Sunday Brunch @ HIGH Ultra Lounge (World Trade Center, Malleshwaram)

Sunday brunches are sure shot ways of letting all your diet plans go down the drain, or in this case go down a flute of champagne. Over indulgence aside, the sheer variety of cuisines laid out like a smorgasbord of sin is enough to send my head reeling. And with zero will power when it comes to the amount of food I consume – I’m walking on dangerous territory. So getting to HIGH Ultra Lounge for their Sunday Brunch was guided by two important aspects – a. They focus on just Asian fare which is definitely lighter than our ghee laden kormas and b. The absolutely fabulous cocktails their main man Guru dishes out. What’s a Sunday brunch without some tipple eh?

Bright and breezy – we couldn’t have asked for a better day for an open air  Brunch. By open, I mean the 31^st floor of the World Trade Center - getting High is literal here! The brunch is laid out across two of their four dining areas – High Mix (the indoor part area) and High Dine (alfresco dining). The cold starters are laid out for you to pick and choose, however the rest of the hot starters, dumplings, sushi and main course need to be ordered off the special brunch menu. We chose a table overlooking the fantastic views of Bangalore city and sat down to get pampered. 

Of fat Baos and thin Ramen @ The Fatty Bao (Indiranagar, Bangalore)

Ok, so the whole of Bangalore knows about The Fatty Bao already – even though they very sneakily opened without an official ‘I want all the P3 types at my launch party’ party. The crowds have been trickling in from the word go and even though Bangalore is a sucker for new places – this one seems to be running on more than just novelty. The Olive Beach and Monkey Bar team has given Bangalore another enviable establishment that not only puts food first, but also serves it up with style. Of course The Fatty’s style is quirky, fun, slightly eccentric and casual. The approach to casual however, is never casual with Chef Manu Chandra. As soon as you walk up (or take the elevator) to the 3^rd floor, you know that the seemingly disparate elements still tie in to form a cohesive space. I’m thinking Kung Fu Panda, meets acid-tripping-hippie, meets kid-on-candy’s bedroom, meets Asian tea house! (Don’t ask me where I get my aesthetic!) You can either choose to eat in la-la-land or head up to the rooftop bar. Both areas pay homage to the ‘garden’ part of Bangalore and you can enjoy your meals gazing at the tree canopy. Let’s just say I like to dine inside during the day and head over to the rooftop during sundown – after all we must make use of our fabulous weather, no? 

Restaurant Week India 2014 and Republic of Noodles (St. John's Road, Banaglore)

September means Citibank Restaurant Week India!  A whole week of 'food glorious food' and tough decisions (so many places to try, so little time). I was invited for a preview dinner at one of the participating restaurants and chose Republic of Noodles. In all honesty, it was not my first choice but the world works in mysterious ways and I’m actually glad I went there last night. After Indian food, I think Asian food is something that tickles my palate – the complexity of flavors never ceases to amaze me.  

  

Republic of Noodles is located at the Lemon Tree Premier on St.Johns Road. Started in Goa in 2007, this award winning restaurant has slowly made its mark as an excellent destination for food from the regions of China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and Burma. After alighting from the lift, you walk through a wooden door to step into a space dominated by red and black. The Buddha statues and green plants add the much needed contrast to the heavy colors and in the end it results in creating an intimate and warm dining space.  

I'm seeing double @ Monkey Bar (Indiranagar, Bangalore)

I’m always wary of part two’s, especially if I am dearly in love with part one. Will it live up to its predecessor? Will it continue to hold my attention? Will it be same-same but also different? Sigh…the suspense can wreak havoc with my system. Who’s not worried about Ben Affleck reprising Cristian Bale's role as the Dark Knight?? (Oh wait, we’re not having that conversation). Let’s rewind to ‘the suspense can wreak havoc with my system’ and apply the feeling to the opening of the new Monkey Bar in Indiranagar. Overreacting? Hell no! Let’s get down to business shall we… monkey business!

I went for their launch party where they gave us hard hats with the Monkey Bar logo on it *clap clap*. Then I went again and again and again, till finally, after a month of its opening, I can find my bearings and be objective about it. I’ve heard people gushing that ‘two’s better than one’ and ‘more the merrier’ but unless you’re in a fantasy playing in your own head with identical twins, I’ve always doubted it could be that good in real life. So what’s new, what’s old and what’s same-same about the new contender for the post of ‘my favorite bar in town? 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls: Light and Fresh

It’s 38°C! I’m almost tempted to break and egg on the pavement and see if it gets cooked! My house feels like a mini sauna and I have officially stopped wearing pants at home. (I wear cotton dresses - go wash your dirty brains :P). So it goes without saying that summer is here! Which is both a boon and a curse depending on which part of the world you live in. I, for instance live in a city that has salubrious climate for 80% of the year so any extremes in temperature is treated with great disdain. (Yes, Bangaloreans are spoilt that way!). Every year we just whine and crib till the first showers of April hit the sands and then we whine and crib that it’s monsoon already. This year is no different except that I learnt how to make some Vietnamese Summer Rolls. It’s fresh, light and all kinds of colorful. Just what summer should be? 

This recipe is more about getting your mise en place and rolling technique right. Once you master than, you can churn out a gazillion of these with a flick of the wrist. (Ok, as usual I’m exaggerating, but you get the drift no?). Also since it’s a fresh roll, its best prepared and served just in time to eat. It doesn’t lower the temperature or anything, but I assure you summer will be more bearable – at least while you’re eating it! 

Pathway to Heaven with Bacon Wrapped Prawns

There are many pathways to heaven they say. With most ending with some bearded gentleman manning the pearly gates. (Or in my case a portly gentleman sitting on a Buffalo who has a really long ledger of life events). And you would have to be good and do good and all that jazz to really even be considered for a chance to get there. Then steps in bureaucracy, where they make you wait at the gates (in a queue mind you…) before they proceed to check your files and then certify your eligibility to enter. Why, some may even be turned away due to a totally negligible mistake (Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, apparently!). So the chances to enter heaven for people like us are slim to none.

Since the final destination seems like a distant dream, are we to moan and groan about its inaccessibility? Hell No! (Oops… swearing I’m sure is not allowed. Especially when it involves Heaven’s direct competitor!). So again, you see the chances are really-really teeny-weeny. As I am a doer not a cribber, I have decided to create my own piece of heaven instead of waiting in line. It’s called Bacon wrapped Prawns. They come as a pair and are extremely adept at recreating the hallowed space. (You can thank me later for the cheat sheet). The gentlemen ‘above’ are welcome to some as well. After all, standing at the gates all day, can’t be that exciting :P

The FPD Quickie: Drinks and Dimsums @ Yauatcha (M.G. Road, Bangalore)

This restaurant has been spoken about in hallowed hushes and reverent tones ever since it opened its doors to us poor Bangaloreans. The branch of a Michelin starred restaurant from London? Here? To grace us? *gasp, stutter, swoon*. Take a second - breathe. Now hear me out. For all the brouhaha – Yauatcha does not claim to be some super sexy, high-on-a pedestal brand. What it does claim to be and rightfully so (considering its pedigree) – is a contemporary dim sum teahouse offering an international experience. You would not wince to spend $70 on a nice meal for two abroad with the same quality of ingredients, similar setting and almost ditto execution of the dish – so why flinch now?

Feeling Blue - News Cafe (Indiranagar, Bangalore)

News Café is like the poor cousin of Smoke House Deli. They opened pretty much the same time on 100 ft road in Indiranagar and both have a similar cafe/ all day dining format. SHD created quite a buzz in the Bangalore food scene, whereas News café failed to garner anything newsworthy. The reason we ventured there was also because of SHD – they were full one Saturday afternoon and could not accommodate us. We were hungry and had already parked our car close by and it seemed like too much of an effort to drive again. So we walked next door to News Café and zoomed up the elevator to the terrace. (Seems like the trend in Bangalore to have restaurants and café’s on the terrace – is the rent cheaper?)

News Café is a South African chain of restaurants and boasts of having 50 outlets with two in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. (Concentrating on the IT hubs, are we?). Their website claims that they have won the ‘Best Cocktail Bar’ 11 years in a row – but I’m guessing that’s for their flagship restaurant in South Africa. Unfortunately I won’t be able to tell you about the cocktails here because none of us were in a mood to drink that afternoon. The café/ lounge in Bangalore is split into three distinct zones. A cozy indoor area that overlooks a bright and sunny deck with cane chairs and white cushions and if you walk up one more level – another deck with the main bar and really lounge worthy, blue sun beds! We headed to the topmost level because it was blue, breezy and beautiful – perfect for a lazy afternoon.

It was just us that afternoon (another group of six walking in, just as we were leaving). That itself made me wonder, if we choose the right place to eat. Sometimes…not always…crowds at a place are a good indicator of quality. This of course does not apply to the nightclubs – Bangalore’s younglings jump from one new place to another, just to be seen. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what News Café aims to be – a place to see and be seen (according to the website again). Ironic much?

Flight Of Cocktails - Sundowner @ LikeThatOnly (Whitefield, Bangalore)

I like my cocktails. Why must I have a stodgy old rum and coke when I can have an exciting Cuba Libre with a dash of lime? Or if you’re a vodka drinker like me, a fancy Cosmopolitan to sip at, whilst we elegantly drape one long leg over the other, at the bar counter? Or to go all James Bond and have a Martini – shaken, not stirred. Sounds dated? Well it is! With so many permutations and combinations of heady liquor and even headier liqueurs, you would expect the bars in Bangalore to offer us something other than creations from the 1960’s! Yes, we like our cocktails and yes, we order them religiously on a night out, but just because we are easy to please – doesn’t mean you don’t even try!! For lord’s sake, a single cocktail costs as much as a main course in some places and if I’m going to get Vodka topped with Cranberry juice from Tropicana – I’d rather give it a miss. (Ok, I lie… I’ll still drink it …but grudgingly). So finally coming to the point – LikeThatOnly (of all things Asian and Whimsical and Whitefield) invited a couple of us discerning drinkers (ahem…ahem…) to give their new Cocktail menu a go. 5 PM is a good time to start drinking, yes?

We seated ourselves at the long bar counter with two handsome men behind the bar. (That always helps – restaurateurs take note :P) While we checked out the, ahem…cutlery, Chef Manu Chandra gave us the lowdown on why LikeThatOnly had to be the one to take the plunge!  LTO has set a benchmark in the city for its innovative food, quirky décor and often-irreverent take on the concept of traditional cuisine - It was only a matter of time before the bar caught up with the kitchen. With the cocktail making a comeback the world over, it was time to replace mindless sugary concoctions with house made bitters and artisanal gins. No, it’s not pretentious to call Bartenders ‘Bar Chefs’, if the final focus is on elevating the quality and the experience. We appreciate the effort LTO … we really do!

Citibank Restaurant Week - Szechwan Court (The Oberoi, Bangalore)

Restaurant Week is a week of indulgence for me. But excesses of the excellent variety are always welcome in my books! This is the second year for the Citibank Restaurant Week India (RWI) in Bangalore (23^rd Sep to 2^nd Oct) and reservations open for Citibank customers today. Everyone else will have to wait till the 18^th of September to get a chance to dine in the finest restaurants of Bangalore – think Olive Beach, Szechwan Court, Dakshin, Caperberry and a whole lot more! RWI runs twice a year in March and September, simultaneously across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The prix fixe menu allows the restaurants to showcase their signature dishes in each category and diners get a chance to experience this at an unbelievable price of Rs.750/-++ in Bangalore. You need to make reservations online before you can dine – so having a fast broadband connection and the gumption to beat the hundreds of others vying for a dinner slot helps.

I was offered a preview dinner for RWI at the Szechwan Court a week ago and I gladly accepted. The Oberoi in my opinion has no equal when it comes to service and I have always been a fan of their award winning restaurants. I had offered a step motherly treatment to Szechwan Court in favour of Rim Nam and Le Jardin on many occasions. So when RWI put Szechwan Court on the list – It was my first choice. We strolled in for our 8:00 PM reservation and were promptly taken to our seats by the window. The restaurant is a subtle mirror of the orient with red and gold hues. With large windows looking out to the garden and soothing music playing in the background you can sink into the comfortable chairs and await a truly five star experience.

Togarashi and The Bento Box @ Monsoon (The Park, Bangalore)

Japanese cuisine is so varied that to even fit the basics into one post would be a gargantuan task. So I will restrict myself to what I tried as part of the new Bento Box introduced by Monsoon at The Park Bangalore. The Bento Box is ahem…a box (sheepish grin), that holds a single portion meal of rice, cooked fish or meat along with pickled vegetables. It is the Japanese version of our lunch dabbas, albeit carefully prepared and presented (as is with everything Japanese)!

The Japanese have created an art form, even with something as simple as a lunch box. Bento’s can range from the simple arrangement of food to the more complex ‘Kyraben’ where the items are arranged to look like popular Japanese cartoon figures or ‘Oekakiben’ where the food is arranged to form a picture. The Bento boxes itself can range from beautiful black lacquered boxes, shiny metal boxes to the more modest and convenient disposable microwave boxes. Japanese homemakers spend a considerable amount of time making Bento’s for their kids and they even have competitions to judge the most beautiful Bento. (I shudder to imagine how much time that must take up everyday – especially with our harried schedules and workloads!)

A Special Pork Themed Lunch @ Hunan (Koramangala, Bangalore)

A couple of us pork loving fiends (from the Bangalore Foodies Club) decided to meet up on a balmy Sunday afternoon, to partake in a special feast created just for us by Chef Pema at Hunan. Our directions were very simple – every course he served should have pork as the star. (We made a concession for dessert – though it would have been fun to see a pork based dessert!). I have visited Hunan on innumerable occasions and have always come away pleased with the food and the wonderful service. There are very few stand alone Asian restaurants that serve pork and I for one am a fan of anyone who does! 

Asian Grill Festival @ Shiro (UB City, Bangalore)

UB City has become one of my favorite places to hang out. The open air cafés and restaurants, the dancing fountain, the easy relaxed pace in the evening under the stars – I always feel like I’m out of Bangalore. Sunday brunches at Shiro – the pan Asian restaurant, is an indulgence that I often dip into. The Zen like ambience with the giant statues and the serene Buddha never fail to get me into a happy and peaceful mood. So when Shiro invited me to their Asian Grill Festival, I was more than happy to pay them a visit. Bangalore winters have started, so we chose a table inside right next to the Buddha. I was feeling good already!
 

(L-R: Pina Colada and Virgin Orange and Lime Mojito)

We ordered a virgin Orange and Lime Mojito and a Pina Colada to start the evening. My companion and I were deeply engrossed in discussing the superstitions involved in having a Buddha statue at home. She had heard that placing a Buddha statue at home makes the house less peaceful, because the Buddha draws the peace out of his surroundings so that he can appear serene! My jaw dropped. I had just bought a massive painting of the smiling Buddha to hang in my living room and trust me I didn’t want him to suck out the peace. Just then the executive brand chef of Shiro – Rahul Hajarnavis walked in. He was very amused to hear the theory. ‘Complete hogwash’, he proclaimed. ‘How do you feel when you step into Shiro?’ he asked. ‘Serene and chilled out’, I replied. With the biggest statue of the Buddha in Bangalore, if Shiro is peaceful, then my little painting can do no harm, we conceded.

(L-R: Grilled Mushroom Skewers, Pan Seared Tofu with Indonesian Ginger Sauce)

The Grill Festival menu at Shiros crafted by Chef Rahul has sixteen delectable dishes on offer. Divided it into four sections (Vegetarian, Poultry, Seafood and Meats), most of the dishes are meant to be starters to pair with their existing drinks menu, but some could easily be eaten as main courses as well. The chef suggested we try tasting portions from each section to get an overall feel of the offerings.

From the vegetarian section we opted for the Grilled Mushroom skewers, Thai Curry Babycorn skewers and the Pan seared Tofu with Indonesian Ginger Sauce. The mushrooms were divine. Plump, juicy and the marinade just clinging on to them. I generally wouldn’t order veggies, but I might make an exception for this one. (Maybe it’s because mushrooms have maximum Umami – a naturally occurring ajinomoto that enhances taste!) The Babycorn skewers were ok and I really can’t say anymore about them. The Tofu served with crunchy green beans was interesting and could easily be a light main course.

(L-R: Grilled Snapper Brochettes, Grilled Thai Prawns)

Alright then, moving on to the Seafood section! Shiro is popular for their Sushi and I have devoured it with relish whenever I come here, so I knew I would not be disappointed. The Grilled Thai Prawns arrived at the table. Coated with a coriander and scallion marinade and served with Wasabi Mayo, they disappeared faster than they arrived. What arrived next looked like Hariyali Fish tikka’s! I raised a quizzical eyebrow and gently popped a piece in my mouth. It came alive with lovely flavors of a Thai green Curry – Kaffir lime, Basil, Galangal and Chilli. The fish was neither overcooked nor undercooked and the pink of the snapper peaked out now and then. A lemon martini would have been a perfect accompaniment. Unfortunately, I had to drive back home - so alcohol was out of the equation!

(L-R: Grilled Chicken with Citrus Tamarind Glaze, Tsukuni)

The Chicken dishes glided in next. The Tsukuni – a minced chicken skewer, was the surprise favorite. It tasted just like the street food in Bangkok or Malaysia and we gobbled it up without a second thought. The Chef was pleased as punch, because he didn’t expect us to choose this one as the star. We even asked him to move this permanently into the main menu. Fingers crossed! The other two dishes we tried could easily cross over into the main course category. The grilled Chicken with a Citrus Tamarind Glaze was tangy (to say the least) and quite fun on the taste buds. It’s a good thing they served it with charred sweet corn which balances out the tang. The Indonesian Grilled Chicken was marinated with Sambal Olek (red chilli and vinegar paste) and served with an Avacado salsa. This was a let down, because in my mouth the avocado didn’t really gel with the chicken. I finished with the Tsukuni to let the taste of kaffir lime destroy the bland avocado!

On offer in the Meat section was Asian Barbequed Pork ribs, Grilled Lamb Chops and Tenderloin  Medallions with Soya Shiitake Butter. Oh I wish, I wish I hadn’t overindulged in the earlier sections! We were quite full at this point and would have done injustice to the meat course had we ordered it. I peeked into other diners plates and they looked like they were enjoying it, so let’s just conclude that they were palatable.

(L-R: Chocolate Volcano, Tiramisu)

Now because I was full you would assume I didn’t order dessert. Well, you were wrong! Shiro makes an amazing Chocolate Fondant called 'Volcano' and it would have been unfair to my stomach if we din’t eat it. We cut it open and out oozed liquid gold. (That’s what the Mayan’s called Chocolate!). So yes, we polished that off! We also ordered the Tiramisu, but it clearly could not hold a candle to the Volcano.

So what’s my take on the festival? The menu is designed to be a careful accompaniment for your drinks and seeing that Shiro is more popular as a lounge bar, this fulfils the requirement. The dishes on offer might not be authentic Thai, Malay, Chinese or Japanese but the Asian influence is unmistakable. The Chef has definitely tried to cater to the popular palate and there’s nothing wrong with that!  You rather have a happy customer who wants to come back, than offering exotic dishes just for shock value. On the whole, for me it was an evening well spent (though a Martini would have definitely raised it higher!).

The Grill festival is on till the 16^th of December and available both for lunch and dinner. So hurry if you want to catch some yummy grub. Hopefully, the most popular dishes make it into the main menu and then I can have Tsukuni, whenever I want!   

SHIRO

2^nd Floor, UB City Mall,

Vittal Mallya Road,

Bangalore.

Ph: +91 80 4173 8864

Parking: In the Mall

Price Point: Grill Menu from Rs. 300 onwards. Excluding taxes and Service charge .

Quick Fried Rice - A Lifesaver, literally!

Chinese Cooking is an art (At least for me). So attempts of Chinese cuisine at home are few and far between. We do visit the fancy Chinese restaurant for a nice meal, but nothing beats ordering greasy Chinese food from the neighborhood restaurant and settling blissfully on the couch to watch reruns of ‘How I met your Mother’ (Or CSI Miami, if that’s your scene :P). At the end of the meal however there’s always a faint feeling of regret. And regret tastes like a swollen tongue because of the amount of MSG/ Ajinomoto that the local guys use, to kick up the taste of the food. Not nice… not nice at all!

When such derailing urges strike these days, thankfully I don’t need to call the Ajinomoto joint anymore. (No, I don’t have a Chinese chef at home.) But I recently found this brand called Blue Dragon, which makes some amazing stir fry sauces. All I need to do is cut up some chicken and veggies and stir fry them quickly and toss the sauce in to finish! It tastes brilliant :) and even though I know there is some MSG in it, the level is not as high as leaving my mouth feeling like a barren wasteland! The only problem with this situation is that I only have the main course bit covered. Now if I order the noodles or rice from Ajinomoto Joint (that’s not their real name!), it defeats the purpose. That’s when I came across this fantabulous (yes, it’s that satisfying) Quick Fried Rice recipe. It looks and tastes like the real deal and helps complete the meal! Win win! Feels as good as Superman saving the day… well almost!
 

Quick Fried Rice

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Serves: 2

What you need:

2 cups cooked Rice, cold (I like Jeera Sambhar Rice)

2 large Eggs

4 Tbsp Oil for frying

2 Tbsp light Soy sauce/ Oyster Sauce (I prefer Oyster)

2 stalks Spring Onions, chopped

1 tsp Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

Make sure the cooked rice is cold (not fridge cold) and spread out on a large plate. Wash and finely chop the spring onion stalks. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper, set aside.

Now, heat a wok or large frying pan and add 2 Tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs, set aside and clean out the pan.

Add 2 Tbsp of Oil into the hot pan again. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. This is the ‘frying’ part of the Fried Rice. So sauté the rice till it looks like it’s nicely coated with the oil. It requires a bit of constant toss/ stirring action as that’s what gives the rice the restaurant feel. Do this for about 8-10 minutes. Now, stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce and toss the rice and mix well.

When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the chopped spring onions. Serve hot.

Note: For the vegetarian option, omit the egg and use 4 Tbsp of mixed chopped vegetables instead. (Beans, Carrots and Celery).

If you want to take it up a notch for the Non-Vegetarian Option, you can add any one or all of the following in the final stage with the eggs:

a.    50 gms of cooked chicken, cut into small cubes

b.    1 Tbsp of fried Bacon bits

c.  50 gms of Cooked Shrimp

The Bork

Bork @ Monkey Bar, Wood Street, Bangalore

I walked in to a familiar setting. Friends, food and getting wasted on drinks in the afternoon. It was the same this time. Like a warm blanket, familiarity can be comforting. There was a blackboard menu. Some new items of interest had made their way up there. A Beef and Jalapeno Potsticker, even a Salmon Khan! Should I shake things up a bit? The guy in the red t-shirt said yes. But of course he would… he worked there. So I tried it. Nice, but it wasn’t my warm blanket. I stirred my Mandarin Caprioska and told him I was shaken. I need to settle into my grove again. I ordered the Bork.  The pork was double cooked till he turned black. From that point on, he was called Bork. I gently removed the spring onion frills that he had chosen to be dressed with. Sesame seeds stuck to him like thick friends. No matter, the more the merrier. I cut into the Bork, gently lifted a piece into my mouth. The meat was crispy and the fat was soft. I followed it up with a mouthful of vegetables and noodles tossed in Black Bean sauce. The hit of Chili Oil was unmistakable. So the Bork liked his noodles hot…well, so did I.  

Singapore Black Pepper Prawns

Singapore’s most famous dish is undoubtedly the Chili Crab and the Black Pepper Prawns. When you walk down Clark Quay or Boat Quay you will find innumerable restaurants and street café’s serving up these super fiery dishes. The Chili crab is generally made with huge Sri Lankan crabs. If you put both your palms together, the crab will probably be larger than that! I’ve spent quite a bit of money on many many nights in Singapore digging into these critters! Another one of my favorites is the Black Pepper Prawns – buttery, peppery, hot awesomeness! They generally use Tiger Prawns for this with the tails (and sometimes the head on.) You yank the head off and start slurping down the sauce and the prawn meat, then finish by digging out whatever else in left in the tail. At the end of the night you have steam coming out of your ears and are sticking your tongue out and downing litres of beer but you can’t stop smiling, because it was so awesome! So here’s my little imitation black pepper prawns. I used medium prawns with the head and tail off. I cooked them skewered on a bamboo stick. This way it makes for an excellent appetizer or cocktail snack. Don’t expect your guests to behave themselves and eat just one skewer… they are irresistible!

Singapore Black Pepper Prawns on a Stick

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves 4

What you need:

250 gms cleaned Prawns / 500 gms Prawns with the head and Tail on

¼ cup whole black peppercorns, ground

1 Tablespoons Vegetable/ Sunflower/ Peanut oil

30 gms / 2 Tbsp Butter

10 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

1 ½ inch fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced thin

2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

¼ cup water

Coriander leaves to garnish

What to do:

In a small skillet, toast the black pepper for a minute till fragrant. Remove and set aside. Grind roughly with a mortar and pestle till sandy but not fine. Wash and clean the prawns. Now skewer about 4-5 on a bamboo skewer. I do this to ensure even cooking of the prawns.

In a large wok, heat the oil. When hot, add prawns and fry till prawns turn bright red. About 2 mins on each side. They need not be cooked through. Turn down heat and remove prawns from the wok. Now, reheat the wok on medium high and add the butter. When the butter begins to bubble, add the minced garlic and sliced ginger. Fry till fragrant, about 2 minutes. Now quickly add the oyster sauce, soy sauces and water. Bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add in the black pepper, stir to mix. Now add in the prawns and toss to coat well. Cover and steam for two mins. Black pepper prawns ready to wow!

P.S. The black pepper compliments the sweetness of the prawns very well. It’s not so much fiery and scalding the tongue hot as much as the heat from the pepper making the back of the throat go ka-boom! Enjoy… I sure did!

Honey Chilli Chicken

This is the first Asian style dish that I have posted online. Shall we say in honor of the Year of the Metal Tiger, which starts in the month of February. The year of the Tiger is supposed to bring in dramatic changes but a lot can be accomplished if we are resilient. But enough of the astrology advice...this recipe actually doesn’t require much resilience. It’s very accommodating …gives you enough time to watch an episode on the telly while it cooks away contentedly. I use chicken thighs which have a darker meat which is much more flavorful and suited for this recipe. Also I leave the skin on, which results in a crispy outside but moist inside meat. The co-resident’s not much of a fan of honey in savory dishes, but I love the caramelly glaze and the sweet, pungent and tangy combination.. Drool drool!

Honey Chilli Chicken

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 Chicken thighs / 20 Chicken wings

2 tsps minced Ginger

1 tsp minced Garlic

2 tsps Red Chilli Sauce

2 Tbsps Honey

2 Tbsps Lemon juice

2 Tbsps Soy Sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/425ºF. Place ginger, garlic, honey, chilli sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well. Brush the chicken generously with the mixture and place in a greased baking dish. Cook for 30 mins or until chicken is cooked through and skin is crispy. Baste frequently with sauce during cooking. Its done!

P.S. New potatoes, broccoli and carrots are an ideal accompaniment to this dish. I also served egg noodles with garlic, you know I need my carbs!