Aerin's

Oven-Roasted Australian Lamb Rump, Mediterranean Couscous & Tzatziki

Go ahead, judge me by my cover.

The appetite-piquing facade was by no means unsubstantiated by a less-than-tasteful texture. as what lay beneath was a gorgeous shade of pink and spot-on chewiness. Rather than a formidable single slab, the lamb rump arrived in share-friendly slices. It was almost as if the chef knew you were going to #1. LOVE it and #2. insist your dining partner try it to prove your point.

The lamb sat atop of the granular couscous -a first for me- and I liked the grainy contrast against the sinewy rump. Tzatiki was another unique addition to my 'Been-there-Tasted-that' list. The tongue-wringing feel channelled some ballsy flavour to the hearty lamb and I 'm definitely going to take note of this pleasing combination for home parties.

Moomba Tuckshop

Prior to this, I had only visited Moomba Tuckshop once. At around 8am, the place was eerily desserted and there was ZERO items behind the display counter. For my breakfast request, a scowly member of staff informed me that they weren't ready for breakfast (despite the 7:30am opening time) and proceeded to ignore me by centeralizing an oh-so-intense focus on her penne salad.

"Honey, I asked for a skinny cafe latte.. Cut that double shot of attitute, willya?"





But as we had ran out of new places for breakfast, Jimmy and i decided to pay Moomba Tuckshop an affable visit. As you can see, the eatery was relatively empty at 8am; in fact, apart from us, there was only one other sit-down patron while a couple took away coffee. The sole staff was friendly enough though I wondered how she's going to cope if more customers came in at once. Perhaps, this is a problem they might never have to face.


Scrambled eggs, ham, bacon and fresh tomato on brioche toast, with mushrooms on the side.



"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" -- "Let them eat cake"

The brioche toast with butter and jam exceeded expectations as I was expecting a couple of nondescript bread slices with prepacked butter and jam. I know what you are thinking, "What's the big deal? It's only toast.. " Weird as food fetishes go, I have a thing for grilled lines so the geometric lines on the brioche literally "had me at hello". What am I saying!?!


Bacon Spinach Muffin.

Savoury muffins are uncommon and let's just say, odds of actually finding a satisfactory one are just about as high as . Oh well, I haven't exactly veered from the sweet side after PS Cafe's Cheese and Bacon Muffin disaster. There was certainly no scrimping on the ingredients in Moomba's Bacon and Spinach Muffin and don't worry folks, this Popeye-unfriendly version was choked full of bacon, with sparse strands of spinach thrown in for good will.



I just might visit visit Moomba again.. Once I am sick of Cedele and Coffee Beans's cranberry muffin.

Ikoi at Hotel Miramar

Jimmy's birthday, incidentally coincided with YAY-YAY PAYDAY so we decided to splurge on the meal. With countless retaurants grounds yet to be forayed into, it was a tough tough call. The decision-making was a long drawn-out processed that went along the lines of this..

Me: "Hey Jimmy, have you thought about which restaurant you would wanna visit on your birthday?"

J: "No... what do you have in mind?"

Me: "C'mon Jimmy, it's your day! YOU CHOOSE.."

J: "Ok.. how about [insert resaurant name here]?"

Me: "Oh for dinner? That's pretty heavy...."

J: "How about [insert resaurant name here]?"

Me: "Hmm...Good idea... BUT I heard/read it's only so-so.."

Arh, the power of freedom of choice.

Finally over breakfast, it was a toss-up between Ikoi and Iggy’s. Nobody gves up a chance to dine at Iggy's without a valid reason but the unthinkable happened. After breakfast, I visited Meidi-ya japanese supermarket and left the place with an unsatiable craving for something japanese... As such, we cancelled our Iggy reservations and opted for Ikoi instead.


Kids watching Doraemon cartoon in the middle of Meidi-ya supermarket. How terribly cute...

It feels almost like choosing the wrong guy.

You know, when you pick the Born-Loafer Do-No-Gooder over Mr Ivy-League-Graduate-Captain of-this-&-that-club.

"Your Honour, I plead temporary insanity"



In terms of atmosphere, Ikoi 'za'-ed on the other end of the spectrum. Unlike comtemporary Zen Japanese restaurants (I'm thinking Shimbashi Soba here), Ikoi possessed what Jimmy would describe as "a sarariman atmosphere" and I found the cramp settings, smallish tables and chair rather charming. Service was so-so: Though you get what you want eventually, you are better of practising your Mandarin here since most of the waitresses were PRC Chinese. Not kidding.



Mixed Sashimi Platter: Tuna, Salmon, Swordfish, Forgettable White Fish and Octopus. Undoubtly fresh and appropiately-sized, I have no complains about the sashimi. We even ordered a second helping of the mekajiki (swordfish) and to our surprise, received a generous portion of about a dozen cuts.




Sake Shioyaki

The grilled items (Sake shioyaki, Saba shioyaki and shishamo) were pretty much a hit with the birthday boy and me. With each bite, the skin cackled and yielded against the juicy flesh.



There more than a dozen different types of tempura offerings but we choose the default mixed tempura: prawns, eggplant, lady’s finger, pumpkin and mushroom. Tempura batter lacked the brittle crystline structure but we are talking about “deep-fried in huge pot of oil” and “utterly bad for the waistline”, thus it had to be considerably tasty. There were breaded types too but we gave it a miss.




Oyako Don

“It’s ok to miss” items include salmon kaninabe: unfortunately weak in the taste department and noodle/don items: so disappointing, they could work together to revive the Atkins diet. These items undeserved a spot of our dining table as they were, at best, “fit for human consumption”. You know deserve better.


Salmon Kaninabe

Ikoi’s menu is extensive and as you can see, we only scrapped the tip of the iceberg.. No sushi was ordered, no second helpings of the tempura. Ikoi isn’t a complete right-off.. I’m still thinking about the mekajiki...

Just returned from my company's Dinner & Dance party, which was held at Oriental Hotel. Some of the folks are at MOS but old bones me decided to skip it though the seniors were paying for our entrance.

I had great fun tonight. This year's theme was "It's Showtime" and our departments were separated according to movie genres e.g. horror, crime, romance and each department had to produce a 6-minute skit. A couple of them were incredibly outstanding, though I simply can't imagine wonder the number of lunch and after-work hours that were sacrificed. Let's hope the $2500 voucher from Paulaner Brauhaus is worth it.

Apart from the skits and games, there were other highlights too. Starting with the fact that the programme actually commenced on time.. zilch speeches made by senior management.. maybe that's why we started on time.. the novel menu selection (surprise!).. fantastic audience participation.

I'm tired. Toodles!

Random Slices

I have taken a day off this Friday because I have been working too hard, my braincells are degenerating at an exponential rate and the migraines just wouldn't GO AWAY.

Hmm, actually I typed that out just to see how it sounds.. Truth is I will be attending my company's d&d that evening and erm, I need the day off to.. erm psych myself, prep and get ready for the long evening ahead.

Jimmy will be celebrating his birthday this Saturday. The cogwheels in my brain are turning, I've been surfing numerous blogs to check out the best places to dine in, thinking about the cuisine to have and have shortlisted about 12 restaurants. Yay.

How very random: Hi Lucy, meet your match.

Bak Kut Teh / Duck Soup

As those Chinese supermarkets and pre-mixes hardly stand a chance of replacing the hawker authenticity, this bowl of Bak Kut Teh will make my younger sister question her career strategy and think twice about staying in UK after graduation.

Nah, I am just kidding. She's got standards and it would take more than a bowl of aromatic pork rib soup to make her give up a lucrative banking career. Make that two bowls of bak kut teh, plus some salted vegetables and a hulk of pig trotters braised in black sauce!



If I am not mistaken, Bak Kut Teh (loosely translated to "pork's bones tea") is well regarded as breakfast food for older generation- way before the government pushed forth the Healthy Lifestyle campaign, invented the Great Singapore Workout (which has since been superceded by the Great Singapore Sale) and fashioned sacrilegious healthy hawker food.

Bak Kut Teh is comfort food for the masses. In fact, you must have heard of the bestseller "Chicken Soup for the [insert character] Soul", well here in Singapore, they could probably rename it to "Bak Kut Teh for the Weary Must-Get-5Cs Soul"

Although this Bak Kut Teh bears Bourdain's seal of approval, I like the duck and salted vegetables soup better.



Found within the same coffee shop, I grabbed a coconut pancake for desset. Unlike the chunky doughy cuts found in most pancake chains, this floppy fellow was reassuringly-soft and crammed with dessicated coconut.



From the New York Times,

"Whole Foods Market is preparing to roll out a line of meat that will carry labels saying “animal compassionate,” indicating the animals were raised in a humane manner until they were slaughtered.

The grocery chain’s decision to use the new labels comes as a growing number of retailers are making similar animal-welfare claims on meat and egg packaging, including “free farmed,” “certified humane,” “cage free” and “free range.”"

Exuse me, while I laugh my way to the supermarket.

How pretentious can one get?

I am not taking a Mickey out of animal welfare [death to using real fur for fashion, by the way] but we are really just taking things a little too far. Since this leads to higher production cost, which we all know gets passed onto the consumers, the very same buyers would probably be those totting their sharkskin Louis Vuitton totes, clicking their python-motif Gucci stilettos down the supermarket aisle.

Come on guys, if being an omnivore feels like en route to Guilt Land, go vegan! Next thing you know, producers will be generating labels like “Mozart-Listening Cauliflowers,” “Thai-massaged Premium Jasmine Rice” and “Cushion-Rested Butter squash.” Argh, why don’t people just eat potatoes for the rest of their lives. They look incapable of voicing out their anguish. Oh wait, you mean you can hear them crying aloud when you mash them? Dang.

Be damned if you do, be damned if you don't.

Breakfast at Cedele

Dear Mr Cranberry Muffin,

I didn't show up at the regular time or at our usual place today. Were you disappointed?

If you are worried about whether I have grown tired of you, rest assure you are still my blue-eyed boy. Truth is I couldn't bring myself to see you today. After four days of having you for breakfast, I thought we should give each some breathing space. I hate to say this but maybe we should see other people.

You were more than just a pretty face. Against the other muffin varieties, you held your own against old favorites chocolate chip, blueberry and apple cinnamon. You served your purpose well but please understand I need to explore my options and see if there are others who are more suitable for me.

You had me at hello. With an earnest butterery touch, you charmed your way through my heart. On my way to work, I ponder over my breakfast options but somehow as I am walking and thinking, I find myself straying into the direction of Coffee Bean. You were my companion for a better part of the morning, cajoling me through thick and thin, through mind-numbing emails and predictable newspaper headlines. I can't use the L-word on you yet but I have definitely grown dependant on you to make my day just a little easier to get by.

But then again, you know me too well. Much as I want to, I cannot stay away. Will you forgive me and meet me at the same time same place tomorrow?

Yours,
YX Chen

Isn’t it funny when I "decidedto have something different for breakfast" I end up at Cedele? No, not funny? Just plain boring right? HAHA.. This time round, Jimmy and I head down to a different branch at Republic Plaza.


Where are my Cedele dividends?

If you have always thought of scones as trifling baked lumps of flour and butter and a waste of calories, I say, "Good on Yer! Keep it up!" Thinks to self: Yay, one less person to fight over Cedele's scrumptious blueberry scones .



Larger than my palm, this is the largest scone I have ever seen. Filled with blueberry jam, crowned with almond silvers and icing sugar dust, Cedele’s blueberry scone is a cut above the rest. It is a vast contrast to the Hard Rock Scones from Harrods's, which I have ample reasons to suspect moonlit as props on the Flintstones movie.

On hindsight, I realized neither Jimmy nor I took any cutlery and we probably looked way boorish eating the scone with our hands. Whoops. The scone crumbled easily, leaving behind melted gunk, which inevitably made its way behind my gums. Is it just me or do you guys suffer from the same problem with scones?



Pseudo-glancing but really-sniffing-out the bread rack, I was way tempted to buy an entire loaf of cranberry orange loaf. Yes, the entire brick of it! Knowing myself, I would be happily nibbling it through breakfast and lunch (because, trust me honey, it will not last till dinner) till gluttony do us part.

But since jimmy would never let me pay for breakfast, I decided on the more sensibly sized and priced orange cranberry bun. I pried open the crusty OCB (oh gaw- that almost abbreviated to OCD) to find a 'HOLElier-than-thou' inside, tucked with bits of cranberry and orange. The bun gave off a lovely aroma.. Now, if only I could bottle the fruity fragrance and mass-market it as "le pain de mie". I would buy it... Haha. Next time I will get the loaf because the bun was a little hard on my jaw.

Speaking of orange-scented foodstuffs, the orange pound cake from Da Paolo Gastronomia is thumb's up. We popped by for a snack and my dad actually likes their pizza.. Oh, I really hope we revisit Chip Bee Gardens soon.. I can't wait to try their cheesecakes!

Back to Cedele, I have never had a rectangular muffin before- don't you think they seem pretty out of character? But I will make it a point to try them out in the very-near future. On my way to work, I made a detour to Fullerton and was drawn to the Post Express Deli.. -BIG up-to-no-good GRIN-

Thai Noodle House

Minced Meat Salad Larb Gai

The minced chicken breast meat defied dryness curse and I couldn't get enough of the salad dressing, which was acccented with fish sauce and lime juice. Although the salad was described as spicy but the spice was missing in action. Served on the side, the cucumber and long beans were refreshing though the latter was too raw and woody-tasting for my liking.


Beef Soup Gao Lao

Served with beef balls, sliced beef & bean sprouts, it stands to reason that this was hot favourite amongst regulars.


Pad Thai

The traditional Thai style fried noodles was done a little wet behind the strands. Slightly sweeter than the norm, it would be a shame to not order the pad thai.


Claypot Glass Noodle and Prawn

Not a fan of pad thai? Have the claypot glass noodle instead. Without the medium prawns adornation, the noodles looked deceptively simple but defintiely tasted better than it looked.

Kuali- The Asian Kitchen

Ever since I walked past the humongous promo-poster on my way to work, I have been meaning to try out Kuali's Soup Salad and Dessert buffet*.

*What they should have included in fine print:

"YX Chen, this buffet was specially created for YOU! You who care naught for main courses. You who believe dessert should be taken more seriously than entrees. You who on a daily basis operate on a sugar high derived from tangible sweet somethings."

In order of importance: The salad bar, while not extensive, had the basics used for Caesar salad. If you are one who somehow manages to screw up a salad (hah! Even I don't do that), there is actually someone stationed behind the counter ready to prepare and toss a salad for you. In addtion, there was a sausage salad, doused in mayo dressing and corn tuna salad, which were passable.



I like the smoked pepper salmon and the fact that someone was slicing the fish right before my very eyes enhanced the pleasure of dining! Just don't as kme why.. There were also mussels and prawns but I gave that miss.

There were two types of soups: old cucumber soup and asparagus soup. The asparagus soup was good, relieved of a cream overkill. I was a good girl today- I resisted the breadbasket FOR ONCE.



It is an understatement to say it was a pleasant surprise to find pizza. The thought of "hey which category does this fall under?" crossed my mind and lingered for a good 2 seconds before a Cheshire-cat grin broke out on my face. Like who cares.. There was a high turnover rate and the pizza was freshly made. Although the pizza was more "pizza toppings on a flat thin bread", than "pizza toppings on baked pizza dough", it was easy to overlook the teeny boo-boo. The pizza was substantially topped with bell peppers, onions and either seafood or chicken. I liked the seafood version better.


Case in point: check out that huge prawn.


Moving onto the dessert counter...

Though it wasn't quite the never-ending array of choices, it was ample. There were flans, puddings, puffs, tarts, cakes and mousse of bite-size portions. Now I really appreciated this because too often the pretty facades of desserts mask an unfamiliar huhwhatsinit choice of filling, thus these sizes are great for 'trial-runs'.

On your mark, get set.. ATTACK!


Lemon Sponge Cake

The lemon sponge cake, layered and covered with zesty cream and fresh fruits, was airily good. The blueberry tart warranted some attention with its cacheful of blueberry bits littered throughout the pastry.


Blueberry tart.


Mango Flan


Eclairs

The mango flan possessed the makings of a delicious mango flan- tantalizingly smooth, soft and rich with tangy mango essence. Their signature durian puffs, pulp-rich and custardy, were utterly sublime. On the other hand, the fruit tartlets would have been divine with an extra shot of custard.


Durian puffs.

"Whee I am on sugar high.. WHEEE"


Fruit Tartlets.

Debuting as arts of craft, the thumb-size cakes (not shown) were almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Haha. Most were literally gone in sixty seconds but it was difficult to differentiate them as all possessed matching amounts of sweetness and cream.



Then there was the Made-In-Front-of-You Belgium waffles counter. Checks pulsating heart rate. Belgium LIEGE waffles, to be exact. Haha.. That's one thing I learnt from my trip to Belgium. Hot and toasty, it was great on its own. But plunk on a scoop brandless ice cream, drizzle on the hot chocolate fudge and prepare to swoon in your very own DIY-treat. There is no way you are stopping at one..



The restaurant borderline formal, though noone was scruffily dressed since most patrons looked to be participants of conferences or seminars. Service was quick and amiable- they could give the food court aunties a run of their money. For $13.80 and on an intern's paycheck, Kuali isn't the most refined of eateries but you would be hard pressed to find better value eslewhere.

This article is featured in Wine Dine & Unwind

The coffee connoisseur (tcc)/ Cedele

I caught The Departed this evening. I thought it was a little draggy in the beginning and my attention started to waver one-third into movie. I guess it didn't help that 'tough cop talk' was unnecessariy excessive. In fact, if you were to give me $10 bucks for every f-word spewed, I would need to engage in the services of a private banker.

Although I still prefer the Hong Kong version (two words: Morse code ), I am glad The Departed wasn't just some fancy bang-bang-doo-dah. It was a novel take on the classic "good-vs-evil" storyline. This time round, the line drawn between good and evil was hairline-thin and when you actually scratch the surface to reveal the inside, you would realise that at the end of the day, people are just looking out for themselves.

Still, I did almost froth when this Chinese guy exploded into Cantonese and if I were totlly ignorant, I would think that he was just fed-up with the service in a dim sum restaurant ... "What the hell is going on?! This cha xiu bao is so rank I wouldn't even fed it to my enemy! I ordered my har gow and siew mai 20 godamm minutes ago and now you tell me the chef can't find the shrimps?! What about my peh dan chok? Do I need to drill 5 bullet holes into someone before it gets served?! "

Watch it for Leonardo Dicaprio and Martin Sheen.

As dark as evil and as pure as innocence...



Almost as if self-fueled by an adrenaline rush, the coffee culture in Singapore is well alive and kicking. Although I know of many who swear by gourmet coffee, how anybody would be willing to part with 6, 7 plus buckaroos for a drink is beyond logic.

Take this cake for instance, TTC's Chocolate Devil's cake costs $4.50 while a drink typically costs around $6 plus $7. HUH??? What's going on? Doesn't the cake require more effort to prepare? Where does the bulk of my coffee money go to? The coffee lords who preside over hordes of child labourers? The chain's global marketing campaigns?

The top layer of mousse was smudgly-good and the bottom layer felt like a moist brownie. Thankfully, the sweetness was abated by the soury tang of the middle-layer raspberry. Oh yes, it is not a good idea to take your time savour this because the mousse turns slightly runny after being exposed to the humidity.



Pavlova from Cedele: Meringue crust topped with whipped cream and kiwis, strawberries, etc.

Apparently, the Pavlova was created as a tribute to the Russian prima ballerina, Anna Matveyevna Pavlova after her 1926 tour of Australia and New Zealand. "She does not dance; she soars as though on wings," said someone. Don't you think it is odd that a dessert was named after a ballerina since we all know that ballerinas don't eat cakes!? That would be like naming some new organic zen tofu dish after Anthony Bourdain. *shudder*

Although Diana loved it, I found it mono-dimensionally sweet. Let me explain: I love desserts and a need to satisfy my sweet tooth has often landed me in compromising situations. But you often find more than one personality in most desserts such as puddings, cakes and ice cream- sometimes chocolatey, at times milky and always sensational. But the pavlova was just sweet, if not teeth-grindingly sweet. It melted into a wisp of nothingness in my mouth and I was unable to shake of the inital saccharine punchline.

It sure is pretty though...

Untangle This

Jimmy passed me a book titled, "UNTANGLING MY CHOPSTICKS: A Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto" by Victoria Abbott Riccardi.

This book offers a collection of sights, sounds and more importantly, tastes Victoria came across during her stay in Kyoto. Her main aim was to study the time-honoured tradition of kaiseki but turns out the daily surprises that sneak up upon her were worth more than a cursory mention. In addition, the book includes recipes of old favourites such as oyako donburi and okonomiyaki, thereby providing readers with a means to satisfy that sudden craving.

It is a great read. Though Japanese food is not new to me (are you kidding?!), it is interesting to read how foreigners perceive a cuisine, which is more often than not peppered with daunting unfamilarities.

Resembling a self-inflicting weapon of choice, this book obviously reinforces my NEED to visit Japan. I'm almost done with Discovery Channel Travel and Living, I really need to satisfy that desire to see Japan for myself. Argh!!! The book is about 270 pages long, so like the kaiseki meal itself, I have to pace myself- a restriction of five pages everytime I flip open the book.

Ichiban Boshi Suntec City

In the land of "tze chars" and hawker food, when I meet someone who loves Japanese food, I feel an instant affinity with he or she. Mia and I are considered almost-strangers. This was my first meet-up with her since the flogger dinner and I had an amazing time. I'm always nervous about meeting up with 'new people'.. worried the lack of common topics, the judgements made and sealed when the wrong comment slips and worst of all, the evident lack of interest in whatever topic is brought up by either partner. Can you imagine having to stare at your dimishing dinner plate for more than an hour?

Ok, I admit.

I'm worse than a creature of habit. I'm a creature of questionable habits on a well-trodden routine. More predictable than a Korean drama, my meals revolve around cranberry muffins, Cedele, Ichiban, cranberry muffins, Cedele, Ichiban. This week alone, I have lost count of the number of times I have had muffins (BY THE WAY, O Brien's mufins are desparately in need of a good bake-up.. but we'll save that for another day). I guess a lot of this has to do with convenience because these eateries are just a ten minute walk away from my office. I'm really just making excuses for myself.

Less than twenty-four hours after my last visit to Ichiban Boshi at Wisma Atria, I had lunch with Mia at you-know-where. Out of all the the Ichiban Boshi outlets, the Suntec outlet is my favourite. Well-lit, clean-cut and spacious, I like my Japanese resutarants clinical-looking. The menu, I believe, differs from branch to branch so you wouldn't run the risk of having to order the same thing over and over and ov- again.

I ordered the all-encomposing Business Gozen set: sashimi, grilled mackerel, tempura assortment, chawanmushi, watermelon slices and miso soup. This best exemplifies my credo: "a little bit of this and a little bit of that" as the individual food potions are just enough to satisfy your craving but not overwhelm your appetite.



The grilled mackerel, chewy and succulent, was thumbs-up. It had a slight distinct mackerel smell that will please enthusiasts (myself included). A squeeze of fresh lemon would have easily masked the smell but wouldn't it be funny if you ate mackeral without the smell? It would be like having beef that tasted like chicken. MIA! When I googled 'japanese grilled mackeral,' your blog actually registered first! Haha..



The tempura assortment consisted of a prawn, okra and a slice of eggplant. Unlike sweet sauce the other night, this time round I had tentsuyu sauce for dipping purposes.

Sashimi slices weren't the thickest you could find but they were fresh and mysteriously glossy. Chawanmushi was customarily smooth and didn't suffer from the blandness experienced two nights ago.



Mia had the Salmon Kaminabe (10.90). I was actually intrigued by the vintage teapot, which was used to dispense the soup. How unnecessarily frivolous but pretty!

Happy Me.
Saturday afternoon and I am home watching The Nanny (Season 1) re-runs. Her signature "Mr Sheffield", outrageous leopard-print skirt suits, shoulder pads and a laughter that sounds like a self-inflicted wound.

"... Well, the more the merrier. Except for chins! [Haw-haw-haw] My aunt had more 'chins' than a Chinese phonebook... [Haw-haw-haw] "

Arh, she's awfully good.

Have I mentioned how much I love Japanese food? Haha. Alright, I will be the first one to admit I do need to explore more options.

Lunch at Sun Japanese Dining next?

I forgot all about Red Giselle tonight.

@#$@#%$^$&%%$#%$#@%
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65^^$&^$&*&*&**)*%#

Ichiban Boshi Wisma Atria

When an old friend, Mr Eleven suggested Din Tai Fung for dinner, I winced. I was reluctant but after reading today's headlines, I thought the world could do with one less despot. With Din Tai Fung's poor track record, I was ready to strap on my panning cap, grit my teeth and expose myself to a less-than-stellar experience. We decided to meet at 7:18pm -don't ask- but with no news of his impeding arrival at 7:15pm, a sms was sent to 'kindly inform' him that if he were late, dinner was not going to take place at Din Tai Fung. At 7:19pm, a grin broke across on my face and for the very first time in my life, I was glad someone was late for an appointment.

Peace reigns once again.

Writer's note: Then again it isn't as if I dragged Mr Eleven by the collar to Ichiban Boshi at Wisma Atria, since he was an Ichiban enthusist himself.

Tucked away in an obscure corner, Ichiban Boshi at Wisma Atria was easy to miss. We sat away from the conveyor belt- clear sign for me that it was time to order from their main menu. Once seated, the Summer Menu immediately caught my attention. This was perfect for me because I was in a splurgy mood for something more than sushi and I chose the Unatame Set: Mini unagi omelette don, tempura don, chawanmushi, miso soup and watermelon.



With two rice dons competing for my attention, it was a close call but I would have to say the tempura don was more satisfying. The tempura spread includes a couple of plump prawns, okra and sweet potato, muffled in stumpy batter, drizzled with sweet suace; beneath it lay a lily-pad of omelette and vinegar rice.



Traditionally eaten during summer "to provide strength and vitality", the process of preparing unagi is a long-drawn out process, which includes grilling (twice, in fact), steaming and seasoning. Unfortunately, it was hard to appreciate the scrabble-size unagi pieces as it felt overwhelmed by the omelette and onions. But I love how they prepare their omelette and would have been satisfied with just sweet-sauce, omelette and onions vinegar rice.



I think it was a mistake to have the chawanmushi after the entrees. The steamed egg was undeniably smooth but it tasted anemic after the entrees.

Much as I love Japanese food, teriyaki anything doesn't rank highly with me. In fact, I NEVER order teriyaki when I'm dining out. Reason being that I MYSELF have SUCCESSFULLY cooked teriyaki chicken before -without burning a hole in the pan- thus anything that I am capable of whipping up isn't worth any consideration when dining out.

That being said, the teriyaki don at Ichiban Boshi was looked teri-bly* appealing: glossy chunks of tender chicken marinated in sweet teriyaki sauce, snuggled within the poofy lettuce. Though it is my first encounter with orange teriyaki sauce, it was pretty good.. just not something I would order again.


*'teri' means 'lustre' in Japanese.

It pains me to say this but I think the folks at Ichiban Boshi tried too hard to do too much. In their favour, the food was good (for lack of a better word) and portions will gurantee a belly good time. Yet ultimately, the quality of dishes suffered, albeit ever-so-slightly. For most parts, it was good enough but not smash hit, which is a real pity since they were forerunners in the price and variety department.