Temasek - Singaporean Delights!!

My recent burst of wealth generated by the long and tedious hours on the GIO phones have continually disappeared from my coffers with the distribution of these funds heavily skewed towards my trip to SE Asia. Regardless of this communistic and centrally controlled budgeting system, I always wanted to do something for Pat's parents for their generosity, hospitality and their tolerance towards my juvenile table manners and ceaseless fridge raids.

A few weeks ago, I finally took the initiative to book a table for four at Temasek on the evening of the 18th of November. This highly anticipated visit was about to be fulfilled with a night full of exquisite and exotic Asian cuisines that would leave all food lovers salivating after the trailing scent of aromatic spices and herbs.

The atmosphere upon arrival set the tone for the whole evening. As we approached the congested alleyway which harboured the entrance to the west wing of the restaurant, our passage inside was obstructed by a group of people inquiring about their bookings and availabilities. After scurrying about looking for the very few vacant seats remaining for these customers, the waitress eventually noticed my feeble attempts to catch her attention. After a rapid scan of the restaurant, the waitress shoved us into one of the 'cosy' corners of the restaurant and scurried back to the entrance to accommodate the growing queue of hungry customers. 'Finally, a table!!' we thought. This excitement was short-lived as we were shipped to the other side of the restaurant to make way for a larger group of people who had just arrived moments after us. The restaurant was like a Bangkok marketplace!!!

After the hustle and bustle, we immediately analysed and dissected the menu for meals that would satiate our hunger. Luring our attention were the 'Special Set Menu for 4 person' deals which offerred an excellent assortment of dishes covering a flexible price range from $46 to $66. Having already tried some of the set menus during previous visits we opted for the most expensive one of all which was populated by the following dishes.

The first dish from the set menu was the Serai pork: pork slices marinaded in a succulent and sweet lemon grass marinade sauce. The lemon grass accent was definitely the highlight of this dish, however, when eaten together with rice, this subtlety quickly diminished, leaving only the sweet caramelised flavours teasing away at the taste buds. I personally would have liked a more stronger lemon grass appeal but overall this dish was worth 3 YUMS.

Serai Pork

Next on the menu was the Sambal fish: fish drenched with a sweet onion and red chili sauce. This dish is a must for all spice lovers. The wonderful aspect of this dish is the strange sequence of flavours upon its encounter with the taste buds. The initial sweetness of the onion sauce leaves a pleasurable taste lingering in the mouth, however, this is soon overcome by the rush of spices accentuated by the chili seeds scattered throughout the dish. You will definitely need rice, water or a firetruck to cool this baby down! Overall a great dish - 4 YUMS.

Sambal fish

The Assam Prawns.....hmm......what can I say about this dish?? Does Tom Yam Soup ring a bell to anyone??? I don't know who stole what from who but the Singaporeans or Malaysians certainly took a leaf out of the Thai cookbook here (or maybe it was the other way around). Anyway, disregarding the origin of these flavours, this soup is fantastic. I've always been a fan of Tom Yam Soup so anything that resembles it can't really go wrong. For those that don't know, Tom Yam is a subtle blend of hot and sour with citrus overtones. This version definitely has that plus tomotoes which adds an extra element of viscosity to it. The disappointing thing about this dish was the time it took to get it out. The service was quite poor at this restaurant with stressed out waiters forgetting about requests and orders. It took them almost 30-40 minutes to bring out this dish out (after reminding them about 3 times!!!). 4 YUMS.

Assam prawns

Cabbage that grows in a swamp........or swamp cabbage........is the main ingredient of the next dish. The Balacan Kang Kong combines this ingredient with a shrimp paste/sauce which provides a.....well....shrimp paste flavour funnily enough. Despite the simplicity of this dish, its flavours complemented the other dishes very well. 3 YUMS for this one.

Balacan kang kong

Last, but definitely not least, is the Hainanese Chicken. Looking at the picture below you might think that the chicken is bland as a rump steak cooked on a BBQ with no hint of seasoning (that one is for you Patrick). Ah hah! But do not be fooled people! Notice its three colourful companions adoring and hugging the chicken flesh - we named these kecap manis (far left), ginger (center top) and chilli sauce (far right). Combining these three sauces with the slices of chicken added an array of flavours that blended well with each other. The kecap manis added the saltiness, with the ginger and chilli ameliorating and complementing the chicken with subtle spices and flavours. I'll give this one 3.5 YUMS.

Hainanese chicken served with pickled chili sauce, kecap manis and ginger

By the end of the night we were all stuffed. Great food and poor service, but what can you expect from a busy restaurant. Overall this was a pleasurable experience and I'll give it 3.5 YUMS for the food only (If I considered the service, it would be significantly lower).