Travel: Nando's of Singapore

Eversince I saw a restaurant named Peri Peri in Greenhills, my curiosity was stoked. I haven’t had the chance to try it though. On our last day, a Sunday, of our 4 day Singapore trip, I was able to get to know what peri peri is all about. It was on a bus going to Marina Bay area on our second day that we saw Nando’s along Victoria Street in Bugis. Len said we should try it.

Pili pili is the Swahili word for 'pepper pepper'. African Birds Eye Chili is also called peri peri, pili pili, or piri piri. Piri piri is the spelling of the name as used in the Portuguese language.

Piri-piri sauce (used as a seasoning or marinade) is Portuguese in origin and "especially prevalent in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa". It is made from crushed chillies, citrus peel, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, lemon juice, bay leaves, paprika, pimiento, basil, oregano, and tarragon.

~ source, en.wikipedia.org

We woke up very late that Sunday. And was out of the house around 3PM to tour the city on our own. We haven’t had our lunch yet. Breakfast that morning was at the nearby hawker center with Len having a roti prata with curry, while I feasted on nasi goreng.  By the time we rode the bus going to Bugis, Len & I were both very hungry.

I was excited to find out what Nando’s has to offer. Michelle, my niece described it as “sort of Mang Inasal chicken”.   Imagine my  surprise when I found it out it was peri peri chicken!

Written in their menu’s side of flame grilled chicken… “in life there are moments when it’s hard to make a choice. This is one of them” It was funny yet so true. I didn’t know what to order.

Len & I ordered & shared classic meal of half chicken with 2 sidelines (S$22.90). And since we’re both not quite adventurous when it comes to the amount of heat in our food, we got the mildest lemon & herb sauce.  For the side dishes, we opted for the spicy rice and grilled veggies.

We ordered another side dish of sweet potato mash (no photo as we were busy eating already), a coarsely mashed boiled sweet potatoes flavored with cinnamon, which I immensely enjoyed.  Len said, “parang dessert na rin!”

The chicken meat was indeed flavorful, complemented by the mild spicy sauce. The skin was perfectly charred with no bitter taste.

Though not part of Singaporean cuisine (it’s Portuguese), Nando’s was the perfect meal to cap our Singapore trip. I wish someone would bring Nando’s franchise here in the Philippines.

Nando’s

Bugis Junction

200 Victoria Street

Singapore 188021

Tel No. 63386555

http://www.nandos.com.sg

Poco Deli's Artisanal sausages

I once tried to make my own homemade sausages.  It was one of our favorite food items to buy. I reckoned, why not make my own. I bought a meat grinder and a sausage stuffer attachments for my KitchenAid mixer.  I first tried making the English bangers.  I gave some samples to my cousin and she loved it and bugged me endlessly to make a large batch and sell it. Mom-in-law even sent me those casings she used for her longanisa. That was my first foray into artisanal sausage making.  

Fast forward to 2009, when I first heard about Mickey’s deli along Jupiter  Street. Sadly, it closed down even before I had the chance to try it.

Then last year, I heard about Poco Deli thru my friend Len.  She bought these Poco Deli vouchers and asked me to go with her. The vouchers expired and we weren’t able to use them.  Next my sister-in-law invited me to have lunch, but our respective schedules didn’t match.

Finally, today, I was able to go to Poco Deli.  It was a mom-daughter date with Pipay.  After a tiring errand at Gateway Mall, (and resisting the urge to have a pre-Poco Deli snack at Taco Bell) off we went to Barangay Kapitolyo. 

Poco Deli is a small shop with an intimate, homey  vibe  where one can enjoy a bottle of wine with sausages  and cheese. One wall has a floor to ceiling shelf of various wines.  I didn’t pay much attention to their wine selection though.

Except for some bottles of Merlot behind my seat.

A glass chiller display contains homemade sausages and cheeses.   Their sausages were made using techniques and skills learned when the owner was still working for Mickey’s deli.  This I can relate to, remembering the nights spent  grinding, mixing, stuffing the meat into casings. But mine was more on the experimental stage.

Their cheese selection.

A closer look at the sausages.

They have bottled homemade sauerkraut. 

And different kinds of imported drinks.

But I had their house iced tea.

Pipay told me, “I am so hungry I could die!” (my little drama princess). All the walking we did looking for a food photography book made her so hungry.  Predictably, she asked me to order the cheese pizza.  But later changed her mind and opted for the US sliced steak on NY bagel sandwich.  It has melted mozzarella cheese that’s why. I was afraid she wouldn’t like the heavy, dense texture of the bagel. But she liked it.

I had the German sausage platter. I was asked to pick three kinds of sausages (one large and two small varieties) from the glass chiller.  I chose the Florentina, Nuernbufger, and a small sausage whose name I can’t remember.  It was a disappointment the wait staff  didn’t know much about the difference among the varieties of sausages.  The sausage platter came with their homemade sauerkraut, black olives and NY bagel chips. The sauerkraut was very good.  I just had to bring home a bottle (Medium size, P250).  And so was the Nuernbufger (bought a pack too!) and the other sausage. The Florentina, I find a bit dry.  I like my sausages with mustard, it was lacking. Maybe I should have asked for one.

Sausage 101: How to cook sausage should you opt to take them home frozen.

My date... :)

What I like Pipay to tell me when she grows up and remember the times I would drag her for food trips with me (with bribes of course) ^___^

I would like to come back and order their famous, must try  Bacon Slabs with Eggs and Bacon Rice. It’s time to have that sister bonding moment with my SIL or maybe I can persuade M to go with me.  Since it’s near our home (nearer than Santi’s deli along Amber Ave) I’ll definitely be back to buy their frozen meats for my pasta, breakfasts and evening snacking.

Or maybe one day, I could have spare time and try my hand at sausage making again.

Lunch at Florabel's Podium

For our regular weekly lunch date, I met up again with Lenz at the Podium. We chose to have lunch at Florabel's. She has been here with her siblings and she wanted me to try their food.

Florabel's is owned by chef  Florabel Co Yatco. The casual dining restaurant is located at the side of the Podium. Being a Monday, there weren't much people dining in.  When I arrived, Lenz was already there. The wait staff were courteous and accomodating when I asked if it's okay if I can take photos. 

 

 

The ambience is cozy and has that bright,clean, sophisticated look with high ceiling, floor to ceiling glass windows in front, black furniture and minimal table decors. 

The menu is a listing of Asian Continental and Filipino dishes . I had a heavy snack mid morning and wasn't craving for anything special. I preferred something light, less carbo. For those on a diet and into healthy eating, would be glad to know that Florabel’s has South Beach dishes to chose from. 

 

Complimentary bread comes with a dipping sauce made of olive oil, peppers, garlic and herbs.

 

For starters, we had soups. Lenz chose the Vegetable Barley Soup with Fresh Herbs (P160), which Lenz seemed to enjoy.

While I got the Tomato Soup topped with Ricotta Cheese and Baby Arugula (P200).  I find my soup a bit on the salty side and the baby arugula (what I was looking forward to) is missing. I would have loved it so much had they toned down on the salt. the ricotta cheese gave a creamy taste to complement the acidity of tomatoes. 

For the main course, we settled for the JT Wagyu burger (P475), listed on their ultimate burgers selection.  Wagyu beef patty  on sesame bun with mushrooms and bacon. We requested to cut it in half. The burger came in two separate plates. The staff was so generous to give each plate a bowl of salad greens with parmesan cheese shavings, and potato chips, making it almost two servings instead of one.  We requested the burger to be cooked medium well.  We should have asked for medium rare. Wagyu meat when cooked well done, tends to go dry and our Wagyu burgers were a bit dry and bland.  

Lenz ordered a glass of red wine to go with our meal.  It was too early for me to have wine and opted for the cantaloupe juice, which is sweet and refreshing. 

We didn’t try their desserts.  A sweet excuse to come back and try their Pinoy fare and bring home the Yema filled Chocolate Cake, the signature dessert of Chef Florabel.   

Next on my list would be a visit to Felix in Greenbelt 5, another one of Chef Florabel’s numerous restaurants, soon. 

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

While doing errands in Greenhills with my daughter Pipay, we happened to pass by Crystal Jade.  I have been wanting to try Xiao Long Bao for the longest time. But Pipay isn’t fond of Chinese cuisine and she wanted Jollibee. I told her, "Pipay, Mama is so hungry, I can eat a monkey, anything you like, except for Jollibee and Mcdo."  Indeed, I was starving, having forgotten to eat lunch and it's already 3PM. As a compromise, I let her pick where to eat (except Jollibee or Mcdo).  We had pasta and pizza at Pasto instead.  

 

On the way home, I couldn’t keep my mind off the Xiao Long Bao.  As we passed by Crystal Jade again, I told her, I’m going to buy one order to take home.  So I went inside the restaurant and placed my order.  I asked for any tips how to reheat. I was told to steam it. I thought that would be a major effort to steam 5 small dumplings.  I was thinking of reheating it via microwave which could burst the delicate dumplings. So I decided to dine in instead. 

One order of Xiao Long Bao has 5 dumplings (P158).  It came with a dark dipping sauce, black vinegar and  ginger.  The dumpling skin is thin enough to hold the flavorful  soup inside. 

 

The way to eat them is to carefully pick one with a chopstick, place it on a spoon for support, bite into the top skin and sip the soup then eat the minced meat like you would a siomai.  Or if one can handle an entire dumpling, you can take it in one bite and feel the soup burst its flavor inside the mouth (just be careful of the hot soup though). 

I really enjoyed Crystal Jade’s Xiao Long Bao, I will definitely be coming back for more.  Based on other food blogs I read, Crystal Jade has the best Xiao Long Bao in town.  I guess this will be my benchmark in rating the other restaurant's Xiao Long Bao.  

Can’t wait to try Café Lugang’s  and Choi Palace’s  versions. 

Sweets at Bar Dolci

Ever since my first visit to Forbestown in Burgos Circle, I have been meaning to visit and try the desserts in Bar Dolci.  Pipay, who is now into playing with her scooter, keeps asking me when am I going to run again.   Coincidentally, M has an on-going project in the area.

Yesterday, Pipay and I spent the afternoon in Burgos circle. She brought along her scooter. We went inside Bar Dolci not knowing what kind of desserts they serve.  But their tag line, life is sweet, gives a glimpse of what's in store for us. 

There was a chiller/freezer of gelato.

 

Another chiller for pastries - beignets (a french rectangle shaped donuts) with chocolate espresso dip P130, Gruyere Puffs with marinara dip P150, and a selection of scones (basil olive, bacon & cheddar, caramelized onions) P65/pc

And on the other side, French macarons!  

Of course, Pipay went for the Bubble Gum flavored gelato.  While me, I can’t make up my mind.  I was torn between the gruyere puffs and the basil olive scones. 

Being so hungry, I chose the latter.  I asked for Mochaccino to go with it, plus two French macarons in salted caramel and raspberry flavors.

The scone came with a small bowl of cream, which Pipay gobbled up in no time. The scone's exterior was crunchy but soft inside.  The flavors of basil and olive jived so well.

The macarons, what can I say?  I love the raspberry flavor.  But the salted caramel, I find that tinge of saltiness lacking, but nevertheless I like it for the caramel.

 

From our vantage point on the second floor, I could see Serenitea and other dining establishments, Uncle Cheffy for one.

I could have stayed longer but there was no wifi.  And Pipay was getting antsy after finishing her gelato, dying to go play with her scooter.  After finishing my mochaccino, we crossed over to Serenitea for a wintermelon fix, while my little girl whizzed back and forth with her scooter.

I was a bit bitin with the macarons.  Two was not enough.  And Pipay liked the salted caramel macaron.  Today, I asked M to pick up some more. 

He came home bearing a Bar Dolci bag.  

 

Inside was a box of 10 macarons in pistachio, salted caramel, walnut chocolate and vanilla flavors. He told me, those were too expensive!  At P50 apiece, it was indeed pricy.  But if you buy 4 pieces, you’ll get one free. 

Life is sweet!  :)

Bar Dolci

F133 Forbeswood Heights cor Burgos Circle

www.bardolci.com

Lunch at Chelsea Podium

For our regular lunch meet ups, Lenz and I decided to have lunch at Chelsea's in Podium.  This time we were joined by another good friend Ruben, who works nearby. 

The lunch crowd was well under way when I arrived. We wanted to have salad but the waitress said they ran out of fresh greens. 

So we opted for the usual combination of pasta and pizza.  For the pasta, we went for the  Truffled Three Mushroom Cream Fettuccini, a cream based pasta with smoked bacon lardons, mushrooms, basil and parmesan cheese.   

And for the pizza,  we chose the Roasted Prawns & Prosciutto pizza.  After we placed our order, the waitress came back and told us that they already have salad greens.  And I thought…hmmmm… they must have sent someone to the nearby SM grocery to buy the greens.  We politely declined though. 

While waiting for our orders, we were served foccaccia bread and roasted whole garlic on a wooden board.  The roasted garlic was so creamy, sans the pungent flavor of raw or slightly cooked garlic.  I remembered my cooking days when I would include several whole garlic bulbs in the pan when roasting beef or chicken. Squeeze out and smear the soft, almost paste like garlic meat over toasted crusty bread would bring you up to food heaven.

For drinks, I had the strawberry iced tea.

Lenz, the lemon iced tea shake, and Ruben’s choice I forgot the name but it was a lemon and lime drink.

I haven't seen Ruben for a long time (almost 3 years) so you could just imagine the chatter we had that I wasn't focused on what we were eating.

But from what I can remember, I like the thinness of the pizza crust, snappingly crunchy as I took a bite. Just the way I like my pizza crust to be. (I'm not really a fan of those thick crust or deep dish pizzas.)

The pasta, I can't say much as I wasn't really focused on my food. I should take down notes... Really. (which prompted me to splurge on something impulsively)

Chelsea is a bit pricy though.  But at the time we had our lunch, they have an ongoing promo for four course meal for P750.  Not bad. But we were not keen on having a heavy lunch.  I enjoyed more the company of my friends that I forgot about the food.  Ruben lingered a little bit more before going back to work.