Surprisingly Good Haul from Takashimaya Japan Snacks & Sweets Fair

I’m going to Takashimaya to buy a Dior lipstick only, but I end up spending some time admiring the beautiful Japanese cutlery at B1 and buying quite a number of Japanese snacks from Japan Snacks & Sweets Fair at B2 😆 

Getting a matcha cake is like last of my intentions when I walked around the fair. But I end up getting this Matcha Jelly Cake because the super-moist-looking texture proves to be too tempting for me to resist. And it turns out to be such an awesome buy. The moment I open the box, I smell the sweet aroma of matcha cake and almonds. The texture is so amazing and unique. No wonder this is sold out as I brought the last box.

I have alway wondered about the taste and texture of freshly made Daifuku. So when I see a Japanese chef making the Daifuku, I immediately get two matcha ones to try. Yes, freshly made Daifuku dough is so soft and pillowy. The generous amount of matcha jelly added within the dough has that oomph of the astringent flavour of matcha. Best to enjoy with sips of tea in between because the thick matcha can be overwhelming on the palates with subsequent bites.

I also got the cheesecake selection from Cheese Garden by Goyotei. All of them are good. Goyotei Cheesecake has the buttery smoothness laced with a hint of nutty, savoury tang of cheese. Basque Cheesecake is smoother, softer with vanilla undertones. Shirasagi Cheesecake is unique with a well-balanced of textures between the creamy airy sour cream on top and the smooth cheese cake. Créme d'Anjou is wow because this is like whipped cream cheese, packed with subtle flavours, from savoury goodness, hint of zest and mild sweetness. Pineapple cheesecake is the one that surprises me the most because of how good it tastes. I never expect pineapple to work in such perfect harmony with cheesecake, this pineapply cheesecake shows that it is possible. The fruity sharp tangy sweetness of pineapply punctuates through the creaminess and richness of the cheesecake to add excitement and lightness to the taste, elevating it. 

Yokohama Pineapple Cake piques my curiosity on how it measures up against our local pineapple tarts. So I got a box to try. Pastry crust wise, it is more grainy and less buttery. But its filling of pineapple paste made with Okinawa Brown sugar is a wow. The caramel goodness of the brown sugar adds depth and excitement to the taste and also balances the sweetness of the pineapple taste.

Finally get to put my cute Ishikawa Hello Kitty porcelain plates to use!

Country of Origin: Japan

Where to get these: Takashimaya Japan Snacks & Sweets Fair

Ikkoten Omakase - Amazingly Crafted Omakase that satisfies all the Senses

After the awesome Spring menu, I'm all for more specially crafted gastronomical surprises from Chef Brandon at Ikkoten Omakase. It is such a joy to enjoy the premium ingredients being prepared, cooked and paired in rare ways that please and surprise the palates. There's also the awesome pairing of different textures to make things varied and exciting. And I discover the best croquette and sukiyaki here!

Specially curated and crafted appetisers 💖

First appetiser of Hotaru with Spinach, Oba, Miso and Tomato is so surprisingly refreshing yet earthy and mildly briny sweet at the same time. This tastes like the breath of fresh air of spring.

Potato croquettes with slightly spicy sauce potato is like the best potato croquette I ever have. The potato tastes so earthy sweet, and this sweetness is balanced by the spiciness and tanginess of specially homemade sauce, making it so exciting. The texture of the potato is so fine, contrasting perfectly with the crispy deep fried exterior.

Specially curated giant Hamaguri features a lovely milky briny sweetness, elevated by the creamy warmness and crispy texture from the burnt top, making for a unique taste experience.

Chef Brandon takes things up a notch even more by serving an entire Baby Sea Bream for sashimi course. And yet every mouthful of the carefully sliced fish tastes so different from each other because of the different pairing of sauces and condiments. Yes, one fish with ten different ways of enjoying it. Five are dotted with wasabi gel while another five with yuzu gel. These gels make the fish slices taste incredibly sweet in different ways. I love it with the spring onion that brightens up the briny sweetness of thh fish. Pairing them with cherry tomatoes or the herbs also works. Absolutely no soy sauce needed. And the fish is wrapped in kelp beforehand to impart the umami sweetness to the meat, making this course a gastronomic delight.

Intense sweetness of Ayu is lifted up by the refreshing cucumber sauce that makes the result tastes almost magical. The balance of flavours is so on the point. The deep fried enoki mushroom tastes so sweet due to the contrast from the sakura salt and edible sakura soaked in brine. The tempura bits add awesome crunchy bite to the texture.

I get to try Japanese version of popian where the plump scallop is being wrapped with seaweed and then coated with tempura batter before being deep fried to yield a thin crispy skin, which accentuates the juiciness of the super juicy and bouncy scallop. The briny sweetness of the scallop is elevated by the tangy, earthy specialty sauce, making for an exciting and complex taste.

The best sukiyaki comes in the form of Wagyu Dumpling and vegetables soaked in a savoury umami sweet broth. The broth is lighter than the usual sukiyaki sauce, but packed with more meaty sweetness, thus is perfect for sipping on. It feels so good and warm to sip on the broth served boiling hot in a claypot. The thin slices of Kagoshima Wagyu is packed with buttery meaty goodness, going perfectly with the texture of cubed vegetables packed within the wagyu slices.

I always look forward to savouring the Donabe here because Chef Brandon always adds new special ingredient to the donabe each time I come here. And every time, the donabe makes me go, "Ahh, so delicious, so flavourful, so satisfying!" Every starchy smooth grain is pumped with soft briny umami of the collagen broth and hamaguri, and the taste is lifted up by the abundance of chopped vegetables added. This is oh so good.

Special homemade Sakura Ice-cream is creamy, smooth, slightly earthy and completed with a hint of savoury goodness from the sakura salt. I enjoy this so much, especially with the buttery, earthy pine nuts that adds the extra oomph and crunch.

Super rare Sparkling Sake curated by Chef Brandon. It is so smooth, with soft bubbles to excite the palates. Best Sparkling Sake!

Another Sake specially curated for the course, and it goes so well with the meat.

Thoughts: Simply Fantastic and Exciting!

1-Arden Kaarla - Tea Party of the Dreams

Having high tea in the midst of a garden at 51st floor, and enjoying a lovely spread of dainty high tea specialities presented on a mini garden landscape - this is a must-try experience. Since I'm out with my BFF on this, so no taking of notes on each individual high tea item. I'm definitely going back to try everything again at my own pace and write a detailed piece on teh high tea here. And I also schedule to meet another friend here 😉

Thoughts: Beautiful Garden of High Tea

Yuzu Fluffy Steamed Cake

I was just shopping for some natto and got a surprise find in the form of Yuzu Fluffy Steamed Cake! This cake from Ichioka Seika surprises me by how soft and fluffy it is, with the lovely ganache of Yuzu custard cream that is packed in generous amounts within the sponge cake. A bit of citrus tangy taste within the balanced sweetness, a delightful treat!

Place of Origin: Japan

Where to get this: Don Don Donki

66 Chambers (Sins and Seduction Event - The Red Room) - Epitome of Self Expression

Yes, I’m back at 66 Chambers for another Sins and Seduction because this time, they offer something different in the form of the Red Room: a room restricted to kink enthusiasts and the truly curious only.

I specifically go for this event as observer, as 66 Chambers always welcome. I’m surprised by how respectful and structured the interactions are here.

Actually, I totally enjoy this event as compared to the first such event I had attended, despite the fact that the only primary difference being the addition of Red Room only. One of the reasons is that this event attracts quite a number of kink enthusiasts, who are so friendly. And I actually feel so at ease interacting with them because of their expressiveness, openness, respect of boundaries and emphasis on communication, which is a must in kink context. There is no hidden agenda and no need for reading the room when communicating with them, thus making the interactions truly enjoyable for observers like me, who is purely looking to know and understand more ways of expression.

Yup, I don’t attend these events to find anything, which many people find unbelievable.

I find out some fascinating and intriguing nuances about kink community that totally satisfies the Enneagram 5 in me. So yes, I love to attend more events with the kink community involved, as observer.

Besides the kink enthusiasts making this event awesome, another primary difference is my mindset when going to this event. Last time, I was reactive and performative, wondering what to do, waiting around for things, like mass dancing for example, to happen, thus I felt underwhelmed when nothing big happened. Yes, there was some chatting with people, but the interaction felt strained to me because being reactive and performative at that moment, I was not into the conversations, taking all the energy out of me when I tried to respond accordingly instead of spontaneously.

Now I go with the mindset to curate my own experience based on the space 66 Chambers provides. I start talking to the kink enthusiasts and people that I find interesting, exploring different drinks on the menu, enjoying the music, dancing when the music feels right and watching some kink individuals expressing themselves. I totally enjoy myself and I do feel that curating one’s own experiences in this bar is what this place is all about.

Even the staff is way more friendlier with me this time (it was very crowded last time, so understandably, they need to focus on crowd management). Because of this, I get to talk to the bartender a bit and he recommends me the Gas Chamber. And an awesome recommendation that is. It is a fiery drink, literally, infused with aromatic smoke. The bartender will light the drink up on fire and then pour the drinks and flames all together into the shot glass. It feels so hypnotic and intriguing to see a stream of blue flames flowing down from the wine glass and into shot glass. Then I get to inhale the aromatic smoke that the drink is infused. Lastly, I down the drink in one gulp to taste its entirety of intoxication, smoothness, aroma and sweetness. It’s oh so good. I love it. Given the theatrics and great taste, this drink is a must-try.

Thoughts: Mind Opening Experience

Bakalaki Greek Wine Dinner with Ktima Gerovassiliou

I have never tried Greek wine before, so Bakalaki Greek Wine Dinner with Ktima Gerovassiliou, organised by Angra, makes me go, "I got to attend this dinner." And seems like lots of people have the same thoughts since the area allocated for this event is full house.

The Greek wines are actually very good, with an additional unique flair: a result of the wines being made from Greek grape varieties. And they go so well with the good hearty food at Bakalaki. So this wine dinner is really a peek into the wonderful niche world of Greek beverageology.

Ktima Gerovassiliou Xinomavro Rose 2024, made from Maccdonia's Xinomavro grape variety is interestingly made by taking out the red skins halfway through the process to yield the beautiful salmon colour and unique taste. This wine features a soft spark in taste with clean finish, is creamy yet light at the same time. It tastes lovingly unique with hint of berries, soft tannins and an iota of savoury taste. It tastes sweeter with appetisers. I especially love the pita bread with Tzatziki

Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia 2025, made from Malgousia grapes, is amazingly unique and refreshing. It just simply tastes different from any other white wines, in a very good way. It has the fruity aroma, reminiscent of that of pear, is light and smooth. Definitely my favourite of the night. It will yield stronger, creamier and more savoury taste when paired with the salad.

Ktima Gerovassiliou Avaton 2022, made from three Greek oldest red grape varieties: Limnio, Mavroudi and Mavrotragano, is hailed as some as at the table as the red wine he is waiting for to try again after his trip to Greece. It features notes of spices, is suprisingly creamy for a red, yet light and smooth at the same time. Becomes sweeter when paired with the seafood.

Ktima Gerovassiliou Syrah 2022 features the aroma of ripe fruits with light aroma of oak. And yes, tastes sweeter with the meats.

Ktima Gerovassiliou Museum Red is a proprietary blend of Imnio, Mavroudi, Mavrotragano, Syrah and Merlot, going very weel with the meats too.

Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia Sweet 2022 cuts through the richness and sweetness of the Greek dessert for a well-balanced taste. 

Thoughts: Greek Wines are good!

Omakase@Stevens - Pommery Champagne Dinner

My eyes immediately lit up when I know about an exclusive Champagne Dinner hosted by Wine to Style and at my favourite restaurant, Omakase@Stevens. Incredibly awesome food is a guarantee here, and the concept of pairing all the dishes with champagnes? That sounds bubbly exciting! Especially when they have Ken Moroi, CEO of Vranken Pommery Japan on board to share with us the history of Pommery and the details of each of champagnes featured tonight. It is a feast for the palates and the mind. And yes, the restaurant is full house for this champagne dinner 😊

Located in the region of Champagne, Pommery, a centuries-old winery produces champagne out of the grapes from the finest vineyards in Champagne, and it shows in the quality. Their champagnes can be so varied in tastes, with hints of different types of fruits, butter, florals, thus being able to be paired with a variety of food, not restricting to appetisers only. I'm amazed by this and how amazingly well the champagnes go with the food meticulously curated and prepared by Chef Kazuki for this dinner. In fact, the champagnes and food complement each other so well when their tastes are both elevated when paired together.

My favourite champagne of the night got to be Pommery Cuvée Louse 2006, whose buttery aroma amid the floral tones and the unbelievably fine bubbles blow me away. It is so unique and so awesome.

Pommery Apanage 1874 is smooth with hints of savoury notes, thus balancing the sweetness of the dessert Citrus Sumo.

Pommery Brut Royal, made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, has this vibrant, clean and creamy taste, with notes of citrus. The taste of this champagne amazingly changes with each different appetiser. It tastes creamier with the tuna, crisper with the foie gras and more exciting with the wagyu. Same champagne, four different tastes, including when on its own, fantastic.

Pommery Rosé Royal come in beautiful pink colour due to the addition of red wine. It has distinctive notes of Red Berries and tastes fresh, thus going so well with the briny sweet Sakura Masu.

Pommery Cuvée Louse 2006, made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, is my favourite of the night because of its buttery, floral and mineral notes. First sip and I immediately go, "Wow!" What is amazing is that the bubbles cannot be seen in the champagne because of how incredibly fine they are, and yet I can feel them on my palates. They are so fine that the bubbles feel softer and more elegant. Such bubbles are made possible with longer fermentation process. This is like a craft of love.

Another amazing thing about this champagne is that it can actually match so well with the Wagyu here. We always know that beef goes well with the heavier red wines, but with champagne? Is it even possible? Well, Ken Moroi and Chef Kazuki worked together to make it a reality. The sauce is tuned to be lighter, with black pepper added to balance the richness of the wagyu. And this champagne has the richness to complement the wagyu instead of being eclipsed by the meaty sweetness. Amazing.

Pommery Grand Cru Royal 2015 is floral and sweet, perfect for refreshing the palates after the Wagyu and in between bites of the Oyster Donabe, that Chef Kazuki specially prepared for this menu due to how the mineral taste of oyster goes excellently well with the champagne.

I love the oysters in this donabe because they are so creamy and have a nice balance of mild mineral taste and sweetness. First time I have cooked oysters that are this good.

Thoughts: Bubbly Gastronomical Delight