Japanese🍣🍱🍜

Pretty decent Tori Katsu curry although I did think that it was a bit pricey. It could be because of the location at a tourist attraction, because I remember eating Nigaata Bento a few years back at Tampines Hub and it was affordably priced around $7. I must say that you have to really manage expectations. This is definitely not comparable to Katsu curry one can find in a restaurant setting. But it’s decent enough for the standards of a small chain like Umi sushi.

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Yeah this sounds a bit weird right, but according to the menu, which claims that this was the number one topping in Japan, and is always served with a bottle of tabasco. I love tabasco, so why not give it a shot right. My first time at Sukiya, a Japanese guidon chain, I was surprised to find a plethora of options from curry rice bowls to miso salmon bowls as well. So whether you like beef, chicken, or are pescatarian, there would be something for you here. Another thing which amazed me was the relatively affordable pricing. If one opts for the simple option of the regular sized Gyudon, it would only cost them $4.50. With pretty efficient service (though not a big seating area), I do think it is pretty worth it!

The melted cheese gyudon did not strike me as extremely melty — I really was expecting more creaminess from it. However, after a bit of mixing, the combination of three cheeses was trumped by the mozzarella-stringy cheese like texture. Ultimately, I did not think that the cheese contributed much to the don except for a slight creaminess, but in terms of taste and flavour, it was lacking. Then again, the meat itself was not the most flavourful. It did come with a slight juiciness and sauce, but it did feel a bit lacklustre in taste.

With Sukiya’s affordable prices and decent quality of food, I see myself coming back so that I can try more of their items on their menu! The more enticing items will inevitably be more expensive, but hopefully Sukiya is able to deliver and match up in terms of quality.

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Decided to try a seafood based ramen from Tsuta this time, was a bit apprehensive so I did not want to go straight for the premium option. The premium option costs $23.90, with premium kurobuta loin and iberico, as well as a Japanese snow crab served in a beautiful looking crab shell. However, the ordinary version contains their normal cha siu slice as well as crab meat. The broth itself was complemented with tomato paste and sour cream — odd, but I have to say that while I was unable to taste much of it in the broth, it perhaps helped in terms of giving a creamier texture to the soup. The seafood broth was rich, amounting to somewhat like a thicker consistency of prawn soup to me. One downside is that there did not seem to be much crab meat in the bowl of ramen. I did think it was a delicious bowl of ramen, and I would personally go for the premium option next time to enjoy more and seemingly higher quality ingredients. If you love seafood broth ramen, this is worth a try.

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Promising smooth and chewy udon, I’m so pleased that Tamoya managed to live up to this expectation. I’ve personally never ever been a fan of udon because of its thickness, but I decided to take a chance on this since the restaurant was bustling with people and warranted a long queue during peak hours. To my pleasant surprise, the udon feels different from other Japanese outlets, as it was fresh and smooth, making it more palatable for me. There was a nice and delicate chew to it, but not anything mushy. I went for the curry option and it was decent — mildly sweet and not spicy at all. Beef slices were juicy in flavour, sweet and slightly fatty, and also a pretty decent portion. The pickles, onsen egg, and tempura crisps were welcome additions to the bowl of curry udon. A good place for affordable Japanese bowls!

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I’ve patronised the branches of Tsuta at Jewel and VivoCity before, but this is my first time at Tsuta’s new outlet at Somerset 313, a new dining concept that serves up more than just ramen, but also rice bowls, makis, and various sides.

I’ve tried the mala tonkotsu ramen before and I enjoyed it, but what I felt like I could somehow better appreciate the flavours here. The mala had a good spicy kick, but what I liked the most about this was that the tonkotsu element remained apparent, and the pork broth shone together with the mala spiciness. These two flavours were not just separately in the soup, but complemented one another — just like how a fusion bowl of ramen should be.
Also plus points for the ajitama because it was so damn good. Flowy egg yolk with a great shoyu flavour. Writing this is making me crave it all over again!

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For those who prefer chicken broth over the tonkotsu pork broth, Tsuta does a brilliant job at it as well. The spicy chicken flavour really gives a kick — I must say, it’s even spicier than the mala broth. The broth here was also flavourful, and the chicken pieces were tender. Great bowl of ramen here!

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Norwegian salmon sashimi slices were fresh and sweet, served in 3 different cuts. It was an unorthodox experience to have Salmon sashimi in a Chinese Restaurant because I always have them in a more Japanese setting, but I thought this was pretty decently done!

Bring your sashimi-loving friends to enjoy 2 of these for the price of 1 with Burpple Beyond!🎉

Thank you Burpple & TungLok for the invite!

Finally had my very own fire experience at Menbaka Ramen! Tried the Tonkotsu ramen which they claimed had a recent new and improved collagen broth. I really enjoyed the light and flavourful taste the broth had. It was not too heavy, but still very tasty. I like how the fire experience really gave a slight char to the surface of the soup, meat and spring onions, as well as a slightly burnt aroma which made it feel all the more delicious. However, the price point for the ramen was indeed on the high side. I felt like I was paying for the once in a lifetime fire experience instead. The portion was on the smaller side, and there was only one piece of chashu together with lots of spring onion. Nonetheless, it is worth a try especially if you want to experience the gimmicky fire experience for yourself!

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The Kara Miso Fire Ramen was a good amount of spicy. The spiciness was more towards the mala kind of spiciness, and the broth texture overall remained light (albeit slightly oily). Just like most ramens there which undergo the "fire experience", there was a nice aroma and slight char to the overall flavour of the broth. Price point is on the higher side especially for the portion — so you're really paying for the fire experience (if you do decide to sit for it).

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Swiss-style potato shreds with mentaiko. I liked how the potato shreds were not soggy but crunchy and yet soft at the same time. It was also of good length — which made me feel like I was eating potato noodles!! The mentai cream was heavenly!! It was smooth and slightly salty, I only wish that the mentai could bring out the spice in the chilli pepppers slightly more. Nonetheless, the mentai sauce and the potato shreds came together very well as a savoury small hotplate. A warm comforting carb-loaded dish that I will recommend to share as it gives your more tummy space to order other small bites!

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Deep fried tofu in a generous amount of dashi gravy. I was surprised that this dish came hot, as I often had it cold. I however, seemed to prefer this version way more though! Comforting and appetising all at the same time, this is a very good way to excite your tummy for a good start to the meal.

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Don't know where they actually got this from, but it is unlikely that they actually made this themselves. It was a nice drink and tasted really good!!! Not too sweet nor sour. Hope I can find it somewhere someday🤣

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