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For the Love of Food! I Love Chinese Under the Maple Tree
Chinese Cuisine and any other links for pages you frequent. Adventures With Chopsticks
*#*#* Another Week passed..... *#*#*One more week ... $#$#$ Work & Eat $#$#$I've been working till aroun... ^@^@^ This week.. ^@^@^1. Went back to school to c... %#%#% HAPPY BIRTHDAY RECCE!! %#%#%Recce's Bday is ... 我知道我变漂亮了詞/曲：石欣卉 製作：陳達偉"过去的批评嘲讽 (Let it go Let it g... ^%^%^ EY Training in Penang ^%^%^Start Work le!!EY... went out with my bro today and it was really fun!!... %#%#% (= TAIWAN!!!! =) %#%#%With Mom! =)Supposed t... *Taiwan continued..*More Food...first row is dedic... Fortunes Can Be Funny Fortune Cookies  Blogskins Soup-Faerie.com for Cursor Take Out Boxes October 2004 January 2005 February 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 November 2005 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 December 2006 January 2007 March 2007 May 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 |
Wednesday, August 18, 2004 i think it's spelt that way. can't be bothered to check, sorriz.
Firstly, to acknowledge afew comments. Yes, i know the template sucks; Yes, i know it's faulty; Yes, i know i should have allowed anoymous comments (i haf done so.. btw); Yes, i know that ppl can blast me here; and finally, Yes, i know i should be studying for my As instead of updating blogs. N.B. acknowledging does not equal to doing anything about it.. but the template thingy, i'm hoping to get a classmate of mine to help me with it after the As. Back to FOOD! Went to Tony Romas at Suntec yesterday for lunch. The place was virtually empty. There were this ang-moh family juz next to us though. So we could compare the service rather.. accurately. =p We spurlged like hell. Appetizer: Appetizer taster - 3 types together: cheese sticks, spicy chicken wings and drumlets, and potato skins.. the cheese sticks were ok, the poatato skins were super rich, drowned in mozzarella and bacon. (guess that's American food for you..) and the spicy wings were sooo hot you'll definitely need iced water. no kidding. they totally drenched the poor chicken with tobasco sauce. lucky for us, we had mocktails, which helped soothe our burnt tongues... Soup: we had one soup of the day: chicken soup, and one potato soup. The chicken soup was ordinary. they had rice in it though. not that it does anything to improve the flavour or the texture of the soup itself. well, if i wanted rice in soup, i'd op for a nice bowl of pipping hot porridge. =p The potato soup, however, was hm-mmm heavenly! it could be better if it's thicker though, then they can don't add the potato chunks in. The taste was well balenced, adding in the fried onion-oil in was a good tactic. it tied the flavours wonderfully. Main course: my friend had their lunch combo; chicken and ribs with fries and baked potato for sides. i had their lunch combo, fried prawns and ribs, baked potato and coleslaw as side orders. both of us took their famous, award-winning babyback ribs. The chicken was realli tough. i didn't finish the slice which my friend gave to me. the ribs were tender, juicy, great sauce which slipped the meat into my mouth.. but.... i've tasted better. (try Sizzler at HDB Hub, generous portion too.) the most outstanding dish on my plate was the baked potato. topped similiarly to the potato skins, shredded cheese, bacon pieces, alil' spring onion, and sour cream. But due to the humongous potato they had, the toppings didn't overpower the potato, but complimented nicely. i finished the potato and the ribs only. Mocktails: my friend took their Funky Monkey, and i took their trapeze punch. both were good. refreshing. Tony Romas should either 1) set up a cafe selling their mocktails, or 2) sell the recipe to a cafe. Such things shouldn't go to waste. Service: seated juz across the ang-moh table gave us an idea of how good the service can be. the manager joked and attended to their needs, bringing extra napkins and even, a Tony Romas bib for the gentleman so he won't dirty his clothes when he dug in. Well... Over here, we definitely wasn't going to get any attention of the manager, but the service was.. erm, juz read on. i state facts and my own opinion, you judge by yourself. (i've been warned when i set up this blog, that ppl can sue you for slander when you blast them, even on your own blog...) btw, we were dressed in school uniform. *pity, VJC doesn't haf the reputation of ACS(i) huh?* We were met with the "Welcome to Tony Romas" when we opened the door. "table for two?" "yes." then the guy who said "table for two" juz stood there. i walked in further, scanning the empty place. then the guy said, "window or sofa?" i turned to my friend, "window" he chose. "this way." We were given the menu, and we opened it, pouring over the variety. the guy juz stood there for awhile, decided that we ain't gona decide any soon, and walked away. i don't blame him, he has better things to do. but it'll be nice if he could ASK to be excused. like: "i'll be back to take your order" will be ok, doesn't have to be realli polite. A girl came later to take our order. We didn't ask for our order to be made. She juz appeared there. By then, we knew more or less, what we wanted.. so we took our orders. i guess we muz had taken a realli long time. well, spending own money wad, muz make the expirence more worth it right? even the menu is more interesting (muz read the small print of what it contains and ask for what my friend think of it, then can also compare dishes together, discuss pictures, etc etc etc right?) lolz.. but we didn't exceed half an hour, the record which another friend holds. she took that long to decide on which flavour of ice cream. lolz. (digression, sorriz.) N.B. This is MY justification for my own actions. Tony Roma's menus may not bring out the same reaction in all people. The food came pretty fast. the appetizer came juz after the soup came, and the main course came before we started on the appetizer. We were talking about time travel (interesting stuff, at least to me) so i guess our mouths were really busy.. so the time we started on the appetizer, it was cold. realli cold. (except the spicy wings of course) in the end, we didn't finish the appetizer. infact, we left 1/3 untouched when we left. not because we were willing to waste food (ppl who know me should know that i never waste food, i'll eat till i cannot eat anymore..) but bcos, 1) we were realli stuffed. 2) it cold.. and you know rich food. melted, creamy cheese is a turn on. hardern, cold cheese is like eating a block of cholestrol. i wonder if, for the price we are paying, and the standard of the place, the waiters will be so kind as to check the progress of the diners, especially since the place was so empty. This is service? (btw, i noted that the table next to ours actually had their main course only after they had finished their appetizer. it was timed perfectly. wonder if that was really a coincidence?) After we had more or less finished our main course, and was working on the unfinished appetizer and mocktails through our conversation, this waitress came with the bill. i don't think our conversation contained anything about the bill, and we definitely did not indicate to any of the waiters and waitresses that we would foot the bill now. That, was followed diligently by her collegue who asked to clear the table. We held on to our mocktails, while we waited for the change. When it came, i asked if they were closing. She said they were. a check of the time said that it was 15.16 (aka, 3.16 pm.) i remember the exact time bcos i told my friend that if it was this time yesterday, i would have juz finished school. imagine, if i wanted to eat lunch at Tony Romas yesterday, they would be closed. how sad. When we (finally) decided to leave, we were sent off with a "bye" from a waiter whom we happened to meet on our way out. it wasn't even cheerful. it was a bye sorta "bye". interesting... ain't it? MY comments: i shouldn't have paid GST. That lunch costs $89 in total ok? considering that i draw a weekly pocket allowance of $50, that is........ i want my money back. i'd rather eat in Carefour. they have staff with nicer smiles and an attitude which brightens your day for the same harden cheese on bread. Tuesday, August 17, 2004 There is this lil' eatery along East Coast Road, the lil' strech linking telok kurau road and still road. the simpliest of all the eateries i've been. bare walls and simple white lighting which you can never find in a single restuarant in Singapore nowadays. it's realli a low cost set-up. but in a way, it's the most informal setting one can get.
don't let looks decieve you. the food is awesome.. you can tell juz by the continueous flow of patrons at the restuarant. the assistances, i don't think "waiters and waitresses" is a good term cos they're so different from the usual ppl you haf in restuarants, are so efficient and helpful in a practical way. they hurry about serving food, clearing tables (at amazing speeds) and actually look like professionals doing those stuff. they're alittle impatient if you call them to the table to take orders when you haven't realli made up your mind yet. but, you can hardly blame them! they haf so much to do! but they're never rude, and offer good advice. if you order the hot plate tou-fu, and also the minced pork, she is quick to tell you, "there is minced pork in the hot plate tou-fu, you sure you wana order the minced pork? if you like it, maybe you can order later?".. and she doesn't start rattling about which dish is good, and which dish is worth the money. as if she's confident of her wares. What a seller! she even tells you that, "7 dishes is alot already. why don't you order again if it's not enuff?" then she informs you of the size of dishes she'll order on your behalf (you can discuss it if you want more carbo and want the kuay-tiao in a larger portion, etc.) Paper napkins are distributed when you are seated at the table. but you'll have to pay for them. juz as you'll haffa pay for plain water too. You can refuse them. the assistant explains, "we don't charge GST or any tax, so we charge for these things". sounds reasonable. =p A short wait, not long enuff to make one impatient, and the food is served. the dishes were overall a notch above the others you can get other places. exceptionally good is the prawn-paste chicken which came in wings and drumlets (crispy and juicy, i'll pass KFC for one of these anytime!), the hot plate tou-fu is tasty with rice, and beware! the fried kangkong has lots of fire in it! i've not tried enough dishes, nor being there enuff to gif a full comentry, but from the looks of others, you'll be coming back for more. so am i (goin back one day!). =p Thursday, August 12, 2004 from the national library.. a book i picked up. (we had to borrow 4 books to get our CIP points.)
Bacon and egg sauce (shaghetti alla Carbonara) ingrediants: 3 hbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed 225g streaky bacon chopped 3 tbsp dry white wine 3 eggs 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh paresley 75g freshly grated Parmesan cheese 350 g spaghetti salt and freshly ground black pepper Heat the oil in a pan, and gently fry the garlic till golden. remove from the pan, add the bacon and gry over fairly high heat till crisp. Add the wine, simmer till it has evaporated beat the eggs together with Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water till 'al dente'. drain thoroughly and return to the pan. Immediately stir in the beaten egg mixture and the bacon, continue stirring till heat of the spaghetti cooks the eggs. Transfer to a serving dish and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Salsa primavera (Sring veg and cream sauce) ingrediants: 100g butter 100g thin asparagus, stalks chopped 1 onion, diced 300ml double cream 1 carrot, diced salt, pepper to taste 1 celery stalk, diced 450g fettuccine/ tagliatelle 100g sheeled peas 50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leafed paresley 1 large courgette, cut into 1cm cubes Melt half the butter and gently fry the onion, carrot and celery until soft. Add the peas, tomatoes and courgette, gently fry for 5 mins. add the asparagus, and fry for 1 min. Stir in cream, and simmer gently, till reduced by half. season to taste. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water till "al dente", drain and toss with the remaining butter, the Parmesan cheese, parsley and half the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish, spoon the remaining sauce over the top and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Herbed Salmon Sauce 1 tbsp olive oil 125ml fish stock 25g butter 500ml double cream 50 ml dry white wine 350 boned skinned salmon, cut into 1cm cubes 4 spring onions, green parts included, finely sliced 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander 1 tbsp each finely chopped fresh mint, rocket and lovage 250 g spinach fettuccine or tagliatelle (green pasta) heat oil nd butter in pan, fry gently the salmon for 3 mins. add the onions and fry for 1 min more, season to taste. Remove mixture from the pan with the juices and keep warm. Add wine and simmer till reduced by half. add the fish stock and reduce by half again. Stir in the cream and herbs, and simmer till thickened and reduced. Gently stir in the salmon and check the seasoning. Cook pasta in boiling salted water till 'al dente'. Drain and toss with sauce. serve! Wednesday, August 11, 2004 The long walk from the bus stop to Greenwood Ave is worth it!
Discovered the place by chance, it being the most promising restuarant with reasonable, affordable place for the teenager's pocket. my frien and i settled for their seafood platter for 2, and since then, i'm addicted! Since the first visit, i've been there twice! both times, a pleasure and a time of indulgence! (considering that most of the platter is deep fried) but still, it's well worth it. The restuarant itself has a seafood mart at the front, and a dining area at the back. the mart is clean, dry and seemingly specialised. the fishy smell aint that bad, if you compare it to the supermarkets or (even worse) the wet market. the produce on display are a good assurance that the ppl here know their seafood. everything is fresh, if you want, you can even select your meal raw, and see it at the dinner table later... ;) The dining area is simplistic, with dim lighting, and flowers on the tables. the toilet is cute and convient, located behind curtains.. but who will bother abt ambience once the food is served? The clam chowder is a love-at-first-taste affair. the broth is light, and the ingrediants are fresh. everything is harmonized and soothes the platte for the heavier stuff in the later courses. a terrific way to impress and hook the dinner. Mussles are offered for apetizers. i'm under the impression that the flavours differ from day to day, depending on the chef's prefernce. the first time i dined there, they were drizzled with mint, the second time, they had a sauce with onions, which tasted similiar to the ones used for chilli crabs. of the 2, i prefered the former. The seafood platter (the main dish) is (as i had said earlier) mostly deep-fried. the soft-shell crabs are juicy and crisp; the fried osyters were light and delightful (i could eat 8 at one go!) and the fish, depending on the day's produce i think, often oven-baked or grilled, is tender and succulent! all these were served with fries at a side, and calamari. one may get sick of the oily stuff, so do ask the waiter for mayo, the fries are a good conversation companient near the end of the meal. the portions are really good, making you feel as if it's realli value of the $70 (for 2) you're paying.. so other than satisfying your platte, it satisfies your pocket too! For desert, juz afew stores down, there is Gelato! try the mango sorbet with the peanut butterscotch, or the choc-choc peanutbutter. they're low-fat (thus guilt-free) but taste absolutely wonderful! better than the normal fare of icecream around. i'll pass hagan daiz for one of these any day.... But, a warning, not all flavours are for everyone. ask to try the flavours before you dive in, the grapefruit sorbet was bitter, and the pistachio wasn't up to standard..... hmmz... Sorriz for the slip-short effort. in a hurry... =p Rating: (outta 5) Seafood Bestro: 4 wishes Gelato: 3 wishes Tuesday, August 10, 2004 to create lil' heavens on Earth..
lift your wine cups. and let us celebrate like there's no tmr. |
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