A Deluxe Lunch at Tatsuya, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore

Sushi lunch set, $90

I was having a casual lunch at Tatsuya by the sushi counter almost two years ago when I saw a lady stroll into the restaurant in a t-shirt and sweat shorts. Juxtaposed with the row of dolled up, glamorous women seated at the sushi counter, she looked completely out of place but appeared unfazed. Then she sat down beside me, full of dignity and grace, whispered her order to the staff, and proceeded to enjoy an omakase by herself. Sushi after premium sushi landed on her plate from the chef's hands, which she savoured in a sort of quiet joy, unperturbed and completely at peace. Just watching her (mostly from the corner of my eye), I have to say, she changed my life.

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HY California - Awesome Lunch Bentos!

Sleek interior of HY California

I'm a food nerd. I had a professor who once confessed that he enjoys trawling through IPO prospectuses and company annual reports in his free time. I thought he was crazy. The thing is, I'm not all that different, except the things I trawl through are online restaurant menus, food review sites, food section of lifestyle sites, food blogs... you get the drift. According to yelp, HY California is no great shakes, so I never thought to try it. That is, until Y and I were out of time and desperately looking for a lunch spot and I thought the place did look decent. This is, I suppose, a classic example of how reviews (including my own) are not gospel...

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Lunch @ Dinings, London - Remarkable Sushi

Dinings, London

Dinings, for a sashimi-phile like myself, is a god sent. There is an emphasis on quality ingredients and just the right mix of traditional and the more say, contemporary creations. It's a quaint, tiny set-up owned by ex-Nobu chef Tomonari Chiba, with a sushi counter on the ground level and a small, minimalist dining area in the basement. Since it was a breezy summer when I visited, dining at the sushi counter where we had a clear view of the chefs working their magic was a no-brainer. I didn't know then, but I was about to be blown away by some of the best sushi I've ever had.

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Lunch at Teppei/ Hana Hana, Singapore - It's the Bara Chirashi

Bara Chirashi, $17.60

It's the Bara Chirashi that keeps me coming. I've had the exact same thing five or six times, and I know I'm still going to come for more. Is it a perfect bowl of Chirashi? No. It's carelessly seasoned, too liberally so, every time. But still, the generous chunks of sashimi fish are sweet, fresh and no doubt the best I've been able to lay my hands on at this price point (sans the maguro... then again that's always tricky). Aoki's a fantastic place for chirashi and my favourite, but also twice the price.

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Keyaki, Pan Pacific Hotel - Elegant Japanese Kaiseki

Elegant Japanese fine dining

Keyaki, from the ambience down to the food, has a wonderful, traditional elegance not commonly found these days. Walking through the garden to the restaurant, I felt just as though I'd escaped to a sanctuary safe from all the troubles of the day. The restaurant offers kaiseki (traditional multi-course sets) from upwards of $150, as well as special sets based on seasonal offerings. What's great about Keyaki is the lack of hard rules for at least two diners to order the same kaiseki set - I just love enlightened restaurants.

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Omakase at Teppei, Orchid Hotel - a (Japanese) Whirlwind Ride

Teppei

Omakase is the next thing to go mass market, right? All of a sudden Japanese shops are all serving "omakase" meals (literally meaning "I'll leave it to you"), what was once offered only by the best restaurants in town. Perhaps the decadence and meaning in "omakase" is slipping somewhat, or perhaps decadence is now offered to more - I suppose it's how you see it. Now, not all omakase meals live up to expectations, especially at the more competitive price points (see, it's a lot easier to impress when you give the chef, say, $200 to please you, than say, $60) but Teppei manages to give a helluva ride at a price that seriously won't burn your pocket. Obviously everyone knows this already, or their dinner reservations won't be full till April next year, eh?

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Omakase at Sushi Kuu, Palais Renaissance - A Sashimi Affair

Sushi Kuu

Ah, omakase. Where we simply let loose and see where the cards fall, where the roads lead, where the chef takes us. What could be more therapeutic? You don't even need to think, it's all been done for you. I spend a lot of my time thinking way too much, so omakase meals tend to be a huge relief. Besides, I never got the chance to try Sushi Kuu in Hong Kong, so I was really thrilled to finally check this place off. I wasn't disappointed - Sushi Kuu's ingredients were impeccably fresh, and the servings, generous. Easily one of the top dogs in town.

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The Sushi Bar, Singapore - Fantastic Chirashi!

The Sushi Bar

It's incredible, the "affordable" Japanese scene in Singapore has really burgeoned over the last year. Remember when people used to flock to Japanese buffets because they presented the most compelling value proposition at enough price points to satisfy both the masses and the discerning? Not anymore. I never dreamt that Japanese cuisine and 'affordability' would ever come together but it seems like the gap is fast narrowing. And The Sushi Bar is coming up tops in this category.

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Fat Cow, Singapore - Amazing Kikaku Menu

Fat Cow

When, exactly, did steak gravitate so heavily from diner grub to gourmet chow? No answers here, just buckets of gratitude because these days I still feel like a lady even after working through my meats. Steak and sophistication are not mutually exclusive. Probably not that new a phenomenon, but still, how nice. At this sophisticated end of the spectrum lies Fat Cow, a veritable Japanese inspired steakhouse that applies the Japanese obsession with perfection on the American steak. Boy, as you can imagine, what a meal.

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Lolla, Ann Siang Hill - Kick-ass Small Plates

Sea Urchin Pudding, $19

I have to admit - I fumbled around for a while trying to think of the most suitable one-liner to describe Lolla's small plates. Inspired? True but a total rip-off from their website. Inventive? Most certainly, yes, but I didn't want to side-line the classics that have been mercifully left unadulterated, thank heavens. What do all these small plates have in common? Kick-ass - that's it - they all kick ass. Lolla is honestly one of the most satisfying meals I've had this year, so I guess it's only fitting that I leave you with these pictures before 2012 flits by.

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Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru, Liang Court - Real Fish at Real Prices

Hokkaido Scallop Nigiri Sushi, $4.80, Jizakana Rayu Gunkan Maki Sushi, $2.80

Every now and then, a restaurant appears out of nowhere and completely shakes up the scene. Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru is one of them. Really, who would expect good sushi out of a conveyor belt restaurant? Especially when the steepest plate of sushi is $6.80! Stoked?

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Wasabi Tei, Far East Plaza - Good Sashimi, Fiery Service

Wasabi Tei

Wasabi Tei - the kind of place where service is curt and practically non-existent. Where the entire vibe is no nonsense. Where you are expected to scoot the minute you're done eating. And yet, I am pleased enough with the sashimi to cast all these to the wind.

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Kuriya Penthouse, Singapore - Sexy Yet Traditional

Rooftop Dining

A couple of weeks ago, M and I found a really good reason to visit Kuriya Penthouse - they were running a June promotion dinner set for $78 (the Kuriya dinner course goes for $98, and the July course is a hefty $150). In case you haven't heard, chef Yoshihiko Koezuka who helms the kitchen had the honour of whipping up dinner for Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako during his time at Hotel New Omi in Japan. Now that's something not every chef has on their resume. As you can expect, I was very excited about dinner...

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Tatsuya, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore - Irresistible Lunch Deals

Sashimi Unajyu Set, $30.90

How was your weekend? I just hopped off a 4 days 3 nights weekend cruise with Royal Caribbean (two days ago) and I'm still feeling blissfully sun kissed! Also, the wonderful people behind "The View From Fez" recently published my post on Moroccan street food here. Do check out their site - it's incredibly informative!

During the cruise, we dropped by Penang and Malacca, which were absolutely delicious destinations. Before I blog about the cruise and our day excursions though, here's a lip-smacking post on Tatsuya. Remember how I resolved to squeeze in better lunches this year? Tatsuya was right on my agenda and I couldn't be more pleased when my best friend, S, brought me there for a birthday treat! I had the Sashimi Unajyu set, which was pretty much the best of not one, not two, but three worlds - marrying luscious sashimi cuts (including a slice of Mekajiki) with excellent unagi and crispy tempura. The unagi had everything going for it - fatty cuts, barely discernible bones and an addictive sweet, sticky and savoury sauce. In fact, it was so good that unagi-averse S liked it too! The tempura was satisfying but the batter could be lighter. The set also included a velvety smooth chawanmushi alongside a bowl of miso soup and fruits.

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Buffet Spread at The Line, Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore

Freshly Shucked Oysters

M brought me to The Line for my birthday dinner this year. I was all excited! Oysters and sashimi are my absolute favourite. In fact, I started my meal with 7 of these darlings, and had no less than a dozen throughout the night! M had none as usual, just looked on, completely bemused at my enjoyment. I'm still irrationally optimistic that he'll be a convert one day! If it can happen to my best friend, S, and so many other close friends of mine, it can happen to him! These were actually a little too salty for me. Oysters take on the flavour of the water they are harvested in so I guess it probably had something to do with that.

Sashimi and Sushi

The sashimi served at The Line was top notch. The Mekajiki (swordfish) sashimi was fabulous - sweet with a wonderful bite. I'd skip the octopus next time though (a little rubbery), alongside all the sushi - they were simply left there for too long. There was also a selection of appetizers including parma ham, which was great - thinly sliced and wrapped around sweet melons, but I missed taking a photo of it.

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En Japanese Dining Bar, River Valley, Singapore

Trio Sashimi Platter, $24.50 $12.25

Yesterday, M and I headed to En Japanese Dining Bar for a light dinner. We were early birds (read: half priced sushi and sashimi from 6-8 pm) and so what we had for dinner should come as no surprise! We started off with the Sashimi Platter of Salmon, Tuna and Yellowtail. We really enjoyed this one - the sashimis were wonderfully fresh and sliced pretty well!

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Shin Yuu, Greenwood Ave, Singapore - My Favourite Japanese Buffet!

The Interior 

I am so excited to share about this! I have always enjoyed a la carte buffets - there's something really chill about ordering anything and everything from the comfort of your seat. No breaks in conversations and no necessity for standing around at live cooking stations waiting for your food to be done. Besides, lets face it, good quality a la carte Japanese fare in Singapore never comes cheap. Then again, you never really get great quality in a buffet, do you? Well, that's what I thought before discovering Shin Yuu.

Complimentary Platter (Smoked Duck, Grilled Tuna Nigiri Sushi, Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi)

The complimentary platter was a fantastic start. While the smoked duck may come across as a commoner, the grilled tuna nigiri sushi was a shining starlet - smoky from the torch and extremely tender. How about the Shin Yuu special aburi (salmon) sushi? It was the black horse that completely stole the show. It literally melted in my mouth! The pink smear of mentaiko sauce really brought it to another level altogether. Guess what's the best part? Not only is it the only one out of the three I would repeatedly order, it is in fact the only one out of the three I am allowed to repeatedly order! A gorgeous black horse indeed.

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Sugisawa Japanese Restaurant, Robertson Quay, Singapore

Minimalist decor at Sugisawa, Beef Bento, $16

M and I had dinner here on the same day that we went to the Book Café. It only made sense since they were so near to each other. Besides, I've been wanting to try Sugisawa for so long! I first heard about the affordable bento sets offered by this authentic Japanese restaurant even before I left for Europe, so I'm glad I finally made it here. A large portion of their clientele is made up of Japanese, so you can expect lots of happy chatter - I almost wondered if I'd been unknowingly transported to Japan.

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Kazu Sumiyaki, Cuppage, Singapore

Complimentary Cabbage Appetizer

Every birthday in our family is a perfectly valid excuse for good food. This time, for my sister's 18th birthday, we headed to Kazu, our favourite Japanese Kushiyaki restaurant! I'm a huge fan of charcoal grill, and it really doesn't get any better than this. This is gonna be one looong post.

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Rakuzen, Millenia Walk, Singapore

Sukiyaki Beef Set

Celebrated A's 21st at Rakuzen! We were lucky and managed to get a private room which turned out to be super cosy! Rakuzen serves a really wide selection of value-for-money sets mostly hovering around the 20 dollar mark (they do have à la carte choices too), so we tried as far as possible to stretch our choices to try a little of everything. All the sets come with chawanmushi, miso soup, a mini stewed dish (nimono) and dessert (watermelon cubes and jelly in our case), which were all really decent. You can also top up about 5 dollars to add sashimi to your set, which is a pretty good deal in my opinion. W had the Sukiyaki Beef Set. The soup was yummy with a tinge of sweetness (our opinions were split on whether it was too salty). I guess the only downside is that you don't really get to "cook" the beef to your desired doneness since the pot doesn't come with a mini stove, and the beef is already sorta cooked when it arrives.

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