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2013-06-18
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I was here at Sakae Sushi (Marina Square) for their new menu tasting. I've always known Sakae Sushi as the place to beat your own record of the number of plates stacked up in a single column. Those were the days... But actually, there are some attractive a la carte menu items as well that you can try next time!AppetizersFAVOURITE: Asari Miso consists of marinated clams that is drizzled with miso paste, which tastes like Zha Jiang Mian's sauce (salted fermented soybean paste). It is salty and fra
Appetizers
FAVOURITE: Asari Miso consists of marinated clams that is drizzled with miso paste, which tastes like Zha Jiang Mian's sauce (salted fermented soybean paste). It is salty and fragrant, yet not overwhelming. I thought for a long time what this was before coming to this conclusion! It's very familiar and now I finally associate these two together. I guess the difference is that this is a cold dish, and in fact, I like it cold as compared to the usual warm version in Zha Jiang Mian.
RUNNER-UP: Honey Sakura Ebi is essentially a dish of sweet and slightly crunchy shrimps. I would wish for it to be more crunchy, not sure if it's because we were busy feeding our cameras. Quite an okay appetizer, it would be my favourite if only it's crunchier to the bite.
Ika Okura - what you see is what it is! It is a cold dish of sliced lady's fingers. It might seem a little daunting at first glance... well, to be honest it is difficult to eat it with its sticky texture but in retrospect, the taste is pretty good in itself. For the adventurous, you can try this. It's not as scary as you think! Sashimi Moriawase
FAVOURITE: Kohada (Gizzard Shad) reignites my love for sashimi. It's frighteningly delicious that I nearly gobbled up the whole plate but well, I need to maintain my (non-existent) reputation as a proper lady at the table. It is very fresh and it doesn't taste raw at all. It just tastes very smooth and ... hmm. Just love this. Don't add any further flavouring to it anymore, it is best consumed and appreciated in its original form.
RUNNER-UP: Nama Kaki (Oyster) - certified very fresh! I like this and definitely recommended to order this. It is not my favourite in this category because the Kohada Sashimi is too good.
Katsuo (Skipjack Tuna) had a rawer edge to it, and I didn't really like it that much compared to the previous one. It is (as you can see) thicker, and has a firmer bite. It tasted better with a bit of soy sauce, but still the rawness of it was still vivid.
FAVOURITE: Mentai Kamo Sushi wins the other two hands down - the tender slice of roast duck with thick creamy cod roe sauce atop of it is a winning combination in itself. It might be a little too savoury to be consumed alone, but with the rice it is just the right amount of everything in one blissful bite. In that moment I can see my eyes lighting up and this definitely takes the crown for the best dish of the day.
RUNNER-UP: Aburi Nama Hotate Sushi packs a little surprise in one bite, a fat scallop with a tiny slice of garlic for flavouring. It is slightly seared over by a heat gun to give it a little browner surface. I can't really taste the effect of the searing though, maybe my taste buds need to be more sensitive than this. The scallop was really juicy and thick to bite.
Katsuo Aburi is the thinner, seared version of the skipjack tuna sashimi in the sushi form. I found it a little dry for my liking though. Sides
Ooba Tempura is a dish of fried fish wrapped in ooba leaves. Usually I will abstain from fried food because I think that restaurants always reuse oil to save time and money. For this, you can taste that it is fried from fresh oil, and also a very faint herb fragrance (you have to concentrate a little) - I can't put a finger to it what exactly it is like, but it complements the tempura quite well. You have got to dip it in the sauce or it might taste a little bland.Sake
Junmaishu - Sake of the day! To be honest, it is my first time drinking sake. And guess what, I like this better than red wine/white wine/vodka/beer already! Why - it doesn't have the choking feeling at all like some alcohols do, and then it has this slow warmth that radiates from the stomach and not from the chest. Feels really comfy to drink sake in the middle of a meal. Mains
I think it's rather strange to come Sakae Sushi to eat their ramen because their sushi dishes above are really good - you probably won't have much stomach for this. If you are really still hungry for a ramen bowl, I will recommend the Beef Ramen as compared to Seafood or Chicken Ramen. The soup base for both Beef and Seafood ramen was quite similar, but for the chicken ramen, it is less thick and salty. The chicken soup could do better by simmering with the chicken bones for a longer duration. It's also quite nice to see the addition of corn to make it healthier, but also a little strange because I'm not used to having corn in my ramen. The egg was also a bit overcooked for me but that is my little pet peeve - I like my egg yolks to be a little gooey-liquid-solid sort of texture. Everyone likes different egg yolks after all. I'm not sure if you can request for the degree of well-doneness of your egg yolks. I am indeed picky. :/
Desserts
We had Mango sorbet-pudding and Pear sorbet-pudding! I've always liked mango but the pear flavour is new to me. They even retained the usual graininess of pears in the pudding. I'm quite impressed. A sweet dessert without being cloy. I liked this one quite a lot.
Sakae Sushi's green tea...
It is trademarked - and tastes just so uniquely good. Our host shared with us that there's a secret ingredient of malt with green tea in its tea bags... but I don't know the proportion of it so it is kind of impossible to recreate in a regular kitchen. Till then, I will rely on the tea bags I pinch from them during my visits.
For more pictures, you can visit: http://spherepiece.blogspot.sg/2013/06/food-feat-sakae-sushi-new-menu.html
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