Li Bai @ Sheraton Towers

With all the brand new restaurants opening every week, it's easy to forget the consistent good ones in town. Li Bai is one where the food are pretty consistent and it is tucked away at Sheraton Hotel in the quiet Newton area but still very near the CBD.





We are spoilt by the decos of other beautiful restaurants, and find the deco here tired looking, and a bit outdated too. Not sure if they are planning a revamp of their entire restaurant soon.



The centre piece is a large piece of jade-like plaque on each table. The Chinese loves Jade as it symbolises fortune and there is also another saying that wearing jade helps to absorbs the negative "substance" in the body.



As per most Chinese restaurant, iced and warm water are on the house.



The waitress place a plate of crispy taro chips on our table. The chips were house-made and was not oily like those pre-packaged ones. It was sliced very thinly, in fact so thin I cut my tongue while eating them.



Starter was Prawn Salad with Crunchy Water Chestnut (S$8 per serving). The water chestnut looks like scallops. The texture of the crunchy juicy water chestnut went well with the prawns. But it was very small and I finished it in 2 bites.



I like their Hot & Sour Soup (S$10) but not so much on their Chicken Soup (S$10). Perhaps the weather is cold these days, so spicy soups tend to suit my tastebuds more.



Really really enjoyed their Beef fillet steak (S$12 per piece per person) . It was juicy yet tender, but not overly tender. Li Bai's beef fillet has a unique seasoning which differs from other Chinese restaurant. Could eat 10 pieces of this in 1 seating.



Another favourite from our table - Stir Fried Crystal Hor Fun with Crab Roe (S$18 for small) . The Hor Fun is not your usual type, as it is made crystal clear much like the skin of Soon Kuey. The chef was generous with the crab roe, and we had huge chunks of crab roe with every spoonful of the hor fun.

As this is a weekly special, I am not sure if it is still available this week.



A surprise hit - Crispy red bean pancake (S$12 for small) . Although this is quite an oily dish, but I suspect they used pork lard to dry this pancake, which results in the oil being very very fragrant (and sinful). The red bean paste was smooth and not too sweet. A must order.



Heard they also serve good dim sum too, and this gives me another excuse to come revisit Li Bai again in the near future.


Li Bai
39 Scotts Road
Ground Floor,
Sheraton Towers

Cornish Pasty #3: You can't get this in the shops

With the exception of another post about some souvenirs, this will be my last post about my eats in Cornwall. I had told K's grandparents about the pasty I had made during cookery class during my visit to their place. During our discussion, I learnt that Cornish pasties used to always be made in home kitchens, and even though you can get fabulous versions in the stores, it is said that nothing lives up to home made ones.

Her gran nicely offered to make pasties for us, and on Monday, K's dad picked them up from their home for our tea (that's what the English call dinner). The four pasties sat neatly in a box, covered by a cloth, each individually wrapped with two paper bags. No doubt, they were made with much love.

I had this pasty for my last tea (dinner) in Cornwall. Biting through the slightly crumbly and thin layer of pastry revealed a filling of well-cooked cubes of onions, potatoes and swede, small bits of steak here and there, all sitting in a clear broth. This was definitely the most juicy pasty that I've had, in the ideal portion size too.

Yes, I concur... home made pasties are the best. On another note, it's been about two months since my trip to the UK. I miss the laid-back culture in Cornwall lots.

Procacci @ Customs House

I have been to Florence in Italy, but I never saw Procacci while there. Maybe it's the Christmas season and they were closed for that week.





Procacci has a looong loooong history. Opened in Florence in 1885, Procacci is one of the few gourmet shops in Italy which specialised in truffle. But what made them famous was their panini tartufati – soft rolls smeared with fragrant truffle salsa. Unfortunately, it's still not available here in Singapore.




Sitting al-fresco is a good idea when there is no noisy YOG concerts or when the weather is cooler. The view outside is also better. However, we chose to sit inside as it was more quiet and cooler during a warm Wednesday evening.




Free iced water is served here. This is Procacci's first ever shop outside of Europe. And Singapore's outlet actually follows their one and only Italian full restaurant in Vienna, Austria and no their gourmet shops concept in Italy.




The bread is quite dull, but as I was hungry, had no problems finishing it. The olive dip was really good.




The restaurant was pretty quiet in the inside, but was already full and reserved outside.




Had a serving of Truffled Potato Soup (S$15) . The soup may taste ordinary, but I was hungry and cold that day, so I was pretty much satisfied with this warm soup. The restaurant did not stinge on the truffle oil. Quite robust.



Capellini, caviar, truffle oil (S$50) - Chilled pasta with caviar and truffle oil. Gunther's still make the best version, but Procacci has almost double the portion of Gunter's. Taste was good.



Classic Osso Buco, saffron risotto (S$35) - The big bone is the bone marrow and is from the veal's shank bone. Very very tender and flavourful. This was recommended by the serving staff. The risotto was also nicely executed together with the aroma of the saffron.



I didn't quite like the Milanese-style breaded veal (S$30) . No doubt the veal is tender, but I think the chef over fried the crumbs till there was some "burnt" smell and taste to some part of the veal.



Price is not cheap, but the food is quite good. I am waiting for them to introduce their panini tartufati which made them famous in the first place. Menu is limited now as they will only have a full menu in September.


Procacci
1st Floor
Customs House,
70 Collyer Quay

Oomphatico's (CLOSED)

With my laptop down and dear camera hospitalized, it all seems to be a good time for me to start working on some of my long overdue posts.

It wasn't our initial intention to go to Oomphatico's but Tanglin Mall seemed to be a good lunch venue away from the overcrowded Orchard Road. It was also a good time for a revisit as I reckoned my last visit was 4 years ago when I was still enjoying my student life. Oh man, time really flies.

If you like ambience, Oomphatico's is one good café you wouldn't wanna miss. While some like the tasteful décor of its interior, others may prefer the more vibrant al fresco, being surrounded by potted plants. Whichever your preferred seating is, it's difficult not to fall in love with its elegant yet comforting atmosphere.



There were many in house promotions going on. For example, one might make a 2 course set meal with one Quinoa Salad ($12 on the menu) or soup of the day and main course for just $15 nett like what I got.



I was at first taken aback by the seemingly slimy appearance of the quinoa. While the fluffy textured quinoa seeds gave a mild meaty taste, the refreshing bites of the cucumber created a pleasant contrast.

(A quick check on Wikipedia found out that quinoa is a common seed plants in South American region, probably as common as barley to us in Asia.)



As for the main course, I picked Pan Fried Red Snapper. It was quite disappointing as the fish tasted rather plain, and the pak choy which was overcooked didn't go too well with the fish. Veggie like asparagus would do a better job, in my opinion.


If you have room for more, there was another promtional set which would allow you to pick one salad/appetizer, pasta/risotto and a main course for mere $19 nett.



My companion's Mezze Platter revoked distant memories of the Mexican Breakfast I had at Wild Honey.

A popular appetizer in the Middle East and Mediterranean region, it comprised freshly baked pita bread served with 3 different dips - zaatar hummus (mashed chickpeas), babaganoush (mashed eggplant with various seasonings) and labneh (strained youghurt) (Reference: Wikipedia). While memory is blur how the 3 dips exactly tasted like, I found most of them difficult to swallow. Nevertheless give it a try if you fancy Mediterranean cuisine.



Moving along to her second course - Sausage Risotto. Came with just the perfect creaminess served in ideal portion, this mouth-watering dish was made even more delectable with a hearty mix of chicken, lamb and pork sausage.



Her last course - Roast Sakura Chicken. My companion didn't quite enjoy her chicken. Perhaps she was just a little too full after conquering her first two courses.


If a full meal is too filling, their high-tea promotion might just be what you are looking for. Available from 3 to 6pm on weekdays, you can choose a piece of cake/pastry with a cup of coffee or tea for $8 nett.



Opera ($5.50)

Smooth coffee mousse sandwiches between layers of sponge and dark chocolate, the result of which was an interesting juxtaposition of textures and flavours for the tastebud.



Despite that they were a little understaffed then, the waitresses who served us were rather helpful and attentive to our needs. We had an enjoyable afternoon.



For more ongoing promotions, do refer to the cafe's website.


Oomphatico's
163 Tanglin Road
#01-03 & 01-35/36 Tanglin Mall
6733 9088

Big Weekend @ Trevaskis Farm

I had listed down food as one of my interests before we were matched up with our buddies from the British school I visited. Imagine my delight when K shared with me that there'll be a farmers' market in a nearby town during the weekend!

Here I sampled Yarg Cornish Cheese, a semi-hard cheese with a texture varying from creamy under the rind to mildly crumbly in the core. It is wrapped in nettle leaves after pressing and brining, which attracts molds that help the cheese ripen. The Yarg cheese had a slightly mushroom-like and slightly taste which I didn't quite fancy. I preferred the Wild Garlic Yang a variation of the cheese covered in wild garlic leaves which had a delicate garlic (what else?) taste.

Treleavens Luxury Cornish ice cream which I've blogged about before!

Rhubarb Crumble and Clotted cream & Strawberry

Saffron buns, saffron cake and shortbread from Simply Cornish. The size of their samples is pretty generous, don't you think? I didn't quite take to the taste of their saffron cake though. The shortbread was not too bad but strangely, all three flavors had different textures, some more crumbly than the others.

Berrymans' Cornish Saffron Cake was more appealing in my opinion. Their strawberry shortcake was pretty good! Pity that it didn't come in sealed plastic packages for me to take back to Singapore :(

I wrapped the saffron cake in bubble wrap before stuffing it into my luggage. Thankfully, it didn't get squished!

No, this isn't raisin bread. It's saffron cake (a larger version of the saffron bun), a light and fluffy bread studded with currants and flavored with saffron and some other spices like cinammon and nutmeg. Just like a fragrant version of raisin bread!

Due to the high cost of saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, coloring like tumeric is often used to enhance the color of commercially-produced saffron cakes. Best consumed lightly toasted to bring out the aroma of the spices (:

Finally, some artisan jam from Cornish Meadow Preserves produced in batches of 24 jars at a time! I sampled some Strawberry Chilli jam- an intriguing combination of sweet fruit enhanced by a potent kick of spice from chillies, meant to be taken with cheese. I just can't imagine eating a spicy spread along with toast for breakfast! The Cherry & Cornish Apple jam I purchased goes well with brown toast, though it's on the sweeter side.

Quan Com Pho @ Le Van Huu, Hanoi Vietnam

Was in Hanoi, Vietnam recently for some meetings. Meetings are boring, and what's worse is that the Convention Centre is our "jail" for almost 5 days. From morning till evening.



I was told the centre was designed with the world famous Dalong Bay in mind. The roof looks like the waves along the bay.



Oh, managed to take a photo of Mrs Clinton as she walked passed us with her secret service agents. She's a real head turner.

It's well known that the former First Lady turned State Secretary is the most powerful woman in America, and probably around the world.



The only tour we had was in our mini bus. Round and round the Opera House, numerous lakes and rows and rows of shophouses.



But of course, we managed to sneak out one night to enjoy an authentic Vietnamese dinner. It was through recommendations that we came to this very clean and quiet restaurant in Vietnam.



Compare to the ones served at hotels, the Vietnamese Spring Rolls here are amazingly light, sweet and juicy. Something so light can actually taste so good. And it's light years ahead of what we have here in Singapore.



Vietnamese "Ngoh Hiong" with pork and some veges. The skin is a mixture of beancurd skin and rice rolls. It's crispy and juicy.



Braised Brinjal. Nothing special. The sauce resembles those of the Hotplate Tofu we have here.


The signature dish - Grilled Pork with crispy rice rolls. The rice rolls are a bit salty and is rolled into a ball and deep fried. The result is crispy in the outside and chewey inside. The pork was also very good. No porky smell and taste here. This could be a meal by itself with meat and rice. A must order.



Each pot of rice is cooked in ceramic bowls over charcoal. Each pot is suppose to be shared by 2, but the portion is good enough for 4.



Forgot what this vegetable soup was. It was quite tasteless.



I like this a lot too. Crispy tofu balls. Tofu is mashed and some herbs are added before batter dipped and fried till crisp.



It's amazing that compared to the other more expensive meals we had in Hanoi, this was the one which surprised me the most. Pretty cheap and big portions. And everything here is clean too.


Quan Com Pho
29 Le Van Huu
Hanoi,
Vietnam