Konjiki Hototogisu Chijmes

To be honest, I have never heard of Konjiki Hototogisu during my trips to Japan. When I first heard from a friend that a Michelin Bib Gourmand ramen store from Tokyo was coming to our sunny island, I was baffled. What is this Konjiki Hototogisu about?

We went down one day for lunch (perks of working in City Hall) and the queue was not too long, thankfully. We were seated quickly and ordered. All of us picked the Shoyu Hamaguri Soup Ramen.

The appetizer arrived and we were surprised to find a small bowl of rice with clams inside. It was a cold dish and very light and refreshing. The clams were sweet and fresh. 

Next up, the ramen! There were step-by-step instructions on the table telling you the tips to enjoy this bowl of ramen. First, you were supposed to hold the warm bowl of noodles in your hands, and inhale the aroma. Next, you try the broth before mixing everything and tucking into the bowl of soup with noodles.

The broth was light and delicious, with a slight hint of black truffle. The noodles were thin and springy. The thin slices of cha shu was not bad, fresh tender pork. The egg, which we ordered to share, was unfortunately nothing to scream about.

Now waiting to see if the standard will remain after a few months.

#01-17 Chijmes 

30 Victoria Street

Singapore 187996

11:30 am to 10 pm

Haru Chazuke Grain Bowl

This is another really old post. Dinner with some old friends and I suggested Haru because I'm a huge fan of rice bowls and chazuke and Haru sounded like a good combination of both.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the old Singapore Badminton Hall along Guillemard Road, Haru was quite empty when we arrived after work on a week day.

Our friends were late so I ordered a Iced Hojicha Milk Tea while waiting with Stef.

Eventually, they were so late that we decided to go ahead and order first, mostly because I was famished. I chose the popular Poached Lobster Chazuke. Air-flown bamboo lobster with gochujang dressing, hanjuku egg, pickles and nori. Was told to stir the ingredients in the grain bowl first and try some before pouring the bonito kelp broth inside. I love it with the bonito kelp broth! The broth was so light and refreshing, and went perfectly with the items in the grain bowl. 

I would really recommend their grain bowls because it is so warm and hearty!

100 Guillemard Road #01-06 Singapore 399718

12 to 3 pm, 6 pm to 10 pm (closed on Monday)

11D8N Eastern Europe Tour with Chan Brothers Day 7 - Budapest, Hungary

Bright sunny day with perfect clear blue skies. So blessed to experience snow in some places especially during Christmas and perfect sunny weather on other days. Started the city tour with the local guide at the castle district. Learnt that the turul bird was a legendary bird that guided the Hungarians from Asia to Europe.

Check out the turul bird at the side.  We wandered around the King's wing of the castle and enjoyed the good weather.

 Watched the changing of guards at 10 am.

Then went to the Fisherman's Bastion. The view from the Fisherman's Bastion was amazing, but be prepared to jostle with a huge crowd. The guide explained that the Buda side of the city was hilly while the Pest was flat and the Danube River separates both.

Visited Gellert Hill which also provided perfect views of the city!

Made another stop at Heroes Square in the day. The view in the day was really quite different from the night, and the statues looked so majestic against the blue sky.

The coach bus dropped us at Vorosmarty Square and we were free to walk around and explore the place. We had lunch (on our own expense) at Hard Rock, and I was so full from the huge portions. Was so nice to sit in the warm Hard Rock, eating yummy burgers and fries, and chugging down a mug of beer.

Need to say this again - the weather was so nice!! I love winter days with warm sunshine and clear blue skies. Walked along the Danube River to enjoy the sunshine and when the sun started to set, we went to Cafe de Paris for a cup of coffee and to use the loo.

After coffee, we took the optional Danube River Cruise. The illumination of the castle, the Parliament House, Fisherman's Bastion and the cathedral was so beautiful. Sipping the glass of wine, enjoying the cold night wind on my face and cruising along the Danube River, I'm reminded of a phrase from the movie Me Before You. Having possibilities is a luxury. I've been so swept up in the hustle of work that I have forgotten to stop and really enjoy the time I have with the people I love. I am so lucky to be able to come on this trip, to see these beautiful sights, to experience a White Christmas, and to be able to do so with my family.

After the Danube River Cruise, we went for a Hungarian Folklore dinner as part of the tour package. There was a quartet performing through the night and traditional dance performances. The traditional hungarian food of chicken, barley and pasta didn't really suit our palate but it was interesting. They also gave us a shot of alcohol, red wine and white wine, so there was a lot of alcohol floating around. We bought a bottle of wine here with our photo printed on it. A complete touristy gimmick, but hey, I'm a tourist so I loved it!

Check out my post on Day 1 ,  Day 2 , Day 3,  Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6.