The Daily Affairs

 

 

 

The Daily Affairs Café is opened by Chef/Owner Qihao. Formerly from Hilton and Swissotel.

The café is just 5 minutes walk from Newton MRT. Situated in Cairnhill Community Centre. Small and cozy, food offered are at reasonable nett prices.

Flame Torched Teriyaki Ribeye Cubes ($15)

Chunky cubes of beef that looked tough but were not. They were juicy and tender. Topped with an egg for mixing into the meats. Slight wokheish (smoky) finish with a sweet tone.

 

Braised Beef Cheek ($18)

This is my favourite. Braised for 8 hours. Comes with mashed potato and garden salad. The meat was tender enough. The seasoning and spices have all seeped into the meat resulting in a rich flavorful aftertone. The brown sauce was perhaps atad thick. The mashed potato was creamy and buttery.

This was my second time having this and cannot help but make comparison. My first try was actually the best I had as the beef cheek was even more meltier and sauce had a thinner consistency. The reason for the difference in texture was that the one below came from the mid section of the cheek which was a tad tougher. So if you one that is more tender, perhaps you can request the bottom section of the cheek. Regardless, it was a tasty dish.

Unagi Donburi ($16.50)

The unagi goes so well with Japanese rice. Unagi was baste with sweet tare sauce. The egg was to be the creamy component that binds the dish. But unfortunately, the egg was not runny. The flavors were a little sweet. I recommend to mix the egg and eat together with the rice in one go as the rice will tone down the strong unagi taste.

Garden Salad ($8)

I do like my greens and this was definitely a winner.

Soy Garlic Chicken Wings (Half dozen $9.50)

Deep fried and coated in soy garlic. A little salty but not too overpowered by garlic. One of our well liked dishes during the tasting. The wings were small, one bite and you can get addicted to the soy garlic. This taste best when eaten hot.

Atlantic Pink Salmon ($17)

Those who likes salmon might just want to give this a try. Panfried and probably finished cooking in the oven. Topped with toasted cereal. Personally I felt the salmon was atad dry. However, when eaten with the cereal, the taste was sweet salty with a subtle crunch. The skin was very crisp similar to that of a thin biscuit. One of my dinner companions adores cereal and was happy to finish it off for us.

Red Velvet Waffle ($9.50)

Crisp and crunchy. Topped with marshmallows, strawberries and a small slab of vanilla ice cream (Chef Qihao calls it the "uncle ice cream"). I can do without the marshmallows as the sweetness of the ice cream is more than sufficient. Why it is called "uncle ice cream"? Because it a very old school and it was those slabs of ice cream that one can buy from the uncle peddling ice cream on the tricycle.

There are also set lunches available during weekdays. The menu changes daily.

The Daily Affairs is hidden from the public. Probably known only to those working nearby and those that visit the community centre. It is pretty close to town and away from the maddening crowd.

An invited tasting.

Thank you Chef Qihao @DailyAffairs for the invite.
Thank you @alter.alter.ego @msjaniceeats and @nahmj for sharing the calories.

The Daily Affairs
Cairnhill CC
1 Anthony Road
Singapore 229944
Tel : 6262 4342

Hours :
Monday to Saturday 1100 to 2200hrs
Sunday 0800 to 1500hrs

http://www.daily-affairs.com

 

 

 

An Italian Affair

 

Atmastel - Cucina Italiana

 

 

I had the honor of attending a private preview highlighting the restaurant's newly revamped menu which will be launched on 21st August 2018.

 

Below is a sneak peek of the introductory page of the new menu which now comes in a booklet. Very psychedelic with brilliant pictures of various foods. A menu which I think one will take time to browse and read like a magazine.

 

 

 

 

Antipasti - Tagliere Misto ($31.90)

 

A selection of artisanal cured meals with olives, pickles and homemade focaccia bread

 

Burrata Della Valle DÍtria ($26.90)

Burrata cheese with seasonal grilled vegetables, grilled homemade bread, extra virgin olive oil and fresh  basil leaves.

Burrata (means buttery) is soft fresh Italian cheese made from a mix of mozzarella and cream. The burrata was not overpowering. A soft but yet slightly firm texture. A good marriage with the grilled vegetables which was slightly salty and brought out the butteryness of the burrata. The grilled bread was toasty. To top with the burrata cheese, it was heavenly.

Pizza Prosciutto di Parma E Rucola ($32)

Pizza made onsite. Topped with 24 months aged parma ham, mozzarella, rocket salad, shaved grana padano and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Grana Padano is a hard, slow ripened semi fat cheese. Just out of the oven, the aroma of freshness of the pizza and the subtle charredness wafted through the air. Smelled good and tasted good.

Recommed to share this as it is a substantial size for about 3 to 4 pax.

 

Pappardelle Ai Funghi Porcini E Asparagi ($25.90)

Good to know that they handmade their own pastas. This pappardelle tossed with porcini mushroom and asparagus in a light creamy sauce. The porcini mushroom was tender and had a delectable sweetness. I find the pasta a tad thick and was chewy, but in a good way. This is probably quite a heavy dish due to the richness of the sauce. Recommended to share among 2.

Trancio di Branzino Grigliato ($32.90)

This was my favourite. Grilled seabass with red pepper and pachino tomato coulis. Seabass grilled with a crisp skin. Flavored with a dash of salt and pepper and a touch of ginger. Garnished with potato cylinder with lemon and thyme flavour, grilled veges and drizzled with extra virgin oil. No fishiness at all. Every component on this plate just works so well together. The sweet, salty and a tinge of citrussy flavors all well balanced on the palate.

Tagliata di Manzo Hokubee ($42.90)

Grilled Australian Wagyu with fresh rucola, pachino tomatos, shaved padano cheese and raspberry wine reduction.

Seared all round and still atad reddish inside. It was crisp and tender. Paired with rockets, tomatoes and shavings of padano cheese for that extra flavour. I love grilled beef so I definitely did like it. It was done medium for that juicy and moist mouthfeel.

Trilogia Del Pastry Chef (Chef's Choice of Three Desserts) ($13.90)

There is always room for dessert no matter how stuffed one is. A combination of sweet and tangy to please even the not so sweet tooth.

 

 

 

Collesi Beer Range 

 

There are 8 types of beer. Bionda,Chiara, Ambrata, Rossa, Nera, Triplo Malto, Blanche and Jpa. I am not a drinker so I am unable to comment on these. But if you would like to know more about these beers, please do head to Atmastel and check them out.

Atmastel has a relaxing feel once you step into it. The ambience is cozy and it is a place where you can have a quiet meal or even hold your business meetings. It might not be very wallet friendly for some. But if you crave for Italian cuisine and do not want to pay too much for Italian fine dining, this might just satisfy your palate. Good to know that the restaurant do offer set lunches on weekdays at affordable prices.

This was an invited tasting.

Thank you Sharon @atmastel for the invite and Atmastel for hosting.


Atmastel
Address : South Beach Avenue, 26 Beach Road #B1-22 (189768)

Tel : 6581 0085
http:/www.atmastel.com

Opening hours : 
Monday to Thursday : 1130 to 1430 hrs, 1800 to 2200 hrs
Friday to Saturday : 1130 to 1430 hrs, 1800 to 2300 hrs
Sundays and Public Holidays : Closed

A Sizzling Time @PUJIM

"PU JIM" in Korean translates to Sumptuous or Contented.

 

Opened in July 2018 by owner/chef Mr Kim Dae Yo.  Pu Jim is a Korean BBQ restaurant inspired by cuisine from Busan. So the story goes, before Mr Kim opened his restaurant, he spent 9 months in Amoy/Tanjong Pagar areas researching the foods and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

Banchan (side dishes)

 

These were served before the actual grilling begins. Cubed apples, spiced radishes, sour celery, kimchi, mixed spicy veges and sweet chunky radishes.

 

 

 

 

One look inside before the actual grill pan sits on it. Charcoal burning at the right temperature.

 

Busan Amok Tang (non spicy) $35.00

Mostly Korean fishcakes in this sweet broth. The fishcakes were different from our local ones. A bit sweeter but yet not fishy. Those who love fishcakes might just be drawn to this as it is quite a light broth.

Seafood Soup $35.00 (non spicy)

A whole lot of ingredients immersed in the hotpot. Tiger prawns, flower crabs, scallops in a rich seafood broth. Slightly salty than the Busan Amok Tang, the broth had a more robust flavorful finish, Seafood itself were fresh thereby providing the extra sweetness.

 

 

Seafood Pancake $35

The taste of this pancake kind of reminded me of our oyster omelette. The beighy pieces are a batter mix deepfried till crispy. It is quite savory but a tad oily.

Premium Ribeye Cap 300gm ($43.00 100gm) now $38.00

Well marinated. Grilled for a minute on each side, it was sweet and tender. Suppose to eat it with a leaf of lettuce. But it just tasted good on its own.

 

Premium Striploin ($40.00 100 gm) now $35.00

The marbling on this cut was just amazing. Simply seasoned, it does not take too long for it to be cooked. Just melts in the mouth with a tinge of charred umaminess.

 

 

 

Iberico Pork Neck

(Small $54.00 300gm + 30gm)

(Medium $81.00 450gm + 50gm)

(Large $108.00 600gm + 80gm)

 

This was a very thick cut. The seasoning was on point. Alittle salty but at the same time, it brought out the natural sweetness. First the sides are seared. Then cut into smaller cubes to ensure that the pork is cooked through. Even though it took slightly longer to cook, the meat was still juicy and moist.

 

Pork Belly ($13.00 per 100 gm) now $11.00

The taste of this was quite delectable but unfortunately, I find it a little tough. Perhaps if it was sliced a bit thinner, it would be easier to chew on.

The owner/chef Mr Kim Dae Yo

Pu Jim is also opened for lunch. Currently lunch sets such as rice bowls are being offered to cater to the office crowd.

 

This was an invited tasting.

Thank you Alvin @o_oican for the invite and Pu Jim for hosting.

Pu Jim
82 Amoy Street
Tel : 62241588

 

 

 

A Tantalising Party in your mouth

Birds of A Feather

 

A restaurant that marries cuisine from Chengdu and cuisine from the Western world.

 

I was invited to a private event to sample the foods from the revamped menu. Staying true to their Chengdu roots, there were new items that will please the discerning palate.

 

Before the lunch starts, we were served with a welcome drink. A refreshing lime mint mocktail.

 

 

 

 

 

Birds not Stinky Tofu

 

Aburrage tofu with Vieux Lille and Tofu stuffing, charcoal oil powder, pickled spice beetroot

 

This was an interesting take of the chou tou fu (smelly tofu). Fried tau pok that was stuffed with Vieux Lille cheese. This cheese is pungent and the taste was strong and bitter. It is a love hate kind of a dish. Not for the fainthearted though.

 

 

Charcoal Grilled Pork Bits

 

This bears in resemblance to one of their signature dishes in the previous menu. Like "Finding the chicken in the chillies", the taste and marination was somewhat similar. Salty with a medium spicy tone. Wonderfully crispy. Quite addictive in fact.

 

Good Slim Shine

 

Looks like kway teow but not. Chinese yam noodles aka shirataki noodles. Made from yam flour. Drenched in classic Sichuan hot and sour broth. The noodles were chewy and almost gelatonous texturally. Tangy broth that will cause you to take bite after bite after bite. Because of its scintillating finish, it actually cleanses the palate.

The Forbidden Risotto

A pretty looking dish indeed. Healthy black rice, Hokkaido scallop, squid, daikon ribbon, pickled ginger, sour vegetable, shoyu dressing, fried soy bean, spring onion, baby bak choy, lemon zest, ikura.

I am not a huge fan of risotto. When I took a spoonful of this, I could not stop eating it. It was cooked aldente but yet tender. Delightfully creamy. Zesty with a subtle twang finish. However, I recommend to share as it can get alittle heavy, one might find it too rich to finish.

 

 

Sweating Mussels

 

Blue Mussels cooked in Sichuan spicy and sour nage served with Chinese Yam Noodles.

 

Nage is a broth that has been flavoured with white wine, vegetables and herbs. Chinese yam noodles came in the form of thin slivers. Immersed in a salty tangy broth and sweetened by the natural umaminess of the mussels. A manageable spicy heat. I liked this as it is comforting and a dish I would indulge in if I am feeling under the weather or to achieve that warm and fuzzy feel.

 

 

 

Wagyu Striploin

 

Looking like a beef dish from a western restaurant. This wagyu striploin was seared. A tad crisp on the edges but slight pinkish inside. Garnished with stirfried tea tree mushroom Sichuan style, crust potato with cumin and dressed with sesame sauce. Well marinated with simple seasonings. The beef was good but my favourite component was the tasty mushrooms.

 

 

Cocktails lovingly prepared by the Operations Manager, Vincent.

This dainty cocktail is aptly named "Someone Like You". A quirky name. I am not a drinker. From what I gathered from fellow foodies, this was a tad sourish with a subtle hint of alcohol.

 

Ice Ice Baby

So magical. A typical sichuan classic dessert. Housemade jelly topped with assorted fruits, burned cucumber and crushed peanut. Think the likes of our local Ice Jelly cocktail. Similar but this had a sweetilicious syrup, a Chinese Lao Zao wine granite. A very refreshing and cooling finish after all the tantalising numbing dishes.

 

 

Birds of a Feather revamped menu looks exciting. Old favorites still remain whilst the new ones will certainly intrigue the discerning palate.

 

This was a hosted private tasting.

 

Thank you, Megan and Vincent @birdsofafeathersg for the invite to a wonderful meal.

 

 

Birds of a Feather

115 Amoy Street

Tel : 62217449/97557115

 

Hours :

Mon to Thurs 1030 to 1500hrs; 1700 to 2300hrs

Fri to Sat 1030 to 0000hrs

Sun 1030 to 2200hrs