Menya Kokoro @ 100 AM Mall - Seasonal Tsukesoba Specials Featuring QQ Noodles Made In-House

Menya Kokoro is one of the largest mazesoba chains in Japan, and they have been serving a whole range of mazesoba, ramen and dons in Singapore for the past couple of years. This time, they have launched seasonal Tsukesoba specials - Kokoro Tsukesoba and Mentai Tsukesoba, available till 31 July 2022. Their noodles are now freshly made in-house using 100% whole grain wheat flour imported from Japan. Each portion of noodles comes at 200g, slightly bigger than what they used to serve.

If you are dining at their 100AM outlet, you can peek in to look at the whole noodle-making process. These fresh noodles are also being supplied to their other two outlets at Plaza Singapura and Eat At Seven Suntec City.

Tsukesoba, like tsukemen, has its noodles served separately from the sauce. It's enjoyed by dipping the noodles into the sauce and slurping them up. The Kokoro Tsukesoba ($14.80) has toppings of cha shu, bamboo shoots, ajitama, seaweed, naruto fish cake and freshly grated yuzu peels. You get to choose either the Original or Spicy for your dipping sauce. The original is made with mackerel fish powder, a thick tonkotsu broth base and spring onions, while the spicy version has additional homemade spicy oil that leaves a numbing mouthfeel.

If you have had Menya Kokoro's mazesoba before, we found the new noodles thicker with a much more distinct chew. Fans of chewy noodles, you will enjoy this! In addition, we all appreciated how the yuzu peels and squeeze of lime give the whole dish a needed zest and brightness to help cut through the more decadent sauce. When you are done with the noodles, you can also request for "oimeshi", a small amount of complimentary rice to mix into the remaining dipping sauce.

Mentai Tsukesoba 3.8/5

The second seasonal bowl is the Mentai Tsukesoba ($14.80). It has the same noodles topped with cha shu, bamboo shoots, tobiko, mentai, naruto fishcake and seaweed. The dipping sauce for this has the same base ingredients as Kokoro Tsukesoba's, with the addition of sesame seeds, a slab of butter, spring onions and more mentai. We enjoyed the crunch from the tobiko and how the generous amount of mentai provides more of an umami touch. However, I found it a bit too heavy to finish on my own with the buttery sauce and thick noodles. I would recommend sharing this bowl with a friend.

Handmade Gyoza 3/5

Apart from the mains, a couple of sides are also available on the menu. The Handmade Gyoza ($4.80) has minced meat wrapped in slightly chewy skin. These were pretty decent, but we would have liked them a little less oily.

Tori Karaage 4.5/5

Their Tori Karaage ($4.80) was a favourite for us. A portion comes with four big karaage chunks that are nicely battered and crunchy on the outside yet still very juicy and tender within.

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.


Menya Kokoro
100 AM Mall
100 Tras Street
#02-10
Singapore 079027
Tel: +65 64431727
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Fri: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 930pm
Sat: 11am - 930pm
Sun: 11am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Gopeng Street and turn into Tras Street. Walk to Amara Hotel. Journey time about 5 minutes.[Map]

Monte Risaia @ Duxton - A Contemporary Italian-Japanese Omakase Experience

Monte Risaia is a contemporary Italian-Japanese Omakase restaurant located on Duxton Road, helmed by Chef Taizo Yamada, whose forte lies in Japanese-inspired Italian cuisine prepared using premium and seasonal ingredients from Japan. We had a $98 Omakase Course consisting of 2 antipasti, 1 pasta, 1 meat and a dessert.

Wagyu Ham with Burrata Cheese 5/5

The first appetiser was Wagyu Ham with Burrata Cheese, whose rich mouthfeel and luscious texture bowled me over. The fats of the wagyu ham bind the ham and the cheese together as it melts away, with shredded parmesan cheese lending some sharp saltiness to the dish. I'm genuinely surprised by how well these ingredients harmonise with one another.

Lobster Bisque Cartoccio Style 4.8/5

The 2nd appetiser did not disappoint as well. The Lobster Bisque Cartoccio Style was rich and intensely flavoured, but it wasn't overly creamy or buttery.

Japanese Chiayu Confit 3/5

The 3rd appetiser is a seasonal dish - Japanese Chiayu Confit. I didn't quite know how to approach this dish as there wasn't any side dish I could use with the flavoured oil. The Chiayu had a hint of bitterness, but it wasn't unpleasant. Interestingly, that bitter nuance brought out the sweetness of the corn and tomatoes.

Signature Triple Dashi with Shiso Leaves Pasta 4/5

Chef Taizo's pasta left an impression when I had it a couple of years back. I love the addition of shiso leaves that permeates the pasta with this distinctive herbaceous scent and the intensity of the tomato pasta sauce. The Signature Triple Dashi with Shiso Leaves Pasta (hamaguri dashi, Kani dashi, konbu dashi) was just as delicious this time round.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin 4/5

For main, we had Roasted Beef Tenderloin. The meat was simply prepared, but Chef Taizo layered it with small touches of ingredients such as horseradish, parmesan cheese, balsamic and tomato sauce, seasoning the meat with tiny bursts of acidity, sweetness and some sharp saltiness. Even bits of chicken soft bones were added to give it a textural crunch.

Genmaicha Gelato 4/5

Dessert was a refreshing Genmaicha Gelato, which I thought was a deviation from the usual Matcha ice cream. There were even bits of roasted brown rice that had become chewy in its current form, giving an additional texture to the ice cream.

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.


Monte Risaia
59 Duxton Road
Singapore 089523
Tel: +65 69700067
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line), Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm – 230pm, 5pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Orchid Hotel. Walk to Tanjong Pagar Road, cross the road. Walk to Craig Road. Turn left onto Craig Road. Walk down Craig Road. Turn right onto Duxton Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 3. Turn left and walk to Neil Road. Cross the road. Walk to Duxton Road. Walk down Duxton Road. WAlk to destinaton. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]