2015 January

What’s in a name? WHAt’s in a NAMe? WHA NAMe? HWA NAMe? HWA NAM? HUA NAM?

You know what, they’re so badass they can’t be bothered. If you are coming from further out, you’d see “HWA NAM RESTAURANT”, and so be it. And if you happened to walk down from along the five-foot-way, you’d see “HUA NAM RESTAURANT”–and that is really your problem.

If you noticed the main signboard above the shopfront, you would even see the owner’s name right there on a notice in the four major languages of Singapore; “so-and-so is licensed to sell by retail intoxicating liquors for consumption on these premises.” Like a boss; very nice. What were you selling again?!

Well, we’ve eaten here for years, and so closer observation in a different light does bring a lot of chuckles. If you notice the eagle-eyed boss staring at you from behind the front counter bastion, don’t be alarmed; he simply suspects you are a cowboy from out of town–he knows very well–badass places attract badass people.

Hua Nam sells “Hong Kong” Dim Sum and Pastries, Fish or Chicken Porridge, Roasted Meats with Rice, and an extensive range of Zi Char dishes. They have been around for a long time, and so you will see many regular customers coming in to take away Dim Sum and pastries. It is very important for Dim Sum to have good turnover, so that the delicate wheat starch or rice flour skins do not become soggy and sticky, and the fillings are not overcooked or start to smell of the wooden steamer baskets.

The selection we got was fresh and what you would expect to eat when going for Dim Sum. Fillings were succulent and sufficiently distinct in taste to make each dish enjoyable and satisfying. The beautiful thing about Dim Sum is that you are able to eat morsels of foods with different flavours in a few rounds–a “carousel of indulgence”, if you will. And this we had even with the light selection we had.

Another favourite here is their fried rice–and more specifically the luncheon meat fried rice. Yes, it isn’t the most healthy… But with the healthy amount of wok hei and the familiar comforting flavour of luncheon meat, this fried rice is one that will surely bring you back to your younger days of such simple pleasures!

Hua Nam Restaurant = 82 Brownie Points!

There’s a reason why we keep coming back; “haunt” status for us!

Hua Nam Restaurant
244-F Upper Thomson Road
Thomson Garden Estate
Singapore 574369
Tel: +65 6453 3645
Opening Hours:
7:00AM to 11:30PM
Closed on Mondays

If you do a Google search, you would realise that there are more than 2 million pages claiming to have the best buttercream frosting recipe! But right here, right now, we are going to give you the true, real, undisputed, undeniable, absolute best one. =P  But truth be told, how was this magnificent frost spell bequeathed to us? It was an order from a master–well, actually it was an order from a customer. =)  They were going to use our brownies in small cute jars–inter-layered with pretty sprinklies and butttttercream frosting–as some fun food activity.

So off to the workshop we went… And we are going to share our yummy secrets with you! If you bake at home–cupcakes, sponge cakes, layered cakes, rolled cakes, brownies (but you really should just get them from this place called P.Osh…), cookies–try this out and let us know how it goes!

First, some basics. We use a mixture of butter and margarine because margarine is more stable in warmer temperatures, and our sunny Singapore isn’t the coolest of places (temperature-wise!). Using purely butter may cause the buttercream to be overly soft or even oily and wet when the temperature goes up, causing it to be very difficult to use and maintain. Yet, we can’t totally remove butter as we need it to provide that good richness and creaminess that you can’t find anywhere else. You may play with the ratio of Butter to Margarine based on where your final product is going to be hanging out: indoor air-conditioned or outdoor shade, etc. There is the last resort of using some shortening in the fat mix when the product is going to be in really warm temperature, because shortening is exceptionally stable at room temperature–it would even not melt in your mouth (body temperature), so just imagine what happens when it goes into your body. And that is terrible for us; run far away from shortening if you had the choice.

Sugar content must strictly be Powdered. Powdered Sugar “stabilises” the fat so that it is able to easily accommodate air beaten in, resulting in a soft and fluffy frosting. It also provides a structure for your frosting when it is used. The sugar on the outer surface of the product also crystallises when exposed to air, forming a nice slight crust. More sugar makes the frosting more stable; but be careful, too much sugar makes your frosting go grainy and tough, making it difficult to spread or pipe.

Vanilla Essence gives flavour and balances the richness of the fat and the sweetness of the sugar. Milk gives it another dimension of richness. Milk and Vanilla Essence also add moisture to your frosting so that it is smooth and creamy, which makes it easy to use. You may play with these wet and dry ingredients (sugar) to make the exact texture that you require.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (enough to top about 10 standard cupcakes)
40 g Butter
60 g Margarine
300 g Powdered Sugar (or Icing Sugar)
10 ml Vanilla Essence (or 2 tsp)
10 ml Milk

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (enough to top about 10 standard cupcakes)
40 g Butter
60 g Margarine
200 g Powdered Sugar (or Icing Sugar)
100 g Cocoa Powder
10 ml Vanilla Essence (or 2 tsp)
10 ml Milk

Directions
1. In a large bowl, add Butter, Margarine, Powdered Sugar, and Cocoa Powder (if making Chocolate Frosting) and combine with a spoon or electric mixer. Go slow at this time because you do not want a sugar or chocolate cloud floating around your home!

2. Once combined, increase speed of mixer (or hand… haha!) to medium to mix thoroughly. Scrape the base of the bowl to ensure consistency in the resulting mixture.

3. Add Vanilla Essence and Milk and mix with electric mixer at high setting (at this point, if you are using your hand, you may wish to purchase an electric mixer). This final mixing at high speed incorporates air into the frosting; do not over-beat the mixture, stop after 10 seconds.

4. Taste and feel for texture. For taste, add more of preferred ingredients if needed, keeping in mind proportions according to the basics mentioned above. For texture, you want to make sure that the frosting is smooth and spreadable. If too dry, mix in Milk a few drops at a time. If too wet, mix in a little bit of Powdered Sugar.

Use what you need, and remember to keep your excess frosting in airtight bags so that it does not lose moisture, which will cause it to harden on the outside and become grainy when the sugars crystallise. The frosting can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. When required for use, simply take out of the refrigerator and allow to warm up to room temperature. Never heat the frosting directly; if you need it warmed up quick, prepare a bowl of warm water and immerse the bag in it.

Happy Frosting, and till the next time,
Be good.

Having opened in Kovan since October 2013, walking into this place felt like strolling into our own backyard and finding a bustling carnival operating secretly for years without our knowledge. How did we miss this?!

The name “KNUCKLES” might give a slight hint about what is sold here, but the décor of the place gives nothing away. Even then, the place–by its smart use of tables and wooden furniture–exudes a simple rustic charm that is open and inviting.

Being woody isn’t the most interesting thing about this place, what we were most interested to find out was that one of the founders was a Master Butcher in an international chain hotel in Singapore for over a decade up till recently–soon after he started this place. With all that experience, little wonder that the burger patties and sausages are prepared in-house according to their own secret recipes! Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so, here we go…

The first dish we tried was Knuckles’s Beef Burger. It had a homemade beef patty, cheese, runny-side-up egg, and greens trying madly to balance and squeeze themselves in between two sides of a soft buttery bun. With that incredibly juicy and flavourful patty, this is some serious yummy stuff. Cheese always goes well, but enrich the whole experience with a runny yolk, and you’ve got yourself a winner of a burger. It’s so good that it begs a certain regret–if only it was bigger… or maybe just give me two of that! Rawr. One other thing: we wonder why potato chips are the carbs or choice when there are fries available on the menu. Surely hot fries would make this dish a beast! We get carried away by footnotes. Back to the main point, a very satisfying real beef burger that packs a mighty punch! (ooh, another reason for “knuckles”?) Served with simple greens and potato chips. Knuckle’s Beef Burger = 76 Brownie Points! ($10)

Next up was this whole German pork knuckle that really gives such a wonderful sense of occasion and would be suitable for any gathering whether special or casual.

It looked really well done; golden-browned nicely with proper crackling in all the right places. If you forget to buy a birthday cake, this knuckle would do just fine with a birthday song. After you’re done, get it cut up and plated for serving.

On the serving plate, mashed potatoes, Sauerkraut (fermented finely cut cabbage), and a dipping sauce are added. As you can see, the skin of the pork knuckle is crushes under the pressure of the cutting knife. And as you cannot tell from the picture, it’s texture is crisp to perfection when crushed between teeth. The meat itself is good, but dip it into the sauce with each mouthful and you get an irresistible combination. The Sauerkraut’s light acidity cuts through all the fatty goodness that has built up, and pushes the “reset” button of your tastebuds–ready to go at it again! Where else are you going to get such a dish in a simple setting? Definitely worth the try, whether in a single portion or as a whole knuckle. German Pork Knuckle = 80 Brownie Points! ($10 for single portion; $30 for whole knuckle)

We also tried Knuckles’s Signature Pasta. It was a simple seafood pasta dish in spicy tomato sauce. The sauce was pretty spicy in a good way–Singaporean style, we like! While the mussels, prawns, and squids were in good quantity, we did not find them particularly noteworthy. Probably a good choice if someone feels like not eating knuckles when coming to Knuckles! =P  Knuckles’s Signature Pasta = 68 Brownie Points! ($12)

Does what it says; what else could you ask for?

KNUCKLES
Block 212 Hougang Street 21
#01-337
Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 6285 0549
Opening Hours:
12:00PM to 2:30PM (Lunch)
6:00PM to 11:00PM (Dinner)