Big D's Grill

Made a swift escape to Big D's Grill today. Have been having the strong urge to try this place since reading ieatishootipost.sg posting. I told myself I need, I must, I will have the Kurobuta Pork!

I was told I have to wait 20min for the chef to fire up the grill, hence I ordered the soup of the day, clam chowder, to keep me occupied. Clam chowder was ordinary, in fact a little diluted but I love the very 'garlicy' toasted bread. 

Ohhh this is what i came for. For the sake of Lynn, she has ordered me to explain what IS the kurobuta. 

Kurobuta are Berkshire Pigs. Berkshire pigs are rare breed of pigs originating from Britain. They are "Britain's oldest pig breed". Kurobuta (Black Pig) is the Japanese term of the Berkshire breed given to Japan by English diplomats in the 1800s. Like the Kurobuta beef's analogues (Wagyu Beef) the pork is well known for its superb meat marbling. The character Napoleon in George Orwell is a Berkshire. =)
Hmm so how do i find the cute black pig? First bite (with the fats) very tender, full of flavour, juicy, best piece of pork I have ever eaten. Second bite with the apple sauce that was given, wow! Perfect match of both the fatty meat and the tangy apple sauce, really wonderful complement! Match made in heaven! Third bite still very delicious. Fourth bite taste like Char Siew! Fifth bite, somehow without the fats the meat seems a little too dry and too salty for my palate.  Tasted abit like smoked ham? Towards the end, I had to drown my meat in the apple sauce cos it was too salty and dry. As always the first two bites are always the best! Whatever it is, worth trying at least once!
One of the side was pumpkin mash, the other side I'm not too sure, some sort of beans I guess, maybe Pinto beans? Anyway the 'i dont know what' was certainly better than the pumpkin mash. Nevertheless both the sides were unique and good, not your usual french fries, bakes beans that you get in a kopi thiam stall. 
Yes! this is the pinkish meat that is characteristic of Kurobuta!
Finally! Homemade dessert, Bonet! Mention ieatishoot and you get a free dessert worth $4 for every $30 spend. This I must say is the highlight of the meal! I am not someone with a sweet tooth, but this smooth, rich, bitter sweet chocolate pudding with caramel sauce is simply heavenly! It slides into the back of your throat and gives your mouth a sweet bitter feeling. Certainly more than satisfy my week long craving of dark chocolate!

For a hawker stall this is not cheap, Pork cost $36, but I guess if you are going to have the Black Pig in a restaurant, it will easily come up to about $50. They have other items like beer battered snapper fish, bangers and mash, beef goulash, boneless chicken leg, pasta etc. Oh you can join the facebook: Fans of Big D's Grill for more information. 

Big D's Grill

Blk 18 Bedok South Road (Opposite Temasek JC, far end kopitiam)

01-87

Daily: 11:30 - 14:30

             1800  - 2130

Thurs: 1730 - 2130

tel: 96627040

Buko Nero

This is a photoless entry cos the restaurant imposes a no-photography rule. Nevertheless I had to make this entry cos it is probably one of the more memorable restaurants I have been to this year. I don't know if it is memorable because of the yummy food or because of the long waiting list of reservation of this restaurant (A had to make a reservation 2 months in advance just so that R and I can eat here) or because A treated us to this meal! Btw thanks for the yummy treat! Plllleaassseee my turn next time!! Pleaaaseeee!!! Put time and place for our next makan outing.

I cant really remember the names of the food we had cos they were all 'chim' Italian fusion names. We had the set meal and we ordered another appetiser - tau kwa tower which is not bad. 

The 1st course which was an appetiser from the chef was very tasty indeed! Thinking of it makes me drool! Of cos I didnt manage to catch the name. It is some mince beef on thin toasted bread slice, top with finely sliced apple and wasabi sauce. 

Second course was a pomelo salad which was forgettable, then again I could be bias course I am NOT a green person. and YES! I hate tomatoes!

Third course was soup, something like Cannoli Beans with crab meat soup. Didn't really enjoy the soup, was kind of blend and tasted a little weird... or rather on the positive side, unique!

Fourth course was rock melon  YU ZU (in other words those tiny mandarin orange) sherbet. Well.. i thought this was addictive, as much as I dont really fancy sherbet, but this one here with its unique blend of rock melon and tangerine hits the right spot! It opens up your appetite, cleanses your palate in preparation for the main course.

Fifth course, Entree, I had the Pork Saltimbocca with curry leaves sauce and something else which I cant remember. Very delicious indeed! R had the cod with rosemary crust and tamarind. It is good too, I especially love the crispy crust. The tangy taste of tamarind can be pretty subjective, if you are not someone who loves sour food, you probably wouldnt appreciate this. A had the mince beef mix with braised pork ravioli (they use wanton skin for the ravioli), not bad too! Thinking of it makes me drool even though I just had my dinner 15minutes ago. 

Last course: dessert was milk chocolate cake, alas, this was disappointing! Erm but nevertheless I ate up every bit of the cake. 

Finally our meal was accompanied by a bottle of white wine which complements the entire makan session. hmmm how I wish we could go back again... which means, call now and wait for 2 more months!

Buku Nero

126 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tues - Thurs: 1830 - 2130

Fri - Sat: 1200 - 1400, 1830 - 2130

Closed on Mon, Sunday and PH

Tel: 63246225 (reservation is a MUST!)

Vietnam - Ho Chin Minh Part 2

Day 1 - Part 2

This posting marks the second half of our major stoning day in HCM. This day is a walk, breathe carbon monoxide, eat, drink, stone, eat, eat, walk, stone, laugh, eat eat eat, take photos, eat day! I miss my story books! Should have brought along a story book to read, then again, I know i will probably end up stoning rather then reading. Pig brought along her work, travelled everywhere with it, but never seem to have done anything at all... despite her relentless 'bored bored bored I am borrreddd!' 

Our next stoning pit stone takes us to Sofitel Saigon for a chocolate buffet!

This is part of our little booth. 
The only proper photo I have of the chocolate buffet! The rest turn out too dark and yellow and boo hoo hoo i forgot to take a photo of the 'buffet spread'. The rather pathetic chocolate buffet spread that left me hungry at the end of our 3 hour stoning. Ohhh how i regret not taking a photo!
After the buffet, the sky was already dark and because it was drizzling we decided to take a cab to Diamond plaza, a spanking new shopping mall in the heart of HCM. 

This photo is taken outside the HCM Post Office along Dong Koi Road. Pretty building yeah? I think this is probably one of the prettiest building in HCM. 
The interior - thats Mr Ho Chin Minh staring at us.
The Notre Dame Cathedral - one of the many landmarks in HCM, just opposite the post office. 
After shopping at the Supermarket, Parkson, we had dinner at the popular franchise PHO24 (there is an outlet in Millennia Walk, Singapore). My special bowl of Pho, with different parts of the cow. 
Piggy likes fried stuff... so this is ordered specially to entertain her. 
So this is the end of piggish day 1, dinner. Boring as it may seem, I think once in a while, we should be thankful that we are bored. Boredom is a blessing, can be a blessing, it is just a matter of perspective. 

Vietnam - Ho Chin Minh Part 1

Day 1

Stayed at Chancery Hotel - an old retro hotel that has just been refurbished. 

Woke up early on the first day, decided to take a short walk in the park just outside our hotel while piggy is bathing and getting ready for breakfast. 

People in the park, jogging, playing tennis and exercising to the tune of 'I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world, wrap in plastic, its fantastic!'
Breakfast
Very plain and ordinary breakfast, but this omelet here is certainly THE saving grace. My cheese, onion and ham omelet, very yummy! I think it is the cheese that gives the omelet its yummy flavour and nice chewy texture.
Vietnam's national fruit - Dragon fruit. I love this! but piggy always have negative comments towards this poor innocent fruit. Her classic line "wahh you make the fruit looks so tempting, I shall go get some." [back with fruit] "eeee not nice!" 
View from the hotel's restaurant. 
HCM popular market - Ben Thanh market, I wonder why do people rave about this market, it is just like another market in South East Asia, in fact much smaller than places like Chatuchak market. 
The clock tower, icon of Ben Thanh
After walking here, there everywhere, risking our lives, beating the traffic, we just had to chill a little bit, escape from the heat, before continuing on our journey. One of our chillout stops after booking a Mekong Delta tour from T.M. Bro Cafe. [If you are ever going to HCM, avoid this tour agency at all cost!]

Highland Cafe - an upmarket franchise cafe you can find all over HCM. You don't get Starbucks here, but you sure can find many Highland cafes. 

Galbiati Gourmet Deli

Its been a while since i last blogged, nope it is not that I have stopped eating, in fact I have been eating too much! but well its more like I either forgot to bring my camera or I simply forgot about taking photos of my food and before i know it.. uh oh...

Anwyay Tucked away in a corner in Bukit Timah is a pretty little mall (erm actually it is not exactly a mall but well) - Railway Mall. 

So here is tonight dinner: 

Eggplant with sundried tomato, I don't eat egg plant nor tomato, so i can't pass a fair comment on this appetizer.

Pizza counter
2nd appetizer. Yes yes! i know it looks more like a main course... nevertheless it IS an antipasto. I love the meatballs! well seasoned, roughly chopped meat. Almost perfect... well it would have been perfect if it is served a little warmer. 
This is my main, cant really rem the name.. well it is something like squid ink blah blah blah with chilli, shrimps, garlic and broccoli. Didn't really fancy it, the pasta tasted like the chinese cze char 'Yi mee' and the overall flavour too oriental, yes! like some cze char with a twist. 
My friend's main: lamb shank with coco pasta. I thought the lamb shank was pretty good, tender and full of flavour. Then again, people food always taste better...

Ohh if anyone has any idea how to a take photo such that it looks natural and not yellow (like the above) in a restaurant that has yellow lighting, please let me know. Or how do i go about editing such that it looks natural. Really dont know like yellowish tinge in the photos. 

400 Upper Bt Timah

The Rail Mall

64620926

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm

San He Yuan Herbal Steamboat

oww... please bear with the bad photo quality. Anyway this is one of those lazy typing days. 

My favourite cockles! I love these tiny iron pills!


We had many more dishes but i was too hungry to snap away
BTW this is a steamboat buffet. It is known for its herbal base soup

Seafood International Market & Restaurant @ Big Splash

Our assembly of dishes

Choose your seafood!

First dish: fried squid - nothing fantastic
Bamboo Clam - the best dish, a tad salty though

3 cups wine chicken? also nothing special
Deep fried mushroom. Yup you choose the mushroom and the style of cooking
Black Pepper Crab, trust me the Joo Chiat black pepper crab is much much better!

Finally the chili crab which is slightly better but disappointing too
902 East Coast Parkway Big Splash

Blk A 01-01/03

Opening Hours: 1130-1430

                                 1700 - 1200

Tel: 63451211

Dinner@home

One of those dinners at home...

Curry Chicken, mama said she added to much cinnamon?!(erm then again maybe it is not cinnamon, i think she was just bluffing me) thats why it is a little bitter. Wish she had added more Kaffir lime leaves.

Cooking method =)

Deep fry the potatoes

Fry Indian curry paste (from market) till fragrant

Add chicken, Kaffir Lime leaves, Lemon grass and diluted coconut milk. Cook till chicken is 3/4 done. Add in salt and sugar. When chicken is done, add in the left over undiluted coconut milk! =) simple? 

Bak Ku Teh soup... must buy pork ribs! only pork ribs. I love the innards!
Spinach with wolfberries

Cooking method:

Fry lots of garlic, when it is brown, add in the spinach and the wolfberries. Add in some chicken stock. 
Here is our complete dinner, and yes we eat brown rice these days. 

132 Mee Pok

Our appetiser - otah! Its yummy, at least it has visible fish bits in the otah. I wish it was a little warmer though.

Our long awaited Mee Pok! Almost an hour for this mee pok!
Of course it has to come with extra chili and lots of vinegar!
Verdict: I ate sooo fast that i couldn't really savour the food properly, but then again it is a mee pok stall that I eat quite often so I kind of know that I like the Mee Pok here, love the chili, love the al dente noodles but i wish they didn't dilute the vinegar. Yesh! I love my vinegar! Bring it on! Whatever it is certainly not worth an hour long wait! And my no 1 choice of mee pok is still Tai Wah mee pok at Crawford Lane
Poh Pia! Expensive at $2.50, and not particularly fantastic. Skin is soft and thin but I like my poh pia with the tiny little crunchy bits inside which is absent in this poh pia. 
Final note: Please do not be lazy and park illegally outside! DARRN! I just got a parking summon for a bowl of noodles that I had to swallow! 

132 Mee Pok

52 Upper East Coast Road

Opposite POSB

Opening Hours: 730 - 330

Closed Mondays and Alternate Sundays