Fans of Délifrance Singapore can look forward to NEW Chicken Teriyaki and Turkey Meltz Croissant Burgers, Profiteroles and Cheesecakes – including MATCHA ones.

Do you know that Délifrance been around since 1983?

Singapore’s outlet is first Asian outlet outside Europe with 21 outlets across Singapore, including Chinatown Point, Clifford Centre, Alexandra Retail Centre, Tampines Mall, Seletar Mall, and Causeway Point.

The French café chain is known for their French butter croissants that come in various savoury options and gourmet meals.

Some of the recent favorites includes the Délifrance Hearty Breakfast with Croissant & Scrambled Egg, and Chicken Ham Poached Egg Sandwich.

Adding to their current selection of croissants will be 2 NEW Croissant Burgers: Chicken Teriyaki ($9.90) and Turkey Meltz ($10.90) – all will be offered from 11 April 2017.

Here are the NEW Délifrance Items to look forward to from 11 Apr to 22 May 2017 (yes, for limited time):

Chicken Teriyaki Croissant Burger ($9.90)
Love a croissant and a burger? Why not have both at the same time?

Instead of a Croissant Sandwich where all the toppings are stuffed within it, the two ends of the croissants are first looped together prior to baking it in the oven to create the croissant buns.

The signature croissant used at Délifrance, made using French butter and French flour from France’s Grands Moulins De Paris flour miller, is crispy on the outside with a 27-layers honeycomb structure on the inside to create a certain flakiness in each bite.

Each Chicken Teriyaki Croissant Burger is made up of lettuce, tomatoes, baked chicken thigh drizzled with homemade teriyaki sauce and topped with a single poached egg.

Turkey Meltz Croissant Burger ($10.90)
All Delifrance products are Halal-certified and freshly baked throughout the day to ensure quality.

The Turkey Meltz was our favourite of the two new items, made from 100% turkey meat fried to a crispy golden-brown, stuffed with cheese meltz, and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise for a richer taste.

Profiteroles (6pcs for $12 / 30pcs for $55)
The profiterole, also known as a cream puff, is a French choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream or custard, is available in 3 different flavours – Green Tea, Sesame and Vanilla.

Each profiterole was generously piped with cream, that caused a burst in the mouth when I attempted to finish it in one bite.

Of the three, my favourite was the Green Tea for obvious reasons.

Mini Classic Cheesecake (6pcs for $18.80/ 30pcs for $75)
Available in two flavours, the matcha and classic cheesecakes have slightly dense texture.

Each classic cheesecake has a distinct cream cheese taste with a slight citrusy lemon zest to reduce any jelak-ness (richness).

Instead of serving as a single slice of cheesecake, popping these mini bite-sized cheesecakes into the mouth had never been easier. Good for those who intend to take-away and have a light snack during office tea-times.

Available for purchase in 6 pieces or 30 pieces, a total 20% saving is available for 30 pieces order.

Délifrance Croissant Burger Set
Looking to complete the meal?

The Chicken Teriyaki and Turkey Meltz Croissant Burgers are available as a set at $14.90 that comes with one mini classic cheesecake and a choice of hot/cold Orange Blossom Tea.

Good things come in a pair for the Croissant Burger Set ($25). Jio your buddy and indulge in 2 Croissant Burgers (choice of Chicken Teriyaki or Turkey Meltz), 2 Mini Classic Cheesecakes and 2 cups of Orange Blossom Tea (Hot/Cold).

Délifrance Singapore
North: Causeway Point (Woodlands), HDB Hub (Toa Payoh), United Square (Novena)
Northeast: The Seletar Mall
EastParkway East Hospital (kiosk), Tampines Mall, One KM
Central: Chinatown Point, Clifford Centre, Coronation Plaza (bake-off), Gateway West, Gleneagles Hospital, KK Women’s And Children’s Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Thomson Medical Centre, United Engineer Square
Southwest: Alexandra Retail Centre, NUH Medical Centre
West: Cold Storage Jelita, JEM, Lot One Shoppers Mall
https://www.facebook.com/DelifranceSingapore

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape. Photos by @stormscape & @DanielFoodDiary. This post is brought to you in partnership with Délifrance Singapore.

The post Délifrance Singapore – NEW Croissant Burgers, Profiteroles And Mini Cheesecakes appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Tokyo] Some claim that Cremia is the BEST soft serve ice cream you can have, in the world.

The Japanese are already known to make high quality soft serve, and this takes it a level up.

Here’s a breakdown of its parts: 25% Hokkaido fresh cream is used to that rich deep flavour and full-bodied milk feel; 12.5% high milk fat content for a well-rounded flavour; langue de chat us for the cone; and its form is a silky, wavy shape said to look more graceful.

I have to agree that barring no fast melting, there would be that moment of surprise when you see how different it looks from other ordinary soft serves – pointed tip, wavy form and all.

Mine melted in about a minute, though I was already very fast with photos.

If you like your soft serves tasting pure and unadulterated, Cremia is probably for you.

The texture was velvety-smooth and creamy, almost like tasting milk in another form. (I wished there was some serviettes provided as it kept dripping. Oh, and this is Japan… no serviettes?!)

The best part for me was its cone, made out of wafer-like thin cookies twisted into shape. Not airy, complimented the softserve to a T.

This could be one of the most worthy ¥500 (SGD$6.40, USD$4.60) spent in Japan.

You can find Cremia at the main Silkream store, or various kiosks around.

Cremia – Silkream
1F, Haimanten Jinnan Bldg. 1-19-3, Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041, Japan
Tel: 03 3464 4900
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 9:00pm

Other Related Entries
BAKE Cheese Tart (Tokyo)
Zaku Zaku (Tokyo)

Click HERE for other Tokyo Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Cremia – Milky Softserve With Cookie Cone. Some Say This Is The Best Softserve Ever appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The inaugural Artbox Singapore, the local edition of the pop-up creative market made famous in Thailand, will be making its debut in Singapore this week.

It is a long weekend too, as we celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday. (Just in case anyone with the usual office hours is thinking of taking leave.)

Spanning across two weekends from 14-16 April and 21-23 April, Artbox Singapore is set to be Singapore’s first and largest creative market featuring more than 500 regional vendors and partners at Marina Bayfront.

Entrance is free for all.

What you can expect include retail therapy with regional vendors, gastronomic bites, a beer market and beautiful fairy lights installations at Artbox Singapore.

The creative market features a myriad of activities including music performances, open mic sessions and charity drives.

Styled similarly as an exhibition, on each weekend, visitors can look forward to:
– Over 10 (mix of 20-foot and 40-foot) shipping containers to be re-purposed for event usage including an exclusive Artbox Singapore merchandise shop
– 5,000 stunning fairy lights spanning across 3km, with an official light up on 14 April, 7pm
– More than 300 booths of beauty, fashion, food and art from regional vendors and partners
– Art installations crafted on 200 metal sheets from Artbox Thailand

Artbox Singapore 2017 Food
Food wise, there will be 128 F&B stalls each weekend in dedicated dining and chill out spaces spanning over 7,000 square feet.

Accordingly, freestanding hammocks and designer outdoor furniture will be available for attendees to rest on.

Some of the F&B stalls from Singapore you can expect include:

Loco Loco
Churros in flavours of Original, Pandan, Red Velvet, Oreo, drizzled in Chocolate, Caramel, Gula Melaka, or White Chocolate sauce.

Tio Smoke
The instagrammable “Dragon’s Breath”, a dessert tossed in liquid nitrogen. Be careful!

The Lab SG
If you need more “galaxy” in your life, expect Galaxy Macarons, Galaxy Mille Crepe, Mini Galaxy Donut, Galaxy Juice… and Galaxy Ice Kachang.

Kane Mochi
Mochi Ice Cream, recommended flavours include Matcha, Thai Iced Tea, Taro, Cookies & Cream and Mocha Chips.

Chatuchak
Thai Milk Tea, Thai Milk Tea ice cream, and Thai Milk Tea Egglet.

Rochor Thai
Specialise in Thai food such as Grilled Iberico Pork Collar and Thai style wanton noodles.

Rattana Thai
For Thai Mango Sticky Rice and Crispy Thai Fried Chicken.

The Wicked Cream
Interesting toasted marshmallow flavours from Red Velvet, Orange Vanilla Bean, Charcoal Lemonade, and Uji Matcha. They will also be selling creamy premium soft ice cream (fruit series) crafted from melons and Hokkaido milk.

Event information
Total floor space utilised: 50,000 square feet
No. of shipping containers used: More than 10 shipping containers
Total no. of vendors and partners across two weekends: Over 500 (The vendor line-up for each weekend will be different)
Total no. of booths: 320
Food & Beverage (F&B) booths: 128
Non-F&B booths: 192

Artbox Singapore
Date: 14 – 16 April (Fri – Sun) and 21 – 23 April (Fri – Sun)
Venue: Bayfront Event Space (beside Marina Bay Sands)
Time: 3:00pm – 11:00pm

Other Related Entries
Artbox Thailand (Bangkok)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights.

The post Artbox Singapore – The FOOD You Can Expect This Long Weekend. Admission Is FREE appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

We are suckers for almost anything named “Hokkaido”, so I am pretty sure a Hokkaido Ice Cream Puff shop in Singapore will generate some social media traction during its opening days.

Hokkaido Ice Cream Puff has opened at 35 Haji Lane, offering crispy-type puffs with a fat scoop of ice cream sandwiched in between.

First things first, Hokkaido Ice Cream Puff is not exactly from Japan, but a franchise chain that originated from Malaysia. It also has stores in Brunei.

When you think about “Hokkaido”, you may imagine more Japanese-inspired ice cream flavours like matcha, azuki red bean, melon, and goma black sesame, but there were none of these.

What they offer are Mint Choco Chips, Chocolate Chips, Cookies & Cream, Vanilla Chips, Mango, Taro, Coffee, and an ‘un-Japanese’ Durian flavour – which is likely to be a popular choice here anyway.

A puff priced at SGD$3.90 in Singapore, and RM3.80 if you buy it up north in Malaysia FYI (Technically, you can buy 3 with at that same price.)

Entering the shop, you could be attracted by that baked buttery aroma lingering in the air. All the puffs are baked fresh by the hour to ensure a level of crispiness.

I was curious about the Durian, and so ask what type of durians was used for the ice cream.

”Just durians.”
”I meant say…. D24 or Mao Shan Wang?”
”Let me ask!” (40 seconds later) ”Ordinary durians”
”Okay.”

She was not wrong. The Durian Ice Cream did taste ordinary. In other words, there wasn’t that smooth Hokkaido-milk quality if you were expecting that.

Early online reviews described the ice cream as “taste pretty much off the ice cream tubs in supermarket”, “pretty normal”, “generic brand” and “the $1 uncle kind”. You get the drift.

Otherwise, the freshly baked puff was the highlight, with a fragrant crisp on the outer layer.

Quick note: During peak hours, the scooping may take a while.

Hokkaido Ice Cream Puff
35 Haji Lane Singapore 189224
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 8:00pm (Mon – Fri), 11:00am – 8:30pm (Sat – Sun)

Other Related Entries
KOKI Tamagoyaki (Raffles City)
Hattendo (Tanjong Pagar)
LeTao (ION Orchard)
BAKE Cheese Tart (Westgate)
Lab Made Singapore (Westgate)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Hokkaido Ice Cream Puff Singapore – Freshly Baked Puff With Fat Scoop Of Ice Cream At Haji Lane appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Friends Dylan Ong and Joshua Khoo started Saveur with the intention of serving French food to the masses. The concept worked, and it turned out to be a brand popular with the local diners.

Due to a turn of events, the duo has left the Saveur partnership, with Joshua setting up Taste Affair at Amoy Street Food Centre, and Dylan with The Masses at Beach Road directly opposite Shaw Towers. (I won’t dwell further into what has possibly happened.)

The Masses continues with the intention of serving quality-restaurant food at prices that won’t break the bank.

A glance at the menu would reveal that most of the starters and mains, are comfortable priced below $20. Hard to find this in most expensive city in the world.

Another feature is that they serve “Contemporary Happy Food”.

Of course, the definition happiness is extremely varied. For one, burgers and milkshakes are the happy food; while another would find joy in organic salads.

Dylan’s idea of “Happy Food” is to provide fresh, seasonal produce, and allowing recipes to be simple yet dynamic. He firmly believes that food has to be affordable as well.

You may need some time to digest the menu though, perhaps due to the naming and unconventional dishes offered. The number of starters is also double of the mains, without the typical ‘happy food’ you would spot in other more predictable menus.

The friendly service staff did recommend the Chicken Collagen Veloute ($8.00), The Egg ($9.00), Aus Frementle Octopus Tentacle ($14.90), C&C Pasta ($12.90), Honey Garlic Miso Chicken Breast ($13.90), US Black Angus Striploin ($22.90) and 12 Hours Braised US Short Ribs ($18.00).

My friend thought some rather “Saveur-ish” food had appeared, such as the Duck Leg Confit ($12.90). However, this came with candied orange and foie gras sauce.

The most indulgence starter we ordered was the C&C Pasta ($9.00, $14.00). C&C in this case means crab and caviar, which the kitchen has very generously and big-heartedly gave a sizeable portion of. They assured it was not because we had a camera.

In colloquial terms, we call it “Caviar-gao-gao”.

Even though it was meant as a cold appetiser, the al dente angel pasta with mash of crab meat and kombu cooked in lobster bisque, turned out ironically to be a hearty dish with umami-ness.

The Egg ($9.00) was available in both hot and cold versions, though the hot option reminiscent of the Japanese chawanmushi was recommended.

Dylan explained that one of his experiences with happiness, was having plain Japanese rice loaded with ikura. This you would get this small ‘hill’ of roe topped on the steamed egg.

All good except that the rather soggy potato chips might have distracted me from further appreciating the egg.

I liked the other dishes generally, such as the Chicken Collagen Veloute ($8.00), a creamy broth cooked with clam jus and duck fat which might remind you of a mini version of Tsukada Nojo ‘s Bijin Nabe; and Duroc Pork Loin ($15.00) with truffle scrambled eggs.

The Masses should appeal with its food quality matched with those wallet-friendly prices.

Ironically, if they want to reach out to the larger audience, they may need to introduce some dishes that would better gel with, the masses.

The Masses
85 Beach Road #01-02 Singapore 189694
Tel: +65 6266 0061
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 9:30pm (Mon, Tues, Fri), 12:00pm – 12:00am (Wed, Fri, Sat), 12:00pm – 9:00pm (Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/themassessg

Other Related Entries
Taste Affair (Amoy Street Food Centre)
Garang Grill by New Ubin Seafood
Don Ho (Keong Siak)
Firebake (East Coast Road)
Wild Rocket (Mt Emily)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post The Masses – Serving “Happy Food” Mostly Below $20, Opened By Saveur’s Co-Founder appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Tokyo] Within the busy urban jungle of Shinjuku 新宿, you find quite a couple of food treasures with historical value.

Tempura restaurant Tsunahachi 天ぷら新宿つな八 which was founded by Kyuzo Shimura in 1923, has remain highly popular among most locals and tourists.

At the heart of Shinjuku where you get surrounded by stores from BIC Camera and Uniqlo, I was excited to find such a restaurant. FYI, another famous tempura restaurant Funabashiya Honten is within sight.

There was about a 8 – 10 people queue, and took a relatively short waiting time of 15 minutes before I got in.

Customers can choose either to sit at the counter, or at the tables at the table. It is at the counter where you can witness the true skills of the tempura masters.

The commitment of Tsunahachi in cooking tasty tempura boils down to using fresh ingredients, good oils – sesame in this case, and skills of the chefs. Have to agree on that.

The restaurant is also known to deep fried live shrimp for diners, and supplies are gotten from a “special route”.

Considering that I have spent quite a far bit (can be above SGD$100) at other tempura restaurants, the more reasonable price range over here is welcomed.

Lunch starts from ¥ 1,512 (SGD$19.50), and dinner from ¥2,484 (SGD$32).

A basic Tempura Set goes for ¥2,484 (SGD$32) which includes two shrimps, assorted seafood, vegetables, Anago (sea eel), deep-fried small shrimps (kakiage), appetizer; and a set of rice, miso-soup and Japanese pickles (osoroi).

There are varying menus, all the way to an Omakase priced at ¥8,000 (SGD$103).

The most popular is the Edomae Set Plate at ¥4,536 (SGD$58.49), which would include Japanese tiger prawn (Kuruma-ebi), squid, two seafood dishes, two vegetable dishes, Anago (sea eel), deep-fried small shrimps (kakiage), appetizer, and a set of rice, miso-soup and Japanese pickles (osoroi).

The pieces were deep fried right nimbly in front of you, then placed on a ‘holding’ dish. You would notice that the absorbent paper while dotted with some oil spots, won’t be incredibly oily.

There could be a restaurant or two I tried where the pieces were even lighter, tastier and less oily, but Tsunahachi was a winner in its own right.

Almost every single piece was delightful in its own way – fresh and juicy on the inside, coated with fluffy batter. Could be a notch less greasy, but I am not complaining much.

One of the most memorable pieces was an ala carte order of a Tempura Egg Yolk ¥150.

It was an amazeballs-moment when I watched the white removed from the egg, the yolk placed in batter then deep fried.

The control of the oil and timing was also crucial, as the Tempura Egg was completed with a protective coat of batter, but with runny yolk on the inside.

The chef needed to be truly experienced to execute that ‘simplest’ thing well.

Tsunahachi
3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 (Shinjuku Station East Exit or Shinjuku-Sanchome Station Exits A1-A5)
Tel: 03 3352 1012
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:30pm
Google Maps – Tsunahachi

Other Tokyo Branches
Keio: Keio Department Store 8F, 1-1-4 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023
Ginza: Matsuya Ginza 8F, 3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104－0061
Ikebukuro:Lumine Ikebukuro 8F, 1-11-1, Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0021
Tokyo Daimaru: Daimaru Tokyo 12F, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6701

Other Related Entries
Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Shin Udon 慎 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Fu-unji 風雲児 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Ichiran Ramen 一蘭 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Menya Musashi 麺屋武蔵 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Click HERE for other Tokyo Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Tsunahachi – Historical Tempura Restaurant In The Heart Of Shinjuku Tokyo appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

“Kappo” 割烹 which means “to cut and cook”, is used to refer to the traditional way of cooking Japanese cuisine with dedication. We finally have a dedicated Kappo restaurant in Singapore.

Niku Kappo, which originated from Tsukiji and offers the authentic Japanese Kappo cuisine, has opened at B3 of ION Orchard (directly above Jasons, a floor above MUJI).

This is the first Niku Kappo outlet out of Japan, and is brought in by the WATAMI group.

A Kappo restaurant is one where the chef will cook right in front of the guests, for an overall enriching ambience and experience.

It makes the entire meal more interactive and ‘entertaining’ as well, as you can watch the chefs prepare dishes with dedication and meticulous effort.

At Niku Kappo, the focus is on the Niku, 肉, which is the selection of meat.

The food selection is different from other Japanese restaurants, and you get food items such as Meat Sushi, Meat Hot Pot (shaped like Mt Fuji), and an Iron Pot dish of Yaki Tetsu freshly prepared by the table side.

How interesting.

With multiple selections to choose from, here are 7 Signature items from the Niku Kappo menu:

Tokusen Niku Sushi Mori ($36.90, 9 kinds 1 pc each)
Meat Sushi, aka Niku Sushi, is something different from the sushi that we are familiar with.

Instead of using sashimi (raw fish) as a topping, a slice of meat such as wagyu or chicken is used.

The Tokusen Niku Sushi Mori is a selection of 9 pieces of meat sushi out of the 10 offerings here. Suitable for those who cannot decide which one to get, or just want to try everything.

This is a generous platter of Wagyu Rump, Grilled Miso Wagyu, Wagyu Toro Sushi, Wagyu Uni Sushi, Wagyu Uni Gunkan (wrapped by Wagyu), Wagyu Tataki Sushi (seared on the surface), Wagyu Rossini (with foie gras and shaved truffle), Shime Dori (Chicken) and Tori Mentai Gunkan (shredded chicken with mental mayo).

My favourite was the the Wagyu Toro Sushi, enhanced with a soft and fatty bite; and Wagyu Uni Gunkan tasted all-in-all sweet and creamy with a subtle hint of saltiness.

Mt. Fuji Nabe ($18.90)
This is that one dish that is the centre of attraction and hard to miss.

With a tall and huge structure resembling Tokyo’s famed icon Mount Fuji, the dish comes with 200g of meat piled up with assorted vegetables in a hot pot, in a rich pork bone soy sauce broth.

Similar to that of a Sukiyaki where the ingredients are slowly cooked in the Japanese hot pot, there are two options available: the Beef & Pork or Pork Nabe (means “Hot pot” in Japanese).

A substantial portion good for sharing.

As the meat was thinly sliced, the flavour of the broth was easily absorbed into the meat to give it a slightly salty, savoury taste. Oishii!

Yaki Tetsu Edo Style ($18.90 – $31.90)
“Yaki Tetsu” means “cooking on iron” in Japanese. The flat round shape of the pot ensures even distribution of the heat, enhancing absorption of the sauce.

The Yaki Tetsu is available in 3 different types of beef options: AUS Beef ($18.90 per pax), AUS Wagyu ($25.90 per pax) and Akagi Wagyu ($31.90 per pax) and requires a minimum order for 2 pax.

While the dish is made upon order and freshly prepared beside the table, the “Edo Ama Miso” known for its sweetness is first added to the iron pot to cook the meat and served in a tamago (egg) sauce.

The second dish is then prepared by filling the entire pot with beef, vegetables and tofu and slowly simmered over fire.

Niku Tendon ($12.90)
Probably the first in Singapore to serve Pork tempura in a Tendon bowl.

As the name implies, there was only meat (pork and chicken) with fried seaweed and the usual vegetables, without the usual prawn tempura.

Drizzled with a sweetish savoury sauce on the thin, crispy, golden battered crust, I loved the light and airy batter that coated the pieces.

For the price of $12.90, this is probably also one of the cheapest Tendon (aka Tempura Donburi) in Singapore.

Tori Kushi Mori ($18.90)
For the non-beef eaters, there is the option of the traditional Japanese chicken dish – Grilled chicken skewers.

Each skewer is topped with sesame (Rikyu style), yuzu (Yuan style), miso (Saikyo style), teriyaki and vinegar & tartar (Nan Ban style), available at $3.90 each.

Tori Kushi Mori offers a platter of all 5 skewers at $18.90. My favourites were the Yuzu (Yuan style), and Vinegar & Tartar (Nan Ban style) – both citrusy and appetising.

Dancing Caesar Salad ($7.90)
The salad doesn’t dance (literally), but instead, the salad is prepared, stirred and tossed in front of the diners by the (dancing) service crew. How entertaining.

Shirasu & Ikura Pizza ($13.90)
A fusion dish between the Italian and Japanese, resulting in a thin crust pizza with tomato sauce, topped with whitebait and salmon roe.

The salmon roe added some texture to the pizza, that sent a burst with every bite.

Dining at Niku Kappo was an interesting and enriching experience, from the unique dishes that revolved around various meats to the live food preparation by the table side.

Itadakimasu!

Niku Kappo
ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #B3-23, Singapore 238801
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10:00pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/NikuKappo.sg/

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape. Photos by @stormscape and @DanielFoodDiary. This entry is brought to you in partnership with Niku Kappo.

The post Niku Kappo 肉割烹 – Japanese Kappo Restaurant From Tsujiki Opens In Singapore At ION Orchard appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

There is a shift of coffee places being more of a “lifestyle café”, where it is not just about drinks and food anymore.

These lifestyle cafes can sell things that range from fashion items, bespoke furniture, knick-knacks, where café goers can do their shopping while relax over a coffee.

Economical factor wise, there is the element of cost-sharing, and synergy. Obviously, there is an “instagrammable” factor as well, because dining out in no longer just about taste.

Groundstory Stories along North Bridge Road is a merge of café on one side, crafts and handmade tableware on the other.

Therefore, every cup and plates that come with the cakes and drinks could be an art in itself.

Items appear to be well-curated, and the vibes welcoming and comfortable. A place where you can wind down over a lazy afternoon.

Coffee is sourced from Common Man, where you get the usual such as espresso, flat white, latte, cappuccino and mocha ($4 – $6 for hot, $5 – $6.50 for cold drinks).

Cakes are sourced from a home-baker, with rotational offering such as Banana Cakes and Lychee Rose. I liked the Black Sesame Cake, more or less fluffy, though I might have preferred a moister version.

The one thing that I thought could be lacking in this lifestyle café, could be ironically “stories” itself.

Where are the items from? What went behind that gorgeous plate where the cake was served on? What was the creator’s philosophy behind those craft?

I might have expected to see these “stories” surfacing in store, through verbal explanation, or the social media feed (which remains functional for now).

This is something that could look at, to build a stronger brand. Otherwise, lovely place.

Groundstory Stories
756/758 North Bridge Road Singapore 198726
Tel: +65 6297 6166
Opening Hours: 9:00am – 5:30pm (Tues – Fri), 12:00pm – 4:30pm (Sat – Sun)

Other Related Entries
10 Hipster Cafes In Singapore That Even Hipsters May Not Know About
Hyde & Co. (North Bridge Road)
Monument Lifestyle (Duxton Road)
House Of AnLi (Tanglin Mall)
Mellower Coffee (Middle Road)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Groundstory – Lifestyle Café Where Where Coffee Meets Craft. At North Bridge Road appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

These instagrammable rainbow drinks in tall bottles from The Talad Drinks and Thai Kitchen were a hit in the inaugural session of Artbox Singapore.

Queues were long, said to last between 45 minutes to an hour just to get one of these sought-after drinks.

Well, if you really need these coloured water to be on your Instagram feed, yet not want to brave the heat and crowd, Toa Payoh Hub is your next best option.

The ‘back alley’ of Blk 90 in the heart of Toa Payoh Central, is where I go to for roast pork noodles and Penang food. Then, I noticed this Thai restaurant which took over Chao Phraya Thai Kitchen.

The Talad Drinks and Thai Kitchen offers a range of affordable Thai food such as Pineapple Fried Rice ($5.50), Pad Thai ($5), Tom Yum Fish Vermicelli Soup ($6), Thai Prawn Cake ($6/$10) and Creamy Red Curry Chicken ($7).

Its colourful Thai drinks are popular especially with OLs who find them gorgeous enough to take back to the office cubicle.

The top 3 popular flavours are An Chan Kiwi ($3.80) which is Butterfly Pea Tea with Kiwi, Cha Yen ($3.50) and Strapple Talad ($3.80) – Strawberry with Apple Juice.

Other Thai Drinks such as Thai Iced Green Tea ($3.50), Thai Iced Lemon Grass ($3.50) and Thai Iced Milk Coffee ($3.50) are also available.

These tri-coloured drinks of the An Chan series are made with butterfly pea flowers which provide the purplish and blue shades, with a base ranging from lemonade, peach, orange and passionfruit. (As a precautionary note, pregnant and nursing mothers might need to avoid butterfly pea flowers for a while.)

Shake the bottles, and the content change to another colour. Ah, suitable for boomerangs. Though there is nothing really special about the taste, at least they make refreshingly cool beverages during the hot weather.

The Thai Iced Milk Tea ($3.50) had a strong lingering tea taste but was towards the sweet side. Could have been tastier if they upped the proportion of the milk.

Well, they are just tall, pretty to look at, and sweet… and I am not describing a person.

The Talad Drinks and Thai Kitchen
90 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, #01-520 Toa Payoh Hub, Singapore 310190
Tel: +65 9105 0555
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 9:00pm

Other Related Entries
6 Best Galaxy Cakes In Singapore
6 Best “Galaxy Drinks” In Singapore
5 Places In Singapore To Get Light Bulb Drinks (Westgate)
Galaxy Cakes & Desserts In Singapore
11 Very BLUE Food & Drinks In Singapore

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post The Talad Drinks – Instagrammable Rainbow Drinks At Toa Payoh, Without The Long Queue At Artbox appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Japanese confectionary Châteraisé has been opening EVERYWHERE in Singapore, from Westgate to Orchard Shaw House, Novena Square 2, Chinatown Point, Serangoon NEX, City Square Mall, Hillion Mall, Tampines 1, and Ang Mo Kio.

However, this outlet at Toa Payoh is different. It incorporates a sit-down café. This changes everything. You can eat the cakes THERE and then.

There are both outdoor and indoor (2 tables) seating spaces.

Many OL friends I know love Châteraisé’s cakes, often seen ta-baoing these sweet treats back to the office for the tea-time snack. Maybe it is the only thing they look forward to. (A friend asked what “OL” represents. It means “office ladies”, and hopefully not overtime ladies or overworked ladies.)

Their cakes score on three levels: They are Japanese (often known for high quality desserts); are pretty or cute to look at; and are not overly expensive.

Châteraisé is a patisserie from the Yamanashi Prefecture Japan (a land rich in nature), which collaborates with Japanese farmers to use high quality ingredients for their cakes and desserts.

The cakes in Singapore are delivered over direct from Japan.

Their best seller is the “Legendary Strawberry Cream Cake” which boasts of light fresh cream and sweet strawberries.

Other popular favourites include White Zebra Caramel (that’s like a Mille Crepe Cake), Green Zebra, Crispy Chocolate Cake, Fluffy Cream Rolls and animal-shaped ones.

This Toa Payoh café outlet also sells Hokkaido style cheese tarts, looking suspiciously like BAKE Cheese Tart, right down to the packaging.

These are called “Baked Cheese Tart”, with the additional “d”, made with Hokkaido milk, French cream cheese and custard cream.

They are decent, but lacked out that luxe creaminess and richness of BAKE Cheese Tart. The consolation is, they are priced at $3.00, 50 cents cheaper than their famous competitor.

What I will recommend in the Double Fantasy Cream Puffs, which is $1.90 of goodness.

Each cream puff contains both Hokkaido fresh cream and rich custard cream, light and velvety smooth, and not too sweet as well.

This café concept serves up Hokkaido Milk Latte, Caramel Latte, Vanilla Latte and Coffee with Hokkaido Fresh cream ($5.00 for hot, $5.80 for iced).

The only confusing/troublesome thing is that you have to order cakes from one counter, coffee on the other.

It is not difficult to tell this Châteraisé Café should be a hit, and not only amongst the OLs.

Châteraisé Café Singapore
Blk 490, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, #01-15, Singapore 310490
Opening Hours: 9:00am – 9:30pm Daily

Other Related Entries
BAKE Cheese Tart (ION Orchard)
KOKI Tamagoyaki (Raffles City)
Nigiro Café (Suntec City)
Tachihara Coffee (Millenia Walk
Café & Meal MUJI (Paragon Orchard)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Châteraisé Singapore – NEW Café Concept With Hokkaido Milk Latte and Cheese Tarts At Toa Payoh appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The humble Nasi Lemak is getting ‘upgraded’ and atas with eateries such as The Coconut Club, Revolution Coffee, Crave and Folding Rice doing modern spins on the dish.

Village Nasi Lemak has joined the pack with an outlet opened at 57 Circular Road, a short distance from the heart of Raffles Place.

It has moved from Simpang Bedok, and you would be forgiven if you think it is a hipster pub with its colourful walls and mood lighting.

It has been re-branded to be an Asian tapas bar, with locally inspired ‘tapas’ such as Fried Chicken, Rendang Beef, and Sambal Sotong available at night from 6pm onwards.

The signature Nasi Lemak ($7.80) had to be ordered from a vending machine. One of those that was slow to react, and the staff could be too busy (napping) to help.

What I appreciated about this Nasi Lemak was its attempt to be different from others, with the inclusion of a truffle poached egg, cucumber cut in thin strips, and addition of deep fried crispy flour on the top of the rice for crunch.

It was a matter of getting used to a runny sous-vide egg instead of the typical sunny side up, but the truffle possibly went MIA – both in smell and appearance.

The coconut rice was soft and fragrant, delicious when mixed with the home-made sambal.

I imagined that the wings could have been juicer and crisper. Perhaps they were fried some time before hand in anticipation of the lunch time crowd.

Village Nasi Lemak Bar
57 Circular Road Singapore 049412
Tel: +65 6443 0400
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm (Mon – Thurs), 10:00am till late (Fri), 12:00pm – 9:00pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
The Coconut Club (Ann Siang)
Revolution Coffee (Media Circle)
Crave (ION Orchard)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Village Nasi Lemak – Humble Hawker Food Gets ‘Upgraded’ With Truffle Egg appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Being one of the longest standing Japanese-French inspired patisserie around in Singapore since 1992, Rive Gauche has recently opened their flagship store in Citylink Mall (opposite Starbucks).

The name “Rive Gauche” actually refers to the left bank of Seine River in France.

With 7 other outlets at Suntec City, Takashimaya, Plaza Singapura, Tampines One, Vivo City, I12 Katong and NEX, this outlet at Citylink Mall is different.

It is a sit-down cafe with 12 seats, and this means that I can eat my (chilled) cakes THERE on the spot.

Seems like takeaway patisseries are moving into the cafe concept, similar to Châteraisé Café at Toa Payoh.

While all of the cakes, choux puffs and macarons are similar in all their takeaway outlets, drip coffee and softserve are exclusive items here at this dine-in outlet.

Available in 2 flavours – the classic Guanaja ($7.80) and Strawberry ($6.80). By the way, this reminds me of the flavour selection for McDonald’s Sundaes

My favourite was the Strawberry Softserve ($6.80), essentially a deconstructed version of their Strawberry Short Cake ($6) with softserve.

It was sprinkled with strawberries, peanuts, chocolate pearls, strawberry sauce on top of the smooth, rich and milky softserve made from Hokkaido Milk by Japan’s Yosutba Milk Company.

Dig further to uncover chunks of fluffy strawberry sponge cake underneath the pile of toppings with an additional crunch.

Chocolate lovers should enjoy the Guanaja Softserve ($7), which on the other hand, came with chunks of chocolate sponge hidden beneath all the toppings.

While the design of the cup is meant for takeaways, the top-heavy soft serve cup tends to topple easily when one is not careful.

For a lighter bite, an Affogato ($3.50) is available made using the same Hokkaido softserve with a shot of hot espresso.

Known for the cakes, fans of Rive Gauche Patisserie can still get their dose of happiness from their cake selection: Guanaja ($7), Strawberry Short Cake ($6), Mango ($6), Yuzu Cheesecake ($8) and Tiramisu ($7) here.

Rive Gauche Patisserie
CityLink Mall, #B1-16, Singapore 039393
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 9.30pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/rive.patisserie

Other Related Entries
Châteraisé Café (Toa Payoh)
Butterknife Folk (River Valley Road)
Out Of The Cakebox (Our Tampines Hub)
Cake Spade (Tanjong Pagar)
L’Atelier Tiramisu (The Central)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Rive Gauche Patisserie – Cafe Concept With Guanaja And Strawberry Softserve At Citylink Mall appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Our local hawkerpreneurs are going places. Fish & Chicks which made some waves on social media with their Salted Egg Yolk and Chilli Crab Sauce Fish and Chips, has expanded with a NEW outlet at Bedok.

This 4th branch comes hot on the heels after stalls at Ang Mo Kio, Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, and Commonwealth (Tanglin Halt).

So hooray for friends in the east.

The idea of setting up a branch at a kopitiam within Block 204 Bedok North Street 1, was to cater to fans at different parts of the island. Notice that their other outlets are in the north, south and west of Singapore.

The stall wasn’t hard to find, within walking distance from Bedok Mall and Bedok Food Centre. The challenge for them probably is, they would need to get traction from those distracted by the sheer variety of food there.

Their shot to fame was the signature Salted Egg Yolk and Chilli Crab Sauce Fish & Chips, but the young owners realized the need to keep updating themselves to continue to attract return customers.

Thus the launch of a “Take Me To Thailand” menu. Here’s what you can expect:

Green Curry Chicken Cutlet ($10.50)
This is probably my favourite item , merging two of well-loved dishes together – Thai green curry Gaeng Kiaw Wan and deep fried chicken cutlet.

I do not think there is any similar version out there in Singapore, yet.

Pour the home-made green curry sauce over, or use it as a dip. Could be better as the breaded batter won’t get soggy then.

The sauce added a light touch of spiciness, more of sweetness and creaminess to the juicy chicken. I only thought some parts of the meat could have been salty, and lowered a notch.

To complete the Thai theme, the side was a freshly-fried Pineapple Fried Rice with wok-hei, also working well with the sauce.

Tomyum Pasta ($9.50)
Spaghetti in a tom yum base, topped with crispy battered fish. Ah, this could work.

I was imagining a drier take when I saw the menu, but the bowl came out moderately soupy.

The broth was almost dark red in colour – an indication of its spiciness level. On a scale of 1-10 in terms of how hot it was, I would rank it a 6.5. But that’s me.

This had a more sour slant, though I wished there was more of the ‘sediments’ and ingredients of galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves around to feel more authentic.

The big slice of fish lying across actually reminded quite crisp even minutes after. Quite appetizing.

Thai Chilli Fish & Chips ($10.50)
While this dish might seem more ‘boring’ compared to the other two, I thought that they got the sauce just right.

You would have thought this was just ordinary Thai sweet chilli sauce from its appearance.

After dipping and eating it with the fresh fish, the infusion of tangy-spicy tomyum within would provide a pleasant surprise.

Best Of Both Worlds ($13.80)
Otherwise, you can still have their all-time favourite of Salted Egg and Chilli Crab Sauce paired with Fish & Chips.

All their special Fish & Chips sets come with fries and a choice of sides such as Onion Rings, Coleslaw, Mashed Potato, Cheese Pasta and BBQ Baked Beans.

Hawaiian Chicken ($8.50
Another popular item at Fish & Chicks is the Hawaiian Chicken, with grilled chicken chop at the bottom, topped with sliced ham, pineapple, tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.

Wait. Chicken and Hawaiian Pizza together? This sounds suspiciously like…

I think this is great for those who love your ‘Hawaiian Pizza’ with no bread base and just meat.

All in all, I liked that the fish and chicken came in reasonably big portions, and sauces were made from scratch. Perhaps with more branches, consistency could be a challenge which the team would need to work on.

A common question I get is, ”Are they Halal?”

Fish & Chicks have already applied for certification, and the owners mentioned that they should get it soon. Check out here for updates.

Fish & Chicks
Blk 204 Bedok North Street 1 Singapore 460204 (Bedok MRT Station)
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm Daily

Ang Mo Kio
531 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 Singapore 560531 (Located within Happy Hawker)
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm Daily

Somerset
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Road, Singapore 239693 (Basement Koufu Foodcourt)
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm Daily

Commonwealth
88 Tanglin Halt, #01-08, Singapore 079329 (Inside Koufu Foodcourt, opposite Commonwealth MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm Daily

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Fish & Chicks.

The post Fish & Chicks – Thai Green Curry Chicken Cutlet, Tom Yum Pasta With Fried Fish At Bedok appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Daebak! A Korean tteokbokki (rice cakes) buffet at only $18.80?

I couldn’t contain my excitement and immediately jio-ed my K-Pop/ K-drama/ K fanatics (K whatever) chingu down! Also because they had nothing to look forward to after Goblins ended.

Pali-Pali!

”Dookki”, which means ‘Two meals’ in Korean, originated from Korea in 2014, and has over 100 outlets worldwide.

Two meals literally means to start the first meal with a Korean hotpot style and and end off with kimchi fried rice.

It was a steal for the price tag of $18.80 for adults, and $10.80 for children (of height between 110 – 130cm) with its wide variety of Korean food offered.

From 8 different kinds of tteokbokki (rice cakes) with varying shapes and texture such as Round, Flat, Slim, Square, Hollow, Special, Square Wheat, Potato Sujebi to meat and vegetables such as beansprout, cabbage, fish cake, cuttlefish ball, sausage, boiled egg and mussel for the hot pot.

That’s not all. The fried food counter features one of my favourite Korean street food – Kimmari (김말이), deep fried seaweed roll with glass noodles in it. Crunchy and tasty.

Another highlight was the freshly-cooked Fish Cake Skewers available at the Fish Cake station, best eaten with the sauces from the Sauce Station, drizzled with some soup broth.

For a first timer, it may be a little confusing, but the slip of instructions on the tables helps.

Firstly, the service crew will boil the base soup at your table. You may request for a one-time-off Double Cheese Ring at an additional $9.80.

This is the only add-on available in addition to the buffet price.

While the Cheese Ring may seem all delicious-looking, Instagram-worthy or irresistible, it hardened way too quickly and I immediately regretted my decision.

Secondly, pick up the metal bowl and choose your ingredients for your hotpot at the buffet table.

Some items are really popular and run out fast, so display your kiasu-ness and pick those items machiam like it is the greatest Great Singapore Sale.

Technically speaking, it is a free-flow buffet, but let us try to minimise wastage.

Thirdly, there is a sauce station where you can make your own sauce and decide on the spiciness.

With a DIY guide on the ratio of Dookki Sauce to Tteokbokki Sauce to Gungjung sauce or Flame Sauce, it is not that difficult to be the next Master Chef (just kidding).

I enjoyed the Level 2 Spiciness with 1.5 spoons of Tteokbokki Sauce, 1 spoon of Dookki Sauce and 0.5 spoon of Gungjung sauce which was quite manageable.

The most interesting and my personal favourite tteokbokki was the sweet potato version that oozed out with every bite.

Korean ramen (sans the ultra spicy packet), sweet potato noodles, Vietnamese noodles are available to add into the hotpot and soak up all the “zhup” (sauce).

While the hotpot reminded us of a budae jjigae, the overloading of carbs from the tteokbokki and the ramen, and the lack of spam could be a little heavy for most people.

Friends went on a subsequent visit, and I was told that spam had replaced the mussels…

I ended off the (first) meal with some DIY Kimchi Fried Rice using seaweed, sweet corn and kimchi.

It was a fun, memorable and hearty meal that brought smiles to the table.

Too many choices, too little time, oh did i mention that there’s a time limit of 90 minutes per person?

So put away your camera and K-drama discussion and finish up Dookki (two meals) within the time limit!

Dookki Singapore
Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard, #B1-107 (East Wing), Singapore 038984
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/dookkisg/

Other Related Entries
Ho Rang I (Novena)
K-Tower (Amoy Street)
BAP Korean Food (Alexandra Central)
Hansul Korean Dining Bar (Tanjong Pagar)
Daejon House (Havelock II Mall)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Dookki Singapore 두끼 – 1st Korean Tteokbokki Buffet At Suntec City, Only $18.80. appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[New York City] Guilty. I haven’t heard of a Chomp Chomp restaurant at NYC until the video from Insider Food went viral, featuring ‘Singapore’ dishes such as Roti Jala, Chilli Crab Cheese Fries, Crab Omelette and Lamb Rendang Mee Pok.

My foodie friends went, ”What is this?”

So our foreign friends, you could find Chilli Crab Cheese Fries in some hipster cafés in Singapore, but not quite in the food centres. As for Lamb Rendang Mee Pok, I am waiting for someone here to sell it (Let me know if you do.)

I decided to take a look at the menu online, and saw that Chomp Chomp NYC featured more familiar dishes, such as Popiah, Orh Luak, Murtabak, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Gu Bak Koay Teow, Sarawak Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Fried Hokkien Mee.

Now, I am tempted to fly over to try their version of Singapore food.

The name “Chomp Chomp” came from one of Singapore’s most popular food centres, located at Serangoon Gardens.

The NYC restaurant’s décor is not hawker-centre-ish though.

It has a Chinese-Peranakan looking design, with bamboo blinds, dark-wood bar and sepia-toned lighting. (No wonder the Criminal Minds Beyond Borders team would have thought Singapore was filled with red Chinese lantern and ching-chong music.)

Owner-Chef Simpson Wong first opened Café Asean in the West Village way back in 1996, and has decided to show New Yorkers an ‘authentic’ taste of Singaporean hawker food.

Here are some of the food you can expect from Chomp Chomp:

Popiah (USD$8.50)
Singaporean summer rolls with shrimp, jicama and snow pea

Oh Luak (USD$12.00)
Oyster omelet with garlic chives, chili vinegar sauce

Hah Zheung Gai (USD$10.50)
Shrimp paste chicken wings, Chinese celery, crispy garlic, chilies

Char Kway Teow (USD$14.00)
Wok fried rice noodles with clams and shrimps

Fried Hokkien Mee (USD$15.00)
Stir fried noodles with seafood and Yu Choy in seafood stock

BBQ Stingray (USD$15.00)
Grilled skate wrapped in banana leaves, calamansi sambal

I know some of the food items served do not quite look like the actual dishes served in the hawker centres in Singapore (perhaps 60% resemblance), especially the rather pale-looking Stingray in need of a tan.

Still, I think it is a good effort to provide such an extensive menu.

By the way, Chomp Chomp NYC was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand last year (insert *shocked* emoticon).

Let us wait for the day it gets a star. If there is Lamb Rendang Meepok, anything is possible. Never say never.

Chomp Chomp NYC
7 Cornelia Street (Between Bleecker Street & West 4th Street) New York, NY 10014
Tel: +1 212 929 2888
Opening Hours: 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Thurs, Sun), 5:30pm – 11:00pm (Fri – Sat)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Chomp Chomp NYC – Singapore Hawker Food Restaurant At New York Has A Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Korean café Banana Tree opened in Singapore at 26 Keong Siak Road 2 years ago with some social media fanfare, and attracted young customers with their cotton candy coffee and flower pot desserts.

The harsh reality. Trends come and go, and even the hippest of cafés needs to keep re-inventing itself, and introduce new products to attract repeat customers.

So, Banana Tree has said its goodbye, and reopened as “V Cafe 브이카페”.

Although the signboard of V Cafe looks similar, products are comparable, interior alike, and staff is retained, the café is under a different management team.

Has the bingsu fever subsided in Singapore as well? Perhaps half-way.

You get a variety such as Patbingsu ($12.50), Black Sesame ($14.50), Choco-holic ($14.50), Choco Banana ($13.50), Oreo Crush ($13.50, and Matcha ($12.50).

I was recommended the Black Sesame ($14.50), largely because the shavings were made with black bean soy milk, which gave it a slight milky and soft texture different from the usual.

To my surprise, it was not bad a choice, with the shavings a lot smoother and finer than what its predecessor used to serve.

The other food items include a variety of Thick Toast such as Classic Honey ($8) and Nutella Banana ($14), Sandwiches ($6 – $8), Soda and Latte ($6 – $6.50).

While you can still top up 50 cents for cotton candy to be on your drinks, the whole idea may be quite passé, and probably need to churn out new items to stay afloat in this competitive market.

V Cafe 브이카페
26 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089133 (Outram Park MRT)
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 9:15pm (Mon – Fri), 12:00pm – 9:15pm (Sat – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Ajoomma (Holland Village)
Nunsaram (Maju Avenue)
Bingki (Tanjong Pagar)
Nunsongyee (Yuk Tong Ave)
Nunuiwangja (HillV2)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post V Cafe 브이카페 – Off Goes Banana Tree, In Comes A Korean Bingsu Café appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Tokyo] Shinjuku 新宿 must be one of my favourite wards in Tokyo. While it is a business district, it is also home to considerable dining, entertainment and shopping options.

Shinjuku Station also happens to be the world’s busiest railway station, handling more than 2 million passengers.

I liked the fact that many lines lead here, especially the JR Yamanote Line, which makes travelling to places like Shibuya, Harajuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno and Tokyo Station very convenient.

Travellers get a good mix of sights here, from cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen during spring time, Central Park, to the colourful Kabukicho – Japan’s largest red light district lined with restaurants and pachinko parlours.

Not forgetting large departmental malls of Takashimaya (with Tokyu Hands), Iseta, Odakyu, Keio, Lumine, and Mylord, all within a 10 to 20 minute walking distance.

There are TOO MANY food choices to list down here. Omoide Yokocho (also nicknamed the Piss Alley) is literally lined with yakitori, oden and soba shops. Or you can just go to Takashimaya and Isetan basement, especially during closing times to get some discounted food buys.

Here are 10 Must Eats At Shinjuku Tokyo 新宿 – From Affordable Michelin Meals, Handmade Soba To ¥350 Gyudon (I tried to include a range, and also added exterior photos for you to find the shop more easily.)

Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima 新宿割烹 中嶋
B1F, Hihara Bldg, 3 32-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture 160-0022, Japan (Shinjuku Station North Exit)
Tel: +81 3-3356-453
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2pm (last order 1:45pm), 5:30pm – 9:30pm (last order 8pm)
Closed mid-August, late December-early January, Sunday and Public Holidays
http://www.shinjyuku-nakajima.com
Google Maps – Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima

Probably The Cheapest Michelin Star Meal In Tokyo
Nakajima is probably the cheapest Michelin star meal you can get at Tokyo, Japan.

This is how affordable it can get. A lunch set is priced at ¥800 (SGD$9.90, USD$7.40), and we are talking about one of the most expensive cities in the world.

The star of the lunch is to my amazement… sardines.

The Iwashi (sardines) are presented in 4 different ways – the Furai deep fried sardines with panko, raw sashimi-style with seaweed and sesame, the Nizakana simmered in dashi with soy sauce, or the Yanagawa Nabe served in a hot piping eggy casserole for a ¥100 extra. Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Tsunahachi 天ぷら 新宿 つな八
3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 (Shinjuku Station East Exit or Shinjuku-Sanchome Station Exits A1-A5)
Tel: 03 3352 1012
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:30pm
Google Maps – Tsunahachi

Historical Tempura Restaurant Popular Among Locals
Tempura restaurant Tsunahachi 天ぷら 新宿 つな八 総本店 which was founded by Kyuzo Shimura in 1923, has remain highly popular among most locals and tourists.

At the heart of Shinjuku where you get surrounded by stores from BIC Camera and Uniqlo, I was excited to find such a restaurant. FYI, another famous tempura restaurant Funabashiya Honten is within sight.

Considering that I have spent quite a far bit (can be above SGD$100) at other tempura restaurants, the more reasonable price range over here is welcomed.

Lunch starts from ¥1,512 (SGD$19.50), and dinner from ¥2,484 (SGD$32).

A basic Tempura Set goes for ¥2,484 (SGD$32) which includes two shrimps, assorted seafood, vegetables, Anago (sea eel), deep-fried small shrimps (kakiage), appetizer; and a set of rice, miso-soup and Japanese pickles (osoroi). Tsunahachi 天ぷら新宿つな八 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

慎 Shin Udon
2 151 0053, 2 Chome-20-16 Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0053, Japan (Shinjuku Station, Exit 6)
代々木2-20-16 (相馬ビル1F), Shibuya, Tōkyō, 151-0053, Japan
Tel: +81 3-6276-7816
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Thurs, Sun), 11am – 11pm (Fri – Sat), Closed during New Year period
Google Maps – Shin Udon

Udon Never Tasted This Good, Awesome Find
Entering the shop, I realised it was a cramped 10-seater – 6 at the counter, 2 and 2 at the table, typical Japanese style. Counter of course to catch the chefs in action.

The buckwheat udon is made in house, fresh upon order, in cold or hot versions, topped with ingredients such as tempura, sliced beef, mentaiko and soft boiled egg.

The basic variants are Kake Udon – Hot udon in broth topped with thinly sliced scallions; Zaru Udon – cold noodles accompanied with a chilled dipping sauce; and Bukkake Udon – cold udon with thicker dashi broth.

There is a short English translation for its quite-pictorial menu, so do not worry. Shin Udon 慎 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Fu-unji 風雲児
2-14-3, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (10 min walk from JR Shinjuku Station South Exit)
Japan, 〒151-0053 Tokyo, Shibuya 代々木2-14-3 北斗第一ビル 1F
Tel: +81 3 6413 8480
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 5 – 9pm (Mon-Sat), Closed Sun & New Year Holiday Period
Google Maps – Fu-unji

Umami Fish Based Tsukemen & Ramen
Fu-unji 風雲児 is tsukemen like never before, creamy broth of chicken (imagine the collagen) with fish, topped with bonito-like smoked fish powder. This is UMAMI.

The taste of the stock when you mix them all together, is quite unimaginable, and is one of the must-haves when you are at Shinjuku Tokyo.

There are 3 noodle sizes with namimori (small, 200gm or so), chuumori (medium, 300 gm), and oomori (large, 400gm).

The same price for all for the Tokusei Tsukemen 特製つけめん at ¥1000.

Its layered flavours of rich chicken broth and smoky fish powder was revolutionary good, grabbing you to just focus on its unique taste. Fu-unji 風雲児 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Menya Musashi 麺屋武蔵
Shinjuku-ku, Nishi Shinjuku 7-2-6, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan, Tel: +03 3796 4634
東京都新宿区西新宿7-2-6 ビル1F (About 5 minutes from the JR Shinjuku West Exit, near Prospect AXE or the former Oakwood Shinjuku Apartments)
Opening hours: 11:30am-3:30pm, 4:30pm – 9:30pm (Mon-Sat), 11:30am-4:30pm (Sun)
Google Maps – Menya Musashi

Where Chefs Cook Ramen With Style And Flair
Menya Musashi’s founder Yamada Takeshi, together with Ippudo’s Kawahara Shigemi and Nanttsutei’s Furuya Ichiro are said to be icons of the ramen industry.

Both its signature and tsukemen dipping noodles (¥1000) are basic but spectacular – with chunks of melt-in-your-mouth pork, chewy noodles and addictive soup which made me finish till the last drop.

Its highlight has to be the broth, a flavourful shoyu soy sauce base made with pork and chicken bones, with taste slightly ‘seafood-y’ due to the addition of dried saury fish.

What was also impressive is the visual experience the cooks present. It was almost as if they were presenting a martial arts dance as they cooked and dried the ramen noodles in the open kitchen. All with such great force, adding collective yells of “Hey-Hai” and Japanese idioms. Menya Musashi 麺屋武蔵 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Sushi Tokyo Ten
Shinjuku NEWoMan, 4-1-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku 160-0022, Tokyo
Tel: +81 3 6274 8540
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 3:00pm, 5:00pm – 11:00pm

Sushi Omakase At ¥7000
Sushi Tokyo Ten is perhaps the best find during my most recent trip. For those who has not been to Tokyo in the last 2 years or so, you would be surprised to find a new shopping mall NEWoMan right next to Shinjuku Station (South Exit).

While restaurant Sushi Tokyo Ten is located within the food court, do not discount its quality at all. Its vibes are more casual, and thus you would not get that intimidating feel like some other sushi restaurants.

The dinner omakase is priced at ¥7000 while the lunch set is at ¥3500. At first I thought I heard wrongly (plus there is no menu), as sushi meals are typically expensive in Tokyo.

The variety and taste were amazing, and I had fully enjoyed almost every sushi piece including fresh shrimps, lobster, abalone, and 2 types of uni.

Tatsuya たつ屋
35-2, 3chome, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81 3 3354 0611
Opening hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm (Mon – Fri), 7:30am – 9:00pm (Sat – Sun)

350 Yen Gyu Don
Even while Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, you still can find affordable eats here.

Let me direct you to Tatsuya, a hole-in-the-wall eatery specializing in Gyu Don (¥350) which is simmered beef on rice, and Katsu Don (¥450) pork cutlet with egg on rice. ¥350 is only about SGD$4.50.

The staff strength is lean, but the friendly elderly cooks will whip up warm bowls of donburi, complete with tender slices of beef on fluffy rice.

Blue Bottle Coffee
新宿カフェ 4-1-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Shinjuku Station, New South exit)
東京都新宿区新宿4-1-6
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm

One Of The Best Coffee Shops, Now At Tokyo Shinjuku
The hipster and executive-type Japanese are obviously into specialty roasted, artisanal coffee, especially with a specific prominent brand.

This coffee place in the heart of Shinjuku was brisk, right next to a Le Pain de Joel Robuchon bakery, where many office goers grab-and-go a takeaway cup with that signature blue bottle logo.

There is a full menu of drip coffee and espresso drinks – a Blend of Drip Coffee at ¥450 (SGD$5.60), Single Origin at ¥550 (SGD$6.80).

I had a Latte (¥520, SGD$6.50). It was smooth, very smooth, as though every ingredient came together in harmony. Blue Bottle Coffee (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Gontran Cherrier Shinjuku Branch
Shibuya-ku, Yoyogi 2-2-1, Southern Terrace (next to Shinjuku station, South exit)
東京都渋谷区代々木2－2－1 新宿サザンテラス内
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 10:00pm Daily

Some Of The Best Pastries, Especially The Croissant
Celebrity pastry chef Gontran Cherrier has found one of the best spot in Shinjuku, a double storey space at Southern Terrace steps away from the extremely populated Shinjunku station, with a connecting bridge to Lumine.

The lower floor is the bakery, while the upper storey is for a sit down meal.

Other than the signatures Kouign-Amann (¥240) and Mont Blanc (¥330), there were several items created for the Japanese market, from Pain au Curry (¥220), Pain De Seigle Au Miso (¥440), jet black looking Baguette Noir A L’encre De Seiche (¥250), to Yuzu Citro (¥450). Gontran Cherrier (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Sarabeth
Lumine Shinjuku Lumine2, 2nd Floor, 3-38-2, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Shinjuku Station South Exit – JR Line, Odakyu Line, Keio Line)
Tel: 9:00am – 10:00pm Daily, Last Order 9:00pm

Breakfast Queen Of New York In Shinjuku
The “No.1 Dessert restaurant in New York” continues to enjoy long queues at the Shinjuku store at Lumine2. So much so that it can start an hour before opening, with a line all the way down the escalator to Level 1.

People are there for Sarabeth’s French Toast (¥1,250), Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes (¥1,450), Classic Eggs Benedit (¥1,45) and Velvety Cream of Tomato Soup.

The fat and fluffy French Toast (¥1,250) is what almost every table orders. It is a classic sweet brunch item, served for over 20 years, topped with fresh strawberries and maple syrup.

Other Related Entries
Ichiran Ramen 一蘭 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
BAKE Cheese Tart (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Blue Bottle Coffee (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Shin Udon 慎 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Fu-unji 風雲児 (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Click HERE for other Tokyo Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post 10 Must Eats At Shinjuku Tokyo 新宿 – Afforable Michelin Meals, Handmade Soba To ¥350 Gyudon (<$5) appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Tokyo] Goma or ‘sesame’, must be one of the most under-rated ice cream flavours in other parts of the world. Except in Japan.

However, it was still a surprise to find the ice cream parlour Gomaya Kuki ごまアイス, that sold nothing but Goma Ice Cream.

The small shop is located about a 5 to 10 minutes’ walk from Omotesando station, on a stretch lined with artisanal coffee houses and indie fashion boutiques. This is where the Japanese hipsters go to.

The ingredients used to make the smooth ice cream, are from the established Kiku Sangyo, a time-honoured sesame house from the Mie prefecture.

I saw 6 different Sesame Ice Cream flavours, from the basic Kuro (black) and Shiro (white), with both versions with an option of higher intensity, Kuro Shio (black sesame with sea-salt) or Tsubutsubu Zakkoku (chunky mixed sesame).

A cup of 2 scoops was priced at ¥500 (SGD$6.30, USD$4.50).

I chose both the more intense options, but didn’t regret at all.

The texture was rich and smooth, but what was appealing was the deep, layered sesame flavour that could leave a lingering taste even after a while.

Each Kuro Goma “Super Rich” ice cream scoop is said to be made out of 9000 black sesame seeds, thus the intense ‘packed’ flavour.

Not sure if this can be considered “richest sesame ice cream” in the world, but it was enough to cause some rolling in the deep.

Gomaya Kuki
Minami Harajuku Bldg 1F, 4-6-9 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (Omotesando station)
東京都 渋谷区 神宮前 4-6-9 南原宿ビル１F
Tel: +81 70 3265 0783
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 6:00pm

Other Related Entries
Star Bucks (Omotesando, Tokyo)
Patisserie Sahabaru AOKI Paris (Ginza, Tokyo)
Gontran Cherrier (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Café & Meal MUJI 無印良品 (Ginza, Tokyo)
Laduree (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Click HERE for other Tokyo Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Gomaya Kuki – “The World’s Richest Sesame Ice Cream” Shop At Omotesando, Tokyo appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Omotesando Koffee has earned a loyal following among coffee aficionados, and its closure announced by owner Eiichi Kunitomo must have caused a few broken hearts.

Originally intended to be a pop-up shop for only one year, they lasted for 5 years in business, but eventually had to let go due to the aging of the shop space it was in.

It reopened with an outpost at Wan Chai in Hong Kong, and became a must-visit for coffee lovers.

The news is, Omotesando Koffee will further expand with a Singapore outlet, confirmed to be located at Downtown Gallery at 6 Shenton Way.

Downtown Gallery is a retail mail (yet another mall in Singapore), with its entire 4th floor dedicated to be a co-working space concept.

Coffee and co-working space will probably work well together, which will attract a particular segment of workers and entrepreneurs to venture (in both sense of the word) there.

While the brand “Omotesando Koffee” is a familiar one, it remains to be seen if the Singapore outlet can capture the quality and spirit of the Japanese original branch. This was also one of the main criticisms of the Hong Kong store.

Check out here for updates.

Omotesando Koffee Singapore
Downtown Gallery, 6 Shenton Way, Singapore 068809

Other Related Entries
BAKE Cheese Tart (ION Orchard)
KOKI Tamagoyaki (Raffles City)
Nigiro Café (Suntec City)
Tachihara Coffee (Millenia Walk
Café & Meal MUJI (Paragon Orchard)

* Photos from Omotesando Koffee Hong Kong.

The post Omotesando Koffee – Popular Japanese Cafe Opening In Singapore At Shenton Way appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Calling a restaurant “Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant” after THE famous Tsukiji wholesale market at Tokyo can be an uncertain move.

While the name is easy to recall, and those not in the know may even think they are related, it is a loaded title that will carry along huge expectations. (On another note, it is disadvantageous for SEOs and google searches as well.)

Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant is located on the rooftop garden of Orchard Central. Fantastic view by the way. (Tip: You need to take the correct elevator to get up there to Level 12, otherwise you will land up to be in a maze game.)

There are 6 different concepts under one roof, though only 3 are opened now.

They are:
– Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant for seasonal fresh fish and seafood. Essentially the sushi and sashimi.
– Takumen Ramen Galley, offering 3 different types of ramen.
– Ebi Zo Ebi Tempura Restaurant
– Ikezaki Japanese BBQ (not yet opened)
– Tori-Sho Chicken (not yet opened)
– Ueki Omakase Restaurant (not yet opened)

Perhaps because not all concepts are launched, there seems to be a lack of vibrancy, interactivity and energy one would expect from a “Tsukiji Fish Market”.

Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant
The menu you look at for a comprehensive range of food, from sushi, sashimi, grill, donburi, salads, and tempura.

I ordered a Tsukiji Special Bara Chirashi Sushi Don ($19.80) which was a standard bowl of cubed sashimi. The rice used was interestingly moderately sweet and sticky, though I wished the fish could have been sliced thicker for a more satisfying mouthfeel.

Due Italian Ramen – Ramen with cheese and ham in chicken broth.

Bigya Ramen – Special whole wheat flour noodles in shoyu soup scented with yuzu.

Sakuta-ya – Lekei ramen in rich broth.

Takumen Ramen Gallery
3 different types of ramen are served, included 2 with Michelin Bib Gourmand from where it originated – Due Italian ($16.80) originally conceived by an Italian chef; and Bigiya ($16.80) with a shoyu based ramen scented with yuzu.

I had all 3, and it turned out that my favourite was not the above 2, but Sakuta-ya ($16.80) – a rich broth lekei ramen.

Perhaps it was the execution of the former two, the noodles turned out to be too soggy, and therefore marred the overall taste.

The Due Italian bowl could also be hotter, so that the cheese could blend within better.

Ebi Zo Ebi Tempura Restaurant
My favourite dish of the lot was the Ebizo Signature Tempura Don ($18.80) which was generously piled with tempura seafood, egg and mushroom.

The pieces were crisp enough, and ingredients fresh. While the savoury-sweet tendon sauce might not have been as impressionable as some of the popular stores in Singapore, it was appetising enough for me.

People will come with expectations to a Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant. There is a wide range of food items to appeal to groups and family.

What they can further work on is to build up the vibes and mood, and perhaps look into the consistency of the different menus. Can be confusing.

Oh yes, skip the matcha crepe cake. Lady M is downstairs.

Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant
181 Orchard Road #12-02 Orchard Central Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 6634 2803
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 10:00pm Daily

Other Related Entries
6 Best Japanese Restaurant Clusters In Singapore
Japan Foods Garden (Shaw Centre)
Itadakimasu Singapore (Tanjong Pagar)
Japan Foods Garden (Shaw Centre)
Kyoaji Japanese Dining (Centrepoint)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant Singapore – Sashimi, Ramen, Tempura All Under One Roof At Orchard Central appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.