F.I.S.H. @ 313 Somerset

Had to go all the the way to Heeren to purchase a pair of sandals. I know I'm getting old when the idea of hitting town on Friday night scared the hell outta' me. I mean, gosh, all that crowd? Plus I haven't really ventured around Orchard Road since 2 years back!

And I only know of those new buildings that sprouted here from the media and the drawings I had to do at work (yes, we did some projects there). I'm sooo gonna be lost.

So I got my younger cousin to accompany me. And we got another cousin to accompany us and it unofficially became some girls-night-out. And what happens when girls meet up? Gossip, shopping (it was SALE! season) and why, eat of course!

I was in total awe as soon as I stepped out of Somerset MRT station and ended up in this wholly new zone for me (turns out to be 313 Somerset). When we walked back from Heeren (which also changed), I discovered a neighbouring building which I've never seen before (that will be Orchard Central). And, oh, look! H&M (no, we gave it a miss)!

I must have lived in another era. Never knew Orchard Road looks like this now! Goodness. To think I used to come by here almost every weekend. For fun.

Anyway, to the food. My cousin had a meal here the week before and she can't stop raving about it. So she insist we dine there. Did some read-up prior to coming here and I saw some compliments about their salad bar. Free-flow salad, you say? Gimme!

Turns out, there's some promo of-sorts and the access to free-flow salad from the bar came free with orders of any mains. Cool! We chose to order a plate of starters to occupy us while we wait for our mains.

Char-grill Peri-peri Squid

I would much prefer the grilled squid rings to appear like THIS, actually. But then again, I'm happy enough that my squid rings were tender and required minimal chewing. I lunged straight for those with charred bits.

If only the squid is marinated or at least coated with the Peri-peri sauce prior to grilling; instead of having the sauce to be simply served on the side like that.

Mojito

Mint, sugar, lime juice and soda. Sans rum of course. This is a halal-certified place so it's all mocktails.

This is such a refreshing drink, especially when one is having seafood for dinner.

Passion(fruit) tonic

Soda with passionfruit syrup. Another refreshing one. Sweet and tangy.

Double Yellow Line - Multi-Citrus soda
(pic courtesy of my cousin TimZahrah)

Another cousin's order. Citrus max. Good for her who loves her drinks sour.

Salad buffet - Plate 01

And now to my favourite food. SALAD. Free-flow. Wow.

Doesn't help that F.I.S.H has a decent array of salad at their salad bar. After placing our food orders, the server came by and hand us a small plate each. We gun for the salad bar.

I started with the nacho chips, topped with some sour cream and salsa. And later sprinkled with powdered parmesan cheese. Syiok!

To think that I almost ordered a plate of nacho chips for our starters. Thank goodness we settled for something else!

Salad buffet - Plate 01 (the other side)
(pic courtesy of my cousin TimZahrah)

Later on, I got intrigued by the Nicoise Salad which consist of baby spinach, thinly sliced onions and tuna. Been a long while since I last tasted baby spinach (this type of greens are considered pretty 'atas').

But all that tuna and onions… Dragon-breath alert!

The pasta on the right is something fusion: Spaghetti with 'Hae Bee Hiam' (spicy dried shrimps). It was mighty spicy! You can see bits of chilli seeds stuck on the strands of spaghetti . But it got pretty additive. You cant stop digging into this one!

To think that my cousin almost ordered this as her main dish (yes, it's on the menu)!

Salad buffet 02

One of my cousin and myself, we unofficially ordained ourselves as a goat & rabbit, given how much we LOVE our greens. So we jumped out of our seat as soon as we were given our small plate. Another cousin, she doesn't care much for her veggies so she's pretty contented with watching over our stuff at the table.

The both of us piled on our plates with the intention to share them greens between us. This plate here is courtesy of my cousin. She sure didn't hold back!

In the foreground is the Greek salad. There's red & green capsicums, cucumbers, olives and some cubes of feta cheese.

Salad buffet 02
(pic courtesy of my cousin TimZahrah)

I can't recall what the other 2 salads were but this one on the foreground looks like Shitake mushroom salad.

Another one looks like it had cucumbers and mango?? Sorry I really can't recall.

Oh, there's another one with some fusili pasta in it. I also can't recall what that was. My apologies.

Char-grilled Codfish Fillet w/ Cream Sauce
(pic courtesy of my cousin TimZahrah)

My cousin's order. There were some cubes of baked/grilled potatoes and tomatoes underneath those slabs of fish meat.

Char-grilled Codfish Fillet w/ Cream Sauce

I really wish that the fish meat gets more time on the grill. Not to the extent of the meat getting too dry but at least give it some charred edges and a bit of smoky taste. This one here doesn't live up to its 'char-grilled' name…

She also remarked that the sauce tasted a bit, 'meh'. You know, boring. Almost bland.

Baked Atlantic Cod w/ Teriyaki Sauce

This was a pleasant surprise, on my cousin's part. She had wanted to order one of those dishes with the king prawns but she was advised against it by the server (who was really friendly, btw). She was told that the prawns weren't THAT big, to start with. They really weren't worth the slightly hefty price tag.

My cousin got all flustered, since she hadn't made a choice for a backup order. She reluctantly ordered this, after much hemming and hawing.

When this arrived, she had a taste of the teriyaki sauce and her face immediately lit up. I had a taste too and I can see why. The sauce was pretty delish! And it sure didn't taste like your regular teriyaki sauce. Maybe it's their own rendition but to me, it taste a lot like the sauce for chili crabs, sans chili. Pretty much an oxymoron, I know but I hope you get what I mean.

Prawn Fettuccine in Basil Cream Sauce

I had been hankering for pasta for the whole week that time. So I was very much determined to order one that night.

I can't recall why I ordered this, though. I think this was the only one with cream sauce. I wasn't too keen on the Fettuccine though. Much too filling, imho.

There were so many pieces of plump, juicy prawns in this plate that there were more than enough to go around. Loads of garlic flavour. Nice!

Key Lime Pie

We were pretty full after our mains (and a 2nd round to the salad bar). But we insist on dessert. We also got too lazy to head elsewhere for it so we simply ordered off the dessert menu.

After all that cream, I'm definitely against most cream cakes. Even those chocolate ones. I recommend that we try the key lime pie to neutralise all the fishy aftertaste on our tongues.

When we ordered this, the server (yes, that same one) made a face and remarked, "Are you sure? It's VERY sour!"

We laughed it off, saying, "That's the whole point!"

When we dug in, all of us were like, "Wow!" The top layer was light cream. At the bottom was custard, both with pleasant lemon-lime accent. And that crunchy crust…

What a nice way to end our meal. Thanks for the company, gals. All because I need to purchase that sandals at Heeren...

My Birthday Dinner - Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant

Got the day off on my birthday and hubby matched his leave with mine. My bro & parents fetched me that evening and told me that we'll be heading to Chai Chee for dinner.

Hmm.. I had planned to check out that other teahouse at Simpang Bedok but I guess I gotta' save that for another time. I kinda' miss the food at Chai Chee, too.

Thai Mango beancurd

My family never fail to order this. I wish I had snapped a photo of this the last time I had it years back, for this version here looks very different...

I remember that previously, the tofu was coated in batter ala british fish & chips and served with slices of ripe, yellow mango with mayo dipping sauce. More like an appetiser dish.

These fried tofu looked less appealing but it still tasted awesome! Despite all that watery-looking sauce at the bottom, these fried stuff remain delightfully crispy. I believe these are simply coated/dusted with corn flour, prior to frying.

And that pool of watery, brown sauce may look unappealing but it was yummy too! Sweet & sour; the flavour came off as refreshing. Much like Thai chili sauce w/o the chili (oxymoron, I know). And the slices of green mango salad at the side was very... Thai. Oh well, it's THAI mango beancurd after all.

Kangkong belacan

Same ol' stuff. Can't go wrong with this, I guess.

Shanghai Chicken

Ahh.... A perennial favourite with my family. The Javanese that we are, we like our food with a touch of sweetness.

Crispy deep-fried chicken fried in sweet, dark soy sauce. Ah, shall I mention the onions, chili padi & curry leaves, that give this dish its kick? That sauce... I LOVE it!

Butter Squid

When we wanna order squid, it was a toss between this and simply squid fritters. We asked the server for recommendations and the way he described this made us order this immediately.

I wish I can recall what he actually said but it sounded really appealing!

When the dish arrived, I wondered if the server mistakenly placed the order for the squid fritters instead. It looked pretty plain, didn't it? The taste didn't tell much either. Guess the butter prawns I had at Bali Thai that one time really raised the bar for me. All those buttery strands...

But the dish taste good, nontheless. I had it with some of the sweet & sour sauce from the fish and also from the Thai Beancurd.

Cereal Prawns

These were good but I dare say that I've had better.

Sweet & Sour Seabass

Their sauce was done nicely but we were too busy with the other dishes that by the time we got to eating this, the fish was no longer crispy.

Our bad. :(((

Shark's Fin Soup

Guilt aside (I'm really hoping they used mock shark's fin, there). :'(

Pretty plain on its own so it's best to follow the traditional way of eating this. With some black vinegar and a dash of white pepper totally lift the taste.

I wonder if this place has changed their cook or something. Ok, so we dined here on mid-week. The food seemed a lil' lackluster. Then again, maybe it's just me. Sigh.

My previous dining experience at Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant HERE.














Oreo Cheese Cupcake (taken from my fren's FB)

Met a dear old friend of mine, the week before (will post about that later) and she pleasantly surprised me with news about her conducting the Haj pilgrimage this year.

She then lamented that she need to clear some baking ingredients before she departs so I jumped at the chance to order some of these yummy-looking things I saw on her FB page. Since my birthday comes on the week after that, I plan to give some to my family and distribute amongst my hubby's nephews & nieces. I know that all of them love their cookies & cream.

I kept this in the fridge prior to offering them to the family after dinner and they love it!. Myself, I 'secretly' kept 1 in the freezer and have it in the afternoon, since I'll be too stuffed to have it after dinner later. And boy, it was fabulous! Tasted just like ice-cream - that's loaded with cream cheese. And my dear friend here sure is generous with the cream cheese and Oreo cookies.

Just the way I like my cuppies. Will definitely order from her again!

BBQ Chicken @ Downtown East

I seriously have a lot more blog posts to come. But.office.workload.is.piling.up… Madness!

Ok, when did I have this meal again?? Seriously it's THAT long ago. But I can still remember the meal itself pretty easily cos' this jolly well could be one of the longest wait for my main course to arrive - EVER!

How long was it? Well, let's see… Long enough for my son to run in and out of the restaurant almost 10x? The only saving grace was that it was weeknight so the restaurant wasn't THAT filled out, therefore I spare myself some embarrassment; having to run/scream after an active toddler.

Then again, if the restaurant wasn't crowded, why did the food take THAT long to arrive?

Beats me. One thing for sure, my hubby already gave his thumbs down, "This will be the first and last. No more." (referring to dining there). Which is such a waste. Cos' I like the food they offer and this is the closest branch to home. Pfft.

Then again, maybe I'm impartial towards this place because they are from Korea, serves Korean stuff and pay K-pop MVs the whole time. :)))

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Now on to the food.

Nachos

Glad I ordered this. Cos' this didn't require any cooking. Maybe that's why it arrived early.

What do you expect from this? At least the chips ain't stale. My only gripe was that all the squiggles of mayo & cheese were on top, leaving the insides dry.

Anyway we ordered the promo set where the main course comes with a bowl of soup (of-the-day), soft drinks and dessert.

Thankfully the soup (out-of-can variety) arrived around the same time as the above chips so at least we managed to fill ourselves up a wee bit.

Korean Traditional Charboiled Chicken

When this FINALLY arrived, my face was all flushed from all that running and also embarrassment. I was really exhausted and hungry.

I-dunno-how-many-times my son kept running into the cake shop opposite and stopped right in front of the counter because of this sweet teenage girl manning it. She had no choice but to ignore him because her boss was in there. So it was totally one-sided on my son's part. Poor boy… :P

The chicken meat was tender and nicely marinated. After Popeye's mashed potato, all others just seem so meh. I was pretty apprehensive as to what might be served for the veggie on the side. We are usually at the mercy of the oft-changing 'veggie-of-the-day' when it comes to this kind of mains. Thankfully the blanched french beans and carrots were to my liking, albeit a tad bland.

Black pepper beef steak

My hubby's order. He only managed a grunt when I asked him how the steak was. I guess when you're miffed with such poor service (yes, there were other issues), nothing seems good anymore. Oh well…

My son finally sat still after my hubby strapped him down in thr stroller (he hates baby seats) and fed him those fries. What's up with toddlers and fries anyway? Any toddler out there who don't like fries?

Too bad the portion's a tad too small for sharing so hubby didn't get much of them fries.

By the time we're finally done with our mains, it's wayy past my son's bedtime and my hubby was eager to get home (crank alert!). But I reminded him of the dessert that comes with the promo set so we asked that to be served together with the bill. I asked about the dessert and it was a scoop of ice-cream per set. I forgot to place my choice of flavour and the server didn't even ask. Pfft.

Naturally, while waiting, my boy took the chance to take off and greet his 'ice-princess' (she still refused to acknowledge him, poor fella). When I came back to the table, I saw that my hubby had taken the chocolate flavour for himself, leaving me with the vanilla.

My son took interest in it so I shared it with him (what? I know it's already his bedtime and all but if I don't do that, the ice-cream will go to waste!).

Here are my previous dining experiences at BBQ Chicken (inc. at other branches):
01, 02, 03

I will be coming back for the Hot Hot Drums or Jerk Chicken. That's how much I like those. But not with my hubby, I guess.

Thai Cuisine

Ok, this was the same Thai-Muslim foodstall that I've blogged about previously. Apparently, I've gotten their name wrong that time. It was actually much simpler - Thai Cuisine.

Here are pictures taken from 2 separate visits to this stall.

Phad Thai

I've always wanted to order this favorite of mine. Finally got down to it.

I can still clearly remember my first (and still favourite) Phad Thai that I had at the now-defunct Magic Wok at Marina Square.

The noodles were already nice enough to be eaten on their own. Carried a hint of the palm sugar sweetness and briny taste from the fish sauce. After mixing in the condiments, the flavour of it never fail to make this a permanent order whenever I'm there.

…That good.

Phad Thai (condiments)

This rendition of the Phad Thai, meanwhile, while decently done, doesn't live up to that flavour that I was used to. Just too bad that I raised the bar that high.

But this dried chilli sprinkles are really as fiery and potent as they appear. It's no secret that these are bird's-eye chillies; dried and then crushed.

I only mixed in half of this, with the crushed peanut and a squeeze of the lime wedge. Some also add a bit of sugar to ease out the heat. I didn't. I wish I did, though.

The heat didn't inflame my mouth - tongue, gums & lips until I cleaned out the plate. And I made the grave mistake of ordering homemade lemon tea.

My lips hurt so bad that I start to imagine myself easing it all with some ice-cream from the mobile vendor in-front of a nearby school. But he was no longer to be found so I backtracked and ordered from a bubble-tea shop, a chocolate & cookie smoothie topped with ice-cream, no less. Gimme cream, more cream!

Fried Kway Teow

My colleague made a 'safe' order of simple fried kway teow. Even this come off as a tad bland. Maybe the cook need to be a wee bit generous with the seasoning. The fish sauce especially.

Anyway my colleague prefer a bit of heat with her food so she got herself a scoop of the chili padi bits floating in soy sauce.

Tom Yum soup (plain)

Another colleague felt like having the Tom Yum but forgot to request for carbs like some noodles in the soup or a bowl of rice on the side.

It's pretty important to have some carbs to help offset the full effect of the potent heat from this fiery soup. Cos' aside from the whole chili padi floating aimlessly in the bowl, there are also those crushed ones with a handful of their dangerous seeds at the bottom of the bowl.

Colleague learnt it the (very) hard way. She eventually had to purge everything out because it was too much for her stomach to handle.

Like me, she also made the grave mistake of ordering homemade lemon tea, which only worsen the effect.

Some months back, I think they came up with these lunch sets. Initially there were only 3, I think. Stir-fried beef, omelette & basil chicken. Either 1 will be served with rice, tom yum soup & a serving of stir-fried mixed vegetables ala 'chap chye'. At $5.50 each.

On another day, I came by and saw that they have made some slight changes; no more beef, but there are now 3 varieties of chicken dishes - regular chicken, basil chicken & chicken with brinjal (all stir-fried). The omelette remain.

Now, about that omelette. It cost the same as the chicken dishes. I really wonder why. Is it just plain omelette or does it have fillings? It seem to wrap around the rice, like the 'Pattaya' style.

Lunch set

I forgot to have my breakfast so I was pretty famished, come lunchtime. Took the opportunity to sample their lunch set.

Basil Chicken w/ rice

Was kinda disappointed to see that the meat portion was kinda' dismal.

But the taste was spot on. Like it enough to order the dish on its own next time (must be very hungry to attempt that).

Tom Yum soup (small bowl)

Comes in the set. Despite coming in a small bowl, there are still ingredients like surimi, fishball, a prawn & a couple of squid rings.

Mixed vegetables

This was prepared beforehand. Not that I really mind. Wouldn't have been sensible to fry a small portion of this whenever someone order a set.

The mix of 'chye sim', cabbage & carrots weren't over-cooked so they still retain a bit of their colour and crunch. Flavour, too.

Tom Yum soup w/ kway teow

Another colleague already aimed to order their Tom Yum and made a point to add kway teow for some carbs.

They use the thin version, similar to the one used for the 'Phad Thai' above.

As you can see, there's at least an order for the ubiquitous Tom Yum soup whenever we came by here. Served in different ways but it comes down to it being that fiery & tangy soup.

And yes, lesson learnt. No sour drinks ordered this time round. :P

Thai Cuisine
Blk 301 Ubi Ave 1
Yummy Food Point

Ayam Penyet Ria re-visited

My goodness, this and the next few entries are just soo long overdue!
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As always, it all stem from the oft-repeated (and dreaded) question: "What's for lunch?"

Someone mentioned 'Ayam penyet' and it's a toss between the mediocre offering at a nearby coffee shop and Waroeng Penyet at Marine Parade.

I realize that Ayam Penyet Ria at Bedok Point not only serves better food, it's pretty near too.

Our drinks

Es Chendol, Happy Soda (Bandung w/ soda), Ice-Lemon tea & Lava Boy.

The weather that day was pretty warm you see. Hence all the iced drinks.

Lava Boy

Similar to the 'Lava Girl' I had when I was here previously. Just different gender syrup flavor. This blue one is obviously blueberry with the 'tadpole' jellies & canned longans.

At the end of the meal, I end up regretting this drink order. As we know, tangy/sour drinks tend to crank up the effect of the heat from spicy foods; on our tongue.

As I went a lil' overboard with the 'sambal', I seek some solace from my Lava Boy, only to have my tongue burn even more intensely :'P

No wonder they were having a promo on Dutch Lady milk that time! At first, I don't see how milk and Ayam Penyet go hand-in-hand. Only as I left the restaurant do I realize, that is the very thing I need to help subside the effect from those chillies.

(I need to barge in and apologize if I seem to be blogging in American-English because I'm using my phone and the auto-correct is on)

Sup Bakso w/ Bihun

Beefball soup with rice vermicelli. Ordered by two of my colleagues who seem to seek something light and/or soupy.

Boneless Chicken penyet

My order. I want the chicken but don't bother with the hassle of picking the meat off them bones.

I can't say just how much I enjoy the nicely spiced batter and those crumbs. Which also goes well with the slab of fried tofu & tempe.

I took an extra helping of the sambal from the condiment counter and also poured on the sweet soy sauce. I enjoyed it so much that I took yet another portion.

Of course the heat didn't really build up until the end of the meal, when my lips numbed up and my stomach started sizzling. Oh, that lasted till' the next day, I tell ya!

Ayam penyet

Another colleague's order. Our designated driver. The one who suggested 'ayam penyet' for lunch.

He walked out of the restaurant really pleased, as he exclaimed, "That must be one of the best Ayam Penyet ever!"

Do you agree with him?

Arnold's Spring chicken rawks!

For some time after Hari Raya, I have set a "No Malay Food" policy for lunch just because I was so sick and tired of those foods that are we're typically served with during house visits.

After much pondering, my Chinese male colleague eventually suggested Arnold's. He missed eating there because he got no 'kaki' to accompany him there while we were fasting during Ramadhan.

As always, we have to take a number at the entrance and wait until it was called before we can enter the restaurant. We also have to make our order there. I planned on getting the 2-piece chicken set and wonder if they allow me to choose wings but my colleague remarked, "Why don't you get the 1/2 spring chicken set? All the chicken parts will be there, anyway. Plus, it's cheaper."

I took a look at the price. Boy, he sure is right. But I was wondering why such a big portion (or so I thought) cost much lesser than the 2 separate chicken parts? The 2-piece set is $6.40 while the 1/2 spring chicken set is merely $5.90.

Half spring chicken set

When this arrived, I can finally figure out why. The bird as a whole is definitely smaller that the ones used for the regular chicken parts. Most likely, younger chicken, too?

Anyway, there's lesser meat (yet it's juicy) and the skin is thinner (and crispier!). The gorgeous batter (with an obvious garlic accent) coating the spring chicken has delightfully crunchy bits where the ribs are (my favourite part). The chicken was halved evenly, even down to the parson's nose.

Potato platter ~ $6.20

One colleague only want the thin chips. Another prefer the waffle fries. I like the wedges. Best solution has gotta be this platter that has a bit of everything. Plus some cheese dip to boot.

Served REALLY hot (learnt it the painful way).. this easily transport you to potato haven. Yumz.

Squid rings ~ $4.70

Just a random buy that's suggested by a colleague. It turns out to be surprisingly decent (honestly, I didn't expect much). Squid meat was delightfully tender. Batter was a tad greasy, though.

PS: Arnold's seem to have changed their policy. You are to make your payments upon entering the restaurant. Otherwise, they will not process your order. We kinda' learnt it the hard way. Waited, waited and waited. Till' we saw what others were doing.

Manager did tell us something when we came in but her voice was inaudible over the din. We were pretty regular here and we thought we know better… NOT! Huhu.

I want my veggies!

There are mainly 2 things that I keep hankering for, every now and then. And they actually belong to 2 extreme ends of the spectrum.

Fast food. Or vegetables.

Sometimes I merge a little of the 2 together, like veggies in my burger or a bowl of salad (where available) instead of some greasy carbs.

However, when I say that I want my veggies, I want a whole portion of them. Like a bowl of salad. Or ulam (raw, tropical greens - eaten with sambal). Or urap/keluban (Javanese salad, eaten with spiced grated coconut).

And the week after Hari Raya, after all that greasy, meaty dishes and those carbs - my body was deperately calling for something a little more light, healthy and packed with fibre (not that I was really constipated or anything).

Hence, I suggested some decent Yong Tau Foo at Bagus.

Homemade barley drink

Healthy, yeah. But I chose this because of its 'cooling' nature. To help remove some accumulated body heat.

Yong Tau Foo 'Dry' w/ beehoon

Okay, so this isn't exactly a healthy one. I had thought of the soup version all day and yet I quite unexpectedly chose to have the dry one when I placed my order.

Well, at least this comes with a small bowl of soup on the side.

Can't resist those fried food items (which they re-fried, prior to serving, gah!). But of course I balance it with a fair share of the healthier food items like some lean tofu, fresh whole chilllies, stuffed capsicums and 2 bunches of leafy greens, namely the Choy Sum and Bok Choy. Almost took a smaller bunch of another type of greens but I held back.

Last time I took 3 different type of green vegetables, I never finished my bowl of food.

Cuttlefish Kangkong $6

Had always wanted to order this and I almost did that day. However, my muddled mind mistook this for the Satay Beehon (what was I really thinking?!) and right that moment, the idea of having anything with satay sauce was a big NO-no.

My colleague got it anyway, for us to share.

When this arrived, I was really taken in by the presentation of this simple rojak of-sorts. The multiple ingredients were put together in the same dish but they weren't mixed in. Right on top were some young cucumber slices, julienned but unfinished at the edges. Below that were these really light, airy and crispy tau pok which managed to impress my Chinese foodie colleague.

After that were the blanched taugeh (green bean sprouts) and kangkong (water spinach/convolvulus). And lastly, the boiled cuttlefish. The spicy, tangy sauce was pretty nice with not too much hae ko/petis (shrimp paste sauce). And they were generous with the crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.

Mixed salad

And on that same week, I still feel the need to stuff myself with some greens (yes, just like a goat).

Mix of salad greens, sweetcorn kernels, black olives, sun-dried tomato, boiled egg, croutons and honey mustard sauce. Yum!

PS: And no, this post wasn't sponsored by HPB (Health Promotion Board), if you're wondering.

Burger King's BreakFeast

Finally got to try this! Everytime I saw the poster, I can't help hankering for it. Blame it on that gorgeous-looking omelette, studded with fillings and oozing all that cheese. It's definitely calling my name.















That Sunday, thinking that the elders at home are fasting the optional 'Puasa 6', I brought my kiddo and helper to the nearby Downtown East for breakfast.

The actual BreakFeast Platter

Thankfully, I didn't really keep my hopes high. I know better than to expect the cheese omelette to look so immaculately layered.

I read about some turkey ham but I didn't see any on the platter. I then figured out that it's mixed into the omelette. I mistook those reddish bits to be tomato.

The cheese in the omelette help in a way that the egg didn't come out too dry. And it also made the whole thing pretty salty. So, please have a taste before you tear open the packet of iodized salt.

The chicken frankfurter was pretty flavorful on it's own, actually. The chicken meat was processed with some herbs and pepper, I think. Just too bad that the cooked piece was left out on the platter or maybe the pan for a tad too long, making it a lil' dry.

The grilled tomato was a nice touch and seemingly authenticate this whole 'western breakfast' idea. Maybe some grilled mushrooms would make it all even nicer (ok, I might be pushing it, here).

And that Croissan'wich with the NZ Anchor butter is simply delightful. If only the bread was toasted… Miss having something sweet as a spread. Could have swiped some strawberry jam from Popeye's prior to dining here.

Hashbrowns

I love, love, love these bite-sized potato nibblets!

BK's Funnel Cake Sticks

I saw that they'll be giving this away to those who ordered the BreakFeast platter. But they end up serving this to anyone who ordered a meal.

I expect these to be those regular, crispy dough sticks coated with cinnamon sugar, perhaps. But they turn out to be slightly chewy and sprinkled with white icing sugar. Seems like it's made with tapioca starch?

The taste reminds me a lot like this Malay kueh called, 'Getas-getas'.

I noticed recently that McD has something new in their breakfast sets. The 'Supreme' edition seem to include turkey bacon in their menu. Turkey bacon on top of everything else that's already available. Whoa!

The only other Halal fast-food outlet that serve turkey bacon during breakfast was Burger King. But that seemed to have ceased now, since they revamped their breakfast menu to consist of only the BreakFeast Platter, Ham & Cheese Croissan'Wich and the Breakfast BK Shots.

They did away with the Breakfast King, Scrambled Egg Platter and the super sinful Enormous Omelet Sandwich. Boo hoo!

McD's Big N' Tasty

During lunch, on the day I returned to work right after Hari Raya, my colleague asked what we would like to have.

Sub-consciously I replied, "Fast-food will be nice…" I guess I was already pretty tired of lontong, rendang, sambal and other Raya what-have-yous.

Besides, I've not had 'proper fast-food' (sounds like an oxymoron!) since the month long sabbatical during Ramadhan.

At McD, I saw that they are now offering cheese shaker fries. Already planned on having that. While choosing the burgers, I realized that they seem to have more burger offerings than usual.

Initially planned on the Quarter Pounder, until I saw that they have this new burger which use the quarter pounder patty yet has lettuce and tomato. Beef and veggies, you say?! Gimme!!

The packaging

Wasn't sure if this is their new offering, since I have not checked McD out for over a month.

Got the meal and upsized to get the shaker fries. Already set me back a lil' over $8. Sure ain't cheap, this one.

The cheese shaker fries, if you ask me, they taste a lot like that popular corn snack, 'Cheezels'.

The burger

When I looked inside the box and saw this, I can't help feeling a tinge of familiarity. I was wondering what it was.

At the first bite, I decide it seemed a lil' bland. Thankfully I grabbed a couple packs of black pepper from the condiment counter. After the next few bites, I find myself thinking, "This ain't worth it. Gimme a Whopper anytime!"

That's when it hit me. Hard.

McD was trying to create their own rendition of a Whopper! Is that so…?

Let's see… beef patty. Check. Lettuce. Check. Tomato. Check. Onions. Check. BBQ sauce. Check. Mayo. Check. And they have cheese. That would have been optional with the Whopper.

So what's going on here? I can't help noticing previously, that BK's Chicken Tendercrisp is very similar to McD's Chicken McSpicy…

Is McD having a new direct rival? Remember BK's cheeky 'real-grilled' chicken patty promo, sometime back? I remember McD going on head-to-head with KFC in their McCrispy chicken days…

Whatever it is, I believe it's us consumers who might just benefit. A healthy rivalry only help to create a more robust market, giving us more options…

Psst… BK is now serving this simple fish burger for breakfast. Familiar…?

Eid Mubarak - Hari Raya Goodies

That time of the year again. Eid'ul Fitr, also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri / Puasa and Lebaran here, in the Malay Peninsula. An Islamic festive celebration to commemorate the arrival of Syawal at the end of Ramadhan, after a month of fasting.

Usually celebrated for only a day in the Middle-East but over here, especially in Malaysia & Singapore, we somehow celebrate it throughout the WHOLE month of Syawal. Especially in Singapore, it's quite phenomenal, considering our country is teeny-tiny yet we celebrate it like we have to venture really far to visit relatives & friends (as the case with Malaysia & Indonesia).

Anyway, down to the food. When we think of Eid, we think of really rich, savoury foods, overwhelming spices and varieties. It's a good thing really, to have most of these foods commonly served at this time of the year ONLY. Won't do our hearts and arteries any good, should we consume these too often.

Here's what my maternal grandma prepared for us.

Food by my grandma

Clockwise from top-left: sambal goreng kecambah, dalcha (Indian vegetable curry), sambal udang petai, rendang itik & in the centre - lontong (compressed rice cake).

Not pictured, was a small tub of traditional Nasi Minyak (rice cooked with ghee).

Sambal udang petai

Shrimps/prawns and petai/stinky beans/'sataw' fried in fiery red chili paste.

Rendang Itik

Duck stewed in spicy coconut gravy.

It's actually pretty uncommon to serve duck during Hari Raya, so it's considered pretty 'exotic'. It's very popular with the Chinese here, but some Malays considered the taste to be a tad 'gamey'. My adventurous grandma has also served us venison meat before. I can't recall how she prepared it. Either rendang or curry.

Preparing duck in this manner was a good initiation by my grandma, to mask any 'gamey' smell. All that ginger, tumeric, gallangal, onions, chilli, shallots etc. And coconut milk. She only managed to get a young duck so the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender. Succulent!

Sambal goreng kecambah

'Kecambah' is actually green beans that's soaked overnight. By then, the thin, green skin will start to separate from the yellow flesh.

It is then fried briefly, where the skin will float to the surface naturally and then discarded. The yellow parts are then fried in spices & chilli with other items like shrimps, stink beans and beef or chicken offals.

Ayam goreng serai

Another one of my grandma's specialty.

Her helper will painstakingly julienne or slice thinly some lemongrass, use them to marinate the chicken with other spices. Sometimes, dessicated coconut is also added. The chicken is then deep fried and the lemongrass and coconut will become really crispy, tasty morsels.

Food by my grandaunt

At the last house for that day, my grandaunt prepared beef rendang, ayam masak merah (chicken stewed in spicy tomato gravy) and serunding (spiced dessicated coconut), to be eaten with 3 different type of carbs. There's lontong, ketupat and ba chang.

Ba Chang

Ba Chang, interestingly, is a Chinese food item. Glutinous rice, flavoured with a bit of soy sauce and wrapped with bamboo leaves. Traditionally, there's meat in the centre but my creative grandaunt prepared plain ones to be eaten with the other dishes.

Gado-gado

On another day, I went to a fabulous-looking house where this bachelor with pretty chi-chi tastes lives with his elderly mum.

He served us the traditional Javanese salad dish, Gado-gado. It was pretty creative of him to place the multitude of ingredients on a tampi, which is a traditional tool used to separate raw rice grains from their husks.

On the tampi, almost all the items are blanched, save for the raw cucumber and boiled potatoes & eggs. The blanched vegetables are white cabbage, bean sprouts, long beans and kang kong. this will later be doused in spicy peanut gravy and topped with crackers.

Honey cornflakes

My favourite sweet goodies aren't really the traditional ones, that I have to admit. Even the pineapple tarts, I prefer those with bits of crunchy cheese in the base.

I usually gun straight for the chocolate items or those with cornflakes, like the one above. Simply cornflakes with honey, a little butter and some sugar to hold it all together. It's then baked.

The outcome are crunchy nuggets of honey flavoured cornflakes, akin to a moist version of Nestle Honey Gold.

Cornflakes macaroon

These are like little nuggets of meringue with cornflakes and chocolate chips. These are what I'll willingly pay for since I don't bother to make it myself.

One thing, I wouldn't know what to do with all the unused egg yolks when I utilised the egg-whites for the meringue. Not like I make pineapple tarts, anyway. Another thing is that we need to know our ovens really well because it require different temperature and timings for different ovens.

My neighbour told me she baked hers for over 2 hours! O__o

One thing I know, when I see these, I can down at least 10 nos. easily. :P

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So there you go. Raya goodies. Very rich. Pretty spicy. Not-that-healthy. But taste oh-sooo-good!