Just some happy snaps from dinner.

How does hot fondue sound après-ski on a cold snowy winters night? Pretty damn good I’d say!

Say hello to Grand Papa lodge restaurant in Hirafu. Grandpapa is one of the few lodges in Niseko still owned and operated by its founding Japanese family. But we weren’t staying there, but we did hear about it’s infamous fondue dinner.

So we made a reservation for 6 of us a day in advance. I didn’t take many photos, so below is all I’ve got to show.

Grand Papa offers a traditional Swiss cheese fondue made from Emental and Gruyeres from Switzerland.

The set menu comprises of the cheese fondue, bread, vegetables, meatballs, potatoes, soup, dessert and coffee for the price of 4000 JPY ~ 62 SGD which was quite pricey for what it was. But then again, this is Niseko. All restaurants there are pretty expensive, so be prepared to pay premium prices for not-so-premium food.

If you really want to save money, cook your own food at your chalet, or just go to the seikomart just up the road open from 7am to 11pm, for instant Katsu curry, sandwiches or ramen.

Grand Papa
Address: 163 Niseko Hirafu, Kutchan town, Hokkaido Japan
Tel : +81-136-23-2244
Email:info@nisekopowder.com
website: www.niseko-grandpapa.com
*Highly advised to make reservations 1-2 days in advance.

Don’t want to eat out? Another option is to cater in! If you have a large group of friends, why not have a Shabu Shabu dinner at someone’s place.

Concidently, Stef, Mai, Alexis and gang were in Niseko the same time as us, which was a perfect excuse to get our crunk on. Well in reality it was everyone else but me.

I left a bit earlier than the rest because I was shattered from the day’s boarding, and Andre was my sleepy golden ticket back to the lodge early.

Nonetheless, it was great fun Shabu Shabu-ing, comparing happy socks and dancing on chairs.

And I apologise for the duckface but there’s only so many smiles and expressions you can do in front of the camera!

*Check out the marbling on that beef pictured bottom left. Nom.

You can’t go to Shanghai and not have Xiao Long Bao! Actually you can… Din Tai Fung is pretty damn good.

Adrian suggested this hole in the wall place in the French concession. I can’t remember the name of the place, but when I do, I’ll update this post.

He said the crabmeat Xiao Long Bao was a must try, and it didn’t disappoint. These little packets of juicy fresh FRESH crabmeat was just so flavourful, it was the best seafood Xiao long bao ever tasted. I won’t go as far as saying it’s the best Xiao Long Bao, because I still like the traditional mince meat ones from Din Tai Fung.

Order at the counter, walk pass the group of ladies chatting away and filling Xiao Long Baos, seat yourself on one of the tables and just wait. It will take awhile because they only make it on orders.

I did say I’d make it a point to try new food this year, so I had a tiny bite into the chicken blood soup. Not bad, but not great. Edible but passable.

What I love most about travelling solo is wandering the streets alone and discovering new nooks and crannies away from the tourist crowd.

This little place stood out because, while it was on the main shopping street on HuaiHai Lu, it looked out of place with its worn down service window and a dimly lit room at the back for diners so sit. Was walking down the strip when I caught a waft of the steaming hot buns and dumplings.

Had myself a plate of Guo Tie 锅贴 just to try it out. With my broken Chinese, I ordered a plate, paid peanuts, collected my food at the next window and sat myself opposite an old lady and enjoyed my 小吃. She had the same thing and spent the entire time mumbling under her breath how the dumplings were all annoyingly stuck together.

These humble little dumplings are also known as pot stickers or Jiao Zi.The fillings can be anything from chicken, pork, beef or vegetables, and can be steamed, pan-fried or deep fried.

Best eaten when dipped with vinegar and thinly sliced ginger.

Before I flew down to Shanghai, HS put me in touch with his friend Adrian living there who so graciously offered to take me out. Adrian’s friends were having a clothing line launch, and I was to meet him at the studio. He was going to be late, so I waltzed in there not knowing a soul, but happy to have met new people.

We all went out for dinner to Hot Pot King on Huai hai Lu in the French Concession. First step to Hot Pot goodness is to order the soup base. There were lots to choose frpm such as chicken, fish, pig bone. If you’re in a big group like us, to appease everyone’s taste buds we opted for the popular yuanyang two-broth hot pot. The soup is only as good as the stuff you put in the bubbling cauldron, so next thing to order is the meat and veges.

Hot Pot King has a little condiment and sauce section where you mix your own dipping sauce: Sesame, Soy sauce, Vinegar, Sesame seeds, onions, garlic, chilli, spring onions, Dark sauce, sweet sauce… the list goes on. I reckon there were at least 50 different things concoct your potent dip. Personally, as long as you got the sweet, sour and salty covered, you’ll be fine.

We paid about 100RMB (approx S$20) per person and that included beer. Besides the price, the great thing about this place is it opens till 4am, sure fire remedy after a evening of boozing. And the menu is in English! And wait for it… it’s a pictured menu! Just point and say 这个, 这个 and 这个, and Bob’s your uncle!

Hot Pot King
Address: 2/F, 1416 Huaihai Lu,near Fuxing Lu
淮海路1416号楼，近复兴路
Area: French Concession
Metro: 10 mins. walk from Changshu Rd
Tel: 6473 6380
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am-4am

We stayed at Hirafu in Niseko, which is right smack in the centre of all the activities. Everything is within walking distance or short bus ride away. Most of the time, we would walk up to the ski school, lifts, shops and restaurants. Very very convenient.

Food-wise, there are lots of local deli’s, pubs, cafes, and fine dining establishments to choose from.

TIP: Unless you want to be eating cup noodles from Seikomart, make reservations! A lot of these places get booked up by late afternoon.

It was getting late by the time we got round to dinner on our first night in Niseko. We decided to just walk into a place called Wild Bill’s Bar in Hirafu for Mexican food. We will be eating lots of Japanese for the rest of the week, so we broke the rule and decided to go with the Quesadilla, Tacos, Nachos, Fajitas and Guacamole instead.

Snap!: The bottom right photo in the collage is the view from the top of our steps at the house. Look at the amount of snow collected by the railings! That’s how much snow has been falling this season in Niseko. Non-stop. Everyday.

If you’re partial to Tex Mex, Tequila, Mint, Mohitos, Margaritas & Music, step out of the snow and into our gorgeous log cabin, Wild Bill’s offers the quintessential apres ski atmosphere.

Warmed by a log fire, it’s a cosy, casual, family friendly dining atmosphere… until the younger crew roll in for party time later in the evening.

Portion sizes are generous for hungry skiers, so don’t order too much.

Wild Bill’s Bar
Address: 189-8 Aza Yamada, Abuta-gun,Kutchan-cho,Hokkaido,Japan.
Opening Hours: 5:30pm till 1:00am -ish
Food last order: 9:30pm
Reservations: +81 (0)136-22-5652
Website: www.wildbillsniseko.com

I was given a pair of vouchers for my birthday last year to attend a morning gourmet session at-Sunrice Academy Fort Canning, and hadn’t redeemed until recently. There were different cuisines to choose from on different dates.

But the only cuisine which I was interested in was Thai food. Mumsy and Jie jie couldn’t make it, and Danli was busy that weekend. The next best person I thought of was a friend who was part thai and likes to cook! (My sister nicknamed him “PartPad-thai” hur hur hur)

We rocked up to the 10mins late, and the class was already mid-way through the first demonstration. We quickly wore our aprons and sat ourselves down.

The first two dishes were just Chef demonstrations:
- Deep-friend Fishcake Served with Sweet & Sour Cucumber Sauce (Thod Man Plaa)
- Thai Shrimp Paste Dip (Naam Prik Kapi)

The next 3 dishes were hands on demonstrations. First dish we prepared was the Steamed Banana Pudding (Khanom Kluay). We had to start on dessert first because it will be placed in the steamer while we ate our mains.

The second hands-on dish was a Stir-fried Chicken with Holy Basil (Phad Ka-prow Gai). Those who have worked me with me at ICON and Convertium would know I absolutely love the Basil Chicken at Senat Thai store at Maxwell Food Centre. Without doubt, the best Holy Basil chicken in Singapore!

I remembered Dougie saying his mum picked him some Holy Basil to take home to Singapore, so this dish was came at a good time for him too!

I was quite surprised at how simple it was to cook this dish. I reckon we did pretty well in terms of plating and presentation. Chef did say it was a bit salty (what we didn’t mention was the mix up in quantities of the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Ooops!)

Last dish that morning was the Savoury Chicken Soup in Coconut Milk (Tom Khaa Gai). This was also fairly easy to prepare and extremely tasty. We got props for this dish from Chef, with praise that the heat and sourness is just the way he would have prepared it. It tasted rather like a green curry, but less heavy.

At the end of all that cooking, we took our dishes to the veranda outside where we ate our food for lunch with Chef and the other students.

Minus the rain, the morning gourmet sessions was really enjoyable. I love trying out new recipes, and if I had the opportunity to do cooking sessions again, without a doubt, YES! And these recipes I just learnt? I’m definitely cooking this up for my next house dinner party with friends. Who’s in!

If you’d like to spend a morning learning a new cuisine, check out their website at www.at-sunrice.com for more details.

*I didn’t post the ingredients and instructions on the blog because it was just far too lengthy. But if you’d like a copy, email me at contactATangelaleowgrayDOTcom and I’ll send you a copy by email.

Lookie what I found at  ParknShop at Wanchai Hong Kong awhile back, Mrs Mac’s Pies!! I’m sure they are available in Singapore as well, just haven’t seen them yet.

Mrs Mac’s is based in Perth and available at almost all gas stations and grocery stores. Brings back a lot of memories this one. My mum likes the famous beef pies and I used to buy back five to ten frozen pies home for her. Anyone in Singapore seen them at the frozen goods section?

I keep calling it Ching Chong instead of Chong Qing! Only realised today the restaurant’s full name is “The Magic of Chongqing Hot Pot”. Don’t diss the name, the food is actually pretty good. Possibly the most well-known hot pot restaurant in Singapore.

The Magic of Chong Qing Hot Pot
Opening Hours:
Lunch : 12.00 – 3.00pm
Dinner : 6.00 – 11.00pm

*Last Orders an hour before closing
*Reservations recommended

Address: 19 Tanglin Road, #04-06 Tanglin Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6734 8135
Website: http://www.chinesefeasts.com.sg/

Favourite meal of the day is Brunch and even better if its a place that serves All-Day breakfasts.

It was Mothers’ Day, and the Lies were looking for a place to take Auntie Mieke. Again, I did a little research to find a decent brunch place. Judging criteria: Do they have a website, ratings on review sites, interior shots of the restaurant, menu and price.

First of all, the website was well designed. Ratings were pretty good. Interior shots of the restaurant had a P.S. Cafe vibe (I like!). And the menu was huge! Not only was it huge, items like these won me over:
- Wild mushroom soup with truffle cream
- Lobster risotto
- Roquefort & Bacon burger
- Blueberry pancakes
- Eggs Royale with Smoke Salmon
- Freshly baked scones
- Macaroni Au Gratin

SOLD. I forwarded the site to Dru, next thing Boom! Booked for 6 on Mothers’ Day. Food was great, atmosphere was casual and lively, service good. Definitely a repeat location. I reckon its a great place for hangover brunches, and the owner probably thinks so too, offering “hangover cures” and “pick me up” drinks on the menu.

The Press Club
Address: 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
Tel: +852 2525 3444
Website: http://www.thepressroom.com.hk/

With friends in Hong Kong over the weekend, I’m forced to reminisce the 4 trips I made to the island last year. It was 4 freakin amazing trips I must add.

What I love most about travelling is eating like the locals, or finding that hole-in-the-wall place which serves up authentic, tasty and affordable local cuisine. So one of such places I visit repeatedly in Hong Kong is this porridge/congee stall in Stanley Market.

It’s a bit hard to find, and will involve a bit of map skills to get you there. Best time to go is early in the morning before it gets too hot and crowded, but if you’re dying for a taste and you got out of bed late, it’s still open at lunch.

Wai Kee is most well-known for their Yiu Tiao 油條 which is also known as yiu cha kway or Fried dough fritters. Their yiu tiao are made on the spot and comes to your table hot and crispy on the outside, but the inside is as light and soft as a warm croissant.

Here’s what we had, and what I recommend you order:
- Lean pork with Century Egg porridge
- Yiu tiao (油條)
- 炸兩 which is basically Yiu tiao wrapped in Chee Cheong Fun

Note about ordering: Decide what you want before you order. And when you get hold of the lady boss, give your orders quick and loud. Because she has a habit of coming to your table, and while you begin with your orders, she will start walking off. It’s quite amusing, but don’t worry, she’s still listening.

Wai Kee Congee Shop (威记粥店)
Address: G/F, 82 Stanley St., Central
Tel:+852 2551 5564
Directions: Central MTR Station, Exit D1 & D2

I love Mexican food: Quissadilla, burritos, nachos, guacamole and magaritas.

Just yesterday, Victoria asked me on twitter for suggestions on Burrito places in Singapore. I remembered Tequila Blue, a quiet and casual little bar/restaurant all the way at Changi Village, and realised the post was still sitting in my drafts.

So here it is, some photos taken at Tequila Blue, where you can find some pretty decent and very affordable Mexican food. It’s quite a trek out to the east, but if like me, you’re keen to try something new, distance is not an issue coz guacamole makes the world all good again.

Tequila Blue
Address: Blk 5 Changi Village Road, #01-2011
Tel: +65 6543 1153
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 4pm – 12am, Sat–Sun 11am – 12am
Website: http://www.tequilablue.com.sg/

I love LOVE Japanese food, but finding a decent sashimi place in Singapore will leave a huge hole in your pocket. Freshness doesn’t come cheap. Akashi’s sashimi may be a bit pricey, but everything else on the money is pretty reasonable. I would have definitely recommend this place, but I’m just unsure now that they have moved if they brought the same chefs over. And at which branch?

I first visited Akashi at Tanglin Shopping Centre with Dru last year but since then, they have relocated next door to Orchard Parade Hotel. So perhaps that’s the best outlet? Don’t take my word for it.

Otoro – Slice of heaven on a bed of cold cucumber sided with fresh wasabi and sprouts

Cha Soba top with sliced Nori (Seaweed) and Sesame Seed

My favourite: Dragon Roll – soft shell crab and avocado maki

Japanese salad with Horenso dressing (sesame)

Best dish: Teriyaki cod – cooked to perfection

Agedashi Tofu

Akashi (Orchard Parade Hotel)
Address: #01-01A Orchard Parade Hotel, 1 Tanglin Road
Tel: +65 6732 4438
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun noon-3pm, 6.30-10.30pm.

I heard other branches have popped up, not sure if there is a price difference?

Akashi (Paragon Shopping Mall)
Address: #B1-01, 290 Orchard Road S(238859), Paragon, Orchard
Tel: +65 6735 8887
Opening hours: Mon – Sun 11.30 – 10.30 pm

Akashi (Vivocity)
Address: 1 Harbourfront Walk, #B2-07/08/09 VivoCity
Tel: +65 6376 9972
Opening hours: Mon – Sun 11.30am – 10pm

Following the previous post on my kind of breakfast, here is another favourite; Cereal with granola topped with blueberries, strawberries and drowned in fresh milk!

Ok it doesn’t LOOK that great, but it did taste good!

Recipe taken from Jamie’s Ministry of Food
Serves 6
Ingredients
* 60g unsalted butter
* 150g caster sugar
* 4 large bananas
* ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 orange
* Plain flour, for dusting
* 250g puff pastry
* 500ml creme fraiche

Method: How to make banana tart tartin

To make your caramel bananas
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

2. Cut your butter into cubes and put into a sturdy deep-sided baking tray approximately 19 x 30cm.

3. Place the tray on a low heat, let the butter melt, then add the sugar and stir constantly until completely combined.

4. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the sugar has all dissolved and the mixture is golden and caramelised. By the time this happens the mixture will be roasting hot so be very careful and whatever you do, don’t be tempted to put your fingers in the mixture as you’ll give yourself a nasty burn.

5. Meanwhile, peel the bananas, halve them lengthways, and lay them carefully on top of the golden caramel.

6. Remove from the heat, then sprinkle over the cinnamon and finely grate over the zest of half your orange.

To make your pastry topping
1. Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour.

2. Rather than putting your pastry down flat and rolling it out, place it on its side and roll it from there, as this will give you a lighter, crisper texture.

3. Roll it out until you have a rectangle shape about the same size as your tray and about 0.5cm thick.

4. Drape your pastry over your rolling pin and carefully lay it on the baking tray, gently tucking it around the bananas to make sure they’re well covered, with no gaps.

5. Using a knife or fork, prick the pastry a few times.

6. Place the tray at the top of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.

To serve your tarte tatin
1. When your tarte tatin is ready you must turn it out at once or it will end up sticking to the baking tray. Again, you want to be very careful and make sure you don’t burn yourself on that hot caramel mixture.

2. To turn the tart out, cover your hand with a folded tea towel, carefully hold the tray with a serving plate or board on top and gently turn it over.

3. Using the tip of a knife, pull a corner of the pastry up to check if it’s all cooked underneath (if not, pop it back into the oven for another couple of minutes), then ease the whole thing out of the tray.

4. Put your crème fraîche into a bowl, grate over the rest of your orange zest and stir well.

5. Serve your tarte tatin with a dollop of crème fraîche and eat immediately!

So I’ve heard about the infamous chicken rice at Newton, but it was only last november when I tried it. Jim is a visiting brit so it was mandatory to have chicken rice checked off his must do list, I almost believe it’s our national dish! Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomach, and ordered far more than we could handle for 6 of us.

My advice is to go with more people, so you all can have a taste of these must try dishes:
- Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Marmite pork ribs
- salad yiu tiao
- baby kailan with garlic
- fish head curry
- char siew, siew yok (roast pork)

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant
Address: 275 Thomson Road, #01-05 Novena Ville
Tel: +65 6255 6396
Opening hours: Daily 10.30am – 2am

It seems like gourmet burger joints are popping up everywhere. Definitely trending. Jono insisted I try this new place called Jus Burgers in Leederville Perth when I was there last November.

What I liked about this place was their emphasis on using local produce and the transparency of cooking methods, ingredients and suppliers used. At least you know what exactly you’re eating and where it comes from. Very much like the philosophy Jamie Oliver tried to preach in “Jamie’s Kitchen“, knowing the source of your ingredients.

Below is a list of suppliers and companies that are likely to be used at the time of writing:
Meat/small goods Mondos, Ryan’s meats, Mt.Barker chicken, Princi, Mahogany Creek Bread Turkish bakery Fruit & Veg Morley Growers, Supa Spud Fish Festival fish Dry Goods Angry Almond, European foods, Eustralis, Ladle and Table, The Grocer, Pisconeri, Sealanes, Centra

I also like the honest story about how Jus Burgers came about and who were the people behind it all. You can read about it HERE.

Here’s a sample of their menu:

Jus Burgers use Turkish buns; fresh white or wholemeal, gluten free bun available. All burgers served with fresh lettuce, beef tomato, Spanish onion, relish & house made aioli

For special dietary advice, please refer to our board, or speak with Chef on the pass or our till bitch. Thanks

Original Beef Recommended with creamed horseradish or balsamic onions (+ $1) $10
Cheeseburger Blue, swiss or cheddar cheese, recommended with mushroom (+ $1) $12
Pommy Burger Cheddar & back bacon $13
Spanish Snag Chorizo sausage & sweet red peppers $14
The Mullet Bacon, beetroot, cheddar cheese, & free-range egg $14
Wagyu Beef 100% wagyu beef, wasabi mayo $14
The Guvnor 270g burger, recommended with foie gras/duck liver, France (+ $6) $15

Jus Burgers Leederville
743 Newcastle St
Leederville, Perth WA 6007
Phone: 08 9228 2230

Jus Burgers Subiaco
1 Rokeby Rd (rear), Corner Roberts & Rockeby
Subiaco, Perth WA 6008
Phone: 08 9381 2093
Takeaway: 08 9381 1895

Website: http://jusburgers.com.au/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jusburgers/
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10.00pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
12.00pm – 9.00pm (Sunday)
Closed on Monday

In a little corner of Millpoint road sits my FAVOURITE Italian restaurant in Perth. Ciao Italia was opened in by chef Spartaco Rotella, who is more often now front of house rather than in the kitchen. I have not tasted ANY spaghetti cabonara or marinara as good as the one from here and I challenge ANYONE to recommend me a better cabonara!

I used to live on Millpoint, so it wasn’t too far of a journey for me. Ciao Italia doesn’t take reservations and is packed everyday from the minute doors open. Every time I go there, it’s at least a 15min wait. What you could do is open your bottle of wine and have a drink outside while you wait. When you do finally do get your name called, you will have to meander through a labyrinth of chairs to get to your seat.

Even though they are so busy, service is never compromised. Staff are quick to take your orders and even with a full restaurant, food is served fairly quickly. In all Italian style, restaurant is bursting with energy, vibe is lively and loud but cozy at the same time. Birthdays are a daily occurrence. At least twice in a night you will find the whole restaurant and staff piping to the happy birthday tune played on the sound system.

Mains are around $18.50-$27.50 and desserts from $5.50-$8.50. Portions are HUGE so I’d recommend sharing or doggie-bagging the left overs. If you have an impatient stomach, take away option is available and still highly recommended. The reheated pastas taste different, but just as amazing!

It’s been at least a year since my last visit, and it’s nice to know Spartaco still remembers his loyal customers.

My Recommendations (All prices include GST)

• Spaghetti Marinara (Combination of marinated seafood in a fresh tomato sauce) A$19.50
• Spaghetti Carbonara (Bacon, egg and cream cheese sauce) – A$18.50
• Ravioli Carbonara (Ricotta and spinach pillows of pasta) – A$18.50 – This one is a special request. I always get weird looks from the waiter when I ask for this combination
• Homemade garlic bread – A$4.50
• Tiramisu (A homemade Italian delight consisting of layers of sponge finger biscuits soaked in coffee, liqueur and mascarpone cheese topped with fresh double cream) – A$7.50
• Wood fired Pizza Siciliana (Whole peeled tomato sauce, Mozzarella cheese, mild italian sausage, bacon, black olives, Ricotta cheese and mushrooms) – A$21

Ciao Italia
Website: http://www.ciaoitalia.com.au/
Address: 273 Mill Point Rd, South Perth 6151
Phone: +61 (08) 9368 5500
Licensed: Yes
Operating hours: Tue-Sat 5pm-10pm
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa and EFTPOS
BYO $3 corkage per bottle
Parking: Limited lots available at the back of the restaurant. Alternative parking lots across the street at the jewellery & bookstore.

Still to date the best I’ve tasted. Fried oyster omelette from Jalan Macalister/New Lane. Good amount of fat oysters, and gooey egg omelette.

Fried Oyster Omelette
Macalister Road/New Lane junction
Price: RM7, 10, 13, 16