Shinzo Japanese Cuisine - Delightful

After a recent string of good finds, I am excited to find another one: Shinzo Japanese Cuisine where I can get exceedingly fresh sashimi at an amazing price.

The interior of the restaurant is more of the minimalist zen type, kind of reminds me of the environment in Shinji, except for the atmosphere here that is more boisterous and casual. Almost all of the seats in there are around the counter, saved for two tables near the entrance. The place is not big, but it does have that cosy feel.

Time to rave about the sashimi: for a lunch set of $38, I got a platter of thick slices and morsels of fresh, raw seafood that are beautifully arranged on the plate. Salmon, mekajiki, hamachi, fish roe cake, hotate, ama ebi and yes, chutoro—all expertly prepared and have that firm texture indicating the freshness.  Mekajiki, hamachi and especially chutoro can especially have that offensive fishy smell if are not of the freshest quality, so the moment I tried the mekajiki here, my expectations was raised. And the chutoro—I am actually apprehensive about trying otoro in most establishments since a lot had disappointed me on this aspect—has none of that smell despite being laden with fish fats. This fatty slice of meat may not have that melt-in-your-mouth quality, but it has that buttery flavour that I appreciate. The hotate and ama ebi are so sweet that I finished them up with just a dash of horseradish.

The supposedly generic salad also surprised me. Fresh springy seaweed—the purple rough strands among layers of vegetables—are added to impart a very unique texture and a dash of unami to the dish. The batter used for the tempera is very well-done in the sense that it is of a very thin layer, so that I don't feel like eating copious amount of fried starch, and is extremely crispy, even after I set it aside for a while before tucking into it.

Another highlight of the meal is the spicy tuna maki. It is not spicy, more of sweet, but I am loving it because mashed tuna with chopped spring onions added totally works for me. This is so tasty that I rank this as my second favourite maki. The last savoury dish served is the soba in clear broth. The taste is extremely light, where the flavours come from the seaweed added. Feeling very full, the refreshing soba, instead of a heavy starch-laden dish, is welcomed. The honeydew is oh-so-sweet. The watermelon is, well, kind of like the lowlight of the meal, but it is just a minor gripe.

The service is excellent: friendly and very meticulous. The service staff make the efforts to introduce each dish when serving up the food, and will even inform that the raw items in the set meal can be changed if one only eats cooked food. I am impressed, really.

Not only am I going to be a regular of this restaurant, I am going to recommend this place to others.

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

Nearest car park: URA's open air car park along Carpenter Street

Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay

17 Carpenter Street

Singapore

Contact No: 64382921

Shirokiya - Very Unique Dishes

Closed

The menu does feature lots of rare and unique Japanese dishes that cannot be found in other restaurants. And they sure look temptingly delicious. The only issue is that a fat wallet is needed to try out all of them since the price is a notch above that of usual Japanese fare. The good part is that I can try different dishes on subsequent visits due to the huge variety of food.

For the Fried Rice with Crab Meat, the rice portion seems to taste a bit bland on the first bite due to the lack of salt and oil. However, after a few more mouthful, the inherent aroma of the rice comes through. The use of less oil actually makes this dish more enjoyable to tuck into. Not to mention that more skills are required to stir fry food with less oil. When paired with the generous topping of real crab meat and shredded dried seaweed, the result is bursting with the goodness of the sea. One of the best fried rice I have, most probably, for now.

The collagen hotpot seems like one of the main attractions, and frankly speaking, the seafood spread looks very attractive, where the fresh ingredients filled the pot almost to the brim. Though I will say that the star of this dish is the clear, light, tasty broth. Even the tofu-like pieces of solidified collagen are clear in colour. As compared to the hearty, strong-tasting soup in Tsukada Nojo, I prefer Shirokiya's soup base since it is packed with subtle favours yet not overwhelming. However, unlike the unique and wholesome range of ingredients that Tsukada Nojo prepares for hotpot, the ones of Shirokiya are pretty generic: prawns (the best part), chicken pieces (kind of like randomly cut) and the usual suspects of vegetables used for most hotpot, cabbage, carrot, golden mushrooms and shitake mushrooms.

Thus I find that the kurobuta pork hotpot set is a much better choice, where I can enjoy the soup and the generous helping of thinly sliced fresh kurobuta pork. A sprinkle of freshly grated black pepper onto the meat gives the extra kick and oomph.

The freshly made hot tofu, when combined with the bonito flakes, grated ginger, special sauce and chopped spring onions, tastes really flavourful. Though it is a bit like the stone soup—good when eaten with condiments, a tad plain when eaten on its own. I find that the hot tofu brings out the flavours of accompanying condiments while the cold one, which looks better at serving, mutes those tastes. I do like the presentation of the hot tofu, where the staff carries out a Japanese wooden tub and then scoops out the tofu from it.

The tori karaage is not exactly what I call healthy food, but Shirokiya presents the healthier version by reducing the salt. Taste wise, it is plainer, still palatable though. Not exactly a noteworthy dish.

The second floor feels cosy due to the wooden furniture, sliding doors and panels. The pictures of sceneries in Japan decorate the walls, imparting a modern yet distinctively Japanese feel to the place. Though making one's way to the staircase to second floor is, well, not pleasant. The walkway is narrow, and there is a part where the dirty utensils are piled up at the side.

The service varies from good to neutral to not-so-friendly. Quite a number has that poker face on a busy Friday night, no major issue, but also no points for this. One of the staff, Xandrea, is one of the exceptions who is cheerful, helpful and friendly. I will like this place a lot more if all staff are like her. The front counter staff is full of smiles, which is what attracted me to give the food here a try—yes, one of those few times I just walk in to check out the place without doing any research.

Note: After patronising this place many times, I find the overall service to be getting better. In fact, we feel very comfortable when dining there because of the helpful, genuinely friendly staff. 

I do enjoy dining in Shirokiya, not including the journey to the staircase. So will visit again.

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Tamaya Dining - Authentic Japanese Dining Experience

At the recommendation of a Japanese chef of the best Japanese restaurant in Singapore, Shinji, I decided to check out Tamaya and the row of restaurants at Cuppage Terrace. And I was pleasantly surprised by the great finds there.

One of the biggest motivating factor to visit Tamaya is the authentic Japanese dining experience where the patrons get to dine at the low tables in traditional Japanese horigotatsu style with screens between each table for some privacy. Sitting seiza style is not required since there is a sink-in area underneath the table for some leg space. Getting the attention of the attentive service staff is surprisingly easy, in spite of being on the more secluded second floor.

As for the food, the variety is pretty impressive, ranging from the staples of sashimi and sushi to those items not regularly found in other Japanese restaurants. One of my favourites is the Otsumami Chashu, roast pork that is like no others. Served cold, this roast pork, made up of swirls of fat and meat, is soft to the bite and is packed with the sweet flavour of slightly charred meat. I am very impressed with how the fat, which is creamy instead of gelatinous, renders the overall texture of the meat to be smooth. I will usually pick off the fat from my dishes, but I gladly make an exception for this dish.

Another one that send me raving about it is the Iron pot Rice with Chicken and Burdock Root. The presentation of the rice topped with meat and vegetable served in a dainty iron pot encased in wooden box had already made me excited about getting a bite of it. I was not disappointed. The fragrance of the quality rice, imbued with the aroma of fresh chicken and burdock root, is concentrated into that little pot to yield incredibly flavourful rice. Every grain of it is absolutely not spared.

The Yasai Itame, stir-fried vegetables, is good as it retains a bit of the crunch of fresh vegetables and is not too salty. Though it is not really outstanding in any particular aspect. Another pretty good dish is Tonpei Yaki, egg omelette with pork and shredded cabbage. The fresh ingredients and the combination of runny egg mixture drizzled over cabbage and pork result in a wholesome and healthy appetizer. I suggest to add some soya sauce to this because the unseasoned raw cabbage may taste to be a tab plain.

The sole lowlight of the repertoire of dishes ordered is the yakitori moriawase. The sticks of grilled food are dry and tasteless. To make things worse, most of the items included in the moriawase are not the specialities of this restaurant ... at least that is my impression since specialities should not be epic fail in terms of both texture and taste, consisting of strange items in the likes of green chilies, chicken skin and chicken gizzards that is rubbery hard. Only the chicken meat is decent, in fact, it is pretty tasty. The better idea is to order individual kushiyaki items instead of the moriawase.

I am glad to find another Japanese restaurant to be added into my list of restaurants that I will patronize often. Tamaya does offer an authentic and a relatively unique dining experience that sets it apart from the competitors and gives me the incentive to visit it once in a while.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Cuppage Plaza's car park

Nearest MRT: Somerset

45 Cuppage Terrace

Cuppage Road

Singapore

Contact No: 68353539