Lei Garden @ Orchard Plaza in Singapore
Location: Lei Garden
#03-00 Orchard Plaza,
321 Orchard Road,
Singapore 238866
(65) 6734 3988
Author: My Husband
The last time Christina and I were in Singapore, we were invited to a dim sum lunch hosted by a prominent businessman. The timing was great – it was the day after we got off the plane, the venue was one of Singapore’s more renowned Cantonese restaurants, and we didn’t have to foot the bill. How could we say no? 
When Christina and I are in Singapore, we tend not to eat Cantonese food. Since we have plenty of opportunities to eat good Cantonese meals in Vancouver and HK (our usual stopover point between Vancouver and Singapore), we usually try to maximize our intake of local “Singapore” fare when we are in town. As such, we had never been to Lei Garden and we were both a little curious as to the quality of the food there.
The décor of the restaurant can best be described as late-80s modern. Everything was in good repair mind you, but the décor did not seem commensurate for a restaurant that was supposed to be one of Singapore’s best. We later found out the reason why this was…
Our host and the rest of our dining companions arrived shortly after we did. Since the meal had been pre-ordered, the food started showing up very soon after everybody was seated. The quality of the food was fantastic – the dim sum dishes were creative and refined, both in terms of visual appeal and taste. They only “complaint” I could muster was that the dim sum serving sizes were a tad small, but I’m sure my perspective of dim sum size is skewed (seeing as how I’m used to North American portions). Before Christina could pull out the camera to snap some photos, other guests around the table had already dug into the food – so, no shots of the dim sum.
After the dim sum courses, other dishes were served. These were supposed to be some of the restaurant’s signature dishes, and despite being somewhat full, Christina and I were only too happy to continue eating. The following photos show some of the more memorable dishes:
Treasures of the sea. These dishes comprised abalone, conpoy (dried scallops), sea cucumbers, prawns, fish maw, duck feet, Chinese roasted pork (燒肉), and assorted veggies. The ingredients were braised in a Chinese brown sauce, and served in a hollowed out pumpkin. What can I say? This was AWESOME!
Golden Sand (金沙) Lobster. The lobster meat was dredged in a light batter made with the yolks of salted eggs, then deep fried. This was cooked to perfection. The sweet, succulent lobster meat played off really well against the savory, yolky crispy batter. The serving size was not huge, but it was a pretty rich dish, and it was just the right amount for our dining party.
Hairy crabs (大閘蟹). These were flown in live from Shanghai and were decently large. The crabs were steamed, and then served. I am a big fan of hairy crabs – specifically of the rich, sweet, unctuous roe. And these particular crabs had some really high quality roe in them. If I had to describe the taste and texture – it’s a little bit like eating semi-liquid salted-egg yolk. I will be writing a quick take of hairy crabs in a separate article, and will go into a more detail on how to eat these little critters. During our lunch, we were the beneficiaries of some really excellent service (our host is a very frequent diner at this restaurant), and our crabs were de-shelled and served to us by two waitresses assigned to our table. So we didn’t have to do much work at all. Nice.
It turned out to be a pretty long lunch, and we were the last guests to be ushered out of the restaurant. I would say that this ranks among the best Cantonese meals I’ve had. Some customers have commented that the culinary standards at Lei Garden have dropped over the years, but I wouldn’t know as I don’t have any basis for comparison. Suffice it to say, Christina and I were both impressed and we will be making it a point to go and have dim sum again here when we are next in Singapore.
Oh, as for why the décor of the restaurant is dated – well, during our lunch, the restaurant completely filled up and there was a long line-up of people in the waiting area. According to our host, it is pretty crowded even during weekdays. Given the average price per meal here, closing down for renovations would result in a huge impact on the restaurant’s bottom line. So as long as the crowds keep showing up, the Lei Garden @ Orchard Plaza will continue to have its décor firmly rooted in the 80s…
Eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce
Location: My tiny kitchen
Ever since I started blogging my recipes, I realize I have a lot of recipes on food that I’m crazy about. Breakfast food is a perfect example. I have posted quite a few breakfast recipes in the past few months - perhaps 4 or 5 recipes if I keep count. I don’t think I have as many breakfast recipes as I have on beef, but there could be a good match between the two.
I love breakfast indeed. I love breakfast especially if I can take the time to enjoy it in weekend mornings. This might not sound right to most people, but I love breakfast even more if I get to make it. Come to think of it, most of my breakfast recipes use eggs - scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs with porcini mushroom and today, I made eggs benedict. Because ET likes sweets, occasionally I like to surprise him with a sweet breakfast - buttermilk pancakes, sugary Belgium waffles with ice-cream and my version of pain au chocolat. I have eaten some interesting and memorable breakfasts when I was small. My favourite among them is Chinese donut cut into small pieces and dipped in sweet soy milk. Even I miss those interesting breakfasts, I must say egg is still my best choice for breakfast because hey, they are good no matter how you cook them
To make the hollandaise sauce, you will need:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
Fill a quart pan with water up to 1/3 of its height. The glass bowl will sit on the quart pan later so make sure the water just comes below, and not touching, the bottom of the glass bowl. Bring water to a simmer.
Put the egg yolks and lemon juice into the glass bowl. Whisk the yolks until it increases in volume, about 3 minutes.
Place the glass bowl on the quart pan. Continue to whisk quickly and slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Whisk until the sauce is thicken, about 5 minutes. Add in salt to taste. Remove the bowl from the quart pan and keep it in a warm area.
To make the eggs benedict for 2 people, you will need:
- 2 eggs
- 1 English muffin , sliced in half.
- 4 pieces of English bacon
Bring water in a quart pan and bring to a boil. When water is boiling, bring the heat down to a simmer. Put a sieve in the water and carefully crack an egg into the sieve. Let the eggs cook for 4 minutes and this will give you a runny yolk. Repeat with the second egg.
Pan fried the bacon in a non stick pan until they are slight brown on both sides.
Toast the muffin in a toaster until they are slightly brown.
To assemble:
Place half of a muffin on a plate. Place 2 pieces of ham on top and then carefully slide the poached egg from the sieve onto the ham. If you find the hollandaise sauce too thick, mix a few drops of warm water into the sauce. Spoon a good amount of the sauce onto the egg. Sprinkle with parsley and a few dash of cayenne pepper.
If only breakfast won’t be called breakfast and could be eaten any time during the day, then life would be perfect.
Quick Take: Tortuga Caribbean Rum Cake
This cost me an arm and a leg. It was the most expensive cake I have ever purchased! And yet, it’s also the most delicious rum cake I ever had. It’s moist; it’s soft, and it’s has a good amount of rum in it. I used to bake rum cakes but mine never tasted as delicious as this. Got the cake as a present for a friend, I also ordered myself the original flavour with walnuts from the internet. The cake flew all the way from the Caribbean and every slice of it tasted like heaven. Still, it was expensive, especially when I got the bill from the customs a month later asking me to pay duty. Wah :”-( :-)”’
If you are also a rum cake lover and you want to find out how this one tastes, you can order it the Tortuga Rum Cake website.
Hanako Japanese Restaurant in Surrey
Location: Hanako Japanese Restaurant 
205-15135 101 Avenue
Surrey, BC
604-582-8833
If you live in Surrey, or know people who live in Surrey, then you probably have heard what a great Japanese restaurant Hanako is. I admit, I’m a Vancouver downtown type of girl, but I’ve fallen in love with Hanako. With love comes commitment - I’m committed to driving out to Surrey (a long drive for ET and me) just to go to Hanako.
The food at Hanako is amazing. The sashimi is fresh and top quality. Prices are not cheap but still in the reasonable range (~$60 for ET and I). I highly recommend all Japanese food fans try out this restaurant, even if you have to drive for a bit to get there. 
On a recent visit with some friends, we had the following:
A crab salad with crab (of course!), tomatoes, radicchio and vinegarette. This is my friend’s favourite and she has all the reasons to like this dish. It’s a pretty and very tasty dish.
UNI! This could easily be the best Uni sashimi I’ve had so far. The Uni tasted so fresh that as it melted in my mouth, I can smell and taste the ocean.
I wanted to get Toro sashimi but it was all sold out. Waaaaaaaaah! :”’( That was a big disappointment because I know this restaurant has very good Toro. We order Hamachi and Salmon instead and they were a good consolation.
Various rolls - all up to standard.
The spider roll was up to standard. There was an adequate portion of crab in the roll and the crab stayed crunchy.
Deep fried soft shell crab. This dish was only so so. I have had better soft shell crab at other Japanese restaurants. It’s all in the fying - the batter has to be light and yet crispy.
Like the soft shell crab, again, the tempura could be improved. The batter was a little too heavy. I guess this restaurant is not the best at fried dishes.
This is Ankimo, which is Monkfish liver and also known as “foie gras of the sea”. As the description suggests, Ankimo is soft, lightly sweet and slightly buttery. I think comparing this with foie gras might be unfair, as Ankimo doesn’t exactly has the rich buttery taste of foie. However, it was still a rich dish.
Finally, agedashi tofu. Strangely enough, this was cooked perfectly. A perfect warm ending to a cool meal.
Quick Take: Wagyu Steak in Kobe
Location: Kobe, Japan
Author: My Husband
Kobe beef in Kobe. Kind of poetic isn’t it? When we were traveling in Japan, we managed to get our guide to order us a wagyu steak. He got the beef shipped to our hotel via overnight delivery and took us to a self-serve BBQ joint to cook it.
The beef was shipped in a clear air-tight bag along with a piece of fat. We didn’t think it was top-grade wagyu as the marbling wasn’t as extensive or well-distributed as some of the stuff we’ve seen in pictures, but it was still miles better than any steak we’ve seen sold in North American stores.
We threw it on the grill along with some other items we picked up at the restaurant’s food cabinets. We rubbed the slowly melting square of fat all over the surface of the wagyu steak to keep it moist – not that it needed a lot of help in that department.
After browning both sides, we took it off the grill and dug in. It was the most tender piece of beef we’ve had. The reports about the meat melting in your mouth are not far from the truth – it really did melt a little in our mouths, similar to the way foie gras or oh-toro would. Also similar to foie or oh-toro is the rich, pleasing, unctuous mouthfeel. Flavour-wise, there was sweetness and a huge sense of umami. Interestingly, the ‘beefiness’ (or gaminess) was pretty subtle compared to North American breeds. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed it.
For our readers in greater Vancouver looking for a taste of real Wagyu, visit Nikuya Meats in Richmond. They sell a range of products spanning Japan-raised Wagyu to American “Kobe” beef (along with other interesting meats). Bring money…
KitchenAid Stand Mixer - my ultimate baking toy
Location: Costco
9151 Bridgeport Road
Richmond, BC
(604) 270-3647
It has been half a year and I still remember what a special day it was to me. It was one of the happiest in my life and thinking about it still makes me smile as I write this post.
On a Sunday late afternoon last summer, I walked into Costco in Richmond. All I wanted to get was a big pack of organic eggs, like I always do when I want to bake. ET always likes to wander in different aisles to check out new items. As we browsed the kitchen appliance section, we were startled by a big discount sign on the KitchenAid stand mixers. I couldn’t believe what I saw, to be accurate, we were in shock.
The professional model, yes, the model that delivers 475 watts, is on sale for $299. My dream baking machine, is now ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS off its regular price. ET and I looked at each other for a few seconds, letting ourselves to sink into the truth. Not too long later, my brian started its complicated process of choosing the best colour. After 5 minutes of trying to decide between silver and red, which involved getting ET to move multiple many heavy boxes left, right and centre so that I can see the mixer in different colours, I finally laid my hands on a a red mixer.
I’m so excited and happy. I have wanted to get a KitchenAid for years but I was always deterred by the price. In the past, I have always blamed my inefficient egg beater for all my baking failures. I guess now I can’t use that excuse anymore huh
The mixer comes with three attachments: the regular cake paddle, the wire whisk and a dough hook. I don’t know when I’ll use the dough hook though as I know nothing about making bread.
As a bonus, it also includes a set of measuring spoons and a spatula. Having it says “KitchenAid” on these little tools just makes me smile. And oh, I want to mention that later I found a red spatula from Linen & Thing, which is a perfect match to my mixer. Yes I know, sometimes I’m geeky
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