Check One-Two.

Fred and I just returned from our final trip to San Francisco before we embark on our Eastward adventure. Our last trip, period, before we head East. So, of course, I had a few restaurants, two in particular, to cross off my never ending list. One was Mission Chinese Food. I have been trying forever to find the perfect Chinese food spot. One that's not trying to keep up with the healthy Jones' (I want some of that MSG, umami, and some greasiness, dammit), one that's not too far off the beaten path (no molecular gastronomy here, please), but one that is trying to insert a modicum of creativity into the food. I have been coming up empty. To the universe's credit, I haven't been making any backbreaking attempts either. It would certainly not fall into 'my life mission' category. But, whenever I crave Chinese food I am reminded of the whole issue.

Well, now I'm even more irritated about this since I found EXACTLY what I was looking for in a city where I do not reside and in the very state I am leaving permanently in a few short weeks.

Within a couple of hours of waking up on our first morning, we grabbed coffee, picked up my Dad and his girlfriend, Dale, checked out the Diebenkorn exhibit at the de Young Museum, and found ourselves standing face to face with the wonky, old-school, hole-in-the-wall-Chinese-eatery, pop-up turned restaurant-within-a-restaurant, hipster-hot Mission Chinese Food.

Inside it was still, it was dark and it was hot. If you want ice in your drink, too bad. No ice.

I skipped breakfast for this so I could order as many different items as possible. So we did. Beers for the boys, soda for Dale and a grüner for me. Then we went for it: Beijing Vinegar Peanuts with smoked garlic, anise, fennel seeds, rock sugar ($5), Fresh Rice Noodle with peanut sauce, tofu skin, pickled mustard greens ($8), Stir-Fried Pork Jowl and Radishes with fermented black bean, shiso, mint ($12), Grandma's Spicy Lamb Dumplings with peanuts, dill pickles, chili oil ($9), Squid Ink Noodles with cumin, fennel and chick peas, lamb dipping broth (I can't recall the price), and finally Braised Pea Leaves with pumpkin, pressed tofu, salted chili broth ($12).

All of the flavors were bright, fresh, creative and surprising – think dill, smoked garlic, fennel, pumpkin, all mixed in with the tofu, pork jowl, dumplings, and rice noodles. And somehow, amidst all of this intrigue we were completely sated in the Chinese-food-craving department. This vibrant and intelligent food still had enough of the classic flavors and textures, even the oil, and the unctuous quality we know and love (within reason) about traditional Chinese food. And, no joke, I will be making those vinegar peanuts at home very soon. I could eat those forevers.

I will happily remember that meal for a very, very long time. I'm pretty sure we all will.

Check one.

The second place I knew I had to visit on our short trip was Tartine Bakery. I don't eat a ton of pastries, nor do I crave them very often. However, I have been really exploring the world of baking of late and am extremely interested in everything that goes into the science of it. More importantly, I am a sucker for an incredible butter croissant – and it's almost shocking how few I come across.

And so, on our last morning in San Francisco, while Fred was brunching and bonding with his Aunt and cousins, and Dad and Dale were wrapping things up and checking out of their their hotel, I knew exactly what I would be doing. I knew I had to go at it alone, and really, I wanted to. My dad would never in 2759870 million years have tolerated that line for a pastry, or anything really. Actually, I'm guessing no one involved in this trip would have wanted to endure that line unless it was to pick up their winning Powerball check.

So I hopped into Fred's car (a stick shift), clocked my destination on my smartypants phone and headed out, lurching and jerking along the way (it had been quite a while since I had driven a stick – and this was possibly the worst city to test that time lapse). After spending twenty minutes finding parking, which was about two blocks away, I walked up to the bakery and settled in back of the infernal eternal line, halfway down the block – and yes, it was formidable. And, no, there were no available seats inside or out by the time I received my order: a ham and cheese croissant, a plain butter croissant, a loaf of their sourdough bread and a latte (totaled around $20). So I walked back to the area where the car was and plopped right down on the curb.

I don't know. To most people none of this may sound appealing in the least: driving strange car in strange city to wait in seemingly endless line to get 'breakfast' only to find there is nowhere to sit and then sit on the side of the road in mid-August to drink hot coffee and eat a pastry. All alone. Not even a book to read.

Well, I'm not certain exactly what it was. The journey, the anticipation, or even the little spot in the shade all by myself, but that croissant and that latte and that moment were... perfect. I mean, perfect. It was one of those – and I've talked about them before – Cosmic Muffin moments. Those Nowhere-I'd-Rather-Be moments.

The latte was warm, rich, smooth and comforting. The croissant was flaky, crunchy, light and yet somehow strapping, with heft... and buttery, oh so buttery, like a delivery system of cultured French butter, buttery. After two bites in, it looked like there had been a flash snowfall of flaky crumbs around my toes on the sidewalk.

Nirvana, pure bliss; I was truly happy.

Check two.

And then I was ready. Ready to get back into the car and brave the drive to pick up the grow ups, then Fred, to head up for the bucolic segment of the trip: Inverness.


One year ago: Heirloom Melon & Tomato Gazpacho
Two years ago: Beer Braised BBQ Pork Butt
Three years ago: Classic Southern Deviled Eggs
Four years ago: Nebulous Misadventures (AKA The Lost Weekend)

Never be a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic...

June is here. Which means Summer is this close. Which also means my birthday is coming up*. I like June. June is usually warm enough to comfortably wear tank tops and Summer dresses, even in the evening, without the fear of needing another layer. But June is also not yet the dog days of summer, where one feels the need to hop from one air conditioned space to the next, without ever really being exposed to the outside. June is green, not brown. June is not anticipatory and hopeful, like April and May, or exhausted and wilted like August. Rather, June is confident, pert and happy. June does cartwheels. And June is pleased as punch to be right where it is. In June.

I also think June likes picnics. Don't you think? Not too hot, not too cold, not too mosquito-y, not too humid, not too smoggy. Even Goldilocks would concur, it's just right. And clearly I'm not the only one that feels this way. NPRjust had a story about picnicking through the ages last week, I'm seeing picnic-themed foods and the like all over Pinterest, one of my peers had a blurb about gourmet picnics in the most recent Westways, Lucques is having their 'Tennessee Indoor Picnic' in a couple of weeks and I recall last year, exactly at this time, Splendid Table aired a piece about the most perfect, most neat-est, most conceptual picnic sandwich I've ever heard of. This sandwich originated, and is a specialty, in the South of France – Nice, to be exact. It is sold in every bakery and market there. This sandwich is the pan bagnat. Fred and I even made a couple of them to take on our weekend trip to the Santa Ynez Valley for my birthday last year. I have not made one since, but I have never forgotten about the pan bagnat.

It's hard to say which part of the pan bagnat made it so memorable. But if pressed (like the sandwich), I'd have to say it was Melissa Clark's story about it in that Splendid Table piece. Yes, it was an impressive sandwich, but Clark's story was really special. She spoke about being a seven year-old, on family vacations in the South of France. About the daily picnics they would have at the beach, and how her mom would make the most amazing sandwiches. It sounded like a sandwich which originated with the base ingredients of a tuna nicoise salad, but turned into an everything-but-the-kitchen sink sandwich that was stuffed full of ingredients a mile high. Her mom would have she and her sister sit on the wrapped sandwiches, in the car, all the way to the beach so that it would end up with all the salties and juicies, the burst capers, anchovies crammed into a paste, tuna, oil, everything perfectly married in addition to then being flat enough to eat properly.

It just sounded so romantic to me. I always do love a process, a story. And this one comes with the most perfect picnic sandwich I could possibly imagine. One with everything under the sun in it. That sandwich is a picnic.

So last weekend, Fred and I, for the second time, exactly a year apart, made our pan bagnats again and had ourselves a picnic. Since we were not driving to wine country and we didn't have a seven year-old on hand, we opted to weigh our sandwiches down with our biggest, heaviest cast-iron topped with a full tea kettle. Our Sunday picnic menu was as follows:

Pan Bagnat

Dill pickle spears

Potato salad with peperoncini & bacon

Dolmas

Cherries

Fresh squeezed limeade

All of the food ended up being perfect for a picnic. But the pan bagnat was undoubtedly the star. Pan bagnat is literally translated as ' bathed bread' or 'wet bread', and that is an accurate description. When it's ready to eat, the bread has absorbed a lot of the liquid from the filling and all of the ingredients are pressed to form a tight strata with all of those textures and flavors in a perfect union. This sandwich was also a favorite of Julia Child and Jacques Pepîn. You can even watch them make one here. I have to say, I bet the pan bagnat would be a sandwich to make Dagwoodhimself quite proud.

*I will be accepting birthday gifts all through June. Inquire within for suggestions and ideas.

Pan Bagnat

Makes one big-ass sandwich that can feeds at least 2

Ingredients

3 anchovy fillets, minced

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 baguette

1/2 regular cucumber

1 medium-size, ripe tomato, sliced

¾ roasted red pepper

½ avocado, sliced

½ cup arugula

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1 jar (8 oz) tuna packed in olive oil, drained

8 large basil leaves

4 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives, pitted

1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and thinly sliced.




Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the anchovies, garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly until emulsified.

Coarsely chop the olives and capers, then combine in a small bowl with the minced garlic and set aside.

Slice baguette in half lengthwise, pull out some soft interior crumb to form a cavity.

Peel cucumber & halve lengthwise, and scoop out seeds from one half. Thinly slice seedless half. Add sliced cucumber to vinaigrette and toss well.

Fill the bottom part of the baguette with the olive mixture, spreading it evenly across the hollowed-out baguette, then spread half the cucumbers on top. Next up, spread the tuna over that. Top with tomato and onion slices, then with pepper, arugula, avocado, basil, olives & egg slices. Top egg with remaining cucumbers and vinaigrette. Cover with second bread half and firmly press sandwich together.

Wrap sandwich tightly in foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap, then place in a plastic bag. Put sandwich under a weight such as a cast-iron frying pan topped with a filled kettle, or have a child about 7 years old sit on it. Weight sandwich for 7 to 10 minutes, then flip and weight it for another 7 to 10 minutes (or as long as you can get the child to sit still). Unwrap, slice and serve immediately, or keep it wrapped for up to 8 hours before serving.

Printable recipe.

One year ago: Fresh Mint & Chip Ice Cream

Two years ago: Yerp: Part 2 - An Evening in Gruissan.

Three years ago: Fresh Strawberries, Chocolate Mint & Chantilly cream with Cornmeal Shortcakes

Ready, Set, Go.

2013.
Here it is.
I’m ready.

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago. I don’t make too many finite rules for myself, in general. I hate fooling myself or disappointing myself. Making decrees that seem unrealistic for the long term and then breaking those rules as a result is, I think, an unhealthy practice. There are, however, broad, general, obtuse sorts of things I’d like to see more or less of at the start of each year.

I’d like to get more exercise (but I really hate exercise).
I’d like to want to exercise more.
I’d like to drink more water, and perhaps a skosh less wine.
I’d like to read and write more.
I’d like to see more movies in theaters.
I’d like to push myself more in the kitchen.
I’d like to travel more.
I’d like to see myself save some money.
I’d like to stay in better touch with friends and family that I don’t get to see often/ever.
I’d like that to mean that I will send cards and write letters.
I’d like to be calmer and more flowy, in general.

Most of these things seem reasonable enough. The exercise one is questionable. So is the wine one. And the calm and flowy. We’ll see.

One of the things Fred and I have been doing in the kitchen lately is play sort of a Chopped game with our approach to dinner. I’ll pick three to five seemingly disparate items (usually things in the refrigerator that need to get used for fear of waste) and putting together a complete meal with them. One night it was duck breast, savoy cabbage, rice leftover from Chinese food delivery and sausage. Fred made seared duck breast over a fried rice with sausage and cabbage that was extraordinary.

Another time the items were salmon, coconut milk, scallions, avocado and parsley. We marinated the salmon in coconut milk, pan roasted it and topped it with a avocado-parsley cream. It’s fun, challenging and ensures very little goes into the trash bin/compost that we don’t have.

Last night the items were a leek, a potato, buttermilk, sour cream and some fennel from the garden. All of the items save for the fennel were on the brink of getting tossed. As I looked over the items for my challenge it was so very obvious. Soup. Plus, I could finally get a chance to use my Christmas present from Fred; my new Vitamix blender (!). He had used it the night before making the parsley-avocado cream, but I had not messed with it, yet. Perfecto.

As I tossed the chopped leek into the melted butter, the idea fully came together; I was going to make a buttermilk vichyssoise with fennel. When I got to the part where I dumped everything into the blender - hot - I was scared and excited. It did not explode hot liquid all over me and it even managed to fully blend the fennel fronds. In less than thirty seconds I had a silky smooth, velvety, perfectly pureed, beautiful, perky bright green soup.

I’ve said it many times here, but soup really is my favorite thing to make. It can be as comforting, elegant, rustic, hearty, simple, complex, delicate, chunky, smooth, hot, cold, big or little as you want it to be. It goes with every meal and every season. And the garnish is always so fun to decide. It’s like that hat or scarf that just makes the outfit.

This soup, a vichyssoise, is kind of all of those things: simple yet complex, delicate yet hearty, elegant yet rustic. It can even be served hot or cold. This soup calls for any manner of garnishes. Chives , creme fraiche, a simple buttery crouton, or maybe you want to really dress it up - with a sliver of smoked salmon and a small dollop of caviar. Now that really makes the outfit.

I guess with my new kitchen toy I am accomplishing at least one of the things I’d like to see more of in 2013 - I am pushing myself more in the kitchen already. If this soup didn’t go so perfectly with any number of white wines I might be able to start accomplishing another one of the things on that list...

• Buttermilk Vichyssoise with Fennel
• 
  
• Serves 6
• 
  

Ingredients

• 
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced into half-moons, washed well and drained
• 1 large white potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped fennel bulb & fronds
• Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• Smoked salmon and caviar (for garnish)

Directions

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat. 
Add leek, and cook, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
Add potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in fennel and cook for about 5-7 more minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Transfer pureed soup to a large bowl. 
Season with salt and white pepper. Stir in sour cream and buttermilk just before serving. Adjust seasoning as needed. 
If necessary, thin the soup with a bit more chicken stock or water to achieve desired consistency. 
Garnish with a sliver of smoked salmon and a tiny drop of caviar.
May be served hot or cold. 


Printable recipe.


One year ago: Cheebo
Two years ago: Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Garlic & Celery Leaves
Three years ago: Carrot Soup with Ginger & Cumin
FIVE years ago: Dominick's

Brasserie Les Saveurs prepares for X'mas 2012 and welcomes the New Year 2013

We are talking about The St. Regis Singapore here. A hotel that speaks of class and exquisiteness. Dining options with Yan Ting, LaBrezza  and Brasserie Les Saveurs are nothing short of stellar. Notwithstanding fussy palates, warm and prompt service cosy up to you in accordance to your whims. This made dining experience simply wonderful. If you're looking for an impressionable option to celebrate with your family and love ones for Christmas and to usher in the New Year with indulgences to the palates, look no further. I know that Brasserie Les Saveurs has got the 7 Courses Christmas Eve and 7 Courses New Year's Eve Degustation Menu for the occasions. The following are previews of some highlights from the degustation menus.

The mini baguette was a delight and purposely made softer than your original French baguette so that you can still have your meal while maintaining poise. Just to highlight that dining in The St Regis made you feel good, even the little details are not spared. The butter for your bread, AOP Beurre D'Isigny, comes from the Isigny region in Northern France which is the country's important milk region.

The degustation menu comes with wine pairing options too!

Amuse Bouche - Truffle scrambled egg (New Year's Eve)

The slice of black truffle was thick. A bit too generous for my liking though. I am used to thinner shavings. The scrambled egg was yummily truffled .

St. Jacques - Hokkaido scallops tartare, caviar, sea urchin, rouille toast (Christmas Eve)
Pairing with Chablis 1er Cru Vaulignot, Domaine Louis Mreau, Burgundy, France
The scallops were fresh Hokkaido produce and fresh scallops meant natural sweetness. The sweetness was more pronounced when paired with the Chablis.

Foie Gras - Pan-seared foie gras, butter squah puree, apple and celeriac cutney, duck vinaigrette. (Christmas Eve)
Pairing with Berg Erste Lage Reserve Huber, Traisental, Austria
Foie Gras portion was generous and done the way I love it. Well seared, lightly salted ....

... creamy on the inside and as smooth as tofu. It was good on it's own without the other condiments. 

Homard - Poached maine lobster, fork mashed potatoes, black truffle, bisque jus (Christmas Eve)
Pairing with Craggy Range Te Muna, Martinborough, New Zealand
The bique jus made this an obvious seafood dish. The potatoes and truffles were delicately portioned so that the chewy sweet maine lobster still remains the star of this dish. Superb wine pairing brings out intense sweetness of the seafood.

Boeuf - Wagyu beef sirloin, potatoes mousseline, bone marrow, Bordelaise jus (New Year's Eve)
Pairing with Amarone della Valpolicella Fondatore Montresor, Veneto, Italy
I have never tried bone marrow before and I think this melt in your mouth savory darling opens my door for more in future. The Australian Wagyu Sirloin was delicious! Slightly charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. I would love it more if the cut had more marbling but that's just me and my overly indulging palate. This cut was a good balance for the already rich foie gras dish before this.

Fromage - Black truffle brie cheese, toast, mesclun salad (Christmas Eve)

Dessert - Chocolate mousse, hazelnut feuilletine, gingerbread sorbet (Christmas Eve)
The gingerbread sorbet was sublime. I alternated mouthful of sorbet with the chocolate mousse and I liked the match.

Here are the prices of the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve menu.

Christmas Eve 7- course Degustation Dinner, 24th December 2012

7pm to 12midnight (last order 10.30pm),

$208++ with one complimentary glass of champagne or $268++ with wine pairing

New Year’s Eve 7-Course Degustation Dinner, 31st December 2012

7pm to 12midnight (last order 10.30pm),

$208++ with one complimentary glass of champagne or $288++ with wine pairing

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Bon Appetit!

Thanks to Ivy, Annabelle from Foodnews and Clarice from The St. Regis Singapore for the invitation and hosting this food tasting.

The St. Regis Singapore
29 Tanglin Road

Singapore 247911

Tel : +65 6506 6888
Brasserie Les Saveurs Website

Buck Jumping & Having Fun.

Seven years ago at this time Katrina had just hit New Orleans and forever changed a lot of things for a lot of people. It was one of those landmark events in history that will always remind us of where we were and what we were doing when the hurricane roared through with its devastation. Not entirely unlike 9/11 in that sense. During Katrina, I was living in a different house with a different person. We were glued to the television all night in awe and shock stricken silence. I was, even then, up here in my canyon. Beso was there and so was Milo. I’m pretty sure around that time I was cooking things like braised short ribs, sausage and cheese grits, meatloaf, barbecued tri-tip, various types of fish with various types of salsas on top of them and mushroom risotto and stuff like that.

Kitchen-wise, I guess things were not so terribly different than they are now. Though the music has decidedly shifted in the tune of my world, and the orchestra of my kitchen, and, I’ve certainly advanced a great deal. I still appreciate, and crave, my foundation dishes and my staples, as well. Heck, I make the fish/salsa thing all the time. Lately I’ve been fiddling a lot more with sauces and accents - chimichurris, preserved lemons, hot sauce, mignionettes, reductions, jus, roux and the Five Mother Sauces. I’ve also been deliriously happy playing with all the wild stuff growing in my garden - some of which I have never cooked with, or heard of.

As a result of a vintage cookbook sale last Sunday at the farmers’ market, and the eve of Isaac hitting New Orleans on the almost-to-the-day anniversary of Katrina, I  read through my two new/old Louisiana cookbooks and decided to try my hand at shrimp étouffée. That dish, of course, involves a roux. I think it turned out pretty well. Fred nearly ate his body weight in the stuff. I wasn’t the greatest judge as I’ve A) never made shrimp étouffée, or any Louisiana cuisine in my life and B) I’m, admittedly, not a huge fan of said cuisine. However, I enjoyed it. But something was missing. Some layer. Some complexity. I’m not sure what it was, but I look forward to playing a lot more with my new/old Louisiana cookbooks to figure it all out.

So no, I will not be sharing with you my shrimp étouffée recipe. Seems almost blasphemous for me to do, really. But I will get back to you on it.

Back to my garden. I have a small bush growing there, with little, lantern-like things dangling from the small branches. My mom planted this green baby a while back, and I remember she was really excited but wasn't really familiar with the plant. We thought, maybe, tomatillos? No. Well after some research on the interwebs I came to the conclusion that I have a Cape Gooseberry bush. You know the berries are ripe when they fall off the bush. When you peel back the little lantern a smooth, yellow berry is revealed. It is about the size of a marble, and resembles a miniature spherical tomato, about one or two centimeters in diameter. Like a tomato, it contains numerous small seeds. It’s sweet when ripe, with a mildly tart flavor - kind of like a raisin married to a tomato.

I didn’t have enough to make a jam (nor would I ever want to), but that seemed to be the only application I could find. I did see a cape gooseberry and apple crumble. No thanks. And then I realized the gooseberries would probably make a beautiful reduction for duck or pork... or foie gras... sigh. And I just so happened to have a pork tenderloin in my fridge. Done and done.

I make pork tenderloin all the time. I was making it seven years ago and even long before that. I sometimes stuff the tenderloin with garlic, spinach and goat cheese and serve it over purple mashed potatoes. Or sometimes I smother the pork in herbs de provence, sear the outside and then slow roast it. Recently I’ve been barbecuing it on the grill. I always serve pork tenderloin in medallions. This time I marinated it in sweet tea for twenty-four hours - let’s just call that a brine - grilled and served it over rice, smothered in a cape gooseberry reduction with a wonderful broccoli preparation on the side. Fred, who historically, is not a fan of pork, upon eating this dish exclaimed that pork tenderloin may now just be his favorite meat.

As I said, this dish is one I would have been preparing all those years ago, but the reduction is entirely me in 2012. As they say, accessories make the outfit. I’d even say that accessories turn an outfit into a look. And, in regards to the look, the sound, the music of my kitchen, to quote Farnand Point,  "In the orchestra of a great kitchen, the sauce chef is a soloist."

And with this meal, as we were finally able to confidently switch from watching the news to resuming our marathon of season two of Treme, we breathed a sigh of relief for New Orleans. They may have gotten bruised, but they ain’t broken. The second line buck jumps onward.

I'll keep you posted on my shrimp étouffée plight...

Cape Gooseberry Port Reduction Sauce

1 cup ruby port
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 shallot sliced thin
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup cape gooseberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

To prepare the sauce, combine the port, balsamic vinegar, thyme, shallot and lemon zest in a medium sized saucepan.

Set the pan over medium heat bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and simmer.

Simmer until reduced by half. Strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer. Save the shallots.

Add butter and the berries to the hot liquid and stir to release juices in the sauce without killing the tender berries.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, add shallots back in and reserve sauce for later.


Printable recipe.


One year ago: LQ@SK
Three years ago: Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro

Bistro Petit Salut ... Set lunch most satisfying along the stretch.

I was glad that I suggested Bistrot Petit Salut for lunch when my younger sister was back from Shanghai. The Bistrot is located in the quaint Chip Bee Gardens, just one street away from the bustle of Holland Avenue. I've tried set lunches at the restaurants along the stretch. Other than Original Sin, Bistrot Petit Salut also didn't disappoint. Their 3 course $28++ set lunch was a real treat. The Set Lunch consist of an appetizer, a mains and a dessert with tea or coffee. I liked it that there were 6 appetizers to choose from, unlike other set lunches where there's usually one or two. With good food at this affordable price, I was wondering why the bistro wasn't as popular as Au Petit Salut at Harding Road. It should! I've been to Le Saint Julien, but somehow I prefer the food here. In Chinese, we call it 'Jian', cheap. Well if you think Le Saint Julien is better, you can call me 'Jian'!

Appetizers

Half dozen Baked Burgundy snails with tomatoes and garlic butter - It's one of their Signature and rightly so. The snail's tender and had buttery fragrance.

Duo of homemade pork garlic sausage and rillette with mesclun salad, walnut dressing - Savory stuff that goes well with the toast. 

Mains

Braised pork shoulder Provencal style in tomato and root vegetable

The pork shoulder was so soft that you can slice it off like melted butter. Delicious!

Chicken leg confit with sautéed potatoes, bacon and mixed green salad - I was asking the waitress if they serve the duck confit that they serve at Au Petit Salut. Unfortunately, no. However, this chicken leg confit was as good. Not as musky as the duck but the chicken was really tender.

Dessert

"Gateau Au Fromage Blanc" Homemade Cheesecake with Madagascar Vanilla Bean - Vanilla's one of my favorite flavour and it's added to cheesecake. Explosive!

44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-54

Singapore

Tel : +65 6474 9788

Opening Hours :

Mon ~ Sat

Lunch 1130~1430hrs

Dinner 1830~2230hrs

Closed on Sundays.

Bistro Petit Salut Website

Saveur .... French Cuisine at affordable prices in a Kopi tiam

UPDATE 1 MAY 2012 : SAVEUR HAS MOVED TO 5 PURVIS STREET #01-04 TEL - 63333121

French Cuisine .... Kopitiam .... These two terms do not come to terms. The former high class, expensive and the latter,  heartland, low budget. When you visit Ali Baba Eating House at the junction of East Coat Road and Joo Chiat Road, you'll realize that there's actually a stall, Saveur, serving French Cuisine to locals in their flip flops, T-shirts and shorts and best of all eating beside the busy Joo Chiat Road. Saveur is started by Dylan and Joshua who worked in our local French Restaurants. They decided to bring what they learn to offer French cuisine at affordable prices where everyone can enjoy.

Angel's Hair with Konbu, Chives and Shrimps S$7 - Al dente angel's hair which is definitely better than angel's hair that I've eaten at set lunches in restaurants. My colleagues who came with me enjoyed this as well.

Slow Cooked Leg of Duck Confit served with citrus segments and boulangere potato S$8.90.
I would order this dish as the stall sign shows a duck.

The tender and flavorful duck meat with it's crispy skin was flawless. The mash potato was smooth. It's no wonder this is their most popular dish.

The stall sign says, "Saveur" besides a duck. Saveur means "Flavor" in French. So, it means flavorful duck isn't it? Go for the Duck Confit. Yummy.

125 East Coast Road

Ali Baba Eating House Stall 3

Singapore

Tel : +65 9125 0124

Saveur Website

Open Door Policy ... Opening Doors Celebrity Chef's Gourmet to the Masses

Open Door Policy was named because the owners wants to break down the boundaries and bring celebrity chef food and open it's doors to the masses. The choice of Yong Siak Street was nothing but deliberate. This street has to offer it's quaint ambience amongst the cool conservation houses. First it was 40 Hands that shifted in and now Open Door Policy follow suit. By the way, ODP is  venture by the Spa Espirit Group and 40 Hands. So, apart from the list of wine and cocktails, coffee had to be good. To add cream to the cake, the menu is created by celebrity chef Ryan Clift from the Tippling Club. This place is teeming with plenty of booze, great coffee and good food so there's no reason not to visit.

Inside the bistro .... opening it's doors for booze, good coffee and great food!

Steak Tartare with Truffle Mayo and Potato Chips
I have a weakness for truffle oiled food and these potato chips sure got oiled well. The tartare had the refreshing taste of tomato and the taste was enhanced when heaped over the purposely charred toast. 

Slow Cooked Bolognese with Rigatoni
First time that I ate Bolognese that wasn't too cloying. Probably because HY ask that the cheese not added in there.

48 Hours Cooked Braised Beef Cheek with Mochi Potatoes, 
Carrot Puree and Snow Pea Tendrils.
It's cooked for 48 hours. No wonder the beef cheeks peels off so easily. So tender!

Confit Duck Legs, Puy Lentils, Sage and Smoked Bacon
The confit was perfect with the crispy skin and the tender meat. The lentils and the bacon made this dish so intensely savory.

Lime Panna Cotta with Coconut Sago, Cashew Nuts and Mint
A good twist to the panna cotta. Sour, sweet and nutty.

The Ice Cream 'Why Just Sunday'
A smoothly blended vanilla ice cream with smashed up brownies and crunchies.

19 Yong Siak Street
Singapore
Tel : +65 6221 9307


Opening Hours :
Lunch 12~3.30pm
Dinner 6~12pm
Wed Opened for dinner only
Tue Closed
Fri and Sat 


Open Door Policy Website