Romankan Yokohama @ Takashimaya Basement Food Hall

I have meant to try the katsu at Romankan Yokohama for sometime, especially after a previous sampling of their katsu sandwich. So I found myself there the other day for dinner. Realized that the novelty of the Takashimaya Basement Food Hall has worn out, and the restaurants were quite empty. Anyway, I decided to order the Katsu Curry Set, paid for it, and found myself a seat.

The set came shortly. Aside from the token pieces of vegetables and three potato wedges, it was rice, katsu and curry, plus the side salad that consisted mainly of shredded cabbage. The curry captivated me, since you can see fibres of meat and bits of vegetable in it. It gives the curry a bit of texture and a whole lot of individuality.

On to the katsu. It was nice and crisp. A good katsu. Although I found that the katsu sauce on the table tasted of chemicals. Well, the katsu and curry combination was great. As for the salad, I did not appreciate the generous amount of mayonnaise on it (would have told them to skip it if I had known). Else, the whole set is quite a good meal.

That said, the "restaurant" is totally open, and you have to queue to pay before you get your food. That makes places like Tonkichi much nicer to go to, but comparable to Ginza Bairin in 1ON Orchard.

Rating: 7/10
Website: none
Address: #B202-04, B2 Takashimaya Food Hall, Ngee Ann City Tower A, 391 Orchard Road
Phone: 6738 2505
Hours: 1000 hrs - 2100 hrs (Sunday to Thursday)
1000 hrs - 2130 hrs (Friday and Saturday)
Price: $1/2

Original Review for Romankan Yokohama

Ristorante Pietrasanta @ Wessex Village

Ristorante Pietrasanta occupy a section of a old building in Wessex Village just next to the Temasek Club. They are run by two Italian brothers from Tuscany. The place exudes a rather relaxed atmosphere, since it is surrounded by the leafy surroundings of Wessex Village. Dropped in for dinner on Saturday, and had a 6 pm sitting, since it was fully-booked for the 8 pm sitting (there was a dinner party).

Our party of five started with a combination of starters, as well as a ham and mushroom pizza. The selection of Italian cold cuts were spectacular, as was the pizza.





For the mains, we had a variety of pasta and risotto. Each won praise from the dinner party.





For dessert, we decided to try a sample of their favourites. The La Torta di Pistocchi is imported from Italy and is a chocoholic's dream, and the Coffee and Cream Panna Cotta is an interesting take on the classic Italian dessert. The infusion of coffee takes off some of the richness of the cream.





I have to say that it is Italian food, wonderfully executed. The surrounding is also casual and relaxed, which makes it a wonderful restaurant. It is a place to drive to, even though parking can be a little difficult at times, but that is because the bus only travels down that stretch of road once every half an hour. Perhaps it is this lack of public bus connectivity that lends the place its unique charm.

Rating: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.ristorante-pietrasanta.com/
Address: #01-03, 5B Portsdown Road
Phone: 6479 9521
Hours: 1145 hrs - 1430 hrs
1800 hrs to 2230 hrs (Monday to Saturday except Tuesday)
1145 hrs to 2230 hrs (Sunday)
Price: $$1/2

Royal China @ Raffles

Those who know the Chinese restaurant scene in London, will know that Royal China is considered one of the best and most accessible Chinese restaurants, and the queues for their dimsum lunches.



In their migration to Singapore, they also decided to borrow the most famous dish from their Queensway competitor, Mandarin Kitchen, Lobster Noodle. As the name of the dish suggests, it is a lobster-based dish, and is not cheap. In fact, the price for just that dish would set you back about $100.

The dimsum at the restaurant is good, especially the steamed items. The chefs have the skill and finesse to keep dumpling skins paper-thin, and yet firm enough that it does not break when you pick them up with chopsticks.



I think Royal China at Raffles is one of the best dimsum restaurants in Singapore, although there is quite a bit of competition at its location. Wah Lok at the Carlton Hotel and Lei Gardens at CHIJMES are both good and only a short walk away. Perhaps that is why the restaurant continues to not be overly crowded, and manages to exude a quite charm.



Rating: 8/10
Website: http://www2.royalchinagroup.biz/?cid=38
Address: #03-09, Raffles Hotel Arcade, North Bridge Road
Phone: 6338 3363
Hours: 1200 hrs - 1500 hrs
1800 hrs to 2230 hrs
Price: $$$1/2

Hu Hu Udon @ 1ON Orchard

I noticed that the turnover of stalls in the Basement Food Hall at 1ON Orchard is quite quick. I am not surprised, since not many people seem to patronize the stalls there, and rents must be prohibitively expensive. Many of the vacated stalls have stayed empty.

Anyway, I decided to try Hu Hu Udon, as I continue to try to get a grasp of udon eating. Since I started eating Curry Udon, I have been quite addicted, so I decided to get a Katsu Karai Udon.



There is a large piece of chicken katsu, served on top of the curry udon. The katsu was a little disappointing, since the meat looked a little too processed. The curry udon, however, was much better. Bits of meat are apparent in the curry sauce and is well complemented by the thick strands of udon.

As with the other stalls in the Food Hall, ambience is lacking, but prices are slightly cheaper than in restaurants. Perhaps people do not mind paying more for the ambience, and that is why the restaurants in the building are better patronized than the Food Hall.

Rating: 5.5/10
Website: none
Address: #B4-56/57, 1ON Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn
Phone: 6509 3256
Hours: 1100 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $1/2

Yoshimaru @ Holland Village Revisited

I was pretty happy with Yoshimaru the last time I visited, so I joined my friends there for a late dinner. Ordered the Toasted Seaweed Ramen.



Everything looked normal until I tucked in. The ramen noodles were clumped together and uncooked. Obviously, the ramen was not even loosened when it was cooked. The experience was bad enough to downgrade this institution. I am even left wondering if I will ever come back, considering there are so many ramen-ya around in Singapore...

Original Review for Yoshimaru at Holland Village

Romankan Yokohama

Romankan Yokohama is a tonkatsu joint at the revamped Basement Food Hall of Takashimaya that also houses Tsuru-koshi Udon and Baikohken. They boast of a handmade katsu sandwich, so I was interested to see how it stacks up against the sandwich made famous by Ginza Bairin.



At $3.20 a pop, the sandwich is not cheap. What it has over Ginza Bairin is the lettuce and tomato that they add to the sandwich. If you ever try the sandwich, make sure you get a fresh one, since they make their sandwiches in batches and the katsu can be cold and toast, soft, by the time you buy your sandwich.

Flavour is good for the sandwich, and I realize that Romankan Yokohama does not serve the lettuce and tomato in their katsu sandwich in other countries like Hong Kong. Is it better than at Ginza Bairin? I am not sure, but their sandwich is slightly healthier with the greens. Will return to try their tonkatsu one day.

Rating: 7/10
Website: none
Address: #B202-04, B2 Takashimaya Food Hall, Ngee Ann City Tower A, 391 Orchard Road
Phone: 6738 2505
Hours: 1000 hrs - 2100 hrs (Sunday to Thursday)
1000 hrs - 2130 hrs (Friday and Saturday)
Price: $1/2

Tomi Sushi @ Millenia Walk Revisited

Went back to Tomi Sushi to try the fattier cuts of tuna. So, this time, I ordered the Omakase Sashimi, which is $92++ for two.



The sashimi platter came shortly, and not only had maguro, but also chutoro and otoro, amongst the other cuts of fish. The fish was as fresh as fresh could be, and the cuts were generous and succulent. I guess that $92++ for dinner for two (not including starch and such) is not exactly cheap, but I will say that you pay for what you get. In this case, lovely fresh cuts of fish, served with pride and care. Will definitely be back.

Original Review for Tomi Sushi at Millenia Walk

Kazokutei @ Plaza Singapura Revisited

Was quite interested in what the Curry Udon at Kazokutei would turn out to be like after tasting the one at Tsuru-koshi Udon, so I trekked to Plaza Singapura to give it a try.



Also decided to try the kakiage and ebi tempura while I was at it. The curry at Kazokutei is definitely meatier than at Tsuru-koshi Udon, with slivers of meat in the sauce. It did have a slightly sour tang to it that took some getting used to, but the flavour was good.



The kakiage was done in a tower-like piece, resembling the tahu telur in Indonesian restaurants. There were shrimps on top, and the rest of the tower consisted on slivers of vegetables, including pumpkin, carrot and long beans. While there was a lot of vegetable for the money, there was too little tempura batter, and the overall product was not as crisp as one would expect from a tempura. The ebi tempura here is much better than at Tsuru-koshi Udon, with a light batter.

Overall, I rate Kazokutei better than Tsuru-koshi Udon, the other specialist udon eatery. It is cheaper, and in a proper sit-down restaurant environment, and produces better food too!

The Original Review for Kazokutei at Plaza Singapura

Daikokuya @ Paragon Revisited

It was kind of a last minute choice of ramen, Daikokuya at Paragon. Had the Kogashi Miso Ramen this time, as well as original gyoza.



The ramen was nice and firm, and the broth was rich (although there was a little too much pork fat for my liking). There was a slice of kamaboko, a slice of pork belly chasu, menma, black fungus and some beansprouts. The charred garlic oil certainly adds a dimension to the flavour.



The gyoza was the usual gyoza that most are familiar with. Nothing special, although some of the skins were already torn by the time they were served.

The Original Review for Daikokuya at Paragon

Tomi Sushi @ Millenia Walk

Was told that Tomi Sushi has quite a following in Japan. It hails from Niigata and has since opened 14 branches in Japan. For those who do not know, Niigata, on the northwest coast of Honshu is known to produce very good rice and sake. With that in mind, I had to give it a try.

I guess that the price point may put a lot of casual diners off. The location and decoration is more on the casual side, but many of their set meals run into a few tens of dollars. They had a dinner set that was $48++, but I decided to get a Sashimi Moriwase and a rice set.



The sashimi selection was good, with two pieces of each of the five different selections of fish and ark clam. It came with a dollop of real wasabi, which is rather rare in Singapore, even at that price point. The whole thing was nicely arranged and decorated, sitting over a bowl of ice. The pieces of sashimi were succulent and very fresh, and makes me realize why I love sashimi so much. None of the usual insipid slivers of fish masquerading as sashimi, this is true blue sashimi. The rice used comes from Niigata, which probably accounts for the $6 price for the rice set (which includes a bowl of rice, a miso soup and some Japanese pickles).

The restaurant has quite a bit of Japanese clientele, which attests to the authenticity of the food and the standard of sushi and sashimi. I will definitely return, and probably pluck of enough courage to order some chutoro (I find otoro a little too fatty).

Rating: 8/10
Website: http://www.tomisushi.asia/
Address: #P03-04, Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard
Phone: 6333 4633
Hours: 1130 hrs - 1500 hrs and 1700 hrs - 2230 hrs
Price: $$$

Tsurukoshi Udon @ Takashimaya Basement Food Hall Revisited

I thought that I would make a return visit to Tsurukoshi Udon, since I first visited them when they first opened, and was wondering if standards would change.

Ordered the curry udon this time, and a piece of kakiage and two pieces of ebi tempura. Their order before getting seated puts quite a lot of people off, but I guess it has to do with their limited seating.



The curry udon was basically udon in their curry sauce, with a single piece of parsley for decoration. For $9, it may come across as a little steep, but the sauce was actually delicious.



Unfortunately, the ebi tempura was still as disappointing as before. The kakiage was delicious though. Quite a generous serve of vegetables topped with shrimp, coated in tempura batter and fried. Oishi!

Next time, I think I will stick to the kakiage and the udon. The curry udon is good. I wonder how it stacks up against curry udon at Kazokutei.

Original Review for Tsurukoshi Udon

Ippudo Tao @ UE Square

I mentioned that I have been wanting to try Ippudo Tao at UE Square, so I trekked down today. Arrived early in the evening, before any crowd could even build. The air-conditioned interior is quite small, although it is supplemented by quite a lot of outdoor seating. So, bear in mind if you want to sit inside, do arrive early.

Since it was the first time to Ippudo Tao, I decided to try a bit of everything. Ordered the Fried Young Corn, Tao Kuro Tamago (ramen) and a Tao Matsuri Menshi (rice bowl). I asked for the rice after the ramen, so that I could concentrate on the flavours presented.



First up, the fried young corn, which is deep fried and sprinkled with salt and a herb and spice mix. The corn was still crunchy, and the seasoning gave it a nice edge.



I realized during my last visit to Ippudo that the thickness of the ramen served varies with the broth you choose. The Tao Kuro version comes with a thick ramen, similar to the local mee-pok (or linguine). I guess it is similar to the ramen in Keisuke's Watarikani ramen. The broth is topped with the trendy black garlic oil and a dollop of miso. It comes with two slices of belly pork, cabbage, black fungus, minced pork and the ajituke tamago. I was surprised that the broth tasted quite different from the original broth in their Shiromaru ramen. The inclusion of both the black garlic oil and miso added another dimension to the broth. The flavour of the shitake was less apparent, but replaced by the depth of miso and garlic oil. The thicker noodle also gave it more bite. Quite satisfying. Would have gone kaedama if I had not ordered the rice bowl.



The rice bowl comes with come belly pork, shredded egg, seaweed, mentaiko and mayonnaise. Good thing the rice bowl is not too big, since it would be difficult to finish after the ramen and it is also quite rich. That said, it was a great mix of flavours, from the pork, mayonnaise to the mentaiko. And a good mix of textures, which included the seaweed, shredded egg and mentaiko.

I will definitely be back to this place. Will try their kushiyaki the next time, since I did not have any space left in my stomach this visit.

Rating: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.ippudo.com.sg/
Address: #01-55/56 UE Square, 207 River Valley Road
Phone: 6887 5315
Hours: 1100 hrs - 1500 hrs and 1700 hrs - 0000 hrs (Monday to Thursday)
1100 hrs - 1500 hrs and 1700 hrs - 0200 hrs (Friday and Saturday)
1100 hrs - 2300 hrs (Sunday)
Price: $$

Original Review for Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery
Subsequent Review for Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery

Ootoya @ Suntec City

Ootoya at Orchard Central has been overwhelmingly popular amongst Japanese and locals alike ever since it opened. So it is not surprising that another outlet has been launched at Suntec City. The Fountain area will definitely provide the outlet with good customer traffic.

Decided to get a bite to try the new outlet. I guess its proximity to another Tonkichi outlet (just like at Orchard Central) will provide some competition, but Ootoya's grilled menu items should provide some differentiation.



Ordered an Ume Chicken set, which is a fried breaded chicken, served tonkatsu-style, with salted plum sauce. The chicken was nice and crisp, yet moist in the middle. It was accompanied by the usual Ootoya appetizers, as well as a serving of shredded cabbage, as well as unlimited refills of rice.

This new outlet seems to be well patronized, and is a great addition to the Ootoya stable.

Rating: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.ootoya.com
Address: #B1-057 Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard
Phone: 6837 3718
Hours: 1100 hrs - 2130 hrs
Price: $1/2

Review for Ootoya at Orchard Central

Ippudo @ Mandarin Gallery Revisited

It was a Thursday night and the queues at Ippudo were still very long. My friend who started queueing actually waited in line for more than an hour.



Tried the Shiromaru Ramen this time instead of the Karaka-men, which was a great decision. It actually allows you to experience the full complexity of the pork broth. There were wonderful notes of shitake mixed in with the tonkotsu base. It was so good that I asked for an extra portion of noodles!

Must make a point to visit Ippudo Tao, their sister outlet at UE Square...

Ootoya @ Orchard Central

I was introduced to Ootoya by a friend who took me there. I actually like the family restaurant concept, as well as the central tatami seating area (which many locals tend to consider a hassle). More than that, I like the fact that they list how many calories the meals give, so that diet-conscious patrons can keep track of their calorie-intake for the day.

I had ordered a Charcoal Grilled Chicken with Orange and Vinegar Sauce Set. You can order either a set (which adds two appetizers, soup and rice for another $5) or "ala carte". I also ordered grated yam on my first bowl of rice (tororo). Subsequent bowls of rice are free, but without the yam.



The entire set came in no time, delivered on a tray. The main of chicken looked lovely, presented over a bed of vegetables (broccoli and cabbage amongst others). The appetizers consisted of a small portion of cucumber with salted plum, and stewed chicken with vegetables. Tucking in, the chicken was done perfectly - tender and moist with the hint of the charcoal grill. The soup looked like the standard miso, but was much heartier, with diced potato and even some chicken.



Decided to wrap up the dinner with a dessert of Green Tea Mousse and Milk Ice Cream and Sweet Red Bean Paste. The combination was an interesting one, and offers much more than a usual green tea ice cream you get at many a Japanese restaurant in Singapore.

Rating: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.ootoya.com/
Address: #08-12 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road
Phone: 6884 8901
Hours: 1200 hrs - 2130 hrs
Price: $1/2

Review for Ootoya at Suntec City

Ginza Bairin @ 1ON Orchard

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, situated in 1ON Orchard made a name for itself as the first place to serve katsu sandwiches. Popped into the shop one night to have a try.



Bought a box of katsu sandwiches, and ordered a kurobuta katsu don. The katsu sandwiches are what you expect them to be. Crisp katsu with katsu sauce between slices of white bread. The katsu don had a pile of kurobuta pork katsu over a bed of rice, covered with an egg gravy and topped with an egg. I found the flavour good, but the effect of the gravy on the katsu diminished the crispy edge of the katsu. The kurobuta pork was tender and flavourful.



Rating: 7/10
Website: http://www.ginzabairin.com/singapore
Address: #B4-39-42 1ON Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn
Phone: 6509 8101
Hours: 1100 hrs - 2230 hrs
Price: $$

Mr. Curry @ Marina Square

A friend and I met up for lunch and were walking around Marina Square. Chanced upon Mr. Curry, which is a brand of Japanese Curry restaurants by Waruku Holdings. In fact, this outlet at Marina Square shares the location and kitchen with a Waruku restaurant. We were so taken in by the mascot that we decided to try.

We each had a katsu curry rice and shared a seafood salad. The curry comes in four different varieties: The Original, The Red (Fresh), The Black (Rich) and The White (Creamy); and in three degrees of heat: Non-Spicy, Spicy and Very Spicy.



The seafood salad was non-offensive, with prawn, scallop and squid added to the greens that came with a Japanese-style soyu-based dressing. I had ordered the very spicy original sauce katsu curry, while my friend had the spicy black sauce.



The Very Spicy sauce had quite a bit of heat, so I was quite pleased, even though the sauce was not even as good as Curry Favour (although I do not know what has happened since they vacated from their location at Stamford House). The Spicy sauce was not very spicy, though I expect that Japanese probably find it so.

Rating: 5.5/10
Website: http://www.waruku.com.sg
Address: #01-213 Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard
Phone: 6883 1123
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2300 hrs
Price: $1/2

Nando's @ Tanglin Mall

I had noticed that Nando's had opened up at Tanglin Mall while I was on my way home a few nights ago. Decided to give this outlet a try, even though the previous experience with the outlet at Bugis Junction was appalling.

Nando's has to do something about their wait staff working as greeters. I arrived during lunch, and the greeter at the front seemed to be more interested in chatting to her colleague. Good thing her colleague noticed me, and got me seated.

The restaurant was not crowded, with about five tables filled. Good thing that even though I was seated in a corner, hidden from the rest of the restaurant, that service was actually quite prompt (a huge improvement on the Bugis Junction outlet, where I was seated in full view of everyone and still had to wait for service). Ordered a half-chicken with coleslaw and peri-chips, which was delivered to my table in no time.



I must say that although their serving of coleslaw was generous, the peri-chips looked a bit pitiful. They were both tasty, although the coleslaw tasted a bit on the sweet side. The chicken was quite a generous portion (you have to order half for a main meal, quarter is just too little), but was way too salty. I don't know what it is with Nando's, but they are very heavy-handed on the salt, even with their sauce. Thank goodness the coleslaw was there to take away some of the saltiness.

The outlet gave a much better experience than their sister outlet in Bugis Junction. Too bad that it is so new that it is not even listed on their website! I will still vote Barcelo's for the better peri-peri chicken in Singapore. Will have to try their concept restaurant at NEX...

Rating: 5.5/10
Website: http://www.nandos.com.sg/
Address: #01-14/15 Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road
Phone: 6235 3555
Hours: 1000 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $$

Shimbashi Soba @ Paragon

Shimbashi soba is part of the RE&S Enterprises, which runs a number of Japanese eateries in Singapore such as Kuriya and Ichiban Boshi. The soba shop makes its own fresh soba, with a machine in the shop window that grinds the buckwheat flour. The buckwheat is grown in Tasmania, and a picture in the restaurant shows a picture of the buckwheat fields.

One of my first experiences with soba, was cold zaru soba that I was served as a child when I flew JAL to the United States. It was a new experience for me then, eating noodles cold, but I enjoyed it. This taste for cold soba has stuck with me, and I still eat zaru soba on a regular basis.



I ordered a set that included soft-shell crab, salmon sashimi and unagi, plus the soba. I opted for cold soba. The standard of the sashimi, crab and unagi is typical of what Ichiban Boshi throws out. Pleasant enough, but not fantastic. It is something that fills your stomach, but not something you miss when you are away. The soba was good, but that was about it. I describe it as food prepared without love or pride. It is mass-market, meant to please the wallet. There is even a rewards card that can be used across their group of restaurants.



Rating: 5.5/10
Website: http://www.sobaworld.com.sg/
Address: #B1-41 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road
Phone: 6735 9882
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $$

Marutama @ Liang Court

Marutama opened up at Liang Court some time ago, perhaps to ease the burden on the original outlet at The Central. It makes sense since it is reasonably close to The Central, almost walking distance. It is positioned on the second level of the mall, just next to the entrance from the overpass.



While many ramen-ya maintain Japanese chefs to maintain authenticity, Marutama has localized. In fact, the two chefs in the kitchen where from China. The ramen is cooked via a timer, which beeps when the ramen is done.



I ordered my usual Nama Karashi Ramen with Ajituke Tamago and an order of gyoza. Having been to the original outlet at The Central not too long ago, I think that that outlet serves better ramen.

The Ajituke Tamago was still lovely and gooey in the middle. I think Marutama is the only ramen-ya that consistently produces that standard of egg. Even though the ramen is cooked by timer, I felt that the ramen at the other outlet had slightly more bite.



The gyoza is served boiled, rather than fried. It is also served in their sauce, so you don't mix your vinegar and chilli oil by yourself.

Next time I crave Marutama, I think I will head to The Central...

Rating: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.ma-rutama.co.jp/
Address: #02-01/01 Liang Court Shopping Centre, 177 River Valley Road
Phone: 6837 2480
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $1/2