Taiwanese street snack - Shi Lin night market at City Square, JB

Huh? Don’t tell me that you are going to recommend the Shi Lin Taiwanese snack stall? They can be found easily in most of the Singapore Shopping Mall. And I don’t think there’s any difference between them.

Yeah, that’s my first impression. To me, the Shi Lin’s street snack franchise only brought in the Taiwan’s street snack culture but not the food standard. That’s why I didn’t try it since the 1ST day it operating at City Square, JB though the business is good every time I pass by. But, HS told me that this stall is quite different, should give it a try.

The Queen & Mangosteen @ Vico City, Singapore

Last Wednesday, we celebrated HS’s birthday at Vivo City. HS’s original plan was DianXiaoEr Restaurant. But she changed her mind after my strong recommendation on The Queen and Mangosteen Restaurant. Of course I have done my homework before making the recommendation. This restaurant is highly recommended by many food blogs.

As soon as I stepped in, I was impressed by the cosy and décor of the pub. The restaurant is facing the Sentosa Island, it’s has a great view of the sea and the island (you can see a lot of construction work for the IR now). Under the dim light and soft music, it is really a wonderful dining experience.

Kampong Chicken

What is Kampong chicken?

Literally, kampong means village in Malay Language. In Singapore or Malaysia, Kampong Chicken refers to free-range or cage free chickens, which are allowed to run around in a kampong (village). But, nowadays, it’s not easy to find the Kampong chicken in Singapore because the government banned free range chicken raising after the 2006 bird flu. So, I am happy to have it once a while when I was in Malaysia.

I believe that kampong chicken is a happier and healthier bird. The birds are bred freely and doing more ‘exercise’. I have seen factory farming before, the birds are kept in tiny cages and have been forced fed to fatten them up, and even worse, injected growth hormone.

Chicken Soup for the soul

When I feel weak, I will reward myself with a bowl of herbal chicken soup to boost my immune system. Soup is a must on many Chinese dining tables, for many reasons, ranging from building immune system, to fighting aging, to looking good and etc. Among Chinese, the Cantonese is well recognized as the best chef in preparing soup. Their soup, prepared by double boiled method, is in a class of its own.

An ode to mum-in-law

Can you believe it? All of these dishes are prepared by my mum-in-law alone. She will prepare a fabulous meal for us every time we go back.

I really appreciate what she has done for us. I am so touched because all the dishes are prepared using the best ingredients. For example, ‘kampong’ chicken (free-range chicken), peanut roots, fresh chilli sauce, and …

Steamed ‘Kampong’ chicken

Achar - appetiser in summer

Achar, what’s that? It looks like salad, but it is actually a pickled dish. In Southeast Asia, it is a favourite side dish especially among the Malays and Straits Chinese.

This weekend, my mother-in-law taught me how to prepare it at home. It’s actually quite simple, and I would like to share the recipes with you.

Oyster omelette - Orh Jian (蚝煎)

Orh jian – an oyster omelette in Hokkien, is a dish which composed of plump, dainty oysters fried with eggs. This humble dish can be found across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

It is a big favourite in Taiwan’s bustling night markets, where vendor cook it on big, flat cast iron hot plates over roaring fires. The orh jian in Taipei is served with a lot of vegetables and the orh jian is soaked in a sauce paste.

Teochew Cuisine @ Liang Kee (亮记)

‘Fusion’ cuisine seems to be an in thing nowadays. A down-to-earth traditional Chinese cuisine, ironically, become hard to come by.

It is therefore rather refreshing to have our gathering at this traditional Teochew restaurant. And it certainly does not let us down.

Cold plate (includes Ngoh Hiang, coffee pork ribs...)

Chicken rice - Singaporean's favourite

Rice is an essential in Eastern diet. And it comes with many varieties. Among them, Hainanese chicken rice is Singaporeans’ favourite. And to cater for Muslim, we now have a halal version - Malay Chicken rice.

Thai Food, at Siam Paragon Food Gourmet Market

Many of Thailand’s best-known dishes, including green and red curries, tom yum kung, are originated in central Thailand – Bangkok. This also where many of the signature Thai seasonings – garlic, ginger, black pepper and chilli – were first used. Indeed, you can find a lot of dishes came along with the sauces, which have enhanced the flavour, and complemented the meal.

BBQ chicken thigh with sticky rice and salad.