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What Are the Rules of Dining at a Buffet?
#1 You Don’t Have To Always Eat All
#2 Keep It Clean
#3 Take Care of Your Server
- Richie Frieman, Modern Manners Guy
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We were here for an advance Mother's Day dinner so as to reserve the actual day for my mother & mother-in-law.
It was slightly 15 minutes later than our reserved timing when we arrived at the restaurant. I was worried that our reserved table would had been given away. we might have to wait for awhile with our extremely stomachs.
To my astonishment, the charmingly friendly host escorted us to an exclusive dining corner reserved especially for us!
"This is going to be a very enjoyable evening..."
"Hmm...Nice..."
"Wow! So special ahh..."
"Felt like VIP already..."


All of us settled down, chatted a little with sips of the icy cold water (served diligently by the servers). Then, I volunteered to remain at the table while my family went on a recce tour of the restaurants.
This encave corner is very decorative, it looked like a table set by the window that oversee a tranquil town besides the mountain. There were also bottles of wine, olive oil, beautiful plates set on the walls. Even the glassware looked imported...
I was still absorbing the zen vibes of this little exclusive corner when my family members began to trickle back...each with a plate of their favorite starter, in small portions.
The men started with the fresh seafood while we ladies prefered sashimi, salads & cold cuts.
The freshly shuckled oysters...were plump, briny & all you have to do is slurp up everything!
Although mignonette was available, I had mine with Tobasco, Green Pepper Tobasco or just plain.
"How did you like your oysters?"Daughters & I went for the Sashimi, next.
There was not many varieties but the slices were fresh, thick & juicy. Oishi! The crayfish tasted firm, springy & full of its natural flavor...m m m . . .
They have plenty of the delicious big prawns, succulent mussels & springy scallops.
We would simply have just eaten these throughout the evening...although the baskets were emptied as soon as they were filled, the servers were dilligently replenishing them...
Nice!The crunchy asparagus mixed with flaky cooked salmon made a surprisingly pleasing salad...
I especially liked the Dory Fish in sweet & sour sauce, it just opened up my palate...
The mushroom salad was full of different types of mushrooms like the shiitake, the drumstick, the portabelo, the straw, the inoki & the abalone...
Yummy!An unlikely choice for most but a delightful find for me! The crispiness of the papadum, the tanginess of the mint sauce (from the Roasted Lamb station), the soothing yogurt & the spiciness of the red chutney (yes, i wondered what it was made of, too)...all came to unlock the saliavary gland so as to be prepared for more exciting flavours!I discovered a DIY Gado-Gado station! Although the ingredients were slightly cold, the warm, tangy & slightly sweet peanut sauce was a delight! I liked the way they double-boiled the peanut sauce. A small claypot of the peanut sauce was kept warm in the constantly heated water of a slightly bigger claypot. Very thoughtful, right?!
The fried crispy taukwa might looked dry but it was really soft & moist inside; the cabbages, long beans & bean sprouts were scaldded perfectly - retaining the crunchiness; the chewy & flavorful tempeh was a surprise, very difficult to find it in this dish elsewhere now...
Overall satisfaction!This station was not manned throughout. A courteous young man came to my rescue as soon as he saw me stopped there. So nice...
The lamb was tenderly roasted, tomatoes were lightly grilled & was delightfully sweet, the potato & veggies complimented the dish very well.This was a pleasant surprise among the western lot of cuisine served here. It had a distinct Nonya flavour. Delightfully additive for a partial-Nonya like me...Desserts!
No lady would politely refuse a serving of desserts without blinking an eye...
The must-haves are aplenty but I could only devour (err...taste) these...
Heavenly Divine!!!Being a "Health Concious" person, I also had some of these to assist my digestion.


Verdict:

#1 - checked: we ate in moderation, having small quantity per plate per trip
#2 - checked: our table is free from shells & spillage, used plates were stacked up nicely
#3 - checked: we showed appreciation with smiles, please & thank you to all servers

Yes. It was an Enjoyable Evening!
It's a promise that "We Will Be Back!"

** Did you know **
The oyster world seems overwhelming, but there are only five species of oysters in the world, and it’s easy to tell one from another.
Don’t say “oyster juice,” say “liquor.” - Oyster liquor is the natural juice inside the oyster that keeps it alive once it’s out of the water. It is unacceptable to rinse or dump that juice out of the oyster before consuming it raw. That juice is precious and should taste amazing, and that’s why it’s referred to as liquor. It should be clear not cloudy.
- The Only 7 Things You Need To Know About Oyster, Buzzfeed.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne…"
All good times will come to an end…
This outlet will be changed to Nihon Mura Express from 01 April 2014 onwards. We just have to come here for a farewell buffet feast…in the spirit of Auld Lang Syne…

We were immediately seated at our preferred table as soon as we arrived.

My humble opinion:
The same great food, simple yet practical deco, prompt & friendly service, cozy & clean environment & the reasonable prices had lured us back again & again…


Presenting the feast…
~ all the thickly sliced, fresh sashimi…nomm-nomm-nomm! (Must have 2nd servings!)
~ the mashed potato were filled with tuna flakes…mmm!
~ the fresh, chewy scallop skirting…yum!
~ the slightly spicy, well seasoned jelly fish…yum-yum!
~ the sweet black soya beans…the skin is so soft…mmm!
~ my favorite veggies tempura…so yummy that I ordered it again!
~ my daughter's crispy tempura CrabSticks & fried Maki…salivating!
~ the grilled Shiitake Mushrooms…chomp, chomp, chomp!
~ the succulent Mentai Mussels…slurp!
~ the not-too-sweet Teriyaki Mid-Wings…so juicy!
~ ok…the bacon was a little too salty but the freshly grilled asparagus were crunchy…still a yummy combination!
~ I saw how the chef made our avocado maki…exquisite!
~ then came the lobster salad fried maki…heavenly!


Yes. It was a very hot day & we were very thirsty having to run around with our errants. However, I still could not recall how the 3 of us could gulped down 10 glasses of icy soft drinks & 1 cup of hot green tea!

During the sumptuous 2 hours feast, we also gobbled up a good 30 serving plates of cuisine!
We had a truly great time!

Verdict: 

Hopefully, the good food & great service will continue even after the restaurant changed to Nihon Mura Express.

PS: Benny, Ben & Daniel were very helpful & friendly. Our food & drinks were served promptly & always with a smile. The used plates were cleared as soon as we left them at the side! They ought to be voted as the best service staff ever!

Location:
Tucked away at the corner of B1 level, the main door facing the staircase, up towards the bus-stop.
It is a nice, cozy little restaurant with warm yellow lighting & polite staff...


My Humble Opinion:
I made a dinner reservation for 4 with a specific preferred table number.
We were very surprised that the staff greeted me by name & lead us immediately to our table when we arrived...


This table that I've chosen had a clear view of all the chefs at work...Look! Those were our Muscle Mentai Yaki & Shitake Mushroom Kushiyaki grilling in there...


The chef would serve up the dishes on the little wooden platform immediately to us...Fresh from the oven...all hot & yummy!
That had really shortened our waiting time, significantly!
Meanwhile, we helped ourselves with the premium dishes from the conveyor belt...
We found those that we've taken were just as fresh & delicious...
"Itadakimasu!"
One bite & you'd taste the crunchy veggies hidden in the very crispy batter...mmm...
More...more...
Our wishes came through when more dishes of food started to appear on the wooden serving platform...
The chef painstakingly boiled the Muscles first, scooped them up, grilled it slightly, pulled out the tray, squeezed on the Mentai paste & browned the Mentai gently under the grill again before serving to us instantaneously...
The muscles were so fresh that they came off clean with a tiny nib of the chopsticks.
If you were not careful, the slippery Muscle would have slipped down directly into your stomach...
So bite & chew it carefully, let the Mentai paste melt & mixed in heavenly...
I was not a fan of Muscles...but these...these are simply to die for...!!!


We, naturally, gobbled up 2 servings...would had been more (much, much more)...if not to reserve space for other dishes...
"Excuse me, did you just take them out from the net?"

This platter consisted of 4 servings of Ni Hotate, 3 servings of Salmon & 1 serving each of all the other Sashimi on the list...
Mmm...

Again, all came direct from the chef's slicing board to our table...fresh & oh-so-yummy...!
You can't get it any fresher in our little island, right?
Hmm...
Nope.
Don't think so.The Mochi skin was soft & chewy while the fillings were smooth, creamy & with a tint of mild sweetness. The white was filled with white-bean paste, the red with red-bean paste & the green was filled with green tea paste.

What an apt way to end a very flavorful Japanese Buffet Feast...!

Yes.
It was A Sit-down Buffet Feast.

The 4 of us devoured 40 servings of Japanese cuisine, 6 glasses of iced cold soft drinks & 1 cup of Hot Green Tea...out of 138 items on the Buffet Menu!!!

Verdict:

Not our first time here...but will not be our last...

Location:
It is the first stall on your right when you enter this Houseman's Canteen.

My Humble Opinion:
Everything on the Menu is sooo...tempting...
As if calling you to order all of them at one go…!!


The two staff started to show off their ultimate efficiency as the crowd built up again after us. One concentrated on the cooking while the other, the cash register...harmoniously...


Had the Tom Yam Lamian…Look at the soup…the hot steam dancing slowly up onto your face…the sourness lingering with a tad of spiciness…you, are definitely salivating now…
The noodle, al dente…
The veggies, fresh & crunchy...
The minced meat, soft & tender…
See the delicious 63 degree egg...it's perfect to temporarily sooth your throat before you gulp down more of this spicy concoction…mmm…


Bill: $3
Requested for more veggies & there was no extra charge!

Verdict: 

Harlow…can I come to this Hospital more often…?!


.

Location: Tampines 1

Ambience: Warm & cozy lighting with friendly staff.My humble opinion:
It was my first time here & I was lost as to how to place order...
There were some self-order food lists & a pencil on the table.
But I couldn't find the list of Special Hotplate Sets that I wanted to order.
So, I raised my hand & a service staff came almost immediately.
I ordered a 海陆空 Hotplate Set Meal which included garlic bread, soup & a drink.
The Hot Ginger Cola (young ginger boiled in Cola & served hot) came first.
This is a very interesting way of drinking Cola & is found uniquely in Hong Kong.
It was believed to be able to cure flu instantaneously.
Well, at least it worked for me la...
Then came the 海陆空 Hotplate, I was unable to decide what meat to eat, so I ordered this set.
It was a well deserved wait...
It consisted of 1 piece each of Fish Fillet, Pork Chop & Chicken Chop.


- the Fish Fillet was fresh & literally melted on my tongue...
- the Pork Chop was nicely marinated & tenderized to perfection...mmm...
- the Chicken Chop was slightly salty but was oh-so-juicy!
- the potato wedges was crispy outside & moist inside...
I especially liked the big halved tomato, it's so firm & juicy...

Verdict:

Bill: $19.90 for this set meal...
What a steal...!

Note: Most Chinese restaurants serve the drinks first (e.g. Chinese Tea...) for their guests to enjoy throughout their meal.
It is best to notify the service staff in advance (when placing your order) if you preferred your hot drink last.

Repeat visits guaranteed from me!

PS:
I really missed Hong Kong...especially the food!!!
We would always reserve 1 meal at Tsui Wah Restaurant for their super-value, yummy Hot Plate Meals...regardless of our busy itinerary.
I dared say, Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant had made equal par in terms of taste, service & efficiency with them.

Kudos to the team!