THE C RESTAURANT

Kah Sang and Vivian had their first mini celebration after the signing of the official paper. He invited us to the C restaurant. I actually skipped lunch, hopeful that the food will be superb but the only thing great about the restaurant was the price. The food was mediocre at best, its truly a waste that the only revolving restaurant in perth, only has views which are spectacular and nothing really more.

I have been to the restaurant a number of times and on many occasion the food leaves much to be desired. The price are also quite steep not really my cup of tea - almost $40 per person. Their food was i feel cheap food sold at a premium. I think Miss Maud's serve better food and tea.

Its definitely a C for me.

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The Wagyu Night

As promised, I was planning to have a night when we can all try one of the best beef in town. The Wagyu beef certainly lived up to its reputation. I have tried Kobe and Wagyu has not disappoint. I went to Mondo butchers and found the best grade i could find.

I can never express the feeling when you actually a piece of the beef into your mouth. Its so soft and the meat just melts in your mouth


I bought a ribeye and seared it, left it in the oven to cook for 20 minutes. What i got was a medium rare Wagyu beef that is so succulent and delicious


We planning another big night after a successful trial. On the 4th Oct we will have one of those nights again but this time only invitees

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Sunday food

Recently on Sunday lunch at church i served teriyaki beef. The idea was to keep it simple and nice, i managed to buy scotch fillet beef for less than $10 a kg and i can really see why all chef says its always the ingredient.

Even if people cant see what beef i used they certainly can taste the difference. The scotch was the absolute perfect beef to use on the grill and cook with the homemade teriyaki sauce.

It was a joy to see every piece lap up and people qeueing for seconds. I wonder if i can do something more fusion the next round. I think i would like to try a leek and chicken sauce served over a bed of fragrant rice. Yum !

Also on the weekend, i did some interesting dish which i would share in my next blog. I bought Wagyu beef on the weekend and decided to invite Lydia over for the small dinner. Yum ! The menu was

Wagyu beef marinated in truffle oil, salt and sake and served with Sweet mirin & Soy Sauce
Wild Mushroom fried rice
Pea and Chicken mushroom soup

I did a fusion theme of a Japanese and Western mix. Really delicious will share my recipe so anyone can try.

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A new change in the Air in WA

Finally the wait is over. Liberal is taking over government in WA. Its been long in coming and i could not be happier about it. I never seriously understand Australia people when it comes to politics, they seem to know less about policy than about my brother Kris. But at least WA is doing something right. I believe in opposition so when state and federal are ruled by a single government then its bound to be bad. The problem with many western politics is that they often have political leaning. Liberals, labour and other minority parties and yes each plays a role. Labour will make the employee happy and fight with UNIONS but WILL always destroy the economy. Liberals will make the employer happy but WIll ultimately screw the employee. The other parties well they will make no one happy but provides a good alternative. Anyway, here is the article that made me a happy pappy.

Labor loses WA election after Libs, Nats form co-op

Published by Streem -- Sep 14, 2008 4:56pm
Updated Sep 15, 2008 8:45am AEST

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says he will reject reform to Australia's Medicare system planned by the Government.

Labor has lost it's first state election since the election of the Rudd Government, delivering the Liberals power in Western Australia thanks to an agreement with the National Party.

The political future of both the Labor and Liberal Parties had been held in limbo since last weekend's election.

Both major parties had courted the National Party to form a minority state Government.

However the National Party announced this afternoon that it would form Government with the Liberal Party - staying true to it's conservative values.

A Labor-National Government would have been a political first for the state and a near paradox across political philosophies.

Under the power-sharing agreement, the National Party will form a minority Government with the Liberal Party's leader Colin Barnett.

Incoming Premier Barnett and the Liberal Party agreed to support a key Nationals policy to provide 25% of mining profits to regional communities.

Nationals Leader Brendan Grylls will seek to become the Minister for Regional Development in Western Australia.

It marks the end of the WA Labor Government which had been in power since 2001.

The election will also be remembered as one of the greatest political comebacks in Australian history after the Liberal Party was widely written-off for the election.

Alan Carpenter called the state's election just 24-hours after the Liberal Party dumped former leader and 'chair sniffer' Troy Buswell in favour of Mr Barnett.

The move was seen widely as political opportunism and is believed to have contributed to Labor's downfall.

The election of the Liberal and National Government also signals a change in Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's "co-operative Federalism", which had depended on Labor being in power across each state and territory.

Mr Rudd argued that it was likely more could be achieved given the same philosophical outlook across Federal and State Governments.

That policy is now in doubt given a near-loss to Labor in the Northern Territory and an election loss in Western Australia.

Key reform areas including health and education under the Rudd Government have been heavily pinned to the idea of co-operation between Federal Labor and State Governments.

The Prime Minister will now be faced with a challenge in negotiating and delivering key election pledges within education and health given the wobbly state of Labor below the Federal level.

Alan Carpenter will now resign as Labor's leader in Western Australia.

Colin Barnett becomes the 29th Premier of the state.

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Wines and My top estates

I have a list of good winery which often makes into my must have list in my cellar. Here are the top 5. I will often have one of their vintage in my cellar

1. Sandalford - Sandelara, late harvest
2. Vasse Felix - Hytesbury and also their reds.
3. Woodland - Their top vintage
4. Cullens - Any vintage
5. Gabbin Estate - Verdehlo, sparkling Merlot, Shiraz, basically their black lable wines
6. Voyager- All their vintages are excellent

So if you happen to come to Perth - these will be my Top 6. The others are only so-so. Nothing really spectacular about them. But these 6 estate have wines that really really stand out. It will be a waste not to have them in your cellar.


Here is some wine terms, when you go for some wine tasting.


Appreciating Wine
Make sure you can appreciate wine and know exactly what you’re talking about. Here are some commonly used wine terms with a description of their meaning:

Acidic: Tartness/sourness.
Aroma: Smell of a young wine.
Balance: When sugar, acid and alcohol complement each other.
Body: Weight or fullness of the wine.
Bouquet: Smell of an aged (processed) wine.
Chewy: Wines with a lot of tannin and flavour.
Clean: Wines with no chemical characteristics and direct flavour.
Dry: .0%-.9% residual sugar.
Fat: A heavy wine, can imply richness.
Finish: Last impression of a wine in your mouth.
Jammy: Big, sweetish wines, typically reds.
Legs: Drops that roll down sides of glass when swirled.
Length: The way a good finish can evolve after swallowing.
Must: Grape skins, seeds, stems and juice just after crush.
Nose: Term used for the bouquet and aroma of wine.
Plumy: Big, round, ripe reds.
Smoky: Characteristic associated with heavily oaked wines.
Tannin: Natural compound from skins and stems of grapes.
Varietal: Wine that is labelled with a predominant grape.
Vintage: The year grapes were harvested.
Tasting Terminology

Describing what you taste can be tricky. Make sure you use this list to help you describe the wine you taste:
Floral: Jasmine, Rose, Geranium, Violet
Spicy: Cinnamon, Cloves, Black Pepper, Liquorice, Anise, Mint
Fruity – Citrus: Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange
Fruity – Berry: Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Cassis
Fruit – Tree: Cherry, Apricot, Peach, Pear, Apple
Fruit – Tropical: Pineapple, Melon, Banana
Fruit – Dried: Raisin, Prune, Fig
Herbaceous - Fresh: Stemmy, Grass, Capsicum, Eucalyptus
Herbaceous – Dry: Hay, Straw, Tea
Vegetables: Asparagus, Olives, Artichokes
Earthy: Dusty, Mushroom, Concrete
Mouldy: Musty, Mouldy,
Papery: Wet cardboard, Wet paper
Sulphur: Onion, Garlic, Burnt match, Wet Wool, Wet dog
Wood: Vanilla, Pine, Cedar, Oak
Burned: Smoky, Burned Toast,
Caramel: Honey, Butterscotch, Buttery, Chocolate

FOR PAIRING PLEASE READ MY BROTHERS BLOG. I EAT MY BROTHER DRINKS.... so you can say in the family.. one gets fat and one gets drunk. Hoorah !

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The failing of Rudd's government

I just found out that Mr Rudd changed the baby bonus so it becomes means tested. Therefore people who are high earners will not get much assistance at all. I think one BIG problem with such a measure shows the INEQUALITY of the Australian system.

The biggest problem with Australia is that they reward the poor and the lazy, while in the meantime tax the hardworking. Simply put a progressive tax which simply overload the top tier people is not a good way to encourage hard work. Why should the people who genuinely work be taxed while those often who play the system get away with welfare and all the rewards.

I do think one of the best country to learn from is Singapore, many of the systems in place are develop from the Asian family structure, which i hope the Labour government can take a leaf out of it.

Coming to my point about the baby bonus, I simple don't understand maybe Mr Rudd forgot that if equality is what we are driving for in Australia. Why is it that people who pay more tax gets penalized, while people who don't work and stay at home will get the full benefit ? Shouldn't those who pay more tax get at least the same benefit ?

I think if means testing is the way to go, then it should be based on the person's contribution to the economy of Australia before their birth. The would be mum's should be rewarded based on their contribution and be given more to give up on their career and not be penalized for it.

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Chicken Noodle Recipe

I wanted to make a dish that was simple and yet delicious at the same time. So i decided to do this chicken and noodle dish which i sort of came up at the last minute. Ok if you have like 30 mins and hate the fuss. This is a good dish to do.

Ingredients :

1. Chinese Noodle ( you can buy at all asian grocery - make sure its the thin egg noodle
2. Chicken
3. Soy Sauce
4. Sugar
5. Chilli - you can use sambal or a chinese chilli called " Lao Gan Ma"
6. Fried Onions
7. Veg

The process is easy

1. Boil the water make sure its boiling, put the chicken pieces in, bring the water up to the boil for about 5 minutes, off the flame and put a lid on the pot. ( Allow the pieces to cook in the pot until you are ready to serve)

2. Then boil another pot to cook the noodle, the KEY is to make sure that the noodle never over cook. Like they say in french - al dante. I would say in the water for only a couple of minutes. It doesn't take long for the noodle to cook. Take it out and set it on a plate and boil the vegetable in the same water for about 2-3 minutes take it out and set it on a plate

3. Now to make the sauce for the noodle - use a bit of the chicken stock in the pot, pour in a splash of soy, one or 2 teaspoon of sugar - do a taste test : I personally like it to have a little sweetness. If its too salty then use a little more sugar.

4. Then when the sauce is done, pour a little sauce over the noodle, take out the chicken pieces put it on the noodle and pour the rest of the sauce over the chicken. Of course if you make a lot of sauce, please don't drown your noodle with the sauce. ( moderation is best). Thrown in the chilli and friend onion.

5. Stir it all before you eat ... and yum yum all under 30 minutes.

No more instant noodle ..... I will throw in the picture next round. When i do it... forgot about the photos.

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Singapore places to eat

Here is a list of supposedly great food in Singapore. My friend KS send it to me. Hopefully if you are in Signapore, you can visit this places to try the food.


The Hawker Legends
Printed by chairman@rzbaustria.com

Garden Street Kway Chap
Stall 21, Serangoon Garden Market
Opens: 8am to 3pm, closed on Mondays
After arching over his chopping board for half a century, 67-year-old Koh Ah Soon is now
hunchbacked.
He started selling kway chap with his father when he was just 12, in the now non-existent
Garden Street in the Beach Road area. After he moved the stall to Blanco Court in 1980, it
became commonly, but erroneously, called 'Blanco Court kway chap'. It attracted 30-
minute queues and spawned copycat stalls.
Many have tried, but few have achieved, his cleaning and stewing techniques. Pork innards
are stripped of their offensive odour and coaxed into a super smooth and tender
consistency.He took a short hiatus in 2002 and re-opened in Serangoon Gardens food centre in 2003.His son, Jason, 32, helps out.

Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee
Block 51 Old Airport Road, #01-155J
Opens: 11.30am to 8pm daily
Ng Hock Wah learnt his skills from his father when he was 12 and
set up his own stall in Hougang when he was 17.
Now 58, he says the secret to his noodle dish is the
attention he pays to the stock and his control over the
fire.Ingredients like prawn shells, ikan bilis, clams and garlic
are added one by one at accorded times. The result is a
taste so rich that he does not need lard, the short cut
used by lesser hawkers.

Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette
TWO IN ONE: Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette boasts both crispy and
mushy textures in one fabulous dish -- PHOTOS: MAKANSUTRA and
DESMOND FOO
Block 22 Toa Payoh 7 #01-25
Opens: 3 to 9pm, closed on Tuesdays
Tan Hun Chua, 59, is the hawker whom other oyster omelette sellers
admit is the one to beat.
Since learning the recipe from his brother more than 30
years ago, he has perfected a dish that boasts both crispy
and mushy textures in one fabulous dish.
He laces his sweet potato flour mixture with a secret
ingredient. He also uses only fat, juicy Korean oysters, and
makes his own chilli sauce.

Hai Sing Ah Balling
Block 335 Smith Street, #02-90
Opens: Noon to 6pm, closed on Sundays
Loh Yeow Seng, 59, started helping at his father's stall in the nowdemo-
lished Ellenborough market, near Clarke Quay, more than 30
years ago.The average waiting time was one hour because every glutinous rice
ball was hand-made upon each order.
Eschewing machine-made convenience, he still makes them by hand
today, and the difference is clear. The texture of the rice ball is so
smooth that your lips could clamp down on one and it wouldn't stick
to you.

Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee
Block 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-43
Opens: 9am to 7pm daily
Cher Hang Peng, 59, has helped his
father dish out this Teochew recipe
since he was 10. His expertise in noodle-blanching is
awe- inspiring. It's so perfectly cooked that even if you let
the bowl sit for a few minutes, the noodles would not
clump up. Dig them up with your chopsticks and they will
unravel beautifully. Unlike other stalls that go heavy with the vinegar, he dashes just enough - he uses the same brand from China's Tianjin which his father used - for a balanced taste of savoury, spicy and sour.

Haji Kadir & M Baharudeen Sup Tulang
#B1-13/15 Golden Mile Food Centre
Opens: 12.30pm to 1.30am , closed on
alternate Wednesdays
The father of 44-year-old Mohd Iqbal is said
to have invented sup tulang - mutton bone
with marrow stewed in an explosive sauce of
chillies, tomatoes and mutton stock - in the
early 1950s.In those days, his father threw in a free mutton bone with every
order of mee kuah (spicy noodles). Slowly, customers started
asking for only the mutton bone - and the dish was born.
This Indian-Muslim stall stands out from other tulang vendors for serving
big bones packed with marrow and meat.

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
Block 16 Bedok South Road, #01-187
Opens: 10.30am to 7.30pm, closed on Mondays
Along with his sister, Ng Chang Siang, 60, helped his father run
the stall when he was 16. After moving from Hill Street hawker centre to Bedok South a few
years ago, he still draws huge crowds every day with delicious noodles that boast an
impeccable consistency that is neither too moist nor too dry.It is achieved through his mastery over the flame. Using a custom-made flat wok which distributes heat evenly
to the noodles, he is able to inject all the flavours ofChinese sausages, lard and chives into the noodles.

Leng Heng BBQ Seafood & Claypot Deluxe
Stall 6, East Coast Food Village
Opens: 2pm to 1am, closed on alternate Thursdays
Started in 1979, this stall has done what many consider impossible -offer over 100 items of restaurant-quality dishes from a tiny hawker unit. Lee Jim Kim, 55, counts among his signature dishes the duck and salted vegetable soup ($8 or $16). Stewed for at least 45
minutes, the duck meat practically falls off the bone.

Mattar Road Seafood Barbecue (chairman’s favourite)
Block 51 Old Airport Road, #01-131G
Opens: 3 to 11pm, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Ng Hung Leng, 58, started out 14 years ago in Mattar Road, the location that spawned another famous chilli crab name - No Signboard Seafood. But while the latter had gone on
to open swanky restaurants in the city, he has stayed put in a hawker centre, selling his
deliciously robust chilli crabs at $28 per kg.(good and cheap) He takes two days off - Tuesdays and Wednesdays - just to make his own chilli paste, a fiery concoction of chillies, dried shrimps, garlic and shallots.

Meng Kee Satay Bee Hoon
KEE’s SECRET: Meng Kee's satay bee hoon boasts more than 30 herbs and spices.
Stall 17 East Coast Food Village
Opens: 6 to 11.30pm, closed on Tuesdays Ng Siaw Meng, 57, and his brother
took over a business which their father founded in 1961. No other stall comes close to offering a satay gravy that is as smooth or tasty - it boasts more than 30 herbs and spices and takes three hours to cook. Accompanying ingredients like pork, prawns, cuttlefish, kangkong and
beansprouts are also perfectly prepared and presented. To locate this stall in East Coast Food Village, just look out for the perpetually long queue.

Lau Hong Ser Rojak
#02-14 Dunman Food Centre
Opens: 4.30pm to 1.30am, closed on Sundays
Expect to wait for at least 30 minutes for your dish to be ready. Lim Khai Ngee, 45, who started learning his craft from his father 32 years ago, painstakingly prepares every ingredient upon each order. This includes cutting vegetables, grilling taupok and cuttlefish and mixing the gravy with top-grade shrimp paste from Penang. Nothing is prepared beforehand.


Shukor Stall
Stall 30, Serangoon Garden Market
Opens: 9.30am to 9.30pm, closed once a month on Thursday
Norhayati Shukor's father invented roti john in 1975 when the stall was located in Taman Serasi hawker centre, opposite the Botanic Gardens. The idea was to attract expatriates who lived in the nearby Cluny Road area, by pan-frying slices of French loaf with eggs and
onions. But locals grew to love it instead. Since then, Norhayati, 37, and her brother have introduced chicken, beef and cheese to the dish to make it a more satisfying
bite.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Stall 10, Maxwell Food Centre
Opens: 11am to 8pm, closed on Mondays
This is the stall that had American TV chef Anthony Bourdain and Australian celebrity chef Tetsuya Wakuda raving. Madam Foo Kui Lian, 56, learnt to cook from her late brother, a hawker who had perfected the recipe over many years. She is fussy about the type of grain she uses,
insisting on the same grade and batch of Thai fragrant rice every time. As a result, her rice is plump, velvety and not too oily. She only uses chickens heavier than 2kg, to ensure the texture is
smooth and tender.

Inspirasi Stall
Block 207 New Upper Changi Road, #01-11
Opens: 12.30 to 9pm daily
Sermi Karjiwalawi, 75, has been selling soto ayam for several decades, using her late
husband's Indonesian-style recipe. There is no stinting of ingredients. The deliciously rich soup is made with bones, coconut milk and secret spices. The chicken pieces are hand-shredded - not cut - to retain their juicy texture. And the sambal chilli is made fresh at the stall. Every day, a queue forms at her stall even before she raises the shutters at 12.30pm.

Warong Sudir Mampir
Block 14 Haig Road, #01-19
Opens: 10am to 7pm (weekdays), 10am to 5pm (weekends); closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays Gunawan Baajoan, 49, and his four siblings uphold a family recipe that has been
passed down from their grandfather, a street hawker in the 1940s.
Their satay follows the Indonesian style, which has bigger chunks of meat than the
average variety. The meats are carefully chosen, which contributes to their juicy texture. They are grilledover charcoal to a perfect charred-ness.
Their peanut gravy is robust, nutty and wonderfully thick. When you dig a stick in, the
sauce stays on top of the meat and doesn't drip.

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