Lunch at HarriAnns Table Cafe @ Bugis Junction

230 Victoria Street #01-01A Bugis Junction Towers, Singapore 188024

Tel: 6238 1200

Website: http://www.harrianns.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Harrianns

Whenever I exited the MRT Station at Bugis, I would find myself being treated to aromas from HarriAnns Cafe. The Peranakan cafe has a small enclosed interior and long open-air exterior area, serving up traditional Nonya dishes at good prices.

I had the Nonya Curry Chicken with Rice (SGD$7.90) - thick and tasty curry broth pooling utterly tender chicken and soft whole potato. The plate of white rice was served with Achar aka pickled vegetables, whetting the appetite further.

Could not resist the colorful mini Nonya Kuehs (SGD$3.00) so I ordered a box. They tasted every bit as good as they look so I happily lapped up the cubes of red bean kueh, multi-layer kueh, yam kueh and pandan kueh etc.

Casual dining concept with hearty food generoualy portioned- I will be back to try more for sure.

[Invited Tasting] Dinner at The Quarters @ Tanjong Pagar

16 Enggor Street #01-09 Icon Village, Singapore 079717

Tel: 6834 4174

Website: https://www.thequarters.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thequarterssg

The Quarters is located at Icon Village at Tanjong Pagar - one of the most bustling business districts in Singapore, is helmed by Chef Chung Deming, also the owner herein. The restaurant serves up classic Singaporean dishes with fusion twists, constantly tweaking the menus to feed demand for fresh take on Singapore classics. Some of the signatures comprise Har Cheong Kai (prawn paste chicken), Shiok Fries (with salted egg sauce and chilli crab sauce) as well as an assortment of pastas and burgers.

I was honoured to be invited to try out the new menu. Upon arrival I noted the open concept of the restaurant - cosy and inviting. What appealed most was the chalk art on the walls, giving it a hipster-y feel but add a touch of class.

We started with Fwah! (SGD$18.00) - an innovative dish made up of melty foie gras with kaya on crisp toast, an interesting combination of sweet-savoury flavours; runny scrambled eggs cascade from the top of the deck, creamy and indulgent.

Next, Salted Egg Mid-Wings (SGD$12.00) - grilled mid-wings slathered generously with salted egg aioli, and artistically so, the juicy chicken wings almost looked like they had stripes. Nice flavour, not overwhelming at all; and there's even a small salad on the side to balance the meaty appetiser.

The Buah Keluak Ayam (SGD$12.00) - juicy slices of chicken with crispy skin and buah keluak rempah - elusive black nut paste, an essential of Peranakan dishes.

Final appetiser of the night was Ooh La La! (SGD$16.00) - succulent Clams in Chilli Crab Sauce - fiery and addictive. Tossed into the mix are also huge pieces of croutons, adding crunch to every bite.

Moving on to Grilled Vegetables, we had Vine Tomatoes with salt and special marinade (SGD$10.00), Shitake Mushrooms with salt (SGD$9.00) and Asparagus served with fermented soy bean and garlic (SGD$14.00).  The vegetables had a delicious smokey hint to it, and I believe even the non-veggie lovers would also enjoy this dish.

From the Charcoal Grill section, we had the Lobster (SGD$68.00) spread out beautifully - butter poached and charcoal-licked, served with fresh lemon wedges on the side. The lobster was fresh, luscious and springy in texture; no disillusion that one person could easily finish one lobster here.

Next, Baby Back Ribs (SGD$24.00) - moist, succulent and flesh off the rack easily; with special BBQ marinade to give it a sweet tinge, served with fries and salad on the side.

The Angus Ribeye Steak (SGD$38.00) - all 250 grams of it was tender with smokey hints, nearly crispy-edged. Fries and salad were served on the side. I have to add that their fries were really good - the right amount of salt, crispy, and remained crispy even after a couple of hours.

We also had the Quarters Fried Rice (SGD$14.00) - a traditional local zichar favorite composed of rice, eggs, salted fish bits and garlic.

The above items can be ordered on an a la carte basis, or if you have a group of 4, you can order the Quarters Platter (SGD$128.00), which includes Salted Egg Mid-wings, Baby Back Ribs, Buah Keluak Ayam, Angus Ribeye, Quarters Fried Rice and Grilled Vegetable Platter. This is totally value for money and allows you to try an assortment of some of their finer dishes from different categories.

Finally, desserts - the creative names of these desserts disguise the true nature of the dessert at first glance, but gradually the meanings sink in. We tried first the Duriancanboleh (SGD$8.50) which was actually Durian Creme Brulee, with a crackling caramel crust and utterly creamy curd redolent of durian's unique aroma.

Last item was the Kaya Bomb (SGD$9.00) - we were advised to pop the entire pastry into the mouth, and I did. The explosion of sweet coconut jam filled up the mouth deliciously, and the first word that came to mind was "shiok" (local lingo for "very good").

We have come to the end of the tasting session, and modsin food here is undeniably good - unpretentious, delightful, capturing the hearts of a true-blue Singaporean. Thank you Chef Deming for hosting us, and thank you Ivan for extending the invite.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

[Invited Tasting] Mother's Day Specials at The Peranakan @ Orchard Hotel

442 Orchard Road #02-01 Claymore Connect, Orchard Hotel, Singapore 238879

Tel: 6262 4428

Website: http://www.theperanakan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePeranakanSG

Having visited The Peranakan for dinner (review here) and Chinese New Year (review here), I was honoured to be back for their Mother's Day menu, consisting of 9 superb courses at SGD$200.00 for 4 persons, available exclusively on 13th and 14th May 2017. The "Peranakan Set Menu of Yesteryears" bring back quality food prepared from scratch, just like how the authentic, traditional Peranakan dishes should be.

As usual, the array of decorations is shatteringly beautiful - intricate and dazzling; the display of Peranakan ware is growing as The Peranakan plans to acquire more space for a gallery soon.

Our favorite Belachan Shrimp Rolls were served as appetizers while waiting, in their signature colorful miniature weaved baskets.

So, to start on the "Peranakan Taste of Yesteryears" menu, one gets to choose from a choice of soup, between the Sup Bakwan Kepiting (clear crabmeat broth with pork-prawn balls) or the Itek Tim (clear boil duck soup with tender duck leg, salted giam chye vegetables and sour plum).

Next up, Nasi Ulam shaped like a beautiful giant heart and adorned with flour rosebuds so yes, everything is edible. The aromatic Nasi Ulam is served lukewarm and is made of 6 raw herbs julienned to no more than 30 minutes, salted threadfin fish, minced threadfin fish, lemongrass, chopped long beans and toasted coconut.

The Sambal Pisang Jantung was up next - an assortment of fresh shrimps, onions, banana flower, sambal belachan,  and coconut, to be placed on these crackling, bitter Emping Chips and eaten together. The spicy-sweet flavour created an addiction that made it easy for one to reach for servings repeatedly.

Following that, we enjoyed the Telur Goreng Chinchalok - omelet served with chinchalok, the latter being a spicy shrimp paste causing fiery stirrings within the palate.

Then the Babi Asam, easily translated into Asam Pork - a zesty tinge among light spiciness; the succulent pork surpassed expectations of the waiting tongues and teeth.

The Ayam Buah Keluak was a personal favorite - a traditional Peranakan chicken dish cooked using the black nuts from the Pangium Edule tree. Stewed from tender chicken from grandma's recipe, the contents of the buah keluak were taken out to be blended before putting back in - resulting in a creamy, velvety texture with bittersweet cocoa taste.

Next, Udang Masak Nenas, a taste of home even for most of us - Pineapple with Prawns, immersed in a spicy-sweet gravy, so that the prawns themselves soaked up the fiery Midas' touch turning their luscious flavour hot.

Last but not least, Bittergourd Asam Busok - a rarity in which the bittergourd was soft and anything but bitter (I personally would've welcomed more bitterness), tossed in a pool of savoury sauce with long beans. Deep-fried Dough Fritters lounged invitingly on the sides of the plate, ready to be torn and dipped together into the mix and eaten together.

Finally, Apom Bokwa Pisang which was our dessert and conclusion to a sumptuous meal. This is a traditional Nonya kueh (cake) made of rice flour, a thick gravy and banana. It was not too sweet, and I enjoyed the slightly chewy, sticky texture of this dessert.

Don't forget the delicious beverages when you are feasting. Our Soursop Drink was filled with generous pieces of the fruit itself; utterly refreshing. The hot Lemongrass Tea lent a soothing touch and many other benefits when consumed. Milk Tea a must-have as well - not too sweet, but very aromatic of the tea fragrance.

If you would like to bring your mothers out for an exotic feast on Mother's Day weekend, wait no further. She will enjoy the lavish settings and these thoughtfully prepared dishes. Contact The Peranakan now (details above) to make your bookings to avoid disappointment.

Thank you Chef Raymond and team for hosting us and ChubbyBotakKoala for extending the invite.

Lunch at Chong Wen Ge (崇文阁) Cafe @ Telok Ayer

168 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068619

Tel: 8688 3028

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chongwengecafe

Named after the Institute of Veneration for Literature, and situated within the compound of Thian Hock Keng Temple itself, Chong Wen Ge Cafe is an interesting spot to check out for sure.

The cafe is decorated in traditional Peranakan design, from the intricate, colorful tiles to the tableware. Within the cafe or sharing its space are a Music Museum and Peranakan Tiles Gallery, so diners can take in some culture after their meals.

On the menu are Peranakan dishes such as Laksa, Nonya Curry, Nonya Kuehs (cakes), etc. Orders are taken at the counter ourselves, and so is food / drinks collection. Wait for the small beeper to vibrate. There is also a wide range of colourful Nonya desserts to choose from, at the counter.

*Chantal had the Nonya Laksa (SGD$10.80) - piping hot and mildly spicy bowl of springy rice noodles, huge glass prawns, Pacific clams, fishcakes, beancurd puffs, beansprouts and fragrant laksa leaves. The spicy coconut sauce was tasty but not too fiery, rather easy on the palate.

My Nonya Chicken Curry (SGD$10.90) comprised of tender mid-joint chicken wings and soft chunks of potatoes in lightly spicy, coconut-rich curry gravy. The dish was served with a plate of white rice with tangy Achar (pickled vegetables), adding flavours; rice grains were hard so it was like eating Rice Krispies (not sure if that was the deliberate effect).

A platter of 4 Nonya Kuehs (SGD$5.50) to share for desserts - we could choose our own choice of their sticky cakes. We had the colorful Nine-layered Cake, Rice Cake with coconut flakes, some pretty pink agar-agar like cake with coconut bottom, and a cake that resembled Ondeh Ondeh. The desserts were rather enjoyable.

For beverages, *Chantal tried the signature Teh-C Special (SGD$5.50), iced milk tea with robust aroma and was rather smooth.

I had the Iced Peranakan Green (SGD$4.50) - a refreshing fizzy melon soda with cucumber slices - interesting and soothing, went very well with the hot weather and spicy dishes.