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Simply Good Thai

About a year ago, I rented a Camry in Los Angeles to take my family around. I don't remember exactly why I chose that car, but I'm sure it must have had something to do with comfort, reliability and price (for the budget-conscious student that I was). Sure enough, the car delivered exactly what I expected it to, safely and assuredly. That, and nothing more. But that's not all bad. In fact, that is precisely the selling point of the Toyota, its success evident from the 6451 Camrys that you've passed by on the way to work this morning. Obviously the countless number of drivers who own Camrys have gotten their priorities in order and there's absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing an automobile that tries to be an all-rounder and has gotten quite good at it.


The only problem is that the crowd pleaser is a tad too safe. It lacks punch, that chilling sense of excitement and seductive mystery. And as I drove, I made a mental note: do not buy this car. If Yhingthai Palace was a car, it would be a Camry. This restaurant delivers the goods in a safe and pleasant fashion without wiping out your bank account.


My family went for the dinner set menu which had 8 dishes including desserts. This place is known for pretty standard Thai cuisine and by the end of dinner, we all concurred that the dishes were all done quite well. My personal favourites were the mango salad and olive rice, both of which weighed more on the sweeter end. There really isn't much else to say, other than that I'll be back for more comfort food. And that is where the similarities between Yhingthai and Camrys end.

Shang Palace

I'm Cantonese and I love my soups and dim sum. I can't say I'm an expert on either, but there's this unmistakable sense of familiarity that I naturally associate with the two, especially the latter. Dim sum as I had known since I was little has kind of evolved it seems. As far as my memory serves me, when I was very much younger having dim sum was a boisterous and literally steamy affair. The picture in my mind is full of old and hungry people seated quite patiently at their tables, glasses filled with hot Chinese tea, with the occasional middle-aged and slightly grumpy waitress trotting by with a dim sum dolly stacked with steaming treasures. And then people started to yell at her. For food. First-yell-first-serve, sort of.


And then as I grew older, dim sum became quieter, more refined, more comfy, even though the food remained largely the same, except for some newfangled dishes that in my opinion will never take the place of the good old stuff. The changes came about not because the customers grew too old to scream for siew mai, but rather they grew young and the establishments became posh. That's right, good food became expensive like everything else. Not that I'm complaining, because this gives diners more options - we can still go affordable if we want to because traditional Singaporean dim sum houses still exist, but we now have the choice to take off the ear plugs and still enjoy great food.


Shang Palace is currently my favorite go-to for dim sum. Everything there is... well, nice. The food is good and won't cost you a house, the service is appropriately attentive, and they serve tea in very pretty tea cups. However, what stood out most to me was the decor - this place isn't called a Palace for nothing. They do offer a full Chinese menu which is not for the faint-hearted, and the private banquet rooms look extremely inviting. I haven't seen anybody using the rooms because I've only been there for lunch, but Dad claims he ordered a $300 steamed fish whose name I'd never heard of in my life. To be sure I checked the menu and there it was. Count that fish lucky it's not ending up in my stomach anytime soon. Whatever it is, you'll be very comfortable while dining here.


To make sure Palace is modern and sophisticated, the chefs also offer several of their own creations. But because of my utter lack of epicurean finesse, I cannot recall what they were. Thankfully I had the mind to take pictures. From them I can safely say one resembles a California roll coated with sesame seeds while the other looks like a fried birthday present. I do remember, however, that they were tasty little morsels but to put it honestly nothing beats steamed char siew baos. Those I'm definitely going back for more.

The Best Tofu

Chocolate Souffle Cupcake

I have a weakness for desserts. I don't think a meal is complete without one, and when Top Chef season five then-finalist and eventual winner Hosea planned a three course menu that concluded with venison, I thought it was ridiculous. He won the competition with that menu, but really, who orders food like that in a proper restaurant?

In New York, I would like to think that I've had a decent exposure to the dessert scene. I've found the best pecan pie at Balthazar, the richest ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, the most sinful whipped cream at Peter Luger, my favorite cupcake at Magnolia Bakery and recently the most delicious tofu I've ever had.

Black Sesame Sweet Tofu

I went to Kyotofu at the recommendation of a few friends who, like me, find desserts to be a guilty but necessary indulgence. Even though the mid-town dessert bar got its name from a Kyoto tofu manufacturer, I had no intention for tofu at all. I made the trip only because its chocolate souffle cupcake was touted by nymag as the best cupcake in the Big Apple. Being a cupcake fiend, how could I resist the temptation? Luckily for me, I brought a friend along.

HY ordered the tofu and cheesecake for lunch (yes, there are people out there who treat desserts as a proper meal) while I got the unagi and cupcake. Heck, when the food came it didn't matter who ordered what; it was a free for all. The barbecued unagi arrived first.

Barbecued Unagi

The sea eel was wrapped in phyllo dough together with a thin slice of sancho pepper. There was some kind of a sweet sauce that was drizzled onto the pastry which was light and flaky, exactly like that of a baklava which I adore. This dish was good but the portions definitely fell under the appetizer category even though it was a main course.

Sweet Potato Tofu Cheesecake

The three desserts came all at one time, spurring a particular gentleman next to our table to comment rather indiscreetly that we ordered a huge amount of sweets. The ladies with him were almost gawking at the dishes we had on our table while trying to figure out what was what. I don't blame them though; food deserves attention. The cheesecake was ok - I didn't really taste the tofu part, but it was palatable. The cupcake was light, not as airy as a souffle but much fluffier than the ones at Magnolia. Cake to cake, Kyotofu outdid my favorite cupcake joint, but cupcakes without icing are... muffins? As you might have guessed, this one didn't blow me away.

The one that left a mark was the tofu. Man, I never knew tofu could taste like that. Taste-wise, it was very close to the Chinese black sesame paste that I'm used to back home in Singapore, except this is lighter and less cloying. In the texture department, this one wins hands down because I'm not a big fan of drinking my dessert. Don't expect silky soft tofu though, because this dish isn't like that. It feels more dense, likely because of the ground black sesame, and as a result richer. The tofu came with roasted green tea syrup, but really I think it's just an accessory to make the dish look more sophisticated. I don't need all that fluff and prettying. This tofu is as good as it gets.

Le Bernardin

No, we did not see French executive chef Eric Ripert or pastry chef Michael Laiskonis. With that out of the way, let's get to the real reasons why 4 foodie friends and I dined at the highly-reputed establishment.

Smoked salmon spread served with thinly sliced toast

Le Bernardin is deliberately subtle, but at the same time that subtlety is all about mastery. I must have walked by the restaurant more times than I can count with both hands, but I had never noticed that it was right there. Walking into the main dining room, we were greeted by lofty ceilings, 19th and 20th century oil paintings tastefully hung on blue walls, and wooden finishings. The sunlight pouring through the French windows lining one side of the room made it all the more welcoming.

Once seated, we were brought water (in Riedel glasses I noticed) and the wine list but none of us were quite in the mood for a tipple that day so we gave alcohol a pass. Bread was served shortly after, and I must say that the salmon spread was a great way to start off the meal. It was smokey and rich - delicious.

Ultra Rare Scallop - Sake Nage; Lily Bulb and Shiso

We all ordered from the lunch prix fixe menu which came with three courses. The first course from either the "simply raw" or "barely touched" sections, the second course from the "lightly cooked" section, and desserts from a separate menu. I ordered the scallop, wild striped bass and langoustine, as well as a hazelnut-themed dessert.

The scallop was unlike any scallop that I've tasted - I don't think I've ever had scallop cooked this rare. There was no bite to the precisely-cut slivers. Every piece was so delicate and smooth. The broth and vegetables were very light as well, presumably so that the diner could enjoy the full flavours of the mollusk.

Baked Langoustine and Striped Bass

My main course was again light but done beautifully. The seafood was served with confit tomato agnolotti, and a consomme with curry emulsion. There was nothing on the plate that got in the way between my palate and the sweet freshness of the bass and langoustine. Every bite was a delight and the tomato-filled pasta was really quite refreshing. Quite truthfully, this was a dish that made me understand the philosophy at three Michelin-starred Le Bernardin. It's all about building flavours around the fish, and the most challenging part is how not to overwhelm the star on the plate. Kudos to chef Ripert.

Hazelnut - Gianduja Cream, Hazelnuts, Banana and Brown Butter Ice Cream

The last course was regrettably the most disappointing. HY and I had caught an episode of Iron Chef where Laiskonis squared off against Batali. In that episode, Laiskonis prepared an exquisite dessert that was served in an egg shell. Gimmicky maybe, but I would have loved to sample that. We saw the exact same dish being served to diners at the adjacent table, and upon asking our waiter informed us that it was part of the lunch tasting menu. Well, too bad for us. What disappointed, however, was that our desserts did not blow us away like we expected. Perhaps Laiskonis' accolades raised our bar too high. Nevertheless, the dish was still done well, just not amazing.

Mini Financiers

The meal ended with complimentary warm mini financiers (the cake, not the people at Wall Street) wrapped in a napkin. I highly recommend this establishment to anyone who enjoys the natural flavours of seafood. Visit not for ostentation but for the lack of it, because simplicity at its best is what really counts here.

Pork Chops with a Piquant Sauce

This is the third recipe from Gordon Ramsay that I've tried, and I must say I really like his flavours. The dishes always turn out light but still very satisfying. This recipe combines the refreshing taste of herbs with the natural flavors of pork, and turns up the heat with a playful hint of spiciness in the sauce.

Chef Ramsay's video recipe calls for 10 min of baking time in the oven, but I take about 15 min at home. When done medium, chops should be thoroughly cooked on the outside while being a little pink on the inside. Interestingly, the USDA recommends pork to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius for us non-Americans), so do give your meat a thermometer poke if it concerns you at all!

Recipe (from Times Online) :

4 pork chops, about 250g each

a little olive oil plus extra to drizzle

few thyme sprigs

few rosemary sprigs (leaves only)

1/2 head of garlic, separated into cloves (unpeeled)

sea salt and black pepper

Sauce:

3 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

200g chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and finely sliced

400g can chopped tomatoes

sea salt and black pepper

1tsp caster sugar

1 Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Place the pork chops in a large, lightly oiled baking dish and scatter over the thyme sprigs, rosemary leaves, garlic cloves and salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until the pork chops are cooked through.

2 Make the sauce in the meantime. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and add the onion, red pepper, chilli and mushrooms. Stir over a high heat for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

3 Tip in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add the sugar and a splash of water. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until the onions are tender and the tomato sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4 Take the chops out of the oven and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes. Then, pour any pan juices into the sauce and reheat. Ladle a generous amount of sauce over the chops to serve

Gramercy Tavern

I rarely have the inclination to write about my dining experiences when there are no nice pictures to accompany the text with. I feel that my descriptions alone cannot poignantly present to the reader what I saw, felt, and tasted, and that dilutes the overall experience one gets when visiting any dining establishment. Anticipating the meal, arriving at the establishment, being greeted by the maitre d', perusing the menu and then ordering, being served and finally tasting the food are all integral components of the whole dining process. Yes, dining is not just eating to me; it is a pastime, a budding passion, and - if all things fall in place - a heck of an enjoyment. That is why even though the photographs I took for this post were nowhere near decent, I have to write because the experience was really quite something.

Last Friday, a bunch of pals and I finally visited Gramercy Tavern for lunch. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the aroma of freshly baked pastries which tremendously whetted my appetite. We were seated at a round table in the middle of the main dining room not long after, and I fell in love with Danny Meyer's concept of casual fine-dining. The decor was tavern-themed and then jazzed up slightly to exude a classy but not snobbish ambiance. I liked how the warm lighting made me feel very invited and comfortable, as compared to other very well-lit restaurants. Of course, dim lighting is the bane of well-exposed photographs, but this is one trade off I'll gladly make. Because of the poor lighting conditions, I don't have any pictures of the Michelin-starred restaurant to show, but you can always visit Gramercy Tavern's homepage to see what I mean.

When the food arrived, my gut feeling told me to snap a few shots for remembrance's sake. The photos suck, but the food was fantastic. My starter, main course, and dessert were all executed flawlessly. The dishes were, in Gordon Ramsay's words, spot on. The fish and lamb were cooked to perfection, and seasoned just right. The pickled onion vinaigrette's acidity cut through the trout's smokiness to give the dish more dimension, and the slightly sweet cippollini puree brought everything together.


I especially enjoyed my main course. The braised shoulder of lamb was not only super moist and tender, but was also bursting with flavour. The vegetables at the side helped in resting my taste buds, but I could have gone on and on with the meat. This dish was deeply satisfying for the meat-lover that I am.


Dessert of a warm chocolate pecan tart and vanilla bean bourbon ice cream was simple but excellent nevertheless. As with all tarts, the pastry can either make or break the dish. This one was buttery and slightly crunchy, exactly the way I like it.


We finished with petit fours consisting of macarons and chocolates. Needless to say, I left my table impressed, happy, and wishing I had visited this fine establishment earlier.