Jimoto Dining @ Joo Chiat - Authentic And Great Value Omakase Experience In The Eastern Neighbourhood

Nestled in the quaint neighbourhood of Joo Chiat is an authentic Japanese omakase restaurant - Jimoto Dining with Tokyo-born head chef Takahiro Sato at its helm. Opening its doors to eager diners from March 2019 onwards, Jimoto Dining rolls out a well-curated menu which goes beyond the sushi counter to showcase a variety of traditional Japanese cooking styles. Diners can expect four great value Omakase options from as low as $55+ per person, as well as a daily rotating selection of a la carte dishes, which includes a limited serving of A4 Miyazaki Wagyu Ribeye (from $98+).

All Omakase courses will consist of an appetiser, sushi and dish of the day from the hot kitchen. While the affordable five-course Toki ($55+) offers a quick dinner fix for those seeking a light meal and is served only from 6 to 7pm, the other three options are available for seven-courses - the introductory Sanpuru ($68+), innovative Kakushin ($98+) and the premium Zeitaku ($128+). We got an opportunity to try the premium Zeitaku, which will include a sashimi course.

Century Egg Tofu 4/5

The appetiser - Century Egg Tofu comes in soft tofu served in a homemade sauce of sake, mirin and shoyu. The delicate serving is then topped with chopped up century egg, ebiko and spring onions for an added crunch. Pair the dish with the Saito Yuzu Hikari (7% ABV) - a sweet sparkling sake made from Koshihikari rice in Kyoto, with delicate citrus notes.

Sashimi course 4.5/5

The Sashimi course changes daily depending on the type of fish Chef Takahiro sources from the market. We got to try the Tai (Snapper), Shime Saba (marinated mackerel), and Yellow Tail (Hamachi) for the sashimi course. Pair the fresh sashimi with the Saito Super Premium Junmai Daiginjo (14.5% ABV), a premium sake made with Yamada-Nishiki rice in Kyoto, with rich flavours and an elegant fruity aroma.

Snow Crab in Dashi Broth 4/5

For the simmered dish course, we were served the Snow Crab in Dashi Broth. It is blanched and then soaked in cold water to retain the natural sweetness and texture. It is simmered shortly in a dashi stock that has been boiled way for 3-4 hours with white radish to bring out a subtle refreshing sweetness. The light touch of yuzu zest adds a tang to the dish. Pair it with the Saito Dry Sake (13.5% ABV) - a light bodied sake made from Koshihikari rice in Kyoto, with a clean, dry and moderate umami flavour.

Grilled Salmon 4.2/5

The butter shoyu, Mirin sauce and lemon add a salty, sweet and sour combination of taste to the nicely Grilled Salmon. The tender grilled salmon was particularly enjoyable with a melt-in-the-mouth-consistency. The dish is paired with enoki mushroom and cherry tomatoes. Pair it with the Gansanryu Kisaragi Daigingo (17.5% ABV) - made from Dewa-sansan varietal rice in Yamagata Prefecture, with fresh pear, melon and peach aroma.

Sushi course 4.2/5

The sushi course is served with different sushi, depending on what Chef Takahiro sources from the market daily as well. Apart from the freshly marinated and sliced seafood, the rice used is a highlight as well. Specially made with akazu (red vinegar), it brings a rich umami flavour to the edomae-style sushi. Pair the fresh sashimi with the Saito Super Premium Junmai Daiginjo (14.5% ABV), a premium sake made with Yamada-Nishiki rice in Kyoto, with rich flavours and an elegant fruity aroma.

Meticulously scored by Chef Takhiro before serving, the Sumi ika (squid) has a fresh, chewy texture. A shiso (perilla) leaf sits between the sumi ika and the sushi rice, which presents a creamy mouthfeel.

The Maguro (bluefin) is blanched on the side and served with a smear of shoyu and mustard for flavour.

The Aji (Horse Mackerel) is served with ginger mirin to bring out the delicate, sweet flavours of the fish.

The Hamachi (Yellowtail) is paired with yuzu kosho, made from fermented chilli, peppers, yuzu peel and salt, which complements the rich, buttery flavour of the Hamachi well.

Ikura, Uni and Tonburi Rice Bowl 4.2/5

Arriving in a mini Ikura, Uni and Tonburi Rice Bowl, the smooth, creamy uni is particularly enjoyable with a briny ocean taste. The globules of ikura and tonburi present a popping sensation like caviar and tang to the dish. Mix it all in with the pearly sushi rice for an umami bowl of freshness.

Blueberry Cheesecake 4/5

End the omakase experience on a sweet note with a light dessert - Blueberry Cheesecake, which goes well with a luscious sweet wine, Château de Fayolle Saussignac.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Jimoto Dining
325 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427582
Tel: +65 62233397
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Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 6pm – 11pm
Sunday: 6pm – 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Directions: 
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Block 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take bus number 16. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

White Rose Cafe @ York Hotel - Traditional Teochew Porridge With An Array of Dishes For Lunch And Dinner

White Rose Cafe at York Hotel is known for its quarterly Penang Hawkers' Fare buffet and its signature Curry Fish Head dish on its a la carte menu. For a change, the restaurant is bringing back the Traditional Teochew Porridge along with an array of traditional dishes. The promotion will be available for both lunch and dinner from 01 October to 30 November 2018.

Braised Duck with Bean Curd 4/5

All in all there are a total of 16 a la carte side dishes to go along with the Teochew porridge. We tried a few of these dishes on the menu, starting with the Braised Duck with Bean Curd ($12).  Both the duck and bean curd were well braised, absorbing the savoury sauce which goes well with the plain porridge.

Bean Curd with Pork Floss 2.5/5

While the Bean Curd with Pork Floss ($6) is smooth and silky, I find it a little bland to go with the porridge. Maybe adding a richer oyster sauce to the dish will be more appetising.

Century Egg with Pickled Ginger 2.5/5

I didn't quite like the Century Egg with Pickled Ginger ($6). It lacked that pungent ammonia whiff which I like about this acquire ingredient. I also like the yolk to be runny but this is a quite dry.

Chap Chye 3.5/5

The Chap Chye ($9) is cooked to a delectable bite, not stewed until too soft. I like that the cabbage still has a crunch to it. I only hope that the fermented bean curd taste can be a bit stronger.

Chye Poh Omelette 3/5

Onion Omelette 4/5

For the eggs, there are the Chye Poh Omelette ($9) and Onion Omelette ($9). I prefer the latter as the onion is more fragrant and has a subtle sweetness on top of the fluffy omelette. As for the chye poh omelette, it turned out to be on the salty side with the used of salty chye poh. I thought it would taste better if sweet chye poh is used instead.

Sliced Fish with Ginger and Spring Onions 3.5/5

Diced Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce 3.5/5

For some stir fried items, there are the Sliced Fish with Ginger and Spring Onions ($12) and Diced Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce ($10). They are not the usually dishes you will find in traditional Teochew porridge but who is complaining about variety, just give it to me.

Braised Chicken Feet with Mushroom 4/5

Probably I am the only one eating the Braised Chicken Feet with Mushroom ($10). The braising sauce has penetrated into the chicken feet and mushroom, liven it with the savoury sauce. Love it.

Braised Mui Choy with Pork Belly 4.2/5

Another braised item on the menu is the Braised Mui Choy with Pork Belly ($10). The pork belly is cooked to fork tender and it even comes with a bed of mui choy underneath. I find this quite value for money. getting two items in one pot.

Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish 4.2/5

Everyone's favourite for the dinner goes to the Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish ($12). The saltiness of the salted fish was not overpowering but complemented the patty with a little hint of spiciness from the red chilli.

Cheng Tng 4.5/5

If you have problem deciding which 16 dishes to order, you can also go for the two 4-course set menu that is good for 2 pax at $29 per set. Both set menus come with free flow steamed rice and porridge as well as a choice of hot Cheng Tng or Tang Yuan in Ginger Flavoured Syrup for dessert.

All DBS/POSB and UOB credit and debit cardholders enjoy 10% off the a la carte dishes from the Teochew Porridge menu. Diner also receive one complimentary carpark coupon (per bill per table) with a minimum spend of $50 on a single receipt (valid only for the Teochew Porridge promotion).

Note: This is an invited tasting.


White Rose Cafe
York Hotel
21 Mount Elizabeth
Singapore 228516
Tel: +65 68301156
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Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Scotts Road towards Goodwood Park Hotel. At Goodwood Park, turn right and walk to the end of the carpark. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

LeNu @ Vivocity - Chinese Noodle Bar For A Delicious Bowl Of Braised Beef Noodle

LeNu is a casual Chinese noodle bar by the Paradise Group. It has several outlets across the island. One of the outlets that I visit regularly is the one at Vivocity which is the closest to home. The menu offers a variety of snacks and noodles dishes.

Tofu Century Egg 3/5

One of my favourite snacks or starter at LeNu is their Tofu Century Egg. The chilled tofu is drenched in oyster sauce and topped with century egg. Bonito flakes are added for that extra flavours. However in recent time, I think the quality of the tofu has dropped. The texture is not as silky as before.

Pork Wanton in Chilli Vinaigrette 4.5/5

If you can take your chilli, I would recommend the Pork Wanton in Chilli Vinaigrette ($6.90). It comes with 5 pieces of plump pork wanton wrapped in smooth wanton skin. The highlight is the chilli vinaigrette sauce that is so aromatic, with a shiok spicy kick to it.

The signature at LeNu has to be their beef noodles. The braised beef broth is simmered around 18 hours using beef marrow, bones, and other premium ingredients for the richness and depth, packed with beefy flavours. Diners have the choice of preferred noodles and cuts of beef.

Braised Beef Combination Noodle 4.2/5

Being greedy, I have the Braised Beef Combination Noodle ($17.90) which considers of tender wagyu beef slices, beef tendon and beef shank, so I can have a taste of everything. As for the noodle choice, I have gone for the kway teow. I like the addition of the the salted vegetable giving the dish a more complex dimension, together with the hint of spiciness. The combination works harmoniously for an elevated enjoyment.

The other soup base available on the menu is from the pork bone, simmered for over 12 hours, for that intense richness, collagen rich broth. The base is like a good bowl of tonkotsu ramen

Garoupa with Preserved Vegetable Noodle 3.8/5

For the pork bone soup base, I decided to go for the Garoupa with Preserved Vegetable Noodle ($14.90). It comes with moist and tender garoupa fillet, swimming in the creamy consistency pork bone soup. Unfortunately the fillet is probably the frozen type which is the let down. It comes with a slight hint of spiciness from the preserved vegetable, which is almost undetectable.


LeNu
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-91
Singapore 098585
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Harbourfront MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Xiang Rui Mei Shi (祥瑞美食) @ Geylang Bahru Food Centre - A Hearty Bowl Of Congee With Crispy You Tiao

At times we just want something light and comforting such as a hearty bowl of congee. When I was at Geylang Bahru Food Centre the other day, I decided to try Xiang Rui Mei Shi (祥瑞美食) as my appetite has not been great lately.

The humble stall, has an extensive menu selling a total of 19 different items. Besides premium congee such as prawn, la la and seafood, it also offers frog congee on the menu. There are also sides such as claypot pig liver and beancurd.

Century Egg & Lean Meat Congee 4.2/5

I tried both the Century Egg & Lean Meat Congee ($3.30) and Meat Ball Congee ($3.30). For the pricing, the portion is consider huge and value for money. The congee is smooth and silky. The congee is already flavourful, so there is no need for additional seasoning. On top of that, it comes with crispy you tiao that is cut for easily consumption.

Meat Ball Congee 4/5

Compared to the meat ball congee, I preferred the century egg & lean meat more. I felt that the century egg gives the congee an extra dimension in flavour to the congee. While the meat ball was tender and juicy, it didn't quite shine through in seasoning to complement the congee.

Overall, I would recommend Xiang Rui Mei Shi (祥瑞美食) at Geylang Bahru Food Centre if you are looking for a good bowl of congee. I am actually looking forward to try their claypot pig liver in my next visit. I hope it is as good as their congee.


Xiang Rui Mei Shi (祥瑞美食)
Geylang Bahru Food Centre
Blk 69 Geylang Bahru
#01-12
Singapore 330069
Nearest MRT: Geylang Bahru (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: TBC

Direction:
1) Alight at Geylang Bahru MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Wine & Chef @ Keong Saik Road - Pairing Italian Boutique Wines With Mod-Sin Cuisine

The newly opened Wine & Chef along Keong Saik Road is the brainchild of SG Wine Cellar in partnership with wine distributor Papawines from Italy. The new establishment offers a cosy destination for affordable Italian boutique wines paired with homestyle Mod-Sin cuisine. It is also a wine shop boasting over 250 exclusive Italian wines from boutique family-owned wineries, making them Singapore's largest collection of Italian wines.

Tofu & Century Egg 3/5

The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Wilson Ang who has worked at DB Bistro, Spruce and Fordham & Grand. Starting with the small bites, we tried the Tofu & Century Egg ($6). The dish is served cold. The soft and silky tofu is made from homemade organic soya milk. It is then garnished with creamy century egg yolk sauce, sesame dressing, extra virgin olive oil and pok chui crackers.

Steamed Black Mussels 4/5

Next, we had the Steamed Black Mussels ($18) which is one of their popular dishes. The Chilean mussels are steeped in chicken broth, Chinese rice wine, minced ginger and garlic. This is topped with chillies, shallots, cliantro, and finished with a spritz of lime juice.

Salmon Confit Risotto 4/5

I was told that the Salmon Confit Risotto ($18) is inspired from the local fish porridge, I have to admit it was a bit hard sell for me. However, this is really a yummy dish. Instead of rice, it is replaced with mascarpone barley. A while Norwegian salmon fillet is used instead of fish sices. It is finally crowned with ikura, tobiko and celery leaves, and dressed with lemon juice for a zesty finish.

Crab Meat Hokkien Mee 4.2/5

The Crab Meat Hokkien Mee ($26) is a upgraded version of the chef's mum recipe. The linguine pasta s tossed in a seafood broth and top quality dark soy sauce from a local producer, giving it a Hokkien touch. Seafood such as blue swimmer crab, tiger prawns, black mussels and squid are added with a generous lashings of pork lard, imbuing a richness to the dish.

Curry Pork Knuckle 4.2/5

An incidental creation when someone spilled leftover curry sauce onto the pork knuckle is the Curry Pork Knuckle ($20). For the portion and pricing, this is value for money and good for sharing among a group of friends. The pork knuckle is cured for 12 hours i a proprietary spice mix and then sous vide for 24 hours. It is deep fried and blanket with a homemade curry sauce before serving. I applauded the achar side that helps to cut through the richness of the dish.

Venere Rice Pudding 4/5

For dessert, we had the Venere Rice Pudding ($8). Basically this is pulut hitam or black rice cooked with pistachio paste and a bit of gula melaka for sweetness. Topped with a vanilla bean ice cream and coconut crumble for a cold and crunchy finish.

For diners that enjoy having a drink or two to pair with their food, you will be delighted to know that their house pour is only $6 per glass. The extensive wine list offers over 250 wines from 42 different wineries spanning North to South Italy to complement the food menu.


Wine & Chef
7 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089115
Tel: +65 62219279
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk straight down New Bridge Road. Turn right onto Kreta Ayer Road. Turn right again onto Keong Saik Road. Walk down Keong Saik Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]