Review: Sha Tin Kitchen

When it comes to food, Singaporeans love trying out new places to eat. Ordinarily, people are indisposed to travelling long distances just to eat something, no matter how good it is. Sure, once in a while they'll have a craving for Katong laksa and go all the way to Katong for it, but when was the last time you had dinner with a large group of people at Changi, when you all live in the West?

But to try out a new place, even the ends of the earth aren't far enough. So it was that when my mother suggested this new place in Geylang she'd heard so many good things about, everyone was game, even though Geylang is like the ends of the earth and then some.


Geylang is also the place to find funny signboards

Sha Tin Kitchen is one of the many unpretentious eateries that can be found in Geylang, that offer very good food at very attractive prices (well, mostly). While service and ambience may be rough around the edges, the unusual Cantonese food served by chef Tonny Chan at Sha Tin is cuisine par excellence, and definitely worth checking out.



The place itself is unabashedly casual; you could walk past it without actually realising that it was a restaurant. If you have sharp eyes though, the numerous reviews and the full house inside would indicate that the food here is pretty appetising. In fact, it was so crowded that the restaurant gave away our reservation to an earlier group, hoping to do one more cover, which resulted in us waiting a good twenty minutes for the table to be cleared. Here you see my father animatedly relating the tale of how he managed to park the car nearby and avoid getting it scratched by indignant storekeepers.



If you do go to Sha Tin Kitchen, don't go on a weekend for dinner. If you do go on a weekend for dinner, go later, at about 9pm or later. If you do go before 9pm on a weekend, expect the place to be more crowded than a madhouse in summer. Reservations are a must, of course. Expect to eat cheek by jowl here, as the crowd doesn't begin to thin until at least 9.30pm. Also, there is only nominal air-conditioning, so dress very light and try to sit under the fan.

Chef Tonny Chan has had years of experience cooking Cantonese food in Hong Kong, but the food he serves is rather unlike that which you get in Crystal Jade or other Cantonese restaurants. In fact, I've never seen Cantonese food quite like this before. Not that it was bad, of course. Variety plus quality is always a winning combination. But we let the food speak for itself, yes?



First up was a dish of crispy deep-fried eel skin, served with some glass noodles and bowls of broth in which to dip your eel skins. I really enjoyed this, and starters like this just set the tone of the whole meal; you know you're going to get good food. The skin was exquisitely crunchy, and the accompanying broth not only softened it up a bit (yet it retained its crispiness), it also perfectly highlighted the flavours of the dish. Best of all, for all that deep-frying, the skins weren't oily at all. Now that takes some serious skill.



Our next dish is more commonly seen during Chinese New Year, but you can order it at Sha Tin year-round. Known as pen cai, or vegetable pot, Sha Tin's version is a claypot full of goodies like prawns, broccoli, chicken, mushrooms and scallops braised in a luscious, gellatinous brown sauce that is absolutely delicious but probably bad for your cholestrol (as all New Year dishes tend to be). The broccoli was a bit overcooked and soft, but apart from that, this dish was a winner too.



As if to assuage our cholestrol fears, the next thing to arrive was a big dish of egg whites. I have no idea how these were cooked, but they were cooked very well, just the right balance between being runny and being solidly overcooked. Again, some serious skill involved. I remember wondering what happened to all the egg yolks, and my pondering was partially answered when a raw yolk was poured into the dish and mixed around. For all of you worrying about salmonella, live a little more dangerously! Besides, the residual heat from the egg whites cooks the yolk enough to kill the bacteria. Hopefully. In any case, this was quite nice, though I've never really been fond of egg whites. The way some of the others were shovelling their way through them though, I take it that it's a great dish if you're into eggs. Goes well with soya sauce or vinegar.



The obligatory fish course, of course. I cannot remember what fish this was, but it wasn't the sturgeon Sha Tin Kitchen is famous for. Steamed and served with a sort of garlic dice/puree, the fish was beautifully steamed, and complemented by the garlic, which was sweet and mild. I'm told this fish contains a lot of natural proteins and gelatin, which gives the flesh a bit of texture without it being flaky or hard.



It took me a while to remember what this was, but it eventually hit me. What you're looking at is black pepper duck breast with kai lan (Chinese kale). Not any duck too, but duck flown all the way from Perigord, France. Don't ask me why the restaurant would need Perigord duck, they just do. The duck was tender and soft, but I did think the pepper sauce was a bit strong for it.



As dinner was winding down, we were served some lobster bee hoon. I find it interesting how even the smallest things reveal telling details about a chef's level of proficiency. In this case, the bee hoon was very fine, and like the fried eel skins, hardly oily at all. Still, I didn't really enjoy this dish, as I thought the bee hoon was a bit dry, and lobsters, it seems to me, are just prawns that are harder to eat.



Our last order for the night was a dish of braised vegetable greens and fish maw, which I passed on, on account of my being rather bloated from the other courses.

Expect prices to come up to about $20 - $30 per person, depending on how much you're ordering and how many people are eating. Service is generally good, even though they didn't have that many staff and the restaurant was packed. The only real complaints I had were that parking is exceedingly difficult, the air-conditioning was close to non-existent and they gave away our table!

Sha Tin Kitchen (casual, Cantonese)
511 Geylang Road (near Lorong 27A)
Tel: 6747 2483 / 6744 7087
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 2.30pm and 6pm - 11pm
Location: 1/5 (not to mention parking is a bitch)
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2/5
Food: 4/5
Overall: If you're in the market for something new, or are sick of eating the tired mainstays of Cantonese cuisine, then this is the place for you.

Technorati Tags: Reviews, Casual, Sha Tin Kitchen, Singapore

Review: Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Writer's block and a lack of access to Blogger in the office has meant that there has been a considerable lack of updates recently. It also means that I have another backlog to clear before the inevitable Christmas feasting.

So here I am, reduced to typing this into notepad before copying it into Blogger when I get home for uploading.

Elaine, Tze Yi and I went to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao at Great World City recently to celebrate her birthday, because I had a slight craving for the little soup-filled dumplings. La Mian translates to "pulled noodles", which strikes me as somewhat odd, because aren't all noodles pulled?



The restaurant is located in Great World City, which would be a great hang out place if it was a little more accessible. As it stands, it's kind of hard to get to without a car, being rather remote from MRT and bus services. The restaurant occupies a quiet corner of the mall, and is a good choice for a little tete-a-tete or a quick meal, as the food arrives with considerable alacrity.



In terms of ambience, Crystal Jade rarely disappoints. The restaurant is very sensibly laid out, with ample room in between tables, there'll be other diners near by, but you won't be dining elbow to elbow. The place is also well-lit, so you won't have to peer at your food to figure out what you're eating.



It makes a lot of sense to share food at this restaurant. This way, you get to sample lots of everything without the concomitant obligation of finishing everything you order. Naturally, we took this wise and eminently practical route. Our first bowl of la mian came with braised beef. There aren't many other condiments, apart from a generous ladle of coriander, the beauty of la mian was in the intensely flavoured beef stock. You could almost taste the essence of bovinity in that dish (4/5).



Next we had another order of la mian, this time with fried short ribs. The soup this la mian was served with was a lot clearer and milder, less rich, in order to better savour the pork ribs. While the ribs were delightfully succulent and tender, the noodles were quite ordinary, so all in all a fairly decent dish (3.5/5).



I must admit I was a little disappointed with the xiao long baos that Crystal Jade had to offer. They were very large, which made them difficult to eat in one mouthful, and while they were very generously stuffed with minced meat, I did think that the skins on the dumplings could have been thinner and more delicate. Not that fantastic (3/5).



We had an order of shrimp things which I quite enjoyed, despite not being much of a seafood person. These little morsels of crunchiness went very well with the soupy la mian and are surprisingly addictive (4/5).



Our last item for the meal was a bowl of braised pork belly and vegetables. Very sinful, so I only ate one slice and let the other two take my share of the calories. Not too bad this (3.5/5), even if the fats go straight to your arteries.

In terms of service, food arrives extremely promptly here, so much so that we had to repeatedly clear space on the table for new items. Waiters and waitresses are quick and efficient, and don't waste any of your time. Prices are fairly reasonable, especially if you share food. Dinner cost us about $60, which works out to about $20 per person, depending on what you order.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao (Shanghainese)
1 Kim Seng Promenade, #03-30, Great World City
Tel: 6738 5595
Opening Hours: 11am - 10.30pm
Location: 3/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Food: 4/5
Overall: Great for la mian, but not so fantastic for xiao long bao

Technorati Tags: Reviews, Crystal Jade, La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Chinese Food, Singapore

Miscellaneous Food: Hairy Crabs

Now who says the enjoyment of food can't be a family affair? Behind every foodie blogger stands, if not foodie parents, then foodish parents. Today I present to you, my adoring masses, a post written entirely by my father (with some minor corrections), accompanied by photos taken by him, about his appreciation of the epicurean delight that is a hairy crab meal. Everyone, please show as much support as you have been showing me (or more, if you can manage it) and leave plenty of encouraging comments. My father's not a great fan of technology, you see, but I think it's great that he's taking an interest in this blog.

P.S. I didn't write this because I wasn't invited to the dinner. Hint hint.

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This is the time of the year to eat this delicacy. These hairy crustaceans are so called because of the large amount of hair or fur on the legs and pincers.

The 2 best ways to eat this are either to go to a particular restaurant in Shanghai where everything is done for you and all you have to do is eat and pay. Unfortunately you have to pay a lot.

The other way is to be invited by someone who brings in the crabs themselves and serves the crabs at home.This is a real treat and luxury and a big thank you once again if my host happens to be reading this.



The hair on the legs traps a great deal of mud and this has to be thoroughly removed, otherwise you will be eating mouthfuls of sand and mud. Besides being well cleaned, the crabs are also bigger, almost the size of your fist, and the meat therefore sweeter. Also, the generous host provides large amounts of crabs for you to taste both the male and female, which can be distinguished by the wider and larger plate at the bottom of the body in the female.

The part to die for is the roe which is present in both sexes. These reddish orange eggs are what the connoiseurs go for; except that the cholesterol levels in these eggs are also very high, but since they come only once a year, why worry too much over it?

Before you start, wash your hands as there is a lot of handling and my host has also provided an apron to protect your shirt or dress.



Laid out on the table is a pair of special scissors for hairy crabs so that you can cut the legs, split the shell and push out the meat, or you can use the probe-like tool to do this.

Obviously there are many ways to eat this dish but the most popular way, allowing the meat to retain it's freshness, is to eat it steamed. To keep it piping hot, each crab is wrapped with aluminium foil, with a red sticker to indicate that a female crab is inside for those who wish to try it.

Again, everyone has their own way of getting to the meat, but I tend to be very clinical and start by removing all the legs and pincers first, followed by the shell and the plate at the base. With a small teaspoon, scoop out the creamy roe and taste the fullness of the eggs and enjoy!

Remove the meat from the legs with the help of the scissors provided and the meat from the body. Break the body into two, removing the meat in the process.

The sweet flesh can be eaten on its own but the flavour is enhanced if the meat is dipped into a sauce made up of vinegar, soy sauce,pounded ginger and sugar.

Dexterity is useful in how fast you can dissect and get to the meat. Beginners are easy to spot when compared to the seasoned experts. Still, to each his own and the slower person could savour it more.

I tried both male and female and enjoyed the former better. They are bigger and the roe is softer. The roe of the female may be more copious but the consistency is harder, drier and less tasty unless, it is early in the season and the female's roe is a little softer. 3 to 4 crabs is about all one can eat unless you are a Sumo wrestler. Besides, too much of a good thing loses its charm, although there are those who claim they can eat 7-8 crabs at a sitting.

Chase it down with warm sake or if you prefer, champagne. As the meal is rather dry, champagne seems like a better choice.



The crabs kept coming and everybody had their fill after 3-4 crabs. The hungrier ones probably ate 5. The meal was topped off with a serving of light porridge.

That's it for hairy crabs. Till the same time next year.

Technorati Tags: Hairy Crabs

Review: Imperial Treasure

I've been eating a lot of Chinese food lately, it seems. Apparently last Sunday was Grandparents' Day (what on earth is that), so we celebrated with my paternal family at Imperial Treasure Nan Bei, one of Crystal Jade's rivals in Takashimaya.

I quite like how the restaurant is laid out; it's very open, so people walking by doing their Sunday shopping can look right into the dining areas, unlike most Chinese restaurants where there is only a glass pane to allow for a view. While this may seem like a lack of privacy, it does make for very well-ventilated dining, which is very important for me, since I hate claustrophobic spaces.

Comparisons with Crystal Jade invariably arise, and I'll have to say that in terms of service, at least, Imperial Treasure does suffer in comparison. The waitresses tend to be a bit brusque in their dealings with customers, lacking the patience and warmth of their Crystal Jade counterparts.

In terms of food though, Imperial Treasure's standards are pretty first-rate. While not as exquisitely fine as Crystal Jade's, the food is nonetheless very tasty and very well-made. No prices, I'm afraid, since I was not privvy to that information. I expect it's somewhere near Crystal Jade in terms of pricing.



First up was a dish of chee cheong fun, or rice sheet noodles, fried with chives and dark sauce. I didn't think I'd like this, since I don't quite like the starchiness of the rolls, but these were smooth and slipped down the gullet like jellied eels. The sauce offset the blandness of the rice rolls very nicely, too. Good start to the meal (4/5).



Next we had crispy fried whitebait. It's pretty hard to muck up, really, being, in essence, deep fried little fish. That being said, Imperial Treasure's version was just a little oily for my tastes. Still good though (3.5/5), I just wish they'd blotted it a bit more.



One typical dim sum item, and one not. The ubiquitous char siew pao makes its appearance at our table, accompanied by some fried shrimp dumplings. Both were very enjoyable (4/5), especially the fluffy and tasty pao.



Another veteran of the dim sum tables, we had an order of roast pork. While it was very lean, which is very good for all you cholestrol-conscious types, I did think it was a bit soggy, sort of over-moist. In any event, was just okay for me (3/5).



It always amazes me when Chinese restaurants serve the same food we take for granted at hawker centres. Things like roast pork and char siew, for instance. I wonder which it is; that hawker centres serve economical versions of popular haute Chinese cuisine, or that Chinese restaurants elevate humble but well-loved hawker dishes, ad astra per aspera, as it were. Anyway, Imperial Treasure's version of carrot cake was very good (4/5), crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.



I'm not very good with Chinese food, it must be said, so I've actually forgotten the name of this dish. If anyone could jog my memory I'd be most grateful. It's a bit like xiao long bao, with some hot soup encased by the skin of the dumpling, but there's more filling. I think it was meat and chestnut. In any case, it was yummy (4/5). [Ed: The fabulous dimsumdolly informs me that they're called guo tie]



We had an order of siew mai, which are sort of steamed prawn/minced meat dumpling things, another traditional dim sum item. I think they are always a good way to tell the standard of a restaurant. If a place can't even do the classics properly, then they have no right to serve dim sum at all.



Not something my family usually orders, I wasn't really impressed by the spring rolls (3/5), but my mother thought they were quite good. Probably had something to do with them not being very oily.



Xiao Long Baos are like the ultimate Chinese comfort food. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; whoever invented them is a genius beyond description. The lovely little dumplings filled with minced pork and hot soup were particularly well done at Imperial Treasure (4.5/5), and it's always a joy to carefully bite into one of the little beauties, having the steaming hot soup fill your mouth as you savour the deliciously succulent mince.



I think the hallmarks of good fan gun are wrappers of rice flour that are as thin as possible, plump prawns, and a very light soya sauce; so light that it's more sweet than salty. Imperial Treasure's fan gun is very good (4/5), another example of a dish whose quality is beyond reproach.



The next dish was kind of strange. It was nothing I'd ever eaten before, so I was quite curious as to what it was. It was some sort of glazed bun, flaky on the outside, and containing some sort of stuffing inside. When I bit into one, I discovered it was remarkably similar to a char siew sou, and even tasted like one, so much so, that I thought Imperial Treasure served some sort of new-fangled round char siew sou. Turns out it was a completely different form of baked pastry stuffed with a similar meat stuffing. Pretty good though (3.5/5). [Ed: Again, the kindly dimsumdolly informs me that these are char siew polo buns]



We had an order of deep-fried squid, which I found rather oily, and not exactly that memorable either (2.5/5).



The meal rounded off with the obligatory egg tarts, classic egg custards in flaky pastry shells. It must be admitted that I didn't quite like these (2/5), as they tasted a bit strange. My mother suggested that they might have used egg powder rather than real egg, but all I know is that they didn't taste very custardy to me.

Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant (Cantonese, dim sum)
391 Orchard Road
#05-12/13 Ngee Ann City
Tel: 6738 1238
Location: 5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Overall: Standards are very high, and a strong contender to the throne of fine Chinese dining in Singapore.

Technorati Tags: Reviews, Chinese Food, Imperial Treasure

Review: Cha Cha Cha

Sometimes, it feels as if every time I eat out, it's only one of three options: French, Italian or Chinese, and I tend to forget that, gasp, there are actually restaurants that cater to different culinary tastes!

A fact I was reminded of at Holland Village, where I was supposed to meet Xiaozheng for dinner before we tried out the newly-opened Eski Bar.

As usual, we couldn't decide where to eat, but Xiaozheng wanted meat, so I decided that based on where we were in Holland Village, that meant either Mexican or Lebanese food. Due to anti-Lebanese tendencies (he thinks it's unnatural), we walked into Cha Cha Cha, this Mexican place I've always gone past but never thought to try.



Cha Cha Cha isn't very big, as you can see, and you do get a bit of a cramped feel once the place fills up a bit, but in my books a popular eatery is a good eatery. There's nothing more disconcerting than having a silent meal in the corner of an empty restaurant as the waiter gives you furtive looks while he cleans glasses behind the counter.

Service was adequate, nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy. Which some might consider a failure in itself, actually.

In terms of food, Cha Cha Cha serves lots of chilli con carne, fajitas and tortillas, pretty much what you'd expect from a Mexican joint. I rather stupidly forgot to take pictures of what I was having, which was a spicy beef stew served with this lovely fragrant rice (cooked with onions and peppers) and of course, soft flour tortillas ($16+).

I understood why Cha Cha Cha was so well-patronised. Prices are pretty reasonable, and food is pretty good. I enjoyed my stew, which went exceptionally well with the rice and tortillas (4.5/5). Mexican food, like a lot of South American food in general, is hearty and feel-good, and goes down very well if you have the right company.

Plus it's located in the heart of Holland Village, which is always a good thing, and near the popular watering holes like Wala Wala, which is even better.

Cha Cha Cha (Mexican, semi-casual)
32 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village
Tel: 6462 1650

Location: 5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Comments: A nice break from monotony, and a worthwhile foray into more exotic cuisines

Technorati Tags: Reviews, Singapore, Mexican Food, Singapore