The Hungry Bunny

It's been eons since I was last here at the Far East Square outlet of the Original Hock Lam Beef Noodle (I was a pupil then!). The restaurant's still as bustling as ever, and the beef noodles still rank as one of the best in the market. As with all CBD eateries, weekday lunchtimes are heavily trafficked, so expect to wait in line for a table. Turnover is pretty fast though, so you won't have to wait very long. The Beef Kway Teow Soup ($8.90) was full-bodied but balanced, littered with shavings of meltingly tender beef. The Chunky and Sliced Beef Kway Teow ($8.90) was slathered in a velvety gravy potent with herbal accents, while parboiled beansprouts lent a refreshing crunch. For big appetites, an extra side of Beef Balls Soup ($4.50 for 5 pcs) should hit the comfort spot squarely. These were tasty and springy. The lackluster Beef Hor Fan ($9.90) was bathed in a silky egg-drop gravy but insipid. This needed a good salting to amp up the flavours. Th...

This is the twist on the Carbonnade that I made a few weeks ago. Steeped in the smoky rich undertones of Guinness, the beef was imbued with bold and sweet flavours. Ingredients (feeds 6 pax): 1.5 kg beef chuck 1 onion, diced to 1cm cubes 5 shallots, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 carrots, diced to 1" cubes 1 1/2 cup sweet young green peas 500gm white button mushrooms 400ml stout, about 1 bottle 2 cups beef stock 1 cup chicken stock 2 tbsp honey (brown sugar works in a pinch) 2 bay leaves 15 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into bundle with butcher's twine Dash of cayenne 2 tbsp tomato paste 5 tbsp bacon fat-infused oil Salt to taste Directions: 1) Brown beef in oil, salting liberally, searing quickly on all sides, working in batches. 2) Set aside and reserve in a large pot. 3) Using the same browning pan, fry up the garlic, onions and shallots till soft and caramelised, about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. 4) Add carrots and fry till slightl...

I don't really see this flavour around much, but after the salted caramel macadamia cake , this takes the second spot on my favourites' list. The Coffee Walnut Cake ($7.80) marries the heady robust coffee notes with the bitter undertones of walnuts. Soft crumbly sponge swiped with lashings of glorious rich buttercream. Fantastic in its lusciousness and absolutely sumptuous. Chalk Farm 290 Orchard Road Paragon B1-K5A Tel: 6235 2872 Open daily from 10am to 10pm Website: www.thechalkfarm.com

The homestyled cooking class (US$35) organised by Awesome Travel (a little on the nose, isn't it??) was highly recommended by a friend. The fact that this was the only highlight of a trip that he'd hated said volumes. Credit has to be given to this cooking class, which was instrumental in inculcating my new-found love for Vietnamese cuisine.  I never knew Vietnamese food could be this varied, or this delicious! With a strong focus on a symmetry of the yin and yang, all that we ate was just so light and fresh and scrumptious. This was very much clean eating at its finest. There are 2 classes each day; the first from 9am to 2pm; and the second from 3pm to 8pm, so you either enjoy a yummy lunch, or dinner. We were picked up from our hotel and brought to this humongous compound next to the red river (its name's derived from the brick colour of the waters). The owner of Awesome Travel lives here with his family. The pet python in the garden, snoozing all through the ...