STI: Soy sauce in chocolate

April 26, 2009

Soy sauce in chocolate

Chef Oriol Balaguer has a knack for making you take the salty with the sweet

By Fiona Low 

 

G rowing up in Calafell, Spain, pastry and dessert chef Oriol Balaguer lived every child's dream. With a father who was a pastry chef, he had his fill of sweet treats all day long.

 

'I had what most would call the perfect childhood,' he says. 'I was born wrapped in the smell of chocolate. I became impregnated with it.'

 

It is little wonder then that the 37-year-old is one of the most celebrated dessert chefs in the industry today.

 

After spending seven years as head pastry chef at the renowned El Bulli restaurant in Catalonia, the Spaniard started his first confectionary studio in Barcelona in 2002. There, he develops two unique pastry and confectionery collections every year.

 

Famed for his unusual confectionery creations, Balaguer has been wowing dessert lovers with strangely shaped chocolates, including some moulded to resemble golf balls. He is also known for his use of unconventional ingredients such as soy sauce and wasabi in his chocolates.

 

His creations were presented at mezza9, Grand Hyatt Singapore, from last Tuesday to yesterday as part of the World Gourmet Summit.

 

The entrepreneurial chef currently has four establishments under his belt, including two chocolate boutiques in Spain and one in Tokyo, in addition to the studio in Barcelona. On his decision to break into the Asian market, he says: 'Japan is at the forefront of haute cuisine and my creations are well-received by the Japanese.'

 

The father of two was named Best Pastry Chef in Spain last year by the Royal Spanish Academy of Gastronomy, an organisation that regulates the players in the Spanish food industry.

 

'Desserts are an indispensable part of any meal, and to be able to create that final sensation and memory is the best part of my profession,' he says.'

 

What is your philosophy when it comes to food?

 

To create an unexpected sensory experience through my desserts.

 

What is the most unusual dessert you have ever created?

 

I have two very unusual creations: orange sorbet and olive oil, with jellied sweet wine; and tomato soup with basil and parma ice cream.

 

They are both desserts which combine sweet and salty flavours, and can either be an appetiser or a dessert.

 

What is your biggest challenge when handling so many establishments?

 

Being a pastry chef is my dream, my passion and my hobby. As such, I see more opportunities than challenges in my work. But I suppose the most difficult thing would be balancing family time with my work commitments.

 

Do you ever get tired of working with chocolates and desserts?

 

No, sweets are my work and my passion.

 

What is your favourite ingredient to work with?

 

Chocolate, of course. It is the most enjoyable and versatile product to work with.

 

What is your favourite dessert?

 

Bread with Spanish chocolate and olive oil. My mother used to make it for me every day after school.

 

What is your ultimate comfort food?

 

Spanish food, especially jamon, which is Spanish cured ham, with Catalan tomato bread.

 

Where do you get inspiration from?

 

Inspiration can be found everywhere - from a memory, a song, an image - as in the case of my creation, Sydney (below), which was inspired by the Sydney Opera House. It has crunchy yoghurt cookie with Tahitian vanilla mousse and white chocolate cream.

 

What is your signature creation?

 

My seven-texture chocolate. The Culinary Institute of America says that in one spoonful, you get 'frozen chocolate, chocolate in its liquid state, a light, airy mousse, a slip-though-your-teeth gelee, a ganache, a cookie with some crackle and the snap-at-a-bite sheets of tempered chocolate that encases the other elements'.

 

WHAT WOULD YOUR LAST MEAL BE?

 

Jamon with Catalan tomato bread, chocolate and champagne. It was the first meal that I had with my wife Marta, and I would like that to be my last as well, and with her.

STI: Eater's Digest

April 26, 2009

Eater's Digest

Is it possible to find just one baking book that meets all your home-baking needs? Eater's Digest puts three recent releases to the test.

 

BAKING UNPLUGGED

By Nicole Rees

John Wiley & Sons/ 2009/Hardback/

260 pages/$52.38/ Books Kinokuniya

 

The curious thing about Baking Unplugged is its complete lack of pictures.

 

Reading it made me realise how dependant I have become on being able to see the finished product and how much I base my decisions on what to cook on what the dishes will look like.

 

The title sets the tone - that baking should be easy without the need for too many gadgets, hours of hard labour or, I guess, even pictures.

 

As the author says in her preface, anyone should be able to walk into a kitchen and bake something well without being genetically gifted or professionally trained.

 

First up, I was impressed by the section on how to read a recipe - a good idea even for those who take recipe techniques for granted. There are instructions for basics such as how to separate an egg, the best way to toast nuts and hints for getting measurements right. There are details on useful baking utensils and how best to use baking ingredients. The recipe list is fairly comprehensive and not confined to just cakes and cookies. It also includes pancakes, breads, pies and desserts. And a basic recipe for a butter cake comes with instructions for five variations - almond and lemon, blueberry, eggnog, chocolate chip and cranberry-walnut.

 

I tested pumpkin pie because the recipe called for the interesting addition of coconut milk. I was quite impressed with the result - the coconut adds a 'fresh' taste to the heavy flavour of more traditional pumpkin pie recipes. Also good, the blueberry crumb cake - the blueberry juice seeped into the cake batter and the whole thing was topped with a crunchy nut topping.

 

I started out unsure that a cookbook without pictures would work. But maybe the publisher has actually been very smart. Without a preview, you are forced to make decisions based on the ingredients and description alone.

 

This may not be the only baking book you need but full marks for 'unplugging' a lot of techniques.

 

EASY BAKING

By Linda Collister

Ryland, Peters & Small/ 2008/Paperback/

240 pages/$26.75/ MPH Bookstores

 

This compact book has almost everything an aspiring baker might want in a cookbook. Plus, every recipe is illustrated with a picture that cries out 'make me'.

 

It was a tough choice to choose what to test because as I flipped through the pages, I was influenced by the full-page images of blueberry cheesecake, apple and blueberry deep-dish pie and chilli pepper bread.

 

I settled for lemon tart because it is something I make quite often and there are many variations on the basic recipe. I like mine tart rather than sweet and this one did not disappoint. The base ended up a little softer than I would have liked but that may have been my fault.

 

For chocoholics, there is a separate chapter on baking with chocolate - cakes, biscuits, tarts and puddings as well as an indulgent fudgy nut cake.

 

Despite its size, Easy Baking has a comprehensive range of recipes. There are cookies, pies, puddings and bread and a good-looking Apple and Berry Deep Dish Pie. Soured Cream Cardamom Squares turned out to be a hit with my colleagues. The recipe was in a chapter called Fingers And Bars but it seemed to me more like a cake. The cardamom gave it an interesting aroma and the sour cream gave the 'cake' a soft and silky texture. After some pleading, I have already made it a second time.

 

It may not aspire to be the definitive baking cookbook but for cooks who just want to do some baking now and again, this little book may be all you need.

 

BAKE: THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY

Edited by Pamela Clark

ACP Books/2008/ Hardback/688 pages/ $115.60/Books Kinokuniya

 

This one really does aim to be the definitive baking compendium. For a start, it is nearly 700 pages long and there is a very comprehensive recipe list.

 

The Australian Women's Weekly has been published since 1933 and its food section and cooking publications have come to represent a history of Australian cooking. It may seem strange but the magazine is no longer a weekly but a monthly. When the decision to publish monthly from 1983 was made, the original name was retained because of its history of publication and branding familiarity.

 

The book has recipes your grandmother would be proud of as well as modern versions of almost everything modern cooks would be pleased to make. Each section of this huge book starts with a 'how to' for that type of baking. One example: 25 pages of cheesecake recipes begin with a lesson on cheesecake techniques with a picture showing each stage of the process. Similarly, there are 23 pages devoted to muffins, including a recipe for the hard-to-imagine chocolate beetroot muffins, plus a 12-picture tutorial on muffin basics.

 

There are chapters on cakes, biscuits, slices, scones, pies, tarts and pastries and a 23-page section devoted to different types of syrup cakes.

 

With so much to choose from, any review can only skim the surface. So I chose at random to test a marmalade and sour cream polenta cake. It had an interesting combination of flavours. The sour cream produced a moist cake with some crunchiness from the polenta and a slight tartness from the marmalade and lemon juice.

 

Just before the index, there is a 56-picture tutorial of basic baking techniques, such as lining a baking pan and how to make a gingerbread house. Phew.

 

Unless you do a lot of baking, it is almost too big. Yet this one probably is the only baking book you would ever need. However, its size and price could mean it is more of an investment than an impulse buy.

 

cynlow@sph.com.sg

STI: Smashing pumpkin

April 26, 2009

Smashing pumpkin

Housewife Tan Cheh Keow's steamed pumpkin cake is a hit with her family and friends

By Huang Lijie 

 

Steamed pumpkin cake is hardly a lavish delicacy, yet whenever Madam Tan Cheh Keow, 67, makes it, her children will clamour for a slice.

 

A housewife with four grown children and a five-year-old grandson, she says in Mandarin: 'I don't think there is anything special about my pumpkin cake but I think my family and friends who have tried it like it because it suits their taste.'

 

A Teochew, she learnt the recipe for the popular Hokkien dish - in the late 1960s from a Hokkien neighbour living in a kampung in Geylang Lorong 29.

 

She says: 'I tried the pumpkin cake my neighbour made and liked its taste, so I asked to watch her cook it the next time. That was how I learnt the recipe and committed it to memory.'

 

However, she did not get to try her hand at it immediately because she was busy taking care of her two sons and two daughters. She was also living with her mother-in-law then, who cooked most of the family's meals, so she had few opportunities to step into the kitchen.

 

It was after her electrician husband moved the family into their own flat in Aljunied in the 1970s that she found herself putting the recipe to the test.

 

She says: 'I tried to recall the recipe and just agak-agak (Malay for estimate) how much ingredients to use. My first attempt turned out well enough, if a little peppery.'

 

Her success with the recipe was no fluke though.

 

The second of three daughters born to a building contractor and housewife, she had a keen interest in cooking and needlework from a young age.

 

She says: 'Of the three sisters, I had the most interest in housework. By the time I was in my early teens, I was cooking the family's meals, which were simple, homestyle dishes such as stir-fried vegetables, steamed fish and porridge.'

 

Madam Tan, who had four years of primary education, adds that her culinary skills came naturally by watching her mother at work in the kitchen.

 

Indeed, it is through observation that she picked up Peranakan recipes from her mother- in-law, who is of mixed Nonya and Hokkien heritage.

 

Some dishes she learnt include babi pongteh, a Peranakan dark soya sauce pork stew, and sambal timun, a spicy salad of pineapple, cucumber and onions.

 

She would also trade recipes with friends and neighbours at gatherings. One such recipe she learnt was that for qin baey kueh, or 'cold porridge cake' in Hokkien.

 

To make the dish, tapioca flour is mixed with non-watery rice porridge to form a paste, and shaped to form round patties that are slipped into boiling water.

 

When the patties are cooked and float to the water's surface, they are drained and left to cool before being sliced.

 

The slivers of rice cake are then stir-fried with a chilli-onion paste, dried prawns, beansprouts and chye sim (a green leafy vegetable).

 

Although the dish is a humble concoction that offers a creative use of leftover porridge, it is a hit with her family.

 

She says: 'There was a time when my elder daughter hopped into a taxi after work to rush to my place to eat qin baey kueh after she heard that I'd made it that day.

 

'But when she arrived and found that there was nothing left because I'd given it all away to a neighbour, she was very disappointed.'

 

She adds: 'You can't buy qin baey kueh outside and few people know how to make it these days. So that's why my family likes it very much.'

 

And she is still curious about cooking - picking up recipes for new dishes from newspapers and cooking shows on TV.

 

She even asked her younger daughter's Indonesian maid for the recipe of a traditional Indonesian dessert of tapioca, sago, banana, coconut milk and gula melaka (palm sugar), which she enjoyed after tasting a portion the maid cooked.

 

That said, while she continues to collect recipes which she commits to memory, she sticks to mostly basic dishes such as stir-frys and steamed foods when she cooks at home these days.

 

Madam Tan, who lives with her elder son in their Aljunied flat of more than 30 years, says: 'I often end up cooking meals for only myself, so I don't have a reason to make dishes such as pumpkin cake and qin baey kueh often, unless my children request it.

 

'And when they do, they appreciate the effort that goes into cooking the food, which makes it worthwhile.'

 

lijie@sph.com.sg

 

MAKE IT YOURSELF: STEAMED PUMPKIN CAKE

300g pork belly

1.25 litre water

600g rice flour

2 Tbs corn flour

250ml oil

15 shallots, thinly sliced

50g dried prawns

15 dried mushrooms, soaked till soft and thinly sliced

1 Tbs soya sauce

600g pumpkin, skin removed and thinly sliced

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 spring onion, coarsely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, coarsely chopped

3 tsp roasted white sesame seeds

 

METHOD

 

1. Scald the pork belly in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes and drain. When cool, slice into thin strips and set aside.

 

2. To a mixing bowl, add rice flour, corn flour and 750ml of water. Stir well until a smooth mixture forms. Set aside.

 

3. To a heated wok, add oil and fry the shallots over medium fire until it turns lightly golden. Drain and set aside the shallots. Keep the shallot oil.

 

4. Using half of the shallot oil, stir-fry the dried prawns for one minute before adding the mushrooms, pork belly and 1/2 Tbs of soya sauce. Fry the mixture for five minutes before setting it aside (photo A).

 

5. Use the remaining shallot oil to stir-fry the pumpkin for five minutes before adding 1/2 Tbs of soya sauce, salt and pepper.

 

6. Cover the wok and continue cooking the pumpkin over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add 500ml of water gradually to the pumpkin as it cooks (photo B). Stir occasionally and as the pumpkin softens, use a spatula to break it up into smaller pieces.

 

7. Mash the cooked pumpkin with a spatula until a semi-smooth consistency forms. If you prefer a coarser or smoother texture, adjust accordingly.

 

8. Add the flour mixture to the mashed pumpkin. Mix well (photo C).

 

9. Stir in most of the dried prawns, mushroom and pork belly. Mix well.

 

10. Pour the mixture into a container (18cm diameter, 6cm deep) and sprinkle the remaining dried prawns, mushroom and pork belly over the surface, taking care to gently press the toppings down onto the cake mixture (photo D).

 

11. Steam the cake for one hour until it is firm and cooked through.

 

12. Garnish the cake with spring onion, chilli, fried shallots and sesame seeds. Makes three cakes.

STI: Glammed-up Chinese

April 26, 2009

Glammed-up Chinese

Capella hotel's Chinese restaurant 'borrows' from the Western kitchen, but not always successfully

By Wong Ah Yoke

 

E ven as anticipation mounts over the launch of Resorts World in Sentosa next year, last month's opening of Capella hotel has already stepped up the glitz.

 

The hotel, a combination of old colonial buildings and modern architecture by Norman Foster, is a stunning property matched by equally stellar prices. Rates for a night's stay start from $700 - among the highest here.

 

One can therefore expect prices at Cassia, the hotel's glamorous Chinese restaurant, to be equally hefty.

 

They are certainly not cheap but compared to upmarket Western restaurants, not cut-throat either. And comparisons do arise because some of the ingredients used, such as Yorkshire pork and Australian Grade 9 wagyu beef, are those you get more often in Western restaurants.

 

The attention to presentation, too, is borrowed from the Western kitchen although the chef sensibly sticks to the Chinese style of just scooping stir-fried food onto the plate and getting it to the table as quickly as possible.

 

But having said that, I have to point out two grossly overpriced items. A bowl of white rice costs $5 and tea, $12 a person. For a table of four, these items alone will add up to $68, a ridiculous sum.

 

As for the food, you can actually find more reasonably priced dishes if you steer clear of items such as abalone and shark's fin. For example, among the cold appetisers is a very nice chilled Anxin chicken with fennel seed ($18). Except for dishes that are designed for one person, servings here are enough for two.

 

Anxin chicken is a Chinese monicker given to free-range chicken, and this version of the popular Sichuan cold dish, kou shui ji or salivating chicken, is toned down for those not used to fiery flavours.

 

But the spicy sauce, served as a dip instead of being mixed with the chicken, is tasty. The dish is presented very prettily with the chilled chicken medallions ringed by a slice of rolled-up cucumber.

 

Malaysian executive chef Ooi Soon Lok, who has worked in various five-star hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, G Hotel Penang and Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, shows a penchant for introducing touches from his home country in his cooking.

 

With dishes where flavours are authentic, he has a winning formula. The stewed Australian Yorkshire pork belly with dried chilli, wild mushroom and salted fish ($20) is one of them.

 

It is lightly stewed in a claypot and the pork is thinly sliced. The fragrance of the salted fish is evident and the chilli is mild enough not to overpower the flavours.

 

But in cases where the chef dilutes the strong Malaysian flavours too much, the results are not as good. For example, the Nyonya cincaluk oyster shooter ($22) has so little cincaluk (fermented shrimp) in it that the flavour of soya sauce dominates.

 

Chef Ooi takes inspiration from other cuisines too, sometimes even combining a few ideas in one dish. An example of this is the fennel seed prawn soup, assorted mushrooms and poached Norwegian salmon fillet ($16 a person).

 

The base is a classic bisque and the salmon is cooked Western-style, but the mushrooms are Japanese varieties such as shimeiji, and the soup is served with crispy grains of toasted rice that are Chinese-inspired. It works surprisingly well.

 

Desserts are very good too. The doubleboiled pear with tangerine tea ($8 a person) is excellent. The pear is just soft enough and has an ambrosiac sweetness to balance the sweet-sour tangerine.

 

And the mango pudding with cream and Chinese petit four ($10 a person) boasts a rich, smooth pudding and a lovely pastry with a little cube of mango kuih. But it is the smallest serving of mango pudding I have ever seen.

 

MUST TRY

Fennel seed prawn soup, assorted mushrooms and poached Norwegian salmon fillet ($16)

Chock-full with ingredients, this soup is heart-warming and filling.

 

CASSIA

Capella Singapore, 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, tel: 6591-5045

Open: noon to 2.30pm, 6.30 to 10.30pm daily

Food: *** 1/2

Service: ****

Ambience: ****

Price: About $90 a person for dinner

STI: Japanese food boom

April 26, 2009

Japanese food boom

Singaporeans' appetite for all things Japanese is growing - from food to products to ingredients

By Huang Lijie 

 

Singaporeans have an insatiable hunger for Japanese food. But 13 years ago, the fare was so foreign that diners mistook ramen soup for laksa.

 

That was the experience when Japan's long-established Ajisen chain of ramen shops opened here.

 

Mr Kenichi Takahashi, 52, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Japan Foods Holding, which owns the Ajisen chain here, says: 'Nobody knew what ramen was. People would walk by the shop and say, 'It's like laksa, I don't want to pay $10 for it'.

 

'So I had to stand in front of the shop and explain what it is to customers.'

 

That is a far cry from today, with Singaporeans now so discerning that they can tell the difference between ramen noodles from different regions of Japan.

 

And they are bound to be bowled over by the latest taste treat: the famous Ippudo ramen chain, operated by Japan's ramen king, Mr Shigemi Kawahara, will debut here at the Mandarin Gallery in October.

 

The fact that Ippudo is coming here shows how Japanese food is riding an unprecedented wave of popularity here.

 

Underlining this is the flood of eateries that have opened.

 

While there are no official figures tracking the number of such eateries, restaurateurs and industry observers say the number has increased by the hundreds in the last few years.

 

Mr Takaaki Takagi, 56, who has been promoting the Japanese food and beverage scene here since 1977 and who owns four Japanese eateries, including Tampopo in Liang Court, says: 'In 2000, there were some 300 Japanese restaurants here, but now, my estimate is that there are more than 600.

 

'When I opened my restaurants in Liang Court in 2004, there were about five Japanese restaurants within a 500m radius. But now, the number is more than 40.'

 

The new eateries span a mind-boggling array from Japanese-themed food courts such as Ishi Mura in Selegie Road and food halls such as Shokudo Streets of Japan at The Heeren Shops, to speciality restaurants with a specific type of Japanese food such as shabu shabu (Japanese hot pot) by Honjin 7 in Adam Park, and yes, even a 'drive-thru' service for sushi and sashimi by the Sakae Sushi chain in Boon Lay Way.

 

And no wonder all things Japanese are a success on the food front: According to a recent study by the Nielsen consumer research group, Japanese food is the second most preferred type of cuisine among diners here, after Chinese food.

 

Mr Hiroshi Tatara, 63, chairman and president of the RE&S restaurant group, which owns 26 outlets here, including the fine-dining Japanese chain Kuriya, says: 'With an annual turnover of about $75 million for our restaurants, this is equivalent to having every person living in Singapore visiting one of our outlets once a year.'

 

This huge appetite for Japanese food products and ingredients even prompted the opening in February of a branch of the Organisation to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO).

 

Founded in 2007, the organisation is a non-profit outfit based in Tokyo which aims to promote Japanese foods and foodstuffs around the world. It accepts applications for membership from entities such as Japanese restaurant owners and restaurant groups, as well as Japanese food manufacturers.

 

Japan-mania does not just apply to eateries.

 

Supermarkets such as Cold Storage, for example, introduced dedicated Japanese food aisles more than five years ago, and demand has grown so much that stocks have to be replenished every week instead of once every three weeks previously.

 

Over at FairPrice, dedicated Japanese food sections were introduced in 2007 at selected outlets, and its range of products has jumped 20 per cent from three years ago to 1,500 items now.

 

Japanese food fairs at supermarkets such as Isetan, which bring in speciality produce from different regions, have also grown in popularity. Isetan's Hokkaido food fair is now held twice a year instead of once, and it is the largest outside Japan, says the supermarket's spokesman.

 

Mr Francis Poulose, 40, director of F&B consultancy Poulose Associates, says Italian and French food have enjoyed waves of popularity in the past, but neither comes close to rivalling the scale of the Japanese success story.

 

He says the Japanese wave is much more widespread because 'there are just so many Japanese restaurants out there and they offer different types of Japanese food'.

 

A main reason for the popularity of Japanese food here is its flavour profile, which is familiar to Singaporean tastebuds, say industry players.

 

Ms Lena Sim, chief executive officer of the Ministry of Food group of restaurants, which includes casual eatery chain MOF - My Izakaya, says: 'Japanese food, with its noodles and rice, and use of seasoning such as soya sauce, is acceptable to the Singaporean palate.

 

'It is not exotic food that people might try only once a week. It is something that they are willing to eat repeatedly.'

 

Increasing exposure to Japanese food culture through TV and overseas travel has also helped cultivate an appetite for Japanese food here, say restaurateurs and diners LifeStyle interviewed.

 

The number of Singaporeans travelling to Japan grew from 151,860 in 2007 to 167,894 last year.

 

Mrs Ng Wai Khuan, 42, director of Hokkaido Sandwich and Sashimi Deli in Marina Boulevard, for example, opened the cafe specialising in Hokkaido king crab sandwiches after a holiday to that northernmost island of Japan where she tried the crabs and fell in love with their taste.

 

Diners such as student Natalie Chiang, 20, and associate banker Chui Yong Rou, 28, say TV programmes such as Japanese Iron Chef and Japan Hour piqued their interest.

 

Japanese food also appeals to health-conscious diners here as items such as sashimi and sushi are minimally processed and oil is used sparingly in Japanese cooking, says Mr Sunny Lim, 50, owner of Japanese restaurant Honjin 7.

 

The cuisine's affordability was also cited as a reason for its popularity.

 

Mr Yasuo Yamaguchi, 64, executive chef of Honjin 7, and who has been in Singapore for 31 years, says a significant turning point was when Cold Storage in Takashimaya began selling sushi for less than $1 in the early 1990s. Japanese food was no longer pricey and exclusive, but catered to the mass market.

 

Indeed, diners here are so knowledgeable about Japanese food that restaurateurs are opening more speciality restaurants.

 

An example is Yoshimaru Ramen Bar, a ramen shop from Japan that opened in Holland Village and is known for its Hakata-style noodles which are thin and come in a pork bone broth.

 

Shimbashi Soba, a speciality soba restaurant that makes its own buckwheat noodles from scratch, has been so well received that it has opened a second outlet in Raffles City Shopping Centre recently in addition to its outlet in Paragon.

 

Diners are toasting the growth of the Japanese food scene.

 

Retired engineer Lye Hoeng Fai, 59, is encouraged by the rise of specialised Japanese eateries such as Hachi in Mohamed Ali Lane, which serves Kansai cuisine. This is because it satisfies his preference for food from the southern part of Japan, where the Kansai region is located.

 

Japanese swimming instructor Nakamura Naoko, 42, who has been living here for 15 years, is happy that she now has more dining choices for better quality food.

 

Miss Phua Wen Yi, in her 30s, who has double bachelor degrees in food science and food industry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is the author of Secrets Of Food Millionaires (2009), says: 'The market for Japanese food might get saturated and it might not continue to grow at the same rapid rate as it has for the last couple of years, but it is unlikely to become unpopular.'

 

Three men and their passion

 

Professionals who contribute to the vibrant Japanese food scene here

 

YASUO YAMAGUCHI, 64

Executive chef of the new shabu shabu (Japanese hot pot) speciality restaurant, Honjin 7, at the National University of Singapore Society's Guild House in Adam Park

 

Passionate about the art of shabu shabu, Mr Yamaguchi insists on making the dipping sauces for it - white sesame, and vinegar with ponzu (citrus-soy) - from scratch at the restaurant.

 

The reason? The dedicated chef feels that the sauces are the key to an enjoyable and authentic shabu shabu meal.

 

And Singaporeans have lapped up his attention to flavour. The Singapore permanent resident, who has lived here for 31 years, says: 'When I started cooking at a Japanese restaurant in Singapore, my customers were mostly Japanese and businessmen. Today, almost 85 per cent of my customers are Singaporeans, and many of them bring along their young children to eat at the restaurant.'

 

The chef, who is married to a Malaysian Chinese, was a cook at a fine-dining Japanese restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, for 16 years before he arrived in 1978 to work at Unkai, an upscale Japanese restaurant at the now defunct Century Park Sheraton Hotel in Nassim Hill. He has two adult sons.

 

He was its executive chef for 26 years. When the hotel and restaurant closed, he ran his own casual Japanese eatery, Shin Unkai, at International Plaza before he was asked to join Honjin 7.

 

The new eatery is opened by the Sun Restaurant Group, which also owns Hainanese charcoal steamboat eatery, 7th Storey Restaurant, with outlets in Wilkie Road and the Marina Barrage.

 

He says Singaporean diners in the 1970s and 1980s were mostly 'scared of eating raw fish and sushi', so to tempt them, he would sneak a piece of sushi onto their plate and gently nudge them to give it a try.

 

And often, the first bite was all it took to convert them.

 

He says the large number of Japanese restaurants that have opened in the last few years has resulted in stiffer competition.

 

So, his strategy has been to impress his guests with his attentive service.

 

He says: 'I always smile at my customers, and I try to remember their names, and what types of food they like and dislike.'

 

He lives with his family in an apartment in Sembawang and returns to Japan yearly.

 

He has picked up a smattering of Mandarin and Hokkien over the years, and likes Singaporean food such as Hainanese chicken rice, laksa and fish head curry.

 

He also enjoys his job here too much to retire soon.

 

He says: 'I like being surrounded by young diners and staff. They keep me active and energised.'

 

TOMOYUKI KITAZOE, 40

Mixologist and partner in the new alfresco bar, Orgo, at the Esplanade

 

It took little to persuade the Japanese celebrity mixologist to move to Singapore last September to open Orgo.

 

Mr Kitazoe, the brand ambassador for Grey Goose vodka and Chivas Regal in Japan, says: 'I want to push myself to the next level and Singapore is a good testing ground for my concept of an outdoor bar specialising in cocktails that use fresh ingredients, which I plan to launch internationally.'

 

A mixologist is someone who has specialist knowledge in mixing cocktails and serving them with flair.

 

And Mr Kitazoe certainly has that.

 

The owner of four Bar Rage watering holes in Japan, he is known for creating cocktails that spurn artificial flavourings and colouring for the natural sweetness of fresh fruit.

 

Indeed, the wide range of fruit available in Singapore got his creative juices going when he was on a holiday here in 2007.

 

He says: 'It would have been a pity not to be able to work with the different types of fruits available in Singapore. I've never seen soursop in Japan and mangosteen is very expensive there because it is not commonly available.'

 

Both feature on his cocktail list at Orgo - soursop and calamansi martini, and mangosteen and mascarpone cheese martini.

 

For the father of a two-year-old daughter and a four-month-old son, Singapore's top-notch education system was another draw.

 

He says: 'I don't have to worry about my children's education here.'

 

He plans to move his wife and children, now living in Japan, to Singapore when the children are a little older.

 

For now, he stays alone in an apartment in town and returns to Japan every two months to 'touch base' with his Bar Rage operations as well as fulfil his duties as a brand ambassador.

 

He adds that he has been adapting to life here and has acquired a taste for Singaporean food such as chilli crab, which he enjoys at a stall in the Old Airport Road Food Centre.

 

TERUYOSHI ABE, 60

Owner of Sakuraya Fish Market

 

It's been 23 years since he first set up his import business here, and Mr Teruyoshi Abe is still excited about fresh seafood.

 

'These clams are very good for miso soup,' enthuses the owner of Sakuraya Fish Market, holding up a plate of Asari clams. 'A lot of customers ask for this in miso soup'.

 

There is plenty for him to smile about these days. The Chiba native imports sashimi-grade seafood from the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo and sells it at his two fish markets in The Village Centre in Buona Vista and Parkway Parade, as well as his full-service restaurant at Anchorpoint.

 

The business makes about $7 million in sales annually and he hopes to reach $10 million over the next two years.

 

Freshness is paramount to Mr Abe, whose business goes through 5 to 6 tonnes of seafood every 11/2 months.

 

Fish sells quickly at his markets and eatery and is usually gone in less than three days.

 

He offers 30 to 40 types of fish, including rare species such as half mackerel, sauri and halfbeak, and otoro or fatty tuna is the most popular. He says Singaporeans now understand raw seafood better.

 

Regular customers often come in on weekends asking for 'Hokkaido special menus, sushi and sashimi' after seeing these items on television shows such as Japan Hour.

 

His company has become a family business, now that his Singapore-educated children are helping out. His daughter Miyuki, 34, does public relations work while his son Masaki, 30, helms the kitchen. His wife Maoko, 60, is in charge of home deliveries.

 

Their customer base has shifted over the years, from a 99 per cent Japanese clientele at the start to a 90 per cent local following today.

 

'I still want to expand into the casual-dining market,' says Mr Abe, who has already been approached to open at a new Serangoon location. 'They're not high-end places but the quality must always be there.'

 

Variety aplenty

Food Halls/Food Courts

 

Manpuku Japanese Gourmet Town

Where: 10 Tampines Central 1, 03-16/19, Tampines 1, tel: 6789-6810, open: 11.30am to 9.45pm daily

What: The fruit tarts, which come in flavours such as melon ($7.80 per piece or $75 for a whole tart, main picture, right) are popular here. For something savoury, try chicken skewers ($1.80 each).

 

Ishi Mura

Where: 1 Selegie Road, 02-05, PoMo Centre, tel: 6338-8755, open: 11.30am to 9.30pm daily; 930 Yishun Avenue 2, 03-47/50, Northpoint Shopping Centre, tel: 6484-3278, open: 11am to 9.30pm daily

What: This Japanese-themed food court run by the Suki group has an extensive range of Japanese food, including yakiniku beef rice ($4.90 as part of a set).

 

Charcoal Grill (yakiniku, teppanyaki and robatayaki)

 

Gyu-Kaku

Where: Three outlets islandwide, including 29 Lorong Mambong, tel: 6466-4001, open: 5.30 to 11pm, Mon to Thu, noon to 3pm and 5.30 to 11.30pm, Fri and Sat, noon to 3pm and 5 to 11pm, Sun

What: Those who want to cook their own Japanese barbecue meals can do so here. Customers can order sets such as the botan set ($138 for two persons), including meat, rice, salad and dessert or order a la carte items such as the Gyu-Kaku prime wagyu plate ($139 for 450g).

 

Takumi Tokyo

Where: 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Marina at Keppel Bay, tel: 6271-7414, open: noon to 2.30pm and 5.30 to 11pm, Tue to Sun, closed on Mon

What: Customers can opt for teppanyaki items such as the trio wagyu ($150) or choose robatayaki dishes such as the signature charcoal grilled kinki fish (from $70).

 

Ramen

 

Yoshimaru Ramen Bar

Where: 31 Lorong Liput, Holland Village, tel: 6463-3132, open: 11am to 11pm, Mon to Thu and Sun, 11 to 1am, Fri, Sat and eve of public holidays

What: This ramen bar from Hakata, Kyushu, serves a variety of thin ramen noodles in rich tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, including the tonkotsu dan dan mian (above, $12).

 

Ippudo

Where: 333 Orchard Road, Mandarin Gallery, opening in October

What: This outlet from Japan's ramen king, Shigemi Kawahara, will offer six to seven types of ramen initially, including its signature shiromaru moto-aji, a white pork-based broth ramen, and akamaru shin-aji, a bolder flavoured, spicy, red broth. Prices will likely range between $14 and $15 a bowl.

 

Soba

 

Shimbashi Soba

Where: Raffles City, B1-06/07, 252 North Bridge Road, tel: 6337-8852, open: noon to 10pm daily; 290 Orchard Road, B1-41, The Paragon, tel: 6735-9882, open: 11.30am to 9.30pm daily

What: Its soba (buckwheat noodles, are made from scratch at the store more than 15 times a day to ensure freshness. Menu items include oroshi soba with grated daikon ($16.20) and chilled seiro soba ($12.20).

 

Japanese Curry

 

Mr Curry

Where: 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 03-84, The Central, tel: 6221-8860, open: 11.30am to 11pm daily

What: Offers three degrees of spiciness. Popular items include tonkatsu curry rice ($16.80) and ebi omelette rice ($14.80).

 

Wakashachiya

Where: 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 03-93/95, The Central, tel: 6534-9984, open: 11.30am to 3pm and 5 to 10.30pm daily

What: This restaurant chain from Nagoya specialises in Japanese curry noodles such as the renkon chips curry udon ($15.30) which comes topped with lightly fried lotus root.

 

Japanese pasta/grills

 

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House

Where: 200 Victoria Street, 01-53, Bugis Junction, tel: 6338-9216, open: 11.30am to 10.30pm daily

What: Specialises in Japanese-style Western grills and chops. A must-try is its ebi tempura cheeseburger ($10.80).

 

Pasta de Waraku

Where: Four outlets, including 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 02-82/83, The Central, tel: 6534-8085, open: 11.30am to 11pm daily

What: Healthy Japanese-style pastas; crowd favourites include vongole spaghetti ($12.80).

 

Bakeries

 

Provence

Where: Three outlets including 154 West Coast Road, B1-57, West Coast Plaza, tel: 6777-1978, open: 9.30am to 10pm, Mon to Fri, 8.30am to 10pm, Sat, Sun and public holidays.

What: A variety of Japanese breads and pastries. The wassants ($4 for 10) and coronets ($1.30 each) are popular.

 

Yamazaki Boulangerie Chaude

Where: 10 Tampines Central 1, B1-14, Tampines 1, tel: 6260-5909, open: 10am to 10pm daily

What: Bestsellers include jumbo strawberry cream puff and jumbo green tea puff ($1.60 each).

 

Cafe

 

Hokkaido Sandwich and Sashimi Deli

Where: 4 Marina Boulevard, 01-33 The Sail at Marina Bay, tel: 6509-0685, open: 8.30am to 8pm daily

What: Its speciality is king crab. Try the king crab sandwich (below, $10) or king crab chirashi ($16.50, with complimentary miso soup).

 

Kohi Ten

Where: 19 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace, tel: 6732-8083, open: 10am to 10.30pm, Mon to Thu, 10am to midnight, Fri to Sun

What: This cafe, run by the Sakae group, prides itself on siphon coffee (from $5.90), brewed using a glass apparatus and made with coffee beans from the Ueshima Coffee Company.

 

Desserts

 

MOF - Japanese Sweets & Coffee

Where: Seven outlets including 154 West Coast Road, 01-48, West Coast Plaza, tel: 6778-1046, open: 11.30am to 10pm, Mon to Thu and Sun, noon to 11pm, Fri and Sat

What: Specialises in Japanese desserts such as macha imo ($6.80), which consists of Hokkaido soft-serve ice cream, Hokkaido red beans and Japanese sweet potato.

 

Marvellous Cream

Where: 1 Raffles Link, B1-04, Citylink Mall, tel: 6238-1683, open: 10am to 10pm daily

What: This ice cream parlour from Japan carries a line of ice cream with mix-ins ($5 for a small cup) and ice cream parfaits ($5.90 each) in flavours such as mont blanc.

 

Crepes

 

Mazazu Crepe

Where: 177 River Valley Road, B1-30/30A, Liang Court, tel: 6836-6960, open: 10.30am to 10pm daily

What: A variety of Japanese-style sweet and savoury crepes including strawberry banana crepe ($5.80), matcha shiratama azuki gelato crepe ($6.80) and chicken ham and cheese crepe ($4.80).

STI: Diet chendol

April 23, 2009

Eat to live

Diet chendol

A new trim coconut milk product has half the fat but all the flavour. SYLVIA TAN found it creamy enough to make a chendol custard

 

I never thought I would see the day when I would be able to enjoy coconut milk without qualms. There is a new product now in the market, which cuts down the saturated fat in coconut milk by nearly half.

 

Produced by the well-established Ayam Brand, it has reduced the amount of saturated fat in its coconut milk by 45 per cent, yet it retains all the flavour. You get a fragrant milk which is ideal for adding to curries, laksa and the like.

 

Of course, soya milk, rice milk and nut milks could also add creaminess without the sin, but if you are a fan of the coconut fragrance, this new product would work for you.

 

Unlike other skimmed coconut milks on the market, this one is creamy, thanks to the addition of xantham gum often used by food manufacturers to achieve a thicker consistency in foods.

 

Xantham gum is found, for example, in salad dressings, gluten-free baked products and even toothpaste to obtain the desired viscosity. It does not change the colour or flavour of foods or beverages.

 

I decided to try out the skimmed coconut milk in a dessert and used it in a chendol custard.

 

The idea was to make a dessert retaining all the flavours of chendol but presented as a soft coconut custard instead of a milk.

 

To be honest, I was worried about whether the trim milk would be full-tasting enough for chendol, hence the custard idea. Eggs would do the trick, I thought.

 

The result was a soft velvety custard, fragrant with coconut, enhanced by a rich sweet palm sugar (gula melaka) syrup. Further textural delight came in the slippery flour strips and the squishy red bean topping.

 

If you are serious about cholesterol control, use just egg whites; if not, whole eggs would ensure a full-bodied flavour to this healthier version of a classic dessert.

 

As with all chendols, skinny or otherwise, a lot of the flavour comes from the gula melaka syrup. So be sure to obtain the best available. It should deliver a full rich sweetness.

 

The other components of chendol can now be easily found in supermarkets. The green chendol strips are in the refrigerated section while the sweetened red beans are available in tins and dinky little packets, perfect for smaller servings.

 

So all you really need to do is to make the custard, which takes all of 15 minutes.

 

In case you get carried away by this new trim coconut milk, be warned that there is still saturated fat in the product, albeit in lower amounts.

 

If you care to read the label further, there is 11g of saturated fat for every 100g of milk in the packet. The daily allowance of saturated fat is 11 per cent of your caloric intake, so do not overdo it.

 

wdspice@singnet.com.sg

 

Sylvia Tan is a freelance writer

 

Recipe

SKINNY CHENDOL CUSTARD

(For four)

2 medium whole eggs or just egg whites

200ml trim coconut milk

2 tsp sugar

Green chendol strips (available at supermarkets)

Packaged or canned red beans (available at Japanese supermarkets)

1 banana, sliced

Gula melaka syrup, made by melting a cup of palm sugar shavings, cut from a block, into a cup of water.

 

Method:

 

Break eggs into a large mixing bowl, add sugar and stir till sugar has melted and mixture thickens. Do not beat as you do not want to incorporate too much air into the custard mixture or it will not turn silky. Add coconut milk and stir again.

 

Pour custard mixture into four ramekins and steam in a wok half filled with water over a low fire for 15 minutes or until the mixture sets.

 

Cool. Chill ramekins, covered with cling film, in the fridge.

 

When ready to serve, drizzle a spoonful of gula melaka syrup over the custard, top with a dollop of red beans, a spoonful of chendol strips and a few slices of banana. Serve immediately.

STI: Food stores at factories a big draw

April 21, 2009

Food stores at factories a big draw

Lower prices the lure as more customers shop at out-of-the-way outlets

By Jessica Lim

 

A NEW kind of factory outlet is reeling in more customers than a year ago.

 

Instead of clothes and accessories, these outlets stock foodstuffs like frozen chicken parts, smoked salmon, condiments and minced pies.

 

Their pulling power: Prices lower than those in the supermarkets and restaurants they supply to.

 

The catch is that shoppers have to drive out to the industrial areas of Woodlands and Jurong to snag these bargains.

 

But then, which intrepid bargain hunter worth his salt is put off by distance?

 

A check by The Straits Times at eight such factory outlets found their cash registers have been ringing in the last year, and their number of customers up several-fold.

 

Fassler Gourmet in Woodlands, for example, had one or two customers daily a year ago. It now serves about 40 people a day who come for its cut-price salmon and seafood.

 

Owner Martin Fassler, who is looking for another cashier to cater to his still-growing pool of customers, said: 'It's entirely by word of mouth. Happy people tell their friends. We have never advertised.'

 

At Foodedge Gourmet, also in Woodlands, about 25 people now buy its desserts and marinated meats daily, up from two a day before.

 

It is the same story at Senoko Fishery Port, which is seeing 400 customers a day, 30 per cent more than last year, said its operator, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

 

The outlets typically set up shop on their factory premises and are open to walk-in customers daily.

 

One cannot miss them: Banners outside scream, for example, 'Seafood products at factory prices', and cars are parked along the usually deserted streets in these industrial areas.

 

Warehouses such as Fassler began selling directly to consumers four years ago.

 

The recent surge in their popularity, said head of retail management at Singapore Polytechnic Angie Tang-Ng, comes from consumers 'striving to keep their standard of living without burning a hole in their wallets'.

 

'When consumers think of ways to save money, they think of buying directly from manufacturers,' she said, noting that doing so cuts out the overheads and mark-ups by retailers.

 

So how much cheaper are these goods?

 

A 200g packet of Fassler's smoked salmon costs $9.90 at its factory and over $15 at the supermarkets; a 450g packet of Tay brand Japanese crispy chicken costs $5.50 at the factory and more than $6 at the supermarkets; and a 640ml bottle of Thai Sing brand dark soy sauce costs $1.55 at the factory and $1.75 from the supermarkets.

 

Legal executive Grace Chow, who is in her 40s, makes monthly trips to four factories in Woodlands and saves about $20 each time.

 

She said: 'The stuff is fresh, good value for money, and you do not need to worry about parking space.'

 

Mr Kuan Kwok Chung, 60, spends about $100 on each trip he makes to these factories with his wife. For the past three years, they have been travelling to Woodlands from their Clementi home every other week to stock up.

 

The retiree said: 'We buy slabs of salmon and seafood soup. It's much cheaper. We see many more other customers now. In the past, it used to be just us.'

 

More factories are coming on board to cash in on the demand: Frosts Food and Beverage in Tuas started catering to walk-in customers last week.

 

Condiment manufacturer Thai Sing will install an improved payment system at its Woodlands premises once its customer base grows, said its production manager Pek Boon Lee.

 

In the meantime, supermarket chains like Sheng Siong are unperturbed by the competition.

 

Its spokesman said: 'We have no issue with it, unless suppliers start selling products to the public at a lower price than the price given to us.'

 

FairPrice, too, is unfazed. Its spokesman said its customers preferred its conveniently located outlets and range of goods.

 

'Our business is unaffected by such sales,' the spokesman added, and also cited FairPrice's redemption schemes, membership rebates and other promotions as customer lures.

 

limjess@sph.com.sg