Brasserie Gavroche on Tras Street

There seems to be a misunderstanding over the terms “Bistro” and “Brasserie” by some people here. A Brasserie is a French restaurant that is typically more upscale than a Bistro. The food and service at a Brasserie is more refined than a Bistro which serves delicious but more rustic fare in a more casual setting. Of course, the confusion may arise from the fact that some bistros in Singapore serve food at brasserie prices.

While I love bistro food, occasionally, once in a while, it’s nice to go a little upmarket to celebrate a little.

Posted on 3rd May 2012 in French, Old School | 1 comment

Yayoiken at the Meidi-ya Supermarket in Liang Court

As a school kid, I never had much pocket money. My parents weren’t rich and I was too embarrassed to ask for pocket money raises. As a result, to go out on dates, I had to save up for weeks.

At that time, one of my favorite restaurants to bring a date to was Hoshigaoka at Centerpoint. Mainly because the meal sets were fix-priced and hence presented a fairly immobile target to save for. And because each set consisted of an appetizer, a main, dessert and fruit (inclusive of coffee or tea), there was little danger of the date ordering something that would bust my meager savings. Strategic thinking focuses limited resources for maximum impact.

Yes, yes, there are always the cheaper alternatives but at 16, the skin is thin and impressions are painfully magnified.

And so when I saw Yayoiken opening at the Medi-ya supermarket, it brought back many memories of happy dining.

Posted on 27th Apr 2012 in Japanese | Post a comment

Easy Roast Crackling Pork

Pork crackling is one of the most delicious things to eat that I know of. When I was a kid, I was ambivalent about candy but I would fight you for every last bit of pork crackling. It is also one of the most popular things that I serve to my friends and family. When the pork crackles and crunch as you bite into it, that’s amore.

Anyway, my cousin-in-law and a few friends have been asking me to write down the technique, so here it is.

Posted on 23rd Apr 2012 in Food and Drink, Meat, Old School, Recipes | 2 comments

Kko Kko Nara on Tras Street

There’s a difference between being sated and being full. Satiation is the state where you’ve achieved full gratification and satisfaction; you’re unable to take in any more. Being full may not bring about satiation.

So during dinner at Fat Cow, we decided that we needed a late supper. Mae and I have been talking about going there for many months and since everyone was in town, we had an unopened bottle of Billecart-Salmon and there was room for wings and beer, so why the hell not?

Posted on 12th Mar 2012 in Bistro/Trattoria, Korean, Meat | 2 comments

Fat Cow at Camden Medical Centre

Have you ever had a piece of Otoro? It comes from the fattest part of a Tuna fish’s belly. Instead of the normal deep red, Otoro is whitish pink. If you put a small slice in your mouth, just on your tongue, it will slowly fall apart, without chewing, from your body heat. You can’t really tell that you’re eating fish but the texture is unctuous and sensual.

That’s as close I can describe eating a piece of A5 Wagyu. As Singapore’s powers-that-be relaxes its grip on beef imports (due to mad cow disease) and increasing affluence, which means, for better or worse, restaurants are putting Wagyu beef (Japanese or otherwise) to its menus. However, this introduces a big problem…

Posted on 1st Mar 2012 in Dead Cow Society, Food and Drink, Japanese, Meat | 1 comment