Sushiro - Covid19 last dine-out

 Baby Scallop Gunkan ($3.20++), Fried Salmon Skin ($3.50++)

Seaweed Salad ($4.50++)

Sushiro, Japan's largest conveyor sushi chain opens its door at Woodland Causeway Point. It was unfortunate for them to hit this Covid wave; we thus wanted to show our support.

When we entered, their trim menu actually prompted us to leave. Haha. It looked too plain. But we decided to give it a go. And it proves too good! Order any of their seafood, and it will never go wrong; prices wise is definitely value.

The gem on our table today - Meaty fried salmon skin! and fatty salmon fish collar.

Dining out has been something we had all taken for granted, too long.

Go away Covid19! And we'll be back.

Sashimi Platter ($20++)

Chawanmushi with Scallop ($3.50++)

Salmon Kama, Collar ($3.50++)

Lunch @ Sakuraya Fish Mart (West Coast)

Been a long time, Sakuraya Fish Mart.

They used to be a small outlet offering raw seafood; now they are a full fledged restaurant for some nice Japanese home cooking. Nothing spectacular, but definitely soul food for me.

I recommend their value-for-money lunch menu; and you come decide if my claim is right.

Wasabi Flavoured Octopas ($3)

Chawamushi

Swordfish Sashimi, market price

Half Udon (part of $13 lunch set), Salt-grilled Squid ($11)

California Maki (part of $13 lunch set)

Tamako Meal @ Casuarina Rd

Unagi ($16.80), Chawanmushi ($4)

It must have been more than a decade since we last visited Tamako Meal. The little homely restaurant has now expanded to cover 3 shop fronts. But there was no lunch hour crowd? Can food still be good?

They are.

Be it the quality of ingredients, food presentation and execution. If you compare them to popular Ichiban Boshi; Tamako matches up. There was even free flow of ingredients filled miso soup. With a strong hint of home-cooked that chain group of restaurant can never offer.

Assorted Sashimi - Tuna and Salmon (Medium, 11pcs, $18.80)

Chicken Katsu Don ($9.80)

Teriyaki Set with Garlic Fried Rice

Return to Sushi Tei

Mekajiki ($10.80++), Hamachi ($12.80++)

Wasn't feeling like Japanese food today, because I was craving for something scalding hot. Like a soup. And was pleasantly surprised that Sushi Tei at the Serangoon Gardens actually serves their soup items hot!

Asari clams for my Udon were all plump, tasting overly of sea-freshness. Sushi was deliciously crunchy. The Wagyu beef steak was tender, but could do with a thicker cut.

Today revisit reminds me of our earlier dating days at Sushi Tei, when Ric always ordered their Sashimi salad ($9.90++) for me.

Asari Tamago Toji Udon ($13.50++)

Tochigi Wagyu Beef Steak ($29.80++)

Tengawa Hokkaido "White" Curry

Truffle Chawanmushi, Boiled Squid

Clear Clam Soup, White Curry Seafood Udon

The month of October always deserve something special. And Tengawa White Curry is chosen from Fave for its seemingly affordable/ interesting menu. At $36.50 nett/ or 40% off, it includes:

- Two (2) white curry seafood ramen/ Udon
- Two (2) truffle chawanmushi
- Two (2) clear clam soup
- Two (2) boiled squid
- Two (2) scoop of matcha ice cream
- Two (2) hot or iced tea

The little eatery does not disappoint. It is cosy, and its seafood impressive. In lightly spicy curry broth, we tasted the sea freshness of their plump scallops, clams and roe rich prawns. The taste was intense; I felt I have exhausted my week quota of seafood. This is definitely satisfying.

White Curry Seafood Ramen

Ichiban Boshi

Swordfish, Kajiki Belly (2 serving, 13.90++ per serving)

Swordfish ($13.90++), Yellowtail ($6++), Salmon ($6++)

 Uni Chawanmushi, Sea Urchin ($9.90++)

Ichiban Boshi is fast becoming my favorite Japanese restaurant. There are variety, quality and quantity in their food serving - where possible we found potions to be large, and reasonably priced. As seen in their thick chicken cutlet and generous chasoba. With several ala carte, set options you could design your meal freely.

Now I know why the restaurant is always packed.

We enjoyed our food today. Only exception for the tired looking and tasting soft-shelled crab. And on our other visit, we had their Bluefin fatty tuna ($32++, 5 pcs) but it was not the best; our favourite is their Swordfish belly.

Always, service was impressive with helpful waitresses who knows their menu well.

Chicken Katsu ($10.90++)

Soft Shell Crab Tempura ($12.90++)

Fried Oyster with Spicy Cod Roe Mayo & Cheese ($10.90++)

Grilled Yellowtail (Hamachi) Head ($19.90++)

Una Jyu, BBQ Eel ($24.90++)

Tenzaru Chasoba, Cold Green Tea Noodle with assorted tempura ($13.90++)

Ice Shiratama Zenzai with Matcha Ice Cream (6.50++, Single scoop $3.50++)

The Butcher's Kitchen

Flaming Hokkaido Beef Bowl ($23.90+)

Enjoying a quiet lunch with Ric in the city; while the spirit of the Chinese New Year is still very much around.

In the Butcher's Kitchen (#02-472, Suntec City), this is probably our first torched meals. And we were looking forward to having our favorite beef - half done. The thinly sliced beef was served still a little pinky! Just how we like it. And lovely with chars of smokiness. Definitely flavorsome to be eaten on its own. The savory brown sauce and Mayo help down the serving of rice stacked within.

Overall a good food experience, just a little pricey.

Monster Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry ($13++), Matcha Latte ($3.50++)

Monster Curry isn't as monstrous as it sounded if you chose right - 1 chili heart on your curry marked the normal spicy (level 1), 2 hearts for extra spicy (level 2) and so on. We like to taste things at its original state, and so do not go beyond level 2.

That being said, the hot chili sauce - a concoction of chili padi, ginger and celery add interest to the deeply flavorsome Japanese brown curry. It was a hearty meal with thick slabs of juicy chicken Katsu, and a lunch promotion that includes decent cheese cake. Itadakimasu.

Complimentary Cheese Cake

Nadai Fujisoba Ni-Hachi

Hot Kamo Nanban Soba ($18++)

Thin soba noodles, sliced duck meat, spring onion, duck meat balls, dashi, snap peas, yuzu, soy sauce

Ni-Hachi means 2 and 8 respectively. The golden ratio of 20% wheat flour and 80% buckwheat flour for the perfect soba. The texture and taste achieved, was surely exceptional. Nadai Fuji Soba, at 100AM Mall holds one of my best experiences with soba, which is far and few between. My favourite Japanese noodle is Udon.

Albeit the simple food, the experience was refined and elegant. The flavors of food, kept pure and delicate. Such are the characteristics of Japanese cuisine, giving you that feel of tranquil. Even the sukiyaki soup base seems mellowed to suit the local taste. Try the duck soup; we like that it is slightly more flavorful than their standard soup base.

They have a current facebook promotion for doing a  "check-in & upload" for the restaurant. And we were rewarded with a complimentary Matcha ice-cream, dribbled over with light caramel sauce. It was bitter and non-overly-milky. An ice-cream well worth paying for, really.

Hot Ebi Tempura Soba ($18++)

Thin soba noodle, shrimp tempura, snap peas, dashi, yuzu, soy sauce

Japan Garden Foods - Sizzing Hot Stone

Oyako Don, Chicken ($8.80), Curry Rice, Broccoli ($7.80)

Includes Miso Soup.

X'mas shopping at the Orchard Rd? You may like to make a deliberate visit to the new basement food court at the Shaw Centre. A dimly lighted place with good air flow for a restful, late lunch. The noisy lunch crowd was over by this hour. Good.

The oyako don came across as the eye-catching one with wobbling raw eggs! I was tempted to make a double order for it, but glad we decided on the vegetarian curry don too. The smoky flavor of the spicy curry compliments the sweetness of the oyako don, perfectly.

The meal is a carbo galore, with the usual ingredients of poultry, onions, eggs and broccoli. Nothing quite spectacular, except for its delish burned rice at the bottom of the hot stone pot - charred but remained slight chewy for that enjoyable bite! Very unlike our Chinese claypot rice, which over-burned all these lovely grains.

You may like their other options of beef curry, cheese curry or the salmon egg too! This is interesting.

一风堂, Ippudo Shiromaru (since 1985)

At Ippudo, we were asked to select the hardness of our noodles when some ramen stall serves them too hard for our likings. The original creamy tonkotsu broth was none too salty too, generous serving of thin and straight noodles of medium hardness, pork belly and pork loin, cabbage, black fungus and spring onions. It was a classic Hakata-style ramen.

But Japanese tonkotsu is beginning to taste all the same to us. All good, but no more surprises. Unless you opted for their tonkotsu broth enhanced with miso paste, fragrant oil, Kyushu soy sauce, or their spicy tantan chili paste. Yet we believe in the original.

In celebration of Ippudo's 6th anniversary in conjunction with Singapore's 51st National Day, we had their signature Shiromaru ramen at $10++.

白丸元味, Shiromaru Motoaji ($15++)

Suki-ya Shabu Shabu Hot Pot Buffet

I love hot pots; and any scalding hot food.

So what's better than Suki-ya Hotpot buffets where prices ($18.99++, Adult weekday lunch. 1 for 1 Promotion till 29 Feb) are low and ingredients are fresh. Some complain about the lack of variety in their spread? But we were at their Kallang Wave Mall outlet today, and we thought the variety and quality of their spread were not bad at all.

Pork based broth, Butaniku and light Shabu Shabu were decided, and we can't wait to start at the buffet table. We like that the supply of fresh meat was al carte, which means that it will not be left to dry out at the communal counter. Together, two of us just managed to polish off 3 plates of beef and pork respectively.

Sesame sauce used to be my favorite dip, but here, it'll be their Sichuan Mala Chili! It enhances the flavor of the red meat; helping me eat more. Don't miss it.

Do wish to be back for another lazy afternoon of bathing - the meat in the sizzling soup; and we, in the contrasting comfort of the air-conditioning. Such, was the lure of 'battleshipping'.

Lunch Menu @ Suki-ya Kallang Wave Mall

4 Soup Bases Option: 

Shabu Shabu - Kombu stock & kelp, Sukiyaki - Soya & mirin,
Tonyu Miso - Miso, Butaniku - Pork broth 

Mains: 

Pork, Chicken, Beef

Plain Rice, Udon, Ramen, Glass Noodle

Dipping Sauce:

Raw Eggs, Ponzu (Shoyu with Vinegar), 

Goma (Sesame), Spicy Miso (Soybean Paste), 

Chopped Chili, Sichuan Mala Chili

Vegetables:

Bamboo Shoot, Potato, Long Cabbage, Pumpkin, Frisee Lettuce, Round Cabbage, 

Green Mustard, Cherry Tomato, Baby Carrot, Leek, White Radish, 

Corn cob, Shiitake Mushroom, Enokitake.

Sides:

Chicken Cheese Ball, Chikuwa, Cuttlefish Ball, 

Seafood Tofu, Beancurd Tau Pok, Silken Tofu.

Drinks:
Nestea Iced Lemon Tea, Peach Tea, Lychee Tea.
Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew, et cetera.

Tonkichi (とん吉) Tonkatsu - Our best.

Hire & Rosu Katsu Set, deep fried Pork fillet and loin ($27.90++)

Chawanmushi ($6.90++, Add to set meal $4.50++)

Our best experience of Tonkatsu was at Tampopo where they serve juicy and flavorsome Black Pig, regrettably without freshly crushed sesame seeds.

Saboten and Tonkichi were the two others we tried - no black pig option, just your normal pork serving dipped into their traditional tonkatsu sauce with crushed sesame. We had thought Saboten was good enough, but until we do Tonkichi today.

The meat is simply juicier, than all our visits to Saboten. Even the lion portion which was deemed to be always drying, was wonderfully flavorsome. It even comes with a thin strip of fat that tastes oishii! We were pleasantly surprised to have found an alternative.

And we had the Deals promotion to thank for today - $15 for 1 set. It's a steal!