This place is a franchise chain that serves mostly steaks on hot plates that get cooked in front of you. We had the beef steak and the hamburger steak. As you can imagine, the food quality is quite low. The beef was quite tough and the hamburger was very stringy. The veges were ok. We had carrots, bean sprouts, and french beans. Their butter was brown, so I have no idea what kind of butter it was. We also had some kind of asian soup with tofu and eggs. It looked like it was going to be spicy, but was not spicy at all.
The food was cheap, so chalk this up as a decent Japanese fast food joint. I think we will only go back if we are desperate and there are no other real options left or if we are short on money.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Miharu Ramen at Gallery Hotel 29/3/07
This place looks and feels like an authentic Japanese ramen shop. They even have a couple of tables that you will often see in Japan where you will sit on the floor and put your feet underneath the table where a big hole has been created.
We had high expectations for this place as it came highly recommended. Unfortunately, it did not live up to its expectations. We had the cold pork with a miso sesame dressing, the miso tonkotsu ramen and the special shoyu ramen. The pork was a bit tough, but the dressing was nice. It came on top of a bed of bean sprouts. I hate to say that the bean sprouts were probably the best part of the dish.
The miso tonkotsu ramen was wayyyyy too salty. Strangely, it came with alot of corn. Normally, corn is an extra ingredient in Japan, but it is included in the ramens at this place. Fortunately, Foxy loves corn. The miso flavor was not there nor was there a distinctive tonkotsu flavor either. It was just very salty. The first few bites tasted fine, but after a while, it just made your mouth feel like blah... Where's the water!
The shoyu ramen was just very average. Not sure what kind of soup they used, but I have definitely had much better in Japan. They use lots of oil as is normally the case in Sapporo, Hokkaido (which is where this shop originates from), but the weather in Hokkaido is very cold and the oil helps keep the heat in. However, the weather in Singapore is not cold, so no need to keep the heat in...
Despite our views, this place was packed and appears to be packed quite often. It seems to be popular with the Japanese public as well (local Japanese as well as tourists). It goes to show you that there aren't many good ramen shops in Singapore yet.
Next up, a ramen place in The Central - 4th floor I believe (just outside of Clarke Quay Station) that looked interesting.
We had high expectations for this place as it came highly recommended. Unfortunately, it did not live up to its expectations. We had the cold pork with a miso sesame dressing, the miso tonkotsu ramen and the special shoyu ramen. The pork was a bit tough, but the dressing was nice. It came on top of a bed of bean sprouts. I hate to say that the bean sprouts were probably the best part of the dish.
The miso tonkotsu ramen was wayyyyy too salty. Strangely, it came with alot of corn. Normally, corn is an extra ingredient in Japan, but it is included in the ramens at this place. Fortunately, Foxy loves corn. The miso flavor was not there nor was there a distinctive tonkotsu flavor either. It was just very salty. The first few bites tasted fine, but after a while, it just made your mouth feel like blah... Where's the water!
The shoyu ramen was just very average. Not sure what kind of soup they used, but I have definitely had much better in Japan. They use lots of oil as is normally the case in Sapporo, Hokkaido (which is where this shop originates from), but the weather in Hokkaido is very cold and the oil helps keep the heat in. However, the weather in Singapore is not cold, so no need to keep the heat in...
Despite our views, this place was packed and appears to be packed quite often. It seems to be popular with the Japanese public as well (local Japanese as well as tourists). It goes to show you that there aren't many good ramen shops in Singapore yet.
Next up, a ramen place in The Central - 4th floor I believe (just outside of Clarke Quay Station) that looked interesting.
Cosafe, Chijmes, 23/3/07, Happy Birthday Stud
Decided to check out this maid themed restaurant before the novelty wears off and it disappears.
Located at main entrance of chijmes. Indoor seating is small, with 2 tables and a sofa table. A piano (which a weirdo played surprising gd music but drowned out our conversation) and some jap-related decorations, like the cat with both hands raised. Outdoor seats available.
Maid's uniform looks loose & child-like on the girls, not sexy at all. Service is decent, and girls do not mingle with guests. Not the sleazy kind that japan has. No cigarette smoke as well, which was a good thing.
The food was not very good though. The tomato soup tasted more like tomato puree. Much too bitter and probably needed to be cooked more thoroughly. Also needed more seasonings. The chicken was dry, but the portions were a good size. The escargot was cold, but the crunchy stuff was nice. (but how could snails be nice anyways, right?) Hee...
The peach milkshake was not very tasty at all. Overall, this place was definitely there for the ambience and not the food, but even the novelty was not quite there. Don't expect this place to be there too long once the novelty runs out. It will last a while though due to the location being at chijmes.
Located at main entrance of chijmes. Indoor seating is small, with 2 tables and a sofa table. A piano (which a weirdo played surprising gd music but drowned out our conversation) and some jap-related decorations, like the cat with both hands raised. Outdoor seats available.
Maid's uniform looks loose & child-like on the girls, not sexy at all. Service is decent, and girls do not mingle with guests. Not the sleazy kind that japan has. No cigarette smoke as well, which was a good thing.
The food was not very good though. The tomato soup tasted more like tomato puree. Much too bitter and probably needed to be cooked more thoroughly. Also needed more seasonings. The chicken was dry, but the portions were a good size. The escargot was cold, but the crunchy stuff was nice. (but how could snails be nice anyways, right?) Hee...
The peach milkshake was not very tasty at all. Overall, this place was definitely there for the ambience and not the food, but even the novelty was not quite there. Don't expect this place to be there too long once the novelty runs out. It will last a while though due to the location being at chijmes.
Megumi Jap Restaurant, Upper East Coast Rd, 15/3/07
Surprising empty, maybe bec we were there very early, around 6p.
Spider sushi was really yummy.
Ramen soup base was creamy & tasted ok, though really disappointed with the swordfish, which tasted very rubbery.
Paper steamboat was an eye-opener. How can the paper not catch fire? Ingredients inside was so-so only, mostly vege, and soup base was rather tasteless.
Dessert was yummy, fried ice-cream was crispy & warm on outside, and delicious on inside. Black sesame ice-cream didn't leave much impression on me, so I suppose it's really average.
Ambience is modern, background music played chinese songs and chief serve staff spoke distinct singlish. Not exactly a traditional jap restaurant. Location sucks, even taxi driver does not know where it is.
Overall, dining experience was ok, but nothing fantastic. Not really traditional and not really trendy or new. Just somewhere in between so difficult to get into any kind of mood. Just felt like any old restaurant on the east coast.
Spider sushi was really yummy.
Ramen soup base was creamy & tasted ok, though really disappointed with the swordfish, which tasted very rubbery.
Paper steamboat was an eye-opener. How can the paper not catch fire? Ingredients inside was so-so only, mostly vege, and soup base was rather tasteless.
Dessert was yummy, fried ice-cream was crispy & warm on outside, and delicious on inside. Black sesame ice-cream didn't leave much impression on me, so I suppose it's really average.
Ambience is modern, background music played chinese songs and chief serve staff spoke distinct singlish. Not exactly a traditional jap restaurant. Location sucks, even taxi driver does not know where it is.
Overall, dining experience was ok, but nothing fantastic. Not really traditional and not really trendy or new. Just somewhere in between so difficult to get into any kind of mood. Just felt like any old restaurant on the east coast.
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