Chic Bites

Morton's: You can't pay enough for this steak!

2007-11-28T17:13:00.000+08:00

Honestly, steaks are not my thing. I'm not a beef lover but I keep hearing about how good Morton's is, so my boyfriend and I just had to try it.

Entering through a modest, hidden wooden door, we were invited into a cosy alcove with friendly smiles and,

most importantly, an unpretentious atmosphere (unlike several un-nameable atas restaurants we've been to). I took instant liking to the place - no stress from fake accents or no need to be prim and proper. People actually take their kids here and don't really expect them to behave!

The hostess literally "showed" us the menu - she brought out a display of raw meats to illustrate the different cuts, potatoes and tomatoes. I even caught a peak of a raw lobster that I presume is used for lobster thermidor.

What was impressive was that she had memorized the whole menu and that there wasn't a single ounce of hesitation when we asked for recommendation.

Then came this evil thing - the bread! This huge onion bun, slightly smaller than a frisbee, came to our table looking unimpressive. Never judge a bun by its brown, boring appearance - beneath its crunchy exterior, a moist, subtly sweet and extremely fragrant dough awaits. I was tempted to buy one home for $12.

The bread alone was enough to make the trip worthwhile. But wait, what's this we hear about Morton's steak? My boyfriend ordered a medium rare Filet Mignon ($70+). Let me reiterate, I really don't like steak but this steak is utterly divine and requires no sauce or condiments. The steak was char-grilled to perfection, leaving a slight crusty exterior that's oh so delightful! The beef was moist, with its natural sweetness alluringly accentuated.

Morton's is definitely a steak lover's paradise!

I tried Lump Crab Cake ($70+). They were very generous with their crab meat but, perhaps biased by having a father who owns a seafood restaurant, it wasn't really worth the money. We also had a seafood starter - Colossal Shrimp Cocktail (about $34). As its name suggests, the prawns were bigggg... but again, the starter wasn't that persuasive either.

Overall, I have to applaud Morton's for being able to pull off such a spectacular service - everything from starter to dessert was pretty decent - and in Singapore, this is pretty rare for a restaurant. Everything was served quickly (even though the restaurant was quite full) but not too quickly that you don't have time to talk in between courses. So, it must be an art that restaurants have to master.

When I go back to Morton's the next time (and I would), I would definitely order beef ribs instead ($90+) and forget about the seafood. In total, we spent about $300+ but it was so worth it! If only I had more money.........

Moon Pies for Mid-Autumn Festival

2007-08-15T09:22:00.000+08:00

My cousin bought us a box of 8 "moon cakes" for Mid-Autumn Festival this year. The only that they aren't cakes, they're "moon pies".

Like their cake cousins, these "moon pies" ($9.80 for 8 pieces) from Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry are sugary calorie-laden treats that do a fair bit of damage to your waistline. There are 7 different flavours in a box - Original (lotus seed paste in a pastry shell), Savoury, Pandan, Green Tea, Coffee, Yam and Black & White Sesame.

In spite being sooooo picky, my mum thinks the yam one is great. I tried Original (since there were 2 in the box) and Coffee. At first bite, the coffee moon pie was fantastic. The pastry exuded a buttery fragrance and the filling had an intense coffee flavour. Unfortunately, both were really really jelat. I had two halves and gave up after. I feel so fat~~~ *help*

If you wanna try something different this Mid-Autumn Festival (8th September 2007), go visit Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry. This fifty year old pastry shop is famous for its golf ball pineapple tarts (10 for $7.20) and, for the health conscious, bean curd tarts ($5.50 for 6).

Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry
264 Middle Road
Tel: 6 337 2417

Opening hours:
10.30am to 7.30pm from Mon - Sat
10.30am to 3pm on Sun and PH

*prices taken from AsiaOne

Pics from My Perth Trip

2007-08-15T00:58:00.000+08:00

Here are my pics from my trip to Perth & the South West of Western Australia :)

2 New Cards with exciting Gourmet Privileges

2007-08-08T09:27:00.000+08:00

Psst... Have you heard? The Cannery has come up with a membership card, only for students 21 and above, with a credit limit of up to $2,000! The Cannery Attitude offers pretty serious discounts on alcohol, priority entry into MOS and Clinic, access to exclusive members' areas and best of all, 15% off food bills! That's great news for people like me, who'd love to try molecular gastronomy at Aurum - if only there was some discount! The discount off food bills also applies to:

Barfly
Bice Bistro (if you can read mandarin, here's a review of Bice Bistro)
Balcony at Heeren
Nectarie

Also joining the bandwagon of no minimum income cards is the Citi Clear Card. What used to be a prestigious card now only affords $500 credit limit to people aged 21 and above, with tonnes of gourmet privileges at places that range from Bistro Delifrance to Marmalade Pantry and even Lawry's! There is however a Citibank Clear Platinum Visa Card for those earning at least $30k a year.

So is it socially responsible for The Cannery and Citibank to come up with no minimum income credit cards? Well, that's for another blog to discuss. :)

Eat Your Flowers! (new cafe along Club Street)

2007-06-01T17:48:00.000+08:00

Eat your flowers! They're good for you.

That's what I did last week when I visited Club Street's new culinary alcove, Eden Cafe. Officially opened last Friday, the cafe brings something different to the table, literally.

Honestly, eating flowers seemed really dodgy and with a whole menu of things like, Rose Petal Salad, Orchid Sauceless Pasta and Apple Osmanthus Crumble, it's hard not to be worried. Putting all my faith in Clement, owner of the former Helio Cafe (who makes really good Nonya Chicken Curry with Penne, btw), I sacrificed my taste buds to bring you this review! hehe... :D

The best we tried there was Portobello Mushroom Sandwich ($8.50). This extremely light sandwich is made with crisp focaccia bread, a sweet and succulent portobello mushroom, crunchy lettuce, tangy tomatoes, homemade mayonnaise (healthier; made with mostly lemon juice) and violets! Well-balanced in natural sweetness and sourness, this sandwich is great for a snack but not for anyone with a big appetite.

Another crowd favourite is the Hibiscus Soft Cheesecake ($6.90). Where's the hibiscus, you say? It's made into a "jam" and spread on top of the cheesecake to give it more a more tangy flavour and health benefits, such as improving metabolism, detoxifying the body and relieving water retention. This soft, cloud-like cheesecake melts instantly in your mouth and satisfies that sweet tooth without resulting in a sugar overdose.

I really appreciate the cafe's emphasis on simplicity - I do feel that many restaurants and cafes are over reliant on sauces to mask the imperfections of each dish. With less sauces and artificial seasonings, however, some of the cafe's offerings aren't for everyone.

The Creamless Mushroom Soup ($4.90), Asian Pesto Penne Pasta ($10.90) and Bread Crumb Pasta ($10.90) won't tickle your fancy if you're carnivorous or if you love rich, intense flavours.

Whether the food is to your taste or not, you shouldn't miss out on a nice pot of tea. The cafe currently offers a selection of 100 teas, all of which serve different purposes (including slimming!). Priced between $6 to $18, the tea doesn't come cheap but is certainly worth the sip.

A three-course meal at Eden should cost you around $32+++ without drinks - reasonable, don't you think?

Eden Cafe
54 Club Street
tel: 6 536 1181

Opening Hours:
Sun to Thurs 11.30am – 10pm (last order 9.15pm)
Friday to Saturday 11.30am – 2am (last order 1.15am)

My Favourite Celebrity Chefs - Top 3

2007-05-28T15:18:00.001+08:00

Who are your favourite? Drop me your top 3 in a comment or poll here! :D

1. Gordon Ramsay
Perhaps my sadistic nature has taken over but I do enjoy watching Gordon Ramsay's abusive antics on television. If you haven't watched his shows, the names of his reality tv programmes should clue you in on his personality - The F Word, Hell's Kitchen and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Filled with acerbic and highly-censored (at least in Singapore) vocabulary, Ramsay's shows aren't quite suitable for the young and give new meaning to "No Reservations" (sorry about that, Anthony Bourdain!).

I particularly like Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, which reminds me of the Japanese show 抢救贫穷 shown on channel 8 quite a number of years ago, except (of course) with Ramsay's special touch of profanities. Ramsay goes around trying to save failing restaurants and is treated to a bout of bad attitude and even spoilt scallops! Those who currently or want to own a restaurant/cafe should watch this show for Ramsay's great ideas.

Want to watch the ex-footballer behind Michelin-starred restaurants? Check out Asian Food Channel (channel 69) on cable tv.

2. Anthony Bourdain

Chef, writer and food travel host - Tony gets paid to travel and savour cuisines from all over the world. Sounds like a good deal? Guess again.

When you have to swallow fermented shark's meat (twice!), sheep testicles and a cobra's heart, you may want to rethink your job. Poor Tony!

Tony's funny sarcasm and devil-may-care attitude really does work some magic on television. We like to watch him squirm when he swallows some of the weirdest foods. In one episode, he even tried durian, which smells like heaven to most Asians and smells like crap to most Caucasians. In any case, I'm glad he liked it - You'll never know if you like something unless you try it! :D (but please don't make me eat bugs! *eeks*)

Anthony Bourdain has written several books about his culinary adventures into foreign lands. His newest show, "No Reservations", can be found on Discovery Travel & Living (channel 16 on cable tv).

3. Nigella Lawson

What can I say about Nigella? She's gorgeous, and so is her food! We love a woman who can cook so effortlessly and who really enjoys her own creations. She makes cooking seem so easy!

Nigella is what every woman should be - she's highly intelligent, beautiful and great at cooking. Inheriting her father's intelligence, Nigella studied Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University and thereafter freelanced as a writer for several famous US and UK publications, like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, The Guardian and Times Magazine.

It's hard being the child of a famous man, specifically one of the most prominent politicians under Margaret Thatcher. Nonetheless, Nigella has successfully emerged from her father's shadow and is now known as a "Domestic Goddess".

Nigella has penned five books, the most famous of which may be "How to be a Domestic Goddess". You can find her books at any big bookstore, like Kinokuniya and Borders, or simply watch her on Discovery Travel & Living.

Another Notable Mention

It's hard not to like David Rocco. He's handsome, charming and fit (rare, really rare for a famous "food" personality). I like to see him prepare for his marathon, have a boy's night out or even plan a surprise for his wife (who's also quite pretty, by the way). But most of all, I love to watch the way he flirts with a frying pan. :D Why are Italian men so charming? *ponders*

His recipes are really easy to make. Find out more at www.davidrocco.com. Also, watch him live the sweet life in Discovery Travel & Living's "David Rocco's Dolce Vita".

Dining Among Toys!

2007-05-24T15:38:00.000+08:00

Dining with toys in a museum conjures images of sitting in a dark creepy room, where a multitude of dolls stare at you with their huge eyes. Then suddenly, you see the head of a doll jerk - a story horrifying enough for any adult to pee in his (sexist! :P) pants!

But being the foodie I am, I was game enough to try out Dining Among Toys at the Mint Museum of Toys, as part of the International Museum Day celebrations.

The experience was nothing like my wild imagination. The five-storey high Mint Museum of Toys was a swanky (and well-lit!) treasure trove of toys from all over the world. Here you'll find toys from Greece, Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, South America and even Korea and Bangladesh - all of which are valued at... (don't choke)....... S$5 million!

It's hard to believe that anyone would spend such a fortune on toys and even more money building this state-of-the-art private museum (the museum's facade is lit by countless fiber optics). I met the man whose passion for toys is probably inimitable - Mr. Chang Yang Fa. The museum's entire collection is owed to his 30 years of toy collecting.

There's another reason why the museum is called Mint - the toys in there are kept in pristine condition, with their original boxes, and usually come in different versions. You can see the evolution of a single toy robot as it changes from rubber hands to plastic, etc.

Dining in Outer Space

My bf and I dined in "Outer Space" (the 5th floor of the museum where space shuttles dock). Instead of dolls, Buck Rogers, an American space hero from 1928, was minding his own business near us.

Since the main attraction of the evening was the novelty of dining with toys, I wasn't expecting much from the four course meal. To our surprise, the food delivered by the Mint Cafe downstairs was fairly good! (with the exception of the main courses, that is.)

Starters

Shanghainese Salad
Never judge a salad by its "cover" - that's what I learnt yesterday.

The Shanghainese Salad was a fairly plain-looking dish --> shredded iceberg lettuce topped with tiny rice crackers and golden crackers (similar to the kind used in yu-sheng). The essence however was in the dressing. Made from soy sauce and sesame oil, the brown dressing added savoury sweetness and an irresistible fragrance to the crunchy salad.

Seafood Chimichanga
The Mint's version of this Mexican dish is stuffed with seafood paste for subtle sweetness and deep fried to golden brown perfection. Of the two starters, the Shanghainese Salad was more refreshing and satisfying on the palate.

Soup
Creamy soups are always comforting - this pumpkin soup, in particular, will give chocolate a run for its money. The milky fragrance of this soup seduces you to taste the thick and creamy concoction.

A dash of chilli powder on the top adds a piquant kick to it and keeps you craving for more. It was, however, overly filling, limiting our appetite for the main course and dessert.

Main Courses
It's fairly mind boggling how the same eatery can serve dishes that are so far apart in quality. Unlike the starters, the main courses were fairly disappointing. In fact, there's only one word for both the Rack of Lamb with Mint Hollandaise and the Pan-fried Antartic Whiting - Overcooked. Thankfully, there's always dessert to save the day.

Dessert
Served in champagne flutes, creamy Panna Cotta was enlivened with a layer of molten palm sugar and coconut milk - this Asian twist added the intense aroma and flavour of coconut to the classic Italian pudding. What's even more delightful is the combination of melted sticky palm sugar with the crunchy bits of solid palm sugar that gives the Panna Cotta a unique texture.

Although $48+++ is a bit steep, dining among toys in the museum galleries is a really rare experience. Moreover, the price tag includes museum admission fees. :)

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Dining Among Toys ends at 10pm today but the museum and its cafe are opened everyday for visitors. Check out http://www.emint.com for more details.

MORE PICTURES OF TOYS
(Can you recognize them?)

Bread Drink & More Unusual Finds on HungryGoWhere.com's Eastern Surprise Food Trail!

2007-05-20T00:00:00.000+08:00

photos by Hillary

Thanks to my freelancing career with a local newspaper, I had the chance to go on the Eastern Surprise Food Trail as part of the International Museum Day festivities - for free! hehe... The perks of the job.

Hosted by the three foodie founders of HungryGoWhere.com, the $50 food trail brought us to six exotic restaurants and fed us a whopping 29 dishes! As several of the 39 other participants commented, the trail was definitely worth the money, just looking at the sheer variety of cuisines and the interesting "tidbits" about each culture.
This cultural experience led us to sample cuisines from the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and even Russia. The most interesting drink I tasted today has to be the Bread Drink (known to Russians as "Kvas"), from Nadezhda Russian Restaurant! Fermented from bread and water, this brownish concoction (yes, sorry it sounds a bit gross) hits you with the fragrance and subtle sweetness of a fresh loaf of bread. Nonetheless, it doesn't impress the palate on first taste. It has a, what the Hokkiens call, "Siap Siap" aftertaste, for which there is no direct translation. But to the best of my translation abilities, it has a dry and slightly bitter finish that some would probably say is an acquired taste. As you drink on, you're likely to wonder if the owner, Jane, sneaked some Absolut Vodka into your drink. It tastes very much like an alcoholic drink, without the hot face flushes, and many guests asked Jane over and over again if there's really no alcohol. According to Jane, if the drink was fermented for a few days (rather than the 8 to 10 hours they take just to get it sparkly), the drink would be alcoholic, just the way the Russians like it in summer. This drink really does grow on you - as evidence of that, all the guests finished their bread drinks and I wanted to go for more (oddly enough).

As for the cuisine, my money's on Alaturka Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant for best flavours and Ambrosia cafe for the best overall dining experience.

Offering 12 out of the 29 dishes we sampled, Alaturka had the best blend and balance of flavours. The buffet spread was made up of traditional middle-eastern finds, like falafel and hummus (or humus, depending on which way you prefer to spell it). The most notable dish was Tas Kebab, a famous dish from the Ottoman empire. These tender beef chunks were served with smooth, creamy mashed potatoes - a definite must-try in this restaurant. Although the restaurant did serve a notable portion of meat, its vegetarian starters, such as the spicy pomegranate and walnut dip, enlivened the palate and balanced out the rich meaty flavours well.

Ambrosia needs no introduction. I first heard of it when I asked my Muslim friend, Hamidah, where she would go for a romantic dinner date. Ambrosia's owner, Abhishek, told us that his new private area upstairs has become famed as "The Kissing Room". Adorned with comfy cushions and dim glass lamps, its red persian-rugged interiors were warm, cosy and utterly inviting. The food is modern mediterranean - in other words, a spread of different cuisines - Lebanese, Iranian, Moroccan, Turkish, Egyptian, Greek and Spanish. Although such a variety in a single restaurant is likely to leave on skeptical about the quality of the food, the dishes were pretty decent and fairly enjoyable. Overall, Ambrosia has got to be the best place to dine of the six.

A hot favourite of the crowd was Deli Moroccan. Perhaps on a better day when we're not rushed and not in such a big group that the restaurant couldn't seat us, the food would have been a bigger attraction. Otherwise, to me (don't stone me please!), only the Beef Tagine and Banana spiced drink were worth the trip. The owner, a Moroccan, was really nice though, and perhaps, his warm attitude is an attraction in itself.

The food trail was cleverly spaced out with a tour (fun, not blah) in the Malay Heritage Centre, which I didn't know existed until today, and a browse in Grandfather's Collections, a quaint little shop that sells funky retro stuff from our past, like five stones, chaptek, gramophones and antiquated public phones. With all these interesting cultural knick-knacks and informative sessions of Singapore's past, the food trail was both enlightening and fun. Food for thought - Literally. :) These intermissions were certainly needed as to keep the sanity of our tummies since the trail lasts from 2.30pm to 9-ish pm!

Some aspects that could have been improved were the overabundance of restaurants included in the trail (six was really too many - I need to run a few marathons to work it off!), the random portion sizes (food could have been served in tiny individual portions so that there's enough for all to try every dish) and the lack of brochures (restaurant names, dish names and ingredients of each dish could have been nicely packaged in a tiny lil' brochure.

This trail is once-off and will not be repeated until, perhaps, next year's International Museum Day. However, the guys at HungryGoWhere have said they'll be organizing other food trails very soon. So, if you're interested, check out their website and take up their free membership! :)

Restaurants Included in The Food Trail (listed according to sequence)

Alaturka Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant (16 Bussorah Street, Tel: 6 294 0304)
Deli Moroccan (30 Bussorah Street, Tel: 9 121 5121)
Nadezhda Russian Restaurant (140 Arab Street, Tel: 6 396 3445)
Altazzag Egyptian Restaurant (24 Haji Lane, Tel: 6 295 5024)
Ambrosia Cafe (19/25A Baghdad Street, Tel: 6 292 7313)
Samar (60 Kandahar Street/1 Baghdad Street, Tel: 6 226 4604) --> a beautiful haven for relaxing and living the bohemian life. :)

About HungryGoWhere
Food portals are in abundance. But before you dismiss this food portal, have a look first at it. The portal allows you to search according to your preferences - romantic, vegetarian, wheelchair-friendly, etc. As crazy as they may sound, the loti-eating founders of this portal gave up their well-paid careers to start this portal all in the name of the passion for food! See, there are food-crazy young people out there like me! :)

More Info can be Found at:
http://www.hungrygowhere.com/event.php#8
& in the lifestyle section of an English newspaper this Friday!

next stop - Dining with TOYS in the MINT Museum of Toys! (Anyone wants to join me?)

What would you like to drink? Anything or Whatever?

2007-05-18T21:43:00.000+08:00

Can't figure out what to drink? Try Anything or Whatever! - These two quirky can drink brands have just been launched in Singapore, by the very aptly named Out of the Box Pte Ltd.

Pictures from:
Anything.com.sg

With huge question marks on their cans, you'll easily recognise them. If you want "gas" with your drinks, Anything's for you. Whatever is only for people who prefer non-carbonated drinks.

Strangely enough, Out of the Box Pte Ltd is a media company that specializes in golf-related projects! Golf! That's reason enough to doubt its credibility. Are these new can drinks hole-in-ones? I'll try it soon and tell you. :) Meanwhile, check out Anything's website to find out more.

Basic Photography Assignment 1 - Help me choose the better ones pls!

2007-05-17T15:58:00.000+08:00

My Portfolio - View this Full Screen & Show Captions Please!

2007-05-15T13:47:00.000+08:00

Which is the better Crab Claw? - Picture A

2007-05-14T17:07:00.000+08:00

These photographs were shot with my Nikon D40x, without a tripod. Anyone wants to donate one to me? And a macro lens too? Pretty please? :P Please see picture B below.

Which is the better Crab Claw? - Picture B

2007-05-14T15:43:00.000+08:00

I took this crab claw from my father's chinese seafood restaurant - Sweet & Succulent. This is the first part of my food photography escapade. Keep checking back for more scrumptious food photography!

Please see the post above as well and let me know which is the better pic. Thanks!

See also Crab Claw A

The Write Stuff

2007-05-14T13:59:00.001+08:00

Name Lisa Tan

Age Younger than I look, unfortunately
Hobbies Dining at the newest food joints, baking with chocolate, writing, food photography, travelling, spa-ahhh

How I Review Restaurants, Bistros & Other Food Joints
1. Different expectations for different "classes" of eating places
- a fine-dining restaurant is never compared to a cafe. Even if I give
them the same rating, it's relative to others in the same category

2. Food takes priority - the taste and temperature of the food takes priority. No eeky lukewarm
food please!

3. Service, Service, Service - No matter how mediocre (not nasty) the food at an eatery is, great
service can always bring customers back. On the other hand, nice
food and lacking service is often a dicey situation.

4. The Whole Dining Experience - Many restaurateurs tend to prioritize on one aspect of what
makes a great restaurant and overlook other key aspects.
A Japanese restaurant I've been to has scrumptious food but
my boyfriend and I were perturbed by the incessant and fairly
loud lectures the boss was giving to her waitresss. For the love
of food, please consider your customers!

5. Responsible Reviews - I promise to only post reviews of restaurants that I feel have
something to be proud of (again, food takes priority). I always bring
others along to make sure the review isn't based on one person's
palate.

*All reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt - your preferences may differ from mine. :)

Just for Fun: Moo Moo in the Garden!

2007-05-11T17:10:00.000+08:00

Yes yes, cows don't grow on trees or plants, but isn't it cute?! hee hee!

*shot with my new Nikon D40x in my balcony* I've just started learning so please, indulge me! :D

Yummy Ginger Tea

2007-05-10T17:11:00.000+08:00

Lipton's Lemongrass & Ginger tea tastes almost exactly like the one I couldn't get enough of at Amrita Spa! Just add a bit of sugar and you'll get an exact replica. Great for flatulence (wind) and digestive problems. Just be careful if you're "heaty" or having a sore throat.

Box for Blondies & Brownies

2007-05-10T16:53:00.000+08:00

Here's the box I'm putting my blondies and brownies in. It holds at least 6 pieces (depending on your size preference).

These soft & fudgy brownies come in three flavours - wickedly rich (dark choc only), marshy (dark choc with marshmallows) and nutty (dark choc with walnuts).

Check back for more details and photographs.

Irresistible White Chocolate Brownies for Sale!

2007-04-14T11:47:00.000+08:00

Heya,

I'm starting my bake sale again! I haven't sold my cookies and brownies since my poly days.

Anyway, you've gotta give these a go - my good friends love it, especially Lili! And yes, I believe Sue has become a convert last night.

"Barkies" (as Maria calls them) hides a wondrous blend of fragrant milk chocolate and dark coveture chocolatey goodness beneath its crusty exterior. These decadent barkies are best eaten within three days (if you can resist the temptation to let them sit so long!).

Prices:
$10 for 8 slightly smaller than palm-size pieces
$16 for 16 pieces.

Please email your orders to chicbites@gmail.com and your preferred location for delivery (in the west or in town). Thanks!