Favourite Haunts

Now to let out the locations of some of my secret larders. =) I'm a firm believer that good food starts from good ingredients themselves. Witness the difference between a bunch of wilted, ill-treated greens versus vegetables that have been well-grown, transported properly and stored well. I'm not saying that everything in a dish needs to be top-notch; I must confess that I tend to buy my generic ingredients from savings stores. Stuff like ginger, onions and beef for stewing. The real difference can truly be appreciated if you cook simply. Also, for fresh seafood like Indian Ocean fish and local vegetables, you really can't beat the wet market. But still, sometimes you'll be out wondering where you can get that elusive white asparagus or creme fraiche.

Here I share some of those favourite haunts to get good stuff, or hard-to-find stuff.

1. Cold Storage

There's Cold Storage, and there's Cold Storage. For example, the dingy one near my place isn't good for anything else except for overpriced tinned food (ie when I'm desperate). In contrast, the one at Jelita can keep me occupied for half an afternoon going through their offerings.Watch out for credit card promotions - being card points whore, I tend to buy groceries there only on weekends to ride on their current 5x points promotion. =p

Good for:

Beautiful salad greens, fresh mushrooms off the shelf, a selection of cheeses to die for, and a good Delicatessen. Do check out their fresh herbs as well, and a cheaper range of processed specialty foods like artichoke hearts in oil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Beware:

Spending too much on generics that could be gotten for much less elsewhere, for example rice, tinned soups and kitchen utensils.

2. Seng Siong 

If you ask me to choose from Seng Siong, Giant and NTUC Fairprice, the winner is clear. Seng Siong tends to be cheaper on many goods, and their range is comprehensive.

Good for:

Generics, and vegetables that are not too exotic. Examples include canned foods, dried herbs and Chinese greens. They have the most amazing fresh food section though, including live clams, razor shells, scallops, Alaskan king crabs and Boston lobsters at very reasonable prices. 

Beware:

Check the freshness of their greens before you buy, and I'd advise against getting those king crabs - in this instance, frozen king crabs that were prepared while fresh might jolly well be a better choice than a starving crab languishing away in water that is way too warm for it. And please, do not support the killing of soft-shell turtles by buying them!

3. Greengrocer.com.sg

The retail front of Indoguna Singapore, one of the leading food suppliers in the region. The best part? Home deliveries. They sell a variety of foods including fine foods, meats, seafood and wine. Do note that some of their meats are in frozen form though.Sign up for updates, and once in a long while you do get emails notifying you of hard-to-come-by, seasonal fresh foods like fresh truffles at reasonable prices. Their fine foods can often turn out cheaper than those at specialty stores, since you skip the middleman and the physical store costs.

Good for:

Check out their frozen stocks and sauces, which can make a great base to start off with if you're thinking of doing up your own stocks. Dried mushrooms, porcini powder, lobster broth and truffle oil. One of the very few places that sell authentic Aceta Balsamico Tradizionale.

Beware:

I had a bad experience with the veal tortellini - if you can, make fresh ones yourself. Make sure someone is at home to receive the goods too. I generally also veer away from the meats - there are better choices elsewhere.

4. The Butcher

You may already have seen their physical storefront near Holland Village, and now it's even better with home delivery. One of the best places to get your choiciest cuts from, and they sell almost everything meat-related. Beef, veal, pork, chicken, lamb and even game.

Good for:

Meats. I especially love their roasts, and if you're the sort who hankers after premium cuts for steaks, you'll be spoilt for choice with various grades of Wagyu, fillet mignon and thick slabs of dry-aged Angus beef.

Beware:

Good meat comes at a price, and as with all online ordering, you don't get to choose exactly which piece you want. For people who lust over absolute control, I recommend going down to their store at Holland Village instead.

5. The Fishmonger

I think this is a subsidiary of the above - even their website is similar in concept. So far I've had a good experience with them, and they specialise in a variety of fresh fish and shellfish from Down Under and Hobbit Land.

Good for:

Rainbow trout, fresh osyters and fresh Tasmanian salmon.

Beware:

They use the Australian terms for certain fish, so be mindful of what you're getting - you may jolly well be paying more for the same, common fish. For example, Barramundi which sounds delicate and exotic, is actually better-known as Sea Bass here. (And I am convinced that there is no better sea bass than the freshly-caught ones that we get from the pier's wholesale fish market in Kukup, Malaysia.)

6. Culina

A strictly gourmet boutique, with 2 stores locally. I was first drawn to the Bukit Timah branch during my memorable search for Fleur de Sel a year ago, and found a treasure-trove of delightful little trinkets and meats. Their other branch at Dempsey also incorporates a restaurant which I have never tried.

Good for:

Fleur de Sel, Sel Gris and other salts. A good variety of dried herbs, and some good fresh produce like farm-grown potatoes and wild rocket. Also, get your whole duck / goose foie gras lobes here (frozen). Rumour has it that they occasionally bring in fresh truffles when in season - call to check.

Beware:

They are expensive, no doubt about it.

7. Jones the Grocer

Their store at Dempsey also has a restaurant in it, and serves a good (albeit rather dear) breakfast.

Good for:

You really need to check out their cheese larder! I confess I have never bought cheeses there, but they weigh and cut to size for you there, and you can't help but be impressed that they are serious about their cheeses. Also a range of hard-to-find condiments and herbs, and truffle oil.

Beware:

As again, they are not cheap. Also, do not expect this to be a one-stop supermarket kind of place - they don't have much in way of fresh produce.

Hope this helps, if you are wondering where you can get that elusive cut of meat or strange condiment you read about in a cookbook. I'll be following this up next time with a post on places to get miscellaneous culinary utensils, cheap (but amazingly good) tableware, and my favourite wet markets.