Sedap Chong Pang Nasi Lemak!

It's been some time since I had some kickass nasi lemak!

So when Grace asked me out for dinner at Chong Pang, I really couldn't say no. Besides, I've never eaten at the original Chong Pang. Grace eats there pretty often because it's near her place and now I know why it's gotten so much publicity.

What makes a good nasi lemak? Every one has their own preferences. For me, the sambal must be ultra sedap - not too sweet and not too oily. The rice mustn't be clumpy; it should be fragrant but not too overpowering. Coconut milk shouldn't drown out the lightness of the rice. Ahhhh then there's...

TWO other things...

Ikan bilis with peanuts:



and

Chicken wing!




By the time we got to Chong Pang, it was around 9+ and both Grace and I were starving.

That explains the full plate. Heh it's an easy guess which is mine.

The first two shots of a very very full plate - that's mine... Together with lots and lots of sambal.

Hey, I WAS hungry! And I'm proud to say that I finished every grain of it. I even had an extra chicken wing!

My my... to tell you the truth, I am not a fan of fried chicken wings, but this Chong Pang one really won me over. It was so fresh and crispy that I gave in and within minutes, the chicken wing was in my tummy... Slurp. Satisfying.

Here's Grace's plate:



Her egg looks nice! And the hashbrown was yummy too.

By the time we were done, both of us had a HUGE grin on our faces.

You don't have to guess how happy we were..... I'll give you a rough idea:



Grace and I trying to include our food in the shot!

Now now, I really don't mind travelling all the way down to Yishun again. Although I don't live too near the area. This is one nasi lemak worth the long bus ride.

Sedap! (Malay for delicious). Gracie babe, thanks for the recommendation and the great company. We have to go back there again soon! Wins - you really missed out :p

_________________________________________

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak
447 Sembawang Road
Tel: 6756-0048
Open: 5pm to 3am daily.

Cafe Iguana

When you're a busy busy student, you sometimes get rather deprived.

I'm referring to deprivation of good solid food. When you're in a rush, there's simply no time to sit down for a proper meal. This has been the case for me for the past weeks at SMU. Maybe it's the timetable. I find myself running from Point A to Point B, grabbing a sandwich to go or Subway in between lectures.

*Yawn* How boring can it be? So I try as much as possible to have at least a good meal each week with friends and family to make up for it. And when I say make up for it, I do mean business. So my dinners tend to be heavy ones because I'll be so famished by the time classes end in the evening that I always feel as though I could eat an entire cow.

Soooo... last week, I met up with Grace, Winston & JF for a great Mexican dinner. This is the beginning of what I'll call 'Iguana Mania'. Winston has eaten there before. I've only walked past this place many times - I know that it's beside Brewerkz. To be honest, I didn't even though it sold Mexican food. Talk about being ignorant! :p

However, I'm glad I went there for dinner and we all had so much fun! JF had to leave early though - what a waste. Grace, Winston & I had such a blast I tell ya! Love them both to bits - they're really fun people to makan with. We're planning to do this on a regular basis. I should give it a name - the Perpetually Hungry Trio. How about that? haha... Dear Grace would agree with me, I know.. Right Grace?

All right, time to let the photos do the talking. You've seen the nachos above ya? They're really crispy and I love the salsa. The guacamole could be creamier though. But over all, it was nice to have a snack to keep our tummies from rumbling too much. We were really hungry!



Fickle me took a long time deciding what to get. In the end, I heeded the advice of the waiter and ordered the Green Chile Stew (SG$12.99) from the 'Platas' (dishes served with barracho beans and lime-scented cilantro rice) category. The famous carne de pueroco en chile verde (stewed pork) was served with house-made flour tortillas, sour cream and rice.

I liked the stew but wish they had given me more. Heh there were more beans than stew I think! But it was delicious. Love the cilantro rice. Well I'm a huge fan of cilantro anyway.



Winston had the Camarones al Diablo (prawns sauteed with fiery habanero chile, capsicum, ginger, cumin and lime, served with cheese quesadillas - SG$14.99). He let us try some and boy were the prawns fresh. Love the marinate. It has a slightly sweet and tangy aftertaste. Wonderful.



JF ordered the Flank Steak (SG$18.99) from the 'Fajitas' (sizzling platter served with flour tortillas, sauteed onions and peppers, sour cream and guacamole) category. It was rather fun to make - kinda D-I-Y tortilla wrapping session. But I think he left the meat on the hot plate too long so it ended up being a bit dry.

Grace on the other hand, had the winning dish:



She had the New York Steak (SG$21.99) from the 'Tequila Grill' (Lime marinated meat finished with a smoky and spicy tequila glaze served with grilled vegetables and poblano-scalloped potatoes) category.

THIS was the bomb! It was doubly juicy and really tasty! Oh the wonders Tequila does to a steak. I'm convinced that it works. Am definitely going to order this the next time we visit Cafe Iguana.

Dear Wins then treated us to a Strawberry Macho Magarita (SG$14.99). Am not much of a drinker so it was Grace's and Wins' responsibility to finish it up. ha!



That night was fantastic. There's nothing better than a night out with great food, excellent company and even better conversations. We bonded and laughed and even went to Starbucks for dessert! Greedy greedy us. Well that's why I say we should be named "Perpetually Hungry Trio".



I'm in love with the Iguana. I even brought home the coaster. Haha... well like they say... food is best remembered when shared with great friends.

Cafe Iguana
30 Merchant Road
#01-03 Riverside Point
Tel: 6236-1275

Inedible Creme Brulee

Creme brulee is a timeless dessert. There's nothing like a well baked brulee that is so smooth that it slides down your throat like slippery butter. I get excited when I tuck into a creme brulee. Tapping the sugar layer slowly in order to break it - that act in itself contains the anticipation of a eager woman (such as I) who simply cannot wait to taste sweet custard with vanilla beans. I love that sensation. You know, when both custard and vanilla intertwine and give you that sense of surreal calm as you taste it with your tongue. Mmmm....

But as much as I love eating creme brulee. Not all creme brulee can be eaten. Or at least, I bought an inedible creme brulee. No, don't be shocked. It is nothing serious really. By inedible, I don't mean that I've tried an absolutely horrible creme brulee. Nah... I haven't had the misfortune of facing such a disappointing encounter.

It's just that I love creme brulee that much to purchase this:



Yea yea... I want to smell like creme brulee. What's wrong? It's lovely! Seriously, if you love creme brulee, you should get a bottle for yourself. It really smells of creme brulee. I kid you not. Since I bought it, I've been having a most delightful aromatic experience everytime I shower. I wonder if they have it in tiramisu 'flavour'. I would buy 10 bottles immediately :p



Ta-dah! Nature's Organics Spa Creme Brulee. Definitely not for those who hate smelling like dessert lest you end up attracting ants. Hmmm no ants have bitten me so I guess it's safe. My new creme brulee shower milk is not only nice-smelling, it really wraps round my skin like milk. Very moisturising. I know this is a food blog and I'm starting to sound as if I'm a sales person selling shower milk - but really, this is good stuff. It's creme brulee! It has a tinge of vanilla fragrance together with a custard-y scent. This is gorgeous. Contains shea butter too.

In case you're wondering, I bought mine from NTUC Fair Price. :)

Thondamans

What happens when you are starving and seriously so hungry that you could eat a cow?

Choose from the below options:
a) I would settle for the first stall/restaurant/eatery I see and eat whatever they sell
b) I run to 7-11 to buy myself a cup of instant noodles
c) I swallow my saliva unwillingly and distract myself because I'm too lazy to get off my chair
d) I walk and explore patiently, believing that good food will come my way if I just practise patience and wait till my heart tells me this is the one.

So which did you choose?

Did you pick the easiest options? OR

did you go with option d?

If you chose option d then we have something in common.

Weird choice you might think but I have a rationale.

Good food is worth the walk; besides walking helps work up an appetite and heck, it's healthy!

I went for sunset mass at OLPS yesterday and was ravenous by the time it ended and it was about 8pm when JF and I started walking around the area searching for something delicious and substantial.

Just when I thought I had to settle for the usual rice with mixed vegetables, I spotted a large green sign that read "Thondamans Restaurant - Authentic Curry Fish Head". I couldn't take my eyes off the sign and started to suggest that we dine there.

Blame it on my love for Indian food but I really can't say no to curry! We walked closer and saw the menu - they sold thosai! I love eating thosai and have been wanting to eat some. Then the owner who was mopping the entrance told us to come in. We were checking out the menu (too intently i guess!) and he gestured us to come try the food, and promised that it will be cheap. We were sold. haha... well by then I had decided what to eat, so we entered the place.

I wanted some meat, dhal and vegetable so we ordered mutton masala, snake gourd, dhal, and the usual thosai.


mutton masala


Raita

The food was tasty and really up-to-standard. The mutton was so tender and the gravy thick and rich. I loved it. Even JF was impressed. I couldn't stop chowing down my thosai with the gravy, including the dips that came with the thosai. Everything was so fresh and yummy that I stopped talking for a while. The raita was refreshing. I love anything with yoghurt.

Midway, JF asked me if I was full (that's his way of saying that he was still hungry) and I told him, sure, we'll order more!

So we ordered sambal fish briyani and we were taken by surprise (in a good way) when this appeared:



That's alot of rice! It came in a metal steel bowl and the fish was in the middle of the rice together with an egg. The set came with some pappadums together with more tasty curry.

We put the rice on a plate and started eating every grain, with big mouthfuls. The owner must have been frightened at the amount we were eating! hahaa...



I liked the sambal fish although it tasted different from the usual sambal. There was more of a fresh chilli taste. I loved the briyani; they cooked it really well with the right amount of spices and it was really fragrant.

We were seriously stuffed. I felt sooo full but I was really happy. As I've mentioned before, if you succeed in feeding me something yummy, I will be your best friend for life :p

And I think the owner will be seeing more of me in time to come.... I still have to try their curry fish head. Okay, now I'm drooling... AGAIN!



Thondamans Restaurant
No. 324P, Changi Road
Tel: 6345-5022

P.S. They do catering as well!

Gifts from my Polish friend

I've been blessed to meet plenty of lovely people at SMU. Even though I'm literally on exchange from Kent Ridge to City Hall (haha.), I feel as if I'm in another country all together. It's probably also because of the friends I've made, especially Urszula. I know she reads my blog. Hey girl, I want to say that you're the sweetest! It's awesome hanging out with you!

Anyway she's an exchange student from Poland and I've learnt alot about her home country, especially how they celebrate Easter. It's amazing I tell you. Listening to her recounting events and what not - it really makes me want to visit Poland. Prior to meeting her, I will have to admit that I didn't know much about Poland - well except that the late Pope John Paul was from there, and they have nice polish sausages. How ignorant I must have been! Well I have Urszula here to educate me now so it's okay...

She went to Norway recently for a conference and brought some stuff back for me. That sweet dear; she's really thoughtful! This is some Norwegian brown cheese she bought for me to try:



That's that it looks like - brown. It might be too robust for some but I love it. It's not really smelly or pungent like blue cheese but it has a rich dark taste. It tastes good on its own or with some crackers. I love it! She told me that there are some people who love it and some who hate it.

Then there's Chrzan. It tastes very much like wasabi. I call it Polish wasabi. Ula didn't know what ingredients they used but I suspect it was horseradish. Yummy with cold meat, I had it with some ngoh hiah that day. :p




Herbs...




more herbs....




Barszcz. Something like Russian's Borsch; but slightly different...



Pudding & soft jelly drink mixes..



I know what you're thinking.... they're all in Polish, so how do I know what is what and how to use it? Ula gave me the instructions.. There were alot and I hope I remember them!

Oooo.. I stayed over at her place yesterday and we made Pierogi for dinner. It's some kind of Polish dumplings. My hands were dough-y so I couldn't really take photos. I will however try cooking them on my own at home for my family and let you know how it goes!

Final day of the Lunar New Year

homecooked roasted duck - it was super yum. my aunt and grannie made it

Last Saturday was heaven. I totally dig Chinese New Year. Was at my aunt's place for dinner and boy did I had a satisfying meal. It was to celebrate the last day (also the 15th day) of the lunar new year. The actual day was Sunday but we had it on Saturday instead.

Remember what I said about family gatherings and how food is a central part? Seriously, I'm blessed... truly blessed! My fifth aunt did most of the cooking that day, with help from the rest of my aunts and the food was delicious.

I invited Urszula, my Polish classmate and she was truly bowled over by the amount of food. I'm happy to report that she loved everything she tried, including century eggs. She's such a dear... She bought back some Norwegian brown cheese, Chrzan and herbs plus some others from her recent trip to Norway for a conference. I'll post about that another time though.

Today I'm just going to let the pictures whet your appetite.....



Some vegetable dish that tasted good.

You got to check out this yam basket:



It's made from scratch! Looks so much like the ones you have in Chinese restaurants eh? But oh no no no, this one is made by my fifth aunt. I was really impressed!

I couldn't resist taking a photo of it at a different angle:



Yam never tasted this good.... Yummmm...

My aunt made Tiramisu too! I was sooooo happy! This tiramisu was to die for...



She used Martell instead of coffee liquer but you know what.. I think it worked well.

I know I should have taken more photos but I was too preoccupied - with eating (what else?).

We had yu sheng again - a HUGE one.

I'm so happy I have a family who appreciates good food and knows how to cook and bake as well. My aunts rock! I have so much to learn.... I will have to master the yam basket. Man.. it's just so good!

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posts - these few weeks have been really busy for me. Will post as much as I can. :) Have a great week!

Food & Family

My best friend Cheryl Anne came to my house a few days ago and we were reminscing about old times when we started talking about food. She tried my Dad's Ayam Buah Keluak and totally loved it (except for the black nut... it really is an acquired taste I guess!) Us girls then started talking about how things were in Secondary school, and then she casually asked how did I come to love food so much. She noted that I wasn't that much into food when we were in sec school. That dear girl remembered what I usually ate during recess too! haha...

I started to ponder about what she said because true enough, I do enjoy food but it was only in recent years that the passion tripled - that explains this humble food blog and how I became an avid baker and cook. My ultimate dream when I was a mere child was to be a world renowned writer. Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl were my inspiration. They helped me with my imagination and it ran wild with dreams and ideas.

Fast forward to today, and I am happy to say that I still love writing (it's my one true love) and right now, I am also equally passionate about doing something with my baking to inspire others. Eden is my current project and I am determined to give my best. I believe God has blessed my ministry (Amplify) and I with a bunch of dedicated people who will go to great lengths to serve.

So... some of you might be thinking, yea it's food, so what? haha, it is a big deal to me. Food is a central part of my life. Growing up, my maternal extended family (my mum has 7 sisters, and I have 15 cousins at present) always gathered during special occasions like Chinese New Year, Christmas, birthdays and holidays. Food was always a central part of these gatherings. Every family meet was greeted with anticipation and curiousity. My 7 aunts can cook - and a few of them are seriously talented. You can imagine how it's like, to be treated to a buffet of home-cooked delights all made with love! I don't care how cliched it sounds, but hey, I can really taste the difference.

Most of my memories are marked with traces of smells, tastes, lovely crispy bits of sweet and sour, spicy and bitter. Culinary memory milestones I call them. Events that bring back that whiff of freshly baked bread or doughnts, chiffon cake, etc. Each food item holds a memory and vice versa. That's how my mind works I guess. When you're brought up in a family that places an emphasis on good homecooked food, then you'd naturally have 'food values' inculcated one way or another. Food is a sign of hospitality too and I like that. I get excited when I bake for others.

Today I have plenty of yu sheng photos that I took during Chinese New Year at my grannie's place. All my relatives from my maternal side were here. There was good food and I was too busy to take shots of every dish but here's a peek at my aunts' yu sheng. Homemade and totally fresh! Cheaper too....



The plate's darn H-U-G-E!

Here's the tossing.... "Lo Hei" they call it in Cantonese, I think.



Many hands and pairs of chopsticks make for more prosperity? Yes? Not? Whatever it is, the yu sheng tasted good... hahaha..




Check out this gold bar:



It's edible! The whole bar! Someone gave it to my aunt. It's some butter cake sprayed with edible gold paint... I think it's cute. But I heard it doesn't really taste good. Don't know how much they sell it for.

Anyway I think today was the 7th day of the Lunar New Year and it's everyone's birthday! So Happy Birthday to you, you and YOU!

*P.S. For all who have been asking me about my bake sale, I will have one in the holidays, probably in April so look out for it! I'm itching to bake! I haven't baked much since I started the semester at SMU. Busy busy busy me... ahhhh.. okay I have got deadlines to meet!

A finger-lickin' reunion dinner

Dad's nothing short of excellent when it comes to whipping up culinary gems in the kitchen. He often reminisces about his childhood kampung days in Malacca when he was younger; how he helped his mum prepare meals and mentions with much pride, of his mum's finesse in Peranakan dishes including Devil Curry & Ayam Buah Keluak. I can't help but thank God for my Dad's Peranakan roots - it sure helps to keep my Perankan food cravings at bay :)

Food plays a huge role in my home. It's probably because Dad is such a great cook and tries to cook at home whenever he can. Being a family-centric man, he'd rather have a homecooked meal at home than eat out. I can see why - seriously, I'm a huge advocate of homely food. There's nothing like gathering together at a table and talking about your day and enjoying the delectable spread in front of you.

Today's the first day of the Lunar New Year and in Chinese tradition, families usually celebrate on the eve with a reunion dinner. It's kind of like a day where family members would gather and share a meal together. People who are overseas fly home, and those who are busy usually make an effort to be home with the family.

This year, our dinner included Dad's super yummy Ayam Buah Keluak (chicken curry with black nut), a typical Peranakan dish. My my, the buah keluak rocks my world. Though it is an acquired taste, the black nut goes down well with me. "Black Gold" I call it:



Detractors might refute and call it black s*** but I really couldn't care less. Haha, this is heaven to me. There's just something so appealing about a mysterious smokey, musky black paste that sends waves down my oesophagus - well, after it makes an impact on my tastebuds.

Then there were prawns:



Butter prawns cooked with black pepper. Simply divine. Oo-la-la!

And in my household, chilli is a must-have. No chilli, no smiles; for me at least :p

... and for my Dad. Both of us consume the most amount of chilli and it's not hard to figure out why. We live for spicy and totally dig our curries, sambal and fresh chillies.

To complement the 'Sey ba' (or kong ba as it's more commonly called - it's pork cooked with soy sauce, honey and spices like cinnamon, ginger, star anise etc), we had some red hot chilli:



My favourite way of eating sey ba, is to wrap it with lettuce and add a generous amount of that chilli above. The taste that explodes in my mouth is too yummy for words. The savoury tinge of soya sauce accompanied by the slight sweetness from the honey makes this dish a winner. Dad's known for his sey ba.

Don't you think it looks gorgeous?



Mmmmmmm..... I really must say that this year's dinner totally rocked my world. But then again, Dad's food always rock my world - so well it's either that I'm just biased, or I'm really satisfied. I think it's the latter because I ate so much of everything!

Anyway here's wishing all of YOU a very Happy Lunar New Year! May you get loads of red packets and enjoy the good eats :)

Mediterranean Sweets

delectable baklava

As someone who has a sweet tooth, I find it hard to hide my excitement when presented with a chockful of saccharine sweet treats.

I have to confess that I prefer soft candies to hard ones. Perhaps I like my candy to have more bite. Chewy candies I can take, and more so if it's made with nuts!

Weird is the word to use. I have weird food preferences, or maybe I just like interesting combinations of food. My tongue is my taste panel where I seek out new depths with different cuisines and food.

Mediterranean food ranks high in my 'favourite cuisine' list. There's just something beyond exotic about various Mediterranean food that gets to me. I love grains, and yes I do love my hummus (chickpea + tahini paste) and baklava.

Not only is Mediterranean food tasty, but also sexy and very appealing - the way they dress their food with spices, how they utilise the most down-to-earth utensils (think of the tagine in Morroco). I won't dare say I'm a Mediterranean expert, but I do know a good thing when I taste one!

Who in the world uses the adjective 'sexy' to describe food? I happen to be that person and I'm the sort who can literally fall in love....with a tantalising dish or in this case, sweets...



These sweets were given to my aunt and had free access to them when I dropped by her place. I was really lucky because she had only gotten them the day before.



This one has ground pistachios in it, and it's encased in a thin crisp shell - a dream to bite into. Yummy. Told you I have a thing for nuts...

Then there's the date rugelach:



Miniature date rugelach rolls - they're adorable and soft and full of date-goodness. It wasn't too sweet as well. That's the thing about me, I can't really stand artificial sweetness - I prefer natural sweetness that comes from food like honey or dates.

And speaking of dates, here's a cool date with a walnut in the centre:



These are very fun to eat! The nutty crunch that awaits you on your first bite; that's what I call a nutty surprise. Dates and walnuts taste good together.

I have a sudden craving for these sweets right now. Ahhh...

Chinatown buzz

With Chinese New Year just round the corner, I couldn't resist a visit to Chinatown. Besides, I had every reason to go there last Sunday since I was playing tour guide to Urzsula and Janet. Both girls are international exchange students I met at SMU. Urzsula's from Poland, while Janet reigns from Holland. They were so much fun and I pretended to be a tourist and started snapping some photos. It's nice to capture the Chinatown spirit during Chinese New Year.

Though crowded, the buzz at Chinatown provided for a truly local experience. Both girls got a glimpse of the huge appetites and 'patience' of Singaporeans - the long queue for Lim Chee Guan's bak kwa (barbecued minced pork) said it all. What entrances me every time I visit Chinatown during this festive period is the splash of colours that line the countless makeshift stalls. You almost feel as if you're in another part of Asia. Or perhaps it's just that I'm very much a visual person and can't resist taking in the rainbow that stands before me.



Sweets are a common sight at Chinatown. There's no shortage of mochi sweets, preserved fruits & chocolates. Sold by the grams, it's just so tempting to grab every single colour and every type. I had to stop myself from picking too much. In the end, I bought $5 worth of those Japanese mochi sweets. They're really chewy and come in so many flavours - durian, honeydew, chocolate, yam, strawberry, green tea, etc. I love the green tea one.



After much exploring and squeezing through the crowds, us trigger happy girls decided to drop by People's Park Food Centre to appease our tummies.

This is where I let the pictures to do the talking:



That chee cheong fun 'sushi' roll was the most interesting fusion thing I have eaten so far. It wasn't my first time trying it. Thing is, everytime I ate it, I forgot to take a photo of it. So now I shall share this piece of goodness with you. Urzsula and Janet loved it. They were rather amused I must say!

Urzsula tried the Almond Soya Milk from Mr. Bean and I think she liked it. Okay, here's the thing, I've been telling her how wonderful the soya milk here is. The soya milk she's tasted before were not so fantastic I guess! But here, soya milk's everywhere and I guess she got curious. Anyway she thinks that the Almond one is tasty.

Janet and I had the popular duck rice (didn't copy down the name of the stall but it's quite obvious - check out the one with long queue and many certificates from Makansutra, Green Book Awards etc)



I think it was yummy. The rice was pretty ordinary I guess. Maybe I'm used to eating duck served with brown coloured rice. Anyway this stall is known for it's char siew and roasted duck. Not so much for the rice. haha. The duck didn't disappoint and I loved their sauce. Mmmm...

It was a really breezy evening and the three of us took a walk after dinner and snapped more shots of the beautiful light-up. Beautiful end to the week I think. I've invited Urzsula for a homecooked meal some time soon and will definitely post about it.

Anyway pardon my lack of posts - the school term at SMU is pretty heavy these few weeks. Can't wait for Chinese New Year! I wanted to hold a bake sale but my current busy schedule didn't allow me to. Maybe during the holidays I will. :)