Salsachica’s Ramblings

Yusheng within a Thai & Balinese restaurant

{ January 26, 2012 @ 5:02 am } · { Asian, Chinese, dinner, Family, Food, indonesian, Seafood, Singapore, Thai }
{ Tags: 112 Katong, dinner, Lunar New Year, yusheng } · { Leave a Comment }

Whenever the lunar new year comes around, we have a tendency to eat Yusheng 鱼生 together as a family. This year we headed to BaliThai at 112 Katong, a Thai and Balinese restaurant that also happened to serve a Chinese New Year menu this time of year, we had to wait for a while whilst the Filipina server cleared the tables, seemed like it was a quiet night and as it was CNY, they were probably short staffed since the tables had yet be cleared and we had to wait for awhile.

Anyways back to the salad. What it is basically, is a salad of shredded radish, pomelo, carrots, peanuts, cashews, preserved fruit, salmon, lime, and crunchy wanton chips. All stirred with sauces and tossed. Each ingredient has a unique representation for something that one wishes for more of in the coming year. Yu or fish,鱼, kinda sounds like abundance,余. So yusheng鱼生 sounds like 余升 which would mean an increase in abundance! Symbolizing abundance, wealth & prosperity, all good things to hope for in the new year. I find that night to truly represent Singapore, coz our filipina server was wishing us in mandarin. When she served the salmon, she said Nian Nian You Yu. And then she added the lime to the salmon, she then said Da Ji Da Li. A bowl of spices & pepper were added over the salad and said Zhao Cai Jin Bao. Oil is then poured over and then she said Yi Ben Wan Li. She then added the carrots, and said Hong Yun Dang Tou, and then green radish and white radish. Peanuts & cashews were poured over the salad which represented a home filled with gold. And then sesame seeds were poured to represent a successful business, and then wanton chips added to represent gold. And then you toss the salads high with your chopsticks! And eat! Yummy!

Next dish was the thickened seafood soup, delicious soup filled with white fungus, enoki mushrooms, squid, prawn in a thick flavorful broth. Served in an earthenware pot the aroma was so enticing. This was then followed by the barbecued platter of fish, chicken, squid and chicken satay. And of course warm white rice. The best condiment to dip the BBQ goodness in would be their sambal belacan, had to ask for seconds for that. We washed it all down with ice lime tea cooler , a concoction that was über refreshing.

Le Bistro Parisien

{ November 18, 2011 @ 4:36 pm } · { Desserts, dinner, Family, Food, French, halal, Life, Singapore }
{ Tags: dessert, escargot, French, halal, steak, veal } · { Leave a Comment }

I’ve been wanting to go to this petite bistro for the longest of time. I have read rave reviews about their authentic halal French cuisine. Their decor of old school movie posters and portraits of Malay screen sirens of yesteryear with French as well as Cuban music in the background just seems to mesh perfectly well.

We basically had no plan where to dine tonight, in a Malay colloquial term that prescribes it fully we “terjun botol” or spur of the moment kinda thing. And I’m glad we did do that. Sans reservation, we managed to secure a table for just us 3. (I’d recommend anyone interested to make reservations instead) It was pretty crowded, (had to suck my tummy in to pass through the banister & chairs), but it sure was cozy. My seat overlooked the window, and I could see the goings on along Haji Lane.

The menu was impressive, but it did not have duck or Fois Gras or the bone marrow. Nonetheless I was pretty happy, there was escargot & veal! We ordered the Bourguignon d’escargots, poulet basquaise & entrecôte de boeuf,wagyu. The bourguignon d’escargots was a dish of escargots ala bourguignone that were baked on a creamy pea purée. Traditionally bourguignon is a stew that is cooked with red wine, usually with beef, garlic, shallots amongst other things, and most importantly butter. As this is a halal bistro, I’m guessing the chef replaced the wine with a vinegar, balsamic perhaps. The escargots were tender and delicious, and I couldn’t stop myself from mopping up the tangy tomato, carrots & creamed peas with the buttered warm bread roll.

Poulet Basquaise was served with a side of pasta that just slid down your throat. This chicken was cooked in a tomato, sweet bell pepper, celery and onions sauce. Creaminess of the pasta was a perfect match with the juiciness of the chicken.

Entrecôte de boeuf, wagyu, my brother’s favourite beef, was a tender 300gm of exquisite rib eye. The only way we eat steak is medium, we love it pink and soft. And this certainly did not disappoint!

The medaillon de veau aux chanterelles was stunning!!! Veal tenderloin is so soft it just melts in your mouth. And the chanterelle sauce, gosh the mushrooms were divine!

Food like these tantalizing dishes makes me certain that I can’t go back to being a vegetarian.

For dessert, it did not list out what was available in the menu. The waitress was so helpful and described what desserts were available tonight. We ordered the vanilla bean creme brûlée & the Opera. We were surprised and happy when the waitress served us with a complimentary slice chocolate gateau. Perhaps it was the Amer? Whatever it was the three different desserts worked together. The vanilla bean creme brûlée had a satisfying crack when we tapped on the brûlée. The custard was smooth and light. Opera was yummy, coffee and sponge and chocolate , perfect trinity. The Amer was dense, smooth and lusciously decadent chocolate dessert. A bite of each dessert, one after the other was complimentary with each taste. Listening to the Cuban songs like “chan chan” made me happy to hang out at this cute bistro. I’m sated, and sleepy and I can’t wait till the next time I’m at Le Bistro Parisien.

Le Bistro Parisien is located at:
10 Haji Lane, Tel: 63966383

Overcoming the bitter taste of sadness

{ October 9, 2011 @ 3:06 am } · { cakes, Desserts, Family, Food, halal, Italian, Life, Singapore }
{ Tags: cakes, Desserts, Italian, panna cotta } · { Leave a Comment }

From the young age of 13, when I started secondary school, I was introduced to the fine arts of pastry, eating them and not making them. I thank Delifrance to the afternoons doing homework with a cup of cappuccino and a flaky, buttery and rich chocolate croissant. Essential elements that combat the stresses of life, my comfort food.

Decades have past, and yet my love affair for pastries and desserts have never gone away, perhaps it’s because they are the only constant bites of sweetness I could ever manage. I guess my post today sounds rather depressing, perhaps because I am. But nothing that sweet silky spoonful of vanilla bean panna cota that Meatworks serves could help overcome. In minutes, a serving is gone. But the lingering taste remains on your tastebuds just like a memory of what something beautiful was. Another dessert I ordered was the tiramisu, a pick me up, that’s what it means in Italian. Just simple ingredients, mascarpone cheese, cocoa, coffee and cake. A melange of sweetness and bitterness balanced to bring a delicate sensation to you. Just like life is, it can be both bitter and sweet, although right now I just really need the sweetness to overwhelm the bitterness. The last dessert I tried was the chocolate trilogy, simply perfect, layers of mouse, cake and dark chocolate ganache served with raspberries. Sounds simple, but in it’s simplicity one tastes the complexity it took to assemble it. And like the complexities of life, things just turn out right sometimes and sometimes they do not, and so we should just have our cake and indulge in that temporary bites of sweetness that comes to us.