1. Best Way to Eat Wagyu: Waku Ghin (by Tetsuya – now I can say it’s open!)
There are many grades of wagyu, and many ways of preparing this fatty, marbled meat. We seek the one that will give us the “Oh my God!” euphoria, and it is surprisingly one of the simplest. Tetsuya uses the highest grade A9 beef, flash seared on the outside with just salt and pepper, so it stays medium rare in the centre. He may vary the accompaniment, perhaps sauteed mushrooms, a dash of ponzu-like sauce and freshly grated wasabi. The man is God indeed.

Tetsuya Wakuda

This is Tetsuya’s novel recreation of the oyster – made of scallop carpaccio wrapped around foie gras, doused with lime.

2. When You Need A Big Family Celebration Dinner: Ming Kee Live Seafood
Ming Kee may not look like much from the outside, but such seafood treasures lie within! They have so many good dishes and the seafood is extremely fresh, it’s hard to go wrong with any order. Indeed, you’ll want to order many things, so go with a big group or family. If you’re new, try the fried eel skin, flower clams with fried minced garlic, crab beehoon, bamboo clams with buttery garlic.  Add on some Guiness pork or smoked duck for variety. The feast will make you feel like celebrating, even if there’s no occasion at all!

Ming Kee

We were all very glad we did not have to wrestle these crabs while they were alive. Look at those man-sized pincers!

3. That Delicious Light Lunch Before You Rush Back To The Office: Blanco Court Sliced Fish Soup at Beach Road
Singaporeans work some of the longest hours in Asia. So that lunch has got to be not only nutritious and substantial yet light enough not to send people off into a carb-induced coma. But most importantly, it’s gotta be tasty. Perhaps that’s why this humble little fish soup stall sees a long queue every work day. The soup is umami and delicious, the sliced fish is fresh, and there’s lots of greens thrown in as well. Bits of fluffy fried egg and anchovies give you more protein and energy to last the day.

Blanco Court Sliced Fish Soup

4. Best Sinful Treat from A Hawker: Hill Street Char Kway Teow at Bedok South
This is for people who love wok hei and lard. A plate of this char kway teow will delight your tongue, warm up your insides and satisfy that need for crunchy pork crackling. This stall serves it more dry and savoury, unlike the wet and sweet (from dark soy sauce) variety that seems to be more common in Singapore. Good Chinese sausage, lots of beansprouts and chives round up a really well-seasoned and garlicky dish.

Sinfully delicious CKT!

Hill Street Char Kway Teow

5. When You Feel Nostalgic For The Good Old Days… : Toa Payoh Hwa Heng Beef Noodles
Old timers wax lyrical about the “Odeon beef noodles” outside the Odeon cinema, where many a romantic date took place. While the stall is gone, the family has continued the business in food courts. One of the two sons later branched out to serve the beef noodles the old school way. You’ll even get the dingy coffeeshop for atmosphere. But the beef noodles in robust stock will set you awash in nostalgia. The best part? Prices are old school too!

Toa Payoh Hwa Heng Beef Noodle

6. The ULTIMATE Splurge: Goto Japanese Kaiseki
Want to pull out all stops to impress a date or celebrate a most special occasion? You can’t top Goto, which specialises in kaiseki cuisine. Fresh seasonal ingredients are shipped in from Japan four times weekly to create very traditional Kyoto-style kaiseki meals. A ten-course meal (S$280+ or US$193+ per person) will span three of the most delightful hours you’ll ever have. Each course is an operatic homage to the blessings from nature. Chef Hisao Goto formerly cooked for Japanese diplomats and ambassadors, and is used to the highest expectations for his cooking. He and his very sweet wife run the place at Ann Siang Road.

Kaiseki at Goto

7. Best Darn Thing In This Hot Weather: Ye Lai Xiang “Special” Cheng Tng
Order the special, don’t stint on the S$1 difference with the regular cheng tng. The premium version is brimming with at least 12 different ingredients. Dried persimmon, dried longan, barley, salty boiled tapioca and sweet potato, snow fungus, ginkgo, lotus seed, candied melon strips, sago pearls, split mung beans, and that fuzzy brown stuff (sea olives/”pong da hai”/kembang semangkuk) floating in the sweet cold pandan-infused water.

Ye Lai Xiang’s Special Cheng Tng

8. Nicest beachside eatery: The Mango Tree
This is a tropical island. You should be able to enjoy good food and wine with the seabreeze, gorgeous views of sand and sea stretching out before you. The Mango Tree at Marine Cove comes close. It serves some of the best coastal Indian cuisine (typically from Goa and Kerala). Try their mushroom pepper fry, mussel masala, garlic crab, and Erachi Ularthiyathu – tender mutton roasted with garam masala and diced coconut. The East Coast Parkway is where lots of people spend recreational weekends, so it’s a great place to people-watch too.

Mango Tree at Marina Cove

9. Best Value Meal: Istimewa Nasi Padang
Take your pick from over 20 dishes at this stellar nasi padang stall hidden at Hoy Fatt Road. The rendang is good, the crispy fried chicken is snapped up really quick, and most of the vegetable dishes are excellent. We had seven dishes with rice and two complimentary gravies (assam fish and vegetable curry) plus some kickass sambal belachan, and it only came up to S$16! Note that they don’t open for dinner or on Sundays. In fact, they often close early because dishes sell out so fast.

Istimewa Nasi Padang

10. Cutest Cake Shop Ever: Kki
It stands out from the rest by being totally minimalistic. There is a Muji-like zen aesthetic to the place, but the other half of the shop (shared with The Little Drom Store) is full of cute knick-knacks and vintage curios. OK, refreshing looks aside, Kki does have some of the best desserts in town. Kki or “ke-ki” is the way Japanese pronounce “cake” – and they focus on only half a dozen varieties at a time, in order to maintain high standards on each. The Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) is a Valrhona chocolate mousse with raspberry centre, and the Kinabaru (play on a new Kinabalu) is an innovative pairing of incredibly light coconut mousse and passionfruit creme.

Cakes at Kki

About this week’s guestwriter:

What’s “Camemberu”? Just the way Japanese pronounce Camembert, the French cheese. She love all things Japanese and the way they add their own twist to something foreign (and very often improving it)!  Her blog is mainly about food in Singapore but also features Malaysia and Japan. She started this blog in 2007 with the philosophy – “Every meal an adventure!”  Someday, she shall travel, eat and photograph her way through Japan and major food cities around the world. She tells me, she’s just a few million bucks short!

Her website: Camemberu

Follow Catherine on twitter: @camemberu

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Verdict:

Based on a novel by Patrick McCabe, Breakfast On Pluto documents the strange life of Patrick Braden played by the gorgeous, blue eyed Cillian Murphy. Those of you who know me, know I adore Mr Murphy – I think his on screen presence is terrific. He is an incredibly versatile actor playing the good guy, the villain and this, one of his older shows, the Tranny!

Dumped as a baby in a small town near the Irish border, he grows up unsure of his mother’s location or his father’s identity. Discovering he feels happier in women’s clothes, he renames himself Kitten and sets off for London in the late Sixties, in pursuit of his mysterious mum. As he becomes Kitten, so Irish politics become increasingly volatile and his own troubles mirror the escalating tensions around him.

Why C&C recommend this movie:
This is an old show .. but we feel, it is time to re-live the magic!

What I liked best about Breakfast on Pluto is that not only does it have an amazingly unique story line, but despite the action bits about IRA bombings and killings and street prostitution, the story never loses sight of its character development, in uncovering who “Kitten” really is, and also the characters who help him/her along. The personalities take on a deep and “real” dimension as they have time to develop unlike other movies where they just hurry the plot along like as if it were a chore or something.

Of course, props to Mr. Murphy who makes such a pretty waif (back then he was even fitter and skinnier!) that his vulnerable, wry, utterly charming character is 100% believable. Cillian Murphy gives a career high performance as Kitten, so silky, so tough, so completely real that it’s NUTS! It is really hard to imagine, watching this film, that this guy is straight, married with two kids in real life! In Breakfast on Pluto, he is distinctly different and stretches his acting ability from previous roles in Batman Begins and 28 Days Later. Needless to say, “The Father”, Liam Neeson was stellar as Father Bernard, but the film’s other co-stars were equally good – my other favourite being Gavin Friday – singer, songwriter and composer from Dublin, Ireland. He played Billy Hatchet (in photo above, in orange) the wild, rock band lead singer and first love interest for Kitten.

all photos from filmofilia dot com

All in all, this film that is written as well as directed by Neil Jordan, is great because it is ironically a comedy yet a tragedy. As a book, Breakfast on Pluto is outstanding and to take it to the screen is no easy feat. Neil Jordan managed to morph a quirky novel into a mesmerising, tough yet tender piece of film. He made the seedy streets of London’s brothels look whimsically artistic.. the ugly truth about prostitution an altered, bittersweet reality. The show will show you the depth of human frailty but then makes a comeback with what is toughest in a man – that which is noble and true.

For his portrayal of Kitten, Cillian Murphy won the 2007 IFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Neil Jordan also won the 2007 IFTA for Best Director and Jordan and McCabe took home the Best Script IFTA.

This show gets two thumbs up form Cumi & Ciki. This is one of those films that you will want to see again and again- the mark of a classic!

One last thing.. Of course this show would have one of my all time favourite songs in it.. I leave you with the lyrics!

“Where’s your mama gone, where’s your mama gone?

Where’s the baby gone, where’s your mama gone?

far far away!

Where’s your papa gone? Where’s your papa gone?

Where’s the baby done, little baby gun?

Where’s your papa gone? Where’s your papa gone?

far far away!

far far away!

Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp

Let’s go now! “

- “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” is a song made popular in 1971 by Middle of the Road for whom it was a UK number one chart hit

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Lafite.

I was not sure what my expectations were of this super high class restaurant whose name has stood the test of time, apart from expecting the meal to be phenomenally expensive.  Also, being the pessimist that I am, I was expecting to be disappointed by the current reviews I have read so far. Wrong on both counts.

The incredibly expensive meal wasn’t expensive. More importantly, I don’t think I was expecting to be blown away by the food quite as much as I was, that’s for sure.

The incredibly expensive meal wasn’t expensive..

This restaurant really is something else, a unique experience and a cut above the other fine dining restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, that I have eaten in. The ambiance was perfect, friendly and relaxed. Each course was outstanding and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend going if you love fine food and want something different. My only slight criticism was that the service was a tad sluggish and tough it was not terribly late, some of the desserts from the dessert bar (such as the cheese) had finished by the time we finished our meal.

I’m not going to talk too much about the food because I do not want to spoil the surprise.. for Chef Georg Schröppel is as much a magician as a cook. He definitely pulled out a bunny for me, from that hat and made a jaded magic-show fan sit up and go Wow..! If there were a Chef ‘s Magic Circle then Chef Georg Schröppel should certainly know that group’s secret hand-shake and password.

One thing I will tell you though is you must try the new set lunch menu.

Good news too for all you young hungry executives out there who are as eager to climb the corporate ladder as to show off to that new girl you are trying to impress, that you know about the finer things in life. You can show off for a lot less at this restaurant.

Chef Georg’s luncheon menu is to die for..

Lafite is now offering Chef Georg’s luncheon menu from which you can choose a selection of hot and cold appetizers before indulging in a delicious main course.  For one appetizer and main course, the price is RM 82 (plus service charge and tax), or you can enjoy two appetizers and a main course for the price of RM 108 (plus service charge and tax).  Both sets include unlimited desserts from the showcase and coffee and tea. You might think “great prices” already but wait till you see the food. You will be wondering why Lafite’s management has lost their mind giving way almost free food. OK, I exaggerate. But you catch my drift.

Then as we were dining, I saw the Chef.

He is young, good-looking..  really too young to have so many accolades under his belt. What’s more I pledge complete and utter allegiance to a Chef, ANY chef who offers such delicate, wholesome cuisine at such amazingly affordable prices.

Chef Georg’s cooking style can be described as how I like to wear my hair -  light and breezy. It’s simplicity is so gob-smackingly obvious yet effective, you wonder why you never ate here sooner. Another point on young Chef Georg here is that his highly aesthetically pleasing creations are not just pretty things that sit on a plate. The dishes are wholesome, never overcooked and packed with antioxidants that will not leave you feeling lethargic and this my friend is essential, for that ‘Body Combat’ class you will be attending in a couple of hours time. First time I ever felt pumped up energy levels after a fine-dining lunch. Normally you need to scrape me off the ground with a spatula, like a newly trodden, flattened slug on the jungle floor.

Ok, ok, now I have definitely said too much. Some gorgeous food porn on some crazily affordable food! Feast your eyes now, if you please.

HOT AND COLD APPETIZERS

It’s not all solely in the presentation, though that counts..

Four Colour Tomato Salad .. four colour tomato, tomato marmalade, white tomato mousse, tomato sherbet, honey yuzu vinaigrette

..it is in the flavours and textures as well.. and believe me, it is all here on this plate! A lovely, refreshing  plate of cold starter of tomato that had us Oo-ing and Ah-ing in appreciation.

Yellow fin tuna tartar- black sesame crisp, crushed avocado, cucumber salad, ginger yuzu vinaigrette

Chilled cucumber soup - with Hokkaido scallop, sesame cream, dill, black sesame jelly and salmon

Asparagus quails egg - White asparagus, poached quail eggs, Bearnaise sauce

Spiced risotto – risotto, duck bolognese, braised radicchio lettuce

Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta – butter poached salmon fillet, kumquat compote, salmon caviar sauce

Zen-like features to soothe the weary soul..

MAINS

Golden Brown Seared Atlantic Cod Fish – roasted Cod , baby potatoes, young carrot, black truffle sauce

Duck Confit – Almond potatoes, red cabbage, Brussels sprout, green cardamom sauce

s

Stuffed Organic chicken breast – young leek, king oyster mushroom ragout, chive sauce

Braised short rib – crispy celeriac sticks, young broccoli, corn, thyme sauce

dessert showcase – a variety of sweet endings!

VERDICT:

My three other dining companions will attest to the fact that the food presented was close to faultless. Speaking for my own selection of hot and cold appetizers as well as the mains, I was deeply impressed. I actually went with a “fish theme” and felt that it was a good choice. The Yellow fin tuna tartar which was essentially black sesame crisp, crushed avocado, cucumber salad, ginger yuzu vinaigrette was as beautiful a starter as it was delicious. The creamy avocado and delicately diced tuna was nicely balanced by the zesty ginger yuzu vinaigrette. I felt refreshingly perky after this cold starter (To answer that raised eyebrow, yes, more so than normal). Also, if you think that sort of starter might be a little too healthy for you, check out my second starter of Asparagus quails egg .. Oh, it was a half boiled quail’s egg and you would have seen me shiver with delight as the center burst forth and engulfed the white asparagus and Bearnaise sauce in a golden cloak of runny egg yolk. Fantastic!

My mains of Golden Brown Seared Atlantic Cod Fish was fresh and full of that fatty flavor of Cod. This fish was so finely roasted it only just imparted a light browning to the outer coat of the fish. A calculated, finishing touch of  black truffle sauce was all this dish needed coupled with sides of baby potatoes and young carrot to seal the deal. I polished off my mains without any problems whatsoever and I was ready for my Combat Class , starting in about 3 hours at the gym. The other thing I really appreciated about my Cod was that the Chef served the truffle sauce in the form of a fluffy bed of foam. Beautifully light, yet supremely decadent. After this the desserts were a blur because we had so many to choose from. One thing I was unhappy about was that the cheeses had run out. Apart from that, not much to complain about really.

A great end to a superb lunch. The company was terrific too for sure.

Lafite’s set lunch comes highly recommended. What are you waiting for, all you corporate ladder climbers. Get eating.

On Chef Georg Schröppel

Born in 1978, he is of German nationality. For two years prior to moving to Restaurant Lafite, Chef Georg was the Chef de Cuisine at the Ritz Carlton, Guangzhou, one of China’s most prestigious fine dining establishments where his culinary talent was recognized with the presentation of “Best Restaurant in Town Award” by Talk Magazine. In 2007, he earned the Chef’s Master Craftsmen’s degree in Rothenburg, Germany, prior to which he spent time honing his fine dining cooking skills in two- and three-star Michelin establishments such as the Residenz Heinz Winkler, Restaurant Waldhotel Sonnora in Germany and the French Laundry in the United States.

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Every weekend we would be subjected to a snail paced crawl into the city..

Loosely Translated as : Death by Hanging – That is the Penalty for Drug Trafficking. This will be a great misfortune for your family!

If I can recall these childhood memories of these walls together with the surrounding attractions so can many other Malaysians and non Malaysians who have lived or still live here. Young and old, rich or poor, and VIPs and street urchins can remember them too. Good or bad, for better or worse, Pudu jail is a heritage for every Malaysian. It reminds us where we do not want to be if we were to commit a serious crime. It is a correctional facility where many received canning or whipping as punishment and a place many turned a new leaf after a period of solitary contemplation. Some were, of course, put to death by the gallows which serves us the grim reminder of not to do terrible things to society. Pudu jail had also been home to prisoners or war during the Japanese occupation. Some of the older generation would recall decapitated heads stuck on poles left outside, to strike fear into the hearts of citizens if they collaborated with the resistance. After the Japanese left, and the British reclaimed their rule, the jail then became home to several freedom fighters during a time when sentiments for a free and independent Malaya (Old Malaysia name) developed amongst the Malayan community. Many of the older generation complain about how the young knows nothing about the struggles of their ancestors yet historical artifacts are quickly being erased from the public’s eye. The young only have Hollywood to spin tales of preservation on American heritage sites while they know little about their own place of birth.

Part of the Pudu Jail exterior has already been demolished since 21 June 2010 for the reasons of road widening and to be eventually replaced by commercial complexes. Aren’t there enough unoccupied buildings, apartments and parking in the city?

Road congestion will never cease unless a perfect public transport system is established, and road works are properly managed and scheduled. My perspective is not unlike the rest of the public. To me, Malaysia has diminished much of its heritage value with the demolition of beautiful old buildings and renaming of street names from colonial times. In recent years, we have lost key historic sites in the city such as the Bok House, Bukit Bintang Girls School and the government quarters in Pudu (which used to have a clay tennis court – the only one I know of in the country!), all apparently for a ‘socially and economically improved Malaysia’ but really it’s just to fill the pockets of a few while the remainder receives meager daily wages.

If developed countries can turn their antiquated correctional facilities into historical relics with great commercial value, why can’t our government do the same?

If developed countries can turn their antiquated correctional facilities into historical relics with great commercial value, why can’t our government do the same?

There are clearly issues why Malaysian government lacks the heritage conservation mindset. Pudu jail was converted into a museum briefly in the mid 90′s but i had the misfortune of not being in Malaysia during that period to visit the place. It’s too late now and too late for the rest of you, even if they keep just a portion of it standing.

Read more here and here.

Tools of punishment. Here.

Some recall their duties.

1895 .. a figment of the past

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One Winner of my contest has collected his meal. Where is the other.. ? She is still MIA (missing in action!) These two folks won the Cumi & Ciki Malacca Caption contest with their witty, winning entries.

GO HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE PRETTY WINNERS!

GO HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL POST – 10 Things to do in Malacca!

THE WINNING SUBMISSIONS:

1. BREADPITT (KL):

Cyclo: Told you both earlier , this is Malaysia , must buckle up while on the ride…otherwise you are both gonna pay for the SUMMONS!

Women: OMG… I didn’t even bring enough “MONEY for Coffee”… how can we even pay for summons?!  ..  “NO EYE SEE” !

2. MARNIE (PHILIPPINES):

Cyclo driver: So ladies, are we off to the same destination? The pole dancing macho men in tight g-strings?

Women: Oh no~!!! Told ya we should have taken the OTHER taxi today!

Yakitori baby & Breadpitt’s signature pose

Cross my heart and hope to die, hope to eat a chicken’s eye.. I mean, skin..

I see your prawn tempura and raise you, one more prawn tempura!

Meat on Sticks .. we like!

The sexy Pork Belly.. watch it do the belly dance into our mouths..

To Maki or not to Maki.. that is the question

Sashimi flowers.. too beautiful to eat..

Cheers Breadpitt the winner.. so where is Marnie the other winner?

Well, we spoke to her and she said she will definitely call the next time she is in town. (Make sure you do.. !)

Sweet endings!

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