RUN FOR THE SEAFOOD !

The PRELUDE was an evening run at East Coast Park.  Weather was nice and slightly breezy, some had to cut short their usual long distant run and the rest at their own pace before we meet at East Coast Lagoon Park.  I was to do the ordering of the popular Satay Bee Hoon, but unfortunately, it was close for the day and there goes our best garb after a run.  I usually do the queueing up but this round, we each got Or Luak, Chicken Wings, Satay etc and had a feast.

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The next day after the run, we had the next marathon, but this time, we are going to waste the calories burnt the nite before as head to Turf Club City for a seafood dig at AH YAT SEAFOOD RESTAURANT.  It was a SEAFOOD MARATHON
 

Besides, we actually cancelled another booking as this place offers free cockage and someone brought two bottles.

There was so much as we had ordered from DISH 1 - Bamboo Clam to DISH 14 - FRESH PRAWN IN CHINESE WINE besides DISH 15 - free Bubor Cha Cha offered by the restaurant.   All for SGD510 including GST ann Service Charge.  

Bamboo Clam, a mollusc and the dish is very tasty, slightly chewy and if you dont like garlic, there's plenty toppings added to the clam meat.  It's about 5~6" each though I would prefer the 3~4" ones which is sweeter.  It cost about $4 for each clam.

The scallop is also in its authentic shell, usually the gleaming pearl shell but here it is served in a diferent patterned shell but it's fresh from the tank and it's the sweetness and freshness that wows you.

We had 2 big Sri Lankan crab and two local ones and cooked in three different styles of black pepper, salted egg yolk and chilli but some of the crabs seemed hollow with little flesh.

Fit for the king, we each had an abalone each though it was quite unlike the taste we used to have during Chinese New Year taken from the tin can and the preserved taste.  This is fresh, less briny and easy to the bite.

Two type of fish servings after buying one patin and one sea bass.  The patin, a freshwater fish does not have the muddy taste but I am sure this is pond reared and the meat is very smooth.  It goes very well with the chilli assam gravy.

The fried beef may not be a seafood but this dish is very well cooked, soft tender cubes and wonder if they have a cow ranch at the former Turf Club.

What a nite, so much food and wine for ten of us that we wonder if we are going to have any such meal for months...

AH YAT SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

200 Turf Club Road

#03-01/02

Main Grandstand, Turf City

Singapore 287994

SIMPLY MALAYSIA - MING KEE CHAR SIEW

Whilst the rest of the group made a beeline to shopping, I knew precisely where to head for.  The much hyped about Ming Kee Char Siew was elusive the last three times as it was closed by the time I got there.  It is claimed to be the best in KL but I have already tried Overseas Char Siew which was Mmmmm.....Mama Mia, no words for such flavourful char siew when Dr Leslie brought me there.

I was early as it will start selling at 11.30am and it is usually sold out before 3pm.   Whilst waiting for the roast char siew to be ready, I wasted no time to meet Uncle Leong who was silently hovering over the "stove" his self-made oven formed out of a darkened drum, the traditional stove with strong fire to char the long streaks of prok and a basin below to catch the drippings.

I also spotted the "wu hwa ro", a large slab of a special cut of pork which he uses for the char siew.  The skin with some fat was left out and he only carved out the leaner meat with some fats. Why? more fats please!

What is so special about KL Char Siew as compared to Singapore Char Siew?   KL char siew has that oomph in that eat bite of the char siew, you could savour the very charred side that gives you the kick, the leaner part and the best component is the fat that comes with it for the melt in the mouth experience. 
Of course the ingredients and the technique of roasting plays a big part and the final result is a unique form of barbequed meat that is well liked by everyone.

Why the word Char Siew?  I asked my colleagues who were with me and I got the correct answer.
Char is the fork that pierced the long streaky meat and Siew is roast.  Silly that I thot otherwise earlier that char as in abbreviation of  CHARRED Siew.  

Ming Kee Char Siew has been around for 21years and they have shifted from one street away Tong Shin to the current Jalan Alor.

My Verdict:  Relative to Overseas Restaurant char siew, Ming Kee Char Siew is slightly tougher and leaner whilst I wish for more fat and a softer texture. It is unlike Overseas Restaurant signature char siew which has thicker caramelized charred parts, fat to meat ratio and soft meat for the Crunch, Melt and Bite Feel All Rolled in One.   If I had not tried Overseas, I would have gone gaga over Ming Kee too.

Ming Kee Char Siew is certainly yummy to go with beer which I had and I chomped through without any rice.  The plate with generous thick cuts of char siew cost a premium price of RM20.00.