Shaburi & Kintan Buffet @ JEM - New Summer Buffet Menu Featuring Seafood Platter with Oysters, Scallops, Prawns and More

Shaburi & Kintan Buffet has been a popular, family-friendly option at JEM. It offers both Shabu-Shabu and Kintan (Japanese BBQ) buffet options at various price points. The restaurant has launched a new seasonal Natsu Matsuri Shaburi Platter/Kintan Platter as part of summer celebrations.

From now till 27 June 2024, the Natsu Matsuri Shaburi Platter is available at an attractive 20% discount, priced at $68.04++ for 2 pax (U.P. $78.80++). After that, it will return to its original price point and remain available until the end of August.

Natsu Matsuri Shaburi Buffet 4/5

The restaurant was decked out in vibrant decor that matched the summer vibes. Look out for the blue food tags to identify the special seasonal items!

Twin Pot

With the whole range of broths available, we definitely appreciated that we could opt for two broths instead of just one. For an additional $1, you can opt for the Twin Pot. We chose the classic Original Kombu and Chicken Collagen Paitan for our first pot and the seasonal Creamy Truffle and Clear Truffle for our second. Other broth options include Hot Miso, Tonkotsu, and Sukiyaki.

Banchan

We enjoyed the Banchan more than we expected! The sesame spinach, beansprouts, kimchi and radish tasted fresh and had a good crunch.

Sushi Rolls

However, the Sushi Rolls, mainly consisting of chicken and a higher rice-to-meat ratio, were skippable in favour of better carb options.

Takoyaki

At the Fried Food section, you can find Tempura Sweet Potato, French Fries and Takoyaki, all of which we noticed were popular with children.

Tori Karaage

Among the starters, there was Chawanmushi and Tori Karaage available. The latter was chunky and seasoned well, despite lacking crunch.

Hot Food

The Hot Food section offered a variety of dishes, including Bacon with Potatoes, Beef Japchae, Curry Chicken, Yakisoba and Ginger Fried Rice. We were pleasantly surprised by the Ginger Fried Rice, which had a lingering ginger aroma.

Condiments

All Condiments are included in the buffet price, and there is a good selection of sauces to choose from. Take a look at their sauce board for the restaurant's recommended mixes. I liked the Japanese Favourite, a tangy and refreshing mix of ponzu, original Shaburi sauce, and Japanese leek. The seasonal spicy Shaburi sauce, studded with sesame seeds, is perfect for those who like more heat.

Natsu Matsuri Shaburi Platter

Next came the buffet's highlight, the Natsu Matsuri Shaburi Platter, served in a wooden boat. It featured a range of seafood, including Half-Shell Scallops, Cooked Prawns, Fresh Salmon, Baby Cuttlefish, Oysters, and White-Shell Clams. Our favourites were the plump scallops and crunchy prawns.

Special Shabu Meat

As part of the buffet, we could select two plates of Special Shabu Meat. We chose the Tender Chicken, Homemade Chicken Ball, Iberico Pork, and Pork Cheese Shabu. The meats were thinly sliced and fresh, without any gamey smell. The Pork Cheese Shabu was particularly interesting, with cheese slices served alongside the pork. We were taught to roll the cheese up before putting it into the bubbling pot for a quick cook for that cheesy ooze.

Shabu ingredients

Shabu ingredients are free-flowing for all diners, including leafy vegetables and chilled/frozen options like fishcakes, crabsticks, chikuwa, and fish balls. We enjoyed the fresh ingredients, including black fungus, corn, mushrooms, tofu, egg, etc.

Chocolate Fondue

For desserts, we started with the Chocolate Fondue, which featured bittersweet chocolate with choices of marshmallows, churros, and more to pair. Unfortunately, we found the churros and donuts a bit too hard and preferred the fresh fruits.

Dango

The time-limited Dango leaned more dense. They come in pairs on a stick, with sauces on the side to drizzle over. While we found the Dango average, the black sesame paste was rich and fragrant.

DIY Kakigori Station

The DIY Kakigori Station, located with the beverage machines, allowed us to make our own shaved ice. Pour the ice cubes into the top of the machine, switch it on, and you will have a bowl of shaved ice in no time. Drizzle with sauces such as Strawberry sauce, Blue Hawaii sauce, and Condensed Milk before pairing with azuki red beans or even soft serve and warabi mochi. While the ice wasn't as fine in texture, it was a fun experience.

As part of the summer celebration, diners who spend a minimum of $80 can participate in their Sure-win Gachapon Game, with prizes such as return cash vouchers and cute keychains.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Shaburi & Kintan Buffet
JEM
#03-11/12
50 Jurong Gateway Road
Singapore 608549
Tel: +65 6262 4329
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Nearest MRT: Jurong East MRT (EW, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

ENChanko Hotpot & Kamameshi @ Vivocity - Singapore's First Chanko Hotpot Specialty Restaurant

ENChanko Hotpot & Kamameshi is a chanko hotpot speciality restaurant that recently opened in VivoCity. Chankonabe is a traditional dish in Japan, a hotpot stew that is well-loved for its hearty flavours and wholesomeness. ENChanko Hotpot & Kamameshi offers three varieties of Chankonabes alongside a selection of Kamameshi, a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in a cast iron pot.

Signature Tori Chankonabe 2.8/5

3 choices of Chankonabe are available - Signature Tori Chankonabe (Chicken), Buta Motsu Chankonabe (Pork) and Kaisen Chankonabe (Seafood). All hotpots are available in 4 pax, 2 pax and individual portions. We tried its Signature Tori Chankonabe (Chicken, $58 for 4 pax, $30 for 2 pax), which is nutritious with Jitori chicken – a natural, antibiotic-free and free-range chicken.

Mochi Kinchaku

Housemade Chicken Tsukune

It also boasts a good mix of ingredients - chewy Mochi Kinchaku, Housemade Chicken Tsukune, Beijing cabbage, Japanese mizuna, shimeji mushroom, Japanese glass noodles, pressed tofu, carrot, Japanese leeks and beansprout special silver. The chicken tsukune was juicy and had a good bite. The soup, however, was disappointingly thin despite its milky appearance, offering little flavour other than a pronounced saltiness.

Himowaki Udon 5/5

To further elevate the hotpot experience, 30 add-ons are available, including the Himowaki Udon (a flat and wide sheet of udon noodles, $6.80), a speciality from the Kiryu area in Gunma Prefecture. Unlike regular udon, Himowaki Udon is characterised by its flat appearance and width of up to 10cm. Given its incredible texture and flavour, I can see why it has been gaining much attention from the media. A must-try!

Miyazaki Wagyu Truffle & Ikura 4/5

There are ten choices of Kamameshi sets to choose from. Each set is served with appetiser of the day, asari clear soup and mini chawanmushi. Ingredients of choice are prepared together, then simmered in a signature stock in an iron pot. We tried the Miyazaki Wagyu Truffle & Ikura ($39) featuring Miyazaki wagyu sirloin steak, served with ikura. An onsen egg is included, which is to be cooked with the rice with the residual heat. While some of the ingredients listed on the menu were missing from our rice, it was overall a satisfying dish, given that the wagyu steak delivered the expected texture and flavours. To savour the mildly burnt rice at the bottom, we poured the accompanying genmai dashi (made of genmaicha, kombu and bonito) into the rice, stirred it, and polished off it!

Kuro Edamame 4/5

Black & Red Chicken Karaage 2/52/5

Side dishes are offered as well, such as Black & Red Chicken Karaage (Smoked teriyaki & karamiso glaze , $8.50) and Kuro Edamame. The latter is a premium Tamba Sasayama black edamame with a distinct creamy texture and sweet taste, it was so much more enjoyable than the saltish chicken karaage, which were a tad overfried as well.

Beverages to complement your htopot experience include an unique Jim Beam Highball Sharing Bottle ($28, up to 3 glasses), special highball flavours, beer, shochu, sakes, plum and shochu cocktails. For non-alcoholic options, you can choose from a selection of Koridashis and Japanese cold brew teas.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


ENChanko Hotpot & Kamameshi
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-52
Singapore 098585
Tel: +65 6255 9188
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Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (CC, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

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

Black Knight Hotpot (黑武士火鍋) @ Millenia Walk - New Seasonal Autumn-Winter Menu with Signature Fish Maw Chicken Pot Soup

Black Knight Hotpot, the Taiwanese celebrity-beloved hotpot restaurant located at Millenia Walk, has recently launched a new seasonal Autumn-Winter menu alongside its signature Fish Maw Chicken Pot soup. Simmered over 16 hours, it is made with no MSG and packed with nourishing properties. Considering the coming colder months that mark autumn-winter in four-season countries and Singapore's cold, rainy monsoon season, this Fish Maw Chicken Pot is meant to be a comforting, healthy treat for all, especially the ladies!

Fish Maw Chicken Pot 5/5

Their house signature Fish Maw Chicken Pot ($58) is packed with collagen, extracted naturally from a concoction of fish maw, kampung chicken, dry scallops, cordyceps, and other nutritious ingredients. Simmered for up to 16 hours, the creamy broth gave a luxurious gelatinous mouthfeel. You can experience it in 2 sizes – single or double pot – across different spicy and non-spicy flavours, each freshly cooked upon order.

Meat Platter 4.5/5

To accompany our soup, we had a meat platter made with Okinawa Black Pork Belly ($26/full portion), Japanese Pork Collar ($26/full portion), US Prime Short Rib ($38/ full portion) and Australia Sirloin Beef ($32/full portion). Pork from Japan is in the spotlight this season, and it's worth trying especially the Okinawa Black Pork Belly.

Scallops

New this season is also a selection of Live Prawns ($12/100g). Scallops ($12/pc) are available as well.

Celtuce Slices

Kelp

For such creamy broth, opt for crisp greens for a textural contrast. Celtuce Slices and Kelp are highly recommended.

Chinese Cucumber Salad 3.5/5, Crispy Peanuts 4/5

Amp up the hotpot experience with new cold appetisers, such as Chinese Cucumber Salad and Crunchy Peanuts. The cucumber is seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, green onions and a dash of sugar for a contrasting sweetness. The Crunchy Peanuts comes with rice vinegar as well, making it extra. moriesh.

Till 30 Nov 2023, ladies will enjoy an exclusive promotion of up to 30% off the total food bill when they dine in with groups of friends.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Black Knight Hotpot
Millenia Walk
Nihon Street
9 Raffles Blvd
#02-02/05
Singapore 039596
Tel: +65 83000417
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Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 330pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit A or B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Suki-Ya @ Marina Square - Revamped All-You-Can-Eat Premium Shabu-Shabu Buffet

Suki-Ya, a Japanese Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu restaurant, has established itself in our local F&B scene, most known for its all-you-can-eat hotpot options. The family-friendly atmosphere of the restaurant is complemented by a range of promotions, ranging from Lunch Sets and Student Promotions to Exclusive Treats for Senior Citizens and Special Birthday Offers.

Elevating from its Regular Buffet Lunch/Dinner, the restaurant now offers a Premium Menu which provides a broader range of premium ingredients, including Wagyu Beef, Iberico Pork, Duroc Pork Collar and more. The pricing of their buffet is as follows:

Regular Buffet
Lunch $22.90++
Dinner $27.90++

Premium Buffet
Lunch $34.90++
Dinner $39.90++

Premium Hotpot Bases

In addition to the premium ingredients, the Premium Menu also offers newly introduced soup bases, such as Chicken Collagen Soup and Truffle Mushroom Soup. Alongside these, the classic options include Shabu-Shabu, Butaniko, Sukiyaki, Tomato, Kimuchi and Fresh Soy Miso (+$2).

Premium Seafood

While the Regular Buffet’s items are available on self-service, the Premium items are served upon order. The Premium seafood items available were Seafood Meat Ball, Half-Shell Scallops, Tiger Prawns, Black Mussels and Salmon.

Premium Seafood

We were pleasantly surprised by the freshness of their seafood, especially the plump scallops, firm prawns and salmon, that we all had additional portions of.

Premium Ready-to-eat Items

Aside from the fresh ingredients, we had a sample of their Premium Ready-to-eat Items, such as the California Maki, Kanpyo Inari Maki, Tempura Maki, and assorted Tempura. While the Maki were just average, my favourite was the Shishamo Tempura, filled with roe and served hot and crunchy.

Appetisers

Moving on to the Regular Buffet Bar, we went first for their trio of Appetisers - chilled bean sprouts, kimchi and radish.

Regular Buffet Bar

Next to the Appetisers was a wide range of frozen ingredients of many different types of seafood and meat balls, otah patty, sausages, fishcakes and more.

Regular Buffet Bar

On the opposite end of the bar, you will find a variety of fresh items. There were eggs, noodles, many vegetables, and at least 3 types of mushrooms available to add to your hotpot.

Hotpot Ingredients

My dining companion and I particularly appreciated the amount of fresh ingredients available. Our favourites from their range include the seaweed, radish, lotus root, mushrooms and noodles. All of these were great in soaking up the flavourful broth.

Condiments

Depending on your choice of soup base, you can select a mix of condiments to enhance flavours further. Some highlights include the restaurant's signature Sukiyaki Sauce, Ponzu Sauce and Sesame Sauce.

Regular Ready-to-eat Items

The Regular buffet also includes a number of ready-to-eat items such as chawanmushi, Tori Karaage, Seaweed Chicken, Takoyaki and rice. While the Seaweed Chicken were unfortunately over-fried, their crispy Tori Karaage, Japanese Curry and fragrant Garlic Rice are worth a try.

Desserts

To wrap up your meal, you can enjoy Desserts of fresh fruits, dessert cups and ice cream cups in various flavours.

Suki-Ya has two other outlets in Plaza Singapura and Heartland Mall Kovan, each with slightly different menus.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Suki-Ya
Marina Square
#02-183B/C
6 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6337 9969
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Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line), Promenade (CC, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 1130am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
Fri-Sun: 1130am - 10pm


Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B and D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]