Suparakki Ramen

I’ve got to confess I don’t usually visit local ramen restaurant before I visit Suparakki Ramen, but my first visit there really got me awed. Yes, although the name sounded Japanese (which means Super Lucky), it is really the joint effort of three local passionate chaps who undergone rigourous training in Japan prior to setting up restaurants here. Knowing that they probably cannot challenge the legacy of major ramen chains here, their strategy is to keep their price modest while delivering quality noodles. To sustain that, you can see the decor are basic, tables are optimised, leaving barely much room for manoeuvre, and even diners have to fetch their own noodles when their numbers are flashed, in other words, self-service. In trade-off, of course, there will be no service charge. Diners basically order and pay upon entering, and will be given an electronic buzzer before getting into the restaurant to choose their seats.

Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ramen, $9.90+

Suparakki Ramen use typical Hakata-styled noodles, and hard boiled Tonkotsu broth for 6 hours without adding MSG. I had this Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ramen, which is the most expensive ramen on their menu, and comes with two thin slices of Charshu, half a runny egg, scallions, black fungus, and seaweed. Even though without using MSG, I did not notice any unpleasant pork scent in their broth, which was overpowered by the nice aroma of black garlic anyway. In addition, I was also asked upon ordering whether I’d like their normal or spicy version, which I selected the latter, without incurring any extra charges. It can hardly go wrong with the thin Hakata-styled Hosomen used, which was cooked to a perfect firmness too. Frankly speaking, for such quality and configuration, one usually pay double the price from an established Japanese ramen chain in sunny island Singapore. As a matter of fact, I just patronise one the day before, seriously, double the price 😛

Tonkotsu Gyokai Ramen, $8.90+

My dining partner ordered their Tonkotsu Gyokai Ramen, which is the integration of pork and fish broth, while the ingredients inside are the same as mine. Again, no unpleasant pork smell, came with a hint of bonito, but I ain’t suggesting that they merely using Bonito flakes. It’s saltier, and Suparakki claim that their broth is akin to Tsukemen, where the broth is usually thicker, but not in this case certainly, or else it would be too excessive.

Set A, Ebi Fry ($5.50+)

For an additional $5.50+, I got 3 Ebi tempura plus a drink of my choice, which I selected Heaven & Earth Ayataka Green Tea. They do serve hot green tea too, as well as Coke, and if i remember correctly, mineral water. I have to say their choice of beverages are quite limited, but who cares when there are so many beverages option available in the malls they are located at. The tempura prawns are crisp, freshly fried upon ordering by the way. Besides Ebi Fry*, other option include Karaage and Gyoza, these, along with Chashu and Ajitama are also available as stand-alone add-ons. All in all, we were very satisfied with our meals, and I will surely return.

*Ebi Fry is not available at their Citylink Mall branch.

Subsequent Visit

My 4th visit came within a week from my first, you read that right, forth visit. I guess that’s sufficient statement to say how much I love their ramen, which is also reasonably cheap. My multiple visit only involve one new flavour, so I’ll just touch on their Dry Truffle Ramen here.

Dry Truffle Ramen, $6.90+

Suparakki Ramen’s Dry Truffle Ramen is using ingredients such as black fungus, half a runny egg, shredded seaweed, scallions, and braised pork cube, and of course, truffle oil. The chewy Hakata-styled Hosomen noodle is more springy than those in their broth ramen, and I feel in using braised pork cube instead of conventional chashu here is a masterstroke, the saltier pork raised the flavour of the noodle up a few notches, and the aroma of truffle oil is absolutely scintillating. The result is what made me go back repeatedly for more, this has got to be one of the best ramen I’ve ever tried, in my opinion, better than many I patronised in Japan. Having said that, I have to confess my dining partners have very contrasting opinion though, one of them like this because she dislike pork broth, another dislike this because she doesn’t like truffle scent. I can do with both! 😀

Suparakki Ramen currently have outlets in North Point, Westgate, and Citylink Mall.

Website: https://suparakki.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Suparakkiramen

&Joy Dining Hall

Yeah, the name &Joy Dining Hall does sound strange. It only recently opens at Jurong Point Basement along Japanese Food Street, and mainly comprises 6 main dining elements, namely Ramen Kiou, Sushi-GO, Roman.Tei, Pittarino, Wadori, and My Gohan. Some of these can be considered as stand alone restaurants, while others are sharing a common dining area. Besides that, there is also another sub-element, &Joy Eats•&Joy Drinks, somewhat like the drink stall inside a food court.

Realistically, I ain’t able to cover every element in my first visit, let’s begin with Pittarino, a stand alone pizza restaurant. I can understand, pizza is not really a Japanese thing, so why is it here?

Well, the Japanese are well known for their take on foreign cuisines, for example, ramen wasn’t really Japanese to begin with, but their evolution from their Chinese predecessors are so massive that these days, people tends to think the Chinese stole it from the Japanese because in general, ramen tastes so much better than many of their China counterparts. I said that not just because I love Japanese cuisines, but I had visited many cities in both China and Japan, and the probability of finding horrible noodles in China far exceed that in Japan. Coming back to pizza, I have to reiterate, I have been to Italy too, but ironically, I found the best pizza in Japan, seriously, inside a humble Kanazawa eatery, far away from the country’s culinary capitols (ie. Tokyo, Osaka).

Half – Half: Smoked Salmon & Prosciutto, $16++

This is only available during Pittarino’s opening promotion, offering half a slice each of their Smoked Salmon pizza and Prosciutto pizza, giving patrons a taste of both pizza for one price, both usually going for $17.90++ each (12″ whole pizza). One look at the pizza crust, you can tell it’s not pre-baked, it’s only baked upon order, because they can never anticipate what type of combination a customer wants. Amazingly, they can do it in 90 seconds! It’s not really a matter of speed, but by doing so in 90 seconds, they can maintain the juicy texture of the toppings, this is really how a good pizza ought to be done, and I can safely assure, you will find it very different from your usual pizza franchise.

Let me first touch on their Smoked Salmon pizza. It’s a cream based pizza with rocket, caper, tomatoes, lemon, and of course, smoked salmon. This is my favourite, and a chef recommendation. If the ingredient list ain’t sound convincing enough, the taste was fantastic, an excellent fusion of savoury, sourness, blend coherently with the cream to create a very appetising take, if anything, I thought the caper brought out the essence of the pizza!

As for the Prosciutto & Rocket pizza, despite having a more appealing appearance, would have to settle for second best. Prosciutto is Italian dried-cured ham, and naturally it’s slightly on the salty side, but the added tomato sauce, rocket, and Grana Padano cheese generate a good balance, and eventually, the juiciness truly made this pizza remarkable.

Tomato Cheese Ramen, $14.90

And this would be the ramen after it was stirred

Hailed from Osaka, Ramen Kiou’s signature ramen gotta be this Tomato Cheese Ramen. I believe the broth must be a pork based soup, but there is little hint of it as any Tonkotsu flavour is overpowered by the rich tomato broth. In the bowl, apart from the cheese, there ain’t any charshu, but only pork slices, veggie, and thin noodle. The taste is very much akin to tomato spaghetti but in a soup version. I’d say it’s very appetising!

Ebi Chahan, $8.90

We also ordered Ramen Kiou’s Ebi Chahan, and added a piece of Chashu. As can be seen from the picture, they use prawns and dried shrimps in their Ebi Chahan, but something just ain’t quite right. Perhaps it’s due to the dried shrimps, I smell strong aroma from that of mouldy food, quite akin to those you gather from Yam or Dried Mushroom fried rice. I don’t like it, I’d say, wasted the ingredients in this fried rice. I lose appetite straightaway. That said, I paid $2 extra for the chashu, which is great to be honest.

For Ramen Kiou, as it is basically a kiosk order, self-service concept, there is no additional service charges.

2nd Visit

Kiou Chahan, $6.90

For some reason, I didn’t order their ramen on my 2nd visit, and I had their Kiou Chahan instead. I won’t pretend this is fantastic, but it certainly tasted much better than their Ebi Chahan, no mouldy smell. Now, in my previous review, I did mention I was impressed by their chashu, and in this fried rice, shredded chashu is used, along with spring onions and egg. The aroma was good, and the chashu really brings out the taste up a notch.

Gyoza, $5.90

I also ordered their Gyoza. Ramen Kiou fried it in a way where the bottom is a big layer of flour, ensuring a larger area of crispiness at the bottom, while the top still retains chewy.

My dining partners both ordered their Abura Soba ($11.90), which was a little on the salty side, though the noodle was cooked to a perfect chewiness, according to them, so much so they claimed they would come back for this. For me, I am having reservation until I try it myself next time.

&Joy Dining Hall
1 Jurong West Central 2, #B1-49
Jurong Point
Singapore 648886
Website: http://njoydininghall.com.sg

Opening Hours~
Daily: 11:00 hr – 22:00 hr

Baan Ying

Credit: Baan Ying

One Meal Around Thailand

Mentioning set meals, I think most of us would easily think of Chinese, Western, and Japanese. And to me, Thai set meal is some kind of fascinating temptation that I have never tried before, despite the fact that I had been to Thailand a number of times. In collaboration with Tourism Authority of Thailand, Baan Ying presented One Meal Around Thailand to re-introduce Thailand’s four main regions via gastronomy adventures, and this is what I would call a bold initiative. Most of us would have known Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, and Phuket, but seriously, how many knew about Thailand is segregated into 4 main regions, namely Central, Northern, Southern, and North-Eastern? Anyway, let’s walk through Thailand in an almost effortless and tantalising way!

First and foremost, my apologies that this post came probably a month too late, as this set meal required prior reservation and was only available through Sep 2019, meaning this post is more of a documentation now rather than an introduction. Nonetheless, I hope it showcases Baan Ying’s authenticity goes beyond the popular Phad Thai and Tom Yam Goong that most of us are familiar with.

Baan Ying (which literally means Ying’s House in Thai) started in Bangkok’s Siam Square by Auntie Ying more than 20 years ago, and boasts a total of 7 restaurants in Bangkok’s prime location before venturing to Singapore in 2017. I thought the staffs’ English accent sounded a bit weird when I made the reservation, before I realise they are likely Thai locals who brought an aura of authenticity here on top of their cuisines. And yes, Baan Ying does offer à la carte menu apart from the seasonal set meal that we are having.

As soon as we were seated, we were served clay plate with banana leaf on top, along with a bar of aromatic soap (I don’t know what’s that for??), perhaps an indication that our meal will be a rather aromatic journey!

Maproa Nam Hom (Fresh Coconut)

Next, our welcome drink, Maproa Nam Hom, was shortly served. I guess this needs no further introduction in this region, and coconut juice is great in neutralising our taste bud before we indulge in exotic Thai gastronomy experience.

Larb Gai (Spicy Chicken Salad)

Larb Gai is a Northern Thai dish, commonly served in Thai merit and ceremony events. It is usually comprised of fragrant roasted rice, aromatic Thai herbs, chilli and lime juice, and typically served with sticky or steamed rice, here we had it on a crunchy cucumber, which offers an interesting contrast.

Vegetables… What’s so special about these? Nothing really. But wait.. these are actually supporting cast to the four sensational chilli dip that I’m gonna elaborate immediately below.

Nam Prik See Pak (Chilli Dip of 4 Regions)

You know, if the 4 chilli dip are introduced on their own, I think some diners may cry foul. But in truth, these aren’t the main dishes yet, and ought to be treated as another appetiser, and in fact the term ‘chilli’ is merely broadly used here, as not all the dip are really spicy, and for some, it’s actually more than just ‘dip’. Nam Pril See Pak here consists of 4 dips, (from top) Nam Prik Tah Daeng (Red Chilli Dip), Nam Prik Goong Seab (Dried Shrimp Chilli Dip), Soup Makuer (Spicy Thai Eggplant Chilli Dip), and Lhon Pla Kem (Salted Fish Dip).

Nam Prik Tah Daeng (Red Chilli Dip), a Northern Thai dip, is made with dried chillies, Thai fish sauce, and tamarind. But to me, this just taste like hot chilli, and the hotness is so dominant that the aroma of Thai fish sauce and tamarind were virtually overpowered. No prize guessing at the end of our meal, this was one that was very much left untouched.

Nam Prik Goong Seab (Dried Shrimp Chilli Dip) is a Southern Thailand dip where shrimps are grilled over low heat until dry, and then preserved and subsequently made into chilli paste. Sounds familiar? Shh… keep it quiet, if I say it is belacan, I think some of our neighbouring countries will begin making noise again! LOL! Geographically, Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia are connected on land, doesn’t surprise me that they may have common cuisines anyway.

OK, those two above are practically chilli that we are familiar with, but what follows will be more interesting.

Soup Makuer (Spicy Thai Eggplant Chilli Dip) is a salty and spicy dip made of boiled, tender eggplant and seasoned with Thai anchovy paste and dried chilli powder. In Northern Thailand, soup actually means ‘mixed’, and this is a very flavourful dip with texture like tamarind tuna.

Lhon Pla Kem (Salted Fish Dip) is a dip that represents the Sukhothai way of life and claimed to be made of smoked dried fish, minced pork, shrimp paste, and simmered in rich coconut cream. To me, the taste is akin to Thai green curry.

The last two dips are in fact, great to try on their own too!

Yum Yum (Salad)

I have still not come to the main dish yet, but this Yum Yum was presented in a rather fanciful way. The waitress asked whether we would like to experience mixing these ingredients ourselves? Thanks but no thanks, though I can envisage the fun, but we are a bunch of practically lazy bums who prefer to just eat. So the result above was what she mixed in front of us, better for the Instagram than if we did it on our own too!

This is actually Som Tum Tad (Green Papaya Salad Platter with side dishes). By the name of it, it’s not difficult to guess there’s a mixture of sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and spiciness all in one. According to Baan Ying, this is the traditional way to enjoy Thai salad, in a large bowl, somewhat like our rojak. Ingredients include green papaya, pork, eggs, bean sprouts, tomatoes, lime, and noodles.

Nam Anchan Maprao Pan (Frozen Butterfly Pea and Coconut Shot)

Just before we started the main course, Nam Anchan Maprao Pan was served. This is a refreshing shot of butterfly pea and coconut juice concoction and serves as a palate cleanser before the more exotic main courses are served. I simply love its colour and foam, and the taste is remarkable too, refreshing and not excessively sweet. The interesting part is, the waitress was very keen to inform us, that this shot ought to be finished in one gulp!

OK, let’s bring on the main dishes!

Gaeng Som Pae Sah (Fried Seabass in Tamarind Soup)

This sour curry dish from central Thailand comes in an interesting clay pot in the shape of a fish. It features a combination of sweet veggies, deep-fried seabass chunks, and tangy tamarind, and the result is rather appetising.

Gaeng Hang Leh (Pork Belly Curry)

Personally, I don’t like fatty dish, and these pork bellies are more towards the fatty side… Nonetheless, this ain’t your usual Thai green curry, it is a cuisine from Northern Thailand, and believed to have Myanmar heritage. It comes with a blend of saltiness, spicy, as well as mild sour.

Oh, I almost forgot, the main course was served along with generous steamed rice too!

Sator Pad Goong (Stir-fried Bitter Bean with Shrimp)

For Sator Pad Goong, this is really one I find complicated to appreciate. It is a Southern Thailand dish fried using shrimps, shrimp paste, bitter beans, and it was the latter which I simply dislike. Like its name suggests, it’s bitter. I’m not saying it’s bad, just that on a personal note, I find bitter beans hard to swallow, just like foreigners cannot stand durian. But apart from the bitter beans, the rest are delicious.

Khai Pam (Grilled Egg)

This is truly one for the Instagram, and there’s a saying that no Thai meal is complete without a Thai omelette. This is made by grilling an egg on a banana leaf over water. Unfortunately, it was too dry for my liking. I find its taste rather bland too, pity the scallions and coriander leaves don’t help much.

All right, that concludes the main courses. Last but not least, here comes the dessert!

Crème Brûlée Cha Thai (Thai Milk Tea Crème Brûlée)

OMG, this is heavenly! I love Thai milk tea, and to make them into crème brûlée is simply exceptional! I always regard Japanese desserts as the best of this world, but trust me, this one is at the same level, if not better. The rich and flavourful Thai milk tea made this a real seduction, and I can easily have two or more, if only my fellow diners are kind enough to offer me their take, I can finish them all! 😀

There’s also accompanying herbal tea to cap off our gastronomy evening, we were offered the option of Lemon Grass, Mulberry, and two more I can’t remember. We had Lemon Grass and Mulberry, but strange, the aroma are the same. We suspect the waitress must have given us all the same drink. As even though I had Lemon Grass, my tea lacks the usual aroma I was expecting.

In conclusion, I must confess Baan Ying’s attempt in bringing authentic Thai feast to Singapore has really open up my perspective of Thailand beyond the few touristy cities. Enjoying this set meal was like a brief geography lesson on Thailand which I feel is more fruitful than merely reading on Wikipedia or travel guide book. Once again, kudos to Baan Ying’s bold attempt in re-introducing Thailand in such untypical fashion, I look forward to knowing more mouthwatering treats from the land of a thousand smiles!

Baan Ying
103 Irrawaddy Road #02-07
Royal Square @ Novena
Singapore 329566
Tel: +65 91117852
Email: sawasdee@baanying.sg
Website: http://www.baanying.sg/baanying

Opening Hours ~
Mon – Fri: 11:00 hr – 14:15 hr, 17:30 hr – 21:15 hr
Sat – Sun: 11:00 hr – 21:15 hr

Flaming Don

I actually discover Flaming Don by chance, allow me to reiterate that if you are looking for authentic Japanese fix, then this is probably not your cup of tea. Flaming Don claims to offer modern take on Japanese rice bowl, meaning expect a little twist to your conventional Japanese donburi, and after eating, I have to confess, the chemistry is damn good!

Their eatery at Bugis + (not sure about their other outlet at Bukit Panjang Plaza though) is pretty much a self-service concept. You order from the automated kiosk, collect your order chit, then wait for your number to be flashed before collecting your order.

Salmon Don, $12.90

Their Salmon Don features grilled Norwegian salmon with runny fried egg underneath, along with broccoli and cherry tomatoes. Quite usually, certain ingredients in a dish will be inferior to another, however, I can’t fault any here at all. The vegetables are fresh, the salmon grilled to perfection with a crisp exterior but not overdone so that a chewy texture remains, even the egg still retain both attributes of a runny egg and a fried egg, the end product is absolutely flavourful!

Salmon Aburi Don, $12.90

It’s easy to be deceived by the somewhat lacklustre appearance of this Salmon Aburi Don in juxtaposition with their Salmon Don above. Blame it on my camera phone perhaps, but underneath the generous spicy mayonnaise, the salmon are cooked differently from their Salmon Don. I found the salmon interior still retain a semi-raw texture, and the cohesion with the spicy mayonnaise actually taste surprisingly good!

In both cases, I wasn’t sure whether Japanese rice are used (Japonica no doubt), but the end composition are more than satisfying, in fact, I was so impressed that I took another group of friends here for another round a week later. In addition, after I penned this review, I found out some very negative feedback about Flaming Don, I need to highlight that my visit was not sponsored, and I noted the items I ate are different from other reviewers. Seems to me their quality fluctuates like share market! LOL!

Flaming Don currently has two outlets, their flagship store is this one at Bugis +

Flaming Don
201 Victoria Street
Bugis + #05-02/03
Singapore 188067
Tel: +65 68357019
Website: http://flamingdon.com.sg/

Opening Hours ~
Daily: 11:30 hr – 21:30 hr

Shirakaba Sansou 白樺山荘

Miso Char-siu Men, $16

I have big sentiment towards Shirakaba Sansou dating back to 2007. It was the first of my 15 trips to Japan, having my first ramen in Sapporo from ESTA’s Ramen Republic. I walked around the premise and selected Shirakaba Sansou without prior research. Though I have little recollection on its taste, I remember it was a satisfying bowl of Miso ramen, with butter and corn among beansprouts and bamboo shoot. After a filling dinner, I returned to my hotel, grabbed my luggage, and took the overnight train leaving Hokkaido for Aomori. That time, I thought it would be my one and only visit to Japan, I never expected returning for a whopping 14 times more.

So when Hokkaido Marche brought Shirakaba Sansou over, I was naturally delighted. It was a big opportunity for me to relish a forgotten taste, despite the fact that since my first visit, I had re-visited Sapporo twice but not Shirakaba Sansou there.

Having said that, this bowl of Miso Char-siu Men is very different from what I ordered some 12 years ago in Sapporo, the ingredients are very different, notably the absence of butter and sweet corn. Pardon me, I wasn’t even sure the name of the ramen I ordered then, but I remember jotting down the name in a notepad and shown it to the staff, as the smartphone era had not really taken flight yet, and I couldn’t understand Japanese. Back to this Miso Char-siu Men… for $16, it came with 3 pieces of charshu, along with bamboo shoot, leek, black fungus, and seaweed etc. The noodle used was medium thick curly noodles, which was excellent in retaining the broth upon eating. Overall, it’s still a satisfying bowl of ramen but if I would have to grade it, I would say above average. One thing I like about Shirakaba Sansou is that, boiled eggs are available freely to patrons, which is not a common sight in Japan.

Shirakaba Sansou is actually housed together with Ajisai under Hokkaido Marche, but I chose to review them separately in case some of these eatery decided to brand out from Hokkaido Marche eventually.

Shirakaba Sansou @ Hokkaido Marche
181 Orchard Road,
Orchard Central
#B2 Unit 11 – 29, 44 to 48
Singapore 238896
Website: https://www.hokkaidomarche.com.sg/shirakabasansou

Opening Hours ~
Daily: 11:00 hr – 22:00 hr

Ajisai 味彩

Hakodate Shio Ramen, $12

This actually wasn’t my first visit to Hokkaido Marche’s Ajisai. The first time I had their spicy ramen, but this time round, I wanna try their signature, the Hakodate Shio Ramen. Hailing from the southern Hokkaido city, Ajisai came from the region famous for Shio ramen with a rich history of 80 years. They claimed their broth was made using pork, chicken, and natural rock salt on a base of kelp produced in southern Hokkaido.

I can’t deny their presentation looking kind of appealing, in fact, the above picture was stirred so that I can show the charshu hidden underneath, otherwise, the presented ramen looks like this:

Nice looking eh?

OK, now the harsh truth…

I had mentioned before, that there are 3 distinct species ramen in Hokkaido, namely Miso (Sapporo), Shoyu (Asahikawa), and Shio (Hakodate). Hakodate’s Shio ramen are generally boiled with some kind of seafood, such as sardines, kelp, etc, along with pork or chicken broth, or both, to give out a clear broth in light flavour. And personally, I feel Shio ramen is the most difficult to impress among these, because if too light, there may be little difference in comparison with just using salt, then the broth very well ends up worse off than instant noodles’. Unfortunately, that was the impression I had for this ramen. I need to reiterate, that I had tried Shio ramen before, both locally and in Hakodate, and this broth here is by far the blandest, apart from the presence of salt. To be honest, I can think of a few means to improve the flavour without taking away the fact that it being a Shio ramen, and that I feel a Shio ramen broth shouldn’t just taste like salt water, the chef needs to bring out the taste of other ingredients, otherwise why bother adding them in the first place? And without those, strictly speaking, I shouldn’t be looking at eating ramen at such price. The saving grace is that, at least the medium thickness noodle is chewy, and that the egg is sweet, with charshu flavourful.

Kara Miso Ramen, $14

I mentioned earlier that this wasn’t my first time patronising Ajisai. In fact, my first time was much more satisfactory with their Kara Miso Ramen, which I presume, aren’t their forte in the first place. I actually ordered that because I was craving for something spicy, and for a moment, I had forgotten that they are from Hakodate. The reason why I didn’t blog about this earlier was the lack of time. To be honest, I think their Kara Miso ramen contains more ingredients in comparison (cost more too), but those are literally fungus, and some other vegetables that I don’t think alter much flavour, just that their broth tastes so much desirable. Others such as egg, medium thick noodles, and charshu remain consistently good. OK, credit has to go to the Miso paste they used perhaps. At least I can say, this is that sort of ramen that I will return for, but I can’t say the same for their Shio ramen.

Ajisai @ Hokkaido Marche
181 Orchard Road,
Orchard Central
#B2 Unit 11 – 29, 44 to 48
Singapore 238896
Website: https://www.hokkaidomarche.com.sg/ajisai

Opening Hours ~
Daily: 11:00 hr – 22:00 hr

Tiger Street Lab

The brand Tiger Beer pretty much projecting Tiger Street Lab in Jewel Changi Airport as a drinking bar, but in fact, it’s more than that, it’s a collaboration with Keng Eng Kee Seafood (瓊榮記海鲜), and somewhat turned this premise into more of an eatery, therewith getting in line with Tiger Beer’s concept that their beer goes well with local food, and by setting up this first global experiential concept store at Jewel Changi Airport, I can sense their ambition to bring this idea in reaching out to visitors from all over the world.

Tiger Street Lab offers an open air dining aura that reminiscence a casual eatery, and despite situated in-house inside Jewel, the mid-noon sun can still be rather unforgiving. I understand visitors from the colder countries may love this, but for locals, who are over exposed to scorching sun on a daily basis, naturally prefer tables with shade, good thing Tiger Street Lab has a mixture of these.

Without further ado, let’s get into their food!

Moonlight Horfun, $10+

First, allow me to highlight, that this was a custom order. The legit order should have a raw egg yolk on top to represent moonlight, but the attentive waitress was sensitive enough to inform us that children may be a little allergic to the raw egg on top, so she suggested to have it well fried and stirred with the noodles. Kudos to their service standard! Nonetheless, this Horfun is well fried with great heat (wok hei), exuding an aroma of a typically excellent horfun, and it has a good portion of shrimps, squids, and sausages. It was so great, that we actually ordered two plates to share.

Truffle Fries, $10+; Crispy Chicken Wings, $14+

These are the kid’s order actually, who actually couldn’t finish them all, and I merely helped on the fries, so no comment on the chicken wings, but as for the fries, it was fried adequately, crisp on the outside and soft inside, and what made it special got to be the truffle oil infused mayonnaise dip.

Chicken Cutlet in Tiger Lemon Radler Sauce, $18+

The description stated, “Crispy and tender chicken cutlet coated in tangy lemon sauce reduced from Tiger Lemon Radler”, I am a little sceptical about that. Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t saying this ain’t good, quite the contrary, it was probably the best dish on our table. But I’m a lover of Tiger Lemon Radler, I’m pretty sure it isn’t thick enough to be reduced to become gravy. LOL! And actually, the lemon aroma was much more dominant than a can of Lemon Radler goes, and as you can see from the picture, the presence of lemon slices probably suggested that additional lemon juice, and possibly the inclusion of starch, are used in making this an exceptional savoury dish. It is possibly the best lemon chicken I’ve ever tried! Highly recommended.

Black Pepper Soft-shell Crab, $15+

Singapore’s chilli crab is famous in the region, but we decided to order something not as spicy, having its black pepper version instead. Now, I’m gonna elaborate how Tiger Street Lab, or for that matter, Keng Eng Kee Seafood are thoughtful for the diners, firstly here, by substituting all crabs on their menu with soft-shell crabs, thereby eliminating the hassle in eating crabs. Some may argue the taste may be a little different, though I agree to a certain extent, but let’s not forget their main targeted customers are still visiting tourists who may have a flight to catch, or who may have other activities in town, depending whether they are departing or arriving Singapore. And, for cases like us, who have kid among our rank, this was a very welcome attempt! While as expected, the black pepper coating ain’t likely leaving as deep an impression like its chilli crab counterpart, it’s still nonetheless chewy and offers a glimpse of how the real stuff would taste like. And particularly, I have to mention I love the fried buns (man tou), crisp on the outside, and very fluffy on the inside, and while dipping in the accompanied black pepper crab sauce, it was simply delectable!

Cereal De-shelled Prawns, $15+

Once again, their sincerity was shown in abundance through this dish. It’s quite unusual that Tze-char stalls bother to de-shell the prawns, these are extra works, and perhaps some may argue that by removing the shell, out also went some of the flavour of the dish. Personally, I like it this way, even as a Singaporean, I’m still struggling at de-shelling prawns and crabs, part of the reason why sometime I’m sceptical in ordering such dishes. I have to say, at $15, the price is considered reasonable given the amount of prawns, the cereals, as well as the effort. Rarely had I seen such generousity on the cereal, but on the other hand, I have to confess this dish fall short of expectation due to the lack of curry leaves. As such, the cereal prawns are somewhat on the salty side without the tint sweetness and spiciness of adequate curry leaves to counterbalance its flavour. Pity, this can go so much better.

I’m coming to the end of this review, but sharp eye readers may find that I missed out on an essential ingredient… Tiger Beer. Well, it wasn’t our fault really, we ordered a special Red Dragon Fruit Lager, but it never came. And as we were feeling excessively full after the meal, we simply requested the waitress to void that order upon settling the bill. I have to say, Tiger Street Lab offers a few exclusive Tiger Beer flavour not found in the market, so if you are dining here and crave for a drink, I suggest avoid getting the usual suspects, go for something exceptional. It may cost a few dollars more, but it’s a deserving experience.

Oh, by the way, Tiger Street Lab also sells merchandises, but these ain’t cheap.

Tiger Street Lab
Jewel Changi Airport
78 Airport Boulevard #05-205
Singapore 819666
Tel: +65 62432047
Website: https://tigerbeer.com.sg/tiger-street-lab/

Opening Hours ~
Daily: 09:00 hr – 03:00 hr

Mellower Coffee

Mellower Coffee @ Bugis

OK, I confess I’m not truly a coffee lover, and wasn’t actively following Singapore’s cafe scene. I didn’t even know Mellower Coffee’s existence until now, some two years after it set foot Singapore shore from Shanghai. It’s hard to associate the coffee chain with China initially, noting that its name did little to suggest that, but then again, coffee is not a China thing, it’s a western influence that’s fast gaining popularity all over the world, including China (I can rationale part of the reasons being Chinese are more receptive of anything foreign, on the other hand, with such name, it’s much easier to venture oversea). But end of the day, be it Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or even Mellower Coffee, none of their own country produces coffee beans, at best they roasted the imported beans, and in principle, it’s this process they are selling.

I probably won’t have set foot into this cafe if it wasn’t firstly a free treat. They are still relatively new, and their locations, apart from the one at Somerset, are quite out of the way for me, with their Robinson branch almost exclusively serving CBD patrons, and their Bugis flagship store more associated with National Library, I mean, there are so many cafes inside Bugis Junction and Bugis +, why would I walk further up the road for Mellower Coffee especially if I have to expose myself under the sun? Well, I shall explain shortly.

This review is a compilation of several visit, but for convenience sake, I will just document it under one post.

Let’s compare my favourite Starbucks beverage and Mellower Coffee’s, sense the difference? Yes, the coffee art. And it wasn’t just limited to Latte, Mellower Coffee applies that to most all of their hot beverages that contain milk, not to mention their pricing is competitive. But of course, if the taste isn’t great, no matter how much gimmicks you input makes little significance. Well, if you are asking about the taste, I’ll have to say it’s a matter of hit and miss.

Oh, by the way, the Latte art is not fixed, it is not a mean to identify your order and is actually random.

Cafe Latte, $6.20

Generally, whenever I first try a new cafe, I started with their Latte. I have heard rave review on how great it is prior to visiting, but actually, what they did was merely adding cinnamon powder into it, giving off an additional aroma to the usual Latte. So, for those who don’t mind cinnamon, it’s just a little surprise, nothing spectacular really. In any case, cafe like Starbucks do provide optional cinnamon, vanilla powder etc, patrons can add to their desire amount to create a personalise flavour. Unfortunately, my cuppa partner isn’t a big fan of cinnamon, no prize guessing her dislike for this. In any case, I am more of a vanilla person, I would have prefer a richer vanilla flavour. So for this aspect, I think it’s wise to keep it basic, and let patrons determine the portion of spices they desire.

Cappuccino, $6.20

Their Cappuccino is decent, rich, but otherwise very disappointing, because mine was served lukewarm. That happened to my cuppa partner’s Latte too. It may be that the barista is new, but for this price, there is absolutely no reason why the hot beverage can get lukewarm almost as soon as I fetched it to the table. I’m not expecting it to be pipping hot, it can’t, but it certainly cannot be lukewarm at the other extreme as if it had been brew and left cool for more than 15 minutes.

Matcha Latte, $6.00

Those who’s gunning for a genuine Matcha treat may be slightly disappointed with this, though this one was served at an adequate temperature, the Matcha powder just ain’t rich enough. I understand Mellower Coffee attempts to be a little special, but being outstanding doesn’t mean having to (in fact it’s wrong) reduce the characteristic of a Matcha Latte. Only mild Matcha aroma was presence, which led me to wonder whether it’s because of their more competitive prices. I do believe the proprietor must have tried Starbucks’ version before, in addition, I can share even McDonald’s in China serves better Matcha Latte than this.

Matcha Frappe, $7.00

I actually like this perhaps for the whipped cream on top. I could be wrong (then again, there ain’t right or wrong answer on this aspect actually, just personal preference), but I found myself more acceptant to their cold beverages despite this also has less Matcha aroma than I anticipated. I like the sweetness it brings as well as the chilling factor in a hot afternoon. Who knows? Maybe if I visited in the evening, I may have generated different perspective, but I’m more likely going for their hot beverages if I did anyway. But yeah, I like its richness nonetheless.

Sweet Little Rain, $9.80

This is Mellower Coffee’s signature item, and as they put it, it’s actually hot American coffee coupled with sweet little sugar rain dripped from candy floss cloud. One thing for sure, it’s gimmicks, perhaps one for the Instagram. Nonetheless, kudos to Mellower Coffee’s creativity in bringing fun to a cuppa, and if you pay close attention, you can really see a drizzle of candy rain flying all over the table, melted by the heat from the coffee underneath, you gotta be careful don’t let the candy drizzle stick to your belongings! However, when it comes to the taste… erm, once again, let’s be very clear, if you are getting this, you are in fact paying for the gimmicks, not the coffee. The coffee itself is very acidic, great for those coffee addict perhaps, but a little too strong for my preference. Personally, I find myself needing some sugar even after the entire candy floss was dipped into the coffee, yes after a while, my patience runs thin, and I simply dip it in. LOL!

Ondeh X Latte, $9.80

Ondeh X Latte is Mellower Coffee’s exclusive creation for Singapore, although not as flamboyant as Sweet Little Rain, but cost just as much, but is actually more than just a shot of expresso plus a glass of coconut milk with gula melaka. You can probably notice coconut flakes intentionally sticking to the glass rim to create an Instagram-savvy impression, most importantly, it has a marvellous taste to match!

To be honest, when it was served, I had to ask the barista how am I suppose to appreciate this. She told me to adjust the quantity of the coconut milk into the coffee to create my favourite proportion. I ended up pouring them all in anyway! 😀 But really, come to think of it, it really should be the other way round, that the coffee to be poured into the coconut milk, cos that’s more of a drinking glass after all.

Alright, I think for the time being, that’s all I have to say about their beverages, let’s go on the the pastries.

Grilled Chicken Pesto, $7.90

At $7.90, I’m expecting their Grilled Chicken Pesto to be more flavourful. Unfortunately, it gave a stale bland taste which left me pondering whether we should have eaten our dinner at Delifrance or Subway earlier.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake, $7.00

We were frequent patrons of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and absolutely love their cakes, but this Salted Caramel Cheesecake was another disappointment. The taste is OK, but the texture, erm… slumpish. Once sliced, it crumbled like semi-molten lava, which I suspect was due to not been fridged long enough.

New York Cheesecake, $7.00

This is really how a decent cake should look and taste like, the cheesey taste is moderate, and in perfect firm cake shape, unlike our previous experience with their Salted Caramel Cheesecake. But in truth, it’s just average, nothing spectacular, and nothing to grumble about.

Matcha Mousse, $6.80

Their Matcha Mousse is at least refreshing, notably on its design. The macaron is interesting, along with the pyramid cube on the other end. Its appearance easily outsell the taste, which wasn’t bad really!

Earl Grey Lavender Cake, $7.00

I’m not sure whether Mellower Coffee’s cakes are seasonal, but when I wanna try their Matcha Mousse again, it was nowhere to be found, I saw their new Earl Grey Lavender Cake, and ordered this instead. As a big fan of Earl Grey Tea, I am having big expectation for this, and it certainly didn’t fail. I find the Lavender and Earl Grey aroma blending very coherently, and simply love the nutty texture of the cake.

I think I will visit again, I guess that tells I’m still satisfied with this cafe.

Ramen Sora

Miso Ramen Corn Butter, $12.80++

What happened to all those positive reviews on Ramen Sora when it first came to Singapore?

Me and my dining partner were rather enthused to visit Ramen Sora ever since they first set foot in Singapore’s culinary scene 2 years ago. As their origin is in Sapporo, which is famous for Miso Ramen, I had a Miso Ramen Corn Butter while my dining partner ordered their Spicy Miso Ramen.

When my noodle was served, I was a little taken aback by its appearance. The usual ingredients of a Sapporo ramen are all there save perhaps for the Miso, and the colour of the broth looks suspicious, looking more like a Shoyu broth. One try, and I failed to discover any Miso’s presence, with the broth tasting more like a rather bland Tonkotsu soup, which made me wonder, did they really boiled the soup for nearly a day as they claimed? Look, I ain’t a ramen novice, and I have been to Sapporo 3 times, a Miso broth shouldn’t taste this bland, and it wasn’t good enough to consider it a Tonkotsu or Shoyu broth either. It wasn’t really terrible, but mediocre. Even the charshu texture was a little stiff, overall, the result was more like something coming out from an apprentice. To put it simply, it lacks character.

Good thing my dining partner ordered something different, albeit still a Miso based broth nonetheless. But all she said was it’s more of a spicy soup, NO Miso. To add further insult, it tastes worse than what I can get from a food court for 30% lesser in price.

Seriously, are they hailed from Sapporo? I shake my head. I later found out, some recent reviewers in Tripadvisor shared similar opinions, but they are more vocal than me. Ramen Sora’s Singapore website is gone, their Facebook not updated for more than half a year. Looking at the pictures from other reviewers a year or two ago, their pictures on Miso broth are more vivid. It may be my guess, but it seems likely the original owner has sold the franchise but left only the name behind.

Unlike Arnie, I definitely won’t be calling ‘I’ll be back”.

Oh, by the way, contradicting to what some other blogger stated, Ramen Sora do charges GST and service charge.

Ramen Sora
277 Orchard Road, #B2-4A & 5
Orchard Gateway
Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 69090605
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ramensoraSG/

Opening Hours ~
Daily: 11:00 hr – 21:00 hr

Ramen Sora has ceased operation.

Ootoya 大户屋

Before I begin, allow me to highlight that this is a sponsored food tasting session initiated by J Passport.

This is the 2nd time I visited their outlet in Singapore, both visit at their Orchard Central branch. The first time was a few years ago and I didn’t bother to blog. But I was immensely impressed after visiting their branch in Sendai (Japan) last Summer, hence when J Passport offered me this opportunity for a food tasting here, I decided to re-visit.

The motto of Ootoya is to serve traditional Japanese home-cooked food with healthy and hearty ingredients that a mum would normally prepare for the family. As such, don’t expect flamboyant setting despite the slightly higher pricing as compare to their franchises in Japan, after all, somebody gotta top up the premiums for air freight, and naturally, it’s the customers.

I was offered the selection of a set menu, an à-la-carte, a Serio Soba, and a dessert. But as I don’t feel easy simply walking away without paying anything, therewith I also ordered a side plus beverages.

Serio Soba

It took quite a while, and the Serio Soba was first served.

There were apparently some communication breakdown here. Upon invitation, I indicated that I would be bringing a dining companion along, so I was assuming, as per my previous food tasting session, that each of us would have 1 set each. Perhaps I should have clarified, but when I learned (and it wasn’t from the staff) that there would be only one set for us to share, my dining partner had already finished up a big portion of it! LOL! By then, the Soba noodle wasn’t even cold anymore. So, what can I say about the taste? To be absolutely honest, whatever I have to comment would certainly be heavily discounted, but to quote what my dining partner mentioned, it was nice. And that the Soba noodle was at least chewy.

All I can add is what I researched from their menu, that they are using buckwheat flour imported from Hokkaido, and handmade in-house. In addition, I really like the way Ootoya indicates the ingredients on their menu, informing patrons of any potential allergic upfront, that’s pretty thoughtful!

Seriously, I won’t mind paying additional for my dining partner (then I won’t bother ordering the side), but if the food is meant to be shared, then at least provide another cup of Soba sauce (for hygiene reason) and perhaps additional plate, then there won’t be unnecessary ambiguity. Of course, I could have simply come out my own money for a fresh order, but it’s quite a big portion, besides I would rather try their other dishes in that case.

I hope that’s a fair statement.

Charcoal Grilled Atka Mackerel Hokke Fish Set

The accompanied rice, Miso soup, and condiments

I didn’t find any opportunity to ask the staff, but it is believe that the Atka Mackerel Hokke fish was harvested from Okhotsk Sea, wind dried, and then grilled prior to serving. It still retains a chewy texture with a mild umami. I must say, at $22.80++ for the set meal (or $17.80++ alone), the price is reasonable for half a grilled Hokke fish. Though to be honest, I thought the condiments were a little mediocre, perhaps the idea was not to take excessive limelight from the Hokke fish. Anyway, the motto was to serve a Japanese home styled meal, like I said, nothing flamboyant, but decent heartiness. For paying patrons, I think it’s possible to ask for free rice refill and a switch to more healthier rice such as Gokoku Rice, Tororo Gohan, Jyako Gohan, or Yasai Gohan, but once again, I didn’t have an opportunity to clarify.

Grilled Yongenton Silky Pork Belly Marinated with Shio-Kouji

Now, THIS IS HEAVENLY!

The marinated pork belly ($19.50++) was grilled to distinction with an excellent crisp and succulence that it’s so good to eat on its own, the sweetness is absolutely remarkable! And sprinkled with a zest of lemon gives it an extra dimension, not to mention the enclosed wasabi!

Yongenton is a crossed breed of 4 different pig species, or more commonly known as Silky Pork. Surprisingly, it originated from USA. These are what I researched, and the taste is probably better than some Kurobuta I have tried. As for Shio-Kouji (塩麹, 塩糀), it’s a natural seasoning made of salt, water, and rice kouji (Kouji is the key ingredients in making miso), and Ootoya’s menu mentioned that they are adhering to a recipe passed down from Sendai 300 years ago.

You would usually associate salad with French dressing, Thousand Island dressing etc, but that’s not what Ootoya did here. They use soy sauce, and the outcome was rather interesting! But to be honest, the pork is so good which rendered the accompanying salad as mere decorations.

Yakko, $4++

Oh, I also ordered their Yakko (a.k.a. Tofu). As I mentioned, I don’t feel right walking out after meal without paying, so I ordered this Japanese Tofu (as well as green tea). I have done my research before heading down for the food tasting, Ootoya claimed that their tofu is house made, and in their menu, this is suppose to come with freshly grated dried Bonito flakes, but the Bonito flakes never came (I only remember that when I’m reviewing my pictures for this post). I ended up pouring some soy sauce to ‘enjoy’ it with the tofu, along with the supplied ginger, which otherwise tasted bland. Sorry, but this failed, especially without Bonito flakes, the chief ingredient that lifts its flavour.

Maccha Parfait

I had the Maccha Parfait ($8++) as dessert, and it can be noted Ootoya is sparing no effort to mark off a hearty dining with this. In the picture, you will find Maccha ice cream, red beans, and the cube stuffs behind are the Warabi mochi dipped in Maccha powder. What you can’t see underneath are Castella (sponge cake) cubes, Maccha Jelly, Maccha Pudding. Take my words, it’s a very fulfilling dessert for someone who loves Maccha!

I have come to the end of this post, and as a pre-requisite for the food tasting, I am obliged to include a link for Ootoya’s offer tie-in with J Passport. J Passport members get to enjoy free Limited Seasonal Pumpkin Parfait with every meal ordered. Kindly refer to the following link for details:

http://bit.ly/ootoya_parfait

The above offer is valid until 31 Jan 2019, but you can always refer to their page in J Passport for more ongoing promotion. If you ain’t a member yet, you can join J Passport for free to enjoy these benefits. Ootoya currently has 3 outlets in Singapore, kindly refer to their website for information and promotions. Lastly, many thanks to Ootoya and J Passport for hosting us!