Just a couple days ago, I wrote about Chef Jeremy Nguee and the amazing meal he cooked at my place. Well, this week, I wanted to let y’all know what he’s been up to most recently, which is helming a pretty awesome weekend pop-up laksa bar at The U Factory in Gillman Barracks.
A few weeks ago, my wife S and I were scheduled to cook dinner for some rather important foodie friends that were visiting from London. However, that week and the week prior to the dinner party were crazy busy for both of us. As the date got closer and closer, we knew we were in trouble. There was simply no way we were going to be able to serve up a meal worthy of these world class eaters.
Chef Didem Senol has taken Istanbul by storm. The Turkish native who studied in New York at the French Culinary Institute and worked at Le Cirque and Eleven Madison Park, has returned to her hometown to create a new bistro dining experience. In 2010, she won Time Out Istanbul’s Best Chef Award. Not only has she made a name for herself, but she’s also creating a new path for female chefs in her city. She cooks seasonal and local food with mainly organic produce, her restaurants are inviting, contemporary, and refreshing.
As a wife and mother who also runs a business full-time, it’s hard to find time for myself. But when I read about Poh Wenxiang’s copper lamp making workshop, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I love elegant industrial-chic home wares and thought that this cool-looking light would look perfect next to my letterpress printing press — another bit of industrial awesomeness. I especially liked that the lamp uses “Edison bulbs”, i.e. vintage-styled bulbs that you use without any shade or cover. These classes, I read, were being held on Thursday evenings at The U Factory at Gillman Barracks, a cool curated lifestyle space that brings together art, food, design and a bit of retail therapy. I was also pleased that my chubby hubby decided he’d come to the class with me.
Singapore’s hardest working chef, Ryan Clift, has moved his ultra-chic bar-cum-fine-diner into 3 shophouses in the heart of Chinatown. With the move, he has also reprogrammed his offers. While the old space offered 42 seats around a “C” shaped counter, the new Tippling Club has separated the drinking area from the dining. The bar, located at the restaurant’s entrance, seats 32 people while the dining room seats just 22. Gone also is the all-counter seat dining configuration for diners. You now have a choice to sit at proper tables or at one of eight bar seats that face the pass (i.e. the area from which food is inspected before being sent out into the dining room) and the main kitchen.
It has been crazy for the past two months. I was piled with work projects, photo shoot and amidst the chaos, I actually signed up for an online course. With my tight schedule, cooking and baking had to take a back seat. My meals were made up of mostly takeaways and fast food.
When the entertaining (read: feasting) season is in full swing, I like having standbys in the fridge, something that can take something ordinary to the next level. They don’t have to be overly fancy or luxurious. The only criteria is that these standbys are flavour-packed and perhaps bring an unexpected twist, to shake things up a bit. I’m not clear on what the proper name of this tomato dish is. I call it a relish, but it could also be more of a chutney or jam (depending on how long it is stewed for).
Combining ‘temporary’ and ‘emporium’, Temporium is a not-so-new pop-up store along Dunlop Street that opened in the first week of September, and sees itself running til the end of February 2014. 4 units divided into a store, gallery and diner, Temporium has quite a number of big names behind it. The property is owned by Breezeway, while the concept, interior and general management is by Tofu; and the diner is a collaboration between Wild Rocket, Papa Palheta and Weekend Worker.
A couple of weekends ago, I was invited to Angsana Bintan for a quick weekend getaway, and also to experience their quarterly weekend event, The Colours of Thailand. Among the activities lined up, it included feasting on a selection of Thai cuisine that was thoughtfully prepared by Chef Renu Homsombat, Banyan Tree’s Corporate Chef at Saffron, who had specially flown in from Bangkok for the event.
