Tempura TenTen @ Raffles City - Tendon With A Twist

Originated from Toyko, Tempura TenTen at Raffles City Basement is a Tempura specialist that offers both tempura and ramen within its small 36 seater restaurant.

Premium King Prawn Tendon 3/5

What's unique here is the Premium King Prawn Tendon ($19.80) and fresh Unajyu eel from Kagashima. Fried in Tokyo style, the King Prawns are coated with a batter that is lighter than that of the regular tempura. The King Prawn felt pretty heavy as I held it up with my fingers. It was meaty and sweet, and it got even better when the batter soaked up the sticky spicy tempura sauce. Surprisingly, the spicy version of the tempura sauce intrigued me more than the regular sauce. I like its tanginess and the edge of spiciness at the end, akin to how a tabasco sauce would do to your taste buds.

Unatendon 3/5

Ordering the Unatendon ($19.80) allows you to try both the assorted tempuras and freshly grilled unagi from Kagoshima. The unajyu was tender, with a nice char on the surface. It is not too bad a deal if you want to satisfy your craving for unagi. One special tempura topping highlighted to me is the Chicken Ball with Mozarella Cheese. I don't quite fancy it though, as I feel it lacks the oomph even with the lava cheese. Another variation that you can do to your tendon, other than opting for the spicy sauce, is to change your rice to truffle rice for $1 more. The truffle infused Hokkaido rice looks just as clean as the regular one but with that truffle 'fumes'. If everything else is too fancy for you, then stick to the Special Tendon ($13.80) that comes with all the basic tempura toppings.

Ebi Prawn Ramen 2.8/5

Sharing the same limelight with the tendon is the Specially Roasted Hokkaido Ramen. Created by Chef Mamoru, two-time champion of Ramen Champion, the miso ramen here are specially roasted. But what might catch your eyes is perhaps the Ebi Prawn Ramen ($16.80). The broth is simmered with chicken bone, whole chicken, ginger, garlic, Japanese leek and mushroom for around 6 hours. Personally, I don't like this version of ramen at all. I love the generosity of the toppings - the spring onions, bamboo shoots and sweetcorn but the broth is too dense and the flavours fail to hit any notes. The noodles is also thicker type, which I supposed the thickness is meant for the richer broth. It also doesn't help when the prawn was rather overcooked in my bowl.

Offering both tempura and ramen, Tempura TenTen is ideal if both you and your friends want a variety of dishes. However, maybe at times simplicity is still the best, making it easier for customers to identify the brand and concept.

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.


Tempura TenTen
Raffles City
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-13
Singapore 179103
Tel: +65 63367457
Facebook
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

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

Yellow Pot @ Six Senses Duxton - Indulge In A Guilt-Free Gastronomy

Yellow Pot is the modern Chinese restaurant and bar that is located inside the newly opened Six Senses Duxton. Yellow Pot is helmed by Chinese Chef Sebastian Goh, which offers classic and innovative Chinese cuisine that favours healthful, organic and sustainably-sourced ingredients.

Chilled Organic Vine-ripened Tomatoes 4/5

The Chilled Organic Vine-ripened Tomatoes ($8) are to be eaten in whole to get a burst of flavours, whetting up the appetite. The tomatoes are sourced from Malaysia, lightly poached and skin peeled. They are then soaked in "Li Heng" plum juice of herbs, licorice root, mint leaves and rock sugar for 3 days.

Seared Pork Cheek 4.2/5

The Seared Pork Cheek ($12) has a bit of Thai influences with the crowning of the julienned green mango. The tender pork cheek are pan seared and dressed in a familiar sauce that is quite similar to our local satay peanut sauce. A well executed dish with a lot of different flavours and textures at play.

Hot & Spicy Soup 4/5

The Hot & Spicy Soup ($12) is made from a housemade hot bean paste. They are also shredded chicken, wood ear mushrooms and enoki in the soup. The soup base itself is exactly not really spicy, the kick comes from the Sichuan chilli oil that is added to it before serving.

Roasted Duck 4.5/5

One of the group's favourite is the Roasted Duck ($32 for half). The bird is marinated in a fermented bean curd marinade for 2 days. It is then roasted in the traditional Apollo oven using hickory wood chips. This results in a beautiful duck with crispy skin and tender meat, with a hint of woody scent.

Wok-seared Organic Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin 4.2/5

The Wok-seared Organic Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin ($36) may seems rather common in most Chinese restaurants' menu but there are a few twists here. The beef cube are cooked in a honey-pepper sauce which is actually made up of Sichuan peppercones and crushed tellicherry peppercorns, together with organic raw honey. This is finished with a sprinkle of Himalayan salt and crispy garlic.

Braised White Cabbage 4.8/5

One of my personal favourite is the Braised White Cabbage ($12). The cabbage has been braised until soft, soaking up the flavoursome chicken stock which consists of rich chicken essence, conpoy and Shaoxing wine.

Steamed Kuhlbarra Barramundi 4/5

A homely dish is the Steamed Kuhlbarra Barramundi ($22). Something new for me is the house-made scallion-ginger pesto sauce that is topped on the barramundi, which complements the moist fish excellently. Instead of the usual soy sauce used in steaming fish, the chef has made a savoury fish stock of anchovies, fish bones and trimmings.

Braised Sweet & Sour Eggplant 4.2/5

Another home-cooked dish on the menu is the Braised Sweet & Sour Eggplant ($14). The eggplant is deep fried and then braised in sweet and sour sauce, together with assorted mushrooms. I enjoy how the sweet and sour sauce elevated the whole appreciation of the eggplant, which is actually quite tasteless on its own.

Stir-fried Mee Sua 4.2/5

This would be what I called the atas Stir-fried Mee Sua ($18) that comes with tiger prawn and hokkaio scallop. The chef added Nanyang soy sauce to create a burnt caramelised flavours, on top of the smoky wok hei flavour.

Lemongrass & Calamansi Jelly 4/5

Wrapping up the dinner, we have the Lemongrass & Calamansi Jelly ($8). A light and refreshing dessert to liven up the palate after all the richness and delicious food.

Tea aficionados can complement their dining experience with a pot of artfully brewed tea for the table. Pick from an extensive selection of Chinese teas exclusively curated for Six Senses Duxton by Yixing Xuan Teahouse, a family-run teahouse just around the corner from the hotel. From an easy to drink Yunnan Black Tea Dian Hong Gold ($12) to a full-bodied High Mountain Oolong ($22) grown in the alpine tea zones of Taiwan, each tea is thoughtfully listed to guide diners in appreciating the different types of tea leaves, their history and health benefits.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Yellow Pot
Six Senses Duxton
88 Duxton Road
Singapore 089540
Tel: +65 69141420
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. Take Exit A. Walk to Tanjong Pagar Road. Cross the road and walk to Craig Road. Walk down Craig Road. Turn right onto Duxton Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]