Dec 16th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Here’s a chance for AromaCookery readers to win Australian celebrity chef Kylie Kwong’s latest book!
As part of their Christmas celebrations, Discovery Travel & Living is generously giving away 5 copies of Kylie Kwong: My China. Filled with delicious recipes and breathtaking photos, Kylie shares her thoughts and experiences as she re-discovers her Chinese heritage.
All you have to do is answer 3 simple questions:
- In which country was Kylie Kwong born?
- What’s your favorite show/program on Discovery Travel & Living (available on StarHub Channel 16, for Singapore viewers)
- How many letters are there in “AromaCookery”?
Please submit your answers in the “Reply” box in this post. The first 5 correct responses will win a copy of Kylie Kwong: My China. The books will be mailed to the respective winners.
This contest runs from now till midnight, December 26, 2009, and is open to all who are residing in Singapore. Please leave a valid email address so that I can contact you.
In the meantime, do tune in to Discovery Channel & Living special Christmas line-up. Here are two shows you must catch!
WILLIE’S PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS: Premieres Wednesday, December 23 at 9:00 pm.
The eccentric chocolatier Willie Harcourt-Cooze returns for a holiday special in WILLIE’S PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS. Having successfully set up their ‘wonky’ chocolate factory in Devon, Willie, Tania and their three children return for a festive foodie extravaganza.The show celebrates the perfect family Christmas from the picturesque setting of the family’s Devon home. Willie will be taking care of the menu for the holiday season, preparing a series of mouth watering chocolate themed recipes, boozy chocolate mince pies, a classic chocolate tart and the perfect party treats for entertaining friends including a quince chocolate cheese and a chocolate and clementine cheesecake. It’s going to be oh-so-chocolate-y Christmas on Discovery Travel & Living!
NIGELLA’S CHRISTMAS KITCHEN 2: Premieres every Monday at 7:00 p.m. beginning December 14.
Domestic goddess Nigella Lawson believes that Christmas is both a season to be treasured and a state of mind that has to be achieved by relishing long established routines and welcoming new ones too. In the new NIGELLA’S CHRISTMAS KITCHEN 2, Nigella will be preparing her Christmas larder in advance, prepping party food for the freezer and revealing some of her sanity preserving short-cuts that make even the most routine recipes redolent with Christmas sparkle! Learn the joys of an unhurried Christmas this year in NIGELLA’S CHRISTMAS KITCHEN 2!
Posted in Special events | 7 Comments »
Dec 16th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Kway chap set, S$3.50
Now, I don’t usually eat kway chap. This was hubby’s lunch order, but it was so yummy I ended up eating half of it!
Apparently, this stall has a long history. Now operating in Amoy Food Centre, it was previously located in Ellenborough Market & Food Centre, nicknamed “Teochew Market”. Here’s an informative summary on the history of Ellenborough Market. Continue Reading »
Tags: kway chap
Posted in Eat-Out: Singaporean | 2 Comments »
Dec 15th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
There are 3 kinds of street-style fried radish cake 抄菜头粿 in Singapore: the “black” version, “white” version, and not so commonly, the eggy pancake type.
In the modestly-sized Bukit Timah Food Centre, there are two food stalls – Seng Kee Carrot Cake (#02-182) and He Zhong 合眾菜頭粿 (#02-185) – selling fried radish cake, and both do it the same style. Now, I don’t understand this business logic. Why sell the same product as your competitor located just three units away?
Unable to come up with an intelligent answer to this profound question, there was another issue I had to stress over: Which stall’s chai tow kway should I have for breakfast?
Oh, what the heck, let’s order both and compare! Here are the final entries from the two worthy contenders.
Seng Kee's version, S$2.00
First impressions: Seng Kee’s chai tow kway (CTK) smelled tantalizing, and certainly looked very appealing. The CTK has a beautiful golden brown crust that’s light and crispy to the bite. I suspect there’s some flour batter in addition to beaten egg for that kind of result. Continue Reading »
Tags: chai tow kway, fried radish cake
Posted in Eat-Out: Singaporean | 4 Comments »
Dec 11th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
How time flies, it’s already December! The season for shopping, presents, and parties is upon us. And what’s a Christmas party without a log cake? If you’re bored of the usual chocolate/vanilla flavored Swiss roll-type log cakes, do check out the latest Tried & Tested feature as we taste and compare 5 very unique Christmas log cakes.
Tags: log cake
Posted in inSing.com feature articles | No Comments »
Dec 10th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Mee chiang kueh, S$0.60 per piece
Within the same food centre as Old Long House Popiah is this mee chiang kueh 麵煎粿 stall that 2nd Sis-in-law INSISTED I had to try! The other day when we were there for lunch, there was a steady stream of customers, but no queue. But according to her, this stall does a roaring business on Sundays. Continue Reading »
Tags: mee chiang kueh
Posted in Eat-Out: Sweets & Munchies | No Comments »
Dec 2nd, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Old Long House's popiah.
It’s been more than xx years since I last visited Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Food Centre. Actually, my primary school is just a stone’s throw away. On days that my best friend and I would go to Toa Payoh Library after school, we’d drop by the hawker centre for char kway teow first. Sadly, I’ve long since lost touch with Hui Li. I wonder how/where she is now.
The small, dark hawker centre that I remember has been replaced with a new, airy building. Most of the original stalls are still there, like old-timer Old Long House Popiah. Continue Reading »
Tags: popiah
Posted in Eat-Out: Singaporean | 6 Comments »
Nov 30th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Imperial Treasure is a well-known chain of Chinese restaurants in Singapore. This is their flagship outlet, which specializes in fine-dining Cantonese cuisine. In the few times I’ve been here, I’ve always been impressed by the caliber and consistent standard of their cooking. In fact, I’d say what they serve here is as good as what you get in Hong Kong.
One of their most outstanding dishes, and a must-order for everyone, is their roasted meats: siew yoke (roast pork), char siew (barbequed honey pork), and roast duck/goose (I prefer duck). The first time Rick and I tried them, we were just blown away by how divine they tasted! For weeks after that, Imperial Treasure’s roast meats were all we ever thought of.
This time round, armed with a voucher, we decided to splurge a little and go for the 6-course tasting menu at S$52++ for two persons. The first course is a combination platter of two roast meats. Yay!
Roast pork
Continue Reading »
Tags: char siew, roast pork
Posted in Eat-Out: Chinese | 3 Comments »
Nov 29th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Confesssion: I’m an exceedingly fussy wanton mee eater! So far, I haven’t found any place that satisfies all my criteria for the perfect wanton mee, namely:
- Noodles must be springy, stay springy, clump-free, and most importantly, not have any lingering taste of alkaline/lye water;
- Preferably, the char siew used is the HK-style roasted type, rather than the wholesale-supplied type that’s dyed an artificial red;
- The wantons should have a good meat-to-skin ration, and the filling should be firm and tasty.
That’s why you don’t see many wanton mee posts on my blog. But the latest inSing.com assignment re-ignited my passion for wanton mee, because I discovered an eatery that fulfills all my conditions for a lip-smacking wanton mee! Where is it? Click here to find out!
Tags: wanton mee
Posted in inSing.com feature articles | No Comments »
Nov 12th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
Ice kachang is one of our favorite local desserts. It can be found in nearly every food centre and food courts, but unfortunately, many versions don’t do justice to this delightfully refreshing treat. Here’s a comparison of ice kachang from five highly recommended stalls!
Tags: ice kachang
Posted in inSing.com feature articles | 4 Comments »
Nov 10th, 2009 by Julia Khoo
From left: French beans with beancurd cubes, ayam lemak putih, bergedil, & omelette.
This was a quick lunch from last Saturday. I was attending a workshop nearby, and at lunchtime, the entire class of 12 plus our trainer trooped down to the nearest eatery to fill our bellies.
Turns out this random pick was pretty good. The ayam lemak putih – a very mild and coconutty chicken curry – was delish. The gravy was creamy and aromatic, and the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender. No surprises with the other side dishes, but they were of decent quality. A coursemate thought the omelette – with diced onion and chilli – was a little too salty, but I thought it was just right when paired with rice. Continue Reading »
Tags: halal Muslim, nasi padang
Posted in Eat-Out: Singaporean | Comments Off
Hear Julia on radio every Thursday 12:15pm as she shares a Foodie Lunch Pick on 938LIVE's F-Cube with hosts Eugene Loh and Melanie Oliveiro. 
