Tokyo Tonkatsu

We had just taken a wander down Harajuku Street in search of the cosplay girls – unfortunately we didn’t come across many weird and wonderful costumes, but we did manage to track down a fantastic Tonkatsu restaurant not far away.

Maisen has the reputation of serving up some of the best Tonkatsu in Tokyo, and it was certainly popular when we visited. We had to sit and wait around twenty minutes for a table, despite the large capacity of this restaurant - although the front of the restaurant has counter-style dining, through the back this former public bathhouse offers a cavernous dining area.

Once finally seated we ploughed through the extensive menu. Maisen provides this deep fried delicacy in every which way, including a choice of different cuts of pork with each option – luckily we had a Japanese friend with us to translate or we would have been there even longer trying to figure it all out.

I couldn’t resist trying out the kurobuta - it’s what the place is famous for after all – and while Mr Greedy Glutton opted to have his served straight up, I chose the special of the day which had my Tonkatsu accompanied by a selection of interesting dishes.



As good as each accompanying dish was (I have no idea what half of them were, but I didn’t have any complaints about any of them), the highlight was undoubtedly the famous Tonkatsu – the pork was thick, juicy and meltingly tender, the breadcrumb coating crisp and light – and smothered with the sweet, tangy Tonkatsu sauce, it was just heavenly.



So if you find yourself in Tokyo with a Tonkatsu craving, you could do a lot worse than head to Maisen – it really does deserve the reputation that precedes it.

Maisen - 4-8-5 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku

Tokyo Ramen

The best thing about staying with locals when you visit a new city for the first time is that they can help you track down hidden gems you would never have discovered on your own… just like Man-Riki-Ya, a cozy and casual ramen joint in the charming neighbourhood of Azabu Juban.



The place was pretty crowded when we arrived, but they managed to squeeze us in on one of the shared wooden tables, so we could partake in some hearty noodle slurping.



Between us we ordered up a wide variety of ramen dishes, which were all swiftly churned out of the open kitchen. My pork version offered up a generous serving of tender roast pork swimming in a flavoursome clear broth, which despite its excellence, I struggled to finish.



Not that we needed it, but we couldn’t resist a side order of Gyoza, and if you check out the picture below – you’ll see why. These proved to be a worthwhile accompaniment – crisp on the outside, succulent and juicy on the inside, tasting every bit as good as they looked.



So two meals down in Tokyo – and two very satisfied Greedy Gluttons.

Man-Riki-Ya, 2-3-2 Azabu Juban - http://www.adhams.co.jp/manrikiya/

Okonomiyaki

From Beijing we flew to Tokyo, where we began an eight day love affair with Japanese cuisine. I had arrived with a long list of all the different food I wanted to check out, and our genial hosts helped us kick this off, with some homemade Osaka-style Okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki is often described as Japanese pizza – but in reality it is nothing of the sort. There’s no pizza dough or tomato sauce for starters – and it isn’t even oven baked. Instead, a base of batter and cabbage is mixed together, and then (like a pizza, I grant you) a selection of ingredients are selected according to taste. Unlike a pizza, these are all mixed in together before being pan-fried to crispy perfection. This evening, we were treated to such seafood delights as octopus, prawns and squid, with the dish being finished off with strips of bacon.



Once ready to eat, we smothered the piping hot patties with lashings of okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and dried fish flakes.



Sounds so simple… tastes so delicious (or “oishi!” as I learnt to say in Japanese)… A promising start to the love affair.

My Book is Published!

Here it is... the moment I have been waiting for...



My book finally hit the shops this week! It's a very exciting time as I'm sure you can imagine. So if you fancy a look at In Singapore: 60 Fabulous Adventures in the City, then get down to a good book shop now! (overseas peeps may need to wait a while longer).

Of course there is an 'Eat, Drink and be Merry' section - it just wouldn't be a Greedy Glutton book without it!

Here is the blurb from the back cover to give you a bit more of an idea of what it is all about:

If you’ve ever heard or said “there’s nothing to do in Singapore except eat and shop”, then this book is for you. The pages are jam-packed with fun and interesting activities to keep you entertained during your stay in Singapore. From exploring World War II tunnels, to swinging through trees, taking a trip on a Chinese junk boat or tucking into a plate of chilli crab, there really is something for everyone in this fast-paced, ever-changing city-state.

Highly illustrated with photographs and complete with all the important information you will need, sections include Take a Hike, Cultural Interest, Eat, Drink & Be Merry, Entertaining the Kids, and Just for Fun. Whether you are visiting for a weekend or staying longer-term, you need never be at a loose end in Singapore again.

Enjoy!

Oodles of Noodles

We did our fair share of fine dining in fancy restaurants in Beijing, but one of our favourite finds was the Noodle Bar. This unpretentious little place only seats twelve noodle slurpers at a time at its u-shaped counter, emulating a Japanese sushi bar with its fun communal dining in an intimate space.



In full view of the diners, the two chefs busy themselves tending to the large vats of soup and entertaining their guests with their impressive skills as they knead and hand-pull the noodles.





Large steaming bowls of noodles are served up within minutes of you making your order, and this doesn't take long it itself as the menu is rather limited – Beef noodle soup with a choice of brisket, tendon or tripe, and thin or thick noodles. They also had a special ‘noodle of the month’ when we visited – Noodles with Pork Ribs.



We checked out both the Pork Rib special and the Beef Brisket and… oh my goodness, this is possibly the best noodle soup I have ever tasted.



The broth was rich and flavoursome, the noodles just the right side of chewy and the meat just melting off the bone... For a noodle soup fan like me, this was pretty close to heaven let me tell you…

If you happen to find yourself in Beijing – do yourself a favour and get down to the Noodle Bar, and if you have to queue, then queue – it will be worth the wait, I promise.

The Noodle Bar, Beijing
1949 - The Hidden City. Courtyard 4, Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
(Opposite Pacific Century Place South gate)

Dinner in the Hutong

We were utterly exhausted after dragging ourselves round Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Beihei Park, Houhai Lake, and up the Drum Tower… so were delighted to reach the many bars of Nanluogu Xiang in the Dongcheng Hutong area to sit down and partake in a few Tsing Taos.

Once our feet had finally stopped throbbing and our thirst was eventually quenched, we set off down the dark backstreet alley of Banchang Hutong to find our dining destination of the evening – The Source. This cosy little restaurant is housed in a renovated traditional Qing Dynasty courtyard house, where private dining rooms surround the pomegranate trees of the outdoor courtyard area.

It being October, the weather was too cold for us to enjoy any alfresco dining action, so we made ourselves comfortable in the main dining area, where the antique style furnishings and strains of Peking Opera made us feel like guests in the home of some wealthy old Beijing family.



The staff too went out of their way to make us feel at home and showed us round the courtyard on arrival and checked our eating preferences – was there anything we didn’t eat? How spicy could we take our food? This being a Szechuan restaurant, we were slightly cautious but bravely told them it was ok, we enjoy the heat!

There followed a procession of delightful Szechuan specialties (dining is by set menu only at the Source), kicking off with some pickled green beans with chilli and peanuts, and some mushrooms with a spicy dip. These were closely followed by a chicken broth which was perfect for warming the bones on a cold Beijing evening.

Next up was a Cold Spicy Beef salad served with Salad Leaves in Vinegar



And then the main courses – a fiery Duck with Chillis and Beans



The sumptuously sweet and sticky Pretzels with Rolled Bacon



And Green Beans with those tongue numbing Szechuan Peppercorns.



This innovative selection of dishes were all delicious and, as you can see by the dose of chillis and peppercorns in the dishes, pretty darn spicy! But given that there is no heating in the Hutong, we were glad of the internal heat.

The friendly staff attitude didn’t end with the meal either… The chef came out to speak to us once we were finished to check we had enjoyed the meal (we had!) and to ensure us that if there was anything we didn’t like she could adapt the meal to suit us next time. And once we were ready to leave, those helpful folk at the Source insisted on walking us out down the alley to the main road and stayed with us until we’d managed to flag down a cab – now that’s service!

The Source, Beijing - http://www.yanclub.com/wwwsite/source/SOURCE.htm

Wangfujing Snack Street

Wangfujing Snack Street should be near the top of the to-do list of every food lover who visits Beijing. This narrow alleyway tucked off to the side of Wangfujing Dajie, Beijing’s main shopping thoroughfare, is bustling with hungry visitors elbowing their way through the crowds to check out the goodies on offer at the various street stalls.





Having missed lunch due to over-enthusiastic sightseeing, we dove straight into the masses and joined the search for something edible within. I say this because we passed an awful lot of stalls displaying what some (including yours truly) would be hard pushed to consider food:







I’m ashamed to say we avoided the bugs, grubs, scorpions and starfish and lamely opted for lamb on a stick… although it was very tasty…





A bit further on we tracked down a few more normal-looking items – freshly roasted sweetcorn



Chinese-style chicken doner kebab





And then came across this intriguing stall – where they were freshly preparing little balls in tins loaded with batter, cabbage and octopus, before firing them in the oven and then roasting them over hot coals. I have since discovered that this is Takoyaki, a popular Japanese snack, but it was new to us.





So we joined the queue and took delivery of our hot and sticky octopus balls – they even came in a fancy box… and these guys have their own website – not quite scorpion on a stick, but pretty tasty anyway.





We finished up with some Toffeed Capulin Cherries on a stick, as they seemed to be so popular with everyone else on the street,





before we elbowed our way back out of the throng and continued with our sightseeing.

Peking Duck

We’re just back from a 2 ½ week eating extravaganza around Beijing, Tokyo and Kyoto. We started off in Beijing, where we obviously had to kick off the holiday with some Peking Duck. Da Dong Restaurant is probably the most famous duck restaurant in Beijing, so we of course made that our first stop.

As far as I know, there are three branches of Da Dong Restaurant in Beijing. We opted for the one in Chaoyang as it was within walking distance from our hotel. If you fancy trying it but aren’t staying in the area – it’s right next to Gongtibeilu subway station, so it’s easy to get to.

They don’t take reservations after 6.30pm, so we had to join a queue. It was about a 40 minute wait, but those folk at Da Dong know how to keep their customers happy – we had a comfy seat in the windowed corridor with views out over the street and, more importantly, free drinks (soft drinks, tea and boxed wine) while we waited.

We were fairly famished by the time we were shown to our table and were eager to get immediately stuck into the duck. We ordered half a duck, but were soon distracted by the enormous menu full of other enticing goodies. As it was our first night, we were slightly over excited and, as usual, ordered a tableful of food for just the two of us.

We ended up with Prawns with a Spicy Sauce, which were sweet, spicy, sticky and scrumptious



Australian veal with shallots



And of course some vegetables for good measure.



The duck actually arrived last – presumably as it is the most ordered item on the menu, we had to wait in line. The chef carving our duck introduced himself to us and allowed us to inspect the bird before he set about dissecting it in front of us.



This he did deftly and quickly and the succulent slices were soon set out in front of us, together with the usual accompanying paraphernalia – pancakes, various sauces, and sliced radish, cucumber and spring onion.



It was delicious – well worth the wait and thankfully lived up to our expectations. What exceeded our expectations however, was the quality of the other dishes on the table, in particular those sticky sweet prawns – they were truly fantastic and presented beautifully.

If you do happen to find yourself in Beijing with a duck craving – I’d say you could do far worse than head to Da Dong.

Japanese Cravings

We’re heading to Tokyo and Kyoto in a couple of weeks and so I have been busy reading all the guide books recently. Predictably, the pages I have been concentrating on most are the Food & Drink ones, and as a consequence I have been craving Japanese food like you wouldn’t believe. Thankfully this afternoon, my craving was finally fulfilled during a very satisfying lunch with the girls at Sun with Moon at Wheelock.

One of the girls was running late, so the three of us who were there decided to order a few nibbles while we were waiting. Being a greedy bunch, the nibbles turned out to be rather larger than necessary, but they were all so fantastic, we were glad that we did.

We kicked off with some sushi rolls: Salmon Pink Dragon Rolls (crab and avocado topped with salmon),



and some California Rolls.



And then dug into some Yakiniku – sautéed sliced beef with raw egg, on a bowl of rice. As a secret fan of Yoshinoya’s beef bowls, I was delighted with this – a posher, more flavoursome version and completely delicious.



Once our friend joined us we then ordered some main courses – a Sushi Mori Combo, comprising Tuna, Salmon, Yellow Tail, Cooked Prawn, Grilled Eel, California Rolla and Japanese Omelette; and a Sushi Roll Combo, comprising Soft Shell Crab rolls, California rolls, Diced Grilled Eel rolls and Japanese Omelette.



As sets, these were served with a beautiful Miso Soup, Chawanmushi (a kind of savoury egg custard with chicken) and a choice of side dishes – we opted for the Hokkaido Miso Mini Ramen, which was so delicious we were fighting over the last few mouthfuls.



As if this weren’t enough we also added on a couple more side dishes, justifying this with the fact that we had just shared two main courses between three (and ignoring that we has already shared a few extras beforehand) – some Pork Gyoza



and a Satsuma Age (fish cake).



I’m sure you must be thinking what a completely gluttonous group of girls we are – and you’d be right! But we were also a completely satisfied group of girls when we left Sun with Moon, and will be looking forward to coming back again soon.


Sun with Moon, #03-15 Wheelock Place - http://www.sfbi.com.sg/index_e.html

Best Pizza in Town?

I have often bemoaned the fact that you can’t get a good pizza in Singapore. In fact the situation had become so drastic that I had even resorted to home-cooking pizza in place of picking up the phone and ordering it in (thanks Jamie Oliver!).

All this has changed however, with the discovery of Bella Pizza on Robertson Quay. This homely little place is always packed, no matter what day of the week (except Monday when it’s closed) – and predominantly with Italians… surely a good sign of the authenticity of the cuisine. The staff are super-friendly – from the waiters who wave to me when I walk past (although that’s perhaps a sign that I need to eat less pizza…), to the chef, Antonio, who will sit down at your table to ask you how your day was, and force feed you Limoncello after your meal.

And then there is the pizza – thin crusted, generously topped and perfectly baked… for me this is simply the best pizza in Singapore. The enormous calzone are always a hit with the greedy guys in the group too.



Not that you need them, but if you’re super-greedy like us, their starters are pretty good too – we checked out the Mozzarella di Buffala wrapped in Parma Ham,



and the Melanzane alla Parmigiana which was just outstanding (although don’t expect to eat this as a starter on your own AND manage a pizza).



I’m kind of reluctant to keep singing Bella Pizza’s praises as it’s always a push to get a table at the weekend as it is – but here are another couple of reasons to go there: they do a decent house wine at just $40 a bottle, and a 3-course set lunch menu for just $18.

There… now everyone’s going to want to go and I’ll never get a table again...

Bella Pizza, Robertson Quay - http://www.bellapizza.com.sg/

Still My Favourite Curry Place

I’ve written about Khansama before, but I was there again last week (I often am) and I have still yet to find anywhere to beat it, so I thought it was time to give it another plug. Located up a narrow staircase in the middle of Serangoon Road, this little gem continually churns out fantastic-tasting, great value curries.



It has the most comprehensive menu I have ever come across, and yet every dish that comes out of that kitchen has its own unique flavour. The starter section is longer than most restaurants entire menus, but we seem to have managed to make our way through most of it now – and perennial favourites include the Mixed Tikka starter – large cubes of succulent chicken which have been marinated in a variety of flavours; the Paneer Pakora – squares of paneer stuffed with a chilli paste and lightly deep-fried; and their oh-so-good Onion Bhajis.



For meat lovers, you can’t go wrong with a Mutton Lababdar with its creamy tomato gravy, or everyone’s favourite – Chicken Tikka Masala. If you’re not so good with spice then order yourself the mild Kashmiri Fish Curry plied with plenty of raisins and dried fruit.





Veggies won’t be disappointed here either – the Gobi Manchurian – cauliflower in a spicy sweet and sour sauce should not be missed, nor should the Bindi Masala – okra cooked with tomatoes and spices.



Oh and while you’re at it, make sure to try out their fantastic Tadka Dal, some Garlic Naan and a side order of Cucumber Raita. Yep – you’ve got yourself a feast!



The prices at Khansama have certainly crept up over the past couple of years – gone are the days when we could order anything we liked and still only spend $20 per head. But having said that, during our latest visit we completely over-ordered (as usual) and managed to sink a fair few jugs of Tiger and it was still under $35 per head, so it’s still offers outstanding value for money.

If you’ve not been – do yourself a favour and get down there now… just save a table for me!

Khansama – 166 Serangoon Road – www.khansama.net