Ikkoten Omakase - Unique, Varied, Awesome Surprises

I'm always excited to visit Ikkoten and so here I am again! This restaurant is one of my favourites among favourites for the reason that Chef Brandon will ensure every visit is full of awesome surprises. He has like a treasure trove of rare Japanese cooking techniques that he will use to prepare the dishes to cater to my preference for unique, one-of-a-kind experiences. The perks of being a regular here 😊

This time, every dish is a "Wow" and the highlights of the dinner are never-tried-before Tofu Sauce, Smoked Sashimi and Special Hotpot with Wagyu. Who could have thought that Tofu Sauce and Smoked Sashimi actually exist and taste so awesome?

A meal here definitely turns my day from a good one to a fantastic one. This restaurant is one of those where the awesome experience gets even better with each repeated visit.

Japanese Persimmon, drizzled with tofu sauce and sprinkled with pine nuts, makes my eyes widen in pleasant surprise because it doesn’t feel like fruit. It is more like a savoury snack packed with floral sweetness of fruits. Amazing that the earthy savoury tofu sauce and nutty goodness of pine nuts can totally transform this fruit. And the persimmon is of perfect texture: slightly firm and absolutely juicy.

By the way, I scoop up every bit of the tofu sauce since it is so good.

Silky smooth Cold Chawamushi with Edamame Puree surprises me with the unexpected light touch of that lovely umami tempered with a hint of vegetal freshness. Now then I know edamame and egg custard is a match made in heaven.

Smoked Shima Aji tastes so magical, so complex and so briny sweet! The first bite is unbelievably amazing because it’s like nothing I had tasted before. The smoked hay aroma, fruity, earthy sweetness of carrot sauce and the pungency of ginger flower do their magic to transform the Shima Aji to the best Shima Aji I ever have.

Clean taste of flounder sashimi is accentuated by the vegetal pungency of shiso oil and the beautiful purple shiso foam made from flowers. When paired with spongy Japanese Yam Stem, the sweetness of flounder accentuated by the unique refreshing pungency of the stem. And it’s getting best of both worlds when savoured with both shiso foam and Japanese Yam stem.

Tempura Amadai is definitely another highlight of the night. Its meat is so creamy and its deep fried skin with scales is so crispy. The smoothness and umami of nori butter adds a splash of intensity to the taste of the fish. And the strands of Iapanese seaweed are crunchy and refreshing, thus refreshing the palates between bites of the briny sweet fish.

Spinach Ohitashi is such welcomed dish that comes after the rich Amadai dish because it is refreshing, tempered with doses of briny sweetness. The sweet crab meat goes perfectly with the gelatinous tangy yuzu jelly. I love this too.

Since I want to try Wagyu in a different style, Chef Brandon prepared something special for me: Wagyu Hotpot! The A5 Wagyu, dipped in umami-rich broth served boiling hot in claypot, tastes so meaty and incredibly sweet. It’s so different from other Japanese hotpot due to all the goodies added to the broth, making the meat tastes even sweeter, and the slightly thicker cut of meat, yielding a lovely creamy good bite in the texture. Such warm, comforting and luxurious dish.

The Handroll is meaty and delicious.

The Hotate is plump and sweet.

The squid has a good smooth, crunchy core and milky briny sweetness.

Chutoro is so buttery good. It’s melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Smoked Hamachi is intense and unique in taste. A must-try here.

Yuzu miso to refresh the palates.

Negitoro, with truffle and a layer of lux from the gold dust sprinkled, is so sinfully good! Lots of creamy briny sweetness, made complex by the intense earthy aroma of truffle, does wonders for the palates.

Sweet Kyoho Grape sorbet tgat interestingly tastes like Hichew Candy.

Goma Mochi has the prefect texture with slight chewiness and pillowy soft feel.

Thoughts: One of the Best and Most Special Meals!

86 Telok Ayer Street

Kimura-san’s Farm Miracle Sweet Peach

This is the sweetest peach I have ever tastes! It’s out-of-this-world good! So good that I go back to buy a second pack after 3 days despite the high price tag. And the previously full shelf left only three packs of these peaches. A testimony on how good these taste.

Country of origin: Japan

Where to get: Don Don Donki

Schreiben ist meine Leidenschaft

Eine ganze Weile lang ich habe mehr Videos geschaut und Reddit-Geschichten gelesen als mich aufs Schreiben konzentriert. Als ich über meine kulinarischen Abenteuer schrieb, dokumentierte ich die Ereignisse aus Pflichtgefühl und nicht aus Leidenschaft. Ich fühlte mich zwar friedlich und glücklich, ber auch unerfüllt. Nach einem fantastischen Essen, das ein attraktiver Koch zubereitet hatte, beschloss ich, mich auf das Schreiben über dieses Erlebnis zu konzentrieren, anstatt mir noch ein Video anzuschauen. Es gibt mir so viel Energie, wenn ich über dieses Erlebnis schreibe. Schreiben ist wirklich meine Leidenschaft.

Pulsii French Bistro - Hearty Flavourful Surprises

Actually I do not know what to expect when stepping into Pulsii French Bistro. I just got interested in this place because the chef is a Japanese specialising in French cuisine (and this sounds promising due to my good prior experiences) and the menu looks exciting, featuring a variety of woodfire dishes and casual French classics with a twist.

Guess what, I’m totally wowed over by the hearty yet complex, robust yet balanced flavours here. Each dish here is packed with lots of goodies that please and surprise the palates. The dishes here features the vibrancy and complexity of French cuisine, tempered with the intricacy of Japanese sensibility.

The whole place feels like a modern, stylish casual underground tavern, where the dining area and bar counter, bathed in soft yellow light, looks like a cosy, chic tunnel. And it leads up to the bright open kitchen at the end of the tunnel.

The service here is fantastic, especially the bartender, who multitasks between taking, serving orders and creating classic cocktails with lovely twists. The vibe at this restaurant feels so right. And with the awesome food and drink choices, the experience here is worth a visit at least once.

Woodfire Hokkaido Scallop surprises me by how warm and meaty sweet the scallop is. The light char, the umami of the bisque and toasted ham, the sweet tomato, the tangy olive, the slightly spicy pepper creates such vibrancy in the taste. This is one scallop with the most bling in the taste, in an excellent way.

Grilled Tiger Prawns taste so rich, intense and sweet. And the thin layer of char does so much to accentuate the sweetness of the juicy meaty prawn And a hint of tangy flavour makes it even better. I’m so tempted to order another plate 😆 

Magret Duck Breast is so meaty and juicy. The Moulard Duck is perfectly cooked to medium rare to feature a slightly crispy top and a meaty succulent firm texture with a touch of tenderness. And the variety of accompanying grilled vegetables introduces a nice vegetal bitterness from the Maitake Mushroom, crunchy texture ffrom the Lotus Root, earthy aroma from the Burdock Root and an iota of zest from the miso balsamic sauce. So this dish is bursting with a myriad of flavours that work so well with each other. Best enjoyed when hot or warm.

Matcha Montblanc features a nice earthy clear taste of matcha that goes so well with the creaminess of whipped cream. The crunchy sugared nuts make the texture more exciting.

Nice fruity refreshing cocktail with layers of flavours

This is a must order here. The egg white foam at the top adds so much to the feel of sipping this drink.

Another drink with foamy top 🎉 This is like Singapore Special, with pandan and coconut. Another must-try.

Nice tangy cocktail specially concocted to balance the sweetness of the dessert.

Thoughts: Flavourful Complex Surprises

55 Tras Street

Ich kann jeder Enneagramm-Typ sein

Beim Schminken bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 1.

Wenn ich mit Menschen zusammen bin, die mir wichtig sind, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 2.

Bei der Arbeit bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 3.

Wenn ich schöne Dinge bewundere, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 4.

Wenn ich lese, zuhöre oder schreibe, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 5.

Wenn es um Beziehungen geht, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 6.

Wenn ich Party mache, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 7.

Wenn ich mit Leute zu tun habe, die ich nicht mag, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 8.

Wenn ich mit Leute im Allgemeinen zu tun habe, bin ich Enneagramm-Typ 9.

Omakase @ Stevens - Most Beautiful Taste of Summer

When dining at Omakase @ Stevens, I always feel like I have been taken a gastronomic trip around Japan of different seasons. One of the things that I love about Chef Kazuki's seasonal menu is that he always incorporates the distinctive taste of each season into his dishes. It is not only about savouring the best ingredients of the season, it is also about feeling the season through the sense of taste and smell.

Which is why I’m back here, all ready to enjoy the summer menu. And yes! The taste of summer in the dishes is amazingly distinctive, refreshing and exciting. What makes it even better is that this menu, saved for the signature Donabe, is totally different from the last summer menu. So I’m always in for a beautiful surprise every time I come here.

And it is such a joy to see the chefs mix the sauces, prepare the broth, cut the meats and meticulously assemble the dishes on the spot at the open kitchen counter. No wonder that this restaurant is one of my favourites among favourites and a must-visit every season.

Hassun fearures unique renditions of Hotate, Corn and Wagyu that absolutely astound me at first bites.

The Hotate here like scallop that I have never tasted before. Tthe Gazpacho is clear and light, tastes somewhat exotic with a hint of sharp pungency of wasabi and herbs. And it actually highlights the lovely mild sweetness of the hotate. Best Hotate? Yes! And I finish up every drop of the Gazpacho.

The Corn here is like corn that I have never tasted before. Yes, the milky floral buttery taste of corn is very pronounced here, which is a mark of high quality corn, and this takes on a new dimension when paired Japanese curry and Corn Flower. It is sweet and savoury at the same time. Another wow moment. The delicate handmade springroll shell adds the crispy texture that juxtaposes so well with the corn puree and cute dots of sauce.

Wagyu Rillettes here is like the beef that I never tasted before. The tender moist shredded wagyu is so beautifully savoury sweet, packed with meaty goodness. Japanese Cheddar and Japanese Mustard inject bits of excitement to round up the taste. I love this too.

Zuwaigani from Hokkaido wrapped with Japanese Amela Tomato and topped with Caviar is so magical in taste. Yes, it feels like a beautiful dream when savouring this beauty. different types of sweetness manifest in harmony gastronomic dream come true refreshing sweetness milky sweetness hint of coolness Moist texture

With a plethora of carefully cut ingredients being carefully laid out onto top of the silky smooth somen, this is the definition of the taste of summer. It is so refreshing yet luxurious at the same time. The mild tanginess of the stock, the hint of light pungency, creamy sweet umami of Uni and the lightness of the somen work beautifully together to create the best somen.

The sea bass here is the best sea bass I ever have. It’s an eye widening moment. When I take the first bite of this fish with moist pliable texture and super crispy skin. Yes, this juxtapose of textures within the fish is chef’s kiss. There is a hint of excitement and doses of creaminess to balance the light sweetness of the fish. The squid and adds a good bouncy texture while zuchini adds a refreshing element.

I’m not a fish person, but I totally look forward to the fish dishes prepared by Chef Kazuki.

The Wagyu from Miyazaki features a perfect and fine texture. It has this incredibly juicy, meaty sweet core that contrasts perfectly wiih the thin deep-fried crispy exterior. And the Hatcho Miso and Medeira deepen the complexity of the taste of the Wagyu. The additional truffle add-on layers on an earthy taste to make the taste higher up on the “wow” factor.

Smooth and starchy Niigata rice, packed with light mild briny sweetness, completed with mushroom and wagyu, tastes so good and satisfying. It is even better with truffle added. I love ii!

Doburoku Sake from Nara, Red Shiso sorbet and Moshio jelly come together to yield a refreshing, exotic, unique and delightful palate cleanser. The varied textures between the jelly, the sorbet and crunchy cheese crumble make this one of the best palate cleanser.

Miyazaki Mango is the best Mango, definitely. It is oh-so-sweet, bursting with sweet floral aroma. The pretty swirling pastry shell features this warm core that is perfect marriage with the tangy sweet taste of summer due to the lovely combination of Mango, Coconut and Passionfruit.

The most thoughtful Petite Fours made that varies in texture and taste. They, of course, taste great!

Thoughts: Summer is so Beautiful, Refreshing and Spellbinding

30 Stevens Road
#01-03

Province by Law Jia-Jun - Amazing Medley of Southeast Asian flavours

Since my awesome outing at Province during Spring, the thought of coming back is always on my mind. So I’m here for the summer menu and get absolutely spellbound by unique, awesome, refined reinterpretations of Southeast Asian flavours.

First dish of Grignotages is Spiced Pork Spring Roll, which is served piping hot. I love its super crispy spring roll skin and the core is meaty, sweet yet surprisingly and amazingly refreshing due to the herbs added. The contrast between meaty warmness and vegetal coolness is amazing.

Saba and Smoked Salmon Roe is like the Taste of Summer by the Sea punctuated by the freshness of herbs. And there is an excellent mix of textures to make it better.

Kueh Cara with Maguro and Avocado is an amazing marriage of totally different components from the humble local kueh cake, the sea to the farms. Fluffy and sweet kueh Cara highlights both the taste and texture of the briny sweet maguro and creamy buttery avocado with a touch of tangy flavour. There is lots of flavours going on for a complex, satisfying, exciting gastronomic experience. 

Octopus is reinterpreted into exciting Thai style when paried with Ginger Flower, Petai, Green Mango, Fermented Chillia and Fish Garum Gel. The optopus is super tender. In fact, it is the most tender octopus, which surprsinglyly tastes refreshing with its milky brininess. There is lots of texture and sweetness at different layers.

Abalone and Cabbage Sweetness of roasted cabbage and its cool slight bitterness works with with mild briny sweetness of braised abalone exotic tasteulam raja gazpacho

Kani Chawamushi is packed with Asian exotic umami goodness full of textures. This dish has so many goodies such as Flower Crab, Tobiko, Pumpkin, Salted Egg Yolk, Century Egg Custard. This is like No Holds Barred Rich Flavours Fiesta. And the pops of excitement due to the tobiko is actually very pronounced when paired with the custard.

Sawara with Bouillabaise features interesting sweetness of Aged Sawara fish that goes even better with the peppers. Clams, rempah, shishito kosho and saffron are added to amp up the complexity of the taste.

Iberico with White Curry tastes so good with the fresh sweetness of eggplant. Nasu Pork Chop coated with unique Asian aromatic crumbs and soaked in Curry Oil is Asian Pork Chop at its best. So meaty sweet and so many flavours,

Mandarin and Sour Plum kamquat and crispy tangerine skin is Mandarin Orange goodness manifested in different forms. I love this very Asian in taste but western and modern in presentation dessert that is unique and refreshing, with a touch of sweetness.

Rockmelon and Kueh dessert is Warm Southeast Asian sticky cake invigorated by the refreshing flora sweetness of rockmelon lime ice-cream  Sago makes for the nice firm bouncy texture in the rice kueh to balance the creaminess of the housemade ice-cream. And the coconut sugar added completes the Southeast Asian Sweet Magic. 

Thoughts: Southeast Asian Flavours reinterpreted to be at its Finest