Ma-Maison @ Bugis

The kids and I were out with my sister and her friend last weekend.  Ma-Maison was recommended by my sister.  It is a small restaurant, a place for people to go there for drinks after work.  The list of food on the menu was quite limited in choices.  I chose the set lunch show above.  It came with some pasta, tomato fried rice in an omelette  burger steak and  a sunny side up.  My elder son chose some kind of a beef stew with fried butter rice in an omelette   We didn't really like the taste of the beef stew.  My sister selected the steak, which out of so many items, we thought that was the best dish.  Strangely enough, the waiter didn't ask how well we want the steak to be cooked.  The steak came cooked medium well.  It was very tender and juicy with a taste of worcestershire sauce.  Extremely yummy and after having a taste of that steak, all of us regretted all the other items we have ordered.  

No pictures for the steak as we were so busy eating that I forgot to snap a picture of it.  The onion soup was tasty with the melted cheese on top of it.  The kids were fighting to eat up all the melted cheese from the top of the soup.

Do go there if you like steaks or beef patties.  The tonkatsu with rice looked nice too from the opposite table.  Limited choices for seafood or chicken dishes.  

Average spending per person ~ SGD $20

Ma-Maison Restaurant 

Address: Bugis Junction #02-51, 200 Victoria Street Singapore 188021  

Tel: 63384819

小白菜 - Growing Xiao Bai Cai at Home

My second attempt in growing xiao bai cai at home succeeded.  The first round was not very successful as these vegetables need plenty of sunlight and water.  They must be grown in a brightly lighted place preferably with sun shining directly at them.  They need a lot of water also.  I grew 2 pots of these over a period of about 2 months.  There is a sense of satisfaction when you harvest them.  Unfortunately, my 2 pots of vegetables only yielded a small plate of fried vegetables.  It is only then, that you realise how much time and effort it is needed to grow vegetables that we pick up effortlessly from the supermarket everyday and how much we take for granted the efforts of the farmers that grow these vegetables for our consumption.

High Tea at Shang-ri La - Rose Veranda

These pictures were from my recent visit to Shang-ri La Rose Veranda.  Though it was a Tuesday afternoon, the place was pretty much filled up with guests having Lunch cum High Tea here.  The variety of food seems to be much better than my last visit there last year.   Here are some pictures taken using my newly bought hand phone - Sony Xperia Z.  I wanted to take more pictures but was hesitant after my bad experience at another hotel where I was stopped from taking any picture by some Ang Moh waitress which inevitably ruined my day.  

Anyway, for this round, I decided to just snap some shots from what I took on my plates.  Something different this time was that each guest was entitled to 1 tea and 1 coffee for the buffet.  Tea was refillable.  And for addition selection of tea, there would be an extra charge of $7 ++ each.  I recalled previously they had a buffet price for unlimited selection of tea.  Well, no complains for this change as I don't think one can drink that much tea or coffee anyway.  And to get around this limitation, if you were there with a few friends, each person could actually select a different type of tea for all to try.  (Tea is refillable, remember? :) )

What I like about this place is that from Mondays to Fridays, High Tea is served from 11.30am to 6.00pm.  It is a good place for a girlfriends gathering.  If you book online, you get a 15% discount.  There are some credit cards that gives some discounts periodically.

Chicken pies and Crab claws

Finger sandwiches and Dim Sum

Carrot cake, Crunchy cold prawns, Sauteed Mushroom and Butter Chicken

Mee Siam (Thumbs up for this)

Macaroon, Mango Slice and Scones with Clotted Cream

Cheesecake Topped with Honey Dew

There were plenty of other dishes like fresh salmon and tuna, baked salmon in puff pastry, and a variety of pastries and ice creams.  The quality has definitely improved.  Besides the food, it is also the atmosphere that I like there.  It is not only cosy but also the warm and welcoming feeling I get when I am there.  

I was actually there to celebrate my birthday.  You can inform them ahead of time if you are celebrating your birthday and they would prepare a small cake for you and sing you a birthday song.  This round I didn't inform them earlier as I felt quite embarrassed having people singing for me.  My brother seeing other people having birthday cake asked the waitress if she could get a cake for me.  It was quite touching that though this was last minute, the restaurant actually brought me a last minute birthday cake and sang me a song.    

Last but not least .....  I will be back!! :) 

Crispy and Light Waffle

It has been a while since I use my waffle maker.  I managed to find it in the ocean of items in the storeroom. 

I used this recipe from Serious Eats site

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 egg whites

Method
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.  Make a well in the centre.
2. In another bowl, beat egg yolks slightly and stir in milk and oil.
3. Add egg yolk mixture into the dry mixture.  Stir till moistened.  (should be lumpy)
4. Beat egg whites till stiff peaks form.
5.  Gently fold in egg white into flour and egg yolk mixture.  Do not overmix.
6. Spoon waffle batter into waffle iron, make sure not to overfill it.
7. Serve with ice cream, and fresh fruits

Yums!! 

Steamed Chicken with Abalone

Chicken with Canned Abalone and Brocoli
Chicken Preparation
1 whole chicken (about 1.2kg)
4 cloves of garlic
2 blades of pandan Leave
1 stalk of lemongrass (bruised)
1tsp salt

Sesame oil

Method

• Rub salt over chicken, stuff garlic, pandan leave and lemongrass into the cavity of chicken.
• Fill a pot (make sure the chicken can fit in) with water.  Bring to boil.
• Place chicken into the boiling water.  Bring pot with lid and bring water back to boil again.
• Once the water boil, after 30mins of boiling, off water and drain chicken from water.
• Submerge chicken in a big pot of ice water to cool the chicken.
• Drain and rub sesame oil on chicken.
• Chop chicken into bite size.  Arrnage nicely on a plate.
• Blanch brocoli and place round the chicken.

Abalone Preparation

• Slice canned abalone, arrange on top of the chicken.

Sauce Preparation
1 tbsp oyster sauce
300ml chicken stock (if use canned chicken stock, dilute 150ml chicken stock with 150ml water)
1tbsp cornflour mix with some water

Method

• Bring chicken stock to boil, add oyster sauce.  Slowly add cornflour mixture into sauce till slightly thickened.
• Pour sauce over the chicken, abalone and brocoli.
• Serve

Assortments of Yakitori

We had a feast of Yakitori a few weeks back.  I made Yakitori of:

• Pork Belly
• Pork slices wrapped with straw mushrooms
• Chicken
• Chickn Ball

I made the Yakitori Sauce Recipe from Saveur .  It requires some effort and it is worth putting in the effort

You can use this sauce on pork, chicken, etc.  I find this sauce very close to the teriyaki sauce.  Frankly speaking, these japanse sauces are basically made up the main ingredients - mirin, soya sauce, sugar.

Willows - Chinese New Year 2013

This post is like 2 months late.  I happened to see this picture quite nicely taken in my folder and thought it would be nice to place it here. 

This year, my MIL bought some beautiful willows for Chinese New Year.  The fluffy cotton buds actually 'grow' into bushy tails during the next few weeks.  I find it quite amazing and I suspect it must be something that the nursery added while growing them that makes them perk up into life after they are harvested.

Chinese New Year was like just a week ago but now we are already in the 2nd quater of the year 2013.  How time flies!

Prawn and Fish Toast

Prawn Toast Recipe

6-8 thin slices sandwich bread

(A)
250g shrimp, peeled and deveined
50g ground pork
1tsp potato starch
1/4 cup chopped corriandor
1/2 egg white
1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
white pepper to taste

parsley or sesame seed for garnish
oil for deep frying
sweet Thai chili sauce for dipping

Method
1. Put (A) in a bowl and mix well.
2. Marinade for 2hrs in the fridge before use.
3. Spread a thin layer of prawn and pork paste on the bread.
4. Decorate it with a parsley leaf or some seasame seeds.
5. Deep fry in oil till gold brown.
6. Drain and serve with Thai Chilli Sauce.