marvin lowe photography

Straits Restaurant is a critically aclaimed Singaporean Restaurant based in the States. They serve Singaporean and South East Asian Food. It operates mainly in the West Coast Bay areas of San Jose and San Francisco. The owner and Exectutive Chef, Chris Yeo, is Singaporean and was a graduate of SHATEC. After leaving SHATEC, Chris went into Hair Styling for a couple of years before making the transition back into cooking when he opened the Straits Cafe in San Francisco. He has since gone on to open a few other branches in the Bay Area.

During my last visit to San Francisco, we dropped by the Straits Restaurant. Having been on a long road trip already and being denied any form of decent Asian Food in Florida, this visit was like a breath of fresh air. We settled comfortably into the chic stylish restaurant and found familar dishes on the menu.

Popiah

Popiah here is served in a very artistic manner. Quartered and arranged neatly on a sleek plate, dark sweet sauce and chilli sauce lines the plate. The Popiah here is light in taste, but it lacks the punch of the flavour of freshly chopped garlic, which might have been removed to suit the local palate.

Satay

The Satay here were huge and juicy. It was nicely grilled but lacked the smokey charcoal flavour we get back at home. The gravy given was again rather light, probably moderated to suit the locals as well. The gravy isn’t as thick as the one we get back home and being placed on flat plate, it wasn’t as easy to get the gravy to stay on the satay.

Sayur Lodeh

Sayur Lodeh is some kind of a Curry Vegetable dish. As you can see from above, the dish looks pretty dry. There isn’t as much curry gravy as I would expect in a Sayur Lodeh. Nonetheless, the curry used was still lemak(rich) and flavourful enough for me.

Origami Seabass

Origami Seabass is really a fancy name for Paper Wrapped Fish.The Seabass was baked in parchment with ginger, longan, shiitake mushrooms and rice wine. The fish used was fresh and the stock it was baked in enhanced the fish with hints of sweetness.

Potong Kari Ayam

Potong Kari Ayam is our classic Curry Chicken with Potatoes. The Curry was rich with flavours, the potatoes were sweet and the chicken was tender. This really brought a taste of home back to us. This rendition of Curry Chicken is not too spicy, has a rich lemak flavour and is slightly sweet. It went perfectly well with white rice.

Tamarind Beef

The beef was tender and the sauce had a pepperish taste to it. It had a very Thai feel to it.

Banana Crepe with Ice-cream

The desserts were a little dissapointing. I expected to see variation of classic Singapore desserts like Ice-Kachang or Chendol but there was none. Instead they had a Banana Crepe with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. The only thing tropical about this dish would be the Banana. It came across as an average dessert, nothing spectacular about this.

Dessert Platter

This dessert platter consisted of a brownie like cake with a cream filling, a Pistachio Parfait and some Chocolate Tart with a scoop of ice-cream. Again, nothing to scream or shout about. The dessert section was probably a little dissapointing. I had hoped to see more than the usual western desserts.

Overall, Straits Restaurant is one of the place to go to if you miss Singapore and you stay in the Bay Area. The quality of food here is excellent although they have made changes to adapt to the local context. One thing I am pleased to note is that they try their best to mantain the authenticity of the dishes. You will not find Singapore Noodles, Chop Suey, Chow Mien or any Fortune Cookies here. It is really heartening to see Singaporeans bringing Singapore’s food and culture to this part of the world and do so well.

Straits Restaurant

Recently, I spoke to a friend on exchange in the States and she was heading to Florida over the weekends for a short holiday. That got me really excited because I was just in Florida over the December Holiday.

Florida, or more specifically, Disneyland, is a place where I have been making constant Pilgrimages to since i was young. The last trip my family made was before 9-11, so it’s been quite a while and it’s been a much anticipated trip.

After a gruelling 26 hour flight from singapore with stops in Taipei and a cross-country flight from LA, we finally made it to Florida. We weren’t expecting much good food here, especially in all the theme parks we are going to.

Upon arrival, we decided to head down to downtown disney, a extension of the Disney Theme parks. It’s boardwalk styled shopping strip and it’s filled with different retail and FNB outlets. Dad decided to try Wolfgang Puck’s franchise here. This was probably our best meal during our Florida trip.

Sauteed Maryland Crab Cake, marinated tomatoes, basil aioli and micro green salad

I think my brother (Marcus) had this…it looked pretty decent.

Pan Seared Diver Scallops

Now, this one was interesting. It came together with white corn parmesan polenta with braised lamb shoulder.Scallops with lamb shoulder….that’s quite a unique combination. My sister lapped it up so it must have been pretty good.

Agnolotti with sweet corn

This looks boring…..then again, it has my favourite corn in it. It’s really mascarpone cheese stuffed fresh pasta with agana cheese and sweet corn.

Duck three ways- Seared Hudson Valley foie gras, foie gras mousse with an apricot tartlette and duck prosuitto

Now, I had this. I was happy I made this choice. Foie Gras was done to perfection, however there was this undescribable difference in the taste of the foie gras. It just didn’t taste the same like the regular french ones. The flavours were pretty light and not as strong as the French ones I feel. The duck prosuitto was an interesting touch to this dish.

Slow Braised Center Cut Beef Short Ribs

ahh…I had this for my main. Well, I have eaten my fair share of braised short ribs. This one was pretty well done but not outstanding. It was soft, tender and very flavourful. I really enjoyed this one.

Braised Duck Pappardelle

Gwenda had this one and she really had trouble finishing this. I had a chance to try it and found it a little too dry and the duck flavour was a tad bit too overpowering.

Wienerschitzel Kartoffelsalat

Marcus had this, which is really a deep fried breaded veal cutlet.

Wolfgang’s Apple Strudel- Warm Pink lady and granny smith apples, hand-pulled strudel, vanilla bean gelato

We shared the desserts. The first being a apple strudel. Nothing really special about this. It was sweet yet slightly tart.

Crispy banana beignets, creme anglaise, banana jam, vanilla bean gelato

Honestly, this simply reminded me of Goreng Pisang. What was really interesting was the banana jam. It really made the dish just abit more special. If not, this was just was local hawker fare, served at exhorbitant price.

Now this was a pretty good start to our holiday. There wasn’t much other notable meals in the week to come. The next set of photos was taken at the epcott center’s French Pavillion. It’s nothing special but really, it was the best meal we had in all the theme parks.

Soupe A L’oignon Gratinee

This was a a classic onion soup. It was a warm and hearty drink in the cold night. The generous portions of cheese and onions made it even more enjoyable to drink. The cheese was thick and creamy and went well with the thick broth.

Demi Poulet Fermier a La Broche Pommes Rissolees et Tomate Braisee

Despite it’s fancy name, this was only a roast chicken. It was tender to the bone and easy to eat. Nothing to shout about.

Creme Brulee a L’ancienne

The Creme Brulee was a little too sweet for my family’s liking but it was just nice for me. I couldn’t help cracking the surface of the brulee a’la Amelie, which was pretty fun. Well, that concludes my gourmet adventure in Florida. Next up, Stars in San Francisco.=)

This is a long overdue post…

Jazzfoodie: I first heard about this place from a Perth-based blog. So when Marv visited me during Winter break, we made this 1 of our culinary priorities- and our 1st-time there was definitely delightful. The service was warm and prompt, yet not intrusive- so unlike those waiters who skulk around your table, refilling your every sip. We were ushered to a rather private booth near the back of the restaurant, having made an early reservation. It had an elegant feel, and it was kinda romantic. We were greeted by a basket of warm bread, a cute assortment of herbed rolls and sesame grissini (breadsticks).

We wanted the 9-course Tasting Dego (Oz’s Degustation), and opted for the “Big Dego” which included an extra 3 courses chosen by chef Neal Jackson. Although the place was rather full that night, it didn’t stop the wonderful chef from stuffing us with 3 more complimentary dishes. The only ’interesting’ thing (or maybe a trademark of theirs) was having the table set with the cutlery for the entire dinner, meaning our elbows were each flanked by 20+ forks and knives at the start of the meal.

Cornet of Salmon Tartare with Pea Ice Cream

J: I immediately thought of a similar recipe I saw in my French Laundry cookbook which I’ve yet to attempt. The smooth clean taste of the pea ice-cream contrasted refreshingly with the savory tartare and the earthy sesame wafer.
V: Similarly, I also thought of the French Laundry’s signature dish. The Pea ice-cream was creamy and sweet. I thought it really went well with the salmon tartare and the cornet. This was a good sign that more good things to come.

Ocean Trout Tataki

J: The trout was nicely paired with the slivers of seaweed and the juicy salmon roe full of bursting flavour, but was not a ‘wow’ dish.
V: For me, this dish was just ok. The trout was fresh and the seaweed and slamon roe did its job of complementing the trout. It brought out a slight hint of sweetness in the trout.

Tuna Tartare

J: I like my seafood, but the fish tartare dishes have become almost repetitive at lots of restaurants. I think the accompaniment was some cucumber-mint sauce, which did go nicely with the tender fish and crunchy pea shoots.
V:The Tuna Tartare isn’t the most creative dish but they did a good job here. The sauce was slightly tart yet it was complementing to the tartare which was really quite fresh too.With the first dish having a tartare already, this wasn’t really too special.

Icefish, Fennel & Orange

J: The orange sauce went well with the icefish, while the fennel was too subtle, being overpowered by the tiny olives at the side. This is the 1st time i’ve tasted icefish, and it was rather tasty, its firm flesh which was more tender than lobster/crayfish meat, and made the dish a delectable tempura roll.
V:This was a very interesting dish. I have never had icefish before either. The orange sauce was not too sharp and it went well with the fish. The icefish was wrapped with seaweed and fried tempura style. Despite this, the icefish remained much in focus with its fresh and firm flesh. I wasn’t too big a fan of olives so that didn’t bother me.

Scallop, Black Pudding, Pork Belly and Chick peas

J: The scallop was lightly and nicely seared, while I profess to still be unable to appreciate black pudding (pig’s blood and oatmeal i think) which was like some strange-tasting dense bread. I like the different textures used in this dish, from the soft scallop to the firm and slightly crunchy pork belly cubes. However, I felt the flavours were not integrated enough, resulting in a confusing ‘chinese pork belly’ contrasting with the indian-inspired chickpea dahl, and the ‘irish’ black pudding.

V:I was deeply fascinated by this dish. I wanted to see how irish black pudding would defer from our chinese pork blood cubes. It was a really interesting combination to have Scallops with a typical English breakfast accompaniment. The chickpeas added an asian touch, making this dish truly multi-cultural. The pork belly were slightly overdone and the black pudding had a rather maltish taste.

Scrambled eggs with truffles, caviar and toast.

J: This was simple, smooth and delectable.
V: This was a complementary dish again. This was yet another breakfast item that seem really understated. The scrambled eggs were very elegantly done, carrying hints of truffle and the bursts of caviar were brillant.

Foie Gras stuffed Pigeon with Truffled Leeks

J: The pigeon ’steak’ was soft, tasty and not overcooked, and went well with the simple braised truffled leeks. The fried pigeon ‘dumplings’ (far end of picture) were only alright though.
V: The Foie Gras stuffed pigeon was tender. The Foie Gras was rich but not overwhelming, allowing the pigeon meat to shine. I am a sucker for leeks and it was nice and sweet.

Marron and Fish in Oxtail Jus

J: The fresh fish was well paired with the firm-fleshed marron, but I felt both were too delicate to be paired with the heavy but tasty oxtail jus. The potato crisp at the top was a nice touch.
V:I found this pairing really special. Marron together with fish, 2 seafood together accompanied by a meat sauce. This may seem weird but it actually went quite well with one another. The potato crisp was just like a very delicate potato chip.

Vegetarian Springroll with Tandoori Chicken with Crayfish stuffings

J: This was an unexpected dish. Tastewise, the springroll was crisp, but nothing special, and the chicken was a little dry. However, I like the unusual pairing of the indian-inspired meat and the japanese-inspired seafood.
V: This was another dish that had a unique pairing. The vegetarian springroll was pretty normal. However the uniqueness comes in the pairing of the tandoori chicken with Crayfish. The chicken had strong flavors of spices but the freshness and sweetness of the crayfish complemented it nicely.

Rabbit with Beetroot Risotto & Horseradish

J: I’ve heard others gush about this dish, which I consider to be interesting but not neccessarily amazing. The rabbit was nice and tender, and the risotto was creamy, but other than a beautiful deep hue, I didn’t think the beetroot enhanced the taste of the risotto.
V: I have never eaten rabbit meat before, so this was a first. The rabbit was really tender. The beetroot risotto on the other hand was average. The beetroot’s sweetness did not set into the risotto although it was creamy.

Pumpkin soup

J: Instead of a palate-cleansing sorbet, we were served this lightly-spiced creamy pumpkin shot as the mid-course ‘filler’. It was simple and heart-warming, as a winter dish should.
V: This was a very simple yet heart-warming soup. It breaks the tradition of a cold palate cleansing sorbet.

Braised Beef Cheek & Mushrooms

J: This was a beautiful winter dish. The wild mushrooms infused a earthy flavour to the jus and complemented the beef cheek wonderfully. The beef cheek was tender and the soft chunks flaked so nicely it could be eaten with a spoon.
V: The beef was braised to perfection. It was extremely tender and flavourful.

Cheese Plate

J: This was one of the most interesting dishes I have ever had. Usually, cheese courses are plated with croutons or biscuits, but this was something else. The complex flavours and textures of 3 types of cheeses, sweet juliennes of fruit, crunchy walnuts, crisp pea shoots, soft beetroot slices and a tangy vinegrette blended perfectly and tantalised the tastebuds.
V: This cheese plate was really special. It was more like a salad where fruits, nuts and vegetables complemented the 3 different kinds of cheese. There was sweet pear,beetroot and walnuts which strangely complemented the variety of cheeses with their different taste and texture.

Blueberry Mini-Milkshake with Millefeuille

J: I have to admit that the mini-milkshake was rather adorable, it was creamy, and the millefeuille was light, flakey and yummy.
V: I liked this simply because this was really really cute. They came in tiny cups with the millefeuille. The blueberry milkshake had a nice berry flavour.

Trio of Apple: Custard with pashmak, caramelised slices with apple jelly, and sorbet.

J: This would have been a nice ending to the meal. The cool green apple sorbet, and apple jelly were nice, but nothing great. The soft custard went well with the candy-floss-like pashmak.
V: I have never tried pashmak before but Mich was raving about it when it was served. It’s indeed like candy floss but with an asian twist I guess. This desert trio was nicely done, accentuating the flavours of apple, mixing it up with different textures.
J: Hey! I wasn’t raving about it- it was more of a “I’ve heard about this” AND I don’t think it’s asian at all!

 

Strawberry Jelly with passionfruit, and Hazelnut Cream Rolls

J: The hazelnut cream rolls were great, but the strawberry shot was too tangy for me.
V: This was the last free dessert for the night. It was a pleasant surprise and a nice way to end the evening.

J: I was very impressed with this place overall; great value for the number of courses we had. Most of the dishes were excellent, not the best I’ve had, but I would say it’s one of the most innovative in pairing ingredients together.
V: This restaurant really surprised me. Especially, coming off the tail of our visit to Tetsuya’s. I loved the creativity displayed through their dishes. I would not mind coming back again. They were very generous in giving complimentary courses which makes me really happy. A very satisfying meal indeed. Thumbs up for Jackson’s!

Jackson’s Restaurant
483 Beaufort St
Highgate, WA 6003
Perth, Australia
+61-8-93281177
http://www.jacksonsrestaurant.com.au/ 

After a gruelling, 6+13+4+6 hour flight, my ass nearly died. Finally reached Orlando on Sunday. The week is coming to an end and we have covered all the major theme parks here already. It’s really a trip down memory lane for the family. It’s our fourth time here and I hope there will be more to come. Will be flying to San Francisco over the weekends, i am gonna miss disney very much. You just can’t take the mickey out of disney.

It’s a status which you really wish for before you pass its gates and after you pass its hallowed gates, you wish you could forever stand just right outside of it. Many of my friends are making that crucial transition this years, mainly my classmates from uni, as well as some of my church friends and my dear sister too.

When i turned 21 (few years ago), I knew I only wanted to celebrate this special occassion with one person. I expanded all my leave for that year, forsook my friends and family in Singapore and flew straight to perth, just to be with her. I am really glad I did not have a cheesy BBQ party neither did I have a OTT “MTV-styled MY Sweet Sixteen” kind of party. I never regretted spending that day with the one i love most. I got to know her new friends in perth, silly people like stef,jan and sylvy, how she coped with the cold etc…So i thought that would be my one and only chance of celeberating a 21st Birthday overseas. Mich never really got a chance, her birthdate is during her winterbreak, so she was back in Singapore then.

However, I manage to be part of a 21st birthday celeberation overseas again, in perth no less. Amanda, our dear “daughter”, so happened to turn 21 during my long road-trip down under. Here she is…in her resplendant moment of glory. Pretty adorable eh?hahaha.

Well, her party could not have been possible without her friends and family. Her Dad actually bought a smoke machines and radical stage lights just for her party!! He even brought down a electronic drum kit, guits and amps. Pretty cool eh! Her brothers are talented in different way. Aaron is the tech genius of the family and he made a real snazzy video for amanda while Alvin, the youngest, who is more musically inclined, wrote a lovely kick-ass punk rock song for her.lol. And here they are…Amanda’s lovely family.=)

And here are some photos of the crowd at the party as well. Some of her friends are a little…well, you see and you will know…hahaha. But without them, the party wouldn’t have been so lively and fun. It was great fun to be there with them watching Italy win the world cup and seeing all them sleep pass the moment. Here are the friends at her party…

Yup, now would be an appropriate time to welcome yet another new member of club 21.hehe. Happy birthday Celeste!! Hope you had lots of fun at your own party.=p