Hungry Ghost

  Chabuton is the first ramen restaurant to be featured in the Michelin guide and it has recently be crowned King of Ramen in the television program TV Champion.    The new Chabuton outlet is located right next to Saboten in Millenia Walk, occupying part of the space that used to be the food court.      This new Chabuton outlet has launched a  lunch menu, each set includes iced/hot green tea, Chabuton ramen, side dish and dessert.      I had high expectations for   Chabuton Tonkotsu Ramen  but I am greatly disappointed. The broth is thin and tastes more like miso than tonkotsu. The noodles are too dry and the soft boiled egg that I added for $1.50 is not soft enough. The other versions include Chabuton Shio Ramen, Chabuton Miso Ramen and Chabuton Shoyu Ramen.     Ika Karaage (Fried Squid)   is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, perfect with a chilled beer. The other side dishes include ...

  Most people are  probably  not aware that Millenia Walk has recently undergone a  minor renovation project where the food court has been abolished and replaced with a few quality Japanese restaurants, one it which is Saboten.      My first encounter with their delicious tonkatsu has left me craving for more, I decided to check out this new outlet.       Black Iberian pig is a breed of domestic pig native to the Iberian Peninsula. This special breed of pigs are fed acorns, coupled with its fat-storing ability, produces meat with beautiful marbling that is highly sought-after in many countries. Not only does it taste good, it has certain health benefits too. Black Iberian pork contains high level of unsaturated fats (similar to olive oil) so much so doctors in Spain have affectionately named them "walking olive trees".    Having said so much, let's try   Iberia Loin Katsu Gozen,   which happens to be one of Sabot...

  Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru is hidden on the top floor of Westgate and I chanced upon it one day when I was looking for a place to have a nice lunch. A search on Google reveals that the flagship outlet at the basement of Liang Court has received many good reviews for their affordable yet fresh seafood, so I decided to check out this outlet at Westgate.         Aburi Salmon     Big Salmon     Boiled Hotate     Idako       Tako     Vinegared Gizzard Shad     I wanted a light lunch so I only sampled a few sushi from the conveyer belt. Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru charges per plate, ranging from $1.80 to $6.80, as according to the color of the plate. All the sushi are very fresh, although I feel that there is a lack of variety.    Besides sushi, Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru also serves set meals and rice dishes. Their Kaisendon and Nagekomi Donburi looks amazing, I've got to try them one day. If you...

  Any mention of Old Chang Kee will inevitably bring to mind their famous curry puffs with succulent curried potatoes, pieces of tender chicken,slices of egg and the curry full of herb and spices.    The good people behind Old Chang Kee know how Singaporeans love curry, they decided to give us the full works and Curry Times is born.         The restaurant is decorated like an old coffeeshop, complete with wooden chairs and tables. Even the cutleries are put in these ceramic jars that was widely used during the olden days.      Curry Chicken with Rice   is the signature dish of this restaurant. The curry is not as thick because they used yoghurt instead of coconut milk, making it the healthier alternative. It is lighter on the palate and stomach yet managed to retain the rich and robust flavour of curry. The potatoes and chicken pieces have fully absorbed the curry, every bite is lip-snacking tasty. It is a little spicy though, for a...

  Maccha or Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea. Matcha has become very popular in Japan ever since its introduction in 1911 and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, has gained recognition worldwide.      Maccha House is a Japanese-style cafe serving up a small menu of maccha mains and desserts. There are just 7 mains on the menu (Maccha House Bento,  Teriyaki Salmon Set, Tonkotsu Curry Set, Beef Sukiyaki Set, Ishikari Hotpot Set, Oyster Set) and many choices for drinks and desserts such as Maccha Choco Latte, Maccha Doriyaki, Maccha Chocolate Parfait and Maccha Tiramisu.     Maccha House Bento ($9.99)   is ideal for Maccha House newbies like myself where I get to sample a bit of everything. The set inculdes Chicken Chashu Soba, California Maki, Beef & Pork Hamburg, Mini Chawanmushi and Maccha Tiramisu Dessert. The soba in Chicken Chashu Soba is a li...

  Singaporeans love buffets. There are countless intercontinental buffets, Korean BBQ buffets, Chinese steamboat buffets, Thai mookata buffets (which I have not had the chance to try yet) and Japanese hotpot buffet on this tiny island. Japanese hotpot buffet is all the rage now, but I am ashamed to admit that I have never tried Japanese hotpot buffet. Shabu Sai has recently opened a new outlet in Suntec City Mall, I am going to try Japanese hotpot buffet for the first time.           There are over more than 10 sauces for you to make that perfect dip.     You can choose two soup bases from a choice of 6 (Seaweed/Sukiyaki/Spicy/Tom Yam Miso/Yuzu Collagen/Tonkotsu Shouyu). You can pick up vegetables and steamboat ingredients from the buffet table but sliced meats (beef/chicken/pork) have to be ordered from the staff. The vegetables are very fresh and the paper-thin sliced meats curl up beautifully upon cooking. Try cooking udon in the soup at the en...

My first visit to Salted Caramel Artisan Ice Cream was back in April 2015 after a scrumptious feast at Badoque. This unpretentious ice-cream palour has left a deep impression on me so I am back.             There is a good mix of classic flavours such as Vanilla and Cookies & Creme and exotic flavours such as Avacado and Roasted Pistachio. There are also alcohol-infused creations such as Stout & Chocolate or Rum & Raisin. The helpful staff will let you sample as many flavours as you like so don't feel shy.      I finally got to try their signature flavour Salted Caramel which has a good balance of sweet salty. Amp up your ice-cream experience by pairing it with freshly-made waffles because t here is really no better combination than  ice-cream with waffles. Most people seem to like light and airy waffles but I prefer my waffles a little more dense to bring out the richness of the ice-cream. The waffles here are of the "light ...

  Located next to   Saboten  is Tsuru-Koshi, whose flagship stall at Takashimaya Food Hall has received rave reviews about the "slip-down-the-throat" udon. I have been meaning to try out this restaurant and now I have finally gotten my chance.    Besides udon, Tsuru-Koshi also serves value-for-money bento sets.       If you are looking for a light meal, you can order bento sets such as   Saba Shioyaki Bento Set   or   Salmon Sashimi Bento Set . Each set comes with a salad and fresh fruit, balancing out the oiliness.       If you are more greedy like me, go ahead and order the   Tonkotsu Kakiage Udon Bento Set   instead where you get a grilled prawn, salad, fresh fruit, kakiage, teriyaki chicken and saba shioyaki.        Each bento set comes with a Mini Don or Mini Udon.     Tsuru-Koshi is famous for its udon and my main aim in visiting this restaurant is to try their udon. I lik...

French cuisine is no longer food of the rich. Following Saveur's introduction of casual French dining, French restaurants have been popping up all around in Singapore like wild mushroom. Rida La Cuisine is one such restaurant.    My doctor have been there a couple of times and she liked the food, so she decided to bring us there.         Warm freshly-baked buns to whet your appetite before the actual meal. Eat it with the butter provided for an extra dose of richness.      "Soupe Maison" means "soup of the day" in French and there was Broccoli and French Onion. I wanted to try something different, so I ordered   Broccoli . It tastes of ... broccoli. The cream added gives the soup a richer texture.      My colleague's face lit up when she spotted   Truffle Fries   on the menu so we ordered one to share. I am not impressed I can't really taste the truffle oil but my colleague was enjoying it so much that she couldn...