth based ramen by Hajime is no exception. My mouth tells my brain to go on because the broth is pretty flavorful but my eyes tells it to stop because the layer of glistening oil globules is too conspicuous to go unnoticed. This is a dilemma that has yet been resolved but this is the most competitively priced ramen at $14.90. On the side note, the thick chewy noodles did not provide much satisfactory texture compared to the rest, though the "Chicken Char Siew" or chicken breast meat was indeed tender. 

Jiro-Inspired Ramen by Chibakara 3.8/5

Ramen Jiro is a ubiquitous Tokyo brand that has earned a cult status for its unmistakable mountain of vegetables toppings and eye-poppingly thick rounds of char siew. However, this Jiro-Inspired Ramen from Chibakara($18.90) looks wimpy in comparison and the meat was tough to chew on the rims, though there was still hearty helping of bean sprouts and sweet cabbage. After giving it a good toss, it does reflect a stark resemblance to our local "Lor Mee". 

Diners can choose to customize any ramen here for the healthier "Singapore" version (less oil and salt) and we decided to experiment with this bowl. Yet the flavor after customization remained persistently rich and mellow, and I could imagine how robust it would be if we had the original Japanese version. 

Ramen Kurume by Honda Shoten 4/5

For the Tonkotsu purists at heart, Honda Shoten’s Ramen Kurume ($15.90) proved a truly wise investment of calories. It's difficult to argue about the quality of the broth with this shop that hails from Kurume, the city that gave birth to the first Tonkotsu broth in Japan. The bowl is indulgently rich and full-flavored, finished off with two thinly sliced gelatinous char siew that would send you to porky wonderland. But the silver shreds of sour ginger pickles, sesame seeds and crunchy black fungus pulled everything back to reality, leaving a first-rate aftertaste. 

Katsura-style Tantan noodles by Bingiri 4.5/5

Can ramen ever be spicy? Yes, when the noodles are not doused simply with mild Japanese ra-yu (chili oil) but attempt a bold and dangerous affair with grinded Sichuan peppercorns that sat afloat the dark red broth. No, I'm not exaggerating to say that this Katsura-style Tantan noodles from Bingiri ($19.90) is a flavour bomb. The spiciness did not really hit at first but built up as I worked on it and my tongue eventually went into temporary numbness. Yet the heat was so addictive and I caved in again. 

One amazing fact is that the spicy chilli oil is intensified with not one but THREE kind of pepper and blended with soy sauce base instead of sesame paste. To put off the fire in the tongue, one can munch on the sweet crunchy onions whose supply seemed to be endless in the large bowl. Alternatively, top up $2 for that beautiful onsen (soft-boiled) egg, which really helps to mediate some of the heat. On the hindsight, the more commonly seen parboil egg was slightly overcooked that day. 

The basic version of all noodles here does not come with any soft-boil eggs or parboiled eggs. However, I doubt this is a major problem since most self-respecting ramen fans would not bear to miss it. A second outlet has already opened one day after this first outlet and given Takumen's impressive online inventory of over 100 ramen, it is not surprising if these prized 6 ramen spots will be filled up by new brands in 2015. I wait eagerly to see what will be up next. 

This article first appeared on SG Food on Foot, an excellent and comprehensive food blog that showcases Singapore's best food near MRT stations. 

Takumen

66 Circular Road

#01-¬01

Singapore 049420

Tel: +65 65364875

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/takumen.sg 

Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line), Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours: 

Mon-Fri: 1130am - 12midnight

Sat-Sun & PH: 9am - 12midnight

Mon-Thurs: 11:30am - 3pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm

Fri: 11:30am- 3pm, 5:30pm-Midnight

Sat: 5:30pm-Midnight

Sun: 11:30am-3pm

*Public holidays: 11:30am-3pm

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Kikumaru 甘味茶房菊丸: Hidden Wagashi House Off Busy Asakusa

Kikumaru is another Wagashi house that is located in Asakusa but off the crowded touristy zone. Hence, it is not surprising to learn that there is no mention of this place on any guide book or tour blog.  Like 森の園 Morinoen, it also serves matcha and houjicha parfait. But i decided to kill two birds with one stone by having the Special parfait (¥1100). 

There is not much difference compared to other parfaits: bran corn flakes, azuki beans, whipped cream, jelly. But there is a whopping amount of ice cream here: matcha ice cream, Houjicha ice cream and vanilla soft serve. Luckily, the ice cream was not too sugary and their signature anko paste is also worthy of the name. In fact, Kikumaru takes pride in its ingredients as 60% of the soft serve is made with full fat milk and no artificial coloring or sweeteners. A special breed of beans from Furano, Hokkaido, called 赤豌豆Akaendo is also used here. 

Instead of the quirky "Versailles Anmitsu" (Anmitsu with a rose shape apricot), I opted for the Uji Kintoki Kakigori (900 yen), adding one scoop of kurogoma ice cream. Doesn't this Kakigori look like a ship? 

What is good about this place is the flexibility to change or add on any ice cream flavour of your choice. There were even sake and salt vanilla flavour! A good mid-point rest stop if you are going to explore Asakusa and Kappabashi (Kitchen Street) area. It is also a place that I recommend if you like to avoid the mad crowds at Kagetsudo 花月堂。

P.S. Savoury Menu of Anago Chirashi, Curry bentos, etc. is also available 

甘味茶房菊丸 Kikumaru 

Tokyo Taito-ku Nishi Asakusa 2-4-1 

Fukushima Building 1F 

Daily 11.30am-7pm (L.O. 6.30pm)

Nearest Station : Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Asakusa 浅草 or Tawaramachi 田原町

http://kanmidokoro-kikumaru.com/

Other nearby eats in Asakusa: Funawa,  Kagetsudo , Yoshikami , Tempura Sansada, Umezono

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Stirling : Quality Grills in the Hood

$2 for a burger? Yes, it is quite unbelievable that one can still find quality gourmet burgers at such an affordable price (other than McDonald's). This petite slider that punches above the rest comes from Stirling, one of the restaurants along the stretch of food outlets opposite Beauty World Centre in Upp. Bukit Timah Road.

The juicy and tender beef patty has a depth of smokiness that when combined with the cheese, roma tomatoes, garlic aioli, makes for a seriously good bite. This is so good that it makes logical and monetary sense to go full course for the Sirloin Steak Burger ($19+). With a moist and plump Sirloin patty, snuggled in between two halves of a lightly toasted bun, this is even more irresistible because of the Jack Daniel infused Shitake mushroom sauce and zesty coleslaw-like salad that softens the bottom bun. Taking pride in its grilling techniques, the Signature plate is none other than the slow charcoal grilled steaks that is served with avocado butter ($35+). Both the sirloin and rib-eye have a nice glorious char outside and luscious red interior but sirloin turned out to be the more flavourful and tender cut with a soft pleasant chew even though it has less fat than the ribeye.

The Pan Seared Duck Breast ($25+) did not forge a deep impression because the meat were dry and flavourless. If the duck could be sliced thinner, the dish has potential to shine because the creamy truffle mushrooms and pencil asparagus was delicious.

At Stirling, from meats to cheese, practically anything can be grilled and the standards are consistent. Take for example the Grilled Halloumi Salad ($9+), a mouth-watering mix of baby spinach and slightly crisp Greek cheese, which gets a fresh bright punch from the dressing and tomatoes. Even fruits like watermelon ($12+) were not saved from the hot grill and ended up as a delightful appetizer served with Parma ham and rocket salad.

Among the non-grilled dishes, I prefer the Caesar salad to the bacon wrapped asparagus ($11+) as the hydrating slabs of crisp iceberg lettuce are slathered in the right amount of dressing, with crispy bits of croutons and bacon adding to the decadence.Surprisingly, there was no grilled desserts, unless you count green tea waffles or crepe as grill items. If dessert is a must, the Mud Pie ($8+) is a dependable choice as it is hard to go wrong with ready-made ice cream and Oreo cookies. However, I would devote the space reserved originally for desserts, all for another plate of Crispy King Salmon ($23+).With a gently-salted and delicately crisp skin falling away to perfectly cooked interior, this dish is testament of the chef's proficiency. I like the idea of using sesame seeds, seaweed flakes in the creamy mash and the savoury roe toppings as they truly enhanced the taste of the moist pink flesh. If someone were to ask me where in Singapore has the best pan-seared salmon, I would say Stirling.

Stirling
15 Cheong Ching Nam Road
Singapore 599 739
www.stirling.sg
Mon - Thurs:11.30am - 2pm, 6pm - Midnight
Fri and Sat: 11.30am - 2pm, 6pm - 1am
Sunday: 11.30am - 2pm, 6pm - Midnight

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Dean and Deluca : Good Green Festa

May 2014 had been a busy month...of eating green stuff. Like most shops elsewhere that are coming up with green items (May is the month of "shin ryoku" aka New Green), Dean & Deluca has also come up with Green Bakery theme where all the baked items contained some green ingredients.

The first item that catches my eye is of course, the military green matcha scone drizzled sparingly with green tea icing sugar. 

The first few bites were rather disenchanting as the taste was bland. But after a while, the bitterness starts to emanate and sings along with the dark chocolate. It's just as tasty as the chocolate scone during earlier visit. 

The Giant Pistachio Roll looks too yummy to be missed. Similar to a cinnamon roll, the interior is slathered with filling of strawberry jam. The Pistachio cream was very concentrated in sweetness but proportionate to the thickness of the chunky plain brioche. 

Kiwi & Chardonnay Pancake, Asparagus Tartine, Pistachio Brioche 

This Blueberry Melon Pan in bright purple stood in stark contrast to the green items 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Roll

D and D's take on gheclassic American brown bag lunch (or breakfast) is so much than the pistachio because the interior is smeared with lots of unevenly grinded salted peanuts and peanut paste. Crunchy, salty and sweet, this is an all-round indulgent comfort food.

Dean & Deluca Tokyo

Various Stores including Shinjuku, Yurakucho Lumine,

Roppongi Midtown and Tokyo Station. 

More info http://www.deandeluca.co.jp/ 
For the previous visit, click here

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SMOR Scandinavian Deli : AMAZING Sandwiches

It has been a long time since I truly felt touched by honestly good food.  

The moment I bite into the Kale and Mushroom, the cacophony of flavours simply exploded in my mouth without warning. Sweet, spicy, tangy......how can this humble looking sandwich taste so fabulous? I could not suppress my excitement and wanted to find out what magic has gone into this sandwich. 

"It's Chilli flakes that we've infused into the olive oil and that tang comes from the clots of lemon milk juice cream you see on top of the mushrooms." answered the owner Traveen in a slow-paced Norwegian accent. Chilli flakes and lemon milk juice? WOW. 

This brilliant inspiration can only be found here at Smor, Singapore's first Scandinavian Deli that is opened by food enthusiast twin brothers Traveen and Tarun Gulrajani. They were so captivated by the concept of Smorrebrod (which means "butter bread") during their 3-month tour of 12 Scandinavian cities that they decided to bring it to Singapore, elevating to an artisan level with quality ingredients all sources from Scandinavia. 

It is not only the quality ingredients that make this worth. Like the Kale and Mushroom, the Crunchy Bacon is piled onto buttery and crisp toasted brioche bread that doesn't turn claggy with the moisture of tomatoes. Topped with side eggs, wilted baby spinach and shavings of emmental cheese, this warm open-faced sandwich is a great breakfast choice that tickles one's fancy.  

These sandwiches worked amazingly better than most cold pleasure-less wraps as they are prepared fresh upon order. The warm versions easily gain the upper hands as our palates acclimatize to the heat but the cold sandwiches are seriously not bad either.  

Instead of mundane ingredients like cream cheese and capers, the Smoked Salmon has a lovely acidic-sweet kick coming from the horseradish and dill-infused sweet mustard dressing which I mistaken to be honey at first. 

Some might find the Norwegian hand-peeled shrimps to be tad salty but if you factor in the tangy lemon mayonnaise and the sprinkles of chives, it's a simple, refreshing yet addictive combo.  These voluminous seafood filling are stacked onto gluten-free light rye bread is resilient enough to avoid saturation from the extra moisture, yet still soft enough that it doesn't wear out the muscles as you chow into it.  

This is probably also the only place in Singapore where you can discover a fair range of Scandinavian chocolate snacks, savoury produce like caviar or coffee. I bought the Jaffa Nougatine bar ($2.50), some really good milk wafers at only $2.50 and the Shuffle Toffee Biscuits, the sinful combination of snickers, Mars and Toackers that are worth the calories.  I have posted the Shuffle Toffee on my instagram here

Was it by chance that we managed to pick all four choices that were delicious? I seriously doubt so. Yes, the price of $6.90 for one sandwich, $12.90 for two and $17.90 for the Viking meal of three might seemed a little pricey or not satisfyingly sufficient for a meal. But trust me, a regular meal of two sandwiches are more than enough to fill you up. Moreover, if it's such a wholesome meal prepared with healthy ingredients, passion and sincerity, why not? 

I seldom say that I will return to try the place but this I shall unabashedly say that a return is a must.

SMOR 

#B1-23 One Raffles Place 

(Direct underground walk from Raffles MRT)

Mon-Fri 8am-8pm

Sat 9am-4pm

https://www.facebook.com/smor.sg

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