Korean restaurant

Another quick update. Went to get my hair chopped at Shunji Matsuo. Though more costly than the usual, not that bad actually. Was kinda thirsty and got this from Paragon Market Place. It is a carbonated drink. Mine was the peach flavour and 'ter was orange but there is no picture. I bought it as it was quite nostalgic to drink it and savour the good 'ol primary school days where I bought this from the Econ mini-mart. However, it was kinda gas-y and I didn't like that 'spicy' feeling when drinking carbonated drinks. Anyway, after that, we headed to suntec. Did some shopping, and then....

Went to A Korean Restaurant. The pictures below are the appetiters - I think. At one glance, it might see very spicy but lo and behold, it is actually quite mild. However, certain appetiters like the one on bottom right greens and the bottom left bean sprout, it was marinated with sesame oil. Thus it has a refreshing taste and makes one feel like eating more. On top of that, every time we finish a plate of the appetiters, the waitress would automatically refill for us unless we tell her otherwise. I think the refill is free. So eat till you faint!

The first 'dish' of this set was these prawns. Grill till perfection with a slice of lemon and a dash of spring onion. The meat was truly succulent. Unlike some restaurant where they cheat by soaking the prawns in baking soda, this taste quite natural.

Next would be this gigantic sotong. Two of them in fact.

After eating much appetiters and prawns, it was quite filling for me. Cause we ate quite early and I am not much of a food barrel. LOL. So the amount of chilli paste they added seem quite fiery at first but as usual, it is not so spicy. The taste was just nice. Oh and before I forget, the sotong were barbequed so there was some taste of carbon which can be quite good for the body in little amounts.

Famous Korean pancake!

As usual, the chilli is not that spicy unless you bite the membrane part. You know, the centre part of the chilli that holds the seeds. Yeah, it is not the seeds that 'holds' the spiciness but the membrane that holds on to the seeds that gives the punch of HOTTNESS! Though you can see the oil on this stone plate, it is not very greasy and but since it is made of flour, it can be quite filling.

Also, there was kim chi seafood soup with rice and a fruit platter but was unable to take pictures of them as 'ter phone camera was low in power.

By the time the kim chi seafood soup was served, I was quite full and didn't really enjoy the taste of it. So I have no comments on it. For the fruit platter, well, fruit is fruit no matter where it comes from. We had the usual, watermelon, honey dew and pineapple which I dislike.

So thats about it for Korean cuisine.

Yum Cha

After a century of decadence at home without updating my blog, I felt kinda weird trying to start this habit again. And before I forget, this is my 50th post! Hurray!

Anyways, I recently went to Yum Cha last week Thursday with my poly friends. Went to the Chinatown Yum Cha a couple of times, but only this time did I have the honour of showing you what I had. With the courtesy of minnie's camera phone. Thanks so much yea.

As you can see, this is peanuts. Supposely to 'open' the appetite.

Peanuts, as we have learn, supposely increase one's appetite. However, we also learn that too much peanuts are not good for the health as the fat content is in the ratio of 2:1 which also means if there were 2 cups of peanuts, the fat content is 1 cup.

The item below is cuttle fish congee.

I make it a habit never to order congee unless I am extremely extremely hungry as the rice they use in making this is glutinous rice and glutinous as everyone know is really really starchy due to high gluten formation blah blah blah so it is really filling. This by the way was ordered by Lisi who should eat more considering she is literally stick thin. Didn't really taste this so no description here.

The ever famous Har-Kao'

Although har Kao is not my all time favourite, it does pack quite a punch when it is made by a skilled dim sum chef. Usually, the skin is really thin yet thick enough to hold the filling which in this case is shrimp and other ingredients. I don't have Dae Chang Geum taste buds so I can't identify the ingredients just by tasting. Anyways, Yum Cha's har Kao wasn't really up to my expectations. Its skin was a little thick but the shrimp was succulent though we have learned that there are 'secret' methods in causing the flesh to be plump and succulent.

Charsiew chee chong fun.

Those people were just crazy about this dish. It is just a dish with simple ingredients - 'fun' and meat. However, having said that, it is not so simple to make this. It does require some steps. The 'fun' is thin but manages to hold the fillings. The sauce smelt great with sesame oil. Garnished with spring onions and sesame seeds. With all this ingredients, this dish is almost too good to be true. The other version (which personally prefer) is the one with shrimp.

Shrimp chee chong fun

And my personal favourite - SIEW MAI with fish roe

Sorry to say, but all the fantastic delights I have eaten, they are not halah. My apologizes to the Muslim readers. Not that I am doing this on a purpose but I have not been able to locate a restaurant that serves Halah fine dining. However, when I do find one, it will definitely make it to the pages of my blog.

The dish above, as you can see is my all time favourite - SIEW MAI. I crave this almost everyday. Those who know me knows I love the siew mai especially from Hong Yun Bao Dian at Bedok. However, Yum Cha's siew mai and the one I usually eat is different. First of all, Yum Cha's has fish roe. Though it does not give much taste, it does make it look pretty. Second, is the added shrimp in the Yum Cha's siew mai. The succulent shrimp combined with the tender and smooth minced pork is just a sinful pleasure in the mouth.

Given all the time in the world, I think I can go on and on about siew mai but I think I will just stop here for the mean time.

This is also one of my all time favourite - FENG ZUA

The name given - Feng Zua. Which also means Phoenix Claws. We Chinese love to create lovely names for our delicacies. This dish is actually chicken feet. It has been braised in a special sauce before it is transferred to a bamboo steamer. Chewy collagen bits and tender meat makes my world go round. With a pinch of chili, this dish is almost perfect.

This was something that thought was nice - Thai style marinated jelly fish

This dish. I seriously had no idea what we ordered this. It was actually a simple dish that is not worth $5. First of all, the onion gives the pungent taste with jelly fish and spring onion. Though delicious, I don't think is worth paying that kind of money.

Mini egg tarts.

Since young, everytime I have passed the PAO shop, I would ask my mom to buy me egg tarts. I have not eaten it in a long time but I have to say that I still remember the taste of it. Now, I prefer the Portuguese egg tarts. It has a nice oven flavour. And the colour seems more natural.

Last but not least, Pai Ku.

Who can eat dim sum and forget about Pai Ku. This dish packs more punch than Feng Zua when it comes to collagen. However, it sticks to fat as well which makes this dish totally sinful. My God! The smooth and soft and chewy texture. The fat that melts in the mouth. Oh my, after this, I have to go on a diet for like 1 month.

Oh ya, we ordered something else but it is not shown here as the ever gan geong me hurried to eat and it was one short of the three and also we forgotten to take the picture. Anyway, the dish is - Xiao Long Bao!!

This is one dish that is a must must must HAVE! The stock in the bao is absolutely marvelous. The meat is well seasoned - of cause. The secret in placing the stock in the bao is to marinate the meat with the stock so when it is steamed, the stock will flow out of the meat and TADA...Xiao Long Bao with stock. And although this may not seem important but there were strands of shark fin. Indulge! But, I don't really think it is real.

Anyway, Enjoy!!

Pork knuckle at Marche!

It has been so long since I last updated my blog. Well, as you can see from the pictures, I went out to have a nice meal. Haven't had it since my jap trip which will be up soon. Due to lots of pictures to be uploaded, I think I will post this first.
the place of this sumptuous meal is none other than Marche. It does seem like posh-nosh when anyone mentions Marche. But, I reckon that it is not so expensive. In fact, with a budget of just $16-$20, you are in for a real treat. That is, if you know what to order. But it seems that I just can't resist the temptation of ordering food that to you out that might be a little too much to pay for. Anyway, before I begin, I would like to say thanks to 'ter for giving my this treat.

Domo Arigatogozaimusta!

From this lovely picture, you can see that there are two dishes(like duh!). The above one is the infamous Pork knuckle (S$18+). Actually, that is only half the knuckle. The whole thing is double the price. Anyway, back to the topic. The pork knuckle is definitely not for the faint hearted and of cause the Muslims(like duh!). First of all, the skin which was roasted till crisp was to die for. It's crispness was like chips. And best of all, it was not soak with oil. You know like some crispy skin where you bite into it and oil starts oozing out. Also, it was not heavily seasoned which was why I loved it best. The authentic porky taste was intact. Although it was roasted, it was a tender and the meat wasn't too dry. Also, since it is a joint, there is lots of cartilage. Chewy collagen bits that are good for the face. Overall, there is only one word to describe this dish - fabulous. 4.5/5 stars.

The bottom dish is mix vegetable with black pepper sauce. Although it does not sound as scrumptious, it really was. Especially, the dou miao and starchy green vegetable that I took. The shitake mushroom was really fragrant too. However, it was a little too peppery for my liking. 3.5/5 stars.

Me, enjoying every moment of the Pork Knuckle!

This will be my dessert!

Mixed berries crepe with a scoop of coffee ice-cream and drizzles of chocolate sauce. This dessert would be more fabulous is the berries were freezing cold but it wasn't the case. I love to eat mixed berries but they were extremely sour. I had so much trouble eating them that I had to mix the ice-cream with the crepe and berries and quickly swallow. Gosh! Anyway, the crepe was fantastically awesome. There was custard inside the crepe that was savory but not overly sweet. Overall, this dessert deserves 3/5 stars.

Osaka!

Hey you guys!! Well, I was actually suppose to like upload this 'one million' years a go but due to TOO many photos, it was on hold. So here are the pictures with some description and what I was doing. ENJOY!!

I was at Changi Airport and going to have my dinner. Wanted to go Fish & Co. But then I thought maybe a little oriental cuisine should be fine. So my parents and I went to Crystal Jade to have our meal.

As you can see at the picture below, it is a seafood claypot(S$17+). The seafood was really fresh and succulent. The prawns were 'Q' yet firm. The fish slowly disintegrated in my mouth. The sauce was smooth but HOT (steaming...Eh...Sounds wrong). But this dish is really yummy. Especially when you go with rice. 4/5 stars.

The picture below is fried beef kway teow(S$17+). not the kway teow that is famous in Hill Street but the kind of kway teow that you can buy from the Zhi Cha store. But of cause as this is Crystal Jade, the quality is a little better than the Zhi Cha store. Not very oily but was a little too greasy for me. I can't remember the detailed ingredients but I guaranteed it taste good. 4/5stars.

I think we had one more dish but I didn't take it cause the lady served it in bowl I think. Anyway, the The picture at the bottom is the dessert, which I ordered! - Gui Ling Gao(S$5+)

It is not extremely delicious. The sweet liquid (not sure honey or sugar syrup for Gui Ling Gao kind) was sweet but not artificially sweet and it compliments well with the Gui Ling Gao. Unlike some syrups or honey it taste weird when it goes with the jelly. 3.5/5stars.

The next dessert is - Mango Pudding!(S$5+)

This mango pudding is sweet and creamy! Plus, the added condense milk adds on to the creaminess. This dessert is oh so sinful! 4/5stars.

Okay, so after the great meal and everything, went in the boarding area and there were like so many things to shop! Bought a fragrance(DKNY Red Delicious, Men) plus, we spend above the amount and got another fragrance(DKNY Be Delicious, Men) - which by the way I got it. Totally love it! Anyway, made so many free phone calls that I forgot to check out the new area which has like internet and everything. Sighs, perhaps next year.

So I boarded the plane and then about 6 hours later, I reached Kansai International Airport.

Again, forgot to take pictures of the airport. Could be because I was too anxious to finish the itinerary so I sorta got some connection and immediately start doing. blah blah blah then we took the limousine bus to the hotel. The ride is an hour plus so this is what I wrote on the bus:

"Had a wonderful time on board the plane. However, sitting in a cramp area plus my legs aren't exactly short adds on to the already limited area I can move. I had a small snack or rather refreshment. It was a mango pie thingy (forgot what it was called but it is rectangle in shape). It tasted absolutely scrumptious. The mango goes really well with the sauce and it was kinda refreshing. I watched some movies till it was time for breakfast.

I had mushroom omelet, with sausage & hashbrown. The omelet taste quite unique. Chopped button mushrooms that were slighty saute and wrapped in an omelet. Too bad I forgot to take a snap. Lazy to take the camera from the top.

Anyway, we got our stuff and cleared immigration. I then found a spot where I access the internet. Tried to finish the itinerary however, I was kinda exhausted as I didn't sleep much on the plane.

Bought an expresso frappochino hopping to keep me awake. I chose venti instead of grande as I thought it will be more worth it but lo and behold, the drink cost me 600yen(S$8.40). and it didn't come with whipped cream as it will cost me another 60yen(S$0.85). Talk about day light robbery.

Anyway, as I'm writing this, I'm on board the Limousine bus which will arrive at the hotel in an hours time. Till then, I'll probably read a book or something."

The first stop after checking in to the hotel - Osaka castle.

Another angle of the castle.

Doesn't it look majestic?

Arh! My most favourite part - eating! Anyway, since I took so long to upload the pictures, I complete forgotten what to say just - Oiishi!

Mom had tempura set.

Daddy had fried rice.

And I had pork cutlet with curry.

After lunch, we went into the intertior of the castle and boy was it amazing. I won't bore you with the details. Enjoy the pictures!

Taken from above. Cool huh?

Gold figures engraved in certain parts of the castle.

This should be the second day. The picture below is the gate of a temple. This wasn't intend as I saw wrongly on the map. Oops. haha. Anyway, since we went all the way there, I decided a photo was in order.

After that, we went to Kobe's Chinatown(Nankinmachi). Compared to Yokohama's Chinatown, this was rather small. Picture of mom and dad.

I took this store as it was selling bubble tea or something.

I had no idea why the picture below was taken.

One of the 4 entrances.

Haishin. The Place where we had lunch.

As you can see, I already took a bite so it doesn't look so nice.

Dim Sum!

Below is the shop that sell sweets!!

Samisen!

Her singing is not bad!

Cigarettes in a vending machine?!

Cigarette vending machine next to the drink vending machine?!

Dinner - dumpling!

Noodle soup with bamboo shoots.

Xiao Long Bao! There were 3 but I too gan jeong!

The pavilion at the centre of the Chinatown.

Ice-cream, anyone?

Stone Lion guarding.

The next day, we went to Osaka KAIYUKAN Aquarium - The largest aquarium in the world. There is an entrance fee but I forgot how much it was. Anyway, this fabulous building houses almost a few thousand sea creatures.
The entrance of the aquarium.


Mummy and I.

Otters! Aren't they cute?

A pair of Mandrin Ducks.

A big lizard!

King Penguins.

Hey Nemo!

Dolphin 'standing'.

Giant pomfret-like fish with pouty lips.

Side view.

Whale Shark! It doesn't eat meat you know.

Giant spider crabs. Oiishi! lolz!

Sphagetti! I forgot how it taste like, which is why there is no description. Just one thing which is I saw them adding a packet of MSG to each plate of sphagetti.

Seafood sphagetti.

Mushroom sphagetti. As you can see, there isn't much 'liao' because as usual, I so GAN GEONG!

The next day, we went to a sake brewery museum. That is me and mommy.

Mommy and Daddy.

Me and all those huge vats of sake.

Rice gods.

Transporter of sake ingredients.

Rice polisher. I think.

I have no idea what this thing is for.

I forgot this too. Sorry!

This I know. Shoes!

Tools used.

Bathing tub?! lolz!

Another sort of transportation.

Pails, scoops, bags and other equipment.

Miniture ship that transport sake in the past.

Mommy and Daddy outside the malting room.

Inside the malting room.

From the miniture ship.

On the same day, we went to an area in Kobe that had an earthquake before.

Bowling?

Look at the difference in the ground level.

A little shrine outside a junction near a shopping mall.

The next day, we went to the Golden Pavillion. And guess what is the picture below. It is the entrance 'ticket' to the golden pavillion. What do you think it was? The special 'Fu' so in case you see those things and can be used it on them.

The Map of the area surrounding Golden Pavillion.

The Golden Pavillion.

Tempura udon.

Fried rice.

Entrance of Sliver Pavillion.

Empty sake barrels.

'Sacred Water' used for hand washing...and drinking?

I forgot what this is called? Oh God! I think I am suffering from memory lost.

Kyoto Tower Hotel.

Eating Tako Pachi in a shop in Kyoto.

Astro Boy!

Yosshinoya!

The station where the hotel was next to.

One of the back lanes.

Chicken cutlet.

The shop that sold cheese cake.

The temperature of the day.

Building near Takashimaya.

Cheese cake!

Daddy and I.

Giant Octopus!

Giant Crab!

Street gangsters?

U.S street.

Me queueing up to buy cheese cake on another day.

Well, that is all folks. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Not much to write. Actually, I had but cause it was already so long since I went and I didn't took down so... Anyway, will write a next one soon.