Original review on http://www.nahmj.com/2016/03/14/tanuki-raw-national-design-centre/

Tanuki Raw has opened an outlet at Kapok, within the ground of National Design Centre. I have heard a lot of good reviews about Tanuki and I thought I should pop over to try out their food. In case, you are wondering what’s the meaning of Tanuki. It is a mythical, mischievous, shape-shifting creature according to the Japanese lore.At Tanuki Raw at Kapok, besides the dinning area, it is surrounded by lots of merchandise. The dinning area is certainly casual. I was at Tanuki Raw at Kapok for lunch only.At lunch, Tanuki Raw At Kapok serves the 7 different Don (Rice Bowl). One could add $2 for the regular lunch set which comes with the miso soup, green salad and a green tea. Alternative, add $5 for the premium set, instead of green tea, it is with coffee.If diners love beef, do not miss out the Truffle Yakiniku Don ($14.80). There is a more luxurious Don, the Foie Gras Truffle Yakiniku Don ($19) which I opted. This Don is so amazing. I never know that Foie Gras could go so well with rice. I don’t usually finish an entire bowl of rice but I did with this Don.Each slice of the beef was tender, flavourful and succulent. The Foie Gras simply melt in the mouth. The best part was the rice was flavoured and with the sauce that dressed the Foie Gras mixed with rice, it brought the Don to the next level of enjoyment. And I couldn’t help but finished the entire rice bowl. This was rare.Black Garlic And Roasted Leek Negitoro Don ($14.80) was the second rice bowl I tried on my second visit. When compared to the former, I felt the Negitoro Don was pale in comparison. Nonetheless, a delish bowl of rice. So if you are planning to try all or a few Don at Tanuki Raw, my suggestion is to leave the Foie Gras Truffle Yakiniku Don to the last to try.The Don are also available during dinner hours but at a different price.The food served at Tanuki Raw At Kapok is too good not to be missed, especially my top favourite Foie Gras Truffle Yakiniku Don. I wouldn’t mind having this for lunch every other day. Lol!

More reviews on http://www.nahmj.com/

http://www.nahmj.com/2016/02/22/kanshoku-ramen-bar-orchard-gateway-singapore/

Between dinning and spotting Kanshoku Ramen Bar at Orchard Gateway, it was since some time ago. And I didn’t read any review before having my first bowl of ramen at Kanshoku Ramen Bar.Kanshoku Ramen Bar offers a casual dinning environment. The tables were place rather closely, not a place suitable for gathering but dine and go kind of place.
The service crew gave me a very detailed description of the menu, down to the what I could expect from each dish offered. It was absolutely a delight. This certainly help in deciding what to order.

At Kanshoku, they offered 6 different Ramen (5 soup, 1 dry); Signature Kanshoku Ramen, Black Garlic, Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen, Flaming Hot Tonkotsu Ramen, Shoyu Ramen and Truffle Ramen.The Signature Kanshoku Ramen ($13.90) was highly recommended as such I gave it a try. Broth was flavourful but sweetish.
Kanshoku provides 3 ramen texture to choose from; soft, normal and hard. As noodles were thin, so expect it to be soft even when normal. Go for hard if you prefer al dente like noodles.The Charshu was with the perfect ratio of fats to meat. It was soft and tender; melted in the mouth. Strangely, the Charshu was slightly sweetish which wasn’t my preference.The Ramen does not come with a Ramen Egg ($2). If you like one, you need to add-on. A pity, the quality of the yolk wasn’t consistent. The first time I have the Ramen Egg, the egg yolk was runny! I like it. But on the second occasion, the yolk at the edge was cooked. It was such a shame.

Overall, I didn’t relish the bowl of Signature Kanshoku Ramen. The sweetish bowl of ramen (broth, charshu and egg) didn’t strike a chord with me. I was pretty surprised to read so many positive reviews about how delish the ramen and the broth were . I was surprised that many could except a bowl of sweetish ramen.The Black Garlic Ramen ($14.90) has the Signature Kanshoku broth as base with the black garlic added. Strangely, the black garlic masked the sweetness of the broth successfully. I relish on the Black Garlic Ramen.For those who prefer the salty to sweet, Shoyu Ramen ($13.90) is the option. But personally, I didn't think well of this bowl of briny ramen as the soup wasn't flavourful with meaty aroma.The only dry ramen that is on the menu is the Truffle Ramen ($18.90). When it was served, I could smell the lovely truffle scent but a pity it couldn't be savoured. The ramen was luke warm almost at room temperature. It seems like salt was added to the ramen, as such some part of the ramen was tasteless. I felt that the sweet Charshu that was torched seems to complement the noodle, that was a little consolation.I tried both its Chicken Gyoza and Prawn Gyoza. Personally, I prefer Kanshoku Ramen Bar Chicken Gyoza. It was more flavourful. But there’s room for improvement. The consolation was the gyoza sauce. I have good impression of it. It was the saving grace for the gyoza.Somehow, the soup ramen (except Shoyu) served at Kanshoku Ramen Bar was far too sweet for my liking. The sweetness was in the egg, in the broth and in the Charshu too. I prefer salty ramen to a sweet one I suppose. But at least the Black Garlic Ramen has the sweetness masked. Chicken Gyoza is a pretty good option if side is required.

Burosu Honten Gyoza And Ramen is within the ground of Emporium Shokuhin. As you enter the entrance of the Emporium where the cashiers are located, you could find Burosu Honten on your left.The interior theme seems to be like Zen. It has mainly cubicle seats for four on one side of the wall. And each cubicle has a small "window" for the food to be served through it. Alternatively are the handful of bar tables seats facing the emporium for people watching. It is no doubt a causal dinning restaurant.On each table, there are Sesame seed and chilli flakes and chopsticks and serviettes for diners to help themselves to.As the name Burosu Honten Gyoza And Ramen suggested that it is a restaurant of ramen and Gyoza. The uniqueness of Burosu Hoten is that diners could customize their own ramen. First, decide on the type of ramen. There are 3 categories of ramen to choose from. First under the Ulitmate Ramen, 2 types, Special Ultimate Blend and Chashu Ultimate Blend. Next the Tonkotsu Ramen with Tonkotsu, Tonkotsu Miso and Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ma-yu. Lastly the Seafood Ramen, choice of Prawn Seafood Ramen and Kani (Crab) Seafood Ramen. Now decide the concentration of the soup; normal, light or strong.Once diners has decided the type of ramen, next diners could opt for the firm, normal or soft noodle. Then decide whether to have it with spice or non. There are various spiciness level to choose from. Lastly decide if additional ingredients are required.The first I tried was the Special Ultimate Blend Ramen ($18.80) under the Ultimate Blend. For this bowl of ramen, I opted normal noodle which turned out to be a little too soft, normal concentration and non-spicy soup. In it was mainly seafood. There are 2 relatively large prawns and crab meat. The soup reminded me of the Chinese Prawn noodles but this soup has a thicker consistency. It was filled with prawn sweetness and pork flavours. The normal was just nice for me.For the Tonkutsu Ramen version, I tried 2 out of 3 selections. Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ma-yu ($15.80) was the first of the 2. I always like Tonkotsu soup based for ramen as such I enjoyed it. The black garlic does enhances the soup. This bowl of ramen I ordered it with firm noodle which turned out to be perfect for me and normal soup concentration and I will choose the strong concentration the next round.It was followed by Tonkotsu Miso ($14.80). I contemplated if I should order the strong concentration soup which I kind of regretted that I didn't. As my initial worry was will the miso be too salty if I did. The tonkotsu flavour was light though miso was sufficient. Maybe on my next visit, I should try the strong concentration out. And it seems the noodle used in the Tonkotsu Miso differ from the result. This version is a little chewy. 

Each bowl of the Tonkotsu Ramen version has 2 pieces of Chashu. Personally, I find it too fatty. It doesn't really melt in mouth though it is tender.For diners who like extra ramen toppings, there were 8 types to choose from. First and fore most, my top favourite ramen toppings that I will order whenever I have my ramen fix is the Ajitsuke Tamago ($1.50). Strangely, which I deemed it as pity too, the side of the yolks were always cooked. Others are leek, spring onions, nori (seaweed), corn and raw chopped garlic all at $1. There is also Menma (bamboo shoots) ($1.50) and Chashu - 2 pieces ($3).At Burosu Hoten, 7 appetisers, there were Moyashi, Marinated Beansprouts ($3.80), Buta Kakuni - Braised Pork Belly ($8.80), Kimuchi ($3.80), Tori Kaarage ($6.80), Ebi Fry ($8.80), Goma Salad ($4.80) and Edamame ($2.80).I am sure many adore Gyoza. I am one too. I will forego Ramen for Gyoza if I am only allow to choose one. Lol! 2 types of Gyoza are offered at Burosu Honten Gyoza & Ramen. First is the Sui Gyoza. Three types of filling and all are (lightly) spicy; chicken, pork and seafood. I tried only the Pork Sui Gyoza ($6.80). The 5 gyoza were sat in a bowl of spicy vinegar sauce. It was such an appetising starter which I truly enjoyed. It would be fabulous if the skin could be a little thinner.Next is the Pan-Fried Gyoza, 4 fillings are available; Chicken, Pork ($6.80), Wagyu Beef ($8.80) and Seafood ($7.80). I tried only the Seafood Pan-fried Gyoza. The gyoza were well pan-fried till the skin was crispy with a nice fragrance. The seafood filling were mainly crab meat. And interestingly, by the side were some Sakura Prawn.

I like the concept of customising my bowl of ramen at Burosu Honten Gyoza and Ramen. And I would go for the stronger concentration with firm noodles. As of the gyoza, personal preference is the Sui Gyoza.

Asia Grand Restaurant is a quite a long established brand in Singapore, previously it was located at the former Asia Grand Hotel. Since the demolition of the hotel, it has relocated to Odeon Tower. I have a friend who is a fan of their Dim Sum, though I have never tried them. This remind me to try them out one day. Meanwhile, this post is devoted to the Dinner I had with a group of ex-colleagues.It is interesting that throughout the meal, the diners felt that the food served at Asia Grand Restaurant is closer to Teochew cuisine despite them being a Cantonese Restaurant. One other point to note, Asia Grand Restaurant is one of the few restaurants that offer a table big enough for 15 pax. 

On the table, before our dinner began were plate of appetizer of fish cake and peppers. Most of us find it strange that this appetizer was served instead of the usual peanuts or pickled.We ordered a Special Set Menu for 10 person at $598 ++. As we have 15 pax, we added for 5 pax. In this set menu for dinner, 8 dishes were served.
To get the dinner rolling, we started with the Steamed Fresh Prawn, 白灼生虾 as the first dish for this special menu. Anything that is fresh when steamed, the natural flavour and its sweetness were emitted. And this was the case for our Steamed Fresh Prawn.As we have diner who doesn't take shark fins, as such the Braised Minced Chicken Thick Soup with Egg White, 西湖鸡茸羮 was a good choice as soup. The texture and taste resemble the usual shark fin soup. But personally, I am never a fan of soup, and not even to mention the thick gluey kind. Anyhow, I still went ahead to try and I could savour the chicken aroma in the soup and there was a good amount of minced chicken in it.It was shortly followed by the Braised Sliced Sea Whelk with Vegetables & Abalone Sauce, 鲍汁碧绿海螺片. Nothing worth mentioning about this dish except that the seasoning added to this dish was at a perfect ratio.Who doesn't welcome the Roasted Whole Boneless Suckling Pig, 南乳去骨猪? With a layer of fats in between the crispy skin and tender succulent meat with sufficient marinate, most couldn't resist the charm. This truly is an indulgent.The fifth dish of the night is the Fried Crispy Duck, 脆皮香酥鸭. True to its name, it is indeed crispy and salty. Other than that, no other characteristics. I heard many, even one of the diner in our group was raving about its Peking Duck. Maybe it is better than the fried one.Moving on was the Steamed Fresh Pa-Ting Fish with Olives, Garlic and Chilli, 榄角蒜茸辣椒蒸八丁鱼. I thought usually the Teochew would use olives in dishes. I suppose this was the dish that cause confusion and most thought Asia Grand was a Teochew Restaurant. Another usual was the fish for the dish, it uses Patin Fish, a Malaysian fresh water fish. I am not a fan of fresh water fish as it usually has soil taste in the flesh. At least, this unpleasantness wasn't in the fish.The last dish before dessert was the Crispy Rice In Seafood Soup, 金银海鲜泡饭. Many diners always associate rice in soup as a Teochew dish. Some how I am puzzled with this phenomenon as we Teochew (I am one.) don't eat that way. And my Dad always complains about this highly debatable dish as Teochew dish too. Anyway ... I suppose this is another element that contribute to the thought Grand Asia Restaurant as a Teochew Restaurant.Both white rice and fried crispy rice were both added to the bowl of seafood soup. Hence it provided both texture to the the dish and together with aromatic seafood soup, most would not refuse this comfort food.The meal was ended with the Red Bean Pan Cake, 豆沙窝饼 as dessert.

Quantity was sufficient for all 15 person at the table and quality was beyond satisfactory. Food was considerably delish at a reasonable price. The ambience was the typical Chinese restaurant that gets noisy. As such, I would recommend Asia Grand Restaurant for dinner to all.

More reviews on http://www.nahmj.com/

I am pretty sure many enjoy Mookata since it has both the barbeque and the steamboat. ChokChai Mookata at Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 is one of which that serves this category of food. I went down with a four foodie friends to check them out. By the way, in case you are curious of the name, ChokChai means victory.
ChokChai Mookata is located at a coffeeshop at Block 334 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1. Since it is a coffeeshop, so there isn’t air-conditioned, neither are there great ambience. All you get are the usual normal tables that are seen in most coffeeshop.The staill occupied a relatively large corner stall as compared to the other stalls operating at the same coffeeshop. It is standalone from the rest, since there isn’t any stall on either right or left.
ChokChai offers primarily Mookata. It has 2 sets for either set for 2-3 ($28) and set for 4-5 ($45). In each set, it consists of Thai Black Pepper Chicken, Thai Garlic Lean (Pork) Meat, Honey Pork Belly, Prawn, Sotong, Scallop, Pork Ball, Crab Stick, Fish Ball and Hot Dog.And with quite some variety of greens too; Xiao Bai Chai, Cabbage, Golden Mushroom, Sweet Corn and Carrot. 2 others are Tang Hoon and Egg.

Should diners need more ingredients, there is an ala carte menu. A few others that are not found in the set are Luncheon Meat, Dory Fish, White Clams, Cheese Tofu, Cheese Ball, Quail Egg, Beancurd Skin, Oyster Mushroom, Rice and Thai Instant Noodle.The most sinful but best part of Mookata is the Pork Lard. Use it as oil on the skillet to bbq the meat.

The highlights at ChokChai Mookata are the marinated meat using their secret recipes from Thailand. They are Thai Black Pepper Chicken, Thai Garlic Lean (Pork) Meat and Honey Pork Belly.Generally, the meat are heavily marinated, strong in flavours. Some may also find it a little salty too. The Black Pepper Chicken is richly black pepper flavoured best for black pepper fan. Thai Garlic Lean meat was mainly salty with garlicky scent. And lastly the Honey Pork Belly which has a good ratio of fats and meat. It tasted a little like the Chinese BBQ Pork, Bak Kwa.Lastly, of course the 2 special chilli sauce concocted for the dip. The red is a hot spicy chilli dip while green is the at mild spice and more sourish. This is more suited for the seafood.
Oh ya, and the soup is worth a mentioned too. Each soup is so flavourful filled with pork fragrance and radish sweetness.

We thought the set for food served at ChokChai Mookata was pretty delish. The marinated are stronger in flavour and a little salty. It is certainly a great way to enjoy Mookata with a group of friends and family.