Sinful Sin Huat

Singapore has made its mark on the global food map - featuring strongly in the recent Asian equivalent of the Michelin guide with its range of high profile, high calibre, high end restaurants. But ask me about the single most memorable meal I've had in Singapore and its actually found in the most unlikely of places - Geylang, the red light district of this conservative island.

Sin Huat is one of those places you are more than likely to miss while in the area - an old style coffeeshop with cracked tiles, plastic chairs and bathed in a sea of green tinged fluoroscent lighting - it makes almost no effort in its decor or ambience. The service can be at most described as aloof and the prices - astronomically high given the settings you are dining in (be prepared to pay around $70 a head for your dinner). One could be forgiven for thinking that the owner of this restaurant really couldn't care less about your dining experience.

But it's clearly and purely the food that draws the crowds in night and night again to this humble eatery - probably the best seafood you'll ever taste cooked to absoute perfection in the simplest of ways. The chef Danny Lee is a bit of an enigma - a pig farmer turned self trained cook, he insists on taking orders for every table and cooks for each table one at a time - resulting in waiting times of about 40 minutes for your food to arrive. But you never hear complaints while dining here - I think it's because everyone who makes the pilgrimage here knows what they're buying into... and the brilliant food is well worth the wait.

We started with fresh (and everything is fresh here - Danny never stores his seafood in refrigerators and everything is sourced from the fish tanks on order) scallops steamed in their shells and smothered in an incrediby addictive black bean sauce. We then had the steamed squid topped with garlic and scallions which were cut into calamari rings at the table... this was cooked perfectly - the calamari lusciously tender and delicious paired with the simple seasonings. We were then blown away by the steamed prawns in garlic, scallions and chinese wine... so fresh, so succulent... so good. Danny's handling of seafood is astounding with the natural sweetness of his ingredients shining through and highlighted by his closely guarded sauces.

But what was the climax to this already incredible meal was hands down what this place is famous for - the crab bee hoon. Sri Lankan crabs simmered in an addictive broth with thin rice noodles, scallions and crab roe... this is flavour to the max with incredible "wok hei" permeating every slurp. Tucking into this dish - decor, service and pricing became almost petty issues that not once crossed our minds... really brilliant stuff.

Sin Huat makes a trip to sin city well worth it and dares to challenge the notion of a fine dining institution. It probably will never feature in the Michelin guide and will most certainly offend many who expect more for what they pay... but with food this good - I really couldn't care less.

Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant
659-661 Geylang Lorong 35 (at the corner of Geylang Rd)
Tel: 6744-9778

South Korea Part 2: Seoul Searching

Seoul intrigues me. The capital of South Korea is a constantly a case of extremes... tradition and fierce patriotism trying to remain relevant in a modern society thriving on capitalism and a fascination for the West. An urban sprawl of skyscrapers sprouting amongst the fertile crop of century old buildings. Impossibly expensive high end shopping proving just as popular as underground markets selling knock offs of their counterparts. And so it is with the food.




During my two days there - I was able to sample the most amazing and affordable street food which koreans simply adore - dok bokki (spicy korean rice cakes) and odeng (korean fish cakes) were just some examples of the widely available morsels, particularly at nightfall when the streets really come alive. We also had bi bim bap - probably the most popular korean dish outside of korea. But the mixed rice in a sizzling earthenware pot with the most colourful of vegetables topped with a raw egg was unlike any that I've tasted prior to this visit. The delicate balance and unique taste and textures of the assortment of vegetables and kim chee are quite a contrast to the often uniform, sweet tasting versions that you get outside of Korea.

On the other extreme, we also had the pleasure of the most decadent (and expensive of meals), courtesy of our extremely generous hosts. This was a once in a lifetime experience - a 10 course meal of the finest seafood you'll probably be able to get (some say even better) outside of Japan. From the sweetest lobster sashimi, to US$10 a serve of ottoro maki sushi. Run by an ex-trawler (pictured above) who is infectiously passionate about his craft, we are patiently told about how to appreciate each dish and its origins. The climax of the meal however was a sight to behold - the most incredibly marbled sashimi platter of the best tuna you will probably ever taste. Arranged in sections on the platter to represent the various parts of the fish, each mouthful was just pure bliss with the delightfully oily fish melting in your mouth with a touch of freshly grated wasabi root. Awesome.

And so - my two days in Seoul was without a doubt a sensory overload - the constant rush of extremes in this intriguing city was in itself a direct contrast to the quiet and simple experience in Jeju-do just 48 hours before... but that is exactly what makes South Korea an unforgettable destination.

Italian with Heart

I had the privilege of joining in the celebration of the wedding anniverary of close family friends, the L's last night. The L's are close family friends and have been there for my family during our darkest hours when dad became critically ill. They are incredibly giving people and last night, celebrated 33 years of marriage.

We celebrated this wonderful occassion at Trattoria Lafiandra Al Museo - an unpretentious, cosy Italian restaurant housed in the Singapore Art Museum. Another close family friend who had hosted a party there previously arranged for a menu designed by the chef and owner, Cataldo Lafiandra.

We started off with the antipasto which consisted of grilled vegetables (portobello mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant), calamari with aioli, eggplant parmigiana. The presentation of the dishes were very rustic as were the flavours - robust and had a great home cooked element to them. The eggplant parmigiana in particular was excellent - oven baked eggplant rolls in home made tomato ragu filled with meltingly gooey mozzarella.

We then followed with two types of pizza - rocket with fresh tomatoes and parma ham. Both were very good with perfectly thin and crispy crusts. Chef Cataldo is also very generous with his toppings, the latter pizza covered with deliciously salty prosciutto.

We were also served a very hearty fettucine bolognese. A dish that is often misunderstood because of the trashy versions that are served in American style diners... this was done the way it should be. Hand made pasta tossed in a rich ragu of beef and pork mince in tomatoes finished with a hint of cream... Love it.

For mains we were served an assortment of simply grilled crayfish, pan fried dory, grilled chicken and beef fillet with sauteed mushrooms. Aside from the chicken which had obviously spent too much time on the grill and was actually burnt rather than charred, everything else was delicious. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium rare (just the way I like it) and had been simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The food at Lafiandra has a comforting factor to them with most dishes being hearty in portion and flavour - the restaurant is very unpretentious and doesn't try overly hard to impress. Prices are very reasonable which is something which I have found is a rarity for good Italian food in Singapore.

We left Lafiandra happy and I was glad to have been able to share such a joyous occassion with such dear friends. Happy Anniversary Uncle KL and Aunty CH... May your life together be like one big party - filled with delicious food, infectious laughter and great company in one another.

So here's the catch

I recently had the pleasure of embarking on a driving holiday in the South Island of New Zealand. And whilst the scenery blew me away and constantly reminded me why this beautiful country is a postcard photographer's heaven, the food was rarely as impressive. My opinion is (and it is only mine), that New Zealand cuisine suffers from an identity crisis - whilst there are a multitude of eateries in this now popular tourist destination, the Kiwis have yet to define themselves in the gastronomic world.
But what did blow me away on this trip was the quality of the seafood - and given that New Zealand is populated by many little seaside towns along it coast, this seemed to make perfect sense. Two particular highlights on this trip were located in tiny seaside towns - Fleur's Place (Moeraki) and Nin's Bin (Kaikoura)... both eclectic and sticking to the rule of simplicity in method of preparation using the freshest ingredients possible.

Fleur's Place

This highly acclaimed restaurant is housed in an old whaling station site and was constructed from collectables and demolition materials from around New Zealand. The freshest fish possible is brought in daily on fishing boats along Moeraki Bay and cooked simply (with fish this fresh - there is no other way). On this visit, I had the seafood chowder wich was made with in a tomato soup and was filled with salmon chunks, mussels, prawns and the freshest clams. How fresh? So fresh the clams tasted of the sea - an expression I only understood when I tasted this delicious dish.


Of course, I had to try the beautiful local fish and decided to go for the flounder whilst Mum decided to try the sole fish. The fish was only done one way - oven roasted in its skin with no marinade with a choice of accompanying sauce. I opted for the spinach oil whilst the sole was accompanied by tartare with capers. We were shocked when our mains arrived - they were HUGE! Even with a voracious appetite after the long drive before lunch, I had serious reservations about being able to finish my meal. But a bite into the incredibly moist flounder sent me to fish heaven (which is where I hope the flounder now happily resides - bless its soul). Fish from the sea could not taste any sweeter and the accompanying spinach oil was surprisingly moreish. Coupled with the lightly blanched swiss chard, carrots and potatoes from Fleur's veggie garden, I began to understand why this was the one restaurant where celebrity chef, Rick Stein, claims as his favourite spot to eat in the world (and also explains his photo along the stairwell leading to the upper dining room).

Nin's Bin

Kaikoura in Maori translates directly to crayfish - and this is exactly what this little seaside town has to offer. Aside from the beautiful sea views and seal colonies scattered along the coast, there isn't much about Kaikoura that gets visitors excited.

That is except of course, its pride and joy, the abundance of the freshest crayfish from the sea. Nin's Bin, a little camper van converted into a very basic kitchen and shopfront, sits alone along SH1 (heading north of the South Island) against the magnificent backdrop of the ocean. This place is famous for only one thing - crayfish caught fresh daily and served very simply - steamed with garlic butter. Each of these deep orange beauties are sold according to weight with their prices clearly marked on each crayfish's tail.

Once you've made your pick, the crayfish is split in half down the middle, steamed in a pan and topped with garlic butter and parsley... so surprisingly simple... so surprisingly good. The taste of the sweet cray meat whilst dining alfresco with the smell of the sea is something I'll remember for a long... long time to come.

These two establishments impressed me not only with their simple yet amazing food - but more importantly their faith in the unknown - their daily catch. Without an inventory of produce, the two eateries are completely dependent on what comes in on the fishing boats or in Nin's Bin's case, crayfish pots. This approach seems at first irrational - complete disregard for the potential, for one of a better cliche, of not being able to put food on the table. Nevertheless, in mysterious ways, both restaurants seem to reap the benefits of their... well, lack of effort. My take is that we often overestimate the necessity of planning, forecasting and analysing - which in turn often breeds stress, rigidity and inflexibility. No - I am not suggesting that prudent planning should be discouraged - but rather that this should be done with the faith that it will all be okay - that no matter how rough the seas may be, something greater is at work so that somehow... someway... your needs will be provided for and the catch will suffice.