Street eats in Osaka

C says:

Osaka is the land of kuidaore, and what better place to do so than on the Dotonburi, where you can gorge on all manner of street eats.

Takoyaki, incendiary balls of grilled batter filled with diced octopus, are everywhere. We sampled from 2 different stalls, and those from the unassuming, non-touristy one were far superior.

Probably the best deal ever were the 6 gyozas for 100 yen - approximately S$1.20. Insanely good value and really tasty too.

The kushikatsu at Daruma was a bit of a letdown. I didn't expect that much batter, so despite ordering different meat and vegetable skewers, everything tasted quite similar.

Last must-have on our Osaka street food list was okonomiyaki, and all research pointed to Mizuno as serving the best in town. Far from being a generic tourist trap, Mizuno is apparently still a family-run restaurant, where focus on quality is more important to them than churning out multiple orders.

We ordered 2 types of okonomiyaki - a standard one, and one with a thinner pancake. The thin one was crispier but it also lacked the sinful oomph of the regular one. Both were cooked perfectly, with crisp outsides and steaming hot, gooey centres.

Not quite a street eat but just as satisfying was the kare raisu at Jiyuken. Here, the curry rice is almost risotto-like, and it's served with a raw egg on top. You're supposed to stir it in and add Worcestershire sauce to taste. Bizarrely, it actually all works and is the ultimate comfort food.

A says:

Dotonburi. Never has cheap and good been truer. Although my favourite thing on the street was still the Lord Stow's portuguese egg tarts from Macau. Possibly even better than the original.

Our trip to Arashiyama

C says:

We took a day trip to Arashiyama from Kyoto, mainly to see the famed Bamboo Forest, but managed to fit in some pretty good meals as well.

Unagi Hirokawa specialises in all forms of unagi. Their signature unagi don features perfectly grilled unagi, seasoned with some sweet soy but not so much that you can't taste the unagi, over perfectly cooked rice.

In addition, their unagi and burdock stew, and grilled unagi liver, were really good too.

Just outside the Tenruji temple was a yuba shop that sold an awesome yuba soft serve ice cream, that set the standard for all other tofu ice creams that we subsequently tried on our trip. It had just the right amount of sweetness, balanced with the flavour of the yuba. The other ones didn’t even come close.

Tempura Matsu

Tempura Matsu is slightly further out from the main centre of Arashiyama, but it was well worth the walk. Originally just a tempura restaurant, the chef's experiments soon became more popular than his tempura, and now they're known for an excellent, and very good value, omakase.

Some particular standouts in a very good meal were the fatty yellowtail that they lightly seared on hot stones right in front of us - smokey and almost buttery, this first course set the tone for the rest of the meal.

The rice duo was also amazing. 2 small bowls of rice, one topped with otoro, and another with crab meat mixed with crab brains. Heaven.

Another very interesting dish was the unagi hotpot. They heated a pot of eel broth, and cooked slices of unagi, shabu shabu-style, before giving it to us for dipping in a ponzu sauce. Tasting the unagi without the usual adornments of grilling and sweet sauce was quite an eye-opener - it had the potential to be very fishy but it was perfectly balanced.

Dessert was grilled mochi balls with kinako (roasted soybean) powder, which A fell in love with and again, no other version we ordered elsewhere even came close.

For such a tiny little town, Arashiyama certainly has lots to offer, food-wise. There's even, inexplicably, the only Arinco King outlet outside Tokyo – go figure.

A says:

Tempura Matsu was a highlight of our trip. Well worth the walk and getting lost by the river. The tofu skin ice cream was also a great eye opener. Approved.

Kyoto kaiseki

C says:

When you think about food in Kyoto, kaiseki - meticulously prepared and painstakingly presented multi-course meals showcasing seasonal ingredients - immediately comes to mind. Since fine dining Japanese food is (to us) prohibitively expensive in Singapore, we decided to try our fill in Kyoto.

Kikunoi

Kikunoi has been endorsed in almost every Kyoto food guide. For us, it also helps that it's been featured in numerous foodie shows and books, including Lucky Peach and The Mind Of A Chef.

There's no doubt that it's quite an experience. From the minute you arrive and are ushered to your own private tatami room to the time you leave and they bow till you're out of sight, you're treated as a special guest. They thoughtfully even prepared an English menu for us, knowing we were tourists.

The presentation of the food was spectacular and, having read Chef Murata's cookbook beforehand, the time and effort that went into each component was mindblowing.

A few standouts were his signature otoro with soy-egg yolk dipping sauce, and the soup. For the otoro egg-yolk dish, he marinates egg yolks in soy sauce for 2 days, then whips them together to form the sauce, which complements the otoro perfectly.

What fascinated me about the soup was the paper thin sliver of daikon radish that covered the surface of the bowl. Because it was winter, that was supposed to evoke images of a pond that had frozen over.

Some of the other dishes weren't quite suitable for our palate, like the fugu sashimi, and the wild boar hotpot using a broth of sake lees. I'm sure only the best ingredients were used, but it's just a matter of not quite being used to the flavours and textures.

Hiiragiya Bekkan

Our second kaiseki experience was at the ryokan where we stayed - a cheaper, more casual sister property of the more lauded and expensive Hiiragiya. We had 2 very good meals there - a kaiseki dinner, and a pretty good breakfast.

While it wasn't as fancy or elaborate as Kikunoi, the food was very tasty, and probably a bit more comforting too. They served their eel lightly aburi-ed, which really brought out the flavours.

Kyoto is known for its tofu, and we had some really fresh tofu here, simply steamed with a bit of dashi and yuzu. The best part of kaiseki is how they just let the freshness and seasonality of the ingredients speak for themselves.

While I'm glad we've tried authentic kaiseki in Kyoto, I think we still prefer more casual dining experiences, especially in a place like Japan, where good food can be had at almost every turn.

A says:

Imho, I found that once you get to a higher level of kaiseki (moderately expensive to very expensive), it's just all very good seasonal product. So the only difference is the prettiness of the presentation and the formality of service. So it really depends on what you're after, just the food, or more of the experience. Having tried both, I'll stick with the more affordable option in the future.

Blu Kouzina

C says:

I'm usually not a fan of Greek or Mediterranean food, so I wasn't particularly enthused when A suggested trying Blu Kouzina, after hearing rave recommendations from his friends.

How wrong I was. It turned out to be nothing like what I expected. It's an unassuming, homely neighbourhood joint, without any fanciness or fuss.

We started with a pan-fried feta cheese with honey, which was hot, sweet and oozy, followed by one of the best grilled octopus we've ever had - super tender and incredibly charred.

Their signature dish, the beef skewers, was pretty good, but what really impressed were the lamb chops. Grilled very simply without overpowering seasoning, they were perfectly cooked and incredibly flavourful.

I still don't really like Greek desserts - too sweet for my liking, but A really enjoyed the phyllo dough and almond parcels doused in syrup.

Now I know why it's so hard to get a reservation here at short notice - the place is small and the food is excellent. Not exactly a spur of the moment place, but definitely a must-try for the octopus and lamb.

A says:

I like it. Thanks to my friend SL for the recommend.

Blu Kouzina
893 Bukit Timah Road
Tel: 6875-0872
Lunch
Fri - Sun: 12pm - 2.30pm
Dinner
Mon - Sun: 6pm - 10pm

Farewell to Ember

C says:

Sorry for the radio silence. We were away, and have been super busy since we got back, so we're still working on chronicalling our holiday eats.

It'll take us another week or two to start posting our holiday stuff, but in the meantime we thought we'd write about our bittersweet meal at the original Ember last night, so that anyone who wants to do the same has one more month before Sebastian and Sabrina serve their last meal there on 30 April.

We each ordered the set, and added the angel hair pasta with konbu and abalone. That was served first, and (what would be a recurring refrain throughout the night) was familiarly perfect.

My chicken and duck liver parfait was rich and creamy and came with a slice of light and buttery toasted brioche. They sold out of the scallop carpaccio so A had the fried soft shell crab with wasabi aioli.

Second course: fried langoustine with lobster bisque for A, and the deep fried tofu with foie gras-mirin sauce for me - another must-have. The sauce packs so much flavour, and the tofu is fried perfectly.

As tribute to our last meal, we ordered both their signature mains - the Chilean seabass, and the 12-hour pork belly. The seabass was, as it always is, perfect. The pork belly was better than I remembered, with tender meat and ridiculously crispy crackling.

We shared the apple tart tatin with vanilla ice cream for dessert, which was again delicious.

We were lamenting to Sabrina, who recognises us as somewhat regulars, that after celebrating our anniversary here for the past 7 - 8 years, now we have to find somewhere new to go.

To our surprise, before our tart tatin arrived, we were served a coconut panna cotta with a candle on the side. The waiter said it was compliments of Sabrina, who told us it was to thank us for supporting them from the very beginning, and an early anniversary celebration.

It was such a sweet gesture, and coupled with every dish being executed perfectly, made last night's meal truly bittersweet. I'm glad to have been a part of their 12 year history, and I'm sure we'll be there when their new concept opens its doors (though not for another year or so), but now we have to create new anniversary memories elsewhere.

I'm feeling rather forlorn now, so excuse me while I go mope.

A says:

Sigh. This last dinner we had there was especially good. I'd advise everyone to go while you still can. I'll now be looking forward to the new place, hopefully by next year.

Saigon Lotus

C says:

Among the new restaurants at The Dining Edition at Marina Square is Saigon Lotus. We ended up here one evening when everything else didn't really call to us. We wanted something fairly simple so we didn't have very high expectations.

As it turns out, the pho here was surprisingly good. It's increasingly hard to get good pho in Singapore these days, with a good beefy broth that's synthetically sweet. The one here tasted like it was a proper beef broth, and the sliced beef and beef brisket was tender and deliciously fatty.

Their crispy chicken wings were a bit disappointing - too overfried and crispy for my liking, but I guess that is how they're billed...

We don't have pho cravings very often, but when we do, it's good to know that we can come here for a pretty decent bowl.

A says:

Very good pho. I hope this place survives despite the poor traffic in the area.

Saigon Lotus
6 Raffles Boulevard,
Marina Square, #02-100A/B
Tel: 6337-4648
Mon - Sun: 11.00am - 10.00pm

Volunteering at Willing Hearts

C says:

I've been meaning to get involved in volunteering efforts for some time now, but alas, most initiatives (understandably) involve working with children. For those who know me, saying that I'm not good with children is somewhat of an understatement.

Which is why I got excited when I read about Willing Hearts a couple of months ago - a non-profit 'soup kitchen' whose mission statement is to "provide daily meals and other support services to the underprivileged, the needy, and other marginalized members in Singapore, and to assist and guide them towards rehabilitating and reinstating themselves as useful members of our society". To me, the only way for volunteering efforts to be sustainable is to do something that you enjoy/believe in, so what better way for me/atetoomuch than to work with food?!

A quick check of their website told me everything I needed to know - the kitchen operates daily, 365 days a year, from 6 am to around 4 pm. If, like me, you're interested in kitchen prep work, you need to get there early to help with the meals for the day. Otherwise, you can also offer your services to pack the food into containers for delivery, or even to help out with deliveries later in the morning/afternoon. Large groups like corporate teams need to inform them in advance of their visit, just so they're prepared, but individuals can just show up to lend a helping hand.

Y and I decided to go together so that we wouldn't be alone and clueless on our first foray there. We got there at 7 and spent a very enjoyable few hours washing and cutting copious amounts of radishes. The camaraderie in the place is infectious - we happened to be there with a large group from Marina Bay Sands, and though it was the first time for most of us, everyone got into the swing of things very quickly. 

It's heartwarming to see small groups of retirees showing up together, and even groups of schoolchildren were there packing mandarin oranges. I left promising to return soon. Given that the bulk of the kitchen work is done in the morning, and depending on how much I want to contribute on a particular day, I can either take a morning off work, or just get in to work a little later than usual. Yes, I do have to wake up extra early and drive to MacPherson, but I figure it's the least I can do.

A says:

So proud of you. You go, girl!

Willing Hearts

50 Genting Lane

#04-06 Cideco Building

www.willinghearts.org.sg
www.facebook.com/pages/Willing-Hearts/251054094985354

Bam Tapas and Sake Bar

C says:

For lovers of small plates like us, 3-month old Bam at Tras Street looks set to be another new favourite. Opened by Chef Pepe, who used to be chef de cuisine at Santi at MBS, Bam may bill itself as a tapas bar but don't expect ordinary tapas like croquettas or garlic prawns. Instead, they offer exactly what we love - small plates of inventive tapas-inspired dishes, often with other influences thrown in as well.

Portions of each dish are just nice for 2 to share, and if you're like us, you'll probably need about 5 or 6 to be pleasantly full. Remember to save space for dessert though - this is one of the few places (for us) where the desserts really are worth ordering.

The Roasted Eggplant with Lardo and Romesco Sauce started out ok enough - till I got a mouthful of the lardo. The thin sliver of lardo was lightly torched on top of the eggplant, and packed a ton of flavour.

The Grilled Octopus with Gem Lettuce and Lentil Vinaigrette was so good that we promptly ordered another one (we were there with W and M). The octopus was really tender yet meaty, and wonderfully charred and smokey. This dish really brought us all back to Spain.

The Pork Ear with Burrata and Anchovy Vinaigrette was a very interesting dish. I liked the different textures of the creamy burrata and the crunchy, slightly gelatinous pig's ears. I would've liked a bit more burrata though, so I'm not sure if this is on my order-again list.

One of their signature dishes is the Sakura Ebi Omelette with Melon and All-i-oli (Catalan for aioli). I liked the creaminess of the omelette (I hate overcooked omelettes) and the umaminess of the sakura ebi, but I'm not sure that the melon was all that necessary. Next time we'll try the other egg dish on the menu - the Kampong Egg with baby squid and chorizo.

Don't go low/no carb while you're here, because all 3 of their pastas were outstanding. The Foie Gras and Chestnut Ravioli came in a light, delicate broth that was packed with flavour, and the Mushroom Rice with Scallop and Idiazabal Cheese was a risotto lover's dream.

What really shone though, was the Pasta a la Plancha with Prawns and Sake Butter. The tubes of pasta were literally cooked on the plancha (flat-top), giving it a wonderful al dente yet crisp texture. It was served with the most amazing sauce and sake butter that we all but licked off the plate. Awesome.

As far as the meats go, we had the Calamari and Beef Tongue, and the Grilled Quail with Leeks. I enjoyed both dishes, but everyone else wasn't as enamoured as I was. Apparently the Wagyu Onglet is better, so perhaps we'll try that next.

Desserts are definitely worth a try here. The Bailey's sponge with chocolate cremeaux comes with a huge dollop of the lightest, airest Crema Catalan I've ever had, and lightly torched too.

As good as that was, the other two desserts were more standouts. The coconut sorbet with pineapple and tea granita was really light and refreshing, and the lemon zest ice cream with caramelised banana was perfectly balanced - just when the ice cream seemed a bit too tart, the cubes of banana helped to sweeten and mellow it down.

They've only been open for 3 months but already they seem to be doing pretty well. We should probably head there again sooner rather than later, before it starts being on everyone's radar and it gets harder to snag reservations.

A says:

Rock. Especially the desserts.

Bam Tapas and Sake Bar
38 Tras Street
Tel: 6226-0500
Open Mon to Sat: 6 pm - 12 mn
Closed Sundays

The Mustard Incident

C says:

The Mustard Incident is a gourmet hot dog joint that opened recently in the newly renovated Tangs basement, opposite Krispy Kreme. Seating is limited, with just one small 2-seater and a U-shaped counter for dining-in. I guess they assume that hot dogs are generally on-the-go food.

You may want to be seated for some of their creations, though. Some, like the Coney Dog and the Frankenstein, have a chilli topping that makes it pretty messy, but oh so delicious. The Coney Dog is a beef sausage with bean-less (yay) chilli and topped with diced white onion. The Frankenstein is, literally, half a beef sausage and half a pork sausage held together with bacon (hence the name), chilli again, hot sauce and sautéed onions.

I had the Frankenstein and A had the Coney Dog. Both were very good – I especially like the sausages, which have a good snap to casings. I liked mine because the sautéed onions took the edge of the raw ones; A liked his precisely because of the raw onions.

They have seasonal flavours too, like a turkey, ham and cranberry one over the holidays, as well as some limited edition flavours like a Sauerkraut and a Breakfast dog. If both are still available when we’re next in the vicinity, they’ll be our next picks.

A says:

I was a bit apprehensive at first given the $10 price, but these are seriously good hot dogs and totally worth it. The staff is friendly as well. The only problem with the place is the cramped counter eating area. Can't be helped I guess, but this is a definite go-to for a good dog.

The Mustard Incident
310 Orchard Road
Tangs Basement
Tel: 6836-3647
Mon – Thurs & Sat: 10.30 am to 9.30 pm
Fri: 10.30 am to 11 pm
Sun: 11 am to 8.30 pm

Shin Yeh Bistro

C says:

This casual outpost of Taiwanese restaurant Shin Yeh at Liang Court took over the premises at Square 2 that used to be occupied by Zhou's Kitchen (they're all Tung Lok restaurants anyway so I figure they just do musical chairs based on what's currently the most viable).

Most of our favourite dishes from the Liang Court branch are also available here, maybe in a simpler form. The oyster omelette, for example, is in the form of a thin layer of egg, topped with fried oysters and leeks. I actually think this is more successful than the regular version, which during recent visits has been bulked up with a bit too much starch for my liking.

A's favourite braised pig's intestine is also available. The intestines were nicely cooked but there wasn't enough braising liquid to douse our porridge the way we like to. The homemade Taiwan sausage was good, but the portion was a bit too much for me, since A's not a Taiwan sausage fan (all that for just $4.20, insane!).

Their drinks were a very pleasant surprise. I'm normally not one for weird sweet drinks but they didn't have a normal chrysanthemum tea and I was put on the spot to order something. I got Yogurt Green Tea, and A ordered the Watermelon Milk Tea. Mine was a nice refreshing mix of yakult and jasmine tea, and A is completely enamoured with the Watermelon Milk Tea.

Besides the food (and drinks) being really good, what strikes me is how reasonably priced it is. Every dish we ordered was under $10, including the oyster omelette which was an amazing $6.90.

Pity we don't live close to Square 2 anymore, or we'd be here every week.

A says:

Watermelon milk tea sounds crazy but it turned out to be crazy awesome. Great if you like sweet flavoured teas. The rest of the food is good and relatively cheap. Highly recommended.

Shin Yeh Bistro
Square 2 #01-73
10 Sinaran Drive
Tel : 6893-1123
Lunch: 11:30 - 3:00PM
Hi-Tea: 3:00 - 5:00PM
Dinner: 6:00 - 10:00PM
www.shinyehbistro.com.sg

Victor's Kitchen

C says:

After the stellar dim sum and dun nai (steamed milk) that we had in Hong Kong, we were wondering where we could go in Singapore that could measure up. I recalled that Victor's used to serve some versions of dun nai so we thought we'd try our luck.

Alas, they no longer do; probably too labour intensive. They still serve pretty damn good dim sum though. Their king prawn har gow is packed with really fresh prawns, and lots of them, and the char siew bao is really light and fluffy.

2 items we had deserve special mention - the steamed carrot cake with XO sauce, and the HK Silk Stocking Iced Tea. The carrot cake is the best I've had - it's soft, smooth and you can really taste the radish, lup cheong and dried shrimp. Almost doesn't need the XO sauce, though it does add an additional flavour element. Don't expect the texture of the pan fried variety though - this is really soft, without much bite, but I think that's precisely why it's unadulterated and so good.

The milk tea is served inside an ice bath, which keeps it cool without diluting it - genius. The tea is the perfect strength, milkiness and sweetness. I daresay better even than what we had in HK.

Even the ambience is like being in HK - elbow to elbow seating and efficient but brusque waiters. As good as it gets, I think. But my dun nai search continues.

A says:

Awesome carrot cake and milk tea. And the milk tea here is better than in Hong Kong cause it's sweeter. I'll definitely be back more. Just have to remember to go early to avoid the inevitable queue.

Victor's Kitchen
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-21 Sunshine Plaza
Tel: 9838-2851

Crab in da Bag

C says:

Atetoomuch’s year is definitely off to a good start! We tried Crab in da Bag the other night and liked it so much that I’m already planning a return visit soon.

Located at Big Splash at East Coast Park, Crab in da Bag, as its name suggests, primarily serves seafood cooked in bags, with your choice of seasonings and other accompaniments like potatoes, sweet corn and bratwurst sausage. Reservations are recommended because they do get pretty crowded, even on a Sunday night when we went. Also, their tables are all quite large, so smaller parties will probably have to share tables.

If you order individual seafood items, each will be cooked in a separate bag with your choice of seasoning and accompaniment. We decided on tiger prawns with sweet corn in garlic butter, flower crabs in their signature Caboodle mix (combination of local and Louisiana spices with butter and garlic), and squid with their Ultimate Curry mix.

They’re really not shy with their seasonings. All of them packed a big flavour punch in different ways. The seafood was all very well cooked, and with the nutcrackers and scissors provided, not that difficult to get at. Having said that, I think we’ll try the King Crab legs the next time. They looked huge and very meaty.

They also do a Caboodle Boil for a larger group of 4-5, with a selection of seafood all boiled in one bag, which you then eat with a selection of sauces/dips. I actually think it’s still better to order the seafood separately – that way, you get a wider selection of seasonings, plus I’m sure it still tastes better to have the seafood actually cooked with the seasoning, rather than boiled and dipped into sauces.

This is definitely not a first date place – you’re given bibs and are just expected to dive into the seafood with your hands. And trust me, things will get messy. I love it though. It’s refreshing knowing that everyone is being just as barbaric as you are.

It’s also a very difference experience from Naked Finn, which serves high-end seafood varieties and their preparations are simple, to highlight the seafood. Here, it’s all about the seasoning, because I think while the seafood is good and pretty fresh, it certainly isn't artisanally sourced or anything. It’s just a straight-up good, fun seafood meal.

A says:

All da seasonings were great. Next time, I'll get a side of bread to soak it up, especially all da garlic bits. Da service is slow but they are very friendly and helpful.

If I had to find something to complain about, it would probably be that there's no cheap non-alcoholic beverage option. I guess they have to make money somewhere, though you'd think they'd have saved on cutlery costs by having no plates.

Crab in da Bag
Block D Unit #01-25
902 East Coast Parkway, Big Splash
Tel: 6440-0083
Opening hours: 4 pm - 11 pm
Closed Mondays