Archive for the 'Singaporean' Category

Kaya Toast

Published by Gastronomer on February 5, 2012 in Appetizer, Malaysian, Recipe, Sandwich and Singaporean. 12 Comments

I cannot stand to throw away food. Whether it’s a half bunch of parsley or or a half-eaten slice of pizza, having perfectly good food tossed in the trash pains me in a very real way. I attribute this compulsion to my mother and grandmother, who forced me to eat every last grain of rice while growing up.

After making a warm coconut rice pudding the other week, I was left with a half can of coconut milk that seemed to stare at me every time I opened the fridge, threatening to go bad at any minute. I could’ve made a Thai curry or soup, but a few measly ounces was not enough, and I wanted to avoid opening up another can of worms, if you know what I mean.

After racking my brain and the Internet for ideas, I found the solution to my coconut milk predicament: Kaya Toast.

Kaya Toast is a popular snack in Singapore and Malaysia comprised of coconut jam sandwiches served with sunny eggs drizzled with soy sauce. I’ve eaten this fabulous sweet and savory creation at a number of restaurants including Susan Feniger’s Street, The Spice Table, and Jitlada, but never considered making it at home until I found this super-easy coconut jam recipe from my friend Sarah.

Sarah’s original recipe calls for a full can of coconut milk, but I scaled down the proportions using simple ratios. After the jam came together, I toasted up some buttered bread, spread on a thick layer of sweetness, and sandwiched everything up nicely. A fried egg with a dash of white pepper and a slick of soy sauce was all that was needed to complete the package.

When life gives you a half can of coconut milk, make Kaya Toast.

13.5 ounces coconut milk
1/2 cup Turbinado, granulated, or brown sugar
Butter
Good quality white bread
Eggs
White pepper
Soy sauce

Prepare coconut jam

Combine the coconut milk and sugar in a large saucepan. The jam will bubble and boil intensely as it cooks, so make sure to choose a vessel that is much larger than its contents.

Boil the mixture over medium to medium-high heat until the jam reduces by about half and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the jam to a bowl and set aside to cool. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.

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Dinner at The Spice Table – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on January 18, 2012 in Downtown, Los Angeles, Malaysian, Restaurant Review and Singaporean. 7 Comments

My first visit to The Spice Table wasn’t a great one. I came to the restaurant with high expectations and left feeling mostly underwhelmed after a lunch of wings, coleslaw, and Vietnamese sandwiches. Although The Spice Table’s dinner menu is a completely different beast, I didn’t have any desire to try it after my initial introduction.

Sometime last December, I received a $50 voucher from the Malaysia Kitchen Los Angeles campaign* to dine at one of their partner restaurants. I selected to return to The Spice Table after skimming the list of eateries participating in the program.

While the voucher wasn’t enough to cover the entire cost of dinner there, it provided me with the incentive that I needed to give the restaurant another try. I was hoping for an altogether better experience this time around.

The Astronomer and I bypassed the official Malaysia Restaurant Week menu and chose a suite of dishes that sounded delightful to us. The beef tripe ($10) from the “Satays” portion of the menu was the first to arrive.

Marinated in soy, garlic, and palm sugar, the tripe was impressively tender and surprisingly sweet. While I’ve always had a thing for a tripe, The Astronomer has been more hesitant to open his heart. He declared these skewers to be the best preparation of tripe he’s come across.

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Lunch at The Spice Table – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on August 16, 2011 in Banh Mi, Downtown, Los Angeles, Restaurant Review, Singaporean and Vietnamese. 25 Comments

A glowing review of The Spice Table on Midtown Lunch brought my friend Bill and me to Little Tokyo for a weekday meetup. Vietnamese sandwiches are my passion, and Zach promised “as perfect a banh mi as you would expect to find in, say, Westminster.” High praise from the high priest of midday grubbing, I’d say.

The Spice Table, which opened for business this past March and began serving lunch soon after, is owned by Chef Bryant Ng and his wife Kim. Chef Ng most notably served as the opening chef of Pizzeria Mozza.

The lunchtime menu features Southeast Asian-inspired sandwiches served in a casual atmosphere, while dinner is a full-service affair showcasing the traditional cuisines of Singapore and Vietnam.

After ordering and paying for our food at the counter, Bill and I grabbed a table in the main dining room and sipped our beverages while we waited. He indulged in a glass of red wine ($16), while I chose a bubbly mug of Prosecco ($13). Both pours were stingy as hell, much to our dismay.

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Susan Feniger’s Street – Los Angeles (Hollywood)

Published by Gastronomer on October 25, 2010 in Breakfast / Brunch, Hawaiian, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Restaurant Review, Singaporean and Turkish. 18 Comments

I followed the opening of Susan Feniger’s Street with great anticipation during the early months of 2009. I had just moved into town following a year traveling and feasting abroad, so news of a local restaurant specializing in global street food was especially exciting to me. Every minuscule pre-opening detail, from the interior design to menu development, was captured on the restaurant’s “Street Noise” video series. I watched each one and felt like a privileged insider getting a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant’s impending launch.

As stoked as I was to try Street, the lukewarm reviews that came out during the first few months of service changed my mind completely. It seemed that paying premium prices for street eats didn’t sit well with folks (see: $16 bowl of phở), and the hodgepodge menu was something of a minefield. Without glowing reviews all around, the restaurant soon fell off my radar.

It wasn’t until I received a 30% off coupon from Blackboard Eats some months ago that I finally made my way to Street for a meal. Ain’t no better motivator than a hefty discount and promises of kaya toast.

The Astronomer and I, along with our friend Laurie, brunched here one Sunday afternoon following a terrific volunteer sesh with Project Angel Food. We’d been up and on our feet since 6:30 AM, so we were hoping that this meal would be a real battery charger.

Brunch began with a plate of spiced Turkish doughnuts simmered in cardamom rose syrup and served with sour cream and rose hip jam ($10.50). The sweet and slightly floral doughnuts were grease-less, pillowy wonders that had all three of us seriously impressed.

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Urvashi & Love Noodle House – Ho Chi Minh City

Published by Gastronomer on July 31, 2008 in Indian, Malaysian, Saigon and Singaporean. 2 Comments

Even though District 7 is located next door to District 4, The Astronomer and I rarely venture to this part of town because their brand of suburbia isn’t rockin’. District 7 is Saigon’s first-ever planned neighborhood and is full of wide roads and fresh air. I’ve got nothing against order and cleanliness, but the place just feels a bit creepy to me.

District 7 is home to the city’s largest group of expats—the Koreans—and their influence on how the community has developed can be seen at every sterile turn. Often referred to as Little Korea or Singapore of the future, this neighborhood has a distinct flavor all its own (kind of like kimchi).

On assignment for AsiaLIFE, I traveled to District 7 for a feature entitled Street Smart. Although the majority of the establishments in this neck of the woods are generic, boring and a wee distrubing (check out Petite Ange – 5B 21 Park View Building, Nguyen Duc Canh Street), I did encounter two culinary gems—Urvashi and Love Noodle House.

Urvashi
D003 Nguyen Binh Street
After being evicted from their District 1 location, Urvashi relocated to District 7 late last year. Uravashi specializes in south Indian cuisine and is known for their dosas. This suburban outlet is just as good as the original downtown location, and everyone’s favorite Mega Dosa is still a fabulously tasty treat at 35,000 VND. The chilled spicy coconut chutney is unbelievably good paired with the potato and onion stuffed Mega Dosa.

Love Noodle House
D002 Nguyen Binh Street
While this restaurant’s name conjures up images of canoodling couples sharing bowls of steaming hot noodles, the reality is anything but. Love Noodle House is a casual hole in the wall that wouldn’t be out of place in London or New York City. The speciality here is Malaysian and Singapore rice and noodle dishes, and the Malay chef heading the kitchen knows exactly what he’s doing. The classic Malay dish Bak Jut Teh set (57,000 VND), which consists of meaty pork ribs in a complex broth of herbs and spices including with rice or noodles, tastes just like it was made in the streets of Kuala Lampur. Another hit are the stir-fried egg noodles with slices of barbecued pork and pork ribs. The sauce is notches better than classic Chinese oyster sauce. If your favourite Malay or Singaporean dish isn’t on the menu, the talented team in the kitchen will whip it up for you. How that for great service?