Friday, August 9, 2024

Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat @ Techlink

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Was introduced to this eatery within the depths of Techlink, an industrial area where one least expected to enjoy in a meal of fish head steamboat. Thanks to Hence and Tracy for bringing us there. I wouldn't know which corner to turn to get there even if I am already in the building.

food court entrance


restaurant inside the food court


For Nan Hua Chang, one need not go to the counter to place order as they have adequate staff moving about in the spacious food court. However, do get your own drinks from the drinks stall which is the norm in food courts.

menu


It was past my dinner hours, so a pot of fish head steamboat sounded right for a late dinner. Boss attended to our table, so he recommended a medium pot for the 5 of us and we ordered a couple more side dishes at small size.

Fried Pork Belly (S) @$12


Cuttle Fish Kangkong (S) @$12


The nan ru pork belly was well fried and had a crisp exterior. The surprise was the heat in the cuttle fish kangkong. Wow, that was spicy!


Oyster Egg (S) @$12


The appearance of the oyster egg here, is different from others. The omelette itself was a deep fried version, so I dunk those crispy sides into the fish soup and it was lovely! And they were so generous with the oysters too.


Fish Head Steamboat - Grouper (M) @$49


It has been ages since I last had Fish Head Steamboat and this was surely nostalgic. Memories of yesteryears...

usual suspects of yam cubes, vegetables, chunky pieces of fish head


grouper


The soup was flavourful and comforting and fish head was chopped into chunky versions. I think next round, can order the large size if you're in a party of 5. Need more of the fish to satiate the cravings.

Good thing to note is that the soup is refillable at no extra cost. Also loved it when staff came by to our table to ask if we needed more soup.

Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) serves up value with the reasonable amount paid for its dishes.

Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat

Address: 31 Kaki Bukit Rd 3, #02-01 C Food Court: 古早味, Singapore 417818
Contact: 88137474
Business Hours:
Daily: 10:30 am–2:30 pm, 5:30–10:30 pm



Sunday, August 4, 2024

[Tasting] A Refreshing Look at Contemporary Cuisine with Sichuan Influences @ Birds of A Feather

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Birds of a Feather is located at 115 Amoy Street and has been around for years. I like the place for its classy, cosy vibes. Plus, of course a place to enjoy a bowl of freshly fried "辣子鸡" or as they called it there, "Find the chicken in the chilies" with a glass of bubbly prosecco.

Was invited back for a taste of new inclusions in its menu, as well as new presentation of existing favourites. Thank you Kris for the invite and Chef Eugene for your hospitality.

table art



Beginning


Ceviche


Ceviche @$21


It was a pleasant surprise to see ceviche served in an oriental setting. Imported European seabass, and celtuce both cutely diced, topped with chopped chili salsa, oriental "Tigers Milk" and citrus pops (that light translucent golden boba). "Tigers Milk" is a Peruvian sauce/liquid for marinate made of lime juice, sliced onion, chillies, salt, and pepper. The Oriental version had subtle taste of ginger, while maintaining the lovely sharp acidity of the lime. The fish had a slight firm, texture. A fun, fresh and zesty dish to wake-up the taste buds.

like a beautiful painting


Ume Tomato (V)


Ume Tomato @$14


Ume is a type of plum, and one could still distinguish its flavours infused into the skinless tomatoes. Served with ume granitas, sour jelly and Salicornia. Okay, I admit I had to Google what is Salicornia. Well, good to learn more about the ingredients in the food that we eat, yes? Also known as asparagus of the sea, this succulent had a crunchy texture with a slight salty taste.


topped with ume granitas


The ume tomato has an addictive quality which appeals to the older folks for its familiar taste that's more mellow and leaning towards sweet-tangy.



Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba (V)



Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba @$18


pickled eggplant, julienned vegetables, puffed buckwheat, soba


This dish changed my mind after tasting. I had tried some of the previous renditions of Yu Xiang Eggplant at Birds before, but this version has to be one the tastiest renditions by far. Mix well, the small portion of soba with the julienned vegetables (bell pepper, celtuce, carrots) and get those lovely oil coated onto each strands of the noodles. Crunchy texture, tangy flavours and topped with well-braised eggplant by its side. Yums.

mix well for a tasty slurp-up



Spinach & Mushroom (V)



Spinach & Mushroom @$17


If I looked at the menu and saw "Spinach & Mushroom", I'd probably be picturing that dish from wedding dinners... But of course, why imagine when one could try it for ourselves at Birds of A Feather. This dish sure looked fancy with the Ferment Soy Bean Sabayon on top.

packed with earthy-smokey flavours


I left this dish out for quite a while before trying it but man, it was packed with that lovely smokey flavours. There's crunchy bits from the pine nuts and rye croutons as well. If vegetables tasted like this, then give me more please!



Pork Dumpling



Pork Dumpling @$18



Flavourful meaty pork dumplings pan seared, served with sichuan dressing with a hint of heat, dollops of buttersquash puree for that sweet and creamy accompaniment and now comes with crunchy lavosh. I do like the lavosh crackers.

lavosh crackers




Ongoing


Roast Duck Consommé








Roast Duck Consommé @$28


This dish exuded elegance in its presentation. The consommé was comforting in its mild herbal flavours, and not gamey at all. The daikon was clean tasting and the ravioli was packed with the duck meaty flavours.

duck ravioli



Chow Chow Prawn


Chow Chow Prawn (5 pieces) @$43


Wok-fried spiced tiger prawns, served with chow chow relish and corriander puree. Prawn was firm and easy to eat since the shell at its body had been thoughtfully removed.



closer view



Barramundi Chazuke


pan seared barramundi fillet, Japanese rice topped with sauté romaine, kale, mustard green

 Classic Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish Broth



Liked the new presentation as one could see the components clearly before the staff pours the broth.

Barramundi Chazuke @$36


Taste-wise, it has a balanced quotient of spicy and sour. But man, the spice is real! Best shared with a partner/friend. Loved all the greens in there too.



Apportion


Loup De Mer (600g - 700g) 


Loup De Mer (600g - 700g) @$98



Imported European seabass, spiced with scales on and pan-seared till golden. Served with deliciously baked ratte potatoes, vine pepper beurre blanc, asparagus, kale and chopped chilies salsa.

apportioned for sharing


Balanced well-seasoned flavours in every bite. Loved the crunchy texture of the scales/skin and the firm flesh of the seabass.

delicious




Finale


Citrus Block 


Citrus Block @$16


Fruity flavours from the grapefruit and orange terrine, eaten with the spiced Earl Gray and sabayon sauce and a change-up in texture with the crispy yoghurt/milk chips/popping candy.


closer view




Jujube & Strawberry


Jujube & Strawberry @$17


The component that drew me to this dessert was the "Jujube Mascarpone Cremeux". Cheese in dessert is a good idea. And, surprisingly, I quite liked the jujube cake for its spongey-bready texture. Lovely end, with a cup of hot mocha.


Once again, thank you Chef Eugene for opportunity to learn more about the ingredients in each of the dishes that we tried and also thanks to the staff at Birds of A Feather for your care during the day of our visit. Take care and see you again!


Birds of A Feather

Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-01, Singapore 069935
Contact: 97557115
Business Hours:

Mon-Sat: 12–3 pm, 6 pm–12 am
Sun: 12–3 pm, 6–10 pm





Friday, July 12, 2024

Tora Tora Tora Japanese Restaurant @ Oxley Hub 2 (Rooftop)

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Made reservation and was surprised to receive a whatsapp notification, complete with screenshots on how to find the restaurant when you're at Oxley Hub 2. Nice.

I followed the instructions and managed to find the restaurant easily. 

entrance


let's browse the menu

The place looks cosy but the vibes coming from the staff was rather nonchalant.

interior

sip sip

mini chalkboard menu

we need food

We ordered a bunch of things, and I got myself an Asahi Black. This drink was smooth and malty, and a tinge of savoury akin to soy sauce.

Asahi Black @$11

Water is chargeable at 50cents per head and refillable.

Sashimi Moriawase 7 Kinds @$78

When we order, we enquired from the staff on which type of seafood/fish would be in the assorted sashimi platter. She said that it would depend on what the Chef wants the diners to have on that day itself. There were salmon belly, scallops, abalone, sea urchin, hamachi, white fish (maybe tai), kajiki and  lightly vinegared mackerel. Thank you Chef for indulging us with some premium selection in there!

admiring the  beautiful platter


best pairing for sashimi

I always liked to try tamagoyaki from the various Japanese restaurants and here is no exception. The version here is the typical sweeter version.

Tamagoyaki @$10

Tori Karaage @$13

Of course, there'll be fried food in the mix and tori karaage it is! Flavourful and enjoyable with the cold beer. Not the best but still decent.

Oden Moriawase @$19

The oden version at Tora Tora Tora was more similar to local yong tau foo because of its many pieces that tasted similar to fish cake, there was meatball and tofu puffs in there as well. Unfortunately, the daikon was not as soft as I'd like. Broth was nice and flavourful but temperature was not that hot.

Surume Ika @$23

The grilled squid looked kinda photogenic, don't you think? Hahaa. The texture was nice and tender but not too soft. Sauce was leaning on the sweet side.

Tontoro @$28

The cubed tontoro was nicely grilled with a slight crisp edges. Firm and gives a nice chew. Tasted of natural flavours and I liked it without the sauce.

Hokkaido White Corn @$12

The Hokkaido White Corn was lightly salted and grilled. Not as juicy as one might thought it would be, but it was definitely sweet! Dip it into the wasabi mayo sauce from another dish and it was nicely creamy and sweet.

Niku Udon @$18

Niku udon for the birthday boy and it has an onsen egg in it too. Pretty apt to order this. Of course, we stole some bites from his bowl. Hahaha!

Hamachi Kama @$23

My favourite dish for the night, is the grilled yellowtail collar (hamachi kama). Smallish in size but has plenty of white cottony soft flesh. Nicely salted too.

Wagyu Fried Rice @$30

The wagyu fried rice was recommended by the staff when we enquired whether the seafood fried rice or wagyu fried rice was more popular. The plate of the fried rice was about maybe 2 pax portion and the beef was tiny but adequately scattered throughout the rice. Strong flavours but I think I'd go for the regular fried rice for another taste test next time.

It was nice to be able to try a good variety of dishes here with the help of the legendary group. Here's wishing Ivan, a Happy Birthday!



Tora Tora Tora Japanese Restaurant @ Oxley Hub 2

Address: 62 Ubi Rd 1, #11-19, Singapore 408734

Websitehttps://www.toratoratora.sg/

Contact: 98529148

Business Hours:

Daily: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 6 PM–1 AM

 
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