Lei Garden
ok i gotta admit that looking at these photos makes me hungry. so i beseech all of you who havent had dinner/lunch/breakfast/supper not to look at this blog post until ur stomach is satisfied.
Lobster Sashimi
i had no idea what is the name or breed of the lobster. all i knew was that it looked different from normal lobster and was from France. this dish was MAD delicious! if u like raw fish or seafood, u shld try this! the lobster on its own without wasabi or shoyu was so sweet and just melted in my mouth! we also had to option to dip it into a hotpot with stock to cook it. i tried both ways and either way, it was SHIOK! even the broth which we dipped it in was delicious!
Sharksfin cooked in chicken broth
another very yummy dish! although i do not feel very comfortable ordering or eating sharksfin, i had no choice becos my dad already ordered it! very sad for the sharks, yes, but it was very delicious! mainly becos of the broth. The whitish colour u see is not milk but the essence of the whole chicken cooked into the soup. thumbs-up!
Lobster Claw steamed with eggwhite below
i really liked this dish because its very simple tasting yet delicious! there was no fireworks or "boom""pow wow" but just simple heartwarming food! the lobster was very fresh and could taste the sweetness, matched with the eggwhite below that was not over seasoned nor overcooked. the eggwhite was extremely silky and smooth. very good match!
this was the piece de resistance! i've never in my entire life eaten one whole abalone like this! so i was shocked when this dish was served!! the sauce that went with the abalone was very rich and sticky. it went well with the abalone as abalones dont really have a very strong taste. the abalone did not taste like our usual canned abalone and was definitely not as chewy as those in the can. very awesome!!
Roasted Goose, Hongkong style
the roasted goose disappointed everyone at the table. the meat was too hard to chew and also to detach from the bone. it tasted like duck and the sauce was too salty. meat not tender and sauce salty, whats more to say about this dish? next!
stir fry asparagus with garlic
this dish was so-so, the asparagus they chose was fresh i could tell. mainly because it was sweet and crunchy. however, i found it a little too oily. u can tell from the pictures that it looks very glossy. tasted light but oily!
deep fried lobster with some condiments i forgot
nice condiments they used. i think it contained 5 spice powder and some chilli, salt etc but it was very hard getting the meat out of the lobster so basically you are eating the shell. haha still yummy though.
mango pudding
woo hoo this dessert is my all time fav! priced at $7++ each, it is definitely not cheap! however they used generous amounts of mango and the pudding was not the jelly type but creamy and soft! i loved this!
Mango Pomelo with Sago
this dessert was good but not fantastic as i've had better ones elsewhere. definitely didnt have as much mango as the pudding!
overall i enjoyed the meal because of the very elaborate menu! i had no idea we were gonna eat all these! my dad just ordered whatever he thought was good. i was very shocked because we were not celebrating any special occasion and it was just a normal dinner!
Lei Garden
30 Victoria Street #01-24 Chijmes Singapore
Tel: +65 6339 3822
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11.30am – 3pm
Dinner: 6pm – 9.30pm
Cost: we spent around $140 per pax so the food there is definitely pricey!
Rating: 4 stars the food there was generally good and very good service too. could taste that they used fresh food to cook and put in effort to let us enjoy our meal.
overall, i would go back there if my dad is in a good mood or if there is a special occasion!
i wanna blog bout lei garden but the pictures are making me so hungry!!! ok time to find some food hehe
joy
Kitchen Tips!
Here are some kitchen tips that i have learnt through experience or learnt on tv!
1. Freeze small amount of leftover wine in ice cube trays for easy addition to sauces.
2. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato-it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me up."
3. After a few scoops, a piece of waxed paper on top of your ice cream will prevent it from getting that frosty coating.
eliz's fav!
4. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
Alessi's famous lemon squeezer on three legs by Philippe Starck. i want one too!
5.To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
6. Ditch harmful cleaners in favour of baking powder in the kitchen. It’ll get rid of stains in teacups, clean sinks etc. mix it with vinegar to use!
Bee Heng Prawn Noodle
Prawn noodle soup is one of my fav thing to eat esp on a rainy day! i had prawn noodles from Bee heng prawn noodle stall two consecutive days in a row! this prawn noodle stall used to be in a corner coffee shop near Macdonalds in serangoon gardens but the coffee shop has since been taken over by citibank so they moved to the serangoon gardens market.
i have been eating this prawn noodle every sunday since i was a young girl but i will try to be objective and not biased in my review hahaa
the stock for the prawn noodle is not very thick but still could taste the prawn , however it is a little too peppery for my liking. funny how i dont rmbr it being so peppery, the pepper was too overpowering. they included pork slices into the bowl and the pork is tender and soft. the prawns are fresh but too thinly sliced. overall this prawn noodle is average tasting. no fireworks sadly.. but good for rainy,cold days (:
Bee Heng Prawn Noodle
Location: Serangoon Gardens Market and Food Centre
Cost: $3 to $5
Ratings: 2.5 stars
Grilled Sandwhich
Hey all, todays blog is on the humble grilled cheese sandwhich. Most of you would have gone "huh? i need to grill the sandwich on a barbeque?" no you don't have to. the method is actually quite simple. Grilled sandwhichs aren't some thing you find in most asian eateries cause it is an invention by some angmo very long ago. (wiki it your self thank you very much =P)
here's what you need:
Grilled Cheese Ham Sandwich - Serves 2
4 slices of bread
4 slices of cheese
2 strips of bacon
A tomato thinly sliced
Mayonnise
Pepper
Put a slice of cheese on each side of bread and lay the ingredients on each slice. Add mayonniese and pepper.
Next lightly butter the top and bottom side of your sandwich with with either butter or olive oil
Turn the heat to high and place your sandwich on a non stick pan. Now the trick to making your grilled sandwich go from good to superb! Get a heavy plate or a heavy object ( i used a potato masher to press the sandwich down) to press down and flatten the sandwich. Turn over and do the same for the other side. Cook each side for 1 - 2 mins.
Serve just as it is. Cut open to reveal a gooey runny cheesy center ^^
This a great midnight snack or if you are rushing for time and need a quick meal. It just takes at least 15 min to prepare a serving. What's more you can be creative with this recipe. you can add anything between the slices. Chicken chop, lamb fillets, beef slices, basically anything you want. must be edible of course ^^.
John
RSYC The Wharf
this is a back dated entry as i went there to eat awhile back. i go there on an average of once in a few months as john's parents are members of the club. btw, RSYC stands for Republic of Singapore Yacht Club.
normally we dine at The Wharf, which is an open-concept cafe that is overlooking the marina. the view from the cafe at night is spectacular, however the food is not as spectacular.
ok i cant rmbr all the names of the dishes so i will just skip it because u can tell from the photo, what i am talking about. haha. so this is their signature burger which is huge! it consists of the burger buns, pickles, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cheese, fried egg, bacon and a meat patty. served together with coleslaw and fries. the beef patty was juicy and tender when i bit into it and it complements well with the egg and bacon. however, it is a big portion and i had to pack half of it home to finish up. but i have to give credits because the burger was still yummy even when i ate it the next day. just pop it into the microwave and u have a yummy meal! fries and coleslaw were normal.
the deep fried soft shell crab served was good as the batter was not too thick. the soft shell crab was coated in a thin batter that is very crispy. taste wise, it just tasted like normal soft shell crab.
the hongkong noodles were done fairly well. not much comments on this cos i only tried a little. heh
this was the best dish of the day. normally we see mee siam with the sauce but this was fried dried. the taste of the sauce was cooked into noodle and was very tasty! overall the portion was just nice too.
currently, i only have reviews of these food. will surely go back to eat as they offer western and local food at affordable prices. will be back to update more on the food at RSYC! oh btw, the chendol there is really good! dont have a pic of it but be sure to try it if u are there!
The Wharf
Location: Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
52 West Coast Ferry Road Singapore 126887
Tel: 6768 9288
Opening Hours: 7.00am - 10.00pm (Mon- Fri)
7.00am - 10.30pm (Weekend, Eve Public Holiday & Public Holiday)
Cost: Ranging from $10+ - $20+ for main course
Ratings: 2.5 stars ( average tasting food ) but very good ambience and view. good for dates esp at night when u can walk down to the berth/dock.
promotions/ events
Xi Yan喜宴
this is the long awaited post hahaha ok i am gonna blog bout Xi Yan!
so i heard about this place through friends and the internet! always wanted to eat there cos its not like any other restaurant but a private dining restuarant. there are only a few tables in the restaurant so if u wanna dine there, you'll have to book and order beforehand. i was told that i had to order beforehand as they wanted to ensure the freshness of the food and only cook enough for the guests on that day. Wow! have never eaten anywhere like that before.
so here's an excerpt from their website
" Xi Yan was first started by Jack Yu, a designer-turned-celebrity-chef In Hong Kong in year 2000. In 2005 Xi Yan Singapore was started, the private dining restaurant transcended the ordinary to champion creative cooking, and epitomized what private fine dining should be. Since then Xi Yan, meaning "banquet of joy" or "happy and joyous banquet" has continued to be rated top among the private dining restaurants in both Hong Kong and Singapore.
While Xi Yan boasts a long list of guests of who-is-who from all over the world, it attracts anyone who seek to enjoy quality good food. No matter who the guest, Xi Yan home setting makes every of its guests feel comfortable visiting.
Xi Yan private dining is strictly by reservations-only, it adheres to a philosophy that only what's fresh of the day at the market will be served, and the 12 course menu would be plan by the chef daily. Xi Yan will also cater to guests special advance request whenever they require an even more elaborate menu for their dining pleasure. Only one sitting for lunch and dinner will be served to ensure quality and consistency. "
Let's start with the decor and ambience of the place. well, i think it was a good place to eat and chat with your friends and family mbrs becos its a small place and quiet so u wont be disrupted if u want to have quality conversations! and the whole restaurant is decorated like a art gallery. there are paintings all around and you can pretend to gaze or admire at the paintings if your friend or family mbr is boring you out. hahaha! the lightings were rather dim but they were nice enough to brighten it for us to take photos of the food. very comfortable ambience to have a nice dinner.
okie lets move on to the food! armed with a budget of $500 for 6 people, we ordered the $68++ per pax meal through email beforehand and still had no idea what to expect. kinda excited as to what we will be served! we only knew that it wld be a 7 course meal.
First up, the appetizer. Greenhouse Tomatos in wasabi sesame sauce
these tomatos are no ordinary tomatoes. these are Momotaro tomatoes! im told that Xi Yan gets their tomatoes directly from a farm in Japan and these are absolutely delicious! im not a big fan of tomotoes and will never eat more than 1 or 2 pieces at a time. however, these babies are so sweet! a check at Cold Storage showed that two of these tomatoes cost around $4.50! well, big price to pay for these delicious tomatoes. haha anyway yes i bought 2 at cold storage last week! so back to this dish, i couldnt really taste the wasabi in the sauce but the sesame sauce goes so well with the sweetness of the tomato. i was really full of praises for this dish. it proved to be my most memorable dish of the day!
next, Ginseng Chicken Soup
ok this dish had no chicken in it. just soup. hmm i wasnt too impressed or blown away by this dish because im not a huge fan of ginseng. but my sister, who's a huge fan of ginseng related products, gave her thumbs up for this dish. all i can say is that i could taste the ginseng and the chicken.
Deep Fried Shishamo with XO sauce ( served separately )
shishamo is something common in japanese food and it is readily available at most supermarkets. you can get them frozen in a pack, ready to be fried. but what's different bout the ones here are that the fish is much more fat and juicy. it was not dry and flat like some i've tried at those japanese buffet. these ones were a joy to bite into and the XO sauce paired really well with it. i would say the XO sauce was the main star in this dish. the shishamo, albeit nice, did not rlly shine. afterall, its still deep fried shishamo.
Stir fried Spicy Beancurd Prawns
this dish was delish! the sauce in which they coat the prawns in, were made using spicy fermented beancurd which is also known as 'dou fu ru'. it is commonly available in Singapore and normally eaten with porridge as it is very salty. the idea of cooking the prawns with the beancurd really piqued my interest! i will try out the recipe one day! even the ginger tasted good in the sauce! ( fyi, i hate ginger) only thing bout this dish is that its a teeny bit too salty by itself. prolly goes well with rice!
Pagoda Dongpo Pork with Preserved Vegetables
another dish that i really liked! i loved the presentation as well as taste of this dish. they used the thinly sliced Dongpo pork to form into a pagoda and stuffed the preserved veg inside. the pork was sliced so thinly that you didnt really have to bite it at all. plus the sauce alone made me ate a half bowl of rice. Dongpo pork is a famous Hangzhou dish and its named after famed poet, Su Dongpo. legend has it that he cooked this dish after being banished to a life of poverty in Huang gang, Hubei. u have to try this dish! the unveiling of the pork was fun to watch too!
Steamed fish with pickled chilli and black bean paste sauce with rice noodles
the steamed fish they used was cod and i love cod! who doesnt? its expensive haha. anyway, this dish had a very mellow taste. not too overpowering although it had black bean paste sauce and chilli. personally, i felt that the rice noodle had no taste prolly because the cooked the fish and noodle separately and then put it together. the sauce only coats the surface of the noodle but not cooked into the noodle. my grandma had to ask for some XO sauce from previous shishamo dish to eat with the rice noodle. the noodle was more like hor fun than noodle and i admit, it was much better after the XO sauce came. overall, the noodles were not impressive.
Chef's milk ice cream with butter shortbread
honestly, i was expecting much more than this. i was taken aback when the desert came. after all, we were so impressed with the food so far. however, this ice cream tasted so rich and creamy after the first bite! it was not too sweet and definitely not commercially made. i had an extra serving thanks to my grandma who didnt fancy ice cream. but i must say that ice cream somehow was not a good end to the dinner. prolly some kind of double boiled chinese sweet dessert甜汤 like white fungus soup or glutinous rice balls would be more appropriate. also, the butter shortbread felt and tasted like store bought wafer.
all in all, i enjoyed the dinner very much and would love to go back there. the food tasted above average and service was exceptional. they dished up portion by portion for all of us and we did not even have to move a finger. haha ! also, the server patiently waited for my dad, my sis and i to take photos plus adjusted the lightings for us to do that. and the best thing was that they printed a copy of the night's menu for all of us so that we can rmbr what we ate? haha
Xi Yan 喜宴
Location: 38A, Craig Road Singapore 089676
Xi Yan Singapore is tucked away in a quiet spot in convenient down-town Tanjong Pagar area (Craig Road). It’s located on the 2nd floor of a lovely conserved three story building away from the crowd. Ample parking is available diagonally across Xi Yan at the Craig Place multi-storey car park and the surrounding Duxton area.
Cost: Lunch menu ranging from $68++ per pax to $28++ per pax
Dinner menu ranging from $128++ per pax to $58++ per pax
Tel no.: 6220 3546
Website: http://www.xiyan.com.sg
Ratings: hits and misses, 3.5 stars
edit
forgot to add in the promotions! here it is!
joy
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