Irodori Japanese Restaurant: Ikoi or Irodori?

The boyfriend's birthday was on a weekday and we decided to have the celebration on Sunday instead. Didn't manage to make a reservation for Ikoi so I suggested Irodori instead. Situated at River View Hotel directly opposite Miramar Hotel (which is where Ikoi is), Irodori seems like an attractive alternative so I made a reservation for the ala carte buffet dinner.

The selection at Irodori was definitely more extensive than that in Ikoi. They have a wider spread of food items and more variety for selection. We studied the menu happily for a long while and drew up a long list of the items we wanted.

Both of us are avid fans of dobin mushi (seafood teapot soup). We like how the soup tastes clear, refreshing with the sweet essence of fresh seafood. The dobin mushi at Irodori was really awesome! We had numerous pots and the fantastic thing about Irodori is that the Dobin Mushi here is free flow! In comparison, Ikoi's Dobin Mushi was a complimentary dish so each couple only had a pot to themselves.

A must at all Japanese Buffet: Salmon Sashimi. This was our first order and it was splendid. Thick juicy and very fresh. The cuts were good and the sashimi was really sweet. However, our second order of salmon sashimi was disappointing. The cuts were quite poor and the sashimi slices were still attached to each other at the end because the sashimi was not cleanly cut.

The king prawns were complimentary and was nice! Fresh, well-grilled and very juicy.

The tempura was decent. It was not completely mind-blowing but it was not pathetic either. The batter was good and the tempura was crispy.

Buta enoki which refers to pork wrapped around a bunch of golden mushrooms. I have to confess, I am an ardent fan of mushrooms and I am particularly fond of golden mushrooms because they are just so crunchy. This dish was fabulous. I love the crunchy golden mushrooms within a layer of grilled juicy meat.

Mushrooms fried in butter and bacon cocktail. The mushrooms fried in butter consisted of a large portion of golden mushrooms and very little shitake mushrooms. The butter sauce was not too oily nor greasy which was a plus. The bacon cocktail was really average. Nothing much to say about it.

This was supposedly California maki but somehow it did not taste like california maki at all. But anyway, this was pretty decent and if it was a wrong order, we are glad to have it.

Speaking of wrong orders, Irodori got our orders mixed up a couple of times. Our first batch of orders came quickly and accurately without a glitch and we received all that we ordered. However, our second batch of orders became a bit of a problem. We received 4 chawanmushi instead of 2, our orders went missing, and after waiting for a really long time, some of our orders from the second batch simply refused to materialize. So we called for the bill and left.

Between Ikoi and Irodori, I like the wider selection of food in Irodori but I enjoy Ikoi's consistency and ability to deliver. Irodori seemed unable to handle a large crowd and when the room started to fill up, our orders started to get messed up too.

#03-01 River View Hotel

Doong Ji Korean Restaurant Part 2, Katong

The first time I went to Doong Ji, I had this huge seafood steamboat which I shared here. 

So recently the best friend had been addicted to the Running Man variety show so we decided to troop down to Doong Ji for more korean food. As a side note I am also really tickled by Running Man and it is really a joy to end every week with Running Man on TV on a Sunday evening. 

This time we decided to be more restrained so we ordered a bimbimbap, a silken tofu spicy soup, and a kimchi pancake. The bimbimbap was good! The meat was well-marinated, the servings of vegetables were generous and the sauce was yummy!

The spicy silken tofu soup was awesome. Full of flavors, thick, and really yummy! Not the usual watery fare you get from korean food stalls in the food court. The tofu was smooth and fresh. Probably one of the better silken tofu soups I've tried in Korean restaurants so far!

I forgot to take a picture of the kimchi pancake because I was just so engrossed in our conversation. Like really. I cannot recall what exactly we were chatting about at that point in time but I was definitely totally into the conversation. I do remember the kimchi pancake being pretty all right. Not fantastic but definitely still above average.

So we chatted on and on through the night and when we were about done, I had a sudden urge to have a drink. It always happens like this. I would get a random urge to have something, despite us both being super full and knowing well enough that we won't be able to stomach anymore food or drinks. I would convince her that the portions are manageable and we would be able to finish it. We would order and realize to our utmost astonishment that it was a huge portion and we would struggle to finish it.

This time was no different. We ordered rice wine and it came in a huge bowl. Complete with a ladle and two smaller bowls. I was shocked when it came but composed myself enough to scoop two full bowls and gave each other a toast. The rice wine was sweet and incredibly tasty. It was completely white, like soybean milk, and you can hardly taste the alcohol though we could definitely feel it. It took us the rest of the night to finish this bowl of rice wine.

222 East Coast Road

Bali Day 6, La Lucciola Restaurant

It was our last full day in Bali and we wanted to have a good rest, do some last minute shopping in Kuta, and enjoy one last good dinner at a fine dining establishment. We chose La Lucciola because it was by the sea and came with many good reviews on TripAdvisor.

We took a cab from Kuta to La Lucciola and was greeted by two security officers at the little bridge leading across the stream to La Lucciola. There was a dress code and as usual, I was dressed appropriately in my tube sundress and the boyfriend was not because he was once again wearing a singlet. We solved the issue quick enough by pulling a newly bought shirt out of the bag with the tag still on and he shrugged into it. Once that was settled, we were ushered to La Lucciola.

La Lucciola was housed in a large wooden house by the Seminyak beach which offered an awesome view of the sea and the retreating sun as well as strong gusts of sea breeze. We had a table on the first floor right at the edge of the dining area and it was extremely cooling sitting there with the wind caressing your face. This made La Lucciola much more comfortable than Sardines.

Food wise, I have to say Sardines definitely won more brownie points with their awesome fish dishes. La Lucciola was good and the standard of the food was definitely noteworthy but it lacked the punch which Sardines managed to deliver.

We ordered a Norwegian Salmon and a Seafood Stew. The salmon was juicy, fresh and sweet. Portions were small but that was hardly a surprise. The Seafood Stew was very rich with a generous serving of fresh seafood such as prawns, squid, and fish. I liked the Seafood Stew but the stew definitely became a little too rich towards the end of the bowl and I found it hard to finish everything.

We ordered a bottle of red and spent the rest of the evening lounging in our seats, sipping red wine and enjoying this last transient moment of peace in Bali. It is now about two months since I came back and I can still distinctly remember that awesome moment lounging there, doing nothing, allowing my mind to wander. 

It began to rain in the late evening and the staff definitely went out of their way to ensure that all of us were kept dry. The strong winds meant that rain was lashing in furiously and those sitting at the sides were getting the brunt of the rainy weather. The staff brought down the blinds immediately and that helped a bit. However, the roof began to leak after awhile and there were puddles beginning to gather on the table, floor and everywhere else. It was difficult to stay dry and all the guests realised that it was probably not going to be a terribly comfortable meal. Fortunately, the boyfriend and I had finished our food by then and were simply enjoying our wine and waiting for the rain to stop. The staff offered all ladies a shawl to keep warm and I thought that was an awesome gesture. 

I did hear a Singaporean couple complaining loudly to the staff about the rain and how everything was getting wet and demanding to be moved elsewhere. This was despite the staff telling them very nicely that all the seats on the second floor were occupied. The Singaporean couple continued their tirade until finally the waiter managed to get them another table. To put this in perspective, there was a Japanese family, Caucasian family and us all sitting around the same area at that point in time and all of us were basically subjected to the same amount of rain. But nobody complained loudly and demanded anything. There was no unhappiness, no drama, everybody just did the best they could to make the situation better. But that Singaporean couple was just going on continuously about this and that and how things should be improved. You know, how a person reacts to a sudden event is a good reflection of a lot of things. Apparently some people only know how to complain and wait for somebody else to solve the problem for them.

When the rain was lighter, we left and took a nice long stroll back to the villa. It was apparently really close by!

Read about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5!

Suprette

The best friend mentioned Suprette, a gastrobar located within Kam Leng Hotel. I have never heard of Kam Leng Hotel before so it took some Googling and much Google Map navigation to get there. Kam Leng Hotel was situated right opposite Lavender Food Centre and looked like such a delightfully rustic hotel.

Suprette is located on the first floor of the hotel. When you enter through the front door, simply turn left and you would find yourself at the entrance of Suprette. It was a rather small gastrobar, with roughly 20 seats or more, so the place had a very cozy vibe.

The menu was simple but everything looked so tempting. I had a hard time trying to decide what to eat. I really wanted to try their burgers because the pictures online looked so awesome but I can't take beef so I chose the Spicy Seafood Spaghetti instead. The best friend chose The Suprette Burger.

The mains come with a side salad. The greens were fresh but there was nothing very special about the salad. But we all need our veggies, so I'm glad for the side salad!

My Spicy Seafood Spaghetti. This dish was served wrapped in aluminium foil and parchment which I had to unfold to reveal the yummy spaghetti within. I love the Spicy Seafood Spaghetti to bits! The spaghetti was done al dente, fully absorbing the delicious tomato sauce which it was tossed in. There was a generous serving of prawns, clams, squids and sea bass.The seafood was really fresh and I was especially fond of the clams. They were just so sweet and juicy!

The best friend's Suprette Burger which looked awesome. The burger was so huge, she had quite a bit of trouble finishing it. I loved the fries too! Crisp, yummy and delicious.

We decided to wash the food down with a couple of drinks so she had a mojito while I had my usual whiskey coke. It was a great meal and Suprette was a fantastic place to hang out for dinner. 

383 Jalan Besar, Kam Leng Hotel

Bali Day 5, Mount Batur trek, more Potato Head, Balinese massage at Taman Merah Spa

We woke up at 1 am to get ready for our trek up Mount Batur, which is an active volcano in Bali. We arranged with a guide that my friend recommended to do the trek together but he bailed out on us at the last minute so we thought we would simply book the trekking tour through our villa. However, our villa charged us double the price of the market rate so I did a quick search on Tripadvisor and contacted Bali Bliss Tour. They responded really quickly and our trekking tour was arranged less than a day before the actual trek. Very efficient and I liked their prompt responses through out.

The drive to the base of Mount Batur took 1 hr 30 minutes and the driver from Bali Bliss Tour took us there in the dark of the night. I was really sleepy throughout the trip and was dozing off happily. When I woke up and hopped out of the car to fantastic air-conditioned weather. It was pretty cold with strong gusts of cold wind whipping through the darkness in the large parking lot. Our driver introduced us to our guide who was part of the local organisation in charge of bringing tourists up Mount Batur. He looked really young, like maybe 16 or so, but I found out during the nice slow walk down that he was actually 23!

Anyway the trek up was physically manageable. I was actually much more afraid of losing my balance and toppling one side or the other. Some of those trekking managed to make it to the summit, but many others decided to stop at the crater instead. I am sure both locations provide a stunning view of the sunrise but I managed to get to the summit and boy was it breath taking.

I cannot describe in words how awesome it was to sit beside the person you completely enjoy being with, watching the sky turn from dark to light, and looking at the awesome ball of gold creeping up the horizon. I truly loved that moment.

The trek down was a long steep rocky and sandy slope. For some reason I lost my balance twice and fell onto some rocks, receiving a deep gash on my palm. After a while, the path was no longer rocky but merely sandy so we could finally take our focus off the path and start a normal conversation with our guide. The boyfriend started chatting with him about Beckham, Spice Girls and a range of other funny stuff. 

The driver was waiting for us at the parking lot and took us back. The drive back to the villa took us through Ubud where we had a glimpse of the various craft shops. It was very fascinating but not entirely my cup of tea. We reached the villa after a 2 hour ride and went to Biku for lunch. We were really exhausted since we were up the whole night and promptly returned to the villa for a nice afternoon nap.

Woke up for dinner at Potato Head! Potato Head's mojito came highly recommended but I don't find it especially interesting. But it could really be because I am not a fan of mojitos anyway.

I ordered Fusili with Chicken and Goat Cheese. It was really yummy at the start but it soon became too creamy for my liking and I started feeling really queasy.

After dinner, we strolled over to Taman Merah Spa which was the spa attached to Bali Island Villa and Spa. We chose to have the Balinese Massage together and I succumbed to using aromatic oils this time. I chose the Green Tea one because it was the lightest fragrance of all. The massage was really good! And I loved the fact that they had an en suite outdoor shower facility so you could simply walk out of the room and have a quick shower in the garden at the back.

Read about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 6!

East Ocean Restaurant, Ngee Ann City

East Ocean is my family's favourite dimsum place and we go there whenever we are craving for some dimsum for our Sunday brunch. It used to be located at Shaw Centre but has since moved to Ngee Ann City 5th Floor.

I made a reservation but was told candidly that I would have to wait even though a reservation was made. True enough, when I reached at 11:30pm (which was the time of my reservation), I was asked to wait about 10 to 15 minutes before I was ushered to my table. Imagine the long wait if I did not reserve any seats. I would strongly encourage everybody heading there to make reservations in advance, especially if it is a weekend. 

I would have taken a picture of the dimsum menu where we tick our selection of dimsum items but for the fact that I was just way too hungry and too distracted by all the activities going around me. Ok excuses, I just wanted to eat, and the faster we ticked our orders, the quicker the food will be served.

We ordered a bowl of century egg porridge and fried noodles. My mum claims that the fried noodles at East Ocean is different from those served outside which is partly true. The noodles are more springy without the cloying taste of ghee. As for the century egg porridge, I was completely in love with it. I love the Cantonese congee where the rice is boiled into a smooth white paste without the defined grains.

My favourite deep fried prawn spring roll. I love the prawn spring rolls! Big juicy crunchy prawns with a little meat wrapped in a layer of crispy bean curd skin. The small little brown balls are actually fried mushrooms. The mushrooms were rather average, nothing very much to scream about. The last item in the picture is the steamed carrot cake which is easily another one of my favourite. Smooth, soft and absolutely delicious.

Hohoho my ultimate favourite! Custard buns! The custard filling was totally oozing out of the bun and the "skin" of the bun was thin and chewy. I love the custard filling, an exotic mix of savory and sweet.

The steamed shrimp rolls at the top left hand corner in the picture below is my all time favourite in dimsum restaurants. Most dimsum restaurants do not have it (Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine and Canton Paradise both did not have this wonderful item) so I always count myself lucky when I managed to snag a portion. The steamed shrimp rolls were good, fully absorbing all the sauce they were braised in. I don't eat chicken feet so that was my dad's favourite. The steamed squid in XO sauce was another fantastic dish! The squid was steamed so long, it became tender and very well braised.

I found the siew mai and har kao pretty average though. The prawns were fresh and succulent for both but the pork in the siew mai tasted a bit stale.

Till the next family Sunday brunch!

#05-08/09 Ngee Ann City

Bali Day 4, Biku, Tanah Lot, Ginger Moon

I've read a lot about Biku before going to Bali and was very keen to try it. Biku is famous for their tea snacks  and tarot card reading. We decided to drop by for lunch on our 4th day in Bali and found out to our utmost surprise that it was a short five minute stroll from our villa! In fact, it was so convenient, it was the second most visited location after Potato Head.

Everything was very quaint in Biku. There is one corner dedicated to books and little items for sale and small wooden tables arranged neatly around the cafe. There is an outdoor sitting area if you are interested, but I was much more fond of sitting indoors and away from the crazy heat outside.

It was lunch so I decided to skip the famous teatime snacks and chose a main course instead. I had Ayam Rica Rica which was basically spicy chicken and stir-fried kang kong. A simple dish which was done very well! I love the soft tender chicken marinated with the yummy spicy sauce. The boyfriend had a burger which I did not try because it came with a beef patty so I helped myself to the fries instead. Very crispy fries!

Just in case you were wondering, I did not try the tarot card reading. As much as I am curious about the future and always wonder what the future holds for me, I am terrified as well. I don't suppose a trip to Bali would be a good time for me to confront my fears so there. I chickened out. 

We went back to our villa and lazed around until it was time to go for our Tanah Lot trip. We booked the Tanah Lot trip through our villa and the driver came promptly to pick us up. It was a 40 minutes ride, pretty smooth and we missed the crazy rush hour traffic (thankfully). The price of the Tanah Lot trip did not include the entrance fees so we paid when he drove us up to the counter.

The whole place was amazingly crowded. It was just filled with people everywhere. And I really mean everywhere, like you cannot turn around without bumping right into someone else. The surf was large around here, it was just strong fierce currents hitting the cliff repeatedly with sea spray going everywhere. As you can probably tell from the pictures below, we did not have much luck because it was dark, gloomy, and the clouds were definitely threatening to dump their load down on us (which they did less than an hour after we arrived).

When it began to rain, our driver herded us over to the hilltop cafe and asked us to take a seat because we can see the sunset from there. Unfortunately, the downpour meant that we did not have a glimpse of the spectacular sunset which Tanah Lot is famous for. What we did have was spending some quality time sipping beer, enjoying the strong gusts of wind, watching the waves crash against the cliff and basking in each other's company. Oh and not to mention getting a little wet in the down pour. I thought it was pretty hilarious how we were both trying to keep dry but eventually just giving up and sitting there being semi-soaked in the rain.

When we were done with our beers and the rain became smaller, we decided that it was time for dinner. Our driver on our trip from the airport shared with us about Ginger Moon and told us that they served awesome fusion food. It was either that or Ultimo which sounded really boring so I decided that we should definitely try something new and special.

The fusion food at Ginger Moon basically comprises of a mix of local and western delights. We ordered some fried rice, Babi Guling pizza (suckling pig pizza) and stir fried kangkong. The fried rice and stir-fried kangkong tasted average, exactly like what I expected and there was hardly any surprise. However the Babi Guling pizza was the bomb! I loved it. Crispy thin crust pizza with a generous serving of suckling pig. So delicious and definitely not like anything I have tasted before. The boyfriend was not too fond of the pizza though because he enjoys his pizzas with cheese and this didn't come with any. Oh well.

Read about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 5 and Day 6!