Makansutra: New Year's Eve food tour to take you into 2019 - The New Paper

For those looking for a different way to mark the start of 2019 instead of with the usual fireworks or just sleeping through the whole thing, here's an idea.

Eat your way into the next year with a side of fireworks thrown in.

For convenience, I'll spin this around the south and east of Singapore, so you can also catch the pyrotechnics live at Marina Bay.

Gather the gang at 9.30pm. Remember to skip dinner, and maybe lunch.

And I left some walking from stop to stop for bonding and calorie-burning.

---

9.30pm: Keng Wah Sung Coffeeshop, 783 Geylang Road (by Lorong 41)

Assemble at this popular roti kaya kopitiam at the edge of Geylang for a slice of real local night coffee shop culture.

Their own-made kaya is thick and rich - order the soft and toasted bread version. It is okay to get breakfast-style soft boiled egg at this hour and wash it down with a cup of kopi.

Then head to Paya Lebar MRT station (about 13 minutes' walk) and head to Nicoll Highway MRT station via the Circle Line.

10.15pm: M A Deen Biasa, 95-97 Jalan Sultan

Walk about 12 minutes and dive into the uber-peppery sup kambing (a method they employ to calm the gaminess of the mutton).

Remember to have it with dunk-size pieces of baguette and enjoy what may be the last few alleyway alfresco seating places in Singapore.

Head back to Nicoll Highway MRT station and proceed to Esplanade MRT station. This is where it gets fun.

11.20pm: Gluttons Bay, 8 Raffles Ave, beside the Esplanade

It's best to enter from across Marina Square to avoid the masses.

The Swatow Seafood Restaurant folks now have a dim sum station at the food market and the Combo Dumping Platter is a must-makan. The three glass skin dumplings set - with red bean, chives and radish hae bi - is the restaurant's signature dish and there is a reason why every other table has an order of it.

Then tear into Syifa' Satay, whose new operator and chef is currently making waves in the makan circle. The meat is grilled well with the insides soft and moist, unlike the roasted cardboard ones we get at many so-so places.

Order takeaway and head to the steps outside Marina Square, where you can reserve a higher spot to get a big picture view of the extended fireworks display at midnight. When you have had enough, return to Esplanade MRT station and make your way back to Paya Lebar MRT station.

1am: New Scissor-cut Curry Rice, 669 Geylang Road (by Lorong 35)

Walk 15 minutes to Lorong 35 and jostle with some taxi drivers - this is one of their favourite midnight chow spots - for a serious meal of Hainan Scissor Cut Curry Rice.

Must-have toppings include the thin pork chops, braised cabbage and a fried egg.

It is very comforting to see them slather the rice with two types of thick but tame curries.

After the meal, walk six minutes towards Lorong 39.

1.45am: Rochor Beancurd, 745 Geylang Road

My usual order of cold tau huay milk with a bowl of hot silky bean curd is my favourite nightcap. Devour it slowly, ponder the year ahead, make some resolutions (top of which is to go easy on overeating in 2019), then stagger home.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.tnp.sg/lifestyle/makan/makansutra-new-years-eve-food-tour-take-you-2019 2018-12-26 22:00:00Z

Read More

Best makan moments of 2018, Latest Weets Eats News - The New Paper

The best food moments of 2018 come to me in bits and chunks. From as small as a single mala potato chip, to a table full of home-cooked food inside a Housing Board flat in Tiong Bahru, it was a delicious year.

Here are some experiences, places and dishes that I enjoyed tremendously, and I hope you will try in 2019.

HOME DINING

This was the year I discovered the wonders of private kitchens. The concept has been around for a few years, but I finally tried it and emerged a fan. There are a few I can suggest.

Tinoq (Tel: 9338-6439) - run by celebrity make-up artist Tinoq Russell Goh - is probably the kitchen of the moment, and rightfully so.

Dinner at his colourful home in Tiong Bahru is a table full of home-style Peranakan dishes, and you leave with a belly full with laughter. His bakwan kepiting (meatball soup) is sensational, and I can drink pots of his chicken curry.

Other Peranakan private kitchens to try include Lynnette's Kitchen (lynnetteskitchen.com) and Baba Steven's Private Dining (Tel: 9750-6564).

For Malaysian food, The Ampang Kitchen (Tel: 9618-7107) is reliable.

New player Ben Fatto (www.benfatto95.com) makes fresh pasta as you eat, while fans of anything pork must head to Ownself Make Chef (ownselfmakechef@gmail.com), a project by Mod-Sin chef Shen Tan.

OLD IS GOLD

Good old-fashioned dishes done the good old-fashioned way is always appealing to me, but it is the updates that earn my obsession. This year, several dishes caught my attention.

On top of the list is the pork chop at Violet Oon Singapore (Ion Orchard #03-28/29, Tel: 9834-9935). The Hainanese pork chop ($34) is an elevated version with deep-fried Kurobuta pork loin crusted with a cream cracker batter and house-made tomato reduction (also known as ketchup).

Each element works with the next, and there was enough fat on the meat to keep it interesting.

At Majestic Restaurant (Marina One The Heart, East Tower, #04-01, Tel: 6250-1988), the twist on satay is the pan-fried diced US beef tenderloin in Singapore-style satay sauce. The cubes of beef were tender, served with an aromatic peanut sauce.

A roast chicken is as common and traditional as it gets, so finding a great one was exciting for me. One of my favourite versions is at Summer Hill (106 Clementi Street 12, #01-62, Tel: 6251-5337). Its signature roast chicken ($25) is tender, juicy and flavourful, with a slurp-worthy gravy. The chicken is hormone- and antibiotic-free, which means sweeter breast meat.

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES

As we try to correct the course towards destruction our planet seems headed towards, the act of cutting back on meat has gained popularity.

And with increased awareness comes more restaurants offering great vegetarian options.

One of my favourites of 2018 is from vegetarian restaurant Ganglamedo (40 Craig Road, Tel: 6423-9788). Its nagqu cordyceps double-boiled soup ($68) is about the most comforting and nourishing soup you can try. Just smelling it is fulfilling - the subtle woodiness adds to the experience.

When it comes to pretty food, the roast carrots, ricotta, apricot and rosemary ($10) from Maggie Joan's (110 Amoy Street #01-01, Tel: 6221-5564) is hard to beat. But thank goodness, the taste matches the look. There are other vegetarian options there too.

WHEN MONEY IS NO OBJECT

I was happy that in 2018, I've had really expensive meals and some amazing cheap bites.

At the high end of the scale is Sushi Ayumu (Mandarin Gallery #04-16, Tel: 6733-2114). I was fed well and entertained at the same time. Dinner starts from $280, but if you can afford it, it is worth the splurge.

One of the best and most affordable food moments was when I sat by myself at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, slowly enjoying a bowl of chendol from Old Amoy Chendol (#02-008, Tel: 8748-7590) while the food court chugged along. The brand was launched in 1950, closed in 2004, but was revived this year with the original recipe.

You can dictate how sweet you want it - the original version does not have an insane level of sweetness - and the gula melaka is yummy. It is definitely a mood booster.

CHIPPED

This year, people got creative with potato chips.

The mala potato chips ($7) from Ooh is both spicy and numb, and very addictive. The bottom of the pack is really intense, so proceed with caution.

There is also a cassava version at the same price.

You can buy it online (www.ooh.sg), at Plaza Singapura or via websites Shopee or Lazada.

Truffle may have been around forever but the new truffle chips ($9.90) from Aroma Truffle & Co got me excited.

The original version is especially good, while the parmesan version is for those who like bold flavours. You can order these via aromatruffle.com

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.tnp.sg/lifestyle/weets-eats/best-makan-moments-2018 2018-12-26 22:00:00Z

Read More