Aso Milk Manju Mooncake

 

Super cute, super milky, super delicious! The moist, smooth bean paste is so full of the flavour of milk. I love this so much.

Country of Origin: Japan

Where to get this: https://shopee.sg/product/357041381/10030965368?smtt=0.147269227-1669779509.9

Teppan Kappou Kenji - Best Teppanyaki Restaurant in Singapore

The good part about traveling on BMW (Bus, MRT, Walk) is that I found lots of quaint restaurants of interest when passing by them. And I managed to suss out quite a number of very good restaurants through this way. This is in a way very fun, having the element of adventure and the "oh yes, I made the right choice!" feeling when the restaurant turns out to be good. Teppan Kappou Kenji is exactly one of those restaurants. I only know about this place through noticing it while on my way to Tras Street. A meal at here and I want to say, "Oh yes, I made the right choice!"

Live Scallop Cook with Soy Sauce and Butter is carefully and lightly grilled to perfection, having the light char for smoky flavour while retaining the moisture of the scallop. The scallop is so plump and juicy. soaked in the light clear sauce and paired with the umami laden creaminess of sweet uni, this is oh-so-good. And the sauce is so good and clean in taste that I start to drink it like it is soup until it is finished.

By the way, I like the clay furnace the scallop is served on, so I took extra photos and even a video showcasing it in its full glory.

Avocado with Herbs and Cheese is a very interesting dish. The chef sprinkled the cheese on the hot plate to form a mini cheese pancake. After both sides are nicely browned, grilled avocado, herbs, sakura ebi and sauce are added on them. When served, I rolled this up and take bites off it. I like it that there lots of different textures and subtle flavours at work here. A hearty treat.

I wish my photo does more justice to Japanese Lobster from Mie Prefecture (Isejingu Hono) than it does now. It is so unbelievably good that I find this photo of mine is not highlighting this fact enough.

As I had said before umpteen of times in my previous posts, lobster is particularly hard to prepared well as compared to its cousin, The Prawn. I had been to countless restaurants where the lobster just simply falls short: meat too tough, too bland or too stinky.

BUT the first bite of the Japanese Lobster here has me swooning in delight. You know the anime scene where flowers and sparkles appear when the character had taken the first bite of some awesome food? Yes, this is what happened to me ... in my mind. The lobster meat is incredibly soft with a bit of bounce in the texture. Simply perfect. The flavours are harmonised layers of the nuanced briny sweetness of the lobster, the light char, light clear sauce, creaminess plus umami of the uni, and the intense flavours of roe and tomalley–guts of the lobster to be precise. It works, it works so beautifully. A must-try at this place.

Queen Crab is seasonal item. I like it that the crab meat and roe was nicely scooped out and cooked before packing them back into the crab shell for my enjoyment, so I do not have to get my hands dirty. The nice oceanic flavours of the crab meat is zested up by the slightly sweet and sour clear starchy sauce. A nice dish to enjoy.

The interior is nice, having wood frames and panels juxtaposed with bricks to create a kind of Japanese yet rustic ambience. And I love it that the Teppanyaki hot plate is clean and shiny–yes, I'm fussy about this kind of thing, that's just me. The Japanese lady in charge of service is very friendly, helpful, accommodating and enthusiastic. And I appreciate it that when I want seasonal fruits, she actually tells me the fruits available so that I can make an informed choice on whether I really want it. The other staff are pretty new at their jobs, at least they are trying their best. By the way, the door is opened by sliding it sideway. I fiddled around with it for quite a while before being able to make my "grand" entrance.

This restaurant really overturns my previous impression that Teppanyaki is oily, and too heavy on taste due to use of thick salty sauces or too bland due to too little salt added. The food here is expertly grilled to perfection, clear taste, light on palates yet full of subtle flavours. If I want to enjoy Teppanyaki again, this is definitely the place I will go to. Oh yes, I saw the thinly sliced pork being grilled in front of me, it looks delicious, I want to try that next time.

Thoughts: The ultimate place to enjoy Teppanyaki.

99 Tanjong Pagar Road
#01-01
Singapore

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Wanderlust Cafe - Pretty Place, Delicious Cakes

I am only walking around Takashimaya when I see a pretty pink pastel corner with a display of beautiful cakes, the blue galaxy cake totally caught my attention from afar. Curiosity drives me to get closer to get a better look of the cakes. I am preparing to go home already, so I have no intention to eat anything there already. The friendly pinay staff immediately greets me when I take a step up, so I just ask about the cakes. And after her introduction of Lychee Rose cake, I'm totally sold on this and decide to dine in.

Lychee and Rose are marriage made in heaven since both have floral notes that work perfectly together. While most Lychee Rose cakes at other places will focus on the taste of the rose, Wanderlust's Lychee Rose cake–supplied by Cream & Custard actually–focuses on the Lychee instead, which is refreshing. And the taste sure is super refreshing. The refreshing lychee juice contained within the pretty boba pearls on top of the cake juxtaposes so well with the lovely creaminess of the lychee mousse. The rose cake sponge adds texture and that nice aroma of baked goods to this confectionery. I love this so much.

Situated right in the centre of level 3 of Takashimiya, it is a good place to take a break from shopping or, see and to be seen. I'm at the category to be seen only since I'm too focused on my cake as it is too delicious. By the way, the Lychee Cake is sold out by the time I leave the cafe. Wow, it is that popular, and it is only 3pm in the afternoon.

Thoughts: Nice place to take a break and enjoy good cakes.

391A Orchard Road

Takashimaya Level 3

Nearest MRT: Orchard

Fluff Meijin Hokkaido Cheese Mochi

Who would have guessed that this slightly humble-looking packaging packs such delicious snack inside. The puffy mochi has the starchiness of glutinous rice, and yet will surprise one with its super fluffiness. It’s like enjoying cheese clouds ☁️ ❤️ 

There is nothing else like this. Definitely worth a try.

Country of Origin: Japan

Where to get this: https://shopee.sg/product/857785396/19451535487?smtt=0.147269227-1669247242.9

Niiigata Nanban Shrimp Senbei

 

Crispy crackers packed to the brim with the sweetness and umami of red shrimps from Niigata. This is so good, no wonder this got the first prize.

Country of Origin: Japan

Where to get this: https://shopee.sg/product/857785396/16686987696?smtt=0.147269227-1669246161.9

A shoutout to the artist who did the drawing for my banner

Thanks for reinterpreting my photo into this awesome drawing, Yvettete! It is actually better than the original photo 😆 

Keishindo Japanese Shrimp Crackers

 

There is actually a striped neko in the kotatsu neko packet!

Anyone who opens this will be exclaiming in delight at how beautiful the crackers are. These are hands down the prettiest snacks I had ever seen. The crackers are tasty, being slightly seasoned, cripsy and full of umami of the prawns. Will definitely impress.

Country of Origin: Japan

Where to get: https://shopee.sg/product/666774746/18626045496?smtt=0.147269227-1669244293.9

Sanpoutei Ramen - Interesting Dishes

What got me to patronise Sanpoutei Ramen is the menu of interesting dishes not commonly seen in other dishes. And one of them I got to try is Aburi Chashu Onigirazu. A bit different from sushi since the rice is not seasoned with vinegar, but the quality rice used in this is delicious, carrying its own flavours that it still tastes great without vinegar. The chashu of course does a lot to add more striking taste to this creation. A wholesome treat.

Prawn and Avocado with Mango Sauce is another interesting dish. The avocado balls coated with crispy yet soúffle tempura batter and slathered with zesty mango sauce are rich in taste and yummy. The prawns are very plump and meaty, its umami accentuated by the mango sauce.

Despite the huge variety of ramen available, I decide to be adventurous and order Shoyu Ramen with Egg instead. The stock base is interestingly made from sardines instead of the usual pork bone soup. The soup is pretty nice and full of flavours, considering that I don't like sardines. However, this does not turn me into a sardine fan. The typical bitterness of sardines, which I don't like, is evident in the soup. So while I'm impressed they can make a pretty good soup out of sardines, I can't like it.

But the noodles is very good though. I like it that these freshly handmade noodles are springy and slightly flatter in shape, creating a different sensation in eating ramen. The chashu and wild spinach are very good too since both easy to bite. Maybe with these ingredients and tonkotsu soup, I may actually find a gem of ramen?

Update: I finally tried the ramen with Tonkotsu soup base here!

Super rich and flavorful soup paired with super springy ramen, this is the exact ramen I want.

The place is a slightly upmarket ramen shop with nice, wide plush seats, wooden craving panels at the tables and lattice wooden roof. The service is decent and efficient. I do like to come back again and try other interesting dishes here and the ramen with tonkotsu soup base. I'm really curious about the tonkotsu soup.

Thoughts: Interesting

350 Orchard Road

#B1-04/05 In Shaw House

Nearest MRT: Orchard

Gattopardo Ristorante Di Mare - Awesome Sicilian Cuisine

Note: Temporary closed to be moved to new location

I had always wanted to go to Gattopardo since this is the only place to get Sicilian food, and it is always exciting and sometimes very rewarding to try out a new type of cuisine. Since Sicily is an autonomous island near Italy, the cuisine has noticeable Italian and Mediterranean influences, okay, this looks really promising. After a Sicilian Journey here, I can say I'm now a fan of Sicilian cuisine.

A taste of Sea Scallop Ceviche, Smoked Caviar makes one feels like he or she is dining in a beautiful seaside town. This is such a beautiful dish, in terms of both aesthetic and taste. The fresh, plump, juicy scallops is so full of briny sweetness, accentuated by the intense umami of smoked caviar, zest of the tomato and clear sauce. I love this so much.

Bunny Kombucha of Passion Fruit flavour is very refreshing, slightly sweet and sour. Great for the health of the guts and really whets the appetite. Very good recommendation by the friendly and helpful service staff.

Amuse Bouche of Truffle with Ricotta Cheese has the super creaminess and mild nutty flavour of ricotta cheese paired with the earthy aroma of truffle. The thin wafer adds a nice crunch to the dish. A well-executed starter that explores the combination of various tastes and textures.

Sourdough bread is served warm and has a nice fluffy texture Very wholesome treat, and the olive is very interesting in taste, having a slight astringent bitter taste with planty notes. I like this unique taste.

Sicilian Rice Balls, Fresh Black Truffle, Ragusano Cheese Fondue comes after Scallop Ceviche, and this is like trip from the seaside to the deep woods. More mellow, features the nuanced flavours of the earth and woods, this dish is a nice transition in taste profile. The fluffy, starchy rice packed with molten cheese, peppered with truffle, is so wholesome in taste.

Risone Pasta, Baby Octopus, Bone Marrow Butter is another great surprise served. The baby octopus is springy in texture and yet easy to bite, I definitely prefer this over the regular tough octopus. I love the Risone Pasta. It has the wholesomeness of quality rice, and its grain-like shape allows the rich sauce to fully coat each grain, so each bite of this is bursting with flavours. The texture of this paste is unique and unbelievably good, having smooth exterior with starchy interior. First time to try to kind of pasta, and I'm lovin' it already.

The service staff is very nice to change my mains to Citrus Glazed Iberico Pork Belly, Parsnip, Wild Spinach from the lunch menu since I prefer pork and seafood over beef, lamb and fish. This has nice tender pork with rich gamey flavours, and mustard and special sauce to cut through the gamey flavours for the balance in taste. Very favourful and hearty.

Palate Cleanser of sorbet before the dessert.

Tiramisu, Noto Almonds, Amaretti Crumble is a indulgent treat with lots of creaminess, hints of alcohol and nutty goodness of almonds. This nicely round up the whole exciting trip of a meal.

Nice cute little Petit Fours served.

The place is so beautiful. The exterior looks like a well-furnished bungalow with a courtyard. The first floor is seeped in idyllic theme, like the backyard patio of a mansion, perfect to chill out. The second floor is posh and fancy, like the main dining hall of the very same mansion. Lots of instagram-worthy pictures can be taken of the place. The service is excellent, being friendly, enthusiastic and attentive, and they have very good knowledge of the food. Now I can add another favourite type of cuisine into my Favourites List, and it is Sicilian. Since it is in my Favourites List, of course, I will come back for more.

Thoughts: I love all dishes here. Must-try for foodies.