Tao's Restaurant

It was The Husband's birthday last Sunday and on Saturday, a few of our friends suggested we have lunch together at Tao's restaurant.

The last time I visited this place was about 3 years ago and it was a coincidence that my friend should suggest this restaurant because Petunia just blogged about it a few days back.

Tao's restaurant serve only set meals - you can choose between a 6 course meal or a 7 course meal for lunch. For dinner, the only option is the 7 course meals.

6 or 7 course sounds like a lot of decisions to make. Fortunately, the menu is fairly simple and we found ourselves able to order our food in no time at all.

The Husband didn't think the food was spectacular but I thought I had a very decent meal.

I enjoyed most of the dishes I ordered.

The first course was fluffy buttered toast with a cheesy bacon and mushroom gratin. I liked the toast but did not fancy the gratin as it was a little too oily and cheesy for me.

The salad I had was a Japanese noodle salad and I felt this was just very average. The husband had a prawn roll with floss which he didn't really like.

The soup however, was good. I had the thick mushroom soup which I really enjoyed and The Husband liked his fish consommé.

For the main, I opted for the steak and I was most impressed with this. The beef was well flavoured and extremely tender. I wasn't given a steak knife for this and it wasn't required. The beef was that tender! The Husband had the pork ribs which was supposedly the house specialty. He thought it was fine but nothing to shout home about.

For dessert, I had a poached pear which I rather enjoyed. It wasn't mind blowing.. but it was presented in an interesting manner - with mint leaves stuck on top of a little pear, so it was a nice ending to the meal. The tiramisu The Husband had was also above average.

I enjoyed the drink that came with the meal very much. I had the summer peach tea and even though I was having a bit of a flu that day, I could really taste the fragrant tea..

Tao's Restaurant

1 Selegie Road
PoMo #B1-19
Tel: +65-6339-8858

Things to do before September

After September, life will be really busy and probably different from now. Happy encouraged me to think of things that I want to do before September.

I've decided I'm going to have a check list of 10 simple items..

1. Bake a cake.
My last cake was... oh dear.. when was it.. Combing through my blog, I think it was September last year. Gulp, yes it been that long? The last cake The Husband baked was in December last year.

The Beast has been very lonely of late. I feel guilty now.

There is a green tea pound cake recipe I've been keen on trying.

Another cake I really want to bake is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, from a recipe I saw from Rachel Allen.

2. Bake some bread
Again, my last one was so long ago, I can't even remember now. I should make and freeze a whole batch for breakfast..

3. Catch a movie in the theatre
It has been a while.. I've watched plenty of movies in planes and on the iPad. But it'd be nice to watch one in the cinema.. with a small bag of popcorn.

4. Go for high tea with friends
Not that I haven't been recently. My latest visit was to the one at 10 Scotts. But one can always do with my high teas.

Anyone keen? ;)

5. Go for a walk at the Botanic Gardens
It's been a while.

Some fresh air and exercise would be good.

6. Organise a party
It's been a while but I think a Barbeque with my family would be nice. I can make a nice Homemade Salsa to go with chips that my family can munch on whilst the fire starts. And I can marinate some really nice Ping Gai chicken for the barbeque.

7. Cook something with Mum
With my parents now retired, mum has been whipping up lots of wonderful food for us. I'd like to cook either some rice dumplings with her or some deep fried prawn crackers.

It'd be a nice time together and I get to learn something..

8. Meet up with some of my ex-colleagues for lunch
I have a whole list of ex-colleagues and ex-clients I want to meet for lunch. Should try to do lunch with at least one of them every week from now on.

9. Go for a massage
I've not gone for one since our Bali trip.. It'd be really nice to have a relaxing massage...

10. Go for a short trip somewhere
I've been to London, Bali and Switzerland already this year.. but another trip somewhere near would be nice - like Malacca or Port Dickson. I really do want to go to Hong Kong, but I don't think we have time for that.

Even Malacca or Port Dickson may not be very possible - My weekends seem pretty packed already!

Chey Sua Carrot Cake at Toa Payoh

Taken with iPhone

Fried carrot cake has to be one of my favourite breakfast. Now, fried carrot cake has got nothing to do with baked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The carrot cake we are talking here are the steamed types, not unlike steamed yam cake but generally softer. The steamed carrot cake is cut into pieces and fried with some chai-poh pieces (these are "salted turnips" - deliciously salted and yet sweet tasting) and egg. Some people add sweet dark soya sauce to the fried carrot cake and that is commonly called the "black version" of fried carrot cake. Others add only seasoning like salt and pepper and this is commonly called the "white version" of fried carrot cake. In both versions, chilli sauce is an option.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake at the Toa Payoh Lorong 1 Food Centre sells one of the best "white version" of carrot cake I've eaten. The carrot cake came looking like rosti. It was crispy on the outside and also looked like someone was lightly brushed it with a thin layer of chilli sauce.

When you bite into it, the contrast of the soft carrot cake and the crispy egg layer makes this a winning dish. The chilli sauce and "chai-poh" pieces adds to the flavour of the dish.

Apparently this store closes promptly at 1pm daily (except Monday when the store doesn't open at all). The owners looked rather fierce (they were telling off a customer before me that he had waited for 45 mins as they informed him and not the 1 hr he insisted he had waited) and yes, the wait is a little unbearable (I was told the wait was 45 mins as well. I waited for 40 mins).

But it is a very good fried carrot cake and one that I'd probably be willing to wait for 45 mins at some point in the future again.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake

Block 127 Toa Payoh Lorong 1
#02-30
Open Tues-Sun from 6am to 1pm (Closed on Mon)