Kimakari gyoza from Takumen. Essentially a quail egg-headed and heavily pregnant xiao long bao which erupts a powdery, Myojo-esque Japanese curry. 3.8/5 This was a hosted meal, courtesy of Takumen. Takumen 66 Circular Road Singapore 049420
Bijin nabe (beauty hotpot, or 美人鍋) from Tsukada Nojo. Essentially the hotpot equivalent of your mother, grandmother or similar female maternal figure caressing your back and making you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and telling you everything is going to be just fine. Hands down my favourite hotpot experience in the…
Kaisen-don from Teppei Syokudo. The same marinated sashimi cubes on rice concept from the people behind Teppei and Hanare etc, only saltier and less consistent at these takeaway joints. However, given the avalanche and supreme fatness of these cubes (my jaws were working harder than a competitive nerd the eve…
Chirashi Teishoku set from Chirashi-Tei. Despite looking rather The Sushi Bar and Chikuwa Tei/Manzoku-esque with its thick cuts, this was like one of those Louis Vuitton bags from a back alley car boot that look damn legit from afar but up-close you can see the uneven stitching and detect the…
Kurobuta pork shabu shabu at MAD Bistro – 12 slices of pork loin and 12 slices of pork belly to cook in bonito broth along with silken tofu, Japanese leek, kanji, vegetables, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, and paired with goma, yuzu and chilli sauces. Menu says the shabu shabu feeds…
Chirashi don, ordered from their lunch menu (i.e. a few dollars cheaper than the normal ala carte menu). I love my chirashi bowls and have sampled many variations from different local restaurants throughout the years, but this was one of the worst I have ever had. The sashimi did not…
Chirashi Don – scallop, amberjack, tuna, chopped tuna belly, whelk, salmon, salmon roe and crispy tempura bits on Hokkaido rice. Unlike other commercial variants which have their sashimi grouped by type and forced to huddle and squeeze in a predetermined sitting plan, this chirashi don is so carefully put together,…
Ichiban Jyu – salmon sashimi, sesame oil and chilli padi on a bed of rice. The amount of oil and chilli used per bowl is probably by way of dice throw in the Ichiban Boshi kitchens, so make a request for separate extra servings of both each time. With the…
Spicy chicken nanban. A Singapore-exclusive item, and essentially the concept of “dish localization” executed to perfection. The spiciness doesn’t just dwell in the sauce – it looks all creamy and harmless but oh, boy – but also in the chicken’s marinate. Thus, it’s spicy inside out yet restrained enough that…