Singapore - Christmas Goodies from Vis-a-Vis and Centre Ps

Christmas... a time of sharing, giving, receiving, and of course like the good Asian in us, FEASTING! In this spirit, the need to have goodies of quality, festively packaged is ever so important.

I relied heavily on two places worthy of mention... one old, one new, nothing borrowed, nothing blue.

Vis-a-vis, a long standing veteran in the French dining scene in Singapore, and known for its Christmas roasts. Of worthy mention, the boneless turkey stuffed with foie gras, is as decadent as it sounds, but with none of that greasy badness, and still a winner after all these years. The roast US Sirloin encrusted with black peppercorn, garlic and fresh herbs, did not pale in comparison either and despite cooked ahead of time for delivery, retained its juices well and remained pink and tender.

Centre Ps' fruit cake was a winner with various sizes for gifting and is actually a delight to savour. Dense and moist, with generous amounts of fruit, and not a tad too sweet, embodied the right amount of holiday cheer. If you like your chocolate, their log cake is also one of the best I've ever had.

Cheers!

Happy Holidays and may 2009 bring more cheer and success to all!

Hong Kong - Sun Kwong Chiu Chow Restaurant

Chiu Chow or Teochew or Chaozhou cuisine originates from the region in the easternmost part of Guangdong province. Being part Chiu Chow on my Dad's side of the family, the cuisine holds as dear to me as Cantonese food is on my mother's side. Cuisines I grew up with and probably would be happy to die eating..

Although from the same province, their styles are different. Chiu Chow cuisine is generally lighter in cooking method and flavour, with much more emphasis on the orginal flavours of the produce being cooked.

As one of my favourite Chiu Chow restaurants in Hong Kong, Sun Kwong on Lockhart Road creates a good sampling of traditional Chiu Chow cuisine.

The priciest thing on the menu is the fresh steamed crab served cool, with dark vinegar laced with a little sesame oil. While pricey, it is definitely worth the moola if you like your crab. The meat has a firm bite and falls off the shell easily from the freshness. Steamed with a mixed bag of herbs, chilled and then served, the herbs enhance but do not detract from the natural flavours of the crab.

The braised goose is a must try of course at any Chiu Chow restaurant and Sun Kwong is no exception. Perfectly braised and retaining its juices, it combines well with the soya sauce in which it had been braising. You can combine the goose slices with innards from the goose or pig, all an exciting combinations of textures and flavours.

Other Chiu Chow representations worth trying include:

Oyster Omelet (served with a piquant fish sauce)

Steamed grey mullet (served with salty yellow bean sauce).


And the rice porridge with baby oysters and minced pork.


Comfort food at its best.. no wonder Sun Kwong gets more crowded as it gets later into the night..

Hong Kong - Yuet Wah Hui Seafood Restaurant

Yuet Wah Hui at Lockhart Road, nearer the Causeway Bay end, is one of my default choices for -simple and well-executed old-style Cantonese favourites. Their piece de resistance in my opinion, is the free-range chicken steamed with ginger and spring onion. It is succulently juicy and the flavours from the marinade steeped into the plump chicken. Perfect with a bowl of steaming hot rice.

Other dishes always worth ordering:

Crayfish stir fried with chillies and garlic

Chinese style Calamari Fritters


Bittergourd stir fried with milk and egg whites


Clams in spicy Chinese wine is also a favorite and the kick from the pepper and chillies in the clear broth never fail to give me heat.

To end, the popular steamed lotus leaf rice always hits the spot.


The beauty of the location is that dessert is always available in nearby bustling Causeway Bay, after a brisk short walk to walk off a hearty meal.

Simple pleasures..

Macau - Restaurante Litoral

Macau is not one of those places you head to unless you're a fan of the vices, and of course, gaming is a great revenue generator, surpassing even Las Vegas at last count. To attract non-gamers, the Macau government has spared no effort in bringing music stars for concerts, Cirque de Soleil, and of course, I am there again this year to watch Mr. Roger Federer, this time accompanied by James Blake, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

Another highlight of Macau is of course, Macanese food, which is heavily influenced by Portuguese cuisine, having been a Portuguese settlement up until 1999, when it became a special administrative region of China.

Restaurante Litoral aptly describes Macanese food as the original "fusion" food, a blend of East and West with many recipes handed down through the generations. Sitting in a cosily decorated restaurant with wooden beam ceilings, old-fashioned blue-and-white tiles, you would not be blamed for thinking you were in a restaurant in Portugal.

Having lived in Hong Kong for a while, I have grown to like Baked Pork Chops with Rice, a cha chan teng staple. Its origins are Macanese and the best I've had is at Restaurante Litoral. I like my rice and the rice at Litoral is immaculately coated through stir frying, the tomato paste and therefore fragrant. The pork chops are also perfectly crumb-coated before being deep fried. All this topped with a layer of tomato based sauce, is baked in the oven, prior to serving. YUMS!

Other goodies on offer were the: prawn bisque served in a bread bowl..

.. and grilled sardines, which retain its freshness, through a quick grilling process, and served simply drizzled wtih olive oil.

To round off, the coconut egg custard, with its topped, slightly charred from a blowtorch was perfect - fragrant, and surprisingly, light.

One of those "go back in time" meals always worth going to if you are going to be in Macau looking for good food.

Confections of the Heart

Japanese love their pastries and even western style cakes are very much a part of the Japanese culture and have been since the late 70s. They love to make them, eat them, give them and receive them. Aside from being delicious, they are therefore packed into the prettiest boxes and wrappers.

From Gramercy New York Bakery where the strawberry shortcake is as good as where it originated from...


... to Nenrinya in Ginza where the only things on offer are their famous baumkuchens. Literally "tree cake" an originating from Germany, these cakes are painstakingly made layer by layer, traditionally roasting on a spit. The eggy fluffiness combined with icing is excellent with a siphon-brewed Blue Mountain. No wonder the queues outside its store are never-ending.

The use of seasonal offerings like chestnuts in November, in Konigs-Krone's green tea or chocolate cake is also heavenly. And if you cannot choose, they offer a half and half where you can get both flavours in one cake. And to top it off, no need to struggle with cutting. A whole cake comes ready cut in 8 glorious pieces.

So the next time you are in Japan, don't miss out on these heavenly creations!

Tokyo - Mimiu

When traveling with matured folks who aren't used to eating too much Japanese food (especially the raw stuff), shabu shabu (Japanese hot pot) is not a bad meal to have especially when these folks are craving "soup".. Ok, so you don't slurp up the stock you cook in, but on a cold winter's day, it is still a heartwarmer.

We end up at Mimiu in Shibuya's Mark City Mall after yet another day of shopping. When we get there, we were a little apprehensive since the window display suggested that shabu shabu was only just one of the many things they do, aside from the bento sets, tempura meals, etc. Plus, we had to wait to be seated, notwithstanding our reservation! So we start exploring the neighbouring restaurants but since everyone was indecisive, we stuck with our choice.

Fortunately, everyone in the restaurant, despite the other offerings, were having shabu shabu. I heaved a sigh of relief since the limited internet research I did said that Mimiu has been serving up shabu shabu since 1958!
 

The 5 of us all decided to have BEEF! After all, if you are going to do beef, what better place than Japan, where marbling is an art form! (I might have exaggerated there but not by much). And no chewing is necessary!

Each set also comes with a variety of vegetables and the specialty of the house, udon! Yes, indeed. Mimiu's udonsuki is also laying claim to having started the udon craze in Japan. And it is good! But if I had to choose, I prefer the udon texture at Mentsudan, which has perhaps a 0.5 degree more bite! Pedantic you might think, but this is Japanese precision at its finest!

The starters of yuba (bean curd top sheet) and sashimi were also very good, and of course, to end, the in-season persimmons from Niigata and Kyoho grapes were fabulously sweet and juicy.
Excellent!

Tokyo - Eataly

Daikanyama is one of the trendiest places to see and be seen at in Tokyo, lined with cafes, restaurants and unique/high-end retail stores (where I managed to buy a pair of "Japan only" silver and gold Onitsuka Tiger sneakers!).



It was therefore not unusual to find Eataly - a large complex dedicated to food and beverage (largely wines). As it name suggests, it has some of the best produce from Italy. Eataly boasts a comprehensive Italian food mart, comprehensive wine cellar, a cafe, deli, and high end 40-cover restaurant. Of course, where it all starts, a cooking school to boot!



We found ourselves drawn to the deli for lunch before we started our Daikanyama foray, and was very impressed to find quality which one might only find in Italy. The limited pasta and pizza menu didn't have to be expanded. It was great as it was!






The linguini pesto was fragrant from the fresh basil it was ground from and a suitable amount of freshly grated parmesan added to the flavour of the firm-bite of the pasta. The addition of potato cubes was also excellent, since the tuber absorbed the taste of the pesto well.

The veal ravioli was also very good, with generous shredded veal in the pasta pockets. Lightly tossed in a truffle oil, it was simplicity at its best.

Given the comprehensive selection of cured meats and cheeses in the store, it was no wonder that the pizza with parma ham, arugula, and parmesan was one of the best we've had. And the thin but slightly chewy pizza base was perfect.


An enjoyable meal and great atmosphere seated within the wine section to enjoy a wet trendy Tokyo afternoon.
150-0034Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Daikanyamachiyou 20-23
Tokyo, Japan
Tel. +81 (0)3-5784-2736

Tokyo - Tokyo Mentsudan

Outside of Japan, I tend to avoid udon (of the fat variety) unless it is Inaniwa udon. However, udon in Japan is a pleasure to eat for its smooth and chewy texture. On this trip, I had occasion to visit Tokyo Mentsudan. According to a pretty reliable website, Tokyo Mentsudan is originally from the Kagawa prefecture and started the Sanuki udon boom in Tokyo.

If you want service, this is NOT the place. This is a self serve assembly line where you place your order, wait to pick up, then walk past the never ending condiments including rows and rows of tempura of anything you can find, onigiri, sweet bean curd skins, etc. Then you make payment. If you ordered an udon which has soup, don't panic if you dot your without. Turn on the tap after the cashier, and voila, soup!

The 3 of us were obviously the greenest and greediest, and got quizzed by the udon chef on our orders. 2 orders of udon with beef, 2 orders of curry udon, and for good measure, udon with sesame sauce.

Of course the udon was all good! Soft but not mashy, tender yet chewy with a nice bite. Perfect!

The beef while not the best cut, was nevertheless tasty. The curry had a nice touch of a raw egg cracked into it and added to the the robustness of the sauce. The sesame sauce was the most ordinary of the lot, although still good and had a slightly nice tartness to it which cut through the ordinarily cloying taste of the sesame.

Definitely worth the search if you love your noodles!

Tokyo - Sushi Kanesaka

People marvel at the fact that Tokyo has the most Michelin stars combined, of any city in the world. I don't. For the simple reason that I think Japanese cuisine is the hallmark of global cuisines today, primarily for its simple use and remarkable combination of top quality produce and natural flavours. And for this reason alone, I think that Tokyo will, in time to come, also surpass Paris in the number of 3 Michelin starred restaurants - it currently lags Paris by 2.

I was therefore honoured to have the opportunity to lunch at Sushi Kanesaka (2 stars), owned by Shinji Kanesaka, possibly the youngest sushi chef in the prestigious Ginza district in Tokyo. Kanesaka san was not at the helm but his learned colleague Sanpei san was. Sanpei san was loads of fun, helped by his good command of English. He was interactive and participated by slow-mo-ing his knife wielding to the beat of our oohs and ahs, as he whipped out quality catches of the day from his magic fridge, especially the one under the counter.

Sanpei san's omakase was an excellent ensemble of sashimi and sushi of the finest quality that I've ever had.

Flounder - choice of sea salt, ponzu or traditional soya sauce and freshly grated wasabi

Baby Ebi - quite a few of them, de-shelled for easy savouring

Otoro - melt-in-your-mouth goodness

Lightly grilled Anago - cushiony softness with just a hint of charcoaled crisp skin

Fresh Uni - sweet sweet urchin from Hokkaido.. sigh..

Steamed Abalone - just enough to retain its natural sweetness and not chewy at all

Ika Sushi - hint of the sea and tender enough to even take a bite without losing your lipstick with the squid, soya sauce and grains of rice.

Speaking of the rice, the grains were so well defined and had its own fragrance. Sanpei san explained that it is the season's fresh harvest from Yamagata. Wow!

Lightly grilled Aji served with grated radish and soya sauce was next. Aji, typically cottony in texture, tasted like silk in this case. The excellent quality of the fish, with the perfected grilling techniques were of course the culprits.

Back to our sushi course...

Maguro

Chutoro

Lightly cooked Botan Ebi - the sweetness of the shrimp from both the meat and a little of the entrails from the head made for a delightful out-of-this-world flavour

Aji or Spanish mackeral

Salmon roe -the sweetest and none of that usual over salted brininess.. our smiles brought out and extra scoop for each of us from good ole Sanpei san. Also, he thought it probably made a better looking photo (but because I had too many to choose from, it didn't make the blog given limitations of the blog).

Uni rice - this spectacular dish of more top quality Hokkaido uni, generous blob of freshly grated wasabi and a drizzle of soya sauce, mixed tenderly together to produce whole rice grains of the brightest orange, each perfectly wrapped in the the uni gravy was heaven with every teaspoon in the mouth.

A small recess with tamago custard - almost like dessert..

Then our sushi finale - perfectly grilled anago with a sweet marinade on top of rice. The plump anago withstood the grilling well and unlike our first course of shio-grilled anago, this was definitely dessert.

We finished off with a good bowl of miso soup cooked with many baby clams and it was definitely heartwarming before battling the cold again for another aggressive shopping day!

What an experience - definitely a must-do-again.

Tokyo Coffee Culture

When one thinks of good coffee, one rarely thinks of Japan.. but it certainly has its very own coffee culture, and by culture, I do not mean a guhzillion Starbucks littering the streets although they are not uncommon. Japanese take their coffee very seriously and I am still impressed by the many independent cafes which have been in existence for a long time. The quaint one I went to in Harajuku - 溜屋咖啡店 has been around since 1850!

Japanese cafes pride themselves on the blends or roasts on offer. It's not about how much syrup or whipped cream you can slather the coffee with. It's not about how you can have your coffee "skinny".

If you have a Blue Mountain, and don't like taking it neat, you should use cream and not milk. If you want your coffee cold and sweet, you don't add sugar crystals since they don't melt. You add sugar syrup! It's how to bring out the best in the coffee. The Japanese really have their coffee down pat and some cafes even import their beans direct from South America.

And these cafes have great cakes (likely home made) on offer. The chiffon seems to be a popular offering and both 溜屋 in Harajuku and 壹真咖啡店 in Ginza had their own to offer. 溜屋's chiffon is by far superior although the coffee at 壹真was outstanding both in roast and brew.

These cafes are also a great place to soak in the afternoon, whether with friends or just alone watching life go by. Time stands still at these places, largely untouched although well maintained and retaining its original feel. 壹真咖啡店 in Ginza has a wonderful collection of art on the walls, old European furniture, accompanied by the finest china used to serve its coffee with.

So the next time you just want to escape from the bustle of the Tokyo subway, malls and crowded streets, steal into a cafe and enjoy a step back in time, while enjoying the perfect cuppa...

Tokyo - Rakushokushu Maru

Japan Times labels the cuisine served as Modern Kaiseki. I have to agree. It is extremely good fine dining but accessible even to those who do not speak Japanese and is relaxed to the point that some may call it an Izakaya. But the food is just too fine. It is Kaiseki dining of our time.


We did not ask for a set course when we made the reservation but asked our friendly waiter who spoke American to put something together for us for about JPY5000 per person when we got there. He gladly obliged.


What resulted was an excellent 10 course dinner which used the finest ingredients of the season.

Appetiser:
- spinach and chicken in sesame sauce



Sashimi:
- bonito, sea bream and squid

Salad
- Chinese cabbage salad and ground peanuts in a soya sauce dressing.
The use of honey roasted ground nuts balanced against the salty dressing and the crunch of the peanuts combined with that of the cool crisp cabbage made for a refreshing but zesty taste.

Kyoto Taste (a reflection of owner-chef's Keiji Mori's roots):
- A Kyoto traditional bun (made from yam) and stuffed with wild duck and lily bulbs in a dashi stock. Clean tasting despite the fried bun and wild duck confit but warming to the soul from the great dashi.

Mains:
- grilled special free range chicken with salt and yuzu pepper. A clear winner.

- japanese omelet including soup stock. Juiciest omelet I've ever had and a clear sign of the high standards in culinary skills.


- grilled mackeral preserved in rice bran. So lightly grilled we could have mistaken it for a broiled dish. And the sweet potato was an excellent contrast.


- assorted autumn vegetable tempura. The maitake mushroom and sweet potato were my favourites.

Special rice (cooked for 30 minutes) - served with dried sardines and green peppercorns, salmon roe and braised mushrooms and konbu. The rice is specially cooked in a Japanese claypot and is served fully and soft but not mushy. Perfect use of the season's harvest. Since we did not manage to finish it all, they kindly made the remainder into rice balls and put it in the prettiest doggy bag with white sakuras monogrammed on an orange background.

Dessert:
- cheese cake with dark cherry sauce
- steamed custard pudding with a Japanese black sugar syrup
Both were great in their own right and a perfect sweet ending to the night, accompanied by their fragrant genmai ocha.

Immense quality for the price - impossible value!

For directions and other contact information, go to http://maru-mayfont.jp/info/index.html


Aoyama KT Building B1F
5-50-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(03) 6418 5572

Tokyo - Tempura Tsunahachi

Most travelers to Tokyo would eat at Tempura Tsunahachi down at Shinjuku, just a stone's throw away from Isetan and Mitsukoshi department stores. Of course, the fact that it has been around for about 80 years helps. Also, the fact that locals still faithfully queue, and that prices are reasonable for the quality are probably the real reasons.




Of course, one only eats tempura at Tsunahachi - deep fried in its own secret house blend of oils - available for sale also! There are a variety of sets which have different items (some standard and available all year round while others are seasonal) tempura-ed to Tsunahachi perfection, to be eaten with their 2 types of grated radish (one plain and one infused with umeboshi) which you can drown with the tempura dipping sauce, a bowl of steamed rice, pickles and of course, miso soup with tiny clams.




Today, I had the Y2770 set which had 2 shrimps, cuttlefish, eggplant, a tempura pancake topped with many shrimp, and the seasonal clam with julienned ginger/mushrooms as well as a pond smelt and conger eel.

Great value and of course, great quality!

Caution: do not wear clothes you intend to wear again - reason: YOU CAN'T (unless you want to smell like tempura)!


Shinjuku Honten*
3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-kuTokyo, Japan
(03) 3352-1012
* Many locations around Japan, with 8 in Tokyo alone

Seasonal offerings..

It is that time of year when my favourite monk fish liver is in season.. and the better it is the oranger it is! Creamy goodness - no wonder it is the foie gras of Japanese cuisine.

But you ain't tasted creamy till you've had shirako - or translated male fish sperm sacs... I had the pleasure of savouring some from a cod fish.. (more expensive versions are from snapper or blowfish)

Ok, so it doesn't sound too pleasant nor look too hot as someone's brains, but get past that and you have a delightful texture and depending on the way it is served, adopts the taste of the accompanying sauce. Served with ponzu, chillied radish and soya sauce, it is a refreshing appetiser...

Served as tempura, it is akin to eating deep fried milk! I prefer the latter because the Shirako is even creamier from the heat.

Ah... the beauties of autumn.. all courtesy of Hana Sakazuki in Hong Kong (see my posts in April and August). Can you tell it is one of my favourite restaurants in HK!

2/F Ming An Plaza Phrase II8 Sunning RoadCauseway Bay, Hong Kong
(852) 2577-9799

Singapore - GOTO

WOW!


Nothing short of that adequately describes my experience at Goto, on Ann Siang Hill. Helmed by the chef who used to cook for the Japanese ambassador, I certainly felt privileged to have had the opportunity to taste his culinary creations. And his pretty wife, who hosts us honoured diners, introduces each course with pride and love in her eyes.

There is almost no need to describe the quality of each course; the sheer Kaiseki menu is description enough of the extraordinary experience, which I have to say has only been equalled by my travels in Japan.

Menu:-







1. The assorted starter tray was hint enough of the things to come (clockwise from top left) - soft silken tofu from Japan with some yuba (the prized top sheet mixed into it); autumn vegetables topped with mushroom; broiled Maitake mushroom and Ika tossed wtih mentaiko; a yam puff; and Kyoto tofu infused with some chilli. All seasonal and fresh.
2. Clear soup with generous pieces of crab and a sweet river fish - such an infusion of the tastes of the waters they were fished from.

3. Our sashimi platter has got to be one of the best we've had (clockwise from the top) - otoro, tai; amaebi; bonito and a succulent scallop right in the middle.
4. A tempura moriawase of fresh prawn, white fish and sweet capsicum.

5. A lightly grilled sweet river fish accompanied by the finest grilled ginko nuts, and a sweet chestnut tempura (right in season now).
6. steamed mashed yam topped with uni.
7. steamed glutinous rice with sweet chestnuts and topped with salmon roe
8. first dessert was a trio of steamed custard with stewed apple, musk melon, persimmons from Niigata, and positively one of the best green tea ice creams I've ever had where the focus is on the quality of the tea and not the cream.
9. second dessert was a steamed rice cake topped with red bean, served in a black sugar syrup.

All too soon, the meal ended but not without a freshly made bowl of Matcha. A pity we did nto know, or else it would have been great to watch our perfect host in action. Such perfect endings to a meal which was decadent yet healthy.
We will certainly be back to try the more expensive menu - which I believe would be even more out of this world (outside of Japan that is)!

#01-01 14 Ann Siang Road
6438 1553