Hungry Ghost

    Okonomiyaki is a combination of two Japanese words, “okonomi” which means “how you like” or “what you like” and “yaki” which means “grill”. Okonomiyaki is a speciality of the Kansai region, there are numerous okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka where okonomiyaki is said to have originated.   The batter (which is made of flour, grated nagaimo (a type of yam, water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage) is cooked with other ingredients such as green onions, meat, octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, konjac or cheese.       Tsuruhashi Fugetsu is one of the most popular okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka.  They have more than 80 outlets spread across Japan, Korea, Taiwan and America. It has finally opened its first outlet in Singapore, as a part of the Eat at Seven enclaves in Suntec City.            Besides having the okonomiyaki the normal way, you can also opt to layer fresh egg noodles on top of your okonomiyaki, Tsuruhashi Fu...

    I see a long queue outside this restaurant at the back of Raffles City Shopping Centre B1 every day during lunch hour and I was curious what is so special about this restaurant.   One day, my curiosity got the better of me and a look at the menu reveals that this is a new dim sum concept restaurant by the Imperial Treasures Group called Yin Dian Xin. Being the dim sum lover that I am, I brought my colleagues here for lunch a few days later.     Steamed Prawn Dumpling “Ha Kau”   [$6.80 for 4 pieces] is one of the most classic of Cantonese dim sum, but the ones here are downright disappointing. The crystal skin are all broken and I can hardly taste any prawns.     Each of the   Steamed Pork Dumpling with Shrimp “Siew Mai”   [$6.20 for 4 pieces] are so pathetically small and yet it is supposed to be one of the recommended dish at Treasures Yi Dian Xin. They are a far cry from the huge juicy siew mai from   Mouth Restaurant .  ...

  The original Ginza Lion in Ginza, Tokyo that was established in 1899 was originally named “Yebisu Beer Hall”. It was meant to be the sales division of Sapporo beer, but it became so popular that it was later renamed Ginza Lion.  Ginza Lion offers value-for-money Daily Lunch sets from 11.30am - 2 pm. You can look forward to items such as Grilled Salmon [$16], Roast Chicken [$12] and Bolognese [$16]. Sapporo Premium Beer and Sapporo Premium Black Beer are served from the tap, in Mug [$10], Boot [$18], Mass [$23], Jug [$32] or Tower [$80].  I am not very fond of beers   because   I don’t like the bitterness of beers, but since I am in a beer hall, I thought I should at least give the beer a try so I got myself a mug of   Sapporo Premium Beer   [$5.99 during Daily Lunch, otherwise $10]. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is not bitter at all. This is due to Ginza Lion’s “in one action” way of pouring the beer, in a fast and steady stream. Th...

  The moment you hear the name Mad for Garlic, you know it's a garlic-themed restaurant. What you don't know is that this is an Italian that originated from Korea (reminds me of Bel Mondo, an Italian restaurant that originated from Osaka, Japan). Mad for Garlic's first restaurant was in Apgujeong-dong, an affluent entertainment and residential district in southern Seoul. With its garlic-specialised Italian menu and a good selection of wines to compliment the dishes, Mad for Garlic soon became one of Korea's most popular restaurant chains. There are currently 36 Mad for Garlic outlets in Korea, 2 in Jakarta and 1 in Singapore. In 2013, Mad for Garlic was voted by Korea Times and Korea Herald as the Best Performing Italian Restaurant in Korea. Mad for Garlic's menu comprises mainly   Italian dishes, but it is not hard to spot the Korean influences in dishes such as Oriental Beef Pasta and Herb Pork Sizzling Rice.  We were recommended   Dracula Killer   [$13.50] by...