Taste of Siam

Tourists would be familiar with Som Tum (papaya salad), Tom Yum and the likes, but the flavours familiar to the tourists are not quite as authentic as what i've sampled having lived in Thailand for 18 months now.

Having eaten authentic Southern (papaya salad originated here) and Northern Thai cuisine, i didn't quite know there is also Bangkok cuisine! Recipes that likely originated from the royal family. A rare find today, these characteristically Bangkok unique dishes can be found at Baan ('house' in Thai) Wannakowit.

                                        

Not easy to locate, Baan Wannakowit (64 Soi Damnoen Klang Tai) can be found near Khao San road. The clue to entering the right soi would be to locate the line-up of lottery ticket sellers. Baan Wannakowit is not a public restaurant, but a 100-year old private house where a catering business owner lives with her family and eats these dishes daily.

                      

Eating at Baan Wannakowit is like eating at a friend's house, as i remove my shoes to enter the home. Roaming room to room, seeing personal photos hung on the walls. There is no menu nor waiters here. With the language barrier, we ordered in faith. We had the owner bring everything she offers, as we were determined to try everything after a much tedious hunt for the place.

                       

Everything was delectable. Khanom jeen sao naam, thin rice noodles soaked with a rich coconut milk dressing and topped with chunks of pineapple, sliced shallots, garlic and ginger.

Mee Krob, golden crispy rice with a sweet and sour sauce combined with shrimp, scallions and fried toufu. Served with fresh chives and bean sprouts. We also had green pork curry with prata.

We also had rice crackers with a pork, shrimp and peanut dip called khao tung na tung.

What was really special was khao chae, an unusual porridge where you put together yourself rice, jasmine-infused water and ice cubes. Yes, you heard me right. ICE CUBES in your rice. This is a summer porridge. You then eat the porridge served with various condiments like stewed radish, sweet and salty pork floss and fried yam balls.

                       

The bill was no more than 800THB for 3 persons, including food and drinks. Highly recommended for a unique experience. Only by appointment, call +66 81922 6611 to book.

The epitome of home cooked food, found at Baan Wannakowit. 

11 Exotic Food Safe to Eat

They say the Chinese eat everything.

I'm the type of Chinese who tries everything. 

There are times when for a split second, i think about food poisoning and tummy runs, but i've eaten exotic food both at fancy restaurants and street stalls. 

Lived to tell the story, here's my list of exotic food that is safe to eat. 

1) Witchetty Grub

Fish and chips in Western Australia was so boring that i had to look for something that makes my stomach churn. If you manage to hold back the bile rising up your throat on the thought of eating a maggot, you'll be pleasantly surprised that it tastes like buttery mushy crab. I like crabs, so this was tasty. Best eaten hot. 

Find it at

The Coolgardie Safe

101 Edward St, East Perth WA

2) Fish Sperm

Have you seen the very graphic frog sashimi Youtube video where the frog is still blinking and wadding on the plate? I've not reached that level yet, but i've tried the sperm sac of a cod fish that looks like brain. Served cold, like sashimi, it is without any dipping sauce. The sac remains intact, thus its really one bite and its gone. As you bite the sac in your mouth, it bursts, filling your mouth with sperm. Then you get this super creamy bean curd texture with a strong fishy after-taste and smell. 

I was surprised to learn that sperm don't look all the same amongst fish. This is a pufferfish's sperm sac.

A skilled Japanese chef will boil it to optimal before serving you drizzled with ponzu sauce and chives. 

A meatier bite compared to the cod fish sperm, the taste is masked by the sauce. If i didn't know what it is, i would have mistook it for boiled chicken. 

Find it at 

Akashi Japanese Restaurant

290 Orchard Road, Paragon Shopping Centre, Singapore 

3) Newborn Eels

Also at Akashi, newborn eels look like this (chef's finger pointing to its head, do you see the eye?)

It looks like flat rice noodles, which i can't quite chew because it was too slimy. It slides around my tongue before i swallowed. As i bite into its tiny head, it bursts and a tiny bit of tasteless liquid filled my mouth. 

4) Giant Tuna Eye

The Chinese believe that sucking on fish eyes will make one's eyes brighter and more intelligent. I've never sucked on a fish eye, but instead upgraded immediately to a giant fish eye. The eye is grilled (picture is raw) with a lot of meat to pick! Tastes like the regular fish, except that it's staring right back at you. Find it also at Akashi. 

5) Whale Burger

Whale meat is overrated. It is 10 times more pungent than mutton, tough and not delectable like say, wagyu beef. When cooked, it looked almost black. 

Don't Find it at 

Lucky Pierrot Hamburger

Hokkaido, Japan

6) Rabbit Head

While certain part of Europe fancy rabbit leg, the Chinese in Sze Chuan go rabid over rabbit heads.

Delightfully 麻辣 spiced, you have to gnaw at it and train that tongue to get juicy bits of meat from the nook and cranny of that skeleton. There isn't much meat, like fish eye and chicken feet, which is consistent with the Chinese's habit of gnawing at bone. The tongue and the brain of the rabbit head is considered the essence of the entire snack. The tongue tastes foul, and the brain tastes like egg yolk. The little meat i can get out of the rabbit's cheek, tasted like very tender chicken. Instagram video here.

Find it at

双流老妈兔头 (Shuang Liu Lao Ma Tu Tou)

ChengLong Avenue HuaHui Market

7) Snake

When I had enough of dim sum in Hong Kong, and asked my guide for something new, he took me to this famous snake restaurant that even had Gordon Ramsey's picture on the wall. We had snake soup and fried snake chunks. 

Despite the snake meat tasting like chicken, I somehow couldn't finish an entire bowl of soup even though it was just a small one! It felt too heavy on the stomach. I preferred the fried snake chunks as they were spiced. I didn't think i would find bones!

Locals (not everyone) eat snake during winter to keep warm! Not sure if its a self fulfilling prophecy, but i did feel warm and alitttle heady after consuming these snakes. 

The restaurant keeps live snakes (for killing) in wooden drawers and keeps a phyton as a pet.

Find it at

170 Apliu Street,Shamshuipo, Kowloon (HKR Station, Exit A2, turn left)

8) Starfish, Seahorse and Baby Scorpions

Expecting the starfish and seahorse to taste like sand in my mouth, it wasn't. Anything fried always tastes good. The scorpion is my favourite, tasting like salt pepper chicken. Its crisp little body squirt juice in my mouth. The seahorse and starfish surprisingly (or not) smell and taste very fishy. The seahorse tastes like very crispy ikan bilis while the tasteless starfish needs a harder bite. Instagram video here. This night market also have many other hair rising options, but they weren't on display for sale when i visited. Tarantulas and lizards were probably not in season?

Find it at
王府井夜市 (Wang Fu Jing Night Market)
Beijing, China

9) Duck Got My Tongue

I missed out the opportunity to try out monitor lizards in salted egg yolk and shit (not kidding, shit was on the menu) in Saigon. 

And i hunted high and low for the penis restaurant in Beijing to no success.

For any virgin hoping to pop their exotic-food cherry, i would recommend sampling it in Singapore first. After all, my mother nation is stringent in food safety and hygiene. Every food stall is licensed and has to display the government certificates that grades stalls from A to D. With penalties and pressure, i hardly see any food stalls graded C and D. Most are Bs. 

I love taking visiting friends to the Geylang food trail. Where i introduce them to crocodile soup (cures asthma), black chicken (nourishing), turtle soup (build stamina) and more. 

My favourite is stewed frog legs, otherwise garlic butter escargots (snails) at Jack's Place.

Just the other night, we saw eggs (with shell) pierced on a stick on a BBQ grill on the street. I excitedly bought them (3 for $1) thinking they must be baluk (Philippine street snack of a half grown embryo still in egg shell). I got my camera out, heart pounding, palms sweating, unsure what's going to reveal as my friend un-peeled it. It was very anti-climax when we realized it was nothing what we thought, just egg custard 0_0

Cheap Eats in Orchard

Orchard Road is the city's center and is the place for a shopping quick fix. Despite an entire stretch of malls from low-end to high, with Singapore's increasing standard of living, it is difficult to find cheap food.

Hawker centers (food courts) typically serve meals for less than $10 in Orchard but they are medicore. Here're my to-go for cheap AND GOOD food in Orchard.  

1) Wasabei Tei

Many on this list are found at Far East Plaza. It used to be a teenager's after-school location but in recent years, traffic have drastically dropped as teenagers take their shopping online. However, it remains my favourite place to shop as well as eat because of its affordable prices. 

Wasabei Tei's shahimi (raw fish) is air-flown in from Japan. It feels like you're in one of those authentic Japan stores when it's cramp and only counter seats are available. The owners' attitude have been known to be bad (as with all good food places because they can't give a damn) but have improved considerably since I first patronized it.

$2 is charged per seat regardless if you want a drink, an appetizer or a slice of watermelon. Every seat must place an order and the appetizer of warm seaweed and stewed chicken is worth the mandarory charge. No GST, quality Japanese food and a cosy ambience, Wasabi Tei is highly recommended. Try their sorbets too! They have seasonal flavours. They recently opened up space next door so there isn't quite a long queue as before. 

2) Hainanese Chicken Rice

A local favourite, this shop at the upper floor of Far East Plaza gives a rustic feeling with its bustling order calls. Not a place to idle after meal as strangers could be seated at your table. Not to worry, they don't share your food. Their menu stays focused and only offers rice, chicken and oyster sauce vegetables. They serve soups like Salted Duck Veg in old-fashioned tin containers at $3 to go along. 

3) Saveur

I never could make it into their other outlet at Purvis St but since they opened a new one next to KFC at Far East Plaza, i've been in it twice! If you want a seat, lunch is a better bet than dinner. Otherwise, aim for an early dinner at 5.30-6pm. The last time i ate was at 8.45pm and i had to wait 10 minutes for a table, and the restaurant was still bustling with diners. The last order is at 9.30pm. 

If you have always heard of foie gras but never tried it because you aren't sure if the price is worth paying for (what if you don't like it?) , Saveur is the place to take  your foie gras virginity. 

Bite sized foie gras grilled to perfection with a drizzle of cranberry sauce is only $6.90. The simple saveur pasta is delicious and priced at $4.90 as an appetizer, $6.90 as a main. The interior is nicely decorated, everyone i brought is throughly impressed with its deceiving interior but cheap prices for French fare. 

We could even afford to have 2 glasses of wine, and the total bill is $40!

3) Sakura Halal Thai

Serves affordable Thai fare. It has individual meals as well as tze char style. It is my go-to if i don't want to queue for a table as it occupies a rather large space (with an overflow room) at the top level of Far East Plaza. Don't let the sight of the lack of diners deter, my favourites are Tom Yum or salted fish fried rice, otherwise spicy mee goreng. They could do with lesser oil though. 

4) Nam Nam

When it first arrived in Singapore at Wheelock, i never had to queue. I liked the no-frills Vietnamese fast food vibe where i could sit at the bar counter, slurp my pho alone and let my eyes glaze, mesmerized by the red lanterns above. Since then, Nam Nam have expanded to many more outlets across the island, gaining quick popularity and extending their menu offering. If you would like to queue, it is quick, cheap and good pho in Orchard. The only gripe i have is they do not include a generous serving of beansprouts in their pho anymore, making it less value for money. 

5) Ayam Penyat Ria

There are a dozen of the same in Lucky Plaza, but i always go to this one where its chilli accompanying the Penyat is the deal breaker. 

Although certain elements of the dish look measly, when together, they make a good serving of chicken, kangkong, toufu and soy bean squares. 

This is a sinful indulgence because everything is fried, but it makes me feel better than KFC (some strands of vegetable makes the difference).

6) Sanpoutei Niigataa Ramen

Expecting queues to form soon enough at this new kid on the block, the latest ramen shop at the basement of Lido (next to Isetan) is made with a difference. Ikan bilis added to broiled chicken compared to the usual pork ramen broth. It tastes unique and instead of the usual char siew, each bowl is topped with two slices ot three-layered fatty pork. The decadent meat melted in my mouth, fat glistening on my lips. They also have atypical ramen ingredients, a generous serving of stir-fry cabbage.

7) Shaw Center Food Court

If you hate queues with a vengeance like i do, this newly opened food court at Lido is my latest secret. I always find a seat here. Sergeant Chicken serves fragrant rice that is not too oily and tender moist chicken. Like Bimbimbap but want it customized? Pick and choose at the Korean "tze char style" stall. Further in, you'll find Teppanyaki that is value-for-money. A slightly more posh experience in a food court, you sit at the countertop for a interactive cooking experience. Your orders come with an attempt at food presentation too.

A video posted by Christine Ng (@chrispytine) on Jun 6, 2014 at 10:51pm PDT

Review: La Caléche in Chamonix

I don't normally write food reviews because i hate to hold up eating for a foodporn photo-shoot but La Caleche in Chamonix is worth a mention.

Chamonix (prounced as Char-mo-nee) is my favourite French town at the borders of Switzerland because of Mt Blanc, an abundance of physical activities to do and a vibrant town that doesn't shut promptly at 6pm.

The exterior of Le Caléche at 18, Rue D Paccard 74400 Chamonix was unsuspecting. It doesn't do a good job enough to attract tourists in but i hit jackpot.

This is going to be a very poor food/restaurant review because i can't remember anymore what the dishes were called, how much they cost and how they tasted. The pictures also don't do much justice because we were basking in the warm orange glow lighting the ambience.  I guess you'll have to trust my word, otherwise it's my attempt at retaining memory of the address if i ever do visit again.

From the outside, it looked like it would not hold more than 50 diners but as we should know never to judge a book by its cover, La Caléche actually holds 350 with 3 floors. It would be foolish to sit outside by the sidewalk as most Caucasians love to do.

Inside it was almost like a museum filled with old items and stuffed animals. 

After placing my order, i walked all 3 floors just admiring the interior at every nook and cranny. Watch out for the waiters hustling around though as it can get very busy.

Even the long walkway to the bathroom wasn't spared.

Remembering the menu is tricky but i believe we went for the set menu that was something like 26 euros each.

Tomato quiche, love it but pretty filling and we're only at appetizers.

Thought we would be squeamish with the duck cappaccio but we liked it!

The cheese filled ravioli  as a main was just so-so

A surprise (that turned delight) that scallop risotto meant large scallops and a mouthful of risotto

Red wine stewed beef

This post will stop abruptly with a closing line. A truly authentic Savoyarde experience with its delicious food and unique ambience that reflect the regions farming and skiing origins, this makes La Caléche a must-go. Reservations (0450559468) are recommended. 

A Naked Food Review

First, there was Kinki, where you find orgasmic $15 sushi pieces topped with foie gras, caviar and the likes.

Just opened is The Naked Finn. The adage old theory of "sex sells" still works. It made me curious. Despite the website boasting of "procuring the best quality seafood, cooked simply, and most importantly, priced reasonably." The word "Naked" was what whet my appetite.

Arriving last night at 41 Malan Road, Gillman Barracks, it reminds me of Klee that has since closed down at Portsdown Road. Rumour says that The Naked Finn is an reincarnation of Klee, however the food at Klee wasn't memorable. Yuppies frequent that place for bespoke cocktails. I remember my customised passionfruit cocktail at Klee made my head swim, in a good way (or maybe it was the lack of food).

The Naked Finn sits no more than 20 indoors and about 10 more outdoors. You ought to make reservations to avoid disappointments (+65 6694 0807). If you like sitting at the bar & seeing hands at work, the kitchen behind the bar is see-through. Naked is certainly not a brick-and-motar place, with the walls "made of plastic sheets", you could look up and see the aluminium roof outside. It gave a glasshouse effect, with the twinkling of warm orange lights.

Feeling very exclusive, Monday night saw 4 couples dining.

I ordered a Korean pear with Hendricks Gin to cool down upon arrival but i preferred his choice, which was honeydew paired with sake and another alcohol i can't remember ($20 each). The signature cocktails came shaken, not stirred, like a potent slurpee. The drink lasted me through dinner at -12 degrees.

The menu looked European with pretentious names. Grilled Indian octupus with salt & olive oil, Flambe live Japanese little necks in home-made barramudi broth. Clams are clams, maybe i'm not chi-chi enough. At least i learned some seafood names and a great treath to have the breadth of seafood choices.

However, nothing needs to be consumed through a straw. No foam, no gold flakes. It was a pleasant surprise there was an Asian twist to Naked! As we ordered a single serve ($8) of the octupus, the clams ($18) & a pan-fried lemon sole whole ($35) to share, the vivacious waiter asked if we would like some cold vermicilli to go along ($4). The vermicilli is boiled, lightly tossed with perhaps sesame oil & soya sauce then garnished with finely chopped chives. We were also presented with 4 sauces as dips: lemongrass, belachan, sea salt and dark soya sauce.

The Indian octupus is my favourite, the clams were big and juicy but i found it abit too fishy. The seaweed flakes that came with the pan-fried virgin oil lemon sole was a nice combination. You hardly need the sauces to taint the taste of the fresh seafood but the belachan does go very well with the bee hoon.

The Naked Finn is alot healthier than chilli crab, and as their website boasts, you do pay for what it’s worth. Like how a lady should dress and keep some mystery, “less is only more, where more is no good”.

Virgin, unspoiled, Naked could just be the next Newton Circus to get seafood.

P.S a genuine foodie eats undisturbed , which means no food pictures were taken.

Beauty Soup found at Plaza Singapura

The Bijin Nabe (borderline vulgar) is a combination of the freshest vegtables, seafood and chicken cooked in golden Jidori chicken soup. A healthy and very generous dose of collagen is the key to unlocking the secret of beautiful skin by drinking the pot dry.

The soup is stewed until the chicken bones are fully dissolved and then allowed to cool to room temperature. The soup then turns into a smooth and silky pudding that is super rich in collagen.

The 美人锅 is the latest thing at Plaza Singapura, one is likely to queue up to an hour to get a seat.

However, it's worthwhile if you ain't famished! For $25++ each, you get a platter of fresh vegetables, meat and noodles to cook them yourself! The soup is rich, thick and leaves an aftertaste that is indescribable, positively. It is quite unlike any other soup i've tried. "Jitokko" is a very valuable chicken brand in Japan, raised organically through strict quality controls and limited to a number of farmers. Quality stuff!

It's definitely a date place for a different experience. It's loyalty card is very different too. It's like a name card and you collect stamps to be promoted.

Despite the complimentary dessert less than a bite size, simple gestures makes customers happy!

The beauty hotpot is only available for dinner. Ramen for the beauty is available during lunch. Start queuing at 5.30pm or put your name on the waiting list while you go shopping. No reservations are allowed.

Tsukada Nojo

Plaza Singapura, #03-81

Know your Date through Date Manners

The phone is contagious. 

Seeing someone check it while with you, makes you want to check it too.

Your date orders as soon as the waiter comes over.
This person wants to be in charge, moves quickly and get things done. He or she likes things done a certain way and could be a compulsive worker. My date made reservations and pre-ordered the menu, i like decisive men.

Your date still can't decide what to order.
This person may struggle with decisions and multi-tasking. But he or she is likely to be caring, wants to feel appreciated and loves spending quality time with others. It's a super positive interpretation of fickle-mindedness. Women are forgiven!

Your date places the fork and knife in the four o'clock position
This indicates a certain level of poise and sophitication. He or she is probably raise to be very traditional, and your table manners is most probably being checked on right now. As you can tell from the picture, we're half hearted with poise and sophistication.

Your date orders too much alcohol
This could mean your date is nervous and have an inability to enjoy oneself in an unfamiliar situation. Or that you may have an alcoholic at hand.

Your date holds a fork more like a weapon than an eating tool
This may be a sign of hidden aggression, so be wary of possible future blow-ups. You may also want to be wary of sleeping beside.

Your date apply salt and pepper on served food before tasting it
This may be someone of superiority complex. It displays a lack of trust in others, and may allude to control issues. Also applies to the soya sauce people.

Oh, and hold a wine glass by its stem, chew with your mouth closed and eat a sushi whole, without dip.

The above is copied from a table mat at Table Manners, a very cool concept bistro at Changi City Point.

Valentine's Choice: Nando's gets chi chi

Almost every man say Valentine's overrated; flowers and meals are overpriced. While i agree and don't expect to celebrate Valentine's, i feel special dates like Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries make us pause amidst our hectic schedules and appreciate loved ones. Human's nature and being caught up in the rat race tend to make us neglect that bit.

However, going out for a nice meal don't mean spending a bomb! I absolutely love Nando's and i'm super pleased to receive their media kit announcing their all-new butterfly chicken breast meal!

Media Kit:
Hard cover black menu, silverware, napkin and a cookie with their meal printed!

Have you been to places where you pay top dollar only to have the food forgettable? For a much better deal, Nando's brings the bells and whistles of a fancy restaurant but only at a fraction of posh prices! Anything with foam on your plate is never worth paying for.

You can still have your hoity toity four-course menu by starting with wild mushroom soup as an entrée, the butterfly steak (chicken) as a main, sweet potato mash as a side then ending it off with dessert. There can even be a designer drink to sip with your little pinkie sticking out.

Make a date at Nando's. You can make reservations and for the whole month of February, the Butterfly Chicken Breast Meal Valentine's Day Set ($42) comes with 2 double-breasted butterfly-cut chicken steak (with 2 sides), 2 designer drinks and 2 single scoops of Ben & Jerry ice-cream.

I've already made my reservation at Nando's this Valentine's. Who says a girl can't make the first move? All set for a "chi-chi" gastronomic experience!

Photo by http://www.elwingoh.com/
Make-up by http://mariesoh.com