World Gourmet Summit 2010 Dinner at Golden Peony

I am from the ghettos of Queens; to be exact - Elmhurst and I'm hella proud of it. There's never been a shortage of good Asian food (especially Chinese) in either Elmhurst or Flushing. Hotpot, noodle soups and dimsum are classified as a regular affair between my friends and I. However, I can't quite say I have had gourmet Cantonese cuisine before. So when I found out it was World Gourmet Summit 2010 in Singapore I had to check it out. One of the participating restaurants which caught my interest was Golden Peony at the Conrad Centennial Hotel and so I went. Boy, what a treat it was!!! :)

They don't have an official website, but have gotten good reviews all around from SG foodies.

Special menu designed by Chef Ku Keung for this event. I also had a glass of Gunderloch, Jean Baptiste Kabinett 2007 which was really yummy! Went really well with the meal.

I love this transparent teacup with matching lid and saucer. I want to get these as the Chinese counterpart to my Bodum glasses!!!!!!! Where to buy, where to buy?

Enjoying the relaxed ambiance inside the dining area. It was very quiet, not crowded at all and felt almost like a private dining event. ;)

Shimeji and Golden Mushroom in Crystal Golden Pumpkin Wrap on Winter Melon with Crispy Kai Lan Shaving in Parsley Thick Broth.

This was a nice, non-threatening starter as the dish itself wasn't salty, there was no MSG and the natural flavour of the Winter Melon really whetted my appetite.

Cordyceps Chicken with Snow Fungus and Papaya, double-boiled in Superior Soup.

My favourite dish of the evening (I've been in a soupy mood lately, must be all that cool air from the spring showers). I don't think I've eaten Cordyceps before, and they reminded me of Golden Needle Buds (金針)... sorta stringy and soft in texture. This was one *KICK ASS* soup! I love it much!!! I could have another bowl easily.

Sea Treasures: Steamed Sea Perch filled with Minced Shrimp, Lobster and Fish Roe, on Mint-infused Spinach Puree.

I classify this as ultra fancy "har gow". Nice combination of textures, with the fish wrapped around the ground shrimp, then topped with the roe and swimming in the spinach puree. I almost licked the plate, coz it was so tasty. ;p

'Dong Po' Belly: Braised Pork Belly, served with Crispy Bun.

This piece of pork belly totally melted in the mouth and the gelatinous top layer of fat didn't go down all icky, like in some other places where the same cut of pork belly can get really fatty. The braising was done extremely well, I thought, because it's not easy to braise this to the point of tenderness yet still holding its shape without any physical disintegration. The sauce was also delicately flavoured, not overly sweet or greasy.

U.S. Whole Scallop: Pan-seared on Steamed Homemade Glutinous Rice and Baby Spinach.

I was getting really stuffed at this point and started picking at this dish. Basically it's Lor Mai Gai without the lotus leaf wrapping, on a bed of spinach and topped with scallop. Delicious, but I couldn't finish it.

Sweet Symphony: Chilled Winter Melon Puree with Aloe Vera and Chrysanthemum-shaped Filo Pastry filled with Red Date.

I can't decide whether this "Tong Shui" is heavy or light. The flavour of the winter melon puree was mild but it was milky at the same time; a bit like a liquefied custard or something.

Chrysanthemum-shaped Filo Pastry filled with Red Date.

THIS I totally love love love love. The Red Date filling was ultra sweet and sticky (ahem, Veronica!) but paired with the super flaky and crispy filo pastry, the whole thing was a party in the mouth. :) :) :) :) :) Gimme more! more! more! Went really well with Chinese Tea.

With Executive Chef Ku Keung.

Baipai Thai Cooking School in Bangkok

I was in Bangkok for the weekend not long ago and given the recent unrest in the city area lately, shopping was out of the question. *Sad* So to make good use of my time there, I enrolled myself in a couple of cooking classes offered at Baipai Thai Cooking School. It turned out to be a really fantastic experience!

I've always been a big fan of Thai food as I love the layering of flavours - sweet, spicy, sour, salty. The highlight of these classes for me was learning how to prepare spices used in Thai cooking from scratch. It is always a delight to watch the teacher/masterchef prepare a dish and explain, along with sharing tips and tricks in the kitchen. The classes were relaxed and friendly, while the teachers were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Here's what I learned to make during the class:

Day 1:

Gai Hor Bai Toey

Deep Fried Chicken wrapped in Pandan Leaves

Som Tam Ma-la-kor

Papaya Salad

Goong Sauce Ma-kham

Prawns in Tamarind Sauce

Gang Phed Ped Yang

Roasted Duck in Red Curry

Day 2:

Toong Thong

Deep Fried Golden Bag filled with Minced Pork and Water Chestnut

Pa-nang Gai

Pa-nang Curry with Chicken

Tom Yam Goong

Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

Khao Pad Moo

Thai Style Fried Rice with Pork

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On with the photos!!!

The Baipai Cooking School is set in this lovely al fresco courtyard.

Gai Hor Bai Toey - Deep Fried Chicken wrapped in Pandan Leaves.

The ingredients that go into the Papaya Salad Dressing: Palm Sugar, Fish Sauce, Tamarind Juice, Lime Juice, Ground Peanuts, Dried Shrimp and Bird Eye Chillis (not shown).

Som Tam Ma-la-kor - Papaya Salad. This was really delicious!

Thai Palm Sugar, not like the brown Gula Jawa/Gula Melaka which I'm used to seeing and using.

Making the Tamarind Sauce for the next dish, under supervision of the friendly Chef Duu. Gotta keep a sharp eye on this sauce as it burns very easily.

Goong Sauce Ma-kham - Prawns in Tamarind Sauce.

This was one of my favourite dishes during the class. I love the sauce which is simply Palm Sugar, Tamarind Juice and Shallots (chopped).

Coconut Cream versus Coconut Milk. The cream refers to the thick foamy layer on top, while milk (a deceptive word) refers to the murky liquid/water below.

Ahhhhh yes. Galangal versus Ginger. I have written about this before about how confusing the two can get. Shown in this photo with fresh Kaffir Limes (which I've never seen before).

Excited about my Toong Thong which are about to swim in hot oil.

Toong Thong - Deep Fried Golden Bag filled with Minced Pork and Water Chestnut.

Preparing the base of Pa-nang Gai curry with coconut cream. There was no need to use oil when making curry, instead let the coconut cream come to a boil instead and use the natural oils released from the cream.

Pa-nang Gai - Pa-nang Curry with Chicken.

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Like I've said, I had a really great time at this cooking class and enjoyed myself tremendously. I highly recommend Baipai Thai Cooking School, if you're ever in the area. The class fees are reasonable, it includes free pick-up from your hotel (limited areas) and all cooking ingredients. The best part is of course getting to eat everything that you cooked in the kitchen and making new friends who are also cooking or Thai food enthusiasts. Baipai offers six different classes, I've only taken two so far but will definitely want to go back and take more classes next time. :)