Showing posts with label Casual Dining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casual Dining. Show all posts

Thursday, 1 November 2012

IKYU – Japanese Restaurant in Tiong Bahru

A few weeks back I was invited to a media tasting at IKYU (pronounced as E-Q) which mean “Take A Break” in English. This newly setup Japanese restaurant is located at 5, Yong Siak Street that is within short walking distance away from Tiong Bahru MRT station.

IKYU is headed by Executive Chef Takuma Seki who is formerly the chef-de Cuisine of Hide Yamamoto at The Shoppes of Marina Bay Sands. The restaurant is divided into 3 different sitting area such as; sushi bar, dining tables and bar area. Usually the regular patrons would enjoy sitting at the sushi bar counter to engage conversation with chatty Chef Seki and his assistant(s).

For starter we had Grilled Edamame Flavoured With Truffle (S$8.50). This is my first time having grilled Edamame rather than the usual steamed/boiled option which served in most Japanese restaurant. For a non Edamame lover like myself, the twist of the char-grilled aroma plus truffle oil definitely makes a big different to this simple snack. I just couldn't stop eating it after the first pod.

Century Egg Traditional Potato Salad (S$8.50) is one of the dish that interests me because of the added "century eggs" (I am a big fan of century eggs) which I have not seem in any Japanese style potato salad that I had before. 

Apart from the Grilled Edamame their Deep Fried Sakura Baby Prawn (S$8.50) is another great snack which is super crispy and addicting dish to start your meal with.

Kara-age Chicken Izakaya Style (S$8.50) could be considered as a popular snack from the "fried menu" section which was deep-fried to golden brown with crispy outer skin and tender juice meat when bite.  Great choice to go with cool beer or sake.

I have never thought of eating something exotic till I tried this Blow Fish Tatsuta-age with Sansyo (S$16.50). To me blow fish (Fugu) seems to be a dangerous species rather than an edible ingredient. But after trying the above, the fish did taste great with a thin layer of tempura batter which deep-fried to a juicy perfection.

For someone who loves salmon sashimi, Wafu Marinated Salmon Carpaccio (S$16.50) is like a piece of art which is beautiful plated with some edible chrysanthemum and pink coral on it.  Love the wafu dressing which blends well with the dish.

French Foie Gras Flavoured in Miso (S$18.50) is lightly seared in Miso seasoning leaving it a fusion taste which makes you crave for more. If you love Foie Gras, you have to order this and I promise you won't regret it.

This is the tasting portion, not actual serving.
The Taraba King Crab With Soy Butter (S$48.50 for 2 claws) was amazing. The flesh is tender and naturally sweet with the enhanced flavour of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The last items we tried on the "grill menu" is Kagoshima Wagyu Beef Sirloin (120g for S$68.50) which was sliced  and served with a homemade ponzu sauce which consists of yuzu, soy sauce and etc. Each piece of the meat was full of flavour and you could eat it in different way such as dip it with the Ponzu sauce or eat it with fried garlic slices and shredded negi that served on the side.

For your information, the fish from IKYU is flown in 3 times a week (definitely Tuesday and Friday) like most Japanese restaurants in Singapore to make sure that all supplies are fresh and good. Here for the "nigiri menu", we tried the Assorted 5 kinds of Aburi Sushi (S$38.50) which is lightly grilled (topside) and partially raw with drizzle of sweet sauce on it.

As compared to the above, I would preferred this Assorted 5 Kinds of Nigiri Sushi (S$28.50) because you could enjoy the fresh and sweetness of the fish with each bite. And some of it just literally melt in your mouth without much chewing too. 

As for the "roll menu", we tried the Crispy Hot Spicy Salmon Roll (S$8.50) which is something different from the usual sushi roll. Love the crispy outer skin which enhance the flavour of the salmon in it.

Next the Shrimp Tempura California Roll (S$15.50) was great with bursting flavour from the egg roes and accompany sweet sauce. This plate is definitely worth for a grab.

This is the tasting portion, not actual serving.
For dessert we had Shocyu Cheese Cake with Berry (S$8.50). It comes with quiet a strong liquor taste which resemble "rum and raisin" flavour. The cheesecake itself is silky smooth and light which similar to tofu cheesecake whereas the Japanese rock melon at the side was simply awesome with sweet fragrance. 

A bar counter near the back of the dining area where patrons can enjoy beer, sake and etc during Happy Hours or after meal.

Although the price for the "A La Carte Menu" might be slightly pricey but IKYU do offers wallet-friendly set lunch options ranging from S$25.00 to S$35.00. The set lunch consists of:-

~ IKYU NIGIRI Set, Assorted NIGIRI 6 pieces and ROLL
~ IKYU BARA CHIRASHI Set
~ NABEYAKI UDON & ROLL Set

all set serves with Appetizer, Salad, Soup and Dessert which is quiet reasonable.

IKYU
5 Yong Siak Street
Singapore 168643
Reservation: +65 6223 9003
Website: www.ikyu.com.sg/

Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 11.30am – 3.00pm, 6.00pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Monday

Lastly I would like to thanks Ann from Word Of Mouth Communications Pte Ltd and IKYU for the invite tasting.

Friday, 13 July 2012

Bollywood Veggies @ Kranji Countryside

Bollywood Veggies is locate in the rustic environment of the northwest Kranji Countryside where many farms are open to the public for touring. This countryside concept provides visitors with opportunities to learn and enrich themselves in the natural environment. So for weekend family getaway from the shopping malls or etc, you might want to consider to bring your family or loved ones to explore some of the beautiful natural agriculture farms in Kranji area.

In this post I would be sharing our recent visit to Bollywood Veggies and it's Bistro known as Poison Ivy. These photos are taken with my iPhone and more photos related to this post can be found in Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page HERE.

Although this is not our first visit to Bollywood Veggies but it indeed it was our first dining experience at their bistro. And upon getting our seats, we notice a colourful menu chalkboard at one end of the entrance displaying their daily special.

Since it was a rainy afternoon, we decided to settle for some hot beverage. Here we had fragrant Fig Tea (back) which had a similar taste to "red bean soup" plus refreshing Lemon Grass Tea (front) which both are their recommended beverages (served in either Hot or Cold). Personally I would prefer Lemon Grass Tea over Fig for it's lovely natural taste and aroma.
Price: S$2.00 each


Moringa Tempura is a signature dish from Poison Ivy Bistro which you must try at least "once" during your visit. These crispy veggies tempura is made with Moringa leaves which are an excellent source of calcium that contain 4 times the amount of calcium in milk and seven times the amount of vitamin C in carrot.

These will be great to served as afternoon tea snack or appetiser before meal. And even though these are fried stuffs, they are not grease to handle as finger food. Just love to munch them and it's quiet additive too! For your information the Moringa Tempura will be served with kacang manis (dark sweet sauce) and some pickled vegetables to enhance the taste of the tempura.
Price: S$4.00 per plate


Their Nasi Lemak was piled with lots of sides dishes but the portion was rather small for it's price. But for small eater or those who wants more varieties of the side dishes, this is something that you can try.

Price: S$6.00 per plate


As I was curious to try their items in smaller portion, I decided to get "The Poor Mans' Platter - For 1" which consist of 3 items + 1 side. From the photo above(top down), this platter comes with:-

~ Warrior's Chicken Curry taste great with tint of spiciness and great aroma of the spices used.

~ Stir-fry Long Bean with Banana is a very appetizing dish to go with even just steamed white rice.

~ Bolly Banana Curry was definitely something interesting to us because of the "banana" in curry. However these banana slices doesn't taste anything like the normal "soft bananas" that we used to eat it taste more like sweet potato or yam(taro).

~ Plus some Crispy Banana Chips at the side. These crispy chips are very addictive which makes you keep popping them one after another. And if you like it, you can also purchased some home at their counter which comes in a 2 sizes packing.

Price: S$10.00 per person (3 items + 1 side)


Just a note on dining at Poison Ivy Bistro, since there is "NO Service charge or GST" included in the total bill, they only accept "CASH" for payment. No credit cards or NETS.

At one corner of the Alfresco area, there is a push cart selling organic products such as Fig, Banana, cooking spices, potted plants and herbs as well as their well-known Banana Cake.

As the rain had stopped after our meal, we decided to take a slow walk and explore around the Garden. Below are a few photos showing some of the plants and herbs in the Bollywood Veggies garden. 

Common herbs such as mint, drill and oregano that we have spotted. And we also surprised to find Wheat Field during our last visit too.


BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES
100 Neo Tiew Road,
Singapore 719026 (Kranji)
Telephone: (65) 6898 5001
Website: http://www.bollywoodveggies.com/

Opening Hours:-
Wednesday to Sunday And Public Holidays; 9.00am to 6.30pm
CLOSED ON: Monday And Tuesday(except Public Holidays)

Note: Dinner is not available as they close at 6.30pm

Payment: CASH ONLY

How To Get There:
- By Driving, click HERE
- By Shuttle Bus, Click HERE

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