Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant

It's been a long while since I last embarked on a makan adventure. So I rallied the usual gang and we set off for Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant.

Numerous reviews have already been made on this restaurant and the common grouse was that the quality of the food was inconsistent. Fortunately for us, the visit turned out quite favourably.

The decor was bright, spacious and simple with cosy corners if you want more privacy. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet. Surprisingly, it was also rather empty, with only about one-third of the tables occupied. I wondered  with some trepidation if it was a sign of the food quality.

The menu, though limited, carried the usual Korean fare - soups, grills, rice and noodles. In fact, all the Korean restaurants that I'd been to seem to carry only a limited number of dishes. Is this the norm? Anyway, with FT and JT with us, we decided to play safe and order the usual favourites.

What I look forward to when eating at a Korean restuarant (besides the kimshi) is the interesting sides that are served at the start of the meal. No two restaurants serve the same dishes.  Over at Auntie Kim's, 6 different dishes were served. My favourite was the dried beef jerky with dried chilli. The thin chewy slices were packed with meaty flavour  The kimchi, too, came with good kick.

PT, as usual, went for the meat dishes. The Dak Bulgogi ($14.50) or bbq marinated pork was juicy and delicately flavoured with a hint of sweetness and spiciness.

Next came the Marinated Grilled Short Ribs ($27) which was a hit with FT. I dipped the slices in sesame paste, sprinkled some garlic and red chillis and wrapped the meat with green leafy lettuce. I don't quite know what was put in the marinate, but it kept us coming back for more.

After checking out what the table next to us was eating, I decided to order the Egg Pancake with Seafood ($16). It was a huge serving, enough to feed 4. This was quite a filling dish with a heavy batter. In fact, it tasted like a giant version of the small round oyster pancake that one finds at pasar malams. I couldn't really taste the seafood and I felt that I was just eating a really huge piece of carrot cake.

On the whole, the food was not bad. It did not have the usual heavy handedness of seasoning (and msg) that is frequently found in Korean restaurants.Service as friendly and attentive and prices are reasonable.

Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant

265 Upper Thomson Road

Tel: 6425 2112

Prata @ Serangoon Gardens

PT discovered this Prata joint at Serangoon Gardens and brought us all there for breakfast one Sunday.

Now what do I consider to be good prata? Well, firstly, the prata must be served piping hot. Secondly, it must be crispy on the outside and fluffy inside - got to have that little crunch with every bite. The prata served here meets both criteria. Even the prata with egg was light and airy. Unfortunately, I was almost done with my pratas before I realised that I forgot to take the pictures.

Luckily, I still had the tissue prata. It was crispy and light, right down to the edges. And the generous sprinkling of sugar on the inside made this a hot favourite with JT and FT.

A cup of Teh Tarik was a wonderful, aromatic complement to the meal.

Macau Day 4 (Dim Sum)

On our last day in Macau, we went all out for our Dim Sum Feast. Portas do Sol at the Lisboa Hotel serves one of the best dim sums in Macau. What differentiates this restaurant from the rest is its novel take on traditional dim sum dishes. Service is exceptional too. Tucked away in an obscure corner of the East Wing, it was a tough restaurant to fnd. Nonetheless, it's a highly popular restaurant and be prepared for a long wait if you do not make a reservation.

There were so many interesting items on the menu that we over ordered. Just look at the spread.

The most interesting dish (and one of the tastiest too) was the curry crab tartlets. Fresh crab meat was cooked in creamy delicate curry and served in crumbly little cups of sweet pastry.

The little cubes of steamed brinjal topped with seafood pate was also delicious. The heavy seasoning of the fish masqueraded the taste of the brinjal and PT, who absolutely hates brinjals, was popping the little fellows into his mouth with gusto.

Unlike to usual fried wantons, these came with a refreshing orange dip.

The roast goose was one of the best that I've ever tasted. There was a smokey intensity to the juicy meat. The waitress was concerned that the half goose that we ordered was too much for the 5 of us. Ha! I polished off almost half of the bird on my own.

Just like the East Ocean Restaurant, selected dim sums are served in cute animal shapes. One such dish is the custard bun. Shaped like little porcupines, these little creatures were almost too lovely to eat. (But we ate them anyway)

JT and FT loved the fried rice. Though it was cooked simply with mushrooms and chicken, each grain of rice was coated with flavour.

The glutinous rice was surprisingly tasty. The rectangular pieces of rices were stuffed with sweet meat filling was fried until crisp. I really enjoyed crunching through the crispy exterior and taking a mouthful of gooey rice.

This was one of the best meals we had in Macau. A great end to a fastastic holiday!

Portas do Sol

Hotel Lisboa

2/F East Wing

(853) 8803 3100