MOOD FOR FOOD: Japanese Food

[FOOD TOUR] AFFORDABLE PLACES TO EAT AROUND DHOBY GHAUT & BENCOOLEN STREET

Friday, February 10, 2017

Dhoby Ghaut is one of the most popular hangout spots in town, especially among youngsters. This comes at no surprise as there are a couple of schools within the vicinity (SMU, SOTA, Kaplan...). Being located at the end of Orchard Road, Dhoby Ghaut boasts endless food options of various cuisines and price ranges. Often, deciding where to eat can be a huge headache! Here's a list of the good and more affordable food options around this area of town!

1. AL-JILANI RESTAURANT

Prata has become Singaporeans' typical supper option. Why? Well, simply because it's so good and simple! AND many of these prata joints operate until late at night with many opening for 24 hours a day!
Al-Jilani Restaurant is an Indian eatery located along Bencoolen Street and it opens all 24 hours a day! The prata here is decent (wouldn't consider it great in my opinion but some might disagree- would prefer slightly crispier prata) but the curry's one of the better one's I've tried in recent times! A good amount of chicken meat in the curry to my delight. Other popular dishes include their Briyani, Roti John, and Mee Goreng.
Again, not one of the best prata options in Singapore but being located in town and operating 24-hours makes it very popular especially among youngsters who don't ever go home early.

Address: 127 Bencoolen St, 189637
Open 24 Hours

2. CURIOUS PALETTE

Peach & Raisin Ricotta Hotcake ($14.90)

Salted Egg Wings ($12.90)

Opened by the same people from Stranger's Reunion around 2 years ago, Curious Palette has gained so much popularity since then. They not only serve great cafe food but also have an excellent ambience as well.

Curious Palette has an all day Brunch menu from 9am-6pm featuring unique dishes such as their Soft Shell Crab Burger ($19.80).
They have a separate dinner menu from 6pm onwards.

To be honest, most people visit Curious Palette to try out their highly raved about Ricotta Hotcakes ($14.90) that come in either Berry, Peach & Raisin, or Bacon flavour. Verdict? Very yummy and portion is huge! Also looks exactly like what you see on Instagram.

Riding on the salted egg hype, Curious Palette also recently launched a new side dish- Salted Egg Wings ($12.90). I thought that it was actually pretty well done, so salted egg fans can give it a try!

Address: 64 Prinsep Street, 188667
Phone: 6238 1068
Open Daily: 9am-10pm, Sat: 9am-12am (Closed on Tuesdays)

3. HOSHINO COFFEE

Lobster Bisque Spaghetti ($16), Hoshino Pot-Baked Curry Rice ($15)

Originating from Japan, Hoshino Coffee serves Japanese-Western fusion food in a cafe-restaurant setting. Being one of the most popular eating places at Plaza Singapura (one of my fave places as well), long queues are a common sight especially during meal times. On a typical Friday evening, expect to wait up to half an hour just to get into the restaurant!

The food and dessert at Hoshino are indeed good and value-for-money. Popular must-try mains include the Lobster Bisque Spaghetti ($16) and Hoshino Pot-Baked Curry Rice ($15). Best selling desserts include their Pancake Souffle ($9.80), Pot-Baked Vanilla/Matcha Souffle ($10.80), and French Toast ($10.80).

Of course, not to forget their signature Hoshino hand-dripped coffee!

The place is really cosy with many cushioned booths and it's also conveniently located at level 2 of the new wing of Plaza Sing. A great place to hang and chill with friends!

Address: 68 Orchard Rd, #03-84, Plaza Singapura, 238839

Phone: 6338 3277

Open Mon-Fri: 1130am-930pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-930pm

4. I'M KIM KOREAN BBQ

I'm KIM Korean BBQ is located at School Of The Arts (SOTA) right next to The Cathay building. In recent years, quite a number of eateries and restaurants have been opening at the school to cater to the public. The most prominent one is still I'm KIM Korean BBQ, not just because of their huge signboard, but also the crowd and queues especially on weekends.

The restaurant adopts a buffet bar concept, allowing you to select from a range of BBQ meat, cooked food such as pajjeon and japchae, as well as Korean soju and beer.

The standard of the food is pretty decent I must say, and the buffets are very reasonably priced! Ambience is also good, making it a popular hang out dinner-place for friends and family.

Buffet Lunch:

Mon-Fri: $14++ (Adult); $9++ (Kid)

Sat, Sun & PH: $24++ (Adult); $18++ (Kid)

Buffet Dinner:

Mon-Fri: $22++ (Adult); $18++ (Kid)

Sat, Sun, Eves & PH: $24++ (Adult); $18++ (Kid)

Address: 1 Zubir Said Drive, School of The Arts,01-04/05/06/07, 227968

Phone: 6238 7218

Open Daily: 1130am-330pm, 530-1030pm

5. MONTANA CAFE

Red Velvet Waffle ($14.50)

Montana Cafe, located at level 2 of POMO along Selegie Road, is hands down the best waffle place around the Dhoby Ghaut area. Hands Down.

Previously better known as Montana Brew Bar, the rebranded Montana now serves an even wider range of cafe food with burger, waffle, and coffee specialities.

I was most impressed with their waffle menu, with the likes of their Signature Mac & Cheese Waffle ($13.80) as well as Red Velvet Waffle ($14.50). Visit Montana once and you'll def be back for more!

Read my full review on Montana here.

Address: 1 Selegie Road, #02-25 POMO, 188306

Phone: 6334 3137

Open Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm

Fri: 11am-11pm

Sat: 9am-11pm

Sun: 9am-930pm

6. PARKLANE ZHA YUN TUN MEE HOUSE

Fried Yun Tun Noodle ($4)

Parklane Zha Yun Tun Mee House is actually located at Sunshine Plaza and they serve really good and cheap wanton mee! It's a pity not many people know of this place unless you work or study around the area.

What makes the dish really good (other than the price) is the extremely crispy wanton and large portion. The sweet mayo dip and chilli makes it even tastier. Double thumbs ups!

Address: 91 Bencoolen Street, 189652

Phone: 6835 9212

Open Daily: 930am-9pm

7. RAYZ BISTRO

Salted Egg Ice Cream

You might not have noticed but another new restaurant has popped up along Selegie Road last year!
Rayz Bistro is a Halal Restaurant that serves Western food as well as a whole range of very unique desserts. The whole atmosphere of the place is pretty atas-y, when you take a look at their prices it'll probably make sense as well.
Dishes include Fish and Chips ($15), Chilli Crab Pasta ($26), and Rib Eye Steak ($35).

I first noticed the place because it's located right opposite the popular Rochor Beancurd dessert place where most of us frequent.
Rayz has a really prominent dessert counter facing the road displaying their ice ream and cakes. On my first visit to Rayz, I got to try their Cake In A Cup ($5.90) as well as Gelato Ice Cream (single scoop $3, double scoop $4.80, triple scoop $6.50). They recently launched a new flavour: Salted Egg Ice Cream!!

To be honest, the food's pretty pricey and I haven't really heard many good reviews about it, BUT their Gelato Ice Cream here is really good! A quality 8/10 at least and a must-try ice cream place around the area. I was surprised at the quality as the price per scoop here is considerably cheap.
Their new salted egg flavour was also really interesting because it tasted a little savoury yet a little sweet, throwing you into a mini confusion whether you're appreciating the taste. You could be adventurous and just give it a try!

Address: 100 Selegie Road, 188308
Phone: 6352 6651
Open Sunday-Thurs: 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-12am (Closed on Mondays)

8. ROCHOR BEANCURD HOUSE

Hot/Cold Beancurd ($1.50)

Rochor Beancurd- Best Tauhuay in Singapore? That's debatable, but it'll always be my number 1 Tauhauy supper place! Thank God for the multiple outlets available around the island, with others located along Upp Thomson Road, Balestier, and Geylang.

With most malls and cafes closing before midnight, Rochor Beancurd opens till 1am on most days and I'm glad to say that the standard of their snacks and drinks have been maintained over the years! One thing that hasn't changed as well is the weekend crowd, especially at night. Almost impossible to get a table.

Still, really thankful we have such good and cheap options here in Singapore.

Address: 2 Short St, 188211
Phone: 6334 1138
Open: Mon-Thurs: 11am-1am
Friday: 11am-3am
Saturday: 12pm-3am
Sunday: 12pm-1am

9. SING HO HAINAN CHICKEN RICE

Chicken Rice ($3.50)

I don't know anyone who doesn't love Chicken Rice. Day or night, rain or shine, feeling rich or poor, chicken rice always makes your day.

The chicken rice at Sing Ho is both cheap and good: The chicken is soft and tender, very tasty with the dark sauce. Personally tried better chicken rice like the one at Yishun (Bias heh) but hey I think $3.50 for a plate of chicken rice here is considered reasonable. Half a chicken would cost you $14.50 while you can get a set meal at only $6.80.

Personally, I find the $3.50 portion small (again it's just my opinion, I'm a big eater) so you will probably want to upsize it if you're a guy.

The coffee shop is located at the corner of middle road (facing KAPLAN) just a few units away from Rochor Beancurd. It's often crowded during meal times and the place isn't air conditioned so you wouldn't want to stay in there for too long.

Address: 270 Middle Road, 188993

Phone: 6336 7579

Open Daily: 11am-11pm

10. THAI GOLD FOOD

Pineapple Rice ($6)

Don't let the run-down interior of the restaurant fool you! Located at Sunshine Plaza along Bencoolen Street, Thai Gold Food serves really authentic Thai food at extremely affordable prices! Most of the dishes such as their Pad Thai and Pineapple Rice come in sizes (small, medium, large). I remember when I first visited the restaurant years ago, I assumed that the portions were proportionate to the prices and ordered a Medium-sized dish (supposed to be a sharing portion). Was really shocked when the food arrived because a Small would have sufficed.

Love the place because their portions are so generous and the food never disappoints.

Downside is that the service and ambience of the place is pretty bad. Tables are really close to each other and place can get stuffy at times.

Well, you'll probably forget all that once you dig into the food!

Address: 91 Bencoolen Street, #01-14/22, Sunshine Plaza, 189652

Phone: 6883 1575

Open Daily: 1130am-330pm, 5-1015pm

Isn't it amazing how we can have such a variety of good food all in one vicinity! Only in Singapore!
Have a great food tour around Dhoby Ghaut for now as I continue to update you on good food places to eat around the island! Stay tuned!

Cheers

Gabs

Ang Mo Kio

TAKAGI RAMEN SHOP: AFFORDABLE RAMEN WITH A LOCAL TASTE!

Saturday, February 04, 2017

These days, it's getting increasingly difficult to find good and affordable food with inflation sky-rocketing by the year. I recently made a wonderful discovery and it's something I definitely have to share with you guys!

~RAMEN for UNDER 10 BUCKS?? What? You've got to be kidding me!

Yes that's right, you can get Ramen for under 10 bucks in Singapore at none other than Takagi Ramen Shop (TRS). The Ramen here might not be of authentic Jap Restaurant standard but it's so value for money that it deserves a feature! I mean, at only $5.90 for a standard bowl of ramen, I'd say it's definitely worth every single buck!

Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 outlet

Takagi Ramen Shop (TRS) was opened by the editors of the local sociopolitical website The Real Singapore (also TRS) about 2 years ago with outlets at NUS Prince George Park as well as Ang Mo Kio avenue 8. The outlet at Ang Mo Kio ave 8 can be found within the Broadway coffee shop (right at the far corner) at block 721.

Takagi Ramen Shop is strategically located within a coffee shop, living up to its tagline "Ramen for the average Singaporean" and aspires to "bring authentic and quality ramen to local food courts". We are so used to the typical $15-$20 often overrated ramen in various Jap restaurants around town, so this "coffee shop ramen" would be really refreshing (and affordable) for a change!

The Menu. All Ramen under $10! And a pretty decent range to choose from.

//TAKAGI RAMEN// $5.90

Traditional Tonkotsu Pork Broth Noodle Soup

//CHASHU-MEN// $7.50

Tonkotsu Noodle Soup with Extra Chashu

These ramen dishes contain the usual Tonkotsu Pork Broth, with one having slightly more chashu than the other.

Overall, I felt that the ramen tasted pretty decent. The broth wasn't as thick and flavourful as usual and the chashu didn't melt in my mouth like how I'd like it to. The ramen here also didn't come with the usual soft-boil egg in the soup and you have to add it on for another $1.

Not very authentic (tasted like a Chinese dish) but I'd say it's still worth it considering the price you're paying!

//BLACK TONKOTSU// $6.90

Tonkotsu Noodle Soup topped with Charred Garlic Oil, served with Black Fungus and Bamboo Shoots

The Black Tonkotsu was considerably tastier than the ones without the additional charred garlic oil. Portions were generous, although I still feel that the broth was not as thick as the ones you get at the restaurants. I'd say they've kinda modified the taste of the ramen here to suit the local taste- coffee shop style.

//GYOZA// $3.50

Served steamed or deep-fried

No Jap meal is complete without a plate of Gyoza! At first glance, I thought that the gyoza looked pretty... pathetic. But after trying it, it wasn't that bad after all! Crispy on the outside with a decent amount of filing (although more would have been better). At only $3.50 this was rather reasonable!

My conclusion is that if you're really particular about authentic ramen, then you probably won't enjoy Takagi Ramen. You'll have to head back to that all familiar $15-$20 restaurant ramen.

Takagi Ramen is indeed your everyday coffee shop food with regular coffee shop standard and pricing. The food wasn't amazing but hey you're paying $5-7 bucks for ramen so whaddaya expect!

Why should you give Takagi Ramen a try then?

Well, it's convenient food, the service was surprisingly excellent (the Uncle spent awhile explaining to me how the ramen was done and how the stall started without me asking), the ramen is decent, and most importantly, it's affordable!

So when you're craving ramen and on a tight budget, you know where to head to!

Takagi Ramen Shop (TRS)

Address: 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, 560721

Nearest Mrt Station: Ang Mo Kio (5 min walk)

Phone: 9138 8017

Open Daily: 11am-10pm

Cheers!

Gabs

Choux Puff

[PICK OF THE WEEK] KOKI TAMAGOYAKI (FEAT. SHUU CREAM PUFFS)

Thursday, January 19, 2017

KOKI Tamagoyaki is a new Tamagoyaki stall that has opened at the basement of Raffles City just last November.

While they specialise primarily in Tamagoyaki and feature a wide menu of Tamagoyaki snacks, their Shuu choux puffs have also garnered much attention ever since KOKI's highly anticipated opening.

Tamagoyaki is essentially a Japanese omelette made by rolling several layers of cooked egg together. It has a very soft texture and pleasantly sweet taste, most commonly consumed together with rice as Tamago Sushi.

Over here at KOKI Tamagoyaki, you get to enjoy the goodness of the Tamagoyaki together with a wide variety of of toppings, ranging from Flame-Grilled Unagi ($10.50), Braised Japanese Cha Shu ($9.90), Tonkatsu ($9.20), Charred Teriyaki Chicken ($9.40), Tempura Ebi ($8.70), to Tobiko ($10.70).

Each portion comes with 6 Tamagoyaki rolls.

KOKI also serves Signature Bentos that come with your choice of meat as well as Tamago toppings.

//BRAISED JAPANESE CHA SHU (PORK BELLY) BENTO// $10.50

All the Bentos come with seasoned Japanese mushroom rice that I found extremely tasty, as well as their signature Tamagoyaki. The Tamagoyaki was truly of melt-in-your-mouth quality and I would surely come back again just to take-away the Tamagoyaki alone!

It would be great if they could be more generous with the Tamagoyaki portion in the bentos though.

Food at KOKI are all served in take-away boxes because they do not have a dine-in area.

//CHARRED TERIYAKI CHICKEN BENTO// $10

The meat at KOKI is generally decent, I'd suggest you simply order their Tamagoyaki-based dishes instead of bentos for a fuller appreciation of their Tamagoyaki!

Besides Tmagoyaki dishes, KOKI has also become popular for their Shuu choux puffs. The dessert puffs come in 4 unique flavours: Vanilla, Matcha, Black Sesame, and Coffee.

All are priced at $4.30/puff

Promotion: $12 for 3 puffs

//MATCHA SHUU PUFF// $4.30

Daily baked Shuu with a crisp croquant top, filled with fragrant, smooth and rich matcha custard.

Firstly, I've to say that the puffs are HUGE! I was really surprised at how heavy the puff felt when I collected it. A little pricer than usual, but it's definitely a sharing portion so don't expect to be able to finish one by yourself! The pastry was perfectly crisp and fragrant indeed, with an INTENSE (is an understatement) amount of custard overflowing with every bite. Personally a little overkill for me but overall the quality of the custard was superb!

Rating: 7.8/10

Will I come back for more? Yes! Definitely! Their Tamagoyaki as well as Choux puffs are one of the best I've tried so far, and totally go hand-in-hand for a perfect lunch+dessert combi!

I foresee them continuing to gain much popularity among the foodies in the many months to come!

KOKI Tamagoyaki

Address: Raffles City Shopping Centre #B1-54, 252 North Bridge Road, 179103

*No Dine-In area

Nearest Mrt Station: City Hall

Open Daily: 10am-10pm

Website: https://www.kokitamagoyaki.com

Cheers!

Gabs

Japanese Food

[PICK OF THE WEEK] TEPPEI SYOKUDO's D-I-Y KAISENDON

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

If you love sashimi, then this recommendation is for you!

Earlier this year, Teppei Syokudo opened a brand new outlet at Ion Orchard (B4) and is extremely popular for their DIY Kaisendon! If you're a fan of Donburi or Chirashi-don, then you're gonna love the Kaisendon at Teppei Syokudo cause it's really affordable and delicious!!!

I stumbled upon the restaurant a couple of weeks ago (I know, I'm slow) while hanging out at Ion and this has become my most recent go-to place for my Kaisendon fix!

Located at Ion Basement 4

What exactly is Kaisendon? Well, to put it simply, it's a sashimi rice bowl with various added toppings and sauces. What's extremely unique about the Kaisendon at Teppei Syokudo is that they allow you to DIY your own Kaisendon! How cool is that!

The regular Kaisendons are priced at $16 and you have the option of choosing between rice or salad. If you prefer to create your own Kaisendon, simply fill up an order sheet and follow 5 simple steps.

You can also choose from a range of Sashimi (Step 4) as well as special premium add-ons such as Unagi or Mentaiko (Step 5).

Simple 5-Step Order Sheet

Regular Kaisendon

Regular Kaisendons come with a mix of Sashimi including Salmon, Tuna, Baby Scallop, Salmon Row, as well as Wasabi. To be honest, they really serve quality sashimi here and they'll be sure to satisfy your cravings. I especially loved the Baby Scallop!

Portion is fairly generous but might not be enough for a full meal (especially if you're a guy haha, just my personal opinion). However, I must still say that the amount of sashimi given for the price you're paying is really good as compared to many other places (where they give you pathetic amounts of sashimi).

I really enjoyed the rice bowl and it's become one of my fave eating spots for some quick and simple jap food when in town. On the occasions I was there, service was really efficient and the restaurant was surprisingly not too crowded since it's a really small unit. Well, the downside is that the ambience isn't that fantastic since it's a really small place and they serve the dons in disposable bowls.

Sashimi galore

Generous with Sashimi

Other food to order

Besides their popular Kaisendon, Teppei Syokudo also serves other dishes such as Curry Rice bowls and Bento/Don meals. Their Katsus displayed at the counter looked really good so I reckon you should give it a try as well!

Overall, Teppei Syokudo serves really good Kaisendon and what makes them extra unique is that they also allow you to create, mix and match your own bowl! If you need to satisfy your Sashimi cravings, do head over to Teppei Syokudo, they have quite a number of outlets in town with the others located at Ngee Ann City (Takashimaya), Republic Plaza, and Millenia Walk.

Go get that bowl of goodness!

Teppei Syokudo (Ion)

Address: 2 Orchard Turn, #B4-57 ION Orchard, 238801

Nearest Mrt Station: Orchard

Phone: 6509 9882

Open Daily: 10am-10pm

Food Rating: 8/10

Website: https://www.facebook.com/teppeigroup/

Cheers!

Gabs

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MOOD FOR FOOD

[FOOD TOUR] AFFORDABLE PLACES TO EAT AROUND DHOBY GHAUT & BENCOOLEN STREET

TAKAGI RAMEN SHOP: AFFORDABLE RAMEN WITH A LOCAL TASTE!

[PICK OF THE WEEK] KOKI TAMAGOYAKI (FEAT. SHUU CREAM PUFFS)

[PICK OF THE WEEK] TEPPEI SYOKUDO's D-I-Y KAISENDON

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