Save the airfare to Penang and come here instead!

Sounds luxurious? The reality: Buffet was hawker fare, and the shopping was just wistful browsing. “Ooh, look! So gorgeous! Wah, so ex!”

We are, after all, merely HDB tai-tais. Still, it was fun!

Back to the food, which is the main reason for the outing. Ever since my Penang trip, I’d been unable to forget the delicious street food. Besides, I’d been wanting to try York Hotel’s legendary Penang hawkers’ buffet. Ongoing since 1986, the hotel flies in hawkers from Penang 3 times a year (in March, September, and December) for this theme buffet.

Compared to usual hotel buffets, this one has considerably less variety. The focus is on hawker food. Each dish is prepared a la minute at live stations. The whole set-up is like a food court!

Lor bak (fried meat roll)

Let’s start with my favorite item of the spread. Lor bak = Singapore’s ngoh hiang. Served with other deep-fried items like prawn fritters, beancurd, battered taro and sweet potato.

The batter was very light and crispy, and nearly grease-free. Even the prawn shell was crispy enough to be devoured. This was really addictive!

Hokkien mee (prawn noodles)

Penang Hokkien mee = Singapore prawn mee. The prawn and pork broth was flavorful and tasty, and the pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. But why did they use such small prawns? Crunchy they were, but not particularly sweet.

Koay teow thng (fish ball noodle soup)

Not a terribly exciting dish, but this was well-executed. The soup was very clear, and tasty but light at the same time. The dry-tossed version is also available.

Assam laksa

I actually enjoyed this version more than the one I had in Penang, probably because the broth here is less fishy and sour. I liked the balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. Very appetizing!

From left: Ban chang kueh (peanut pancake) & apom balik

Another “hot” stall was the pancake station. The apom balik is a new addition. There’s a small piece of banana hidden in the fold of the soft pancake. We were pleasantly surprised by coconut shreds in the batter, which gave the pancake a wonderful fragrance and texture. The apom balik was so popular that there was no more when we went back for seconds!

The peanut pancake was just as more-ish! Filled with crushed peanut and sugar, the wafer-thin pancake was very light and crispy. There’s a slight drizzle of melted Planta margarine inside, which gave a subtle kick!

Penang fried koay teow

Without doubt Penang’s most famous dish, the fried koay teow station had the longest queue! According to Camemberu who did the queueing, there were two chefs, each frying a wok of koay teow. One is the master and the other is the disciple. She got a plate from each of them.

The difference in taste was heaven and earth! The disciple’s version tasted flat, and the noodles were broken and looked unappetizing. But the master’s fried koay teow was full of wok breath, and the flavors were robust and complex. So now you know whose koay teow you should queue for!

Fried oyster

Penang fried oyster egg is more “wet” in style. I’m not crazy about oysters, so this was just ok for me. The eggs were very tasty.

Penang rojak

Penang rojak is fruit-based. The thick hae ko (shrimp paste) was delicious, but I’d have preferred it to be more piquant.

Ju her eng chye 鱿鱼蕹菜 (cuttlefish & water spinach)

Ok, I’m not a fan of ju her eng chye, so no comments.

Cendol & ice kachang (background)

The cendol was sorely disappointing! I was so looking forward to it, but it isn’t authentic. The green bean jelly isn’t the soft, pale green type, and there’s no distinctive gula Melaka taste. Even the ice kachang was lacklustre. I really miss the awesome cendol we had in Penang.

So, did this satisfy the Penang food craving? Well, I was very happy up to the point of the cendol, which shaved many points off the overall grade! I was also hoping to see more items, like satay, curry mee, or even curry chee cheong fun, but no such luck. Some might say 30 bucks is too much to pay for hawker fare, but hey, it’s still cheaper than the price of a plane ticket to Penang!

The buffet also includes free-flow bandung (rose syrup and milk drink).

Penang Hawkers’ Fare (4 to 20 September 2009)
White Rose Cafe, York Hotel Singapore
21 Mount Elizabeth
Singapore 228516
Tel: (65) 6737 0511

Lunch: 12 noon – 2:30pm
Dinner: 6:30pm – 10pm
Price: S$25.80++ (adult), S$18.80++ (child below 12 years)
No table reservations.

Coconut chicken noodles, S$2.50.

The coconut chicken noodles is Hokkien noodles in thick coconut curry sauce, topped with chickpea fritter and crackers, and a couple of chicken cubes. The sauce is thick, smooth, and mildly spicy, but definitely too salty, especially when paired with yellow noodles that’s also salty.

Mohinga, S$2.50.

A more pleasing choice is Myanmar’s national dish – mohinga. It’s not as fancy as Inle Myanmar’s, but still, I inhaled the entire contents of the bowl.

Yup, mohinga is my latest craze. I simply dig the fish broth! Oh, and the chickpea fritters too! Never mind if they’re soggy. It just means that they’ve soaked up that tasty fish soup. Besides, the chickpeas are still crunchy!

Although there isn’t much ingredients other than thin rice noodles and chickpea fritter, the fish soup provides enough flavor. But because it’s more like a light snack, you might want to upsize or order something else more filling. They also have rice with assorted curries and side dishes.

Authentic Myanmar food at reasonable prices.

Aung Myanmar Food
San Po Food Court
Blk 432, Clementi Ave 3
#01-296
Singapore 120432

Open daily: 8:30am to 9:30pm

Ayam panggang (grilled chicken set), S$4.80.

My dear Ayam Panggang of Riverside Indonesian BBQ, it’s rare that I sing praises of something from a foodcourt stall, but today, this ode is dedicated to you.

I first laid eyes upon you that fateful day 4 years ago; since then, I’ve been hopelessly in love! How could I resist your tender, juicy thigh? That crisp, wickedly charred skin? And the piece de resistance: that distinctive sauce – a luscious concoction of sweet kicap manis and heady spices!

Yummy grilled chicken+rice+curry = bliss.

Throughout these years, you’ve rewarded my faithfulness with constancy, which is no mean achievement in the F&B business. I’m amazed at how you’re always fresh, well-grilled and smokey, and perfectly cooked (flesh neither undercooked nor too dry).

While your sidekicks pale in comparison, they deserve mention for complementing you. Curry gravy is a bit thin, but very fragrant, and not too cloying. Omelette is a Plain Jane, but what I appreciate is that it’s fluffy and sufficiently thick.

Other patient fans

So, imagine my panic when I came a couple of months ago, and Kopitiam was closed for renovation! Oh no, I thought, does that mean you’d be gone for good?

How I heaved a sigh of relief, when I saw you back, as dazzling as ever, reigning over the other stalls, with your never-ending stream of fans. Yes, you may be dearer now, but with escalating rents, how could I blame you? Besides, you and the hardworking team behind you deserve a pay rise, for bringing culinary happiness to hungry folks like me.

Once again, thank you, my dear Ayam Panggang, for making my belly warm and my heart sing.

Riverside Indonesian BBQ
Stall 10, Kopitiam Food Court
Level 6, Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
Singapore 238839

Nasi padang lunch (this selection of dishes and rice was S$7.30).

Whenever I’m in the vicinity, I can’t help but visit this quaint nasi padang shop. Where else can you find authentically scrumptious Indonesian nasi padang in a laidback setting of jazz and modern abstract art? Yes, in this old shophouse, Bose speakers blare the likes of Diana Krall and A.C. Jobim.

But what people really return for is the food. It’s the standard issue of rendang, tauhu telor, sayur lodeh, curry, et al, but everything tastes excellent, although the spiciness level is a bit high for me.

This time, I went a little wild and over-ordered: chicken rendang, sayur lodeh, young tapioca leaves in coconut gravy, pickled vegetables, and of course, bergedil (potato croquette).

Loved: the tangy, crunchy pickles; the spicy but oh-so-aromatic rendang; the smooth and creamy bergedil.

Didn’t quite like: the fibrous tapioca leaves.

Ubi bingka (tapioca) & corn custard with glutinous rice (S$0.50 each)

Though tummy capacity was nearly full, I managed to find just some space for sweet kueh-kueh to round off the meal. I picked two out of the assortment available. The ubi bingka could have done with more fresh tapioca, but at least the kueh was reasonably priced.

Warung M. Nasir
69 Killiney Road
Tel: 6734 6228

Myanmar pork curry, S$7.50 for the set with butter rice, soup, and shrimp paste.

I’ve never been to Myanmar before, so I don’t know how authentic it is. But as far as food goes, I liked everything I tried!

Gary and the hubby both had the Myanmar pork curry set meal. The curry resembled thick rendang gravy, not the more diluted version of curry that we know. Chunky cubes of meat infused with a unique blend of aromatic spices. Flavorful and not too spicy. Very yummy!

Butter rice.

I only tried a little of the rice, cos it was actually quite a small serving. It was faintly flavored, good for some people who don’t like the strong smell of butter.

Shrimp paste.

The shrimp paste is very much like our local hay bee hiam, which is crispy-fried pounded dried shrimp and spices. Like the curry, the flavors were well-balanced and aromatic without being too spicy.

Mohinga (thin rice noodle in fish broth), S$8.90 for the set with gourd fritters.

The menu listed this item as being the most famous traditional rice noodle dish of Myanmar. Well, of course I had to begin my foray into Myanmar cuisine with one of its “national” dishes!

According to the menu, Mohinga is supposedly served with the fish cake, egg, and chickpea fritters. I think they forgot my fish cake.

Still, the thick fish broth was nothing I’ve ever tried. There’s a distinctive flavor about it, which grows on you. I suspect the sweetness in the broth was due to the generous amount of shallots used, as seen floating on top.

But what I actually loved the most was the crispy chickpea fritters. Very more-ish! You’ve gotta eat them first before they get soggy!

Bu Tee Kway (gourd fritters).

The gourd fritters were fantastic, too. Amazingly, the batter was very thin and light, and hardly greasy. Inside, there was a single strip of refreshing green gourd. I enjoyed the contrast of the crispy, hot batter against the sweet coolness of the gourd.

The accompanying dip is a sauce of tamarind and chilli, which add a lovely spicy and sour edge to the fritters.

I would have loved to explore the desserts, but the guys were in a hurry to go snap pictures of the fireworks at Marina Bay, so this was a quick dinner.

Overall impression: the food here is prepared with experienced hands, with skill and well-rounded flavors. Friendly service by the young Myanmar servers added authenticity, though there were a couple of hiccups. Prices are reasonable, too. I’ll be back!

Prices shown do not include 10% service charge.

Inle Myanmar
6 Raffles Boulevard
#02-201 Marina Square
Singapore 039534
Tel: (65) 6338 8772
URL: www.inlemyanmar.com.sg

Gulai ikan kakap (fish curry), S$7.00.

Actually, we enjoyed the food. The fish curry gravy was a delightful blend of spicy, sweet, savory, and creamy, with just a hint of tanginess to round out all the flavors. Firm and fresh was the sea bream flesh.

Rendang ayam (chicken rendang), S$4.80.

At first, the rendang paste seemed too salty, but slowly, the richness and complexity of the nutty spice paste set in, ending on a note of sweetness. Yums, but can you ignore that layer of oil?

Tumis kangkung (stir-fried kangkung), S$6.00.

Fearing our delicate tummies could not stomach the barrage of spices, we requested our kangkung to be fried without the usual spicy belachan. Satisfactory but unremarkable.

Pergedel sapi (potato & minced beef croquettes), S$1.50 each.

A perennial favorite, the pergedel had a nicely seasoned, creamy interior, with a fairly crisp exterior. In the background are free accompaniments of blended red and green chilli. Surprisingly delish and goes well with plain rice.

So, what’s not to like? Plenty!

Price: Too pricey! The portions are stingy and don’t deserve their high price tags.

Although plain rice is free flow, it’s S$2.00 per person! TWO freaking bucks! You can buy a kilo of uncooked rice at that rate! FairPrice house brands are even cheaper.

Service: What service? We were snubbed from start to finish.

Snub 1: It was a Monday night; only 1/4 of the restaurant was occupied. We stood waiting at the reception desk for 2 minutes; no one came forth.

So we walked into the middle of the restaurant, looking lost for another 2 minutes before one wait staff pointed to the glass display area, “Go pick your food there”.

It was very odd, having to choose from prepared dishes in bain maries as if we were ordering economic rice. This concept didn’t fit in with the chic, modern minimalist decor and water served in elegant wine glasses.

Snub 2: We ordered lime juice and ice lemon tea. They never came. We canceled the orders when we asked for the bill.

Snub 3: Our water glasses were never refilled.

Snub 4: They mistakenly billed us S$25 for fish head curry, when we’d ordered fish curry that says S$6.00 on the menu. They charged us S$7.00 on the second bill, but by that time, we were too upset to question them.

Snub 5: No “welcome” when we stepped in, no “sorry, we forgot your beverages”, no “sorry, we billed you the wrong item”, no “thank you, please come again”. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Hey, I’m not asking for Ritz Carlton service. But how about some basic courtesy?

Conclusion: Great-tasting food (but cold), over-priced dishes, sucky attitude from wait staff. If you can put up with the last two, please, feel free to check out Garuda Padang Cuisine.

Total bill, inclusive of 10% service charge & 7% GST, was S$29.20 for two extremely disgruntled diners.

Garuda Padang Cuisine (Vivocity)
1 Harbourfront Walk
B2-28 Vivocity
Singapore 098585
Tel: (65) 6376 9595
URL: www.tunglok.com

Tom yum soup with seafood, individual portion (S$7.00)

I’ve heard lots of good things about First Thai Food. Wanting to beat the queue, Rick and I came early at 6.45 pm for dinner.

Let’s start with the tom yum soup. Almost every table had a tureen of this, but Rick and I opted to share an individual bowl, which at 7 bucks isn’t exactly cheap. But I enjoyed it. There’s prawns, squid, fish, and straw mushrooms (lots!), the soup stock had a full body, and the flavors well-rounded – sour and spicy but not overwhelmingly so, though Rick felt it was a little too tart for his liking.

Pandan chicken (4 pieces for S$8.00)

Now, I love pandan chicken but hate prying the bones outta them. Here, they are convenient little pyramids of boneless chicken leg wrapped and infused with the aroma of pandanus leaves. Not bad, definitely worth a try!

Stir-fried kailan (S$8.00)

Another winner, I like it that the kailan stems here are crisp but just soft enough to bite easily — the perfect, al dente texture, unlike some places that try to play safe by undercooking the kailan.

Pork stirfry with basil (S$8.00)

Everything was going along well till this point. The minced pork with basil is average, nothing spectacular, in fact slightly too salty for my liking.

Pad thai with prawns (S$8.00)

I was still hungry, so we shared a small serving of pad thai. Big mistake. While the rice noodles had a lovely firm texture, the sauce was waaay too sweet! Not enough fish sauce and tamarind to offset the sweetness. Also, the large prawns, which were thoughtfully peeled, were overcooked and tough. What a shame. I might even dare say that Thai Express does a better version. Maybe the cook was having an off day??

Condiments, fake flowers, and tissue box serve as a divider for table sharing

Prices here are reasonable, and with no GST or service charges to inflate the bill, we paid a total of S$42.00 for the two of us. A couple of the dishes were hit and miss, but it was a very filling dinner indeed. Rick aptly described this no-frills, no air-conditioning coffee shop as a Thai zi-char joint.

One thing to note, I think the food here is laced with MSG. We were both very thirsty after the meal, and after downing three mugs of water when I got home, I was still thirsty!

Me is Perez Hilton wannabe...

Interestingly, one of the walls was adorned with portraits of the late King Chulalongkorn, the Buddha, the current Thai royal family, and…Keanu Reeves.

Total bill: food + rice (2 x S$1.00) + water (2 x S$0.50) = S$42.00

First Thai Food
23 Purvis Street
Singapore
Tel: (65) 6339 3123

Fine cuisine in opulent settings

I was invited by the Palate Vine Group to review their latest fine-dining Indian restaurant, Vintage India at Dempsey Road. The Palate Vine are also the people behind Ras The Essence of India and the Tent Mongolian Fresh Grill & Bar at Clarke Quay.

Beautiful china and crystalware

Located at laidback chic Dempsey Hill, Vintage India is an intimate, upscale restaurant serving traditional Indian cuisine. From the high ceilings, elegant chandeliers, gold-rimmed china plates, and sparkling crystalware, everything is fit for a maharajah. This is the place to wow your business clients or future in-laws.

Cigaroll poppadum

Even the poppadums, serve with mint and chutney dips, are presented elegantly rolled.

Starters (clockwise from bottom): Samarkand Prawn; Atish Kumbh; and Adrakhi Panje.

Vintage India’s chefs have all been selected through a rigorous process, each armed with unique recipes. Some of the most popular items on the menu are Master Chef Om Prakash’s signature starters pictured above.

The jumbo Samarkand Prawn – fresh tiger prawns stuffed with crab meat and nuts – was very indulgent indeed. I usually like my prawns to be juicy; here they weren’t, but not in a bad way. It’s typical of how meats cooked in the tandoori turn out. I loved how tender the Adrakhi Panje (lamb chop marinated Indian herbs and spices). But my favorite was actually the juicy Atish Kumbh – tandoori mushroom with blended cashewnuts, cheese and spices. The starters were practically a meal a light meal already!

A spread of the mains, accompanied with naans.

For the main courses, I sampled the more familiar Indian favorites, like Palak Paneer (homemade cottage cheese in spinach), Murgh Makani aka butter chicken, Fish Malabar Curry (a traditional authentic Kerala fish curry cooked with fresh fish slices prepared with coconut milk and a variety of spices), and Moghlai Biryani – lamb and basmati rice prepared with spices.

Naans

The dishes can be accompanied with basmati rice or a variety of naans, which I’m particularly biased towards. I especially LOVED the Kashmiri naan here, filled with lovely chopped dried fruits and nuts.

Compared to other Indian restaurants that I’ve been to, I find that the traditional dishes at Vintage India are prepared with a lighter touch, resulting in a refined taste without compromising on flavors. I didn’t have that rich, heavy, hard-to-digest feeling in my tummy after the meal, which is what I sometimes get after an Indian meal.

Kesar Pista Kulfi

By this time, I was totally stuffed, but I just had to manage some room for the irresistible Kesar Pista Kulfi – Indian ice cream made with milk cream, pistachios and saffron. It was fragrant, creamy, and not too sweet. Simply divine!

Alfresco area

There’s also a cosy alfresco area which is opened up in the evenings. Here, you can dine or enjoy a glass of wine (Vintage India also has an extensive wine menu) in a more relaxed atmosphere amid lush greenery.

With such grand settings, fine cuisine, and impeccable service, the prices here are, naturally, upscale to match. But if you’re looking to impress, this is certainly the place for that special occasion. If you want a taste of the exquisite without breaking the bank, Vintage India serves an affordable executive lunch set at S$38.00++.

Vintage India
10 Dempsey Road
#01-21
Dempsey Hill
Singapore 247700
Tel: (65) 6471 3100
URL: www.palatevine.com.sg

Fish and chips, S$21.00

Ricky and I took my mom to The Dining Room for a relaxing Sunday dinner. We’ve always enjoyed the elegance here, especially the view of the waterfall through the tall ceiling-to-floor glass windows. Surprisingly, only a handful of tables were occupied.

The ala carte menu seems to be more limited than I remember. Mom had the fish and chips. We thought it was a dish that shouldn’t be that hard for a 5-star hotel to execute. While it looked great, the inside of the battered fish was soggy. Yes, soggy, not juicy. Not that it wasn’t fresh or uncooked, but it just wasn’t quite right.

The portions were huge, though. Mom couldn’t finish the piles of fries and fresh salad that came along with it. The fries were pretty good, too bad we were seated right under the air-conditioning so they turned cold and hard too quickly.

Beef burger, S$19.00

Another mountain of fries, and a super thick patty. The hubby was in a fix. “How to assemble and eat such a thick burger?” Yes, we have yet to master the knack of eating this kind of “gimme the works” burger. Seriously, how do you hold a plateful of food between two buns??

Strange touch of sliced avocados, but Ricky said the caramelized onions and pickles were lovely, especially the pickle that was crunchy and not too sour, good enough to enjoy on its own.

Nasi goreng, S$19.00

I’ve always liked hotel-style nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) because of the luxurious sides that make it look like such a good deal. While the chicken satay was fragrant and tender, the rendang chicken was quite dry. The two huge prawns had huge heads. What little flesh they had was neither sweet nor succulent. Worse, one of them had mushy flesh! The achar was ok, the rice was unremarkable. Considering the cons outweigh the pros, the nasi goreng was a major letdown.

As usual, the service here was great, although once they forgot our request for water, and we had to remind them. Since we were stuffed by the American-sized portions, we skipped desserts. I remember the quality of food here used to be better. Or maybe now they place more attention on their buffets rather than ala carte (I know their buffets are quite popular). While it’s a pleasant place for an afternoon cuppa, I won’t be back for a main meal.

Total bill after service charges, taxes and credit card discounts was about S$60.

The Dining Room
Sheraton Towers Singapore
39 Scotts Road
Singapore 228230
URL: www.sheratonsingapore.com

All-you-can-eat rijsttafel.

Years ago, The RiceTable started out promisingly. The first to offer rijsttafel at affordable prices, word quickly got around and business boomed. At S$19.80++ for dinner, one gets an all-you-can-eat spread of 20 dishes, placed on warmers at your table. You have to admit, it’s a tempting deal. Plus, the food wasn’t half bad.

Section A.

Even without much marketing, The RiceTable became very popular, and expanded to a total of three outlets.

But has success got into their heads? I certainly think so. Every subsequent visit had me going, “The food’s not as good as before.” It doesn’t help that the staff are quite atas (Malay for “upstairs”, meaning snobby).

Section B.

The last straw was lunch on Wednesday. I wouldn’t have picked The RiceTable, but the mother-in-law was missing the food there.

On Tuesday, I called the outlets at International Plaza and Suntec City to make a reservation. Both answered with a curt, “We’re fully booked.” Click. What happened to “Sorry, ma’am, we’re already fully booked. Would you like to try at our branches?”

Never mind, I can put up with that if the food makes up for it. Alas, no. The ayam panggang (grilled chicken) and sate ayam (chicken satay) were thick and dry, possibly the result of frozen meat. My bowl of lukewarm soto ayam (chicken soup) had way too much fried shallots.

As for the rest of the dishes, the overall taste was just lacking. I just couldn’t find the passion that was present when The RiceTable first started out. Yes, it’s true you can taste passion. Somehow, the food seemed to have been prepared without care, as if they were just slapping ingredients together with premixed seasonings.

Like the food, the staff was as cold and detached. No smiles, no “please”, no “enjoy your food”, no “please come again”. It felt like they were doing us a favor for deigning to feed us. Well, with a full restaurant, of course they’re entitled to feel that way.

The only consolation was that we were there for lunch. Dinner would have meant paying more for more potentially bad food.

Lunch is S$13.80++ per head (approx. S$16.00 after 10% service charge and 5% GST).

The RiceTable Indonesian Restaurant (Cuppage branch)
43/45 Cuppage Road
Singapore 229463
Tel: (65) 6735 9117
website: http://www.ricetable.com.sg

cheers!