Sunday, January 30, 2011

Lavender Food Court - Singapore

I usually make a beeline for the xiao long bao and zha jiang mian at the Lavender Food Court.  Try their "wo tie" fried dumplings too.  If you want to eat as locals do in Singapore, this is the place to go.  It is off the usual beaten path for tourists but there is a good variety of food to keep everyone happy.
lavender food court xiao long bao
Xiao Long Bao
lavender food court zha jiang mian
Zha Jiang Mian
These noodles are handmade after you order and you can see them pulling on the dough to make the fresh noodles.  It takes a couple of minutes only and you can a fresh bowl of steaming noodles.  

Other things to try at Lavender Food Court:
frog leg porridge, rojak, turtle soup, fishball noodles, chicken wings

Lavender Food Court 

Friday, January 28, 2011

Minced Pork Noodle - Ba Chor Mee

Xiao Wan Mian
Yellow flat noodles similar to fettucini tossed with fried pork lard oil, black vinegar, chilli and topped with spring onions.  The noodles when done well are springy and has a good chew to it.  The bowl of soup comes in a metal bowl which is kept warm by a small heat source at the base.  The soup is pork base with minced meat noodles, pork balls, fish cakes, vegetables, seaweed and an egg cracked in.  If you want to spice it up some more, eat it with the chilli padi and soy sauce.  Another one of my comfort foods that I can't get in Vancouver.

Available at most food centres and the standard is generally pretty good.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Pineapple Tarts

pineapple tarts
Open Faced Pineapple Tarts
Pineapple tarts are widely available during Chinese New Year but are now also available year round in some bakeries.

These little treats are highly addictive and is my favourite chinese new year goodie.  The base is a buttery melt in your mouth pastry while the topping is sweet pineapple jam and the combination is just heavenly.   D rations his portions but I can go through that entire tub in a couple of days.  

Calories per tart?  Don't ask - just enjoy every buttery bite.  After all, it is a once a year affair.

To get them year round, try Bengawan Solo where you can get lots of local Nonya goodies too.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pig Organ Soup at Tiong Bahru Market - Singapore

One of my childhood favourites -  definitely not healthy and high in cholesterol but hey I can't get it in Vancouver so I have to eat my fill while back in Singapore.   

As the name suggests, Pig Organ Soup or "Kiam Chye Teng" is pig's innards cooked with salted preserved vegetables.  The bowl below has stomach, heart, liver, small intestines, large intestines,pork balls, pork slices.  When I was growing up there was lung and blood as well but those have since been banned for sale.  The flavours and textures of the innards are completely different.  One should try something different at least once in a lifetime right?
tiong bahru pig organ soup
Pig Organ Soup
The glutinous rice stuffed into large intestines is very hard to find and Tiong Bahru is one of the few places that I've seen it sold.  It runs out very quickly so you have to be there early to get it.  It is not easy to make and very time consuming I'm told.  It makes a nice compliment to the soup.  Eaten with thick black sauce and chilli.
glutinous rice stuffed into large pig intestine
Glutinous Rice Stuffed into Large Pig Intestine
Koh Brother Pig's Organ Soup
Tiong Bahru Market #02-29
30 Seng Poh Road (S)168898

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Ya Kun Kaya Toast - Singapore

Ya Kun Kaya Toast
Kaya Toast, Soft Boiled Eggs and Barley Drink
Suffering from jet lag after a long flight from Vancouver ... I was up before 5am.  Luckily for me my brother D was up too and gave in to my mad craving early in the morning .  We found ourselves at Changi Airport Terminal 3 Ya Kun which is open 24 hours and I got my fix of local brekkie.

Who can resist kaya (pandan egg jam) and melting butter on toast with perfectly soft boiled eggs?

If you like coffee,  you should try the local coffee with condensed milk.

Ya Kun
http://www.yakun.com/

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Din Tai Fung - Singapore

din tai fung xiao long bao
Xiao Long Bao at Din Tai Fung
When Din Tai Fung first opened in Singapore, the queues were phenomenal.  Now that more branches have opened, the queues are not so bad but are still there.  The service is very quick and the line moves along fairly quickly.  The food is comfort food for me.  Best of all are the steamed shanghai dumplings.  They have quite a few varieties to choose from but I like the classic one best.  The dessert one filled with red bean paste is worth a try too if you have a sweet tooth.  

I like to pair the dumplings with the fried rice with pork chops or a noodle.  I can't say what is best cos everything is good and very tasty.  

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Fried Hokkien Mee

Hokkien Mee
First meal I had when I touched down in Singapore.  Oh so very tasty as it is cooked with pork lard - nice crispy bits mixed in with the yellow and white noodles, prawns, squid, bits of pork and egg - all fried in a hot hot wok.

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