Tokyo Tastings part 3

It was really rather cold in Tokyo this week. Although the meteorological agency of japan announced that sakura (cherry blossom) season would start this week, we only saw some sakura blossoms, but they were not really blooming yet.

Glad I brought my suede coat, and leather boots. I am warm and comfy.

Day 2 Lunch

Sushi Lunch with our colleagues. As it was raining, we went to the shopping mall next to the office tower, in Roppongi. This is a popular sushi restaurant on the first floor, and there was a short queue.

I ordered a sushi set lunch. It cost about SGD25.

It is a long platter of sushi moriwase - 12 sushi and 3 maki. On the right, there were some cooked items, and some vegetable items (lady's finger and eggplant). from this end, I liked the ikura sushi (salmon roe) best.


On the left, there were various types of fresh fish. On this side, I liked the amaebi sushi (sweet raw prawn) best.

Day 2 Dinner
Our gracious japanese colleagues arranged a hanami dinner (ie sakura viewing dinner).

It was at a hotel, which had glass panelled windows facing their sakura garden, and we were offered a priceless view of the beautiful sakura trees. Too bad they were not in full bloom yet.



They ordered platters of japanese food to share. This was the starter platter - which had yakitori, octopus, beans, bamboo shoots. All very nice, if a bit cold.

we also had other things of course, but no photos, because the platters were too far away.

Day 3 Lunch

We went to the Ohsaki office today, instead of the Roppongi office. Lunch was at a pretty popular tonkatsu restaurant at the mall next to the office, Ohsaki Gates. There was, again, a queue. But everyone was very patient about it.


My yummy order of rosu katsu (pork loin) and beef burger with cheese set.


It was so delicious and light and crispy! Not greasy at all. I tried various combinations - with mustard, with yuzu dressing, with tonkatsu sauce (a bit vinegary). All delicious. The pork was tender and succulent, and had a little fat, which was what I wanted.

The restaurant offered various parts of the pig - and rosu had a little fat. Hire is another popular cut with the ladies I am told, and is a leaner cut.

Delicious.

Tokyo Tastings Part 2

Day 1

We arrived after lunch due to some delay in our flight schedule.


Our first meal in Japan was at Starbucks, whilst waiting for our train to take us to the hotel. A lovely selection, but we just shared a poppyseed cheesecake.



And I had a matcha (green tea) frappucinno,cos DH told me that the green tea drinks in Starbucks are made with Japanese green tea from Japan, whereas elsewhere (like in Singapore) the green tea is imported from US and is not as fragrant.


After checking in, we ravenously scour the area for eateries. Thing is, not many places are open because it is after lunchtime. We ended up at a non-English speaking small little restaurant near Shinagawa station. By pointing at pictures, we each ordered lunch.

My Chicken Katsu-don with Udon. Quite nice, and piping hot. Did its job of filling my stomach. Cost about S$20.


We had meetings with our Japanese colleagues in the late afternoon, and then asked for recommendations for dinner. Our gracious japanese friends took us out to dinner instead. This is a little japanese izakaya (like a pub) called Ni (which means one or first) near Roppongi Station. It was our best meal of the trip.


First, little bowls of starters and pickles. They all tasted different and clearly homemade. Some were crunchy, some were meaty. I liked the pickles with japanese black beans. I also liked the chilled braised snails. All delicious.

Next, this beautiful and fresh platter of sashimi.

Look, just look at it. It came with a whole conch shell!


I don't know how much it cost, but my guess is that it probably isnt cheap because it was such a huge and delicious platter. There was Toro (wow!!!), Akagai (Ark Shell, wow!!) and some other fresh fish that I didnt recognise. Those that I did recognise, I know they aint cheap. So yums. I savoured every single bite.

Then all the fried stuff came. All typical izakaya fare, I am told.


Fried chicken. Crispy and not greasy at all.


Fried Oysters. The oysters were huge, just huge. The size of my palm. and so juicy.


Fried fresh sardines. Never tried sardines except in a tin can before. Delicious.


Korubuta (Japanese pork) belly. Wow, this one was powerfully flavoursome. It was savoury, crispy, chewy. I am salivating at the recollection of this. I have not eaten this before in SG.


Fried Mushrooms. Also very juicy. Had a fresh mushroomy taste. Strange, but I find that Japanese produce tends to be very sweet and tasty, compared to what we can get here locally in SG. Better than Australia even, and I used to think that Australian produce is very sweet and tasty.

Then some japanese speciality of fried fish fin - it's sort of like soft cartilage / bone of stingray, but very crispy. Interesting, and quite fun to eat. especially with Asahi Super Dry.

We ended off with some yaki udon, fried noodles, and stumbled back to the hotel, sated and very pleased.

Tokyo Tastings Part 1

I was forced to go to Tokyo last week for work. Forced, I tell you. They had to drag me to the airport, kicking and screaming.

Well, on one hand, I was loathe to leave my 3 babies (Cutie, Sweetie and DH). On the other hand, it was sakura season and I miss Japanese food. It was a tough battle. To complicate matters, that was the week that MIL, DM and DH were also planning to go overseas (MIL - wednesday, DM - Saturday, DH - Sunday). And I was due to fly on monday night, returning on Friday morning. So this needed some careful planning. So it all worked out, the kids stayed with MIL on Monday and Tuesday, and with DM on Wednesday and Thursday (The kids usually spend alternate weekdays at DM's in the day, but go home to sleep at night).

Conversation with DH went like this:

Me: Looks like I have to go to Tokyo next week, the rest of the project team don't want to postpone the trip.

DH: (nonchalantly) Ok Dear.

Me: So the kids how? Your mom going to China on Wednesday!

DH: I dunno, but I will be studying. (emphatically) very busy.

Me: You ok with Por Por taking care of the kids for those 2 days?

DH:Ok. I also stay with Por Por?

Me: (incredulously) You also need Por Por to take care of you?

DH: Then who is going to take care of me when you are away? (sad wail)

So there you go. my 3 babies really really need me.

It was a nice trip and I bonded well with my colleagues. They were all great fun and we all enjoyed japanese food very much. Usually work trips for me are very quiet and boring and I don't venture out too much. I go back to the hotel before 9, and I read and sleep. This time, with a team of 3 others, we ended up eating out a lot and trying different things. On our last night, we actually had 2 dinners because we couldnt decide between shabu-shabu or yakitori (so we had both).

On Friday, I couldn't wait to get back to the kids, but the rest of the team extended their trip over the weekend.

More on what we ate, coming up. Arigato Gozaimasu.

Birthday Cupcakes

I am the social events coordinator for my team this quarter.

And there are 2 birthdays this month to celebrate... 2 lovely ladies, S and K.

So I ordered birthday cupcakes from Little House of Dreams, and they conceived a theme of handbags, dresses and shoes, which were lovely! Perfect for our elegant ladies.




Dont these look so sweet and gorgeous?


Lovely work.

They tasted great. Not too sweet. You know how, for most cupcakes, you would scrape away the topping or icing, so that you can just eat the cake and it might still be a tad too sweet? These cupcakes are just delicious, and you can eat the cream on it, and it is just nice.

Yum.

Thank you to Little House of Dreams.

DH

Late night telecon and then had to send comments by email after that. Can't go back to sleep. DH's study light is still on. He is revising for an exam and he doesn't have time to study much in the day or early evenings. So his only window to study is after the kids go to bed. Poor DH. Went in to check and see if he needed anything to eat or drink but he was going to bed soon.

You know, I am very effusive when blogging about my 2 little ones. Cutie is such a cutie pie - he is eloquent and active, and has a very endearing side. He can be very thoughtful, like whenever it rains, he will ask Grandma whether Mommy has an umbrella cos he "doesnt want Mommy to get wet". Sweetie is such a sweetheart too - she is cheerful and smiley and seems to have a high adversity quotient. Minor ailments and loud noises (from cutie pie) or small discomforts don't seem to affect her as drastically as it would affect some other children (like cutie pie).

But I realise I seldom blog about DH. I haven't really told him how much I appreciate him. So, here is a post dedicated to DH. A letter with my love. Maybe he will stumble upon it and read it.

You know, I met DH when I was 18. So, it has been a really long journey together. Yah yah, I am very old.

Dear DH,

I believe we're meant to be. From the way we met to the way we ended up together, I believe it was part of a greater divine plan.

We're from different circles, you and I. Different schools, different fields, different professions. It was pure serendipity that we happened to meet at the airport. What were the chances?

Yet, we are so alike. We like the same things, we enjoy the same foods, we have the same priorities in life.

Thank you for being so supportive in all the things that I did. For cheering me on, for applauding each and every one of my (minor) achievements. For always seeing the good side of me, for always believing in me when I doubted myself, for painting rainbows in my skies when my clouds were grey.

Thank you for always being generous to me and my family. You think of my family when you go overseas, you buy supper or dessert when you go over, you give advice when they need an impromptu consultation. I feel especially loved when you do that.

Thank you for being my personal advisor, for never being too tired to hear me out when I need a sounding board. On hindsight, I realise your analysis of work-related matters are usually very accurate. You also seem to have a particular knack of being able to decipher politicking much better than I can. I don't think I would have come this far without your guidance and your encouragement.

I think I have grown up a lot in the past years. I am more mature, more willing to make sacrifices, more caring, more considerate. I usually attribute this change in attitude to motherhood. But I think, the people who have stood by me throughout this entire metamorphosis are the ones who I must thank the most. Because these people are the ones who have loved me as I was, even when I was well, not so grown up. DM, DS and you. Thank you.

I appreciate the gifts that you always lovingly pick. Looking back, I realise that each gift you have bought for me, were always made with careful consideration on whether I would like it. When I was going through my Harry Potter phase, you bought me all the Harry Potter DVDs. When I mentioned that the OSIM foot massager was a good invention, you bought it for Christmas (ok it is a white elephant really, and I only wanted to get a free massage at the Osim roadshow at Centrepoint but nevertheless I am still touched that you got it because you thought I would like it). The lovely extravagant sparkly gifts you got because you thought they would look nice on me. And the wheels.

There's a song, which I happened to hear on youtube, which I think represents what I want to say to you. It's a Hokkien song (from Money No Enough). Jia Hou: Meaning Wife in Taiwanese dialect.

with all my love,
Chocolate Reindeer


Postscript: Someone who knows DH well suggested that we met at the airport because he was stalking me. No LAH!

Peramakan @ Keppel Club

PL, YS and I came here for lunch. I think it was because I read some good reviews on this place from Keropokman and Leslie... :) can't go wrong when a fellow foodie recommends the place right!

We each selected a dish that we wanted to try.


I think this was YS' choice by default. She said she was pretty easy, didn't mind anything, but didn't eat sotong or weird stuff like nangka curry etc. Mmm. Ok fish is safe. This is Ikan Assam Pedas. I think. Nice gravy.


PL wanted something with petai. So this is Garang Udang Petai, but no petai! Were we supposed to explicitly say we wanted petai (cos there was a non-petai option)... oops. Not bad also lah.


My choice! I wanted to try the ayam buah keluak! This version didn't disappoint. I like the taste of buah keluak, its kinda smokey, and fragrant and meaty. Very nice. I recommend this.

And then we each chose desserts. YS doesn't take durian! Ooops! PL and I love durian. The desserts here are good! Lots of gula melaka, coconut milk, durian. All make for a rich and satisfying end to our meal.


PL's choice of durian chendol. It was very refreshing! Cold and creamy.


My choice of durian pancakes. Served warm and melting. Yums. I had the durian pengat last time. Also yums.


YS chose a safe sago gula melaka. It was nice too.

I like eating lunch with my girlfriends! This was my turn hosting lunch. YS treated us to dimsum last time and PL wants to take us to eat Okinawan! Stay tuned!

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh @ Sin Ming Industrial Park

Our 2nd lunch date was on a rainy afternoon...

I was rather stressed at work and needed some warm comfort - bak kut teh with DH was just the thing to perk me up.

DH wanted to bring me to bishan, he said, lots of good food and it's somewhere that I have never been. It's true that I seldom venture to this part of Singapore. It's just not anywhere near where I would normally hang out.

Have heard of this place from the food bloggers, but never tried it.

Am glad I did.


This is the stuff we ordered to share. DH likes the tang orh (green vegetable in soup). He says its nicely cooked and fragrant. I liked the pig trotter. It was braised till tender, and cleaned very well, so it didnt smell or taste porky. Just tasty and savoury with lots of that dark sticky soya sauce.


We each had a bowl of bak kut teh. The long pork rib is the nicest. The other 2 are just so-so. Next time we must order only prime ribs. They refill the soup too, but my refill wasn't piping hot. such disappointment. The soup was slightly peppery, and fragrant with garlic. You can see whole large cloves of garlic in the soup. No herbal smell or taste. This is pure teochew style i guess. I like it this way, although it could be a tad more peppery.


Almost everyone in the coffeeshop ordered the same thing as us. Then the lady would balance everything on a metal tray and cart it over to the table. She is super strong!

The food came very quickly and cost about $20 for both of us.

Verdict: I wouldnt mind coming back if I am in the area.

Takumi Tokyo

DH and I don't really have time for each other these days. He is busy studying for a major exam, and well, I have my hands full with a day job and 2 kids.

However, we have made time to have lunch with each other... and I have enjoyed both occasions immensely.

I feel very loved when we lunch together. And although our conversations are now a lot more mundane, it feels a little bit like we are dating again.

So, today we went to Takumi Tokyo. It is a relatively new Japanese restaurant next to Prive. The dinner sets range from $100, $200 and $300. Fortunately their lunch sets are less exorbitant. My ladies set lunch was $30-ish and so was DH's set lunch.



My starter, which had quite a variety. I liked the slices of sashimi, though small they were fresh. There was a refreshing tofu salad with sesame dressing and a marinated seaweed with salmon roe. Lovely start.


DH chose to add $10 or $12 for a sashimi starter. His portions were slightly more generous, and there were 2 slices of air dried japanese beef.


Then the 2nd course of zaru udon, cold and nicely refreshing. And a gratin of sorts. I cannot remember what it was, but I think DH liked it.



My main of miso cod. Portion a little on the tiny side, but it is a "ladies" set after all. I am not considered a dainty lady with feminine appetites, you see.

Dessert was a sesame ice cream, I think.

And there is free flow of soft drinks with the set.

On the whole, quite enjoyable... I would go again. DH thinks it's a little overpriced, for the servings.

I miss DH already.

The French Kitchen @ Central Mall

The French Kitchen @ 7 Magazine Road #01-03, Central Mall.

I will come right out and say it: I LOVED my dining experience at the French Kitchen.

Maybe because it is a new restaurant opening in the bleak times of recession, maybe because it is located in an area which is getting really quiet, maybe because we were lucky they really liked us. Whatever it was, I have to say, we enjoyed everything about our lunch - the food, the service, everything.

First there was complimentary bread (we had wholegrain and raisin when we were there) served with butter and with pork rillette. The bread was warm and fresh and constantly replenished.



Then our complimentary amuse bouche of salmon rillette, served with a crispy parmesan cheese cracker. Which was tasty and had a nice aroma and texture.

The set lunch ($36) had a choice of 3 different entrees and mains, and a choice of 2 desserts. Between the 3 of us, we ordered everything. And tried each other's plates. All for the sake of good journalism.


My fantastic starter of terrine de foie gras et cochon - kurobuta pork cheek and duck liver terrine. It was creamy and smooth, yet with some contrasting meaty texture from the pork. It was perfectly executed. And it was a thick and generous serving too.


PL's starter of bisque de homard - traditional lobster bisque with tiger prawn beignet and leek custard was a visual delight. Crispy battered prawns with soup served separately. It was rich and velvety smooth and fragrant. Yums.

PC ordered Macedoine de legumes aux truffes - mixed organic winter vegetables with poached egg and black truffle essence. It was nice, crunchy fresh and sweet vegetables with a poached (but not runny) egg. No photo, but you can imagine.


PL's main of sea bass and scallop. She liked it best of all the 3 mains. I thought it was nice and fresh.


But my fave main was PC's chargrilled agnus beef with boulangere potato. It was delicious. Just delicious. The potatoes came separately, bubbling in a small pot, covered with a creamy sauce.


My main of crispy duck breast with cocobean mijote and sun dried tomatoes. I thought it was just a tad heavy on the sauce and the salt. But the sundried tomatoes helped a lot in cutting through it all. I think it is just me though, because I am sure DH would have loved the tasty flavours.


Both PC and PL ordered the citron - organic lemon with melon granita and creme chantilly and home made madeleine . They both enjoyed it a lot and PL said she liked her dessert best.


I liked my order of dark chocolate creme brulee with vanilla ice cream. It was excellent. Served warm, with a crispy torched crust and smooth creamy interior, contrasting nicely with my vanilla ice cream, I was in dessert heaven.


Can you see, from our happy faces, how we enjoyed our meal? I love my girlfriends... I always enjoy lunching with these 2 sweeties.

I have to add, that the service was excellent, and truly memorable. Chef Jean-Charles (formerly from Raffles Grill) personally came over to our table to greet us and ask us whether we enjoyed our food. He even made time to say goodbye to us as we left. Restaurant Manager Jan was affable and friendly and made us feel very at home. When he realised we were trying to get a cab, he spontaneously went to the road and tried to flag us one!! How's that??

And, guess what, we just received a thank you email from Jan and Jean-Charles! Have you ever received a follow up email from a restaurant before? This is certainly the first time for PL and I. Kudos to the French Kitchen team. I am sure we will be back!


Kids at CNY

On the home front, Cutie has settled very well into school and loves school days. He is always clamouring to go to school and even when we want to keep him home (because of a slight runny nose) he refused.


This was the CNY celebration at school. They got to do a lo hei, a traditional salad, that is tossed for good luck.


They got to play with bubbles outdoors...


Can you see him enjoying himself?


And the children performed a Chinese New Year song for parents.


He sang so well! Every word in the song was perfectly enunciated, every action was perfectly timed. I am so so proud of him. *beam*


And this is Cutie taking Sweetie on a ride on his motor scooter. I think Sweetie had fun. She laughed a lot.

Oh, and in other news, DH and I have instituted a time out corner. Where Cutie is made to stand and reflect on the things that he shouldnt have done.


So there he is. He is being timed out for doing something naughty. He does look rather morose, doesn't he?

Blogging??

Seem to have lost interest in blogging somehow.


Facebook is more fun.

And with 2 babies, I don't always have time to do both.


But, we're still having fun!