Singapore and brief excursion to Thailand food blog

[Shelby]

Did they both come with a hard boiled egg?  I guess that's an egg?

[rotuts]

is that a yogurt 'sauce?'

[Anna N]

KennethT,

That is very interesting about the basmati rice. The rice at Kerry Beal and my favorite Indian restaurant has always struck us by the length of it grains. I have never been able to duplicate this at home despite buying high-quality basmati rice.

[KennethT]

No, only the chicken version came with the egg... but the goat version had a LOT of goat meat hiding under that mound of rice... I don't know what the cut was, but it was very juicy and gelatinous, and there were a few knuckle-like bones here and there.

 

Yes, biryani is typically served with raita, which is a yogurt based condiment with cucumber and shallot.

 

Although it doesn't look it, the goat biryani only seemed slightly spicy, but the heat builds over time.   The raita is good because it is cooling.

 

Most times I see basmati made, the raw rice is first soaked for a fewminutes, then rinsed many times until the water is clear.  It is then typically quickly 'fried' in oil or ghee - just for a moment so that each grain is coated in oil.  The liquid is then added, covered, and cooked as normal.  Anna, is this how you do it?

[KennethT]

Next dinner was here:

 

 

This place is completely off the tourist radar - most taxi drivers didn't even know where it was!  This place was recommended to me a few years ago by an eGullet member who lives in Singapore.  He said he used to go to this restaurant all the time, and I can see why.

 

They are known for this dish:

 

 

This is sambal pomfret.  A pomfret is coated in their heavenly sambal paste, which is a combination of fermented shrimp paste, chili, and who knows what else, and is then fried.  The result is shrimpy, slightly spicy and ridiculously addictive.

 

We also had this:

 

 

This is how chili crab should be.  Their sauce is much deeper and aromatic compared with the sauces of the big name restaurants...  by comparison, the big name ones taste like ketchup (which I actually think may be an ingredient in their sauces).  Also pictured are fried mantou buns, which are great for sopping up the sauce. 

 

Not pictured is a plate of baby kailan, stir fried with garlic.  I love this vegetable.  Kailan (or gailan) is the chinese name for what we'd call here Chinese Broccoli, although I personally think it has nothing to do with regular broccoli.  In most of the versions here, it is actually the stems you eat, and only a little bit of the leaves - the stems actually resemble asparagus (in appearance, not flavor or texture).  This is also the standard type of kailan that you'd see in Hong Kong.  But in Singapore, the "baby kailan" is the one that is ubiquitous.  I don't know if it is really just a young version of the other type, or if it's a different strain.  This version is very leafy, with thin stems that are tender, but a little crunchy.  I love this vegetable... I could eat it every day... one of these days, when I get more time, I have to set up my leafy windowsill garden again and start growing it so I can have a never ending supply.

[huiray]

 

And of course, when in asia, I love eating vegetables (not true here in the US).  Pictured is a nice plate of baby bok choi, stir fried with garlic and topped with fried garlic.

 

 

I am puzzled by this declaration of yours.  Could you elaborate on it?  Surely it cannot be that you cannot find nice stir-fried baby bok choy, or that plate of kangkong belacan you show in a later post, here in the US -- or that you can't make it either.  All the ingredients are readily available here, and such dishes are available (with great quality) in many restaurants, especially Chinese-style stir-fried vegetables. (OK, things like the kangkong belacan are found in more limited circumstances but, again, the ingredients for them are available especially in metropolitan areas or in any area where there are enough Chinese or SE Asian folks)  But are you thinking of Western-style vegetables?  But even there surely there are many preps of such things that are quite tasty &etc?

[huiray]

Next dinner was here:

 

20150705_194258_HDR.jpg

 

This place is completely off the tourist radar - most taxi drivers didn't even know where it was!  This place was recommended to me a few years ago by an eGullet member who lives in Singapore.  He said he used to go to this restaurant all the time, and I can see why.

 

They are known for this dish:

 

20150705_185050_HDR.jpg

 

This is sambal pomfret.  A pomfret is coated in their heavenly sambal paste, which is a combination of fermented shrimp paste, chili, and who knows what else, and is then fried.  The result is shrimpy, slightly spicy and ridiculously addictive.

 

We also had this:

 

20150705_185645_HDR.jpg

 

This is how chili crab should be.  Their sauce is much deeper and aromatic compared with the sauces of the big name restaurants...  by comparison, the big name ones taste like ketchup (which I actually think may be an ingredient in their sauces).  Also pictured are fried mantou buns, which are great for sopping up the sauce. 

 

Not pictured is a plate of baby kailan, stir fried with garlic.  I love this vegetable.  Kailan (or gailan) is the chinese name for what we'd call here Chinese Broccoli, although I personally think it has nothing to do with regular broccoli.  In most of the versions here, it is actually the stems you eat, and only a little bit of the leaves - the stems actually resemble asparagus (in appearance, not flavor or texture).  This is also the standard type of kailan that you'd see in Hong Kong.  But in Singapore, the "baby kailan" is the one that is ubiquitous.  I don't know if it is really just a young version of the other type, or if it's a different strain.  This version is very leafy, with thin stems that are tender, but a little crunchy.  I love this vegetable... I could eat it every day... one of these days, when I get more time, I have to set up my leafy windowsill garden again and start growing it so I can have a never ending supply.

 

Kai lan is readily available in the USA.

 

Ketchup is a fine ingredient in its own right.  Many dishes in E/SE Asia even specifically use ketchup, including some renditions of S'porean Chili Crab, yes.  It is odd that ketchup has such a bad rap amongst "Western/USA Foodies", when even Western chefs (such as in the USA) have sought to reproduce the taste of Heinz Ketchup in their own kitchens (and failing at it) with their "artisanal ketchups".

[dcarch]

------------ Ketchup is a fine ingredient in its own right.  Many dishes in E/SE Asia even specifically use ketchup, including some renditions of S'porean Chili Crab, yes.  It is odd that ketchup has such a bad rap amongst "Western/USA Foodies", when even Western chefs (such as in the USA) have sought to reproduce the taste of Heinz Ketchup in their own kitchens (and failing at it) with their "artisanal ketchups".

 

Ketchup is invented in China?

 

dcarch

[liuzhou]

Ketchup is invented in China?

 

The word is almost certainly of Chinese origin (from the Xiamen dialect) , but it referred to a very different product - more like fish sauce. What most of the world now considers as 'ketchup' - i.e the tomato version - was invented in the USA.

 

Heinz is the most common variety available here.

Edited July 20, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[KennethT]

I am puzzled by this declaration of yours.  Could you elaborate on it?  Surely it cannot be that you cannot find nice stir-fried baby bok choy, or that plate of kangkong belacan you show in a later post, here in the US -- or that you can't make it either.  All the ingredients are readily available here, and such dishes are available (with great quality) in many restaurants, especially Chinese-style stir-fried vegetables. (OK, things like the kangkong belacan are found in more limited circumstances but, again, the ingredients for them are available especially in metropolitan areas or in any area where there are enough Chinese or SE Asian folks)  But are you thinking of Western-style vegetables?  But even there surely there are many preps of such things that are quite tasty &etc?

I'm sorry I wasn't specific enough... What I meant to say is that I usually do not like non-Asian style vegetables when in the US or elsewhere. It's not the preparations I don't enjoy (well, sometimes it is if they're overcooked), but I don't know why I've just never enjoyed western broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, or many other vegetables that others hold dear. I don't know why I don't care so much for them. And, it's not that I won't eat them, I just don't seek them out like I would a good chinese stir-fry.

The other problem is not necessarily of availability, but I can't think of any restaurant in NYC (maybe I'm not going to the right places) that will serve a plate of stir fried kailan for less than $12. The issue is that the restaurants consider stir-fried greens to be a main course, and price it accordingly. There may be a couple of restaurants in Chinatown that price and size an order of kailan as a side dish, but unfortunately, I can't make it down there as often as I'd wish.

The last problem is that of availability. It's not that you can't find a nice stir-fried greens dish here - it's just that it's not readily available outside of select restaurants or areas like Chinatown. In my neighborhood, I can only think of one restaurant that actually has kailan (it's a thai place), but for some reason, they have an issue with washing it, so it is routinely sandy and gritty... yet I order it anyway... ho hum...

And yes, I can make it myself at home - but the issue is availability (again). I cannot think of one store (supermarket, bodega or other) within 20 minutes walking distance that carries it. I'd have to go down to (you guessed it) Chinatown for a regular supply. There have been times I have actually considered moving to Chinatown to be in closer proximity to such things, but the idea of being constantly surrounded by tons of tourists, and crammed elbow to elbow with people is not very appealing. So, I get it while I'm down there on occasion, but it can't be a regular thing.

[KennethT]

Kai lan is readily available in the USA.

 

Ketchup is a fine ingredient in its own right.  Many dishes in E/SE Asia even specifically use ketchup, including some renditions of S'porean Chili Crab, yes.  It is odd that ketchup has such a bad rap amongst "Western/USA Foodies", when even Western chefs (such as in the USA) have sought to reproduce the taste of Heinz Ketchup in their own kitchens (and failing at it) with their "artisanal ketchups".

I know I just covered this in my last post, but I want to reply to everything... I don't know if I'd called kailan 'readily' available... I'd say it is available, but you must seek it out. In most of Manhattan, I can't think of one supermarket, small market, or bodega that carries it, outside of chinatown, where it is indeed readily available and on every corner. Broccoli is readily available here. It is in every store. So is lettuce. And zucchini. And corn, even when not in season. Cucumber... ok, sorry to beat a dead horse... my rant is over.

Also, I would like to clarify that what is available here is the standard thick stemmed kailan (which I also enjoy) but is different from the 'baby kailan' that I found ubiquitous in S'pore. I would consider that to be completely unavailable here. Kang kong in any form, aka morning glory, has limited availability, and I enjoy it when I can. The belachan kang kong is even more rarely available.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear before - I have no issue with ketchup. It is a fine condiment. My opinion is that Heinz makes the best (and if you will) definitive version. But, I think it adds a sweetness that I don't care for very much in chili crab. I'd rather taste chilis, and a hint of tomato, rather than having ketchup crab with a hint of chilis. Just my $0.02... please feel free to disagree.

[MelissaH]

Everything looks wonderful.

 

Is Singapore a country where you feel safe eating everything from a health/sanitation standpoint?

[KennethT]

Everything looks wonderful.

 

Is Singapore a country where you feel safe eating everything from a health/sanitation standpoint?

Nowadays, absolutely. In terms of health and sanitation, S'pore is just like the west... unlike countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. which still have many diseases contaminating the water supply, you can actually drink the tap water in S'pore, and all food services have access to electricity (for refrigeration) and plumbing. They also have a government health inspection system similar to what is in NYC, and a letter based grading system.

Many years ago, this was not the case (my friend was living/working there 30 years ago, got terrible food poisoning and had to be airlifted to Hong Kong) - but times have changed dramatically. Back then, the food sellers were in carts on the street with no electricity or refrigeration (like many places in the aforementioned countries, currently). I don't know when (help, someone?) but the government created the hawker centers which are now everywhere and forced all food sellers 'indoors' so to speak.

S'pore's drinking water is on par with any city in the west. In fact, I routinely get a little stomach issues when travelling in Europe and drink the water, but had no issues on all 3 of the times I've been in S'pore. I don't go out of my way to drink the tap water, but I don't avoid it like the plague either (like I would in other countries). They have actually gone to great lengths to purify their drinking water - most of it comes from rainwater catchments, but some of it is from desalinated sea water, and highly purified reclaimed water - called NEWater... check out this website for more info: http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/Pages/singaporewaterstory.aspx

[Beebs]

Oh wow - loving this blog!

 

My DH & I were in Singapore last year in the summer for our anniversary, and it was absolutely the most amazing trip. The food was incredible, we ate as many different things as we could possibly squeeze into a week-long trip, but there was so much more we could have had (which is a good reason to go back, hopefully in the next couple years).  We purposely picked a hotel near the Maxwell Hawkers Centre, Chinatown Market, & Hong Lim Centre, so most of our meals were at food courts and hawkers centres.  We didn't spend much time in the restaurants, so we'll have to check out some of the places you've described next trip.

[KennethT]

Beebs, do you remember the names of the stalls you particularly enjoyed? As of this last trip, S'pore has quickly become one of my favorite places on Earth.

I love how it is a modern, metropolitan city, dropped into a beautiful tropical garden. I love how clean, orderly and safe it is without compromising ethnic diversity or personality.

But, I am concerned for the future... most of the younger generation are highly educated, and do not want to follow in running shophouse restaurants or hawker stalls. I can't say I blame them, either. It is hard work - 6-7 days/week, with long, hard, hot days on your feet. And it definitely doesn't pay nearly as well as finance or other industries where the younger people are trending to... I mean, how much income can a person make selling food for $3 a plate?

So, according to locals, it is getting harder and harder to find the really good food that is not made in a central kitchen and reheated onsite, or part of a chain with 30 locations.

I hope they're able to find a middle ground somewhere.

[Beebs]

Beebs, do you remember the names of the stalls you particularly enjoyed? As of this last trip, S'pore has quickly become one of my favorite places on Earth.

I love how it is a modern, metropolitan city, dropped into a beautiful tropical garden. I love how clean, orderly and safe it is without compromising ethnic diversity or personality.

But, I am concerned for the future... most of the younger generation are highly educated, and do not want to follow in running shophouse restaurants or hawker stalls. I can't say I blame them, either. It is hard work - 6-7 days/week, with long, hard, hot days on your feet. And it definitely doesn't pay nearly as well as finance or other industries where the younger people are trending to... I mean, how much income can a person make selling food for $3 a plate?

So, according to locals, it is getting harder and harder to find the really good food that is not made in a central kitchen and reheated onsite, or part of a chain with 30 locations.

I hope they're able to find a middle ground somewhere.

 

I wish I'd done a better job of jotting down stall names - but, alas, no idea what any of the stalls were.  We actually didn't do any research into which particular stalls to eat at, just eat whatever looks good and appealed to us at the time. Singapore was tacked to the end of a trip to Taiwan and our family had fed us so much, while we weren't tired of eating (is that even a thing?!), we probably didn't do justice to all the amazing food in S'pore - we certainly missed out on some things.  

 

My most memorable meal - met up with DH's college friend & his wife, they took us to Newton Centre, where we had lots of satay, fried skate & too many Tiger beers.... Followed by durian at a durian stand.  Drunk durian-ing is quite an experience....

 

From what our friend told us, hawker centres, food courts, etc. are heavily subsidized by the government at very low rents, which makes food incredibly cheap compared to stand-alone restaurants.  All the same, it is unfortunate that this model might not be sustainable in the future for lack of younger folk willing to keep it up.

[KennethT]

OK, breakfast the next day was here:

 

 

This is the original location of Killiney's Kopitiam.  They are now a chain across S'pore, but all of the reviews I read say that the original is still the best and most consistent.  Conveniently, it was about a 20 minute walk from our hotel (or a 5 minute ride on their wonderful MRT (subway) system).  We wound up going there every morning after for the rest of the trip - that's how much we enjoyed it! 

 

They are known for a few things:

 

 

On the right is kopi (like coffee).  It is basically extremely strong and bitter coffee mixed with sweetened condensed milk.  It is everywhere in S'pore, and much of the rest of SE Asia.  I, unfortunately, don't drink coffee as I feel like my heart is going to beat through my chest shortly afterwards... but I love the smell... and I can tolerate small amounts - like as a flavoring in a dessert, or a sip of regular coffee.... for me, on the left, I got teh (tea).  It's basically an extremely strong black tea mixed with sweetened condensed milk.

 

 

This is another item they are known for: bread toast.  Yes, I think the name is redundant... but it is delicious.  You can't tell from the photo (sorry, I didn't shoot the inside), but it is a sandwich made from fluffy white bread that has been toasted over charcoal.  Inside each quarter is a pat of butter and a smear of kaya, which is an egg custard made with coconut jam.  It is sweet, and slightly eggy, and with the butter and charcoal toasted bread, fantastic.  And filling.  And cheap. Like maybe SGD1 (I think, I don't remember exactly but I remember it was cheap).

 

Last but not least, we would have:

 

 

Curry chicken with roti prata.  Just like it sounds - it is an Indian curry with chunks of chicken and potato.   They typically serve it with french bread for dunking, but they also offer it with roti prata, which personally, given the choice, I'll take the prata!!  Roti prata is a fried laminated bread that is crispy on the outside, and a little chewy and flaky on the inside.  It is made by stretching the dough on an oiled surface until it is paper thin, then rolled into a snake and then coiled into a disk. The disk is then typically fried on a flat-top to order, but I think Killiney's actually grills theirs over the charcoal as well.  Most of the other prata we had on this trip were significantly greasier on the outside.  This dish could have been my absolute favorite dish of the trip....  it's hard to say for sure because there are so many great ones, but this is definitely in the top 5 if not the top 3.  And cheap... like SGD3-4 or something like that (I think they charged an extra 0.50 for the prata).

[KennethT]

Tea break!!!

 

 

This is one of the TWG tea restaurants in the Marina Bay Sands mall at the bottom of the Marina Bay Sands hotel.  This is a pretty upscale mall, as evidenced by this shot of the entrance to the tea place - just take a look at some of the surrounding stores!

 

 

Here's another shot showing the display case of some of the desserts:

 

 

As a snack we got:

 

Green tea sorbet infused with ginger

 

Selection of macaron. Matcha; lemon bush tea; vanilla bourbon tea & kaya

 

We also had two different teas - one was Secret Needles: (from their menu) From the prestigious region of Simao, this marvellous TWG green tea boasts leaves with delicate white tips which yield a full-bodied infusion, a sweet distinctive flavour, a fresh aroma and a rich and nutty aftertaste.

 

and Imperial TiKuanYin: (from their menu) Produced on rolling, verdant slopes, this exceptional quality TWG harvest is the perfect finale to a meal, producing a well-balanced cup with a lingering fragrance of fresh, dewy flower blossoms.

 

Here is a shot of the bounty:

 

 

and yes, that is Yoda on my wife's cell phone case... she IS that cool....

 

This 'snack' was quite expensive - probably more than the cost of several meals combined... but the service was excellent, as was the refined atmosphere, albeit inside the mall... and the teas were exceptional - so much so that we had to get some of each to bring home.  The sorbet was awesome as well with an intense ginger flavor.  The macarons were ok - the flavors were very good, but not as crisp and light as they could have been... hard to ask for that so close to the equator though, so under the circumstances, very good.

 

But this is not just any mall.... it also has this on the ground floor:

 

 

How many malls can you think of that have gondola rides?

[gfweb]

Ceasars in Las Vegas I think?

[KennethT]

Dinner was here:

 

 

This is a seafood 'cze char' made famous by Singaporean food authority KF Seetoh, and St. Bourdain.  The seafood they get here is ridiculously fresh.  This restaurant made a name for itself by having great relationships with local fishermen, a slightly ornery chef/owner, and a crab dish - but that comes later....

 

 

This is scallops in an oyster sauce based sauce.  I'm not usually a huge fan of scallops, but these were excellent.  Chef Danny said they're so good because he gets them live and keeps them that way until ordered.  They were sweet and briny and just perfectly cooked.

 

 

Prawns with garlic.  Not much to say... great flavor, perfectly cooked, and came with a nice chili sauce for dipping.

 

 

Obligatory stir-fried baby kailan.  Very similar to the others - which is to say very tasty.

 

And, the star of the show, the crab bee hoon:

 

 

This is a large Sri Lankan crab, perfectly cooked.  The bee hoon (thin rice noodles) are cooked in crab stock, and has mixed in some chilis, green onion, and of course crab row, for good measure.  This dish is awesome...Also in the top 5...  Huge chunks of crab meat, for very little effort... great sauce and noodles that are like essence of crab.

[huiray]

KennethT, thanks for the elaborations to my questions/comments.  Appreciated!

 

Looks like you enjoyed yourself. :-)

[KennethT]

Sorry I didn't get to post anything last night - work wound up later than expected, and I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I wanted to go to bed early to try to knock it out before I actually came down with something....

There should be another installment tonight...

[Anna N]

No worries. We will wait patiently! Kaya is on my list of must buy/make foods.

[KennethT]

Killiney's has jarred ones to take home as well... we actually did get a jar, and when they learned that we were not local, they wrapped it with foam and taped it up for us.

Edit: spelling

Edited July 22, 2015 by KennethT (log)

[huiray]

Kaya varies widely in quality and texture/taste from place to place (and shop to shop) in both Malaysia and Singapore. There are very thick ones, drizzly/very liquidy ones, green ones (dominant pandan taste & coloring) and yellow to orange/rown ones (varying quantities of ingredients) and even regional preferences both country-wise and regional-wise between M'sia and S'pore, and personal preferences of course.  There is no SINGLE one that is the veddy veddy bestest best.  Nevertheless, in general the better ones are held to be the thicker non-green ones w/ a nice light brown/orange/deeper yellow ones (sans food coloring).  Pandan smell/taste preferences depend on the individual.  A "classic" preferred way is to make the toast w/ a certain kind of white bread, crust-less...then have a SLAB of COLD butter put on it** then a layer of the creamy kaya then the top piece of toast.  A classic accompaniment is a couple of soft-boiled eggs, which one breaks into the (empty) bowl one is provided with - and ne either eats it spoon-wise or drinks it while some like to dip the toast into it but most eat the two separately.  Strong coffee.  In Hainanese kopitiams one will have that special kind of caramelized coffee with or without condensed milk (kopi-o, kopi-c, et)  Ipoh White Coffee is a famed kind of coffee in M'sia (with weak imitators in S'pore) that many like to have with their kaya toast.  There are some well-regarded commercially available brands of kaya in SE Asia and, I hear, also available in some places in North America (West Coast, especially, of course).

 

** Not just a "pat" of butter.  One should be able to actually bite through that distinct layer (slab) of cold butter, with the warm toast on the outsides and the room temp kaya layer.