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[Tanjong Pagar, Singapore 🇸🇬]

Mentaiko Mac & Cheese (S$16++)
Macaroni, bérchamel, mentaiko, parmigiano cheese, nori, scallops

Strawberry Blossom

ToMo Cafe
Address 🛖 : 57 Neil Road, # 01-01, Singapore 🇸🇬 088893
MRT 🚇 : Maxwell

[CHINATOWN, SINGAPORE] Definitely a very decent Japanese restaurant with a live yakitori stand in front of you, but they do have a few slight misses!

Their lunch menu is much more affordable as compared to their ala carte dinner menu, with the Yakitori Bento ($18.50) being one of their most popular options. I've had this bento many times and their yakitori is decently tender and is well seasoned. The bacon okra was very smoky too! However, the other sticks weren't as good as I remembered, as the tsukune or meatballs were slightly dry, and I felt like the quail eggs weren't grilled enough. I added the medium set ($6) that comes with kaarage, which was decently tender in some parts but rather dry for others.

The Aburi Mentai Salmon Don ($18.50) was surprisingly much better, as it not only had a generous portion of salmon and mentaiko sauce, the salmon was so fresh and rich as well! We opted for the largest set ($9), which came with assorted sashimi which was so thick and chunky 😍

Strange, I remembered the yakitori being really mind-blowing. Perhaps I ate too many really good ones in Japan 😂 nonetheless, this is still a pretty decent Japanese restaurant that you can try!

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I also tried Dry Ramen with Grilled Beef ($17.90). The grilled rib eye is tender and the Korean ramen is thick and chewy. This is tasty and not too salty - reminds me of Jjapaguri with steak as featured in the Korean movie Parasite (which I attempted to recreate during Circuit Breaker😂).

The Okonomiyaki Fries ($9.90) definitely exceeded my expectations. The freshly fried shoestring fries are drizzled in okonomiyaki sauce, mayo and bonito flakes - this is crispy and soooo delicious! Definitely something I will re-order again.

Gui’s Premium Rice Box ($18.90) features a dosirak (Korean lunch box) packed with marinated squid, stir fried Korean fishcake, luncheon meat, kimchi, seaweed, a sunny side up, picked radish and rice. I gave the lunchbox a good shake and everything is mixed together into a delicious bilbimbap. The portion is very generous and this is one satisfying lunchbox!

Part of the one-hour tea experience ($48)

Then came, the Daifuku Zunda Zenzai, it was a star. And so was my choice of a clean-tasting Uji Hinoka Straight Tea. Sitting on a moat of chilled edamame broth, the red bean-filled mochi was yummy~ The skin was a little thick but reallytender-chewy and went swimmingly with the yuzu kanten jellies. Perfectly tangy (delivering that amazingly pleasant zing to your palate), the jellies which were coloured slightly with beetroot juice, helped brighten and balance the other elements. The kinako powder was also such a lovely touch as it added that nutty fragrance. Oh and because the broth is unsweetened, the finishing drizzles of Japanese black sugar syrup were chef's kisses. 

A year later, I am finally back at Paaru パール for Tea instead of their walk-in menu. In July 2022, I went to Asaru Studio for their ‘u c h i’ experience on an impulse and likewise, I booked a weekday slot for their 8-seater tearoom earlier this month after a crazy day at work.

Serving their spring menu, the cosy one-hour tearoom experience ($48) was a wonderful respite with two wagashi and accompanying teas to pair alongside. I love that there were 2 teas to choose from for each course. To start, I had the Uta no Mori Matcha with the 'Ukishima’. Embellished with a pickled sakura at the top, the layered steamed cake was presented with ice cream sandwiched in between - a very intriguing and refreshing match. The white bean paste flavour was pretty distinct for me but was overall a very light-tasting sweet.

Went to GUI 2 weeks ago and ordered their Mentaiko Fries ($9.90), Dosirak Rice Box ($15.90), Dalgona Honeycomb Coffee ($9.90), and a Matcha Latte ($5.50)😇 Overall ratings 8/10! Food was pretty good but not impressed with the drinks🤧 Wished there was more mentaiko on the fries too but the Rice Boxes were good💯 May head back next time to try other mains!

They have only one thing on the menu - carbonara Udon and it was done very nicely with just the right art of cheese & pork bits

The omakase restaurant in a boutique hotel is interesting. Worth a visit.

- Very unique dish served with ikura for a burst of umami and creamy egg mayo sauce 🍳
- Salmon was a little fishy but paired well with the dark soy sauce.