denise tan blogs

Once in while, you need to completely fall off the wagon, plunge head-first into the deep end and revel in sheer food indulgence. For me, an Indian banana leaf curry feast is the best way to bust that diet. Arguments abound over where to get the best, but I’m sure you’d agree, Samy’s ranks right up there with the most popular. It’s not just the taste and the ritual of the banana leaf meal (the army of servers doling out tempting dishes, the myriad choices you have, the eating with your hands…), it’s also the nostalgia I attach with Samy’s. This Singapore institution at Dempsey brings back fond memories of lazy Sunday meals with my friends and family after tennis lessons at the old civil servant’s club. But given their long history as a premier food destination, you don’t really need me to tell you that.
So on with the food!

Chicken Tikka (boneless), mutton curry, chicken masala, deep-fried cauliflower, Biryani Rice and Mysore Mutton.

Clockwise from top left: Mutton curry, Chicken Masala – a juicy chicken leg generously coated with an aromatic dry-rub of spice paste, and finally in the foreground, highly-addictive – eat with caution! I could not stop popping these crunchy, crispy, salty, spicy bites of deep-fried, battered cauliflower. If I wasn’t such a carnivore, this would have been, hands down, the best dish of my meal! Other veggies include Cabbage Dhal, Potato Masala, Cucumber Salad, Ladies Finger & Palak Paneer (my favourite spinach and cheese).

Left: Boneless, tangy chicken Tikka. Right: Creamy mutton curry with potatoes.

Mysore Mutton – a dry curry with its distinctive deep brown colour, herbs and spices aplenty and tender, fall-apart meat. While all their curries are really delicious, this one’s my favourite because it has a much bolder flavour than the regular curry mutton, which is sweeter and milder.

Butter chicken – mild, sweet and creamy.

Pappadums! Just gimme a bowl of curry and I might be dipping and crunching all night!

Fish Cutlet – densely-packed fishy delights coated in egg and deep-fried.

The piece-de-resistance! FISH HEAD CURRY! BEST!!! Very flavourful, spicy and generously portioned with lots of meat and vegetables, especially my beloved eggplant.

Delicate Fish-head dissection (and devouring) in process – shhh!

Gently wiggling a soft, jelly-like bit of flesh from the skull.

End result: the entire fish-head is stripped clean of meat!
If seafood is your thing, be sure to order the Sambal Prawn and Black Squid as well – too yum!

SAMY’S CURRY (DEMPSEY) PTE LTD
25 Dempsey Road
Singapore 249670
Tel : 6472 2080
Opening Hours :
11am-3pm ( Lunch )
6pm-10pm ( Dinner )
CLOSED every Tuesday
www.samyscurry.com

Let’s go Turkish and halal today! Amidst the hustle & bustle of Arab Street and its myriad of cafes and restaurants, I discovered Sufi, which is a nice, quiet place for lunch (night-time gives you a totally different atmosphere – busy, packed, with customers spilling out on to the five foot way to dine al fresco and smoke shisha). Besides the exotic flavours of Turkey, they also serve a whole array of dishes from all over the Mediterranean – from kebabs to hummus to babaganoush to dolmades to moussaka to baklava to apple tea. I love the blue and white decor and that this place serves up tasty, value-for-money food.

Freshly baked bread!

Soup of the day – a thick, hearty tomato soup with

Falafel (deep-fried spicy chick pea dumplings) with Haydari – thick, strained yogurt dip/spread perfumed with herbs and garlic – like a very heady aioli, but thicker and fresher.

Donor Durum – grilled chicken wrap with fries.

Iskender – tender, sliced grilled lamb in a savoury brown sauce with chopped crisp Ekmek bread and garlic yogurt dip.

SUFI Turkish and Mediterranean Cuisine
48 Arab Street
Reservations: 62982258
Open daily: 11am – 6am
Full menu: www.sufi.sg

This is a place that serves up quick and tasty Japanese-western hybrid meals that are worth trying, especially if you find yourself hungry and on the hunt for late-night eats. My friend and I go there almost every week for a quick bite after our evening dance class because the service is brisk and efficient, the food always delicious and it stays open till late.
Try Shokudo at Cineleisure Orchard – it’s centrally located and consistent in quality. Like many Japanese “coffee houses”, this place serves up unusual, yet by now familiar dishes that combine flavours of the east and the west, with mostly pleasing results. Whether you’re looking for an ice-cream cone to go, a pleasant place for quick cake and coffee or a full meal at dinner-time, Shokudo has many items on its menu that will tempt you. Here are some I recommend:

Tonkatsu (deep fried panko-coated pork chop) with omu rice (thin omelette-wrapped rice) and Japanese curry.

Juicy & crispy, mildly spicy. Pork chop, rice, egg and curry for moistness and flavour – a great combo!



Hakodate seafood cheese pizza – a very, very thin, crisp (almost biscuity) crust makes for a very light, unusual snack. Much of the western world would be appalled at the combination of seafood and cheese, but on this decidely Asian-style pizza, it works! Topped with squid, scallop, salmon, crab and prawn.


Unagi (grilled eel), shitake mushroom and bonito (dried fish flakes) pizza. Yum!


Vongole soup udon. Italy meets Japan, yet again! Nice springy udon in a clear broth that looks deceptively bland. The soup is actually spicy, with a natural sweetness that comes from the generous serving of clams. I love the leafy mustard greens too.

Indulgent, guilty pleasure. Crispy, buttery potato rosti with my favourite Japanese-style hamburger (this means a nice crisp shell that gives way to a very soft, almost fluffy minced meat interior), slathered in a mushroom sauce and a dollop of sour cream – ultimate comfort food!


Azuki (red bean & tofu) cheesecake with Macha (green tea) ice-cream. Light, airy and a good balance between the sweetness of the tofu cake and the savoury biscuit base.

SHOKUDO Japanese Coffee House
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
8 Grange Road, #02-06A/B
Tel: +65-6736 0971
Open daily:
Sunday to Thursday:
11.30am – 2.00am
Friday, Saturday & Eve of PH
11.30am – 3.00am
www.shokudoconcepts.com.sg

So today’s a good day to kick back and have an unhurried cocktail or three, eh? Drink to your health and to the first day of May with some intoxicating libations and refined bar food at the recently refurbished Garibar. Admittedly I’ve only dined once at Garibaldi Restaurant on Purvis Street – a swanky dinner that I’m sure cost a fortune – it just seems that kind of place. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that between 4 and 8 pm, their bar is a serene, relaxed place to enjoy some damned fine cocktails, along with delicious snacks. The 1-for-1 deal on drinks is a bonus you won’t be able to resist either!

If you enjoy a cocktail that’s light, refreshing, fizzy and leaves a pleasant bitter burn, Spritz is the one for you.
Bitter Campari, Martini Rosso & Prosecco are a great combination if you’ve been fighting fires all day and need something cool you down.

Other tasty treats I’d like to try soon:

• Hokkaido SCALLOP TARTARE with Cucumber Bottarga and Orange
• ‘San Marzano’ Tomatoes and Basil BRUSCHETTA
• Pan Seared FOIE GRAS with Marsala Crème Brulee
• Crispy MEZZELUNE (stuffed pasta)  with Truffled Mushrooms & Mozzarella
• Crunchy PRAWN in Sesami Crust and SpicyTomato Salsa

Their signature cocktails include the Basil Caipirinha and Balsamic Mojito.
Most cocktails go for $18 (a great deal considering the 1-for-1 promo) and most dishes go for under $20.
Added bonus: really friendly staff who don’t cross the line. i.e. they know when to leave you to it.

Garibaldi Bar
36 Purvis Street #01-02
Open everyday 12pm – 12am
Reservations: 6837-1468
www.garibaldi.com.sg

Around the Med in 80 Minutes! Say there’s a big group of you from the office, colleagues who can’t decide what to eat and where to go for lunch, or you come from a large family of picky eaters. This is one restaurant with something for everyone, with dishes made from fresh ingredients and prepared right before your eyes at various live cooking stations.

Popular with the lunchtime business crowd and hungry families on weekends, MEDZS features an open-kitchen concept and a cashless electronic card system, so you pay only at the end of the meal. Helmed by Executive Chef Anesrif El Mustapha, this month-old outlet serves up high-quality Mediterranean fare from Spain, Morocco, France, Turkey and Greece − all under one roof.

The MAGIC sign, screaming what ALL foodies like to hear.

Home made preserves. Almost everything from sauces, chillis, jams, breads are made from scratch with fresh ingredients and no preservatives or MSG is used.



At the Turkish station, they don’t use lard or any pork products.

Home made breads

Beautiful Moroccan-style ceiling lamps.

The high ceilings give the restaurant a palatial feel that’s sleek and contemporary, dressed up in dark wood and timber, accentuated by soft overhead lighting.



The outdoor al fresco area.

The 5% Bar, where you can order a drink, kick back indoors or outside and catch a game on their big screens.

Behold the wall of beer! Over 100 craft beers – fruity ales, crisp lagers or dark stouts – to choose from.


I settled on a Turkish beer as a nod to the Mediterranean-inspired menu. Light and refreshing!
Ok, grab your passport and let’s eat our way around the world! Starting of first with…
SWITZERLAND!

Everyone’s favourite Swiss potato pancake! This one is tender on the inside, lovely and crisp outside and available with a whole array of toppings. This one is the cured salmon Rosti ($10) – lots of deep briny flavour that cuts through the creamy, buttery potato taste.

Ooooh… crispy bits, hot from the pan!

Next stop… FRANCE!

Served in specially designed dishes, resting on a nest of sea salt, the Escargot Aioli ($16) is creamy, garlicky and juicy with just that little firmness of bite to the pillowy snails.



A carnivore’s dream – choose from the wide selection if meats and have it grilled fresh and hot a la minute for you.


Flame-grilled Pork Belly drenched in a red wine sauce made from pork jus ($12.90). This dish is RIDICULOUS!!! As in ridiculously good! I’m not a keen pork eater, so this one really surprised me. Usually, I find pork too pungent, but this one was juicy, sweet, tender and had a clean, non-piggy taste. I’d happily order and devour this again! Served with sides of cress salad and crispy herbed potatoes and mushrooms.


Unctious, fork-tender meat.

Au Revoir France and Hello GREECE!



Kakavia, or Greek Fisherman’s Soup ($18.90). Generous portions of fresh seafood including salmon and mussels in a creamy saffron sauce. This is more or a hearty stew than soup, but whatever you call it, call it delicious! Love the addition of a grilled lemon for a squeeze of smoke and tang. Rich, fresh and fragrant, this dish really speaks of the Greek seaside.


We’ve loved the surf, now let’s try the turf!

Cyprio Pork & Coriander Burger ($15). Crispily charred on the outside from the flame grill, so soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, thanks to the addition of fatty Chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage).


My stomach’s already feeling a little stretched here, so I skipped the bun and stuck to the star of this dish – the meat patty (that I loved this despite my usual aversion to pork is testament to how good this is) and the home-made, hand cut fries that are so light, even though they look thick and chunky. The crisp exterior gives way to a creamy interior.

Next Mediterranean destination: MOROCCO!


Moroccan specialty – Tajine, these interestingly-shaped earthernware pots that house slow-cooked stews.

Lamb Meatball Tajine ($15). Big, bouncy, juicy meatballs with egg in a tasty sauce, couscous with a sweet caramalised onion topping and fiery Harissa (chilli paste) and their house-made salt-cured lemon.

Very tender meat, appealingly pink and oozing flavour.


Sweet onions to balance the salty stew.

Hot sauce! Yum, I could smother all my food with this stuff!
Onward to Espana, SPAIN!

Sure, the skewers sound good, but bring on the more traditional stuff, please!

I’m a little torn, after savouring so many yummy dishes, but this could be my favourite!
Octopus Paella ($14.90). Absolutely saturated with flavour from the rich, earthy, briny black squid ink, this rice dish is studded with onions, peas, carrots, perfectly-cooked octopus and (OMG!) salty pork belly! No wonder its taste is so intense. I highly recommend this one to share – it is very, very rich and a little goes a long way!


For the sweet of tooth… The choices will spoil you!








Baklava with Vanilla ice-cream and fresh fruit. Layers of filo pastry smothered in honey and pistachio. So sweet, but if you just take one little cube, it’s a pretty light. Perfect with a strong cup of coffee!


A very popular dessert at MEDZ: Lychee Rose Panna Cotta ($5.50)

A refreshingly different dessert with an alluring floral flavour. Layers of creamy panna cotta with diced jelly and (wow!) gold leaf garnish!

Love the whole lychee – look closely and you’ll see they add depth of flavour with finely grated lime zest!

For Family Meals, you’ll be happy to know…

Lighter Options:

Salads…


If you want something less gut-busting, you can’t go wrong with a soup and salad – but they elevate things just that bit more at Medz. Check out their freshly baked home-made bread, hot off the grill and slathered in a garlic herb butter.

Also, for the mid-afternoon munchies, check out their tea-time special:

MEDZ – Simply Mediterranean!
Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard
#01-46/47/55/56
Tel: 6337 75047

If you fancy taking a little culinary hop-skip-and-jump to our Northerly neighbours, save yourself the plane ticket and just head here for delicious Vietnamese cuisine in a classy setting with a view. Perched atop Orchard central with a bird’s eye view of Orchard Road is Nuoc, where you can find hearty, comforting noodle dishes (the stars of their menu) and a tranquil ambiance.

This greets you at the entrance – innovative, effective use of red plastic bowls to create a decorative wall!


Inside – Exotic modern! Huge wooden lanterns, carved wood “pipes” adorning high ceilings, initmate private-dining spaces and comfy stuffed sofas. The wrap-round al fresco dining balcony is breezy and offers up those views I mentioned. This isn’t a pokey little hawker stall, this is Vietnamese dining on a finer scale, so while the quality of the food is fresh and beautifully presented, be prepared to pay a little more for the setting.


Goi 3 Mua Vi Tom Va Thit Heo $23
Tri-season salad with prawn, pork, julienned lotus stem, kang kong stem, green papaya, onions, coriander & Vietnamese herbs. Tossed in the special Nuoc vinegar dressing and Vienamese fish sauce. Carnished with crushed peanuts and prawn crackers.
Very fresh, with vibrant flavours and lots of crunch. If you’re eating alone, this in itself is enough for a meal!

Goi Cuon Nhan Tom Thit $5.50
Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls with prawns, sliced pork, lettuce, bean sprouts, rice vermicelli & Vietnamese herbs. Encased in delicate rice paper and served with a tangy-sweet-salty sipping sauce of soya, vinegar and chilli, with peanuts and pickles.

Cha Go $16 for 8 pieces
Deep-fried Vietnamese Spring Roll stuffed with minced chicken, pork, crabmeat, crunchy black fungus and rice vermicelli. Beautifully crisp, light bites. They’re no longer than a finger, but chock-a-block full of meaty flavour and contrasting textures. Perfect with our Saigon beer!




Ga Nuong Dung Voi Xoi Chien Phong $15
Grilled Boneless Chicken Drumstick
Everyone knows meat closest to the bone is the most flavourful and tender. This dish is a sticky-sweet treat – tender meat marinated with caramel & Vietnamese fish sauce that gives lovely, crisp charred bits on the skin. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the deep-fried rice cakes that come with the chicken. Deep-fried, but like little light puffs of clean, ricey flavour.


Pho Bo $21
Traditional Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
Sliced Australian beef tenderloin & beef brisket with traditional Vietnamese flat rice noodle in a home-made beef broth fragrant with Vietnamese herbs. Served with a side garnish of basil leaves, coriander, bean sprouts, onions, fresh chilli and lime.



Oooooh! Look at all that fatty, beefy goodness! All the flavour is in the fat – love it!




Glass Vermicelli with fishballs in a pineapple and tomato sour soup.
Deeeee-lish! Lip-smackingly, soup-slurpingly piquant with lots of zing. Kind of like a sweeter, milder tom yum broth. The fishballs were big bites of substantially packed, solid fish meat. The more you eat, the more you crave!
Best of all, ordering this specially created dish means doing a very good deed for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For every bowl ordered of this delicious vermicelli soup, Nuoc will donate a generous 50% of this “Wish Dish” proceeds to the Foundation for the month of April (The Make-A-Wish Foundation supports children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions, and through their Wish Dish celebration hope to raise $150, 000. Click www.makeawish.org.sg for details.


Banh Flan Dua $6
Home-made coconut custard, smothered in thick, rich coconut milk. Very rich in flavour and fragrance, the coconut and pandan aromas hit you before you can even hit this dessert with your spoon. Under all that coconut milk is a light, silky custard that just glides cooly down your throat.



All in all, I really loved the ambiance of this Vietnamese restaurant – the charming, tucked-away location, the intimate spaces and al fresco deck. Also, this place is worth visiting for a cosy lunch – just order a big bowl of their delicious pho and you’re all set! In fact, anytime you want a hot, comforting bowl of noodles, this is a great place to go. And next time, I’ve been told I have to try the Mien Cua Tay Cam – Glass vermicelli with fresh crabmeat in claypot. It’s a stir-fried, hearty one-pot dish full of yummy crab, springy noodles and seasoned with tasty Vietnamese fish sauce and soya sauce. Can’t wait!

NUOC
181 Orchard Road
Orchard Central #12-01
(Take the elevator to level 11 followed by the escalator to the roof garden, level 12)
Open Mondays to Fridays: 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm
Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays: 12pm to 11pm
For reservations: 68846808
www.nuoc.com.sg

It sounds like they’re bragging here, but The Magic Of Chong Qing Hot Pot is really quite magical! It’s not packed virtually everyday for nothing. It has built a reputation for being the go-to place for spicy Sze Chuan-style steam boat, and for good reason.

At first glance, and after a short wait (Reservations are a must!), Chong Qing Hot Pot reveals red lanterns, faux stucco walls and Oriental ornaments that give you the feeling of a rustic house in the Sze chuan countryside.
Once we were seated at our simple wooden table and stools, we had to order. Recommended are their famous fiery ‘Ma La Tang’ and ‘Old Faithful Chicken Stock” (“boiled for hours to give you a creamy flavour”). I chose both – duo soup pot on!!!

Actually, there’s a system they have to the meal – it’s an ala carte buffet with some key components:

3 Magical Steps To Enjoy The Duo-Flavoured ChongQing Hot Pot

1. An array of sweet & savory tid-bits  to cleanse and revive the palate from the spiciness of the Ma-La broth.

2. Sesame dips which not only enhance the tastes of the various ingredients cooked in the broth but also acts a creamy antidote to the fiery spicy broth as well.

3. The Eight Treasures Tea with its healing properties restores the body’s yin yang balance after a spicy meal.

But first, some appetisers!

Thinly sliced pork belly with spicy garlic  sauce.

Guo Tie – pan fried/ steamed meat dumplings.

Spring rolls stuffed with veggies.

Fishy faves – fish cake with black fungus, salmon, sausage and shitake stuffed with fish paste ala yong tau foo.



Beancurd products galore – tau pok & tau kee (skins). Plus, wan tons, red meat and squid.


Get into the soup, raw ingredients!!

Hot Pot with Mala Soup-Base and Hot Pot with Chicken & Preserved Vegetables Soup-Base.

Mmmm… spicy-numbing mala broth simmering beancurd and veg!

Part of the meal deal: fruit cocktail and chocolate ice-cream.

The Magic Of Chongqing Hot Pot
Address: 19 Tanglin Road, #04-06, Tanglin Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6734 8135
Lunch
Adult : $23.90++
Child : $17.90++
Dinner
Adult : $35.90++
Child : $25.90++
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat (10.30am – 6.30pm)
Sun & PH (by appt).

My love for all things hot and spicy is no secret and it was love at first bite when I was introduced to this flamingly flavourful dish: CHONG QING GRILLED FISH. Its name doesn’t really set off any fire alarms, bit trust me, this is no ordinary grilled fish.

As you might know, Chong Qing is part of the Sze Chuan region in China, famed for all manner of spicy delicacies. This restaurant’s signature dish uses more than 20 different herbs and spices, including dried chillis and Sichuan pepper, which causes a weird, yet pleasurable numbing effect on the lips and tongue. Along with the spicy aromas, you also get the taste of crispy, slightly charred fish skin as well as the sweetness of firm white fish meat, all served swimming in a broth atop a hearth of charcoal simmering the broth. Oh, the smells, the sights, the taste! This is not for those who prefer plain, bland food. This is a place for knock-out flavours. They place boxes of tissues on each table for good reason – is it for sweat or tears, or both? In whichever case, brace yourselves!

Fish on the wall, and soon to be in our bellies!


The very extensive menu – I’ve been there 3 times and still haven’t cracked a fraction of their yummy dishes! Probably cos I keep going back to my same fave few! Heh. Here are a few to start off with:

Sour and Spicy Cold Bean Jelly Noodle $4.80 – lovely, chewy texture with lots of spring, these fat slippery noodles were heavily spiced and fragrant with sesame oil and a lip-smacking vinegar to cut through the heat and grease.

Tender spicy beef with tripe. So tasty!!! Sweet, salty and very spicy, with lots of texture and crunch from the cow stomach. Mmmm!


Another hit amongst friends: Sliced Belly Pork and Cucumber Rolls with Garlic Sauce $5.80. Paper-thin slices of meat smothered generously in that fragrant sauce – just don’t plan on kissing anyone after noshing on this dish!

Ahah! The main event, the restaurant’s namesake is served! They give you lots of choices, but ordering is easy.

Step 1: Choose your fish – Sea Bass, Red Sea Bream, Golden Snapper or Grass Carp. We went with Sea Bass – very fresh, very tasty.

Step 2: Choose the size – Regular, Large or Extra-large. Large is good for 3 – 4 people ($36).

Step 3: Choose the flavour – Spicy & Numbing, Fermented Black Bean, Spicy & Fragrant, Pickled Cabbage, Chopped Chilli, Pickled Chilli.

Step 4: Choose the level of spiciness – Mild, Medium or EXTREME! Frankly, I could’ve gne extreme, but the medium has made my dining companions cry and consume copious amounts of beer, so I’d say err on the side or caution. They take their spice seriously here!

Step 5: Choose your side dishes – $2.80 each Chinese Cabbage, Rice Cake, Enoki Mushroom, Seaweed, Konjac, Fried Potato Slices, Fried Beancurd Skin, Silken Beancurd, Thick Vermicelli, Cucumber, which will all go into the dish and cook with the spicy soup.
You can also order plain white rice ($0.80) to temper the heat.

Look at this beauty! All the sides are stewing in the soup and the huge piece of crispy-skinned fish sits on top of it all.

Oooh, all the good stuff is hiding under the grilled fish, like a nest of yum! Shredded beancurd skin and thick vermicelli soaking up all the scorchingly savoury juices!


We also ordered inoki mushrooms and cucumber.


Vermicelli and beancurd skin!

Look at that chunky, white, fresh, tender piece of sea bass. The clean taste goes really well with the punchy, bold spiced soup.

An added bonus – this will help to quench the flames from the soup – deep friend man tou buns with condensed milk – the bread & sweetened dairy is the perfect (sinful) antidote!

As if the above wasn’t enough, we went for more dishes – Pork Ribs with Fermented Beans $12 Finger-licking good and very tender.

Chinese spinach with 3 kinds of egg – normal, salted & century. Gotta have your greens!
They also serve up desserts and a range of cooling beers to douse belly infernos, including 3 from China.

Chong Qing Grilled Fish
Address: 1 Liang Seah Street, #01-05/06 Liang Seah Place
Tel: +65 6333 9148
Opening Hours Mon–Fri: 4pm – 2am
Sat–Sun: 12pm – 2am

www.chongqinggrilledfish.com.sg

Having a large appetite and a bottomless stomach is an asset where this restaurant is concerned. Shin Minori offers up quick and tasty Japanese ala carte buffet at affordable prices. From about 30 bucks for over 140 dishes, buffet buffs, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and order up a storm! This is one place where you can rest assured quantity doesn’t compromise quality!

Overview of our ridiculous lunch-time spread.

Fresh mixed sashimi plate – squid, swordfish and salmon (but there’s heaps more to choose from. Tuna, octopus, yellow tail, etc.)

Unagi sushi – very clean-tasting, fresh, and not too sweet from the teriyaki sauce. I was pacing myself, so I had to skip the other sushi selections like Negitoro Sushi (Chopped Tuna with  spring onion) and Tamago (omelette), as well as the handrolls like Shake Kawa Temaki (Deep Fried Salmon Skin with Cucumber), Spider Temak (Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab) and Ebi Tenpura Temaki (Deep Fried Tempura Prawn).

On to the grilled delicacies! One of my faves – grilled shishamo (pregnant fish, bursting with salty, crunchy roe!)


Grilled mackerel – also very delicious. Well-seasoned, succulent and meaty, with a lovely crisp char on the outside.

Tantalising skewers of  Tori Hatsu (Chicken Heart) and Sunagimo Chicken Gizzard. Love that gamey, metallic innard taste. The grilling gives the meat a lovely crunchy, “Q-Q” texture on the outside, but inside, it’s tender and juicy! Other must-try yakitori sticks: Tsukune (Chicken Meat Ball), Tebasaki (Chicken Wings), and Tori Kawa (Chicken Skin) – sooo bad, but soooo good!

Grilled veggies – eggplant, lady’s finger, leeks and mushroom, smothered in Bonito flakes. Another all-time fave worth ordering is the Asuparagasu Be-kon (Asparagus Bacon) – can’t go wrong with bacon!

Next up… The DEEP-FRIED AND SINFULS! Clockwise from top right:  Nankotsu Karaage (Chicken Cartilage), Grilled chicken skin, Shishamo Furai (Breaded Pregnant Capelin) and Kani Tenpura (One Mouth Crab Tempura), which was swiftly crunched up, shell and all!

Other goodies I ordered and devoured too quickly for a photo op: Ika Karaage (Baby Cuttlefish) and Jagaimo Korokke (Potato Croquette) and the ubiquitous Tenpura Moriawase (Assorted Tempura Prawns/ Fish/ Vegetables).

To assuage fried-food guilt, a healthy (?) serving of stir-fried vegetables

Gyuniku Shogayaki Beef with Special Sauce (wish I had room for a lovely bowl of garlic fried rice to sop up all those yummy savoury-sweet juices!)

Mentai Supagettii Cod Roe Spaghetti. Looks mild, but was spicy and tasted appropriately of the sea. The pasta was cooked to order and nicely al dente.

So what you see here is but the tip of the proverbial ice berg! Shin Minori still has tons more to offer, from soups to pizza, to curry rice, to noodles like ramen, udon and soba, to salads, to hearty stews to teppanyaki specials.
Add an extensive selection of beer, sake and shochu to this already dizzying list of deliciousness and you’ll discover a place for friends, family and FOOD – varieties to boggle the mind and seduce the tastebuds. You can’t go just once, it begs a second, third and even fourth visit, just to sample all the dishes you’d like to taste.

Shin Minori Japanese Restaurant
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Ala Carte Buffet
UE Square (Shopping Mall)
81 Clemenceau Avenue
#03-15/16
Open: Daily for lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm and dinner 6.00 – 10.30pm
Lunch Prices: Adult $31.00++, Child $21.00++
Dinner Prices: Adult $35.00++, Child $23.00++
Reservations: 67332272
www.shinminori.com.sg

If you crave sizzling meats over a hot grill, then THE place to go for authentic Japanese-style BBQ (Yakiniku) is without a doubt, 15-year-old Ao-chan, which has been a bit of a Singaporean institution for those in the know. The authenticity of this restaurant can be measured by its website (only in Japanese) AND its clientele -  on the night I visited, it was packed full of Japanese expatriates, from families to post-work businessmen. It served us in good stead to have made a reservation, judging from how popular the place is!

Cute red lantern outside.
Inside, it calls to mind 80s-style retro Japanese restaurants, pin-neat, closely packed cubicles of low tables, wooden screens and floors. This is a DIY grill – just order from their mind-bogglingly extensive menu and when the dishes are brought to your table, slap meats on the smokeless metal grill and cook to taste! And if you need help (with the ordering or grilling), just turn to their knowledgeable, efficient staff.

To start: a fresh garden salad with raw minced beef, just to get our taste-buds going – very fresh, very light & the raw beef wasn’t in the slightest bit scary to eat.

Next, a raw salad of beef sashimi served with egg-yolk. Just the right amount of seasoning, the tender, raw beef binds and blends with the raw yolk into a rich, silky mixture that glides deliciously down your gullet!
At Ao-Chan, it really is all about the BEEF – You can have it done in two ways – Shio (Salt/塩) or Ao-Chan’s secret sauce.




Apologies, but I ate so many plates of beef, I lost track of what cuts I was gobbling. Rest assured though, nothing was disappointing – from sirloin to Australian to Japanese cuts of Kobe, everything was tender, tasty and very fresh.

Their Wagyu beef in all shapes, forms and marinades was gorgeous – meltingly tender and beautifully seasoned – whether just with plain salt or with Ao-Chan’s secret sauce.

Non-Beef Courses include Pork, Deer, Lamb, Squid, Prawn, Scallops and CHICKEN – which looks plain, but is extremely flavourful (a testament to their expert marinating techniques!).

Love the bits of char on the corners of the bite-sized chicken pieces!


Seaweed Soup – clear, light and hot – good for washing down the heavier flavours of the meat.

After such a fatty, sinful, decadent meal, fresh fruits for dessert to make us feel less guilty!

Stuffed, but happy!

焼肉亭 青ちゃん Yakinikutei Ao-Chan
100 Orchard Road, #02-22/26 Concorde Hotel Singapore (Formerly known as Hotel Meridien & Shopping Centre)
+65 6735 6457 (Reservations Recommended)
Mon – Fri 12:15pm – 2:15pm, 6pm – 10:30pm
Sat/Sun and PH 3pm - 10pm