Fast Food Junkie...

I have a confession to make.

I LOVE fast food, and I mean any type of fast food! I'd refused to watch Supersize Me & Fast Food Nation just so that I can continue my lifelong relationship with the greasy processed foods that I indulge in from time to time. It all started when my mom was preggers with me and all she would crave for then were Big Macs and char siew rice!

For those of you who have turned away from the likes of McDonald's, Burger King, Mos Burger, I came across this blog which specialises in transforming what you bring home from one of these chains to something looking absolutely gourmet! The brilliant guys from Fancy Fast Food has turned a rice bowl set from Yoshinoya to Paella, and my favourite Fillet-O-Fish into this:

Feeling less guilty about fast food? Probably not, but hey it's worth a try!

Review: Daikokuya Japanese Ramen @ Paragon

Kays and I meant to have dinner @ Ippudo but were appalled at the length of the queue. So, now that there's a japanese ramen place in nearly every 2 malls, we decided to give this new place in Paragon a try. Business was brisk and we had to wait about 15 minutes before we got a (rather cramped) table. Their menu is much more extensive than other, well, specialised ramen places. Daikokuya carried all of Sapporo, Tokyo and Kyushu-style ramens just to name a few.  On the other hand, this may also mean that it's not particularly good at any of them...but we have yet to try all so it's a little early to judge.

 

Tonight Kays and I stuck to our usual Kyushu Tonkotsu ramen. I had the mini version (too many lo heis lately) + soft boiled egg , and we also ordered the prawn & avocado salad.

First, the ramen... Soup was ok, more diluted than that in Ippudo and Ramen Santouka (-). Noodles were cooked just right in terms of bite (+), soft boiled egg was indeed a little runny (+) but they must have just taken it out of the fridge because the insides were really cold (-)! Next, the Prawn + Avocado salad came with thousand island dressing so didn't really have much of a Japanese feel, and there was hardly any avocado (-)... 

However, We both finished our noodles in the end, so I would say it's decent quality but not something I would make a special trip to town for (though I am curious about their many types of gyoza!). So this didn't make it to Ah Mak's Ramen Must Try list... yet.

  

 Mini Tonkotsu Ramen + Nitamago

 

Prawn & Avocado Salad (spot the avocado!!)

6 out of 10

Daikokuya Japanese Ramen - Kyushu Tonkotsu Shio ramen

290 Orchard Road
#B1-47 Paragon Shopping Centre, Singapore 238859
Tel: +65 6737 5416

Review: Shabu Hana @ River Valley

This Shabu Shabu place has opened in River Valley (along Mohamed Sultan Road) for some time now and I'd been curious about it every time I walked past over lunch. They are not open for lunch so last friday evening (after being turned away by a packed En) DS & I decided to give this place a try.

 Kurobuta shabu-shabu pork 

The service staff here all wore pretty kimonos, and were trained to be super polite albeit not all of them were Japanese. They were generally well-versed with the menu and did a good job up-selling some items though at one point I thought it was a little over the top.

The menu featured 3 main sections: Shabu-shabu, Suki-Shabu and Yaki-Shabu. For each section, various grades & cuts of wagyu beef and kurobuta pork (or black pig, pictured above - apparently imported from Kagoshima, known to be one of the best sources around). We ordered the original shabu-shabu sets, one with wagyu beef and the other with kurobuta shoulder and loin mix. Both types of meat were decent though I had hoped for richer tasting beef. I personally preferred the fatty pork loin and it went perfectly with the ponzu & sesame dipping sauces. The soup was also very flavourful at the end!

As sides we'd ordered the Grilled Mentaiko and the Grilled Stingray fins, and the latter was probably the highlight of the meal for me - tasted like freshly barbecued cuttlefish!

Overall a great place for chilling out & while it's somewhat pricey ($48 for wagyu, $40 for Kurobuta pork sets), the ambience was fabulous and they also have a weekend set which is cheaper @ $38 so I would return again to try that out! 

  

 Vegetables with Kuzukiri noodles

Grilled Stingray fins (Eihire no aburi)

 

Grilled Mentaiko~

7 out of 10
Shabu Hana

14 Mohamed Sultan Road

#01-01, Singapore 238963

Tel: +65 6235 8216

Souvenirs from Philippines: Ensaymadas & Chicharons

Our friend Adrian has just returned from Philippines and after being bugged by us several times, brought home some food that Kays & I have tasted while we visited Manila but have not been able to get out of our heads:
1. Ensaymada, a filipino sweet bread somewhat similar to a brioche, is one of many pastries derived from spanish origins. They are soft, buttery, milky and rich, and with the added slather of butter, sugar, and grated cheese on top, this is a sinful pillow of extravagance which I tried years ago when I traveled to Manila for work. This comes either plain, or with Ube (yam) and Macapuno (coconut) fillings just to name a few.

 

2. Chicharon is a type of crackling. Kays is a fan of pork cracklings and has been on the hunt for something similar to the Porky Bits he tried when we were in Perth several years back. On his recent trip to Manila he came across this local alternative. We tried looking for it in Lucky Plaza but with no such luck. Adrian got us TWO packets that looked absolutely artery-clogging (have not figured out what it is made of yet... pork? chicken?), accompanied by dipping sauce and all. Kays is a happy man~

Thanks Vietnam Gou Lou Lee!

CNY Recipes Part 3: Por Por's Deep Fried Stuffed Eggplants

This is one of our favourite dishes that our grandma (Por Por) cooked, and everytime I went home to HK, we'd request for it and she'd be more than happy to do it for us! Her meticulousness in the kitchen is amazing and every piece of stuffed eggplant was always uniformly thin, deep fried to fluffy perfection.
This CNY, I decided to pay tribute to our dear Por Por (though mine is a far cry from hers), and I'm happy that the Woos loved it!

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

2 Eggplants/ Brinjals (it's ok to use either the short stumpy or long skinny ones, as long as you create enough surface area when you slice. Slice diagonally if you're using the skinny ones)
200g Dory Fillet (actually any boneless white fish will do)
1 stalk Spring Onions, finely chopped

- Seasoning for Fish Paste -
1 Tbsp Seasame Oil
1 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Corn Flour
2 tsp Salt

- Batter for Deep Frying -
1/2 cup Self Raising Flour (because it's more convenient! Alternatively, use the same amount of Plain flour and add 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp Salt
1 egg (optional - and I say optional because I forgot to add it today!)
1 tsp Oil
Water

Directions:
1. Prepare batter by mixing flour, salt, oil and egg. Add in water slowly until mixture becomes smooth with no lumps (you can use a whisk, but Por Por used chopsticks so I did too!). You've got the right consistency when it's just thick enough to form a coating on your whisk/ chopsticks and about half of it drips back in. Allow to stand for at least 20 mins to rise.
2. Mince fish fillets in a food processor (this I was too lazy to emulate :P , Por Por chops it up herself). Place in a large mixing bowl and add in Spring Onions and seasoning. Quickly stir and mix fish until it becomes a paste. Leave in the fridge to marinade and set for 20 mins.
3. Slice eggplants thinly, leaving a gap in each slice (i.e. when cutting the eggplants - don't slice all the way through the first time, but slice through the next slice, and you get a "eggplant pita"). Stuff eggplants with fish paste.
4. Coat eggplants in batter, deep fry in a wok/ deep pot until golden brown. Drain Oil and serve while it's hot (I added Ah Mak's Bei Fong Tong topping, but you can also serve with chilli sauce or mayo... anything!)!!

EAT UP!

*An alternative to fish paste is actually cheese! Simply tear kraft singles into small pieces, and deep fry the same way - this becomes more of an italian dish now! The cheese melts and also fuses somewhat with the batter... oh how I love burnt cheese! The eggplants can also be deep fried plain... and you can add some variety by also deep frying cucumber and sweet potato slices.*

CNY Recipes Part 2: Braised Vegetables with Red Fermented Beancurd 南乳燜齋

Continuing from Part 1, this recipe requires more preparation time (some to be done the night before). On the first day of CNY where we 開年 we'd usually go "vegetarian" and have lighter dishes given that we'd feasted the night before. My mom taught me how to cook this step by step over the phone!

Depending on the ingredients used, steps could vary, but this is my personal favourite mix (and sounds auspicious too!). The use of fermented beancurd (南乳) adds a strong toasted flavour to the dish and is available in most supermarket/ wet markets.

南乳燜齋

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

30g Dried Mushrooms 冬菇
200g Dried Oysters 蚝豉
1 pkt "Fatt Choy"/ Black Moss 發菜
20g Gluten 生根
20g Fried Beancurd 豆卜
1 (small) pkt Vermicelli 粉絲 (alternatives: Korean Dang Myeon or Japanese Shirataki noodles provide a more chewy texture)
50g Beancurd Sheets 腐竹
1 White Raddish, julienned
1 Chinese Long Cabbage, cut in 1" strips

- Seasoning for Stewed Mushrooms -
2 slices Ginger
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1 tsp Shaoxing Wine
2 stalks Spring Onions, cut into 2" sections

- Seasoning for Braised Vegetables
2 cubes Red Fermented Beancurd 南乳, mashed
1 cube Chicken Stock, mashed
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Shaoxing Wine
1/2 cup Water
3 slices Ginger

Directions:
1. On the night before you intend to cook this dish, a few preparation steps -
(A) Mushrooms - soak dried mushrooms with cold water overnight
(B) Beancurd Sheets 腐竹 - tear into short 3" sections, discarding bent portions. Soak in hot water overnight/ till soft

2. On the day itself -
(A) Mushrooms - rinse & trim stems off softened mushrooms, reserve water for stock. In a non-stick pot, saute 2 slices of ginger. Add mushrooms and stir fry evenly, add "Seasoning for stewed mushrooms" & enough water to cover the top of the mushrooms. Leave to cook on medium/low heat for 40mins - 1 hour or till soft.
(C) Dried Oysters 蚝豉 - soak in hot water, covering with lid, for 15 mins. Wash to remove any traces of sand & drain off excess water. Saute with 2 slices of ginger, and spring onions. Drizzle Shaoxing wine and remove ginger/ spring onions once liquid is reduced.
(D) "Fatt Choy" 發菜 - soak with cold water, drizzle small amount of oil to hep trap and dirt, Rinse with water and cut through twice with scissors. Saute with (C) before adding to mushrooms at the half hour mark. Add oyster sauce to taste.
(E) Gluten 生根, Fried Beancurd 豆卜 - scald with boiling water, to remove outer layer of oil, rinse and wash twice, squeeze out any excess water and set aside.
(F) Cut White Radish and Long cabbage into strips. I personally liked the White Raddish really thin! 
(G) Vermicelli 粉絲 - soak with cold water and cut through once with scissors.

3. Finally, time to cook! Saute Ginger, Fermented Beancurd in a deep pot/ large wok. Add (E) + Long Cabbage so that more liquid is produced.
4. Add White Raddish, Water and a pinch of salt to taste. Cook till softened.
5. Add (A)-(D) and bring to a boil.
6. Add Vermicelli & Beancurd sheets (these need to be added last as they are super absorbent, and also beancurd sheets, when cooked too long, will start to disintegrate)
7. Add Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sugar to taste. (Optional: Thicken stew with cornstarch/ water mix)...

*wipe sweat* EAT UP! :D 

CNY Recipes Part 1: Sliced Abalone with Lettuce

Chinese New Year is around the corner and I'm now planning the menu over the first few days of the festivities since Kays' family will also be in town. Cooking for 8-10 pax per meal is no easy feat! So, I usually pick the simplest recipes and outsource whenever possible to make my life a little easier. :P Of course there's actually no expectation from the family to really slave over the stove, but I guess I've inherited the need for tradition from my mom so it's a self-imposed thing to make sure everything is religiously followed.

First off, this is a quick and extremely simple recipe from mom which I'd use for CNY either for reunion dinner or on day 2 of the new year. The traditional way is really to stew the abalones in the can in a pot of water first for an hour or so, but if not done properly, the abalones sometimes become a little tough. This recipe ensure abalones are still tender and juicy~

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

2 cans Abalone (I usually buy the Mexican or Australian ones - Calmex or New Moon are good)
Garlic, Chopped
1 Lettuce

- Gravy for Abalone - 
2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp White Pepper
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Corn Starch
1 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

- To cook lettuce -
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Chicken Powder
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
 
Directions:
1. Open Abalone cans, drain and reserve stock. Thinly slice abalones
2. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt, chicken powder and oil. Blanch lettuce slices for approx 1 minute or until soften and quickly remove from pot & drain.
3. Mix oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, sesame oil, corn starch, water & soy sauce
4. In a non-stick pot, saute chopped garlic, add gravy mixture and cook til reduced
5. Add in abalone slices and bring to a boil
6. To serve, line dish with cooked lettuce and spoon abalone & sauce over. EAT UP!