South Asian meets European at this Rochester Park Hideaway

We’d kept hearing about Krish, the newest dining experience in Rochester Park. There had been a lot of buzz about the South Asian / Indian fusion cuisine. We didn’t actually know anyone who had tried it yet but after the 3^rd person asked for our opinion and if we had been yet, we decided it was high time to make the trek over to Rochester Park.

Krish is set in a cozy corner of verdant Rochester Park. Located in a restored classic Singapore black and white house, it’s both stylish and hip yet casual. The interior is filled with warm woods sharply contrasted with the crisp white linens, a dramatic chandelier and black and white photographs .Indian accents scattered about the place combined with the old world character of the house bring a slight colonial feel to the place. The menu is inventive in combining South Asian flavours with European cusinne…offering selections such from Spiced Carrot Ravioli and Tamarind Glazed Leg of Lamb to Papadum Crusted Snapper and Roasted Eggplant Samosas.

We were warmly greeted and served buttered, fried wedges of bread…which were tasty and highly addictive. My only suggestion would be that perhaps they consider serving them with a sauce or chutney for dipping to cut the heaviness.

Then we decided to start with a special, the Heirloom Tomato Salad – fresh and fully ripe red and yellow tomatoes garnished with fresh basil. Simple but perfect. Also we tried the Eggplant Samosas…solid, but probably not as special as the Heirloom Tomato Salad. And Paul was excited to start with Pork Belly appetizer. Spice crusted pork belly got Paul off to a solid start and he was excited to move on to the mains.

For the main, I opted to go vegetarian and had the Crusted Tofu atop Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms. I must confess I ordered this solely for the creamed spinach as I am addicted to this dish. Overall it was good, but a bit bland. I was surprised that they had not chosen to infuse the tofu with any sort of flavour (it seemed under-seasoned to me as well) and I was a bit disappointed with the creamed spinach as well.

Paul decided to go with the Lamb atop Sweet Potato Mash for his main. Also lured by the sweet potato side dish, Paul enjoyed his main but generally felt that after the first few interesting bites, it lacked the complexity and sophistication that would have made him savor the dish from start to finish.

Our friend Kristin decided to try the Papadum Crusted Snapper. She was a fan of the dish feeling like the peppery Padadum added an interesting texture and flavor to the delicate snapper.

Overall we really wanted to love Krish because of all the buzz we had heard. And the menu sounded amazing – after reading the articulate descriptions of the creative fusion dishes we couldn’t wait for the food to start arriving. While it managed to be fairly solid, most of the dishes were lacking the spark that sets a great dish apart from merely good dishes. We even went back for another meal on another evening to give it a second shot, but $26-45SGD for an entrée of this quality, we would have to tell you that we really didn’t see the value there.

That said, the appetizers were better than the entrees and with their weekly Quiz Nights, I could see myself going back for a cocktail and some canapes and friends. Whereas Paul says he might want to go back with more people and sample more dishes family style – turning the unique combinations of flavors into a modern Indian tapas meal.

Krish
9 Rochester Park
Singapore
Telephone: +65 6779 4644

A view of the cab's computer screen

An outstanding Cantonese meal with impeccable service

I have a great fondness for Chinese cuisine. And at the top of my list are both Sichuan and Cantonese. Living in Chinatown in Singapore one might expect the best Chinese dining to be here…and while this is not entirely incorrect, we were recently blown away by a lunch at Summer Palace in the Regent Hotel. They have recently reinvigorated the restaurant with the addition of a new chef and the makeover of the interior. Having never visited before, I cannot comment on the degree of change, but one thing I can say is that this is the best Cantonese I have had outside of Hong Kong. It was, in a word, outstanding!

Being dim sum addicts, we were excited to see that the lunch started with a course of dim sum – a deep fried yam with garoupa, shrimp dumplings with bird’s nest, and barbecue pork buns. All were absolutely perfect in execution – the barbecue pork bun was super light and airy, while the shrimp dumpling with bird’s nest was bursting with fresh seafood flavour. But I think our favourite was the yam with garoupa. A crunchy yam outside concealed a creamy rich inside and the contrast between the two was heaven.

Our next course was Scrambled Eggs with Caviar and Crab Meat – a fairly simple description for one of the most impressive dishes of the day. The chef layered scrambled eggs, crab meat, scrambled egg whites and topped the whole thing off with caviar…an unusual choice as caviar is not a typical Cantonese ingredient. We couldn’t get over how fresh and flavourful each element of the dish was – the crab was simply steamed but bursting with flavour and the layering of egg and egg white was brilliant not only from a taste standpoint, but also because of the textural variety it added. Paul called them the “fanciest eggs I will ever eat” …this may be true, but this was not just fancy for fancy sake, it was a truly amazing dish that was a mouthful of delicious richness bite after bite.

Next was Wok Fried Crocodile with Spicy Sauce – a delicate balance of flavours and textures between the crispy celery and meat from the tail of the crocodile to the subtle yet spot-on seasoning of the dish. This again was one of our favourites. It was a perfect execution of Cantonese cuisine – despite wok frying, not greasy and well balanced with each ingredient able to stand on its own. The restaurant manager helped us out a bit by suggesting to try the XO sauce with it – and this really took it to the next level. And actually this was one of the things we really enjoyed about the service – we don’t always know which sauces go with which dishes, so we really appreciate it when someone like the manager at Summer Palace takes the time to help us enhance our experience in a way that doesn’t make us feel silly for not knowing how to combine things. It’s this level of friendly and discreet service that can really set a dining experience apart from others.

We moved on next to a dish of Pan Fried Lamb Loin with String Beans. Paul loved the way this was prepared – sliced thin and fried with a touch of sauce it had both a sweetness and a gamey-ness to it as well. This simple preparation really highlighted the base ingredients.

Followed by Steamed Glutinous Rice with Crab served in a Bamboo Basket – as much as I love the other items, I wish this had come first so we would have had more room in our tummies. It was stunningly good. The crab claws had been cooked on the base of rice, so the whole basket was perfumed with the delicate scent of crab. And the rice had taken on an almost creamy quality that when combined with the crab was, for me, truly amazing.

I am not usually a fan of the Chinese puddings and jellies, but I must admit these turned me and totally changed my opinion of Asian desserts. We enjoyed a group of desserts that were classic Cantonese – Chilled Yam Pudding, a Chilled Lemongrass Jelly and Aloe Vera in Lime Juice, Double Boiled Papaya with Snow Fungus and Almonds, and a Double Boiled Egg White Milk Custard with Bird’s Nest. While all were amazing, Paul and I agreed that the Yam Pudding and Egg Custard were our two favourites.

In our opinion, Summer Palace is presenting the best executed Cantonese in Singapore. And for me, several of the dishes like the Egg dish, the Crocodile dish and the Steamed Crab in the bamboo basket are destination dishes – meaning I would come back specifically for those dishes to enjoy them time and time again. If you are looking for Cantonese food of the highest quality, then run, don’t walk, to Summer Palace.

Summer Palace
The Regent Hotel, 3^rd Floor
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore
Telephone: +65 6725 3288

Visiting the celebrity chef’s signature restaurant in Hanoi

Bobby Chinn is one of the most celebrated chef’s in Asia. If you watch the Travel & Living channel, there is no doubt you have seen his show Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia. Beyond that, he is regularly featured in newspaper and magazine articles and even recent Sony handycam commercials. We wondered if after all the media exposure, if his restaurant could really live up to all the hype.

When we were in Hanoi recently, we decided to give it a go. Paul made a booking for us and 2 other friends on a Saturday night. Interestingly enough, when arrived to their new location (they have recently moved), we noticed the restaurant was startlingly empty… and actually remained this way when we left some 3 hours later. Never a good sign for a restaurant…

But in the spirit of keeping an open mind, we sat down and perused the menu. Much like Bobby on his TV show, the menu is packed full of personality. Lots of witty aphorisms and quips entertain the diner. And even found on the menu is a most usual item. For $5.78 USD, you can order a side dish of the staff complimenting you – “we tell you, you are beautiful all night long…includes a signed copy of the menu.” OK, so he’s funny, but how’s the food?

I ordered the Vietnamese 6 course tasting menu (800,000 VND / $44 USD) which included:

• An amuse bouche of chicken satay
• Black bean soup
• Duck Confit (Pho Cuon)
• Beef La Lot (chargrilled beef wrapped in La Lot leaves)
• Smoked Pork Belly in caramel sauce, braised cabbage and lotus rice
• Ice cream

The real standouts in my tasting menu were the grilled beef wrapped in La Lot Leaves and the Smoked Pork Belly. The beef was tender and juicy, seasoned perfectly with local spices. I would definitely order this again. The pork belly in caramel sauce was rich (of course), served in a bubbling casserole dish straight from the oven. I will admit I have had pork belly I have enjoyed more (like that at the St Regis Singapore dim sum brunch). And the rice was rather sticky and somehow not so fresh. Everything else on my tasting menu was competent, but not the wow I was expecting from a chef held in such high regard.

Paul got the Western Tasting Menu of 6 courses (800,000 VND / $44 USD) which included:

• An amuse bouche…also chicken satay
• Pumpkin soup
• Mushroom risotto
• Seared day boat scallops with braised edamame and truffle pea jus
• Five spices rack of lamb with apple risotto and red wine, lamb jus reduction
• Dessert sampler

Paul thought the mushroom risotto was really well done, creamy and earthy, overall a perfectly cooked risotto. However the rest of his dishes were also just so-so. Nothing was bad, but also nothing terribly standout. And in general he felt, and I agree, it was a rather unimaginative tasting menu. (And why the 2 risottos? One as a course and one as a side dish?) Usually this is where chefs have the opportunity to strut their stuff and this was a predictable list of dishes that didn’t highlight the culinary aptitude of the kitchen.

Monica and Lyan, our dining companions, ordered a la carte. They chose a crab trio ($15 USD) of crab salad, truffle crab espresso and glazed crab cake. This was another standout dish. We all sampled the various crab dishes and agreed this showed creativity and culinary finesse. Whereas the blackened barramundi on braised banana blossoms ($16 USD), much like our tasting menu was just good, but not great.

It’s kind of a shame really, we all wanted to love Bobby Chinn’s in Hanoi, but somehow we just couldn’t fully embrace it. The décor is stunning and dramatic…the service was good…but the food simply wasn’t at the caliber one would expect from a chef who is so lauded. Beyond that, it also felt a bit commercialized…as an example, we were offered his book to buy for $25 USD no fewer than 3 times. And this did annoy me a bit…although as I skimmed the book I did find amusement in noting that the Vietnamese government had censored out all references to the Vietnam War. (And I should mention that Paul found the book the very next week in Singapore for a fraction of the price – $9 SGD or $6 USD).

Overall, we would say Bobby Chinn’s in Hanoi is not a must do for dining. However, we would recommend a street Bahn My sandwich any day. But the dramatic and romantic environment does lend itself for a nice night of cocktails and shisha, but skip the food (if you’re on a shorter visit… probably something great for local expats to have on reserve)… or at least order the crab trio or beef la lot to be safe.

Bobby Chinn
77 Xuan Dieu Street
Tau Ho District
Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone: +84 4 3719 2460

Consistent high quality at this laid-back, Aussie-style Bangkok institution keeps everyone coming back

When I lived in Bangkok, I lived on Sukhumvit Soi 16. I moved into a new construction apartment building and so had to wait for the finishing touches to be completed. During my time in temporary housing, when I would tell people that I was moving to soi 16, unanimously the response was….”oh, you are so lucky to be living near Kuppa!” When I asked them why?…there was a mish mash of accolades like “the best brunch,” “they roast their own coffee you know,” “it’s great for a lazy lunch,” “oh my god, you have to try the desserts!,” “the Thai food is really good,” “it’s among the best Western food in Bangkok,” “we really enjoy dinner there” and so on and so on. I mean what does this place not do and serve perfectly? Could this be true?

Well, in a word…yes. In my time in Bangkok, Kuppa became my go to place for just about everything. Meeting a friend for coffee, Kuppa. Family in town, Kuppa for dinner. Lazy Saturday, Kuppa for brunch with a newspaper. Meeting the girls for lunch, Kuppa. Stop by and pick up dessert to take home, Kuppa. Buying coffee beans, Kuppa. In my time there, I think I have eaten nearly everything on the menu multiple times.

On a recent visit to Bangkok, Paul, Richy and I made our way to Kuppa for a chill meal to catch up and relax. We ordered a lot of our favourites and some new things. As usual, nothing disappointed.

We like to start with Som Tum Thai, Thai green papaya salad (115THB / $3.45 USD / S$4.80). Sure you can get it for less on the street, but it is excellent here and it is our favourite pairing to go with the Moo Yang, Thai grilled pork with sticky rice (215THB / $6.45 USD / S$9).

My favorite salad hands down…not just in Bangkok….but truly my all time favorite (my favorite so far is the butter lettuce salad at Craft in NYC – Paul) is Kuppa’s Baby Spinach, Avocado, Mushroom and Bacon Salad (295THB / $8.80 USD / S$12.30). It’s probably not the healthiest salad on the menu, but it’s perfectly fresh and absolutely flawless…ripe avocados, crispy bacon and sautéed mushrooms on a bed of spinach.  The juices from the sautéed bacon and mushrooms permeate the spinach making every bite deeply satisfying.

Sometimes, I like to order the grilled fish or the thin crust pizza as an entrée. But this time I chose the Grilled Australian Short Rib served with Grilled Asparagus, Mushrooms and Potato Wedges (850THB / $25.45 USD / S$35.46). I am a sucker for short ribs and these did not disappoint – fantastic tender yet firm texture and full of smoky, grilled goodness.

Paul ordered his usual, Fettucini with Avocado, Prawn, Pine Nuts and Cream Sauce (395THB / $11.84 USD / S$16.50). This used to be a special menu item, but it’s actually no longer on the menu… the folks here are so nice though that they make it for Paul, without hesitation, every time he requests it.

Richy went with the Lamb Cutlets on Basil Polenta with Ratatouille and Mint Yogurt (795THB / $23.83 USD / S$33.18). Richy said it was perfectly cooked and was impressed with the Basil Polenta and the interplay of herbs and creaminess throughout the dish… also represented in the Mint Yogurt. I love eating with Richy. This is a guy who absolutely savours his food like no other person I have EVER met. He is an incredible cook, meticulous and detailed in his preparations… and a fantastic eater. We often wonder where he puts it all since he manages to stay in such great shape in spite of an insatiable appetite. So when Richy is happy with a dish, we know it is good.

Dinner at Kuppa would not be complete without dessert. One of the best desserts I have ever enjoyed is Kuppa’s Concord Cake (150THB / $4.50 USD / S$6.26). Paul and I actually used to crave this dessert and take a walk down to Kuppa to bring a piece home for a late night treat. This is a destination dessert folks. Don’t miss its rich chocolately, fudgy goodness. I don’t know what the crispy curls on top are, but they are a textural highlight that counterbalances the soft and chewy cake.

We also like the Apple Pie and Crumbles here. Another regular thing we enjoyed was the Macadamia Nut Brownie. Also try the Bread Pudding….if you are going to share desserts this is an excellent partner with the Concord Cake as the bread pudding’s creaminess serves to offset the fudginess of the cake.

In recalling all my lovely meals there, I realize just how much I miss having Kuppa as my neighbor. Familiar, friendly, comfortable and downright delicious. And this is why I make a point to return on every trip to Bangkok.

KuppA
39 Sukhumvit Soi 16
Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 2663 0495

This weeks Epicurean Concept is relatively simple, but one that we were curious about and so thought maybe others were as well. Often at restaurants I’ll see lamb dishes on the menu, but other times mutton dishes. I wondered if there was really a difference or if it was a restaurant’s way of dressing up or down a dish through verbal trickery. Answer after the jump.

It’s actually not (or at least shouldn’t be) verbal trickery on the part of the restaurant.

Lamb is a sheep less than one year old, typically slaughtered between the ages of four and twelve months. This meat is more pinkish in color and has a large amount of white fat surrounding the meat. The lamb should have a firm texture, but still be tender.

Mutton is any sheep that’s older than one year…. or to be really precise it’s a “a female (ewe) or castrated male (wether) sheep having more than two permanent incisors in wear” (wikipedia). The older meat of mutton can be a bit gamier and tougher if not prepared correctly, hence the limited usage of it in the states. Mutton is undergoing a huge comeback as of late though (as are most cheaper / forgotten meats these days).

Hogget is another variety you might hear about. Hogget is sometimes used interchangeably for Mutton but it’s slightly different – “a young male sheep or maiden ewe having no more than two permanent incisors in wear” (again Wikipedia).

Careful in the US though. Any sheep under two years of age can be legally labeled and sold as lamb. So that could also account for someone tasting lamb and finding it too gamey…maybe it is, or maybe they were slipped some 23 month old “lamb” meat.

So there you go. If you dislike the gamier (sometimes it reminds me of bleu cheese) taste of Mutton, maybe look for lamb. These days chef’s are doing some creative things with mutton and I think it’s worth the risk if you see it on a menu…they know the negative associations folks have with the meat these days, so to include it on a menu says they think it’s worth it (or are getting it cheap)