Set amidst the slew of swanky Spanish, European, Belgium and Mediterranean eateries along the beautiful Quayside Isle of Sentosa is a Japanese fine-dining Kaiseki restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Shinji Morihara- who boasts of more than 20 years of experience in Japanese cuisine, welded from acclaimed establishments such as Marriott Hotel Nagoya Japan, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and Fairmont Hotel Singapore.Fitted with oriental touches of Japanese architecture with shōji doors, an extensive use of wood grain and imported Japanese red cedar for the furniture and a decidedly minimalist appeal, restaurant owner Katsutaka Kobayashi had gone though great lengths in reconstructing the 40-seater authentically Sukiya-style right down to the last detail for the discerning diner to enjoy a sensorial experience.While the primary focus here is on Kaiseki cuisine, there are Omakase Sets from $175 and Set Lunches from $75. The recently introduced Ala-Carte menu also offers a few pocket-friendly alternatives.

Trying out their YUME (Dream) Course at $288++ per person, we were served 7 courses specially curated by Chef Shinji to ensure we had the complete Kaiseki experience in its truest art form made only from the freshest seasonal produce imported directly from Japan and finished with exquisite plating.The Steamed Dish of Short Neck Clam and Winter Melon egg custard topped with Tomato sauce was Chef Shinji's interpretation of Chawanmushi. Tasting refreshingly interesting, this seemingly simple egg custard steamed in a tea bowl was a reflection of the creative diversity of Japanese gastronomy executed here at Ezoca.Main Course was a Grade A4 Wagyu Japanese OMI Beef Tenderloin with Organic vegetables charcoal grilled to perfection, served with a trio of dipping sauces- Ponzu, Mustard and Himalayan Salt. Smooth and velvety with a rich juicy flavour that lingers on your palate, there was no questionable doubt about the quality of this piece of red meat. The fried pumpkin, lotus root and french beans too were delectably crunchy.Dessert was a delightful end with a trio of home made treats. The Caramelized Apple and Homemade Red Bean paste Sandwich was unlike any store bought variety with its delicate wafer so crisp and chewy. While the accompanying cup of superbly sweet and crunch Japanese KYOHO Grapes topped with Wine Jelly beckons with its bright color. And finally ending off with a slice of Yubari Melon with its glowing orange flesh and tempting sweet aroma. No better way of completing the meal.For the Sake aficionados, Ezoca also boasts of a collection of extremely rare Sakes sourced from every region of Japan and a unique
set of serving cups to enhance your experience.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://gninethree.com/2013/09/19/ezoca-japanese-cuisine-quayside-isle/

Shiromaru Tamago - $17

The original receipe tonkotsu served with thin noddles, Ros chashu (Pork Loin), cabbage, kikurage & Spring onion
( $15 if without the flavoured egg)

This was ordered by my bf. Since I only tried a few mouthful, I shall not comment too much. Overall, I think it was good, even though I prefered my choice - Seasonal Ramen. ^_^The ramen were all served in big bowls, so the price is really worthwhile. We were really full after finishing the ramen plus the soup lor.. And definitely satisfactory.Seasonal Ramen ~ Kyusyu Miso Tonkutsu - $17

Ippudo original pork broth with blended miso, mild in taste. Cabbage, japanese leek, spring onion, pork belly, pork loin, flavoured half egg

This was recommended by a friend who I bumped into at Mardarin Gallery. She just finished her meal at Ippudo and recommended me to try the seasonal ramen.

Frankly speaking, I'm not too sure what it means by "Seasonal Ramen"...

~ Is it seasonal as in the period, i.e. you probably get different ramen variety at different period, depending what ingredient is available in the season?

~ Or it's just a name for that particular ramen?

Hmm... dunno leh....*Shaked head vigourously*

The soup base was much sweeter than the other ramen that I had tried before. I loved it so much, I finished every single drop!

The noodles was springy, cooked to perfection. As for the egg, I think Marutama's still hold the crown.On the right: Rare Cheese Cake
On the left: Cherry Blossom Ice

Well, even though we were really full, there was always space for desserts!

The desserts variety is not a lot, but we decided to order for the more unique ones, based on the names.

The cheese cake was not the typical Amercian rich cheese style, nor the Japanese fluffy sponge type. Instead, it was very light and tasted almost like tofu, just that it was sweet. The cherry blossom icecream was refreshing, tasted a bit like strawberry ice-cream.

We decided to have some Asian Dishes before we hit off to Western Australia and munch on the burgers and chips. Taiwanese Specialty is located in the basement food court, Kopi in Changi Airport Terminal 3.The bowl of braised beef noodle was made up of braised egg, beef, preserved vegetables and noodles. The beef taste was quite close to what we had in taiwan with the preserved vegetables. However the soup was quite bland and did not really fall within expectation.Fried Guo Tie was ordered as well. At least, this time round the Guo Tie did not taste like those packets of frozen food from supermarket. They were fried to golden brown in color and required some waiting time before serving.It's piping hot! Look at the amount of fillings! The minced pork was accompanied by chopped chives and was pipping hot wrapped under the thin crispy outer fried layer. Quite juicy and not that oily as expected. It's best to served with vinegar and ginger strips just like the steamed version!

I happened to sit at a table directly facing this stall and i observed that this stall seems to have a constant flow of regular customers. This stall offers different types of Hakka dishes and i suspected might be of certain standard as that was probably the reason behind the lunch crowd patronising this stall.

Though the elderly Auntie was rather efficient in taking the orders but she did not seem too friendly. I wanted to take away their signature Hakka Yong Tau Foo but was told it has already been sold out. I overhead earlier that their chicken dishes have been sold out too. I decided to take away the Stewed Preserved Vegetable with Pok Belly, Stir-fried Sliced Beef with Bitter Gourds and Meatballs with Pineapple for $10.50.

These are some of the dishes that they served it with rice and soup as a set meal from $3.50 to $4.50.
I waited for about 15 minutes as there were other orders in front of me. I asked for the smallest portion for all the dishes and requested to have it packed in plastic bags to avoid paying the 0.20 cents chargeable per container. It tasted alright though not as nice as compared to the one served by a stall that specialized for different types of Steamed Rice and Soup in Yishun. The taste of preserved vegetable was a bit overpowering which i did not like. There were only about 4 slices of thinly sliced braised pork belly in it. Though never a fan of bitter gourds but still went ahead to order this dish. The bitter gourds did not taste as bitter as anticipated. It was sliced thinly to stir-fry with sliced beef. The texture of the sliced beef was slightly harder and a little more chewier. A rather comforting home cooked dish to go well with the rice nonetheless. This was an appetizing dish. The meatballs were prepared by shaping minced meat into many of those. The meatballs were deep-fried before stir-fried with bits of pineapple and tomato based sauce to give it its desired taste. The amount of meatballs given for this dish was pretty generous. The sauce tasted a bit like those for sweet & sour pork but not as sweet.

An interesting find but i am not a Hakka so not able to determine the level of authenticity of all these dishes.

I wanted to surprise my dearest Grandma with a beautiful cake on her birthday. I went to a well-known bakery in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. I was told i have to select at least a 1 KG cake for approximately $42 or higher then to pay at least $15 for their workmanship to have basic design on the cake. I walked away without placing an order. I was at AMK Hub just other day and visited Four Leaves. I saw the picture of this cake in their catalogue and i wanted it without much hesitation. The price stated is $41 for 21 cm inclusive of the design work on the cake. The price is definitely much more reasonable as compared to the other bakery for a similar cake.

I was told that i need at least 3 days in advance to place an order. I was given the selection of Strawberry Shortcake, Blackforest, Almond Fruits Top and Chocolate Classico to choose. I was told that i can choose to pay the total amount in full or partial. I chosen to pay the full amount and i was given the order chit with receipt.

I went back on Saturday to collect the cake. I was served by the same friendly shop assistant. She took out the cake from the fridge. She opened the box to show it to me though she did not pull it out as the cake occupied the entire box and it might not be too easy to put it back. She slotted in 2 pieces of disposable ice pads to raise the cake slightly so it would be easier for me to pull it out later. She asked me to handle it with extra cautious when she passed it to me. I truly appreciate such a good service provided by this shop assistant.

I could not forget the happy smile on the face of my Grandma when i presented the cake to her. And, she agreed that it was a pretty Birthday cake. The Strawberry Shortcake tasted absolutely lovely. The sponge cake was very soft and fluffy with generous bits of strawberry sandwiched in between. The fresh cream was delicious with just the right amount of sweetness.

It was a Happy Birthday for my dearest Grandma and we enjoyed the cake a lot.