Aoki – Third Time Lucky

Posted on August 17, 2011 by K

I read many good things about Aoki  (especially the value-worth set lunches) and had wanted to visit this Les Amis Group managed Japanese restaurant for the longest time.  I was not able to get a seat twice but P & I got third time lucky when we successfully made a reservation for one of our secret Wednesday lunches!

Aoki means “blue tree” in Japanese – interestingly, when we read the characters in Chinese, it means “green tree”.   P & I do not know Japanese but we have a brunch of nice Japanese colleagues who always help with the translation.

The entrance adopted a minimalist design but once we walked through the sliding door – we were transported into another world.  There were many Japanese customers which is always a comforting sign of an authentic Japanese restaurant.

The box seats in the restaurant were definitely at the counter. Watching the sushi chefs preparing our meal was a theatrical experience. Our chef (Wai) is definitely a good multi-tasker – one second, he was grating the wasabi and the next second, he was slicing the cucumbers & dicing the sashimi. Your meal will be ready before you know it!

There were several set lunches options and we ordered the Mazechirashi (limited bowls per day), Nigri Sushi Jyo-Sen (Sushi platter) & Chawanmushi with Truffles.

Salad was included in the lunch set. The greens tossed with wafu sauce were fresh and appetizing. The salad was also aesthetically pleasing with its bright, bold splash of vibrant colors which reminded me of summer.

CHAWANMUSHI with truffles – The smell of the truffles was tantalizing when we lifted the lid. I believe that the chef added in a tad of truffle oil on top of the freshly shaved truffles to further enhance the smell/taste. The piping hot egg custard was executed flawlessly –  smooth with no air bubbles. P, we so need to order individual portions the next time!

Mazechirashi (Sushi rice topped with mixed sashimi) –  The chirashi was the best I ever had!  The amount of sashimi is overwhelming (imagine – sashimi 2/3, rice 1/3) – I spied the chef piling on chunks of tuna, aji, swordfish, ikura, uni, tai, toro etc.  He then generously topped it with tamago squares, crunchy Japanese cucumber, shredded mayoga (ginger flower) & a dollop of freshly grated wasabi.  Each mouthful was exploding with its exquisite flavors.

Nigri Sushi Jyo-Sen (7 types of sushi & 1 sushi roll) – There were hits and misses in the sushi platter. Overall, the sushi tasted average which was disappointing coming from Aoki. The only sushi worth mentioning is the ikura sushi. The chef added freshly grated yuzu skin on the ikura which was a pleasant surprise.

Hot barley tea and warm towels were served before the dessert. Spot my Doraemon inspired cup! Love it.

DESSERTS TRIO (From left, anti clockwise – Egg pudding with caramel sauce, Sesame ice cream & Umeshu jelly) – The perfect ending to a wonderful meal.  My favorite dessert was the umeshu jelly – i can taste the sweet Japanese liqueur in every bite.

Overall, Aoki did not disappoint. The food was of very high quality and the service was impeccable. It is no wonder that lunches are always fully booked. Reservations definitely required – and I hope you will get first time lucky instead!

Aoki
Tel: +65 6333 8015 (Reservations Required)
Add: One Scotts Road #02-17 Shaw Center, Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat, 12pm-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm
Spend: $52 Per Pax

Posted in Good Lunch Deal, Japanese, Orchard, Restaurant | 2 Comments

Wild Rocket – A True Taste Propeller

Posted on August 16, 2011 by P

Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket describes his cuisine as Modern Singaporean.

Despite Wild Rocket being around for 6 years – I have yet to step into the doors of this establishment till now. On the other hand, K has been there a couple of times so we relied on some of her experiences and recommendations.


The restaurant has a modern and clean-cut design – with some rustic feel. Being located at the lobby of a travelers’ hostel (Hangout @ Emily), it is not surprising that the restaurant is not a big one and with very limited parking space.

The Executive Set Lunch Menu offers 3 Courses at $35++ while the Set Lunch Menu offers 3 Courses at $28++. The difference in the executive and the normal set menu is that the former offers more premium appetizer & main course selections, as well as the option to select any dessert from the a la carte menu. It was great they have the set menus because looking at their extensive a la carte menu – I wouldn’t have been able to make up my mind! However, I did wish they had the Laksa Pasta in their set menu.

SALMON CARPACCIO on octopus & bonito spiced brown rice – this dish was interestingly served in a wooden bowl with chopsticks and spoon. Every scoopful was a burst of flavors and texture. Frankly, I am not a fan of brown rice and never thought I would enjoy brown rice this way! The small pieces of squid among the rice is a very smart combination – the chewiness of the squid lifted the otherwise predictable texture of the brown rice. Salmon carpaccio was good – as expected. Arguably my favorite dish of the day!

HERBAL PORK RIB BAK KUT TEH consomme with foie gras & pork wanton –  the wanton was like a mini packet filled with tender pork – a very interesting deviation from our usual wanton filled with minced meat. Consomme was light but bak kut teh flavor was distinct. What we could not understand was the foie gras – if the intention was to add a western touch to the dish, we personally felt the 2 did not marry well. Nevertheless, a good starter.

DEEP FRIED HOMEMADE EGG TOFU with century egg sauce – we did not enjoy this dish. The flour batter was thick like that of Fish & Chips – not how we wanted our tofu to be. Unfortunately, the century egg puree did not help.

ROAST CHILEAN SEABASS with chai po confit on light congee – The result of integrating one of my favorite chinese condiment with one of my favorite fish was a complete success! The moderately oily nature of the seabass compliments the chai po very well (think: Chwee Kueh) – combine these with some congee at the base which did a great job at balancing the saltiness – this dish is a classic display of how Chef Willin cleverly combines local flavors with western fare! I LIKE.

CRABMEAT LINGUINI with chilli tomato cream  – a generous serving of crab with spicy tomato base was served up. Pasta was slightly past al dente but I enjoyed the dish as it is not overly rich. My lunch companions however thought that the dish could be better if the sauce is less viscous or if a little more cream was added (think: Da Paolo Pasta with Crabmeat).

WILD ROCKET BURGER with sun-dried tomato relish – I found it an average burger – nothing more. Besides, the burger was not medium rare as per requested.

(Right) WILD ROCKET STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE – served in a martini glass, this deconstructed cheesecake is such a brilliant concept! Not a cheesecake lover but I enjoyed every mouthful of this because it was not overwhelmingly cheesy/rich – instead, it has a good mix of crumbs, fruit jam, ice cream.
(Left) PINK GRAPEFRUIT CHAMPAGNE JELLY with calamansi granita & pamelo –  to me, this is perfect after a hearty meal like the one we had. It reminded me of the jelly cocktail dessert sold in any hawker centre – complete with shaved ice. However, my lunch companions found it too bland and wished this dessert was more aesthetically pleasing (the real deal wasn’t quite as nice as how it looks in the picture above, actually).

LYCHEE MARTINI WHITE CHOCOLATE TART – there was a very weak presence of Martini in this dessert – my lunch companions could barely detect it. Other than that, I could not find anything that I did not like about this dessert except that I would prefer something more refreshing – given that the portions of all the courses reminded me of how they serve it up in US!

Overall, we had a highly satisfying meal. However, we thought we would have enjoyed ourselves more if we did not leave the restaurant feeling so stuffed. Also, K highlighted that Wild R have had “better days” – presentation used to be more exquisite and food more delightful. But given such good value – I wouldn’t be complaining!

Wild Rocket
Tel: +65 633 99448 (Reservations Recommended)
Add: Wild Rocket @ Mount Emily, Hangout Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Road, S(228119)
Opening Hours: Tue thru Sat, 12pm-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm/ Sunday, 11.30am to 3pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Closed on Mon)
Spend: $35++ Per Pax (3-Course Executive Lunch Menu)

Posted in Dhoby Ghaut, Fusion, Good Lunch Deal, Local, Modern, Restaurant | 3 Comments

Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes) – A Fond Childhood Memory

Posted on August 14, 2011 by K

Do you know where bonito flakes came from? My first experience with what we affectionately called the “dancing fish flakes” was when takoyaki was introduced in Singapore during my Secondary days. My friends and I will queue up faithfully for the $2 bacon & cheese takoyaki with “fish flakes” toppings and mayonnaise in Takashimaya foodcourt  – The store (Takopachi) is still there today!

We witnessed how bonito flakes were made in our Charity Kappou. The chef purchased the dried bonito fish & wooden shredder (Katsuobushi kezuriki) from Japan.  A small stem (above) costed around $12- The chef preferred to make them from scratch as the shavings sold commercially cannot replicate the taste/smell of freshly shaved bonito.

It was an eye opening experience to see the origin of bonito flakes . The process was both time and energy consuming.  The Japanese present told us that this was a traditional way of making bonito flakes and not commonly seen anymore. Many modern Japanese turn to the convenient pre-shaved bonito bags sold in supermarkets.

The “dancing fish flakes” brought back fond memories – Those were the days when life was like a box of takoyaki- simple yet satisfying!

Posted in Home-Made, Japanese, Product | Leave a comment

Secret Wednesdays

Posted on August 13, 2011 by P

Ever since our random mid-week visit to Iggy’s more than a couple of weeks back, K and I came up with the idea of our very own “Secret Wednesdays”. Basically, “Secret Wednesdays” refers to our weekly activity of setting aside Wednesday lunch time to visit one of the eateries we have on our Wish List – the eatery could be a restaurant, a hawker centre…anywhere!

Why we named it “Secret Wednesdays” is because it is like our little secret (visualize: waking up every Wednesday morning filled with excitement and anticipation)…and it also acts as our secret weapon for combating mid-week blues (if any).

However, Secret Wednesdays turned out not so secretive afterall – our colleagues soon discovered what we were up to…and amazingly, a few of them have since joined us as they enjoy food the way we do! K and I are thrilled – what could be more lovely than great food coupled with great company?

More reviews on our mid-week adventures to come – till then!

Posted in Random | Leave a comment

Twelve Cupcakes – Celebrities Bake too

Posted on August 13, 2011 by K

I read in 8 days recently that there is a new cupcake shop in United Square. It was opened by the celebrity couple – Daniel Ong & Jamie Teo.

Twelve cupcakes is located at the corner of B1 besides Marutama Raman. The shop’s decoration is sweet, pinkish and reminds me of ……cupcakes!  I read that Daniel was the resident designer and Jamie, the baker. On the other side of the wall, the couple penned their common belief –

“At twelve cupcakes, we want to celebrate the simple things in life. That is why we have put the best ingredients together to create something special just for you. And we know that with every bite, there will be a smile on your face“               ~Jaime Teo & Daniel Ong

There were slightly less than 10 flavors in the shop. We picked 3 cupcakes to share (from left-Red Velvet (best seller), Baileys chocolate (also a best seller) & Peanut Butter Chocolate.

The cupcakes were generally moist and tasted slightly above average. We felt that the cupcakes were overpriced ($3 each) and we certainly expected more details (i.e. chocolate chips) in the otherwise plain chocolate base. The baileys cream was too weak for my liking too.

Twelve cupcakes is worth a try but P & I will probably not make an effort to return for this.

Twelve Cupcakes
Tel: +65 6256 8130
Add: 101 Thomson Road #B1-60 United Square, Singapore 307591
Opening Hours: 11am-9pm daily
Spend: $9 (note: $3 each, $17 per half dozen & $33 per dozen…box provided only for purchase of 3 cupcakes and above!)

Posted in Bakery, Dessert, Novena, Take-Away | 2 Comments