STI: Restaurant food on the go

Feb 15, 2009

Restaurant food on the go

With eateries offering take-away and drive-thru services, diners are biting

By Huang Lijie 

 

The once-sacred line between restaurant and fast-food is blurring fast.

 

In recent months, several sit-down establishments here have sprouted take-away counters, drive-thru services and free delivery options to appeal to those living in the fast lane.

 

And diners on the go are biting. The biggest draws: Convenience and restaurant-quality food on the cheap.

 

Japanese restaurant chain Sakae Sushi, for example, launched a drive-thru service at its 140-seat outlet in Boon Lay Way last month.

 

While the drive-thru menu is less extensive than its dine-in offerings, the prices for dishes available on both menus are the same. Its temaki sushi (hand-rolled sushi), for example, costs $2.29.

 

Ms Joyce Lee, 27, assistant vice-president of Apex-Pal International, which runs the 37-outlet chain, says the concept was introduced because the company saw a need to offer a 'wholesome alternative to the usual fast food' that is sold at most drive-thrus.

 

She adds that drive-thru orders are 10 per cent cheaper than dining in because the service charge is waived.

 

For events manager Martin Gwee, 27, who is a regular Sakae Sushi customer, the drive-thru service is much welcomed.

 

He says: 'I tried the service and I liked it. The handrolls I ordered were consistent with the restaurant's offering and unlike other take-away services, I did not have to pay a parking fee to pick up the food.'

 

Another restaurant that has tapped into the frills-free dining segment is seafood chain Fish & Co., with its Fish & Co. Express concept, unveiled last October at Downtown East.

 

At the fast food-style restaurant, diners place their orders at a counter and can choose to either consume the food at its 64-seat dining area or take it away.

 

Its menu, which is largely different from Fish & Co. restaurants, features burgers such as its teriyaki salmon burger ($4.50).

 

The popular fish and chips, available at 16 Fish & Co. restaurants islandwide, is on the Express menu, but it is a smaller portion and costs $4.50 instead of the usual $13.90.

 

For undergraduate Mohd Haireez Mohd Jufferie, 23, the quick, convenient and value-for-money meals at the Express store is what draws him back repeatedly.

 

Mr Ricky Chew, 45, managing director of Fish & Co., says Fish & Co. Express was conceptualised before the onset of the current economic downturn 'but it is very timely that we launched it during this period of careful consumer spending'.

 

Chinese restaurant Pu Tien, which specialises in cuisine from Putian in China's Fujian province, is also looking to increase the appeal of its take-away menu and offer customers more value for money.

 

The four-outlet restaurant launched a take-away counter at its VivoCity outlet in 2005 to introduce traditional Putian snacks, such as oyster cake and pan-fried buns, in an accessible manner.

 

The popularity of its snacks - some 1,000 pan-fried buns are sold over its Vivo- City counter on a busy day - led to the opening of another take-away counter at its Tampines outlet last September.

 

Now, owner Fong Chi Chung, 42, intends to bulk up the five-item take-away menu.

 

Given the economic situation and a demand from diners for quick meals that are cheap and good, 'I am thinking of introducing more noodle or rice dishes to the take-away menu', he says.

 

For savvy diners grabbing a quick bite, such deals in these penny-pinching times are irresistible.

 

Indeed, Delifrance's free home delivery service (with a $25 minimum order), which was rolled out last August, has been so well- received that the French-inspired bistro chain is extending its delivery area from central Singapore to other areas such as Bedok in the East.

 

The delivery menu offers items that are available at its 15 Bistro Delifrance outlets for the same price.

 

Likewise, the newly opened Oriole Cafe & Bar at the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites in Somerset Road has seen growing interest in its take-away service, which waives the service charge.

 

Restaurateurs, however, do not think that their dine-in businesses are being cannibalised by these on-the-go dining concepts.

 

One of them is the Les Amis group, whose Casa Verde in the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Peperoni in Greenwood Avenue specialise in pizzas that are also available for take-away.

 

The group's corporate communications manager Raymond Lim, 30, says: 'Take-away customers actually free up our tables for more walk-in diners, so we get to sell more pizzas.'

 

Mr Fong of Pu Tien adds: 'Our take-away counters complement the restaurant's business by helping to build up brand recognition and awareness.'

 

lijie@sph.com.sg

 

'Unlike other take-away services, I did not have to pay a parking fee to pick up the food.'

MR MARTIN GWEE, events manager, on why he likes the drive-thru services at Sakae Sushi

 

WHERE TO GET A QUICK BITE

 

Sakae Sushi Drive-Thru

Where: 28 Boon Lay Way, 01-175/176, TradeHub 21, tel: 6795-2201

Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily

What: It offers a range of sushi and Japanese foods, including temaki sushi (hand-rolled sushi, $2.29) and bento sets such as its salmon and tempura bento ($14.99).

 

Pu Tien

Where: 1 HarbourFront Walk, 03-01B, VivoCity Food Republic, tel: 6376-9358,

Open: 11.30am to 9pm, Sundays to Thursdays, 11.30am to 10pm, Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 Tampines Central 5, B1-K19/27, Tampines Mall, tel: 6781-2162, open: 10.30am to 10pm daily

What: Must-trys at its take-away counters include its pan-fried buns ($1.20 each, above, right), and sweet potato cake ($1.20 each).

 

Delifrance

Where: To place an order for delivery, dial 6339-6363. The minimum order for free home delivery is $25.

What: A wide range of food is available for delivery including seafood baked rice ($13.50), duck confit ($20.90) and grilled tenderloin steak with potato gratin and vegetables ($24.90).

 

Casa Verde

Where: 1 Cluny Road, Visitors Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens, tel: 6467-7326

Open: 7.30am to 11pm daily

What: Its location next to the Visitors Centre driveway makes it convenient for motorists to pop by and take away its pizzas. Highlights on the menu include its seafood pizza (11-inch, $22) and parma ham with rocket salad pizza (11-inch, $22).

 

Oriole Cafe & Bar

Where: 96 Somerset Road, 01-01, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, tel: 6238-8348 Open: 11am to 9.30pm

What: Recommended items for take-away include its grilled cilantro chicken sandwich ($9.50, above) and Oriole burger ($25).

 

Peperoni

Where: 6 Greenwood Avenue, tel: 6465-6556

Open: noon to midnight daily

What: The popular pizzeria offers a wide array of pizzas for take-away, including pancetta ham with soft egg (9-inch, $18) and ham and mushroom (9-inch, $18).

 

Fish & Co. Express

Where: 1 Pasir Ris Close, 01-40B, Downtown East, tel: 6583-3039

Open: 11am to 10pm, Sundays to Thursdays, 11am to 11pm, Fridays and Saturdays

What: Its fish burgers are hand-made and includes varieties such as teriyaki salmon burger ($4.50, below) and fish burger with cheese ($3.80). Another highlight on the menu is its classic fish and chips ($4.50), which uses dory fish.

BTO: For your dining convenience

Business Times - 14 Feb 2009

For your dining convenience

In addition to innovative deals that offer better value for money, restaurants are also turning their attention to home delivery options as a complementary service

 

Maru Food
www.marufood.sg

 

TWENTY per cent cheaper. And possibly more. These are the magic words being dangled by an online Japanese grocery store which offers sashimi air-flown twice a week and delivered to your door any day you want.

 

Maru Food began as a small-scale supplier providing Japanese foodstuffs to restaurants in 2007 before branching out into online retail last August, says director Wendell Chua who has a day job as chief executive of intellectual property specialists OPS Consultants.

 

After almost a year of competing with bigger and more established suppliers, 'we decided to go into retail, where we can offer relatively cheaper prices because we don't have a retail front'. Prices, whether for sashimi or Japanese groceries, are lower than, say, Meidi-ya or Isetan, he says.

 

Mr Chua is not directly involved in the operations, but has a team in place which includes a former rival supplier whom he hired to establish their seafood sources in Japan, as well as a chef from Sushi Tei to prepare the sashimi quality seafood for delivery. 'We bring in things that are not the norm, like lobster sashimi, sea urchin, as well as seasonal fish like buri - a type of yellowtail,' he says. This is in addition to the more familiar cuts of salmon, tuna - high-end toro costs $45 per 100gm - scallop, shrimp and yellowtail.

 

Priced from $4.20 per 100 gm for salmon and maguro up to $120 for a tray of sea urchin (uni), you have to order a minimum amount of 200gm or more depending on the fish. You can also opt for a selection with Maru's sashimi moriawase. You just have to make up the minimum amount of $50 required for free delivery.

 

The sashimi quality is very much better than what you would get from a supermarket chiller. Splurge on the premium toro - even a few slices would be worth it. Fat scallops, large ebi, yellowtail and clam are all good quality too.

 

Maru is also great for Japanese grocery shopping where you can find everything from rice to sauces to frozen foods. It's also opening Maru Cafe at Block 107 on Tampines Ave 2 - serving bento sets and other cooked food in a coffee shop setting. The specialty will be Japanese curry, says Mr Chua. But for sashimi fans forced to rethink their $250 omakase blow-outs, a home-delivered sashimi moriawase could well be the new pizza for them.

 

By Jaime Ee

 

Xi Yan
38A Craig Road
Tel 6220-3546
www.xiyan.com.sg

 

OYSTER nuggets in tarocurd batter, oolong-tea-smoked chicken with mango salsa, tofu ice cream... If there were a prize for the most innovative delivery or takeaway menu, Xi Yan would be scooping it up. The private-dining restaurant, which has won several accolades for its creative cuisine, began sending its brand of food into people's kitchens in December when it introduced its first 'home gourmet' menu, a 32-item list made up of dishes that the restaurant has turned out since it opened in 2005.

 

It all started with the restaurant's yu sheng, says owner Thomas Choong of the decision to launch the delivery-cum-takeaway menu: 'We had a lot of customers requesting a takeaway version this year so we decided to make it available and meet the demand, and that triggered off the rest.'

 

While the food on the delivery menu is generally deemed suitable for takeaway, the owner admits the restaurant is still fine-tuning the list to make it more journey-friendly. 'Our prawns, for example, should be eaten within the hour because we don't put any additives in them so in terms of texture they won't be as good as if you had them fresh,' Mr Choong says.

 

But there are other dishes that will keep quite well - the 'salivating chicken with century eggs', for instance, is accompanied by konnyaku noodles that stay wonderfully springy for hours in sauce, and the restaurant's signature starter of whole greenhouse tomatoes comes with a wasabi and sesame dressing that's separately packed so it can quickly and easily be poured over the tomatoes.

 

To spice up your dinner parties with some of these goodies, place your order at least two days in advance - Xi Yan only shops for ingredients after receiving the orders and prepares the food just before the collection time.

 

By Audrey Phoon
aphoon@sph.com.sg

 

KO Japanese Restaurant
Intercontinental Singapore
80 Middle Road
Tel 6825-1064

 

DINING in seems to be the 'in' thing these days as people seem to prefer organising parties at home rather than dining out, says Bill Fisher, Intercontinental Singapore's F&B director. That's one of the reasons why its upmarket Japanese restaurant KO has launched a new takeaway/ delivery bento service featuring three quality set meals that are both good for the health and on the pocket.

 

The macrobiotic bento ($40++) features a nutritious mixture of brown and glutinous rice complemented with simmered root vegetables, meaty tasting slices of seasoned tofu, vegetables in a mustard sauce and slices of konnyaku-like 'sashimi' with fresh beancurd. It's bland to be sure, but with the tasty accompanying sauces and soya sauce, it's a creatively healthy meal.

 

Otherwise, pick from the other two 'normal' bentos - the deluxe maki ($48++) that packs in jumbo sushi rolls with simmered black cod and teriyaki chicken, and meltingly soft eggplant in miso. Alternatively, there's another maki set ($38++) that comes with teriyaki chicken and tempura in addition to the maki sushi. Packed in very presentable plastic trays with miso soup and fruit, these are pretty hefty sets and definitely worth the price. But the trick is to eat it immediately after it's delivered.

 

The bento sets are the result of guests' requests, adds Mr Fisher, and they are also good for office lunch meetings. 'There's always this impression that Japanese food is expensive but Chef Seto has created menus that are very affordable.'

 

By Jaime Ee

 

Picotin 100
Turf Club Road
Tel 6877-1191

 

IF you like Picotin's pizza but hate the hassle of trying to find a parking space at its Turf Club premises, you'll love its new delivery service - but only if you live between Dairy Farm Road and Thomson Road, because that's the furthest the pizza can travel before it starts to wilt, according to Picotin's owners.

 

So if you're in the appropriate neighbourhood, you've got access to Picotin's entire menu - from soups (the mushroom is a top favourite), pastas, savoury tarts like quiche lorraine (rather salty), main courses (the beef bourguignone is hearty and withstands the journey best; the roast chicken tends to get 'steamed' in its plastic container and loses its crisp skin) to very good desserts such as the lemon tart and sticky date pudding with a lovely caramel sauce.

 

The pizzas - paper thin, crisp sheets of dough with your choice of topping - are also winners. It can't beat eating it fresh from the oven at Picotin, but when going out or cooking at home is not an option, a warm pizza delivered to your home with no effort on your part will be welcome enough.

 

By Jaime Ee
jaime@sph.com.sg

BTO: Seafood specialist

Business Times - 14 Feb 2009

GUEST CHEF
Seafood specialist

Giovanni Speciale shares how to pick and cook the best seafood to make a splash at your table. By Audrey Phoon

 

HAVING grown up in the 'heel' of boot-shaped Italy, Giovanni Speciale knows food like the back of his foot. After all, Puglia, the region that the chef is from, is framed by olive groves and three seas, and it supplies nearly all of the country's olive oil and pasta. In addition to starting his career at a two-Michelin-star restaurant there, the Italian has also worked in a vast number of other food-focused locales, from Alexandria and the Maldives to Sydney, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

 

Cooking in so many close-to-coastal areas has made the aptly-named Speciale a seafood specialist. And that's one of the skill sets he brought to The Regent Singapore when he moved here to be its executive chef last month. It could be our imagination, but at Basilico, the hotel's Italian restaurant that is Speciale's pet focus, the fish at the buffet tables looked perkier than usual when we visited a couple of weeks ago, and the prawns had their tails curled up in an almost jaunty manner.

 

If you want the seafood at your table to look just as cheerful, Speciale suggests mentally ticking off a checklist before you make your purchases: the eyes of fish must be 'bright and clear, while the gills must be very red and almost bleeding', he says, adding that 'the texture must also be very firm, the scales must not be coming out and the tailfins must be open'.

 

For prawns, the tail area should not be black. 'And in the case of blue prawns, the neck veins must be very blue,' shares the chef. 'I also like to smell seafood before I buy it because it's very important to use the senses to judge. Also, taking it all in is part of the experience - the smell and flavour starts to go to your head and from there you can figure out how you want to cook it.'

 

Different types of fish also need different seasoning, so find out where your fish is from before you use it in a recipe, says Speciale. He cites fish from the Mediterranean Sea as an example - they're 'very salty so you don't need much salt with it; all that's needed is a simple sea salt crust made with egg white (such as in the recipe here)' with organic vegetables on the side which the chef likes to use because they have 'no spots and are firm and bright'. They're also not too overpowering, he adds.

 

South-east Asian fish, on the other hand, don't have as much flavour because the 'water here is warm and not so salty', so such fish can be cooked with more robust accompaniments.

 

Bear in mind, though, that too much seasoning takes the focus away from the main product, which is a waste when you're using quality ingredients, advises the chef. 'Concentrate on the product itself and take care of it as you would a baby,' he says, stressing that as many parts of each ingredient as possible should be used. 'Fish can be expensive, so aside from cooking the flesh you can also use the bones, head and tail to make a soup, for example.'

 

Although Speciale misses Italian produce from his hometown - 'it was very good quality and easy to get', he says - he is happy with the selection in Singapore. One place that he recommends for authentic Italian products is Italian Food & Wine (www.italianfoodwine.com, Tel 6323-3203) at Craig Road. 'They sell some specific, good-quality food from Italy,' explains the chef. 'It's not a big variety but still they have about 30 kinds of pasta, not in the usual shapes, extra virgin olive oil ... refined stuff.'

 

It's food like that, plus seafood and vegetables, that are 'very important', states Speciale. 'They make for lighter and fresher meals, so you don't have to work out for three hours after that!'

 

aphoon@sph.com.sg

 

Seabass slowly cooked in a sea salt crust with lemon oil
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 fillets wild seabass each weighing about 130g
Zest of 1 lemon
400g sea salt
2 egg whites
Lemon oil (recipe below)
Extra virgin olive oil to cook
1 green zucchini, sliced and grilled
1 yellow zucchini, sliced and grilled
4 Pachino cherry tomatoes, roasted with basil
2 stalks asparagus, shaved and blanched
1 stalk baby leek, sliced and blanched
4 sprigs chervil
2 sprigs baby fennel, blanched
6 roasted pistachios
4 pods snow peas

 

Method

 

1. With a knife, create small incisions between the skin and the flesh of the seabass, then insert diced bits of lemon zest into the incisions. Set aside in a tray.

 

2. Mix the sea salt and egg whites together, then pour over the fish.

 

3. Bake at 110 degrees Celsius for 14 minutes, until sea-salt-and-egg-white mixture forms a crust around the fish.

 

4. Slow cook the remaining lemon zest in 200ml of extra virgin olive oil for 90 minutes at 45 degrees Celsius.

 

5. Toss the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, baby leek, chervil, baby fennel, pistachios and snow peas in 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

 

6. Remove the salt crust from the seabass.

 

7. Portion out vegetables into 4 servings, put each serving on a plate with 1 seabass fillet and drizzle everything with lemon oil.

BTO: Economic adjustments

Business Times - 14 Feb 2009

Economic adjustments

The economic slowdown has induced some quick thinking on the part of several top restaurants. Instead of slashing prices, they have come up with creative concepts to give diners better value. By Audrey Phoon

 

Gunther's
36 Purvis Street, #01-03
Tel 6338-8955

 

IF meat is the choice of the wealthy, then vegetables must surely be the foods that make the most financial sense (just the stuff to tuck into as fortunes slide with the economy, in fact).

 

At Gunther's, that statement can be borne out quite clearly: the modern French dining restaurant helmed by Belgian chef Gunther Hubrechsen launched a menu au legumes last month that offers diners eight courses of veggies done in different ways for $88. In comparison, a normal five-course degustation meal at the restaurant is $128.

 

The new menu is partly an effort to stay competitive during these tough times, says Hubrechsen, a disciple of vegetable specialist Alain Passard, whose three-Michelin-star establishment L'Arpège in Paris features a lot of organically-grown greens and no red meat on its menu. He explains: 'Business has been unpredictable over the past few months, and we've seen a dip of about 20 per cent overall. To stay in the game, you have to adapt, offer something different or go a step further. A vegetable menu gives more value for money; it's a more reasonable option.'

 

The 'lighter, healthier' menu is also something the restaurant's customers have been asking for, continues the chef, adding that he views the fresh menu as a sort of showcase on how to do veggies 'properly'.

 

'Many chefs, when they have to work with vegetables, they think, 's***',' says Hubrechsen, a self-professed vegetable lover who is on this year's World Gourmet Summit list of best chefs. 'They're not used to it and they don't see vegetables as mains. But I treat vegetables the same as meat or fish.

 

'There's no reason why you can't handle vegetables like you do meat or fish in terms of cooking methods. They're the same - you have to think of the strong points of every type of vegetable and cook it appropriately. If you have tough bits or you're cooking something like carrots or turnips, for instance, you just stew them, like with meat.'

 

As such, the menu (whose take-up rate has thus far been 'not too bad', says Hubrechsen) contains things like a tender carpaccio of celeriac with egg-white confit and Bordelaise sauce; hot boiled Normandy potatoes with fresh butter and konbu (Japanese kelp); and an amazingly flavourful cabbage roll stuffed with carrot, zucchini and onion with crispy edges that has been stewed for 'four to five hours, like making a beef stew but using vegetables instead'.

 

Most of the vegetables are imported from France and there is a myriad of textures and flavours on each delicately-plated dish, ensuring that even meat lovers who are used to feeling sinews, flesh and gristle between their teeth are kept interested. And that, above even the state of the economy, is the chef's main concern. 'I want people to leave the table and not feel that they have missed out on the meat,' he says.

 

The Line Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road  Tel 6213-4393

 

THE economy may be out on a spin, but at least some things are remaining under control: the cost of lunch, for instance, even at a usually-fixed-price buffet restaurant.

 

To combat a 'slight dip' in business due to the downturn, Shangri-La Hotel introduced a new Lunch By The Minute concept this week at its popular The Line buffet restaurant. Those who take up this promotion will be charged $23++ per person for the first 30 minutes and 70 cents for every subsequent minute, up to a maximum of $45++ per person, the usual price of the meal.

 

The novel idea is aimed at time-starved business executives (companies must make reservations beforehand to enjoy the promotion) and will allow diners to partake of The Line's '16 theatre kitchens at a price they wish to pay', says the hotel's area and general manager, Thierry Douin.

He explains: 'We came up with the idea of Lunch By The Minute as we realised that people like to have choices and to be empowered. Lunch hours for working professionals are usually constrained to one hour and thus, we decided to offer an executive lunch concept that will be relevant to them.'

 

It's also something that is, well, timely as 'everyone is more cautious about spending and more conscious about getting the best value for money at times like these', he adds.

 

The meal encompasses everything that's usually on The Line's lunch menu, such as a range of fresh seafood and sashimi, noodles, teppanyaki and ice cream mixed on a cold stone, all of which diners can tuck into while digital time displays tick away the minutes on overhead plasma screens. A free flow of coffee and tea is included, although chilled juices are also available as part of the concept at a special price of $5++ per glass instead of the usual $12.50++.

 

It's a 'win-win situation for The Line and for our valued guests', feels Mr Douin, explaining that the flexibility of the concept allows people to have 'variety in a limited time frame at a reasonable price, since many people enjoy a wide variety of food but not everyone has the luxury of time to indulge in a long lunch'.

 

For the hotel, it means a faster turnover rate which in turn results in a higher number of covers and increased revenue.

 

Since the promotion is applicable to selected corporate companies, it will also 'allow us to nurture goodwill between our business partners and loyal supporters', Mr Douin adds, concluding that 'in challenging times, restaurants need to be relevant to the needs of diners and think of creative ways to enhance value for money for guests ... It is our basic belief that a guest will still invest in a meal if he can be assured of an excellent dining experience'.

 

Wild Rocket
Hangout Hotel 10A
Upper Wilkie Road
Tel 6339-9448

 

Relish
#02-01 Cluny Court
501 Bukit Timah Road
Tel 6763-1547

 

MUCH like the Western recipes in his restaurants to which he has liberally added local flavours, Willin Low offers a uniquely Singaporean analogy about the effects of the global recession on the restaurant industry: 'It's like taking taxis, where the fares go up and people are scared off for awhile but come back later.'

 

It's a view that may seem highly optimistic to some, but Low - the owner-chef of Wild Rocket restaurant, burger joint Relish and Wild Oats bar, which have collectively seen a 'maybe 10- to 20-per-cent dip in business over the last couple of months' - is actually hoping that customers will start returning to restaurants 'even sooner'.

 

To lure them back, he has launched several 'stimulus packages' at his outlets - otherwise known as Credit Crunch Munch Deals - that were put together after some careful observation of his key audiences, and are aimed at offering better value to his customers.

 

At Low's main restaurant Wild Rocket, for instance, there are a la carte set lunches and dinners (previously only a daily set lunch was available) as well as a new six-course degustation menu - comprising items such as giam chye consomme of duck and ravioli and roast Chilean seabass with kicap manis, garlic and baby asparagus - at $66.80 that Low maintains 'is the best-value tasting menu in town'.

 

At Wild Oats, happy hours have been extended and a list of under-$10 hot food items have been introduced, while old Wild Rocket pasta favourites that have since been taken off that restaurant's menu are making a reappearance at Relish, along with smaller burger sizes.

 

'At Relish, we noticed that a lot of our customers were ladies who never finished their burgers,' explains Low of the changes at the burger joint. 'So now we offer patties in two sizes, 150g or 180g, and that way there's no wastage and we can make it cheaper too.'

 

Never mind that lower prices mean tinier profits - 'we realise that a lot of people are having their salaries cut and companies have slashed their entertainment budgets, so it's only fair that we should make less too', reasons Low, who reveals that there were 'a lot of cancellations' of corporate events in December.

 

'Now, it's all about bringing the cash in and getting people to come, as well as getting the volumes right so smaller players like us can survive in an environment like this. I hope we won't have to launch any rescue packages in time to come!'

 

Heat ultralounge
Level 2, Royal Plaza on Scotts
25 Scotts Road
Tel 6589-7722

 

IF drowning your sorrows with a pint or seven in the middle of the work week isn't enough in view of the economic downturn, perhaps simultaneously smothering them with servings of Pacific cold water prawns and Moroccan spiced beef - all at pocket-friendly prices - will prove more effective.

 

The kind people at Royal Plaza on Scotts have made this extra-pain-relief scheme possible, by converting Heat ultralounge, the hotel's in-house bar, into a budget eatery on weekdays. Along with the usual drinks list, a menu of international dishes comprising new recipes from the hotel's kitchen as well as favourites from its award-winning Carousel restaurant is now served at Heat between noon and 11pm to 'cater to the business crowd', says Royal Plaza on Scotts marketing manager Lynn Tan.

 

According to her, Carousel is 'still doing very well' but the new concept was launched so the hotel can 'stay competitive right now by providing even better service and options than before to diners'. And no, this doesn't cannibalise Carousel as the hotel's main restaurant is 'aimed at a different clientele, such as families who want a leisurely meal'.

 

Indeed, the menu at Heat is clearly designed to provide quick, value-for-money eats. It comprises the aforementioned prawns and beef alongside Western classics like fish-and-chips and burgers, and local favourites like crayfish hor fun and Hainanese chicken rice. There's also a selection of salads, appetisers and desserts. Everything is relatively inexpensive for a hotel eatery, with prices starting from $12 for a salad or pasta dish, to $28 for the Moroccan spiced tenderloin or oven-baked cod.

 

In comparison, a buffet meal at Carousel (which is primarily a buffet restaurant) starts from $40 for a weekday lunch. The restaurant's a la carte menu, too, is pricier than the one at Heat.

Says Ms Tan: 'This concept, which we started last month, is a first for us. By offering this, we hope to help diners continue to enjoy the same lifestyle without hurting their wallets too much during a time of crisis like this. They pay less for an amount that they can finish.'

 

Of course, the hotel, too, is benefitting from this bit of creativity - what was previously a not-so-crowded bar on weekday afternoons is gradually filling up with business executives looking for a quick lunch.

 

aphoon@sph.com.sg

STI: Look ma, no fat

Feb 12, 2009

Eat to live

Look ma, no fat

After a season of feasting, SYLVIA TAN shows you how to lighten your eating with a simple yet exquisite Japanese fish soup

 

There is no fat in this soup, but taste it and you will find it delectable.

 

The flavour comes not from fat but from the fish - in this case, a threadfin or ikan kurau fillet.

 

This sweet-tasting fish is cooked in dashi, the basic stock in Japanese cuisine made from nothing more than kombu (Japanese seaweed) and dried bonito flakes (from the dried smoked fish).

 

The lack of fat in this soup is no accident. It is a Japanese soup and there is no fat or oil in most traditional Japanese foods.

 

Japanese cookbook author Kimiko Barber recommends eating Japanese food as a way of staying healthier and slimmer. She says the Japanese are able to do this because they eat with chopsticks and that physically slows down the eating (or prevents gobbling, in my book).

 

They also eat with the eyes. Their food comes beautifully and artistically presented, a true visual feast which makes you pause before you take another mouthful.

 

Their diet is high in fibre-rich foods such as vegetables, rice, soba noodles and beans, which keep you full longer and lower the cholesterol level.

 

If all that still does not convince you, a taste of this soup made with fat-free dashi definitely will.

 

The Japanese use dashi even for meat dishes such as their beef sukiyaki which makes me think that perhaps we should go this fat-free route rather than always rely on a meat stock when cooking.

 

Dashi is also simple to make - no long simmering over the stove to extract the flavour. Indeed, quick cooking is the key, otherwise bitterness would exude from the seaweed. The proportion of seaweed to fish is, however, important to the final taste. Generally, the recommendation is one to six; I used 100g kombu to 600g dried bonito flakes.

 

Once done, all that is needed is to cook the fish quickly in the stock, throw in some mushrooms and top it all with a generous spoonful of raw grated radish.

 

Yes, raw. Aside from the vitamins (B6, C), fibre and many minerals the raw vegetable would bring to the broth, this final flourish adds taste, flavour and body to the soup without any effort at all.

 

wdspice@singnet.com.sg

 

Sylvia Tan is a freelance writer

 

RECIPE

FISH WITH GRATED RADISH SOUP

(For four)

Ingredients:

4 cups seasoned dashi

2 ikan kurau steaks, cut into four, rubbed with a pinch of salt

1 punnet willow mushrooms, trim ends

1 cup fresh grated radish

1 stalk spring onion, chopped

 

Dip:

1 stalk spring onion, thinly sliced

2 red chillies, sliced

Lemon juice to taste

Light soya sauce to taste

 

Method:

 

Bring seasoned dashi stock to the boil. Turn down heat to simmering.

 

Add the kurau pieces, then the mushrooms. Simmer for about five minutes till just cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Remove fish and mushrooms and divide among four bowls.

 

Spoon stock over, then add a dollop of freshly grated radish. Garnish with chopped spring onion.

 

Serve with a chilli and spring onion with lemon-flavoured soya sauce on the side.

 

DASHI

(Makes 4 cups)

Ingredients:

100g dried kombu

100ml water

600g dried bonito flakes

1 tsp light soya sauce

Salt to taste

1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

Sugar to taste

 

Method:

 

Wipe kombu with a damp cloth to remove surface dirt. Place water in a pot and add kombu to it. Heat the pot and remove kombu just before the water boils.

 

When it boils, add the dried bonito flakes. Remove any foam that rises to the surface and turn off the heat. Leave it aside until bonito flakes sink. Strain the stock through a sieve. Season to taste with soya sauce, salt, sugar and mirin.

 

This stock is called ichiban-dashi (first stock). Both kelp and bonito flakes can be recycled to make a second stock, with a small, fresh piece of kombu.

STI: 28 October, 2007 - Coast to coast

Oct 28, 2007

FOODIE CONFIDENTIAL

Coast to coast

Chef Alessandro Di Prisco, who hails from the southern coast of Italy, now lives and works in Singapore's East Coast

By Huang Lijie 

 

HE WAS forced into the kitchen as a young boy but Alessandro Di Prisco, chef-owner of Al Forno (East Coast), has no regrets.

 

'My mother loved to cook so I was often made to help out with the cutting, peeling and washing of ingredients,' says Mr Di Prisco, 34.

 

Growing up in Cava de Tirreni, a small town in southern Italy along the Amalfi Coast where food is a way of life and two-hour meals the norm, also nurtured his love for cooking.

 

At 14, he became an apprentice in a restaurant in his hometown that specialised in wedding catering, and went on to cook in hotels and restaurants along the Amalfi Coast for seven years.

 

In 1995, he was offered the job of chef at Al Forno (East Coast) by one of its previous owners, who is also from the Amalfi Coast, and he seized the opportunity to travel out of Italy.

 

When the previous owners of the restaurant decided to part ways in 1997, he took over the restaurant.

 

He and his Singaporean wife have a daughter aged five, and a son aged two. The permanent resident, who lives in Katong, does not see himself leaving Singapore - or his neighbourhood - anytime soon.

 

'My restaurant has been doing well. Plus, I love the sea and working and living in the East Coast allows me to visit the beach every few days.'

 

What dish are you most famous for?

 

Spaghetti frutti di mare or seafood spaghetti, which comes with crayfish, mussels, squid and clams. It's a common dish along the Amalfi Coast because seafood is fresh and abundant there. The freshness of the seafood goes well with a hearty tomato sauce.

 

What is your comfort food?

 

Pasta. I must have it at least once a day or I won't feel right. It's food I grew up eating but I never get sick of it because there are so many ways to prepare it, with different sauces, toppings and types of pasta to choose from. Even a simple aglio olio - pasta in garlic, olive oil and chilli - is satisfying.

 

What is the secret to good pasta?

 

A good tomato sauce is what makes a pasta dish memorable, but there is no real secret to preparing a good tomato sauce. It's not about what goes into the sauce, and I can tell you that I use canned, whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, salt and garlic in mine. What is important is that the ingredients are of the right proportion and cooked for the right duration, which varies according to the quality of the produce available.

 

What is your favourite Italian dish?

 

Eggplant parmigiana, or fried breaded eggplant that is baked with mozzarella cheese in a tomato sauce. I love eggplant. I've been eating it since I was a kid and my mother has a great recipe for it. However, I don't have it as often as I'd like to these days because it's a time-consuming dish to prepare.

 

What food do you like besides Italian cuisine?

 

I go through phases. Right now, it's Thai food. I especially like tom yum soup. While I do suffer because the dish is so spicy, its hot and sour flavours are very satisfying. I don't go to a particular restaurant or stall as I like to eat around. I also like Indian food such as prawn masala and roti prata.

 

Where do you go for supper?

 

I've been frequenting Sin Hoi Eating House in Katong, which is close to where I live, for some 10 years now. It sells good Chinese stir-fried dishes such as chilli kangkong, fried rice and barbecued prawns. I usually visit it with my staff after a long day at work.

 

What is your fondest memory of food?

 

Making pasta by hand with my mother and younger sister when I was about eight. It wasn't so much the food as the atmosphere. It was cold but sunny outside and the TV would be playing in the background while we were gathered around the kitchen table kneading the dough and shaping the pasta that would be served for lunch. Thinking about it always makes me feel warm inside.

 

lijie@sph.com.sg

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Crepe House

Crepe House
1 Jurong West Central 2,
02-K3 Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Open: 10am to 10pm daily
Rating: ***

CREPES are thin and light pancakes in theory. But in fact, many of them get soggy and leaden fast from their fillings, even as you are racing against time to eat them.

I once ordered what I believed would be a light breakfast of crepes at a bakery. Two and a half pancakes later, I felt as if I had eaten a horse and almost went into a food coma.

So the sweet and savoury crepes at the Crepe House stand in Jurong Point Shopping Centre are a surprise.

The skins are as thin as popiah skins but tastier: They are eggy, moist and deliciously soft.

The fillings have a base of mayo, fresh cream or custard but taste light. You feel you can wolf down a few of these rolls without getting comatose.

And I did just that the other night, when I went to the stand with two friends and we had dinner on the spot - straight out of paper cones. (For the record, we didn't get any food on our clothes but I did get some on my face and fingers.)

I began by taking bites of my friends' ham and cheese sandwich ($5.80) and tuna and egg sandwich ($5.80).

Both were good meaty, creamy mixes of textures and tastes. But my bratwurst sandwich ($6.50) was even better. The sausage was succulent and satisfying with sweet mayo, crisp lettuce and silky crepe.

I also had the lion's share of dessert. We asked for one crepe with strawberries, strawberry sauce and fresh cream ($4.80), one with sweet bean paste and fresh cream ($4.80) and one with Japanese chestnut paste and chocolate ice cream ($5.50) - and I ate most of them.

I have always been partial to the lovely, layered chocolate chestnut parfait ($9.80++) from Sun With Moon Japanese Dining & Cafe. The crepe with chestnut puree felt a little like that parfait to me except it was cheaper. Perfect.

Crepe House is a Japanese chain brought in by businessman Mave Yeo. The master franchisee in Singapore plans to set up 10 to 15 shops.

The crepes are made here by his staff, he says, but the batter is from Japan.

So are ingredients including fresh cream, custard, sweet bean paste and chestnut paste.

They have been flown all this way so you need not go too far for a few good crepes.

(Published in Straits Times, October 28, 2007)

Reif + James

80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-03 The Pier at Robertson Quay
Tel: 6238 8817
Opening hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Tue to Friday); 10am to 3pm, 6pm to 10om (Sat, Sun and public holidays)

Watching calories while eating out? The good news is that at Reif + James, you have plenty of options

A light appetiser could be the consomme of watercress with pan-fried garoupa ($16, dinner only). The clear, delicately scented soup was the perfect foil for the firm and meaty texture of the fish.

Another healthy choice was the grilled baby octopus (right) with lychee and lamb's lettuce in homemade chilli jam ($18, lunch; $22, dinner). The lemongrass, chilli and garlic in the olive oil-based dressing cut the tender, rich flesh perfectly.

For the mains, the fresh crab claw pasta with pinenuts and chilli padi in white wine sauce ($19, lunch; $26, dinner) is highly recommended. Here, the sweet, juicy taste of the crab is supported and enhanced by the other ingredients.

Another superb creation is the marinated oven-baked Chilean seabass with soba noodles in lemongrass broth ($32, lunch; $38, dinner). The texture of the fish is silky smooth, and I loved the miso marinade.

Unfortunately, though the desserts were truly luscious, they were also quite sinful. After the healthy appetiser and main, you could indulge with the duo of cr�me brulee - kaffir lime and Bailey's ($15, lunch and dinner). Otherwise, the chef can be persuaded to whip up a sorbet with mixed fruits.

(Published in Straits Times, Oct 31, 2007)

STI: Get set for more mushrooms

Nov 1, 2007

Get set for more mushrooms

Mushroom Park now offers five set meals, up from three, with different fungi combinations to whet your appetite

By Wong Ah Yoke 

 

SLIGHTLY more than a year after Mushroom Park opened last July, this Taiwanese mushroom hotpot restaurant in Serangoon Garden has expanded its offerings.

 

The concept is largely the same. You order from a choice of set meals, which include some mushroom starters, a selection of more mushrooms, vegetables and meat for the hotpot, and a dessert.

 

But where there used to be only three sets to choose from, you now get five, with prices ranging from $26.80 to $46.80 per person. Each comes with a different combination of mushroom varieties, and some also include a meat or fish.

 

The fish, offered in the tilapia fillet set meal ($36.80), is new. The other new set is the vegetarian set meal ($36.80).

 

If you are dining in groups of two or more, I would suggest you order a different set each. That way, you get a bigger selection of mushrooms and a mix of meat, fish and vegetables for a more varied and balanced meal.

 

In my case, I shared a dynasty set meal ($46.80) - which comes with both pork and striploin - and the tilapia fillet set meal with my companion.

 

The meal started with a little snack of shredded mushroom, which looked and tasted just like pork floss.

 

But the better starter was the xing bao mushroom sashimi that came next. The mushrooms were chunky and had a firm, crunchy texture. Served chilled with a soya sauce dip spiked heavily with wasabi, it tasted great with a cool, clean flavour that was totally grease-free.

 

Next came the steaming pot of mushroom soup that was put over the stove at the table. We were given a scoop of it to taste first to savour the pure essence of mushroom before the other ingredients were put in.

 

Those would be the raw mushrooms. The dynasty set had six varieties such as the brown-coloured pine mushroom, the white sponge-like monkey head mushroom and the firm and fleshy long net stinkhorn.

 

For the tilapia set, we got the chicken leg mushroom, another crunchy variety, as well as the long net stinkhorn.

 

Besides these, there were the 'today's specials', varieties which were in the latest shipments from Taiwan and China. For my dinner, for example, I had some interesting-looking pink mushrooms which were soft and spongy.

 

All the mushrooms were added to the pot and left to cook for seven minutes - to make sure that they were properly cooked. The waitress even left a running timer on the table to ensure that we did not jump the gun.

 

Once the buzzer went, it was time to feast. We added vegetables such as xiao bai cai and Tientsin cabbage to cook according to how soft we wanted them. The thinly sliced meat and fish cooked very quickly, however - half a minute at the most - so those went into the pot only when we wanted to eat them.

 

We had a choice of rice or steamed bun with the meal, and the restaurant had a new mushroom treasure rice which was cooked with mushroom stock and had bits of the fungus as well as corn and carrot mixed with the rice grains. Like the rest of the meal, it tasted clean and very healthy.

 

We felt full at the end of the meal but not heavy. That was because we got lots of vegetables to bulk up on fibre and little oil to weigh us down.

 

Even the desserts were very light.

 

There was a choice of green tea jelly and strawberry milk pudding. I prefer the former whose clean taste completed the healthy theme of the meal.

 

The milk pudding, however, needed to be richer to be satisfying. A healthy milk pudding was really neither here nor there.

 

MUSHROOM PARK RESTAURANT

87 Serangoon Garden Way

Tel: 6281-7600

Open: 11.30am to 2pm, 5.50 to 10pm

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Ice Cream Chefs

Look beyond Ice Cream Chefs' fancy mix-n-match concept, and you'll find some well-made ice cream.
Amy Yeong
amyyeong@sph.com.sg
Aug 02, 2007
AsiaOne

A new ice cream parlour has opened in East Coast Road, and while some of its recipes could do with a bit more refining, it is probably the only place in town where you can create almost any flavour of ice cream imaginable.

Sounds far-fetched? That's what I thought when I first received the press release of Ice Cream Chefs. This 2-month-old outfit is the brainchild of two good friends who love the cold dessert so much that they taught themselves how to make ice cream, all in the name of 'bringing their ice cream dreams to reality'.

All the ice cream flavours in Ice Cream Chefs are made in-house, and we are not talking about just plain ol' vanilla and chocolate.

The day I dropped in, they were making a fresh batch of cinnamon apple ice cream, with apples sourced from nowhere else but France - home of fine produce and every gourmand's dream destination. Of course, they do have the 'regular' flavours as well, but I believe that the allure for most of its patrons lies in the fact that you mix-and-match your ice cream with a whole lot of other goodies.

One thing unique to Ice Cream Chefs is its 'ice-plate'. This freezing cold sheet of metal allows the 'Ice Cream Chef' to mix and match any combination of ice cream flavours, munchies, and condiments into a unique treat.

Naturally, some flavour combinations are already firm favourites with the ice cream parlour's regular customers, such as the 'Durian Surprise' - a combination of 40 per cent chocolate ice cream, 60 per cent durian ice cream and Loackers waffles, along with a generous helping of chocolate sauce. The combination sounds weird, but it was surprisingly palatable (maybe that is where its name came from). The dark, rich taste of the chocolate ice cream blended very well with the strong taste of the durian ice cream, while the crushed Loackers gave the resulting concoction a satisfying crunch. Durian lovers will get a kick out of this, and even non-durian lovers (like yours truly) may find it enjoyable.

While the "mix-n-match" concept of Ice Cream Chefs may draw in the kids, there are diners who will be more interested in the quality of its home-made ice cream. Those who love fruit flavours are in for a treat - the several different flavours that I tried here were all extremely well done, thanks to the owners' insistence on using quality ingredients. The durian ice cream is made from D24 durians, while its mango ice cream uses only a particular variety of mango to attain its flavour and sweetness.

The watermelon sherbet was extremely refreshing and did not stint on taste - this is as close as you will get to having watermelon in ice cream form.

That said, some of its base flavours will benefit from tweaking. This is not as easy as it sounds, as the owners have to take into consideration factors such as the texture and density of the ice cream both before and after it goes through the mashing-up process on the ice plate. While the vanilla ice cream is not very impressive on its own (despite the generous amount of vanilla bean used), it makes a great base for the different ice cream creations.

One flavour which left a positive impression on me was the green tea. Now, green tea ice cream should taste like green tea - most preferably macha green tea, which is thick, bitter and smooth. Ice Cream Chefs' green tea ice cream scored high on taste, being bitter and strong enough, but it could do with a tad more creaminess in texture. Nevertheless, the folks here are on the right track, and I am looking forward to seeing (or rather, tasting) how their different ice cream flavours will improve over time.

Ice Cream Chefs
520 East Coast Road
#01-06 (Ocean Park Condominium)
Tel: 64466355
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12pm to 10pm; Fri-Sat 12pm to 11pm

Kulfi Bar

Kulfi is most commonly served garnished with ground cardamom, saffron, or pistachio nuts.
Cool Chef
Wed, Jul 18, 2007
First posted in CoolChef

With so many ice cream parlours and specialty shops opening all over Singapore, much attention has been drawn to these new hippy places for gourmet ice cold delights. There are arty farty flavours like avocado and mint, New World tastes like basil and tomato and local flavours like chendol or pumpkin with sweet potato and ginger.

American, Danish, Italian and Japanese brands of gourmet ice creams have been making the waves along with local born establishments like Estivo at Greenwood and Island Creamery at Serene Center, along Bukit Timah Road. However one special place my wife and I discovered over the weekend was no where near any malls, or expatriate high-end living areas.

Right in the heart of Little India, along Upper Dickson Road is Khulfi Bar, a cafe specializing in north Indian ice creams, chaats and tea blends. It isn't really a full bar or cafe as the owners also sell handicrafts and ornaments from India. New Age Indian music creates a relaxing feel and like true blue thrifty Indians, they switch on the air conditioners only when a customer walks in.

Kulfi, or Indian ice cream, is a frozen Indian dessert made with boiled milk that has been reduced through simmering to a rich creamy thickness with slight caramelized and malt notes, something like frozen full cream evaporated milk. Sweetened with sugar and slightly thickened with cornstarch, the Kulfi is frozen in cone-shaped containers. It is not aerated, unlike commercial ice cream, and does not contain eggs either. Flavours are far more exotic than your regular Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry, with spices like cardamom and saffron, fruits like avocado or mango, and nuts like almonds and pistachios.

There is a strong Persian influence in terms of flavouring and condiments pairing up with Kulfi. This ice dessert is served in many ways, but is most commonly served garnished with ground cardamom, saffron, or pistachio nuts. Kulfi can also be served with Faloodeh or vermicelli noodles, jellies and basil seeds.

As we just had a vegetarian dinner, I thought we might as well continue with a vegetarian dessert. We took on two of their specialties - one being the Chocolate Kulfi with Faloodeh and the other a Mango and Lychee Kulfi.

Chocolate has a natural affinity for spices, especially sweet spices like cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, cloves etc. The Chocolate Kulfi had a top note of cardamon and was complimented by small cubes of jelly, rose syrup, basil seeds and pistachio nuts. If I wasn't mistaken, there was also a hint of rose water on my palate; otherwise it could have been interference from the sweet incense that perfumed the cafe.

I loved the Mango Lychee Kulfi better as I liked the sweet rich mango puree that synergised very well with the creamy malty taste of the kulfi. The lychees were perked up by the ice cream and mango puree and the floral aromas of the fruit harmonised well into the combination. A generous topping of toasted almonds sealed in the pleasure of this lovely dessert.

To balance out the sweetness of the ice creams, we ordered two of their special teas: a Honey, Lime and Ginger Tea (a fresh calamansi lime and ginger infusion) and an unsweetened Mint Tea that tasted not only of fresh mint leaves but also had notes of eucalyptus oil which creates the "cooling" effect on the palate as the tea trickles down your throat. Both teas were served in traditional brass mugs crafted with Indian artistry.

The little cafe also serves simple chaats or literally the Indians's version of Tapas - small bites such as samosas, pakoras and puris. There are also simple sandwiches and wraps with Indian flavours and condiments of course!

Kulfi Bar
15 Upper Dickson Road
(S) 207475
Tel : 6294 2334
Opening Hours 11am -10pm