Monday 29 September 2014

Katanashi, Boat Quay

I raved about the lunch set at Katanashi previously here. It turns out that Katanashi is also a perfect location for after work dinners. 

We had our first Book Club meeting at Katanashi after work one evening. This is the first time I am part of a formal Book Club. My previous discussions about books were often held impromptu while catching up with friends over dinner. And even so, we often only discussed certain common books that we happened to be reading at the same time. Being in a Book Club is much more structured since we could each take turns to nominate a book to read and then discuss about that particular book. Fun I must say.

First, let me say a big thank you to the fellow Book Club members for the surprise birthday dinner at Katanashi. Thank you for the lovely dinner that night and the thought-provoking discussion on Milan Kundera's The Hitchhiking Game! 

We had the Breaded Fish with Cheese first. It was yummy! Crispy fish cake on the outside and oozy cheese within. 


The Springroll of the day was Tuna with Avocado. This was light and refreshing.


Tuna Carpaccio - thick slices of fresh tuna with spring onions and (what I think was) dashi.


Yummy grilled chicken wings. I love well-grilled chicken wings and this was good.


We ordered two volcanic eruptions (one rice and one mochi)and it was interesting to watch them serve it. They brought the stone bowls to our table, poured the stock into the stone bowls and mixed the rice and mochi in the stock. The stone bowl with rice was delicious! The rice absorbed the stock and was really tasty. The mochi was not really what we expected as it came as bits of mochi swimming in a bowl full of stock. 


Fried Chicken which tasted different from your normal fried chicken. It was surprisingly sweet!


Okonomiyaki was good! It was creamy and sweet with a lot of ingredients within.


Green tea mochi and ice cream and sweet potatoes for dessert. The honey glazed sweet potato was divine! And it says a lot if I am praising sweet potato dishes since I am hardly a fan of sweet potatoes.



Once again, my heart-felt thanks to all of you. It was a splendid night. Looking forward to the next Book Club meeting!

77 Boat Quay
65330490
Mon - Sun: 12:00 - 11:30




Saturday 20 September 2014

The Lokal, Neil Road

I've been to Sarnies previously and was really keen to have brunch at The Lokal as well. I met Stef at City Hall and took bus 197 to Neil Road on a sunny Sunday morning. We crossed the road from the bus stop and walked towards Bukit Pasoh Road. The Lokal is located at the first level of a white shop house along the main road. The Lokal only takes reservations for groups larger than 6 so we were resigned to join the short queue inside the door.



There was a healthy crowd in The Lokal and we had to wait awhile for our table. Eventually we were seated along the kitchen counter in front of Chef Darren Farr.


The brunch and drinks menu at The Lokal.


I chose the Roast Chicken Panini with crispy panchetta, tomato, avocado, and aioli ($15) and a latte ($5.50). Stef chose to pimp her own breakfast which allowed her to choose any item from the breakfast sides. She picked sundried tomatoes ($3), sauteed mushrooms ($4), avocado ($4), and scrambled eggs ($5).

The Roast Chicken Panini was delicious. I love the sweet tomatoes, creamy avocado, savory panchetta, and tender chicken. I have to say I spent a bit of time (and energy) trying to saw through the thick bread with a blunt knife. I know.... I whine. But seriously, you should have seen me working my muscles to get to my delicious Roast Chicken Panini. I was very close to picking it up with my bare hands and chewing happily through it. 


The sundried tomatoes in Stef's breakfast were deliciously sweet! The avocado and sauteed mushrooms were really delicious too!


A good cup of latte to warm my belly.


When we were done with our brunch, we had the Sticky Date Pudding courtesy of Chef Darren Farr. It was perfect. Warm sticky date pudding with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. Absolutely heavenly.


While I was sitting back enjoying my yummy brunch in my counter seat, I watched the kitchen dish out numerous servings of The Breakfast Burger with Pork Belly. Wow yums, imagine having a juicy delicious pork belly for breakfast! I would definitely return for The Breakfast Burger. 

136 Neil Road
64239918
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 9:00 - 16:00

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Boracay, Philippines Day 2 - D'mall, Jonah's Milkshake, Andoks, Real Coffee and Tea Cafe, Bom Bom Bar, Sunset Paraw Cruise, Zuzuni

Stef woke up bright and early for her dive and I joined her for an early breakfast before retreating back to our room to sleep a while longer. When I was finally well rested, I picked up a beach towel from the reception desk and headed out for a nice stroll along the White Beach to D'mall. The White Beach is so beautiful. It is definitely a beach you should visit if you are a beach bum like I am. The powdery white sand, clear blue waters with clear blue skies, swaying palm trees, and a strong steady sea breeze are just too awesome to put into words. 

The Willy's Rock (picture below) is near the shore and can be reached easily if the tide is low. You would see groups of tourists wading out into the water when the tide recedes and climbing up the rock. The sea is completely dark at night so I would advise against visiting Willy's Rock at night. 


I stumbled into Jonah's Milkshake to grab a cold milkshake. The milkshake at Jonah's was really good and I am especially fond of the avocado milkshake. However, the service was terrible. Service in Boracay was generally impeccable and the locals were just so friendly. But Jonah's just made me feel highly unwanted like they could not wait to toss the milkshake into my arms and shoo me out immediately. I guess the large crowd seeking some cold comfort away from the heat at Jonah's did not help. 


I strolled around D'mall which was not exactly what you would expect a mall to be. It was basically a collection of small little shops and restaurants that formed the heart of touristy Boracay. Met up with Stef and we decided to have lunch at Andoks. Andoks was situated along the road behind the beach front shops and restaurants. It is a fast food chain that serves grilled chicken and pork items. We ordered grilled chicken and what we thought was char siew. Both were yummy! The chicken was super tender and juicy. The char siew was nicely grilled but slightly fatty so you might not enjoy it if you did not fancy fatty pork. We sat in the area which was not air-conditioned and it was really very hot. There were also many flies zooming around our food and we tried our best to shoo them away until we grew tired and decided to just let them be.



After our lunch we headed over to Real Coffee and Tea Cafe for dessert! It might not be easy spotting Real Coffee as it was located on the second level of a large wooden hut above Sea World. We climbed up a steep flight of stairs and found ourselves in a large cafe facing the beach. Real Coffee was famous for their lemon muffin which was what we went for. We also wanted some ice coffee but they ran out of rice and we were not going to gulp down a hot cup of coffee in that heat so we left after finishing our lemon muffin. The lemon muffin was not spectacular so forget about making a trip to Real Coffee just for it.




We promised ourselves that we would not start on drinks too early because... actually I could not remember the reason. But anyway, the reason was no longer important because we broke that promise on the second day and started drinking right after our trip to Real Coffee. It was just too hot (our favourite excuse) and an ice cold beer at Bom Bom Bar was just perfect. The acoustic live music was good too. The locals could sing so well! 

We went for our sunset paraw cruise next. Sunset on a paraw is a must in Boracay. Watching the sunset along White Beach was definitely one of the best memories of Boracay. The sunset was spectacular every evening and I asked a local whether she would ever get bored of it. Her reply? Never, because the sunset is different every single day. Indeed.

There was some difficulty trying to secure our paraw sunset cruise. We did not want to book the entire paraw ourselves because that was just wholly unnecessary. So we had to get someone who was willing to sell us a seat on the paraw without trying to stuff the entire paraw down our throats. There were touts along the beach touting paraw sunset cruises and we basically asked all of them for their rates. Prices fell dramatically closer to sunset when they were desperate to fill their paraws so I would suggest that you wait out. We were offered 800P for 2 pax by one tout, then 700P for 2 pax by another tout, before finally finding a tout who offered us 500P for 2 pax. We were comfortable with that price so we went along with him. Take your time to shop for the best price and be in no hurry to settle for one until you find the right price. 



Riding on the paraw into the sunset with wind in my hair and a San Miguel in my hand was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. The sunset was marvelous, a spectacular ball of gold dipping into the sea. I was just so at peace with myself at that moment. 

The sunset cruise was roughly 30 minutes and we returned to shore shortly after. We laid out a beach towel on the sand, sat down with our beers, and gazed out into the horizon until the sun disappeared and darkness enveloped us. 


We had dinner at Zuzuni (Boat Station 1). We ordered a salad, Salmon Steak, and Squid Ink Paella to share. The salad has crisp lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon and cheese. The watermelon was an interesting addition to the salad. The Salmon Steak was nice but nothing to shout about. The Squid Ink Paella was definitely something I would recommend everyone to try. It was just so delicious. The waiter brought the large pan with our paella to the table and set it on a stand beside us. He scooped our first serving onto plates and returned periodically to serve us more paella. The squid ink was rich and tasty, the seafood fresh and sweet, the rice crispy and perfect. This is definitely a must try dish.





We walked along the White Beach back to Punta Rosa under a star studded sky. We looked up at the same moment and spotted a shooting star streak across the dark sky. You would never see a sky like this in Singapore.

Read about our Day 1Day 3Day 4 and Day 5 in Boracay!

Saturday 13 September 2014

Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons, Bugis

I was inexplicably tired that week at work and when my family told me they were around Bugis for dinner and asked whether I would like to join them, I agreed immediately because good food would definitely lift my soul. 

My brother lost his voice at Freshman Camp (don't ask me how that happened because it completely defies logic but it happened anyway) so we had to eat something healthy and preferably soupy. My mum suggested Ramen Keisuke so that was where we went. I guess we were really lucky that day because there was no queue when we reached even though it was around 7+ pm and clearly dinner time. 

We sat down at a small corner table and picked our ramen. 


I went for the King Ramen ($13.90) with stir-fried pork, ginger, and black fungus. The ramen was springy and the stir-fried pork was delicious. However, the bowl of ramen as a whole was really greasy and heavy. I should also add that the soup was kind of lukewarm instead of hot, as if the bowl of ramen was left sitting on the counter for a long while before it was served.


My dad went for the Autumn Ramen with all the toppings (e.g. egg and seaweed). The Autumn Ramen comes with minced pork and mushrooms. My dad agreed that the soup was rather lukewarm which made the bowl of ramen very greasy and heavy. 


Not my favourite place for ramen definitely. The soup base would have been better if it was hot so that the greasiness would not have been so hard to stomach. I probably would return only if I were in the area and someone else wanted to eat ramen, and I could not convince the person otherwise. 

Bugis Village, 158 Rochor Road
6335740
Mon - Fri: 11:30 - 14:30
Mon - Fri: 17:00 - 20:30
Sat - Sun: 11:30 - 20:30 

Wednesday 10 September 2014

La Pizzaiola, Jalan Riang

It was a gloomy Monday and for some reason I was in no mood to hit the gym. I wanted a quick dinner fix so we headed to La Pizzaiola at Jalan Riang. If you have not dropped by Jalan Riang, I would strongly recommend that you do. This little stretch of restaurants nestled in the middle of a bunch of private houses is totally worth a visit. I have previously discovered the magic of Cajun Kings and Wimbly Lu and now La Pizzaiola is becoming a strong contender for my tummy space if I decide to make a trip to Jalan Riang.

The prices at La Pizzaiola is really reasonable for an Italian restaurant. I usually have to fork out between $20 to $30 for a pasta at most Italian restaurants. But pastas and pizzas at La Pizzaiola are between $15 to $20! Great food at a great price. Check out the menu below.


We ordered Parmigiana (around $12) which is eggplant baked with tomato sauce and cheese. I love Parmigiana in general, and I love the one at La Pizzaiola! Soft mushy eggplant coated with a generous layer of cheese and zesty tomato sauce. Yums. I should totally learn how to make this dish because I'm just so in love with it. 


We had Ravioli (ricotta and spinach filled Tuscan dumplings in butter and sage sauce - around $14) and Squid Ink Tagliatelle with Crab Meat (around $15). The ravioli was good but the "skin" of the dumpling was a little too thick. I would have preferred a thinner "skin" which ruptures and spills all the delicious fillings into my mouth. The spinach filling was good and the sauce was rather light for butter.

The Squid Ink Tagliatelle was good! Robust squid ink and white wine sauce, al dente tagliatelle, and a generous serving of crab meat. This dish is good. I would recommend going for this if you visit La Pizzaiola.



Getting to Jalan Riang is a major pain in the ass but I can assure you the food here will definitely satisfy your taste buds. We did not make a reservation when we dropped by and it was fairly crowded on a Monday night so I would advise you to consider making a reservation if you wish.

15-3 Jalan Riang
Mon - Sat: 11:30 - 15:00
Mon - Sat: 17:30 - 22:30
Sun & PH: 11:30 - 22:30

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Char Restaurant, Guillemard Road

The first time I walked past Char (also known as Ch叉r) was en route to The Tuckshop for drinks with Stef and Sim Yee after a huge meal at Old Airport Hawker Centre. That was the meal when I somehow convinced them to overload on chicken wings and I had indigestion afterwards and could not finish my moscato. By the way, speaking about hawker centres, I love Old Airport Hawker Centre. There are just so so so many delicious food there and I am always spoiled for choice whenever I visit. Maybe I will do a post on Old Airport Hawker Centre but I just don't know where to start actually.

Back to Char. Sim Yee suggested coming to Char for our feast one evening after work and we agreed excitedly. I have to say this was the perfect place for a homely delicious meal! It was very crowded when we arrived but we managed to snag a small table in a corner and started flipping through the menu excitedly.


Char is well-known for their roasted meats so that was one item we definitely had to order. We chose the Triple Roast ($20.50) which allowed us to order 3 different types of roast meat. Sim Yee and I each had a Soup of the Day ($3) which was Duck with Salted Vegetable Soup. We also ordered a Minced Pork with Aubergine in Casserole ($14) and Sambal Spinach ($10).


The Duck with Salted Vegetable Soup ($3) was delicious. I love boiled soup and this bowl was really awesome! The soup was not too salty with a slightly sour aftertaste from the tomatoes. The duck was super tender. Ah I wish to have another bowl right now.  


The Triple Roast ($20.50) was served pretty quickly. We picked char siew, crispy pork belly, and roast duck. The char siew was truly legendary. Extremely well-grilled and tender, drenched in a delicious sweet sauce, the char siew melted in my mouth! The roast duck was pretty nice too, though I would take the duck in the soup any day since the roasted duck was understandably harder. The crispy pork belly was a disappointment though. Too many fatty parts which did not melt in my mouth and it was not sufficiently crispy. I would say give the crispy pork belly a miss and spend your calories on more char siew.


The Sambal Spinach ($10) was decent. Nothing to scream about, but pretty decent stir-fried vegetables with tasty sambal.


The Minced Pork with Aubergine in Casserole ($14) was another yummy dish! I love this casserole with soft mushy eggplant and minced pork in a light tasty sauce. This casserole went fantastically well with white rice and I would definitely recommend this if you visit Char.


Char is not a place where you could sit back and relax after your dinner for a nice chat over drinks. They started clearing up pretty early and we felt like we should probably head somewhere else to hang out once we were done with our food. We eventually settled down at The Hideout near Old Airport Road Hawker Centre for some ice cream before heading home that night.

We took Bus 197 from our office to Char and alighted along Guillemard Road. Char was a short walk from the bus stop.

68427759
Tue - Thur: 11:00 - 22:00
Fri - Sat: 11:00 - 00:00
Sun: 11:00 - 22:00
Closed on Monday