Think I’d better stop be tempted by reviews on the net! Been reading quite a number of good reviews about this place, so being the very kaypoh me came here to see see. Of coz with the best company in the world! :)

Woa! I thought I walked into the wrong restaurant man! These guys are ex-Kuriya team, it’s no wonder the décor looks like Kuriya, place smells like Kuriya, food very Kuriya, people very Kuriya, even their uniforms also like Kuriya!

Set meals here are not exactly cheap. Discounting the weekly special sets which cost $21.60-$28.60, the usual sets range from $32-$40 and the monthly ones $47-$88! (haha I think I much prefer my $15 and $25 chirashi!) I ordered the Rakuichi Bento ($32.60). There’s salad, sashimi, tempura, chawanmushi, grilled cod, miso soup and rice. Sounds like a lot of food on the table lol. But it’s really only a bit of each! I didn’t like the sashimi coz it tasted really insipid! No taste of “fish”. Cod wasn’t oily at all! :( And oh yes! The (only) table next to ours ordered the same bento, but the lady had some fatty salmon belly while I didn’t get any. Well, I.F. if they were regulars then I’m ok with the differential treatment. But they were not! Can tell! Why so I wonder.

Bleah! I tried asking for fresh wasabi the waitress say have to pay! Woa! Hmm…so set lunches don’t warrant such premiums HERE ok fine…BUT I know of many other worthy places which willingly and unconditionally give me fresh wasabi if I request, even if it’s only for my set lunches or grilled fish! Sun…Akashi….Tatsuya….then hor! Aoki, Yoshida and of coz my favoritest Nogawa ONLY serves fresh wasabi. I don’t even have to ask! ‘Nuff said. :X

My favoritest person in the world ate her favoritest unagi donburi. She wanted it coz it came as part of the weekly special lunch sets ($21.60) which also included the same salad and sashimi I had, grilled tai (snapper) fishhead and soba in soup. She absolutely loves any unagi anywhere so I can’t comment on this. Snapper head was quite fresh she said but haha she didn’t like the soba coz it became so soggy!

The nicest part of the whole meal was the black sesame ice cream dessert! It’s really rich and fragrant! I always like Kuriya’s black sesame ice cream and Rakuichi’s black sesame ice cream tastes exactly the same as Kuriya’s black sesame ice cream haha. ‘Nuff said.

I note the service staff here are not friendly at all. They are so nonchalant and detached from their guests. Yes I was there to enjoy a meal with my favoritest person in the world not to get chummy with them. But at least smile one can? Think they all need a group hug.

Hmm…I think I’m happier with my Matsuo’s bento, Akashi's warmth, and Nogawa’s chirashi & everything else thankyouverymuch. :-/

Why so coz I ate charcoal udon!

Came all the way here to Singapore Flyer only coz I want a taste of novelty! Hey I’m not a food snob ok coz I actually ate at a restaurant whose parent company manages Sakae Sushi! If I’m not wrong, the only other restaurants in Singapore which serves sumi udon is Megumi at Sunset Way & East Coast no? yes? (pls correct me if I’m wrong!) I was curious about this black udon so here I am!

Came without any expectations coz…err…need I really spell out why…and sure enough the food weren’t spectacular! They just look tempting and pretty that’s all. The Sumi Udon ($12) just tastes like normal udon and that was the best thing I ate today! Frankly!

Tried also another of their signatures, the Pumpkin Soufflé ($10). Oh my! It’s really gorgeous looking but that’s about it. Nothing to shout about. Calling it a soufflé is really a misnomer too. It was really beautiful though, pumpkin flesh scooped out of a Japanese pumpkin and mixed with seafood and mustard, then topped with cheese and baked. Now if you would ask me where’s the soufflé part? I swear I don’t know lol. I think it’s just a little egg white mixed with the cheese topping. But be warned! This is a really heavy starter and gets stodgy after a while coz there’s so much pumpkin fibres! So please share! And how to get the best out of it? Eat it as and when you see it! Hot!

Besides teppanyaki, sumiyaki is supposedly what Hibiki specializes in, so I die die must try one stick to see what’s good up there! The Mochi Buta ($4) is just Japanese mochi wrapped with pork belly and grilled on their sumi (imported charcoal). It came out like marshmallow so gooey but err….I won’t eat it again haha. But kushiyaki lovers, maybe this place could be a new outfit to check out coz their selection (there’s chicken kawa ding ding ding) features a no. of unique items with really good prices to match! Most range from $3-$5/ stick, foie gras & duck costing $8, lamb $8, gyu tongue $5 and ribeye $5 only!

Oh yes the sushi and sashimi are really affordable too though I’m not so`sure about the quality coz I didn’t try any. Salmon cost $6 per pair and otoro’s only $16 per pair! So otoro lovers (ding ding ding!) this may be a place to get your fix of fatty tuna belly!

Hmm…what else did I miss? Oh yes! Dessert how could I miss out on desserts? The dessert selection seems very interesting and once again the good words end here. Tried the Carrot Pudding ($6) which is just vanilla panna cotta spotted with carrot bits. Very pretty indeed but I just can’t taste any carrot!

Sigh…I thought Hibiki would really be Sakae Sushi going upmarket. But me thinks it's really Sakae trying very hard…

The only thing spectacular about this place is that like in the Sakae Sushi outlets, Hibiki also uses the patented “Interactive Menu” for order taking, which imo is a damn good idea coz the waitress is simply clueless about the menu! That poor girl tells me she knows nothing lol. Luckily she was quite sweet about it so I’m not complaining coz she eventually reverted me to her manageress. I just think the company should invest a little more to train their staff! I’m not one who’s so particular about naïve service staff, what irks me more is snooty or rude service, so take this as a pinch of salt! Coz I know there’re a lot of people out there who will start complain about the service here…

Oh! They are offering an opening Special Promotion of 30% Rebate from now till 30 September 2008, but vouchers are only given in $10 denominations. If you’d do your math, you must spend at least $30 to get one $10 voucher!

Darn. I think the only food worth eating at Singapore Flyer is Popeye’s biscuit. Don’t get me wrong! It’s just that this place’s not my cup of tea! Go give it a try, maybe you’ll love them for their creativity! :)

But for now…hmm…it’s back to Nogawa for me. Haha no more Sakae Sushi Hibiki!

I was browsing through the menu near the host area intending to have a meal of some sort here thereafter. The illustrations weren't so obvious so I asked the manager man-at-the-host-area if the "noodles" in that particular dish is soba or udon.

"Soba." Came the curt reply. Then he walked away.

I also walked away.

oh I forgot this was a ramen joint.

Caught Tom’s on the 1st day of reopening (yes this is how desperate I was for their ice cream ) at their spanking new premise though still at the old location.

A Big Appeal Here:

I mentioned before Eunice has acquired a new ice cream churning machine which makes the ice cream smoother, but somehow this first batch didn’t seem to turn out quite as well as her hand-churned version. Ice cream is much smoother yes, but this machine’s ability to churn and freeze ice cream much faster made it denser and a lot creamier than it should actually be due to less overrun (less air whipped in which is in fact the quality that gives good ice cream its superiority). But in some way this has muted the flavor of some ice creams while others are enhanced. Sounds confusing but there’s a lot of food science in this which I’m very honored to learn a lot about from the very earnest Eunice and Chronos.

During this reopening trial period (using her new machine), Eunice is appealing to her Regulars who have actually tasted and loved her ice creams so much to go try the new batch(es) and give all feedback, both positive and negative. She needs all the support and feedback now to better her recipe so to negate the consequence of using the bigger machine. Denser and creamier is not necessary a good thing coz the same felony applies to 2am Dessert Bar’s chocolate ice cream (in the Twix) -> it becomes too mousse-like (less ice cream in nature) which makes it a lot less palatable (cold mousse).

Lots of other changes to the various flavors too, so my appeal is only for the Regulars to go try and give constructive feedback to Eunice. First-timers HALT your virgin trip down first. Give Eunice some time; say 2-3 weeks or so more, to tweak her recipe to achieve what she previously won her customers over with, if not with even tastier ice creams. Thereafter then Go and Eat the ONLY local homegrown ice cream parlor in Singapore worth its salt and expanding your waistline for.

Anyway, Eunice has also introduced milkshakes ($5) called Creatix which allows you to blend 2 flavors of ice cream of your choice with milk. Another new addition is a very novel savory garlic-butter wholemeal waffle ($2.50) that is in the pipeline. First the ice creams are of utmost importance.

That said, I still wholly support Tom’s Palette with my heart and soul. Got a medium cup ($3.40 – yep price hasn’t changed one bit) of strawberry and rum & raisin coz I missed their ice creams way too much! And of course I enjoyed every single bit and finished it all up assiduously. Also promised Eunice I will be back next week for the salty caramel cheesecake and vanilla that I love so much. Hope it would have achieved nirvana then. :)

All Foie Gras Lovers! Look Here!

Forget about those hazardous livers in fine French and Italian dining restaurants. For livers ½ the price tag and 1000X more satisfaction, come HERE!

Disclaimer (I): This is my absolute first time at any kushiyaki joint so my assessment will be based on a virgin attempt at these Japanese satays. Anyway, meal was free :) and is certainly a change from my usual favorite sushi and sashimi nosh. And gosh! I really did enjoy everything!

So here goes, the items I tried:

1.daikon sarada ($5) – simple and clean, refreshing. I like.
2.foie gras ($12) – Phoar! Total Heavens In A Liver. So soft, quivery and wobbly and oh-so-oily! :) I must say I haven’t eaten such a darn good foie gras in ages! Japanese triumphs the French and Italians anytime! Boo!
3.chicken liver ($1.80) – still a little quivery at the centre, no foul smells. chicken liver on a stick is much better than chicken liver on chicken rice. :D
4.salmon belly ($6.50) – nicely done, not overly cooked and still pink at the innards. I always like salmon belly.
5.scallop ($6.30) – perfect doneness and still tender inside, not chewy like the overcooked ones. Sweet!
6.tomato cheese bacon yaki ($4.20) – juicy and gooey!
7.nasu ($1.80) – I <3 eggplant so this one’s definitely delicious!
8.quail eggs ($2) – haha so uninspiring but I like bird eggs! Though this is the 1st time I eat them grilled!
9.yaki onigiri ($3.50) – crusty, crispy rice at the exterior, insides were hot! A very enjoyable rice-on-a-stick.

hmm…maybe it’s time to climb a few floors up… :)

Disclaimer (II): The prices here seem a tad too expensive for a kushi stick but it’s coz I ordered the foie gras and seafood items. It’s possible to get a meal here for less than $20/pax depending on what you choose coz the chicken parts/some bacon items are in the range of $2-$3/ stick, with the seafood ones costing more. For the undecided, there’re also very affordable set dinners ($30+) and lunches ($12-$18) with the best-value-for-money being the Yakitoro Obento ($12.50) at lunch, which includes 5 of their best kushi sticks, coupled with a comforting bed of rice with chicken mince, soup and dessert. What better deal than this?

Another froyo player in the market. (can somebody be more original or not hur) This one’s also from the U.S., not Singaporean like Frolick and Yami Yogurt. But it’s authentically Korean, not Korean American like Yoguru coz it was founded in Korea back in 2002 then gained popularity in U.S. Now somebody *yawn* has brought them to Singapore and it’s bound to compete with Frolick, Yoguru and Yami Yogurt in this frozen yogurt market.

Situated at Tasty Treatz just outside Carrefour, Red Mango’s selling point is in their use of real yogurt, not yogurt powder mix. I’m not sure about Frolick, but Yoguru also prides their frozen yogurt to be made from fresh ingredients (meaning real yogurt?) which contains live probiotic cultures that yogurt powder do not have.

The Small size retails at $3.20/$3.60, Medium $4.50/$5, Large $5.50/$6 depending on the flavors. On my visit, Natural and Mango were available (2 flavors at any one time). Toppings come at an additional charge of $1/$1.80/$2.40, additional 50 cents for premium toppings like blueberry, raspberry etc (woa extra charge!). I got myself a Medium Cup Natural. For opening special they are giving a free topping for any medium cup purchased. (disclaimer: the picture shown has 2 toppings coz “there’re not enough strawberries” so the server claimed)

Tastewise…errr…slightly tart and a little sweetish. Taste totally like Frolick. Nothing special. But this one stays harder abit longer.

Texturewise…erm…smooth and creamy like Yoguru. Nothing exceptional about it.

Like Yami Yogurt, they give a loyalty stamp card where 10 chops earn you a free small yogurt. Serving size for a medium here is about the same as the small from Yoguru. $4.50 (natural here) versus $3.30 (original at Yoguru). And there isn’t any extra charge for “premium toppings” at Frolick and Yoguru. Plus the 2 also offer a larger variety. Which one I will patronage in future you go figure. Moreover, Yoguru’s opened already at the more easily accessible Raffles City basement. Yay! And Frolick’s just across the road.

Sigh…I think I’m getting too jaded. Too many of these froyo around they’re starting to taste all the same. New yogurt in the market but I’m so unexcited.

The server looked so uninterested I also sian.

But sadly they ain’t at all mine. :( The Heavenly Tuna belonged to an “influential member of the media” and his beautiful lunch partner at the next table. There was so much tuna on their table I swear every part of the fish was eaten! Arhh…so jealous! :(

Yeap. The Sun restaurants are having a Heavenly Tuna promotion ongoing till 14th July which features hon maguro (top-grade bluefin tuna) in sushi/ sashimi and a couple of cooked creations. How do they fare I don’t know but you could probably read about them in the papers soon I suppose. =)

And so I had to settle for a sad-looking Heavenly Saba and Tori Karaage Tofu Salad Set ($15.80). I wanted a nicely grilled saba but err…I’m not wild about chickens, so I changed the fowl to a salad.

The saba was not too bad, nicely grilled, crispy at the skin and the flesh was still juicy below. But somehow I have this sinking feeling it was fried instead of grilled, coz it came almost too quickly. Pre-grilled? Horrors.

Tofu salad came with diced kiwi and strawberries atop some cabbages. It was ok except for the side dressing which was not-here-not-there. I think it was trying very hard to be sesame dressing? But it wasn’t at all flavorsome I couldn’t detect the sesame fragrance or taste in it. Miso soup came tepid. If not for the nice nameko mushrooms within, I would have protested.

The set lunches are not at all great. Mostly comprising cooked items, they are ok if you not particular about quality. But for the price, there are many other Japanese restaurants which offer better value for money sets. I most certainly won’t be ordering sushi/ sashimi here at Sun, coz by just browsing through the menu I see that they are really over-priced if I were to compare them to upmarket restaurants like Nogawa, Sushi Yoshida etc. For the pricetag attached, I’d rather go Aoki where I can be assured of premium quality.

I only came here coz I wanted to make use of the 10% discount voucher I got in the email (valid for all the Sun outlets till 30th June). I probably won’t return (unless of coz if it’s a treat :) ), coz for the price I paid for just a set lunch, I can get much much better quality elsewhere.

Service was nonchalant and not welcoming. The Chefs were too jittery and conscious of media presence. Instead of concentrating on their fish behind the sushi counter and kitchen, they were peering at the couple (at the “next table”) from time to time. I wonder what special treatment the 2 received.

I really hate to say this, but on my 101th review, I lost to Akashi. In the past, I’ve always relegated the Akashi restaurants to the family-restaurant type. I didn’t think much of them especially so in the raw department, thus never looked beyond my few regular grilled orders.

I frequent the outlet at Paragon but strangely today I found myself here at this newest outfit. I figure since it conjoins Inakaya, my grills will be better executed. Oh my! Was I so super right. And that explains why I lost the battle of prejudice. Akashi has gone upmarket here at Orchard Parade.

First, something about the interior decor. On all my visits to Japanese restaurants here in Singapore, I’ve never seen such grandeur of style. The ceiling is so high I was completely floored (pun intended). The interior was so capacious and commodious; it’s akin to a large communal dining hall, yet somehow exuding a certain charm I can’t quite put a finger to. I most certainly prefer the homey feel of a small sushi-ya like Nogawa, but this place in some way won me over totally. How strange.

Akashi’s grill department has never failed to impress. It does pretty good grills and they’re what I will typically order. I had my usual Sanma (mackerel pike)
Shioyaki ($24) today, broiled really crisp at the exterior yet retaining its tender juiciness from the fat within. Usually it costs $18 for the set, but they used fresh sanma fish today, so it cost more at $24. The $18 set gets you those frozen ones from the supermarket shelves. I <3 sanma to bits!

They also do a really delish Pidan Tofu ($4) appetizer. At $4, it’s small yeah but so darn good with the pidan mush on top of cold tofu, then topped with julienned kamoboko (crabmeat), chopped leeks and negi. A perfect way to start your meal. And mind you, this is not called their “homemade signature” for nothing coz I really dig this!

Please also don’t miss their Beinasu Misoyaki ($15), eggplant slapped on with some tasty miso paste then grilled to perfection. I’m not being biased coz eggplant is my favoritest vegetable in the world, but it’s bcoz this dish is really delicious! A MUST ORDER here.

Though I did manage to curb my raw cravings today, I was at the usual counter seats so I could witness the maestros at work. The itamaes are young no doubt, but from my many years of experience dining in Japanese restaurants *keke*, I could tell they were definitely not wet behind the ears. Their sashimi may be raw but they're not. Expertly skilled with their sushi knives, ala carte orders of sashimi and sushi were delivered with gravitas, aplomb and composure. Omakase execution was conveyed with such pleasingly fresh dishes I almost wanted to weep before my skinnierthantheoriginal (so skinny haha yet super fresh!) sanma fish. Totally regretted not ordering a couple of sushi heavens! :(

For the first time in a long long time, I was wishing my fish didn’t have to come to a sorry end. Now I’m seriously considering an omakase experience here. :D

ps: Akashi ships in fish 5 times a week: On Tuesdays and Fridays it’s the usual bulk shipment from Japan. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the group bypasses the suppliers and direct imports fish from Japan, albeit in smaller amounts so as to meet their high turnover rate. So chances are you will be assured of fresh fish always when you dine here. Just be a little more informed and you will be guaranteed a fulfilling dining experience. :)

I only wish I could stop writing here…sigh…but for the good of the HGW community, bear with me as I rave about this place!

Why didn’t anyone tell me about this place earlier? The food is just way above my expectations! Came here coz I’m into this mentaiko pasta phase, and thanks to previous reviewers’ recommendations, their Mentaiko Supagete ($12) (spicy cod roe spaghetti) was truly damn delicious! It was really soooo…good I can’t go on anymore to describe it coz I want to eat it again! Now! Haha but it’s the 1st time ever I ate pasta with chopsticks lol. Pasta never tasted so good! It’s very well presented, pasta done superbly al dente and I also like the texture and type of pasta used. They used spaghettini! And not the run-of-the-mill boring spaghetti.

I also tried the Kaki no Omuretsu ($9) (oyster omelette). It’s like the Jap version of orh luak, just made a lot tastier with the savory sauce. Fat juicy oysters and shimeji mushrooms fried with egg…it’s not greasy, so Japanese, so yummy and the sauce oh-so-delectable! Orh luak never tasted so good! Absolutely worth all that 9 bucks of eggs!

The Japanese Citron Tea ($4) is very refreshing. Don’t miss this too if you come!

I really like the service here. The waitresses are very friendly and attentive. They give good recommendations, and do not try to push anything to you, not even their drinks. The one who served me even offered to pace my food such that that my spaghetti could come ½ way when I’m done with the omelette. So thoughtful! I was even given magazines to read while waiting! I felt like I was in a hair salon!

And you know how some places serve really tepid food it’s really a put off. eeks. But here at this place they serve such hot piping food they were still steaming hot even after my long photography session!

There’re also 15 succinct set lunches very attractively priced from $10 - $20. All looking so good I’ll definitely be back for more. With that $10 return voucher I was strangely rewarded with. :) And oh! They don’t charge the 7% GST!

But I got mine anyway. :) Just coz I asked.

Yo peeps! It seems that Ma Maison has taken its nice-lo Mentaiko Spaghetti ($15.90) out from the menu, as a change affected after they modified their “Chef’s Recommendations” menu. Not sure why they did though since this pasta is one of the restaurant’s mainstays. Luckily I asked and the manageress said the chefs would oblige if customers request for it. Yay! Coz I came here purposely for it!

The pasta’s done aglio olio; unfussy yet so tasty with all that briny flavors! Then there’s the punchy heat and fishiness of the tossed mentaiko, and the sporadic burst of the salty spicy roe in every bite. Yums! There’re also crystal prawns, clams and sliced mushrooms. The seaweed topping was a good addition as it brought out the butterish fragrance too! I like! If you like neither creamy nor tomato based pastas, this is just the perfect one for you.

I thought this pasta was remarkably prepared al dente. And definitely noteworthy coz it’s something that they can as a matter of fact do better than the Italians sometimes!

One point to note is that the outlet at The Central doesn’t offer their ala carte menu during lunch. Only set lunches are available there. So inflexible lo. :(

So come here if you don’t wish your food to be dictated by pre-fixe set lunches! Ala carte is available here for both lunch and dinner! And oh! The restaurant is celebrating its 13th year anniversary and so with a cut-out coupon I got from a Jap magazine *somewhere*, I got a 25% discount (valid from 9th-15th)! Eh the 25% discount is over though…but from 6th-30th there’s a 15% discount. So hurry! Go kope those Japanese magazines!

Oh yes! I would also like to point out that I think this place provides one of the best service in Singapore. At the managerial level (unlike some other places), the Japanese manageress was so terribly warm and friendly to the point I felt like I was a friend to her. She was conversing to me in Japanese thinking I was one but discovered her folly later on! And she was so apologetic! She even thanked me for using the 25% discount coupon!: “Thank You for your support!” she said. So cute!

The junior wait staff were also very attentive. Water was refilled promptly and special requests were met almost immediately. Excellent!