Will Travel For Food: Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 (Wisma Atria)

23 -28 October 2010

Din Tai Fung lunch on our 3rd day in SG. This branch is in Wisma Atria along Orchard Road (Orchard Turn).

Since Crystal Jade opened its doors to the public in October, people have been flocking the place thus reducing our chances to eat their "famous" xiao long bao before leaving for SG.

Having recently tasted Crystal Jade's XLB, it was a big disappointment. Sorry Crystal Jade, you should remove 'Xiao Long Bao' from your restaurant name since you DO NOT DELIVER. (Cyrstal Jade Restaurant Review to follow). You can't match the Xiao Long Bao of Din Tai Fung.

The XLB in DTF is superbly delicious. The skin was soft but not easily ruptured. The soup inside was steaming hot and was adequate for the meat that came with it. The pieces were evenly spaced on the dimsum rack to allow proper distribution of heat within the compartment (unlike in CJ where the dimsum rack is small for 5 pieces).









5 evenly spaced pieces of xia long bao in a dimsum rack



Juicy and piping hot piece Xia Long Bao doused in 70% Black Vinegar and 30% Light Soy Sauce with ginger strips.



Shrimp Dumplings


Spicy Beef La Mien

For the La Mien, the Spicy Beef Noodles was the best spicy beef noodle dish I've ever devoured. The noodles were fresh and the broth was aromatic. There were plenty of succulent tender chunks of beef in the dish, and in addition, they almost melted in my mouth, telling me that it was delicately slow-cooked. I can't explain further, but what I know is that it was heavenly. The price was quite steep, pegged at 10SGD, but it was worth it.



Din Tai Fung Menu



Because it was so good, we ate there for the second time before departing SG :)

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
435 Orchard Road
#02-48/53, Wisma Atria
+65 6732 1383
Mon-Fri: 11am - 10pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 10am - 10pm

Will Travel For Food: Watami Japanese Casual Dining

23 -28 October 2010

Watami Japanese Casual Dining. John's dinner treat! yey!


It was Saturday night, and ION was helluva place, like gateway mall on a rush-hour-friday. The queue for every restaurant in ION was soooo long, even dunkin' donuts. Thinking that my mom would be shocked to eat other Asian cuisine other than Chinese, Japanese or Thai, it was safe to eat in a Japanese restaurant on our first night in SG.

Watami's menu was quite complex, where dishes span from the traditional Japanese, going on to the more modern 'Omakase" style dishes. Since they (not me) were tired from the day's activities, they decided to pick the set menu instead.

The Watami Grand Menu

Watami Set Menu (from Watami site)


We then chose the set menu "Four pax for 95$SG". The set includes 4 single serve iced tea (or green tea) aside from the and various dishes:


Edamame (3.8) as appetizer (on foreground).
These soybeans are steamed-and-served-in-the-pods with a light sprinkling of sea salt.


Caesars Salad (8.8), topped with crisp bacon strips


Tompeiyaki which was omelette with sliced pork and raw cabbage (7.8)


Potato Mochi - chewy deep fried mashed potato served with slivers of butter (5.8)


Sashimi Mori (25.8) This consists of assorted sashimi: Salmon, tuna, shirmp, clams, scallop, octopus, and squid served in a bowl of shredded ice. What a nice presentation!


Sukiyaki Nabe (13.8) cooked on your tabletop using a portable stove


Salmon Stone Pot with rice (10.8)


Hire Katsu Tamago Toji (8.8) - Pork Fillet Cutlet with Scambled Egg Sauce, which is also cooked on your table using a portable stove.


Ps. Sorry for the photos, it was very hard to shoot under uber dimly-lit restaurants, like this one.


Watami Japanese Casual Dining
ION Orchard #B3-23
2 Orchard Turn, Singapore
(65) 6509 9366
11.30am to 10pm

Will Travel For Food: Wee Nam Kee in Novenaville

23- 28 October 2010

Lunch on our second day. At long last, I got the chance to savor the hainanese chicken goodness of Wee Nam Kee again.


Wee Nam Kee, Novenaville


Sort of al fresco' dining, no airconditioning systems here.


On the table:


Mixed Soy and Roast Hainanese Roast and Soy Chicken, white meat (breast); good for 4 ($SG16)



a small plate of Cereal Prawns.

This small order comes with 8 hefty pieces of fresh water prawns ($SG16). What got me so excited to eat here again was not the chicken dish, rather the cereal prawns. The dish was a mix of sweet-salty-milky-savory-spicy that explodes in your mouth as you sink your teeth into the juicy prawn-y goodness. It makes you want more :)


Wee Nam Kee (SG)
Novena Ville
275 Thomson Rd, Singapore
Open Daily 10:30am-2am
To get there: take subway to: Novena


* * * * * *


Side note:
Wee Nam Kee in Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati
It's a good thing, a former P&G-er based in Singapore decided to franchise WNK and put up a branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati. The supposed opening date is on 29 October but I asked the man manning the cash register, I think he is the manager/owner of WNK in SG, and he said that they’ll be moving it on 14 Nov since the construction of the store would not make it on the proposed date.

Ps. 14 Nov is the opening for invited guests and bloggers/foodies; 15 Nov is the official opening for the public, which is tomorrow!!! yey! :)

Wee Nam Kee (Ph)
Ayala Triangle Gardens (behind the Stock Exchange)
corner of Paseo and Makati Avenue
Open to the public on 15 Nov 10 (TODAY!!!)
To get there: take MRT to Ayala station

Will Travel For Food: Toast Box Kaya Toast Set

23- 28 October 2010

Kaya Toast + Kopi + 2 soft boiled eggs = Kaya Toast Set Meal (4.20SG)

The most popular item on the Toast Box menu is this, called the classic toast box set. One has the choice on the type of filling they would like for their toast, including kaya (coconut egg jam), butter sugar, honey or peanut. This is served together with two soft boiled eggs, bettered by adding a dash of white pepper and a hint of dark soy sauce, and there, you've just eaten a traditional Singaporean breakfast. There are many branches of Toast Box in SG, this one in particular is in Raflles City Shopping Centre.

There's this joy I find in eating breakfast.

Because at the end of the day, all you have is tomorrow morning



Two un-cracked soft boiled eggs and kopi


Kopi


soft-boiled eggs bathed in dark soy sauce and sprinkled with white pepper



The Classic Kaya toast: 2pcs of toasted white bread, hainanese kaya spread and slivers of salted butter

We ate this set meal 3 times during our stay. One in the morning, and the rest, during the late afternoon rest stops while walking around the city.

Toast Box
Raffles City
252 Northbridge Road #B1-44A
Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore


Ps. haha alam ko nothing special, kasi may ganito din sa Trinoma.

Will Travel For Food: 旺角点心 Mongkok Dim Sum

23- 28 October 2010

Maximizing the last semestral break of our lives before JI-ship in April.
When I went there the first time back in May 2010, I only got to taste a few of Singapore's famous dishes. Since I really missed the food in Singapore, I took a flight back to scout for more food establishments, hawkers, and hole-in-the-walls. This time, I'm sampling as much I could especially the local favorites and what-nots.

First stop, Mongkok Dim Sum at 214 Geylang Rd. This food establishment is quite near our place and it is just right in front of the hawker stall I frequented for dinner last May which was Geylang Beef Hor Fun and Fried Oyster Omelette, and Lor 9 Geylang Beef Kway Teow. Though it is situated within the red light district (Geylang), it is quite peaceful to eat here even during the late hours of the night or wee hours of the morning. This food establishment is a great place to eat when you're craving for cheap but great-tasting dim sum, as well as to sober up after being wasted from all the drinking the night had consumed since it is still open up to 5.00 am everyday.



facade' of Mongkok Dim Sum


Iced Teh 0.80SGcents


Steamed Rice topped with Taosi Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce


Fried Soft Shelled Crab Tempura


粉卷 Steamed Rice Rolls - Pork Asado filling


Steamed Shrimp (Hakao) Dumplings


Deep Fried Shrimp Cakes


sort of Xia Long Bao; (Din Tai Fung XLB photos to follow)


Food was great, especially the pork asado filled-steamed rice rolls since it was prepared upon order, in addition, the filling was adequate and the rice roll was not dry or soggy, it was just right to the bite :) In Manila, I think Luk Yuen and Makansutra Ocean Park are the only food establishments serving this item.

Another great thing is the Iced Teh. This one is better than the ones sold in Food Republic or Food Opera, to think that it's pegged only at 80SGcents each. Sulit :)

I know for a fact that this area is out of the way, but if you've got time, try this hole-in-the-wall sometime.


旺角点心
Mongkok Dim Sum
Lor 8 Geylang Road, Singapore
Business hours: 4pm -5am Monday to Friday
10am - 5am Sat, Sun. & Ph


Ps. Facade' Photo

BRGR: The Burger Project

From the conceptualizer of Pino Restaurant and soon to open on 10 October Pipino (Vegetarian Restaurant), comes this new burger joint along Maginhawa St. in Quezon City. This customize-you-own burger is pattered from the famous The Counter Custom Built Burgers in the US, where an array of choices is presented to you on a paper, in checklist format.


The Counter: Custom Built Burgers Menu/ Checklist (mostly in California). The store in the US where the owner/s patterned his/their concept.




Steps For Maximum Burger Pleasure

In BRGR: The Burger Project, you are presented with the same concept where you get to choose your patty: beef, chicken or tofu (vegetarian); bun: poppyseed, potato bread, or oatmeal; cheese: bleu, mozzarella, gruyere or cheddar; premium toppings: bacon, chili con carne, caramelized onions, canadian bacon, pepperoni, deep fried onion rings (2pcs.), or guacamole; basic toppings: mango salsa, pineapple slices, jalapeno peppers, sundried tomatoes, egg, sliced onions, or sauteed mixed mushrooms; and type of sauce: wasabi mayonnaise, bbq, teriyaki, marinara, pesto, buffalo wing sauce, special BRGR sauce, or garlic sauce. Then, you also get to "name" your own burger.



The "pre-customized" burgers for thpse who lack creativity and passion for burgers, and eating as well.


ze checklist; yes, we both ordered a basket of fries (P60)


the outcome
dubbed as: "The Burger to Mend Your Broken Heart"
1-pc beef patty, poppyseed bun, blue cheese (which I had requested to be placed in the middle of the beef patty, mimicking "juicy lucy" burger), mozzarella, with bacon strips, sauteed mixed mushrooms, and bbq sauce. The damage: P240


bjorn's checklist


his burger
dubbed as: "The Bjorn Identity"
1-pc beef patty, poppyseed bun, mozzarella, with bacon strips, caramelized onions, sauteed mixed mushrooms, and the special BRGR sauce. The damage: P230



Service was good, and the burgers arrived on a reasonable amount of time. The wait staff were very accommodating and friendly too. Thumbs up for the new Customize-Your-Own-Burger burger joint in town :)

Ps. Pardon the photos, it was immensely hard to shoo guerrilla style under low light. It was raining too. I know, excuses excuses. haha.


BRGR: The Burger Project
122 Maginhawa Street,
Teachers Village, Q.C.
+632.915.520.2266
theburgerproject.com
11am.-11 p.m. daily