SHINJI BY KANESAKA @ RAFFLES HOTEL - "FAV JAPANESE SUSHI OMAKAZE" - Year 2010 - 2011 - 2012

From their MENU - Here's a QUOTE By CHEF KANESAKA - "I Want To Create Sushi That Is Well Balanced,Like The Chinese Character For "One". The Start Of The Stroke,The Whip Of The Brush,The End Of The Stroke - All Must Be Well Balanced

Happy that i had the good opportunity to enjoy the Tasting Experience @ SHINJI - which is a well known for their "2 Michelin Star Chef from Tokyo for their Edomae-style SUSHI" & of course on their Website - "SHINJI only source for the Freshest & The Best Seafood & Fish from TSUKIJI Market,JAPAN !!! ;-)

So happy that I have already enjoyed both their Set OMAKAZE SET MENU - TSUKI @ $125 per pax ( Lunch ) and - OMAKAZE WA : $300 per pax - ( Dinner ) ;-)

SPECIAL NOTE - Please make sure that "before you plan to enjoy SHINJI - you must have the good appetite and also time !!! Of course there are MENU that will suit your needs - Just refer to their Website below !!! ;-)

On the Main Dining Room DECOR - the Interior Design was specially designed by using solid Hinoki ( Cypress Wood ) used for the Sushi Counter with the traditional wallpaper,wood shelves,ceiling with the bright lighting  ( actually i felt it's liked a Mini Theatre where there are 3 Japanese Chefs doing their performances with their Long & Short Knives for Sashimi and then their Hand Movements for Sushi ! And with everyone watching and enjoying from all around ! ;-)

And there are also 3 Private VIP Rooms ( including one with a Chef serving ! ) And earlier there were 2 VIP Rooms booked and the Main Dining Room almost filled ! And on last friday nite,it was fully booked ! So there's a definite loyal SHINJI Fans & also those that really appreciate Premium Quality Sushi !!! ;-)

My Happy Sushi Master Chef - Soda-San At Work !

Here A Selection From The OMAKASE WA Set Dinner Menu :

Namaikura ( Salmon Roe )

Kanpachi ( Yellowtail )

Saba ( Mackeral )

Shiako ( Mantis Shrimp )

Ootoro ( Fatty Tuna )

Kuruma Ebi ( Tiger Prawn )

Uni ( Sea Urchin ) Sushi

Anago ( Grilled Sea Eel )

Tekka & Kappa Maki ( Tuna & Cucumber Roll )
And Tamago ( Egg )

Air Flown Japanese Melon

Looking Forward To Future Re-Visits Soon !!!

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
AnDreW ;-)

ADDRESS : RAFFLES HOTEL #02-201 - Beach Road Singapore 189673
CONTACT : +65 6338 6131
WEBSITE : http://www.shinjibykanesaka.com/

MY HUMBLE HOUSE @ The Esplanade By My Famous Host - Dr.Andrew Tjioe - 19/11/10

After a hectic day at work i was only looking forward to the Main Event - Dinner hosted by Dr.Andrew Tjioe @ one of his TUNG LOK's showpiece artistic Chinese Restaurants and it was really "The Art Of Dining" beyond the realm of the exceptional ! ( http://www.myhumblehouse.com.sg/ )

Of course my good host was also stylishly Designer dressed last night at the cosy Bar area welcoming all his well known and beautiful guests with his Fine Wine with very creative and delicious Dim Sum Bites liked Beef Spring Roll,Fried Dim Sum ala Tempura style ! It was relaxing and comfortable with the interesting conversation flowing especially with another Famous VIP - Mr.Dennis Foo - CEO of St James Power Station there ! And very soon his International Celebrity Chef - Susur Lee - CHINOIS arrived....( http://www.tunglok.com/ ) The TGIF High was definitely building up !!! ;-)

And our grand dinner table was longest one with the most scenic view of both MBS and Raffles Place.And it was decorated impressively for this special occasion with petals of Red Roses and liked with both Wine & Champagne Glasses that which the friendly attentive crew was pouring specially selected Red Wines and Champagne by our good host ! Btw we also had a choice of both Sparkling and Mineral Water.And also later Cuppercino,Latte or Coffee.Almost every detail was managed to almost perfection !!!

Enjoy the Beautiful Dinner Menu created by Dr.Andrew Tjioe and his Team Of Chefs !

Cheers !!!
Andrew Ko ;-)

Flight Of Fantasy
Double-boiled Black Date in Chicken Consomme

Sensuous Comfort
Slow-cooked Wagyu Beef with
Wild Mushroom Sauce

Life Is Good
Poached Marble Goby served
In Light Pumpkin Broth

Life Is Good
Braised Mee Sua
topped with Alaskan Crab Roe

Perfect Ending
My Humble House's Dessert

It's "Kinokawa-Gaki ( PERSIMMON ) Season From Wakayama,Japan !!!

Thanks again to my Fav Sales Lady @ Supermart Isetan Scotts who introduced me to the latest "Air Flown Fruit - KINOKAWA GAKI ( PERSIMMON )  from the small city of Wakayama Perfecture ( about a hour south of Osaka ) - whose production is No.1 in Japan ! ( Read that the Japanese called it their national fruit ! ) And the Best Way to Enjoy this Healthy Fruit is By Eating It Fresh !

Persimmon is a deep orange waxy fruit which is similar to tomato in shape ( But the above size is larger than most i have tasted before and the taste of the flesh is very sweet and nice fibrous texture with unique dark color ! See the Photos below ! )

Here are some Health Benefits of Persimmon :

- Chinese Remedy For Hiccups
- Persimmon Cakes is also used as a traditional remedy for Diarrhea,Hemorrhoids,Lung Infection and Asthma
- Can prevent Cancer because it's high in Vitamin A

And here are some Buying Tips :

- Look for the ones with the deep red color,plump and without blemishes
- Avoid the ones that are hard if you plan to eat it immediately as the unripe ones may have a bitter taste
- Ripe ones can be frozen with no loss of taste

Heard that this was the first time that the above is being introduced and if it's popular,then we will be able to enjoy the above every year !!!

Enjoy Enjoy !!!
Andrew Ko ;-)

 

"SUN with MOON @ Wheelock Place" - Trunch - Year 2010

Had a really "hearty breakfast" at about 1030am,then decided on a late lunch that "became a Trunch ( Lunch with Tea )"....So being a Public Holiday almost every Eats @ ION had long queues especially most of my Fav Eats...and i reminded myself that i should not go to my Current Fav Eats - CANTON-I again since i was there few times already ! ( Which I will feature soon here in my Food Blog ! ) So i was actually "letting my feet lead me to a place that had no queue and cosy,relaxing & comfortable"...and recalled the above...which i can't recalled when was the last time i ate at here or at Chijmes.When the above was newly opened,there were always long queues...but guessed after ION opened,their business must have been affected by others liked - my Fav Eats - Itacho Sushi ( i saw earlier there were at least 12 - 15 customers in the queue at the entrance )

Was told that the at almost 330pm,they are only serving a Set Lunch Menu & I finally decided on their - 2801 - "Pork Katsu Curry Set" ( S$16.80 ) - which turned out to be "both delicious and value for $$$ because if you take a look at the photo :

- Bowl of Japanese Beef Stew style Curry - With Carrots,Patotoes & Beef Cubes
- Bowl of Green Salad
- Bowl of Marinated Salmon With Mushroom
- Bowl of Miso Soup
- Plate of Rice With Pork Cutlet

Plus both Green Tea and Matcha Ice Cream.

And of course the attentive service of the young Crew and a nice view of a rainy dreamy afternoon !

Happy with my decision to have my Trunch here as it was enjoyable meal and looking forward to be back soon for their Ala Carte Menu which will be more interesting !!!

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
Andrew Ko ;-)

ps - there's some renovation at the entrance ( guessed with the competition,the boss decided to upgrade to compete,so the only "winners" are You and Me !!! ;-) )

"BEDROCK BAR & GRILL" @ Pan Pacific Serviced Suites 96 Somerset Road,Singapore

Enjoyed the Woody Decor & Music,quality of the Food & Cooking and also i am impressed with their Excellent Service ( Professional & Personalised ) I have been there every week this month for lunches with both my good buddies - J Lee ( One of his favourites too ! ) and L F Foo ( He was so impressed that he thanked me for the introduction and he will definitely be back soon ! And he especially luv both the Oysters and Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup very much ! ) ! Totally "hooked on both their Freshly Baked Bread and really fresh Irish Oysters" !!! Was told that it delivered every Monday ! ( Personally i prefer to have it with the natural taste without any special sauce or lemon on it ! ) And since it's lunch i much prefer to order their "Catch Of The Day" - 3/11 - "Whole Baked Artic Char" ( Probably one of the Best Fish that i have enjoyed for a long time ! ) and 10/11 - "Whole Baked Red Snapper" ( Was cooked well but the taste was not comparable to Artic Char ! )

Both my good buddies and myself enjoyed our recent meals so much that we have decided to return for their "signature - Tomahawk Steak" soon !!!

Personally i have share with Elly ( Bedrock ) that my Wish List - "Have more choices for both Soups and Desserts ( Eaten their Waffles Ice Cream Fig & Honey ) Sandwich twice already ! )

Will look forward to more interesting Menus in the future !!!

And it's definitely a nice comfortable place to enjoy a good meal & conversations with your good friends,clients and family !

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
Andrew Ko ;-)

Reservation Contact : Tel : +65 6238 0054

Liked The Woody Decor And Lighting !

Freshly Baked Bread With Butter And Garlic With Olive Oil

Fresh Irish Oyters With Red Wine-Shallot Mignonette,
Lemon ( Market Price )
( Our "Must Order" Starters For Both 3/11 and 10/11/10 )

Panko Caeser - Baby Cos,Panko Egg,Bacon,White
Anchovies - S$15.00
( Lunch With LF Foo - 10/11/10 )

CARPACCIO - Thinly Sliced US Beef Tenderloin
( Main Course Portion - 3/11/10 )

Catch Of The Day
Whole Baked Artic Char - $49.00
( Lunch On 3/11/10 )

Catch Of The Day
- Whole Baked Red Snapper - S$49.00
( Lunch With LF Foo On 10/11/10 )

Waffles Ice Cream Sandwich - S$10.00
( Lunch On 10/11/10 )

Single Scoop Of Honey & Fig Ice Cream
( Lunch On 3/11/10 )

Caffe Latte

XING HUA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT - 276 Race Course Road,Singapore - "Fav Fried MEE SUA"

Sometimes when i am driving nearby and i am hungry it's this well known - Mee Sua cooked in Heng Hwa style with all the ingredients imported from PUTIAN ( Coastal City In Fujian Province,China ) liked :

- Must Try - Mee Sua ( rice vermicelli )
- Crispy Seaweed
- Must Try - Lala ( Clams )

- Small Prawns
- Toasted Peanuts

It's cooked in rick stock made by simmering chicken and pork bones for hours.And also together with Pork Slivers added,it really taste delicious !!!

Other "Best Sellers" include :

- Heng Hwa Mee Sua ( Soup ) and below :

- Fried Bee Hoon
- Deep Fried Batang ( Spanish Mackerel )
- Lala ( Clams ) - ( Sometimes There Are Interesting Types Available ! )

And i read that another Winner is their "Crab Tang Hoon" !!! That I must try very soon !!!

The above located in a Coffee Shop have been around for a long time ! And their business have been so good the boss Mr.LI have opened another one at Syed Alwi Road.

If you have not been to the above,please try it and share your comments !

Enjoy !!!
Andrew Ko ;-)

Latest FRUIT From JAPAN - "KOCHI'S Specialty Autumn Fruit - PEAR NIITAKA" - From Isetan Scotts,Singapore

Few months ago i tasted and posted - "FUJIMINORI GRAPE" ( it was the most wonderful fruit that i have ever enjoyed for the longest time and till now whenever i think about the taste,it's just unforgettable because it had this sweet wine taste ! And when i wanted to buy more,due to the small delivery,it was already sold out ! )

Many thanks to this nice sales lady working there for her excellent recommendation ! So this morning i saw her again.And she recommended me to the above.And she told that it's the first time they are promoting and she have tasted it herself.And the above fruit also have that "sweet wine taste" ! Immediately i requested her to help me select the best one ( liked she was buying it for herself ! )

Just think of it that "we are fortunate to be able to enjoy all these wonderful Fruits from Japan available here in our Supermarkets.It saves us the time & monies to flying to the Land Of The Rising Sun ! And also if you order any of this exotic fruits in any of the high end Japanese resturants liked Shirashi @ Ritz Carlton,Singapore,you will be paying much more to enjoy it !!!"

Here's some Info about KOCHI's Tasty Fruit - "PEAR NIITAKA"

1.Outdoor grown,harvested in September and October
2.It's features : In the summer,it blows warm breeze from the Pacific Ocean in the daytime and cool breeze from the river at night... Kochi's such climate is ideal for the Pear Niitaka to grow. Pear trees keep growing steadily for 50 years to produce big fruits ( usually 700 - 1000 grams each ) with an excellent aroma and taste.

Again Only A Small Nos Left - While Stocks Last !!!

Huge Size !

Beautiful Color !

Personally After Tasting The Sweetness,It's Worth It !

My Personal Taste : "Wonderfully sweet and with a tinge of Wine Taste at first but then awhile later my face felt liked i am sipping Wine !...Soft Crunchy Texture and Best Eaten when It's Chilled !!!...Another Unforgettable and Delicious Fruit From Japan ! And many thanks to that Sales Lady from Isetan Scotts !"

After reading the above and if you are really keen to try it,it's best that you try to buy it soonest possible because that it's only a small shipment again from Japan !

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
Andrew Ko ;-)

"PULLMAN BAKERY" @ Millenia Walk,Singapore - Introduction - Year 2010

In the past & also the Current Trend is still Japanese Eats : recently some upmarket & Famous & Well Established Eateries from JAPAN liked Hide Yamamoto & also Casual Japanese Eats liked - my Favs - both Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin and Yakiniku Yazawa...and the latest is the above from HOKKAIDO & their Most Popular - Salted Caramel Croissant and their signature Curry Buns ( which i understand was very popular when they set up a stall at ISETAN Hokkaido Food Fair - "sold more than 2000 pcs daily !"..."It's filled with fragrant Japanese Curry and Danshaku potatoes that are sweet and soft !" )

Their MD - Itaru Tachihara was interviewed by another TASTE,theSundayTimes writer - Huang Lijie and he was very happy with the response at the Food Fair and it gave him confidence to set up shop here ! And another reason was after being a consultant for a major bakery chain here,it gave him the know how of the type and quality of ingredients available here.And he have tested it and believed that it's possible to create breads similar to their standards in Japan.Their bakery in Japan was started by his parents in 1978.And their name - PULLMAN is from the Sandwich Loaf and refers to their desire to "pull people together: with their products ! Their bakery became famous after his father won a baking contest in 1995.
Both his father who will visit the store here from time to time to check on the standards and he will be stationed here permanently & will be baking in the kitchen & supervising the local bakers.And he aimed to open another store in Orchard in the next two years !



Their range of confections will be as extensive as their bakery in Japan - from Japanese sweet buns to European breads to Danish pastries and sandwiches.Their Price from : S$1.20 a Bun to S$10.00 for a loaf of bread.

Their location : #01-97/98 Millenia Walk ( Opposite Suntec Tower Four )

Stay tuned for my 1st Visit & Photos there !

Cheers !!!
Andrew ;-)

PS - Let's check them out soon and if you Liked,then sign up their Facebook Page - PULLMAN BAKERY ! ;-)

Enjoyed Very Much - "today's thesundaytimes / Taste - CHOC BUN ON A ROLL By Eunice Quek"

"WASSANT - Ready To Be Sold Out @ PROVENCE"

Note: Provence Business Opens At 10am Only !

CHOCOLATE CROISSANT From JONES THE GROCER

Many thanks to Eunice's above article today,i truly enjoyed reading it and i now know more about what's a WASSANT ( it's a Chocolate Flavoured Croissant Bun ) because the recent weeks i have been buying this from PROVENCE @ ION Orchard B4-07/08 because i really enjoy bread thick texture and light Chocolate taste ! They also have KAYA Wassant too ! They really "sell liked Hot Buns !!!" ( See Photos Above - Stacked Up On Top ! ) And it was Provence that started promoting this in 2006 and then other followed. ( http://www.provence.com.sg/ )

And it's good to know from her that "there are another three other Bakeries selling this but in different names"

- CHOCO SOFT - by Sain Leaven ( Four Leaves http://www.fourleaves.com.sg/ ) @ Takashimaya B2
- ZEBRA MINI CROISSANT - by Sun Moulin @ Isetan Scotts B1
- MARBLE CHOCOLATE - by BreadTalk http://www.breadtalk.com.sg/

So far i have only tried WASSANT and very soon i will be tasting the others to make a comparison to check if I agreed with The Sunday Times Food Writer Wong Ah Yoke's taste test comments in the above article !
Stay tuned and also please share your comments too !

Enjoy !!!
Andrew ;-)

PS - In case any of you are looking for the No.1 Fav - French Chocolate Croissant - ( I was introduced to this by my good friend - KIE to this ) then it'll be JONES THE GROCER because most of the time it's sold out !!! ( See Photo Above )

COVA PASTICCERIA @ Paragon Singapore - "Fav Italian Cafe" - YEAR 2010

Discovered COVA several years ago in PACIFIC PLACE,Hong Kong ! And i was immediately "addicted" to their wide selection of Bread,Cold & Warm Sandwiches,Cakes ( especially I luv their TIRAMISU ! ) ,Special Blend of Coffee and Pastries ! So for me, it was a "Must Have Cuppa Of Caffe Latte" whenever i was near any COVA outlets in Hong Kong ! Sometimes I will be at their COVA @ Pacific Place ( where all the beautiful people including actress & starlets were...) There were also several interesting unforgettable "happenings" for me there !!! ;-)

And then a few years ago i was really happy when I heard that our SGX Listed - WING TAI managed to sign up a JV with this famous brand COVA that dates back to 1817 & it was founded in MILAN by Antonio Cova ! Of course my personal thoughts - "even with their elegant settings with warm wood furnishings,the "FEEL" will not be the same vs Cova @ Pacific Place"...... but who knows...after maybe with more visits here,my feelings may change especially with the X'MAS coming soon !!!

But their location in PARAGON is also a very good location for those high end shoppers and also that those who have no time to fly to Hong Kong to get their "COVA Fix !!!" ;-)

On my 1st Visit - I enjoyed my late Breakfast there yesterday and the quality of the food and service was excellent !!!

Will be there again soon !!!

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
AnDreW ;-)

Yummy X'MAS Window Display

Wide Selection Of Cakes - So Tempting To Have More !!!

Cosy & Comfortable ( Lightings Great For Reading ! )

COVA CLUB PANINI - $16.00

TIRAMISU ( Takeaway Portion ) - $7.00

CAFFE LATTE - $8.00

MERRY X'MAS !!!

ADDRESS : #01-20A Paragon Shopping Centre 290 Orchard Centre Singapore
CONTACT : +65 6733 0777