It was the search for paella that brought me to this overlooked corner of Dempsey. But what I found instead were memories of my past; a trigger that brought back residual images of brothers-in-arms and an uneventful yet much remembered night.

But first the food.

Now that is a tablescape. 

My love affair with paella started out strangely enough in Syracuse, at Dante’s where I tasted fideuà, a sister dish made with thin noodles instead of rice. It was hauntingly good and an introduction to Spanish food. A trip to Madrid my junior year during a semester abroad in London cemented my love for paella.

Get rich selling cupcakes!

Unfortunately I’ve always had sub-par paella in Singapore. I was hopeful from reading the article in The Straits Times about the farmers’ market that this paella would be different.

The rice was very good, not the usual soggy mess that passes off as paella here. It was imbued with the very simple but distinct flavors of the abundant seafood, chorizo and saffron. My disappointment in this paella was that it lacked socarrat, the slightly burnt crusty crunchy bits of rice at the bottom of the paella pan, one of the defining characteristics of good paella.

Layers of food.

The market itself was a festive but quaint affair. There were gluten-free cupcakes, a butcher selling cut and marinated meats, two friendly Australian women who tricked out their table in pink and turned it to a decadent tablescape of baked sugar and flour treats. Sandra Lee would be proud. Solymer, the Spanish purveyor responsible for cooking the paella, was also selling Jamón Iberico and wines. There were surprisingly more products that produce. Most of the stalls were selling the sort of gourmet products, like pasta and olive oil, that were more for stocking the pantry than the fresh fruit and vegetables I associate with a farmer’s market. I only saw one vendor selling vegetables.

Jamón Iberico

I would have thought that this would be the perfect occasion for our farmers (we actually have around 220 farms in Singapore) to showcase their produce and for us to shop and eat like a locavore. It is after all called a “farmers’ market,” but it was more like a small food fair.

Close up.

Bubbling up.

Gluten-free cupcakes.

More shots of paella, took along my new DSLR.

On the grill.

Finally the finished product, waited a long time for them to cook it.

The only vegetable vendor.

Wines.

The bottarga caught my eye.

Kids with guns and camo.

As I left the market, there was a group of Caucasian children sporting camo paint on their faces and armed with toy “laser tag” guns. Almost ten years ago, I was in that exact location dressed in my camouflaged army fatigues and armed with very real assault rifles. My unit, specifically Bravo Company was tasked as a quick reaction force for some World Bank or International Monetary Fund event.

We had just spent the night in the derelict buildings of the decommissioned Tanglin Camp on Loewen road and were waiting to load up on to our three-tonners for our ride back to camp.

I remember the men bitching and moaning about having drawn what was essentially glorified guard duty when we arrived the day before. We sat tight. We were just muscle if anything happened, boring but a necessary precaution.

It seemed that Bravo Company was always getting the short end of the stick. The other companies in the battalion were back at their bunks in camp, or at the canteen having it easy. But it was rare to be on an actually operation. (This was before / around the time of 9-11, before it became commonplace for units to conduct security operations.) And I think the men were inwardly proud to be entrusted with such a mission, although no one would have admitted it. Bravo Company had proven itself time and again that it was the best company in the regiment.  No doubt we were locked, cocked and ready to rock and roll if higher HQ ever pressed the button. 

The night was uneventful. The soldiers tried to sleep on the bare, dusty floors, at least there was a roof over our heads and the abandoned building was five-star accommodation compared to being out in the field. There were pockets of friends who talked into the night and there was always someone at the smoking area. The only excitement came from a car that got stuck in the ditch of the building we were housed in. 

An elderly couple had gotten lost and had asked us for directions. What they were doing here was beyond me. This was before the Dempsey area was developed. They attempted a U-turn on the narrow road and drove their car into the ditch. An officer, our company Second-In-Charge arrived at the scene and started shouting for a squad, I think it was the 84 mm recoilless rifle anti-tank section, to help push the vehicle out. I’m amazed how vividly I remember the incident now that I’m looking at that same road.

We assembled the next morning where those kids were, and started to load up onto our tonners for the ride back and a much-anticipated shower and duty rest. While waiting for the lead vehicle of our convey to move out, a car driven by an expatriate woman from one of the big colonial houses got in between my vehicle and another platoon’s. Someone joked (it might have been me) that we should lase the driver. A laser red-dot on the chest emanating from a M-16 would dissuade anyone from following. Anthony, a fellow sergeant, sitting across from me at the tailboard waved to get the lady’s attention. Then he pointed to the explosive sign hanging from the tailboard (which had to be displayed because of the ammunition with us.) Once she saw the explosion graphic on the sign, her eyes went big as dinner plates and she peeled out of there in double quick time. Even through the fog of fatigue from the lack of sleep (or because of it) we both started cracking up uncontrollably. And as I look at that exact place where it happened, I think back to those good old days and bad old ways.

I’m reminded of my time spent in the army and the company of some very fine men.

To the men of Bravo Company:

It’s been a privilege and honor to serve with you all. 

Go Go Go!

I’ve been looking for a dessert place to replace my favorite post dinner hang-out; Will Goldfarb’s now defunct Room 4 Dessert and the sweet memories of the creations from Alex Stupak at wd-50 and Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin. It is as much a search for inventive, elegant and flawlessly executed desserts here in Singapore, as well as an easing of my yearning and associations of New York City, a place that I’ve left, but has never completely left me.

Unfortunately desserts at restaurants in Singapore are mostly a mere afterthought. The problem is that they often aren’t executed properly. I can’t even begin to count the times I’ve gotten misshapen quenelles. It says a lot about a pastry chef, and especially a pastry chef, who should excel in precision, to not perfect their technique. But the larger problem lies in our Singaporean mindset. Desserts are often uninspired. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen a fucking molten chocolate cake on menus. I don’t know if it’s a lack of imagination on our part, or that we take ourselves too seriously. Desserts should be fun and not boring.

MANDARIN ORANGE SEA SPONGE, pistachio crumble, matcha distillate & cilantro.

Which is why I love what chef Ryan Clift of Tippling Club (formerly of Melbourne’s Vue du Monde) does. He takes something ordinary, like yogurt and gives it personality, actually four personalities in his port poached pear dish with four textures of yogurt. Desserts made interesting. Thank you.

He has mischievous flair. I couldn’t help but chuckle when he introduced the next dish as a mandarin orange sea sponge because it did look like a sea sponge! Definitely something I would see on my dives. The sponge was delicate and airy, but packed the assertive aromatic flavor of a mandarin orange, perfect for Chinese New Year. What is truly amazing about the dish is how the sponge, which was the star of the show, and shine it did, perfectly shared the stage with the other cast of characters; the pistachio crumble, matcha distillate and cilantro. It takes considerable skill and sense to make those components sing in harmony and chef Clift pulls it off with verve.

SNOWBALL, sudachi, white chocolate, yuzu curd.

What I love about the desserts are that they are an exploration of texture. The sudachi snowball had an exciting effervescence, taking on the role of champagne, delightful and celebratory, it was fun to eat. I only wish that there were more sudachi flavor in the snowball. The yuzu curd though provided balance and body with its intoxicating hints of yuzu and assertive eggy taste.

PEAR TARTIN 2009, cinnamon puff pastry, caramel.

There are a couple items on the menu that are deconstructions of your typical dessert staples. There is a perfectly executed tiramisu but it’s too close to the original to stand out. The lemon tart is slightly better. The real show stealer and my favorite dessert is the pear tartin 2009. I couldn’t help but be charmed when I saw it. A “pear” sat on puff pastry crumble studded with hidden crispy caramel. The “pear” was actually a flavorful but clean brown butter sorbet encapsulated with a gel. It’s a simple yet effective trompe l’oeil. Perhaps the smartest move by chef Clift, was breaking down the pear tartin into its elemental parts, the pastry, pear and the brown butter it’s cooked in and showcasing the best (at least my favorite) part, the brown butter. What you get is an emphasis on the most delicious aspect of a pear tartin. 

LEMON TART, meringue, sable, lemon chips, clotted cream.

TIRAMISU 2009. The side of the mascarpone bowl melted while I took photos.

As I’m writing this I’m a little sad because they are going to change their menu soon. So no more pear tartin, but I’m excited too, to see what chef Clift and his new head chef Scott Huggins (formerly from Iggy’s) have up their sleeves. I was given a little preview of what’s to come. This one was a luscious soft chocolate ganache with various textures of chocolate. The plate was garnished with orange juice that had been concentrated to a syrupy consistency with some fancy shmancy lab equipment. The flavor was intense.

New Chocolate/Orange dessert. (Yeah I didn’t get the name…)

Drinks from mixologist/artist Matthew Bax are an equally magnetic draw. As a (former) bartender myself, I think there isn’t any other place in Singapore that serves such well-crafted, inventive and downright delicious libations. There is an attention to detail, like cracking their own ice, as well as a reverence for the barman’s tradition but it’s tempered with progressive technique borrowed from the culinary avant-garde movement. Like the food at Tippling Club, what makes their drinks stand out is the sense of whimsy and theatrics.

“Your book sir.” Us: Huh?

A few weeks ago I ordered a drink and a waiter delivered a book to the table. To much bemused WTF-ery, I finally opened the book and in it sat a bottle within a cut out compartment. What a great way to serve a Teacher’s Tipple, my only complaint was that there wasn’t enough of that delicious drink. There is a drink called Fuck the Subprime, funny name, unfortunately at $35, I haven’t tried it. One of my favorite drinks, the Kopi-O comes in clear takeaway plastic bags like those found at local coffee shops. The difference is that there is a rectangular glass beneath the bag so you can put your drink down, and your coffee shop version probably doesn’t come with aged rum and roasted banana maple.

TEACHERS TIPPLE, Spicy carrot whisky, honey ginger.

I don’t think I fully appreciated before how glassware affects the perception of the whole drinking experience. I took for granted that drinks are supposed to be served in your standard glasses, the martini, collins, flutes and rocks. But most drinks at Tippling Club are served in unique vessels that really change the experience. Just look at what Alinea is doing with its dining ware.

I won’t describe them all  and spoil the surprise. Experience it for yourself, they really are the best drinks in town, and I daresay it’s hard to find better anywhere else in the world. 

CHERRY CHERRY, effen black cherry vodka, vsop cognac, cherry heering, fresh cherries, citrus, champagne, absinth bitters, cherry bark.

Tippling Club

8D Dempsey Rd

Singapore 249672

Tel: 6475-2217

www.tipplingclub.com

Hours: cocktails, bites and desserts, Tuesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. till late. Best to call before you go. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Price range: Cocktails, $18 to $35; desserts, $18 to $20. Or if in a group, get chef Clift to organize a tasting menu for desserts.

~~~~

I’m including some pictures from two master classes I attended at Tippling Club under the banner of the Melbourne Temperance Society, which was founded by Matthew Bax in his Melbourne based Der Raum bar.

~~~~

On the Cutting Edge with Sosa 
Modern Food and Cocktails
14 May 2009, $85++

Reagents.

I’d been getting my ingredients for avant garde cuisine from Le Sanctuaire in the States, so I was excited that I could get them now in Singapore from Sosa though Euraco. Sosa brought in their executive chef Jordi Colomer to teach the techniques that would showcase their products. 

Looks like a cloud… a cloud of liquor.

The food was perfectly executed. Confirming what I thought was a top-notch kitchen team. (The first time I visited Tippling Club was during chef Wylie Dufresne’s World Gourmet Summit dinner. And the crew at Tippling Club executed Wylie Dufresne and Alex Stupak’s wd-50 menu to an exacting T. I was seriously impressed, especially since I was reading some not so good things about Tippling Club on the blog circuit.) But I have to admit, coming back to the Sosa master class that I preferred more “real” food. Desserts were amazing though and totally enjoyable. But perhaps the best thing that night was trying Matthew Bax’s cocktails. It was the start of my love affair with them.

Playing with liquid nitrogen.

Amuse bouche: Mango and bronze sphere.

Sosa executive chef Jordi Puigvert Colomer.

FOIE GRAS & PISTACHIO SANDWICH, light pear mayonnaise, goat cheese powder, porto caviar.

Paired with APPLES & PEARS, calvados, poire william, Italian vermouth, falernum, clove apple bubbles. 

CHICKEN HAMBURGER, fake potato truffle gnocchi, mushroom cous cous, raw almond prawn emulsion.

Paired with GIN PINE FIZZ, gin, pine, champagne & lemon

If the chinois was a definitive piece of equipment for modern cuisine, then the immersion blender is the post-modern equivalent.

MEDITERRANEAN FLAVORS, olive oil rosemary sponge cake, green apple foam, yoghurt, pine nut, mandarin lavender sorbet.

Paired with GREEN TEA AFFOGATO, nikka Japanese whisky, genmaicha green tea, matcha sorbet.

A layer of  ”fog” forms as liquid nitrogen boils off.

COFFEE AND GOLDEN SPHERE, caramel, mascarpone, mango, passionfruit.

Paired with MOROCCAN AFTERNOON, espresso rum, passionfruit, crispy mint shard.

PETIT FOURS, pistachio raspberry crispies, chocolate, peta zetas

Cocktail Master Class with Sam Ross
Milk & Honey NYC
28 October 2009, $150++

Fizzy grapes. A Tippling Club signature.

Milk & Honey was a bar that I’ve always wanted to go to in New York. Unfortunately you need to make a reservation using a “secret” phone number. I finally got that number courtesy of Meredith, she deserves a shout out here. But it was my last week in New York and the bar was closed for renovation. So I was extremely psyched when Sam Ross, their head bartender was doing a master class with the Melbourne Temperance Society. The drinks where phenomenal, there was a particularly gorgeous one, the Rebel Champagne, it was a velvety, sensual dessert-in-a-glass without being cloying or heavy. My only complaint was that the class was pretty dumb-ed down for the non-bartenders (everyone but me.) Still Sam tailored bits of the class to talk about refinement of the bartender’s art. In those short minutes I learnt more than in the last few years. Very informative and inspirational.

Char-grilled peppers (black from squid ink) miso soy dip. Another signature.

It was also at that event that I tried chef Clift’s food (as opposed to a guest chef’s) for the first time. I was particularly impressed with his bourbon coulant dessert. It was like a molten chocolate cake that I hate to see on menus turned upside down. The honey and white chocolate made a very interesting flavor combination. It could almost be mistaken for butterscotch, especially since it was off white in color and not dark like chocolate. Cold, white, chocolate but not, it was a refreshing and delicious take the molten chocolate cake cliché. I felt it was a jab at all the uninspired chefs who allow such garbage on their menu. It made the dessert even more enjoyable. 

The man: Sam Ross

PENICILLIN, j&b scotch, lemon juice, ginger honey syrup, caol ila float.

Paired with SCALLOP TARTARE, honey film, peaty caviar.

DON”T MIND IF I DO JULEP, bourbon, calvados, demerara syrup, mint.

Paired with MINT CONFIT SKATE, bourbon bacon, peas, lettuce.

GORDON’S CUP, tanqueray gin, simple syrup, lime chunks, cucumber.

Paired with GIN SPICED PORK, pancakes, green apple gel, sour apple chips.

Sam Ross preparing his Rebel Champagne. Just a gorgeous drink.

REBEL CHAMPAGNE, bourbon, liqour 43, henriot champagne, honey syrup, egg yolk.

Paired with BOURBON COULANT, nitro honey, white chocolate fluid.

It too has a liquid (cold) chocolate interior. 

No J. Tastes exactly like orange juice, but without any juice. Made by chef Clift in collaboration with a lab.

I was coming out of the gym on Monday and Cold Storage was having a sale on the ground floor of Novena. This box, out of the hundreds of items, caught my eye, and I wasn’t really even looking! Yes it reads ASSES. I initially wanted to just take a picture of it with my camera phone. But it was too funny to not try. So I bought it. They’re actually pretty decent. It’s buttery and crisp. I wish there was more chocolate, but nothing a smearing of nutella can’t solve. $5.50 from Cold Storage. Also available in vanilla white chocolate. It has to be chocolate with a name like that right?

I subsequently noticed the couque, how do you pronounce that?

Cock da asses?

It’s a crass post, but it’s good to change things up once in a while.

Like a bumhole they have chocolate in the middle. 

I’ve been reading many ‘09 food recaps and roundups on the blogs lately. But I’d like to look forward to 2010. So here are some things I’d like to see after two years* of eating around Singapore.

(*Which you’ll get to eventually see, there are 57 albums of almost all food related stuff in my facebook profile. This blog is really backlogged.)

The Importance of Ingredients

With the Integrated Resorts opening in Singapore, some heavyweight chefs are coming to set up shop in Singapore. From Marina Bay Sands: Guy Savoy, Santi Santamaria, Tetsuya Wakuda, Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck. From Resorts World Sentosa: Joël Robuchon (!), Kunio Tokuoka, Scott Webster and Susur Lee.

There seems to be a link between gambling and haute cuisine. Well it’s probably more a correlation with money and the sort of tastes that these high rollers have, look at Vegas and Macau/Hong Kong, not so much Genting Highlands though (but Genting Singapore yes!) And with the casinos, the Michelin guide is usually not too far behind. There has been speculation that the Michelin Guide might be coming to Singapore. I recently heard from a few chefs that Michelin is indeed coming, probably next year or the year after.

My concern though, is whether chefs can get the sort of ingredients needed for Michelin caliber cuisine. A few months ago I had a serious craving for sweetbreads. I couldn’t find them on menu anywhere, so I asked a chef to order some for me. He did but said that they weren’t good and did not serve them. I caught wind that The French Kitchen was serving them and made a beeline for it. They were prepared well, but sadly the sweetbreads were frozen and the texture was a little off. Apparently only frozen and not fresh sweetbreads are allowed. The reason being that the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has very strict control on what sort of food can be imported into Singapore. Unfortunately for gastronomes, that list is pretty long. I understand and appreciate the AVA’s role and intention to ensure our food safety. But sometimes I think that they might be a little overprotective.

I’m curious as to see if the AVA policy will change once the Integrated Resorts open. And if it does what was the problem with these ingredients before? Ok never mind that, I just hope that the AVA will allow more types of food in.

I wonder if there is any sort of advisory panel of chefs that the AVA consults with in regard to what to bring in.

Carpaccio of peachwood smoked duck breast with Granny Smith apple puree, sorbet of red beets and yellow frissee salad. The best rendition of that ingredient. One of my favorite dishes of 2008. Sage.

I hope to see more purveyors in 2010. Most restaurants, at least in a western context, get their ingredients from Classic Fine Foods, Euraco and Indoguna. What happens is that everyone serves more or less the same stuff. I remember sometime in 2008 where it seemed that every chef had a culinary boner (thanks Andrew from Top Chef) for smoked duck breast. It was on menus everywhere!

Who Dares Wins

Hopefully with the AVA allowing more types of food in and more purveyors bringing them in, there would be variety on menus. I’m tired of seeing the same scallop, salmon, tenderloin hog up menu space. Instead of the normal poultry, I would love to see squab, pigeon and grouse. I would love to see offal: Sweetbreads, heart, marrow, tripe, tongue, tail and intestines. I would love to see more of the pig than just the loin, what about the shoulder, cheeks and ears? Use the whole head! They have so much flavor and different textures.

Give me exciting fish! I’m so sick of John Dory and sea bass. Give me mackerel and sardines. Gurnard. There are so many species of fish in the ocean, why am I seeing the same few all the time. I love nothing more than to taste something new. Take my fish V-card please.

It pisses me off when I see a boring menu, because it tells me that the chef is playing it safe, playing the numbers. “But people want salmon,” is the usual refrain. I understand that restaurants are businesses too and they have to sell. So sell your customers something different. Introduce and excite them to the wonderful diverse bounty of our planet. I know as chefs that you want to do that. Dare to do it.

On the other side of the table, as gastronomes, we should ask and encourage our chefs to serve the food we love but that they don’t usually sell. We have a part to play in getting them out of their comfort zones. Request that they feature a particular ingredient and make a meal out of it. I’ve done it a couple of times with chefs I trust and it has always been fun and delicious. But we also have a part in taking our fellow dining companions out of their comfort zones. Encourage them to order something else beside that filet mignon, how about the ox-tongue.

Fat! Give Me Fat! Always Fat! 

Recently I was in Penang to try its fabled street food. I had a spectacular wonton mee, the best I’ve tried. There was a depth of flavor that just eclipsed anything I had in Singapore. Our guide, a renowned food writer said that that was how food tasted in Singapore perhaps 30 years ago. The secret ingredient: Lard and lots of it.

Superb wanton mee, somewhere at the junction of Lebuh Carnarvon and Lebuh Chulia, Penang.

So what happened? Why doesn’t our hawker food taste as good? My take: People got health conscious. Well there are other factors. But this one stands out most; you can see it displayed, all those signs that proclaim “No Lard!” “Less Oil!” Whenever I see a sign like that at a stall, like a person with gonorrhea, I stay away.

Hawkers started catering to the heath conscious trend and that’s a shame really.

Well because fat = flavor.

If I wanted something healthy I’d get a salad. That plate of char kway teow is going to be unhealthy no matter how you cook it, I’d prefer that if I were killing myself, that I’d be killing me deliciously.

I wish that hawkers would cook the way they used to back in the day. There’s just no way like the old school way because it’s the right way.

I always order their teppanyaki lamb. It’s fatty with bits of gristle and full of flavor, a cheap cut but totally delicious.

Ordered a prawn to try. Had to be very selective to conserve stomach space.

More sashimi! Love vinegared mackerel and swordfish.

Couldn’t resist another helping of their impressive tempura. Whoever made these knew what he was doing in the kitchen.

Ice cream to top off all that food. Pretty good for one person huh!

I know what you are thinking: A second Japanese buffet post in a row!?! Sadly this is of the now deceased Edogawa at Novena. It used to be my favorite Japanese buffet. The pictures you see here are from a meal I had by myself. I remember coming down the escalator right after working out at the gym and I thought why the heck not. I could do a buffet by myself, order anything I wanted.

But the post isn’t about the restaurant. This post is about food and how it makes us feel. How it becomes something more than just nourishment. How it becomes a force in our lives.

For me it is an anesthetic, a source of inspiration and a focus for hope.

D M K Koh

(Not how I really sign off, just a tribute to someone.)

Growing up, Japanese food was expensive, usually a rare treat. Which is why I love the guilt-free (at least financially) abundance of the Japanese buffet. I remember my first, it was at the then Hotel New Otani. The highlight was the all you can eat sashimi. It was served on a large wooden boat. You had to be quick or all you would be left with was… well the wooden boat.

Soft shell crab spider roll

Over the years though, lots of budget Japanese restaurants have sprouted up in Singapore. Now the thought of all you can eat sashimi wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. My love for the Japanese buffet never diminished. Put the words “Japanese” and “buffet” and I’ll be drawn in like a mosquito to one of those ultraviolet light zappers. It will be the death of me one day.

Aburi salmon with crispy salmon skin

In all my eating, I’ve noticed that these Japanese buffet places usually start out great. They are generous and the quality of their ingredients is relatively good. But then one of two things happen. Either they do well and in order to capitalize on their popularity, they start to cut cost to maximize profit. Or they don’t do well and cut cost to minimize the hemorrhaging.

Raw salmon with crispy salmon skin. The aburi-ed one is better.

So my Japanese Buffet Entropy Theory states that the quality of a buffet place will only go down with time. My ex-favorite place used to have all the sashimi items I love, swordfish, mackerel and surf clam. Then slowly one by one the items would be pulled. It closed down a couple of months later.

Tuna belly with spring onion hand roll. Decent, but would have liked it to be more luscious.

Recently I found a new place. It might be my favorite yet. A poster said that the Japanese buffet came with a complimentary serving of toro (tuna belly) and fugu mirin boshi (puffer fish.) The pull grew stronger and I felt my belly gravitate towards the door. But they weren’t open for another 30 minutes. I had a packed schedule so with surprising self-control I didn’t indulge. I was back the next day with K-Dubs.

Otoro or chutoro? Just toro? Not the best I’ve had. But it’s free! Picture from my latest visit. Didn’t bring my camera the first time.

There was indeed the complimentary toro. It was a piece of aburi-ed sushi. We were instructed not to dip it in soy sauce; there was already sauce on it. I love gastro-dominatrix talk.

Yes Master I will not dip it in soy sauce!

Another picture of the aburi-ed salmon. I eat around four or five each time I’m here.

I was surprised to hear that at a $35++ buffet place. I was first introduced to that kind of banter at Tatsuya, not quite a year ago, where my meal was almost ten times that price. But that’s a story for another post. After the toro came another aburi-ed gem. Salmon sushi with a sweet cod roe cream sauce, and this time I could have as much as I wanted. It set the tone for the rest of my meals at Shin Yuu. Their food is slightly progressive and well executed. Progressive because you get items like the aburi-ed sushi, which is almost unheard of at mass market places. (Well actually the restaurant isn’t that big, but its cheap price is mass friendly.) Their special makimono, a unagi and avocado sushi roll is like the over-the-top rolls I used to get back in the States, very different than traditional rolls but just as good. It’s big on flavor and toppings. Julienned cucumbers and sweet unagi at the core rolled with rice and seaweed then topped with avocado and slathered in special sauce and a dollop of mayo. God it’s good. I could eat the whole roll by myself. And because this was a buffet I could. The only drawback here is that there are quite a few usual treats to check out too. I had to carefully ration out my stomach real estate.

Special Makimono. Unagi and avocado, amazing combination.

The menu is divided into nine sections; seven of them are headlined with a Shin Yuu special. Most of the specials are delicious. The only exception was the special Chawanmushi from the appetizer section. It was decent but there wasn’t anything special about it.

Special chawanmushi. Ehh, wasn’t impressed.

The salmon aburi was the special for the nigiri sushi and the Unagi and avocado for the makimono. I usually stay clear of spicy tuna sushi, it’s just too easy to merchandise off old tuna. But I’d make an exception for their special maguro karashi temaki. The hand roll was dressed in snappy-ly crisp seaweed with tuna in a sauce that was surprisingly complex, boldly spicy but balanced with just the right amount of mayonnaise for body.

Spicy tuna hand roll

The beef short ribs special in the yakimono / grilled section are very good, if a little thin. The special from the agemono / deep fried section is a dory fish fillet topped with cheese. Top anything fried with cheese and you have a recipe for a tasty-tasty dish.

Special gyu karubi. Grilled beef short ribs

Special Sakana Chiizu. Fried dory with cheese

I can’t seem to make up my mind about the pan-fried prawns with miso mayonnaise, the special for the teppan and nimono / pan-fried and braised section. It’s an intensely flavorful and rich dish, almost too rich though, it sat very heavily in my stomach.

Special Ebi Miso Mayayaki. Prawns with miso mayonnaise sauce.

The sashimi section doesn’t have specials and the variety is pretty limited: Tuna, Australian king fish / hiramasa, salmon and octopus. But they have my favorite, swordfish, so I’m not complaining. Wish they had mackerel, sweet shrimp, surf clam and squid. I’m not complaining, just stating.

Sashimi. I always order it without the tuna, which I’ve never liked here. The rest is good.

Most of the other dishes on the menu are solid and well executed. In all my visits I’ve only had one dish that I didn’t like, an aburi-ed cheese and smoked pork sushi roll. It sounded good on paper, but blow torching ham and cheese just didn’t work out. Still it’s quite an impressive batting average with only one strike. There were quite a few home runs on the menu too.

Above average tempura

Competently grilled mackerel with salt

Grilled pork loin with miso sauce. Once it was really dry, another time it was good.

Sawara misoyaki. Grilled Spanish mackerel with miso sauce

I forgot which one this was… Shishamo / Japanese Capelin? So much to eat that I didn’t have time to take all the notes I wanted.

There’s a jellyfish appetizer that is for me, addictive. I love the textural crunch and its sweet and slightly spicy flavor. I order multiple helpings on each visit.

Jellyfish. Addictive.

Almost equally delicious baby octopus.

The grilled scallops topped with the same cod roe sauce from the aburi-ed salmon are also a winner.

Hotate Mentaiyaki. Grilled scallops with cod roe sauce.

Even though the teppan and nimono part of the menu had that questionable special, it’s actually one of the restaurant’s strongest sections. There is a delectably tender wafu steak and flavorful masu ni, a quick fried and braised grouper. The pork belly looked dry but was actually quite succulent.

Wafu tenderloin steak. It’s tender.

Masu Ni. You can have a whole grouper! Fantastic deal!

Buta Bara Koshio yaki. Pork belly. It looks dry but it’s actually quite succulent.

There isn’t any dessert on the buffet menu, but I was given a yuzu sorbet once and it was a great way to end a heavy meal. It was well made and you can’t really go wrong with yuzu.

Yuzu sorbet

Fried squid tentacles

Fried croquettes

So how does Shin Yuu tie into my entropy theory? Well the first time I was there, we had the complimentary toro as promised by the poster at the door, but no fugu. On my second visit there wasn’t any toro, in its stead were fried squid tentacles and croquettes. My third trip came up empty on any complimentary dishes. Yet the poster was still out there. I had a creeping fear that the restaurant which opened in August was starting its inevitable decent. However on my fourth lunch at Shin Yuu last Sunday, when it was almost deserted from what I guess was a Christmas weekend exodus, the restaurant came out with guns blazing. A row of those aburi-ed toro sushi bites, the perfect amuse, were laid out even before we had finished ordering. Followed in quick secession with raw salmon in a plum-like sauce, fried squid and tiny shrimp, plus two beautifully grilled hamachi collars. Both mine and my brother’s favorite.

Salmon with a plum-like sauce. Very nice.

Fried squid

Tiny shrimp, thats why they’re called shrimp

Grilled hamachi collar. One of my favorites.

Asked them to aburi some swordfish sushi. Next time I’m going to order a bunch of sushi and ask them to aburi everything.

I hope my Japanese buffet entropy theory is wrong because Shin Yuu, considering its usual offerings, almost pitch perfect performance and relatively cheap price tag, is a real gem.

Shin Yuu

16 Greenwood Avenue

Hillcrest Park

Singapore 289209

Tel: 6763-4939

Their Facebook page

Hours

Open daily for lunch from noon to 2:30 p.m. last order. For dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. last order.

Recommended dishes

Seasonal jelly fish; special unagi and avocado sushi roll; special aburi salmon sushi; wafu steak; masu ni grouper; special grilled beef short ribs; grilled scallop with cod roe sauce; special fried dory with cheese.

Price Range

A la carte buffet lunch for an adult, $35++; child, $20++. Dinner, $48++; child $28++.

Ok, I’ll admit that the ramen boy title is a bit misleading. I’m no ramen expert. I’d my first bowl of ramen only after coming back to Singapore. I’ve grown to like it though, more than any Japanese noodle. Luckily for me, Singapore is becoming quite a ramen city. Ramen shops have been sprouting up around Singapore, the latest being Ippudo, the famous Japanese ramen chain. It’s their second branch outside of Japan, their first being in my beloved New York City. Which I think speaks volumes on how Singapore is becoming a major gastronomic destination.

Pork Buns. Ippudo

But enough navel gazing, back to Ippudo, I joined June and her brother on a Sunday night during their soft opening to try the much hyped ramen. 9 p.m. and there was still a pretty long line, gratefully it was relatively fast moving.  June’s brother could hardly contain his excitement when we were finally seated. He was almost gleeful with anticipation to taste Ippudo’s ramen again. I like ramen but I’m not really a fanatic, so I wasn’t really infected by his enthusiasm. But after our pork buns came, I started to buy into it. The pork was tender and the bun, pillow-y soft, which contrasted with the crisp snap of the lettuce. It had a really flavorful sauce and… mayonnaise! Which made such a delicious flavor combination. It reminded me of the Samurai burger that MacDonald’s served in Singapore a very long time ago. (That comparison to MacDonald’s is a good thing, the burger remains one of my favorite food memories.)

Akamaru Modern. Ippudo

Our ramen arrived and it was quite a sight. My Akamaru Modern had a reddish-orange blush, a slick of black garlic oil and vivid green from the scallions, all set against the milky fat emulsified off-white broth. I was excited to eat it.

Hakata mini pork dumplings. They were indeed tiny. Ippudo.

It was good. But I expected more. Maybe it was the hype, or maybe it was because I’m a ramen noob. Maybe I just couldn’t grasp the intricacies, nuances of their ramen. It felt as if the ramen was lacking something but I didn’t know what.

Meltingly tender pork cheeks and fixings for the ramen. Santouka

As I started looking at my photos and writing this post around lunchtime the following Monday, I felt the sudden urge to eat ramen again. I needed another gauge. I called up a chef friend who has been urging me to check out a ramen place that serves theirs with pork cheek, one of our favorite meats.

Char siew pao with teriyaki sauce. Santouka

He picked me up and we drove to Hokkaido Ramen Santouka at The Central. They offered pork buns as well and we just couldn’t say no to that. This rendition had two slices of pork belly, a much more defined sauce and better fixings. The pork wasn’t as meltingly tender as Ippudo’s and I wished that there was mayo. But overall I preferred this one at Santouka.

Tokusen Toroniku Ramen, Shio. Santouka

It’s difficult for me to describe ramen broth; I don’t feel I have the right vocabulary, having been introduced to it so recently. So bear with me as I try.

My shio (salt) ramen with the fixings mixed in. Santouka

Imagine flavor being like a car and how fast it’s going as its intensity. My bowl at Ippudo was flavorful, but there was so much going on that everything got a little drowned out, a little diffused. It was like a car traveling fast but constantly making radical turns. There is speed but it doesn’t really get anywhere. Santouka’s broth though was like a car steadily accelerating on a straightaway. It started off not as aggressively as Ippudo’s, but the flavor was definitely more focused. The beautiful pork taste was well defined, and it lingered in my mouth.

My favorite noodles. Miharu

I also preferred the noodles at Santouka. They were a little thicker and chewier. More Q as the Chinese like to call it. Noodles at Ippudo were straight and thin, made in the Hakata style. But my favorite noodles are still from Miharu. They are yellow, curly and have just the right diameter, which makes for a substantial noodle that has the perfect chew.

Miharu

Miharu

Gyoza, Miharu

Gyoza innards, Miharu

Kyushu ramen original. Tampopo

But the highlight of Santouka is the pork cheek, which is meltingly soft and flavorful. I usually prefer my pork cheeks with more of a bite, a crunch to them, but these in the context of ramen worked.

Isn’t that a beauty? My favorite piece of pork. Tampopo

However my favorite ramen pork accompaniment is from Tampopo. Tampopo sometimes gets a bad rep. Some of it might be justified but take a look at the picture of that piece of pork. Doesn’t it look fucking good? It is. I love the alternating layers of fat and meat. I’ve always had very solid pork from the place. Their tonkatsu is pretty good as well. It’s crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside. It makes up for the fact that I can’t get enough of that rolled pork in the noodles. I always wish I had one more slice.

Black pig shabu ramen. Tampopo

Tonkatsu. Tampopo

One of the things that Ippudo does right is that they’re generous with their slices of pork like Noodle House Ken. There were quite a few pieces submerged below the soup of my Akamaru Modern.

Lots of pork at Noodle House Ken

You might have noticed that I never declared a favorite ramen joint. It’s not a cop out. As a food writer I firmly believe in putting your balls where your mouth is. (Ha ha ok that didn’t come out right.) What I wanted to convey is that writers should have the guts to stand by what they write. One of my pet peeves is reading a blog that reviews restaurants, only to state a disclaimer that all taste is subjective.

The thing I’ve learned while eating my way though Singapore’s ramen shops are that there is a multitude of ramen styles available. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. It wasn’t apparent to me at first. I thought ramen was ramen. But each region of Japan has its own variation. What makes it so fun and exciting is that I can eat across Japan, experiencing and celebrating all that ramen diversity within a few square kilometers in town, here in Singapore.

Check out all the different styles of ramen here.

Ippudo Singapore

#04-02/03/04 Mandarin Gallery

333A Orchard Road

Singapore 238867

Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Tel: 6235 2797

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

#02-76 The Central

6 Eu Tong Sen Street

Singapore 059817

Open from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. last order daily.

Tel: 6224 0668

Miharu Sapporo Ramen

#01-11 The Gallery Hotel

1 Nanson Road

Singapore 238909

Lunch from noon to 2:45 p.m.; Dinner from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. last order. Closed on Wednesdays.

Tel: 6733 8464

Tampopo

#01-23/24 Liang Court Shopping Center

177 River Valley Road

Singapore 179030

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. last order daily.

Tel: 6338 3186

Noodle House Ken

#01-17/18 Orchard Plaza

150 Orchard Road

Singapore 238841

Lunch from noon to 2 p.m.; dinner from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Friday. Saturday lunch from noon to 3 p.m.; dinner from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. or till sold out.

Tel: 6235 5540

1)   Stripping requires a high level of athleticism and grace.

2)   Strippers all smell the same, I think that there is a certain perfume that is de rigueur in their profession.

3)   You’ll have more fun if you go in a group mixed with guys and girls.

4)   Gorgeous strippers are never as enthusiastic as the average looking ones.

The gorgeous ones know that they’ll get tips and private dances on account of their drop-dead looks. The average ones on the other hand work harder to woo you and go out of their way to make sure you have a good time. Restaurants situated in spectacular surroundings, like gorgeous strippers, know that they don’t have to work as hard to get your money. And there are few places as scenic as Labrador Park, a coastal hill forest that overlooks cliffs and a rocky beach which hosts mainland Singapore’s only coral reef, observable during low tide. The topography and location offers sweeping vistas of Singapore’s southern coast. The British, realizing the strategic value of the location, built a network of tunnels and fortifications around the park during World War II, which you can still see. And nestled right in the middle of this lush greenery and history is the Olive Ristorante.

As a kid I loved Labrador Park. The tunnels and bunkers intrigued me. I used to launch my remote controlled hovercraft from the beach and would walk along the beach during low tide, fascinated with all the life scampering, peeking, hiding and swimming in those shallow pools. So I guess that’s why I chose the Olive as the first restaurant to visit when I came back to Singapore.

The cab driver dropped K-Dubs and I at the foot of a small hill. Cars aren’t allowed to go up, but there’s a covered walkway leading to the restaurant. It took a minute and wasn’t anything major, but ladies, you might want to consider that before wearing your towering Louboutins. I liked the open-air concept of the restaurant (or rather ristorante.) It exposed and connected us to the beautiful surroundings, unfortunately there isn’t too much of a view from the restaurant. Fortunately though, it wasn’t hot as there were numerous fans.

Labrador Seafood Platter: Scallops, prawns, smoked salmon & caviar. Chef’s special dressing.

We started off with the Labrador seafood platter and escargot. The seafood platter was attractively plated in a minimalistic sort of way. However I didn’t think that “platter” was particularly accurate, in light of how small it was. But Tiny Seafood Side Dish, no matter how accurate, just doesn’t have the same appeal. Another misnomer was the caviar, which turned out to be salmon roe, which are still fish eggs but a little misleading. The prawns were surprisingly crunchy, which I (guiltily) like. The scallops were not overcooked but I would have preferred it more rare and with more of a sear. The smoked salmon and the “secret sauce” were both unremarkable.

Escargot: Baked with butter garlic & cheese.

The snails had just a tad of grit but were decent, I’ve had better, but it’s not hard to like garlic-herb butter, especially when the garlic wasn’t overpowering.

Close up

Pizza Olive: Ham, onions, olives, zucchinis, artichokes, mozzarella cheese & tomato sauce.

My main, the US Kurobuta pork chop was cooked just right. It was tender and juicy with a delectable char. But the Kurobuta was surprisingly leaner and not as flavorful as it should be. To be fair, I was comparing it to a delicious Berkshire pork chop I had at Mario Batali’s Lupa, just before I left New York.

K-Dubs had the pizza and liked it.

US Kurobuta: Slow oven-baked marinated tender Kurobuta Pork.

We had the tiramisu for dessert. It was actually good: Luscious, moist and decadent. There was nothing bad about the meal. It was pleasant enough. However at what they were charging, I expected a little more. As I left, I still felt hungry. Just like a strip club, it was fun while it lasted, but it leaves you unsatisfied and wondering where all your money went.

Tiramisu: layers of finger biscuit, mascarpone cheese & liquor

That should have been that. I didn’t write the place off, but there are so many interesting and delicious dining options in Singapore that I couldn’t imagine why I would go back. I did go back though, not because of the restaurant, but the view at Moon Ladder bar, just a short walk from The Olive. I discovered the place, on the roof of Villa Seafood Galleria (they are all under the same management,) on my previous visit and it was a great place to chill out. The drinks are mediocre and the music is sometimes questionable, but it’s blessed with one of the best views in Singapore.

I was expecting the same overpriced but decent food and the first dish, a crayfish pasta confirmed it. There was a flavorful oil, but that was about it. The pasta came with only one crayfish and it was lonely.

Spaghetti Arragosta: Long Pasta with crayfish, chili & garlic in lobster oil.

The other pasta dish was more substantial. The mushrooms, loaded with glutamates gave the dish a big hit of umami and the prawns were still surprisingly crunchy. The pizza though was nothing to shout about. 

Linguine Scampi: Long Pasta with prawns, mushrooms, garlic & parsley in olive oil base.

Pizza Labrador: crispy bacon, capsicum, onion, olive, mozzarella & tomato sauce

Like the last time I was still hungry and we decided to get the seafood cartoccio for two. I was hesitant at first, because I’ve always had a superlative cartoccio at Dante’s back in Syracuse (across town from Dream Girls.) I’ll be honest, my expectations were not high. So I was pleasantly surprised when the dish arrived. It was generous; chock full of clams, mussels, prawns and even a whole crayfish, drenched in sauce. So it’s not the condimente that Mario Batali always talks about, but I don’t think they ever made a claim for authenticity. That sauce was fantastic. It’s tomato based, but it wasn’t too acidic, it had body, the juices of all that seafood gave it terrific flavor plus it was spiked with some of that delicious shellfish oil. There a certain char taste, like the “wok hei” you would get from hawkers stir-frying noodles in their seasoned iron woks and it really elevated the dish. Delicious and satisfying, at $35 with a portion size meant for two, it was the best bang for your buck, which stood out from the rest of the menu. I had mentioned before that I couldn’t imagine why I would come back here. Well I would gladly travel all the way back here for the cartoccio.

Spaghetti Cartoccio (for two): Long pasta with crayfish, clams, prawns & mussels in tomato sauce

A mountain of shells

Creme Brulee: Slow baked creme brulee with bourbon vanilla pods, topped with almond flakes. 

Tiramisu again

I did just that a few weeks ago. I was craving for that cartoccio and it’s mélange of flavors. When the menu was presented, I said I already knew what I wanted. The waitress finished my sentence by predicting that I would order the cartoccio. Apparently it has quite a following. I decided to try the rack of lamb as well. It required a 25-minute waiting time and I didn’t want to wait till after finishing the pasta to see if I wanted it.

Seafood Cartoccio, wish they used parchment paper instead of foil.

Well it didn’t take 25 minutes as stated on the menu, it practically came right after the pasta. Both surprisingly fast, so fast in fact that when the lamb was presented, I actually asked what it was, not believing that the three small nuggets of meat was the dish I ordered. It was pathetically small, more an appetizer than the most expensive item at $37 on the menu. I consoled myself that at least we had the pasta. It looked smaller; there wasn’t a mountain of clams like the last time. I eagerly took a spoonful of sauce and twirled up noodles. The flavors were listless and flat. The sauce was much different, very one-dimensional.

Rack of Lamb? More like lack of lamb.

I cut into the lamb. I wasn’t sure what part I was eating. I don’t think it was the rack, if it was, the lamb must have been the size of my cat. It was decent, ordinary. But this is a city that serves superb lamb, tender and flavorful, and so in comparison to other restaurants, this was probably the worst lamb I’ve had.

I was severely disappointed.

Lousy this time

The restaurant had squandered whatever goodwill it earned with their cartoccio from my last visit. I refused to believe that the dish could be so different. It was as if a different kitchen had cooked it. True enough, I found out later that they had a new chef. God I wish I could taste that cartoccio again.

Table on a pool at Villa Seafood Galleria, near the Olive.

But the pasta aside, I hoped that my third visit would contradict my first impression of the restaurant; sadly it only confirmed it. I was debating on how to write this post. Should I sugar coat or slant my story, I realized that even though this might be just a meal for me, that meal might represent the livelihoods of those people working in the restaurant or the dreams of an owner.

Moon Ladder Bar, above Villa Seafood Galleria.

But I also realize that I have a responsibility to portray the food as accurately as possible. The last thing I would want is for someone to waste his or her hard-earned money on a place that didn’t have decent food.

One of my biggest fears is to write something that isn’t right. I try my best to fact check everything. If I’m not sure of something I’ll look it up. The thing that gives me the most confidence to write about a place though is that of multiple visits.

I’m always tempted to write about a restaurant the moment I finish dessert. But first impressions are generally misleading if not wrong. I try to visit a restaurant at least three times before writing about it, so that I can piece together the most accurate picture of the place. 

The view from the bar.

Nice huh? Wish the food was as good.

The Olive Ristorante

Labrador Villa Road, Carpark A

Singapore 119189

Tel: 6479-2989

www.villaraintree.com (Group website)

Open from noon to 11 p.m., Monday to Saturday. 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.

Recommended dishes: None

Price Range:

Appetizers & salads, $9.50-$28; pasta & risotto, $16-$25; pizzas, $18-$25; mains, $28-$37; desserts, $3-$12.

Texture is a big thing for me.

Some of my favorite foods I love because of their texture, the meaty crunch of pork cheek, the chewiness of squid and the buttery mouthfeel of escolar/white tuna/poopy fish.

I’m extremely appreciative of thoughtful chefs who play with texture, contrasting different textural elements on a plate, bringing them deliciously into sharp relief. It gives their food an additional dimension and makes it a joy to eat. 

Gelato Sole.

If you look at the “about” section in this blog, you’d see that ice cream is my other joy-to-eat. And nothing showcases taste and texture quite like ice cream.

I’ve been all over sunny Singapore, looking for that perfect scoop. You name it and I’ve probably been there. Something that is distressingly prevalent is that even though the flavors are usually good, the textures wouldn’t match up. It sometimes boggles me that we won’t put up with bad flavors, but we will tolerate bad texture. Nothing irks me more than having rough ice crystals in my ice cream. 

Mecroche and coffee.

So what makes good ice cream? I’m looking for texture that is either light, airy and delicate (think liquid nitrogen frozen espumas and paco-jetted ice cream) or chewy, dense and luscious. Nothing in between please (although I have a weakness for soft-serve.) Which is why I love gelato. But I haven’t found anything in Singapore that approximates that authentic lush density. Then a few months ago, K-Dubs and I stumbled across Gelato Sole, hidden in the basement of United Square.

Gianduia and mango.

I was so taken with my first mouthful of their gelato, it was the chocolate-hazelnut gianduia, and it felt like I’d finally found something that I ‘d lost. It was superb. Definitely the best gelato in Singapore. But I say that with reservations.

Reservations because not all the flavors there taste as good. The cioccolato (chocolate), mecroche; which taste and feel like a Ferrero Rocher, nocciola (hazelnut), cookies and coffee are all excellent. But the pistachio and anything strawberry are surprisingly not so good. Their tiramisu and whisky cream, normally slam dunks, are disappointingly a little off and to the sweet side. Of their fruit based flavors stick to the limetta (lime), which is always good and their mango, which strangely can range from good to very good, because the intensity of flavor varies. Which brings me to my other point on why I have reservations on them having the best ice cream in town.

The newly made gelato (full tubs) usually have better texture than those lying out.

Consistency. They have what could be, and should be the best durian ice cream I’ve tried. The first few times I had it, it was truly phenomenal, intensely flavorful, luscious yet airy (seems to be a contradiction, but when they work their magic they seem to defy physics.) It was like they whipped up a whole bunch of durians and combined it with whipped cream. Yet lately, the D24 durian ice cream just doesn’t have that same oomph. Maybe it’s because I tried it the first time during the peak of durian season.

D24 durian gelato. When they get it right, it’s phenomenal. The best durian ice cream around.

It’s also really unfortunate that sometimes I can get lush, decadent gelato with that chewy, dense mouthfeel I love, yet other times, even with the same flavor, I don’t get that texture.

I hope it’s not because of poor quality control. Once when I got a chunk of pure ice in my gelato, I told the young Italian man on a laptop behind the counter, he had a shaved head and glasses. It wasn’t a complaint; I didn’t want a refund or another scoop, I just wanted him to know so maybe he could avoid it in the future. He just shrugged his shoulders and went back to his computer.

But I love the place. It’s one of two of my favorites, the other being Tom’s Palette. When they get it right, it is the only place in Singapore to get authentic gelato.

Strawberries and strawberries with yogurt.

Pistachio and cookies.

Prices

One more!

Gelato Sole

United Square #B1-K4

101 Thomson Road

Singapore 307591

Tel: 9040-6195

www.gelatosole.com

Open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Recommended flavors

Gianduia, mecroche, nocciola, cioccolato, cookies, limetta, mango and durian.

Price range

One scoop cone, $3.80; two scoops cone, $6.80; two scoops cup, $5.60; three scoops cup $7.20; four scoops cup $8.10; take away ½ liter, $14.80; take away one liter, $28.80

Me: I think it’s around $28

K-Dubs: Dude if it’s that cheap then let’s do it.

Me: Let me check, (walks to the computers at the gym, googles “Brazilian + United Square.” Gets number. Apparently the Brazilian Embassy is also at United Square.)

Dials (The restaurant, not the embassy.)

Person on other end of the line: Hello Fiesta Brasilia.

Me: Hi, I was wondering how much your lunch buffet costs.

Person on other end of the line: $21.80.

Me: Oh wow, (says to K-Dubs) $21.80.

K-Dubs: (Pleasantly surprised look.)

Me: (Thinking there must be some catch for being so cheap) Uh do you have chicken hearts?

Person on other end of the line: Yes

K-Dubs: (To me) Pineapple?

Me: Do you have grilled pineapple?

Person on other end of the line: We do.

Me: We’ll be coming in for lunch.

The first thing I noticed about the place was that even though it looked festive it didn’t look “cheap.” The salad/hot bar was ordinary, if limited. But I liked that they had hearts of palm.

The first item that the passadors brought out, bacon wrapped chicken, was dry. I guess you get what you pay for. I passed on the roast chicken thigh that came next, thinking it would be dry as well. But K-Dubs and Cheryl (who joined us at the gym that day) said it was really good. The chicken hearts came. It’s the highlight of all my churrascaria meals. I asked for more and the passador was surprised and impressed that I liked them. But these were overcooked and had shriveled up. I guessed that they probably sat on the grill for a long time because no one wanted them.

Then there was the beef hump, it’s a weird name, but it was like brisket and it was delicious; beautifully browned in high heat and striated with charred fat. It went really well with the piquant chimichurri-like sauce they provided for the table.

After the hump was the rump, a semi-circle cut of beef with a thick layer of fat on its circumference. The first slice was medium-rare, but I saw the gorgeous rare meat that the large slicing knife revealed as it sliced off the exterior layer and I asked for that as well. Oh man it was good. Rare beef and charred fat really do it for me.

I tried the ham, but it was lackluster. I was surprised when they brought out nuggets of fried banana. It was fluffy and flavorful and it provided a very welcomed intermezzo between all the meat.

I got up to get more hearts-of-palm and beets, when I returned there was a piece of Snowfish on my bread plate. I was surprised again by how well it was cooked. Usually fish at these places are overcooked.

The chicken hearts returned, these looked so much better. I asked for more and the passador gave me half the skewer. These were plump and juicy with that pleasant chewiness to them that I love.

I passed on the sausage, like the ham it looked lackluster. I was starting to think about what I would like to have again to end my meal. Some garlic beef arrived and I acquiesced, just for a taste. It was good but I had to budget stomach space for more rump and chicken hearts. The grilled pineapple came, it was burnt. K-Dubs was disappointed. I had more rump and was feeling full. I got up to let gravity free up more space in my stomach (like de-fragmenting your computer,) but also to get a new plate.

The passador brought out another skewer of hearts for me. He placed his knife a third of the way up. I asked for more. He put his knife right at the very top. I think he was just joking. But I paused for a few seconds, calculating stomach capacity against when I would probably get to eat those delectable hearts again. And I said, “Sure, why not.”

The passador, with one fluid stroke, slid the entire row of hearts on to my plate.

I finished it all.

Another helping of pineapple came, I was feeling rather full at this point, but I couldn’t resist the properly caramelized pineapple. It was much better that the first. Then K-Dubs made a comment about how it would go well with ice cream. So I got up and got ice cream.

I had a boss whose motto was under-promise and over-deliver. I wasn’t expecting much for $21.80, but I was really impressed with what they delivered with that limited budget. I’ve been following a sort of “semi-timeline” for this blog. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t blog about this. I didn’t even have my camera with me. But when coffee and tea arrived, which is included in the meal, I was utterly charmed that they served Gryphon Tea, a gourmet brand. I was expecting generic Lipton. And to top it off, the chamomile came with a shot of honey. Cheryl who is a coffee fanatic said their coffee, which used Brazilian beans, was really good too.

In my time back in Singapore, I’ve been eating out a lot, which you’ll read about in due time. I have to admit that at first I was very excited with the dining scene here. It had grown so much since my time away in the States. But the problem with having excellent meals is that after a while I started going to restaurant expecting to be impressed, a sort of “I’m here now, give me your best shot” mentality. As a result its been some time since any restaurant has impressed me.

Fiesta Brasilia is a place that had all the factors to NOT impress. It wasn’t cheap, especially when you take into consideration that you can get excellent hawker food for less than $5. The food isn’t particularly great or refined. But it is relatively cheap; $20 for all that food, and all that meat is a steal. I was so full that I skipped dinner. It was like $20 for two meals! The food too, when they get it right, is good, on par with and sometimes exceeding other more expensive churrascarias that can be content with serving quantity and not quality. But it’s the little flourishes, like the fried bananas and gourmet tea that make this place so disarmingly charming, and therefore such a pleasure to dine at.  Thank you for reminding me about how much fun it is to dine out.

Fiesta Brasilia

101 Thomson Road

#B-15/16 United Square

Singapore 307591

Tel: 6250-0108

www.fiesta.com.sg

Lunch from 11.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. (Finally a late lunch place so we don’t’ have to rush at the gym!) Dinner from 6 p.m. to 11p.m. daily.

P.S. They were playing a pretty groovy playlist at the place, I wished they played this song from the great Brazilian movie Elite Squad, it’s totally inappropriate, but it’s a rocking song: