Cooking steaks

I just found the best way (so far) to prepare steaks! It was from a video by FudeHouse, which can be found below.

Summarising the steps here:

1) Season both sides of the steak generously with sea salt and pepper.
2) Place the steak on a grill over a baking dish.
3) Preheat the oven to 140 degrees, then put the steak in for 30 to 35 minutes.
4) Take the steak out and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5) Heat up the skillet until it is very hot, then fry the steak for one minute on each side.
6) Serve immediately.

The steak turned out perfect - evenly cooked inside, and well-seared outside with a balanced tinge of smokiness. That's it - I am going to use this method to cook all my steaks from now on.

Teppei Syokudo @ Millennia Walk

Another Teppei outlet, this time in Millennia Walk.

Kaisendon, $16

Looks like Teppei still has the best barachirashi don (it's basically the same thing despite the different name. Kaisendon means seafood rice, by the way.). No other place comes close. The sashimi were all fresh and mixed perfectly with their own sauce, and when taken with a dab of fresh wasabi and some salmon roe (which bursts with flavour when bitten) it was so heavenly. The rice was also sweet and of good quality, and I finished every grain of it.

$16 for this is really a steal. To make things better, it doesn't come with service charge or GST. 

Chikuwa Tei @ Mohammed Sultan

After slightly more than a year and a half, this was my second visit to Chikuwa Tei.

Chikuwa Sushi, $25

I must say that their menu is quite poorly designed.  It was purely text and very wordy, so it wasn't easy browsing through to find what you want to order. Despite having come here before, it took me a while before I could find their well-known Chikuwa Sushi set, which I ordered during my previous visit in 2013. It was still priced at $25 now.

The set still consists of four different types of sashimi - salmon, tuna, sea bream, and swordfish. But this time I felt that the standards seemed to have deteriorated slightly. The sea bream and swordfish were still as good as before, but the salmon and tuna weren't. The salmon didn't seem as fresh as before, while the tuna was a bit soggy - as if it was left outside for a while before serving. The rice also didn't appear to be those higher-quality rice used for sushi or other Japanese dishes.

In the end, I wasn't as satisfied with this as I was during my past visit. But at $25, it is still value-for-money.

Salmon Skin, $5

I am a fan of fish skin, and I always order it at restaurants. It is usually prepared very differently across restaurants - for example, Sushi Tei serves them in smaller strips but with more of the salmon meat attached. Tunglok Tea House does skin-only but with salted egg, while Ichiban Boshi's is more like Sushi Tei's but more crispy (I think it is also fried with a bit of flour as well).

Chikuwa Tei's was purely skin with no meat at all. Delightfully crispy, the teriyaki sauce drizzled on it also goes quite well with it. It also comes with some mayonnaise and fish roe on it, which serves as a equally good accompaniment to the skin compared to the teriyaki sauce.

Grilled Ika with Teriyaki Sauce, $15

Taste-wise this was all right, but the texture was a bit too tough and rubbery. A dish which you can skip unless you are a huge fan of squid and must order it to try.

Past visit:
5th September 2013

Teppei @ Orchid Hotel

Considering how difficult it was to get a dinner reservation here (waiting list is around three months), I immediately took up the offer when my colleague said she had an available slot.

For dinner, Teppei does it 'Omakase', which means "I will leave it to you". So diners typically just tell the chef what they do not want to eat, and leave the rest to the chef.

A rather traditional Japanese setting

The layout of the restaurant was quite traditional, where diners sit at the counter surrounding the chef. The chef will then serve the dishes on the counter. 

We all took the $80 set (most expensive one). If I recall correctly, we had three choices - $60, $70 or $80. To be honest, there were so many dishes that I couldn't really keep track of all of them. The employee serving us was also quite inexperienced and couldn't answer most of our queries.

A cold platter consisting of six dishes. Nothing really stood out.

Sashimi platter

Their sashimi were all reasonably fresh. But the ootoro (fatty tuna belly) definitely lost to the one I had at Hashi Restaurant.

Minced tuna hand roll

This was one giant minced tuna hand roll. Ladies were served first. Men were served later but get an extra large portion instead. 

A very simple dish, but I found this to be one of the best. Since it was freshly served, the seaweed was still wonderfully crispy, and the minced tuna was also refreshing.

Fugu (Puffer fish)

Coincidentally, I just read on the news that in Japan, several people just died from fugu (puffer fish) poisoning. This was the best puffer fish I have ever tasted. Okay to be honest, this was only my second attempt. The fish was well-grilled and lightly seasoned - this was also one of the highlights for the dinner.

By the way, 'fugu' comes from the Japanese word 'fuku', which means to swell. Very apt term given how the puffer fish puffs up when feeling threatened.

This tasted like some sort of corn, which had been grilled. It tasted a bit like popcorn.

Mackerel sushi

Soup with bamboo

The taste of bamboo was very strong in the soup, so if you are not a fan of bamboo, this is definitely not for you. My colleague gave this a miss.

While this didn't fare too well in the taste department, it scored some points in terms of uniqueness. I still do not know what fish this is, but its transparent body was certainly intriguing - just look at its skeleton!

Wagyu beef

When we asked our waiter what insect this was, he just smiled shyly and shrugged.

Crab soup

The soup was deliciously sweet and well infused with the taste of crab.

Eaten raw, this unknown vegetable tasted extremely fresh and refreshing.

Assorted sushi

The conclusion? $80 for an omakase dinner was very worth it. In the value aspect, Teppei scores quite high, as well as in the uniqueness category. But for taste, I would rather pay more to get better quality elsewhere. For Teppei, I will still stick to their famous bara-chirashi don during lunchtime instead.

Cornerstone @ Bishan Park

There was an adoption drive being held by HOPE Dog Rescue at Cornerstone today, and since Canopy was still undergoing renovations, we decided to have brunch here.

Benny, $12

Their version of Eggs Benedict. The egg yolks were runny, so that's a plus - but probably the only plus. The texture of the egg whites felt wrong, as if they were a little too raw. The hollandaise sauce pretty much faded into the background, and the ham was definitely cheap and of lower quality. Only the hash browns were good, being delightfully crispy and yet not too dry.

At least the egg yolks were still runny.

Queen Royale, $14

This was almost exactly the same as the previous Benny dish, but simply with the ham replaced with smoked salmon. The smoked salmon was quite terrible, to be frank - it was tough, dry, and ridiculously salty.

Luncheon fries, $12

Luncheon meat cut into the shape of fries and deep fried. This was done quite well; the meat still maintained some of its juiciness and yet wasn't too oily.

Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House @ The Heeren

This was an indulgence among indulgences, and I was here due to the generosity of my uncle. The first outlet of Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House was actually at Gemmill Lane, which supposedly required at least two weeks advance reservation. This was their newly opened second outlet at Heeren, and on a Sunday night, it was already almost full. 

Located inconspicuously in a corner of Robinsons, my advice is just to ask someone for directions once you reach the third floor of Heeren.

Colorado Lamb Chops, $78

This came with yogurt, mint, and spring radish. The lamb was unbelievably tender, and there was almost no trace of the "strong lamb smell" that some people detest. Its flavour was extremely delicate, and it had some overtones of a nice smoky flavour. Gosh. This was fantastic.

Full dozen oysters, $90

We chose two types of oysters here - Katama Bay (the bigger ones on the right) and Marion Point (smaller ones on the left). Both were good, but I personally prefer Marion Point. Its taste was more delicate and sweet.

Whole chilled Maine Lobster, $95

When seafood is this fresh, you don't even need the seasoning. I ate this without any of the dips, and it was wonderfully sweet. The flesh was also firm and came out in whole chunks.

Kale salad

I couldn't find this on their website, and I forgot how much it costs. But this was very unique - it was kale, for one thing - something not very commonly available in Singapore. And it was mixed with some sort of peanut sauce and a bit of lemon, which complemented each other perfectly. 

My uncle is someone who doesn't eat salad, but proclaimed that if he was served this daily, he will be willing to eat it everyday.

Lobster & Corn Chowder, $22

This came served with Ritz crackers. The soup was wonderfully rich and delicious! The picture above is just half a portion, by the way - they thoughtfully separated it into two bowls when they knew I was sharing it with my cousin. And we were glad we did, as half a bowl was just right. If someone were to drink one whole bowl they will probably end up feeling quite full.

Luke's Bone-in Tenderloin Au Poivre (300g) with grilled foie gras, $74 + $25

The tenderloin was marinated with peppercorn, and came with a generous serving of mustard cognac jus. While the tenderloin was really good and tender, I thought the sauce was a bit too overpowering. I would suggest going for the ribeye instead.

Lobster Mac & Cheese, $26

Out of all the dishes we had here, this was the most disappointing. It was very plain and uninteresting, and the lobster taste didn't stand out either. Give this a miss.

USDA Prime Ribeye (400g) "Naked" Style, $88

Despite how the picture looks, this is a huge portion. And it was so damn good. The outside of the beef was wonderfully seasoned, the beef was juicy and tender, and the sides of the ribeye - the best part - was so heavenly. I think it can even win Morton's, that's how good it was.

Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House is certainly one of the best restaurants I have ever gone to. But as the prices above show, it wasn't cheap - the four of us spent $892 in total here, inclusive of three glasses of wine and a glass of whiskey. For special events, for two pax, I would suggest ordering the ribeye and lamb as the main courses and a bowl of lobster soup to share.

The Beacon @ Marina Square

A new addition to the Palate program, I came here with my gf for dinner on a weekend. Our experience was such that we vowed never to come here again, and I have summarised them into several points.

1. The normal table seats were extremely uncomfortable. The stand of the table was a huge square block, and there was no space to put my legs. I ended up sitting quite a distance away from the table and actually had to thrust my neck and body forward in order to eat properly. This is one of the most impractical table designs I have ever encountered.
2. The waiters were inexperienced, and service standards were poor. Our waiter gave us just one menu to share, and stood there looking at us straining our necks (we were sitting opposite each other) until my gf told him quite pointedly to give us one more menu.
3. The food was disappointing. We ordered two starters and two main courses. The fried calamari rings were actually quite decent, while the chef's salad looked cheap and tasted like something a child could prepare. My pasta was dry and dull, while my gf's ravioli was too cheesy. We ended up not finishing our food and left as soon as we could.

The place was quite empty even on a weekend, but this should be partially due to its poor location (at the outskirts of Marina Square, facing the road). It's a pity the food was so poor, as I like to visit places that are relatively unknown and crowd-free.

Arossa Wine & Grill @ Scotts Square

With Oenotheque by Wine Universe out of the Palate program, I hereby declare that Arossa Wine & Grill is the best restaurant currently on Palate (so far). As a bonus, it is located at Scotts Square - somewhere with much less human traffic, which was a big relief for me. 

Pan Fried Foie Gras with Caramelised Apple, $30

This was pan-fried really well, such that the outsides were very slightly burnt and the insides were still soft and melted in our mouths. The apple was a good accompaniment to neutralise the greasiness of the liver. But the puddle of oil there does add to the guilt. 

Spanish Iberian Pork Loin, $38

The pork was supposedly 100% acorn fed. The little pitcher there contains the sauce for the pork loin, and after pouring it I realised that it seemed more like the juices from the pork itself after grilling. 

This dish was so good that I felt it was worth it even without the 50% discount. The pork loin was particularly aromatic, and it was grilled to perfection such that the exterior had the smoky taste while the interior was slightly pink and juicy. This was easily the best pork loin I have ever had.

Truffle Fries, $12

Compared to the main course, this was disappointing. The fries were a bit too soggy with oil (the waiter explained that it was due to the truffle oil) but yet the truffle taste wasn't strong at all.

I can already predict several more visits to this restaurant.

L'Entrecote, The Steak & Fries Bistro @ Suntec City

A relatively new addition to the Palate program, we came here for lunch on a Sunday. While the other eateries nearby were at least a quarter to half-full, this was almost totally empty.

According to the Palate website, to be eligible for the discount on a weekend lunch, we have to order either burgers or large portion steaks. They have three sizes for the steaks, and they go at 160g, 250g, and 300g. Interestingly the small size steak costs $19.90 while the large one costs $39.90. So doesn't it mean that if I were to order two small steaks, I would be getting 20g more compared to one large steak? 

Steak with Fries (Large), $39.90

This was only half the portion, by the way. When they knew that we were sharing, they thoughtfully divided it into two portions. The steak was done quite all right, but it was too bland. For steaks, you need some salt to bring out the flavour, so I ended up sprinkling some additional salt. The sauce was equally bland and didn't help much.

I am not sure what beef they used, but the beef flavour was a bit lacking. It was a pity, because the doneness of the beef was actually just right.

Burger Month, $15.90

I think they meant Burger of the Month? Anyway, there was nothing special with this burger. Juiciness was okay, flavour a little lacking, fries were quite good.

I guess steaks are one type of food which you really can't scrimp on the cost to get good quality. Although the total bill came up to only $32 after the 50% discount, we left feeling a bit unsatisfied. 

The Coastal Settlement @ Changi

Having read some reviews on The Coastal Settlement, which could be summarised mainly into three points - average food, poor service, and great decor - I was mentally prepared once I arrived in the morning at 1030am. True enough, we immediately had the first taste of poor service - a waitress walked past us and pretended not to notice us instead of showing us to a table.

We continued walking inside (the place was quite large). There were quite a few waiters and waitresses at the counter (I think I counted four) but none of them greeted us and continued with their own work. It was only when I spoke directly to one of them that I was told to choose any table I want for two persons.

The place was definitely uniquely decorated. The owners must have had a liking... no, passion for antiques, so the interior was furnished with vintage items and antiques. Some examples are old glass Coke bottles, paintings, phones, bicycle, ice kacang machines, typewriters, and even an old but well-maintained BMW in a corner of the restaurant. To add onto the mood for reminiscing, sentimental oldies were being played in the background.

At 1030am, the restaurant was opened but not the kitchen, so we could only order drinks first. I ordered a long black, which I found a bit pricey at $5. In fact, the cheapest beverage costs $5; homemade ice lemon tea actually costs $7. 

Long black, $5

The coffee looked good and smelled good, but it was not strong enough for my liking. 

We then proceeded to order our main courses. Having read about the 'decent-only' food standards here, I decided not to order Eggs Benedict, since it was a dish that requires much more skill. Instead, I opted for their The Settlement's Brunch, which comes with a choice of eggs, baked beans, chicken cheese sausage, bacon, mushrooms, and toast.

The Settlement's Brunch, $24

The portion was much larger than I thought. The sausage, especially - I had only expected one or two small ones, but they gave a rather big one that was still rather good. The mushrooms portions was quite generous, though I found them a bit too salty. The bacon was the most special - it was fried with maple syrup, so there was a tinge of sweetness in the bacon that went along quite well with the innate saltiness of bacon. 

Toasties, $20

My gf ordered this. Again, the portions surprised us - two huge toasted sandwiches with honey baked ham, cheese, and tomatoes. It came with a small bowl of truffle fries and a sunny side up on top of one sandwich.

The multi-grain bread they used was quite good and toasted just nice, and they were quite generous with the ham as well. But this was marred by their cheese, which tasted like those cheap versions of sliced cheese that one could find easily in supermarkets. I liked their truffle fries though; just the right amount of truffle such that it wasn't overwhelming, and the fries were quite crispy too.

The Coastal Settlement definitely has its share of fans and patrons; business was extremely good, especially with families with young children. But this was what I didn't like - we were surrounded by tables of families with noisy and wailing children, so the place is hardly one for a relaxed chill. Add its expensive food and inaccessibility, and I doubt if I would be back again so soon.

Covelli @ Orchard Central

Covelli has changed quite a bit since my first few visits last year. The menu is different, and I was also told that the chef has changed. And more importantly, pastas and pizzas do not count as "main courses" anymore under the Palate program, so in order to enjoy the discounts, you must order at least two main courses (mainly meat) before ordering other things to enjoy the full 50% discount on everything (assuming two diners).

Covelli Zuppa di Funghi, $12.90

Cream of mushroom soup, drizzled with white truffle oil. We ordered this before, and it has definitely changed. The colour is much lighter, for one thing, and there were much more small bits of chopped mushrooms in the soup. (And the portion seemed to be a tad smaller.) Despite the difference, it was still quite a decent bowl of mushroom soup.

Calamari Fritti, $9.90

Their version of calamari rings. The calamari was unbelievably tender, though I would prefer it if they used less batter when frying. The spicy aioli dip wasn't spicy at all, but still served as a good dipping sauce.

Covelli Braised Beef, $26.90

Instead of the Quarantaotto, their version of braised beef is now just called Covelli Braised Beef. It was red wine infused, and with broccoli and carrots. I am not too sure which parts of the cow they used this time, but I prefer the previous version, where they used beef short ribs. This didn't taste very good; the beef wasn't tender enough and lacked the rich flavour one would usually get when braising food. And the carrots were not sweet at all too.

Past visits:

23rd Oct 2012

28th May 2012

2nd May 2012

Bari-Uma @ Tanglin Shopping Centre

Chanced upon this place when I was nearby, and being a ramen fan, I went to google it once I got home. Reviews turned out to be quite impressive, so shortly after, I dropped by for a visit.

Ajitama-Uma, $15

The soup was rich and yet not too salty, though it was a bit oily. The noodles were springy, and the egg was passable (still loses to Tonkotsu King's). But that piece of chashu was the thing that sealed the deal. It was - hands-down - the best I have ever tasted. It was flame grilled and so tender that it melts in your mouth. And the miso topping on it served to accentuate the flavour of the pork, making it so wonderfully delicious. I was tempted to order a side order of the chashu ($9 for four pieces) but I held back as I was already quite full.

Nori-Uma, $15.50

This was largely the same as the first bowl, except that you get seaweed instead of egg. Since the egg wasn't fantastic, I thought this was a worthy substitution.

I am definitely coming back here again. Maybe with a group of my ramen-loving friends and colleagues.

Tung Lok XiHe Peking Duck @ The Grandstand

Similar to MAD, the Palate discount for Tung Lok XiHe Peking Duck was only valid for set meals on weekends. So I made full use of my reservist days to pay here a visit on a weekday for dinner.

We ordered too much (again), but this time it was because the waitress assured us that five dishes (two mains, three starters) were just all right. Now I feel stupid for believing her.

Smoked Sliced Fish in Sweet Sauce, $12

This was probably one of the more unique dishes, but I found it to be so-so only.

Fried Rice with Bacon and Egg White topped with Conpoy, $16

A bit bland, but at least the taste was there and it wasn't too oily. Maybe the egg white neutralised the saltiness of the bacon. We ended up bringing most of it home, and I think if you were to fry it again with a bit more salt, it would taste much better.

Sliced Pork with Garlic Sauce, $10

This was the best dish today. The pork was sliced thinly and very tender, and the appetising garlic sauce sure helped to whet our appetite. Recommended!

Stewed Mushrooms with Minced Pork and Chilli, $18

The mushrooms, by itself, were a bit bland, so you have to eat it with the minced pork. But I found the mushrooms to be a bit too oily too.

Sauteed Chicken with Pickled Vegetables and Quail Eggs, $16

The chicken was quite tender and the sauce used was also appetising, but the fried quail eggs were a bit unnecessary, we felt.

Tung Lok XiHe Peking Duck is obviously more known for their Peking duck, but the minimum order was one whole duck, so it was out of the question. Having said that, their other food was just normal, with nothing really outstanding. Would consider going in a bigger group next time to try out their Peking duck.