Another pizza post you might ask? Yes, we are that obsessed with pizza. This was a post Christmas gathering amongst friends and as we all love a good slice of pizza, this is where we ended up.
BH and I got there on time but spent about 20 minutes circling for a park in that housing estate. I feel for the residents of that estate with cruising cars passing their expensive houses, peering for a spot to fit in their cars.We finally managed to get a park about 600m away which was ok since it was a lovely cool night and allowed BH and I to have a nice romantic stroll before AND after dinner.
I cracked open the menu and to my joy, found a long long list of belgian beers. WHOOHOO! I set about trying new ones and that put me in an excellent mood for dinner. The rest of our party started arriving and we were suitably embarrassed when we kept peering over at the neighbouring table's dishes for inspiration. They had ordered an interesting mushroom dish but we couldn't figure which appetizer it was......the kind lady looked over to me and mouthed "it's the mushroom". I had to blush.
Just for the heck of it, we ordered the family sized pizza. It is 21 inches in diameter. It is a monster. We even had pictures taken of it, like moby dick. D obligingly posed next to it with her mouth wide open, like she was going to take a bite out of that massive pizza. Apart from the novelty factor of having such a humongous pizza, I would not recommend that you order the family sized pizza as the largeness of the pizza meant that it was cooked pretty unevenly. Some parts of it were obviously on hot spots in the oven and had been cooked down to a cracker like consistency as opposed to a light bready texture.
Ok, this just proves that we are pizza pigs because this 21 inch pizza wasn't enough (plus appetizers of mushrooms, chicken wings, calamari rings) and we ordered another 12 inch pizza. This pizza was much better than the 21 inch, so this is one of the rare occasions where size queen me will actually say, size doesn't matter! It had the lightness and the requisite cornicione. It had the big air bubbles in the crust where the extreme heat of the oven forces the moisture in the dough to expand quickly. Unfortunately, I still feel that the crust was quite bland and didn't have the multi dimensional taste that comes from doing a slow ferment in the fridge.
But then I am just being a food nazi. Overall a good pizza which I would rate 7.5/10. The mushroom was interesting - I would rate it a 8/10. The calamari were cooked well, they were tender and not overcooked but the batter was not crispy, I would rate it a 7/10.
ps. I apologise for the lack of pictures as I didn't bring my camera to dinner
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sole Pomodoro Pizza @ Mackenzie Road
I love pizza and whenever I read of a new pizza place opening, especially one with a wood fired oven, I can't help but get excited and hungry. I think that it is great that Singapore is seeing so many great pizza places opening up but, I have to say that to date, I have not found one that really hits the spot.
So when Sole Pomodoro was getting a lot of online press, I casually mentioned it to BH hoping that my better half would agree to join me in evaluating this pizza joint. But BH has learnt her lesson and refuses to go to any pizza joints as she claims that they never meet the mark and she doesn't want to be there when I start tut tutting and expounding on how the crust should have been made and etc.
I did the next best thing and got my colleague M who is always game for a new culinary adventure to join me. We ordered the proscuitto and mushroom pizza and a calamari to start.
The calamari was fresh and cut into large meaty rings. However, it was marred by a hair fried together with the calamari. Gross. When the waitress brought it back to the kitchen hand, he removed the hair and wanted to send it back to me. Which of course the waitress remonstrated with him and got him to do a new order. I would like to mention that this waitress was very good at her job. Her name was Davy and asked me if I needed a refill on my wine without prompting from me. If I were the owners of Sole Pomodoro, I would give her a raise!
The calamari were good sans hair but did not stay crispy for long. But overall, they were pretty good hot out of the fryer and quite tender, a 7/10.
I felt that the pizza was a let down. Whilst there was a wood fired oven, you did not get the light pizza with large holes in it. Perhaps as we were one of the first few customers, the oven was not hot enough. Also, the crust was lacking in flavour and did not have the light yet crunchy texture. 7/10.
So when Sole Pomodoro was getting a lot of online press, I casually mentioned it to BH hoping that my better half would agree to join me in evaluating this pizza joint. But BH has learnt her lesson and refuses to go to any pizza joints as she claims that they never meet the mark and she doesn't want to be there when I start tut tutting and expounding on how the crust should have been made and etc.
I did the next best thing and got my colleague M who is always game for a new culinary adventure to join me. We ordered the proscuitto and mushroom pizza and a calamari to start.
The calamari was fresh and cut into large meaty rings. However, it was marred by a hair fried together with the calamari. Gross. When the waitress brought it back to the kitchen hand, he removed the hair and wanted to send it back to me. Which of course the waitress remonstrated with him and got him to do a new order. I would like to mention that this waitress was very good at her job. Her name was Davy and asked me if I needed a refill on my wine without prompting from me. If I were the owners of Sole Pomodoro, I would give her a raise!
The calamari were good sans hair but did not stay crispy for long. But overall, they were pretty good hot out of the fryer and quite tender, a 7/10.
I felt that the pizza was a let down. Whilst there was a wood fired oven, you did not get the light pizza with large holes in it. Perhaps as we were one of the first few customers, the oven was not hot enough. Also, the crust was lacking in flavour and did not have the light yet crunchy texture. 7/10.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee @ Crawford Lane
I was in the neighbourhood to pick up my Makansutra Certificate for Madam Tan's Nasi Lemak, and peeked into the coffee shop to see if the famous noodle shop was open. They were so I joined the relatively short queue and placed my order for mee pok with chilli ($4).
Tai Hwa Bak Chor mee is supposed to be the creme de la creme of Bak Chor Mees and at $4 a portion, the serving was certainly hearty and very substantial. There was a generous serving of minced pork, lean pork and noodles, which made it difficult for me to finish the noodles.
I have not had this version of Bak Chor Mee since they moved from Marina Square to Crawford Lane. And I have to say, that I seem to remember it being better at Marina Square. The guy cooking it also seemed different from the slight chubbier and older guy at Marina Square (also less grumpy than Mr Marina Square)
This bak chor mee is good. But it didn't blow my mind. The pork elements were cooked to perfection but if I had to nitpick, the cook didn't rinse the starch from his noodles. He cooked them like an Italian nonna would do with pasta, he left the starchy residue to form an emulsion with the chilli, lard, soy and vinegar mixture. While that works with pasta, this made the sauce a little too starchy for my taste. However, having said that, the noodles were al dente and not soggy. But if I had to compare, I would say the Prince Edward Road Bestway Building Bak Chor Mee tastes better and overall delivers a better taste sensation than that of the Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee at Crawford Lane. I would rate Tai Hwa a very solid 7.5/10. Not outstanding but a very good Bak Chor Mee.
Tai Hwa Bak Chor mee is supposed to be the creme de la creme of Bak Chor Mees and at $4 a portion, the serving was certainly hearty and very substantial. There was a generous serving of minced pork, lean pork and noodles, which made it difficult for me to finish the noodles.
I have not had this version of Bak Chor Mee since they moved from Marina Square to Crawford Lane. And I have to say, that I seem to remember it being better at Marina Square. The guy cooking it also seemed different from the slight chubbier and older guy at Marina Square (also less grumpy than Mr Marina Square)
This bak chor mee is good. But it didn't blow my mind. The pork elements were cooked to perfection but if I had to nitpick, the cook didn't rinse the starch from his noodles. He cooked them like an Italian nonna would do with pasta, he left the starchy residue to form an emulsion with the chilli, lard, soy and vinegar mixture. While that works with pasta, this made the sauce a little too starchy for my taste. However, having said that, the noodles were al dente and not soggy. But if I had to compare, I would say the Prince Edward Road Bestway Building Bak Chor Mee tastes better and overall delivers a better taste sensation than that of the Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee at Crawford Lane. I would rate Tai Hwa a very solid 7.5/10. Not outstanding but a very good Bak Chor Mee.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
2 FAT MEN @ East Coast Road
With BH away for the weekend, I was a single girl hanging out with her buddies. And what does a single girl do? Why of course we play softball (ok, I played one game and then hurt my hand which put me out of action for the rest of the tournament), drink beer, eat and hang out with my buddies.
It was on Friday that D and I decided to have some beers and dinner at a local place that we both had heard quite a fair bit about. I had heard that they did an excellent burger as well as very very good thai food. Throw in the beers and of course I was there in a heartbeat.
As D and I have hearty appetites, we ordered the grilled pork neck, som tum, a burger (with cheese and bacon) and some new orleans chicken wings (errrr what are these? D and I couldn't help but ask). I started my beer imbibing with Phin and Matt's Ale.
A nice ale with a fruity fragrance of hops. It went well with the burger and the Thai food. I followed it up with a Le Chouffe which was delightful, somehow, the belgians just have my heart when it comes to beers. I finished with a Chimay. A nice end to the work week.
I have to say I was disappointed with the Thai food at 2 FAT MEN. The grilled pork neck was lacklustre and didn't have a lot of flavour beyond fish sauce and coriander. It wasn't really grilled either, so you didn't get the lovely char grill flavour essential when cooking meat. I was quite bland, pale and insipid. The som tum was ok, not great and didn't have enough peanuts nor dried little prawns. Both dishes lacked the big flavours that I have come to associate and love about Thai Food. I would rate both of them a 6/10.
The burger was better than the thai food. Maybe it is because they don't have to dumb down the western menu items that they seemed to do better than the Thai menu. The burger was juicy and well seasoned. My only beef with it was that the bun was obviously store bought and was flimsy and falling apart in my hand and the cheese was the stock standard plastic cheese slice from cheesedale. Not a lot of flavour. If I pay $1.50 for a slice of cheese, I expect a decent slice of cheddar on it. Not faux plastic cheese. I would rate the burger a 7.5/10.
It was on Friday that D and I decided to have some beers and dinner at a local place that we both had heard quite a fair bit about. I had heard that they did an excellent burger as well as very very good thai food. Throw in the beers and of course I was there in a heartbeat.
As D and I have hearty appetites, we ordered the grilled pork neck, som tum, a burger (with cheese and bacon) and some new orleans chicken wings (errrr what are these? D and I couldn't help but ask). I started my beer imbibing with Phin and Matt's Ale.
A nice ale with a fruity fragrance of hops. It went well with the burger and the Thai food. I followed it up with a Le Chouffe which was delightful, somehow, the belgians just have my heart when it comes to beers. I finished with a Chimay. A nice end to the work week.
I have to say I was disappointed with the Thai food at 2 FAT MEN. The grilled pork neck was lacklustre and didn't have a lot of flavour beyond fish sauce and coriander. It wasn't really grilled either, so you didn't get the lovely char grill flavour essential when cooking meat. I was quite bland, pale and insipid. The som tum was ok, not great and didn't have enough peanuts nor dried little prawns. Both dishes lacked the big flavours that I have come to associate and love about Thai Food. I would rate both of them a 6/10.
The burger was better than the thai food. Maybe it is because they don't have to dumb down the western menu items that they seemed to do better than the Thai menu. The burger was juicy and well seasoned. My only beef with it was that the bun was obviously store bought and was flimsy and falling apart in my hand and the cheese was the stock standard plastic cheese slice from cheesedale. Not a lot of flavour. If I pay $1.50 for a slice of cheese, I expect a decent slice of cheddar on it. Not faux plastic cheese. I would rate the burger a 7.5/10.
Yan Kee Bak Chor Mee @ Boat Quay BK Eating House
Following our disappointment in not getting mee pok nor mee kia, I decided that I needed my fix of Bak Chor Mee. I consulted MakanSutra and gave Yan Kee a try. It was a beautiful morning and not crowded at all, so that meant we were able to chow down on the springy mee pok noodles after a short 10 minute wait.
This bak chor mee didn't have the usual crunchy lard pieces but it did have some ikan billis. Not quite the same thing but I actually enjoyed this version better than Lai Heng. The noodles were a little soggy (if they had cooked it for 15 secs less - they would have been perfect) but overall, the vinegar chilli soy mixture was better balanced. The piquant, spicy and salty sauce mixture was well mixed into the noodles and I like the subtantial amounts of minced pork. I would have liked the lard pieces but overall, it was a decent bowl of noodles. I would rate it 7/10.
This bak chor mee didn't have the usual crunchy lard pieces but it did have some ikan billis. Not quite the same thing but I actually enjoyed this version better than Lai Heng. The noodles were a little soggy (if they had cooked it for 15 secs less - they would have been perfect) but overall, the vinegar chilli soy mixture was better balanced. The piquant, spicy and salty sauce mixture was well mixed into the noodles and I like the subtantial amounts of minced pork. I would have liked the lard pieces but overall, it was a decent bowl of noodles. I would rate it 7/10.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Lai Heng Minced Mushroom Bak Chor Mee @ Toa Payoh Lor 6
After a long hiatus, I am back with a backlog of posts from before it got really crazy at work. One Saturday, BH and I ventured into Toa Payoh again to look for a really good bak chor mee.
Of course there was a long wait and we were already starving, so I ordered the mee rebus from the malay food stall that shared the coffee shop premises with the Bak Chor Mee.
After my disappointment with the mee rebus at Selera Kita, I was pleasantly surprised by this mee rebus. It had flavour and was tasty. There wasn't the cloying sweetness and the noodles weren't soggy. The bean sprouts were crunchy and delicate in the rich mee rebus gravy. I would rate it a 7.5/10.
I am not sure if it is a testament to how popular Lai Heng's Bak Chor Mee is, but when BH and I arrived at the coffee shop at 10am and placed our order, they were already out of mee kia and mee pok. I had to wonder, how many people had they already served?
I ordered the Bee Hoon and BH had the yellow noodles. Some how, Bak Chor Mee is not the same without mee pok or mee pok. You aren't able to judge the "kung fu" of the noodle blanching with beehoon or yellow noodles, and these noodles just don't have the right texture. The noodles also don't absorb as well the tart vinegary chilli and soy sauce mixture. So whilst we had did get to eat Bak Chor Mee, it left the both of us feeling like we hadn't really HAD Bak Chor Mee. There were generous servings of sliced lean pork and liver, and the minced pork and various pork cuts were very fresh. However, I didn't think much of the chilli. I would rate it a 6/10.
I don't think I will be back for this Bak Chor Mee anytime soon.
Of course there was a long wait and we were already starving, so I ordered the mee rebus from the malay food stall that shared the coffee shop premises with the Bak Chor Mee.
After my disappointment with the mee rebus at Selera Kita, I was pleasantly surprised by this mee rebus. It had flavour and was tasty. There wasn't the cloying sweetness and the noodles weren't soggy. The bean sprouts were crunchy and delicate in the rich mee rebus gravy. I would rate it a 7.5/10.
I am not sure if it is a testament to how popular Lai Heng's Bak Chor Mee is, but when BH and I arrived at the coffee shop at 10am and placed our order, they were already out of mee kia and mee pok. I had to wonder, how many people had they already served?
I ordered the Bee Hoon and BH had the yellow noodles. Some how, Bak Chor Mee is not the same without mee pok or mee pok. You aren't able to judge the "kung fu" of the noodle blanching with beehoon or yellow noodles, and these noodles just don't have the right texture. The noodles also don't absorb as well the tart vinegary chilli and soy sauce mixture. So whilst we had did get to eat Bak Chor Mee, it left the both of us feeling like we hadn't really HAD Bak Chor Mee. There were generous servings of sliced lean pork and liver, and the minced pork and various pork cuts were very fresh. However, I didn't think much of the chilli. I would rate it a 6/10.
I don't think I will be back for this Bak Chor Mee anytime soon.
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