Tanglin Japanese

You’d think after all that food we sampled in Japan (more from Kyoto later) that I’d be looking for a break from Japanese food for a while – well, that’s what I thought until those kind folk down at Tetsu invited me down for a tasting of their menu.

Tetsu is easily overlooked, even if you find yourself in Tanglin Mall, tucked away as it is in the corner of the 3rd floor (I myself have been in this mall several times over the last few months and never really known there was a gem of a Japanese restaurant lurking above my head). Once you find your way up there though, you will find a stylish modern restaurant offering fantastic cuisine, attentive service and a welcome respite from all those screaming children that litter the floor of Café Beviamo on the 1st floor (sorry yummy mummies….)

We were given free reign of the menu for our tasting, and we certainly made the most of it – although the restaurant specialises in tempura and tonkatsu, there are pages and pages of other tempting goodies, and we dedicatedly ordered several items from each page – here are some of the highlights.

We kicked off with some Fugu Mirin Boshi (Dried Puffer Fish) – we all know that Fugu can be lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, but thankfully we survived this dish, and enjoyed it to boot – although it was a slightly strange taste: like bakkwa with a fishy aftertaste.



The Sashimi Moriawase (Assorted Sashimi) provided a generous serving of large slices of the melt-in-your-mouth fresh fish – and we even picked up a top tip from Tetsu which I will happily share with you now: for the freshest sushi and sashimi in Singapore, opt for a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday as these are the days most restaurants fly in their fresh fish stocks. Good to know.



The Sushi Anago was an unusual entry on the menu, and a first for me – this being salt-water eel, as opposed to Unagi, their more common freshwater cousins. I was pleasantly surprised how tasty this was – sweet, sticky and tender and definitely recommended.



The Yaki Niku was probably the top of the pick for us – to-die-for succulent prime beef tenderloin grilled and seasoned to perfection, definitely a crowd-pleaser.



Obviously we couldn’t ignore the Tempura and Tonkatsu, these being Tetsu’s specialities. Both were fantastic – the tempura batter light and crisp as it should be, whilst the Rosu Katsu (pork loin cutlet), juicy and tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside. They also do a Katsu burger which is on my list of things to try when I return.



As with most Japanese restaurants, the food doesn’t come cheap, especially if you are planning on sampling a large selection of dishes as we did (although perhaps you won’t be quite as greedy as we were!). That being said, I shall certainly be returning as a paying customer and would recommend others to do so – and if you’re counting your pennies as well as your calories after all that festive indulgence then you could always opt for their great value lunchtime bento boxes, which give you an assortment of goodies for around $20.00.

Tetsu, Tanglin Mall - http://www.tetsu.com.sg

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.

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

One Year in Singapore!

It was our One Year in Singapore anniversary, so despite it being a Tuesday evening, and Mr Greedy Glutton having to work late, we decided we had to mark the occasion in some way. And what better way than a celebratory meal? And what better location that our local hideaway Marina at Keppel Bay?

We end up at the Marina quite often on a Friday evening, or mid-week when we can’t be bothered to cook, or when we just fancy kicking back in their comfy sofas on the breezy decking, or supping some wine in their cozy wine bar… Tonight however we ventured deeper into the depths of the complex, and found ourselves at the Japanese restaurant, Takumi Tokyo.

As soon as we had set foot in the door, we were greeted by a chorus of Japanese welcomes, and a waitress in a kimono shuffled quickly towards us to take our umbrellas and show us to a seat. The restaurant is split into three areas – normal table seating, the Teppanyaki counter, and the Robatayaki (charcoal grill) counter. We opted for the Teppanyaki couter, and were again greeted by a chorus of welcomes as we approached – this time from the chefs.



Not being particularly versed in Japanese cuisine, we decided to make things easier and go for one of their set meals - they offer several different options, and we chose the Tokyo Teppan Course (from the Teppanyaki counter) and the Edo Robata Course (from the Robatayaki counter). There wasn’t a lot of difference between them – apart from the different styles of cooking, the main difference was that the Robata course comes with fish instead of meat – and the choice of rice is slightly different.

So all that was left was for us to sip on our Asahis and wait for the meal to emerge. It didn’t take long – first up was our Appetizers which were presented to us with much bowing and smiling. Here we had a selection of four different dishes – some Sushi, some Wagyu beef slices, Gluten and Pickled Vegetables.



Next up was a very generous Sashimi course – with three different types of fish.



Followed by the Assortment of Seasonal Vegetables
(this from the Tokyo Teppan course)



(and this from the Edo Robata course)



Next up was where we got some input – to choose our main courses: For the Tokyo Teppan course this was a choice of Premium Sirloin Steak with Grated Daikon Radish, Sauteed Kurobuta Pork with Rock Salt and Japanese Condiments or Selected Wagyu of the Day (additional $50.00). Well Mr Greedy Glutton’s a bit of a steak man, so Sirloin Steak it was:



For the Edo Robata Course, we got to take a trip to the other side of the restaurant to choose our fish from the ‘market’ (which is apparently flown in daily from Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market, the biggest fish and seafood market in the world). I have no idea what type of fish I ended up with – I just pointed at one that took my fancy, and a few minutes later it turned up on a plate in front of me:



There wasn’t too much room left in our expanding stomachs by now, but next up was a very tasty Seafood Miso soup

and some accompanying Garlic Fried Rice (for the Tokyo Teppan Course)

and Toasted Rice Ball (Edo Robata course).

Which only left time (and room) for one other thing – dessert: a semi-peeled grape, some rather delicious black sesame ice cream and an exceedingly sticky something-or-other.

All in all we had a pleasant evening – the food was enjoyable and the service attentive and cheerful. However, I’m not sure we will be rushing back for a mid-week meal any time in a hurry, mainly because of the cost I guess ($316.00 without drinks)… and besides, there are so many 100s of Japanese restaurants in Singapore to try… how could we justify returning here without trying all of them first?

Takumi Tokyo - http://www.takumitokyo.com/

Japanese for a Hen Night

Yet another night out with the girls, but this time in honour of a friend’s hen night. So we donned our Little Black Dresses and some rather fetching feather boas and, after a day of pampering at Spa Botanica and quaffing champagne at the Marina at Keppel Bay, we made our way to Shochu-tastic Satsuma at the Gallery Hotel.

This funky little Japanese restaurant specializes in grilled meats and Shochu, a sake-like liquor made from sweet potato. Thankfully we had a few Japanese friends with us, so we left the ordering to them – kicking off, of course, with a bottle of Shochu from their 80+ strong list.

Once we were all comfortably seated on the floor around our sunken table, sipping our shochu, the dishes began to arrive – and what a selection we had!

From the ‘Drinking Food’ section:
Edamame (Green Soy Beans)

Hourensou Goma Ae (Spinach with Sesame Sauce)

Momotaro Mozarera Chiizu (Japanese Tomato with Mozzarella Cheese)

Kinoko Itame (Assorted Stir Fry Mushroom)

From the ‘Charcoal Grill’ section:
Hamachi Kama (Yellowtail Cheek)

Tsukune (Chicken Meat Balls)

Mochi Buta Maki (Rice Cake rolled with Pork)

Monohoshi Kare Nikuzume (Curried Minced Chicken)

Gyuu Tan (Ox Tongue)

Foie Gras

And from the Deep Fried Section:
Miso Katsu Chiizu (Pork Cutlet with Bean Paste and Cheese)

Phew! And I think I’ve only accounted for approximately half the dishes we actually ordered… All in all it was a fantastic spread of food and despite the vast quantities ordered, I seem to remember very little being left.

Satsuma is also famous for its after-dinner waitress-led raucous shochu drinking games, but unfortunately nobody offered us this opportunity.... hmmm... perhaps they thought we were being raucous enough already.... (they should've seen us later on in the privacy of our karaoke lounge!)...

Satsuma - http://www.satsuma.com.sg/english/index.html

Kushiyaki

I get cravings all the time – usually it’s for dim sum or noodle soup, or occasionally a burger. But today it was all about grilled meat for me… I really wanted satays, but in the end I happily settled for some ‘Kushiyaki’ at Shin Kushiya.

For the uninitiated (ie. me before I went to Shin Kushiya), Kushiyaki basically mean ‘grilled skewers’, but unlike Yakitori, it is not limited to chicken dishes… so they grill a wide array of ingredients - pork, prawns, fish, beef etc. Here they pride themselves on using a particular type of charcoal, Bincho Charcoal, a very dense type which enables it to burn without emitting vast quantities of smoke, yet at the same time imparting a smoky flavour to the grilled items.

All well and good – back to the restaurant itself. I was pleasantly surprised by the interior with its contemporary design, warm lighting, and translucent curtains dividing the various dining areas. We were shown to a table at the back, where the floor-to-ceiling windows afforded a view out across the water to Sentosa (let’s just forget for a while that this part of Sentosa is one giant building site at the moment) – definitely a notch above the majority of other Vivocity restaurants.

But more importantly, on to the food. They have a fairly extensive menu, divided into sections of Sushi, Sashimi, Zensai (appetizers) Sarada (salads), Yakimono (chargrilled meats and seafood), Agimono (tempura), Donburi (rice) and Menrui (noodles) and desserts. They also have an interesting drinks menu including beers, sake, sochu, cocktails (they specialize in saketinis) and for the non-drinker - flavoured teas, fruit coolers, juices and mocktails.

Wow, such choice, where to begin? Well, a Japanese meal wouldn’t be complete without some Sushi, so we started off with some Spicy Salmon Sashimi Maki, which was very tasty and a very generous portion.

And of course we couldn’t leave without sampling the Kushiyaki selection, so we opted for some Black Pepper Yakitori and Aspara Maki. These servings were very small (allowing you to mix and match) but the meat held a strong chargrilled flavour, which was exactly what my craving was calling out for.

We also plumped for the Pumpkin Croquettes from the appetizer menu, which were a major success –light and crisp on the outside and sticky and surprisingly sweet on the inside.

Threw in some Ton Katsu – breaded pork loin with plum sauce.

And a salad, the Yakitori Sarada with a Citrus Soy Dressing - although this really wasn’t necessary considering how much salad is served with all the other dishes. It also arrived a while after the other dishes, so we could really have done without it.

All in all I was fairly impressed with this meal – it wasn’t anything overly special, but for a mid-week bite to eat, I am sure we will be back when the craving takes us.

You know, I realized at the end of the meal that I hadn’t actually had all that much grilled meat, which was the whole point of the evening… ah well, sometimes when you’re surrounded by so much choice, the craving becomes diluted…

Shin Kushiya, Vivocity - http://www.shinkushiya.com/

Indonesian Japanese

We were in Bintan with friends on a golfing weekend, staying at the Bintan Lagoon resort. We were on the late ferry back on the Sunday night so decided to check out the resort’s Japanese restaurant, Miyako, before making our way to the ferry terminal. It’s an attractive space with a minimalist, zen-like feel to it and they also have a Teppanyaki counter, although we were a bit too early to be entertained by knife-wielding chefs on this occasion.

The meal started off quite promisingly with some lovely sushi – Tuna Maki and Tempura Maki.

We weren’t all that hungry following a late post-golf lunch so we continued with some nibbles but unfortunately these were all somewhat disappointing – a very greasy Mixed Tempura left the taste of the oil in your mouth rather than what was within the batter.

And a fairly bland Chicken Yakitori…

Never mind… we were there for the golf, not the food.... and there are several other restaurants to choose from at this resort on our next golf outing…

Miyako, Bintan Lagoon Resort - http://web.bintanlagoon.com/winedine.shtml