ION Orchard - the Japanese gastronomic haven...

explored ION more thoroughly yesterday and had a really satisfying gastronomical experience there...

we had lunch at Itacho Sushi; & for dinner, a mix-and-match of various treats from Fruit Frolic, Tsukiji Gindaco & Hokkaido Express.... then coffee at dr. Cafe Coffee... & did some supermarketing at THREESIXTY Marketplace....

Itacho Sushi
#B2-18
(+65) 6509 8911
Opening Hours:
11am - 10.30pm (Mon - Fri)
Closed from 3pm - 6pm daily
11am - 11pm (Sat/Sun)

Itacho means Chief Chef in Japanese. Itacho is the title given to the person with the most sublime position in a Japanese restaurant. Itacho creates food with precious food ingredients to each and everyone of his guests. With the same believe, Itacho Sushi only uses seasonal fresh fish and first class ingredients, with which chefs will instantly prepare handmade fresh sushi when guests order. With so much to offer, Itacho Sushi, since opening its first outlet in Hong Kong till its current 24 outlets, has attracted long queues outside its doors everyday.

* we had roasted fatty salmon sushi, roasted wagyu beef sushi, fatty tuna with spring onion roll, cheese roll, salmon & salmon roe roll, unagi & steamed egg rice bowl & a softshell crab salad. very satisfying meal... and i think it tastes good... a bit pricey for the roasted sushi cos it's like S$5 to S$7 for 1 piece, but it's DELICIOUS... the meat really melts in your mouth.... and i get to indulge or OVER-INDULGE in wasabi with my rice here... gosh i'm turning into a eating-wasabi-with-plain-rice-is-my-skill Kim Jaejoong... but i don't really like the sensation when it floods my nose and makes me tear uncontrollably... but i like the taste of it with rice, sashimi, sushi, & mayonnaise though...

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Fruit Frolic
#B4-84
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm daily


Singapore's ONLY Cold-Pressed Juices that are filled with LIVE Enzymes!

Fruit Frolic uses cold-pressing to ensure minimal or no destruction of enzymes, vitamins and nutrients so you get the most out of the fruits and vegetables. Drinking Fruit Frolic's Living Juice is almost like intravenous feeding where the enzymes and nutrients go straight to the cellular level.

Our Pure & Power juices are freshly squeezed with NO SUGAR added. Fruit Frolic also serves Freshly -made Fruit Ice-Cream, Salads, Chocolate Fruit Fondue and Chocolate Fruits.


*I had COLD FIGHTER, with ginger... without ice (cos ice made with tap water gives me stomach cramps)... I was sneezing slightly in morning due to slight sinus, so I thought I should try this... plus... it reminds me of SOUL FIGHTER... Jaejoong + Changmin... ^_^ the ginger gives the drink a spicy kick... I think it's quite a nice blend... suits the name... gives your stomach a warm punch when you drink it...

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Tsukiji Gindaco
#B4-64/65
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm daily


Tsukiji Gindaco currently has approximately 300 stores in Japan. Since 2004, we establish to Asia like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai & Thailand. Now, we are in Singapore, opening our 1st shop here. In-regardless of languages or culture barrier, we just want to achieve our motto of seeing people satisfactory smile when they eat our delicious, piping hot Takoyaki.

In Tsukiji Gindaco, carefully selected ingredients are used to create” definely delicious” takoyaki, made in such a way that people can enjoy the crispy outsides and the soft, sticky insides underscored by pieces of mouth-watering octopus.


* unlike most takoyaki in Singapore, the exterior is crispy and the interior is FILLED with filling!!! to me i think the octopus takes 3rd place after the crispy crust (1st) and the delicious ingredient-laden batter mix (2nd).... and the balls are much BIGGER than the usual ones we see around Singapore... definitely addictive...　now they only have one flavour here... so... please bring in more flavours お願いします！！！

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Hokkaido EXPRESS
#B4-61
(+65) 65098640
Opening Hours:
10am - 10pm daily

* we tried the salmon spinach cream croquette and pumpkin shrimp croquette... both were tasty... but i think if they were hotter, cos they were cooked and left there for some time, they would have been even tastier... not that they weren't crispy... they were still crispy despite being left out in the open for some time... but somehow my mind is remembering the crab cream croquette i had in Tampines Mall during the Hokkaido fair a few years back... please bring in more flavours お願いします！！！

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dr. CAFE COFFEE
#B2-49
(+65) 65099193
Opening Hours:
10am - 10pm daily


http://www.yr-retail.com
dr.CAFE® COFFEE is a leading coffee company that provides unmatched standard of quality Products, knowledgeable friendly Services and outstanding 1st Place Experience in order to suit each individual guest’s lifestyle and to make a personal experience memorable.

dr.CAFE® prides itself in serving the best Arabica beans the world has to offer. For us it has been a challenging adventure, almost beyond description, cultivate the spirit of a legendary coffee tradition, reinvent the masterpiece, personalize the original idea, foster the commitment to excel, and blend it with our philosophy and core valuesto deliver the best coffee in the world experience.

* we had the cookie frappe... which tasted strongly of the cookie... which i mentioned could have oatmeal... cos i tasted strong oatmeal taste... but it was a tasty sweet treat after our savouries... but the surprising price of S$7 which is even pricey than Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaves made us wonder what's so special about their coffee... plus the deco reminded us so much of Starbucks... a plus point is that they have power plugs around for customers to plug in their power cables if they wanna use their labtops... SUPER handy!!!

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ThreeSixty Marketplace
#04-21
(+65) 6509 8470
Opening Hours:
10am - 10pm daily


Whether you’re giving, entertaining your family or friends, or making an ordinary day just a little more special, you can depend on ThreeSixty MARKET PLACE to make your gift-giving and entertaining more personal and meaningful.

ThreeSixty MARKET PLACE offers a wide and varied product range. Discover new culinary delights and flavours with our select wines, assorted cheeses, meat, sausages and ham specialties and our fresh fruit and vegetables. Authentic specialties from various regions of the world.

At ThreeSixty MARKET PLACE, everything begins with people and our team delights to serve and develop a lasting relationship with our customers.

* bought Virginia ham (super big piece... but i had them shaved, so it's easier for salads & my tortilla wrap...)... and the not-so-popular, but healthier choice of oven-baked turkey breast ham... (price listed was different from price printed from machine, so do ask first if you don't wish to be cheated into paying more for your ham...).

got a packet of multi-grain tortilla wrap, not from here (cos here the price was S$14-S$16)... but at Takashimaya's Cold Storage supermarket(organic i think, cos it costs me S$14+ for a packet of 6 pieces, when the price stated on the racks showed S$8.60 at Takashimaya's Cold Storage supermarket)... I felt conned when the price showed S$14+ at the cashier... but I needed some form of bread for my lunch so I went ahead with the purchase... the only saving grace is that it's really low carb... but it'll be back to whole wheat pita bread or wholemeal tortilla wraps from Carrefour for me after this... i can get enough pita/ tortilla to last me 2 weeks with the price of that packet of 6 slices...

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

hope to try some of the desserts at ION next time...

ARINCO KING
#B4-60
(+65) 65098640
Opening Hours:
10am - 10pm daily

Arinco King's swiss rolls make my mouth water...
i wonder how they make pure white color rolls... cos any egg in the batter will make it slightly yellow...
must-try the totally SOLD OUT Caramel Roll...

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Patiscream
#B4
Opening Hours:
10am - 10pm daily
http://www.patiscream.com/
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7Twxj5EQ5dbnGFjUQ2ghY2e1Sp2JHdlNghO_3OKp_6jFEfgMPeOJ4Qyle_pSawZ9di0nBl1Dw4EUV0lTgE2mKBnjTPjmUK21ajx2_D9EjKBMfR46TKRzpRunLhnQY9OhqPLpyQ/s1600-h/P1020516.JPG

*their top 4 are like my top 4 too!!! but there's 11 flavours to choose from...
1. strawberry shortcake (delicious ichigos with milk... heaven...)
2. mont blanc (italian chestnuts with custard... god...)
3. tiramisu (expresso ice cream... need i say more...)
4. european caramel custard (caramel with custard is another heavenly dessert pairing)
5. belgium noisette chocolat (hazelnut & chocolate)
6. passion mango trifle (tropical fruit & rich vanilla)
7. creme brulee banana confiture (banana & caramel!!!)
8. green tea tiramisu (japanese green tea)
9. chardonnay peach mariage (chardonnay champagne with peach...)
10. blueberry cheese mille-feuille (cheese + blueberry...)
11. pannacotta mixed berry (5 berries...)

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

cotton on's sister shoeline rubi (also at ION) said that "heels are like chocolate without the kgs..."
i agree with it wholeheartedly...
i love my heels...
thank god i am not very tall so i can wear HIGH heels and most likely won't be taller than my better half (whom i hope will be 1.75m at least... ^_^)
but i do notice that the men here are not really that tall in general, cos when i am in 3" or higher heels, they seem to be quite close to my level... meaning they are probably around 1.7m in height... ~_~
if i had a choice, i'll be in heels most of the time...
but sometimes they make me suffer badly too...
blisters and sore feet...

and chocolate & desserts...
another necessary evil too...
they make us happy...
and yet frustrated too...
when we need to lose the calories we add on to our diet when we consume them!!!

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
专属天使の悪戯なKiss　m(~_~)m

Tsukiji Gindaco - BEST takoyaki so far...

Not for the faint hearted.
Tsukiji Gindaco

Gindaco Takoyaki has come a long way from Japan to Singapore. This chain has more than 300 stalls in Japan alone and dishes out takoyaki ball, yakisoba and macha drinks to its patrons. Be prepared to wait, as there is always a indefinite queue is endless.

No one's cooking?

Staff busy making the batter.
Look at the heaps of tako at the right.

Never is there a second to lose.


Step 1: Batter is poured over the cast-iron grill

Step 2: The takoyaki are slowly flipped and kneed into ball shapes

Step 3: Takoyaki are fried till outer crust is golden brown.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

Gindaco Takoyaki Cooking 101

1. Dissolve flour and eggs in water or a broth-based soup until the mixture achieves a saucy consistency, apply heat to a special griddle using a dedicated cooking stove, and fill this griddle to the brim with the prepared batter.
2. Place bite-sized pieces of diced octopus in the center of each ball together with red pickled ginger, tenkasu, dried shrimp, and green onions and wait for the underside surface to form a thin membranous layer as the ball continues to cook before taking a specially designed skewer to flip the balls over.
3. Repeat this process several times to form a spherical shape. After the balls have been grilled a lovely golden brown color, such that they emit a pleasant aroma.
4. Pour some sauce on top and complete your masterpiece by adding mayonnaise and topping with shaved dried bonito and aonori seasoning according to your taste

Taken from Gindaco

Perfect Takoyaki

Lots of ingredients within.

Each ball is beautifully coated with okonomiyaki sauce & sprinkled with Katsuobushi flakes.

Once you had one, you just cannot stop.

I think by now you would be salivating in from of your monitor, so I will cut to the chase. Gindaco Takoyaki is good, damn good, the best. There is only one flavour for Singaporean to choose, unlike the many choices in Japan.

The takoyaki is crispy and fried till golden brown. I couldn't bear to even eat one, even after photographing it for a long time. Upon biting it, the balls burst of flavours of the tako, leeks and pickled ginger. The aroma immediately brush pass your nose with a savory and refreshing tingle. The interior is still slightly moist with the batter and a good portion of tako, which is fresh and chewy. The okonomiyaki sauce is just right, not overpowering and bonito flakes were slightly enough.

Japanese Maccha

The Japanese Maccha is really very thick. One small sip is all you need to get the smack on the face with the green tea rush. Good way to detoxify all those oily grease from the takoyaki. However, their Japanese Maccha is pure green tea maccha with not even a hint of sugar. Thus those who can't bear to drink tea without any sugar, may want to try another drink like their Maccha Float (Maccha with soft serve).

All gone...

In case you are wondering why the boat container. Every thing has a purpose. The boat containers are made of Russian white pines which absorbs excess oil to prevent soggy takoyaki balls. There are even holes round the container to prevent condensation to cause mushy balls.

I must say that Gindaco really hits the bell. Its by far the best and most authentic version of the takoyaki I've tried thus far. No need for any other flavor and marketing gimmick. If you are good at one thing, be very good at that and word will travel. I will definitely welcome Gindaco empire with open arms.Never eat Takopachi again with big boss (Gindaco) around town.

Tsukiji Gindaco
2 Orchard Turn
#B4-64/65 ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Tel: 6509 9038


☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
专属天使の悪戯なKiss　m(~_~)m

Chuao Chocolate Blocks from LEGOLAND

Chuao Chocolate Blocks from LEGOLAND

In the last of my vacation candy theme week, I’ve got something that I didn’t actually get on my vacation last week. But it’s something that you might.

The Man went to LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, CA yesterday, and I asked him to check in the gift shop while he was there to see if they had anything LEGO-ish to complete my week.

He called me from the store and said, “Guess what chocolate LEGOLAND has?”

He just about dropped the phone when I excitedly said, “Chuao!” (It’s not like I actually knew that, but I know his love of Chuao and their proximity to LEGOLAND.)

So he picked up a nice package of the “not quite LEGO branded” blocks. (There’s no actual name on the package of the product, it never uses the name LEGO and it’s not on Chuao’s website, so I’m guessing it’s something that’s only available at the theme park.)

There were three varieties to chose from: all milk, all white or a half & half mix. Each sleeve holds 16 blocks.

Each little block is sized to approximate real LEGO.

A true LEGO 8 block (two rows of four pegs) is 9.6 mm by 32 mm by 16 mm and are basically hollow.

The Chuao version takes some liberties and is 15 mm by 35 mm by 19 mm - which as far as I’m concerned means more chocolate!

I noticed that the sides are not straight verticals, the block is slightly trapezoidal. This is likely an engineering issue - chocolate is rarely injection molded as plastic LEGO blocks are. In order to get most chocolates out of a stiff mold, a little angle can make all the difference.

Also, injection molding means that the item is molded in three dimensions, in the case of chocolate blocks, the bottom is not molded, just leveled flat by gravity when the chocolate is molten.

Each block weighed 10 grams (.35 ounces) ... see, being solid has its advantages.

As I mentioned before, the packaging was so spare and minimalist it didn’t even say what kind of chocolate this is so I’m going to guess. (Hopefully I’ll get a response from Chuao soon and can revise this.)

The Milk Chocolate blocks were practically flawless. The molding was excellent with no voids. The color is a deep, milky brown ... so dark that I wasn’t sure if this was milk chocolate at first.

I suspect that this is El Rey’s beautiful dark milk called Caoba which Chuao is known to favor (though they may have a custom blend done for them).

The chocolate has a beautiful snap. Mine smelled rather milky, but that might be because it was intermingled with the white.

The flavors are dark but the melt is clean and only slightly sweet. There’s a wonderful smokiness to it with a slight background bitterness. It’s quite smooth and has a thinner melt that keeps it from feeling sticky or milky-cloying. It’s good munched up for an immediate bolt of flavor or a lingering melt on the tongue.

Chuao’s White Chocolate is dreamy.

The color is a crisp ivory. The molding is precise and the snap is good.

It smells like milky cocoa and pound cake.

The texture is pure, solid silk. It’s sweet but has a consistent melt that is neither greasy nor watery. The sugar is ultrafine so the vanilla flavor as well as some of the cocoa-ness comes through. It’s cool on the tongue so it feels like a great, refreshing summer version of chocolate.

I suspect that this is El Rey ICOA, which is a premium un-deodorized white chocolate.

The final thing to tell you about these adorable, well made and great-tasting chocolates is the price. It was $14.95 for the sleeve. Yes, that’s nearly $1 for each block. At this point I’m just going to buy El Rey or Chuao bars (which are more widely available at grocery and gourmet stores anyway). As it is, these are not kid treats ... they’re a grown-up way to revisit a childhood favorite. Since the only place to get them is LEGOLAND, if you’ve paid $65 just to get in the gate, may as well go for broke (and satisfied).

LEGOLAND - California
One LEGOLAND Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 918-LEGO
(List of Legoland Stores)

Credit: Candy Blog

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so cool...
my fave toy during childhood...
merged with one of my fave foods...
and WHITE CHOCOLATE!!!!
HEAVENLY!!!!

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
专属天使の悪戯なKiss　m(~_~)m

Mykii @ Holland Village

it's a Mediterranean Greek style small cozy restaurant in blue and white...
very soothing and private space...
perfect for long gatherings of chatting...

already went for their Beer for Desserts...
note that i had their mushroom salad before starting the Beer for Desserts, cos it begins at 9pm... and we're too hungry to wait till then...



Clockwise from right:
- The White Cake* (white choco, white choco mousse, strawberry jam & jelly)
- Skippy (cupcake with raspberry jam & peanut butter)
- Marshmallow stack with cocoa powder
- Chocolate dip

* my fave dessert!


Last dessert:
- Smitten (pistachio nuts & raisin chocolate bar in silky rum custard dip)

my 2nd fave... but due to calorie restrictions... and I was already quite full from the salad I had earlier...
I only ate 1 bar...


The beers from left to right:
- Rose * (created with fresh raspberries and wheat beer. this fruity pink has a pleasantly sweet character well matched with a sensual body.) => matched with The White Cake

- Palm Speciale (this highly recognised Amber Ale has a strong nose of roasted malt with a sot body and nice rounded hoppy taste.) => matched with Skippy

- St Martin Dark (Winner at 2008 Beer Tasting Institute! a dark hazy beer made from a recipe that was handed down since 1096. strong distinctive nose of bananas! a smooth taste of ripe black stone fruits like plums and prunes. relatively sweet with a hint of hops.) => matched with Smitten

* the tastes goes from champagne-like to more beer-like, to MORE bitter beer-like... so for a non-beer drinker... i went for Rose for my additional full bottle of beer... these are just beer-tasting portions for u to choose ur fave for the full bottle...

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now i'm salivating over their Lazy Brunch...
actually i've been looking at this for the LONGEST time already...
wonder when i'll have the time to go...
eggs and pancakes r my fave!!!



☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
专属天使の悪戯なKiss　m(~_~)m

Nectarie - le'Dessert Patisserie

This is a review of the dessert place we went to...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nectarie

By Jaime Ee and Cheah Ui-Hoon - Apr 07, 2007
The Business Times

YOU could perhaps called Nectarie the place for clubbers who eat cake. This eye-catching pink patisserie-deli is part of the uber-glitzy family owned by LifeBrandz, along with Ministry of Sound, Aurum, Fashion Cafe et al. Opened about a month ago, it's another F&B concept developed by executive chef Edward Voon, who is also the brains behind the molecular gastronomic menu at Aurum. The candy pink seats and all-glass frontage make Nectarie hard to miss, especially when rows of luscious-looking cakes and unusual flavoured ice creams beckon hot and bothered passers-by from their refrigerated boudoirs. Nectarie also serves sandwiches, salads and soups - the sandwiches are pretty decent, with familiar fillings like roast beef, chicken, tuna and smoked salmon and reasonably priced from $6 to $8. We tried the chicken sandwich which comprises cajun spiced chicken with jack cheese and guacamole with an orange mustard sauce - the chicken was a little dry but was compensated for with the cheese and sauce and overall, not a bad sandwich. The cakes - apparently the opera is good - aren't to be sniffed at, although there's nothing particularly eye-catching. The chocolate truffle is a pleasingly dense chocolate overload, while the strawberry shortcake is stuffed full of the fruit. If you're there for dinner, there's a daily special that could be anything from green chicken curry to Mediterranean lamb stew. The ice creams are likely to grab the attention with flavours like tarragon apple, Jack Daniels and summer green tea. Then again, in a place like this where the raison d'etre is to see and be seen, the thrill may not so much be in snagging a taste of great cake, but to see who's eating it. NECTARIE #01-05 The Cannery, Clarke Quay. Tel: 6305-6725

Jap-food galore

Recently went to CENTRAL for a shoot at Clarke Quay and found Jap-food galore there..

There were more than 5 restaurants serving various forms of Jap-food...

I went to one called Kyomomoyama for my post-bday dinner with Dejong...

The Teppan steak is delicious... the chef has very conveniently separated the fatty parts from the meat so you can eat the deliciously grilled meat without feeling sinful... And the good thing is even when the hotplate becomes cold and the meat becomes cold, it still tastes great...

The sashimi is comparable to that from Sun with Moon... Thickly sliced... And very fresh... The tuna belly tastes very good...

We also tried the assorted fried seafood skewers... We ate the largest scallop we've ever seen... It's like the size of 2/3 of my fist... And the squid is also very huge and fresh, cos the meat can be easily bit off, you don't have to struggle to chew it off, like with calamaris...

We also had soba with assorted tempura...

And there are also a couple of nice chill out places one can check out in Clarke Quay...

Like the dessert place we went to after our meal...

It's called Nectarie...

The Jack Daniels ice cream tastes great... Not too strong in alcohol level... But the taste of Jack Daniels is there... And the cakes are... the Gateaus... are great...

We tried the chocolate gateau and the cheesecake... Along with Jack Daniels, Cocoa and Hazelnut ice cream...

But here's one restaurant that I'll be visiting next time I pop by CENTRAL...

Here's a review I found online...

Sho-U - Show of Food and Aesthetics

at sho-u, one of the newest japanese restaurants in town, the thing that strikes visitors the most would probably be its unique design. don’t get me wrong though, the food at this contemporary japanese fine-dining establishment is nothing short of excellent. but being a sucker for aesthetics (something that singapore restaurants aren’t particularly known for), i am glad for this new place where i can really rave about its design!

visitors are first greeted by the striking red entrance decorated with (red) fabric art installations of sakura (cherry blossoms) on the wall. they enter the restaurant through a (red) passageway that leads to an all-black dining area. here, there are a few (black) private dining rooms that cater to large groups.

beyond this all-black dining area, the interior design takes on a dramatic twist as visitors enter an all-white dining hall. see? the black rectangular block you see in this photograph is actually the all-black dining area!

again, there are those pretty sakura art installations on the walls. the use of sakura is a recurring theme in this restaurant. in each of the three different colored areas — red, black and white, the sakura decorations would follow the respective color scheme!

sho-u boasts a very sleek design that screams modern chic with a tinge of tradition. tucked into the third storey of the new (wannabe) japanese mall, the central at clarke quay, this restaurant also offers diners a nice view of the singapore river.

i would enjoy dining there in the day, with clean, natural light pouring in and bathing the dining hall in white. (of course, it also means that i can take great pictures of the food with my lousy camera!)

by the way, besides the interior design, dramatic color schemes and sakura decorations, even the uniforms that the waitresses wear have been designed by esteemed designers!

“enough of all this boring design talk already!” okay, i hear you! you wanna know about the food so here it is!

Sho-U Mocktail & Heaven’s Dew
Price: $10.80 & $7.80 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Drink rating:

waitresses are on hand to recommend the restaurant’s best drinks and dishes. we had a couple of the mocktails. the sho-u mocktail (pink drink) is a mixture of strawberry, milk and a variety of other fruits. i loved the sweet and milky taste to this one.

the heaven’s dew (orange drink) is one glassful of surprise. it arrives at our table looking all orange and… safe. but once you give it a good stir (notice the blue layer at the bottom), the drink turns to a somewhat vile and yucky-looking green! in spite of that, it did taste pretty good with the mixture of orange and other assorted fruits.

Scallop and Prawn in Creamy Sauce
Price: $16 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

with japanese head chef, tommy ueda-san at its helm (the man has 15 years of experience), the food here definitely looked promising. the first dish we had was the scallop and prawn in creamy sauce. on first impression, the portions looked to be pretty small. but upon tasting it, i began to understand why. the creamy dressing was so rich that anything more than this, i would probably have gotten a little queasy!

yet, the smooth creamy sauce was also the best part of the dish. the chef added a subtle touch of wasabi to the sauce. that gave the succulent scallops and tempura prawns a really exciting taste. i loved it!

Unagi Tofu Steak
Price: $16 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

when it comes to japanese food, i like to have something with unagi (freshwater eel) and teriyaki sauce in it. the unagi tofu steak appeared to be a good match. cooked in sweet teriyaki sauce, it had the unagi sandwiched between two slabs of soft silken tofu, with grated japanese yam poured over it. my, what a healthful dish! but perhaps due to the tofu, i thought it was slightly lacking in taste.

Foie Gras Brown Rice in Stone Pot
Price: $22 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

another dish that was strongly recommended to us was the foie gras (fat liver of, in this case, goose) brown rice. i am neither a fan of foie gras or brown rice so naturally i was a little apprehensive of this one. despite myself, i ended up loving it! the brown rice was the most fragrant thing, due largely to the little bowl of foie gras blended black sauce that was drizzled over it.

even now, i am still not a fan of foie gras (the thought of eating an animal’s internal organ turns me off), but i have to be honest: the foie gras brown rice was good. besides, foie gras fans would love the generous slices of goose liver that came with this dish.

sho-u falls under the same management as sakae sushi, the more familiar and ubiquitous restaurant chain. foodies, as well as those of you who like interesting and unique dishes, you may want to add this place to your list.

on a final note, i have to say that while i really do admire the sleek design and layout of sho-u, i do have one gripe — it looks too clean and clinical for a restaurant! it’s probably just me, of course. damn, there is no pleasing me, is there?

Sho-U
The Central (Clarke Quay)
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-85/102/108/109 Singapore 059817 [map]
(65) 6534 8066
Service rating:

Pizza without the pounds!!!!

i love portobello mushrooms...

they are soooo versatile...

can be used as vegan steaks...

now as pizza crust...

Ingredients:
4 whole portobello mushroom caps (about 5" each), stemmed removed
1/2 cup low fat marinara sauce
1/2 cup lean turkey Italian sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled
4 tablespoons shredded fat free or low fat mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

To Prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wipe the mushrooms clean of any dirt. Place them on a baking sheet, grill side up. Spoon sauce over each cap, then sprinkle on sausage and cheeses. Place in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 small pizzas.

Nutritional Values: Fat: 5 g. Carbohydrates: 6 g. Protein: 8 g. Calories: 94 kcal.

Finally, something that's easy to make, tastes good, and isn't so sinful...

Must try this sometime when I'm free...

cheerio,

same old foodie

Krispy Kreme Japan opens 15 Dec 2006 (Xiah's birthday!!)

Japanese and Koreans are sooooo lucky!!!

First they have Lotte and Meiji...

Now, they have Krispy Kreme!!!

By the way, I think it's franchised to Lotte...

This video is taken the night when the shop opened in Shinjuku, Japan...

15 Dec 2006...

Which is also Xiah's birthday!!!

Look at how the queue snakes around the store!!!

Cheerio,
Same Old Foodie

mon amour pour des butées toriques

Recently, if you've been to Raffles City and Vivo City, and Takashimaya, you'll realise that there is a slowing rising trend...

Of donut stores opening...

First there was one at Raffles City's new basement shopping area...

Then there was another one at Vivo City...

Next thing you know, there's another one at Takashimaya...

But seriously, so far I;ve only been enticed by the one at Raffles City to, remotely wanna buy one and try...

Cos the food reviews have been so far so good all over the newspapers, magazines, etc...

Especially when they raved that it was comparable to Krispy Kreme, which I loved at the very first donut...

The warm, firm, and crispy crusted, glazed donut with the melt-in-your-mouth dough...

Hmmmmm....

That whole donut was given to me free of charge, when I stood near the counter, trying to decide what flavours I wanted to try...

Not cut up into tiny pieces and cubes for testing like any food product available for testing here...

However, when I did managed to try all the flavours from our much raved about donut store...

A friend's sis and mum went to queue for 3 hours for the donuts one fine day and bought 4 dozens for everyone to try...

I was spared the task of queueing for my own donuts...

It was such a disappointment...

Even when the box stated that it's best eaten after being heated up in the microwave for 8 secs...

Which we did...

The donuts didn't taste any better...

My comments:
1. The frosting/ creme on top of the dough was too wet and slimy...
It didn't stick to the dough well... Everything stuck onto the eater's fingers and hands instead of staying on the donut... You end up feeling like you're eating your own fingers...

2. The dough was nowhere near melt-on-your-mouth consistency...
There was no comparison to Krispy Kreme at at all... The dough tasted and looked like what you'd see in normal bakeries and breadshops anywhere... For most of the sweet flavours, you'll feel like you're eating something from your friendly bakery - bread with jam/ chocolate...

3. More of the flavours should have had the pastes placed INSIDE the donut, instead of on top of it...
If the pastes were placed and spread out evenly inside the donut, there would have been flavour in EVERY bite, and not like bread in the local bakeries... Filling only when you reach the middle portion...

4. Plain glazed donuts tasted like bakery donuts with powdered sugar...
For these donuts, the glaze is thin, you can't see it on the donut... And when you tap the donut, it collapses... That's what happened when we tried to cut it to share... It collapsed like a burst balloon... And when we ate it, the glaze was non-existent... And it felt like sugar particles on one's fingers...

If you've tried a REAL glazed donut (like one from Krispy Kreme), you'll know what a glazed donut should look, feel, and taste like.

If you've not, let me try to describe that out of the world experience....

The glaze should be thick and forming a crispy crust at the top of the donut, and when you tap on the donut, it should not be compressed in, but rather, there should be a tap tap feeling, cos the crust is quite sturdy. When you bite into the donut, you'll feel the crispy glaze crust cracking, and dissolving once your saliva touches it. And when your tongue comes into contact with the dough, it melts....

THIS is what a REAL glazed donut tastes like...

I'll never forget the feeling and taste of that very first Krispy Kreme...

It was the best donut I've ever tasted...

And that was just a PLAIN GLAZED DONUT...

5. Stick to the savoury flavours...
For me, I think the Wasabi Cheese flavour with the wasabi cheese filling, and cheese on top, was the best one so far... But only in terms of the taste, cos it was a unique flavour... The dough was still like normal bread... Other savoury flavours like Cheese Tartar and Spicy Cheese can be tried, but they taste REALLY similar to cheese bread available at any breadshop or bakery...

6. Don't attempt a Breadtalk when you haven't even got your basics right...
If your basic glazed donut is not even right, don't try all kinds of "adventurous" flavours like Lotus Mocha or Kaya White Chocolate... They ended up like kaya bread andred bean bread available at all bakeries and breadshop... Cos your foundation basics are not even strong yet... Like the donut dough... Please experiment further for a better formula for the dough, before you venture into more varieties...

The most important thing in a donut is the DOUGH...


I heard from someone that they had tried to get a franchise from Kripsy Kreme but failed, so they started this shop instead...

If they don't do something about the dough formula, the time-wasting queues, and the inefficient kitchen and staff system, the store will end up like Dunkin' Donuts...

Old news...

Seriously, if people didn't even bother to queue for 15mins for a Dunkin' Donut, which was way better than this...

What makes them confident that after the fad is over, the business will still prosper???

If the food is no good, there'll be no repeat customers...

If the service is bad, there'll be no repeat customers...

If the waiting time is too long, there'll be no repeat customers...

Especially when there are other less time consuming alternatives to this...

Did I mention that Dunkin' Donuts are available in JB???

Cheerio,
Same Old Foodie