The re-opening of Borders is a cause for celebration for some people, but while there is nothing like browsing a bookshop and losing yourself among rows and rows of brand new books, I wasn't exactly planning a trip to Borders any time soon since I have Book Depository and Kinokuniya for all my books needs. That changed when I learnt that the Borders store at Westgate is also housing a dessert cafe on its premises. And they are having a promotion for new member sign up that includes a free waffle with two scoops of ice cream + 1 complimentary scoop of ice cream at the cafe. In my book, that is cause for celebration.

And definitely worth making a trip for! "Epilogue Sweets" is actually a new dessert concept cafe from the existing Epilogue Cafe, and is located right at the entrance of the Borders bookstore, which makes it great for stopping by before or after you start browsing the store. With its simple clean but modern look that seems to match and blend in with the rest of the bookstore, this small cafe was inviting enough for us to just choose a random table and plop ourselves down on the comfy seats!

This one-stop cafe has a range of western desserts from Macarons ($2.20) to cakes like the Red Velvet ($7.50), Devilish Brownie with Ice Cream ($6.50) and even an Oreo Heaven Cheesecake ($7.50), although their cakes selection is subject to availability. There are also bread and pastries like Muffins, Caramel Hazelnut Tart ($5.50), and Mini Butter Croissants ($4.00 for two pieces) at the display counter outside, which is good for takeaway. We were also surprised to see that they also have a healthier range of Asian desserts like the Osmanthus Wolfberry Jelly and Traditional Herbal Jelly which we found to be a refreshing addition to the menu aside from the usual Western desserts selection. For the health conscious, there is also a range of Fruit Parfaits ($6.80) and Fruit Juices and Smoothies!

The highlight of the cafe though, seems to be the Waffles. Their lowest priced waffle is the normal Waffle with 2 Condiments ($6.20) that you can opt to have with two choices of sauces from Chocolate, Caramel, Strawberry, Honey or Maple Syrup. You can also add on a scoop of ice cream with your Waffle with 2 Condiments ($7.80) or top up with yet another scoop ($9.00). Alternatively, you can get the Waffle with Caramelised Fruits like Banana or Apple ($9.90) which will also come with a scoop of Ice Cream. Then, there is also the rather interesting Milo Waffle with Kaya or Peanut Butter Custard ($9.00) which sounds equally yummy. If you prefer something savoury, fret not. There are also savoury waffles like the Waffle with Chicken Chipolata ($8.00) or Waffle with 2 Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon ($10.20). Talk about being spoilt for choices! I'd seriously have a hard time choosing but luckily, the decision has already been made for me with the free waffle promotion! Waffles with Two Scoops of Ice Cream ($0.00)
Since this was free, it didn't came with additional add-on like fresh fruits or custard, which I'd have loved to try. Instead, this came with two scoops of Vanilla and Chocolate Chips ice cream and a small separate cup of maple syrup which was good for deciding how sweet and how much syrup to add to your waffle. The waffle was quite thick and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside which we liked. The ice cream were both soft and smooth, creamy and milky with a strong fragrant vanilla and chocolate taste. The complimentary scoop of strawberry ice-cream which came in a small, separate cup was equally creamy but I found it to be a tad sweet for my liking, although my mum liked it and cleaned out the whole cup. For me, I liked the chocolate best, as it also came with crunchy chocolate chips and I found it a delight to have with the waffle!Nutella Swirl Cheesecake ($7.50)
I can't resist anything with Nutella, so I knew I was going to get this the moment I saw it in the display counter! My mum doesn't like cheesecakes so I was more than happy to have this all to myself! I like that the cheesecake was rich and dense with a hint of tartness. The pie crust base was thin and slightly moist and crumbly which I also liked. However, I couldn't really detect much of the Nutella which I found to be quite faint in taste. For the price, I'd have preferred the chocolate-hazelnut taste to be slightly bolder, but as a normal cheesecake, this was quite decent enough.

Caramel Macaron ($2.20)
There was no chocolate macaron when I went so my next best choice was to get either the vanilla or caramel macaron. I opted for the latter. This little macaron had a crispy shell with a soft and slightly chewy interior. The caramel filling was sweet with a bitter aftertaste which I supposed was to balance the flavours since the macaron shell was already quite sweet, but I personally wasn't too fond of the bitter aftertaste. Because of this, I found myself wondering if I should have taken the Vanilla instead .Traditional Herbal Jelly - 8 Treasure ($6.60)
My mum was more than relieved that it wasn't just all cakes and waffles here, so she opted for the alternative Traditional Herbal Jelly, 8 Treasure choice which came with shaved ice and 8 other fresh ingredients like the Gingko Nuts. Barley, Melon Strip, Wolfberry, Dry Longan, Red Dates, White Fungus and Honey. Although we thought that the entire portion was a little small for the price, which we also felt was a little on the high side for a traditional Asian dessert, there was quite a variety of ingredients to go with the Herbal Jelly. I personally liked the gingko nuts and melon strip. This was also quite cooling and very refreshing to have!Iced Earl Grey Tea ($6.00)
We initially thought the serving size was just a normal glass so we were hesitant to order at first due to the price, but upon seeing the Iced Lemon Tea that the table beside us ordered, we decided to get the Iced Earl Grey Tea to share instead. This came in a jar which was definitely good for sharing, although I personally still found it a bit pricey. There was a hint of citrus with the tea which I liked but my mum found it to be a tad bland, probably because it got somewhat diluted after the ice melted. This was also not sweetened by default but there are sugar satchets in a small basket on the table that you can add if you want the tea sweeter.

Overall, we found the waffles and ice-cream to quite decent and worth a try. I also liked the cheesecake despite the somewhat-lacking Nutella flavour. I did find it to be a bit pricey at $7.50 per slice but Borders members get a further 10% off their purchases here, which helped to lessen the sting. On the other hand, the Traditional Herbal Jelly and iced Earl Grey Tea were okay although we both wondered if it might be more worthwhile spending that same amount of money on something else on their menu. For me, I'd have loved to try the French Hot Chocolate ($6.50), Caramel Hazelnut Tart ($5.50) and either the Milo Waffles with Peanut Butter Custard ($9.00) or the Waffle with Chicken Chipolata ($8.00). But, that is for another time.

Our meal came up to a total of $23.63 after a 10% Borders member discount. As we spent more than $20.00 in a single receipt (not including the free waffle and ice cream), we also got to redeem a free book from Epilogue's shelf! Not a bad deal if you ask me!

That said, it's pretty worthwhile to get the Borders membership now while the sign up offer is still ongoing. There are other sign-up bonus including a Borders voucher, although I am probably one of those weird few who signed up for membership just for the cafe's privileges! In my defense, there were also several customers asking about Epilogue's promotion for Border's members. This is where you can really see the quality of service provided here. While there were one or two stoic ones, the rest of the staff were generally polite when explaining to the customers or directing them to the correct counter. The young cashier at the display counter who was also mostly the one who attended to me was very friendly and bubbly. Although she wasn't sure about the macarons' flavours when I asked, she took the effort to check it out for me. She was also patient when answering my queries about the various desserts on display and the promotion!

So.

Whether you just want a short break, or even just to enjoy a nice treat, I think a stopover at Epilogue Sweets might be a nice way to end your trip to Borders on a sweet note!

​I must admit that any place with a focus on delicious​ and ​pretty desserts is huge drawing factor for me. ​​Throw in a charming decor as well and I am sold. So when I learned about Pique Nique and saw photos of their place and desserts, I knew that I couldn't pass up a chance to check it out!I managed to find someone to have a little 'picnic' with me at Pique Nique and we went on a Saturday evening. We were expecting a queue especially since this was a weekend evening but ​we were rather thrown off to find the place nearly empty.​ It got me wondering if Pique Nique might be more popular in the morning instead due to its breakfast and brunch​ menu...Despite the​​ uncertainty​,​ we decided to stick to our original plan after actually seeing the place in person. The place looked very welcoming ​especially with the ​lovely array of sweets and​ ​desserts in the display counter ​​​at the entrance, which ​just seemed intent on ​beckoning us in.​ There were the Classic Chocolate Whoopie ($2.15) and pretty little Macarons ($2.15) ranging in flavours from Salty Caramel and Pistachio to French Chocolate. There were also cupcakes like Lemon Meringue Cupcake ($5.15) ​and Banana Split Cupcake ($5.15) as well as cakes like Chocorocco ($8.55) and Strawberry Cheesecake ($8.05). How can anyone resist​ ​such pretty ​desserts, right??With its English Garden themed interior, the entire place was very tastefully decorated and ​had a homely, rustic charm to it. There was even a ​"​tree​"​ planted in the middle of the cafe, which add​ed to the illusion of having a ​lovely ​picnic ​in the place​. Due to the lack of crowd, the place was relatively quiet. That and the ​​cozy ambience of the place made it ​very ​pleasant to hold conversations. ​​We thought that Pique Nique would certainly ​make a nice stop to try out​ the desserts and enjoy a small chit chat while soaking in the environment. We were pretty impressed with the decor​, so much that we took ​quite​ a long time ​to order our food because ​we spent the time trying to ​(secretly) ​take snapshots of the place!​ Fortunately, the staff were mostly understanding and patient with us! Single Shot Espresso ($4.00) - left
​The cup of Espresso was not even half filled​ but this was probably roughly the portion for a single shot (about 30ml). ​This was quite concentrated in taste and there was a creamy foam on the surface of the coffee ​as well, but for $4.00, we found thi​​s to be​ really​ ​pricey and regretted not getting the Latte at $5.00 instead.

Hot Chocolate ($7.00) - right
The cup of hot ​chocolate didn't come with the fluffy cloud marshmallow like it mentioned on the menu, although the ​staff made sure to inform us of it. I was sorely disappointed about it, but nevertheless, we still wanted to try the hot chocolate. Fortunately, this came in a bigger and fully filled cup. ​This didn't look very smooth on the surface but it was slightly thick and the ​taste of ​cocoa was strong​ with a slight​ bitter aftertaste​. It wasn't very sweet ​either ​although I'd have liked it ​to be ​a tad ​more ​so.​Hot Iron Waffle with Salty Caramel ($11.80)​
This ​​was the best among all the food we ordered. The waffle was crispy on the outside and ​was quite​ soft and oh-so-spongy inside!​ ​The ice cream was thick, creamy ​a​nd rich with a strong taste of fragrant vanilla.​ ​I found the caramel taste to be a tad light, but otherwise this was simply a delight to eat! We had originally planned to share this but ended up agreeing that we might as well have skipped the fries and got two portions​ of the waffles instead for each of us! ​Whoopie Fries ​($8.80)​
​Initially fearing ​that ​the waffles might not be too filling for us, we also got the fries to share. Oh boy, bad mistake. ​The portion was HUGE and we struggled to finish it between the two of us. We ended up giving up and not finishing it in the end, which was kind of a waste. The fries itself was pretty nice although we found the seasoning powder to be rather dry​; it was a tad grating on the throat after several fries. You definitely need lots of water with this. The sauce was disappointing though, just normal chilli and tomato ketchup with the mayonnaise in between. For the price, we would expect a better, or inhouse, ​blend of ​dip. ​​Overall, this was something we felt we could do ​w​ithout​​ in this meal.​Chococheese ​Cupcake ($4.80) ​
​​It was a tough choice between getting a cake or a cupcake but we eventually opted for the cupcake. ​The Chococheese Cupcake was a chocolate cupcake topped with cream cheese and chocolate shavings. ​Th​e price for the cupcake listed on their display counter was $5.15 but we paid $4.80 for it. Not sure if the cakes and cupcakes would be a little cheaper if you dine in, but we still found it to be a bit pricey at $4.80. However, the cupcake​ was decent and the chocolate ​shavings given were rather big pieces!​ The thick cream cheese topping was also quite delicious although​ we found ​the cupcake to be a tad dry​​.​Snickerd​oodle​ Cinnamon Shortbread ($6.50)​
​We noticed that ​Pique Nique was also selling​ ​"old fashioned ​​homemade" cookies ​​​and shortbreads in pretty little packagings​, which​ would make really great gifts! ​The cookies came ​in various flavours such as​ Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, Dannish Butter Cookies, Scottish Shortbread and Chocolate Butter Ball ($6.95 each).​ We bought the Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Shortbread to go, ​although we were also tempted to get the Chocolate Butter Ball too! This ​was priced at $6.95 but we got it at $6.50. I personally ​found this to be worth its price. The bite-sized​ ​cookies ​were coated with cinammon sugar and tasted strong​ly​ of cinnamon​.​ ​They were also very crisp and crunchy and remained ​so even after a week!​ ​I'd highly recommend these cookies although I'd suggest finishing them soon after opening as these tend to expire quite fast compared to mass-produced ones.

After our not-so-cheap "​p​icnic" ($50.50 for two person), ​w​e found the waffle and snickerdoodle​ cookies​ to be our best purchases yet - these were worth every cent despite the price. The espresso and ​whooper ​fries on the other hand were not exactly value for money although the portion of the fries was quite a lot and would probably be more reasonable if you are sharing the food and cost with a group of friends. The cupcake and hot chocolate were decent but perhaps a tad pricey. Service was also decent and the staff were generally friendly, understanding and patient.

​The ambience, in my personal opinion, was certainly a major selling point. If you are looking to have a casual, laid back meal with friends or a date ​and cost is not a major concern​, then a "picnic" at ​P​ique ​N​ique might be just for you! I certainly wouldn't mind coming back again for the waffle and to check out the other desserts like the macarons and​ cakes, and especially the other 'homemade' cookies!

Johan Paris is a Japanese bakery with origins in France known for its traditional French breads. It recently hit our shores at the Isetan branch at Westgate, at B2, which we were thrilled to check out when we were there for the Isetan Hokkaido Harvest Fair.We were hit with the strong aroma of freshly baked bread the moment we entered the bakery. I thought I also detected a whiff of chocolate in the air. Then there were rows of wonderfully displayed breads in bright, warmly lit counters. There were various kinds of French bread ranging from the usual croissant like the Pain au Chocolat ($2.80) to other kind of French breads like the Pain de Campagne ($5.20 for a full loaf). We also spotted Japanese buns like the An Pan (with Whole Beans or Bean Paste, $2.00). Other than breads, there were also a selection of housebrand jam like the Confiture Strawberry/Orange/Apple/Blueberry ($10.00) and even honey and soup like Clam Chowder if you want something to go with the bread! To top it, there was also a friendly staff handing around samples of freshly baked Corn Pan ($1.00) for customers to sample. Talk about an assault on the senses! It took us quite a while to eventually decide on a few breads to buy.There are actually two 'sections' of the bakery, the main bakery and a 'kiosk' outside just next to the store. Here at the 'kiosk', you can find freshly made mini breads such as Mini Croissants and Mini Canelé which are sold by the gram (starting from 100 gram). There are also sandwiches like the Ham & Egg Croissant Sandwich ($6.20). We were told that you had to buy and pay from each section separately. As we already bought breads from the main store, we didn't want to buy too many of the mini breads. The salesgirl at the counter was really cheery and helpful despite the crowd and was willing to accommodate us by selling us 50 gram instead. This scored some brownie points from us for service!

From the kioskMini Croissant ($2.40 per 100 gram; about 4-5 pieces)
They had the original and chocolate variant but we opted for the original. We paid $1.20 for two pieces (50 gram) which was quite reasonable. The croissants were quite crisp on the outside but soft inside although it was more crunchy than soft overall due to its small size. There was also a hint of sweetness, which was nice.Mini Choco Macadamia ($3.60 per 100 gram; about 6-7 pieces)
This cost us $2.15 for three pieces. This was very soft and really chewy! It was like eating mochi in bread form! There was a decent amount of chocolate chips and pieces of macadamia nuts in each bread which made it quite nutty; I even found a huge chuck of halved macadamia nut in one of the bread!

From the main storeCorn Pan ($1.00)
After sampling the piece the staff handed out, we were convinced enough to get this bun. It was mostly bread with corn bits in it but the bread was very soft and spongy! There was a slightly sweet corn taste too. At only $1 each, this was really quite a steal!Pain au Chocolat ($2.80)
We were initially going to get the Sacristan Johan which was a chef's recommendation, but we chanced upon this Pain au Chocolat so we got this instead. This was basically a croissant with chocolate filling, topped with sliced almonds. It was slightly crispy, flaky and chewy to bite. The chocolate filling was also quite plentiful and had a tinge of sourness mixed with sweetness. Tartelette au Fruits ($3.40)
There was no label for this so we asked a staff and she said it was chocolate tart. Which was why we were mystified to find it tasting rather fruity instead. A check with their Facebook page confirmed this to be Tartelette au Fruits instead. To be fair, it did look like chocolate tart. Despite the hiccup, I found this to be quite okay. It had fruit bits in it and was quite sweet, although for that level of sweetness I'd have preferred it to be plain old chocolate instead, obviously. Hard toast (1/4 Loaf $1.90)
This was actually my favourite out of all the breads we got. This was just slices of plain bread, with hard, chewy crust, but the bread texture was just so soft and delicate! This was great to eat on its own or with filling. We ate it both plain and with homemade egg mayo and even with filling, the goodness of the bread still shone through; we could still feel the light, soft and chewy texture of the bread. Best of all, it's sugar and fat free!

We only tried a few items out of their entire range, but based on the few we had, we thought that they were quite decent. I personally love the bread loaves here even though the price can get a tad pricey. The hard toast costs $1.90 for just a quarter loaf, which came up to about 3-4 slices. There were also a variety of the bread loaves in other flavours such as the "Chocochoco Marron" bread with chocolate and chestnuts, but this was quite pricey at $6.00 for 1/2 loaf. Nevertheless, I think their bread loaves are worth a try! I know I'd definitely return to try other types of bread in future, such as the Sacristan Johan, Melon Pan and Chocochoco Marron!

Our first maiden trip to Westgate to check out the Isetan's Hokkaido Harvest Fair at Basement 2. Just outside Isetan at B2 is also where several food kiosks and outlets are located at. Walking around for a bit, we spotted Griddy Gourmet Waffles at the same level and noticed that they were having a promotion. Being a fan of waffles, we decided on Griddy for dinner instead since we were already slightly full from trying the food at the Hokkaido Harvest fair.Unlike many other food kiosks at B2, there were tables and seats at Griddy which was not only good for eating in but also for resting our feet. However, I kind of thought that the place doesn't seem to be fully ready for business as the signboard was missing on the exterior and the menu we were shown was limited compared to the full range of items listed on the menu displayed outside. But tired from all the walking, we decided to just try whatever was available. At least these were waffles and we didn't mind waffles!

We were informed to place and pay for our order at the counter, and then let the waiting game begin. The food took a while to be prepared but when our server saw us still waiting after someone who ordered after us got their order she was apologetic about it and went to check on our order. I thought that was good service on her part. Battered Chicken Classic Waffles ($4.90) + Fries and Coke ($0.90, U.P. $2.90)
We ordered the Battered Chicken Classic Waffles and "griddy up" the meal with fries and coke. The top up was supposed to cost $2.90 but they had a promotion (from 4th to 13th Dec 2013) for top up so we only paid $0.90 to add a side of fries and coke. This was quite value for money since a set of waffle fries alone costs $3.50! The Battered Chicken Classic Waffles had a piece of fried chicken cutlet with spicy sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and slices of hard boiled eggs wrapped with a round waffle. Think of it as a burger but with waffle instead of bun! The waffle came looking really appetizing! Unfortunately, despite the wait, we were disappointed to find this to be less than lukewarm. The waffle was still slightly crispy although it had also hardened slightly upon cooling down. The chicken cutlet though, was quite crispy. It was also quite spicy due to the sauce and we ended up not needing the additional chilli sauce we took. We both agreed that the food would taste much better if it was served hot instead. The waffle fries though, fared slightly better, at least in my opinion. It was soft the way I like it and still tasted good even at room temperature! Rocher Banana Dessert Waffles ($6.90)
We also ordered the Rocher Banana Dessert Waffles which was basically a square of belgium waffle with hazelnut chocolate spread and caramelized sliced bananas topped with chocolate gelato sprinkled with graham crackers crumbs. It was actually a tough choice between this and S'mores Dessert Waffles ($6.90) which has melted marshmallows instead of bananas and chocolate gelato instead of rocher gelato, but we decided on Rocher Banana since this was supposed to be a chef's recommendation according to the menu. The waffle was thick and crispy on the outside while spongy inside which we liked. The rocher ice cream was also quite milky. However, the sliced bananas were too sweet, even for me. Saccharinely sweet was probably what I'd have called it. I thought that it kind of overwhelmed everything else. I was left wondering if we should have gone for S'mores Dessert Waffles ($6.90) or even the Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Waffles ($8.90) instead. Hot Chocolate ($3.90)
Griddy actually has a range of coffee beverages like Espresso ($2.90), Cappuccino ($4.90) and Iced Mocha ($5.00) in addition to the usual soft drinks like Coke ($2.00) and Iced Lemon Tea ($2.20) on their menu. We found the price for the Hot Chocolate to reasonable and ordered it as well. Fortunately, this was served hot and not lukewarm. The chocolate taste was kind of toned down and not as strong as I would have personally like it but I did like that it wasn't overly sweet.

Overall, the waffles were quite okay although we agreed that the food would taste better when served hot. Personally, I thought that the Battered Chicken Classic Waffles was more worth its price than the Rocher Banana Dessert Waffles; I'm not really that keen on the overly sweetened bananas. The one thing I liked from this meal was the waffle fries, which you can also get as an additional side for $3.50. They actually also have other finger food like Truffle Fries ($4.50), Onion Rings ($4.50), Mashed Potatoes ($3.50) and Oven Roasted Drumlets ($5.50) which we would have loved to try, but did not since we were already quite full. I'd probably wait for them to "settle down" a little and for the other items on their menu, like the Tiramisu Dessert Waffle ($7.90) and Baked Potato Gratin ($5.50) to be available!

Watami is located on the fifth level at Causeway Point where a number of restaurants are clustered together for a slightly more "refined" dining experience compared to the rest of the mall. Found around a corner at one end, with high ceilings in the area and with its tastefully decorated exterior, the "Japanese Casual Restaurant" looked chic enough on first sight to impress.

A long-time friend and I went there on a Friday night to meet up for dinner and the place was jam packed. Their queue system was set up in a way such that you take a number from a machine and wait for your turn to come, so you can always change your mind if you decided against waiting further. We decided to wait but ended up waiting for slightly over an hour for our turn, which was unacceptable, but we passed the time by chit-chatting and catching up while waiting. Inside, the place was slightly dimly lit which made it kind of cozy. It seemed to be an ideal place for a small family gathering or even to just catch up with friends, but the dinner-time crowd meant that it was very noisy and thus not very conducive to conversations. That, and the long wait. I'd definitely recommend going slightly earlier before a massive queue start forming. We were so hungry that we could eat a horse by the time we were finally seated, but there were no horse, so my friend and I ordered a few dishes instead, which, again, took quite a while to be served.Ishiyaki Corn Butter Shoyu ($5.90)
This came first in a sizzling hot bowl where you can still see the gravy bubbling. We dug in right away risking burns to our tongues because we were that hungry. The corn was quite firm and sweet and despite having butter in it, it wasn't overly oily or greasy, which we liked. Since this was a hot bowl, the corn got a tad charred and salty at the bottom. I rather liked it to be slightly charred but my friend wasn't too keen on the charred part. The portion was also plentiful for a side dish but okay for the price.Miso Cabbage Cucumber ($3.80)
Next to be served was this chilled side of cabbages, sliced cucumbers and miso paste. Presentation was kind of blah as it looked like everything was hastily cut and thrown together. The cucumber were fresh and crunchy and the miso paste was thick and a tad salty, but this dish was otherwise normal. We both agreed that it wasn't really worth the price.Zaru Soba ($7.80)
This dish was my friend's favourite among all the dishes we tried. The healthy dish was served cold with just a simple sprinkling of seaweed and it also came with a small bowl of sauce to dip the noodles in. The soba was quite firm and chewy, and it was kind of refreshing to eat since it was eaten chilled. It was especially tasty when dipped into the sauce, which had just the right amount of saltiness for us and did not overwhelm. Potato Mochi ($4.80)
There was four pieces of potato mochi which came with a light drizzle of sweet sauce and two slices of butter on the side. This was supposed to be a mixture of potato and mochi and we were initially apprehensive about how it would turned out, but it turned out to be pretty good. It was soft and chewy and tasted like a cross between potato croquette and mochi. There was a really strong homely potato taste and aroma. I can't decide if I liked eating this plain or with the sweet sauce; both tasted equally good. But I didn't really care much for the butter as it made the mochi too greasy for my liking. Out of all savory dishes, this was my favorite.Omatsuri Takoyaki ($8.80)
There were eight pieces of this which was good for sharing, which was what we did. However, this was a disappointment. There was a fair amount of ingredients and octopus bits/tentacle in each ball, which had just a slight hint of crispiness on the outside. It was also moist inside, but was way too runny; it fell apart upon picking up, which made it messy to eat. It was also very, very salty; it felt like eating a pinch of salt on its own. The sweet takoyaki sauce and mayo serving was also too little for eight pieces and couldn't counter the saltiness, even by a little. My friend gave up eating after one ball although I managed to coax her to try another LOL. Not really recommended unless you are a fan of super salty takoyaki. Hot Choco Brownie ($6.80)
After all that salt overdose from the takoyaki, I was very glad that the next and last dish was the brownies with ice cream. Presentation was average, but fortunately, it wasn't bad in taste. There were four small slices of brownies and it came with a small bowl of chocolate sauce and two half-scoops of ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was very light, creamy and smooth but the brownies were a tad hard as if just defrosted. I thought it tasted more like mini chocolate cakes instead. The chocolate sauce was the best of all as it was very thick and rich. It was simply a delight to pour it over the brownies and eat with the ice cream! Although the brownies were not the best I have tried, the dessert was still the highlight of this dinner for me. On the whole, we found the food to be average although we had our favorites for this meal. My friend gave the Zaru Soba and Ishiyaki Corn Butter Shoyu the thumb up, while I liked the Potato Mochi and Hot Choco Brownie best. The entire meal came up to around $45.00 for six dishes for two persons, which we found to be pricey. We both agreed that the Omatsuri Takoyaki was not worth its price tag, as was the Miso Cabbage Cucumber. On the other hand, the Zaru Soba and Hot Choco Brownie were well worth the price.

Service was passable and the food were somewhat slow to serve but this was understandable considering the dinner time rush. It can also get a tad hard to catch the attention of the staff especially during peak hours. However, when we did manage to get their attention, they attended to our queries promptly. Our takoyaki was sent to our table shortly after we asked about it when it did not arrive for quite some time, and our request to refill our glasses of water was also attended to within 3 minutes. However, we had to wait for quite some time to settle the bill as the cashier seemed to be backlogged in clearing the bills.

All in all, a decent place for a Japanese meal. If you ask me, I wouldn't mind returning again to try the other food, especially the other desserts on the menu, but I'll prolly stay clear during dinnertime.