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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/01/district-10-suntec-city.htmlDistrict 10 Bar and Grill, the new outlet by Bonta group that recently joined the line up of 3 other District 10 restaurants specialising in Best Dry Aged Meat. For those who are not familiar with Dry Aged Meat, it is the process used in ageing meat in a control temperature. Through the ageing process, the liquid from the meat will evaporate, connective tissue in the meat will slowly break down resulting a more intense and succulent a steak. We started the meal with our favourite burrata cheese. Puglia Burrata with Organic Cherry Tomato and Basil Bruschetta ($26). The burrata is creamy, think, subtle and melts in your mouth. It is nicely pair with the rocket salad and sweet cheery tomatoes. The balsamic vinaigrette does well to neutralise the richness of the burrata. A good start to the meal, it will be better with more tomatoes. Together with the salad, we were served complimentary sun-dried tomato homemade bread, to be dipped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread has a crispy crust, soft, slightly dense centre part, infused with the sun-dried tomato. Our main meal was 600 gram of 45 days Home Dry Aged Corn Fed US Prime OP Rib ($20 per 100 gram). Cooked nicely to medium rare as per ordered finished off with sprinkle of rock salt. At first sight, you can see the meat has a dark bloody red colour due to the dry aged. We also notice that it looks slightly dry, absent of any excess meat jus. The outer part is slightly charred, however the meat is still tender and after a few bites it will slowly dissipate in your mouth. Yum Yum! But if you like you steak juicy, bouncy with beautiful marbling, dry aged steak might not be for you. For the sauce we choose red wine sauce and salt infused herb. We find the salt infused herb more suitable with the steak. Sides to go with the steak Rosemary and Garlic Fries ($10) and Sautéed Cream Baby Spinach ($10). Fries was crisp on the outside while moist in the inside. The fries are subtly infused with garlic and rosemary flavour. The baby spinach was nicely cooked, not soggy, creamy with a hint of bitterness. Finished off with a few shavings of parmesan cheese for flavour. Dessert was Crème Brulee ($16). The crème was solid, slightly dense with a good creaminess to it. The crisp top of the crème brulee at District 10 uses fine brown sugar instead of coarse brown sugar. Resulting the caramel part thinner, and you don't get that satisfying crack when you dig into the crème burlee. It is simply lack of the shiokness. As District 10 is also a bar, you definitely can get your type of drinks here. I ordered Virgin Mojito ($10) to end the meal. It provide a bitter refreshing taste to end the meal. Located outside Tower 2, District 10 has two seating area, indoor and outdoor. The indoor seating is very small and can only accommodate up to 35 pax only. The dining setting look a bit like a modern butchery with dark wooden furniture. Instead of using table cloth, it uses white paper to cover the table, with District 10 logo chopped on it. Overall, it was an unique experience dining at District 10 @ Suntect City. The Dry Aged Beef sure taste different compare to our normal steak. If you ask me to choose, I still prefer my bloody and juicy rib eye with lots of marbling. However, it is good to try something different from time to time. Cheers!!

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/12/joyden-treasures.htmlJoyden Treasures ('JT') is the third eatery opened under Joyden Concepts. While this group has been in the F&B industries for more than 20 years, the Joyden Concepts was launched by the second generation in 2013. It started with the transformation of their seafood restaurant from West Coast Seafood to Joyden Seafood. Followed with the opening of Joyden Canton Kitchen in 2014 at HillV2 and Joyden Treasures at Leisure Park Kallang in October 2015. Each of the establishments has different focus, while JT aim to bring back the nostalgic taste of classic Singapore cuisines. These dishes were long lost either due to the complex and time consuming preparation needed. Besides that, the owners of Joyden also include a selection of their family recipe with a refine touch.

We started the tasting with Double-Boiled Seafood Soup in Old Cucumber ($14). This traditional Cantonese soup dish definitely bring back some memories during my time in Melbourne. One of the soup dish that my wife will order to wet our appetite. Ingredients include fish maw, mushroom, scallops, abalone and prawn dumpling. Though the broth is robust, I find it a bit wanting. It is missing the sweetness of from the seafood in the broth and the sliced abalone was still hard. I think the broth need to be cook longer before it is steam with the old cucumber, so the essence of the seafood can be extracted. Phoenix Beancurd Skin Prawn Roll ($16/22/30). A unique presentation of prawn wrapped in beancurd skin. The combination of prawns, salted eggs, century eggs work well with the crispy beancurd skin. It is crunchy and springy. Best of all they use real salted eggs instead of the powder version going around nowadays. Definitely deliver on the taste and texture. YUM. Original Steamed Red Grouper in Homemade Soy Bean Broth (market price). Ok, this is the first time I see or even try steam fish with soy bean broth. It looks like the fish is having a soya milk bath. The grouper was fresh, firm texture, while light in flavour which can be misinterpreted as bland. You must eat the fish together with the soy bean broth and fried enoki mushroom for the intended taste and texture. What I can say that it will remind you of milky fish head soup broth. As the dish uses made-from-scratch soya milk, there are some earthy taste in the broth. A unique steam fish dish, but I am not sure if my taste buds are agreeable with it. Crispy Fragrant Duck with Petite Lotus Buns ($58). While other restaurant will serve you Peking Duck or Roast Duck, JT come out with a Deep Fried Duck. It is similar to the dish popular in Sichuan. The whole duck was gently simmer with herbs and spices, before being deep fried to produce crispy skin and seal the juice in the duck. The service staff will bring the duck to the table and skilfully shredded the duck in full view of the customers. To eat this, you need to make yourself a “duck bao”. Put the combination of meat and skin in between the lotus bun, add a dollop of sambal orange sauce and topped with the sliced pickled papaya and fresh cucumber. The duck thigh meat was succulent, infused with the fragrant herbs and spices. The duck skin is crispy like crackling, binded with sweet and spicy orange sauce. The pickled papaya provided a nice balance to offset any jelakness (overwhelming flavour) from too much meat. Yum Yum!! On the side note, I actually added the achar into my “duck bao” and it was just delish. The breast meat was a tad dry for my liking though. Jumbo Prawns in Traditional Dark Sauce ($26/36/52). From the offset, this dish remind me of Indonesian style of BBQ prawns. At JT, the jumbo prawns was deep fried, then tossed with fragrant sesame base dark soya sauce. The prawn is fresh, crunchy with crispy skin. The sauce was so good, you will need some steam rice to polish it up. I will call this a “rice thief” dish at JT. Drawing from the expertise of Joyden Seafood, come the dish of Traditional Salt Baked Crab (market price). Different type of salt was wok fried with spices before the mix pored and cover the whole Sri Lankan Crab. It is then baked at low heat for half an hour. The thickness of the crab exoskeleton provide a good buffer between the salt and the flesh. You can still taste the fresh, silky and sweet flavour of the crab meat. The downside of baking it in salt is the meat in the body of the crab was a touch dry. Any accidental touch of the salt on the exoskeleton, will send you grabbing for your drinks. Surprisingly, one of the most memorable dish during the tasting is JT Brown Sugar Ma-La-Gao ($4.20) The malagao was light and fluffy, with the hint of sweetness from the brown sugar. It was such a irresistible dish, I almost polish off one serving on my own. Of course traditional desserts won't be complete without Traditional Yam Puree with Pumpkin and Gingko ($16/26/36, $6 per bowl), also known as Orh Nee. The orh nee was fragrant of smooth. Spring onion oil and lard was lightly added to the dish. For texture, chopped water chestnuts, steam pumpkin slices and ginko nuts was added. There is no coconut milk in JT version of orh nee, only sugary syrup. It was pretty good and I will probably enjoy it more if I was not so stuffed. During the desserts, the service staff also change our tea from pu-er to jasmine. The jasmine tea added an extra fragrance to the desserts served.

Located on the second floor of Kallang Leisure Park, JT is the largest Joyden Concepts outlet to date. It is airy and bright, and uses light pine wood to spruce up the environment. There is also aquarium for live seafood, so you know the seafood served here are fresh. Overall, The Malagao, Jumbo Prawns in Traditional Dark Sauce and Crispy Fragrant Duck with Petite Lotus Buns definitely got my vote this time around. I am sure I will be back to try their dim sum and the rest of the dishes on offer here. So if you are looking for something new, give Joyden Treasures a try. Cheers!!

Thank you very much to Joyden Treasure Team for the tasting invitation.

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/12/murphys.htmlFish & Chips ('F&C') brought me back to my memories during my high school in Melbourne. A good plate of fish and chips always have three characteristics: Light and crisp batter; Fresh, flaky and juicy fish; Of course mountains of fries. It is kind of difficult to get a pretty decent F&C here, they either use lower quality fish to maintain the cost down or charged pretty high.

I can't remember when I saw Murphy's in the media post featuring F&C shop in the heartland. A quick google, I found the location. Apparently it is not that far from my office. So I decided to drop by for my usual after 2 pm late lunch. Located near Cheng San Market and Food Centre, in Ang Mo Kio. It took me a while to find the restaurant as it was facing the big carpark behind the Anderson Secondary School, instead of the market. The décor was minimalistic with a rustic feel. The overall feel of the cafe / restaurant is very cosy.

I ordered Murphy's Fish and Chips ($16) and Crispy Wings ($10). There was a lunch promotion from Tuesday to Thursday, a free drink with any order of a main. FYI, food need to be ordered and paid at the counter and the food will be served to you. First impression, F&C looks like a pretty good portion for $16. Cut through fish, the batter was light and crispy. There was no residual oil on the plates from frying. You can see the smoke ozzing out from the fish meat. I noticed that the fish was pretty firm. When I bit into it, it was flaky, nicely seasoned and not fishy. Apparently they used Arrowtooth fish from Canada that gave this amazing texture instead of the usual of dory or sutchi. I actually finished the whole fish without using any sauce (Yup, I did not even bother with the tartar sauce). For the chips, it was thick, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Before your hand grab a hold of the tomato sauce or chilli sauce, try to eat the chips like the Brit, with vinegar. They offer the balsamic and white vinegar. This is actually good to reduce the overwhelming flavour of eating too much fried stuff. The salad with balsamic vinegar on the side was also very refreshing.

Crispy Wings reminded me of McWings. There was 8 pieces, combination of mid wings and drumlets. The thick seasoned batter was crispy, sealed the juice in the meat. It is a bit spicy for the kids, but adults will definitely like it. I was pretty stuffed with the F&C so only managed to eat 2 pieces and packed the balance.For the FOC Drink, I decided to order Artisan All Natural Ginger Ale by Reeds (normal price $6 per bottle). A pretty unique flavour, with a solid kick from the ale. Apparently there is no preservative, so its even better.Service was friendly and prompt. I had a chat with Darrem, the person in charge that day and I honestly gave him my feedback. The Fish and Chips were excellent, comparable to the high end establishment in town. While Murphy's only charged $16, those in town will charge $28 and above. So if you are a Fish and Chips fans like me, you must give Murphy's a try. Cheers!!

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/11/serenity-vivocity.htmlIn the recent food tasting session, we (Chubby Botak Koala + other food bloggers) sampled a tapas size of Spanish Suckling Pig. As it was tapas size, it left you with a sensation of wanting more. So we decided to organise a suckling pig theme makan session. Serenity got our pick, due to their location and reputation. Thanks to Running Man for booking and putting a down payment for the whole pig, so we all can reap the benefit. Cochinillo Asado ($338) Spanish style roasted suckling pig - whole. Good for 5 to 8 pax. Served with the au jus from the pig, brown sauce, tomato jam and potatoes. The suckling pig are roasted as whole and served as a whole. Like other traditional Spanish restaurant ritual, the suckling pig will be cut using saucer to show the crispiness of the skin and the tenderness of the meat. Normally, the saucer dispose by breaking it on the floor. In Serenity, the guest will be invited to break the plate in the bin with a stone in the middle. A nice ritual. The skin is the paper thin crispy skin and flavourful. The meat are juicy and succulent. The best way to eat the meat dipped in au jus (broth from roasting) and brown sauce. As Serenity uses European Suckling Pig, there was a hint of boar taint in the pig. While we waited for Cochinillo Asado to be ready, we started with some tapas. Pulpo a la Gallega ($19.80). Grilled Spanish Octopus (directly imported) garnished with paprika, flake salt and extra virgin olive oil on a bed of potato. It is thingly sliced, tender and a little springy. Meanwhile Chipirones Fritos Con Aioli ($18.80). Fried Baby Squid With Aioli sauce was crispy but over coated with the batter. Tasted a bit more chewy compare to the grill calamari. Salteado De Coles De Bruselas Con Jamon Serrano ($18.80). Sautéed Brussels Sprout With Serrano Ham. One of the vegetable that I missed from my time in Australia. Looks like a miniature cabbage, it has a strong bitter taste. By the cooking with Serrano Ham, the bitterness was reduce substantially. A good dish indeed. After we finished with the suckling pig, we had Paella Valenciana (Valencian Paella - $53). The flavour of the Paella rice is very robust, derived from the stock used. The Spanish Chorizo intensified the flavour in the dish compare to the mild flavour of the seafood. I find the rice is a bit overcooked, as Paella rice was supposed to be al-dente texture instead of soft. Since we all have stuffed ourself silly with the main and tapas, we decided to order the Churros ($10.80) to try. It is part crispy, chewy or doughy and the chocolate sauce was thin but without a solid chocolate flavour in it. Lucky we only order one, and the dessert is definitely not worth the price. Give this dish a miss. The décor of Serenity is similar to the traditional houses in Spain, as been shown in the food and travel channel (I have not been to Spain yet). Service is very lacklustre. While we received a cheerful welcome by the receptionist, it was followed with grumpy, uptight and uninterested service style by the manager inside. However it turned for the better, when the suckling pig came out. He mellowed down and very informative about the suckling pig and its ritual. Well, I just chalked it down to him having a bad day. Overall, it was definitely an experience to remember. It was a great fun with great company. For a pig lover, a Spanish Style Sucking Pig is a must try as it has a different texture compare to the Cantonese Suckling Pig. Cheers!! Aclamaciones!! 

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For the full review, click on the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/11/Oscars-Latin-America-Cuisines.htmlLatin America, one of the continents that is hardly to be in our travel destinations. While we can found the cuisines from Mexico, Argentina and Brazil easily in Singapore now; Aruba, Chile, Columbia, Guatemala & Peru cuisines can be considered alien to most of us.

Fortunately from 5th November to 4th December 2015, all the cuisines from the countries mentioned above can be sample without the need to travel to the other side of the planet. In charge of entertaining our palate, is Executive Sous Chef Rodrigo Martinez, born in Chile, has worked around Latin America before making a pit stop in Conrad Centennial Singapore.Some of the dishes that I like during the night: Taco, one of the popular dish from Mexico. It has beef fillings, beans, onions, guacamole, chipotle mayonnaise and coriander. The version of the tortilla is the non-crispy version. When you are eating taco, please just use your hands. Squeeze the lime, roll the taco and just put it in your mouth. You will find the gorgeous explosion of flavours in your mouth. The beef is succulent, the rest of ingredients are fresh and the chipotle mayo just bind all the ingredients well. Yum Yum. Mini dishes of Peruvian Ceviche (Peru) and Mango Papaya Salad (Aruba). I saw ceviche dishes many times on travel channel, so I definitely won't miss it this time around. In short it is raw fish cured with citrus juice. It tasted fresh, tangy and the purple onion provide a hint of sweetness to the dish. The Mango papaya salad easily stands out as Caribbean dish. The combination of prawns, mango, papaya and coriander is just delectable and refreshing. It works well as an appetizer.From the carving stations, this dish Huachinango en Costra de Sal, Tequila y Hoja de Plantano (Mexico) is a must try. It is a red snapper wrapped in banana leaf and baked in salt crust seasoned with tequila. One of my personal favourite style of cooking fish, the salt crust act as a seasoning and also maintain the moist in the fish while cooking it. So the meat will remain tender and juicy. The banana leaf and tequila just add a different flavours to the dish.Mariscos al Pil Pil – Seafood cooked in chilli and garlic (Chile). This dish was proven to be the favorite dish this evening. Perfectly cooked tiger prawn, it was fresh, springy and succulent. The chilli and garlic was there to add flavours, elevate the flavour of the prawns. This was considered the popular dish of the night because it always runs out. So it is a must-try dish. Thumbs up!Asparragus Peruanos – Peruvian asparagus with egg sauce (Peru). The white asparagus was coated in egg sauce and baked until it has a crispy crust on top. The asparagus was crunchy and sweet, while the egg sauce gave a creaminess feel to the dish. For desserts, Churros with Chocolate Sauce (Cuba) and Dulce Tres Leches – Three milk cake (Columbia) got my pick. The churros on the night was a little bit salty, but with the combination of the chocolate sauce was just heavenly. Solid, good quality chocolate was used, by itself it was also lovely. The three milk cake, consist of condensed milk, cream and whole milk. This cake is just moist, light and fluffy. Delicious. If you prefer something more of street food style of desserts, you can try their shave iced. Similar to our version of Ice Kacang kosong, it just consist of shaved iced and different type of syrups. Its popularly known as Raspado in Mexico and Columbia. As a food blogger, it is always our hobby to find new cuisine to try. This experience with the Latin America cuisine in Oscar's this time around was a great experience. I finally able to try exquisite like ceviche, and as well as dishes from Chille, Peru and other Latin America Countries. So if you are as curious as I am about Latin American cuisine, come and visit Oscar's from 5th November until 4th December for Savouring Latin America. Please note ever popular Oscar's buffet line up are still available. 

Thank you very much to Conrad Centennial Team for the tasting invitation.