Saturday Cookout Afterthought

It had been months since I last update the cookfreak blog as working life (as an IT professional) had taken a toll in both my mental and physical well-being that I took a 3 month sabbatical from work and cooking (including blogging as well).

With current economic situations and inflation, it take one to wonder how one can appreciate the things around you and the things you do in life. I have friends everyday telling me how "sian" they are with their life even those well-to-do friends showing signs of weariness due to stress. Even now, I do not have any answer to this never-ending rat race that seem to entwine everyone including myself.

But one thing I know for sure is my passion for food and cooking never wanes despite all this. As my friends always made fun of me that - "I live to eat" not like them - "eat to live". Truth to their words, I constantly re-invent ways of cooking common cuisine as well as complex one in an economical way everyone can enjoy. I will be sharing in coming post on how one can roast and grill chicken/fish with toaster oven without the need to purchase expensive conventional oven.

"Twilight Killer" Ramen - NANTSUTTEI Ramen

Being a ramen fanatic, I always take the opportunity to try new Japan ramen restaurants that had set its root in Singapore. Nasutte is among the few that I chosen for my taste test as I absolutely adores Tonkotsu soup based ramen and its well known roasted garlic oil topping.



NANTSUTTEI is located at the 3rd floor of new Millenia Walk extension - Parco Marina. I had the chance to try out NANTSUTTEI's garlic oil tonkostu ramen during their initial first week of operation. If I had the time, I normally would like to grace newly open Japanese restaurant during the first 2 weeks as this is the time you get to taste authentic Japanese cuisine as the Japanese cuisine are prepared under the watchful eye of main store chef from Japan.



I decided to go for the full work and order the Charsiew Ramen ($16.00) and additional topping of ramen egg ($2.00). About 15 mins later, steaming hot Charsiew Ramen was served up to me. Without further ado, I took a sip of the soup and was struck by how full bodied the ramen soup was brewed. It is the best tonkotsu soup base I have ever taste shaming even the popular Ippudo, Tampopo or Ichibantei. The black garlic oil further enhance the richness of the Tonkotsu soup to a new level. If your averse to Garlic, you might want to give this ramen a miss if you happen to be Robert Pattinson of Twilight or Twilight fan.


NANTSUTTEI serve thick curly noodles that doesn't lose it el dente despite soaking in the soup. The ramen egg is perfectly cooked with liquid-center yolk that not much ramen restaurant able to attain. I definitely give 2 thumbs up for impeccable attention in making such delectable ramen.

Saturday Cookout Afterthought

I give advice to my friend's mum over Live Messenger on how to go about using the microwave to cook marinated chicken. As reported by my friend, the outcome was pretty successful. However, he commented it seem so tedious and difficult despite the process of using a microwave to cook the marinated chicken is pretty effortless and simple. I cannot comprehend why so many people perceive cooking as tedious and complex.  

I have a friend that say why you can effortless cook dishes that seem so complex and tedious. Well I have my fair share of failure and this saturday cookout is a failure despite it aesthetic appearance. My dutch rendition of Stampot is too dry and the pan fried skewered bacon wrapped dory fish isn't crispy enough. It would be ideal if it is deep fried.
 
Even in failure, you can learn what could be done to improve the failed recipe. As I always say no one is born a cook, it is only whether you have a heart to cook. 

"Bad Mouth" Fried Chicken Wings - Bonchon 4 Fingers

After BBQ Chicken graced Singapore F&B, 4 Fingers Bonchon Crispy Chicken finally hit Orchard ION B4 to contest with the wealth of diverse F&B outlets with the only contender in Orchard ION for the fried chicken wings is Old Chang Kee unless you want to consider Dong Dae Mun which retail fired chicken cutlet etc. By chance, my makan kaki & me found the Bonchon is not vacant during one late sunday night while we wandering aimlessly in ION prompt us to give this Korean fried chicken a go for our money.

Our first look into the Bonchon menu give us a shock of our life. For 3 mid wings & 3 wingstick (3 Chicken Wings) are priced at $7.95 and for a set meal with drink $9.90. There are 2 flavour of choice :- Spicy Chili or Garlic Shoyu. We ordered $7.95 chicken only set with mixed spicy chili & garlic shoyu in order to try all the Bonchon fried chicken flavours.

After paying up $7.95, we move on to "spacious" unique reclining seating area while we wait for the fried chicken to served to us. While we waiting for the chicken served to us, we notice the video adverstisement screening in Bonchon video wall actually is a collection of video comment film from a group of fried chicken lovers "bad mouthing" other fried chicken franchise. Exact details of the comment I won't delve, I leave it those who are interested to dine in Bonchon to take a look. (Note: The video advert was screening during the time of my dinning, as for whether the advert is still screen in Bonchon, I'm unable to verify). After 5 to 8 minutes wait, the fried chicken wings were served to us.

My first glance of Bonchon Fried Chicken Wings, it is very puny like winglet & wingstick if you compared with Old Chang Kee Fried Chicken Wing. I guess maybe the redeeming factor is in its special flavoring sauce that is coated on the fried chicken. I proceed to take a bite on the Spicy Chili flavour. Bonchon is the most crispy fried chicken in Singapore but with a catch. Bonchon is also the driest fried chicken as you can forget about finding any meat juice.

Bonchon crispy crust is due to their special rice flour batter that contribute to its ability to retain its crispiness after being fried for a long time. The spicy chili sauce have a sweet fusion of Gochuzhang (Korean Chili Paste) & Tasbaco sauce which is pretty unique and I quite like it. As for the Garlic Shoyu, it is sweet shoyu with hint of garlic. For a hefty price of $7.95 for 3 dry crispy winglets & wingsticks, it is unlikely I would revisit Bonchon as I prefer crispy juicy chicken.

Handmade Soba That Never Fail To Amaze Me - Shimbashi Soba Raffles City

The sweltering heat bathing Lion City for the past few weeks doesn't seem to abate. Hot food no longer seem tempting to my palate. Nothing beat having soba during hot hot Singapore summer. Normally, I cook dry soba bought from supermarket or Daiso. Irregardless whatever brand of dry soba I purchased, nothing beat freshly made soba kneaded by human hand. Today my craving for quality cold soba prompt me to tried the Shimbashi soba outlet opened in Raffles City Basement. It been 3 years since I last tried the handmade soba at the newly open Shimbashi Soba at Paragon until now I still reminisce the el dente fresh buckwheat taste that deeply imprint in my brain.  

 I went down to the Raffles City outlet with my usual makan kaki, I tempted to take the Soba Serio $12.20 (simply just plain cold soba with soba dipping sauce and nothing else) but my makan kaki as usual indicated Soba serio although you can enjoy a full plate of soba if you calculate based on BOM (bill of material) might not be that valued for money. For value for money, it is best to go for the value set meal that is available in the Shimbashi's menu.

 
I settle for Teriyaki Don Value set that come with complimentary warm or cold soba while my makan kaki ordered the Tempura Don Value set. I ordered cold soba so that I can savor the handmade soba true el dente-ness. If serve warm, the soba will lose its el dente if left to soak in the soap too long. It took about 15 to 20 minutes, before the value sets were served to us.

The cold soba is served in ceramic dish topped with fresh wakame drenched with soba dipping sauce. Unable to hold back any further, I decide to assault the cold soba as its is the primary reason & mission. As I slurped in the cold soba and took my first bite, the memory when I had my first hand made soba in Shimbashi Soba came flooding back. The soba is still as el dente as I remembered with a fresh taste of buckwheat without any floury aftertaste you get from commercial dried soba. The citrus shoyu dipping sauce and fresh wakame is like the the woodwinds & strings in orchestra, compliment the soba very well without overwhelming your palate. You can taste the soba, shoyu & wakame indivdual taste distinctly.

The chicken teriyaki is not too shabby with very crispy chicken karaage drenched lightly with teriyaki sauce. The whole don ensemble is balanced, the teriyaki sauce not overpowering sweet which is good so you can still taste your chicken karaage and it goes well with the japanese rice. I would conclude that Shimbashi Soba's handmade soba never fails to amaze me as rarely I can visit another outlet and still get to savor the same taste & feel as its flagship during its initial opening. 

No Frills Crispy Fried Chicken Buffet - Dallas Fried Chicken & Ribs PMPO

To usher the first day of New Year 2010 is very simple for me, I just manage to book 2 prime seats for Avatar 3D at Cathay Cineplex at the last minute quite a impossible feat I would say. After the movie, we wander aimlessly along Orchard until we settle at PoMo aka ex-Paradiz Centre that got a face-lift and we chanced upon Dallas Fried Chicken & Ribs, a UK Fried Chicken Franchise with a Fried Chicken Buffet $11 per pax from 3pm to 6pm.

We decide to give it a "GO" as we were very famish and avid fried chicken lovers. Before that, I had read several mix reviews on Dallas. But I decide I should try Dallas with an open mind to see how they scale against leading Fried Chicken Franchise like Popeye & KFC. At buffet price of $11, it is a steal consider KFC family feast of 8 pieces chicken easily cost $25 and Popeye 3 pieces can easily reach $9.90.

The $11.00 buffet covers all the items in Dallas menu from Fried Chicken Wings, Nugget, Fish or Chicken Burger and Rolo (which is a chicken prata wrap) and 1 can of soft drink of your choice. We decide to go for the main highlight of the buffet and order 6 pieces of Dallas Fried Chicken. It took about 10 minutes or so and piping hot fried chicken was served to us on a tray layered with . The freshly fried Dallas Chickens were so fresh it literally "cooked" our fingers when we attempt to handle it. Adverse hunger had reinforced our fingers to withstand the heat and we managed to take a bite into the freshly fried chicken.

My first bite instantly conclude (freshly fried) Dallas chicken can easily KO Popeye & KFC off the fried chicken crown as the chicken is so succulent and juicy with crispy skin. In the flavour department, Dallas resemble KFC's original fried chicken. If you expecting the crispy outer crust like KFC's crispy or Popeye's, you will be disappointed. As I prefer the KFC's original flavour fried chicken (as compared to those crispy crust fried chicken) make Dallas's an ideal KFC replacement as you can never get this level of crispiness with KFC's original.

After having our 9th piece of fried chicken, I decide to order a fish burger as I hitting my limit and decide to give their fish burger a try while my friend settle for Rolo to end our buffet spree. Don't expect a MCD fillet`o'fish here as the fish fillet is those normal cheap fish fillet you can get at supermart. As for the Rolo, the prata wasn't fried crispy enough. Overall, the Rolo is still pliable if you not that fussy.

To objectively conclude my review, I would say Dallas is a no frills fried chicken restaurant that offer above average fried chicken (if you're avid KFC original fried chicken fan) with strength in price and freshness. Do note, Sometimes, you might be serve with those pre-fried chicken that was kept in the warmer. (For Buffet Only) You can tried ask the Dallas staff to fried a fresh batch and they will kindly oblige to your request (if they do not have too much fried chicken on the warmer). But be prepare to wait for 30 minutes, if you want your fried chicken to freshly fried.

Wagyu Hotpot Waterloo - Shabuya Vivo City

We chance upon Shabuya a newly open Shabu Shabu restaurant during a jalan jalan session at Vivo City during pre christmas period. The main highlight of Shabuya is that they are offering premium quality cut of meats (Kurobuta pork & Wagyu beef) to satisfy your fussy epicurean tastebuds.

Best of all, Shabuya is offering weekend brunch that include all this premium quality meat for shabu shabu from 11:30am to 4:00pm at $29.90 exclude GST/Service Charge. I had my skepticism that whether Shabuya is really offering real Wagyu beef for shabu shabu as I have my fair share of false claims.

On one eventful saturday, I gathered my makan kaki to give Shabuya a run for our money. I was late for the brunch as I was suffering burnout from my new job as "great power comes with great responsibilities". I was informed by my friend who was already chowing down to succulent Wagyu that the Shabuya brunch buffet have a 90 minutes grace period. I manage to "websling" to Shabuya with only 60 minutes left on the clock.

Luckily, my makan kaki have pre-order a few trays of succulent Wagyu Beef, Angus Rib-eye Beef & Kurobuta to temporary satisfy my insatiable craving for premium meat that can easily cost $20 per 100gram in Mediya or Isetan Supermart at Shaw House. The wagyu serve in Shabuya is a real deal from the as you can see the marbling of fats distribute across the beef. I wouldn't say it is a high grade as the marbling is not very consistent across the beef to warrant a high grade.

It is cut thinly so you do not really need to cook it too long. Simply run it through the hotpot 3 times and it ready for consumption. The Wagyu beef is really tender and so rich with beefy goodness it put other types of beef slice to shame. But the richness might be too overwhelm for those new to eating beef. Fear not, the Angus ribeye beef slice is there to address this issue. For those who couldn't take beef, there is Kurobuta pork loin and pork belly which is equally as good as Wagyu.

Shabuya is a real deal restaurant as they deliver what their buffet promise and do not skimp when customer request for more Wagyu or Kurobuta. I can substantiate this point further as this is the hotpot buffet I ever suffered "Waterloo" like Napoleon for failing to consume the amount I ordered. LOL. Therefore, for those kiasu buffet buff do take note.