Eats from Teck Ghee Square Food Centre

Compared to my first pregnancy, I certainly have a 'Must Try' list these days and Eng Ho Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (#01-34) was certainly among the top three.

Am I the only one who thinks Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is best taken away and left to simmer in its heavenly lard-and-prawn-stock connection before one tucks into it? Might not make for a great photo but its flavours are just so much more intense.

Anyway! Two things about Eng Ho Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee stood out for me - firstly, the use of thick bee hoon and yellow noodles which makes for a great textural contrast, and secondly, when it comes to fried noodles, I definitely like mine on the dry side. I was lucky enough to wait less than 10 minutes for my takeaway order and having tried it, I would be willing to wait up to twice as long for this delicious pack of sin.

While waiting, I got half a dozen chicken wings from Chong Pang Chicken Wing Spring Chicken (#01-31). They are more of KW's thing than mine but a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.

Nearby, there was a coffee shop and a nondescript store that offers a surprisingly good rojak. 

A taste of Tim Ho Wan Singapore 添好运

No, I didn't bother to join in the queue but we lucked out when a colleague brought these little buttery pucks back from lunch one day. So this is their famed 酥皮焗叉烧包 (Baked Bun with BBQ Pork) huh?

The  crumbly buttery topping reminded me of a desirable muffin top while its soft doughy structure yielded easily with every bite (just five bites, for the record); but the char siew filling was its Archilles' heel - curiously red and questionably sweet. It was a nifty snack but not something that would draw me to its queue anytime soon.

Thirds at Kilo & Pact, Orchard Central

For some reason, last weekend was pretty rough on my system. Far from being the usual restful weekend, all I wanted to do was vegetate on the couch/bed/any flat surface. And I thought the second trimester would be breeze... Right.

Thankfully, days like these were also filled with many "Keep Calm and Count Your Bloody Blessings" moments. Take Sunday lunch with the family at Kilo @ Pact for instance. In addition to the pork belly rice bowl, salmon quinoa donburi and salt & pepper short ribs that we had previously, a bunch of other stuff went from farm to table to our bellies in record time.

I would proclaim my favourite dish of the day was the avocado wasabi tuna tartare. Rich, creamy yet punchy, it was something I could inhale if it were served in a bucket.

I chose the roasted pork belly with sweet potato hash as my chosen main. It was rather delicious but when it comes to meat, I am still a whole-slab-of-protein kind of person.

Unfortunately, a commonplace dish like the Kilo Smashburger was far from being a slam dunk. Dry beef patties and insipid greens, this is one dish I would probably ask you to stay away from. It was edible but you know, let's not waste time.

As I have mentioned before, despite its name, portions at Kilo are less than weighty. I ended up ordering another main course - prawn flautas, heavily (perhaps a wee bit too heavily) drizzled with chipotle may, avocado cream and pico de gallo. A tasty dish nonetheless.

Then, I turned the dish and I saw A FRIED EGG! Have I mentioned what a cheap date I am? Dump a fried egg on any dish in front of me and watch me grovel.

I didn't take to the basil panna cotta initially but it sat in front of me - forlornly - and I took pity on it by scooping through every last spoonful of it. It was kind of odd yet oddly intriguing. 

The pumpkin churros sounded promising on paper but the actual churros were as dense as the accompanying chocolate. Boo and yay, at the same time. The warmth of freshly fried churros was appreciate. 

Three scoops of ice cream might seem a little excessive for one molten chocolate lava cake but noone at the table was complaining. The lava cake itself was exemplary - think thinnish crusty walls and molten-y center. Oh, those sugar-coated walnut... Let's just say there wasn't any 'caring and sharing' with the little one. 

Some thoughts about home entertaining

The image below is symbolic of how I feel towards home entertaining these days. I don't need to prepare a dozen dishes and I certainly don't need anyone to tell me how much they liked the starter, main, second main, dessert and ice cream that I prepared. After all if they are your real friends, you shouldn't feel the need to impress them. 

When Charlene and Nadia came by for lunch, I decided to try making laksa from scratch Prima Taste.  On hindsight, buying back four packs of laksa would have been more cost-efficient but this was super fun and almost fulfilling. For dessert, we broke into a jar of ridiculously moreish pineapple tarts that Charlene brought over and some Toblerone that I had in the fridge.

To friends who don't need the fuss.

A simple lunch at Maxwell Food Centre

... that old fogeys like us would appreciate. 

The standard set-up consisting of ngoh hiang, liver roll, egg slice, tau kwa, fish ball and century egg, as well as fried bee hoon from Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang 合记五香灌肠.

To be honest, I don't eat wu xiang often to break it down piece by piece for you but I finally realised the thing I have always loved is called an egg slice. Ha! Too bad it was a tad over-fried that day. 

The popiah from Chinatown Popiah had a pallid appearance that didn't inspire much confidence and at $1.20 a roll, I really shouldn't be expecting much. Thankfully, it was pretty tasty and provided a clean breather from the greasy landmine above.

Bites from Alexandra Food Village

I was surprised by the relatively short wait (10 mins?) for Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei at around 11.30am; the soya sauce chicken/ wanton noodle a couple of stalls down had a more consistently long queue. Thick and hearty, it was more of a laksa cum curry noodle concoction - one that we slurped up with much gratification.  

For something more munckin-friendly, KW got this delicious-looking plate of char siew rice from 陈记烧腊 Chen Ji Shao La. I absolutely cannot resist the darkish, caramelised glaze of such char siew! Russell had his way with it before I could snap a picture of it and this sent him into a two-hour nap that most parents would appreciate.

Saturday Social BBQ, Timbre @ Gillman

One Saturday evening, we decided to take Russell to Timbre's Saturday Social BBQ, which happens every first and third Saturday of the month at their Gillman Barracks branch. The theme for the month of August is 'Pirates' and there were many crafty and energy-draining activities to tire out entertain the little ones.

You could DIY your very own Pirate puppet. Note: Only girls at the artsy and cratsy table.

Or get a temporary tattoo. Note: Only little boys here...

A super talented little girl with the confidence of a seasoned veteran charmed the crowds. 

NACHOS WITH BEEF SALSA

Though there was a special Saturday Social BBQ menu for the event, we keep things supposedly light with a few finger food options.

Their nachos with beef salsa was serviceable though I thought the melted cheese had a real cheapo aftertaste. I think our standards for nachos has skyrocketed in recent years.

ESCARGOT BAKED IN GARLIC PARSLEY CRUST

Their baked escargots was a dish I had read about and was looking forward it. Escargots and tomato salsa smothered in mozzarella cheese and garlic butter crust, served with garlic nann slices. Serviceable to not exactly wow-wee.

TIMBRE CHICKEN WINGS 

Mid joints wings marinated in house seasoning, deep fried till golden brown. KW didn't care for the Thai chill sauce but I liked the alternative flavour it provided. Possible the best out of all three items we had that evening. 

I might not have loved the nachos but it found a fan in someone. I should honestly be alarmed by how much corn chips this dude can ingest but oh well, once in a while. 

I just might pop by their Mid-Autumn fest next month but otherwise, find out more about this event from their Facebook page or website here.

Tiong Bahru Pau

Meet the other bun in my oven!

The juiciest da pau. Ever. 

Charlene and Jeremy's wedding lunch at Rang Mahal, Pan Pacific Hotel

I love weddings and even more so when they involve my closet friends. Last Sunday, I was super psyched to join Charlene and Jeremy for their wedding lunch at Rang Mahal, Pan Pacific hotel. I was really happy to be invited to this informal wedding lunch that was shared only with family and close friends. 

We can only met up every now and then since they are based in San Francisco, it is particularly heartening to be able to celebrate one of life's major milestones together. 

Only picture of the wedding couple.

The bride wore her mother's gown. If there was one person among all my friends that I could imagine doing so, it would be her. 

I thought the food at Rang Mahal was excellent and I was kicking myself for not taking notes of the dishes served along the buffet line. Thankfully, upon request and very promptly, the good people at Rang Mahal sent across the menu and made my life a whole lot easier. 

Chutneys / papads (Spicy papadums, speckled generously with cracked black pepper)

Mango and turnip salad (tropical fruits given an Indian twist with a  spices)

Fried moong and cashew nut (Crazy delicious, this was one of the dishes that made me sit up and go, “Whuutt”)

Other Salads:

Brown rice salad (Absolutely loved this nutty salad)

Dahi bhalla (Not a fan of this creamy starter, I’m afraid)

Artichoke pakoda (Fried food, how could I not enjoy this?)

Tandoori paneer tikka (Beware, stomach fillers)

Green salad

Cucumber raita

Soup: 

Tomato soup (Hmm ok. Nothing much to write home about.)

Vegetarian Main:

- Bharwan karela (stuffed bitter gourd)

Mushroom matter curry (KW – fan of fungi – enjoyed this, me not so much)

Amritsari bhindi (I don’t even like lady’s finges or okra but this deceptively simple dish was plain addictive. I could eat it as a movie snack. Not joking.)

Assorted plain, butter and garlic naans (Carbs, yummeh. I repeat, carbs yummeh.)

Makhani dal Jeera pulao (Aromatic and binge-worthy, found a big fan in Russell)

Dosa (My first dosa ever - a life-changing epiphany. I need to hunt down masala dosa. Hit me with your best shot if you know if any awesome ones.)

Non-vegetarian Main:

Kasundi mustard prawn (Loved loved loved this. Went for seconds.)

Murg makhani (Butter chicken, why hello there.)

Fish curry

Lamb biryani (Not much lamb to be found but still packed with flavour)

Pass Around:

Chicken Tikka (KW loved this but I very much preferred the butter chicken)

Dhokla (a sweetish savoury sponge cake)

Dessert:

Moong dal halwa (Got to be honest, I am not a big fan of Indian desserts)

Chenna payas (Ditto)

Fresh fruits (Can’t go wrong with freshly cut fruits and this was incredibly refreshing after a heavy meal)

Espresso kulfi (Kind of like coffee ice cream bars, which floats muh boat)

Coffee mousse (Another coffee dessert, which naturally makes me happy)

Food coma quickly ensued

Genki Sushi, Chinatown Point

We have the most delightful couple of interns at our company and one of them is currently on a project with me. Naturally one of our common topics is food and like me, she's a fan of Japanese food as well. She loved Genki Sushi and it's almost cute to see her rave about it on a weekly basis.

When she first mentioned Genki Sushi, my first reaction was, Aren't they dead? Cue flashbacks of sad lunches at Forum Shopping Centre and International Plaza. She sure caught my attention one day when she said, "I think I prefer Genki Sushi to Sushi Tei." I don't want to sound territorial but it seemed like a challenge thrown at my end and I was more than happy to accept it.

The last few times I visited Genki Sushi, it was a tired and insipid conveyor belt chain so a few things stood out to me on a recent visit to their Chinatown Point branch.

These days, they have gone down the high-tech-or-highway route and invested in gadgets such as iPad menus and train serving systems. Gimmick or gizmo? Gee, you be the judge.

Though I have had far less satisfactory iPad experiences at Hai Di Lao and Menya Musashi, Genki Sushi's iPad ordering system was a breeze to use. The only catch is you can only up to four items each time and it is easy to get carried away (like we did) and rack up a bill; that said, I later realised you can check your bill on the iPad too.

After confirming your order, made to order items are sent to your table via a Shinkasen train. Please remember to press the button to return the train back to the kitchen or risk getting told off like a student at assembly (like me, boo).

Most items on the average conveyor belt are well, less than optimal from a freshness point of view and since our food was mostly made upon order, the freshness was undeniable.

Aburi salmon with pollack roe was a clear favourite that afternoon - we had seconds and would definitely order this again on future visits.

Another sushi that wowed us was the seared fluke fin.

The otoro was a relative bargain and likely repeat in the future.

The only meh sushi was the Ahi, which was more like, "A-bye."

The hamachi sashimi was a little sad but the amaebi was peaching pleasant.

We order a few agemono items that were all freshly made and warm to the touch upon arrival. Plus kewpie makes the world conveyor belt go round.

Love deep-fried oysters! These were insanely satisfying.

Another pleasing dish that we meant to order for Russell but we ended up eating 80% of it. Little man has a small appetite - he definitely didn't inherit that from me.

Squid arm that reminded me of my beloved squid head fritters from Old Chang Kee but these were sadly on the tough side.

We would not have ordered a don if not for Russell as they are usually stomach-fillers. However, we cleaned out this tendon of last bit of grain and tempura crumb. The one thing that really stood out for me was the Koshihikari rice used. I don't usually expect much from the rice used at sushi chains but this is a game changer in my books.

I won't proclaim Genki Sushi to be better than Sushi Tei as the menu at Sushi Tei offers great variety and a less sterile ambience but this was a great welcome-back visit and I'm happy we have an alternative when it comes to affordable sushi.