Hmm..

I'm going to JAPAN!!!! YESH!! Dream come true!

Meanwhile.. I got to know some nice nice people through Siu - Wei Liang and Kangwei. Kangwei is going to become my latest food kaki! haha.. YAY!

Konliza: Semper Fidelis

Megumi doesn’t move. “Yokoyama san,” she says, shivering, “I’m not part of your routine.”

Yu shrugs. “Maybe on the day I die,” he tells her seriously, “I’ll look back on my life, and you’ll be that one thing worth remembering.” He doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the way she looks, as if the sky was crying rain tears just for her, sitting all alone on a park bench and somehow still pretty and bright.

Sweet.. "to be the one thing worth remembering"

Kope from Junyi's blog

Lunch at Satsuma..

Today, I brought Alvin to Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar for his birthday treat!! (His birthday is on 9th Jan... Remember to wish him Happy Birthday on Friday!)

The beginning of the day was quite funny because my mum gave me a lift and she thought that I wanted to go to ANSON road whereas the actual location of Satsuma was at NANSON road. So after being lost for awhile and confused over the actual location, we whipped out the street directory that would guide us to the eventual location.

Satsuma is located at The Gallery Hotel. You can drop by Miramar hotel and walk a short distance over the bridge to where it's situated. Here, lunch is only served on level 2 of Satsuma whereas dinner is served on both.

Walking into the restaurant, you're greeted by polite staff and guided to your seats. The interior is done in a wood finish and with the yellow lights, the ambience at night would be most romantic. The menus were wrapped in fabric and laminated, a plus point for the contribution to the excellent service and ambience at Satsuma.

The Tatami room at the back

The decor that will look marvellous at night!

Now for the food...

We were offered the raw vegetable bowl but being here for the main courses, we declined their offer. (Plus I heard that the vegetable bowl is chargeable and the bowl is really big for 2 people.) Alvin ordered the pork shochu curry rice set while I ordered the osyter omelette with rice set (On recommendation from Jules!). I also ordered charcoal-grilled foie gras since I have never tried foie gras before! There were two other couples dining there so service was quite prompt. The waitress was quick to refill our teas and take our orders.

Pictures.. (All lunch sets come with miso soup and a fruit dessert)

Pork shochu curry rice set ($14):

I couldn't taste any alcohol so I'm not sure about why the name shochu was in the meal but since Alvin finished it off, I guess it should be fairly decent. I think they used lean meat or fatty meat sliced thinly so the meat was slightly tough for me. It's those chewy texture type.

Oyster omelette with rice set ($13):

Appearance-wise, it looked like a standard omu rice that you can eat at any Japanese restaurant. The rice was wrapped snugly in a runny omelette.

Prying it open...

You reveal juicy mushrooms and deliciously plump oysters within! Here at satsuma, this is a set that you won't want to miss. It puts your local hawker center or jian/or lua to shame!

Charcoal-grilled foie gras ($13)

My first experience with foie gras left me with only one conclusion. Foie gras is indeed an acquired taste.

The first bite of foie gras burst into the famous oily texture that people enjoy. The creamy and oily texture was an interesting combination, vaguely reminding me of uni, another creamy texture that I have previously tasted.

However, it drove me to the conclusion that whilst I do not distaste creamy foods, it will not be something that I would be ordering anytime soon...

Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar

1 Nanson Road

#01-10/02-10

The Gallery Hotel

Singapore 238909

Post exams reminders!

I'll be flying off to Philippines on 8th Dec and will only be back on the 19th Dec so book me book me book me and we'll go out!!!

1-25 Dec ALL CLEAR!
26 Dec Shopping with Sis
27 Dec Lunch with Merv
28 Dec Meeting Gloria, Neo and Jo and THH's party
29 Dec Pedi
30 Dec Meeting the Babes who matter
31 Dec Family gathering in the evening then see Amanda off at airport at midnight!!
2 Jan Ppines reunion
3 Jan Friend's wedding
5 Jan Lunch with Alvin
8 Jan Dinner with Siow Chien!
19 Jan Lunch with Jules

1 month is too short!!!

Japanese restaurants... Part (3)

21)Edogawa Teppanyaki @ Central
- Lunch sets
There's a lot of food in the lunch set which will delight people with large appetites. The teppanyaki on the other hand, can be quite ambiguous. The teppanyaki beef can be inconsistent, varying in the degree of how well done the beef is. Same goes for the teppanyaki salmon. However, this could be due to the fact that there was a sudden influx of close to 20 orders at the same time (JCC outing) so we can discount a slight inconsistency in the standards.

22)Sho-U @ Central
- Desserts
Excellent desserts! After all, you are paying a premium price to enjoy the desserts. The place is nice and quiet on a weekday afternoon and the staff are friendly enough to explain to you the various types of desserts. It has a good view by the Singapore river so it's nice to chill in the afternoon if you can spare the time.

23)Kura no Naka @ River Valley Road (next to MOS)
- Lunch sets
Good value for money as the sets are very big. For a set of about $20, you may get a starter salad and/or dashi maki tamago, tempura, the standard bento box of food, dessert and tea! It's often visited by a lot of Japanese as well, probably due to the location as it's near Liang Court. Service is very good too. Warning! They only open at lunch and dinner timings so if you arrive late, you might be irked when they ask for the bill in the middle of your meal. Of course, this is explained apologetically by the staff as they say that they will need to close the cashier.


24)Ichiban boshi @ Wisma, Esplanade, Suntec
- Ala carte
They have a great variety of sushi such that it can be quite odd like cheese and something sushi. Bento sets are not bad and often value for money. Sashimi freshness can be variable. Hotate sashimi at the esplanade outlet was terrible as it tooked too long to come and it had a fishy taste. In such cases, order what you know the whole world is ordering as the turnover rate is higher. Warning! Service can be variable from outlet to outlet. This is a resturant that is under the same group as Ichiban sushi.

25)Ken noodle's house @ Orchard Plaza
- Ala carte
Forget about the side orders and just stick with the ramen. After all, that's what they are famous for. Been there twice, food has performed up to expectations and is value for money. Go read the blog entry about it.

26)Kushinbo @ Suntec
- Buffet

I just don't like the concept of having to walk around and queue for my food, particularly when the sashimi is exposed for long periods of time. Good variety of food selection and I heard that everyone aims for the crab legs which are not bad but a hassle to eat.

27)Kyomomoyama @ Central
-Set lunch

Previously they offered $6+ or $12+ set lunches which are pretty decent. They also have varying discounts for particular days of the week like Wednesdays could be a discount for ladies or for sashimi and sushi orders. For the new year 2009, no discounts as of yet as the daily discounts expired at the end of 2008.

28) Japanese Gourmet Town @ Vivocity

- Ala carte

Japanese Gourmet Town is a collaboration between Botejyu okonomiyaki, Sapporo curry and Ajisen. At this place, you can find food from all three different restaurants and it satisfies cravings for most people at once.

The differences is that Sapporo curry specialises in soup curry, unlike the normal thick and sweet curry of Curry Favor or of most places. The okonomiyaki on the other hand, by Botejyu is a sight to behold! Place upon a hot plate, this japanese pancake filled with pork and vegetables is savory, topped with a sweet sauce. The sweet sauce gets too cloying after awhile so remember to tell the waiter to reduce the amount of sauce or eat slowly lest you get sick of it. Note that the Ajisen's ramen is the standard fare that you can find at the other outlets so no surprises here.

The key attraction would be the convenience and variety factor that Japanese Gourmet Town is striving for. Beyond the limited okonomiyaki menu of Botejyu where certain dishes are contantly unavailable and the long wait for the okonomiyaki, the only things that keep customers coming back would be indecisive diners who need variety and a long time to decide on their food. Ramen comes first so order that and wait your okonomiyaki out!

*First entry: 27/02/2007
Updated: 21/04/2008
Updated: 02/01/2009

Meanwhile, I'll continue saving money and search for people who are interested in joining me on a quest for good Japanese food!


Click here to view more pictures of Japanese food!

Japanese restaurants... Part (2)

11)Sun restaurant @ Chijmes
- Set lunch
Yummy. It's quite affordable and the set lunches are quite big. TRY the tofu cheesecake. Warning! Heard that dinner can be pricey. Haven't had the chance to try.

Komachi Bento

Tofu cheesecake

12)Sun with Moon restaurant @ Wheelock
- Set lunch
Yummy. Good service. Nice ambience. Always reliable to do well and if you fill in a feedback form, they may send you discount vouchers and monthly updates every month!

13)Ajisen
- Ramen
The new sets are quite big. Not bad for the price. Not so sure about how good the ramen is as I'm not much of a noodle fan but it seems decent to me. Refer to Ken Noodle House for better ramen.

14)Azabu Sabo @ Marina Square
- Ala carte and dessert
It's ok. I prefer ajitei more though. Warning! They do not serve soft serve green tea ice cream inhouse, only the scooped type.

15)Kaddoman restaurant @ Grand Plaza Park Royal
- Ala carte
Great tasting food but comes with a relatively higher price. Lady boss there is a bit pushy but if you ignore that and concentrate on the food, YUM! Unagi don may be slightly pricey at $25 but the sheer size of it will ensure that your palate is satiated.
Warning! Take note that green tea is not free there. It's about $4 a pot which is just a tea bag and hot water. The place has closed down! Not sure where it has gone!

16) Hokkaido restaurant @ Turf City
- Buffet
Last time I went, there was a 20% off lunch buffet which made the buffet about $24 net. Decent price. Food was ok, offerings seems similar to hanabi but at a lower price due to the discount. The sashimi served on the first round did not appear to be very fresh but the second round was excellent. Soft shell crab here is really good and the butter beef teppanyaki is excellent as well.

17)Pasta de waraku @ Central, Marina Square
- Ala carte
Food's not too bad as a friend adores the squid ink pasta. If you are feeling rich and willing to spend about $20+, get the combo meal as it's more filling. Other dishes are much smaller and can be quite stunning in their petite portions. The pizza crust is thin like papadum so if you like your pizza crust thick and crunchy, consider yourself warned.

18)En Dining Bar @ Bukit Timah
- Ala carte
Food's not bad although it's slightly on the pricey side. I was slightly disappointed as I was hoping for an 'oomph' factor but I guess expectations caused the quality of the food to fall. Fresh sashimi and their chirashi don is excellent. It seems like a small portion but it's really quite big for one person. Pork belly is a cube of wobbly fat that melts in your mouth combined with tender pork meat. I avoid such pork belly dishes normally but it quivered so enticingly in the bowl that I could not resist. Excellent service and you feel assured when you call for a reservation and the speaker answers the phone in Japanese. If you like the tatami room which can be expanded to fit more than 10 people, call ahead and request for it. Warning! They only open for dinner everyday and lunch on weekends.

Beef Carparccio - half portion

19)Sakuraya Fish Mart @ Parkway
- Ala carte
For newbies, how you order your sashimi is by selecting the chunk of salmon, yellowtail, tako, maguro or whichever sashimi you prefer from the display refrigerator (kind of like those in supermarkets where they sell ham), and tell the lady that you are dining. Upon choose your fish, they will then slice it for you. Sashimi is relatively fresh as it's a fish mart after all but don't expect it to be like tsukuji fish market where the sashimi is sliced from freshly caught fish. Other food wise, they have chirashi don, salmon don and the like at affordable prices, a select few types of sushi and some other condiment dishes. As the focus is on mini mart, there is only a small place to dine. Sakuraya has a proper restaurant called Sashimi House at Anchorpoint. Another bigger outlet for the westies would be The Village near Pasir Panjang.

20)Curry Favor
- Ala carte
Curry's decent although some people may prefer it spicer and there is an option to choose for a spicer curry. Vegetarians can take in the mushroom curry. Curry is served in a little Aladdin like saucer so it is quite cute.

Click here for more pictures of the food of the Japanese restaurants!

Japanese restaurants.. Part (1)

People who know me know that I love Japanese food and I frequent Japanese restaurants as much as I can.. or rather, as much as budget permits.

There is one thing that I am always willing to spend on..
Good quality Japanese food.

Yum. of cos, within affordable price range la.. $40 per person is the max limit I can afford now.. and it better be damn nice! hahaha

So far the restaurants that I have visited are..


1)Waraku @ Cuppage
- Saba Set
Menu looks quite good. I look forward to visiting there again to find out how is the rest of the food.
- Waraku @ Marina Square, Central
Food was decent. I ordered a chirashi and udon set. Price range affordable.

2)Hanabi @ King's arcade
- Buffet
Sashimi was ok.. I like tonjiro soup. Food was ok.
Warning! the price on the buffet is hefty as it's about $28++ or so for lunch buffet and $32++ for dinner buffet. Call ahead to reserve if you're going down for dinners or risk waiting for up to 20 to 30 mins.

3)Himawari @ Mount Faber Safra
- Buffet and ala carte
Shabu shabu was huge for 3 girls to eat. Great selection of food available. Sushi are well made, those that you can pop whole into the mouth, just the way it should be. I like this >>>>> than Hanabi.
Warning! The place may have moved since the last time I visited in 07 but there's a new one at Neil Road.

4)Honjin @ Tanjong Pagar
- Buffet
As far as I recall, this was quite nice. hahaha.. but it was a long time back in 2005. Maybe I'll go again if I can spare the cash.

5)Ajitei
- Ala carte
Food's ok.. Not that authentic but dessert is nice. I like their dessert more than Azabu Sabo but I'm a slightly bias source. I like the tonpeiyaki and okonomiyaki.

6)Tonkichi @ Suntec, Shaw & Ngee Ann City
- Set lunches
Yummy Yummy Yummy! Love the hire katsu, fried prawns and oysters. Must go for anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant. I dunnoe much about their sushi though. Curry's good. Extra refill of rice and salad free so this is a good place for people with large appetites. Tend to crave the fried prawn for comfort food.

Curry rice with katsu

Seafood set -katsu and fried prawn

7)Sakae sushi
- Buffet
Like that loh. It's a bit commercialised liaoz.. okonomiyaki is nice tho. The grade of sashimi you get varies. I like to visit them when they have 1-for-1 red plate deals.

8)Sushi Tei @ Vivocity, Raffles City, Paragon, Holland Village
- Ala carte
Went for my birthday last year and tried the snow crab pot. Oh-lala.. but you're paying for quality of cos. Pricier than sakae for good reason though.
Their seasonal specials are not bad and the sashimi is fresh. Sushi's not bad but watch out for what colour plates you are taking off the conveyor belt!
Warning! Go early on weekends or risk waiting up to 45 mins for your seats and they are counter seats too. They do not take reservations on weekends.

9)Genki sushi
- Sushi
Like sakae lohz.. but they seem to have less variety in their sushi.
2008: I think they have been bought over by a new company called Yotei.

10)Ichiban sushi
-Ala carte
Twice I've been here. But I don't like it. AT ALL. Somehow Ichiban boshi (sister shop) is better.. hmm..

Click here for more pictures of the food!