McCormick and Schmick's

In our continuing adventures with B Dub, we head to the Plaza for some shopping and a walking exercise in patience as I was shopping with 2 ladies. It was lunch time and this time, because I was more awake, I made a more diligent decision.

McCormick and Schmidt's or so the wife calls it is a seafood restaurant. Now, my avid readers must be thinking, the gourmand comes from an island with exceptional seafood, will this be another faux paus? Fortunately, it was not.

We ordered the seafood Mac and Cheese, the oyster sampler, clam chowder, fried shrimp and crab cakes and I have to say each choice was good. The oysters are fresh and wonderful, my wife swears by the seafood mac and cheese, the clam chowder was slightly too corny, but that's just me, and the crab cakes were the best I've had, granted I haven't had many crab cakes before. Who would have thought a restaurant in the mid west serving good seafood? Its like me walking around Singapore asking for American BBQ.

The more important thing is that it was great weather, we sat outside, had a good time chatting and I felt like a grown up! *gulp*

The service was impeccable, and the combination of friend and being on holiday makes it an exceptional experience.

Mild-ly wildly recommended.

Krispy Kreme

Yes, its bad for you. It clogs your heart and you might probably die of diabetes. But has death ever tasted so artificially orgasmic?

One of the pilgrimages the wife always insists on is Krispy Kreme and since my in laws moved closer to one, I guess we had no choice. Our dear friend B Dub decided to meet us to drive us around and my wife had her first call of port.

I initially did not want to order anything but honestly I could not resist that smell. If only once I could taste that doughnut and I did.

My one and only time.

Worth it.

O'Dowd's

First of all, the excuse that I am giving is that I just got off the plane, I still didn't know what time it was and the server from Mizzou had to check my ID because she thought someone from KU was giving her some Mc'Lovin action.

My wonderful in laws knew of all these conditions and wanted to bring us somewhere near the airport to grab a bite and hit the sack as we will be having a crazy upcoming few days.

We go to Zona Rosa and after walking one complete round, we decided on O'Dowd's. Don't ask me why. It just seemed the most logical choice then. Like the KU-Mizzou rivalry can't get any worse, the server from Mizzou decides to sit the family right in front of the band. (hence the red lighted tinge on the pictures) and out of my own air headiness, I ordered fish and chips.

Yes, go ahead and laugh at me. Returning to a wonderful place that has fantastic BBQ, burgers and what have you, I order myself fish and chips and to true irony, it wasn't that great. The bangers and mash were decent and the wife was giving me a look on her cabbage and beef.

In defence of O'Dowd's, the band was actually pretty good, beer was cheap and it was great weather to be seated outside and it is a top 10 Irish pub in America, or so it claims.

I just wish I was more awake then.

MiMi's Cafe

Read the subtitles as the "Breakfast Tour," because the wife is such a big breakfast person and we have to do "Brinner," (having breakfast during dinner) often and one of the first stops in Kansas City is our beloved MiMi's Cafe .

Yes, its a chain and yes it has tons of old people, which seems to be weird because it seems as if only old people have breakfast? And thankfully there isn't an age limit in the restaurant. But I digress.

The food was still good and memorable. I wanted my beef roast at 11am but for good reasons, it wasn't ready but they manage to knock one out for me anyways.

In summary, I returned to MiMi's twice.

Good times.

Tokyo McDonald's Part Deux

Once again Tokyo Narita McDonald's, you have stood up to the test.

Probably the juxtaposition of the awesomeness that is you and the life demeaning Delta Airlines food gives me more reason to want to make a stop at the airport.

Don't miss it when you're there at Terminal 1.

Delta Airlines

You win! Its because of you, I have stopped eating Airplane food.

Why give your customers a menu for each meal when there really isn't any choice? It's either chicken or chicken. And why say that you serve beer or wine when you have neither? I asked for a beer and you don't have it?

Delta. You win.

Customers suck!

Warong M Nasir

It's the day before I go for my long holiday and what better way to leave to the home of hamburgers and hotdogs then to eat more local food!

As an excuse for a work meeting, I met my vendor near his home along Killiney Road. I have walked by this restaurant so many times but have never walked in.

The food was slightly pricey. I ordered a side of Beef Rendang, Curry Chicken and some vegetable kuah with 2 drinks and I paid $12. I have to say that there was too much curry happening in my rice but in the overall picture, a good meal.

Recommended.

Founder Bak Kut Teh

We were bored. Jigga Man was free and the Mrs had something else to do. I was having my pre natal cravings (I hear pregnant women have it constantly) again. Jigga Man wanted to bring me around in his new ride and I decided on Bak Kut Teh(BKT). Something that I have mentioned several memoirs ago and was thinking about.

As some of you might know, Bradell is a strange place. A place not unlike Mars but more similar to the atmosphere on Saturn. The line was long and I was reassured by Jigga Man that when there is a long line, "they will come." So we came, and waited. And after an approximate wait of 20 mins and my hunger pangs pang-ing, we finally got our seats.

We had already pre ordered while waiting in line and can I say this? I think I can because its my blog, this BKT was out of this world. There are 2 types of BKT, the darker broth that is supposedly more herbal and the clearer broth that is more peppery, it depends on whether you are Jackal or Hyde that day I guess, or Michael Jackson but I digress ... The BKT soup served here was only a tinge of pepper and a whole lot of garlic sweetness. The broth was clean and delicate. The pork ribs were meaty and succulent, the salted vegetable were well done and their vegetables broiled in broth was lovely.

Maybe like the Singapore version of the Carnegie Deli in New York, there were tons of pictures of local and Asian celebrities on the walls, so I guess some people like it.

A place worth re-visiting over and over again. Highly recommended. 12 thumbs up! But beware the line and wait.

TV: Enviromental Rant

I don't want to go on a rant here but I have no choice. I have already used the word rant in my title and you bloggers know that once you use a word in the title, you can't go back.


If you stop reading this rant in 2 sentences. It is this. Being "eco- friendly," stinks. Yes, I said that. It stinks. Take that you granola eating, pot smoking, tree hugging hippies.


Why is it that toilet urinals with the sign above always happen to be the smelliest toilets in malls? Sure, the toilets in the local hawker centres, coffee shops or even homes might have worse smelling bathrooms, but the ones using "eco-friendly," technology smells off left over urine. And what's the kicker, the flush doesn't work for these urinals and it wreaks of somebody who ate asparagus and stinky cheese, thinks that the urinals is a water fountain and goes No. 2 again in the same urinal/water fountain.


I think more people would adopt environmentally friendly technology if it didn't stink. If right now, I were to be asked if I want Mother Earth to die or die of stench, I think I would pick the former. That's how bad the smell is.


Rant out!

Warong Nasi Pariaman

So I'm left alone by the Mrs as she headed to her pedicure? Or is it manicure? With her buddy Hazelicous. So what do I do? I look for Batik shirts! As usual, Pampadam's recommendations are spot on, but before I go on a rant here; she is beginning to be more right about stuff like this than most.

I walk around aimlessly in the Arab Street area and I have to say that the place is lovely. I have hardly been to that part of the island before and the people were nice. I was thinking to myself where are they from?

Anyways, I walked into the Briyani House which my parents recommended. There weren't alot of people and the 3 "varieties," of different briyani were, well, different because its all just different rice types. I was confused. And when the guy behind the counter placed the rice and chicken for the customer in a microwave oven, I did what most normal human beings would do. I walked out of the store. (That's why I will never eat in a Burger King even though how cool the ads are)

Right across the street was Warong Nasi Pairaman. For those who don't understand Malay, the name basically means something rice something.

This place was full of people, the service was quick and painless and the dishes looked, outstanding. I was just taking a look when the lady stopped me and asked if I wanted to eat. How can one refuse? I just said yes. She recommended 3 dishes and I ordered 4.

The beef rendang was fresh out of the pot and it melted in my mouth. I never really liked Achar before but can I just say that this was the freshest Achar I have had in my life? Freshly cut pineapples, cucumber and sliced onions with green and red chillis and my guess, a hint of freshly squeezed lemon. I didn't really like the fish because I thought it was over fried hence too tough. The cabbage kuah was done al dente, lovely and slightly milky. And out of greed, I ordered a side of fried chicken, which was lovely. All this and a can of coke, $9.

What a fine. I was so satisfied that I just sat at a bus stop to read a copy of the newspaper whilst waiting for the wife who was about 20 mins away.

And can I add, the people at the store were absolutely friendly.

TV: EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE.

The Eat Local Challenge is an initiative taken from the United States where customers are encouraged to pick food vendors based on the quality of the food and their commitment to socially responsible practices.

Now, I am a very practical person. Singapore is an island. So we can't grow our own produce or have our own water, or have space to grow free range chickens, or breed grass fed cows or can we have any say in the practice of fair trade because we are, well, surrounded by water. We are in one heck of a disadvantage. And more importantly, I do love MacDonald's and KFC and I do indulge in fairly expensive culinary adventures right in Singapore. But even in our country's short history, our lack of National identity (just my opinion) and culture, I have been thinking about what is something that we can preserve or to keep as our own?

And since this is a food blog. Why not Food !?! The way I see it, before everything turns into a "KopiTiam," "Banquet," and now Food Republic (which I still enjoy but I think is ridiculously expensive) food court; we should preserve what Singapore already has. Great food! Who wants to eat at a chicken rice store at a food court where the chicken rice is over priced, deadly stale, and highly processed and we go there purely out of convenience and nothing else, when there is a smaller chicken rice store that is cheaper and maybe 10 mins away?

I have been thinking about this because I have been wanting to eat Bak Kut Teh recently, and I realized that all the great stores are never at a mall or at a food court. They're in the neighborhood stores, in the nook that I have never been to (Yes, even though Singapore is SO SMALL), at that part of town that I hardly visit. All this wonderful food at great prices and nostalgic local atmosphere.

If we don't support their business, then these stores will slowly disappear, just like our culinary identity.

My version of the Eat Local Challenge Poster!

TV: Thai Style

My bro in law K-bo was performing in Bangkok and we decided to take a road trip and meet up.

One of the places we went was Ban Chiang, in the Silom area near the BTS. I was expecting locals, instead we saw tons of tourists. Your mind must be screaming "TRAP! TRAP!" But it was not. How was the food? I think it was outstanding.

Rated #8 in the trip advisor list of restaurants and recommended by both Fodors and Tatler. The service was outstanding. The food, specifically the darn coconut ice cream was fantastic. Probably the best I have had. Ever. And the pineapple fried rice was delectable, Tom Yum Soup which I was wish was slightly more spicy was already tremendous.

Everyone loved the meal. The deco is a comfortable and nostalgic, the servers were competent in their english and gave good recommendations. Sometimes when you travel to a foreign country, all you want is a place to eat genuine local food that is well cooked and loved by the locals.

The damage in total was about SGD $80 for 4 people. I think its on the high side but still worth a try.

TV: Hittin It 4th of July Style

It's 4th of July and I decided to have a party.

The ManGohs were gracious enough to host the BBQ. The Tasty Bits brought black angus steak and foie gras, and we brought burgers, pasta salad, hot dogs, buns , and a salad. And pampadam brought her big personality.

7 people and too much food. Some beer and a whole lot of fun at a condominium name that sounds like a city.

The picture posted above is mr tasty bits cooking the foie.

If this was a review, I would say that the beef was best I have had in a while, and I have to say that tasty bits might own some cows in the United States without telling me because the steaks tasted happy, cooked happy and made everyone happy. So happy that the ManGohs were dreaming steak that very night. You think I am kidding?

My drool on the ground disagrees.

Wah Wah Wahiro!

First, the bad news. Like wanting to quit my job every day. I really do want to close this blog. Who reads a blog nowadays anyway? Seriously. If you are younger, you either tweet, or have a facebook account and I have none of both. I don't have a myspace booty call page and I don't have a web cam that follows me around to record me eating. Who wants to know thoughts when pithy schmug comments and phrases are sufficient for our attention deprived minds?

The good news? 5 Japanese restaurants in around my area and I think I have found the best one yet! Wahiro at Tanjong Katong Shopping Centre, located at the corner of a cross junction of Joo Chiat Place and East Coast Road lies a small treasure of Wahiro restaurant.

We were hungry. We wanted Japanese. And any restaurant in town was filled with a long queue and an even longer stench of mediocrity. This place can sit 30 at best and some on the floor. The food was fresh and delightful and service sometime non existent but the food more than made up for it.

The sashimi is fresh. Yakitori was good, soba noodles delightful, sushi rolls out of this world.

Pithy enough?

Highly recommended.

Serenity Restaurant & Bistro

Serenity can be best surmised by Rob Gonsalves as " In brief, Serenity feels like a capitulation to the dumb mass audience." Oh wait, that's from efilm critc about Serenity the movie. Serenity Restaurant & Bistro however does invoke similar movement, in my bowels.

Its not like I didn't like the restaurant, but the wife best surmised the restaurant and the food as "its not the worst place on earth, but we definitely won't come back," and that's after the 3rd tapas plate that arrived.

I also don't understand how a restaurant that serves, or at least claims to serve Mediterranean and Spanish food, puts ads in the drink menu for Spanish schnapps and don't have them yet and never tells their customers that there isn't chorizo available but its still on the menu? Really?

The meal of tuna puffs. toastadas, marisco seafood soup, bruschetta, olives and jarmon iberico with one apple juice and beer (the wife ordered the beer) costs $102.

For readers unfamiliar with tapas and Spanish food, lets get some things clear. Tostadas is Mexican. Tuna Puff was closer to what I could get at my neighborhood Malay food store, bruschetta is Italian and jarmon iberico never tasted that horrible.

With the restaurant located at the edge of construction facing Sentosa and the side door open, flies made up for the customers filling up the empty seats on a Sunday afternoon. I have to say if this restaurant has a 7.2 rating at the hungrygowhere website, I am beginning to not believe that site anymore.

YUCK.

2 Oscar the Grouches.

Sushi Jiro

We are at Cheesecake cafe at Siglap and thinking what to eat after dinner, and the super cool owners recommended this Japanese restaurant about 2 stores down from the cafe.

Great suggestion. Pampadam Pam, myself and the wife (after so many entries, I should give her a cool nick name) had a try.

Spoiler alert. Restaurant is expensive. But fish is flown in twice weekly from Japan and the owner goes to Japan to bring it in himself. (how cool is that?) Fish is fresh and delectable, egg sushi was creamy and sweet, and everything else was actually of a good standard.

A very good surprise near my house and great help from the owners of cheesecake cafe.

BOOMARANG Bistro & Bar

Okay. Has anyone seen the movie Australia? The movie where Hugh Jackman sings and fall in love with little aborigine children? There's also that topless scene of Hugh Jackman where he pours water on his hairy chest? Yes, from that country comes some food as well. And we visited such a restaurant.

Boomarang Bistro & Bar is located at one of the many quays in Singapore and in the midst of television blaring rugby and thick inconciousable accents, lies a good restaurant. Me and the mrs went there to people watch and we had a great time.

The restaurant serves all day breakfast over the weekends and arriving there at 2pm on a Saturday. The restaurant was relatively empty. It was somewhat difficult to get the attention of the servers but when we did get their attention, our order was not missed! (YAY!)

But it was missed.

But before I digress, the servers quickly realized their mistake and made the change. While I like to believe that the meal was of a decent quality. Alls I believe is eggs are eggs. Bacon is bacon. A cheap frozen hashbrown is a cheap frozen hashbrown.

I would still reommend this place to people. In a summer afternoon, with a cold beer in hand, to people watch and watch rugby. Take away the cheap tasting frozen hashbrown, I like the place.

SPRUCE

There are many puns that I can throw at a restaurant name such as SPRUCE. But to do so, would be terribly crude of me. Things like the restaurant should "SPRUCE," up its service, or the restaurant needs SPRUCING, or even the restaurant is not very SPRUCE. Lastly, oh look, the restaurant is in the midst of a SPRUCE of trees.

This SPRU-TECULAR restaurant is well, neither impressive nor reasonable. To ask about the whereabouts of my order of pancakes, and instead given my bill before I finished my meal is quite a feat, but true enough. It happened.

Pancakes were cake like, breakfast was typical and burger was neither impressive nor interesting made this restaurant boring. Unless of course you live in the area and want to be in the midst of an expat enclave and want to be seen, not heard (that's why light travels faster than sound) this might be the place for you.

Of course I am being exorbitantly mean, but I think that people should give this restaurant a try. But at your own risk. I sense that this restaurant is still relatively young and finding its feet.

Return to this restaurant I shall not.

SPRUCE
320 Tanglin Road
Phoenix Park

Qi Ji

That my friends is a Nasi Lemak. And I want to use this blog to tell my friends and family to try it. Yes,it looks weird. Yes, it tastes weird. And yes, those little brown things are crispy anchovies. But besides the food, I would like to also talk about lessons that I have learnt while eating Nasi Lemak.

The first being never listen to your wife who is not from Singapore when she tells you that a semi-local dish is good. Traditionally, and like a great boyfriend that I am to my wife, I generally believe everything she tells me, so it was about to pour and we are there at Marina Square wondering what to eat. I was thinking about the food court (yes, I do eat at a food court) but since my wife already ate her lunch ( clue no. 1), she suggested that we eat, wait, I eat there.

Second lesson is never under estimate the power of condiments. In this case here, was belachan chili. It was missing and it was my choice. It became my fault. The Nasi Lemak was okay. It was just too plain. It needed something to spice it up but I only realized it when I completed the plate in 3 mouthfuls (clue no. 2 - i tend to eat food that are not delicious very quickly so that I can forget about it.)

And the last and most important lesson I have learnt at Qi Ji, was well, eat Nasi Lemak at a place where they don't charge SGD $5.50 for something that can be $3.50 at the food court or cheaper at the hawker center. The thing wasn't bad, but it was Nasi Lemak purgatory. Never eat at a place that claims to serve local food when it actually specializes in something that is not Nasi Lemak related. (clue no. 3 )

Critic Out.