Hua Yu Wee

I've been missing in action for a couple of weeks. I was really busy the week before I left for Bali, then I packed and went off for a week-long break in Bali, after which I came back to another crazy week! Finally found time to sit down and switch on my own laptop. It is, however, around 1am now and you might spot some typos below which my weary eyes are too tired to identify. 

I went for a seafood dinner with my secondary school friends at Hua Yu Wee before I went to Bali. One of my friends wanted to have crabs and someone suggested Hua Yu Wee so that was where we went! I have to confess that I honestly did not know Hua Yu Wee existed even though I live in the east and apparently Hua Yu Wee is an "eastie" thing. It took me awhile to find my way from Tanah Merah MRT to Hua Yu Wee on Bus 48 but somehow Google Maps got me there and I was quite stunned when I saw the restaurant.

I did not know what I expected but I certainly did not expect Hua Yu Wee to be housed in a sprawling compound with a large mansion at the back and an equally impressive parking area in front.

I was the third last person to arrive, having left the office pretty late. But I arrived in time to watch the others order the dishes. We had a thai-style tofu, drunken prawns, something called the Fang Sha Chicken, and two crabs (one chilli and the other black pepper).

The thai-style tofu was all right. The tofu was crispy on the outside and very smooth and soft within.

I was super amused when the waitress told us that the drunken prawns will be cooked in the kitchen and there will not be any "performance". By "performance" she meant the cooking of live prawns right in front of you on the table. I could not help but find that really funny. How is that a performance? But I suppose it is since there is no other reason why anybody would want to witness live prawns being cooked other than for the sake of entertainment.

The drunken prawns were really fresh. Do you know how to tell fresh prawns from the really horrible frozen types? Just see if the shell can be peeled off the body easily. These prawns were definitely very fresh and sweet.

Now the Fang Sha Chicken. I swear we had a very amusing waitress taking our orders because when she recommended this dish, she described the cooking process as "we marinate the boneless chicken, fry it and then hang it up to dry". This dish was really unique! It reminds me of Ayam Peynet because it was really flat and the choicest bits of the chicken were the thin crispy parts.

Finally, THE CRABS! Only managed to take a picture of the chili crab because my fingers were all covered with awesome chili sauce when the black pepper crab arrived. I love the crabs! It was so fresh, so soft, so sweet, and so yummy with the respective sauces! I am always a chili crab person so I obviously thought the chili crab was better than the black pepper crab but I am certain people will refute that. 

It's so cute to eat crabs with your friends! Everybody likes a different part of the crab. Some like the pincers, some have a soft spot for the legs. As for me, I enjoy a very particular part of the crab, namely this small joint area between the pincers and the body. I find that part very soft and juicy. It's not as hard and muscular as the pincers, but definitely tougher than the legs. 

I went home all happy in the belly but oh my goodness, I was so sleepy after the meal. Major food coma. I vaguely remembered taking a quick bath and jumping right into bed.

462 Upper East Coast R

Gerry's Grill at Cuppage

Out with the girls for dinner one Friday night and we wanted to try Eighteen Chefs but the waiting list was just too long. It was around dinner time and we were right smack in the heart of the Orchard area on a Friday night which basically means that every single dining establishment will be crowded. I did a quick search online and suggested that we venture to the Cuppage area for Gerry's Grill since the reviews were rather positive.

From my minimal research whilst walking from Cineleisure to 313, I gathered that Gerry's Grill serve Filipino food and has quite a presence in Manila. I've never really tried Filipino food before so I thought this might be a good opportunity. Gerry's Grill is situated in Starhub Centre, located at the back of the Cuppage area. We were ushered into a bustling crowded restaurant and settled down quickly.

We ordered some deep fried chicken, some grilled squid, the sizzling kangkong and shredded pork. I have to say, it really requires an acquired taste to truly enjoy the food here. Perhaps it's the way the food is cooked or the spices used, but everything tastes kind of sour. As I've never tried Filipino food before, I'm really curious as to whether the usual Filipino food has this interesting sour tangy taste to it as well!

Anyway, the deep fried chicken was average. The batter tasted kind of sour and the meat was slightly tough, and was completely not juicy at all. What a bummer. 

The grilled squid was also slightly sour. It tasted like any normal grilled squid, nothing much to scream about.

The sizzling kangkong was the only dish that was not sour, but I don't think it was done very well either. The vegetables were kind of limp and overcooked, not crunchy as one would expect fresh greens to be. 

Deep fried shredded pork which was tasty for the first few bites but just felt very oily after that. We didn't finish this dish because it did not taste like anything much after awhile and the oily taste was too persistent.

I doubt I would return but I concede that maybe it's truly an acquired taste that I have yet to acquire (and possibly will never acquire).

51 Cuppage Road
Starhub Centre

Taratata Bistrot at Keong Saik

Keong Saik used to be known as a red-light district in this area but recently I have been hearing about the new restaurants and cafes springing up along this street. We were thinking about places to check out one day after work and decided to settle for Keong Saik. I was mighty pleased that I managed to squeeze in a gym session before catching the train down to Tanjong Pagar to meet Stef for a late dinner.

Was obviously the wrong choice to meet at Tanjong Pagar Mrt because it was a horribly long walk to Keong Saik. Completely my bad as I thought Tanjong Pagar Mrt was the closest mrt station to Keong Saik. It was not. Outram Park mrt station proved to be much nearer. Alight at Outram Park, exit at the Cantonment Police Station, cross the road and walk towards the shop houses. Keong Saik is this little street nestled among the shop houses.

We walked up and down the street a couple of times, trying to decide which restaurant to pop into. We were initially keen on trying Keong Saik Snacks but the restaurant was crowded and the waiting list was long. So we contemplated going for Retrospective or Taratata Bistrot since both received rave reviews. We eventually decided on Taratata Bistrot because I wanted to try something special.

The restaurant has a very nice laid back atmosphere and warm cozy ambience. However, we realized that it might not have been the best choice after stepping in. There was a table of really rowdy (and extremely drunk) customers sitting at the front of the restaurant, screaming, shouting and basically behaving like drunk adolescents despite a combined age exceeding 400 years old. Frankly, if you are intending to get drunk and disgrace yourselves in public, be more considerate and do it in a KTV lounge, pub or club. Try not to do it in a nice French restaurant because you are just spoiling the experience for everybody else. Plus, I can never figure out why would anyone want to get drunk on red. It's red wine! You are supposed to savour it, and not down glasses like there is no tomorrow. 

The food was awesome though. We ordered the Duck Confit and Chicken Simmered in Red Wine to share. The Duck Confit was great, crispy on the outside and extremely soft and tender on the inside. I'm usually quite wary of duck as I always find the texture of duck meat too tough for me. However, the Duck Confit here was so soft and tender, and so completely unlike duck meat! The Duck Confit came with White Beans Ragout which was really tasty. The mix of white beans, mushrooms and bacon was great.

The Chicken Simmered in Red Wine was a large chicken thigh braised with mushrooms, potatoes, bacon and lots of garlic. The chicken itself was very fresh and soft, completely absorbing the essence of the red wine sauce. The dish was really very fragrant. The potatoes were soft and tasty and I love the mushrooms!

The rowdy bunch retired for the night (boy was I glad) and the restaurant resumed its peace and quiet. We decided to have dessert here as well so we ordered a Pear and Chocolate Cake. It was really unique! Imagine a layer of rich chocolate on a bed of soft pear slices with a pear sorbet on top. Marvelous!

Service was attentive although they did forget about my red wine. The experience at Taratata Bistrot would have been amazing if not for the rowdy bunch of adults guilty of inappropriate behaviour. The food is really good and I would definitely recommend it to my friends. However, I would pop my head in and look out for drunks in the restaurant before settling down in future. 

35A Keong Saik Street

Fabulous Baker Boy

Met up with a friend for lunch the other day and she suggested Fabulous Baker Boy. Fabulous Baker Boy is situated opposite Liang Court, at the foot of Fort Canning Park. It was a pretty short walk from our office and the cafe was still empty when we reached. Most of the seats at Fabulous Baker Boy are situated outside  the cafe itself, which was fine since that afternoon was kind of rainy and the weather was cool and crisp.

The cafe itself was small and cozy with whimsical little decorations lining the wall. The menu was pinned to the cashier counter and we had to place our orders at the cashier before settling into our seats outside.

As Fabulous Baker Boy was well-known for their cakes, my friend was all excited about having one for lunch. She chose the Red Velvet which I stole a bite from. The cake was rich, moist and full of flavors. Definitely a good Red Velvet.

I knew I wouldn't be full with just a cake so I was wise enough to pick something more substantial. Was trying to decide between a sandwich or Eggs Benedict and couldn't make up my mind. Eventually I asked the waiter for recommendations and he told me to try the Eggs Benedict, so I did.

I would have to say that the Eggs Benedict was pretty average and I have definitely tried better Eggs Benedict elsewhere. The roasted potatoes were quite hard and I felt that the eggs were really bland. I like the layer of sauteed spinach but it was a really miniscule portion. Lastly the hollandaise sauce was really poor. It was too thick and creamy without the usual savory flavors. 

I doubt I would return to Fabulous Baker Boy for brunch because there are just too many places with way better brunch. I might drop by for the cakes if I am in the area but frankly, I don't see myself doing that in the near future.

70 River Valley Road
#01-05 The Foothills