Rosita's Deluxe @ Meatsmith

This was a pop up cheeseburger and beer event seemingly by the folks from Cajun Kings & Meat Smith. I did spy David Pynt of Burnt Ends out in the back rubbing shoulders near the kitchen. Anywayyys, those cheeseburgers that they did were actually pretty decent stuff. They had used two slices of different cheeses for good measure (I can't tell what kind) and their juice filled, well salted and crusty patties etched with char was properly treated and delicious. Very much like how it was done in Butchers Club Burgers. I'm not sure how often are these things happening, but I think they've gotten things done right. Much better than that Wildfire Kitchen place at that.

Nakajima Suisan Grilled Fish, Takashimaya Food Hall

tuna cheek shioyaki

gindara teriyaki

This was a lot better than I had expected. I've always seen this grilled fish teishoku shop (#B2-01-1, Takashimaya Food Hall, 391A Orchard Rd) at the corner with their relentless queue and never understood why that was. So today, we finally found out it is because they offer one of the best valued quality grilled fish meals in town. The cod that they served was smooth, tender and flaked off beautifully by the grain and their tuna cheeks grilled with salt was such a pleasure that I'd be hard pressed not to order it again the next time.

Komala Vilas this year

We hadn't been back to Komala Vilas for a while. But today, we managed to break out of the usual rice meal orders and had gotten a rice plate instead. The difference between the meal and the plate would be an additional piece of chapati or poori (of your choice) and that the rest of the food was not refillable. Which actually works as well since the portions were pretty generous already. But we didn't get any thoveyal today

Below's dosai meal served with exactly the same vegetables on the side as the rice plate. I was thinking those vegetables that come with the meals could be a seasonal thing depending on availability, but I don't know if they do seasonal here as opposed to rotating another dish in just for variety. In any case, it was all very tasty.

Joo Chiat Beef King, Chinatown Food Centre

Here's a bowl of beef tendon kuey teow soup from Joo Chiat Beef King. I was initially thinking that the broth could do with a little more flavour, but this light broth slowly grew onto me with each mouthful. The tendons were suitably tender and rocked with the chilli sauce. This could also be the first time I've had these beef noodles with boiled radish.

The best of Good Years

I think I've figured out what are the best things to order from Good Year Chicken Rice (at least for myself that is). Meat from the thighs (also known as ji wei) and breast, a serving of livers, braised eggs and tau kwa. And of course, their chicken rice balls. 

Murugan Idli Shop, Syed Alwi Road

If you didn't already know it, Murugan Idli Shop (81 Syed Alwi Road, tel : +65 6298 0858) is based off a chain from Chennai selling stuff like idli, vadai and dosai. This shop in Singapore has been around for some years and I've been wanting to come down for the longest time. The design of the shop sign is a platter of five steaming idli, so guess what's good here?

We started with a couple of idli. Their ghee podi idli were those steamed rice cakes coated with spice powder and ghee. It was pretty damned good with the chutney that they had ladled over the tray. So good that I scraped the banana leaf clean of them after I ran out of those delicious idli. See the bowl of sambar over at the side? That rocked too.

Some tasty lemon rice in a little plastic bowl served with a helping of delicious chickpeas in an even smaller bowl. Both were easily inhaled.

We tried a meduvadai. The Indian donuts were piping hot and tasted freshly fried with a crisp exterior that covered the moist, dense and soft insides. These fried snacks sure helped us mop up the chutney.

And in the spirit of adventure, I tried their jigarthanda; a sweet milky drink made with agar agar.and The name translated into "cold heart"? It didn't turn up looking like what I had expected, but I guess it was pretty much the same thing. Something sweet and cooling for our recent sweltering heat.