Epilog: cafe in a bookshop

Curious little cafe...inside the bookshop Prologue in Ion...aptly called Epilog.

Interesting tucked in a corner, bright, airy. Very nice and relaxed environment to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee or lunch.

I dropped by for lunch, craving for some laksa

The laksa proved quite superb. A little small in the serving size. But the soup was magnificent in colour, and the beautiful fragrance hits the nose almost as the dish was being served. The soup had ground dried prawns within. Very nice.

Two large, succulent, and fresh prawns, rather generous fishcakes and taupok. Quite nice laksa. Though not as good as the one by Laksania, this one satisfies quite nicely as well.

The laksa set costs S$6.50, and comes with a pot of tea, which on its own is listed on the menu at S$6.00. I elected a Lavender Earl Gray...quite a beautiful brew...clear, clean on the palate. Wonderful fragrance. The pot serves perhaps 2.5 full cups. Nice.

Recommended. I understand they have an outlet in Orchard Central as well.

epilogue café @ ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-16 ION Orchard
6509 8627
Opens daily: 10:30am – 10:00pm

Friends Favourites: Johor Bahru eats

This installment of Friend's Recommendations will be in two parts. Part 1 is published today, and Part 2 next week. This is a rather special post, as it introduces the street food of Johor Bahru, the border town just across the causeway in Malaysia. Our guide is the famous blogger Tony Johor Kaki.

Tony is one passionate blogger...his passion is to tell the stories of the hawkers and street vendors in Johor. Hence the name Johor Kaki. Visit his blog for a more complete picture of the exploits...all very interesting.

We met to do part of his walking tour of the old town Johor Bahru. Today's post will feature two hawkers...one selling beef noodles, and another with laksa.

First the beef noodles.

Beef noodles...using a mix of fresh beef, chilled beef and frozen beef...depending on what flavours and texture this hawker wants to bring out in the particular order.

We ordered a dry version and a soupy one...

Very robust tasting. The soup stock was quite beefy, with subtle herbal flavours. The meat was very tender.

I particularly liked the tendons...very tender. The soup version was a bit more run of the mill.

Interesting first taste of JB. Though for me, the highlight of our walking tour was to come later...this was a good first taste. In comparison to what we can get here in Singapore, I feel, perhaps we are not so different. I still prefer the Nan Zing Zhou, which I have blogged about here.

Next, a short walk away is a stall selling laksa.

The laksa is the lemak style, using coconut milk, but not as strong as the version we get in Singapore as personified by the Katong Laksa. Here, the offering is more similar to what is known in Penang as Kari Mee..

The soup is more spicy rather than rich coconut. The ingredients are first rate. I particularly liked the deep fried fish balls. The bowl came with lots of tofu, and fresh cockles. Superb tasting. The noodles were also nice, soft.

The tour continues next week.

Ah Yong Beef Noodles @ Restoran Yong Mui 永美茶餐厅-家乡牛腩面
Off Jalan Lumba Kuda
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/MCnNt
GPS: 1.460827,103.767247
7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on Wednesday)

Tan Kee Cathay 国泰 Laksa
149, Jalan Lumba Kuda, 80300 Johor Bahru (inside Restoran Shang Ji)
Map: http://g.co/maps/qysgr
GPS: 1.461162, 103.767403
8:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Best laksa in town? Try Laksania as a potential candidate

Laksa is a traditional dish served by divers peoples of the region. We have Singapore laksa, Kelantan Laksa, Indonesian Laksa, Penang Laksa and some other innovations which have crept up over the years inspired by the traditional laksas of the region.

So it is interesting that an eatery has sprung up...I guess no more than a couple of years ago, specializing in all kinds of laksa. One hot and sweaty afternoon, I headed down with a good friend to try the laksa...I had originally thought to try the Kelantan version, as I have never eaten one before, it wasn't a good idea as I would not have a reference to blog on. I also decided that imposing a high standard on the Penang Laksa may be unfair...so tried what Laksania (the name is a play of words...Laksa, being the dish, and nia...being the Hokkien term for only) call their signatures.

Ordering is through a counter, like a fast food joint, but this is no fast food joint...after ordering and paying, one is given a number and the dishes served at the table.

We tried the Special Singapore Laksa

Superb. Fragrant, rich tasting. The noodles were the rough bee hoon...thicker than regular vermicilli.

Flavours deep, with dried shrimp, shallots, local spices cooked with coconut milk. One of the better laksas I have eaten. I must confess I am not a fan of the (becoming ubiquitious) Katong Laksa...as I find them too rich, and lacking in deep flavours. But the Laksania version thrumps the Katong Laksa in all the important and critical areas. Hits the spot for me. Love this laksa. So very highly recommended.

We also tried the Laksa Goreng...

Interesting too...same thick rice noodles. Probably the same sauce is used to fry the noodles. Egg added. Tasted like a beautifully fried noodle dish...similar in essence though not in style as the Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, but with the twist of a rather strong (I use this in the most positive sense) undertone of the laksa flavours. Very nice too.

For a bit of meat, we added the Chicken Satay

Huge (for satay...more like kebab sized) chunks of tender chicken on skewers. Fully marinated in laksa sauce. Wonderful aroma, nicely barbecued. A curious sauce...a bit creamy, but with more than a distinct hint of laksa leaves was served. I prefer the satay au naturale...sans a sauce. Loved it too.

The drinks were a bit more mixed...I had a rather bland lemongrass, and my lunch companion had a chendol. I guess nothing to be impressed with, especially after being swept off our feet with the marvellous laksas and satay. High marks for the food, and very much recommended.

Laksania
Bugis+
201 Victoria Street
#04-04
6636 9776
Outlets also in East Coast and Nex Mall.

Cheap Eats in CBD: Sungei Road Laksa

Value...its perceived. But one can hardly argue when one can get a nice meal sized portion of delicious noodles for S$2.

Yes, I said a bowl of Laksa for $2. And this is after the price increased 100%. It used to be $1 a bowl, when the father of the current owner used to run the stall. It was admittedly smaller, but he was insistent on offering $1 laksa...his philosophy was if you need more to fill your tummy, order two!

Today's portion, while still small, is rather a bit bigger...enough to satisfy those with a smaller appetite. I added a piece of otak...total cost of the meal as shown is $3. Still a bargain, especially in the city.

So how does it taste. The broth was magnificently fragrant. Even from the vantage point where I sat and took the picture below, I could smell the aroma of the broth when the cook opened the boiling cauldron to dish out the broth onto the bowl.

On the palate, it was rich without being coy. Less rich (lemak) than the Katong varietals, but still full on the palate. A taste of ground dried prawns (hae bee) is apparent and lends to the savoury sensation. The laksa leaves, finely sliced adds another dimension, as the chilli. Adorned with slices of fish cake, the laksa is a winner. The otak too was excellent.

But my lunch companion who has been patronising this stall for years, remarked that the after taste of the broth is what makes this laksa special. We intentionally did not drink our teas immediately after slurping the bowl. And waited 5 mins or so...all the while, still tasting the laksa as it fades into the darkness of our gullet. Beautiful. Highly recommended for the laksa enthusiast.

Sungei Road Laksa (Kelantan Lane)
31 Kelantan Lane, #01-12 Seng Chuan Eating House
9690 8184
8.30am – 9pm
(Closed on 1st Wed of the month)

Malaysian Food Street in Sentosa

The Malaysian Food Street at Resorts World Sentosa is one of the interesting places to visit, especially when one is in the Sentosa. Touting hawkers from famous stalls around Malaysia, it promises to be an interesting meal. For a limited time only, from Aug 27 to Sept 9, Auntie Mooi from Penang will be in residence to prepare and serve her Penang Laksa.

This post is brought forward from Monday Sept 3, as the Laksa being featured is here for a limited run from Aug 21 to Sept 9.

The interior is designed to have the feel and look of 1970s Malaysia..with details of the painstakingly done on the stalls and facade.

With a stall at KOMTAR, Auntie Mooi is present to prepare the Laksa herself

So is the laksa special? Well, it is prepared with 3 different fish meats, prepared with traditional ingredients like chillis, galangal, lemongrass, ginger flower, tamarind, and topped with finily spliced vegetables, mint leaves, shredded red onions and served with a spoonful of hae ko (prawn paste).

As the dish was served, the aroma hits one's nose...wonderful. A gentle stirring to mix the ingredients looks promising...the noodles were a bit thinner than expected....on tasting the texture is quite good, but not exactly the same as those found in Penang. Auntie Mooi later revealed that they have to make do with these noodles, as she is not able to bring in the ones she normally use in her stall in Penang. The broth is robust, full flavoured. The hae ko gives the savoury broth a punch, and tempered with a touch of chilli...is quite nice. I would rate this as rather authentic, but with Mooi's own variation thrown in for good measure.

Since we were there, we also sampled some other dishes, that the Food Street was famous for...first off...my favourte when in Penang...the Penang Char Kway Teow

A bit pale. Again, the noodles were not the correct type used in Penang. Those used here had a bit more bite. The wok hei was not as powerful as the best in Penang...the Goggle Lady at Lorong Selamat or Ah Leng. I am slightly disappointed because my expectation was higher, but I would rank this about par with the best Singapore version of Penang Char Kway Teow.

Another dish with I anticipated highly is the KL Black Hokkien Mee

Not bad wok hei. Correct black sauce. Nice thick, slippery noodles. Aroma and crispy bits of lard. All right ticks...but ultimately lacking the best on offer in the streets of KL. But close enough. A tad salty though, but this dish will keep me coming back to satisfy cravings.

Their satay is supposed to be very good too..selling some 1800 sticks a day!

I found the beef a bit too sinewy. The sauce was nice but a bit too creamy. I would prefer a bit or crunch from broken bits of peanut. But overall, enjoyable...the chicken (not pictured) being nicer than the beef.

Curious, we also sampled the kampung chicken with rice balls

Interesting note: Malaysia style kampung chicken has the characteristic yellow skin not found in the so called kampung chicken we get in our wet markets. Typically these are a bit more gamey. But this version, the chicken was almost perfect. The done-ness was perfect...just a tinge raw at the bones. The sauce beautiful and very tasty. The rice could have had a bit more chicken fat to provide some lux mouthfeel.

And finally the chendol...famous in its own right, serving some 1000 servings a day

Doesn't look like much...as this is a photograph taken in-situ, no lighting, no food stylist to dress up the dish. But the taste is quite excellent. Smooth, rich, creamy coconut milk, wonderful aroma of the gula melaka. I wished for more beans, perhaps a few attap seeds, but this was very good chendol. Even the ice was finely shaven and served almost melting...Nice.

The Malaysian Food Street at Sentosa is certainly worth a visit...especially for those who long for Malaysian street food. I will revisit to savour my favourites.

This is an invited review. Thanks to Tania Heng at Resorts World Sentosa and Wendy Toh at Weber Shandwick for the invitation and excellent hospitality.

Malaysian Food Street
Resorts World Sentosa
Mon, Tue, Thurs 11am - 10pm
Wed Closed
Fri, Sat 9am - 11pm
Sun 9am - 10pm

Katong Laksa

Katong Laksa is famous in its own right...including many soap opera style wars amongst family, friends because of the laksa...which caused a proliferation of so many stalls calling themselves Katong Laksa, its confusing. I don't know who is who, but settled on one to eat...having been advised by many foodie friends that they are more or less the same.

I added a piece of fish otak. The broth was very rich, thick, flavourful. Chilli is added on your own to your taste...but I find the chilli too sweet and not punchy enough. The noodles were smooth, slippery and soft...with an interesting mouthfeel. The cockles were nice and plump. I rather enjoyed this bowl of laksa more than I imagined I would have before sitting down for the meal. Two thumbs up. 49 Katong Laksa
49 East Coast Road

Now for a rant...

While I was in the Katong area, and riding around in my bike...I later went to Big Splash Mr. Teh Tarik and had an iced tea, and my riding companion had a hot tea. Iced tea was $2, and hot tea was $1.60, but the total bill came up to $4! Why? Service charge of 10% was levied, and rounded up to 40cents. This is rediculous! This is Mr. Teh Tarik, not some fancy hotel. I asked the server...if I went to the counter and served myself, if I would be levied this service charge...the response was yes. Was there any situation where the charge would not be applicable...no. Then why the service charge? Is this an effort to try and make the price of the tea seem less, and increase profits by adding a 10% on top of it? While 40 cents may seem little and trivial, but for a shop, this is 10% direct to the bottomline, without having to adjust prices or doing anything! This is an outrage.

Penang comes to Singapore: or does it?

with office colleagues

Twice a year, The York Hotel gathers some real practicing hawkers from Penang, put them on a plane, provide them two weeks accomodation, pay them for their troubles, and allow them to ply their trade at the hotel.

The origins were supposedly because the late Tan Sri Khoo Teik Puat, who used to own the hotel, craved for Penang hawker food, and to satisfy his own needs, as well as make him the millions he is also famous for, he decided to bring the hawkers in himself.

This is the second such lunch my office makan kakis are partaking together. Done a la carte buffet style...the hawkers are arranged into mini hawker stalls in the dining area of the White Rose Cafe at the hotel. Each stall holder doing his/her own prep and cooking in his own area, just like a hawker center. And patrons pay one price for all they can eat, but for each very small serving (you can take as many servings as you like, but to limit the queue size, only two servings per person each time.

I, of course started with the Penang Char Kway Teow:



Supposedly operating a store somewhere in Pulau Tikus, the older gentleman seems to have the right style and moves to make good CKT.

He fries up a wokful of about 6 small plates each time...and have the longest queues...



The CKT is quite flavourful...he is quite generous with the use of lard, and lard crisps, and the fire is quite hot, imparting a powerful wok hei to the CKT. But it lacked the very last bits to rival the goggle lady at Lorong Selamat, or Ah Leng in Anson Road, or the Duck Egg CKT in Bukit Mertajam, or any of the famous ones in Penang. I found it acceptable, perhaps a bit generic if one were in Penang.

The Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee fared a bit better:



The soup tasted quite good and authentic. The noodles, I always have beehoon mee, was a bit overcooked, but the flavour of the ingredients were very good. For some reason, the prawns were pink...and not natural pink, but a strange pink...though it tasted ok. I enjoyed the HKM.

The Jew Hoo Eng Chye (cuttlefish with kangkong)



For me, the best is always the old store in Gurney Drive...I believe its not there anymore, as with the new Gurney Drive, I think the old hawker retired...there is still a JHEC in Gurney Drive, and while good is no rival to the old one. This serving of JHEC was mildly adequate in my books. The cuttlefish was nice, crunchy, and fresh tasting. The eng chye was not bad...youngish, and fresh too. But the sauce lacked the oomph found in the original Gurney Drive store.

The Penang Laksa looks the part



But I think it fails on the soup...it was not thick with semi-melted/dissolved fish as I would anticipate. But the heykor was quite nice, and the sour, savoury taste of the soup came through. They even use shaved bits of banana flower. The noodle used was not the right type used in Penang, but a factory made type readily available in Singapore.

The last time we ate here, the ladies were absolutely thrilled with the ban chang kuih:



Unlike the type available here at the Mr. Bean type stores, the Penang BCK is thin crust, very crispy, often with sweet corn added to the peanut and sugar filling. I still dream of the store behind our house in Penang, where a Malay gentleman would whip up the best BCK in town (unusual as BCK is a traditional Chinese snack, but it had no lard or pork, so easily adapted by the Malays)...his had a super crisp crust, a soft thin layer within, and gorgeous peanut, sugar mix, and a nice dollop of creamed sweet corn. The York hawker's version was more typical...and would rate perhaps above average in Penang...the crust was very crispy, but there was no soft, cushy layer of batter within...the peanut mix was not quite as rich, and there was no sweet corn.

The same hawker also served up Apom Balik



While BCK is a typical Chinese snack, the apom is a typical Malay (or more accurately Indian Muslim...mamak) snack. Like the Sri Lankan hoppers, this was a sweet pancake, with embedded slices of banana and sometimes corn. This version was quite nice...soft, tender...the batter is expertly managed such that it is just cooked...quivering as one handles it...and with each bite, it spills forth banana and instead of corn, they used raisins...a nice touch. Quite nice.

We also had Penang Lor Bak, which I feel is let down by the lack lustre lor sauce, so I will not even feature it here. The Kway Teow Thng is also not interesting...as it was very mild in flavour compared to the real thing in Penang....and interestingly they had Dry Kway Teow Thng...how can there be a dry kway teow soup (Thng in Hokkien means soup)? The desserts were even more disappointing...the chendol and ice kachang were not worth the calories, and pales in comparison to even the average hawker in Penang, so again nothing to write about.

Overall, a worthwhile event. It is difficult to get the best of Penang to take time off their business in Penang and sojourn to Singapore to show their skills here, so I guess given the situation, getting this quality of cooking is commendable. Will I return again...probably yes, especially when the Penang homesick blues strike.


Penang Hawker Promotion
twice a year for a fortnight, I went on the first day of this season...on Sept 4, 2009.
White Rose Cafe
York Hotel
Singapore

Penang Kitchen: good for Penang food cravings?

with Patrick and Andy

I blogged about Anna's Kitchen in JB as a viable alternative to going to Penang to sample the hawker delights. Not quite the same level as available in Penang, but a good alternative. What about within Singapore...afterall JB is still an hour plus drive, and another country.

With reduced expectations as we are not actually in Penang, I am fairly impressed with only 2 establishments in Singapore which can approximate and somewhat satisfy cravings. These are Penang Kitchen, the subject of today's review and Penang Place in Jurong East.

Four benchmarks are established. Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee. Penang Laksa. Penang Char Kway Teow. And Penang Lorbak.

First up, my personal standard to judge...and a favourite. Penang Char Kway Teow.



Visually, the CKT looks less enticing than Anna's. The noodles look a bit pale having taken on the colouring of the chilli is tainted slightly reddish. The prawns are a bit shrivelled and dried. A whiff of the CKT confirms lack of wok hei, as also evidence by lack of charred bits. Taste wise, it is reasonable. My mom's home cooked CKT is about similarly good. Anna's creation tasted more authentic. But nowhere near the magic output from the wok of the goggle lady in Lorong Selamat and the Sisters at MacAlister Road in Penang. If I had rated Anna's at just above average in a typical coffee shop in Penang, I would then place Penang Kitchen's version as just below the standard in Penang.

Next, Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee



The Penang HKM fares a bit better. The soup was robust, thick and had a crustacean flavour. Fortified by pork bones and a concoction of pork, the soup tasted authentic and nice. It tasted more authentic than Annas. And quite close to my reference standard of Kek Seng in Penang. The beehoon mee was slightly overcooked, as was Anna's and most stores in Penang. The prawns were a bit disappointing...it too was small, dry and not succulent at all. But overall, judged to be quite nice, and can be a satisfactory substitution.

The Penang Laksa



Penang laksa is totally different from the Singapore version. The best of Singapore is the Depot Road Zen Shan Mei Claypot as well as the various Katong Laksa shops. While the Singapore version is sinfully rich and savoury, the Penang laksa is sour, and fortified with fish flakes, sliced cucumber, pineapples, mint leaves...altogether more healthy and wholesome. The soup is made from fish stock and bones, and boiled with more fish. No coconut milk is used, but the stock is enhanced with a generous dollop of hae ko...a fermented prawn paste.

The Penang Kitchen version did not have a soup which is not as hearty as the best examples in Penang - examplified by the very famous Ayer Itam market store, or the Balik Pulau market store. Again, it fails to measure up against the best in Penang, but perhaps if this laksa was served in Penang, most Penangites would think it rather pedestrian.

Patrick also tried the Herbal Duck Mee Sua (in Penang Hokkien, known as Ark Thwee Mee Sua)



I remember eating this with my father in one coffee shop along Carnavon Street, and at a tender age, found it too herbal for my liking. Though years later, when I returned to Penang, I did re-sampled the Ark Thwee Mee Sua, and found it delightful. I had a taste of the soup served at Penang Kitchen, and it tasted fairly strong of herbs, and a rich savoury stock which can only result in hours of boiling on the stove.

So overall, what is my verdict on Penang Kitchen? I would rate it as one of the top two serving authentic Penang Hawker cuisine in Singapore, but would place the standard of cooking slightly below that of Anna's in JB. If we were to transplant Penang Kitchen to Penang, it would be rated only average.

Penang Kitchen
5 Coronation Road
#01-05 Coronation Arcade
Tel: 6466 6193
Mon - Fri 11am - 9pm (Wed Closed) Sat- Sun 10:30am - 9:30pm

Depot Road Zen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa, Singapore

Laksa is a food of passion...hot, rich, tasty, enriching. To eat a bowl of steaming hot laksa on a hot day takes great passion. And today, a team of 8 colleagues decended on the busy Alexandra Village to sample this very famous laksa vendor. Formerly from Depot Road, hence the name, is served with super thick coconut milk in a claypot. The old couple who used to run the store in Dover, keeping the crowd waiting and scolding you like an old grandaunt if you come to remind her that perhaps she might have forgotten your order. I understand they sold the name to the current owner at Alexandra Village.



The soul of laksa is in the gravy, and comparing gravies to famous Katong laksa, the Dopot variety is thicker, more creamy, and way richer. The superior mouth feel is probably due to the cholesterol laden thick coconut cream used. The gravy may not be the healthiest, but the taste is excellent, firing the umami sensors and gives great, great satisfaction. I do seem to remember, though, that the old store in Depot Road was even richer, but sans any hint of coconut...there were rumours that they used evaporated milk.



A spot of the spicy chilli provides a sharp counterpoint to the richness of the gravy. And additional cockles are available for an extra dollar, makes the bowl even more tasty, just enough to edge this as my favourite in Singapore...note the cockles in the picture below is not fully cooked, but the heat of the claypot soon cooks the cockles to perfection.

Strips of taupok completes the taste.



Thick beehoon is used. But regular yellow noodles is also available. We did not order the yellow noodles as I feel the kee of the yellow noodles makes the taste even richer, and overkill on the creaminess scale.

Definitely one of the best laksa in my books in Singapore. Curiously the other laksa I really like is the one served in SIA's First Class Lounge in Changi Airport when the chef is in session. Almost as rich, creamy, and balanced with spiciness.

Wash this down with an avocado shake from the other side of the hawker center...and one is in near-foodie haven. Also rich tasting, it is very refreshing, and cooling.




Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa
Alexandra Village Food Centre
Blk 120, Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-75

Photo note: shot without flash on the 17-40 f/4L, at ISO400. Shutter speeds range from 1/25s to 1/40s. Raw processed with Adobe Camera Raw, pushing exposure, recovery, fill light and black levels.