PeraMakan @ Keppel Bay

I was tasked with looking around for good Peranakan places and somehow stumbled upon Peramakan from various singapore foodie blogs. So I decided to give it a try in spite of the "ulu-ness" of the place.

For the benefit of those that do not know, Peranakans' ancestry can be traced back to the Chinese that settled here even before the British came (some put it around 700 years ago). Generations after generations, these local chinese soon became localized and formed the core group of the indigenous people in Singapura. Their culture has elements of both Malay and Chinese, making it an unique blend in Southeast Asia.

Getting into this Peramakan is a chore on its own - my advice: just take cab! Located within the Keppel Club (Note: NOT keppel BAY), it was a drive in from the main road and it was pretty quiet when I stepped in at 6.30 p.m

There were only 2 of us, so we could only give at most (as recommended by the waitress) 4 dishes a try. So first up is the Nonya Chap Chye ($10). Note that the portions here are fixed (3 - 4 people to a dish), so don't expect different prices if you have only 1 - 2 people. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the Chap Chye. The dried beancurd skin taste is a little too overwhelming but for those that love that, the dish is actually quite tasty. 

Nyonya Chap Chye

Next up is the Babi Pongteh ($14). This Nyonya dish (which is more common in Singapore & Malacca) consist of braised pork cooked with "taucheo" (salted soy beans), sugar and cinnamon beans. This mixture of ingredients gives it an unique sweet and savory taste and is one of my favorite Peranakan dish. The usual Babi Pongteh usually comes with the fatty meat but the dish here is served with a healthier chunk of meat. The taste actually borders the blend side but is still acceptable, especially for the health-conscious ones.

Babi Pongteh

Awhile later, our last main dish came - Sotong Goreng Assam ($14). The stir-fried squid was drenched in Tamarind sauce and has a very sweet taste to it. Compared to the Babi Pongteh, this dish was almost too sweet. However, on its own, the rich flavor and the nicely cooked squid makes this dish really tasty and a good break away from the typical savory food. My favorite dish for the night!

Sotong Goreng Assam

After all the mains came the desserts. We ordered the Sago dessert with the usual Gula Melaka. Pretty decent desserts and a good end to our meal. Though I would prefer a little more Gula Melaka.

Sago Gula Melaka

All in all, this place is one of the better places I have been for Peranakan food. Despite its "ulu" location, I would still recommend anyone interested in Peranakan food to give this place a shot. I would recommend the Chap Chye and Sotong Goreng Assam, but there are so many other choices that I'm sure I'll need to visit it again to make a better judgement.

Peramakan

Level 3, Keppel Club
10 Bukit Chermin Road S109918
(5 minutes drive from Vivo City)

Tel: +65 63772829
http://www.peramakan.com/

Monday - Sunday
Lunch 11:30 am - 3.00 pm
Dinner 6.00 pm - 10.00 pm

Price Range: $$$ (out of 6 $$$)

For more photos: http://on.fb.me/JoJ4N4

I AM BACK!!! and Brunch @ Hummerstons

The last time I posted was more than 3 months ago and anyone visiting would have thought this blog has died. Well, this is far from the truth.

It has been a hectic 3 months for me - balancing my new job (I'm interning at a crazy place), squeezing in time for my interests (e.g. planning trips) and basically getting used to the 9 - 6 lifestyle. As history has shown, I simply failed terribly. However, that's another story for another day. The fact is that I'm back and I'm here to stay :)


In the interim, I have many things that I would love to share, but I'll start of with the most recent one - my brunch at Hummerstons. It was the first meet-up for the upcoming USA 2012 trip gang and we decided on Hummerstons since most of us had a hankering for a good early brunch meal.

Most of the restaurants at Robertson Quay would spill over into the common square, leaving them to be very open and exposed (not really to my liking). Hummerstons, however, is tucked nicely on the 2nd floor, which means its far enough away from the crowd but not so far as to become too "ulu". The interior is simple yet spacious, good enough for large crowds coming in different group size.

It took us quite a while to decide what we want (we were definitely spoilt for choice) and we settled on everyone ordering different dishes so that we could all share (well, almost everyone). So here is what we ordered:

First up, Kelvin decided to order the Hummerston's Breakfast. The mega breakfast set with bacon, sausage, eggs and toast all in one. Because of its sheer quantity, its one of the more expensive dish at $24. However, its definitely worth it if you are undecided, really hungry or both.

Hummerston's Breakfast Set

Next, Dina ordered the Eggs Benedict. As Dina aptly puts it, this dish is usually THE dish to order in any all-day breakfast place, which I completely agree. However, the Eggs Benedict here is nothing to rave about. The eggs generally lacks seasoning and is a forgettable dish.

Eggs Benedict

Dawn and Sandy both decided to get truffle scrambled eggs. When the dish came, the truffle smell basically filled the entire table - so do not worry about not being able to taste the truffle at all. On first bite, I would say the truffle taste is a little overwhelming (almost replacing the scramble eggs) but the mushroom and homemade sausages were tasty. Be prepared to pay - price: $25

Truffle Scrambled Eggs

One of my personal favorites: Pancakes. Its fluffy goodness all in one plate! Put on the butter, syrup and the jam and we are good to go. We liked it so much that we ordered another one to share  (apart from the one Xiuli had).

Soft and Fluffy Pancakes

Last but not least is what I ordered - Breakfast Tostada: Grilled smoked pork and garlic sausages served with asparagus, scrambled eggs and crispy corn tortilla. I would definitely recommend this dish. An interesting mexican spin to the typical brunch menu, the homemade sausage was seasoned nicely and went well with the eggs.

Cripsy Tortilla with Eggs and Sausage

Overall, Hummerstons serves up a good all-day breakfast. Among all the dishes I have tasted so far, I would highly recommend the pancakes. The Breakfast Tostada would be an interesting choice for anyone steering clear of the usual. Prices range from $19 - $25 for the breakfast main courses.

The place itself is convenient for most yet elusive enough for a romantic date. Head in early for brunch as the crowd usually comes around 11.30 a.m during weekends.

Hummerstons
11 Unity Street #02-14, Robertson Walk
Singapore 237995

Tel: 84281620
https://www.facebook.com/Hummerstons

Tuesday - Friday: 12 pm - 12 am
Saturday - Sunday: 10 am - 12 am

Price Range: $$$ (out of 6 $)


For more photos, please visit: http://on.fb.me/IQltmW

Foodie Tour of Malaysia (Day 2)

Day 2 of the trip started with us leaving Malacca and heading for Genting. Before we left Malacca, we stopped for our first meal of the day - Beef Noodles at Jalan Bachang, Malacca. This place serves one of the best Beef Noodles that I have eaten. The combination of a rich-flavored spicy soup (apparently they have toned down their level of spiciness) and the soft flat noodles makes a perfect start to a day. The fried pork chop is also a must-order with its succulent meat that is fried to perfection. Order a separate bowl of salted vegetable and mix in for a better blend. This meal would not be complete without their signature chili paste. The chili itself is not overly spicy and goes very well with both the fried pork chop and the noodles.

Exterior of the Restaurant

Kitchen

The Famous Chili Paste

The Superstar - Beef Noodles

Never Leave Without the Fried Pork Chop

Good Start to a Good Day

Menu For Your Reference

After the main course, we had fruits for desserts. What Fruits? Obviously, we had durians and mangosteens (its Malaysia!). We headed to the stall opposite the Pork Chop Noodles place and ordered ourselves a load of durians. The rich creamy meat of the Mao Shang Wang durian was more than enough to cause a mini-orgasm in my mouth. The mangosteen balanced the "heaty-ness" of the durians nicely. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Mao Shang Wang Durians

More Durians

The Price is Fantabulous!

Rich Creamy Meat

Meet the King and Queen of Fruits

Irresistible Desserts 

After a fantastic meal, we headed to up the mountain to the Highlands of Genting. Food isn't one of that place's forte so there isn't much to share when it comes to eating. A small surprise came when we ordered the Asam Laksa, Penang Prawn Noodles and Thick French Toast at the Old Town Coffee Shop. They were actually quite nice (maybe its the low expectation) and had us craving for more. It's worth a try when you are at Genting. Nevertheless, we had a ball of a time, going around casino-hopping, beer drinking and even shopping. Genting still hasn't lost its charm after all these years.

Its Christmas Celebrations in Genting 

Asam Laksa at Old Town

Thick French Toast

Hello Genting

Goodbye Genting

Foodie Tour of Malaysia (Day 1)

After a month of non-stop activities, from celebrations to my reservist duties, I finally managed to find time to continue with this blog and share my foodie journey for the last few weeks of 2011.

The first highlight of December (which proved to be the best) was my Malaysian trip with my girlfriend's family. It was my one and only chance to go "overseas" this holidays and I was determined to make full use of it. So it was off to Malacca first, then to Genting and last stop was the capital city - Kuala Lumpur.

Our first stop was our usual breakfast haunt - Simpang Renggang Bah Kut Teh. The Bah Kut Teh here is very different from the peppery kind we find Singapore and it offers a lot more in a clay pot than most of what the Singapore ones have.

Simpang Reggang BKT

The soup itself is herb-based and you have the options of adding other food items, ranging from straw mushrooms and tau pok to intestines and liver. The entire mix makes the soup really tasty and irresistible. The meat itself is cut up into bite sizes and its tender and easy to eat. The portions are pretty generous so there is plenty to go around. The salted vegetables here is one of my favorite salted vegetables around. It is neither too salty or blend and has that extra special ingredient added that you can't find in Singapore. Bravo!

My Favorite "Giam Cai"

Leftovers Pig Trotters

After our hearty breakfast, we headed up to Malacca for our next meal. Some of our must-try Malacca favorites included Chicken Rice Balls and Gula Melaka Ice Kachang. We took advantage of our large group and managed to share, not just these two dishes, but also Asam Laksa (from the same stall as the Ice Kachang) and Kueh Pie Tee. All these can be found in Jonker Street.

The chicken rice itself is nothing special (besides the fact that it comes in a shape of a ball). The chicken was at most average but the rice balls were quite tasty. Its worth a try just for the novelty effect but not good enough for me to frequent this place. The Gula Melaka Ice Kachang was the real deal - the perfect dessert for the sweet-tooths. The Asam Laksa and Kueh Pie Tee was pretty good as well, making that shop the perfect place for a lunch time stop (and a revisit) in Jonker street.

Start of Jonker Street

Chicken Rice Balls

The Famous Balls

Jonker 88

Vintage Exhibitions 

Gula Melaka Ice Kachang

Asam Laksa

Kueh Pie Tee

We were obviously completely stuffed after this awesome meal, so we decided to walk it off by shopping at Mahkota Shopping Center. After nearly 3 - 4 hours of non stop walking, it was time to head for dinner. We decided to stick to our usual dinner plans - Peranakan Cuisine. We went down to the Restoran Ole Sayang near the Mahkota Shopping Center and ordered a grand total of 8 dishes, each with its own unique flavor (though most of them are actually quite spicy). My favorite amongst all the dishes was the Ayam Ponteh. This is one of the rare few non-spicy dish that has a well balance salted tinge to the sauce. 

Ole Sayang 

Entering the Restaurant 

My Favorite - Ayam Pongteh

Fried Fish

A Grand Total of 8 Dishes

Of course, a perfect ending to this day would be the all-time favorite A&W Rootbeer Float. After all these, we dragged our full bellies and headed back the Jonker Street Boutique Hotel for a good night's rest.

The Perfect Ending 

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