Ipoh Lou Yau Bean Sprouts Chicken

This is an invited media tasting.

More photos are available on our facebook page. Cannot seem to get it to post here with the correct dimensions. Please visit our FB page for new photos.

Ipoh Lou Yau Bean Sprouts Chicken is run by the Select Group which also runs the eateries at SuperTree and the Hill Street Steamed Bread. This new offering serves Ipoh style steamed kampong chicken as well as silky smooth hor fun with Lou Yau's iconic plump and crunchy bean sprouts. This is the typical kampong chicken, so you will expect a leaner meat and slightly tougher bite.

Imported from Ipoh, these bean sprouts do not have the usual 'smelly' trait that puts off many. They are cooked to perfection, with the raw taste while retaining the crunch. In fact, I thought they tasted sweet!

Apart from the chicken and bean sprouts, Lou Yau offers a wide variety of side dishes. Again we apologise for the lack of photos for now. But some of the must-trys include the braised pork belly, crystal chicken feet and meat ball soup. Although the chicken innards and desserts are a miss for me.

A special mention has to be brought to the Ipoh hor fun, available in soup or dry version. All the way from Ipoh, the noodles indeed have a very unique bite attached to it. The texture is also very special, different from the common hor fun that we are used to. For those who prefers rice with the steamed chicken, the rice is well cooked with very little oil and yet very fragrant.

Ipoh Lou Yau Bean Sprouts Chicken is available at 6 outlets IMM, Centrepoint, Chervon House, VivoCity, Chinatown Point and White Sands) with 2 (J8 and Bugis Village) more opening in 2013.


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Cugini Italian Dining

This is the second visit to Cugini after a great first impression (photos here) and again the experience lived up to its expectation!

Started off with a Sicilian style seafood soup. The very thin bread got a little soggy but that's probably the only downside to this dish. Full of favours and peppered with some chunky bits of the root vegetables and seafood used to cook the soup. It was a delight! Very real and rustic feel to the whole dish. A great start to dinner! (4.5/5)

Buffalo mozarella served on tomatoes. A very classic Italian starter. Creamy cheese and what you would expect from a dish like this. (3/5)

The Sardinian style bottarga (mullet roe) pasta is a clear winner. No wonder it is popular with many of the diners and many reviews listed it as a must-try. The pasta was done al-dente (the way it should be), chewy and soaked full of the goodness of the sauce, fresh seafood and a (very) generous sprinkling of bottarga.It is hard to describe the taste of the mullet roe, you gotta taste it to know how it to know. Excellent combination and very very good indeed.(5/5)

The Sicilian style lobster risotto had be ordered as I am in the process of toying around with ingredients for my own risotto. The crunchy bits of asparagus and apple were fantastic additions for texture and taste! The unami of the lobster stock and perfectly cooked lobster made this dish very close to the pasta above. Do not expect a very cheesy risotto here if that's your preference. I persoally thought the risotto were cooked a tad too long. Other than that, it has to be rated (4.5/5)

Chocolate Souffle with homemade vanilla ice-cream was up for desserts. You can tell by now we are stuffed to the brim with the very generous servings. The souffle turns out to be more like a molten chocolate cake and it was actually a pleasant surprise! Pared with the gelato, I would say it was an excellent (dolce) ending to the meal. (4/5)

All in all, it was a plesant dining experience. The total bill came up to $120 which is pretty decent for the quality (and quantity) of the food served. It may be crowded on Fridays and the weekends and you may want to make reservations just in case.

Singapore Food Review

Cugini

87 Club Street #01-01

Singapore 069455

+65-6221-3791

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Gattopardo Italian Dining

Gattopardo located at Hotel Fort Canning is one of my favourite Italian dining place. I am especially excited to find out that it had been included in the palate.sg program!

The ambience of the restaurant is great for private dining with the tables spaced well apart or good for big group gatherings with a big communal table.

After our orders were taken, we were served bread with olive oil dip. The thin crispy wafers are particularly delightful with a nice sprinkling of sesame seeds and pepper.

We ordered two glasses of Italian wine (one red and one white) and they do help split the order to two glasses (to share) if you wanted to. A nice gesture I must say. Do ask for recommendation for wine pairing with the food you ordered. We went along with the suggestions and they were pretty good pairings!

Seafood soup. Full of flavours from the fresh seafood and I especially like the rich tomato base and you can literally taste the sweetness of the sea. (9/10)

While Gattopardo is reowned for its great seafood dish, we can't resist to order the slow braised lamb shoulder. Served on a mash, it is cooked to perfection. The flavours wasn't as rich as what I envisoned it to be though. (6/10)

The suckling pig pizza caught our eye and we had to order it. Alas, we didn't expect it to be served rolled up. Had been looking forward to crunching down on the crackling. May be due to the rolling up with the cheese and tomato sauce base, the suckling pig turned out quite disappointing and some pieces were too fatty for my liking. Nevertheless the myriad of flavours that it does offer makes up part of the disappointment. (5/10)

The tiramisu was really good. The lady fingers biscuits were not overly soaked and had a very good balance from the coffee and liquer. The mascapone cheese was just the right intensity and the cocoa powder sprinkled on top is just the right amount so that you won't get the powderly choke-hold that some tiramisus does. (8/10)

Complimentary truffles from the chef. And we were served a glass of limoncello as well to round up the meal. Overall it is a great meal and at $180 for three main courses, two glasses of wine and one dessert, it represents great value. Even more so if you are visiting with the palate.sg card.

Gattopardo

The Legends Fort Canning Park Pte Ltd

11 Canning Walk

Singapore 178881

6338 5498 Read More...

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Peperoni Pizzeria

Delayed post. Backdated 2010. Information may not be correct at time of post. Just enjoy it as #foodporn.

A couple of branches had since opened. One in particular in Zion Road.

Fried calamari. Nice and crispy but dry. A tad over cooked.

Family pizza. Up to 2 flavours can be chosen.

Fried button mushrooms. Nice and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Tomatoes on bread. Can give a miss.

Italian sausage and morning pizza. Two of my favourites.

Fried portobellow mushorrom with chicken breast. Must try!

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Ah Loy Thai

Ah Loy Thai shall mark the comeback for Food Prints! We apologise for taking the long hiatus with the addition to the family and work commitments. There are loads of delayed posts, dating back all the way to 2010 (yikes!) and we will clear the backlog as soon as we can. So please bear with us if the information is outdated. Still, we hope you enjoy looking at the pictures! #foodporn

Our love of Thai food is well documented and Ah Loy Thai is a chance discovery. Apparently they are opened by a retired couple and they had been at Shaw Tower for at least 15 years. Their son had ventured out and opened a branch at Tampines Mall.



The tom yum seafood soup packs quite a punch with the right dose of fiery goodness and a generous serving of seafood. The soup base is full of seafood goodness and the morsels of fish, sotong and prawns are packed with great freshness. A must to order. Will try the clear version of it on the next visit.



The pandan chicken is a half-half for us. While it is well marinated, we find it a tad greasy. But it is fried to perfection (in terms of crispiness) and it is served piping hot. A delight to have over the spicy overture of the whole meal.

We missed pictures of the stir fried vegetables. It is by default, that chilli padi is added to the stir fry. Do ask for the omission of the chilli padi as they actually pack a fiery kick. Our brows were dripping with perspiration by the end of the meal.

Service was decent, but do take note they are particular with where you queue up for seats, ordering of dishes (done at cashier). Even when the place is not crowded. We also missed out on the lemongrass drink as it was sold out.

Overall a decent meal and you can just hope over to Tom's Palette nearby for your ice cream kick.

(Prices are not included as this is a treat from a friend.)

Singapore Food Review

Ah Loy Thai Restaurant

100 Beach Road
#01-39/40 Shaw Tower Singapore
Tel: +65 9165 1543

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Kronenbourg 1664... Revealing the Effiel Beer Tower

Kronenbourg 1664 has to be the only French beer that I drink. and it's only apt that French premium beer Kronenbourg 1664 pays a romantic homage to the Eiffel Tower. Taking the French Art of Pleasure to new heights, the Kronenbourg 1664 Eiffel Beer Tower was unveiled last night for the first time in the world at The Coastal Settlement, one of Singapore’s newest and most charming dining spots set in the lush greeneries of Changi.

 A few shots of the Coastal Settlement.

Bar Counter

Outdoors Seating

Poster

Vintage Rides

Back to the beer:

We mostly had the Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc. If you like the Belgian Hoegaarden, you will probably like this one too. A good floral scent and a light hop, very fruity and refreshing and probably very popular with the girls or someone looking for a light drink to start the session. But fret not, the lager is pretty decent too. I would say it's very similar to our own Tiger Beer with a little hop-py kick with the aftertaste. But hey, with the Blanc around, who needs the lager? :D

You see the bowl of condiments in the picture. They go super well with the Blanc. The cranberries and the nuts adds a special dimension to the floral taste of the beer. A great serving idea should you decide to throw your own party at home with the Blanc.

 And on this night, the Effiel Beer Tower was launched! Sprounting an impressive 3L belly, with 4 taps all around, you never have to wait while your friends are refilling their beer! The ice core in the middle helps to keep your drink cooooool all night long... while you imagine yourself in the romantic city of Paris.

Can-can dancers adding colours to the night of the launch.

Fill it up boys!

Friends at the table.

The launch is never complete without the ladies.

One night in Paris.

If you had been fanasizing of speaking French to impress the ladies but never got down to doing it, fret not. Now you have Kronenbourg 1664. Read More...

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The Good Beer Company

When I heard that a friend's hubby had opened up a beer stall at a nearby hawker center near my office, I couldn't help but feel excited.
Being the self proclaimed foodie, I had my own love-hate relationship with beer. Starting from the classic Tiger to the "ang moh" or imported versions of heineken and belgium beers. I stopped beer totally for a while when I went exploring the wine and liquor world. But back here I am, after washing down a pint on a sweltering work out in the afternoon sun, my palate had always longed for a cold refreshing beer ever since.

And I know from reading Daniel and Esther's blog (which I steal try recipes from) that this guy is serious about his beer. His adventures overseas had always yielded a post (or two) on a visit to the local brewery or a drink (and more!) at the local eateries. How can I miss out when a specialist opens up his own stall?

I admit I am a variety-seeking person. You would have had noticed that we seldom do repeat visits to eating places, unless there is other things on the menu that we were unable to taste in one sitting or when it is exceptionally great. And this is one thing I like about The Good Beer Company. It's been a month and a little more since their opening and they had been bringing in new stuff. Follow them on Facebook to get your stream of updates.

Visit 1

(From Left to Right)
(a) Kopparberg Elderflower & Lime Cider:  Clean, fresh taste and served with a glass of ice.Very light but turns "too warm" in our tropical weather. The light feathery taste of elderflower is surprisingly obvious and not drowned out by the alcohol. Ideal for light drinkers and people looking for a sweeter beer. (read: ladies' beer)

(b) Orval: When Esther said that this is a acquired taste beer, but kudos to G for being adventurous. This beer packs a heavy bitter taste and (i kid you not) the taste of cod liver oil. Acquired taste it is. If you miss your childhood cod liver escapades, this will sure give you the adult version of it. Alcohol included. Just don't give it to your kid in a bid to put the bugger to sleep.

(c) Sapporo: Probably my favourite Japanese beer thus far. Love the "Winter tale." edition better which is usually available during the Christmas season. Look out for it in most supermarkets.

(d) Taiwanese (NTW) Lychee Beer:  I had to taste this. Never a big fan of fruit beers but I think this changed my mind. "Too much lychee. Too little beer." for my serious beer friend. But personally I like it. A tad sweeter than the cider but definitely a happy ending to a drinking session. It's cousin, the Melon Beer is out of stock at the moment, but will come in later in mid-Dec 2011. Looking forward to tasting that.

(e) Little Creatures Bright Ale: I think this beats the more available Pale Ale that you can see in some pubs hands down. Love it for it light hops and the floral aftertaste. Had to be the best beer of the night for me. This is the kind of beer that I would term "Happy Beer." The same craft beer we had at Sydney a couple of years back.

(f) Kinshachi Japanese (Green Tea): Couldn't remember the full name but this beer is supposedly infuse/mixed/disturbed with jasmine tea (Corrected by Daniel: The beer has flavours with tea-like qualities, not infused). But honestly we couldn't taste the tea scent, (maybe because of our heavy dinner prior) but there was a little tannic aftertast, the only hint that it originated from tea. Not my kind of beer. Maybe I will bring a tea lover and ask them to try it out for a better assessment of this beer.

Visit 2

(From Left to Right) Second visit was at lunchtime! And thus a lighter drink

(a) Samuel Adams Boston Lager: Typical lager and nothing really outstanding about this beer. It's just... nice. Honestly, Tiger Beer would had done it for me. But the Americans like their beer (and maybe that's why they love Tiger too?)

(b) Trappistes Rochefort 6: One of the three beers brewed by the Rochefort facility. This is the 'rare' offspring in that it makes up only about 1% of the production. Nice fruity taste with a very delightful raisin feel which finishes off with a spicy aroma. Delightful and personally I think it suits our local cuisine quite well. (It helped that we were eating char siew and sio ba with the beer.) For a heavier punch go for the Number 8 which is also available.

(c) Jungle Beer English Ale: The only beer on tap (due to space constraints) and locally brewed too. Love the slightly heavier malty taste. Go local. Drink this at least once. 

Visit 3

(From Left to Right) A weekday beer drinking trip happens quite rarely, but hey, with so many beers to taste, we gotta break the norm!

(a) Scheneider Weiss (Taps 1,6,7): A cousin of Erdinger. It taste a little like Erdinger but with a lot more flavours. If you like your Erdinger, this is the slightly more sophiscated that you may want to go for. There is a less filtered, cloudy version and a heavier hitter available. 

(b) Hitachino Red Rice Ale (Japanese): Made from Red Rice and supposedly a weird combination of sake and beer. The 'rice' taste in the beer, thankfully, wasn't too obvious, but it makes for a new taste. A nice cultured beer for the delicate tastebuds. Make this your first beer if you having more than a drink and have fun discovering the tastes.

(c) Green Goblin cider: A good cider but not great for me. I prefer my cider to be a little more fruity or heavy as some would describe it. Nice fruity flavours with a hint of wood, probably from the oak that it was aged in.

And yes, I had visited this stall three times and I am looking forward to more visits back there. I have this secret ambition of trying out every beer in the fridge but I think it is difficult with the rate that they are bringing in new beer every few days. Calls for more visit perhaps.

Prices for the premium and craft beers ranges from $8-$12 and oh, your beers come served in frozen glassware. With good local food available in the massive hawker center, this is the place to go to have good (cheap) food and great beer! With such a wide variety, I am sure you will find your favourite one!

Blk 335 Smith Street #02-58
Chinatown Complex Market,
Singapore, Singapore 050335. Read More...

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