Kitchen Un-Confidential

This place was supposed to be SECRET.

This place was to be our family thang, if you get what I mean.

I don’t mean to be selfish but after a while, Singapore can be pretty teeny weeny. And you don’t get to keep things to yourself, especially yummilicious grubs. Majorly due to the influx of national food shows that sniff out all the famous hawker stalls, high-profile restaurants, and ulu areas – notably Makansutra Raw, Sweets For My Sweet and Makan Places : Lost And Found.

Not famous or on tv? Hop onto the cyberspace wagon and say your piece via unsupervised food blogs, general forums, and the latest application on Facebook – Local Picks. Plus all the monthly magazines and weeklies give stars, bow ties and bowls to determine the “goodness” and “oomph-ness” of each bite and a whole lot of yada, yada…So I’m confused, faced with a sea of obvious choices and a growing unbelievability in these so-called food critics, both bona fide and the unqualified.

Everyone has an opinion, and has a need to tell everyone else about it.

I’m no different. So here’s my odourific secret – EVEREST KITCHEN (55 Chander Road). It’s a cosy restaurant at the end of Rotan Lane which packs in mainly Nepalese every day. A few walk-in tourists and adventurous locals are pleasantly surprised here for many reasons.

1. Love the brass bowls – made by hand in Nepal…We wanted to buy them but no sirree…not for sale.

2. Simple menu that’s easy to read with pictures – awesome for people like me who know absolutely nothing about Nepalese fare…in fact. I’ve never been to the mountainous country or near it.

3. Prices are astonishingly low – food’s satisfying and definitely worth its pennies. Why? Read on.

4. The momo’s, which is one of the signature dishes, are true to its original taste – heavier skin than the one used for xiao long bao, stuffed with moist minced chicken, sans juice. Dipped lightly in chutney, the result makes you want to go - ole ole ole ole! And do the Kallang Roar. It’s simple and tasty. Goal! (ard $7/8 pcs)

5. Shrimps tucked overflowingly in a halved papaya, submerged in light creamy sauce, is happy food! Eaten on its own or with Bismati rice, or even with raw garlic bits brushed on fresh naan, the flavour rush is addictive – succulent, tender and fresh. ($12-ish) Goes well with cold beer.

6. Allergic to crustaceans? Some unusual greens will hit the spot – fried lady’s fingers sliced razor-thin and dunked into hot oil. Result? Vegetable Chips. Mmmmm… ($6, methinks)

7. If you’re the sort who prefers to keep your food loot to yourself,

ask for a personal lunch or dinner set for only five bucks. You’ll get a huge selection comprising chicken or mutton chunks slammed with curry, heavy dosage of mixed vegetables, big pool of dhal, a spot of spicy dip and a pile of your favourite naan, Bismati rice or both. Trust me, before you’re even halfway done, you’ll be moved to saving the leftovers for lunch the next day.

8.. Skip dessert. Have a marsala or ginger tea instead...spy...seee...!!

I am SOLD to this place…my very good friends have been escorted by moi. And they absolutely loved it. In fact, they can’t believe the check everytime it appears – “it’s so cheep!”.

They don’t have a Nets facility here but they do accept major credit cards, and of course, cash.

And it’s just a 3-minute walk from Little India MRT, Exit E.

It’s accessible, comfortable, affordable, hygienic, air-conditioned, managed well by friendly service ladies and yummilicious. Sounds too good to be true? Believe it. I wonder if they deliver…

My Green Loves - The Last Instalment

One of the many good surprises I had in the last hours of 2006 lies in this four-lettered word : Aiwo (Raffles City Shopping Centre).

Extremely tasty and not a busy sight at all, the New Year’s Eve lunch I had was outstanding. The Omega-3 lunch plan was yummy-doodles. I’ll let the pictures do the talkin’.

The main course I had was a medley of mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli tossed and marinated tandoori-style. Very Indian. I like! And it seemed as though I might not get to see the white of the plate after a good thirty minutes of active fork-stabbing, teeth-crunching exercises.

What kept me going was the upcoming surprise which would complete the trilogy experience :)

Voila! The dessert left me lingering for more – chocolate and green tea parfait with berries reduction. Smooth, rich and sexy. I savored every spoonful from expresso-dessert cup to willingly-parted lips. Again and again. I would like to think that the sweetness and chocolate ingredient ingested (rather quickly) could be attributed to a sugarless sugar substitute. And that all the calories were sucked out of the unforgettable sweet before it landed in front of me on the dining table by the kitchen angels. Uh-huh...

Truth or dare, folks?

For those who prefer meat and veggies sharing the leading role on the table, Aiwo also offers generous portions of salmon and chicken for your masticating enjoyment.

And the sinless = guiltless chocolate cake is also irresistibly available.

Come on, take a go at it. Who knows, you might lose everything (unwanted double chin, useless fat cells, bloated silhouette), and gain nothing except the check (a.k.a. bill).