Getting to eat 'proper food' again...

[QRM]

I've only ever had it in France. Rather like a 'gamey' beef sirloin. Your daughter brings a whole new meaning to 'My little pony'!!

Which is exactly what the Icelanders say the European horse meat is bit gamey and bit tough. The waiters sort of stand around the table and wait for you to try the first mouthful, and smugly nod when they see your face light up. Its like you have been just been through an initiation ceremony of a rare masonic lodge.

Not gamey at all and sort of melts in your mouth like a really good fatty Tuna. Well now that I built up such a high expectation it will probably be awful for others, but as I was expecting a tough gamey bit of meat i was blown away by it.

[JR8]

The waiters sort of stand around the table and wait for you to try the first mouthful, and smugly nod when they see your face light up. Its like you have been just been through an initiation ceremony of a rare masonic lodge.

Sounds reminiscent of whale ... that 'OMG - you're kidding me right!?' moment.

Well, Iceland is on the bucket list... so I'll be happy to give it a go.

[the lynx]

If you like steaks.. I just came back from Iceland and they have a secret, Icelandic horse meat, it was one of those OMG moments, stunning, now where to find an Icelandic horse in Singapore. Even my 8 year old is craving for it.

Where did you go in Iceland for this? I'm heading that direction in a week's time (unless that Bardarbunga volcano decides to spew ash and closes the entire Europe airspace for weeks).

[Steve1960]

Just reading this thread is hardening my arteries!

What about a decent fish restaurant? I am ashamed to say I am still like a tourist and if we do eat out we end up going to Jumbo

[QRM]

Iceland was stunning rent a 4x4 and head off inland on the dirt tracks you can drive off road for days! If you want some pointers ie take those flying eye masks if you want to sleep! PM me.

Here is our little run about...

[QRM]

Just reading this thread is hardening my arteries!

What about a decent fish restaurant? I am ashamed to say I am still like a tourist and if we do eat out we end up going to Jumbo

Asian or western style? for Asian I like the Chinese restaurant in Chimes or the joint in the basement of forum, (Gets very busy though) for western style Greenwood fish market, they let you pop over to their shop next door and you can pick your fish.

[Girl_Next_Door]

@GND Very interesting list there, and I salute your ‘dedication to the task’ of trying to get to a new place each week. I like that idea, a lot, and in fact I think we should try and adopt it! We currently have an aim of, roughly, eating reasonably most of the time, and then perhaps monthly treating ourselves to something hopefully really special – a kind of self-funding extravagance
I’ll look further into some of the places you mention. If you were to suggest any one of them to try first, which would it be?

If you are looking for a splurge, go for CUT. Personally, I prefer the CUT in LA but the one in Singapore is one of the best steaks that I had. Bear in mind that I am not a fan of Mortons or Lawry's. Otherwise, I would suggest Burnt Ends. More reasonably priced but still good. Restaurants business in Singapore is tough, so they need high profit margin. Its almost impossible to find really good cut meat at what seems like a reasonable price. Most of the time, we will go to meiji-ya (the supermarket at clarke quay) for really good steak (for $150, you can get superb ones which is impossible if you are dining out), go home, season it lightly with salt & pepper and grill it.

[the lynx]

Iceland was stunning rent a 4x4 and head off inland on the dirt tracks you can drive off road for days! If you want some pointers ie take those flying eye masks if you want to sleep! PM me.

Here is our little run about...

(photo removed)

Ah lovely ride. I probably got a sedan so won't be doing off-road trips. Plus the Iceland trip was actually a stopover between SIN and YYZ so I only have about 48 hours. Maybe next time!

I actually meant to ask where did you try Icelandic horse meat?

[QRM]

I actually meant to ask where did you try Icelandic horse meat?

Strangely enough in the restaurant at the Hilton hotel called Vox, its a dump during the day but at night it becomes a fancy joint. http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restauran ... egion.html

We stayed at the Hilton, for a country famous for its midnight sun they don't have black out blinds! 48 hours is more than enough to rent a land rover defender and drive up to see the geyser, and the two famous water falls but go via the back roads i think it was F338 then F35 here is a photo of the road, the great thing is that there are no rivers to cross.

You can do that, have a horse meal and in the evening pop into the blue lagoon all in a day, (OK a long day)

[Brah]

@Brah. I’d never even heard of Wagyu/Kobe etc beef until I lived in Japan, (the idea of cows being fed beer and massaged daily rather tickled me though*). Which makes me wonder whether you can even get it in the UK, outside of perhaps a super-high-end JPnese place or two. AFAIK there aren’t any JPnese supermarkets there that might stock it.

Wagyu used to mean Japanese-style beef from Japan, now I believe there is Aussie, etc. wagyu.

There were a few Mad Cow scares in Japan so I stopped eating beef for awhile then would only go to places that had Aussie beef.

[the lynx]

I actually meant to ask where did you try Icelandic horse meat?

Strangely enough in the restaurant at the Hilton hotel called Vox, its a dump during the day but at night it becomes a fancy joint. http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restauran ... egion.html

We stayed at the Hilton, for a country famous for its midnight sun they don't have black out blinds! 48 hours is more than enough to rent a land rover defender and drive up to see the geyser, and the two famous water falls but go via the back roads i think it was F338 then F35 here is a photo of the road, the great thing is that there are no rivers to cross.

You can do that, have a horse meal and in the evening pop into the blue lagoon all in a day, (OK a long day)

(photo removed)

Wow, thanks QRM! Sounds like a good adventure for my 48 hours!

[nakatago]

@Brah. I’d never even heard of Wagyu/Kobe etc beef until I lived in Japan, (the idea of cows being fed beer and massaged daily rather tickled me though*). Which makes me wonder whether you can even get it in the UK, outside of perhaps a super-high-end JPnese place or two. AFAIK there aren’t any JPnese supermarkets there that might stock it.

Wagyu used to mean Japanese-style beef from Japan, now I believe there is Aussie, etc. wagyu.

There were a few Mad Cow scares in Japan so I stopped eating beef for awhile then would only go to places that had Aussie beef.

Wikipedia describes wagyu as an actual breed of cow so I guess it makes sense to have wagyu beef coming from places other than Japan.

I didn't bother digging further though.

[JR8]

Just reading this thread is hardening my arteries!

What about a decent fish restaurant? I am ashamed to say I am still like a tourist and if we do eat out we end up going to Jumbo

'All things in moderation' as they say. Either way, it helps absolve any guilt

Jumbo. That (and similar) is where some of our local friends prefer going. It's also where we take visitors to get the 'local experience'. Maybe you've gone native?

Fish restaurant? Good question! Can't say I've been to one here. Lots of 'Dory fish' and similar rubbish, but nothing good. Maybe others can suggest?

---
Tripadvisor brought up two things (well, things that topped their 'seafood' place rankings)...
http://www.trufflegourmet.sg/menu
The menu doesn't list fish dishes, but 'what's available from the market', which if anything should be a good sign.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restauran ... apore.html

and

Long Beach @ DEMPSEY
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restauran ... apore.html
-
http://www.longbeachseafood.com.sg/specialty.php

[Steve1960]

Native la?

[JR8]

Wikipedia describes wagyu as an actual breed of cow so I guess it makes sense to have wagyu beef coming from places other than Japan. I didn't bother digging further though.

As I understand it, Wagyu is rather like Champagne. Real champagne is only from the Champagne district of France; real wagyu is of one breed, but also only from one specific prefecture of Japan, and raised in a specific way.

You can make sparkling wine in say Chile and lable it 'champagne', but...
You can raise Wagyu type cattle in Australia, but...

The lines get blurred when Wagyu bull, ahem (reproductive fluid) gets smuggled out of Japan and used in say Australia. Do that progressively over several generations and pretty soon you have say 85% Wagyu genes. That is how the Aussies have done it, although it is not not 'true' pure-bred Wagyu. In fact wasn't there some international incident over people trying to smuggle a Wagyu bull out of Japan? Very illegal.

--- The French are pretty big on 'protected branding', and despite being French, for once I think it's a good idea. Champagne, Bordeaux, fois gras, and so on. No room for uncertainty when you pay a premium for such a product.

I wince slightly when I see things like Australian made Cheddar cheese, or Brie, or even Australian 'Swiss Emmental' ! - [shakes head] - it's just not right, and not the same.