Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice, a very simple dish that stole my heart.

Served mainly in Singapore and Malaysia, this is a local specialty that's attributed to Chinese immigrants from the island of Hainan, off the coast of China. It’s a simple dish of poached chicken served with rice cooked in chicken broth that’s laden with ginger and garlic.

Our Singapore food trip consisted mainly of daily helpings of this dish. . . these two establishments come as highly recommended to locals & tourists alike, hailed as the two best Hainan Chicken Rice in Singapore. 


TIAN TIAN HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE, Maxwell Food Center, Singapore

hailed by Anthony Bourdain as the best chicken rice in Singapore

About 230pm, past lunch time: a long line patiently waiting for their hainanese servings

1/4 chicken rice comes with a cup of chicken broth, sauce: chili - lime and ginger puree, and a thick sweet soy

 WEE NAM KEE CHICKEN RICE, Thomson Rd. & Novena Ville

Happy Weekend Everyone!

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Here's to a wonderful weekend! Cheers!

Style File: Olivia Palermo

                                                          (credits: starstyle.inc)

She looks so effortlessly stylish and uber pretty too. It's amazing how she mixes high and low brands in a very clever way. (wears topshop and carries a Birkin). I have many more photos of her soo chica wardrobe, but i have to keep this at a minimum. (rumor has it that Leighton Meester's role in Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf was patterned after Olivia Palermo, i wonder is she as scheming and as bratty as Blair in real life? haha)

Hole in the wall : Hunan Lutong Bahay

Let me give you a background on what this chinese restaurant with no signboard is all about. . . 

"HUNAN CUISINE, sometimes called Xiang cuisine, is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. Known for its liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots and garlic, Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot or purely hot, as opposed to the better known Sichuan cuisine, to which it is often compared. 

Sichuan cuisine is known for its distinctive mala (hot and numbing) seasoning and other complex flavour combinations, frequently employ Sicuan peppercorns along with chilies which are often dried, and utilizes more dried or preserved ingredients and condiments. Hunan Cuisine, on the other hand, is often spicier by pure chili content, contains a larger variety of fresh ingredients, and tends to be oilier." - (lifted form wikipedia)

HUNAN LUTONG BAHAY (this photo taken from janedchua.com)

spicy spareribs stew

scallion pancake

chinese dumplings that looks & tastes  a bit like gyoza

spicy chicken

fried rice that looks pale but tastes good!

HUNAN LUTONG BAHAY 

6404 Camia St. Makati City

BISTECCA

TRUFFLE FRIES

This is GOOD! I had to hold back and let the smell of the truffle oil linger while the dish was sitting on our table. The fries were crisp and salty (i think they sprinkled it with a bit of parmesan cheese?) on the outside and soft on the inside.  This is a must order in Bistecca.

Herbed Sea Salts

This is what they give you for your steak. Plain and herbed sea salts and some condiments... i forgot to take a photo of the condiments, but they serve pommery mustard, horseradish and peppercorn sauce.

Pan Seared Foie Gras on caramelized apples and portwine reduction

My husband doesn't really enjoy foie gras or any kind of liver for that matter so I always get to have the foie all to myself. This one was good. I thought the tartness of the apples complimented the richness of the liver and the wine reduction blended perfectly into the dish. 

Cajun Baby Back Ribs

We didn't get to try this. But it sure smelled delicious!

The Bistecca 122 - 1kl. USDA Choice Bone-in Rib Eye Roast, P295/100grams (approx P2950)

They say it's good for 2-4 persons, well I guess that's if you're dining with someone who eats like a bird, then it's really just good enough for two. It looks massive and hunky, yes. But the taste? I was really a bit disappointed...

I don't mean to be pretentious or snotty or anything and I'm not an expert but I had high expectations of this place, what with all that intimidating exterior and all. (yes, the price can break the bank) It's supposed to be a good steak place?  I believe I've had better. I thought the meat itself lacks flavor... You see I prefer to eat my steak plain, no fuss, no sauce, but with this one, I had to reach out for the condiments...

Let me know if you happen to have a different experience, then I might probably give this another try.

BISTECCA 

122 Joya, Rockwell 

Makati City

SUKIYA

japanese condiments

Gyudon

salisbury curry 

chicken curry 

 starved

SUKIYA, almost like yoshinoya (others like yoshinoya, but, in my opinion, this is way better!) 

This fast food joint was right in front of our hotel, so this was an everyday must throughout our entire stay in Osaka.

The Cheesesteak Shop

7" philly cheesesteak with sweet peppers

Of Sunrise and Sunsets

PEACE is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank . . .

They say that if you see an artwork that stirs your heart and makes you smile, or makes you want to laugh or cry, sing and dance, or all of the above, you must have it.  That way, every time you see it on your wall, you’d experience the same warm feelings over and over... I don't have the money to buy an artwork yet, but someday (i hope), when i grow up, i will buy myself lots of it. So for now, I will enjoy one of  life's many simple joys by appreciating the wonderful works of nature. Sunrise and Sunsets.

 

I rarely get to see the skies as vibrant as this (except for maybe when I'm at the beach). . . So I'm sharing with you some photos (pardon my photography skills) from that one day, I was lucky enough to capture it. Taken while my husband and I were having fishballs and balut at the park in our village.

I don't know how long i stood and stared and let myself be soothed. It was really fascinating. That right there is an artwork that's rare and beautiful, but cheap and perfect, and that made me smile. Nothing beats the feeling an amazing sunset can give. . .