Kappou Miyako - Refreshing Japanese Cuisine with Originality

When I first saw this wooden door, which looks to be made from Japanese Cedar, in the relatively quiet International Building, it got me to stop in my tracks. The simplicity, with only the Japanese Kanji word "都" on the door, and pronounced Zen vibe of the exterior of the restaurant does pique my interest.

So when the chance comes where I am looking for a nice place to dine while hanging around the quieter part of Orchard.

Since this quaint little restaurant has been around for quite a while, I sort of assumed that the dishes are old-school Japanese type. Well, I’m in for a nice surprise when I find out that the dishes are unique, creative and delicious.

The interior of the restaurant is filled with Zen and Muji elements, filling one with a sense of calm. The service is very good too. This restaurant is definitely one of my surprise good finds.

Onsen Egg with chopped Tuna is one of my favourite dishes in this restaurant. Rich in taste due to the tuna and onsen egg, the pine nuts introduce crunchiness and nutty flavour for dimension in taste and texture.

Clams with Japanese Vegetables is so refreshing in taste and features the light milky briny sweetness of clams.

Yam and Anglerfish Liver is more earthy in taste, with hints of refreshing elements from the leek, really pleases the palates.

I absolutely love the slippery texture of the special Wakame paired with succulent bouncy Baby Scallops. And the nuanced essence of the ocean in this dish, such an enjoyment to savour this.

Flounder with Truffle features the clean taste of flounder and the intense earthy aroma of truffle, which works wonderfully.

The Sashimi trio of Amberjack, Maguro from Kyoto, Scallop is very good. And I also like the iceberg vegetable that goes with the Scallop and the sea grapes perching on top of the Amberjack.

Spanish Mackerel is moist and delicious. The crisp refreshing vegetal taste of Daikon sauce perks up the flavour of the fish. The Turnip, Yam and Pepper are nice accompaniments to the fish.

Uni with Anglerfish, Codfish Roe, soaked in Snow Crab + Scallop Sauce is so luxurious, packed to the brim with creamy sweet umami of uni and subtle, delicate flavours of the ocean from the Snow Crab and Scallop. Definitely an awesome surprise to have uni presented in this way.

Claypot rice with Amberjack, Nuts and Sakura Ebi is lovingly cooked with a piece of charcoal popped inside the pot.

Very flavourful rice with a nice smokiness from being cooked the claypot. The intense umami of Sakura Ebi makes it even better.

I love the homemade fishball in the miso soup because of it’s bouncy texture.

Nice dessert platter of Japanese fruits, chocolate macaron and Monaka with Matcha Ice-cream.

Thoughts: Good choice for a unique Omakase at Orchard

360 Orchard Road

#01-90/10 International Building

Nearest MRT: Orchard

The Connoisseur Concerto - Nice Place to Gather or Chill

I don't usually dine at chain restaurants or cafes for my solo dining adventures since I prefer to suss out the quaint hidden gems. But since I'm at Orchard and have a bit of time, I decide to check out TCC since the menu does look promising.

Pink Ruby has lots of goodies in it: Cherry Blossom, Grenadine and White Chocolate sauce. It is milky yet refreshing at the same time. There is an additional taste to it, which I'm not sure whether it is from the Cherry Blossom or the Grenadine syrup. I think it will be perfect if this additional taste is replaced by that of real strawberries.

Avocado and Gula Melaka Smoothie is da bomb. It is so good because of its richness and creaminess, plus the nuanced planty flavour of avocado, earthy aroma of oat milk and caramel goodness of gula melaka, which is our favourite South East Asian brown sugar. 

Corn Croquettes with Ponzu truffle dip is very good! Very tasty, and I like the gooey, creamy filling encased by the crispy, soft deep fried breadcrumbs.

Avocado Mango Salad with Crab Salsa can be paired with balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the extra oomph. Very rich due to the avocado, yet refreshing due to the zest of the mango. An unique and nice starter. I do wish the crab meat is more chunky instead to have that feel of briny sweet juices rushing out when biting into it.

Odeh Odeh had the the taste of Pandan, gula melaka and coconut, which is supposed to be a winning combination, but the texture is left much to be desired. It is soft but dry at the same time.

Ambience wise, it's definitely great for chilling out and just have a nice gathering with friends and loved ones. Service is good too, in fact a notch above that of another chain cafe.

Thoughts: It's a good place to pass time

Link to TCC's boutiques

Gretl German BurgerGrill

Ich essen gerne. This means I like to eat in German. Not sure if this is correct, I need to ask my German teacher. Despite learning German for a short while already, I, surprisingly, never thought of trying German food. And passing by Gretl, German GrillBurger, just give me the chance to at last try some German food.

Deep-fried Cambert is full molten cheesy goodness with crunchy exterior. The cheese taste is slightly stronger than that of mozzarella, and I like it. Dip it into the sweet berry sauce for extra dimension in taste.

Still Lemonade with Cucumber and Basil added (these are optional and there are other combinations) is super refreshing. Great to go with burgers. And I like the cute sack the condiment bottles are put in.

As I am too full after a heavy lunch, I only order something light. The burgers look very good, and I like it that there are lots of variations here. And they even have Vegetarian Burgers, which I am all eager to try next time. So stay tuned for more updates.

Another reason I want to try the food here is because the in-one-with-nature theme of the place is too irresistible. This restaurant is practically right beside the lush greenery and embraces it by setting up lots of logs around the place. This is so perfect for chilling up and lounging around. I will be back for more!

Update: I’m really back for more and this time, I order Wolpertinger, a burger with vegetarian spicy patty, avocado cream, cheddar cheese, sliced tomatoes and onions. Very flavourful due to the herbs and lots of the vegetables with stronger taste, I will take this anything over the meat-based burgers.

Thirst Quencher of Mint and Elderflower is a very refreshing soda.

Thoughts: Nice!

362 Orchard Road

International Building

Nearest MRT: Orchard