Sense and Senso-bility

[update!] Thanks to Finetune, my USB drive access has been restored. I couldn't be happier (with my PC situation, and with the service delivered by PH from Finetune)!

I’m afraid I wont be able to put in the photographs for this entry till later, as my PC has refused me access to its USB drives. I have no idea why. Nor have I any idea how I can fix this.


Beloved and I dined at Senso tonight. It had been a long day for us, so we decided to dine somewhere nice. Between Prego, Double Bay and Senso, it was a no-brainer. I rang them just before 9pm, for a 9.30 pm reservation.

They were expecting us when we walked in. We were shown the menu, made our orders, and sat back (I love Senso's red sofas!).

The feasting began as always with the bread basket (with olive oil and balsamico)
There were bread sticks, onion / garlic bread, and focaccia. Though some of the breads weren't as warm as we’ve enjoyed in the past, we try not to put away too much bread since we want to try starters, mains, desserts.

We almost always order things to share. Senso is one of the few places to serve shared dishes on separate plates without needing to be asked. Which is why in some of these pictures, portions appear smaller.

Pan fried buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham served with black olives tapenade [shared]
Do not even consider eating this whole dish by yourself. You would have no room for anything else. We were glad to have ordered this. Many places serve mozzarrella with tomato in the basic insalata caprese. This was certainly different, and delicious. Imagine a lovely, soft parcel of mozzarella wrapped in ham. Nestled close by was the black olives tapenade, which is excellent on its own, or (more typically) savoured with bread.

Carnaroli risotto served with braised balsamico duck and fresh rosemary [shared]
Not a lot of places do a good risotto.. (Ruth Reichl agrees*, so there). This is certainly one of the best we have experienced in Singapore. The rice was dreamily creamy and al dente, with strings of duck meat in every single mouthful we took. The fresh rosemary was just the perfect complement to the dish. I started to feel quite full after my half portion. But!!... we were only halfway through.

Swordfish steak on braised fennel, citrus fruits and pesto ‘Trapani’  [not halved]
After consuming mekajiki for awhile now, it was pleasant to return to cooked swordfish. Cooked to medium doneness, you can taste the salt grains on the firm flesh. Served with potatoes that were just a tiny bit sweet, and slices of orange, and fennel leaves. Definitely memorable.

Coffee crème brulee with caramelized bananas and homemade banana ice cream [not halved]
As beloved does not allow alcohol into his system, the waiter recommended the crème brulee. The hint of coffee was delicate enough to set off the creamy richness of its custard base perfectly.

We would like to thank Bakar, who took care of us this evening. He also has this advice to offer – never be the last person to order for the evening. You never know what the chef will do to / for your food. Many of us have heard of soup being spat in, steaks being stamped on underfoot (‘tenderised’), etc. Enough said. We wish Bakar all the best in the years ahead!


Senso Ristorante & Bar
21 Club Street
Singapore 069410
T 6224 3534

*... Risotto is a balancing act that requires perfect timing; there is just one perfect moment when the rice has dissolved into creaminess but you can still bite into each single grain. Few French chefs can make great risotto... / taken from http://personals.mentalfloss.com/blog/4399/post_74914.html?dcb=personals.mentalfloss.com&highid=3767225_50077

Beefeater

Meant to post this earlier; it's been sitting in my drafts... drat! すみません!

I had beef twice this week (lucky me).

On Tuesday, I ate at Ma Maison (Bugis Junction). Ordered the Australian tenderloin steak don. I asked for the steak to be done medium rare, and they did not disappoint (yay!). Look, what a clever bowl!

The setto comes with a salad, miso soup, and coffee or tea, all for $15.50.  There were many interesting goodies in the miso soup. I had to drink two thirds of it before taking this picture (that’s chicken meat):

There is something about the floral table cloths Ma Maison uses, that reminds me of the restaurant in the Japanese Drama, Oishii Kankei.

Ma Maison serves set lunches that change daily, and it’s good stuff! Soup, Main, Bread or Rice, and Drink, for around $12 or $13. No surprise that the place fills up by 1 pm. In addition to daily set lunches, they have several other interesting specials / seasonals – the pile of laminated menus of various sizes will attest to that. It’s not easy to decide!

The daily set menu is here. (Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an English version). Main website (or what they call Top Page) here (also in Japanese). 

Ma Maison

#02-51 Bugis Junction

200 Victoria Street (188021)

6338-4819

Daily 11.30 ~ 22.00

* they have another (newer) branch at The Central

On Thursday, I ate with my dear friend T at Uno Beef House. T recently started a job that has its offices in Toa Payoh. (Out of respect for T, I will omit the story about her iphone google map here.) So many people have blogged about Uno Beef House, and rightfully so! This place obviously does not need to advertise, as their satisfied customers will do it for them. And isn’t that the best way to get word around? Some write-ups date back to 2006. (If not for T, I would still have been in the dark!) At the time of writing this blog, I discovered the Dover branch is no more... I wonder why?

Uno also serves fried chicken, lamb chops, sausages (mostly with fries) – typical of local 'Western' food stalls. Other items available include fried rice – I will try that another time. [I really must try the other things. I tend to order the same thing over and over, especially when I find something I like. I go with every intention of trying something else, but I hear myself ordering whatever I enjoyed on previous visits. Eg, I always have the special fried rice at Colbar, Aglio Olio at Peperoni, etc]

Finally – a place where medium rare is JUST THAT. うれしい!! I have become quite accustomed to asking for medium rare and being served something closer to medium (or closer to what I would call a waste of meat, and money). I was very pleased to receive my steak beautifully purple inside, with a thin brown coat where the meat had been on the grill. Gorgeous. It was served with bubbling black pepper sauce, a tomato slice, baked beans and this rather fabulous potato croquet, which T was talking about while we made our way. It resembles a globe-shaped hashbrown, but with mash inside instead of shredded potato. The filling is sweetish, which is unexpectedly nice (they only give you one per plate!). I wonder if they'll accommodate requests to swap the baked beans for a second potato ball. I had to order the dish without onions (I love onions) this time...

** I’m afraid I was enjoying my steak too much to pause even to take a picture after the first cut. I think next time, I will come here alone and ahh…..!

I have paid more for smaller portions and lousier stuff, so while I read (in blogs) that Uno had raised prices recently, $10 is really quite reasonable for the quality / quantity of sirloin served steak here. I will be coming back to savour the steak (with its accompanying onions this time, of course). What a big, generous serving! You can choose from sirloin, tenderloin and rib eye. I picked sirloin – I like the fragrance that comes from the slight fattiness of sirloin.

How could I not be back for more?

Uno Beef House

Block 51 Toa Payoh Lorong 5, #01-60

Tel: 96776007

Daily (I think) 11.30 ~ 22.30

Dinners at Peperoni / L'Estaminet

Looking through our collection of food pictures, I realised we have visited the Peperoni Pizzeria half of Peperoni / L'Estaminet five times over the past two years. Somehow, we tend to order the same stuff (we like it so much!), so today, we ordered one different pasta (how's that for change!).

I had the Funghi & Pollo Pasta [Button mushroom and chicken in a brown sauce]. Not that I'm complaining, because I ate everything on the plate, but this seems to be a larger portion than the other pastas we've enjoyed here so far. I'd just like to say that calling it 'brown sauce' hardly does any justice to the dish. It was a gorgeous, creamy sauce, that, together with the angel hair pasta, was gone before I knew it!! I found myself with mainly the mushrooms and chicken towards the end. That's how good the sauce was. The mushrooms were tasty and juicy too, but somehow, the chicken was a little harder than I'd have preferred.

Beloved had the Aglio Olio & Peperoncino [w extra virgin olive oil, garlic, red chilli], with an additional serving of Bacon. While we almost always order this, tonight's version was not up to Peperoni's usual standard. (the sharp-eyed will have noticed that the date on this picture is from an earlier visit - we wanted to be fair to Peperoni's.) Don't worry, dear Peperoni, we will still be back, and we will continue to sing your praises to our food-loving friends. (So please don't morph into something else, like Coq n Bull did!!)

This evening's dessert was Sformato - Oven baked ricotta cheese and lemon cream in hazelnut caramel sauce. This is one of the fabulous desserts on offer here. The ricotta cheese is nicely baked, reminding you somewhat of light japanese-style cheesecakes - only sformato is more solid; its sweetness lingers on the palate even after you have swallowed the last bite (believe me, you will finish the whole thing - or someone else at your table will). Serving size is Italian (ie, hearty!) - two or three people could share this and be quite satisfied. But bear in mind that there are several other delectable items on the dessert list...

Though we didn't order pizza this visit, we have tried several items on Peperoni's pizza repertoire, such as the Vegetariana Pizza - Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Shiitake, Artichokes, Zucchini, Eggplants, Bell Peppers, Black Olives

Suprema Pizza - Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Shiitake, Chicken, Sausage, Onions, Red Chilli (taken using mobile phone camera)

Ham & Mushroom Pizza - Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Ham & Mushroom (again, w mobile phone camera)

Funghi Pizza - Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Mixed Mushroom (Button, Shiitake, Porcini) [yay! newly-acquired Canon Ixus!]

Wait!! Here are some starters we've had... This is the Oven Baked Eggplant with tomato, mozzarella, parmigiana style. I have no idea how this one could be classified as starter!! Better share this - you WILL be full and not have space to savour other things.

And the Caprese - Sliced tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil. Just perfect to whet the appetite.

To desserts. The Pannacotta - Delicate vanilla flavoured eggless custard (thanks to a recommendation by one of the staff). This is probably the lightest dessert, suitable for people who have given too much stomach space to their Mains. Of course we know dessert goes into a different stomach, but sometimes the budget over-runs, doesn't it?

... and (whew!) finally, the Creme Brulee - Smooth custard covered with caramelized sugar. Again, this is Italian-sized, so it's better to share this one.

There is also a Snack Menu, but strangely enough, we never have enough space to try that.

Peperoni Pizzeria [happily, they have a pick-up service too]

6 Greenwood Avenue, Hillcrest Park, Singapore 289192

L'Estaminet Bar

4 Greenwood Avenue, Hillcrest Park, Singapore 289192

Tel 6465-1911

Brunch at Gourmet Plus

When: 10.15 am, Sunday 25 Oct 2009
Where: Gourmet Plus
Scene: 2 tables occupied - one group of 5, and another group of 3.

Enter waiter with menus, flipped to Breakfast page
Sir and Madam look through available options. They had anticipated an all-day brunch menu... Italian (?) boss (?) approaches, informing them the Breakfast menu is on the back page.

Sir and Madam are ready to order. Waiter arrives.

Sir: We will have a Croque Madam for the lady, and I will have The Works.

Waiter: How would you like the eggs done?
Suggests poached, scrambled, sunny side up

Sir: Poached, please

Waiter: Drinks?
[has anyone noticed that 99% of waitstaff here just use that one word? - just like they do at McD!]

Mdm: A latte please.

Sir debates if he should have a second coffee so early in the day.

Sir: Hot Chocolate.

Waiter: Are you sharing The Works?

Mdm: Is it that big, the serving size?

Waiter: No... Something like that over there (points to table nearby)

Waiter departs with order. Sir and Mdm chat. Background: Screaming child and PSP/Nintendo DS sounds. There are no salt or pepper shakers on the tables.

Drinks arrive.

Followed by The Works

 Waiter: Mdm, you are not having anything to eat?

Sir: We ordered a Croque Madame, didn't we?

Waiter: Oh!! Oh!! So sorry. We will rush that out right away.

Sir and Mdm continue to chat. Mdm notices her drink is on the bluer side of lukewarm.

Sir begins on his The Works. The sausage is slightly puffed / soggy (though Mdm likes that it is not salty), but the bacon has probably spent longer than it should have the deep-fryer.

Croque Madame arrives (topped off with a bright, shiny egg)

Madam digs in. Cutting away the burnt toast edges, Madam devours first the egg (saving the yolk, of course), then starts on the sandwich. It has a good emmental flavour, although Madam had hoped for a more generous serving of ham... 

** The End **

Oh, dear. Beloved and I would recommend instead:
1. Choupinette (607 Bukit Timah Road #01-01; 6466 0613) even though it can feel (only) slightly angmohphilic
2. Peperoni Pizzeria (6 Greenwood Avenue, Hillcrest Park; 6465 6556)

In Pursuit of Good Chicken Rice

... Hainanese Chicken Rice, that is.

We have a 5-point scale covers the salient, er, points.
* Chicken (types of chicken / do they debone)
* Rice
* Chilli Sauce
* Soup
* Extras (eg, is the price reasonable? is service good, esp if the queue is long? anything else that differentiates them from the rest?)

Over the past 3 years or so, we have visited more places than the ones listed here, but these are the ones that have 'stuck' - for good or bad reasons. I share what I like about these places, and leave the rest for the good reader to discover / infer (and share comments, thoughts, feedback). Disclaimer: in gastronomia, it's more a matter of personal taste, so what I love, may not affect another person in the same way.

Our kind of chicken is smooth, soft, not too hot, and (ideally) deboned. While we know some prefer their chicken bone-in, deboned chicken allows us to savour the experience with no worry of a bone chip lodging itself in our teeth. Also, deboning (especially the wing midsection / tip) reflects the skill of the person cutting the chicken. Of course, flavouring / seasoning, doneness, freshness, tenderness of the meat, etc also matter. The Katong one adds garlic bits to the chicken - surprisingly delicious.

Rice is important too - so many people just eat the chicken and leave the rice. Good rice doesn't get left behind. We like the longer, slimmer grained rice. It has to be bathed in the correct blend of flavours - this is definitely a 'personal taste' thing! And it must be al dente. There are places where we might order just the chicken, without rice. Other places, we polish off every single grain of rice, carbo overload be damned (Tian Tian!).

Good chilli sauce definitely leaves its own aftertaste (and accompanying garlic breath), but so many of us feel that it is worth it. Yeah! As for soup, the cantonese places do excellent soup. I am talking about Chew Kee (Upper Cross Street). Their soup is so good, I don't bother to order drinks with my chicken rice / noodles when I eat here.

As for extras, these would include good service, value for money... I don't mind queueing if service is brisk and cheerful. I guess the Hainanese are better known for being excellent cooks than for polite service. Hey, at least they cook well!

Good Year Local Chicken Rice Balls (to give the shop its full name) is a place that serves the rice shaped into balls. They also serve rice on a plate if you ask for that. The thing is, the seasoning / flavour of the rice seems different in a ball vs on a plate. This is value for money - a set for one comes to under $4.  Apart from this place, I only see chicken rice served this way in Melaka. The shop used to be at Jln Besar. 

There are two well-known places in the Chinatown area. One of them is Heng Ji Chicken Rice (open from 3pm). Around 7 pm, be prepared to wait in line around 20 mins to be served. This place definitely has its following (one of whom is an old friend and mentor, J)! Auntie here is cheerful and serves up flavourful chicken (they don'd debone). She knew it was my first time, when I only took only one chilli sauce serving (for a half-chicken / two bowls of rice) and kindly put a second chilli sauce dish on my tray. This place does not serve soup. 

The other place in Chinatown, Tian Tian, has a queue perpetually attached to it (sometimes even at 2pm or after!). A book or sudoku easily make good the 15 minute wait. The queue consists of loyal regulars like ourselves and camera-wielding tourists (Asians, Caucasians, etc). I could eat here twice a month and still be back for more. They typically sell out around 7pm for dinner. They don't even need to advertise; enough bloggers sing their praises - everyone knows Tian Tian! We love that Tian Tian continue to do their thing well. I swear the carpark is emptier on Mondays when they are closed. We hope they never open another outlet. Tian Tian also offers the kind of chilli sauce that we love - it is slightly tart, and just spicy enough. It complements both the chicken and the rice beautifully. And yes, they debone (on request).

Memorable chicken rice places visited include (in alphabetical order)

Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice (#B1-85/87 Katong Shopping Centre)

Good Year Local Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball (30 Foch Road #01-02 S 209276)

Heng Ji Chicken Rice (Blk 335 Smith Street #02-131 Chinatown Complex Market S050335 * Dinner only / closed Sunday)

Lucky Chicken Rice (#02-110 in an 'Original Condition' mall on Orchard Road across from Ion, Wisma Atria and Ngee Ann City)

Nan Xiang Chicken Rice (The original outlet, at Whampoa Food Centre * Closed Fridays)

7th Storey Hotel (when it was at Tan Quee Lan)

Specialist Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (#05- Far East Plaza)

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (Maxwell Food Centre * Closed Mondays)

Special mention:
CHEW Kee Eating House - 8 Upper Cross Street (different from the brother's place, CHIEW Kee, 32 Upper Cross Street)
Chicken House (255 Upper Thomson Road, S574382; T 64560698)

Something that gets me, though...
Why is it that once the shop becomes famous, and they decide to open more outlets, it (usually) results in a decline in quality / service? BTK comes to mind. Since business remains brisk, it's OK, I won't be missed.

There remain a number of places we have yet to sample (please feel free to suggest / recommend!)
- Wah Kee (Redhill Market *Lunch only)
- Jin Jin Coffee Shop (Seah Street)
- Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 56, Smith Street S058961

ゴブサタ

ごぶさたしておりました。しばらくじゃない、一年ほどですね。

最近は、なんとなく、言葉が出てこないかな　っていう感じがする。言えないこといっぱいけど。

でも、これからできるだけポストするつもりです。がんばります!

恩

Don't you just love Christmas shopping?

I love it, 90%of the time... truly, I do. I love the get-togethers, catching up, gift exchanging, and all that stuff. Even if you have to double- and triple book a Saturday. I even love the cheesy music they play everywhere.

But for the remaining 10% of the time, here is a list of suggestions...

Perfect gifts for the Frenemy

Don't have any frenemies (really??!)? Give me your contact so I can tell you what I'd like in my stocking.

Merry Christmas!!

Keep healthy so you can enjoy the season to the fullest!!! Bring that umbrella! Consider wearing crocs or sandals for comfort while shopping, and for sloshing about in rain puddles! Forget about losing weight this month, just aim to maintain........ that's what new year's resolutions are for.