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Home , Satay

| FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 | THE STRAITS TIMES | happenings life C5

FOOD Tan Hsueh Yun Food Editor recommends PROMOTIONS PORK GOES LEGIT chunkier bite, to be sure, and most Man Fu Yuan’s New Menu People here talk very casually about people will not complain. Man Fu Yuan has introduced new appetisers, hawkers. When we do that, we’re I won’t either. Not when I dunk the and mains to accompany its traditional favourites. referring to people who operate in satay into the thick Highlights include Kung Fu ($38) – double-boiled hawker or food centres. with a big dollop of fresh sakura chicken, abalone, maca and morel mushrooms Food Picks Ah Pui – real name Ang Boon Ee – puree in the middle. Then crunch, was a hawker in the true sense of QQ, tartness and meld and served in a pot – and Chilled Fanny Bay Oysters in the word. The 64-year-old used to make magic. hua diao wine, ikura and bonito ($24 for three pieces). ply the streets of Tiong Bahru with If you are very lucky, you might see There are also reinvented dishes like braised beef short rib his pushcart, selling pork satay. Mr Ang tending to the grill himself. served with wild mushrooms and spicy sauce in lotus leaf He kept getting busted, of course. Otherwise, he is in the kitchen, ($68). Pair the food with quality wines from renowned This is after all. prepping satay, cutting pieces of regions or nine premium . My friends and I would have him pork off a huge chunk. WHERE: Man Fu Yuan, Level 2 InterContinental Singapore, grill satay at house parties and it I go to the cafe just for the pork 80 Middle Road MRT: Bugis WHEN: Lunch: noon - 3pm was always the highlight of our satay, but am persuaded to try the (weekdays), 11.30am - 3pm (weekends & public holidays); meals. His satay – he does only pork Pincho Sate Chicken ($9 for 10 dinner: 6 - 10pm daily; closed on Mondays TEL: 6825-1008 – is nonpareil. sticks), with a very perky INFO: E-mail [email protected] or go to Since August last year, he has chimichurri drizzle. singapore.intercontinental.com/dine-drink/man-fu-yuan joined a group of entrepreneurs who There are pasta dishes on the run a cafe in Pearl’s Hill Terrace, a menu too, done by Mr Sebastian Liu, Saint Pierre Unveils New Seasonal laid-back enclave perched on top of 37, who used to work for the Les Set Lunch Menu a hill. It used to house the Amis Group. Mr Tan offers an array of French fine-dining restaurant Saint Pierre has operational headquarters of the Nanyang-style coffee . a new lunch menu that features Japanese and Singapore Police Force. Many people talk about French ingredients. Chef Emmanuel Stroobant uses One of the people behind the cafe, preserving hawker culture and Mr Benjamin Tan, 38, used to live in lament when stellar hawkers retire. ingredients like Niigata maitake mushroom, Chiba Tiong Bahru and was a regular Instead of just talking and kinmedai snapper and Sollies fig. The three-course set customer. They became friends and lamenting, the people who run the lunch is priced at $128 a person, with a choice of second Mr Tan persuaded Mr Ang to join him cafe – Mr Tan, Mr Liu, Mr Maurice Goh starter, main and (wine is at an additional $60). and his partners. So now, there is no and Mr Melvin Tay – did something The four-course set costs $158, with a first and second need for hawking on the streets. about it. They persuaded Mr Ang to starter, main and dessert (wine is an extra $80). Mr Ang has a legit gig. join them and, in the process, are Diners can also get the cheese supplement at Is his pork satay still as good? introducing his pork satay an additional $28. It is still the best I have ever had. to a new audience. WHERE: Saint Pierre, 02-02B One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton But it is different from what it used Plus, fans like me can have this Road MRT: Raffles Place WHEN: 11.30am - 3pm (last to be. phenomenal pork satay almost seating: 1.30pm); three-course set is available from The special thing about his pork anytime we want. Wed - Fri, four-course from Wed - Sat TEL: 6438-0887 satay ($9 for 10 sticks) is the strip of Thank you. INFO: E-mail [email protected] fat in between the pieces of meat. WHAT: 195 Pearl Hill Cafe, 01-56, He grills it so expertly that the fat 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace MRT: Outram New Pizza Flavours At Extra Virgin Pizza has a QQ texture. OPEN: 11am to 5pm (Mondays to New combinations include the Angry Prawn ($28) The pork pieces used to be Saturdays), closed on Sundays with a spicy arrabbiata sauce layered with mozza smaller, so the fat stood out more. and public holidays TEL: 9748-9904 and parmigiano topped with fresh prawns, and Now, there’s a bit more pork. It’s a INFO: www.est1930.co diced jalapeno for the extra kick; and Chicken Pesto ($28), which features the restaurant’s housemade pistachio pesto sauce topped with smoked chicken, roasted onions and cherry tomatoes. Lighter or vegetarian options PHOTOS: TAN HSUEH YUN, include Burrata Pie ($30), topped with scamorza, MIM’S FABULOUS sauteed onions, crushed pistachios and a drizzle of truffle PIES honey; and Impossible ($29), served with mozza and fresh . Orders for pickups and delivery can be made at order.extravirginpizza.com. City-area delivery is available via Deliveroo, Foodpanda and GrabFood. WHERE: Extra Virgin Pizza, 01-04 Asia Square Tower 1, 8 Marina View MRT: Marina Bay WHEN: Dine-in: 11am - 9.30pm (weekdays), 5 - 9pm (weekends); closed on public holidays; delivery & takeaway: 11am - 9.30pm (weekdays), noon - 9pm (weekends & public holidays) TEL: 8299-4219 INFO: www.extravirginpizza.com

OverEasy’s New Family Feast Delivery Packages And Weekend All-Day Brunch American diner OverEasy has launched new delivery packages designed for sharing. For groups of four to five, Extravaganza ($168) includes signature classics such as , Truffled Lobster Mac & Cheese, Spicy Buffalo Wings, a choice of any two signature OverEasy burgers with fries and salad. Groups of two to three can go for OverEasy’s Family Feast ($98), which comes with HERITAGE ROLLS clean-up is a breeze. More THE LIVES OF PIE bitter at all. This one is available this Beer Can Chicken, Baby Back , fries, Life is too short for bad food. importantly, I taste the rolls, not oil. Mimi Lee’s double-crusted pies have month and next. If you eat beef, this coleslaw and salad. All-day brunch is also now available via And I often look to friends whose The Original Pork & Prawn Ngoh been around since 2001 and I had is a must-order. delivery. The double-decked Pastrami ($20) has palates I trust to steer me in the Hiang (top, $25 for 20 rolls) is forgotten how good they were until The Steak & Mushroom pie ($9 tender slices of slow-cooked beef with tart and direction of food that’s worth delicious and I love how the chunks I had them again recently. frozen) is good too, don’t get me oozy gruyere and is slathered with OverEasy’s special eating. of water chestnut add texture, and In these Covid-19 times, wrong. But the Guinness deepens sauce. The Hangover Part IV ($28) is packed with the When two of them rave about Cai’s how pungent Chinese adds home-based food businesses are the flavour of the . signature Wagyu chuck blend patty, a sunny-side-up ngoh hiang, well, I just have to try it. funk. Dip the rolls in Cai’s springing up like mushrooms after Classic Chicken ($8 frozen), filled farmhouse egg, streaky smoked bacon, breakfast rosti Three siblings – Irwin, Amanda and Belacan ($10 for a 180g jar). rain and I am glad she has revived with boneless chicken leg meat, is and red cheddar. Charmaine Chua – are behind the It is spicy, but I would like more her business. easy to like because the meat is not WHEN: Noon - 8.30pm (Tue - Sun) business and they have successfully belacan in it. I cannot imagine the work it takes dried out and the creamy gravy is so INFO: order.overeasy.com.sg/en_SG come up with a recipe that combines The Mala Pork & Prawn Ngoh Hiang to make shortcrust from comforting on a rainy day. the best of the ngoh hiang their (above, $26 for 20 rolls) needs no scratch, but that’s the promise you The Vegetable pie ($7 frozen) is LeVeL33’s New Menu Supports grandmothers make. . It is perfect eaten right out of get when you order one of her pies. filled with potato, pumpkin, I also love how obsessively neat the toaster oven. That numbing, tingly The pastry is made with French zucchini and mushroom. I will say, Local Producers the finger-sized meat rolls are, and vibe infuses each roll, but they are not butter too. grudgingly, that it is much better Highlights include Ah Hua Kelong Seafood Bouillabaisse, gasp with delight when I open the blow-your-head-off hot. Customers can order the pies than I expect it to be. comprising local mussels, prawns, clams and boxes. Nuance is everything. baked (80 cents more) or frozen. One thing very worth noting is this: delivered fresh daily from Ah Hua Kelong (from $28); Now, the traditional way is to WHAT: Cai Ngoh Hiang & Sambal I get mine frozen and simply brush Ms Lee’s pies are double-crusted Local Barramundi from Kuhlbarra, inspired by deep-fry the rolls, which are already ORDERING INFO: Look for @cai.eats them with beaten egg before but do not suffer that ultimate the hawker dish of grilled stingray ($36); steamed before being frozen. on Instagram and complete the popping them in the oven, still horror – the soggy bottom. Wagyu Tri-tip, dry-aged in-house ($48); and Lamb Rump I cannot bear the thought, so I place online form DELIVERY: $8 a location, frozen. In 40 minutes, the four WHAT: Mim’s Fabulous Pies made from premium, sustainably produced them on a foil-lined tray and stick that free delivery to one location with golden brown pies are ready. ORDERING INFO: Look for Mottainai lamb (from $8). in my toaster oven. The rolls get minimum order of four boxes of The best one is the Steak & @mimsfabulouspies on Instagram WHERE: LeVeL33, 33-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre beautifully brown that way and ngoh hiang Guinness Pie ($9.80 frozen), filled and complete the online form Tower 1, 8 Marina Boulevard MRT: Raffles Place with carrots and chunks of beef in a DELIVERY: Charges range from $10 WHEN: 11.30am - 10.30pm daily TEL: 6834-3133 robust gravy. Don’t worry, it’s not to $25, depending on distance INFO: www.level33.com.sg

WINE/WHISKY EVENTS JOLLY GOOD JOWL Virtual Wine Tasting With Kendall-Jackson Nothing pleases me more than a Winery piece of pork grilled beautifully. And This food-and-wine pairing session features American at Matsukiya, a newish winery Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, restaurant at The Paragon, the Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Kendall-Jackson Grand Tontoro Spicy Ramen ($21, right) Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. In videos, is a work of art. the award-winning winery’s chefs will show how to The pig jowl boasts lightly charred pair four wines with four dishes they have created. fat and a very springy texture. It needs nothing more, but I dab some They will also show how to cook the dishes. Participants yuzu kosho on a piece, dip another can purchase the wines from bit.ly/3kHwKM6. into a small pile of shichimi togarashi, WHERE: Sign up for free at str.sg/JBkz WHEN: Today, 7pm and shiver with joy. As if all this is not INFO: str.sg/JBkK enough, the pork sits on thin, straight ramen done almost bak chor A Taste Of South Africa’s Oldest Wine Estate mee-style, being tossed with shio At Zafferano kombu, chilli, chicken fat and chicken Embark on a wine-pairing journey to the 17th century stock. It is an umami bomb. with Groot Constantia, South Africa’s oldest wine estate, The restaurant also has well-priced at Italian restaurant Zafferano. Paired with a variety of set lunches. I have the basic $25 one canapes, the 2016 Sauvignon Blanc is a crowd-pleaser (far right), which comes with an with inviting, ripe tropical fruit notes. The appetiser of appetiser, soup, pickles, a soft-boiled pan-seared Hokkaido scallops, porcini mushrooms egg, and a choice of three sticks and velvety tarragon emulsion is served with of kushiyaki. the 2018 Chardonnay. The 2016 Pinotage complements I plumb for chicken thigh, chicken But really, it is the bacon-wrapped that is part of the set. glorious ($5), a ball of chicken the super fino acquerello risotto, with guinea fowl and skin and bacon wrapped around cherry tomato that thrills me most, The restaurant claims that middle chopped not too fine and studded foie gras. The third course is a crusted cherry tomatoes. All are excellent. bursting delightfully. ground between high-end and with crunchy cartilage. It is so good loin paired with the 2016 Gouverneurs Reserve. Thigh meat is indestructible and the On the day I dine there, the mass-market , and I am I don’t want to dip it in the raw egg three pieces here are juicy. The appetiser is the freshest edamame, determined to go back for dinner. So yolk. But I do. It is even better. The final course features the 2016 Grand Constance – restaurant uses a French breed of the pods still on the stem. They are many delights await me, judging from WHERE: Matsukiya, 05-04 Paragon a blend of white and red Muscat de Frontignan that chicken raised in Baru. The skin cooked perfectly al dente. The rice the a la carte things I try: tebasaki ($5) Singapore, 290 Orchard Road goes well with Japanese strawberry, nougat and is suitably crisp and is perfect with is not plain white. It’s cooked in or chicken wings with phenomenally MRT: Orchard OPEN: 11.30am to 3pm, Sicilian pistachio. either the shichimi togarashi or yuzu dashi with shreds of burdock and crisp skin; seseri ($6), boneless 6 to 9.30pm daily TEL: 6219-1771 WHERE: Zafferano Italian Restaurant & Lounge, 10 Collyer kosho, both of which you can help is so aromatic. Burdock is also in chicken neck, so prized in the best INFO: www.facebook.com/ Quay MRT: Raffles Place WHEN: Wed, 7pm PRICE: $128++ a yourself to at the table or counter. the bowl of rich yakitori restaurants; and the most MatsukiyaSG person INFO: zafferano.sg