A Citrus Loo!

Quirky! Citrus slices in the urinal?? And in a bar that specializes in the Classics - Bugsy's Bar (Prague).

Photography by Jamie Boudreau.

For the Sleek Mixologist

Bar tools designed by Marcus Vagnby and Karina Menckes, at Danish firm Nuance. From left to right, a bar spoon, strainer, muddler and a zester. Why isn't there more developments in bar tool designs?

Best Foie Gras in the World!

Produced by the Pateria de Sousa farm in Spain, whereby the geese are naturally fattened - NO FORCE FEEDING.

It's Raining Wine!

Avant garde wine decanter by Swedish designer Matilda Sundén Ringnér.

Clap your brains off

Just some visual stimulus to relax our mind. Inspired by MC Escher.

CLAP YOUR BRAINS OFF
by frankbeltran

The Secret of Scent

An intro by Luca Turin, author of The Secret of Scent, a book which I have thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. A significant contribution towards our understanding of the human sensory system.

Tequila & Lime Chicken

My attempt at a similar dish that's on the menu of Magarita's mexican restaurant (Singapore). Chicken breast sold in the supermarkets are usually halfed and spread open so each piece looks bigger, though of course thinner. A single piece is enough for this recipe, where the meat is used as the fillings for Fajita wraps. The latter is also available in the supermarkets (& Belmonte), though an oven or microwave is required at home for its preparation.

RECIPE (for every piece of chicken breast)

Ingredients:
1 piece of Chicken Breast
40ml Tequila
80ml Lime juice, freshly squeezed (recommended Tahitian)
40ml Orange juice, freshly squeezed
1/3 tbsp Chili powder
1/3 tbsp Jalapeno pepper, fresh, minced (available at Belmonte Latin Foods)
1/3 tbsp Garlic, fresh, minced (approx. 1 clove)
2/3 tsp Kosher Salt
1/3 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
5-8 pieces Sweet Basil leaves, fresh
8-12 stalks Oregano leaves, fresh

Method:
1) Sliced chicken into thumb-sized pieces, across the grains when possible. Leave the skin on.
2) Prepare the Jalapeno pepper & garlic, and together with the salt & pepper, rub into the meat in a deep bowl.
3) Gently crush the herbs with hands and mix with meat.
4) Add the juices and tequila to the bowl of meat.
5) Cover bowl with food wrap (cling film), and marinate in fridge at least 5-8 hours (overnight).
6) Grill meat skin side down for about 5 minutes (or till brown) over low-medium heat.
7) In another pan, reduce the marination liquid to about 1/3 of its original volume. Pour this sauce over the dish of meat.
8) Finish off with abit of salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with sprigs of oregano.

Secrets of the brain, the senses & flavours

An enlightening video about synaethesia, a neurological condition whereby the sensory channels have sort of 'cross-lined' in the brain. Evident in about 1% of the population, and 8 times more common in creative professional, it offers insights into how we perceive things. Though studied since the 19th Century, it was only 'rediscovered' and re-affirmed in recent years.

It seems that most of us have a certain degree of this ability. At its core, it has given humans the ability to make metaphors, abstract associations - key to creativity and possibility the formation of language. It also highlights certain shared associations among all humans, which is also a most intriguing area to explore for the sensory design of a beverage.

More of a taupok (fried beancurd) style of rojak, only other main ingredients being cuttlefish and youtiao (deep fried dough sticks). As seen in the video, the items are all painstakingly grilled over charcoal, then placed onto a plate. The shrimp paste sauce is simply poured over the dish, followed by some ground peanuts.

There are several "awarded" rojak stores that I patronise, but at the end of the day, I much prefer this style of rojak at Hong Lim hawker centre. In fact, I'd just eaten a few different rojak for 3 days in a row, and confirmed my choice!

The uncle, in he's 60s, may not smile much, but he sure puts heart into preparing he's rojak. I most enjoy the way he stretches the cuttlefish over the charcoal till somehow he 'knows' it's ready. And this stall is really easy to miss, probably due to little focus on storefront design. Oh, and he has a hawker cert in the corner which shows that he had been preparing rojak since 1978!

Highly recommended, try the 'Muji' style rojak store - no brand, simply good. Well, definitely my favourite rojak in Singapore!

Hong Lim hawker centre (behind Chinatown Point)
#02-65
Usually closes by 3pm, & close on Sundays (i think)

Finger Plates!

Interesting to see this idea commercialized, though i'm not really sure of how well it'd work. Would definitely try the "FingerFood" if available here. Designed by Ken Goldman, the ceramic contraptions should bring a smile to those boring parties.

Trusty Yummy Sashimi

Still the best place to have very fresh sashimi at a great price - Ichiban Boshi @ Great World City. Order at least 2 items from the Kuriya fish market at the entrance, and it would be cut & served at your table. Taking your time to choose the sashimi yourself is definitely worth it, as compared to ordering from the menu in the restaurant.

Pictured are among our favourites - Kanpachi and Akagai. The Kanpachi is Japanese Amberjack (a variety of yellowtail) that has grown to at least 4 feet. Choose the belly area for the oiliest part. Fresh ones would have a clean 'crunchy' bite and sweetness. Beware sashimi with a 'powdery'/'slime-y' surface.

The Akagai (a.k.a. red shell fish or ark shell) is like a giant cockles, just much more refined in flavour. And it has a real bouncy crunch! Though it seems huge, only part of it is suitable as sashimi, so you'd end with a considerably smaller portion. Check out the video sample of how it may be prepared.

Hidden Gem: Hokkien Mee (yes, again)

Somehow this stall's hokkien mee have not been recognized by any of the culinary awards, but their's is one of the best that I've tasted.

The chef takes he's time to steam the dish during the cooking process, and the dish turns out moist & aromatic. Quite savoury, especially the chilli, though be prepared to pay for more of the latter as very little is given. Extras used to be free a few years back, but the chef cites increased food costs as a reason.

Location: Blk 40, Beo Crescent (near tiong bahru mrt), #01-16 (address of the whole coffeeshop)

"Bitter Almond" Hokkien Mee?!

This stall's hokkien mee is not too bad. Tried it recently after researching about food in Toa Payoh (which I've just moved to). But the thing that struck me was the hint of almond in the dish!

I'm not sure if it's actually almonds being used as one of the ingredients, or it's other 'secret' ingredients with similar flavour chemicals as almond. (Eg, basmati rice and pandan leaf)

But I must say, almond and prawns present a surprisingly pleasant pairing. Worth a try!

Location: Blk 127, Toa Payoh Lorong 1. 2nd storey hawker centre above the wet market.
Store Name: 'tian tian lai' (literally come daily in mandarin)

"Sweet 16" Pineapple

Recently came across a new pineapple cultivar available in the supermarket (NTUC Fairprice: $2.65 each), and I must say it really lives up to its name! Launched by S&W, these pineapple are grown in Bukidnon, Philippine.

They are relatively small compared to the more common Del Monte "Gold" pineapple. Incidentally, the latter had bought over S&W last year.

Though I must say, eating freshly cut pineapple does have a sort of biting/acidic effect on the tongue. A touch of salt (fleur de sel?) helps. But I'd highly recommend chilling the fruit in the fridge overnight, and juicing it! Luscious nectar.

"Mao San Wang" DURIAN

A mandarin nickname which literally translates to 'cat mountain king', this Mayalsian durian cultivar is also known as 'musang'. This is among the highest quality 'species' and a great choice to experience first-hand why it's the King of Fruits in Southeast Asia.

Sold together with the menacing shells, this cultivar can cost anything between SGD$12 -20 Singapore dollars per kilo. An average sized durian weighs about 1.5-3 kilos.

Like many of the culinary gems around the world (eg, white truffle from Alba, Amedei Chuao dark chocolate, Danablu blue cheese, raw Californian sea urchin, etc.), durian's flavour is wonderfully complex, with a powerful aroma (abit like blue cheese) and a lusciously rich, creamy texture (like raw sea urchin or custard?). It may also be mildly fibrous, like some mangoes

Taste-wise, sweet & bitter dance in the forefront, right next to a very distinctive taste that's hard to describe. Within the green thorny exterior (defending a treasure), the golden flesh comes with a single seed per segment.

In the 'musang' cultivar featured here, the seeds are small, and the long, deep flavours vary even between flesh from different shell 'compartments' of the same fruit. Its pungency can be an acquired taste, but if your mindset is able to venture beyond cultural limitations, be prepared to fall in love!

Manni Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Made from the rare Olivastra Seggianese olives organically grown & farmed in the town of Seggiano, on the slope of Monte Amiata, Tuscany.

What started as a project with the University of Florence have resulted in two wonderful artisan products - Per Mio Figlio (For My Child) and Per Me (For Me) extra virgin olive oils. Armando Manni made the latter (pictured here) hand-harvested from very small ancient groves at the highest points of Monte Amiata that the olive tree can survive.

Manni is the exquisite choice of some of the best kitchens, including The French Laundry (Thomas Keller), Jean-Georges (Jean-Georges Vongerichten), among others. Definitely on my list for sensory exploration.

100 year old Balsamic Vinegar

Authentic (Cavalli is the one shown here) Tradizionale 100 year old balsamic vinegar of the Reggio Emilia region, wonderfully complex and potent. It is fermented from the must of the trebbiano grapes.

This intense elixir goes through an aging and refinement process in a variety of wood casks, spending at least 12 years in each.

The various woods - chestnut, mulberry, juniper and cherry, contribute various characteristics such as colour from the tannin, concentrating the vinegar and adding a hint vanilla aroma, adding a resinous aroma and sweetening its flavour respectively. Finally, the matured vinegar in placed in the smallest oak casks by the artisans.

When buying balsamic vinegar, look for the following whole phrases else you risk some fancy caramel-coloured plain vinegar:

- Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (this is a town in Reggion-Emilia)
- Consortium of Producers of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale de Reggio-Emilia

This shall be on my next flavour exploration.

Porsche Designed Champagne Chiller

The Veuve Clicquot "Vertical Limit" free standing wine cellar was designed by the Porsche Design Studio. The limited edition (15 sets) brushed stainless steel stocks 12 exclusive vintages in their individual space. Each is revealed behind their very own door.