A Party Affair With Willin Low

To be honest, I had never heard of Willin Low, before I received the invitation to a special preview of "A Party Affair" – The Asian Food Channel’s Original Production which premiered on Wednesday, 20 November, 9pm.  Or at least I thought I'd never heard of him.  The venue was close enough for me not to hesitate if I should accept the invitation and brave traffic, for it was walking distance (if it was a nice chilly spring morning perhaps, I forgot that we live pretty much on the Equator, which is at times as hot as Hades..to quote someone I know), and I'd always been curious what the place KITCHEN CULTURE was all about.

Located in the Bangsaria building along Jln Maarof, the sprawling demo kitchens of Kitchen Culture made it the ideal venue for a food demonstration by a celebrity chef.

Anyway, as I sat down and killed time surfing instagram and facebook, it SUDDENLY dawned on me, that I had been following Willin Low willinly all this time, on instagram, under the handle @willcookwilleat.  I quickly text Keropokman (thank God for whatsapp which has made international communication so much cheaper and accessible), and ask him, "Eh, Keropokman ah, is willcookwilleat WILLIN LOW?"

No prizes for guessing WHO the main sponsors are, but in case you missed it, the programme is presented by Del Monte Asia Pte Ltd, and co sponsored by Kitchen Culture and SCS (butter).

Chef Willin was named by the New York Times as one of three chefs to change the culinary scene in Singapore, with his "Modern Singapore Cuisine", and runs four bistros and a bar in Singapore, namely, WIld Rocket, Wild Oats, Relish, and Burger Bench & Bar, and some pop up store which I forget.

We are given an insight as to the type of cuisine that will be featured in the programme.  Basically, he blends our familiar Asian flavours with western "sensibility", whatever that means, in simple steps, so that basically, Anyone Can Host A Party.  Quite the AirAsia of the culinary world.  ie, making it accessible to all...not the budget aspect.

He actually seems very affable, and animated.  A lawyer by training, apparently the talking that lawyers are famous for, helps him maintain that effusive gregarious personality on screen.

The first dish of the day was Penang Laksa Pie Tee.  It basically combines the individual elements of traditional assam laksa, in a simple manner.  He chops up the individual ingredients, mashes up a can of sardines, plops on some tamarind juice to give it that tang, mixes it up.  For the sauce, the usual prawn paste black sauce, (Har Gou), diluted, and using pre made pie tee shells, which are available apparently in the Taman Tun market, he assembles a pie tee, without the hassle of preparing the turnip boiled for hours etc etc.

Chef Willin Low preparing the Penang Laksa Pie Tee ingredients.

Ta dah, Penang Laksa Pie Tee.  I do realise that in demos like these, one cannot really do anything very elaborate, given the time and space constraints.  But also, the very premise of the show is simplicity, without compromising on taste.

The second dish, Seared Scallops Guacamole & Salsa Pie Tee, where Mexican meets Nyonya, which we shall just call Mexiconya.  Or Nyoxican.  Think of the Pie Tee shell as a mini taco shell really.

Very attractive the myriad colors.

We then got to watch the preview of the pilot episode, where actually, he looks vastly different, though sounds the same.

During the Q&A, I ask him how he manages to stay so thin, and if we can trust a skinny chef.  Well, he works out a lot, he says.

A Party Affair airs on Astro's AFC Channel 703.

Jumbo Seafood, Dempsey, Singapore

Whatever differences we may have with our southern neighbours, imaginary or otherwise, there is no denying that as a destination for a short holiday with kids, ignoring the ridiculous exchange rate, Singapore actually has quite a lot to offer in terms of attractions. From whore lined streets, in Geylang, (okay, that wasn't for kids), to large ferris wheels....

Courtesy of my generous uncle, whose son's nuptials we were attending in the island republic, we got to sit in the famous Singapore Flyer....thankfully when we did, for a few days later, the thing konked out, and people were STUCK on it for up to 6 hours. I wonder what it would be like peeing out the window. You'd expect something like that to happen to the Eye of Malaysia, when it was going up and down and around lake titiwangsa, but to their credit, there was no incidences that I am aware of. But Singapore? EFFICIENT old Singapore?

If you don't have to pay, I would highly recommend the ride. It affords fantastic panoramic views of the island, and rumour has it you can even see Malaysia, Tanah Air Gemilangku, on a clear day. Either the island is damn tiny, OR, they simply point to some under developed part left on the island and label it, "Malaysia". At S$30 per head, or thereabouts, it would have cost me and the brood a small fortune to have gone on the ferris wheel.

The other place of interest that we went (sans relatives) was the Singapore Zoo. It was a toss up between the zoo and underwater world in Sentosa, as MY main objective was to see a dugong. When I heard that you could see your dugong, (actually they were manatees, close relatives of the dugong) and feed it too, at the zoo, I was sold. Actually, I misheard. You can't feed it, but you can watch it being fed.

Apart from being very well nourished, unlike their Malaysian counterparts, (I bet you while queueing in animal heaven, waiting for their respective postings on earth, animals must groan loudly when they get posted to Zoo Negara..... must be like Msians being posted to ....dare I say it? S--------?, the zoo animals are also very well trained. On cue, they would strike a pose for you. Which makes me wonder if they aren't National Service trainees in costume....

When all the rellies arriving for the wedding had arrived, Uncle brought us, after lovely pre dinner drinks with gammon ham and cheeses, at the house, to Jumbo at Dempsey Road. Good thing we didn;t eat at Jumbo the night before with Hairy Berry. The last time I went to Dempsey, it was a few abandoned army barracks, with hints of potential, and a smattering of trendy wine bars. Now, my goodness, its changed beyond recognition!!!

Miraculously managing to find a carpark, and being very wary, having just been fined the previous day for not displaying those ubiquitous coupons, at the dinner place with Hairy Berry, ($30 for no coupon...actually I thought the whole island was controlled electronically via the VEP card, hence didn't occur to me to look for coupons), I made my way through the throngs of expats. Recession? Does that mean party?

All of the above were part of the four seasons platter. I loved the scallops with the yam ring. Rather unique.



Another rather unusual dish was this Pumpkin soup Sharksfin... it seems a waste to have that precious stock to be drowned in pumpkin, but the taste was good, and well, it was different. Lots of fresh crab meat.


Till today, I still don't know how to photograph fish, so I shall just concentrate on the lips. The soon hock, or bamboo fish, was okay, I prefer the ones here, both in size and in preparation. But the maternal side of my family lurves their soon hock, and its almost a must have in any family gathering.


The scallops and asparagus were lovely. Fresh plump scallops, sauteed nicely in aromatic oil, almost like XO sauce...hmm, come to think of it, it might have been.


Mini lobsters steamed with egg white. Lovely, but by this time, we were like exploding already. Again, very fresh and sweet. Firm meat, and the method of preparation preserved the natural taste of the lobster.


The pepper crab again. Not sure if it was white pepper, but it was good.








I somewhat preferred the chilli crab here compared with NO SIGNBOARD's. Tastes more like the Malaysian version. A quick discussion with Queen of Crabs however revealed that we both prefer the plainer sauces that don't kill the natural flavours of the crab. And it was unanimously agreed that the Chinks cook shell fish the best!




Lovely ending to the meal, my favourite noodles. Can't really go wrong with noodles. Comfort food. Although at this point, the best comfort we could derive was to empty our bowels.

While waiting for dessert, we popped over to the gourmet shops in the vicinity, Jones, and Culina. Singaporeans are darn lucky, so much choice.

Overall, a very enjoyable culinary experience..... yum. Thanks Uncle.

Romping in The Republic With Hairy Berry, At No Signboard

The republic referring to that little island mass south of our borders. That amazingly organized colony and even spectacular (at some places) scenery. Anyway, truthfully, with an exchange rate matching that of Australia, Singapore is NOT high on my list of "must visit" places, and if it weren't for the fact that we were there for a cousin's nuptials, we'd probably have continued our cuti cuti Malaysia, and lived like kings, with the kind of prices we were paying in Singapore. However, fortunately, because of the generosity of friends and relatives, the overall bill was pretty reasonable.

One of my main benefactors during this visit was the inimitable Hairy Berry. After putting him through much stress to find a suitable venue that was fairly near to me, had easy parking, and is child friendly, he suggested NO SIGNBOARD at the Eastcoast Seafood Centre, just off the ECP. I have never quite gotten used to the abbreviations of the Singapore highways. BKE for Bukit Timah Expressway, AYE for Ayer Rajah, SLE for .... whatever.

Driving in Singapore is a breeze. Everything is so well sign posted, and maps are good, you don't even need a GPS. Found our way to East Coast Seafood Centre in good time, and was actually the first to arrive. Sai Low was also joining us for dinner.

Nothing like a frosted beer glass with icy cold draught to calm the nerves, of having to navigate through a strange land, with 4 kids in the car constantly playing and singing along to Mamma Mia soundtrack.

I wasn't quite accustomed to seeing Hairy Berry in office garb, as the only times I've seen him was when he's back for the weekends. It's like after a scuba diving trip, when you suddenly bump into a fellow diver in the mall, and say, "oh, I've never seen you with clothes on, I almost didn't recognise you". (Real life story).

The claim to fame for most of the Singapore seafood joints are the white pepper crab. Starting at S$40 per kg for Sri Lankan crab, it goes into the hundreds for crabs from white countries. In fact, the next tier up after the Sri lankan crab was the Australian Snow Crab at S$140. Hairy kept assuring me that if you dont convert, the prices are quite reasonable. True, they actually have it good, these Singies. Dollar for dollar, they go a much further distance. A kopi ping in kopitiam is only $0.70, as opposed to our RM1.70. And a noodle in kopitiams are about $3.

I can't believe how green the vegetables are. Just like the zoo. All the animals so perfectly manicured. Everything is perfect in the little island. Penguins dive on cue, tigers pose for photographs, and in case they don't, there's a plastic replica for you to pose with outside most of the exhibits.

Choy tam, fried with garlic. Hard to go wrong here.

Marmite ribs. Oh dear, this is what happens when you blog about events after more than two weeks. Especially if the three weeks that have elapsed are filled with food and more food, everything becomes one big blur, with the help of alcohol. AS FAR as I recall, the ribs were good.

I love deep fried mantous, because they're sinfully unhealthy. These were ordered for the purpose of soaking up the gravy from the chilli crabs.

I think we all unanimously agreed that our Malaysian Chilli Crabs are far better than this particular offering. However, the Sri Lankan Crabs are fleshy, and rather meaty. I remember at one stage they were all the craze here. Huge mothers of crabs, which were then rumoured to have been fed on human carcasses floating off the Ganges. Is the Ganges near Sri Lanka? I lurve Sri Lankan crabs, whether or not they've been fed on human meat. After all, as the song goes, in Lion King, it's the Circle of Life. As long as it wasn't my direct ancestors they were feeding on....Oh, my mistake, I coulda sworn the Circle of Life lyrics were about the food chain....but I just googled it and its not. It's about sapphire skies.

Ah, the white pepper crab. Rather good, I have to say. I love the peppery assault on the palate, and the strands of spring onion. A very delectable dish indeed, I have to say. Brings out the flavour of the crab, unlike the chilli crab which was drowned in the that starchy gravy. Hmmm, I kinda feel like having some now. KL got ah? Sure must have one leh. Calling out to the Queen of Crabs, Precious Pea.....oh knowledgeable Regina Crabus, where can we get White Pepper Crab in KL?

Wat Tan Hor Fun. Mainly ordered for the kiddos. But tasty enough, and was our main carbs for the night.


I am sure the pro-life people would be appalled at the amount of roe that was prematurely killed along with this mother crab. But heck, it was DEEEEELICIOUS!!!! Just look at that that!!! I can almost hear my pharmacist (Ciki, help, help!) stocking up on a year's supply of Lipitor for me, in anticipation.....

Actually Hairy Berry did a very very naughty thing, and PAID!!!! ARGH!!! My Sai Low, who has been working in Singapore for years now, made a feeble attempt to fight for the bill, (that Chinese game, of Quick Draw Credit card mcgraw)..... The bill in ringgit terms is staggering, but Hairy Berry assured us that it was okay as long as you don't convert. Hey Hairy, thanks heaps, owe you a big big dinner in KL okay.

Happy New Year everyone, welcome back all my dear friends from London, Krabi, Sydney, (in order of their arrival dates)....and here's to a gluttonous, culinefarious, 2009.

More Money Spent on Cooking Related Stuff, in Pantry Magic etc

Actually, I wish I had a larger kitchen, or more storage space. So many things to buy, so little space to keep.

During my recent trans Malaysia sojourn for the annual filial ritual of Qing Ming, dad, son and me traversed more than a 1000km. Starting from KL to JB, popping over to Singapore to visit relatives, back to JB, then to Kuantan, and Kuantan back to KL. Our hotel in JB was next to Kotaraya complex, and don't underestimate these small town supermarkets. (ok ok, JB is hardly a small town...but you know what I mean). I have been looking for a long time now, for an EIGHT inch, ie, 20cm, springform pan, but they seem virtually impossible to find. The ones in Chang Tung are 9". And not cheap. So, I was thrilled to find in the supermarket there an 8" springform pan, non stick and all, for only RM14.90!!!

But of course, that wasn't the highlight of my culinary quests. I had all but given up hope of being able to pop over to Pantry Magic in Holland Village. We got into Singapore at 5pm, dinner was about 7pm, and I was told not to venture to those parts from where we were, coz of the jam. Killed time by wandering around the neighbourhood mall, in Upper Thompson Road. Then, miraculously, after dinner, dad wanted to hang around to spend time with his brother, and my cousin offered to drive me to Holland Village...(after I innocently asked for directions). Ah, relatives, they're always so hospitable.

So, with eager anticipation, we went there. Its brighly lit, located on the corner of Jalan Merah Saga, with a misleading back entrance, .....anyway, entering the shop, you'd think you were in some Caucasian country, as almost all the customers were caucasian. It's similar to the one I went to in Peddler Street HK last year, but bigger. I dunno if the latter has been renovated since. Lots of silicone ware, ceramic ware, that rotary cheese grater that Nigella uses. I had to stop myself from going overboard. Also, I kicked myself for not having my OCBC card, which entitles you to 10% discount. ARGH!!!! There goes two pieces of cake. Scanpans, silpats, trendy looking weighing scales, assortment of knives, thermometers, normal baking pans....

Finally, I settled on a few items that I usually would use, and guess what?? I managed to find my SQUARE PIE TIN!!!!!! See PIE ARE SQUARE post. Very expensive, SD29, but what the heck, since I was already there. Also got a silpat kinda mat, a digital thermometer to stick into wherever, a silicon pastry brush, a silicon oven mitt.


Bear in mind that my normal camera is konked, and I'm using a cheap chiplak camera.

Also, from the recent MPH 20% sale, I managed to get these books. Delia is really good for beginners, like me. At RM101 per book, it is not something affordable without a sale. However, they are hard cover and have nice visuals.