While I was at Plaza Singapura Basement 2 and deciding what to have for lunch today, I came across the Xi Hu (www.westlake.com.sg) "kong bah bao" 扣肉包 (stewed pork buns) 西湖小吃 stall. What attracted me to the stall were the big and small food models. There was even a gigantic "kong bah pao" food model (at least 10 times the actual size) displayed at the stall front. When I asked for permission to take photos of the food models, the stallholder told me that approval granted only if I ordered a dish from the stall. I told myself "why not give it a shot?".
I ordered a plate of rice with "kong bah" (stewed pork) and stewed salted vegetable, plus a "kong bah bao" and a cup of lime juice. The "kong bah" was really soft and tender, simply melts in your mouth. I find it much sweeter than other versions I ate previously. The "kong bah" (a big piece and a few small pieces) and stewed salted vegetable went well with plain rice. The combined taste of "kong bah" and lettuce sandwiched between the "bao" was very delicious.
After lunch, I proceeded with photo-taking. Other than the usual "kong bah bao" food models, other food models comprised of spicy beef rice, "chee cheong fun" (rice sheet rolls), sweet and sour soup, glutinous rice and popiah (fresh spring rolls). All the food models were of good quality and looked quite realistic. From my observation, customers could easily identify with the food models and order their food choices accordingly. According to the stallholder, the food models have boosted sales for the stall, and attracted many onlookers. Few pieces of food models were even stolen!
I believe presently, Westlake is one of the very very few local food stalls which believes strongly in food models. Most local food companies/stalls and restaurants still believe that food photography for menus and lightboxes can do a better and cheaper job. I hope that the usage of food models in Singapore will grow significantly in the coming years.
• Food & Beverage 7.5/10 • Ambience 7/10 • Service 7.5/10
One of the Osaka food I missed after I returned to Singapore was Okonomiyaki. I just could not forget the rich and unique taste. To relive the delicious dish, I tried cooking it at home. My Japanese friend from Osaka supported the idea by sending me a bottle of Otafuku sauce (brown sauce like Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter), packets of flour and aonori (seafood flakes). I bought other ingredients like cabbage, onions, carrots, eggs, honey-baked ham, Japanese mayonnaise and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). I used a normal frying pan and some cooking oil. www.otafukufoods.com
As the word "Okonomi" means "what you like" ("yaki" means "fried"), I like my Okonomiyaki to be tasty using simple ingredients. I prepared a bowl of batter mix made up of flour, water, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and chopped onions. I avoided adding too much water so that the ingredients would not spread out while frying. My nephew Sherman was curious about the dish and was waiting in anticipation..haha.
I poured the batter mix onto a frying pan with some cooking oil, using mid-fire. While the underside was cooking, I added a piece of honey-baked ham on top. After about 7 minutes, I flipped over the dish. The honey-baked ham side was cooked for another 5 minutes before I flipped over the Okonomiyaki. Then I added a beaten egg on top and flipped over again. The Okonomiyaki was completed after 3 minutes.
The cooked Okonomiyaki was topped with Otafuku sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and katsuobushi. I was surprised and encouraged by the delicious taste. Sherman liked the dish very much. I cooked Okonomiyaki again twice, using the same ingredients. Perhaps next time I will try other ingredients like cheese, beacon, shrimp, and even kimchi.
Still on the topic of Okonomiyaki, I watched a Japanese TV drama recently entitled "Teppan Girl Akane", starring Maki Horikita (I love watching dramas, movies and documentaries on food and cooking). There are a few scenes which feature Okonomiyaki cooking. Quite impressive. www.tbs.co.jp/teppangirl
For many years, I have always been interested in food models, big and small. It all began in the 1990s when many Japanese restaurants started to emerge in Singapore. Those plastic food models of various Japanese dishes displayed outside the restaurants never failed to fascinate me. Till today, I will do what I can to purchase big and small food models of different cuisines in Singapore and overseas. I am also interested in the process of making the food models and the materials used. During my trip to Osaka in 2006, I purchased a few sushi food models/keychains in Sennichimae Doguyasuji and takoyaki keychain in Namba souvenir shop. I displayed the sushi and takoyaki food models at my computer monitor to liven up my working table.
Singapore Food Miniatures Being a Singaporean, naturally Singapore food is very close to my heart. Going around Singapore and trying all kinds of delicious local dishes is not enough for me. I just want to collect as many as possible Singapore food miniatures to add interest and excitement. For the past few months, I purchased many miniatures from two Singapore ladies, Ms Wendy Chia and Mdm Ang. The ladies use clay to skillfully make miniatures of many Singapore food and snacks, including goodies during festive seasons. The miniatures are good replicas of actual food and are of high quality. My miniatures collection includes food such as satay, hainanese chicken rice, nasi lemak, dumplings, otak, "huat kuey", nonya kuey and so on.
Food Miniature Souvenirs Other than Singapore food miniatures, I aim to collect food miniatures of foreign cuisines. I managed to source for a manufacturer from China which produce food miniatures of Chinese, Japanese and Western cuisines. The miniatures are in the form of fridge magnets, keychains and handphone straps. I imported the miniature souvenirs not only for my own collection, but also to sell them to interested collectors.
Food Miniature Erasers Japanese company Iwako produced very attractive and high quality food miniature erasers (www.iwako.com). The erasers include Chinese, Japanese and Western cuisines. They are so colourful and unique I just do not wish to use them. I purchased a few packs from Popular Bookstore at IMM. The price for each pack ranges from Sing$4.70 to Sing$5.50. Only available at selected Popular Bookstore outlets.
Gokuraku Shotengai Gokuraku Shotengai is a Food Theme Park located at the buzzling district of Dotombori. Occupying 3 storeys of the Sammy Ebisu Plaza building, the Theme Park houses 40 distinctive mini restaurants and stalls which serve famous Osaka cuisines such as Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Kushikatsu and so on. The decor reflects the old Osaka era (Taisho/Showa), full of history and nostalgia. This Theme Park also has a unique feature - various musical performances and shows performed by the Dotomobori Paradise Opera. I was overwhelmed by the size and buzz of the place. To me, Gokuraku Shotengai is like a food court, museum and entertainment hub all rolled into one. www.doutonbori-gokuraku.com/foreign/english.html
Osaka Wet Market Osaka Wet Market, better known as Kuromon Ichiba, is located in the Nipponbashi district. "Kuromon" and "Ichiba" mean "Black Door" and "Market" respectively. The marketplace has been around for over 170 years (formerly known as Emmeiji Market in the Meiji era) and has many shops selling fresh seafood, poultery, groceries, pickled seaweed and vegetables. Cooked food are also sold at cheap prices. The shops not only cater to the general public, but also the restaurants in Osaka. The eateries around the area serve only the freshest food since the market is just nearby. I had the privilege to eat very fresh and cheap sushi and sashimi at a nearby restaurant.
Sennichimae Doguyasuji Sennichimae Doguyasuji is a street wholly catered to both domestic food makers and restaurant/food industry professionals. It has aabout 40 shops, selling all kinds of kitchen-related items - from refrigerators, sinks, furniture, cutlery, to aprons and cash registers. There are also various kinds of Takoyaki pan to choose from, plus plastic food models and signboards for display purposes. It is easy to find a place to have a meal as there are many eateries around the area. www.doguyasuji.or.jp
Osaka Noodles City Osaka Noodles City is a unique food court which has 8 famous noodle shops from all over Japan. The shops serve many types of ramen, soba and udon, such as Kishimen from Nagoya, Hakata and Nagano-style ramen, northern-style chilled udon. There is a souvenir shop where hundreds of brands of instant noodles are sold. The food court has a small exhibition area which showcases the history and origin of ramen, soba and udon. Osaka Noodles City is located at Namba Parks shopping complex 7th Floor.
