Full post and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/09/shin-sapporo-ramen-summer-trio-delights.html
During summer or even late spring, it is common for ramen-ya in Japan to churn out cold noodles in a bid to draw customers who are sweating profusely under hot temperatures of 36-37 degrees. Thanks to the air-conditioners in Singapore, I have hardly spotted any of such cold ramen around but I'm glad Shin Sapporo has pioneered a truly refreshing bowl called " Tenchirashi Ramen" $15.80 that are served with tempura mushrooms and prawns.

The room-temperature thin noodles were not as chilled as expected, but slurps down the throat easily thanks to the poached egg that congeals everything together. Saved from the dousing of hot broth, the noodles preserved the touch of al dente and the flavours emerging from the transparent dashi sauce were clean and subtly sweet. Ebi Tofu ($6.80)-- two square cold beancurd topped with bouncy shrimps and greens, served as a very light and healthy appetizer or side dish to share, though the peanut dressing was slightly murky. So I prefer the sizzling Miso Tofu Steak ($6.80) on hot plate as the homemade miso paste were more punchy. Plus, who could have expected some tantalizing deep-fried potato slices at the base?Shin-Sapporo Kara Miso Ramen ($14.80) with sweet, crunchy corns.Miso broth tends to be more intense in the umami factor than shoyu broth and these two bowls of ramen are no exception. The Wakayama Tonkotsu Shoyu ($14.80) pairs straight-thin noodles with a well-balanced seafood and pork broth while the Shin-Sapporo Kara Miso Ramen ($14.80) marries an orangey miso stock with thick-curly noodles. That's what I call attention to details, for not every matchmaking session between the noodles and the broth turn out well.
Wakayama Tonkotsu Shoyu ($14.80)
I am not a fan of cloyingly rich broth, but somehow I find that both bowls were easier to manage than those I've had in Japan, though I wished the broths were served piping hot and the roast pork bellies could bulk up more meat. But this place is more than a ramen-ya. It also offers rice dishes, Izakaya bites, kushiyaki--you'll need more than ten fingers to count everything. Cream Cheese Crepe with Green Tea Ice cream ($6.80)Don't be too hurry to leave because this place actually offers a good selection of desserts for a ramen restaurant. Instead of the rather incongruent Cream Cheese Crepe with Green Tea Ice cream ($6.80) that composed of cheese sponge encased within paper-thin crisp, this Matcha gateau ($6.80) was a more calorie-worthy dessert for a carbohydrate-laden meal. It's a triple stack of cream-azuki-matcha mousse with a light, gelatinous texture. Good to know that everything is made fresh ala minute, including the highly raved fudgy molten chocolate cake which......I'll save it for the next trip.

Summer Menu is available till 31 Oct.

My image of Indonesia cuisine tends to overlap with Malaysian cuisine--a lot of Sambal, spices, rich gravy that contains coconut and that belachan that gives the dishes a very defining "shiok"-ness. After visiting Indochilli, I like to add an essential word to the list and that is "sweetness". Gado Gado-vegetable
As a spicy food lover with a sweet tooth, I love the fact that most of the dishes are not shy on the sugar which gives them more character. For instance, the Chicken Satay Madura ($7.80 for 5 sticks) featured juicy charcoal-grilled chicken dressed in sweet peanut sauce. However, I felt that the Tahu Telor ($8.80) and the Gado Gado ($6.80) could hold the sugar in tighter rein. That said, the omelette in the Tahu Telor was deep-fried till puffy, creating a delectable textural contrast with the beancurd and the dark luscious chunky peanuts. The first few mouthfuls of the Cah Kangkong ($8.80) were too salty, but somehow the spice and sourness began to emerge as we dig further down where a pool of red liquid could possibly dilute and balance the overall flavour. I had to restrain ordering anything too spicy since the little one has yet develop her tolerance for spicy food. So for families with kids, the ikan baker ($21.80)-- grilled fish in Indonesian sweet soy sauce, might be a safe option but do not that there is still hints of spiciness. It would be a bonus if the fish was fresher. We all loved the Sop Buntut ($14.80), a robust oxtail soup whose acidity can be managed with some squirts of lime and sambal belachan. Served with belinjo crackers or more commonly known as the Emping crackers.If I were to pick a dish to have again, it would be this traditional Javanese Royal dish known as Tumpeng Mini ($9.80), not because of the delicious array of side ingredients, but because of the YELLOW rice which were exceptionally fragrant and moist. As I continue to lament at the shortage of such good Southeast Asian restaurants in Singapore, I have discovered an all-new love for Indonesian cuisine. All thanks to the sambal.Full review and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/09/indochilli-sweet-sambal.html

For full review and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/09/sapori-ditalian-taste-of-italy-in-bishan.html

Opened by two young hawker-prenurs, this place in a quiet coffee shop serves salads, pastas, side dishes such as truffle fries, mains, desserts. For an average spending of $10 per head, it's great value.
There's not 1, but 3 fish dishes here. I prefer the Grilled Seabass ($8.90) instead of the Creamy Fish ($5.90) because the Seabass is crispy with a clean taste while the latter seems too wet and groggy. It says "Battered dory" but least did I expect the fish to be covered in a blanket of omelette, rather "unique" way of preparing the fish. I found the sauce is overly salty even though it says "NO MSG". The prawn pasta was not too exciting and the sauce which collected at the base was slightly watery.
The best dish and a must-try is the Pork Picatto ($8.90) which is superbly tender and flavorful for a pork loin. Everything was pretty good until it came to the Rib-eye steak that was slightly overdone. And was that red wine sauce or mushroom sauce? A huge pity because the steak was also the most expensive dish at $19.90. The sautéed potatoes that appeared on every main except for the pasta, were a tough nut to crack (The Folks said the wrong type of potatoes were used). And the sodium input seriously needs to be reduced
 

This famous Zi Char that has been featured a lot on media. The first recommended dish, Deep Fried Trotters was superb and easily surpassed the one from Simpang Bedok. The skin was crispy but not hard--we could even chew the entire bone. The meat remained moist and not too dry. But the second recommended dish, Pumpkin Cream Prawns, lacked any fragrance and the cream can easily be written off as "corn cream" instead of pumpkin. Prawns were nonetheless, fresh, crunchy and not greasy. San Lao Hor Fun was tasty but nothing extraordinary and short of the wok-hei aroma. "where's the sambal?" was my first reaction when I saw the watery pool of Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves. Non-spice eaters commented that it was spicy but I thought it was still miles away. More sambal belachan would make this really "shiok".Hence, our favourite dish that day was none other than this plate of finger-lickin pig legs.Business was roaring during our Sunday visit. The Lao Ban Niang, was humorous and very friendly. She quipped in Chinese, "Want to take photo ah? wait ah..." and went back into the kitchen, placed a few curry leaves on the pumpkin prawns before serving it to us. "You all got more people, so this Hor Fun is actually $8 size" (we ordered a $6 Hor fun)

How often can we meet such a nice auntie??? And the food is priced very reasonably.

$47 for 5 pax.

For full review and pics : http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/09/siang-hee-zi-char-scrumptious-pork.html

Gyoza, usually a side dish at Izakaya or ramen-ya, becomes the leading star at Gyoza-ya. Having opened at the old Heeren since last year, it has introduced new items to meet the ever-changing consumers' tastebuds. One of my favourites picks was the all-new Crab Gyoza $7.80, an interesting and flavourful twist to the traditional meat filling. Made with fresh crab instead of frozen crab meat, each dumpling is wrapped with the exact same amount of filling, churned and measured to perfection by the machine.
The other new dish is the Tonkatsu Udon ($6.80). Gyoza-ya also prides itself as being the first to serve this Jya Jya Men($6.50) in Singapore. I loved the Yaki Azuki Gyoza out of all and felt that it needn't be eaten as desserts towards the end of the meal. Sweet red bean mash encased in thin, crisp shell that reminded me of my all-time love, the Croissant Taiyaki. Never mind if there isn't any butter since they're probably healthier.


Matcha, Sesame and Yuzu Ice Cream ($6 each). The biggest draw factor is the price. With the gyozas at an average $4.80 for 5 pieces and other food not exceeding $7, it's possibly one of the best deals for Japanese food in Orchard.

Full review and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/09/gyoza-ya-singapore-new-crab-gyoza-and.html