razor clams
crab salad
egg confit wit vegetables...had this dish at the lighthouse....ex girlfriends birthday...loved it...the dish I mean
langoustine..one of my favorite things to eat with my hands
lobster cooked in its shell...juicy
suckling pig..one of my signature dishes...I know I shouldnt say this but I had to roast a couple of suckling pigs everyday s when I was working at the raffles grill under Chef David Mollicone.
I then introduced this dish to gunther while working in les amis and I think now its pretty much one of his go to dishes
tomatoes
wagyu
Oh...there is one thing I'd like to clear up about the business times write up..if anyone has read it. I don't think my cooking is anywhere near any what they wanna call it "nouvelle cuisine". No offense to you Audrey...I know I said it n I apologise for saying it...I must have just read some funky magazine with these bourgeoise terms. I don't do nouvelle cuisine...as a matter of fact...I really don't know what that means really..I can think of some names..Andre Chiang, Nuno Mendes, Mugaritz, Noma....and some others..The chefs that I had all worked for and most of them french..and I'm not dropping names here, I just wanna give alittle background history so that when you do come n eat...you're not expecting far out good looking nouvelle food. I've worked for David Mollicone, Gunther, Nicolas, and amongst all the chefs I've worked for, these three chefs inspired me the most. And it is one of those things whereby you are constantly looking and absorbing with admiration on a daily basis. David cooked with alot of gusto and he pretty much did everything himself when it came down to the special dishes. I'm sure alot of you have heard of his temperament. He didn't disappoint me on my first day I tell you. I had my whole entire table top swiped down when I missed the doneness on a beef tenderloin. I swear, we both had our knuckles up. Someone I greatly admire. and later on he took me to france Jardin Des Sens..Ring a bell? some Andre dude was there too I think.. Then there's gunther...haha...we not on talking terms now...something ridiculous happened along the way n I will skip the juicy details..but when I saw this chef cook for the first time, it was a breath of fresh air. He had a style all to his own. a different set of techniques I'd never seen. I think they call it the passard school of fire. When he cooked, you see that he puts his entire soul into every action, every swirl of a sauce, the slicing of a simple parsley leaf, every movement was coordinated, everyone with a purpose. Controlling the fire/flame..slow cooking, everything cooked on the bone, trussing a bird, deboning an entire pauillac lamb. slow roasting an entire duck n pigeon..and of course cooking vegetable and the famous sauce aigre doux. I learnt alot from him as well. He could put together a dish in a matter of seconds of just running into the walk-in n looking at what we had in there and he'd put together a stunning dish that was so simple you never could have tot it if you were given the responsibility to respond to the manager's request. So back to my style of cuisine...NOT Nouvelle..although I someday hope that I may be so bold to say that...I think I like to call my style of cooking "Cuisine personnelle" or Cuisine Spontaneity" or Cuisine du Ame.... what it isn't is Nouvelle. I am actually forced to put up choices for the set menu now because many people had advise me that people need more than one choice especially when they come in groups of more than two. wat would be really nice is if I have a walkin chiller...I'd store all kinds of produce in there and everymorning I'd walk in there and depending on the days mood, make up the days menu n there'd be one menu, n if guest didnt like the menu, they can ask for something different. I like that especially in a busy service.. Just two day ago I had these guest come in and they were a group of six. Think I said they all had their own drivers, very rich I suppose, and they had all ordered 6 different dish n asked for the last one to be something different from the ones in the menu. the food were placed in the middle of the table n they all tucked in like they were in some sea food restaurant in the east coast....Great Guys..Thanks For Coming. After that they all asked for Mr Johnny Hates Jazz Mr Walker..and they told me that I should stock some in the restaurant and advise me that I could get really cheap whiskey from the airport duty free shop. You know...B bakery is a freakin casual place...I'm not tryin to be superstar of bussorah...this is the only partnership I feel comfortable with..I've had many opportunities..and I'm just cooking wat I love to eat for myself n for my loved ones. I do wish to someday own a very designer kitchen with all the high tech stuff n a molteni and i know i will one day. but for now...I custom made a 2 inch thick hot plate that is 130 by 65, a custom made bracket stand that it sits on, and two burners that u would usually see in prata stalls. wait let me show u pictures of it..I think I'm quite a genious for this..
that's my make shift we call it The Pass, notice the plate underneath
my target top :-O i know you've heard of adjustable flame but have you had one adjustable flame that could mover sideways n you could choose to have your hot spot anywhere..mine can.
my chopping board...right one from japan n left one opening day gift from Dad..solid teak(taking Orders as of now, custom made into any size...price negotiable after your meal..with wine)
staff meal yesterday...i cant remember..I know thats a green chilli
so guys..if you're coming to eat and u want to taste all my food on the menu in just one visit n one sitting please do so discreetly and pls dont ask for extra side plates becaue that means my lovely wife will have to wash them. and if you want to get to know me a little bit more just read the blog which you already have, pour me a glass of wine, have a cigarette with me and please don't try and have wat it may seem like an intellectual discussion on food n cooking and cuisine. Because I've started conversations with people and when it gets to the point whereby I am trying to express my creations, they stop comprehending...n it starts to get silly. Because to me cooking is a gift of yourself just like a painter's painting or a potters pottery, and it cannot be quantified or pin down to a word...every step of the process is deliberate, every ingredient for a purpose..most of the time I dont know but it just feels right why the nectarine is there with the foie...most of the time it is just starring at me as I am looking for it n no I didnt see it in a book..prob at geylang past midnight while having durian. what I want people to know is, my food changes all the time, every min , every day..you could have two lamb dishes on the same table n they look different.. so for people who like that little bit of a difference from the regular grilled tenderloin in the restaurants, come as you are, sit, chill, have a glass if you like, look, smell, taste, eat, drink, chill, read,eat, chill, eat, relax, enjoy your company, eavesdrop, talk as loud as you wan but I ask that u just give my food that half second observation when it arrives n you can gobble it down after that. and please just accept it the way it is n not compare it to some other nouvelle-ey restaurant cooking or how lack of it it is. because it is not and I'm not trying to be. Just come and and pls be patient. Imagine you're in hidden out of the way hole in the wall kinda joint...the kind that you'll find many in parts of japan. there's the guy making your sushi who really values his ingredients and there's his wife that doesn't give a shit about his sushi..;-) and they are really glad you managed to find your way to their humble house.
Excuse the singlish..little upset today thus the cancellation for todays bookings...my apologies...no point cooking when you are really out of it. an amuse buse for you if you do come again.
Excuse the punctuation errors...good night..
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