Happy Birthday, Anthony! (Burmese House)

Birthday boy Anthony.

It was not really Anthony's birthday on Friday, but it was decided that we celebrate on a day convenient for everyone. This time, we went to Burmese House which, of course, serves Burmese food. I was quite intrigued by the idea of Burmese food, having never tried it before.

The menu.

Looking at the menu, it seems that we were at a mamak stall, just a fancier, more posh and more expensive version. There were the usual curries and masalas, even roti canai. Considering that Myanmar is so close to India, a strong Indian influence on the cuisine is not at the very least surprising.

Pumpkin curry.

Probably the best dish of the night for me. The curry was not as flavourful and pungent as those typically found in Malaysia. However, the pumpkin was perfectly cooked. It was tender and not overly mushy.

Beef masala.

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the dish was the ridiculously small portion for the price. The dish costs about AUD 20 and it has no more than ten chunks of beef. As though that is not bad enough, the beef was not that good at all. The gravy was rather bland. It was almost devoid of the spicy fragrance typical of masala dishes. The texture of the meat was fine, but with a slow cooked dish, how bad can it get?

Chicken salad.

The chicken salad was nothing to shout about either. The roasted chicken was very dry and tough, not surprising as they used breast meat. Definitely not a dish I would pay for.

Chilli crab.

Probably the worst dish for me. That is not because I do not like crabs. On the contrary, I love crabs to bits. However, I must, at least, applaud Burmese House for being able to cook such an awful dish out of such a wonderful ingredient.

First of all, the crabs were not something I, or anyone in the right mind, would associate with the word "fresh". The flesh reminded me of frozen shelled crab meat in packets.

The cooking was nowhere near fantastic either. The sambal was just pungent without any fragrance. It was also too oily and soggy. Personally, I take this version of chilli crab as an insult to the much exalted dish in Malaysia and Singapore.

Chicken masala.

Due to the portion of the food being so small, we were unsatisfied after we finished the food from the first order and we ordered chicken and lamb masalas. I suppose I could compliment them for their consistency in serving equally appalling beef, lamb and chicken masalas.

Fried noodles.

The fried noodles was probably one of the better dishes for the night. It tasted very much like tom yam, but I have never encountered such a dish in Thailand or Thai restaurants. The Thai influence on the dish is undeniable though. My complaint for this dish is probably the overly moist noodles. Had it been drier it would have been my favourite dish for the night.

Overall, the food was just decent if price is not taken into account. The quality of the food is just tantamount to those of simple home cooked food. Minimal effort is put into the presentation of the dishes. Therefore, I can safely conclude that the food is very much overpriced.

However, there are many online reviews of Burmese House which paint a really good picture. Shockingly, there are even Malaysians who claim that the food is spectacular. I have no comments on that (that would be safe for publishing).

If I were given two words to describe the food there, it would be "crappy mamak".

I would like to apologise to anyone who finds this review offensive. The descriptions of the food are merely my opinion.

I would also like to apologise to Anthony for writing such a short review for his birthday dinner, but if I were to go any longer, things would only get worse. Once again, sorry, and happy birthday.

303 Bridge Road,
Richmond,
VIC 3121.

03 94212861


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The Fitz

My food journey in Melbourne continues after a month-long break. This time, Kaili and I paid a visit to The Fitz in Fitzroy. Previously, I had boldly proclaimed that there is no good food in Fitzroy and Kaili, a fan of the suburb, did not rebut, only giving in by saying her expectation in food is not as high as mine. Hence, by choosing to dine in Fitzroy, I was laying my pride on the line. Fortunately, and unfortunately today, not only did I get to eat a fantastic meal, I had to eat my words as well.

I already had a main in mind before going to the restaurant after checking out the restaurant menu online. Of course, I stuck to my course but also ordered an entree, because I can.

Salt and pepper calamari with lemon cheeks and aioli.

When this dish was served, both Kaili and I were rather puzzled, as we expected the usual calamari in thick batter and bombarded with cheap salt and pepper. Instead, we got something that looks rather classy. The layer of batter around the calamari rings were so thin that I doubted there was any batter used at all.

Nonetheless, one bite into the first calamari ring and I was proven wrong. The batter was light but surprisingly crispy and not oily at all. It was also not bombarded with salt but had a hint of sea salt and a strong punch from the black pepper. The calamari was cooked perfectly, offering some bite yet not requiring us to wrestle with it. When eaten with the aioli and lemon, the acidity of the lemon balances well with the rich eggy taste of the aioli to give the dish a really potent taste.

The aioli went perfectly with the roquette as well.

Aged rib eye with mash, green beans and mushroom ragu in red wine sauce.

My jaw dropped when I saw the dish. A big slab of rib eye with a fistful of mushroom on top resting on a generous bed of mash and green beans, what more can one ask for?

Medium rare.

The first thing to do with any steak is to cut a cross section to check the rarity. I asked for medium rare and I got medium rare. I was not impressed yet, that was just the minimum requirement. However, the overwhelming sensation of happiness when seeing the reddish pink flesh revealed while blood oozes out is one I still experience although I have eaten far more steaks that I should.

One cut of the rib eye into my mouth was all that was needed to bring out the smile which I wore for three hours straight after that. It was packed with beefy goodness and the strong beefiness just exploded into my mouth upon chewing. It had been far too long since I tasted beef that good. To complement the beef was a well reduced red wine jus, which was very mildly seasoned, thus preserving the flavour of the beef while adding the hint of fragrance of red wine. The mushroom ragu was a tad too salty for me, but when eaten with the beef, it was just right.

I was too preoccupied with the steak that I completely forgotten about the mash and green beans. Eventually, I started sampling them. The mash was very creamy and buttery with a slightly cheesy taste, just how I like my mash; the beans were tender yet crunchy. Everything was cooked to perfection.

After experimenting with various ways of enjoying the dish, I ended up eating all four elements of the dish together, which resulted in a well balanced amalgam of flavours and textures. The tender and bloody beef, the silky and milky mash, the salty and chewy mushrooms and the crunchy beans came together in an ensemble that blew my mind.

Despite my over the top praises, the dish is not yet perfect. However, there was only one thing I had a problem with which was sinew. There was way too much sinew in the steak. Otherwise, it was pretty much flawless.

Seafood linguine with salmon, mussels, scallops, prawns and olives.

Kaili ordered a seafood linguine which was one of the specials. I was quite taken aback by the size of the dish when it was served. It was almost like a cornucopia of seafood, a treasure trove of salmon, mussels, scallops and prawns. We were both very excited when the dish came in sight and might I say we were thoroughly impressed after tasting it.

The linguine was cooked for the right amount of time and was neither too chewy nor too mushy. It was drenched in a flavourful olive oil infused with chilli and a herb I failed to identify. The olive oil did not give the nauseating feeling that one gets after a big plate of pasta. Instead, it was light, tangy and the black pepper and chilli gave a strong kick.

At first I thought the linguine could steal the limelight from the seafood, that could not be further from the truth after I sampled a mussel. It was the freshest, most delicious mussel I have ever tasted. Past experiences with mussels always resulted in disappointment due to the mussels being overcooked and rubbery with foul smelling and tasting juices. This mussel, on the other hand, was completely the opposite. It was tender and succulent. One bite into it and the rich, gravy-like juice flowed into my mouth. I never knew mussels could taste so good!

The scallops were very fresh as well. They were perfectly cooked so the orange part of the meat stayed soft and juicy while the white part was a bit chewy. Perhaps not the best scallops I have ever tasted, but definitely one of the better ones.

The salmon was a bit too fatty for me. I supposed they used salmon belly, which is the expensive part but also the part with highest fat content. I love salmon belly for sashimi but in a pasta dish, that was a bit overwhelming.

Last but not least, the prawns. There is nothing much to comment here. Most restaurants in Melbourne can cook prawns to such standards so there is really no point in making a comparison. However that does not mean the prawns were just decent. They were perfect.

Kaili happily devouring.

At this point we were satisfied and extremely impressed by the food. To put it into perspective, we were smiling uncontrollably for the next hour or so. Also, we thought that since the food was so amazing, we could not go wrong with ordering desserts.

Crème brûlée.

I was looking at dessert menu on the wall before Kaili pointed out and cried, "crème brûlée!" That moment on I knew I had to order it.

Unfortunately, the crème brûlée was nowhere near as impressive as the entree and mains. The hard caramel on top was slightly burnt which resulted in a slight bitter taste. The custard was a bit too liquid for me, but not as bad as the one at Giraffe Cafe. Minor improvements and it could make it into my list of favourites.

The crème brûlée was served with what looks like a berry and pear compote. It was rather sour but definitely light and refreshing which provided some contrast to the richness of the crème brûlée. If they went easier on flavouring the compote, it would be better.

Sticky date pudding with ice-cream.

Kaili went for the sticky date pudding, which I thought of as a bizarre choice. Later on she explained that it was puasa (fasting) month, which I thought was even more bizarre.

Anyway, the sticky date pudding was very sticky, but not sticky enough that it gets stuck in your mouth or throat. It was quite a pleasure to chew the warm, moist pudding together with the cold ice-cream and the chocolate sauce. It was a very dulcet combination although one would think that it would be overly sweet. I actually preferred this dish to my crème brûlée.

All in all, the dinner was the best dinner Kaili and I have ever had (in Melbourne) in ages. Even after finishing our three courses, we were still floating away in a dreamy sensation that the food gave us.

Dreaming.

347 Brunswick St, 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065.

03 9417 5794

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Back to Business Again

I am back in Melbourne again after a month in Malaysia, from the oven back into the refrigerator. Melbourne's winter is particularly harsh this year. It was six degrees when I arrived at Tullamarine.

I am no longer that reluctant to leave Malaysia anymore. Perhaps it is the growing disappointment in the path where my beloved home is heading; perhaps one grows out of being sentimental after being away for too long; perhaps after leaving home six times, the effect wears off; perhaps it is the brand new lens that Cherry bought from Hong Kong for me that made me anxious to return; perhaps there is more to it than I know of.

There are certain things in Melbourne I have missed and will miss when I am somewhere else.

Friends.

Not Crown but beautiful architecture in general.

Coffee that actually tastes like coffee.

The amazing pink tint in the sky after sunset.

I love this place.

Orchid Live Seafood

Orchid Live Seafood Restaurant.

This leg of the journey in Singapore takes me to Orchid Live Seafood Restaurant with my parents and my dad's former schoolmate. The restaurant certainly looked impressive from outside with the parking assistants instructing customers on which parking space to take, and the illuminated signboard with its two lobster heads on both sides looked imposing as well. Still, to be truly impressive the food has to be top notch.

Cold crabs.

I have never sampled cold mud crabs before. The only cold crabs that I have eaten are flower crabs, which I am not such a fan of. Hence, I was a bit sceptical with this dish.

I went for the shells first due to the obscene amount of roe in them. A spoonful of roe into my mouth and I was delighted. The creaminess and fat in the roe just melts in the mouth. From what I could tell, the roe was seasoned with a bit of shao xing wine, which added a strong fragrance to the roe without getting rid of the roe's intense flavour.

The meat was rather fresh but had a tough layer of skin in between the meat and the shell. I think that was due to the crab being in the moulting stage. Nonetheless, cold crab meat is not too special to me although it does have its merits as an appetiser. There is something about crab meat that makes one turn hungry.

Unknown vegetable.

I am beginning to see the connection between Teochews and this vegetable. In every Teochew restaurant or restaurant with a Teochew influence, this dish was on plenty of the tables. Yet again, it was just another fried vegetable. Nothing special there. I did not quite fancy the soggy vegetables and the overpowering flavour of garlic.

Lobster congee.

I have always thought that cooking congee with lobster is a waste of a good ingredient. Orchid proved me wrong, so wrong in fact that now I think cooking lobster in congee is perhaps one of the best ways of preparing the shellfish.

Although lightly seasoned, the congee was sweetened by the lobsters. Despite that, the lobsters still retained their natural flavour. Also, the generous amount of shao xing wine in the congee complemented the sweetness of the lobsters well. The lack of robust flavours is made up for by the juicy, succulent texture of the lobsters. Another praise I have for the dish is the number of lobsters in the claypot. I swear there must have been more than ten halves in there. That kind of generosity is much appreciated when it comes to seafood.

Steamed fish.

Another steamed fish dish. Nothing to shout about here. The fish could have been fresher but by Singaporean standards, I am not complaining.

Steven chicken.

I did not know the name of this dish until a quick Google search. I am guessing that someone by the name of Steven invented this dish or is a known coward. However, the look of the dish definitely raises more questions than the name.

I suppose it could be called a semi-deboned chicken wing, or a semi-dechickened wing bone. The idea behind this technique I suppose is to expose more surface area to the batter to give more crisp and crunch to an otherwise boring friend chicken wing dish. Whatever it is for, it definitely worked for me.

The sauce that is used to lightly glaze the chicken wings was a sweet, tangy sauce which had a honey-like consistency, very much like those applied to honey glazed pork ribs. It was not too heavy in flavour, robust but not treacly and applied in a sensible amount such that it did not make the batter soggy. Very good balance between taste and texture.

Deep fried seafood tofu.

By the time this dish came I was stuffed to the brim, but still I could not resist deep fried goodies.

The fillings in the tofu I could not identify but it definitely tasted like a mix of seafood, most likely prawns, with pork. It tasted like the generic deep fried seafood tofu available in most seafood restaurants. Perhaps it due to me being so full that I could not really enjoy this dish and do it justice with my review.

Orchid Live Seafood Restaurant is the kind of place where you would think of going to every now and then for their famous dishes, but not to go so far as to call it your favourite seafood restaurant. However, one thing that left a great impression was the generosity in the portion of the food which is unknown to our region due to the culture of "frugality" among restaurant owners, especially when it comes to more pricey ingredients like seafood.

16 Jalan Kelulut, 

Singapore 809033.

9636 1909

Liang Kee Restaurant

The last time I dined in Liang Kee was close to a decade ago. From what I remember, the food was so-so, nothing special, except the location, Clarke Quay. This time, Liang Kee has moved to a HDB, however, the food most certainly made up for the less glamourous location.

Teochew stewed duck.

The stewed duck did not work the magic with me this time around. Although there was nothing to complain about with the texture, it had a strong taste of turmeric, which was a let down for me. The duck meat was stewed until tender but still offering some bite; whereas the skin was silky smooth, lending some softness and moisture to the meat when chewed.

Trigger fish in black bean sauce.

I do not remember ever having trigger fish before that dinner, but it was pretty much love at first bite. Trigger fish has tougher meat than most fish but once bitten breaks apart, releasing the moisture in the meat, if the fish is fresh. This dish had fresh trigger fish drenched in a rather intense sauce, which was well balanced with saltiness from the black beans, soy sauce and the sweetness from the ginger. However, the sauce is nowhere near that of  Hock Seng Hin's standard.

Oh lua (oyster omelette).

This dish teaches one to not judge a book by its cover. What looks like a plain omelette when flipped over reveals a treasure trove of fresh, decently sized oysters in a thick, starchy sauce. The sauce was just perfectly seasoned to draw out the natural flavours of the oyster without the seasoning itself being too ostentatious in taste. When it comes to texture, this dish also shined with the egg being equally thick throughout and with space in between layers of the omelette, giving a rather spongy feel. The oysters were crunchy and juicy. One of the best oyster omelettes I have ever tasted.

Fried vegetables.

I feel ashamed for not knowing what this vegetable is. Also, I cannot really review this because I have nothing in comparison. However, it probably just is another vegetable dish which is nowhere near spectacular.

Sambal crayfish.

Actually, they should just call this chilli crayfish, as the sauce is highly similar to that of chilli crab, which Singapore is famous for. Nonetheless, a wrong name does not make the dish wrong, in fact, it was pretty darn good. The crayfish was very succulent and crunchy due to its freshness. The sambal was also great, exactly what one would expect from a chilli crab sauce. Beyond that, there is not much to compliment. Just how much better can chilli crab sauce get? I am pretty sure there are better.

Deep fried tofu with minced pork.

By far the best version of this dish I have ever tasted. Yes, I have tasted this dish in every Chinese restaurant that I have dined at in Malaysia and still Liang Kee's version can take the top spot. The secret of this dish is in the sauce. What the secret is, I probably will never know. The sauce is so complex, with a faint hint of salted fish and black beans, subtle but sufficient to contribute to the rich amalgam of savoury flavours. Despite the sauce being extremely rich, the taste of egg in the tofu was still evident. The minced pork gave the dish an extra type of texture, bringing succulent together with silky smooth and a thick sauce into a mind blowing combination. Until now I can still vividly recall the tastes and textures of the dish.

Steamed bun.

This was ordered to go with the sambal from the sambal crayfish, but to call it a sideshow would be insulting. The texture of the bun is nothing short of amazing. It was so soft, light and malleable, a bit spongy even, nothing like the compressed mound of dough that most restaurants. It goes perfectly with the sambal.

Oh ni (Yam paste).

This was first time I had ever tasted this wondrous dessert. It was sensibly sweet due to the natural sweetness from the yam and pumpkin, though a pinch of sugar was probably added to it to boost the sweetness. The muddy texture of the yam and the fibrous and sticky pumpkin bound together perfectly. I think a bit of starch was also added to thicken the paste. Although sticky desserts are far from my cup of tea, Liang Kee's oh ni managed to hit the sweet, sweet spot and I am craving for it every now and then. Absolutely fantastic.

Liang Kee's food totally shatters the misconception that Singapore has bad Chinese food. Having been around for decades, the people at Liang Kee have honed their mastery of Teochew cuisine to a level that is uncannily high. Definitely a contender for the best restaurant in Singapore that I have ever dined at.

737, Havelock Road,

Singapore 169653.

60787026

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Kok Sen Restaurant

This entry is the beginning of a series of restaurant reviews in Singapore.

For the first leg of this journey, my not-so-uncle uncle took us to Kok Sen Restaurant in Chinatown. According to my granduncle, we had to go early lest the restaurant gets too crowded and parking gets hard to find. Those are the two signs of good food, but being in Singapore, I had my doubts.

Kok Sen Restaurant.

Kok Sen had a healthy crowd, with most tables being full. Luckily we had reserved a table beforehand. Our order was also taken with haste and the first dish was quick to arrive.

Crispy chicken skin with seafood ball.

I do not know what this dish is called but apparently it is one of the famous dishes from Kok Sen. The chicken skin was very crispy and light. It was not soaked in oil, therefore retaining the flavour of chicken in the skin. The seafood ball underneath the chicken skin was sweet and had an intense flavour, yet when eaten together with the chicken skin, the tastes of the seafood ball and chicken coexist in a sweet and savoury harmony.

Frog with ginger and spring onion.

The surprising element in this dish is the fact that there was no sauce. All of the sauce was reduced to almost nothing, resulting in a dry dish but moist crusts on the frog meat. However, for a dish with a completely reduced sauce, it came across as rather tasteless. Although the effect of the heat from the wok can be tasted in the frog meat, it was not complemented with a flavourful sauce, which is a real pity because it could have been a great dish.

Claypot tofu, seafood balls and eggplant.

I was rather disappointed with this dish. I do not have anything to complain about the tofu, the seafood balls or the eggplants. They were cooked perfectly. It is the sauce that I have a problem with. Kok Sen tries to mimic the Sichuan style fish fragrance eggplant, 魚香茄子. However, they have much to improve when it comes to sauce. The sauce was thick, but was not backed by any substantial flavour. Nonetheless, it is a challenge for restaurants to balance the complexity of fish fragrance sauce, as such, I did not expect a restaurant in this part of the world to be able to master the preparation of the sauce.

Steamed grouper tail.

This dish is another disappointment. The fish was not fresh. That pretty much explains itself. The fish meat was dry and hard. Furthermore, steaming fish pretty much places all emphasis on the texture. With such a fish, no one would be happy.

Fried kailan with beef slices.

This dish looked good, especially to a beef lover like me. However, once I sampled it, I was immediately put off. The ginger used in the dish overpowered all other flavours, such that the kailan and beef tasted like ginger. The beefy taste that beef is supposed to have was completely murdered by the use, or misuse, of ginger.

Spinach with salted egg and century egg.

There is nothing special about this dish. The standard is similar to any other versions of this dish from other restaurants, hence, there is no need for a lengthy review.

Kok Sen does have good dishes, but with many of their dishes lacking the spark that separates the delicious from the decent, I would not return until they take their culinary prowess up a notch.

30, Keong Saik Road,

Singapore 089137,

6223 2005

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Restoran Ahwa

I used to have Hokkien Mee at Damansara Utama. That was before I tried the famous Ahwa's Hokkien Mee at Jalan 222. My parents are quite insistent on Ahwa when it comes to Hokkien Mee, and for good reason.

Chilli sauce.

Reason number one, the chilli sauce. Usually, I do not apply any sauce to food, especially chilli sauce which spoils the flavour. Ahwa's chilli sauce is so good that I do not mind spoiling the food. Heck, I can even eat the chilli sauce only. The sauce has a strong taste of belacan (prawn paste) which makes the sauce very fragrant and flavourful. The spiciness of the sauce is also well controlled, enough to pack a punch but not enough to numb the tongue.

Hokkien mee.

Hokkien bee hoon.

The best Hokkien Mee I have tasted thus far.

Cooked using charcoal and obscene amounts of lard, sprinkled with a (used to be) generous helping of deep fried lard; that is all the description needed for people who understand the great power of charcoal flames and lard. I suppose that makes all the difference, as most Hokkien Mee I have tasted previously are cooked by gas instead of charcoal.

Fried lala.

The fried lala is nothing to shout about. Beware though, as the quality of the dish is pretty inconsistent. Out of the three times I have eaten lala at Ahwa, the first time was decent, second time was horrible and the third time, as they say, is the charm. Nonetheless, I am not going to trust it that soon.

Oyster omelette.

This dish was an abomination. The oysters were so tiny that there I could not taste them. Even as an omelette, it was still a horrible omelette. The taste and texture was substandard and definitely not fit for sale, in my opinion.

Teochew stewed duck, tofu and egg.

The stewed duck was pretty good. The meat was tender and juicy, probably due to the stewing process. The stew gravy was also tasty but perhaps a little under-seasoned, which resulted in rather tasteless stewed eggs. However, the duck was salty enough, which made me think that the eggs should be stewed separately from the duck in the stewing process and seasoned more heavily.

Restoran Ahwa is probably the place to go for for Hokkien Mee. For the other dishes, there are other places which make better versions.

66 Jalan 14/48, 

46100 Petaling Jaya, 

Selangor,

Malaysia.

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