Hi… it has been awhile. I chalk it up to my erm… inertia and laziness.

Anyway, I am doing a migration of this website that is hosted on a private and thus paid server to the free wordpress blog. Economy is bad…have to save money and since no one has stepped forward to provide some charity to me…and the money earned from the advertisements are unable to sustain me (I blame you guys for not clicking on them)…
So do visit my new blog space at http://questforfood.wordpress.com

Seeya.

I am a firm believer of the value of luck. In fact, I feel that each individual is allocated a limited supply of luck - inevitably some of these individuals would be entitled to more luck than the rest. I probably do not belong in this category. This stems more from the fact that I have not won any prizes in the lottery or been willed an enormous sum of money from a long lost relative than that I have met with major misfortunes (not yet, at least…touch wood).

However, I do think that our current leaders of this country are in serious deficit with respect to luck. Right after our Prime Minister’s first successful election, there was great optimism that the boom times would be here to stay. The government announced that the golden years were here, big investments were made in marquee banks (Citibank, UBS etc etc), the building of two casinos was started, and the first night F1 race was successfully organised in the country.

Then.. the sub prime crisis came and our government/country’s investment in the banks seem to be in trouble. The plans for the casinos seem to be badly affected too with major shareholders having difficulty raising funds. And seemingly, the F1 now is in crisis with one team already pulling out and others maybe following suit. The country is in a technical recession (although one of my friends says that there seems to be a conscious effort to term this as a downturn…this is because a downturn carries with in an implicit future of an upturn according to said enlightened friend).

Maybe our leaders should get some help on Feng Shui. Judging from their mugshots, they do not seem to have the countenance of a particular lucky group. Failing which they would have to depend more on actual hard work and sound policies to tide this country and its citizens through this turmoil - and in doing so earn their keep with regards to their million dollar salaries.

As with individuals, restaurants need their share of luck to be successful. Joo Heng and Sik Wai Sin are two rather successful eateries that serve similar types of dishes.

Joo Heng Restaurant
Address: 360 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427605
Tel: +65 6345 1503
Last Visit: 21 Sept 2008

Joo Heng is unique that it has two shopfronts adjacent to each other. One of them is recently renovated and has nice down lights and classier furniture. The other is just a normal coffee-shop setting with air conditioning added.

This is the nicer section of the restaurant. The place is popular with the residents around the area.

They have a few dishes that are “starred” in their menu. Their Seafood/Prawn Ball Beancurd (S$12) being one of them. If I could adore an inanimate object, this would be it. The Tofu was silky smooth, the gravy was savory and full of flavor and the prawns extremely fresh.

We also had the Deer Meat cooked in Spring Onions (S$18). It was rather pricey which could mean that it was authentic deer? When I think deer, I think of the Walt Disney charactor, Bambi. It doesn’t put me off from enjoying the meat though. The meat has a consistency tougher than both beef and pork. It could be due to the exercise the deers get from frolicking around and looking regal until the point when they are shot, killed and butchered by the hunters.

Our regular concession with vegetables was the Sambal Kang Kong Potato Leaves (S$8).

On another trip there, we went for the Sweet and Sour Fish (S$10). It was above average with the discernible fresher fish used by the chef.

I am not a fan of Bittergourd. I try to avoid it when either my mother or my mother-in-law cooks it. However, the Bittergourd with Pork Ribs (S$10) served here seems to suit my taste better - it could be that the stove fire they use is much more intense, or that they season the ingredients with more salt/sugar/MSG or it chould be that I am a sucker for food that comes from a menu.

Sik Wai Sin Eating House
Address: 287 Geylang Road Singapore 427605
Tel: +65 6744 0129
Last Visit: 15 November 2008

Sik Wai Sin is located in our country’s major red light district. It was once ranked as a top 50 restaurant by our newspaper. It thus serves as a popular haunt for clients looking for a treat for their senses - both gastronomic and erotic.

It is rather hard to find parking around the area unless you have the luck of a old man that had just found out he was the first client to a virgin prostitute that was just starting out her career by giving out huge discounts.

We went for a spread of some of their signature dishes.

From clockwise,  the Xi Yang Vegetable Soup, the Beancurd and Prawn (I like), the Sweet and Sour Pork (ok), the Beef stirred fried with vegetables, the signature Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish (superb) and a Fish dish (ok).

It was a delightful meal in a old world setting of traditional restaurateurs cohabiting side by side with workers of the world’s oldest profession (note that the below picture is that of the restaurateur and not the person of the latter description). Total cost came up to $20 per person for a party of eight.

Verdict: Joo Heng vs Sik Wai Sin
Ambience: Joo Heng (but only by half due to its renovated erm…half)
Service: Evenly matched at being totally functional
Food: Evenly matched at being totally superb
Value For Money: Sik Wai Sin

Address: Blk 10 Dempsey Road #01-20 Singapore 247700
Date of Visit: 7 November 2008

It was a Friday evening chill out dinner. A must deserved break after the seemingly endless work week. The office chaps and I bravely heeded our Senior Minister’s call to spend more money to prop up our flagging economy. There was no need for elaborate and complex fiscal policies for us, no need for a safety net for those living near or below the poverty line, no need for charismatic leadership to bring us out of this “technical” recession (ok lar…to be fair…I have not been catching up on the news on what our gahmen is doing for us…so this is a casual comment and it should not be taken too seriously hor). All we as citizens need to do is to spend more loh…

So we headed to the aptly named The Prime Society restaurant that seems to specialise in steaks and meat in general. The interior of the place was made up to be some sort of country house/mansion. It was huge - with the echos and the high ceilings. There was also a bar placed as the centre-piece in the erm…centre.

The long wooden tables added a touch of old style fine dining.

And the brick and mortar pillars and walls created a nice ambience. We spied that a major proportion of the clientele of the place seems to consist mostly of non-Singaporean families. I guess they were also doing a part for our country’s economy. Along with the mostly non-Singaporean staff, we seemed to have been transported to another country (erm…like Indonesia or Philippines).

We started with the Wine. Devils Creek Merlot (S$63) - sweet and fruity, almost like a dessert wine, Thorpe Shiraz (S$68) - more conventional.

I went for the Rib Fillet 300gm (S$48). Each of the steaks there had a rather lengthy description of the breed of the cow, the land in which they graze on and the type of grass/grain they are given. Quite impressive.

I suspect this only works for imported cows/meat. The effect would probably be lost with description of our local produce, e.g. “Bastard pig with unknown heritage, reared in the drains of Muar, Malaysia, hand fed by strangers and the local kampong kids and occasionally seen trawling the buckets of human waste for edible bits”

The steak came with Roasted Potatoes that were cut into edible pieces - a nice touch. We had to pay extra for the sauce. Each sauce costs S$2. I had the Bearnaise - a buttery/mayonnaise type of condiment.

My steak was done excellently. It was tender and had a good balance of fatty stuff and the meat. It was very much worth the price - anything for our economy = ).

Each of us chose different steaks:
- T-Bone Steaks 500gm (S$54)
- Rib on the Bone 500gm (S$52). This had a nice smoky and bah kwa kind of taste. Good.
- Eye Fillet 200gm (S$43). This was the smallest of the steak that was served. Do not choose this unless you wish to finish your dinner much faster than the rest of your dinner party.

Along with different sauces of Blue Chez Avocado Sauce and Pepper Sauce.

Some of us had the Pork Ribs (S$38 for the full rib and S$26 for the half rib). They were also substantial in size.

We then proceeded to Ben & Jerry’s - the Dempsey Hill Branch.

This had a similar country style setting, with the bricks and the fireplace and the dark wood wooden beams and furniture.

We toned down on the spending by sharing the ice cream, figuring that we had provided enough help to corporate Singapore already.

Thus a night of merry making and dining ended and I proceeded home… alone. It was a sudden change from the bustle of the day’s activities. The night was quiet and the entire neighbourhood asleep. Lazing in bed, watching Friends on Starworld, I caught the faint sound of bells - not the western kind, it was more of those small hand held bells carried by taoist priests…when they are leading those zombies (the chinese kind).

Initially, I put it down to the heavy dinner and the probable intoxication due to the wine drinking. Then I heard it again…. It was unnerving and a bit “pee in the pants” inducing. Then I realised the taoist bell sounds came from the starting segments of the Friends programme prior to and after the commercial breaks.

So…although this has nothing to do with food and I hope that I am not encroaching on the territory of that Russell “Ghost Story Writer” guy, I would like to request Starworld to relook into their segments and remove that bloody taoist bell sound …seriously man….what has bells got to do with Friends….sheeesh

I am alone in the country. The absence of my partner has very much limited my foray into new restaurants and eating outlets. Other downsides include a recent development in which I get really soppy when watching dramas/movies. I am not talking about the traditional tear-jerkers here.

I spent my weekend watching Hellboy II, Hancock, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan. Each of these movies managed to illicit intense feelings of loneliness in me and wistful thoughts for the return of my partner.

Erm…Let me explain. Hellboy II because Hellboy was in a relationship with a girl. In Hancock, Will Smith was pretty much alone and was yearning for company (I know guys who hated this movie…but it touched me quite a bit…damn). In Zohan, Adam Sandler got the girl at the end.

I hesitate to think of what a real romantic movie would do to me now…

Any hoot, here are some places that the missus and I visited for breakfast previously.

Scruffy Murphy’s Cafe-Pub
Address: B7 Marine Cove, 1000 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449876
Tel: +65 6449 7717
Last Visit: 7 Sept 2008

Scruffy Murphy’s is located along the East Coast Beach. I guess it functions primarily as a pub. However, during the weekend mornings, the place will be invaded by families (both local and expatriates) looking for a place to relax and have a morning cuppa.

In the shelter of the eatery, patrons can be spectators to the multitude of people engaging in roller-blading, cycling, jogging, posing along the beach front.

Our item of choice was the Big Breakfast (S$10.50). You will get Sausages, an Egg Sunny Side Up, Baked Beans and Toast with Bacon. We added Fried Onions for an additional S$2.

We also had the Chocky Fix (S$5). It was essentially, 2 pieces of toast with Chocolate Spread. A disappointing and rather pricey item.

Delifrance Breakfast All You Can Eat
Address: Parkway Parade, Basement
Last Visit: 8 Jun 2008

We, being Singaporeans eager to get a good deal, were drawn by the All You Can Eat Breakfast Promotion at Delifrance.

Did you know that although the Delifrance chain was started out in France, the Asia Pacific operations was at one time controlled by one of our local Government Linked Companies (GLC, info referenced form Wikipedia).

Of course, the Delifrance chain has always tried to create an atmosphere that would mimic what the locals think a French bakery should look like.

Thus the liberal use of French colours. I wonder what Singapore’s main cultural/social export would be. I suspect it could be our unique form of governance - maybe we will see more countries having their statesman and politicians dressed all in white.

The All You Can Eat Breakfast costs S$7.95 and ends at around 10 - 10.30am (better to give them a call before making a trip down). To put right any expectations of a fabulous spread, please refer to the picture below which shows the “buffet” section. It consists of around 4-5 plates of pastry (both savoury and sweet) and a jug or two of juice. If you can spot them, they are placed on the table along the wall.

To supplement the Buffet, the wife ordered the Le (I note that this creates a double entry of the term “the”) Traditional Set Meal (S$6.30). This was some cheese pastry and comes with egg.

I on the other hand gorged on the buffet stuff to get my money’s worth. Heh.

Yip’s Cookies & More
Address: 384 East Coast Road, Singapore
Last Visit: 17 Aug 2008

This place is tucked among the same row of shophouses as the famous Beach Road Prawn Mee that is not located at Beach Road.

Sorry for the blurry photo. We were the only customers dining in and any photo taking would be quite conspicuous,

Our breakfast fare would include Tea, Curry Puff, Char Siew Puff and a slice of Chocolate Cake. I admit the Cake isn’t regular but it did give an umph to the start of our day.

The Curry Puff was quite spicy and rich. Not that bad. Char Siew Puff was average. Our total cost came up to around S$10 plus.

Verdict: Scruffy Murphy’s vs Delifrance vs Yip’s Cookies
Ambience: Scruffy Murphy’s (the Sun, Sand & Sea)
Service: None
Food: Hard To Tell (being hungry in the morning does nothing for differentiating being good and bad food)
Value for Money: A Draw Between Delifrance & Yip’s Cookies

In my view, Tapas is akin to our Dim Sum. Both involve the packaging of tasty morsels for our degustation delight. Our Sunday newspaper had a write up on the various Tapas eateries in town. Unfortunately, I hawked off my newspapers to the local Karung Guni man (the rag and bone man for the benefit of those non-heartlanders) before I had time to read them….arrgghhh. Thus, here is my own little expose on the Tapas scene.

Tapas Wine Bistro
Address: 40 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore 277695
Tel: +65 6467 7590
Last Visit: 5 July 2008

We chose this place to try out the Tapas as the similarly named restaurant obviously served the Spanish item. We neglected the fact that wine would also feature quite prominently in its offerings. The setup was modern. There was an impressive collection of wine in a illuminated section of the bistro.

What got as a bit worried was the lack of a crowd…

The menu itself did not contain much of the typical Spanish fare that you would expect in a Tapas place. In fact, the food menu was rather bare. The emphasis seems to be on the wine…

When we got instead was the Cream of Tomato (S$6). A hearty portion if I might say for the relatively low price.

The Garlic Bread (S$7).

The Soft Shell Crab (S$10). At this point in time, we realised that we were not really having Tapas. Instead, we seem to be having small portions of food served in more elaborate presentations compared to your normal eateries - at more elaborate prices too. There were no violent complaints on the quality of the food though. Just a sense of disappointment that we were probably not having Spanish cuisine or what we assumed would be Spanish Cuisine.

The Escargot Mushroom (S$6.00) came in two spoons. I have recently took to watching a local cooking contest TV programme. The contestants on the programme seem to take a liking to placing their food items into spoons and little shot glasses. This is one trend that I do not understand… It could have been started by a Spoon merchant perhaps…without consideration to the impact on hungry patrons. There is a sinking feeling when the waiter brings over your dinner in spoons.

The Tiger Prawn (S$12). I graciously offered the 3rd prawn to my partner as she was an ardent lover of the crustacean.

The Angus Beef (S$13) similarly had garnishing with sprigs of herbs/leaves(?) and sauces drizzled in an artistic form on the plate. I imagine the chef taking great pride in his work - probably a young chap, definitely not of the older generation where quantity trumps everything else. Taste well, it was acceptable beef. Tender and quite flavourful.

The chef outdid himself when he balanced our Scallops on the Asparagus in this dish called Scallop Veloute (S$9). I checked out what Veloute means - it is french for an extremely smooth creamy sauce of various stock bases thickened with a roux. At this point I gave up on checking what roux means …

We sorta see the direction the chef was going towards. However, I guess we are rather more plebeian in our tastes and it was a major disconnect between our expectations and the food served.

The Tapas Tree
Address: 3D River Valley Road, #01-08 Clarke Quay, Singapore 179023
Tel: +65 6837 2938
Last Visit: 1 Oct 2008

This place we know definitely serves Tapas. We had been there before.

It was a lazy afternoon. The place was practically devoid of locals. There were people with blonde hair, white hair…

And brunettes. I wonder why we do not call Asian women with their dark/black hair brunettes… maybe it is an angmo/caucasian thing.

We went for the Patatas Pobre (or potatoes, S$8) and the Garlic Mushrooms (S$9.50). Both very nice. It was a good start.

They do not serve tap water here so we had to settle for the Juices at S$5.50 each…damn.

More garlicky stuff came in the form of the Garlic Shrimps (S$14.50). I felt the prawns were not of the freshest quality but the corpious amout of olive oil and garlic added much ommph to the prawns.

The Meatballs (S$12) were quite a disappointment. They tasted exactly like how you would expect minced meat made into a lump would be.

The Tos Salmon (or Salmon on erh…toast, S$9). I still do not understand how these eateries can charge exhorbitant amounts of money just for laying spreads/some pieces of meat/fish on bread. What is the effort needed? Do they need to employ specialists that are trained in the art of cutting bread or something. Boggles the mind, I tell you.

The food here was up to par. One word of caution though. The service here needs work. The waitressing staff here looked as though they all had a bad bout of constipation. Their faces were constantly screwed into some form of a grimace and they looked like they had pinpointed the fault for their non-bowel movements on the patrons.

Verdict: Tapas Wine Bistro Vs The Tapas Tree
Ambience: Tapas Wine Bistro (the huge availability of wine makes intoxicating your date easier…or if your date is a dog…self-intoxication is just a waiter away)
Service: Tapas Wine Bistro (they probably have better diet over here)
Food: The Tapas Tree (One of the main criteria…we would probably return here despite the sub-standard service level)
Value for Money: A Draw…