Best chilli crabs (Singapore)

There are so many good chilli crabs in Singapore and apparently those at hawker centres are really good. I can only introduce some of the big names and I think they well deserve the fame. The most popular ways of making crabs in Singapore are chilli crab, black pepper crab, and white pepper crab.

Here are the crabs from:

No Signboard (Geylang)

Palm Beach (One Fullerton)

Jumbo (East Coast Seafood Centre)

Long Beach (Dempsey Hill)

I like LONGBEACH's black pepper crab most in terms of style of cooking. Long Beach was recently awarded one of Asia's finest restaurant.

I like No Signboard Geylang's dining experience the most. It gives you the authentic taste of street market. It is nice to sit outside with a glass of iced lime juice to wash down the spiciness. I had one of my most memorable meals there with my dear friends. (The lobster might look a bit like crab so remember not to get confused.)

Yum Cha/Dim Sum - Lei Garden (Hong Kong)

"Yum Cha" and "Dim Sum" tend to be used interchangeably these days to refer to Chinese-style brunch. Yum Cha means drinking tea, while dim sum means the little dishes that accompany the tea. Both are essentials for a typical Cantonese style weekend brunch.

There are just too many good restaurants in Hong Kong for yum cha it's hard to pick the best. But the one I frequented is Lei Garden 利苑. It is a Michelin star restaurant but it is unpretentious and very reasonably priced. It doesn't give you the hustle and bustle of a traditional yum cha place so it might not be the best place to go if you are up for the nosiness. Another thing I like about Lei Garden is that they take reservation or else it's really hard to get a table in other restaurants during the weekends.

The typical dishes I would order for any yum cha place are:

Shrimp prawn dumpling (Har Gow)
Steamed pork and prawn dumpling (Siu Mai)
Rice noodel roll with lightly marinated shrimp (Har Cheung Fun)
Steamed sweet pork bun (Cha Siu Bao)
Teochew steamed dumpling (Fun Gor)
Congee of any kind
A veggie dish
Stir fry noodle/rice
A dish that goes with my mood of the day

I especially like Lei Garden's Snow Peak Bun (second pic below).

The dumpings or buns usually come in 3-4 pieces in each basket. The above order list can easily feed 4 people.

As for tea, the usual choices are Pu Erh or Jasmine Heung Pin. I personally like Shou Mei, which is a kind of white tea produced from naturally withered upper tips. 

Ever since I've turned a meat minimizer, I have often ordered the vegetarian variations of the above. They are equally good.

There are many branches all over Hong Kong. The one in Tsim Sha Tsui should be the most famous.

Address: B-2, Houston Centre, Tsimshatsui East, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 2722 1636
Lunch Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Dinner: 6:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m

Website: http://www.leigarden.hk/eng/location/hongkong.asp

Read more: http://travel.cnn.com/hong-kong/eat/best-hong-kong-dim-sum-restaurants-674709
http://travel.cnn.com/how-to-eat-dim-sum-377769

Dessert: Lindt Cafe (Sydney)

One of the best places to go for a dessert in Sydney CBD area is  Lindt Cafe in Darling Harbour. They have a wide selection of chocolates, cakes, ice-cream, and beverages, all made from Lindt chocolate. 

Their hot chocolate fudge sundae and chocolate cake are wonderfully rich. It would be good if you are once in while up for some sugar rush. The waffles, served with white chocolate ice-cream and hot chocolate fudge, are relatively lighter in texture but equally sumptuous in quantity. Latte has always been good.

 

The best thing I like about Lindt at Darling Harbour is the beautiful Darling Harbour itself. Whether it's after a day out and about in Manly or a Sunday concert at the Opera House, you can always take a ferry to Darling Harbour. One of the reasons I was attracted to the Lindt Cafe is the gorgeous view right by its side. Thanks to the lovely weather, it is pleasant to sit outside all year round. The post-dessert stroll along Cockle Bay Whart is also part of the whole experience, a highlight indeed.

Address: Shop 104-105, Cockle Bay Wharf

Cockle Bay NSW

Phone: +61 2 9267 8064
http://www.lindt.com.au/swf/eng/cafe/

Best Egg Benedict - Over Easy (Toronto)

A perfect place to help me begin with first my proper blog entry has be OVER EASY in Toronto, the one on Bloor Street.

Their egg benedict has set the standard so high that I have trouble finding another egg benedict that satisfies me as much. The eggs on toast are poached perfectly. (slightly running is the key! but some restaurants just don't get it.)

Homemade fries are also a revelation, which are wonderfully seasoned and I really like how they are cut into tiny cubes.

I have always missed brunch at Over Easy. It is the place that cheered me up during my university days and it continues to the place that cheers me up when dear HC would go there to eat for me.

Address: Bloor & Queens Park

208 Bloor St. West

Toronto, ON, Canada

M5S 3B4

Phone: 416-922-2345

Hours: 7am-4pm daily 

Website: http://www.overeasyrestaurants.com

I have not tried the other branch at Yonge & Wellington but the one on Bloor is definitely a classic.

I'm hoping to make this blog mainly about food and partly about travelling.

The pages above list some of the good restaurants I tried while I lived in these places.

The lists are being constantly updated.