eevon.sg

After a busy day at work, I just want to stone amidst lush greenary and enjoy a simple dinner. I’ve been visiting this place quite often these days. Ever been to a garden in a cafe somewhere in China Square Central? Gotta thank 24seven for the tasting session which brought me to Eden Sanctuary. You can find blog entries about our exclusive Rainbow Cuisine tasting over at Diana, Amanda, Calvin, Justin and Veron’s blog. I gotta miss that entry because Chuck screwed up again. Oh Chuck. Why.

Forget Chuck. Since I’m fast becoming a regular here, it is more appropriate for me to share on some of the staple dishes here which you can find on the menu! Unlike other conventional cafes, stepping into Eden Sanctuary really really feels like home. Everyone is well taken of at Chef Clement’s cosy dining room.

(:

Dinner last night started with the Tomato Basil Tartlet ($7.90). Though it looked like a typical canapé, it actually tasted better than what I had at Restaurant Week. Love the crispy savoury crust filled with a tomato based sauce on the inside. Magic of this finger delight is the fresh basil leave hidden beneath the layer of cheese.

These savoury tartlets are such delicate sweethearts. Complementary flavours of tomato, cheese, fennel, herbs and especially the refreshing tones of a lucky basil leave perked me up for what’s coming up!

Creamless Homestyle Pumpkin Soup ($4.00)

I wish mom was here. She always complains about cooking pumpkins. Well, I’ve tried creamy pumpkin soups and it wasn’t spectacular. So I’m particularly pleased with Eden Sanctuary’s clear broth version with herbs. I enjoyed every spoonful of pumpkin bumps, shreds or chucks. The texture is so inconsistently attractive, I’m hating how I am polishing off the bowl in just 5 minutes. Argh. It’s hard to flirt with a bowl of soup. They don’t last very long.

Fan of Shakespeare? I am especially when it come to his timeless tales of love and human fallacy. Remember Sir Andrew in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night who tried desperate to flirt with a maiden by the name of Maria and failed terrible? It is he who said “I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit”. Well, he’s a meathead if he has never tried Balsamic Strawberry Beef ($9.90). Look at that chuck of wonderment.

Oops Sir Andrew, pardon me. Nay you wouldn’t enjoy this if you don’t fancy an unconventional twist to your meat. I had mine at medium with a slight tarty. sourish pinch on the tongue. It was lovely. Accompanied with a drizzle of savoury sauce, the strawberries set off a fruity refinement to an otherwise typical piece of meat.

I’m sorry sweethearts. When I get started on literature, I can’t stop. So in Twelfth Night, Shakespeare takes a amusing approach to expose the ways humans fall prey to pride, vanity and self-deception. So we are all fools of our own deception. I felt like a simpleton fool just like Sir Andrew more often than not. Fools that are easily pleased, easily contented, easily amused. So tell me. Is that good or bad?

Nevertheless, perhaps there’s really nothing to hide especially after savouring the next dish at Eden Sanctuary. I could smell it as Chef Clement was on his way to my table. Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish ($6.90). Odd combination isn’t it? But trust me. You should really try this. There’s just something graceful and clever about this down-to-earth dish that screams simplicity.

Each mouthful is a blast of flavours from the distinct taste of ginger, leek and peanut butter. Yet surprisingly with such powerful elements, I could still taste the flaky fishy fish tucked under the brownish garb! No wonder Chef Clement said that a fish should taste like a fish no matter how it is prepared. You get that? Say bye bye to tasteless meat!

By the way, it’s a must to get a pot of floral tea to accompany these delicate creations. It goes perfectly well with the food here. All in all, Eden Sanctuary offers simple, natural and light on the tummy meals. A week ago I was here for lunch and the Creamless Carbonara Pasta was awesome! Yup CREAMLESS! I could successfully finish a slice of cheese cake after that! Ah ah ah, nothing to be guilty about because Chef Clement made sure that it’s a balanced, healthy meal. I’m just a simply fool at Eden Sanctuary waiting for the next serving of his witty creation.

(:

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
18 Cross Street #01-16
China Square Central
Tel : 6224 2298
Remember to call for reservations!

No I’m not done with my Perth experience yet. How could it be over without a post on my visit to Cicerello’s, one of the most famous Fish n Chips restaurant in Perth and a mini-tour of Freemantle?

JS had a super bright idea that we get up super early for a mini tour around Freemantle before lunch at Cicerello’s. So yet another early, groggy morning for me. Thought that we were in some kind of odd dreamland as a gypsies and lots of random kids with painted faces crossed our path at Freemantle. The kids were adorable. Can’t wait for Winn to get me a blond nephew.

So we explored Freemantle, especially the area around Freo Market before heading over to Cicerello’s for lunch. I like markets. It’s so colourful and in Perth’s case. It’s spanking clean too. Totally different from the Ben Thanh Market at Ho Chi Minh. Hehe. I know I know. I’m going to talk about my trip to Saigon soon!

Freo Market is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and there are lots of souvenirs, local products for sale which is pretty interesting. Stuff there ranges from boomerangs, postcards, super spicy homemade chili sauces to the didgeridoo, a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. .

Best buy at Freo Market?

Tada! King crab leggies! JS bought some and made really good laksa to go with them. Ever heard of crab laksa? Sorry I meant delectable, home-cooked crab laksa. Well well my kindergarten bestie of 20-odd years whom I thought would mistook sugar for salt in the kitchen has morph into such a good cook! I’m so so proud of her!

Seafood is really fresh here since Perth is essentially a coastal city. And from what we saw that morning, Perth’s port, Fremantle, is truly a city in its own right. The bustling atmosphere of a city could be felt as we sipped coffee/hot chocolate at a quaint cafe to rest our feet and people-watched. Well, Freemantle or Freo is in fact, slightly older than Perth. It was fun wandering on the streets along preserved heritage buildings with my girls. Still, thank goodness we had iPhones and Google maps.

When you explore Freo, do make good use of the free public Fremantle buses to restaurants, Fremantle Art Gallery and fishing boat harbour near the Esplanade hotel. And as what I’ve mentioned earlier, no visit to Perth is complete with a simple fish & chip meal at Freemantle.

So here’s the Traditional Fish & Chips AUD$12.60 we got at Cicerello’s! Ah plain old fish & chips but one of the most authentic and freshest I’ve tasted. Nope not soggy. See how good it looks in the picture. It’s tasty even without chilli sauce!

Cicerello’s chips on the other hand was just average. I actually prefer Red Rooster’s chips! The taste of the chicken salt sprinkled so generously over the hot piping chips is unbeatable by far. You must try Red Rooster’s chips if you ever visit OZ!

We also had the Whole Grilled Flounder, AUD$24.00 which was served in an unusually cool manner. The fish laid really super flat on the chips. It was excellent especially with lemon squeezed on it. Was pleased with the mild sweet taste and flaky-firm texture of it’s pure white flesh.

Cicerello’s menu also offers freshly caught oysters, mussels, crabs and crayfish and either fried or grilled. Would had ordered more if not for our plans to grab some beer over at Little Creatures right after lunch. Yup Little Creatures! (:

Didn’t realised that flounders are so flat! Thought that flounders looked like chubby cute Flounder, the yellow and blue-colored fish in Disney’s Little Mermaid. Nah. Did a quick check and found that he is not a flounder, but a Juvenile Atlantic Blue Tang instead. Can’t believed I was ‘conned’ into believing that Flounder is a flounder.

Anyway, the pesky seagulls can be a nuisance sometimes so don’t feed them else they will really poop on you. I’m not joking! And never leave your food unattended because the seagulls are really quick to snap them off your plate.

Well, Cicerello’s is a good choice for a casual lunch with a noisy buzz. We sat at the al-fresco area which overlooked the fishing boat harbour. Perfect for family with kids. Just make sure they don’t fall over the deck.

The food was decent. Price was reasonable. Ambiance was too touristy for my liking. Then again, Cicerello’s is one of the most famous fish & chips restaurant in Perth. And that’s the bane of a popular eatery. Just got to live with it. I guess.

Cicerello’s
Fisherman’s Wharf 44 Mews Road Fremantle 6160
Tel: (08) 9335 1911
Opening times for Fremantle
10.00am to late, 7 Days A Week

Was wondering where to bring JB pig-outers for dinner after a heavy brunch at Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh and mid-afternoon dessert at La Gourmet. Want to get something that can tempt our pampered taste buds that were kept busy all day. Thus, decided to get some sweet and sour asam fish and soupy drunken chicken from Jie Sheng. This place was recommended by dad.

We were there on a Saturday evening and it was almost full house; prepare to wait if there’s a crowd. Over here, the chef take his own sweet time to prepare his goodies. But it is worth the wait. Anyway time passes quickly when we were chatting about what to eat next and if we should go for durian ice cream dessert after dinner. Gluttons!

After about 20 minutes, we could smell our first dish coming. Behold, the Chinese drunken chicken! We ordered the medium sized one that cost RM14.

As we ladled the chicken pieces and soup we were enthralled by the extremely fragrant smell of Chinese rice wine but guess what. It tasted even better. The chicken meat was tender, moist and We could taste the rice wine and a slight hint of Chinese herbs, ginger and sesame oil which really gets the taste buds going. I particularly like the sweet wolf berries.

Absolutely superb. I could have this for dinner everyday. It was rich and really delicious. Ah no wonder this dish is considered a health-building soup. We felt so ’strong’ after slurping the soup that we can stomach anything and continue the food hunt!

Next, the Asam fish! We loved it! The fish was so soft, silky and was slathered with asam gravy that was distinctively sweet, spicy and sour. For those who can’t take spicy stuff, you’ll be pleased to know that the spiciness was not to the extent of numbing the tongue. I would say that the asam is more sourish than spicy.

Not wanting to overeat and waste food, we ordered a small serving of the asam fish at first but we finished the entire serving in less than 10 minutes because it was damn good. So to satisfy our cravings, we ordered the asam fish again. This time, we got the medium sized serving with 3-4 large piece of fish. That’s the one you see below.

It was served with eggplants, long bean and fried tofu skin. After soaking the fried crispy fried tofu skin into the tangy gravy, you’ll get a soft and rubbery crumpled sheet. The tart sourish flavor of the asam gravy really accentuated the golden fried flavor of the tofu. Another side dish that were meant to match this dish is the papadum, a thin crispy wafer that taste like a cracker. We dipped it into the asam gravy and it’s amazingly tasty. By the way, if you have no patience to pick out fish bones, no worries. It’s 90% flesh.

By the way, it cost just RM33 for a small and medium order of the asam fish.

Besides these 2 specialty dishes, we ordered a plate of stir-fry vegetables (RM6) and claypot beancurd (RM7) with mixed vegetables as sides. These 2 dishes were fine but they were still outshone by the drunken chicken and asam fish.

Surprise surprise. Just when we were about to finish off all the dishes, there was an electric cut in the area. The entire estate was pitched black. Interesting. But we did not dined in darkness. The chef and a few of his customers/workers drove their car and positioned them strategically facing the restaurant. All headlights were turned on and the warm orangy lights lit the entire place with a cosy feel.

Despite the sudden electricity cut, dinner was a cooling and relaxing affair. We spent about RM65 for here which I find reasonable, considering the quality of the fare. Can’t believe we managed to chow down all these even after eating for the entire day.

Jie Sheng Restoran
3, Jalan Permas 10/B
Permas Jaya
81750 Masai Johor
019-7989123
3pm-12am
Closed on Thursdays

Dai Pai Dong is where you encounter street-side eating culture in Hong Kong! You can find al-fresco food stall operating on the roadside with foldable tables and plastic chairs. Dai Pai Dong may not very hygienic but here’s where you should be heading for decent tasty local grub.

So we were feeling peckish after shopping so it’s time for supper! Found a Dai Pai Dong somewhere near Temple Street in Jordan (next MTR station to Tsim Sha Tsui). and there was a healthy local crowd there so we decided to grab some food here! First up, Roasted Pigeon with crispy golden brown skin!

It was so-so only. In fact, the one we had in Guangzhou was better. The meat has some weird bird taste! Yeah it’s a bird but it shouldn’t taste so strongly bird-ish right? Guess pigeon meat is too wild for me. I think the roasted chicken wings at Taman Pelangi hawker center is better (Will blog about it soon).

Anyway we still gobbled down the bird and shortly our plate of incredibly fresh steamed fish came. Most Dai Pai Dong which operate at night usually sell seafood.

Ah the fish steamed with ginger and onion topped with a dash of soy sauce was more delightful than the pigeon. It’s a pretty simple dish but it taste so good because of its ultra freshness and sweet yummy soy sauce. I can taste some sesame oil too.

BTW You can choose to have both dishes with steamed white rice but we decided not to. Want to leave some space for desserts before we head back to the hotel. Ah our appetite just keep growing in Hong Kong. My face is getting rounder and rounder.

:/

Spent about sgd30 for this light supper! Quite similar to hawkers in Southeast Asia but in Hong Kong, it is more extensive because they also offer live seafood that was just swimming in mini aquariums before being served on the table. It’s a good thing that cooking fresh is revered in Hong Kong.

This is a secret chow place that only locals know! It’s near Angsana shopping mall. Before I elaborate, take note that the parking lots at Lorong 2 are really limited and you can expect yourself to sweat like a pig while lunching. Nonetheless, I bet you will never ever regret coming here.

This is how Lorong 2 looks like. Narrow lanes and lotsa cars parking by the side of the road.

I’m not sure if you can spot the signboard because it’s not very conspicuous. It’s hidden behind a mountain of tin cans!

Instead of making their signboard a landmark, the shop next door which distributes chicken feed is easier to notice. So look out for Soonly Poultry Farming.

Ah. Do not be deceived by the restaurant’s humble appearance! Judging by the number of tin cans in the jumble outside the shop, you can roughly gauge the restaurant’s popularity.

Let me introduce the delectable spread!

The bak kut teh

I’m a super big fan of this stronger flavoured bak kut teh soup which is created by adding medicinal herbs.

There’s  meaty pork ribs and innards simmering in the tasty broth. Mmm this pot of goodness has such intense aroma of herbs and spices! I can have this for every meal! Too bad I don’t stay near this restaurant.

Garlic Steamed Fish

To order the fish, you need to go to the kitchen/counter to pick your own fish! Ma ordered 2 red snappers because bro and I were very hungry.

Here’s the steamed fish with garlic, spring onions and coriander leaves.

Make sure you have enough of this slighty acerbic dip that goes very well with the fish. It’s very zingy!

Garlic fried xiao bai cai with minced pork

As you can see, the fish and veg are quite garlicky! That’s why you should order chinese tea to go with these flavorsome food. I like Xiang Pian Tea, ??.

BURP!

For a table of 5, the bill came up to RM58.90. We ordered 2 fishes!  OMG! really reasonable right?

What else can I say besides hoping that the food and price will remain as good when more people get to know about this hidden gem. The thing with fantastic restaurants is that the standard will somehow deteriorates when it start expanding/franchising. That was what happened to Bamboo Restaurant. It’s famous “Paper wrapped Chicken” shrunk in size while the price actually went up. We never went back there for makan ever again. Boo!

OK. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, you will definitely complain about the heat when you dine here. It’s hot in the al-fresco area and stuffy indoors. Yet, although I sweat like a pig when I chow here, I must say that this is a makan experience itself. Anyway you will feel so shiok savoring these dishes until you don’t mind the heat/stuffiness at all!

I love herbal bak kut teh!

Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock
No.25A Lorong 2
Tampoi 81200
Johor Bahru
019-7793434
Closed every Monday