Salad You Tiao

Here’s a real Singapore gem. I first went with friends not long after I moved to Singapore and I haven’t been back since – until recently. This has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the food, and absolutely everything to do with the fact that Sin Hoi Sai is not really in my locality. But a friend was recently back in town from her new life in Sydney and suggested we go along for a feed at her old favourite haunt, and I was more than happy to accompany her.



There were only four of us so we couldn’t order too much, but what we did order was oh so good – Baby Kailan, Fried Rice,



Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs



Butter Prawns (some of the tastiest prawns I have yet had in Singapore) and… wait for it… Salad You Tiao.



Now I make a big thing about the Salad You Tiao because it was the first time I had tried it… Where have I been and what have I been doing?? I mean, how good does this taste?



For those who don’t know, you tiao are fried dough sticks that are usually eaten with Congee for breakfast (if you eat congee for breakfast that is…) This salad you tiao – or “a heart attack on a plate” as my friend called it – came stuffed with squid, and smothered in mayonnaise/salad dressing. Yes indeed, not very healthy… hmmm no wonder it tasted so good! This place is open until 4am too… man I bet those You Tiao taste even more amazing after one too many Tiger beers!

So yes, Sin Hoi Sai, definitely a real little gem and one I hopefully won’t wait another year before trying out again…

Sin Hoi Sai Eating House, 187 East Coast Road

Dim Sum at Raffles

I know, it’s been a long time since I actually wrote about anywhere in Singapore – so I thought I’d come back in style… with a visit to somewhere I’ve been planning on going to for ages: Royal China at Raffles.

It’s certainly a beautiful setting, worthy of its location in Singapore’s most famous hotel. High ceilings, ornate pillars and those distinctive duck-egg blue walls combine to give it a rather regal atmosphere.

We’d heard good things about their dim sum, so a few of us met up for lunch one day to give it a go. They don’t have a huge dim sum menu – only 12 items all together, so that made choosing a bit easier, although we did manage to stop ourselves from just taking one of everything (and only because we quite fancied checking out some additional items off the a la carte menu).

We kicked off with the Steamed Shark’s Fin Dumpling with Chinese Parsley, which were simply stunning and definitely a good start to the meal.



We went on to pig out on the Deep Fried Spring Roll with Seafood & Cheese (sounds a little odd, tasted delicious)



Steamed Crystal Dumpling with Mushroom



Steamed Minced Pork Dumpling with Abalone, Steamed Barbecue Pork Bun and Steamed Prawn Dumpling with Black Moss



Crispy Prawns Roll with Sesame



and Crispy Yam Roll with Dried Oyster



All of it was pretty exceptional, except for the soft shell crab we ordered a la carte - the egg yolk coating was way too strong and the crab a little mushy, I don't think anyone finished theirs, which is saying something considering how small the portion was.

The dumplings though were definitely worth coming back for - my only complaint would be that perhaps they were a little fussy – the flavour of the black moss overpowered the freshness of the prawn in the dumpling for example. But really – I’m nit-picking… in all fairness it was some of the best dim sum I’ve had in Singapore… although I still think Yan Ting at the St Regis pips it at the post. (What? I haven’t written Yan Ting up yet? Damn, I’d better get back there quick…)

Royal China at Raffles - http://www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RHS/Restaurants_Bars/Royal_China_at_Raffles.htm

Another Day, Another Winery

We enjoyed our lunch at Cullen Winery so much, we headed off in search of another winery for lunch the next day. We finally decided on Xanadu and having sampled a few of their wines prior to lunch, were glad that we had. Although outdoor seating wasn’t available on the day, the high timber ceilinged restaurant was light and breezy and looked out onto a grassy courtyard.

Once again, the food was sensational and today we washed down our choices with a bottle of Xanadu Viognier.

Having enjoyed yesterday’s scallops so much I was tempted by the Seared Abrolhos Island Scallops with red curry, lychee & coriander salad,



but as Mr Greedy Glutton had his eye on them also, I instead opted for the Duck Rillettes with fig, sheep’s fetta & walnut salad and crisp sourdough. The Rillettes was juicy and gorgeous, although I think the red curry sauce with the scallops won it for me.



For a main course, I chose the Crispy Corn-fed Pork Belly with braised tomato & eggplant, grilled cuttlefish, cress salad and capsicum oil. The pork was the perfect balance of crispy, chewy and melt-in-the-mouth, the tomato and eggplant a fantastic accompaniment, while the grilled cuttlefish was gorgeous, with a real smoky barbecue flavour.





Once again a stunning meal in a stunning setting… I could get used to life in the Margaret River…

Xanadu Winery – http://www.xanaduwines.com/

Lunch in the Vineyard

I was blown away by the Margaret River region – stunning scenery, endless cloudless blue skies, and beautiful and varied wineries. We booked ourselves on a private wine tour so that nobody was stuck with the ‘designated driver’ card and headed off sampling a few (and by a few I obviously mean a lot of) local wines.

Well all that wine-tasting is hungry work, and lucky for us most of the wineries also have first class restaurants. We had been recommended Cullen Winery, so we booked ourselves a table in their peaceful little garden overlooking the vineyard. Competition in the Margaret River for both the wines and the food is fierce and so both are subsequently of a very high standard. Luckily Cullen Winery was no exception.



I kicked off with the Seared Scallops with Spring Onion, Ginger and Soy with Soba Noodles, which were just sensational



Then went on to enjoy the Grilled King George Whiting with Quinoa, Herb and Almond, which was also fantastic.



We washed our lunch down with a very good bottle of the winery’s Sauvignon Blanc Semillon before continuing on our merry way to sample more of the region’s finest whites and reds. I can’t think of a better way to spend my day…

Cullen Winery – www.cullenwines.com.au

A Fried Feast

It was our first night in Dunsborough, so we took a short walk into the town to find somewhere for dinner and came across Bax on Dunn Bay. It’s a trendy little open-sided restaurant, displaying funky art by local artists on its walls (we were particularly taken with the painting of a blue lady with red hair, wearing sequin underpants, and sucking her own toe…)

The menu was what I think is known as Modern Australian cuisine – an observation confirmed by the abbreviation of ‘octopus’ to ‘ockie’. I didn’t go for the ockie in the end, opting instead for the Marinated Crunchy Artichokes, served with Sweet & Sour Eggplant Pickle, as the waitress promised me it would be “beautiful”. I’m not sure it was beautiful, it was a little too breaded and deep-fried to be called that. I’m a big fan of marinated artichokes, but I’m not sure about the whole breading and deep-frying thing, although having said that it was pretty good.



For the main course I chose the Polenta Crusted Whiting and Panzanella Salad with raspberry vinaigrette. This, although also fried, was definitely worthy of being called ‘beautiful’ – the fish was fresh fresh fresh and beautifully cooked, the salad and tart vinaigrette detracting from the fried-ness of it.



Then for dessert, because I clearly hadn’t crammed in enough fried food for one meal, I ordered up a portion of the Churros. This brings me back to my student days in Spain, spending afternoons in the Plaza Mayor dipping churros into thick gloopy chocolate. Unfortunately the churros were the wrong shape, and the chocolate too thick (more of a paste than a gloop) for it to be truly reminiscent of days gone by, but we managed to polish off the lot anyway…

I think perhaps my choice of dishes leaves something to be desired here – I wasn’t really expecting it to be all so fried… although perhaps the words ‘crunchy’ and ‘crusted’ should have given it away. No matter, it was still a most enjoyable meal and definitely a good choice if you happen to find yourself hungry in Dunsborough.

Bax on Dunn Bay 26 Dunn Bay Rd , Dunsborough. Tel: 9759 1720

First Taste of Down Under

It’s been a while since I wrote – we’ve been keeping our heads down and trying to a) dry out and b) save money after a particularly hectic Christmas and New Year. Having said that, we have just returned from an a) boozy and b) expensive little sojourn in the Margaret River, Western Australia – ho hum, detoxing is never easy!

We flew into Perth and hired a car to make our way down to Dunsborough, where we had ourselves a snazzy little beach house. It’s a three hour drive, so we (obviously) had to stop off en-route for a bite to eat. We had no clue where we were going, but luckily our noses are pretty good at sniffing out eating establishments and we ended up at Vat Two in Bunbury.



This funky little restaurant is right on the harbour, with decking over-looking the beach and an inspiring menu of fusion cuisine and an impressive wine list (well, I guess we were in the middle of the wine region!).

We kicked off with a plate of oysters to share amongst the four of us, to get us in the holiday mood – they come in a variety of ways, but we chose to mix up some with Thai-nam jim & crispy shallots with some Japanese chilli, ginger & rice wine vinegar:





My friend and I then shared the Salmon Fishcakes, served with buttered spinach and chive hollandaise



And the Thai Prawn Salad with rice noodles.



The food was excellent – as was the wine and the ambience (and the company, of course was second to none!). So we left feeling very pleased with ourselves to have stumbled upon such a little gem, and would definitely recommend it as a stopping-off point if you happen to be driving down to the Margaret River.

Vat Two, Bunbury, Western Australia - http://www.vat2.com.au/

Seafood on Surin Beach

There are few better things in life than eating fresh seafood on the beach, with the sand between your toes – and on our first night of holiday in Phuket, we intended to do just that.

There are several bars and restaurants lining Surin Beach (all responsible for those ghastly sunloungers that mar the view of a beautiful beach). Many are nothing more than shacks with tarpaulin shelters, others are more established restaurants with painted walls, cushy furniture and trendy fixtures and fittings. What they all have in common is sea views, lapping waves, and fresh seafood.

We chose Pla Seafood on the basis that its tables were actually set out on the sand, not lining the road above as most of the others were. Once we were seated at our table and had our toes firmly dug into the sand, we ordered ourselves up a feast – A Red Curry with Prawns:


Stir Fried Squid with Sweet Chilli:


and a Barbecued Fish.


Unfortunately the Barbecued Fish was rather over-salted to finish, but the rest was pretty good. What really made the meal though was the ambience – the cool sand underfoot, the balmy evening air with a sea breeze and the gently crashing waves, all combined to make this a memorable evening and one of the highlights of our stay in Phuket.

Pla Seafood - http://www.plaseafood.com/

Beachfront Thai

My how time flies – after a hectic visit back to the UK for Christmas and New Year I am back in Sunny Singapore and ready to chow down again. Before we headed back to the land of grey skies and sub-zero temperatures, we had a relaxing weekend in Phuket to chill on the beach, paddle round the limestone islands, and of course to indulge in some Thai food.

We chose to stay at the Twin Palms resort on Surin Beach

and as soon as we had checked into our room, we threw on our beach gear and made our way down to the chic and trendy Catch Beachclub for a bite to eat. The Catch Beachclub is just how a beach club should be – comfy seating, uninterrupted sea views of the horizon, palm trees, chill out tunes, cocktails and good food…

Unfortunately it doesn’t have the background soundtrack of crashing waves like Bali’s Ku De Ta – and the sun loungers of Surin Beach are a bit of an eye-sore… but all that aside, this has the makings of a great beach bar.

The lunch menu is a mixture of Western – burgers, steaks, club sandwiches etc, and local favourites. Well who wants to eat a burger on their first day in Thailand? Not us that’s for sure, so we ordered ourselves up a selection of local dishes.

The Spicy Green Papaya Salad with Soft Shell Crab was superb. Mixing the tanginess of the papaya, heat of the chillis and beautifully crisp crab, this was a fantastic (and substantial) salad.

Goong Sarong is a local Phuket speciality of crispy rice noodles encasing fresh juicy prawns. It looks spectactular, with the crispy wispy noodles overflowing and the hidden prawns nestling within. This came served with pickled vegetables and a curry and honey sauce and was simply delicious.

And we finished off with everyone’s favourite – a Pad Thai – and a very good Pad Thai at that.

One of the joys of being in Thailand is definitely its food… and one of the joys of being on holiday is eating what you want, when you want. And so I ask you – what better joy than being on holiday in Thailand?

Catch Beachclub, Surin Beach, Phuket - http://catchbeachclub.com/

Gastronomic Anniversary

It was our wedding anniversary – yes, four years of Greedy Gluttonous living, and what better way to commemorate the occasion than a gastronomic feast at one of Singapore’s finest restaurants?

Iggy’s has a truly enviable reputation amongst the city’s restaurants – it was recently voted Asia’s Number One Restaurant by the Miele Guide and is also named in UK magazine The Restaurant’s S. Pellegrino World’s Best 100 restaurants. It is worth noting that not a single restaurant in Asia makes it into the top 50 of this list, nor do any restaurants in Japan make the cut at all – quite amazing considering that Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world (more than London and Paris combined). So whilst the judges of this list are clearly somewhat blinkered (or not very well travelled), the fact that Iggy’s is recognized makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

What immediately sets Iggy’s apart from most other restaurants is its ambience. No cosy tables à deux in here. There were 12 diners on the night we went, and we were all seated around an L-shaped counter, facing towards the semi-open kitchen (the windows were blacked top and bottom, meaning we could observe the chefs busy at work, without being privy to the intricacies of their endeavours). So whilst the evening is not set up for a romantic and intimate dinner, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and encourages interaction with the other diners, in addition to the waiter/sommelier who serves all the guests from behind the counter. As you are all facing one another, there is also the chance to get a sneak preview of what is coming your way in the 10 course Gastronomic Menu – and this is what we were treated to:

Uni
Cauliflower mousse, sea urchin, shiso jelly

Jabugo Iberico Bellota
Jamon Iberico, autumn salad, parmesan croutons, warm figs, fresh herbs and datterini tomato

Foie Gras
Foie gras crème brulee, cinnamon sugared pear, pan-fried foie gras on toast

Spanner Crab
Spanner crab meat soufflé, shellfish bisque, rocket sprouts

Cappellini
Cappellini with zucchini, smoked mullet roe and shallot

Halibut
Pan-roasted halibut fillet, red curry-scented pumpkin puree, green mango salsa, roasted shallot oil, glacier lily and balsamic reduction

Welsh Lamb
Herb crusted Welsh lamb saddle, French beans, baby aubergine, seito tomato, garlic confit and thyme jus

Pre-Dessert (a fruit cup)

Chocolate
Caraibe chocolate bar, mascarpone ice-cream, green lime zest

Iggy’s Lemon Tart

Suffice to say – the food was exquisite, and each course just got better and better. The ingredients were undeniably fresh, cooked to perfection and the flavours paired impeccably.

The capellini was truly to-die-for, I could’ve eaten an entire pasta bowl full, and I didn’t think I even liked smoked mullet roe!

The halibut was cooked to perfection and the delicate red curry-scented pumpkin was a worthy accompaniment, with the glacier lily an unusual addition that provided some scrumptious crunch to the dish.

‘Melt-in-the-mouth’ is a phrase far too often applied to food, but there is no other way to describe the herb crusted Welsh lamb saddle – and the memory of the marscapone ice cream which accompanied the sticky fudgy gooey chocolate bar remains with me to this day.

So does it deserve all the accreditations? Well it was certainly one of the best restaurants I’ve had the pleasure to feast in, and the relaxed ambience, impeccable service, interesting menu and of course, the exquisite food all combined to make this a very special and memorable anniversary meal indeed.

Iggy’s - http://www.iggys.com.sg/

Girls Lunch

It was time for our last girls’ get-together lunch before we all head off on our separate ways for the festive period, so we decided to go upmarket and made our way to Au Petit Salut at Dempsey Village. Like most Dempsey venues, this restaurant is set back from the road and nestled in amongst the greenery. We took our seats in the timber-decked al fresco area, where we could dine in the breeze and to the sound of the trickling water features.

Au Petit Salut is certainly a popular choice for lunch, particularly with the “Ladies Who Lunch” crowd, I’m guessing because of the high quality of its food and its fantastic value $30++ set lunch. Set menus can often be somewhat restricting, but here it is very extensive, and with six choices for each course it offers as much variety as many a la carte menus do. You are also given the option to supplement any course with one from the Executive Lunch Menu for an additional charge.

I kicked off with the Homemade Duck Rillette with Mesclun Salad and Walnut Dressing, which was rich and creamy and delicious.

Then followed it up with the Oven Baked Sea Bass Fillet with Fresh Mixed Vegetables and Light Herb Butter Emulsion, which was beautifully cooked and perfectly seasoned.

Being French, the cuisine is all very rich, and had we been allowed to choose our desserts after we had eaten our first two courses, I probably would have followed my more sensible friends' lead and opted for the Fresh Fruit Salad infused with mint and served with blackcurrant sorbet.

Having chosen at the beginning however - when I was in greedy-mode - I instead decided on the Choux Buns Filled with Vanilla Ice Cream in Warm Chocolate Sauce, with Sliced Almonds. It wasn’t a bad choice, but the feeling of over-indulgence was certainly starting to kick in around the second mouthful.

So would I recommend Au Petit Salut to my friends? Absolutely - a beautiful setting, fantastic food, knowledgeable and attentive service and great value for money all combine to make this the perfect venue for a girls’ lunch.

Au Petit Salut - http://www.aupetitsalut.com/index.html