The meat section of my refrigerator is kinda bare this week but I was determined to cook. I was also determined to cook something which hasn’t been posted on the blog. And so.. I determinedly went poking my nose into the refrigerator (literally) and spied Ah-mm’s tray of minced meat in the freezer. Hahaha.. that meat is now mine to do whatever I want with it! It is going into her tummy anyway!

While I was spying on the minced meat, I also saw some lonely french fries sitting in the freezer screaming to be airfried. There were also tomatoes in the vegetable chiller. I also had some frozen vegetables and of course there was onion. I had an idea in my head.. HAINANESE PORK CHOPS! Only those were minced meat, not pork loin, so HAINANESE MEAT PATTY PORK “CHOPS” it’s gonna be!

My mom, who is Hainanese, told me that Hainanese Pork Chops came about as an invention by Hainanese chefs working for British families in early Singapore. Because they were working for British families, they were exposed to various foreign sauces like Worcestershire sauce which is not usually used in Chinese cooking. This dish was eventually adapted to include tomato ketchup to suit local taste buds.

In other news, just look at how crispy the pork patties came out. No oil, no mess- that’s the Philips Airfryer for you! Remember to check out my other airfryer recipes by clicking “Airfryer (Philips Airfryer)” under the category list on my right sidebar. You’ll be amazed at what an airfryer can do :) If you’re thinking of getting one though, I’d recommend the Airfryer XL which can cook 50% more food than my old model. I don’t think I will be getting my hands on one unless prices really drop.. this older model is super enough for me although I *do* wish it can cook more at a go :)

For this dish, you could of course use pork shoulder butt or tenderised pork loin instead of minced meat. Serve with lots of rice!

And there you have it! Hainanese Pork Chops! This pork in this dish is traditionally deep fried, so the airfryer really comes in handy here! No oily stove and no additional fat. If you don’t have an airfryer, you can pan fry the pork patties in a little oil and maybe use hand-cut fresh potatoes instead of french fries to escape the deep frying. If using potatoes, panfry them as well in as little oil as possible.

p/s- Apart from OG, I also fondly remember having this dish at Wishbone Restaurant, Bukit Timah Plaza, almost 20 years ago. Ah-mm and 88 would bring us to do grocery shopping at NTUC and we would sometimes dine at Wishbone when it was 88’s payday? LOL. Sadly, the standard of food there is no longer as before. I was 10. I am now 32. All the good chefs had probably retired.

The post Hainanese Pork Chop with Philips Airfryer appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Started in October 2003, Wild Olives is a really value-for-money western stall at T2 staff canteen. It is also an open secret to many foodies although the canteen is tucked away and accessible only via the T2 carpark. To get to the staff canteen from the departure hall, walk past Starbucks and right into the carpark. Keep to the left and look for the lift or stairs. Take the lift to LEVEL 3M and you will see a food court kind of “canteen” with a myraid of stalls. I will review other stalls I frequent next time.. here is the menu of Wild Olives:

There are two prices for staff and public, but even so, public price is still cheap- I paid $5.90 (inflation!) for my fish and chips which came with 3 small-medium pieces of glorious crispy fried fish which stayed crispy throughout the meal, with a mountain food of crispy bits, fries and a giant scoop of coleslaw.

The batter is still as I remembered.. super crispy and shattering light, that is if you don’t overdose yourself on them. They do give out an amazing portion of fried bits! The fish from before though, was larger and more substantial.. I remember having two large slabs of fish instead of three smaller pieces. At $4.50 then, it was really value-for-money. The coleslaw was creamy and I wished it could be lighter.. the meal ended up being just a tad too heavy because I missed the fish and chips so much I insisted on eating allll the fried bits. The coleslaw was good on its own though. You can top up $1 for a home made mushroom soup or salad. If you order the chicken or fish, you can also now also choose from four sides: Fries, Coleslaw, Mushroom Rice and Salad.

[rant] I read a blog entry somewhere lamenting that there are ONLY FOUR SIDES to choose from and I felt like strangling the guy. Which other western stall in Singapore offers a CHOICE of sides at such large portions and only charges you $5.90? Last time we didn’t even get to choose ok? Just fries and coleslaw take it or leave it. This is eating western food, not asking you to choose wife ok? [/end of rant]

The impressive selected of pasta is at $4+ a serving even for those with seafood or vongole, but as you know I seldom take carbs (yeah, yeah, can eat all the fried stuff and FLOUR), I can’t give a review. The best way is to try it for yourselves so head down one of these days.

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Wild Olives
Changi Airport Terminal 2
Staff Canteen @ Level 3M (Rooftop of Carpark 2A) Open to public
Opening hours: Tues to Sun, 12pm to 8.30pm

Be sure to check their Facebook page for latest updates. They sometimes close because the boss wants to go for a run!

The post [Food Review] Fish and Chips at Wild Olives, Airport T2 Staff Canteen appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.