Itacho Sushi vs. [Ho Chi Minh City] Sushi Bar – The Battle of Sushi

Posted on December 8, 2011 by K

It is interesting how our tastebuds changed over time. I use to fancy sushi with cooked ingredients i.e. tamago before I fell crazily in love with raw fish sushi i.e. sake. The tastebuds eventually evolved towards aburi sushi. I wonder what will be my next sushi craze.

I found some good and reasonably priced aburi sushi in both Itacho Sushi and Sushi Bar.

I guess Singaporeans will be familiar with Itacho Sushi by now – how can anyone miss the snake queue at the Japanese shop in Ion. Tip: Go to the Plaza Singapura branch instead – P & I did not have to queue when we went there for an early lunch a couple of months ago.

ABURI SAKE SUSHI – It’s screaming EAT ME! Very fresh and the fatty salmon literally melted in the mouth.


[Left] ROASTED DUCK BREAST SUSHI- Interesting but unfortunately dry and tough.
[Right] SOY SAUCE SALMON SUSHI – Nothing special but for the price (daily specials at 40cents each), i will not complain.

On a separate visit – I tried some of their premium sushi selection i.e. wagyu beef, fatty tuna etc. They were decently good but did not WOW me.

Overall, a good place to satisfy my craving for good aburi sake sushi IF I can beat the queue.

Sushi bar is a popular Japanese restaurant chain in Ho Chi Minh City. They served a wide range of sushi (true to its name) and that is where i go for a weekly fix (or more) of Japanese food in Saigon.

[Front] ABURI SAKE SUSHI – Good rendition of my favorite aburi sushi but the salmon used here was definitely not as fatty as the one in Itacho Sushi.
[Back] ABURI HOTATE SUSHI – Juicy scallops with a twist of lemon. Enough said.

Sushi bar also served some interesting sushi like Okura natto (Fermented soybeans with raw quail egg) sushi. I tried it on a separate occasion- the sushi tasted very unique and I can imagine it’s not a popular sushi choice for the faint hearted.

Overall, the standard of sushi here exceeded my expectations (At least in Ho Chi Minh City). Sushi Bar was where I had the freshest fish in Saigon so far. The quality of raw fish I had in Market 39 and Ichiban Boshi Vietnam were very disappointing.

If I had to pick between Itacho Sushi and Sushi Bar- It will be the former. The aburi sake sushi there is simply unbeatable.

Now tell me, what is your favorite place for aburi sushi?

Itacho Sushi
Tel: +65 63378922
Add: Plaza Singapura #02-35 (Multiple branches- Check out the website)
Opening Hours:
Mon–Thu & Sun: 11am–10pm Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm
Spend: Approximately $25 per pax ($1.7 for 1 aburi sake sushi)

Sushi Bar
Tel: +84 38223154
Add: Ground Floor, KUMHO LINK – 39 Le Duan st.,Dist.1,HCMC (Multiple branches- Check out the website)
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 10am-23.30pm
Spend: Approximately $15 per pax ($1.9 for 1 aburi sake sushi)

Read [Ho Chi Minh City] L’usine – P.S. I Love You Too
Read [Ho Chi Minh City] 15 Things to do in Saigon
Read [Ho Chi Minh City] Trung Nguyen Coffee – The Saigon Starbucks
Read [Ho Chi Minh City] Intercontinental Asiana Saigon
Read [Ho Chi Minh City] Banh Cuon – Delicious Rice Rolls
Read [Ho Chi Minh City] Market 39 – Hello Saigon


Posted in Dhoby Ghaut, Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam, Japanese, Orchard, Restaurant | 1 Comment

Imperial Treasure Steamboat – Quality at a Price

Posted on November 30, 2011 by P

Located next to Imperial Treasure Windows of Hong Kong @ TripleOne Somerset, this is arguably the best chinese hot-pot place in Singapore.

The place is always full – you don’t have to dream about getting a table without any reservations. (This picture was taken when they just opened for business for the day).

SAUCE ($3.50 per pax) – There are 12 types of ingredients to choose from for your own concoction of sauce – unfortunately, you gotta pay $3.50 per pax for this!! The sauce is not bad at all…but I still cannot believe it cost me more than a bowl of bak chor mee 😦


SOUP BASE ($12-$18 each) – There are about 10 types of soup bases available. We tried the Mala and Pork Bone soup…I am not a fan of mala so I indulged on the pork bone soup which I thoroughly enjoyed. The bro loved his mala and even returned for more a few days later!


[LEFT] PRAWN BALLS ($10) – Very succulent and sweet…must try!
[RIGHT] FRIED BEANCURD SKIN ($6) – My favorite hotpot accompaniment…this one is well executed and presented so beautifully it’s definitely a must-try, too!

Besides these, we also tried the kurobuta pork slices, chicken, lamb which all came with quality.

Definitely a fine hot-pot experience that is worth revisiting (occasionally given the price) – especially since I have stopped frequenting the Hotpot buffets at bugis after learning from some friends that they reuse their Mala soup bases – eeks!

Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant
Tel: +65 6732 8231
Add: 111 Somerset Road, #02-21 TripleOne Somerset, Singapore
Opening Hours:
Mon–Sat: 11.30am–3pm, 6.30pm–11pm
Sun: 11am–3pm, 6pm–11pm
Spend: Approximately $40 per pax

Posted in Chinese, Hotpot, Orchard | Leave a comment

[Ho Chi Minh City] Banh Cuon – Delicious Rice Rolls

Posted on November 29, 2011 by K

One of my favourite snacks in Saigon is Banh Cuon (Steamed rice rolls). It is a popular local breakfast item and is similar to Singapore’s Chee Cheong Fun.

Banh Cuon is typically served with bean sprouts and Vietnamese pork sausage (Cha Lua).


[Left – Banh Cuon] The rice flour skin is very thin (much more delicate than the typical Chee Cheong Fun’s skin) and smooth. The fillings consisted of minced pork , black fungus & shallots.

[Right – Cha Lua] The Vietnamese sausage is an interesting variation to the ones we are familiar with. Cha Lua is made of pork and starch – It has a unique taste and texture.  I can hardly taste the meat inside – most likely the starch content is very high. I will be happy just to have my Banh Cuon plain with the dipping sauce (I think it’s a combination of fish sauce, water, sugar & chili) .

Look at this plump morsel of rice roll bursting with ingredients. Simple but delicious – I can have this everyday.

A big thank you to my colleague who went to the best shop in town to buy this for me. Details of the shop in the above photo. Do try it – I’m sure you will return for more.

Posted in All-Day Breakfast, Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam, Take-Away, Vietnamese | 6 Comments

Weekend in Singapore

Posted on November 28, 2011 by K

I spent the weekend back in Singapore and met up with P! We explored the quaint little shops & cafés in Tiong Bahru – that area is shaping up nicely to be the next Duxton hill. You can expect a post on our adventure soon.

P & I concluded that both of us need to be more disciplined in blogging!

To our dear readers: Please do not forsake us! We promise to get back on track again.

Last but not least – I’m joining P in her new found freedom (ok, it’s been 2 months). Cheers to both of us as we put on our chef uniforms – very soon! 🙂

Posted in Random | Leave a comment

Basilico – First attempt at Italian Buffet

Posted on November 19, 2011 by P


Last Saturday was my first time at Basilico – I have always marveled at the chic décor of this Italian Restaurant whenever I dined at Tenshin and it has been on my Eat List for awhile now….so I was quite excited to finallyyy be there!

Basilico is one of the very few Italian restaurants that serves buffet style and it is said to be one of the best around if one is looking for a combi of  Italian + buffet.

Since it was a Saturday that we went, they were serving 3 buffet options (refer to end of this entry for pricing details for other days):
1. Buffet only ($46++)
2. Buffet with free-flow soft drink and fruit juices ($56++)
3. Buffet with free-flow wine and juices ($98++).
All options come with complimentary tea or coffee.

SELECTION OF WINES – 2 whites, 2 reds and 1 prosecco (favouriteee)! A small selection of 5 wines – well, its free-flow…what do you expect? To be frank, unless you are a going to take more than 3 or 4 glasses, it may be more worth while to go á la carte on the wines since the price difference is $42++. We made the mistake for my parents and my mom ended up drinking more than she wanted to 😦


[LEFT] STARTERS – Love the island located at the centre of the buffet area. The island boasts a good range of hams, salads, bread, cold dishes all around. You will be able to catch the chef in action as well – shaving parma ham on the spot, nice! They also have a DIY salad corner with a wide variety of greens and toppings.
[RIGHT] LES FROMAGES – They have several types of cheeses including the 2 big blocks that you see on the right – they are accompanied by more than 10 types of honey and jams including truffled honey (I LIKE)!


[LEFT] MEATS & PASTAS – The selection of roasted meat and pastas was just OK…I especially wished there was more selection of pastas. In terms of quality – they are of decent quality…nothing WOW.
[RIGHT] SOUP & STEWS – The only soup available was lobster bisque – which was good. I also enjoyed all the stews (including some traditional Italian dishes – forgot the names).


DESSERT – Desserts are good as expected…if you only have stomach for a few, do try the apple/cherry strudel as well as the gelatos.


COMPLIMENTARY CAKE – And because I told them it was my parents’ 30th Anniversary…they were thoughtful enough to bring us a delicious piece of cake with a candle – sweet (on top of allocating a nicely-located table).

Service was commendable as the waiters were helpful and attentive. Special mention to Maitre’D – Quentin, who extended great hospitality to my family.

All in all, quite a nice buffet – good value for those looking for a great deal of Italian food. However, I think I still like my Italian food served  á la carte as I don’t fancy large amounts of Italian in one seating.

Basilico
Tel: +65 6725 3232
Add: Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715
Opening Hours:
Breakfast: 6:30am – 10:30am (Mon – Sat); 7:00am – 10:30am (Sun)
Lunch: 12 noon – 2:30pm (Mon – Sat); 12 noon – 3pm (Sun)
Dinner: 6:30pm – 10:00pm
Spend:
Mon – Fri: $42++
Sat: As stated in blog entry above
Sun: $69++ (free-flow soft drinks and juices), $139++ (free-flow Mumm Champagne, wine, beer)

Posted in Buffet, Italian, Orchard, Restaurant | 1 Comment