Gastronomic Ruminations

Last month, I was invited to a tasting at Ramen Bari-Uma, another Japanese chain to set up shop in Singapore. Hailing from Hiroshima, Ramen Bari-Uma’s Singapore branch is located in the basement of  Tanglin Shopping Centre. Ajitama-Uma Ramen @ S$15 Ramen in Pork-flavoured soup (Tonkotsu broth) with Ajitama (flavoured egg) & thick-cut Aburi (seared) Chashu Ramen [...]

I visited newly opened Jewel Cafe and Bar for a light dinner last evening. A branch of my favourite coffee joint in the Shenton Way area, Jewel Coffee, Jewel Cafe and Bar was opened on 15 March 2013. Shio-Koji Octopoke @ S$12 Octopus tossed in shio-koji, wasabi, extra virgin oil, avocado & ginger-flower I was quite [...]

If you’re a major noodle lover, A Noodle Story‘s a hawker stall worth checking out. Started by a duo of noodle lovers, who trained together at Shatec, the stall is the realisation of their dream to sell a premium noodle dish at an affordable price. Using modern culinary techniques and through re-engineering of classic hawker flavours, the intrepid [...]

Bijin Nabe (Beauty Steamboat), a Japanese hot pot using collagen-rich soup stock, is the latest addition to my list of favourite steamboats. Available only for dinner at Tsukada Nojo, a cosy Japanese restaurant located at The Atrium@Orchard. We waited 90 minutes to get a table on the third day of CNY. This outlet is the [...]

This is a long overdue post on an invited tasting at IKYU that I didn’t have the time to finish before Chinese New Year. A modern Japanese restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Takuma Seki, formerly Chef de Cuisine at Hide Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands, IKYU means “Take a Break” in Japanese. Located within hip [...]

This Chinese New Year, you might like to try Plaza Brasserie’s Prosperity Buffet Feast for a change from traditional Chinese lunches or dinners. Fruity Yu Sheng Image reproduced with permission from PARKROYAL   I was recently invited to a tasting at Plaza Brasserie at PARKROYAL on Beach Road  where I was pleasantly surprised to discover [...]

The specialty coffee scene is heating up in Singapore with the latest addition, Maison Ikkoku which means ‘House of the Moment’, opening its doors over the past weekend at Kandahar Street.  Image courtesy of Maison Ikkoku & Word of Mouth Communications Named after a Mangga comic, Maison Ikkoku is the brainchild of two married couples [...]

Dim Sum Dolly was headed to Hong Kong for a year. M Eats (previously known as Skinny Epicurean), C, S and I bade Dim Sum Dolly farewell over lunch at Kaiho Sushi @ Cuppage Plaza. C, S and I ordered the Omakase @ S$80++ per person. Otoshi (appetizer) Chilled Shiso Sprouts marinated with Dashi-based broth [...]

I was craving noodles so after the mooncake tasting event at St Regis, I hoped that the group would take my suggestion to go for Nirai-Kanai’s Okinawan food at Tanglin Shopping Centre. They seemed more keen on chicken wings at Jerry’s, which I wasn’t in the mood for but went with the flow. Thankfully (shh…don’t [...]

I’ve been a loyal fan of Waraku, a Japanese family-friendly chain restaurant, for many years. I like Waraku for their large variety of dishes at reasonable prices, good food and good service. On the few occasions when the food was lacking, the service staff were diligent in gathering feedback and offering options such as replacing [...]