Trends Archives - - Page 2 of 7

Maguroya – House of Tuna – great sushi at low prices in Singapore

What do you get when a highly reputed seafood dealer decides to open his own sushi stall in a local hawker centre? Quite simply, the best quality, affordable sushi in Singapore’s CBD. Until a few months ago, Alistair Douglas, an expert in sustainable seafood who actually did his PhD in the quality, cold-chain management and traceability of farmed Southern bluefin tuna from Australia to Japan, ran one of the country’s top seafood and gourmet produce importers. Continue Reading →

Pistola delivers fusion Asian-Mexican fast food that satisfies in Singapore

By now, almost every food-lover (and drinker) knows Min Chan. The owner of Club Street Social has appeared in The Straits Times countless times since opening her cute lil’ bar and bistro on Gemmill Lane. Fans of this feisty food entrepreneur will be excited to know that Min’s latest venture, Pistola, is now open. And, I’m happy to report, that the Asian-Mexican fare at this tiny little QSR is innovative, awesome and addictive. Continue Reading →

Have you tried the awesome pastries at Overdoughs?

Just last week I wrote about some delicious, limited edition bakkwa I had tasted, made from free-range pigs. Perfect for gifting to loved ones during the upcoming Chinese New Year period. This week, I want to share with you what I feel are the perfect snacks to serve family and friends when they come-a-visiting. Personally, I’m not a fan of the usual CNY snack fare. Too much of it is just bad for you or poorly made (as my wife S likes to say about such things, “wasted calories”). This year, I want to serve something artisanal and addictive, something special that’s been made with love and passion. And I believe I have found it: the baklava from Overdoughs. Continue Reading →

Happy pigs make the best bakkwa

It’s no secret I love pig products. Gimme a well-cooked piece of pork and I’m a happy camper. So, I was both thrilled and intrigued to receive a little Christmas gift from SuperNature, the organic store that my wife S enjoys shopping at, and does a bit of work for. Thrilled because the little package contained bakkwa (Chinese barbecued pork that is kind of like jerky), which I always enjoy, and intrigued because SuperNature–known to promote healthy foods–was the last place I would have imagined getting bakkwa from. Continue Reading →

Nirvana at Noma, the best restaurant in the world

When you get lucky enough to snag two seats at the world’s best restaurant at the last minute, you take a detour from wherever you may be and head straight to Copenhagen. You happily accommodate the change in plans because the experience at this restaurant more than justifies the considerable hype around it. Continue Reading →

Salvador Coffee Espresso Bar: true coffee culture in Sydney

About a year ago, on my walk back home from downtown Sydney, I decided to take a different route, down a set of side streets. I wasn’t in a hurry. It was one of those days when strolling down the road felt like the right thing to do. The stars had aligned, because I was about to discover Salvador. The café is almost hidden, on Kings Lane, next to a pedestrian stairway in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. Salvador Coffee is a definite treat, thus I’d encourage a pit stop for those who are in the area. Continue Reading →

Simple sous-vide techniques for fennel and steak

It’s no surprise to regular readers that I often use sous-vide techniques when cooking at home. I have regularly gushed about my sous-vide equipment, especially my recently acquired Vacmaster VP112EU chamber vacuum packer and my Addelice swid immersion circulator (distributed by my buddy Paul). I have, over the past few years, found that cooking by sous-vide not only allows you to control the doneness of foods perfectly but that the process is very clean and fuss-free. For me, the best value of using this method is to produce really amazing food that would otherwise have been rather fiddly to produce so well. Continue Reading →

Paul Pairet – the culinary genius behind Ultraviolet, Shanghai’s hottest dining destination

Never before has food been so revered, so playful, so engaging and so inspiring as it is at Ultraviolet. A longtime fan of Paul Pairet and his game-changing helmsmanship at Jade on 36 and most recently Mr. & Mrs. Bund, I couldn’t wait to try Ultraviolet and talk to Chef Paul about his mad new experimental journey with food. In fact, I interviewed Chef Paul about two years ago and he spoke of his intentions for Ultraviolet. Frankly, I had a hard time grasping the idea of food presented together with a complete multi-sensory experience. Could music and imagery catapult the dining experience to extraordinary new levels? After my Ultraviolet dining experience I can resoundingly say, “yes.” Continue Reading →

Diner en Blanc Singapore

On 30 August 2012, my wife S and I took part in Diner en Blanc Singapore. Since I had not been invited by the organizer’s former PR company, I was also not on their “un-invite” list. I had registered with some friends and the group of us–despite all the social media buzz and bad press that was being circulated–were quite looking forward to taking part in this gourmet flash mob experience. Or rather, our friends BG & V, P & SM, and I were. S, who is not a fan of sweaty, outdoor activities, was begrudgingly going along to make me happy. As was another friend JR, whose wife PP was as excited as I was. Continue Reading →

A chat with chef Andre Chiang about unique culinary philosophies

“There is no such thing as the best (chef)”, writes Ferran Adrià, who knows a thing or two about good chefs, “but it is possible to point out something more important – the chef who is the most influential, the one who establishes the way forward.” During my gluttonous tour of restaurants in Singapore and New York (where I lived for close to four years) I’ve encountered very few chefs who can challenge for such a lofty title; but, when I do find such culinary mavens, I’ve noticed that each one of them seems to have a unique philosophy, a kitchen ethos that both defines them and challenges the boundaries of dining. Recently, I had the unmitigated pleasure of speaking to one such chef – Singapore-based Andre Chiang of Restaurant Andre, who, to me, is one of the most inventive, innovative restaurant personalities in the world. Continue Reading →

Chye Seng Huat Hardware: an amazing new coffee house on the outskirts of Singapore’s Little India

When I read that the folks behind Papa Palheta were opening a new coffee bar on Tyrwhitt Road, I was thrilled for many reasons. First and most important, I live a stone’s throw away from there. In fact, my wife S and I like to take our 17-month old baby boy T to the surprisingly, extremely well-maintained public swimming pool on Tyrwhitt Road; so we know the area really well and are already frequent visitors to the street. Second, and related to the first reason, I’ve been advocating the Farrer Park neighbourhood to just about any and every restaurateur I can corner (some friends are quite sick of me). And while Tyrwhitt Road isn’t really in Farrer Park, it’s within walking distance. My hope is that, over the next year or so, more and better groovy cafes and boutiques will sprout up in the ‘hood, making it an even cooler area to live in. Third, I’ve been a fan of Papa Palheta and its founder Leon since he started out in the coffee business. So, I’m very happy to see how successful he’s become. Continue Reading →