Omakase@Stevens - Lovely Surprising Tastes of Summer

Summer is the time for refreshing the palates with bright flavours, and so I’m back at Omakase@Stevens to experience Chef Kazuki Arimoto’s vision for summer. And it is an awesome unique rendition of summer with newly created dishes that evoke the feeling of warm breeze and mild refreshing tastes to counter the warmness. Silky tender abalone, bouncy creamy custard, one-of-a-kind sukiyaki, crispy unagi, very different from last summer and I love it!

One of the appetiser comes in the form of pretty little housemade tart shell filled with finely cubed Scallop layered with lots of goodies, such as Bonito, unique Kanzuri chilli paste. This paste is like premium chilli, taking as long as 6 months to make by first soaking in salt water and then buried in ice, followed by fermentation for 6 months, yielding a special blend of refractive umami and mild spiciness. The distinctive harmonised flavours of sweetness, light zest, mild savoury goodness, a touch of spiciness and bitterness come through together for a refreshing complex taste.

Can a clear-like-water soup packs lots of flavours? Yes, at this restaurant, where the essence of Amelia Tomato and other vegetables is carefully extracted to be mixed with Japanese Rice Vinegar and Wasabi oil. Looks so clear yet full of vegetable goodness that I can smell it the moment my face comes close to the soup. Amazingly, the zesty taste develops into a light sweetness as I drink more of the soup.

Kyoto Wagyu with Salted Pepper and sandwiched within Monaka is surprisingly so sweet and refreshing at the same time. Like summer’s refreshing light meaty snack.

Goma Tofu, made with potato starch and kuzu, which is a reinterpretation of our local kueh has this amazingly bouncy and creamy texture, which is like the best texture for kueh. The dish gets better with subsequent bites as different kinds of sweetness develops. The crunchy bits of zest, hint of herbal bitterness, umami of sea urchin and kombu, mild earthiness of sesame oil, combined with the savoury earthy sweet tofu, makes for delightful multitude of harmonised flavours.

Abalone from Izu is the best awabi because it is incredibly tender and slippery smooth, with super bounciness, due to being steamed in dashi and sake before being charcoal grilled for that hint of sweetness of char amid the mild milky briny sweetness of the awabi. With a touch of zest from yuzu, an iota of pungency from the airy garlic foam, the umami of the awabi liver sauce, the awabi tastes earthy yet at the same time like summer. The addition of soft fluffy barley is such a genius move because it absorbs the essence of the zesty, earthy sauce to integrate the taste into the meat when chewing on it.

Bouillabaisse sauce made with hamaguri, kinmedai bones and tiger prawns is like the ultimate briny sweetness that magically opens up the taste of the succulent pliable kinmedai to be so exciting, varied and dimensional. It gets even better with the light zest of the dollops of sauce. The asparagus, topped with kelp and oyster flower for the extra umami, is so tender and crunchy, juxtaposing perfectly with the flesh of the fish.

Instead of Katsu, Sukiyaki is served this season instead, which is so perfect for summer. The version here is so different from the one I had in Japan, in a good way, while retaining distinctive succulent creamy meaty sweetness of sukiyaki beef. Madeira sauce, sansho sauce and egg yolk work together to introduce different layers to the taste, where the sweetness, creaminess and herbal pungency lifts up the taste. Tastes so warm and so comforting. Love it.

Unagi here is specially prepared to feature crispy top and creamy core, thus going so well with the smooth, starchy, fluffy Koshihikari rice, where the special blend of 7 spices, called Kuro-Shichimi, can be added for that dash of excitement in taste. Kinoko can be added for the extra savoury sweetness. This is pure comfort good food.

Very interesting palate cleanser made from Doburoku, Unfiltered Sake, Red Shiso and Ginger. The unique pungency refreshes the palates.

Peach from Yamanashi, when paired with Raspberry and a cure dome made with Vanilla, Egg Yolk and Sugar, finished with dots of Yuzu sauce and Almond Jelly, speaks of summer in a mild soothing way. I mentally go, "Ah, lovely summer!" at the first bite. Super well balance of the myriad of flavours, yes, summer feels wonderful now!

What better way to enjoy summer than to savour super juicy and sweet Japanese Mango and Melon here?

Unique petite fours made with quality dark chocolate and plum wine.

Incredibly smooth summer sake

This looks so cute that I have to order it. And it tastes good!

Thoughts: Beautiful, Warm Summer translated into Beautiful, Delightful Cuisine 

30 Stevens Road #01-03

66 Chambers - The Bar for Enjoyment of Different Spirits and Sharing of Secrets

My relationship with 66 Chambers is like a roller coaster, where I keep going back to find out if I can discover more new things from this one of a kind bar. This time, I just go to the bar on a whim because of a very random reason. Yup, story time!

I tried to recall how I got so much into Hard Techno and thus discover a new love in dancing to Hard Techno music. Then I remembered that it came from watching videos of ravers dancing to Hard Techno. But how did those videos got on my feed? Most probably from my search on Holy Priest, due to a lovely attendee at 66 Chambers' event telling me that she loved the heart-pumping rock music of DJ Holy Priest. His music was not rock music, as I had later confirmed 😂 But her mistyping of his genre of music sent me down the rabbit hole of Hard Techno because I wouldn't search up on him if she said his music is Techno.

So basically, I went to 66 Chambers at first to look for a place to dance to my heart's content, and I didn't exactly find that here, but this place led me indirectly to exactly what I had been searching for. With this revelation, I decide to just go to 66 Chambers, the place where it all started, on a normal day to just enjoy a shot of my favourite Gas Chamber before going off elsewhere.

And oh boy, it turns out that my most enjoyable time at this place is on a normal day, without any events. I ended up staying here for an hour to enjoy a variety of quality spirits and cocktails at the recommendation of the awesome bartenders since it's free flow of spirits for an hour. The bartenders and staff are so friendly, where they share the taste profiles of different spirits, tidbits about the events and the confessions written by the patrons. Yes, I have to write one myself in order to see the confessions made by other patrons. It is so fun and eye-opening to read the confessions with the staff. I read all the confessions, by the way, because I'm too curious.

I definitely recommend this bar to just enjoy the free flow of spirits and chat with the bartenders and staff here. Time files here. It's a different and fun experience.

Thoughts: Exciting Place to enjoy a Variety of curated Spirits, Cocktails and Secrets

22A Tanjong Pagar Road

999999999 DJ show in Singapore

Despite working whole day on Friday, I know I have to go to 999999999’s show after I watched their shows on Youtube. And yes, I’m so happy to make the decision to attend this show, where it’s all about music, beats. and movement, which is exactly how I love it.

The venue, MLDR, has this underground music vibe with dark ambience, red dim lights, plush sofas near the DJ booth for VIPs, some round tables at the back of the room, projection of cool images on the wall at the front for adding the extra edge, a bar and of course, lots of space for dancing. I love how the dark environment brings the focus onto the music and movement, away from "to see and to be seen" territory. And most of the attendees are here primarily to dance or groove to the music. So it is a joy that we, as a collective, are just focusing on moving to the music, and I see some of the most committed dancers here, bringing up the heat in the room 👍 At this moment, I just feel dancing is the way of life.

999999999 is so awesome on this show. They hype up the crowd, create tension and anticipation effectively, and throw out the best drops. Seamless transitions, incredible build-up, great timing of different sections of the song to keep our attention and our energy up, familiar songs integrated flawlessly into the hard techno beats, wonderful balance of vocals and techno sounds for that unique and emotion-stirring blend of music that connects to both the body and the heart. After an outing here, I can say this Italian duo DJ is definitely one of my favourite DJs, and I will definitely attend their future shows in Singapore.

Resident DJ heating up the room with some awesome Hard Techno music. She's real good too.

Seamless transition from resident DJ to 999999999.

Best position to enjoy the show is right in front of the DJs to feel the energy from them and watch them in action, mixing the songs in real time with their hardware.

Thoughts: Feeling high from the connection with the music, beats and movement.

62 Cecil Street #02-00

Dill - Lovely Amazing Scandinavian Cuisine

I know that I will come back to Dill again after my first outing here because I love the unique flavours of Scandinavian fine-dining style cuisine here, realised with Japanese and Norwegian ingredients, the super cosy feel of the restaurant and the great hospitality of the owners.

The dishes here all pleasantly surprise me with special flavours of Scandinavian herbs, resulting unique tastes of fermentation techniques and how all these robust flavours are tied nicely together. I'm amazed that while Japanese ingredients are used, the dishes taste distinctively Scandinavian.

Decked in pine wood, the restaurant has this upmarket homely cosy feel, that is so different from those at other places, due to the host/owner's passion for the restaurant, evident from the beautiful floral arrangements on display in the space.

I definitely will be back here again to enjoy awesome Scandinavian cuisine in a cosy place.

I always love Scallops but at that time, I also wondered if the distinctive taste of this seafood could be transformed to be different yet still distinctively scallop. And Chef Daniel Hasvold Jung-Eldøy is one of the few chefs who can do just that. The unique herbal taste of lovage lifts up the milky sweetness of the plump juicy super sweet scallops while the emulsion balances the flavours while adding hints of zesty excitement. Amazing taste and texture too, due to the excellent juxtapose of crunchy leek and bouncy scallops.

Complimentary snack comes in the form of Truffle and Asparagus Tart, which has crunchy bits of asparagus introducing tiny bits of savoury excitement within the smooth creamy core elevated with the earthy aroma of truffle. A good exciting start.

When I saw that uni is one of the ingredients in the first appetizer, I thought it would taste Japanese. I’m so surprised to find that this dish tastes amazingly and distinctively Scandinavian. The cured egg yolk shavings, which contributes to the unique taste of the dish, with the spicy horseradish, punctuate through the briny umami of uni for a soft creamy, savoury, slightly zesty awesome taste. The crunchy, smooth turnip pieces add good hearty bites to the texture.

Langoustine from Norway is so unbelievably tender and juicy. With the seasoning sprinkled on the langoustine, plus the fermented leek and herbal freahness of parsley, the first bite of this makes me go, “Wow, this is so good!” This tastes like lots of unique flavours rolled into one light balanced harmonised taste. A must-try order here.

I’m not a fish person, but I totally love the Halibut here, which is fresh, pliable and succulent, with a touch of roasted goodness of meat. The zest of the sauce and the taste of dill cut through briny sweetness of the Halibut to elevate the taste. Crunchy vegetables such as cubed cucumber and corn add so mich to the texture and the taste.

I’m not a chicken person either since the breast meat is usually too plain, tough and dry while the thigh meat has tendons and strong gamey taste. But the spring chicken here actually tastes so good, where thr breast meat is so tender and flavourful. The light sauce enhances the sweetness of the meat. The paper thin chicken skin is super crispy, making it a delight to munch on with the meat. The mizuna leaves and ramson capers adds additional texture and herbal goodness to the dish. Best chicken dish!

The dessert pleasantly surprises me by how balanced the taste of strawberries is in here. The high tangy taste of strawberry is balanced by the custard and lemon verbena while the biscuits, kolakaka, add warmth and variation to the texture. The custard is so good, in the sense that it is creamy but not heavy. Excellent dessert.

I got to the try awesome Norwegian spirit, which tastes fresh and sweet. A must-try!

A special wine that tastes like rum 💖 I love it!

Thoughts: Incredible Unique Dining Experience full of warmth

33 Duxton Road

Nakamura Tokichi Matcha Chocolate Sandwich Cookie

This Matcha Chocolate Sandwich Cookie is exceptional due to the thick layer of white chocolate matcha cream sandwiched between the sugary, buttery and crumbly cookies. And the distinctive clean astringent taste of Matcha is evident to wow the palates while not overwhelming. Highly Recommend.”

 

Country og Origin: Japan

Where to get this: Shopee

Velveté Boutique Cafe & Nails - Cosy Cafe for Great Snacks, Nail Care and Self Care

I just found one of the coziest cafes, which is Velveté Boutique! This cafe is all about pampering oneself with specially crafted drinks, home-baked goodies, curated snacks, chill time in the cozy space, self care and yes, nail care. I immediately feel all cosy and relaxed the moment I step into this quaint place that radiates warmth from the soft warm light illuminating the space, cute florals and ornaments, spots of subtle elegance from the flowers and plants, plush sofas and photos pasted onto the wall.

The lovely owner, Lynn, who is so friendly and candid, is very passionate about creating a space for patrons to feel totally at ease, thus able to indulge in the drinks, food and services here.

Since I join the Ladies’ Networking Event here, where I get to just chill, relax, make a cute magnet and learn self-care techniques, I get to sample all the food items here. And they are so good that I go back for second helping.

Will I go back just for the food, ambience and maybe some nail care? Absolutely yes!

Crumbly, buttery scones are such hearty treats.

Taiwanese Tempura, at second tier of the tea set, is a savoury treat that features awesome slightly sticky, pillowy soft texture.

From the top of the tea set: Brownies, Scallion Lotus Bites, Spicy Otak Roll

The Brownies here, freshly homemade, are lava chocolate cakes, in solid form. This cake is so chocolatey good, rich and has the perfect texture of crumbly exterior with a viscous molten core. A must-try here.

Another must-try is the signature Banana Cake (no photo since I got distracted 😂). Made only with ripe bananas, this super fluffy cake is packed with the aroma of banana and lovely warm taste of baked goods.

I totally love Scallion Lotus Bites due to a medley of balanced robust flavours from the paprika seasoning, and the interesting texture of crunchy lotus root slice juxtaposing with the tempura batter coating.

Spicy Otak Roll has a balanced spiciness for the excitement in taste and complements the awesome buttery flaky puff pastry. A hearty treat. 

Almost 360 degrees view of the place.

Everything set up for the Ladies' Networking Night ❤️

The Rabbit Fridge Magnet is made by me from origami paper and stickers 😉 I actually took 15 minutes to find the materials that I felt is my style. The sakura origami paper speaks of Japanese whimsical that I love. I saw lots of pretty stickers, but most are of English style. When I finally saw the rabbits, I went, “Yes!” Then I get a butterfly sticker from the English stickers to add in design for variation and focus. I’m proud if this work 😊

Thoughts: Awesome Lovely Cafe to indulge in Great Snacks, Nail Care and Self Care

#03-24 Alexander Central Mall

Alexander Road

Ikkoten Omakase - Amazing and Varied Tastes of Summer

I'm so excited to enjoy the Tastes of Summer after an awesome gastronomic journey in Spring. And Ikkoten Omakase kickstarts my Summer adventure with new, unique, delicious creations that feature the refreshing, bright flavours of summer. Lots of moments of "Wow!" And I get to enjoy the best Winter Melon and Tako here. Summer is looking so good now!

Cold Hokkaido Sweet Corn Chawamushi immediately wows the palate because the custard is so smooth and creamy, featuring this amazing sweet buttery umami, completed with floral hints.

Summer Fruit Fig opens up the palates with its sweet and mild taste, elevated by the light, refreshing fig jelly has an iota of savoury goodness that elevates the taste so much.

The Tako sashimi is surprisingly tender, with a good bite. This is made possible by special preparation of partially boiled the octopus to retain the raw core. This tastes so refreshing when paired with finely shredded sweet Awamori apple brushed with specially sourced Japanese Apple Cinder. This refreshing dish develops a nice warmness when paired with the crispy soy sauce and Japanese snow peas. Pickle adds the zest for a hint of excitement. I never know Tako can taste so good, until I try it here.

Kinmedai sashimi, when paired with different types of refreshing tastes from the Japanese yam stem, watercress, tomatoes, pickled cucumber, holds so many well-balanced bright flavours. The torched surface of Kinmedai tenderises the skin of the fish and adds an amazing sweetness of char to the buttery sweetness of the fish. The briny sweetness of the dashi jelly gives a lovely contrast to the refreshing, buttery taste.

Goma saba is specially prepared as alternative to the Sea Bass, and this dish really showcases Chef Brandon's creativity and talent. The fish was deep fried and paired with Chef Brandon's specially created buerre blanc sauce that was made with dashi. Yes, French sauce prepared Japanese style! Goma saba, which is farmed mackerel that is suitable for sashimi, is specially chosen because it can maintain its firm flesh after deep frying. This has a good contrast to the texture of the crispy batter and panko. The briny sweetness of the fish is perfectly balanced by sweet refreshing seaweed.

Takiawase is packed with different kinds of light sweetness: briny sweetness of Snow Crab, milky savoury sweetness of Scallops, vegetal sweetness of Japanese Summer Vegetables, earthy sweetness of Sweet Potato, all soaked in the mild savoury thick broth for a refreshing yet comforting taste. The Hokkaido Scallops is super plump and juicy, so is the Delicious Snow Crab. Winter Melon, being specially steamed for 4 to 6 hours, is so amazingly juicy while retaining a firm texture. Best Winter Melon! I never know winter melon can taste so good until now. I love this so much. Yes, I know I just said it just now for the Tako.

A5 Wagyu Miyazaki Beef is thinly sliced and seared with binchotan to yield this amazing taste of meaty sweetness imbued with the earthy aroma of char. Yet is tastes light at the same time. The first bite immediately evokes a moment of wow. The murasaki uni, which is in season, adds a umami rich creaminess to the dish, nicely punctuated by a hint of spicy pungency of the pepper plant. All these goes perfectly well with the Yamaguchi Matcha soba, which is prepared al dente. This dish also has the taste that is full of the feelings of summer.

Goma sashimi, a special and complimentary dish, is dressed with herbs to cut through the fish's strong briny sweetness, tastes sweeter with each subsequent bites.

Braised meat and crunchy sweet corn are such perfect match when paired with each other in the Donabe. The braised meat, made from specially chosen ribeye, really changes my mind about braised meat being soft and gamey. This braised meat has the tenderness while still having the slight firmness for a good bite. And it is incredibly meaty sweet, which is elevated by the refreshing, floral buttery sweetness of the corn. Paired with the rice, it is pure awesome comfort food.

Wasabon Pudding, made with a blend of brown and white sugar, showcases super silky smooth pudding juxtaposing perfectly with the caramel goodness of the burnt liquid sugar. This is very difficult to make, and the results is totally worth it because it is so good.

Long Island Iced Tea specially made by Chef Brandon. So smooth and so good.

Thoughts: Wonderful Refreshing Tastes of Summer!

86 Telok Ayer Street