Lontong
Main Courses [1 packet serves 2 persons]
Lontong is made from rice that is compact into a bag or square pocketed palm leaves. Originally lontong was made with rice stuffed into palm leaves and boiled.
As time goes by, people find it time consuming to find palm leaves and making them into a square pockets and then filling it up with rice. Nowadays, stores are selling small pre-packed plastic bags of rice which has holes around it. The method of cooking is still the same.
I was actually surprised to find different varieties of “lontong” here in Netherlands. To my knowledge there is only one type of lontong. Lontong is firm and not sticky. I have tried lontong “ketan” but the results were not as I expected. It turns out to be soft and very sticky even after 3 hours of cooking. I find it strange that normally it takes about 90 minutes to cook lontong. I finally found the right type of lontong and it is sold in a box of 4 bags. The brand is “Nivo”. However it also takes about 2-3 hours to boil.
Lontong (Rice Cakes)
How to prepare and boil lontong?
First, in a bowl of water wash the plastic bags of rice thoroughly making sure that the “cloudy” water becomes clear.
Boil a pot with water big enough to fill your desired amount of lontong bags. Take note that the lontong will expand when it is cooking.
When the water starts to boil, drop gently the lontong bags. Push in the bags so that it stays at the bottom.
Let it boil until you notice the rice bags are filled with white rice. This will take a while (depending on your country), in Singapore it took me 90 minutes to boil a bag of lontong. Here the lontong took 3 hours to cook then it is ready.
When your lontong is ready, take it out from the pot and allow it to cool. Do not wash the lontong. When it has cool down, you can either cut or store in the fridge.
Tip: Serves best with Singapore Chicken Soto Soup (Singapore Soto Ayam) or dip with peanut sauce with satays or gado-gado.
Rosie G.
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In Dutch:
Lontong
Hoofdgerecht [1 pakje is voor 2 personen]
Lontong wordt gemaakt van compacte rijst, die traditioneel werd gekookt in palm bladeren, die kruiselings in elkaar geweven om een bal rijst heen worden gestoomd. Tegenwoordig kan dit veel makkelijker, er is namelijk zeer goede kwaliteit rijst verkrijgbaar, die reeds is verpakt in plastic zakjes, waarin je de rijst compact kunt stomen.
Natuurlijk is het mooi tradities voort te zetten, maar het is in Nederland niet makkelijk palmbladeren te vinden, die dan ook nog gedroogd zijn, vandaar de keuze voor gemak, zonder daarbij aan kwaliteit in te boeten. De methode van bereiding is hetzelfde, of je nu met voorverpakte rijst in plastic zakjes werkt, of met palmbladeren.
Ik was in feite aangenaam verrast, hier in Nederland verschillende variaties van “lontong” aan te treffen in de Toko winkels. Ik ken slechts 1 soort Lontong, een compacte, niet plakkende rijst. Hier in Nederland kwam ik ook lontong “ketan” tegen, maar deze is niet aan te bevelen. De rijst wordt zeer zacht door de lange kooktijd, meer dan 3 uren. Mijn ervaring is, dat 90 minuten kooktijd voldoende is, de rijst is dan compact, niet plakkerig. Na meerdere variëteiten te hebben geprobeerd, is mijn keuze gevallen op “Nivo” lontong rijst, die wordt verkocht in zakjes van 4. Echter, ook deze soort heeft 3 uren nodig om te koken met het juiste resultaat.
Hoe maak je lontong?
Was de zakjes rijst eerst zeer grondig, tot het stromende water helder wordt, bij het wassen van de rijst.
Zet een grote pan water op het vuur, waar je benodigde hoeveelheid makkelijk in past (houdt rekening met het uitzetten van de rijst tijdens het koken).
Kook het water eerst, wanneer het water kookt, voeg dan pas de zakjes met rijst toe. Druk de zakjes langzaam en voorzichtig naar de bodem van de pan, zodat ze tijdens het koken niet boven drijven.
Kook nu door, tot je de zakjes ‘strak’ ziet worden, door het uitzetten van de rijst in het plastic zakje. Dit is een goed indicatie, in de regel duurt dit ongeveer 3 uren hier in Nederland.
Wanneer je lontong gereed is, haal ze uit de pan en laat het drogen in een vergiet in het zakje. Niet wassen, gewoon laten drogen en afkoelen.
Hierna kun je of de lontong in de koelkast leggen voor later gebruik, of je kunt ze in de gewenste vierkantjes / kubusjes snijden.
Selamat makan!
Tip: Lontong wordt in Azie geserveerd bij gado gado, Singapore Chicken Soto Soup of als dip met pindasaus bij sateh.
Rosie G.
Singapore has a lot to offer in terms of good food and below is just a few of the many and one of the best in my humble opinion.
These places have all been visited by friends and myself, some are through recommendations. However, I cannot guarantee if the quality is still up to standard today…
Anyway, I will list the food places plus the websites for you to browse through, for an idea of the place and menu prices. Please note that not all food stalls have their own website. They are popular among locals and over the years gain their popularity. No website needed!
Symbols in terms of spending per person: SGD$3-$10 ($) ,
SGD$10-$25 ($$) , SGD$25-$50 ($$$), SGD$50-$100 ($$$-$$$$)
SGD$100 and above ($$$$)
Nasi Padang
River Valley Nasi Padang
Traditional Malay food. Great variety and really delicious. The food comes close to my cooking.
Their price is slightly higher than in most nasi padang stalls in coffee shops or hawker centers. However that is the price to pay for really good food. Singaporeans may find it pricey but in my opinion it is value for money, good food and the owners do not compromise on the ingredients. And, it is always crowded… I know what goes inside a certain recipe and most shop owners tend to cut down on products, because (Singapore) customers complain the food is too expensive. Rice with vegetables and meat may cost SGD$3.50( 1.75 euro) per plate in normal shops but at River Valley it may cost around SGD$5.00 ( 2.50 euro). Thumbs up to River Valley Nasi Padang for maintaining the authenticity of the food! ($)
Address: Nasi Padang River Valley Pte Ltd – 55 Zion Road, S(247780) Tel: 67343383
Roti Prata
Thasevi Food Famous Jalan Kayu Prata
It is easy to find roti prata in Singapore. The best is one that is soft, yet crispy. Most important, the curry must be good and tasty and not watery. Jalan Kayu (the name of the street) is known to have the best roti prata in Singapore. One to mention is Thasevi Food Famous Jalan Kayu Prata. Even the name says it all! This place is in the North part of Singapore. If you order your prata, do not forget to order Teh Tarik!. Best is to go by car. ($)
Address: 237/239 Jalan Kayu Singapore. Tel: +65 6481 1537
Nasi Lemak
International Food Stall
When I think of Changi Village, it reminds me of one dish- nasi lemak! This stall is still one of the most popular nasi lemak in Singapore. Expect very long queues during lunch. There are also a few competitors in the same vicinity. Located at the east side of Singapore. ($)
Address: #1-57 Changi Village Market & Food Centre, Blk 2 Changi Village Road, Singapore 500002
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
There are plentiful of stalls selling hainanese chicken rice. One to mention is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice located at Maxwell Food Centre. ($)
http://www.tiantianchickenrice.com/
Hawker Centers
Maxwell Food Centre
Home to some of the best hawker food in Singapore. Located in the heart of Chinatown. We used to have a stall in Maxwell Food Centre. ($)
Address: Maxwell Road Food Centre lies at the top end of Tanjong Pagar Road and junction of South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road. Nearest MRT station: Chinatown
Lau Pa Sat
We call this the festival market. Located in the central business district area, right in between the skyscrapers, this place comes lively at night and in the weekends. A huge 24/7 eatery with different variety of food. Pick your choice! I like the satays from stall number 9. ($)
http://www.laupasat.biz/home.html
Mexican
Cafe Iguana
Contemporary Mexican restaurant and bar in downtown Singapore. I like the one in Riverside Point facing the Singapore river. ($$)
Margarita’s
They now have 3 restaurants on Singapore island. I like the ambience at Dempsey Hill where you can find a lot of nice places to sit, dine or just chill out. Here you can also find Margarita’s. My favourite is Fajitas with chicken and their signature dish, called Kitchen Sink Burrito. ($$)
http://www.dempseyhill.com/tenants_Margarita.htm
Seafood
Long Beach Seafood
Chinese seafood restaurants. Try the ones at East Coast Seafood Centre. Located by the beach. One of the Singapore signature dishes is the Chilli Crab! Must try! ($$$)
http://www.longbeachseafood.com.sg/
Jumbo Seafood
Located also at East Coast Seafood Centre. ($$$)
http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/
French
Au Petit Salut
One of my favourite French restaurants to dine in Singapore. Located at Dempsey Hill. Elegant and alfresco dining area. Ordered a bottle of Alter Ego (Chateau Palmer) and loved it!
Depending on either lunch or dinner. ($$$-$$$$)
http://www.aupetitsalut.com/aps/aboutus.html
Italian
Da Paolo
One name comes to my mind, that we often visited, is Da Paolo. There are a few outlets in Singapore and the ones in Cluny Court and Holland Village have a nice ambience; cosy and stylish. Oh yes, there is an area called Holland Village in Singapore and there is a mini windmill too! ($$$)
http://www.dapaolo.com.sg/index.php
German
Werner’s Oven
One of my favourite German restaurants at the east side of Singapore in the Siglap neighbourhood area. A family run business place with authentic dishes and warm service! And they also sell pretzels at their bakery! ($$)
http://www.wernersoven.com.sg/
Indonesian
Tambuah Mas
Love their Tahu Telor. ($$$)
Indian
Samy’s Curry
Ever tried eating your food on a banana leaf? Try Samy’s Curry. This place is unlike the typical “restaurant” type . Located also at Dempsey Hill, I usually bring my foreign friends here. All of them love it, even my in-laws! Have a look at the counter, tell them what you want and they will bring to your table. Do not be surprised if the waiters come around and start asking if you want more rice or curry! The giant prawns are simply irresistible, but spiiiiicy! ($$-$$$)
Brazilian
Brazil Churrascaria
Brazilian barbeque restaurant.
In this place, you’ll be in for a night full of surprises. Huge salad bar with a variety to match, excellent. You’ll sit at your table and the macho waiters will come and ‘serve’ you: A huge skewer with grilled meats and a huge knife in the other hand, intimidating and asking you, if you want any one of the meat. The meat is of superb quality and the variety is enormous. Be prepared to get stuffed with kilos of meat! ($$-$$$)
Address: 14/16 Sixth Avenue. Tel: +65 6463 1923
Thai
Patara
A fine dining Thai restaurant. ($$$)
Thai Express
This is the “cafe” version where they serve simple Thai food. ($$)
http://www.thaiexpress.com.sg/
Japanese
Sushi Tei
Open kitchen concept where you can enjoy good sushi. There are many outlets in Singapore. ($$)
Chinese Restaurants
Crystal Jade Restaurants
A culinary chinese restaurant in Singapore. Offering good quality Cantonese and Teochew chinese cuisine and fine dining ambience. $$$
Din Tai Fung
One of the best dim sum and dumpling place to go is at Din Tai Fung. Located in downtonwn Orchard Road. $$
Address: 290 Orchard Road, #B1-03/06 Paragon Shopping Centre. Tel: +65 68368336. MRT station: Orchard.
Others
Little Bali-Villa Bali
A place to chill out with friends in these idyllic surroundings. Beautifully designed with Balinese atmosphere. The place is so spacious. I love their Rogan Josh (a south Indian curry). ($$-$$$)
High Tea
Swissotel The Stamford, Equinox Restaurant
Equinox is located on the 70th (!) floor of the Swissotel. Beautiful views over Singapore. ($$$)
http://www.swissotel.com/EN/Home
Champagne Brunch in Hotels
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Greenhouse Restaurant ($$$$)
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore/Dining/Greenhouse/Default.htm
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Mezza 9 ($$$$)
http://www.singapore.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp
Four Seasons Hotel
One-Ninety ($$$$)
http://www.fourseasons.com/singapore/dining/one_ninety/
The Fullerton Hotel
Town Restaurant ($$$$)
http://www-singapore.com/fullerton/dining.htm
Sunday Brunch
The Sentosa Resort & Spa ($$$$)
In Sentosa (an off island which is connected by road to Singapore)
An international buffet and barbeque!
Enjoy while you are in Singapore!
Ciel Bleu Restaurant, Hotel Okura,Amsterdam. 2 Michelin-star restaurant.
Our big day 2 weeks ago….
Opening The 1989 Barolo
A month ago, we went in search for a nice place to have a dinner party with a small group of friends. It was not really easy to find a place where we could celebrate indoor without having to hire a caterer. Something in our mind-a restaurant that offers good food and service and that cater to a small group of people. Forget about the bitter balletjes, we wanted to take our friends to somewhere different. That was when we decided food and wine pairing culinary food experience.
The first place we had in mind was Okura. It was not our first time in Okura and we like the place ever since our last visit there but this time it was different. We were ushered in and brought to the 23rd floor where we saw the Salon Panoramique room. It was just perfect. The room was in Ciel Bleu restaurant, a 2 Michelin star restaurant. The view was fantastic. We loved the idea that the room was separated from the main diners so we could celebrate and do our own thing. Finally when we agreed that this was going to be the place, we contacted with Tina Claes the F&B coordinator. She was great, helpful in planning and arranging for us from the menu cards to the food and wines.
The big day came and we invited our friends to our apartment for borrels and hapjes first (drinks and snacks). We popped up champagnes and our long awaited 1989 Barolo. Delicious wine indeed! We kept our next destination a secret (Okura). Even the taxi drivers were also playing the game making a detour around Amsterdam. Everyone was guessing..
Fantastic view of Amsterdam at night
When we arrived we went up to the 23rd floor. We were ushered in and of course the first few minutes we have not settled down yet. I was delighted to see the menu cards with our photo on it as we had personalised each card with our friends name on it.
More champagne were served and we finally took our seats. First we were served the Amuse.
Amuse
Amuse
Lobster & Algae
Then the appetizer: Lobster & Algae. Lobster tempura lacquered in lobster caramel with lemongrass. Lobster with ponzu jelly and sweet and sour daikon cress and Cannelloni of beetroot with lobster and sake sorbet. The taste was so pure and yet deliciously subtle. This was paired with a white wine from Chenin Blanc, De Trafford, Stellenbosch,South Africa. I never thought that I would like wines from South Africa. This was a great wine in my opinion that can be compared with a good French white wine.
Tooth fish and Poulpe
Then the Tooth fish & Poulpe,Tooth fish a la plancha and poulpe, poulpe broth and rice cracker. This second dish was paired with a wine from Prélude Vineyards, Leeuwin Estate, Margeret River, Australie. Looks so arty and yet delicious.
The head waiter & sommelier explaining to us about the wine
The head waiter and sommelier, Mr H.Vanwittenbergh explained each of the wines and talked a bit about the wines and we thought he was a very funny man. By then we had too much to drink, laughing, making silly jokes… enjoying ourselves. And we still we had 2 more dishes…
Saddle of Lamb & BBQ
Now the main course Saddle of lamb & BBQ. Saddle of Irish lamb with grilled sweet pepper and barbecue juice curry polenta with pistachio nuts, artichoke and lamb stew. My meat was tender and juicy. This was paired with a wine fromRafael Cambra “Dos”,Valencia,Spain. So gorgeous!
Lemon Meringue Pie
The next surprise was a Pre dessert- a taster before we have our cake. It was a Lemon Meringue Pie.
Our cake
Finally , The Cake which we chose. We requested for a chocolate cake with fresh fruits and white and blue colour on the outside! Delicious and served with a Manzoni Moscato, Manzoni from Italy.
Cheers!
Chef Kokmeijer & myself
The whole team from Ciel Bleu was very service oriented and professional. They took care of us and were very attentive. It was a formal restaurant but yet we had our space and really enjoyed ourselves. That was what we wanted from the beginning when we went searching for a place to celebrate our day –good professional service and great food. Thank you Chef Onno Kokmeijer and the team for making this a memorable day for all of us!
Dear foodies,
In this topic I would like to share some tips on my cooking which I teach in my cooking workshops. This includes cooking certain ingredients, techniques on how to make your rice looking deliciously fluffy and how you can use certain ingredients for use in other food etc.
Cooking Oil
When cooking Asian dishes or frying fish, meat or vegetables or even deep frying I use only Sunflower oil. Reason is that I find this oil healthier and light. It does not affect the taste or authenticity of my food. Alternatively, you can also use palm cooking oil, corn oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil. Never use olive oil when cooking Asian food. Olive oil is best for western cooking and i use a lot of it especially when making italian food. I find that olive oil has a strong flavour that it alters the taste of my asian dishes.
I have seen many people here buying frituurvet for deep frying? I myself have never used it and I use Sunflower oil in the deep fryer. Somehow I find food less greasy this way. Even though it cost more than a frituurvet, I always believe in quality over quantity when it comes to food or cooking.
Read what Wikipedia says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oil
Extract from Wikipedia:
” Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and has high vitamin E content. It is a combination of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. Restaurants and food manufacturers are becoming aware of the health benefits of sunflower oil. The oil can be used in conditions with extremely high cooking temperatures. It may also help food stay fresher and healthier for longer periods of time [5]. Food manufacturers are starting to use sunflower oil in an effort to lower the levels of trans fat in mass produced foods. A number of common snack foods currently contain sunflower oil, including NewYork Fries French fries, Majans BHUJA Mix healthy snacks, the Sri Lankan style Bombay Mix – Rani Mix, Kettle Chips, Sun Chips, Sunflower Chips, Ruffles, Walkers and Lay’s potato chips; the recipe of the latter was modified in late 2006 in order to include the oil.[7]”
Cooking Vegetables
When frying vegetables, separate the leaves from the stalk. Fry the stalks and other ingredients first for a minute before last adding the leaves.
Vegetables like long beans or cabbage should be cooked for 5-7 minutes only so that it retains its crispiness.
Screwpine Leaves
Also known as the pandan leaves or pandanus leaves. Widely used in Asian dishes especially Malay dishes such as kuih (desserts), rice etc for its special fragrance. How to use it? Wash the pandan leaves; tie in a knot and tear a bit of the leaves to release its fragrance.
Another method is to immerse it in rice then cook together with the rice. The rice will then have a slight pandan fragrance taste.
Rice
There are a few types of rice used in Asian cooking or better said when combining with certain dishes. When I cook certain food like the Nasi Briyani (Saffron rice), I use Basmati rice. The grains of Basmati rice are longer than normal rice and it also has a nice fragrance. Basmati rice is slightly more expensive than normal rice. The rice also has a different structure and is not sticky.
The other type of rice is the normal long grain or broken rice (heel of gebroken rijst). The choice is normally up to your preference. I use long grain rice for my cooking as it doesn’t clump as much as the broken ones. The texture is also better and long grain rice is best used when frying fried rice. Reason; frying fried rice requires lots of stirring and blending the sauce to the rice. With broken rice the rice becomes more “mushy” and sticky.
When buying a packet of rice, I normally choose the ones from Thailand or with AAA. When I choose my packet of rice, I go for the ones that are packaged in a transparent packaging. Reason is I look at the grains in the packet. If possible buy one that shows more transparent coloured grains than those packets with a mixture of more “white” chalky grains. The result is not sticky when the rice is more transparent than chalky.
This is what I found about the different types of rice: http://beaumont.tamu.edu/eLibrary/StudyRiceContest/2006/Rice%20Grain%20Quality.pdf
Technique before serving rice
Scoop the rice
What I normally do to get a nice textured rice that is fluffy is when the rice is cooked ”ready” shown on the rice cooker; open the cover, use a flat based plastic rice spoon and slowly scoop from the sideways and folding it in making a hill in the middle of the pot. Continue in a circular motion doing the same all around the pot up till you can get as much folding in without mashing the rice. A totally flat plastic spoon (without a curved mouth) is better to use as it doesn’t “damage” the texture of the rice when scooping sideways. Scoop only from the side inwards circling the whole pot. Then close the cover again, leave it to rest for 2-4 minutes. When you open the cover now, you can see that your rice looks different, better textured, fluffy and appetizingly delicious. Simple method but yet produces good results afterwards. Now the rice is ready- scoop and put in on your plate.
Most common mistake that people do is to open the cover of the rice cooker, dig in to the rice and served immediately. This way you won’t get fluffy nice looking rice and the rice looks clumpy when served this way.
Okie for now, Ta!
Mexican Restaurant Pancho Villa
One of my favourite cuisine; Mexican!
I was happily surprised to find quite a number of mexican restaurants in Cologne. This one had a nice range of cocktails! Food- mouth watering…
Burritos and Fajitas
You bet i was very full…
Mex hat and margarita
My frozen strawberry margarita and tortillas in the mexican basket!
Fried burrito
Not to forget dessert!…. This was the first time i had something really different as a dessert in a mexican restaurant; fried burrito with banana filling with whipped cream and chocolate and strawberry sauce. Awesome! The fried burrito is not at all greasy, the strawberry sauce is sweet and sour which compliments very well with the chocolate sauce and banana filling. I was really not hungry for the rest of the night!
Thai Restaurant
I wasn’t sure now the name of the thai restaurant that we visited.I think it is called Zambirik. Situated along the canal near the Dom. Quite a touristic area. Fortunately it’s a gem between the touristic rows of restaurants. Service was good and attentive. The food was delicious and not too hot and spicy. The waiter told us that they “lower” the level of spiciness.
tom yam gung
Tom yam gung- Good level of spiciness without burning your mouth! The waiter gave us the thai fish sauce and cut chillies in a small bowl knowing that we appreciate authentic food.
spring roll
Thai spring roll- Definitely home made it’s a must try!
red curry beef
Eric’s favourite- Red curry beef. Not too spicy, coconutty,beef was soft and tender, just a little bit too salty for my liking. I prefer green curry tho.
pad thai
This Pad thai was so far one of the best that i had tasted outside of thailand. Comparable to the good ones in thailand. Tasty sweet and spicy.
Thumbs up to the restaurant!
The only thing we noticed in Cologne is that restaurants are not smoke free. The restaurants divided their sitting arrangement into 2 section- one for smokers and at the back for non smokers. The only place that was non smoking was Ludwig restaurant- probably because it is inside the Ludwig museum.I wish eating establishments implement the non smoking rule in the restaurants. Not only it is healthier and also considerate to non smokers but to appreciate good food and such, it’s not appetizing and enjoyable with tobacco smoke filling up the whole place.