In our food dominated city, it’s hard to keep a secret for long. Tucked amidst a row of shophouses along North Canal Road, Tamashii Robataya is the best kept secret serving up one of the best robatayaki in town. I have been to this 3-month old restaurant not one, but THRICE – once invited and the other two times on my own.

Owner behind Tamashii is Chef Patrick. Being a chef for 14 years, Chef Patrick picked up his culinary skills while working for Tatsuya and M Hotel. In 2006, he started a robatayaki restaurant named Robataya Yoyogi with his partner but the partnership dissolved. So about 3 months ago, he set up Tamashi. For many Japanese restaurant, they always like to name the restaurant after their surname. But for this restaurant, Chef Patrick named it Tamashii, which means soul in Japanese, as he believes that a meal should not only satisfy your appetite, but also your soul.

If you don't know what to eat, how about having an omakse meal? Omakase is a Japanese phrase that means “I’ll leave it to you”. Basically, the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef. Before Chef Patrick begins, he first asks us if there is anything we don’t eat. Of course not, show us what you can cook! We want surprises! Here comes a plate of seasonal salad with tomatoes and fig. It is simple enough for great tomatoes to shine, but adding fig keep things exciting.One of my favourite is aga beef donburi! Wah this one is really shiok. Pink and tender Saga A4 beef striploin sits on a bed of marinated short-grain rice, topped with a runny onsen egg, drizzled with truffle oil. Break the yolk and mix it into the rice. Every mouthful you can taste the aroma from truffle, the silkiness from the egg and the flavours of the beef. Pricey, but worth the splurge!Kinki fish (rock fish) is considered a delicacy in Japan for their succulent and fatty white flesh. Their bright red skin turns orange when grilled and is only slightly flavoured with a little salt. It’s quite tricky to eat but with one taste you will understand why so many people persist picking every piece from the bone. Chef Patrick requests each kinki fish to be at 400g because the meat is fatty and oily.Kurobota is known for its rich marbling and soft translucent fat. This makes it extremely tender and if you want to enjoy its original flavour, just simply steam it. Our kurobuta pork belly is steamed with cabbage and mushrooms, just dip it with ponzu sauce (or dip your vegetables with sesame sauce) and it is good to go.Set Lunch

They also have set dinner and set lunch. I have tried their set lunch twice and love it. It is so good and affordable! I love the Gyuniku Teriyaki ($25.80) while my friend had Grilled Cod ($23.80). My Gyuniku Teriyaki is done just right. Almost like having a mini-steak. The sauce is incredibly good too.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://www.misstamchiak.com/tamashii-robataya-a-hidden-gem-along-north-canal-road/

Menya Sanji means three warriors, hence there are large framed paintings of warriors all over the shop. The ramen shop evokes the rustic shops of lunch-hour Japan. You can sit up-close at the counter and watch guys cook ramen. Here’s a shot of the head chef Naoki Kaiyama. This 18-seater restaurant originated from Kagoshima and it has other branches in Taiwan, Tokyo and Guam. Kagoshima which is the capital of the Kagoshima Prefecture sits in Kyushu, southwestern part of Japan. The ramen style is hence similar to Hakata styled ramen.

Read more: http://www.misstamchiak.com/menya-sanji-new-kagoshima-ramen-in-tanjong-pagar/The reason to be here is the Sanji Ramen ($11.50++). Tonkotsu broth is the Holly Grail of noodle soup broths. Many ramen shops use pork bones to prepare the soup. But what is unique at Menya Sanji is, they use pigs' heads to boil the soup. It’s thick, creamy, nearly white in color and not as salty!

If you realized, most tonkatsu ramen you have is served with thin noodles. But at Menya Sanji, they served it with medium thick noodles. Rice cake powder (mochiko) is added into the noodles which makes it very chewy. The noodles and soup is made in Japan and delivered here so as to ensure consistency. The soup takes about 20 hours to cook!The Sanji Ramen is a terrific mash-up of textures and flavors: crunchy bean sprouts, sweet pork, seasoned bamboo shoots, Kikurage mushroom (black fungus), ½ a seasoned soft-boiled egg and a tangle of springy noodles. The fried shallots enhance the soup base totally. Alternative choice will be Black Sesame Ramen and Spicy Ramen, both using the same soup base with the addition of black sesame and chilli oil respectively.There’s also a more unique option for adventurous diners — chilled Bukkake Ramen ($9.90++). Yeah, you read it. Bukkake Ramen. I was surprised by this term because “Bukkake” has a sexual connotation to it. But Bukkake ramen means to pour a bowl of chilled soup over a plate of cold ramen.

With the usual ingredients from Sanji Ramen, you can choose from three kind of sauces – soy, spicy or sesame sauce. The soy sauce is originated from Kyushu and it is flavoured with some sesame seeds. Very fragrant!

Located in Tin Tee House, a 111-year-old single-storey shop house in Bukit Timah, Outpost No 903 Gastrobar is sitting at a spot which is familiar to many. This gastrobar is opened by ex host of Channel 8′s Good Morning Singapore Iriana Halim (Lin Youyi) and her husband Alfred. They revamped the entire interior to give it a more raw yet chic design. They specially source furnitures and deco from Vietnam – door handle, construction lights, sconces, wooden table – very cool!

Read more: http://www.misstamchiak.com/outpost-no-903-gastrobar/First snack that appeared on my table already wow-ed me. Long Bean Fries ($8)! I have never eaten long bean fries before and it is definitely a refreshing start. They also serve other fries such as luncheon meat fries, buffalo spiced fries, truffle fries, chilli con came fries and the normal straight cut fries.Outpost offers a good combination of old-fashion American and British bar menu classics with a Peranakan twist in some. Its Herbal Chicken ($18, only available on weekends) bring a western twist to the usual traditional herbal chicken we always have. The juicy tender chicken thigh is marinated in herbs and oven baked, served on top of home-made mash and special herbal sauce.

Its piping hot aromatic herbal steam raised to our noses. It is not too herbal to give you a bitter-tonic fright. The thick herbal sauce is pleasantly sweet. And you may think pairing herbal sauce with mash may taste weird, but no no, we voice their approval with a unanimous “yum” and give a thumbs-up to it.W.T.F ($32, only available on weekends) has crispy whole grouper, meat filleted off and pan seared served two style: chef’s secret sauce vs sherry mushroom toppings. The whole grouper head and bones are deep fried till it is so crispy that you can eat every bone and fin.Irish Beef Stew ($18) is another dish I hate to lose. Especially during cooling weather and I was in the mood for comfort food. A stew would be perfect. There is no need to come up with a creative pot, just something down to earth. The tenderness of the beef chunks come from long simmering with a hint of spices.If there is one dessert that you must try, it is definitely Mango float ($14) which has graham biscuit layered with mango and cream, topped with fresh mango slices. This looks and tastes as if it were incredibly hard work and it gives me inspiration for my next cake!

Drinks wise, Outpost 903 has six beers on tap including three craft brews (from $9/pint), bottled beers (from $6) and cocktails ($10). They also offer Sunday brunch, be sure to check them out!

Opened for 8 months, Kaixo is a Spanish restaurant serving great dishes with Basque concept. Kaixo is pronounced Kai-Sho and it means “Hello” in the Basque language. Chef/Owner Issachar was being trained at Le Cordon Bleu and his professional cooking career at Paris’ Michelin-star Auguste, the three-Michelin star Martin Berasategui in northern Spain and Guy Savoy at Marina Bay Sands.

Read more: http://www.misstamchiak.com/kaixo/

Can’t decide where to start? Take a choice of pintxos ($12 for plate of 3, $20 for plate of 5) from the bar! It is usually served on a piece of sliced bread with various topping held together by a skewer or a food-pick. I specially love the one with egg and roasted Padron peppers, which set off a flavour explosion in our mouths: sweet, sour, salty and spicy all at once.

Sous vide organic eggs in a nest ($14) is one of life’s simplest pleasures. The waiter arrives with a plate of soft poached egg decorated with burdock fries, chives and jamon. He then carefully pours a pot of chicken consumme into the plate, which instantly brings the egg to life!

Iberico pork loin ($24) is another gorgeous affair. The meat is marbled and delicious, the way pork should taste. It paired well with the sweet apple puree and sat deliciously upon the thin layers of alternating bacon and potato.

Black Paella with Seafood ($20/pax, min 2 pax) is also worth trying. It tastes totally different from the other seafood paella, with a flavour dominated by the ink.

For a truly perky drink to counter the tropical heat, try its Sangri (red/white, $11) or Kaixo signature drink ($16).

If you are working in the CBD district, you should be familiar with Folks Collective. Opened for barely 3 months, this new Thai restaurant is already creating a hype in the F&B scene. Located in a 1920′s converted shophouse, everything in Folk Creative is so vintage, retro TV, jackpot machine, wooden chairs and tables..

Read more: http://www.misstamchiak.com/folks-collective-thai-food-served-in-tingkat/

They have a set menu ($9.90/set) where you get to try 3 dishes in tingkat portion. It makes me relive the good old days when my Grandpa would bring lunch in these tiffin carriers to school for me! The portion is suitable for OL - just enough not to get you into food coma.

Pad Thai Goong ($8.90) is fragrant and has a lovely sweet tang, but the noodles are slightly too chewy for my liking.

I had too much expectations during my first visit. But I guess we must come back again to try more dishes before forming a conclusion. Heard their signature FOLK wings is one of the recommended dish. So that is in my top list for now.