Posts Tagged Asian Food
Ji Biru, Singapore
Posted by gavin in Bars, Restaurants, Travel on March 25, 2018
A search for Craft Beer in Singapore bought up Ji Biru, a Japanese craft beer bar down at [email protected] at 313 Orchard Road.
After my trip to Japan I became partial to Japanese craft beers, so I decided to jump on the train to Somerset station, do a bit of last minute shopping and have a couple of beers.
Ji Biru opens at noon and I think I was the first person in the door.
The beer list is impressive, and bought back memories of my evening in Nagano at James Nagano Beer Market.
While I had a couple of servings of yakitori I tried 3 of the Hitachino beers. I first tried the Hitachino Nest Pale Ale followed by a Hitachino Nest 3C’s Fresh Hop Bitter and finally a Hitachino Nest White Ale.
All of the beers were great tasting and were a great accompaniment for the yakitori.
Prices for both the food and the beers were good – pints of beer being SGD$10.50.
The Modern Izakaya, Chijmes, Singapore
Posted by gavin in Restaurants, Travel on March 4, 2018
I tried The Modern Izakaya previously – it didn’t set my world on fire and I said at the time that I wouldn’t return but I thought I’d give them a second chance to see if they’d improved.
I trundled in around 6:30pm and was shown to a small table. While the place wasn’t busy at the moment, there were a good number of people already eating.
I ordered a glass of Asahi for an eye watering $16 while I perused the menu.
I ordered some tsukune (chicken meatballs) and momo (chicken thigh). Freshly cooked the dishes came out with the traditional tare (a salty sweet sauce). While tasty there was a different taste than you’ll get in Japan.
I decided to try a second round but this time I asked for no sauce but just salt and pepper which was delivered within about 10 minutes. Again, it wasn’t what you would get in Japan, it seemed a bit bland to me.
The prices of the yakitori were reasonable at $3 to $4 a piece.
If you’re looking for some Japanese-like food then you’ll get an OK feed here.
But if you’re looking for yakitori similar to what you would eat in Japan I think you’d be disappointed to eat here.
By the time I left the restaurant was busier with most of the outside tables taken, so despite this not being real Japanese in my view it must resonate with Singaporeans.
You Men HK Roast, Food Republic, Capitol Piazza, Singapore
Posted by gavin in Restaurants, Travel on February 25, 2018
I’d visited a place called Ah Yat Kitchen in the food court of the Capitol Piazza several times so, being in the area, I decided to go there again. However the name and menu have changed over the past year.
The food at Ah Yat Kitchen was Hong Kong dumpling. You Men is all about roasted meats.
Being caught a little unawares by the menu change (I’d gone in looking for dumplings and pork buns) I quickly chose a Char Siew and Wanton Noodle Soup for the princely sum of SG$5.80.
I waited around 5 minutes while my dish was prepared and then eagerly devoured what turned out to be a pretty decent soup. The wantons were cooked just right, and the addition of the barbecued pork turned a good snack into a great snack.
A decent, fast, cheap feed.
Zheng Swee Kee, Singapore
Posted by gavin in Restaurants, Travel on February 21, 2018
This is pretty much my go to place for excellent Chinese food when I’m in Singapore.
After checking into the Swissotel and grabbing a Singtel SIM card at Raffles City I headed past Raffles (which is currently being renovated) to Zheng Swee Kee within 2 hours of landing in Singapore.
I ended up eating here for 2 meals during this trip.
As per my previous review, Zheng Swee Kee is a traditional Hainanese chicken rice restaurant on Seah Street which is a bit of a food and drink street.
You can sit inside, or you can sit in the nominally smoking outside area on Seah St.
The bottles of Tiger beer are still $9. Good to see inflation isn’t making getting a drink in the broiling sun too expensive.
The way it works here is that you order your food and drink. When they are delivered you pay for them right away. So you’ll pay your $9 for your beer as soon as that arrives, and then you’ll pay for your food separately when that arrives.
The dishes come in 3 sizes – small, medium and large. A medium dish is a meal for one. Additionally a large bowl of rice is SGD$0.80.
On my first visit I opted for Beef with Ginger and Onion. A very tasty dish. Takes about 10 minutes to be cooked so you know it’s fresh. No bain-marie here!
A couple of days later, after a busy day (read that as far too many beers :)) and just wanting something to line the stomach (to absorb all the beer) I headed here just after 7pm. The place wasn’t overly busy and I got a seat at one of the outside tables and ordered 2 small dishes – a Beef with Ginger and Onion, and a Sweet and Sour Pork.
Within half an hour I had a full stomach of excellent food which would ensure that I woke up the next morning in a healthy state.
I cannot recommend this place any more highly – just go there!
Hokkaido, Sydney, Australia
Posted by gavin in Restaurants, Travel on January 28, 2018
On Loftus Street there is a Japanese restaurant. You have to enter by a dodgy door next to a convenience store, go down a flight of stairs enter the door that doesn’t quite close. The name of the previous tenant, a Chinese restaurant, is still visible if you look.
But the food at Hokkaido is pretty decent. My go to dish is the Chicken Katsu curry. Washed down with a Suntory Premiums Malts or 2.
The Torikatsu Curry is almost upto the standard that you’d expect in Japan. I was surprised.
Their gyoza and chicken karaage were reasonable but I just didn’t get that “wow” like I got with the Torikatsu Curry.
I did try the Ramen one time, but it didn’t capture my imagination like the ones I had in Kyoto and Nagano.
If you like Torikatsu Curry then this place is a definite.
On this day- 1983: US troops invade GrenadaAmerican forces seize control of the Caribbean island of Grenada less than a week after a left-wing coup in which the prime minister, Maurice Bishop, was killed.
- 1964: President Kaunda takes power in ZambiaZambia is the ninth African state to gain independence from the British crown.
- 1984: Europe grants emergency aid for EthiopiaThe EEC is donating £1.8 million to help combat the famine in Ethiopia.
- 1976: Queen opens National Theatre in LondonThe Queen has officially opened the National Theatre on the South Bank in London after years of delays.
- 2001: Crime rates lowest for 20 yearsBritish Crime Survey reveals the chances of being a victim of crime are lowest for 20 years.
- 1983: US troops invade Grenada
