NUDE Seafood (where we ate through almost the entire menu!) @ MBFC Tower 3

It was time for our monthly gathering and this time round, the theme was "fish". Ok, that means we'll be doing either seafood or fish steamboat. There were a couple of choices and in the end, the majority decided on NUDE Seafood which serves seafood in a modernized manner.

So I wrote to them via email since we couldn't make the reservation through their website due to party size of 8 pax which requires either a call-in or write-in. Response was fast and Junchen managed to answer most query that I had. Mainly on the deposit required and whether or not we need to pre-order. Do note that a 20% deposit is required for party size of 8 and above. We also pre-ordered some of the food items as the popular ones may run out. With a party of 8, we managed to order almost everything on the menu with some items in multiple quantities.

interior

menu

ready for food

The place has a cosy and chic industrial vibe. They do open kitchen concept so one could see the food preparations. We didn't because our seats were further in.

For starters, we had the crab and egg white chawan mushi (x3), black pepper king prawn (x5), gochujang cauliflower (x1), tofu skin salad (x1) and broccoli (x1). Which means we had ordered everything except century egg.

Crab and Egg White Chawanmushi @$8

smooth steamed egg

The chawanmushi was flavourful with the abundance of crab meat and the dashi used. Well cooked that resulted in a smooth steamed egg. Yummy!

seafood with  Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Barry’s Extraordinary Claret / Bordeaux, France, 2015 @$17

Tofu Skin Salad @$5.80

We were so funny. After all the photo taking, we had forgotten to pour the sauce into the salad itself. The tofu skin salad comprised of a handful of cold soba noodles, and its accompaniment included sliced cloud ear (black fungus?), spinach and the crispy tofu skin. The sauce was plum vinaigrette but it tasted interestingly, like... chocolate? Pretty good and I liked it better with the sauce, definitely.

Gochujang Cauliflower @$5.80

Broccoli @$5.80

Well, the broccoli tasted like...well, broccoli, because that was what it was. Like how our home might make this as well. The cauliflower on the other hand, tasted like chicken due to its texture and the sauce used. Pretty nice. Otherwise, these were ordered to fulfill our vegetable quotient for the meal.

Black Pepper King Prawn @$6.90

The black pepper king prawn was served with deep fried mantou and each prawn is priced at $6.90 with minimum order of 2 prawns. Hmm, let's just say I wasn't wowed by this. I prefer my prawns not to be overcooked.

Next up would be the "Bigger Dishes". The bigger dishes was meant to be shared by two pax. Our group managed to order all of the bigger dishes. We had "Squirrel Grouper" (x2), Steamed Pomfret (x2), Miso Grilled Halibut (x1), Japanese Squid (x1), Hickory Smoked Salmon (x1), Oatmeal Spinach Tofu (x1).

Squirrel Grouper @$18.80

Steamed Pomfret @$13.80

I have always liked squirrel fish ever since I had my first at Putien. The version at NUDE was delicious too! Loved the sweet and sour sauce, and that meaty bite of the grouper. It was a pity that the steamed pomfret was a tad overcooked hence the meat felt a bit '老'. Otherwise, it was priced rather reasonably and for that, we had two plates.

Hickory Smoked Salmon @$12.80

Oatmilk Spinach Tofu @$12.80

The presentation of the smoked salmon was rather striking and half of my table voted that they liked this quite a bit. The Oatmilk Spinach Tofu was a surprise winner for its overall tastiness. The tofu was smooth and paired well with the sauce and the seaweed.

Japanese Squid @$16.80

The Japanese Squid had a very interesting look and I didn't expect it to be served whole in this manner. Loved the enjoyable chewiness of the squid yet still quite tender. The sauce was Thai influenced with the expected tangy-ness, sweet and spicy flavour.

Miso Halibut @$20.80

The most expensive fish is the Miso Halibut but it was worth every penny of it! Served with mushroom tea broth, shiitake mushrooms and spinach. But the star was clearly the fish itself. Grilled to a perfect golden hue, flesh that's still smooth and soft with good oily mouthfeel. Best fish for the night! Totally recommended.

Oh ya, if you need some carbs, do get their bamboo rice. There's blue pea mushroom rice with its lovely colour or go for the flavourful salted fish blue pea flower with mushrooms and jinhua ham rice. Cooked with Niigata rice so every spoonful was of a lovely sticky texture.

Blue Pea Mushroom Rice @$4.80

Salted Fish Blue Pea Flower Rice with Jinhua Ham @$4.80

Now, what shall we order for dessert? Oh, just order everything and that was exactly what we did! The perks of dining in a larger group. Keke.

We got their brownie (x1), the honeydew sago (x2) and the tiramisu (x1).

NUDE Brownie with Ice-Cream @$6.80

While the staff mentioned that their signature is the honeydew sago, I do like their brownie. Such lovely texture and chockful of cocoa.

NUDE Honeydew sago and Peach Gum @$6.80

The honeydew sago difference from the usual is the large blob of honeydew, and the inclusion of peach gum plus it wasn't already served swimming in the coconut milk. The sauce is served separate and its called 'snow'. Loved the snow, more of that please!

the customary pour shot

However, my favourite dessert was the tiramisu. Yes, nothing out of the ordinary when compared to others yet, this housemade tiramisu had all the perfect ratio. Scooping up a large chunk of mascarpone layered with coffee soaked sponge and topped with bitter cocoa was simply super satisfying. My friends say this one had alcohol but I didn't detect any. Was it because I had wine earlier? If you ever tried it, do let me know.

Housemade Tiramisu @$6.80

super satisfying!

Thank you to the foodie gang for sharing the calories and the love for food. Here's a shout-out to Elle, Kris (@msginginly), Shermaine (@littletinysun), Rachelle (@with.rachelle), Ivan (@ivan_teh_runningman), Hence (@chubbybotakkoala), Alvin (@o_oican) and Tiara (@tiara_star).

Overall, expect to spend about $45 per pax for food and a drink. For two pax, recommend to get at least one starter, two mains and two dessert to share. For the rice, one portion is good to be shared amongst two pax.

NUDE Seafood

Address: 12, #01-02 Marina Blvd, Tower 3 Marina Bay Financial Centre, 018982
Website: http://www.nudeseafood.com
Contact: +65 6443 1167  /  hello@nudeseafood.com
Business Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8am to 10pm
Closed on Sat and Sun.

[Tasting] WAN Bar + Kitchen @ Suntec City

The Grab driver asked which tower is this place that I'm going. Hmm, good question as its address is the generic address for Suntec. So, for those who wants to know; WAN Bar + Kitchen is located close to Tower 5 of Suntec City (somewhere near the roundabout).

facade

WAN Bar seemed to have an Oriental theme to its decor. Loved the huge huge paintings and the words on its wall. Expect the usual bar vibes with darkened interior, and patrons can look forward to having a good time with its unique alcoholic bubble-tea, as well as delicious bar grub.

eat, drink and make merry

alcoholic bubble tea, priced @$15 each (yes, served with cute floaters)

The alcoholic bubble tea selections are "Childhood Sweet Heart", "The 'Casanova'", "It's Complicated", "Girl Next Door" and "Crazy Bitch".

Interestingly, one could find angel hair pasta with mentaiko and scallops at this bar. This would usually be served at some atas joint as a starter.  Indeed, the thin layer of gold specks decorating the noodles was a luxurious touch to the dish. The version at WAN was rather light and the perfect starter to a relaxed evening with friends. Could taste yuzu in the mix and loved the sweet scallops.

Angel Hair Pasta with Mentaiko and Scallops

Next up, we tried the Rock and Roll Ngo Hiang. What? Ngo Hiang in a bar? Yes, this one tasted quite legit! Injecting local flavours into the bar scene since Hokkien Mee invasion. Everyone's thought when seeing the dish for the first time, "Why are its ends so funny looking?" Well, maybe not everybody's thoughts but those were mine as well. This ngo hiang was described as East meets West fusion where its insides are using original recipe while its batter and dipping sauce are westernized version. Chipotle sauce for the ngo hiang? It actually worked.

Rock and Roll Ngo Hiang @$10

yummy fillings

Why is it that we always feel like eating sinful stuffs when we are at a bar? Like fried wings, fried potatoes etc? Hmm. Apparently, someone else in the world had asked this question. Read here for more info.

Anyways, we were served with "Movers and Shakers". Wow, sounds like what Wall Street folks are doing. Actually, it's chicken skin deep fried to a perfect golden brown and crispy as expected. Served with a bowl of seaweed and spicy mala powder with paper bag to shake 'em in. Yup, just like them shaker fries.

Movers and Shakers @$8

Like any chips, this one sure was addictive. We couldn't stop eating. This dish can be paired with "The Casanova" concocted with gin, apple juice, appricot, rose syrup, lime juice and lychee balls. Yes, it's sweet and a girl's drink. I loved it in its shooter form. I think one could get drunk when having the actual size.

The Casanova - shooters style (tasting portion) - handmodels cr: @msginginly and @jwanting

Mala Mafia Prawns @$16

Next up, we had "Mala Mafia Prawns", another delectable appetiser. Imagine good sized prawns, doused with spicy sauce sitting on top of a soft mound of spicy mala cream and served with Melba toast. While the bread was not as crispy as anticipated, it was fluffy and a good foil to the spicy mala cream sauce. Prawns were unfortunately overcooked but I enjoyed this dish anyways due to its right flavours with enough punch.

The "Mala Mafia Prawns" can be paired with "Crazy Bitch" which is a Monkey Shoulder whisky based drink, with matcha latte and honey. So yummy, this one.

Crazy Bitch

More food was served and this time round, we got the "Cheesy Lobster Carrot Cake", another signature from WAN. Yes, our local carrot cake 菜頭粿 which is essentially made of radish, for the kway part.

Wait, lobster and carrot cake? Am I hearing it right? Wait wait, and it's priced at $18? That's insanely affordable! It looked like an oversized omelette and topped with sliced chili and furikake. Loved that the taste of chai po was prominent (and somewhat savoury sweet) and the radish was in larger cubes, just the way I liked it. Oh, this dish was best enjoyed with a good dollop of those cheesy belachan. Don't say I never say.

Cheesy Lobster Carrot Cake @$18

closer view of the radish

This was paired with "It's Complicated" which is a Hendrick's Gin based drink, with green tea, lemon, peach sour and nata de coco. Tasty!

"It's Complicated"

Happy with the food and drinks list thus far from WAN Bar + Kitchen, but Chef Anthony just kept on bringing more goodies! The Wok-Fried Omurice was quite picturesque with yellow hued omelette, dripping with delicious brown glaze and scattered with dried bonito flakes and aonori (seaweed).

Wok-Fried Omurice @$14

While I didn't find any particularly strong wok-hei in this dish, the fried rice was still good with its homely flavours. There's prawn, luncheon meat, shallots and mushroom bits so it felt like something ah ma would cook-up.

It turned out that there was one drink that I enjoyed the least, and that was the "Girl Next Door" with Hendrick's Gin, Passion Fruit Tea and Lemon Juice.

"Girl Next Door"

Finishing off our meal at WAN Bar + Kitchen with mini donuts called "Wantou Donuts". Do they mean 玩透? Served with a trio of dips including the brightly colored Bandung, and our local Kaya and lastly, my favourite Peanut Butter.

Wantou Donuts @$8

Lovely bar, music not too loud, casual vibes, tasty drinks and delicious foods. Thank you Kris for the invite, WAN Bar + Kitchen for hosting the tasting, Ting Feng and Daniella for taking care of us and Chef Anthony for feeding us well.

WAN Bar + Kitchen

Address: 3 Temasek Blvd, #01-434 North Wing, Singapore 038983
Website: https://www.wan-night.com/bar-kitchen
Contact: 9171 2179
Business Hours: 
Mon - Tues, Thurs: 12pm to 1am
Wed: 12pm to 3am
Fri: 12pm to 4am
Sat: 7pm to 4am
Closed on Sundays.

Journey to the West for Good Food @ 155 Bukit Batok Street 11

Our 西游记 to suss out good food. Many prolific bloggers had been reviewing the west side story, so it is now our turn to just makan! First destination was to 233 Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 and we had enjoyed good plates of chicken feet, 牛腩面 beef brisket and also Cantonese porridge (粥). Full? Nah, that's just starters. Now let's go for Part 2, we'd say.

Hence, Ivan, Kris, Jennifer, Tiara and myself managed to land ourselves in 155 Bukit Batok Street 11. Each of us went and ordered for the group. It was pretty amazing how we didn't end up with the same foods! (but that's because we comms'ed each other prior, keke)

Fatty Weng 肥仔荣食摊

We felt like having meat that day. Lots of it. So Ivan went to get these substantial looking meat platters. A quarter roasted duck and double-meat of roasted pork and char siew. These slices of meat fed the 6 of us very well.

Fatty Weng's roasted meats

The roasted duck looked nondescript but it was good. Each bite was tender and flavourful. Some of its skin parts came with a layer of fats. Would it be jelak? I'd thought but still, it went into the mouth. Wow. That feeling where the oil oozes out and just gently greases the tasty meat with added texture was simply amazing. Definitely impressed.

Roast Duck 烧鸭 @$15

Actually, the first bite went to the siu yuk 烧肉 (roast pork) to test the crackling. Still crispy even after 15 minutes. I can say that I've been eaten roasted pork since I was a kid. Maybe since I was a 3-year old? Chunky bites always worked for me. Unfortunately, the char siew was too lean for most of us. It gives a good workout for the jaw.

叉烧烧肉 (double roasted meat platter) @$15

Ah Lipp Famous Penang Prawn Noodles 槟城虾面

For first timers, we tried the big prawns noodles. The soup looked potent with its dark red hues. Sip it while it is hot and one would have been transported into umami-land. Such bliss! All the goodness of seafood is in that bowl of soup. For photography purpose, we got the dry-version. Personally, I'd much prefer a soupy version of Penang prawn noodles, anytime.

大虾面 Big Prawn Noodles (Dry) @$10

The prawns were huge, and firm to bite. Very 扎实 (solid). My favourite combo for prawn noodles would be pork ribs and regular sized prawns. But, the soup must be good. If the soup is no good, then it is a no go for me, regardless of what ingredient the noodles came with.

Another taste test for Penang fare, would be its assam laksa. I still remembered my first time when I had a taste of it. Probably around age 6 or 7? I thought it was horrible. But as they say, our taste buds change over time and I learnt to appreciate it better.

Ah Lipp Assam Laksa @$4

The chunky white rice noodles seemed right, the ingredients abit too well laid for a hawker fare but on first sip, I was disappointed. The soup was too light. There's plenty of fish in the bowl though, and that was a plus point. Since the broth makes or breaks a dish, my preference went to the prawn noodles.

Fried Baby Squid Prawn Mee

Fried Baby Squid Prawn Mee (minus baby squids because they ran out of it!)

This is one very popular stall. Plenty of customers and people kept coming up to order. But they worked fast. The zhao pai 招牌 seemed to be the baby squid prawn noodles but ran out of baby squids by the time we ordered. So one regular plate of hokkien mee would have to do.

The noodles were moist and plenty of sliced pork, some seafood and topped with pork lard, and a dash of sambal on the side. For any good plate of hokkien mee, pork is one of the important ingredients besides the broth. I think the meat gave the dish some depth in flavours. Yummy and recommended!

It was a fun day, exploring our hawker centres/coffeeshops with this group of foodies. Thank you Jen, Kris, Tiara, Shermaine, Hence and Ivan for a full-filling day. 你吃饱了吗？

camera eating already!