Yonehachi, Takashimaya

The boyfriend and I spend a lot of time in town wandering around and seeking nice food. We decided to explore the Takashimaya Food Hall and found a short queue in front of Yonehachi. Yonehachi is located in a small little corner near Cold Storage and there are some tables arranged neatly behind the main counter.

The specialty at Yonehachi is the healthy Okawa rice. Okawa rice is a sticky rice with a variety of different ingredients. There are many different types of Okawa rice at Yonehachi. You could choose to have red bean, chestnut, vegetables and gingko, salmon, or scallop Okawa rice. You could also have the Okawa rice by itself or together with grilled fish or teriyaki chicken in a set.   

We ordered at the counter and a waitress led us to an empty table behind. The queuing and seating system was not very orderly and we spotted some people skipping the queue. Upon spotting an empty table, they made a bee line for it even though the waitress told them repeatedly that they were supposed to join the queue and order before being seated. 

The boyfriend had the Salmon Okawa Rice with chicken cutlet. The Salmon Okawa Rice was lightly salted and very fragrant. However,the chicken cutlet was dry, tough, and very bland. The miso soup was also very watery and boring.

I ordered the Hotate Okawa Rice (scallop okawa rice) with chicken teriyaki. The Hotate Okawa Rice tasted lighter than the Salmon Okawa Rice and definitely less salty. It was thus kind of bland as well. The chicken teriyaki was dry and tasteless as well. The chicken was not well-marinated and not well-grilled.

If you wish to have something light and healthy, Yonehachi's okawa rice is definitely a winner. However, I would strongly recommend that you order the okawa rice only, without the accompanying meat dishes. Their chicken dishes were sorely disappointing and it leaves me to wonder whether the fish would be any better.

#B204-1/2 Takashimaya Food Hall
63338227
Daily 10:00 - 21:00

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Picture courtesy of wikipedia

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng is another recommendation by my awesome friend at work. The recommendation stood up to scrutiny once again and The Garden of Evening Mists is a mind-blowing piece of work.

The story revolves around Teoh Yun Ling, a retired judge who suffered from aphasia. During the Japanese Occupation, Yun Ling was a prisoner in a Japanese civilian camp with her sister, Yun Hong. Yun Hong did not make it out alive while Yun Ling managed to escape. After her escape, Yun Ling decided to approach Aritomo, the Emperor's gardener, to seek his help to build a Japanese garden for Yun Hong. Aritomo refused but decided to keep her as an apprentice so that Yun Ling could learn how to build a garden by herself. In her time as Aritomo's apprentice, Yun Ling became his lover until the day when he disappeared in the jungle during one of his walks. Yun Ling returned to Cameron Highlands after her retirement and spoke to a historian Tatsuji and learnt that the Japanese had a secret program to loot valuable items in occupied lands called Golden Lily. She soon discovered that Aritomo was likely to be involved in the Golden Lily program and left clues to the location of the looted treasure (and her former internment camp) in the tattoo he created on her back. Yun Ling decided to restore Aritomo's garden before she destroyed the tattoo on her back herself. 

The Garden of Evening Mists was an unpredictable read. It kept me thumbing continuously through the book, in fierce anticipation about what was going to happen next. The story never quite concluded anything, but left you to draw your own conclusions. There was no answer regarding Aritomo's disappearance or perhaps, there never was supposed to be one. There was no answer about the location of the treasure. or the camp, or Yun Ling's promise to free her sister's spirit from the camp's location. There was no proper conclusion, other than Yun Ling's decision to restore the garden and hints that she will lose herself in the jungle one day just like Aritomo did, so as to protect the clues to the treasure on her back. 

This is a book that is more about the journey than the destination. The start was incredibly slow and the first few chapters were a pain to pull myself through. There was no climax because the story circled between the past and present with no clear demarcation. There was no end and no closure. However, the story captivates the reader because of the flow and the style of writing. The writing was very good, descriptions were apt and smooth, and the words had the magical quality of transporting me to Cameron Highlands each time I picked up the book. 

This is one good read for nothing but the pleasure of reading. 

Big Mama Korean Restaurant, Tiong Bahru

The best friend and I wanted to try Big Mama Korean Restaurant for awhile and finally got around to doing so one day after work. I thought we could just walk in, but she decided to call and make a reservation. When she dialed for a reservation, the waitress commented that they were full from 7 pm to 8 pm so we had to settle for a 8 pm reservation. 

I was immensely grateful that she made a reservation in advance and I would strongly advise everybody to do so. We reached slightly past 7 pm and strolled into Big Mama, thinking we might be lucky enough to snag an empty table. It was impossible. The place was extremely crowded and the waitress told us nicely to return at 8 pm. We decided to while time away window shopping at Tiong Bahru Plaza, which honestly had nothing much. It was such a boring neighbourhood shopping mall.

Big Mama was a casual, no-frills restaurant, bathed in extremely bright white lights that bounced off whitewashed walls. Decoration was kept to a minimum. A long counter stood at the back where the kitchen was and simple tables covered the main area. The white walls were covered with large posters highlighting the chef's recommendations at Big Mama. The menu at Big Mama was slightly different from those of the usual Korean restaurants like Doongji and Togi, with an emphasis on Dakgalbi (spicy grilled chicken) and Suyuk (Pork Belly). Big Mama did not have the usual Korean stews that we were used to such as the seafood stew and army stew. 

After much debate and consideration, we finally decided to go with the Dakgalbi. The waitress set up the pan above a portable stove on our table and allowed the raw vegetables and marinated chicken to sit for awhile. She came back regularly to toss the food in the pan and spread the sauce evenly around. 

While the waitress busied with the pan, we were stuffing the side dishes into our mouths hungrily. The side dishes were good. The kimchi was very well-marinated and crunchy, while the vermicelli was chewy and fragrant with sesame oil. The sliced lotus root with sesame dressing was refreshing too.

When the Dakgalbi was ready, it looked way more appetizing than when the raw version just arrived. The sauce covered every single item evenly and everything looked red and spicy. We started eagerly the minute the waitress left and were awed by how delicious it was. Everything soaked up the sauce incredibly well, especially the chicken cubes. The chicken was tender and juicy, with a burst of flavour. The vegetables were crunchy and I love the rice cakes!

When we were almost done with our Dakgalbi, we ordered a portion of fried rice. The waitress brought a bowl of rice to the pan, turned the stove on, and scooped the rice into the pan. She proceeded to add sesame oil, chilli sauce, and kimchi into the pan, before starting to prepare our fried rice. Seaweed was added as a finishing touch. The fried rice was very yummy too and I loved how it was prepared right in front of us.

The downside of having food prepared on your table was the heat that emanated from the portable stove and the smell of food in your hair. I was feeling quite hot towards the end of the meal because we were sitting in an enclosed area with weak air-conditioning and subjected to the heat from all the stoves around us. Probably not the best place to sit around and chat because it does get very hot and humid after awhile, without any natural breeze or air-conditioning.

There were also some hits and misses with the service. The waitresses were evidently overworked and hassled. I was greeted with a curt remark each time I asked for something like a refill of side dishes or more drinks. The usual response was something along the lines of "Could you ask somebody else? I am [insert activity]". Almost all of them were doing something so it became a challenge to get anything at all. 

Big Mama is a short walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station. When you exit from the MRT station in front of Tiong Bahru Plaza, cross the road and turn left. You will reach a small lane on your right and Big Mama is the first shop along this stretch. 

2 Kim Tian Road

62707704

11:30 - 14:30

17:30 - 23:00

open daily except Monday

Kok Sen Restaurant, Keong Saik

Dinner with the girls one day after a particularly tiring day at work and we decided to drop by Kok Sen Restaurant along Keong Saik Road. I had dinner at Taratata Bistrot the first time I visited Keong Saik Road after it received a hippie face lift. The restaurants in the area seemed very exciting but it was not until last week that I visited Keong Saik again. 

We wanted to have zi char so we settled for Kok Sen Restaurant. We arrived slightly past 7 pm and all the tables were occupied. After loitering around for awhile, we spotted a family getting up to leave and swooped over to claim the table as ours.

We ordered Prawn Paste Chicken and Spinach with 3 Eggs (egg, salted egg, and preserved egg). We also asked for some recommendations and settled for the Braised Yong Tofu in Claypot and the Crispy Noodles with Prawns.

The Prawn Paste Chicken was not too bad. Nicely fried and crispy with pungent prawn paste. However, Kok Sen probably used frozen chicken because the chicken was quite dry and lacked the usual juicy texture that would make Prawn Paste Chicken a delicious treat. 

The Braised Yong Tofu in Claypot was not bad too. The Yong Tofu items were stuffed with meat and cooked in a thick brown stew. It was quite tasty but not incredibly mind-blowing.

The Crispy Noodle with Prawns was apparently one of Kok Sen's specialties. This dish had the potential to be fantastic. The noodles were crispy, the tangy sauce with eggs was sweet and spicy, the prawns were very fresh and juicy. But one thing spoiled it all - the oil that was used to fry the noodles. The oil was not fresh and had a very weird after taste. This caused the noodles to taste like smelly overused oil. What a bummer.

The Spinach with 3 Eggs was good! Clear tasty soup, fresh spinach, and a generous serving of eggs. This was the one dish I really enjoyed.

Would I come back to Kok Sen Restaurant again? Perhaps, but only if they use better oil for their Crispy Noodle with Prawns.

30B Keong Saik Road
62232005
Opening hours: Daily, 11:30 - 22:30

Mitsuba by Yurine Japanese Restaurant

This is not the cheapest of lunch options in the area and we only come around to Mitsuba occasionally when we feel the urge to splurge. Or perhaps when we need really nice food to cheer ourselves up. This was probably the fifth time I visited Mitsuba before I decided to do a review.

Mitsuba is opened by the same chef behind Chikuwa Tei and Wasabi Tei. I am fond of both Japanese restaurants and it seems normal to expect a similar high standard at Mitsuba as well. Thankfully, Mitsuba did not disappoint. Mitusba is decorated in the traditional Japanese style with wooden tables lining the glass wall, overlooking the Singapore river. If you need more privacy, you can request to be seated in the small partitioned areas which are separated with large wooden frames. It is dark and cozy, with faint Japanese music drifting out from the speakers.

I love their Salmon Sashimi Don ($18). The sashimi slices are just so thick, juicy, sweet, and fresh. I order this every time I visit Mitsuba and each time is just as good as the last. This is definitely my all-time favourite.

I decided to try something new during my most recent visit to Mitsuba so I ordered the Hotate Zosui instead ($15). The Hotate Zosui essentially means scallop porridge and I was excited to try Japanese porridge. The Hotate Zosui was served in a claypot with the soft rice grains immersed in a thick clear stew. There was an egg on top of the porridge which I stirred into the stew. The stew was light and refreshing with slices of scallop and prawns within. This was a very interesting find and I was so satisfied after this homely meal. 

My experience at Mitsuba with respect to the service has always been somewhat odd though. I was told sternly that I could not take any photographs inside the restaurant the first time I visited Mitsuba. This included photographs of the interior design of the restaurant and the food I was eating. Someone would appear at my elbow to chide me each time I was poised to capture a shot so I lowered my camera phone obediently. The next few visits were more regular and mundane, nothing out of the ordinary happened. There has been some technological improvements during this period of time as well and there are Ipads resting on each table for us to key in our orders electronically. 

My recent visit was just weird. The waiter was abrasive and rude, making all sorts of inappropriate comments. We were a group of 5 girls with 1 guy. When the bill came, the waiter tossed the bill at my male colleague and demanded that he settle the bill. It was so odd that all of us were stunned into silence.

#03-88 The Central

6 Eu Tong Sen Street

62270388

Opening hours: 

11:30 - 15:00

18:00 - 22:00

Picotin Express, Quayside Isle

I had to collect tickets from the Sentosa ticketing counter for our retreat the following week so I asked the boyfriend to drive us in on a bright sunny Saturday. We decided to park at the Sentosa Cove village where the parking was $3.20 per entry. We took Bus 3 to Merlion where the ticketing counter was located and collected the tickets. We spent some time walking around Imbiah Lookout so that I knew where the attractions were before taking the Sentosa Express back to Beach Station. Strolling along Siloso Beach, we watched as the setting sun spread a warm glow on the beach clubs and the crowd milled around nosily. After awhile we decided to take Bus 3 back to Sentosa Cove.

Quayside Isle is a new dining establishment in Sentosa Cove. It is located near to the Sentosa Cove Village right beside the docks where the boats are moored. There are many restaurants and cafes at Quayside Isle with familiar names such as Kith Cafe and Brussel Sprouts. It was not too crowded in the late afternoon and many patrons were nursing a beer or wine in the hot sun. 

Dusk arrived quickly and we were greeted by a spectacular sunset. It was quite cloudy at first but the clouds parted slowly, revealing a huge ball of gold in the distance. It was breath-taking watching the sun creep slowly into the waters below. I love sunsets.

We chose to have our dinner at Picotin Express and placed our names on the waiting list. It took us almost 30 minutes before we were seated. I would strongly advise all who wished to visit Picotin Express to make a reservation in advance. 

Being inside Picotin Express made me feel like I was eating at a little seaside diner in Bali or Krabi. The interior design was dark and modern, with large fans whirling overhead. You could have your dinner with an unobstructed view of the dock and the marvelous sunset. When night fell and the warmth from the sun receded, a steady night breeze filled Picotin Express. It was calm and peaceful; I could probably trick myself into believing that I was at another beach getaway.

Portions were hearty and well worth the price. The Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas was pretty decent. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender within, with a thick slice of fish inside the batter. They served vinegar with the Fish and Chips ($25), just the way I like it! I am particularly fond of dousing my fish with vinegar. However, the fries were quite limp and cold which suggest that the fries were left sitting out in the open for a very long time. 

The 12 inch Falabella Pizza ($22) was nicely baked, with a thin crust and lots of ham, mushroom, and cheese. I like skinny pizzas and this one at Picotin Express was happy comfort food indeed. It was definitely not spectacular, but it does make me happy.

The truffle fries were a complete winner. Not only were the fries thick and fat just the way I love them, the truffle oil was extremely fragrant and the cheese slices were just so tasty! Definitely one of the better truffle fries around.

Prices are definitely not the cheapest around town, but that is to be expected since Picotin Express is parked right in the middle of the luxurious Sentosa Cove.

I like Quayside Isle beyond a shadow of a doubt. I like the fact that it is located beside the sea which momentarily satisfies my desire for a beach getaway. I like the fact that it is away from the city crowd, away from the noise and bustle, away from everything familiar. I like the fact that it is not a shopping mall because I am just so tired of shopping malls. I like the fact that we can hide away for one Saturday and not think about anything at all. I am not bombarded by signs and symbols of city life, of a constant rush of activities, of work and commitments. Instead I am surrounded by luxurious residences which I know I can never own, boats which I will probably never set foot in, a lifestyle that is completely out of reach. And I can trick myself into believing that I am not here, and suddenly everything that ever worries me is a million miles away. It is indeed a million miles away. 

#01-06 31 Ocean Way Quayside Isle

64384747

Opening hours:

Mon - Fri: 5 pm - Midnight

Saturday: 12 noon - 1 am

Sunday: 12 noon - Midnight

Public Holidays: 12 noon - Midnight