Ayam Penyat Ria: Smashed Chicken in Town

Ayam Penyat, which means "Smashed Fried Chicken", is a famous Indonesian dish consisting Fried Chicken (Smashed to make it softer), cucumber,  Sambal Chili and tempeh. I first got introduced to this dish when I was in NUS, where there was a pretty famous stall in the Engineering Faculty Canteen and the top level of The Deck. Now that I have graduated, I hardly have a chance to eat Ayam Penyat outside. So when Dawn mentioned she missed the Ayam Penyat there, I thought a trip into Lucky Plaza would prove to be more convenient and equally good.

Within Lucky Plaza, there are more than 3 different restaurants specializing in Ayam Penyat, so making a decision could be tricky. Dawn did some research (through blog and review sites) and we decided on Ayam Penyat Ria. When we reached the restaurant, the queue outside hinted that we may have made the right choice. A little advice: Don't be put off by the queue outside, the turnover rate for this place is really quick, so just be a little patient and it will be your turn real quick.

The Food

Obviously, we ordered the Ayam Penyat. There are two elements to this dish (actually three if you count the rice) - the Smashed Chicken and the Chili. The chicken (as mentioned) is usually smashed to make it softer. In this case, the chicken is indeed soft, juicy and easy to eat - easily my favorite feature of this dish.  The Chili looks really innocent, but packs a punch when you mix it with your rice/chicken. If you got a decent tolerance for spicy-ness, this goes great with the chicken and rice. The only complain I have for this dish is the size of the chicken. For some reason, our chicken was pretty small (compared to surrounding tables). Maybe we just drew the wrong end of the stick.

Our shared dish was the Tahu Telor - fried "Tahu" with omelette. As I'm not a fan (actually to the point of dislike) of Tahu, I won't put in my review of this dish. According to Dawn, the Tahu Telor here is only average at best. The fried egg was not very fragrant as well. The best part of the dish was the sauce, but they didn't give enough of it.

The Keropok here deserves special mention. Sometimes, the crackers you get have been out for long and have lost their crisp. Not for here. Despite being into the last 1/2 hour of service, their crackers are still crispy and tasted fresh. I wouldn't mind another plate if it didn't cost $1.60 for a mere few piecees.

We ordered the Iced Chendol and "Happy Soda" (which actually is Fizzy Bandung) to quench our thirst. I actually like the fizzy bandung but once again, the portions could have been much bigger.

The Price

The food here is definitely a considerable cheaper "restaurant" option as compared to the restaurants in town. However, due to its location (there is always a "town premium" when eating in Orchard), it is actually pretty pricey. Here's the breakdown - Ayam Penyat ($7.40), Tahu Telor ($6.10), Chendol Ice ($3.60), Fizzy Bandung ($2.30) and Keropok ($1.60). We paid around $15 pax for the meal.

Overall, the food here is pretty decent and given the crowd, seems like a popular choice. My complains include the less-than-satisfying portions and the fast-food style ordering (it was a hassle if you want to add on small orders after ordering). The food came really quickly so you can expect a fast turnover rate for the consumers. Given the number of choices within Lucky Plaza, I can't help but feel that there are better options out there. So I probably have to try the others (here and all over Singapore) before putting down any judgement. For now, I think it's a "worth-a-try" standard.

Ayam Penyat Ria
Lucky Plaza #01-45/46/47, Orchard Road
Tel: 6235  6390
11 am - 9 pm
Every Day Open

Shaw Towers: Ah Loy Thai

Ah Loy Thai has always been one of those places that I always walk by and tell myself "I've gotta come here sometime". Most of these "places" usually end up folding before the "sometime" arrives and I have to live with the regret of procrastination (or the believing of the illusion of permanence). Fortunately, I managed to eat at Ah Loy Thai before anything happened to it.

The place itself is easy to find (just opposite Tom's Palette Ice Cream), simple and spacious. It is usually known to be very crowded during weekends but during week days (I was there on a Monday evening), it is actually pretty easy to get a seat.

The Food

For every first visit to any Thai restaurants, there are 3 standard dishes that I would definitely order - Chai Yen (aka Thai Ice Tea), Salad (Mango, Papaya or Glass Noodles) and Tom Yum Soup. My "alternative" dishes (ie Main dishes) will be Phad Thai or Green Curry.

So here's the lowdown on the "compulsory" dishes.

Usually (in Thailand especially), the Thai Iced Tea has to be stirred, allowing the ice to slightly melt, before drinking. This is due to the fact that the Thai Iced Tea is usually very concentrated and will be too sweet for immediate consumption (unless you have a very sweet tooth). This would explain the generous portions of ice in the drink.

The Thai Iced Tea here is already "adjusted" to the post-stirring taste and is fit for immediate consumption. So at first gulp, the drink will be refreshing and well balanced. However, after the ice melted, it will pretty much dilute the drink into (given the amount of ice) almost a bland tasting iced water. My advice - order it in the middle of the meal.

We ordered the Glass Noodles Salad. The dish was pretty disappointing. On the bright side, there was a pretty generous portion of noodles and prawns, making a decent meal for people on a diet (or with really small appetite). However, it lacked the "kick" usually provided by the sour-y taste of the salad or the spicy-ness found inside.

My take on their Tom Yum Soup is pretty much the same as the salad. It was neither too spicy nor too sour (lacking the kick), yet it gave us a pretty generous portion of prawns and mushrooms. If you like something on a moderate taste scale, the salad and tom yum soup here will be good for you.

Now, for the rest of the dishes

The Phad Thai here is actually pretty good. Although it leaned towards the blend side (to some it might taste "healthier"), add a little bit of Nam Pla (Fish Sauce) and chill powder and you are good to go. What I love most about this dish is the little fried omelette pieces. It's a pity they don't have an entire omelette dish in their menu.

We decided to order the Fried Kai Lan (Spicy) and Fried Basil Leaves with Pork. Definitely not their forte. The vegetables were a little too hard for my liking. However the sauce is quite good and goes well with the pork.

This dish might look unimpressive at first, but it's better than it looks. The rice is actually quite flavorful and coupled with the omelette pieces, raisins and prawns, it makes a wonderful dish. The portions is pretty big, so you might want to share if you are a small eater.

Price

For a Thai restaurant, the price is pretty reasonable (slightly cheaper than Golden Mile). Our Tom Yam soup (that fed 2) was $8.50, Phad Thai and Pineapple Rice was $7 and the Vegetables were $5.50 and $6.80. Thai Iced Tea was $2.20 per cup. The total bill came up to around $23 pax. On top of that, the portions were pretty good (for the rice and noodles), so sharing is definitely an option.

Overall, the Thai food here is what I called "adjusted" Thai food. The tastes (especially the spicy-ness) have been toned down by quite a bit to fit the tourists' and local tastebuds. It certainly lacked the kick that Thai food in Golden Mile have to offer, but it is still  tasty and flavorful and does not fail in its authenticity. Good Thai food!

100 Beach Road

#01-39/40 Shaw Towers

Tel: 9165 1543

First Blog of 2013: New Lucky Claypot Rice

My apologies for the long leave of absence from updating my blog. As much as I had planned to do regular updates and even revamp my blog (as you can see, all that really changed is my photo watermark), I was so caught up with my job hunt/reservists/Christmas & New Year plans/travels that none of these plans actually materialized.

As for 2013, I am two weeks into my job and have pretty much acclimatize to the working schedule. First two weeks was purely getting used to waking up before daybreak, so it was pretty much wake-work-sleep (and the sequence continue). Finally, I'm more or less used to the routine (OH I HATE ROUTINES!!!) so I can now spend more effort on continuing my blog.

So for the rest of the year, you can expect more consistent blogging (now that I also have the finances to back up my foodie adventures) and probably a revamped blog too. *Fingers Crossed* So stay tuned! 2013 will be an exciting year!

Oh! I also agreed to write for The Smart Local - a Singapore-based review site initiated by our very own locals. I feel its a great way for us to not only support (and discover) local highlights but also to support our local entrepreneurs. Feel free to visit the site for the next best place for fun, food and adventure.

Now back to business...

New Lucky Claypot Rice

The day started off with Dawn having a hankering for Claypot Rice, so I decided to go online and hunt for recommendations from our local bloggers & review sites. The search led me to the gem that is in Holland Drive - New Lucky Claypot Rice. Featured on ieatishootipost and the CEO's 2012 hawker choice for best Claypot Rice, I knew I just had to try this stall to see how good it actually is.

The Food

The most basic criteria for a decent (not even fantastic) Claypot Rice is that the rice has to be cooked INSIDE the claypot from scratch. Many places try to circumvent this "requirement" (for ease and quickness in cooking), pre-cooking the rice and merely heating it up (with the ingredients) inside the pot. What you get is just rice with dishes (just think Mixed Fried Rice) without all the flavors from the pot. Thankfully, New Lucky Claypot still cooks it in the traditional way.

To me, the defining factors for a good Claypot Rice are 1) the texture of the rice, 2) the various non-rice ingredients (chicken & lup cheong [sausages] are must-haves, the rest is varied according to the stall owner) and 3) the overall flavor when the rice, sauce and other ingredients are put together.

For New Lucky Claypot, the texture of the rice was perfect. It was firm, well separated and had just enough moisture to balance it all. The rice was also nicely burnt at the bottom which means the timing was done perfectly by the chef.

As for the second factor, New Lucky Claypot gives a decent portion of lup cheong, chicken and salted fish. The lup cheong (as I agree with ieatishootipost) was the best thing in the pot. The fragrance of the meat with its lovely texture gave the entire dish an extra punch. The chicken was perfectly cooked - nice and tender. As for the salted fish, I would have preferred more of those inside the pot but I guess that is down to personal preference.

Lastly, the overall blend of the flavor from everything. We were given the Black Soya Sauce (as stated on the SoShiok reivew that it is a special Black Sauce selected by the owner) and Spring Onion Oil to add to the pot. After adding sauces and mixing the pot, the flavor came together nicely, bringing this simple rice dish to the next level. Really good stuff!

The Price

The Chicken Claypot Rice here is considerably cheap. Its $10 for two-persons pot and $25 for a five-persons pot. Add $5 for extra chicken.

The other dishes are pretty decent as well. We paid a total of $18 for a two-persons pot, watercress soup & oyster sauce vegetables. Oh and they gave free Ang Pows.

Totally worth it!

Definitely one of the best Claypot Chicken that I have eat here, New Lucky Claypot is a must-try for all (Claypot lover or not). It is located on Holland Drive (facing the Holland Drive Road) and it open everyday except Wednesday. A word of advice: Because the rice is cooked from scratch, it will take at least twenty - thirty minutes to cook the dish (thus waiting time will be around there or longer). So to avoid the long wait, call beforehand to reserve your order.

New Lucky Claypot
44 Holland Drive Food Center #02-19
Tel : 6778 7808
11 am - 1.30pm, 5.30 pm - 10.30 pm 
Open all days except Wednesday

Birthday Celebration at CUT, by Wolfgang Puck

It was Andre's (Dawn's brother) 22nd Birthday and the family decided to head to a restaurant with his favorite cuisine - a Steakhouse! And when it comes to steak, CUT by Wolfgang Puck is one of the obvious to-go-to choices in Singapore. For those who have no idea who this legendary chef is, here's a little background:

Wolfgang Puck is an Austrian celebrity chef and restauranteur who has more than 13 fine dining restaurant names under his belt. Amongst all these, the Steakhouse CUT is one of the most famous names can be found in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, London and of course... Singapore. Some of his accolades include the two Michelin Stars and James Beard Foundation award for his Spago Beverly Hills in 2008 & 2009 and an Emmy Award in 2002. For fans of the popular reality show Hell's Kitchen, you probably can remember him as one of the guest judge for the Final 2 Challenge. 

Entering CUT

Personally, I have only been to one other fine-dining Steakhouse - Morton's. So obviously, I have only one other point of comparison. BTW, please forgive me for the lousy quality photos, I forgot to bring my camera on that day and had to rely on my iPhone (NOT iPhone 5).

Drinks To Start

First, let's take a look at the decor. The layout of the entire place is pretty simple - just like how a fine dining restaurant should look like. The lighting is dim, the tables are placed in a neat fashion (though it was a little cramp) and the decor is minimalistic yet exquisite. This place no doubt has the right ambience for a fine dining experience.

Simple Decor Does The Trick

Next is Service. No matter the place or the food, as long as the service is not up to mark, it can severely mar the fine dining experience of the patrons. For CUT, the service staff is still quite inexperienced and there's still room for improvement. This is not to say that the service was bad - the staff was friendly, helpful and prompt. However, they could do more with in depth knowledge of the food/wine and could take more initiative in attending the patrons' needs (before they ask). Basically they were good, but not excellent.

Love The Wine Collection

Now to the main highlight - the Food. Given that we were afraid of over-ordering, we settled for two appetizers and two sides, together with our individual (Dawn and her parents shared a steak) steak.

The appetizers were Hokkaido Scallop “Carpaccio,” Shaved Myoga, Wasabi-Kosho Ponzu and the American Blue Crab and Shrimp “Louis,” Spicy Tomato-Horseradish. 

Mac & Cheese and Sautéed Broccolini came as sides. 

Dawn and her parents shared the Wagyu Rib Eye (For 2), Andre ordered the Australian Angus Bone in Ribeye Steak and, Priscilla and I ordered the USDA PRIME Ribeye each.

Hokkaido Scallop “Carpaccio,” Shaved Myoga, Wasabi-Kosho Ponzu

The Hokkaido Scallop was to die for. The pieces of raw scallops were fresh and sliced perfectly. On top of that, the spicy Wasabi-Kosho Ponzu sauce goes perfectly with the scallops (though they were perfectly fine without any sauce) as the tangy ponzu taste brings the best out of the scallops. Lovely!

American Blue Crab and Shrimp “Louis,” Spicy Tomato-Horseradish

After the fabulous scallops, this dish paled in comparison. But that doesn't mean its a bad dish. They were generous with the Blue Crab meat, the sauce blended well with the meat and the dish was tasty overall. It probably won't blow your mind away but still a good start to the meal.

USDA PRIME Ribeye with Mac & Cheese

Here's the highlight of the day - USDA PRIME Ribeye with our sides of Pasta & Broccolini. First, I would like to point out why Ribeye is my favorite cut of steak. Compared to most cuts, the ribeye is one of the fattest portion of the cow. The key feature of this cut is the marbling of that fats and the juiciness of the meat. Because of its fat-to-meat ratio and the nature of the cut, the meat is really tender and often have it's "juiciness" locked inside the meat, which basically "flows" out the moment you cut and eat it. This cut of meat is usually best serve medium-rare or medium - cooked enough for the fats to marble but not too much in order to maintain its juice. 

My Medium-Rare Steak

So obviously, to judge this steak, one has to look at two factors (besides the temperature of the meat) - the juice and marbled fats. I would say CUT scores full marks in both factors. The fatty portions marbled so well that it simply melted in my mouth. The meat was juicy and tender, much to my liking. The steak here were all grilled on hardwood and charcoal before finishing in the oven and this gave it a nice "woody charred" taste which makes the steak even more flavorful. I ended up finishing my steak without even touching the mustard sauce that they provided.

P.S. I took a bite of Dawn's Wagyu Steak. The taste and texture was so much better than the USDA PRIME. The Wagyu is simply in a league of its own.

Oooooooohhh Lala

Comparing the steak here with the ones at Morton's, I would give the edge to CUT. The steak at Morton's is bigger in size (considering size to price ratio) but in terms of flavor, CUT beat Morton's hands down. The charred outer layer gives it a much tasty flavor which puts one over the other. The quality of beef is obviously the same and, for service and decor, both restaurants would probably go neck to neck.

Menu For Us

After the excellent main course, we ordered a few desserts to share. The restaurant was also kind enough to give us a complimentary plate of ice cream for the Birthday Boy. The dessert themselves were also remarkable and we cleared the plates in quicktime despite being stuffed by the main course. 

Their Special Seasonal Pineapple with Rum Dessert

Valrhona Chocolate Souffle, Crème Fraiche Cream, Hazelnut Praline, Nutella Ice Cream    

Warm Pear Crumble, Cinnamon Oat Streusel, Ginger Ice Cream

Overall, it was a fantastic gastronomical experience for us. The ambience was nice, the service was good and the food is out of this world (though the price is equally 'out of this world'). I would admit that it is really very pricey even given such quality of food. However, places like this still isn't a commonplace in Singapore and is certainly an experience worth trying at least once. An experience (note: it's not just a meal, it's an experience) here will definitely bring a fresh perspective on food & dining, and worth the occasion splurge. I am certainly looking forward to my next gastronomical experience!

Thank you Uncle Deryl and Aunty Joyce for this fabulous experience. And Happy Birthday Andre!

Johore Bahru: KSL & Legoland Trip

Recently there has been quite a bit of hype about the newly-opened Legoland Malaysia in Johore Bahru. I have received tons of emails for Deals and packages for this new packages and it took a while to pick the right one. Finally, we managed to pick the one that allowed us to go over the Hari Raya weekend, which included one night stay at the KSL Resort for us to also enjoy a relaxing day at Johor Bahru.

Let me start with our little gastronomic adventure near KSL (trust me, it's as good as Legoland) before jumping into the theme park.

Soon Soon Bak Kut Teh

Restoran Soon Soon Heng Bak Kut Teh

Located right across KSL (Exit at the bottom floor through the Hong Kong Cafe), this Bak Kut Teh stall is one of the most visited in JB (A poll to 10 other friends, almost all went there before). When we went in at around 2 p.m., the place was very crowded and we had to wait quite a bit before getting our tables. However, the turnover rate here is usually very fast, so don't be turn off by the crowd - it is worth the wait.

Peak Period Throughout e Afternoon

The table-waiting and ordering can be quite chaotic and intimidating for first timers (there isn't a menu or similar), but once you know how everything works, it will become very simple. While waiting for your tables, head on to the 'kitchen' (the front of the shop) and make your orders.

The Kitchen Area

The way JB BKT is being served is slightly different from the Singapore version. Instead of individual bowls, the JB version puts everything (including your Meats, Innards and Vegetable) into a single Claypot. So its important to tell the server what you want or do not want in your pot. On top of that, communal style is favored, so rather than an individual bowl for each person, everyone shares from the same pot. Other dishes like Pigs Trotter and Salted Vegetables can be ordered separately.

One Claypot For All

We ordered the standard BKT soup (2 pots for 6 people) with Pig Innards (Intestines, Liver & Stomach), extra Golden Mushroom and of coz... the pork meat. In addition, we tried the Pork Trotters and ordered generous portions of Salted Vegetables (aka "Kiam Chai").

Sizzling Hot Bak Kut Teh

Let's start with the main attraction - The BKT soup. Once again, let me highlight the difference between the typical Singapore soup and the JB soup. The Singapore soup is usually Peppery  whereas the JB's soup is more herbal. The meat in Singapore usually comes in big chunks (probably 2 - 4 pieces per bowl) but the ones in JB is smaller and more "bite-size". And the most obvious - one is served in a claypot with everything inside and the other is served in different bowls.

Read on to find out more about the BKT and other dishes

Break for a October

For those who are following (and are wondering about) my blog, I would like to Thank all of you and inform you that I've decided (or rather decided about a week ago) to take the whole of October off from blogging.

This is due to the fact that I've been pretty much tied down by job application (resume editing, cover letter, etc) and interviews. I have decided to make this my number (it has all along been, but I'm just dedicating more time) ONE priority at this time.

On top of that, I'm picking up some new skills/knowledge which includes putting my money in the right place and BLOG UPGRADING.

So basically this blog is UNDER RENOVATION for the time being.

I'll be back in November and will be soon upgrading this blog.

In the meantime, I'll still be updating my personal blog:
http://marcusfong.wordpress.com

PS. This blog is NOT dead, so just stay tuned for my next entry :)

iOS6: A review of the latest iOS for Apple OS devices

After three days of renovations, my room is finally ready for me to work in (which explains my absence for the early part of the week). However, I won't be blogging about that now because I'll have to wait till the entire room is completely done (sometime next week).

Photos courtesy of Mac Rumors

While a beeline of people are queueing for the iPhone 5 (I'm still on the fence as to whether to buy the phone), I have decided to download the latest iOS 6 and see how it pans out in the Singapore context.

Here's a lowdown of the newest updates:

Maps

As mentioned in my previous post, the new native Maps app has replaced the usual Google Maps as the main navigation app in the new iOS. Besides the typical mapping devices, it features the new turn-by-turn (aided by Tom-Tom) with Fly-over Function.

Let's start with the Pros:

Firstly, the free rotation and smoother zoom interface really makes life easier. This is especially so if you are one that needs to rotate your map to the orientation you are comfortable with.

Secondly, the Turn-by-turn feature works seamlessly and would save a lot of money from downloading the Tom-tom app.

Other than these two features, the app generally gives more information both within the map and in-location. This would be really helpful. However, for places in Singapore, the information available is still considerably limited.

Now with the Cons:

Most importantly, there is NO transit direction function in the new native app.  Apple has decided not to add in transit directions, instead they have suggested (in-app) a list of 3rd party apps that would do the trick. Unfortunately, gothere.sg or street directory is not in that list (so you'll most likely get an error instead of a suggestion).

As expected, the Fly-by function doesn't work for most places in Singapore. All you get is the default 3-D satellite imaging.

To me, this new app is really disappointing. For someone who doesn't own a car, but instead relies on public transport, the lack of transit directions is really a deal breaker. Although there are good 3rd party apps that will do the job, this would greatly handicap the reliability for the new Map App. Interestingly, this new feature is the feature that has taken the most flak from reviewers around the world.

Mail

Apple has certainly delivered on this one. The additional VIP function allows for automated sorting for important recipients (not that I have any now). The improved Flag function makes sorting of mail easier and ensures that you don't miss out on important messages.

Passbook

This app is basically useless for now. Most of the companies that jumped on the passbook bandwagon are US-based. So unless I want to buy a ticket to Los Angeles or New York, passbook is next to useless in Singapore.

If you want to play with Passbook, you can go to http://www.passsource.com.

Siri

Siri really DID get smarter. In fact, I'm actually impressed.

As promised, Siri was able to tell me about the English Premier League scores, standings and help me look for nearby food and amenities. Also, (if opentable allows) Siri can make reservations. Siri gave me quite a bit on what movies to watch too.

However, don't expect too much. As for sports, Siri doesn't know anything about Champions League and I'm not too sure about the other leagues (pretty sure nothing will come up for Malaysian cup or S League). The food and amenities information is still very limited, so don't expect to be able to find your favorite Laksa or Char kuay teow. Hungry.sg might be a better app for that.

Safari

The iCloud Tab is pretty awesome in integrating all my iDevices together. It is a really good move to make, allowing me to seamlessly switch between the devices. For me, this is easy to use and I'm pretty sure it will be helpful for most people.

Other Additions

Other addition includes the Facebook/Twitter Integration, Reply with message, Facetime over cellular, Privacy Settings and Photo Stream. Except for the Facebook/Twitter integration, I didn't really get to try out the other new features as I wasn't able to get hold of another person to test it with at 3 am in the morning. For Facebook/Twitter, it works perfectly so for those social media junkies, updating is just as easy as it can ever get.

All in all, this new iOS system isn't the big jump that I have expected (as seen from previous iOS jumps). I would agree that the integration of the different iDevices and with Social Media is the right way to go, but the major changes made to the iOS has served to do more bad than good.

The Passbook app is touted to be Apple's answer to the growing NFC technology. However, in Singapore, does that really hold up? The banks are coming up with NFC enabled credit cards and many other companies are following suit. I'm still unsure as to whether passbook will be more prominent than NFC in Singapore in a few months time.

The deal breaker for me is the native Map app. With the transit directions gone and the highly anticipated fly-over function crippled, this new app seems to have taken a step back. Personally, I can't wrap my head around the new changes and am uncomfortable having to use TWO apps just to obain directions (or simply just get rid of the new Map app). I admit that I am too reliable on the Google Map but like a common saying, "why fix the wheel when it is not spoilt".

For me, the lack of transit directions has led me to uninstall the iOS 6 and switched back to the iOS 5.1.1 (which explains the lack in screenshots). For now, I'll accustom myself (to see if I can really live without my precious google map) to using 3rd party apps for directions first before switching over to iOS 6. When I do switch over (probably in a week or so), I'll re-review the new OS and post it here. Hopefully, I was too quick to judge and the new iOS will prove me wrong.