Rilassi at Eunos

Chef Peter's success at Pietro has allowed him to start his 2nd outlet, this time near Eunos and simply called Rilassi, which is the Italian word for relax.

And relaxing it is, situated at a corner of a 2 storey shophouse, it is not air conditioned and yet it is fully comfy and cool for an alfresco like eatery.

Vietnam Splendor - The Video

Vietnam is an incredible country and the Vietnamese is an incredible people. You see it on travel shows all the time, but until you get to the heart of Vietnam, and travel through the cities and its villages, you will not fully appreciate how beautiful the country of Vietnam is.

So often, Singaporeans have relied on tour groups to visit foreign countries, but trust me, Vietnam is a place best experienced if you travel there on your own, and let the adventurous side of you take over.

Indonesian Delights - Exquisite Food in a Kopitiam

Hidden away in one corner of a rather obscure Tampines coffeeshop is this rather delightful discovery of Indonesian cuisine. Yes, it may be housed in a kopitiam, but the lady owner serves up some rather delicious dishes.

And she has only been at it for a couple of months, and business has been slow due to its rather quiet location. Nevertheless, this place is something to shout about.

Bishan White Bee Hoon - A Touch of Finesse

Since posting my own home version of the original Sembawang white bee hoon recipe, I thought it might be interesting if I could refine it and elevate to something that would not look and taste out of place in a fine dining establishment.

In doing so, my recipe has been modified and I have since named this version my definitive Bishan white bee hoon. It adds a couple of extra ingredients and coupled with a more elegant plating, it is now a favorite of Pauline's.

Autumn Red Snapper with Seasonal Vegetables and a Basil Sauce

There is a constant thinking among Singaporeans that fine dining cooking is out of the reach of the common man on the street, and fine dining food can only be found in expensive restaurants in places like Marina Bay Sands.

It is ludicrous the rates these places are charging, and despite the astronomical prices, it is, to me, not something that is so earth shattering that I will break the bank for it.

Traditional Famous Prawn Mee at Bedok South - Amazing Dried Prawn Noodles

I believe I am not alone in saying that I am a bigger fan of the soup variant of our classic prawn noodles hawker dish than the lesser eaten dried version, and I would not blame you for being in the same league.

For the dried prawn noodles served in most places are usually less flavorsome and is usually boosted with an overpowering of chilli and ketchup that makes up for the lack of strong shrimp flavors, leaving behind just a very normal bowl of noodles.

Yantra at Tanglin Mall - The Elegance of North Indian Cuisine

Indian cuisine is not necessarily the first thing that comes to my mind when it comes to fine dining, and even rarer is the opportunity to find one of the more exciting young chefs in Indian gastronomy in Singapore.

But such is the eagerness and enthusiasm inherent in Yantra's head chef, Asif Iqbal that one cannot resist but to make a trip down to Tanglin Mall to savor one of the most refined Indian fine dining establishments in Singapore.

Traditional Hainan Chicken Rice at Bedok South - A Taste of Twe Kee, The Way of Doing Authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice

It was a sad day for me when Twe Kee closed for good late last year, but I am happy for the uncle who has since been recovered and is enjoying retirement life.

But still, I was longing for that classic style of Hainanese chicken rice which Twe Kee did so exceptionally well, and how rare is it to find true and traditional chicken rice these days.

Rokeby at Jalan Riang - Best Fish and Chips in Singapore

Fish and chips in Singapore is quite an elusive dish for me, not because you cannot find it, but I simply cannot find one that is really decent.

I still remember the best fish and chips I ever had was not even in London, but in a harbor cafe in Sydney where they served me a brilliant beer batter version that was truly unforgettable. And that was over a decade ago.

Gold Leaf Taiwan Porridge Restaurant - A Taste of Authentic Taiwanese Cuisine

Do not be misled by the signage that says New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant today, for by the time you read this and make a trip to Amoy Street, it may revert to the actual name of Gold Leaf Taiwan Porridge Restaurant.

And the brand that is Gold Leaf is a nostalgic one for the older generation, who may know it from its former glory days at Oxley Rise, where it used to be one of 2 places to go to for authentic Taiwanese cuisine. The other being Oasis.

Making a Great Sauce For That Ribeye Steak - Forget the Wagyu and Sous Vide, The Sauce is King

The one thing when it comes to eating steak in Singapore is that the beauty of sauces is largely ignored. Very often, the focus is so much on the quality of the beef and the use of gimmickry like sous vide that very little attention is given to sauces.

That is probably the main reason why I hardly eat steaks outside these days. That, and the fact that steaks are so outrageously priced these days that it has become a luxury food more than anything else.

Pek Kio Food Market Delights - Good Spice Carrot Cake and Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun

This was the second time that I have been to Pek Kio to savor the infamous Wah Kee Prawn Noodles, something which seemingly had a reputation far larger than it could contain.

And again, it was closed. After perusing the web, I realised that I was not the only one who is having this same issue. It seems that this most notorious of prawn noodle stalls is never opened, at least not for the regular patron who wants to try.

Simple Bacon in Brown Butter Pasta - The Best Instant Noodles You Can Make at Home

It really perplexes me whenever I am queuing at a supermarket to pay, to see the people around me stocking up on cartons after cartons of instant mee in their trolleys.

Instant noodles has become the "go to" food for the majority of Singaporeans, it seems. And that is a bad sign. We have become so complacent when it comes to food and cooking that we are so willing to settle for cup noodles that we are seriously losing the ability to cook our own fresh food at home.

iBake at The Star Vista - A Prima Bakery Cafe

Gone are the days when Delifrance used to be the bakery cafe that everyone would go to for a meal or a quick bite. When they were at their height of their popularity, it was hard to even get a seat, and you would have to brave long queues just to get your food.

Unfortunately, these days, when you talk about European styled bakery cafes, there are hardly any around, while Delifrance is still around, it has changed quite a bit and even gone upmarket, with mixed results.

Prawn Mee at 527 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10

After my discovery of Zhen Ming Prawn Noodles in Ang Mo Kio, I was pleasantly surprised to find another wonderful prawn mee stall in another part of Ang Mo Kio, this time in a food centre in Avenue 10.

The stall's name is simply Prawn Mee, which is kind of appropriate as it looked inconspicuous, but they actually served up a delicious and comforting bowl of classic prawn noodles.

Hong Chang Wanton Noodles at Ang Mo Kio

Wanton noodles is one of those hawker dishes that exemplifies our hawker culture to the fullest, as it is meant to be a simple dish, made by heartlanders for the heartlanders.

After all, it is basically well cooked noodles, served with a bowl of soup dumplings and garnished with barbecued pork slices and some chinese greens. Yet, it is not always easy to get everything right.

Shrimp and Chicken Surf and Turf - Making Good Use of Prawn Heads

Those who are good cooks will know how to make use of parts of ingredients that a number of people will discard, and when I see folks cook prawns, the first thing that come to mind is if they do peel their prawns, they will chuck the shells and heads into the garbage bin.

Which is a waste. And most other times, especially in Chines cooking, they will simply cook the prawns shell on, with the belief that the flavors will come through better.

Bar Roque Grill at Amara - A Promising Beginning

It is interesting to note that with the increasing population, there seems to be an equally increasing amount of food joints mushrooming out in Singapore in recent times, though most have been quite forgettable and some really bordering on mediocre.

So, it was a pleasant surprise when I was privileged to be invited to a food tasting to discover a brand new establishment that strives to go back to some classic French roots cooking. That place is Bar Roque Grill, situated at a corner in Amara Hotel.

456 Mian Fen Guo - Comforting Ban Mian in Bedok

It's a bit sad and kinda disappointing that local food blogs are now focusing less and less on featuring hidden hawker gems in Singapore.

And what with the mockery of a hawker challenge with Gordon Ramsay, attention is given only to those who are famous and have actually moved away from their so-called hawker origins into air-conditioned restaurants and cafes.

The Best Singapore Food Blogs - My Favorite Top 3

After the recent noise over Singapore food bloggers issuing juvenile challengers to celebrity chefs, I thought today might be a good day to list down the really great food blogs and bloggers from this island.

I have previously done a top 5 list or something, but that was when I first started out blogging myself, and had little knowledge of the food community here.

The Gordon Ramsay Hawker Challenge - A Bad Idea, And a Better Way to Engage a Michelin Star Chef

This is another topic I have been avoiding for a week now, as I originally thought it would just pass by like any other weekly water cooler topic. But, evidently it has not.

I wanted to avoid talking about it as I felt such triviality did not warrant a genuine blog post, but with this latest Gordon Ramsay hawker challenge, I am compelled to put this down.

Sergeant Chicken Rice - The Return of Sergeant Kiang in Hougang Kopitiam Food Court

I have been waiting to write this post for some time now, almost 10 months in fact, and the reason for this is twofold.

For one, I have hardly, if ever reviewed any food from a food court, and the reason is simple. Nothing really special ever comes out from food courts, and most of the time, you are getting overpriced but inferior hawker fare.

iPad Menu Food Ordering - Dehumanizing The Dining Experience

As more and more F&B eateries in Singapore are faced with rising operating costs, certain eateries are turning to technology and gadgets to replace the human element.

One of the current trends is to take away the waiter and replace he or she with an iPad as an ordering alternative. This will inevitable reduce headcount and save costs in the long run.

Making Sembawang White Bee Hoon at Home

I blogged about this tasty little dish a while back, and since then, I have returned a few times only to find that I have to wait a long time because of the popularity of this eatery.

I thought that instead of taking the trouble to go all the way to Sembawang, that I should endeavor to recreate this dish at home. That way I can have it anytime I want, and save on the cost of eating outside, which is inflating like crazy.

The Ultimate Bolognaise

This past week, I was twice asked about making fresh sauces for pasta, as apparently, there are a number of folks here who would dearly make a fresh pasta sauce, but do not know how.

Inevitably, a lot of people will fall back on bottled sauces to make their pasta, and I always say this is the worst way to eat pasta.

Broken Earth - A Pop Album Made with Just an iPad and iPhone Earphones

Finally, after almost a year since my last musical work, I have completed Broken Earth, and it should be out in all music digital stores including iTunes, Amazon etc by the time you read this.

It is also my first ever vocal album, having done only instrumental music in the past. Consisting of 8 songs, I touch on various topics and things that I have been meaning to get off my chest.

La Petite Cuisine at Upper Thomson

I hardly eat out these days, especially at fine dining establishments. The prices that are being charged these days are bordering on madness, and I don't blame it on the owners either.

Rentals have skyrocketed to a ridiculous rate that most owners these days have to cover that aspect, and that means food prices have to go up as well. Well, blame it on you know who.

Zhen Ming Prawn Noodles

Sometimes, there are surprises around the corner when you least expect it, and just this week, one of these gems just simply popped out of nowhere, and is in fact, quite near to where I stay.

Out of one part of Ang Mo kio, is this humble little hawker stall that serves, IMHO, the best prawn noodles, better than the Bedok one that I recently raved about.

Zhen Ming actually started in Tampines before moving to Serangoon and finally, landed here just on the outskirts of Keban Bahru.

The owner, William Chan, was kind enough to share with me that he has been constantly improving his recipe over the years, and was quick to point out that his present dish is far different from his original prawn noodles. And so much better.

Black Sugar Cane

One of the key ingredients is the use of black sugar cane to flavor his prawn stock, as opposed to rock sugar which many other hawkers use. Black sugar cane elicits a more natural sweetness and he was very proud to say that he does not use any form of MSG at all.

In addition, he also use a hen for his stock and includes red dates to balance the flavors, and this is in addition to the classic use of pork ribs.

Prawn Noodles Soup

So what was the verdict? Well, it was simply incredible. From the first spoon of prawn broth until the last, the whole dish was addictive and unstoppable. Well it had less of a prawn flavor, I actually preferred this balance of pork and prawn flavors, and the beautiful color of the soup clearly verified how good this stock was.

It was robust, flavorsome and just the right amount of natural sweetness that came together in a perfect brew. The prawns were also nicely cooked and generous. And the pork ribs were actually Brazilian sourced.

Unlike Australian pork, Brazilian pork had a lighter color and a more tender bite and a better fat content that almost matched the best prime ribs in bak kut teh. And yes, he cooked it under low heat to create the perfect pork texture.

Dry Version

The dry version was less spectacular, but that was because it did not have the impact of the spectacular broth to flavor the noodles, but still, it was hearty and robust and you simply cannot go wrong with the wonderful pork ribs from Brazil, soup or dry.

Forget the Adam roads, the Blancos, the Hoe Nams, the best prawn noodle is here. Blanco has been overrated and the prawn stock has nothing when compared to Zhen Ming, and Mr Chan has a true passion for making his prawn noodles, and that itself is more than admirable.

Unless there is another more passionate hawker than Mr Chan when it comes to this classic Singapore dish, my vote goes to Zhen Ming.

Zhen Ming
Blk 162, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
#01-04

Cooking the Perfect Steak at Home - Ribeye with Portabello Reduction and Roasted Mash Potatoes

With the ever increasing food prices in Singapore restaurants, it is no wonder there is a great sense of dissatisfaction among locals when it comes to eating out.

And what is worse, paying premium prices does not necessarily get you great food. Heck, sometimes, you will be lucky to get even half decent food at those astronomical rates.

Western Food 85 - German Pork Knuckles in Hawker Center

It is not often you get German pork knuckles in a hawker center environment, but this was exactly what I found out last week when an experienced foodie brought me to this quite remarkable little stall in Bedok.

Serving a mixture of western and Peranakan cuisine, this stall actually has been relocated a couple of times, and is only back at its present location only this year.

Top 10 Best Singapore Food of 2012

And just like that, it is 2013, and how fast a year has gone by. And as with my yearly tradition of listing what I think is the best food in Singapore for another year, this is the best of Singapore food for 2012.

This year, I have simply encompassed everything in a single list. No differentiation between fine dining or hawker, or dishes or overall cuisine, just simply the best of of the best. It includes some new discoveries I have found this year, as well as old favorites,