Food that makes you go hmm....

In Singapore, we have food that might make those weak at heart faint. Am sure it's true for every country so am going to share with you some of my favourite hmmm food.

The Malay word for these little fellas are 'siput' and it's cooked with coconut milk to get this spicy thick gravy. If you're on a diet, skip slurping the gravy but you're really missing on something very nice. My mom makes really great Siput Lemak but the preparation is quite horrid cuz you get these fellas live and they will be crawling all over. And you got to cut the ends. Why? Cuz the way to get them out is to suck them using your mouth *laughs* I know the whole process sounds horrid but trust me, it's really worth it!!! If you don't want to go through the hassle of chasing after these little fellas, go to Hjh Maimunah Restaurant at 11 Jalan Pisang Singapore 199078 (Tel : 6291-3132) cuz they have one of the best Siput Lemak around.

Another seafood that's a favourite among us locals would be these Gong Gong :o) Told you we have some odd names for what we eat. I have no idea why they are called Gong Gong but like the siput, getting to the meat is quite a ritual. You use a tooth pick to dig the meat out, throw the pointy bit (you can see it sticking out from the shell from the picture below) and eat the rest with soya sauce mixed with sambal or chilli padi. These can be easily found at any seafood place and easy to prepare cuz it's basically you just need to boil and serve.

And then you have these chicken claws or chicken feet. Yes, the feet. I hear the 'eeeewwww' but really when cooked properly like these ones, they are so flavourful (thanks to the spices) and very tender that they melt in your mouth. These ones are from Victor's Kitchen at 91 Bencoolen Street, Sunshine Plaza #01-21 (Tel 98382851). Lots of people go there so be prepared to wait some to get a table.

Alrighty, will stop here for now in case some of you are not feeling too good :o). Will post more of such dishes in small installment for your viewing (and hopefully tasting) pleasure. Be adventurous, go forth and try my friend!

Post and pictures by Zilla.

Conveyor Belt Sushi @ Sushi Don

These conveyor sushi belt places are really awesome. Love the way the plates of different yummy food go by one by one and it's not possible to resist the temptation to take this plate, that plate, the next one and the one after that! And I always end up having way too many plates. Just can't help myself. There are several choices for us to choose from but thanks to a good friend Mag who introduced me to Sushi Don, Slawek and I usually go there for good handrolls. They also have Thai and Korean dishes but we have my top picks from there that are must haves and they are usually the Japanese items. There is one Sushi Don at Funan Mall (along North Bridge Road) and another along Rendezvous Hotel (opposite where SOTA's campus will be at).

The handrolls are really good. I don't like the ones at Sakae Sushi cuz they tend to be rather stingy on the fillings and it's always a battle when I bite into the handroll as the seaweed sheet is so tough. But at Sushi Don, the seaweed sheets that they use are fresh and crispy and it's such a joy to sink our teeth into them. What I usually go for are their spider handroll (soft shell crab) and their salmon skin handroll. The others are just as good.

I have never been a fan of raw salmon and yes, I have been missing out on the good stuff. I usually like my salmon grilled but when we were at Sushi Don the last time, I finally tried one from Slawek's plate and yes, I LOVED IT. The above dish was so pretty to look at that I had to try one and no regrets. But at the moment, I can have about two pieces of the raw salmon maximum and am still enjoying the taste. Am not sure if I can handle anymore than that for now. Maybe will sneak in another piece the next time I am there and see how that goes.

Another favourite of ours is their unagi. The unagi sushi that they serve are generous in portion and are really moist. Am just drooling looking at the picture that we took from our last visit *grins*.

Other things that I would have would be their fried white bait, fried calamari, chawamushi and loads of other stuff that I didn't take pictures of. Just way too many plus it will reveal what a glutton I am! Am a carnivore but when I feel like having some greens, I like munching on these Japanese beans and they are so easy to make at home too. But I usually end up having them when we're at Sushi Don and I am feeling guilty about not having any veggies in my meal.

Anyways, if you're in the area and feel like having some conveyor belt sushi, give Sushi Don a try and you must try their handrolls. The staff there are really nice too and oh yes, don't place the plastic cover back on the belt. The staff there will come by and take it from you. So just put it to the side for them to pick up. Price wise? For the coloured plates, the prices range from $1.90 to $6.90 (red premium plates) . It's really not too bad and we feel that it's good value for money. Here's one last picture to help whet your appetite. By the way, what's the Japanese version of Bon Appetit?

Post and pictures by Zilla.

About Słowik and Zilla...

A few words from Zilla:

I am a true blue Singaporean and that means that I have been put on this Earth to enjoy food - all sorts of food be it Western or Asian. I love my chillies and I have it with everything. I was told that chillies kill the taste and flavour of food but I beg to differ. Chillies help to enhance the flavour and for food that has no taste, just a dash of chilli will make a huge difference. If I had to choose my last meal, it would probably be good nasi padang with paru goreng, sambal sotong, ayam masak merah, siput lemak and lots of chilli padi *grins* And of course it will include desserts and I love cheesecakes basically. Will have to do several posts dedicated to different cheesecakes in Singapore ya. And also good carrot cake with a generous spread of cheesey cream on it. Alrighty, am drooling already thinking of all these yummy food. On Makan Central, it's basically where we will share our eating experiences with you - the good, the bad, the ordinary and even the down the odd food that we may come across. Till then, keep coming back to check out our posts!

A few words from Słowik:
My attitudes towards food have so far spanned the gamut of cravings to the point of addiction and total indifference. Right now I am somewhere in between. I have no favourites. I also do not have any foods that I do not like although there are some I prefer more or less. I grew up on Polish food during the times when the iron curtain was drawn. So the food was simple but healthy. Delicacies, such as ham and bacon (not the common bacon strips), were once a year treat for Christmas. The general attitudes towards food were totally different to those in Singapore. Perhaps it was because unlike in Singapore where food is available almost everywhere and almost any time of day, there it was a mostly private affair in one's home. I am in search of my favourites but I do not hold out much hope of finding them at this stage. Although I am ready to be surprised. Should you come along for this journey you may be surprised, too.