Korean bread at Footscray's Bread Kingdom

Footscray has gone Gangnam style!  In the space of a week, not one but two new Korean businesses have opened on our fair streets.  Bread Kingdom is the latest addition, a Korean bakery specialising in fluffy cakes and other sweet treats.

It was early in the morning when I stopped by so the baskets weren't fully loaded, but I still took my time weighing up the flavour of my mid-morning blood sugar spike.

Apparently French-style bakeries are big in Korea and Bread Kingdom certainly continues in that vein, with madeleines, layered sponge cakes (including pumpkin and purple sweet potato flavours) and girly-pink Swiss rolls.

There are savouries too, like these mini burgers, croque monsieurs and toasts with an egg cracked in the middle, each one wrapped in crisp, shiny cellophane.  Everything's very reasonably priced so you can get yourself a great little spread for not much dosh.

I love Asian breads.  They don't seem so much kneaded as spun, like fairy floss.  This means that for each earnest Sourdough Kitchen fruit bun, I could cram in at least five Breadtop baked goods, each one bristling with different combinations of pork floss, Kewpie mayo and loads of buttery margarine.  YUM.

This is super-sweet Janet, the owner-operator of this franchise of Bread Kingdom, who you're likely to see seconds after entering as she springs up to you with a tray of samples.  She'd written to me out of the blue earlier in the week to tell me she'd opened up.  I introduced myself after paying for my goodies.  

  

Because the station's in the way, it's easy to forget that it's a mere 9-minute walk down to the river...

Shell ball $2.50

...and what a lovely place to spread out in the sunshine and unwrap your treats, with palm trees waving above and people fishing languidly beside you.  These are "shell balls", piped cookies with an extremely tender crumb like the crumbliest shortbread.  Apparently they are made with zero flour - just condensed milk, regular milk, eggs, baking powder and surprise ingredient, white bean paste!  The bean paste (white beans as in like cannellini or navy) gives the cookies body and also adds loads of protein.  The orange flavour (above) is delicious, made with real orange peel in the mix - there's also coffee and green tea flavours.  And they are definitely 100% gluten and wheat free - I have checked with Janet that the baking powder is indeed so (McKenzie's brand).  Silly yaks, get on down!

Cinnamon manju, $3.20

These are manju, kind of like moon cakes with a thin, not-too-sweet dough dusted with a little cinnamon and wrapped around jade-green sweet bean paste.  Yummy!  PS:  The vast majority of goods are made in store and are made fresh each day.

Sandwich, $3.50

Yes, I am telling you to eat a cold, triple-decker, plastic cheese and ham sandwich.  Why?  Because it is SO DARN YUMMY.  I admit I would never have bought this but Janet had it out as a sample.  I went round and round the store and I still couldn't bring myself to leave without buying it.  The bread is soft yet crisp with golden margarine/butter, the melted cheese, the salty ham...  You might think I've lost my mind but I loved it!  Sometimes the wrongest things are the rightest.

Honey castella, $2.20

Janet threw in this freebie for us and it was a light, airy, chiffon-style sponge with just a touch of rich egginess.  Quite plain, but like sponge or tea cake, I think it's meant to be like that.

Bread Kingdom have a coffee machine ($2.50 coffees!  Party like it's 2001!) and a few small tables up the back so you can sit in and share some coffee and cakes.  The hot tip for next time is their "rice donut", made with sticky rice powder and cinnamon sugar - the rice powder is specially imported from Korea, so it's as authentic as possible.  Could it be that Footscray will now be famous for not one, but TWO donut varieties?

PS:  If you are vegan and/or interested in Korean food, you should read Alien's Day Out, a super-cool blog about eating 100% vegan in Seoul, South Korea.  Ever grateful to the reader who sent it in after I (I now realise stupidly) said Korean was not vego friendly.  :-)

Bread Kingdom
7 Paisley Street, Footscray
Hours:  Daily 7am-7.30pm

Lemon Berry Tartlets – Puff and Stuff

About 30 years ago, I made puff pastry from scratch in culinary school. It came out really, really well, and I haven’t made it since. Why? Because frozen puff pastry is so readily available, so consistently perfect, and so easy to work with, that the thought of going through all the time and trouble to make my own seems kind of crazy.

Of course, that’s a poor attitude for a cook, and one I’ve been fighting against all these years as I convince people that making your own bread, dressings, cheese, crème fraiche, etc. is a worthwhile pursuit. So, eventually I will show you how to make puff pastry, and hopefully somehow reconcile this obvious hypocrisy, but for now, we defrost.

By the way, I realize that berry season is probably over where you live, but fresh California blackberries were still around a few weeks ago when I filmed this video, and so I’m posting it anyway, seasonality be damned. This is really about the technique for making little puff pastry tart shells anyway, and I’m very confident you’ll figure out how to fill them.

Speaking of which, don’t limit your brainstorming to sweet treats. These lovely little cups make for a stellar base for all kinds of savory bites. I’ve filled these with sautéed mushrooms, chicken salads, and smoked salmon, just to name a few. Regardless of what you fill them with, they will be very well received. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 tartlets:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, partially thawed (you should get 12 tartlets if you use a 2-inch cutter like I did)

1 beaten egg

1/3 cup lemon curd, vanilla custard, chocolate mousse, whipped cream, or other appropriate filling

12 fresh blackberries

powdered sugar, as needed

*Bake puff pastry at 400 degrees F. for 13-15 minutes, allow to fully cool before filling.

View the complete recipe

Thanksgiving Tips

Last month I cooked a Thanksgiving dinner and a Christmas dinner. The only thing missing was a crowd around the table. Why the feast? I was developing recipes for Roast Turkey, Brown Sugar and Mustard Baked Ham, Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Lightened Green Bean Casserole, a Holiday Salad (with pomegranate seeds and pepitas) and Harvest Apple Stuffing. I also created some recipes using leftover ham and turkey and for a few fun things you can make for the holidays to give as gifts like Peppermint Bark and Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar. The recipes were for Grocery Outlet and will be featured in a brochure for customers. 

Having never hosted my own holiday dinners for 10+ people, I learned a lot! I shopped for as much of the dishes as possible at Grocery Outlet, after doing my planning and creating shopping lists. Of course making lists of what you need to buy is important, but being open to swapping out ingredients if you find something delicious and on sale is a good idea too. I was planning to use dried cranberries in the salad but found pomegranates were a better choice at the time. 

Shopping at Grocery Outlet I found many more organic products than I was expecting. There were organic fresh, frozen and packaged foods, and all were very competitively priced. Grocery Outlet has come a long way since I used to shop at the San Francisco store affectionately referred to as the "canned food store." 

When it comes to holiday meals, the main thing is to have an enjoyable time with your family and guests. If that means buying a pie instead of baking one, so be it! Concentrate on putting your energy into the things that matter most to you don't make yourself crazy trying to do everything. Most importantly? Have fun!

So here are my tips for Thanksgiving: 

1. Divide and conquer! Holiday meals are more elaborate and involved. No one person should have to do it all. Letting guests or family members take responsibility for a dish or a course gets them more involved and is nice way of sharing. 

2. Think big. Contrary to popular belief, many people love leftovers! Especially roast turkey or ham, not to mention stuffing and gravy. Make enough so guests can take some home or so you can make great soups, sandwiches, enchiladas, stuffed crepes and more. You'll be amazed at all the ways you can turn leftovers into fresh meals.

3. Plan ahead. Not only is planning important, but preparing some things like appetizers, side dishes or desserts ahead of time will make the actual holiday much less stressful. Not everything can be prepared ahead, but sometimes even components like salad dressing or pie crust can be made days before you need to use them. 

4. Enjoy seasonal flavors. Whether or not you're roasting a turkey or baking a ham, Autumn fruits and vegetables like apples, pomegranates, pears, cranberries, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and squash are welcome additions to the holiday table. Even if you serve them in new ways, they will make everyone feel the holiday glow.

5. Start early. Holidays are really about spending time together, not just eating. So plan to get together early in the day. Have appetizers and drinks, socialize before sitting down to the main event.

Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season!

Amy

Disclaimer: Though I was compensated to create recipes for Grocery Outlet, I was not paid to write this or any other post. 

Go Vote!

If you follow me on Twitter, it's fairly obvious who I'm voting for, so I'm not doing any kind of recommendation here, but simply wanted to encourage you to vote. 

Whether you're voting for the President, or the talking haircut who agrees with 3% of the world's climate scientists, the important thing is to get out to the polls and make your voice heard. Enjoy!

Salty Chocolate and Butterscotch Blondies

I've had these on my Pinterest page for awhile now, and I finally made them yesterday.  If you're looking for something to bake QUICKLY, bake these.  It took me 5 minutes to get these ingredients into the pan - the Baker's Edge pan which was a little bit too big but who cares.  I also added some butterscotch chips because I'M AMAZING.  They were so good.  The combo of rich dark chocolate, sweet butterscotch and a touch of salt... let's just say I ate way too many before my "Body After Baby" class.  Not a good idea.  I don't think that's the way you get a body after a baby.  I could be wrong.

AM I WRONG?!  

Make-Ahead Turkey Wing Gravy, Because You Have Better Things to Do

I’m not a big fan of “make-ahead” recipes, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, the less we have to do before dinner, the better. This turkey wing gravy will not only free up valuable kitchen time, but chances are it will look and taste even better than those frantic, last-minute versions.

A world-class gravy, while not a difficult procedure, does require a little bit of finesse and attention to detail. Of course, screaming kids, chatty relatives, and alcohol consumption are the natural enemies of finesse and attention to detail, so for that reason I’m a big fan of this alternative technique.

By the way, as I mentioned at the end of the video, just because you’re making this ahead of time, doesn’t mean you’re throwing away all those amazing pan drippings. While your turkey’s resting (should be at least 30 minutes), pour off the juices, skim off the fat, and add it to your gravy.

For this reason, I’ll generally make the gravy a little thicker than I want, knowing I’m going to dump another cup or so of liquid in later. Speaking of thickness, as with all the sauces we do, you are in complete control. If you want thicker gravy, use more roux and/or reduce further. If you want something a bit lighter, use less roux and/or more stock.

Either way, making the turkey gravy ahead of time is just smart logistics, and frees you up for more important things, like watching football and fishing for compliments. I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the stock:

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 large turkey wings

10 cups cold water (1 or 2 to deglaze the pan, and 8 to add to stock)

4 springs thyme

2 cloves garlic, optional

For the gravy:

2-3 tablespoons reserved turkey fat

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup flour

about 6 cups reserved, strained turkey stock

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

View the complete recipe

Mexican Cookbook Roundup

Last year I received a copy of Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez. It made it's way into my kitchen and never left. I am often skimming through it and planning my shopping and meals with it. The book focuses on salsas, sauces, moles and adobos. It's a mix and match kind of book, take a sauce use it for enchiladas or a stew, however you like. I make my own tortillas these days and my freezer is always stocked with big bags of tamales, roasted chiles and tomatillos. It has expanded my repertoire, to say the least. The book also includes a scrumptious recipe for a pipian and jalapeño dip I have been in search of literally for years.

Because of my recent fixation with Mexican food, I got very excited to see so many new Mexican cookbooks this season, including a new one from Santibanez. His latest book is Tacos, Tortas and Tamales. If you want to recreate Mexican street food at home, this is the book for you. From salt cod tortas to tacos of potatoes in green salsa and agua frescas, there is plenty to try that you probably haven't made or possibly even tasted before. I find this book like the last one to be very inspiring. I may not follow the recipes exactly but I find great ideas that excite me. 

The next book comes from Rick Bayless, my other go-to Mexican cookbook author. It's Frontera Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks. Some wild and wonderful recipes are in this book like cilantro japaleno margaritas, port sangria, and guacamole with watercress and sesame. It's quite the party book, whether you are actually throwing a party or just cooking for your family.  The emphasis here is on drinks, not on meals. It won't be your primary Mexican cookbook, but definitely a go-to for entertaining. 

It was Rick Bayless who opened my eyes to the idea that Mexican cuisines encompasses dishes with many different influences including Maya, France and Spain and even the Philippines. La Cocina Mexicana, Many Cultures, One Cuisine by Marilyn Tausend explores this concept in depth. This book has lots of recipes you probably won't find elsewhere, like chicken in white almond sauce, spicy yucca soup and stew of prickly pear with potatoes and cabbage. I already made the purslane salad with tomatoes and chiles. This one is a keeper.

Finally Muy Bueno, a Mexican cookbook based on the blog of the same name. This is more of a family style cookbook, with mostly easier recipes you can make any night of the week. If you're looking for Mexican comfort food, this is a good pick. There are lots of photos and techniques are nicely explained--everything from how to make flour tortillas to menudo, picadillo and albondigas (meatballs). The recipe that caught my eye was roasted green chiles with buttermilk and cheese. I can't wait to try it. The book has lots of personal stories and anecdotes to that give you a sense of what it's like to grow up in a close knit Mexican American family where recipes are shared and passed down from one generation to the next. The book and the blog are written by a mother and her two adult daughters, with lots of recollections and recipes from grandma as well.



Disclaimer: I did receive these books as review copies and links are Amazon affiliate links. 

Potato Lemon Soup

Another basic soup - nothing terribly exciting, but hey, it tasted good. The original recipe had thyme - I had sage, so that's what I used - and I ended up puréeing the soup. You can leave the potato chunks whole, but I couldn't get past the fact that it's basically just potatoes in a creamy broth, and therefor, mixed mine until fairly smooth. But that's all up to you.

It's a good vegetable soup, but if you're so inclined, go ahead and serve it with some smoked ham or crispy bacon.

Potato Lemon Soup
serves 3

1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp butter
500 g potatoes, cut into 1 cm dice (if planning on puréeing, never mind the size)
250 ml cream (full-fat)
5-600 ml vegetable stock (or more) (from a cube is fine)
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
salt

Fry the onion in the butter, until softened. Don't let it color, though. Add the potatoes and cream. Bring to a boil, and simmer on medium heat (with a lid) for about 15 minutes. The potatoes should be fairly soft. Add the stock, bring to a boil again, and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the sage and lemon zest. Season with the lemon juice (don't add it all at once!) and salt. Pepper is totally optional, we skipped it.

one of those mornings...

It's not even 7am, and so far this morning I've been pooped on, I've had to plunge a toilet and my earrrrrly morning Homeland viewing was interrupted just as it got incredible.  That's the sort of opening you expect from a food blog, right?  Well you're just going to have to deal with it because that's what I'm doing - DEALING, with a smile on my face and a coffee in my mouth!

Anyway - if that picture above looks familiar, it's because it's been on the blog before (Saveur's Chocolate Chip Cookies).  But now The Post Social "postmarked" my post (that's a lot of the same word) so please check it out here!  Love that site.  

How the adults trick-or-treat.  As someone pointed out on Instagram, there appears to be a wig hair growing from my drink.  Only thing, no one was wearing a wig.  I think it might be growing out of my thumb, in fact.  Let's hope that's a joke I'm making.

My cousin sent me these napkins, and she made them!  Check out her Etsy shop, Dutch Wives Club, for these (which can be printed in any color) and much, much more.  She also gave Jack that 'Favorite Brother' tee from her shop, which I love because he totally is.  

Election Cookies.  To get you in the political spirit, as if all these campaign ads aren't already doing that.  I was watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy the other day, because I'm a dorkface, and EVERY SINGLE COMMERCIAL had to do with a campaign, proposition, measure, etc.  Enough!!  Just vote and end this madness already!

I made these Slow Roasted Green Beans with Sage over the weekend.  Extremely easy, seasonal and delicious.  Highly recommend.  

Chicken Canzanese

We survived! It has undoubtedly been one of the longest weeks of my life, but we're safe and that's what matters. The hurricane hit us around midnight with a screaming loud vengeance. Since my husband was out of town, I spent the night with one little foot under my ribs and one in my face.  My kids were way too scared to go to bed.  I couldn't blame them, the wind made my steel door shake so loudly that you would have thought a heard of aliens were desperately trying to come in.  The power was out that night, and just returned yesterday, six days later.  You never could have told me that the power was going to be out that long.  Luckily, thanks to good neighbors and friends, we all got through it.  My husband made it back safely, and I will never again take heat or light for granted.  My thoughts and prayers to those who lost so much and are still waiting for heat and power.  I hope things return to normal very quickly!

Back to the food...I'm going to just go ahead and say it, this might be the best chicken I have ever had...like, ever.  I'm already a huge fan of dark meat chicken, but add luxurious ingredients like bacon, wine and fresh herbs, and I'm practically floating out of my chair.  I would happily pay good money for something like this at a restaurant.  This is a bit time consuming, but SO worth it.

Chicken Canzanese
From What's Cooking Chicago?

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces of diced prosciutto or bacon (I used bacon)
2 garlic cloves sliced lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, (trimmed of excess fat and skin)
2 teaspoons flour
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
4 clove buds
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, minced
15 whole fresh sage leaves
2 bay leaves
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325℉, with the rack at middle-lower position. Season the chicken lightly with kosher salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder as desired.

In a large skillet (I used my 12" cast iron skillet), heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and saute the prosciutto/bacon until fragrant, and add the garlic slices and minced garlic, cooking for just a minute or so until lightly golden. Remove and place in a small bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet without cleaning the pan, add the rest of the olive oil and heat until very hot. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook without disturbing for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Flip pieces over and cook another 5 minutes. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Remove some of the rendered fat from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Make a blond roux by adding the flour to the pan, and stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon or spatula until fragrant, about one minute. Add the wine and broth, slowly, stirring to make a smooth, slightly thin sauce, continuing to scrape the bottom until all the browned bits have been scraped up off the bottom of the pan. If the sauce begins to lump, whisk vigorously until it smoothes out. Add in the whole cloves, red pepper flakes, sage leaves, bay leaves, and reserved prosciutto/bacon and garlic.

Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer, skin-side up so it rests above the liquid. Place the skillet uncovered into the preheated oven and bake until chicken is completely tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Check on the chicken after about 15 minutes after you place it in the oven - the broth should be barely bubbling. If it is boiling or not bubbling at all, raise or lower your temperature slightly, accordingly.

Remove chicken from pan to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil, leaving the sauce in the skillet. Remove the sage leaves, rosemary stem, cloves and bay leaves and discard. Place skillet over high heat on the stovetop, and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook the sauce until it has reduced and thickened. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, butter, and minced rosemary. Pour sauce around chicken, and serve.

Served with rice to soak of that sauce, and sauteed mushrooms, because well, it just seemed appropriate for this dish.

Tabbouleh Sogomonian

Tabbouleh is another one of those popular recipes for which I’ve received hundreds of food wishes for, and yet inexplicably I’ve still not posted one. Why not? I have no idea. I’m as mystified as anyone. In the meantime, I wanted to share this fine version from friend of the blog Robert Sogomonian (aka @psyrixx). You can check out his original post here. Enjoy!

Keong Saik Snack ... A place to snack from lunch all through tilldinner.

Michelin Star famed Jason Atherton came to start a little culinary whirlwind with the fine diner, Pollen at the Flower Dome (Gardens by the Bay), the casual Esquina Tapas bar and now the more casual all day snack diner, Keong Saik Snacks. Atherton teams up with another well known figure in Singapore's hotel and restaurant scene, Loh Lik Peng. Mr Loh is the familiar guy in Keong Saik having started his hotel and restaurant venture from Majestic Hotel at Bukit Pasoh in the adjoining street. Having experienced Mr Loh's interesting dinning venues in Majestic Hotel and Wanderlust Hotel, one would be equally delighted with dining in a shop house along Keong Saik Road. You'll find some of the "snacks" here likened to common western casual food but differentiated with a slight Asian twist. This one month old snacking place can become really packed and there's a No Reservations policy. At KSS, do not expect big portions. The food they serve here are after all .... Snacks. 

There are bar counter seats where the chef are there cooking up the snacks for you.

KSS welcomes family snacking too and provides child seats.

Jane joined HY and I to have snacks for dinner. Before snacking, we ordered Cava  to compliment our food.

Iberico Ham and Manchego Cheese Toastie. To imagine the portion, the pair of eggs belong to Quails. This looks like breakfast but KSS is only opened at 12 noon. The toast were well toasted so as to get that crusty texture as we bit on them. The cheese and Iberico were plain savory indulgence. 

Jason's Very Hot Dog. HY and Jane insisted that I have to eat this as it's also my hot dog (I'm Jason too). We were given a very long hot dog. This taste like a more tone down Nathan's hot dog with sliced green chilli to provide an Asian twist.The addition of green chilli was akin to the taste experience of green chilli when it was complimenting the Indian vadai.

This 21 Days Aged Irish Strip Loin with Crispy Onion and Peppercorn sauce was one of the specials of the day that wasn't found on the menu. The strip loin was done till medium and was terrific until we ate the last third of the portion. The last portion was sinewy and quite impossible to chomp.

As what we had were snack portions, we decided to push on for more snacks. Here's the Lobster Roll with Spiced Mayo and Iceberg lettuce. The lobster chunks were of perfect tenderness and tasted refreshing with the spicy mayo.

The Kimchi Burger came with the burger all wrapped up and the kimchi contained in a dish as sides.

Here's the Kimchi Burger unravelled. The beef patty was good. Kimchi seemed like a good replacement for pickles. I had lots of the kimchi over the patty to give more of a Korean twist than just a plain good American burger.The patty was at least 1 inch thick and this made it real juicy.

Chilli Garlic is commonly used in Chinese restaurant for deep fried cuttle fish or pork ribs. This was executed on thin cut fries. We all gave thumbs up for this Chilli Garlic Fries. The only down side was the portion. We need more of this! 

Hot Doughnuts with Cinnamon and Vanilla / Caramel Chantilly. This was our dessert that's fluffy and went very well with plenty of Caramel Chantilly that had some salt in it. Be generous with the chantilly to enjoy this snack.

49 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089153
Tel : +65 6221 8338
Keong Saik Snacks Facebook

Lemon Curd “Lite” Not Light

I’m calling this lemon curd “lite” because it does have less fat than most traditional recipes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a “light” recipe. Calling this recipe “lite” is kind of like calling thin-crust pizza, “low-carb.” It’s all relative. 

Speaking of relative, as I mention in the video, this would make a great holiday gift, so even if you’re not a big fan of lemon, pay attention nonetheless. 

Above and beyond the nominally fewer calories, I really like the appearance and texture of this style lemon curd better anyway. Recipes that contain all yolks instead of whole eggs, and up to twice as much butter, are just too rich and heavy for my taste.

Since this is typically served as a sauce for things like gingerbread and scones, or as a filling for cakes, I don’t see the advantages of an overly heavy concoction. The one exception for me would be pies and tarts, where you probably do want the more hardcore variations.

I know a lot of you get nervous when whisking eggs over heat is involved, but as you’ll see, this is really simple to do. Besides, if tragedy does strike, and you get a few pieces of overcooked eggs in the mixture, simply put it through a strainer before adding the zest and butter. No one will ever know! With the holidays right around the corner, I hope you give this easy, old-fashioned lemon curd I try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 cups Lemon Curd:

3 whole large eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp, cut in 3 or 4 pieces

美佳海鮮餐館 Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant and their 2 most popular dishes

Here's 美佳海鮮餐館 Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant where a chef friend claimed would get his vote for best beef hor fun. KF Seetoh would probably agree to their beef hor fun as there's a Makasutra certificate pasted on one of their pillars. Business at Bee Kia is brisk especially during lunch and dinner time. In addition, this is more like a coffee shop chi char stall rather than a restaurant, so I don't expect good service. Be prepared for a good wait.

Bee Kia sits inside Sin Mee Eating House that is located directly opposite Thomson Medical Centre. For drivers, finding parking in this area can be a headache during lunch and dinner.

Let's cut to the chase. Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant is not about seafood but their mean enough Beef Hor Fun. Several customers just pop by to have a plate of their beef hor fun. The hor fun is "see chup" style as in drizzled with preserved black bean sauce. The sauce is slightly sweeter than the Geylang one that we normally patronized and the beef is well tenderized. What I find lacking is the "wok hei" on the hor fun which would otherwise made this perfect for us. I wonder if we should be so fussy as our benchmark is the same dish that we had in a small local "char chan teng" Hong Kong street eatery near Ladies' Market, Kowloon Hong Kong. The wok hei was hard to beat. But then ..... we're in Singapore hor! A few of my friends does recommend Bee Kia for their beef hor fun.

We can have beef hor fun as the mains and the side kick here has to be the prawn paste chicken. Dee p fried till golden brown and drained to make it devoid of grease as much as possible. I must say this is one of the best prawn paste chicken.

By the way, it's all "al fresco" dining down here.

1 Thomson Road
#01-326 Balestier Hill Shopping Centre
Singapore 301001
Tel : +65 6254 8490