Rivalry & Enmity

For many years, Singapore has been compared to Malaysia. And in recent years, K culture has been facing up to J culture in Asia and many parts of the world. While Malaysia has its Nijyumaru, it is not surprisingly that Singapore has its Mee Doo. Situated at “Little Korea” in Tanjong Pagar belt, Mee Doo can be found along the stretch of shop-houses which houses many other Korean restaurants and even a Korean gift and souvenir shop.

Although its exterior is not as lavish as Nijyumaru, its interior, food and price is definitely evenly match. With local Koreans eating among you and even the service staff - Koreans, once again you are ensured that the Korean food served is definitely authentic.

We were served small dishes of appetisers including Kimchi to kick start off our lunch, typical of Korean culture.

For mains without a doubt, we ordered the all time fav of Ginseng Chicken Soup and Bibimbap - a highly nutritious dish that incorporates a variety of different vegetables and meat atop of rice, and usually dish up along with sweet sauce served in a colourful manner.

We also tried the “non-hot & spicy beancurd stew with shellfish, sliced pork & egg” and the grilled Unagi or eel, a typical Japanese dish.

My final verdict – Japan 1, Korea 1.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 15/20
26 Tanjong Pagar Road

Mindset...

Singaporeans usually associate Johor Bahru with cheap seafood and unique local hawker flavour. However after my brush with Italiannies at Tebrau City, I was convinced that JB has much more to offer than Taman Sentosa selling seafood and hawker stalls at the side of the road. This was reinforce when I was introduced to Nijyumaru – A Japanese restaurant at Jalan Permas.

You will know a Japanese restaurant is good when Japanese go there for the food. Business is so good that you would need to call to reserve a table or you might need to wait for hours to get one. And even if you call to reserve, you are not ensure a table the moment you arrived. Although a tad noisy for my liking, (That’s what you get for having Japanese around and large tables for family) the décor and ambience it created is better than many.

A must if you are there, is to go for the Salmon Belly Sashimi. The way it is served simply adds on to the freshness of the fish. Also the chef is not stingy in the thickness of the fish - definitely one of the best I have eaten. It was that good that I actually ordered 2 servings!!!

If you are not into raw stuff, you can always opt for the grilled cuttlefish which is grilled to perfection. The charred aroma along with sweetness and juiciness of the cuttlefish is simply blissful. Dipped that with Mayonnaise and ebi eggs and you have a winner!!

Also a fav on every table (Yes, I admit I spied on the food that the waitress served) seems to be the BBQ king prawn with cheese. However I find that the cheese on the prawns make the dish too salty for my liking.

The night was rounded up with soba or cold noodles - perfect ending to a wonderful dining experience.

Rating
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Price: 4.5/5
Total: 16.5/20
No. 24, Jln Permas 10/5,
Taman Permas Jaya, 81750 Masai,
Johor, Malaysia

Why can't we have Krispy here?

Why can't we have Krispy Kreme here in Singapore? I mean does the government try to keep it out of the country just because it is advocating Singlish? The owner is obviously a Singapore Ah Beng who can't spell Crispy and Creme properly, but gimme the Krispy Kreme anytime as compared to that Lokin Lonut.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Price: 5/5
Total: 12/15
US, Canada, UK, Australia
and even Korea...

Sometimes its all about Her...

While she celebrated my birthday with Seizan's Sukiyaki, I on the other hand booked a table for 2 at K’s Restaurant on hers at my friend’s recommendation. It is a French/Japanese fusion restaurant tucked at the corner of Northbridge, Perth and I would have to say it was an excellent reference by my friend. K’s restaurant has 3 set of set menu - K's menu, K's Deluxe menu and K's Crayfish menu. There isn't any ala carte menu, which is good sometimes since you do not need to make much decision - only how much you are willing to spend. Since being her special night, we decided to pamper ourselves with the crayfish menu.

We started off with the asparagus soup which was fine but if you looked at the picture closely, you would realise that the interesting part is not about the soup, but more on the chopsticks on a cork cut into half. I thought that was a pretty neat idea. And besides, where else could you find a setting of a pair of chopsticks next to a metal spoon except at K's restaurant.

Next, comes the prawn and jellyfish marinated in some sauce which is unique. However, I was beginning to understand where the French part of the cuisine is showing - the display of the dish itself than anything else.

This was followed by some meat rolled with seaweed - which tastes quite well but I did not quite like the texture though as the meat roll makes it kinda tough.

Of course up next comes the star attraction of the night - the crayfish. With its side topped with cheese. The dish was done to excellent perfection. The side with cheese was baked in nice golden brown while the meat inside was soft and moist.

For the mains, we get to have a choice of either the lamp chops or the beef steak. As I was craving for lamp chops, I opted for it while she took the beef. As she went for the medium, the meat was not as juicy as I would have preferred (I would normally go for medium rare). My lamb was however great except that the portion wasn't exactly filling if not for the mash potato under it.

While it was time for dessert, the Japanese waitress insisted enthusiasticly that we choose the green tea Crème Brûlée. As we were wondering what is so wonderful about it, our first taste of it completely dispel all doubts about her recommendation. What a dessert to round off a wonderful night.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 2.5/5
Total: 15/20
2/ 182 James St,
Northbridge, Perth
Australia

Belated Mother's Day

This Mother’s Day, our family were at Menotti for a truly Italian meal because mum was craving for pasta. It is a fashionable, truly Italian urban lifestyle café, offering an extraordinary selection of traditional Italian food. The interior is fashionable and the use of lighting was great – giving it a classy feel. Although the décor and ambience was great, I felt that the tables were a bit small for my extended family of 7 adults and 1 kid. With its no plain-water policy, some might felt it is a cut throat dining experience. (For your information, one 750ml bottle of panna – or non sparkling water cost you $5.50) The food was okay but we were once again disappointed that they did not serve the Vongole – or clams in white wine & garlic sauce. The best of the a lot was the spaghetti in aglio olio style with prawns and the must try for dessert would be the Soffiato – or the warm dark chocolate cake with ice-cream – almost similar to brownies except that it has the wet chocolate oozing out from the cake.

Rating

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 14.5/20
252 North Bridge Road
#01-17, Raffles City Shopping Center
Singapore 179103

Sometimes its not only about Food

I know of people who will travel distance for food. I remembered when I was younger; my dad will drive us from the west of Singapore all the way to Punggol just for dinner. Similarly, you will hear of people who will travel distance to eat Bedok Bak Chor Mee or to Simpang Bedok to eat prata. However at the same time, you will hear of people who will keep going back to the same place for their meals even though the food is not that fantastic or its ambience that great – and Seizan is one such place for me, however I have to add that I love Seizan’s ambience and décor and its Sukiyaki is simply great. Nevertheless, above the food and ambience, Seizan represents a special place in my heart. It was there that we celebrated our 1^st anniversary, and it was also there that she celebrated my birthday for me. It was one of those place where I enjoy going with her because that is a place where it is not too crowded during the weekends in Perth City, and that is the place where I can give all my attention to her…..after the food of course..haha. So if you are running out of ideas of where to bring your love ones in Perth on a crowded weekend, why not head down to Seizan. Oh!!... and may I add that its Sukiyaki serves for two…simply perfect for couples.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 15.5/20
566 Hay St
Perth City, Perth
Australia

I Miss Cooking...

Some interviews of chefs I had read on the newspaper talked about them not cooking at home. As they have been spending most of their time cooking for others, the last thing that they would want to do is to cook when it is their off days. Yet for wannabe chefs like me, I am always looking forward to whipping up a dish or two whenever the chance arrives. While I was in Perth, the time I looked forward to each day was always dinner time. That was the time I would open the fridge, took a quick look, and scanned for the ingredients to create dishes on whatever that were available. Other times that I looked forward to were potluck gatherings at my friends place, friends’ birthday or visitors at my place – such times were opportunities for me to think of dishes to cook and execute them, hopefully to perfection. Yet, as much as I was enjoying myself there, coming back to Singapore means that my chance of cooking dinner is limited. Working definitely cut down the opportunities, and coming back home also mean that there is mum and dad. So desperate was I to cook that I even offered to cook dinner for my friend’s family when I was over at his place!!! Darn…how I miss cooking…..

Sydney's Best...

I had the opportunity to head up to Sydney during the summer break the year before and compiled a list of Sydney’s best and must eat as a tourist over there. To start off the day, head off to Sydney’s favourite beach – the Bondi Beach. Made famous by the number of topless female sunbathers, where on the stretch of shops, you can also find the dubious local speciality “Fried Mars Bar”. It is simply Mars chocolate bar deep fried with batter and coated with sugar icing. Although it is a bit too sweet for my liking, it is a fav among the Aussies over there. Next stop - lunch at the famous Sydney Seafood Market. Over here, you can find large varieties of seafood including oysters, lobsters, crabs, prawns and sashimi like salmon, tuna and the delicious sea urchin to go along with your usual fare of fish and chips. Tired after a long walk in the city visiting the Opera House? Head along to the rocks and have a pancake at “Pancakes on the Rocks”. With so many types of pancakes to choose from, you are sure to be spoilt for choice. Oh No!!...Hungry in the middle of the night, why not take a drive to the town of Wooloomooloo to enjoy the famous and delicious “Wooloomooloo Pie” from Harry’s, café de wheels, where you get to enjoy hot pie topped with mash potato and green peas.

Ciao Italia....Ciao Perth....

Many friends in Perth told me that when you arrived in Perth, there are a few restaurants you must go, to sample their food – and Ciao Italia is one such place. Their business is so good that it’s a first come first served basis and they simply do not entertain telephone booking. Tucked in the corner of Mill Point Road once you exit Freeway South, it’s rumoured to serve the best tiramisu in town and their pizza is just as great. While I have only been there once to complete my list of “must go” restaurants, the only thing that I truly remember vividly was their service. Their chefs and staffs are friendly and really nice to talk to, something that is always missing in Singapore. Ciao Italia, Ciao Perth....you will always be missed.....

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 17/20
273 Mill Point Rd
South Perth, Perth
Australia

The Bad, Ugly, and the Ridiculous!!

I have always been a fan of Crystal Jade’s Wanton noodle soup and have been to a few of their outlets for meals. However recently, I have noticed that they have sprung out a few outlets focusing on challenging Ding Tai Fung on the “Xiao Long Bao” and “La Mian” market. These vastly furnish outlets are trendy, giving it a modern look, away from the brown boring look of the traditional Crystal Jade. However, the food and service it provided are just as different to the good old Crystal Jade I knew. I was at Crystal Jade La Mian, Xiao Long Bao outlet with my friend– which is next to Burger King (not to confuse with the other Crystal Jade Kitchen down the stretch facing the market) and I was looking forward to it, since it was my first visit there, and definitely my last. We ordered the usual Xiao Long Bao and Braised Beef La Mian and it took quite awhile to arrive, though bearable. The first bite of the Xiao Long Bao was ok though I find the skin too thick for my liking, but the subsequent ones were BAD. As we know, Xiao Long Bao is supposedly to contain hot boiling soup bursting out when you take a bite. But those I ate were dry within and cold on the outside. When the La Mian arrived, we realised that the UGLY La Mian was not exactly what we had ordered. The wrong order that came was Braised Beef La Mian with chilli oil. We requested for a new bowl of La Mian as we were not in the mood for red fiery chilli oil in our noodles. But to our horror, the most RIDICULOUS thing happened, in all my life in the Food and Beverage industry - the bowl of noodles that came was rid of the chilli oil, or so we thought, but at the side of the bowl, it was pretty obvious that the oil was still floating around – the chef has just decided to ladle off the chilli oil from the wrong order and sent it back to us. How impetuous, how dare him!!! My verdict, I would rather pay more for hot steaming Xiao Long Bao and good service at Ding Tai Fung than to cheapen my standards for food. *PUI*

Rating

Food: 1.5/5
Service: 0/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 8/20