Mikimoto was here.

Lunch at Maxim de Paris (Sony Bldg., Ginza, Tokyo)

2015-11-21T20:53:00.001+10:30

When I was in Ginza looking for a lunch... I saw that there is a Maxim de Paris branch here, and I wanted to try it out. It is located in Sony Building, and I understand that one of Sony CEO wanted this to happen. Anyway. The restaurant was booked out but I managed to get a table (for just myself) in the cafe section. I asked for today's lunch set, and got...

Seafood curry and a side dish

Mille Feuille

It was good. The curry was not very spicy. Mille Feuille was alright; never had one before so I cannot say if this was very good or not. The only negative point about this joint was smokers are very welcome here. But that's very Japanese...

Breakfast in the Tsukiji Jounai Market (Tsukiji, Tokyo)

2015-11-21T20:52:00.001+10:30

As I stayed in a hotel in Ginza, the famous Tsukiji market was within the walking distance. I wanted to try out the eateries of Jo-nai Shijo; the shops located within the actual market (not to be confused with the Jo-gai Shijo, a market catering for workers of the Jo-nai Shijo).

Uni (sea urchin) don and miso soup

Cha-siu egg breakfast

Super anago (sea eel) don

I also got to try out the Yoshino-ya Gyudon joint; supposedly this is the very first restaurant that started the franchise chain. I've heard and read about people who use unique shortened "code" to order for "mod" of Gyudon in this chain. I actually heard this being used here; one "negi-daku" and one "shiru-daku". Negi of course is onions, shiru is juice/sauce and "daku" is a word to describe the state of excessiveness. The guys were asking for more onions and more sauce.

Ryo's Noodles (Gouger St., Adelaide)

2015-11-21T20:38:00.001+10:30

Adelaide was lacking decent ramen joint. Until Ryo's Noodles landed on Gouger Street. Ryo's Noodles in Adelaide is a branch; from Sydney. A friend of mine in Sydney (who worked in Adelaide before moving on) was telling me about this place in Sydney, and I was looking forward to tasting the noodles. You could probably tell from the fact that I have this many pictures of ramen that I frequent this joint. Very often. I've already scored two free bowls of noodles from their loyalty card; one bowl will earn you a stamp on it; you need 9 bowls to get a freebie. Earlier on I found the soup was a little too salty. This was reflected on the low ratings on restaurant review web sites. They have since adjusted the saltiness of the soup, and it is much better now. If you are hungry, make sure to ask for extra noodles when you order your bowl; it does take some time if you order it after you get your bowl.

Gyokai tonkotsu ramen

Tonkotsu ramen

Stamina cold ramen

Fried rice

Rice ball (salted salmon)

Kaedama (Extra noodle)

TWSBI Diamond Vac700 nib swap

2013-05-26T22:49:00.003+09:30

I read somewhere that a Pelikan M800 nib fits a TWSBI Diamond Vac700. I like vacuum filler pens; I do own two Pilot Custom 823s. I like Pelikan M800 as well; I own 3 of them. I thought it would be neat if I can have both in a pen so I gave a go for creating a chimaera. I bought a TWSBI Vac700 for 90 bucks online and a Pelikan M800 M nib for about AUD160 online. I knocked out the nibs from both the Pelikan nib assembly as well as the Vac700. I don't own a knockout block so I just hooked the assembly ring of the Pelikan nib unit/TWSBI nib unit on the edge of my desk then gently but firmly tapped using a Victorinox knife (with the knife folded)... For the TWSBI unit I used a sharpened yakitori bamboo stick to knock out the feeder. I did have a bin underneath to catch the nib just in case it came off too suddenly though this was not needed in the end.

Knocked out Pelikan and TWSBI nibs

I applied a coat of nail polish on the top surface of the butt end of the Pelikan nib; supposedly a Pelikan gold nib is a little thinner than the steel TWSBI nib (I read somewhere online but I cannot remember where) and a coat of the nail polish compensates for it. I'm not sure if that was even needed as the fit was very snag, and there was no problem in the ink flow on the chimeric pen; it writes on a wetter side though.

Aavara TS743 triple monitor stand mod

2013-05-25T22:11:00.001+09:30

I bought a Dell U3011 to bring the monitor count to 3. The U3011 in the landscape mode while the other two Dell 24" monitors on the sides in portrait mode. And hence I needed to get a new monitor stand (as I was using a dual monitor stand at this point). I decided to stick with the Aavara brand; I have been using their dual monitor stand for some time. I got the TS743 triple monitor stand. I got this delivered from Officeworks; just placed the order online and a few days later it landed on my doorstep.

I read somewhere that the notches on the side monitor arms restrict the (full range) movement of these arms. I also read that just by filing them away, they will move to all positions. So, I gave a go at it.

Before filing the notches away

After the notches were filed away

The notches were very easy to file off; they were very soft and I managed to file them off by using a hand tool. After the notches were filed off, the arms were attached to the stand and monitors mounted. The only problem was I was trying to make this monitor stand perform beyond the spec; the stand cannot support a 30" monitor because of the weight restriction. It sags under the weight of the 30" monitor. I am using the two 24" monitors on both sides of the central monitor to hold it up in the place. Not an ideal set up but for the price I compromise. For now.

UPDATE: I got rid of this monitor stand and replaced it with Ergotron products. I got an Ergotron LX dual side-by-side arm and an LX desk mount with a tall pole. I should've invested in these to begin with...

Hinazushi (Ginza, Tokyo)

2013-05-25T22:00:00.002+09:30

Caught up with a friend of mine that stretches back ~10 years in Tokyo. When we were in the US, he was often raving about this joint Hinazushi in Tokyo. Now that we were both in the city, I suggested we go there to see if his words were true. And just as he raved about it, it did not disappoint.

It costs about AUD50 and it is an all you can eat joint (for 90 minutes). You actually place the order on a piece of paper to indicate what you want and how many. You are restricted to 20 sushi per order; understandable in order to avoid possible wastage. We managed to polish 6 full plates; 120 pieces of sushi between two of us. Not a bad effort for two (almost) middle aged men. The quality of sushi was something you cannot get at this price in Australia. Was well worth the visit.

Parlamento (North Terrace, Adelaide)

2013-05-25T21:41:00.005+09:30

My parents had to pay a visit to their consulate for some paperwork on this Saturday. I tagged along to drop by at work to get something done. Later on, we met up in the city for a lunch. My mother chose this Parlamento joint on North Tce. I have been here twice before; 24 years ago when I came down here for attending some prelim for the uni entrance (by myself, alone). It was located on the ground floor of a Travelodge back then, and I stayed there. Being a 16 years old fresh out of country, not knowing much about Adelaide, I just stuck by this joint for dinner. It was alright for what it was back then. I was keen to try this place out not only for the nostalgic value but also by the fact that it is always full during lunch time whenever I come by trying to get a table for myself on my regular Thursday lunch session. We ordered for a main each with a couple of side dishes plus dessert.

Spaghetti Marinara

It was very good; a large serving with plenty of seafood. I was glad to see it was not like in the US where "Marinara" is plain tomato based pasta sauce (and nothing else). The picture doesn't show half the crab buried underneath all other bits of pasta. Crab was not very fresh (probably expecting a little too much) but was enough to add the flavour to the dish. I had a little problem eating crab probably because I'm not used to it. I had to pry open the shell with my hands and it made a LOT of mess (splashing sauce and what not). Very stylish wet towel (in its own small dish) was provided but it was not quite enough to clean my hands after the food.

Semifreddo allo zabaglione

It was very good. The sweet taste did not linger sickly after each spoonful which I liked.

An-mitsu and Maccha Latte (Bunmeido, Ginza, Tokyo)

2012-11-18T21:38:00.001+10:30

We were in Ginza, Tokyo earlier this year. Hanging out during the day, we were getting a little tired, and so we hit one of Japanese cafe operated by Bunmeido on the main street of Ginza. Bunmeido is famous for their Kasutera, a Japanese sponge cake originally from Portugal; brought to Japan back in 16th century. I had a matcha (powdered green tea) latte and an-mitsu, a classic Japanese dessert.

An-mitsu dessert and matcha latte.

As you can see on the picture, presentation was wonderful just as you expect from a cafe in Ginza; a very fashionable area in Tokyo. It had the matching price tag on it but hey you don't do this sort of stuff all the time...

Hohduki (Kobe, Japan)

2012-04-16T00:19:00.000+09:30

When I went to Japan, I caught up with a friend of mine that dates back about 30 years. He's a bit of a gourmet, and I requested for some traditional Japanese food (as I was in Japan). We met up in my hotel then headed out to the night of San-nomiya, Kobe. We went past under the JR railway line to the north and hit the restaurants and pubs sort of area. My friend picked this Hohduki restaurant, and we were not disappointed.

Katsuo (Bonito) tataki

Sashimi of 3 different kinds

Tempura

Fish (Nodoguro) cooked in broth and konbu sea kelp

Snapper chazuke (Japanese style risotto) with some pickles on the side

Yuzu sorbet as dessert

The course was really good. It was well worth 5000 yen price tag. Not sure if you can find this much food of this quality at this sort of price back home. We really did enjoy ourselves that night.

TGI Friday's (Marion, Adelaide)

2012-04-15T23:58:00.002+09:30

It was the Christmas time of the year, and it meant it might be a little difficult to find places open for lunch. We found ourselves with an empty fridge on a hot day with most of places closed. We heard that TGI Friday in Marion might be operating, and thus headed down that way.

I used to frequent TGI Friday's when I lived in the US; it used to be a lifesaver for us Postdocs on a shoestring budget working late in the lab then go on in search of sustenance later. But times have changed, I never expected to see one here in Adelaide of all places...

A bacon cheeseburger.

This costed me about ~16 bucks. With a bottomless fountain soda. Not too bad I guess. I remember the idea of the bottomless fountain soda so foreign all those years back (11 to be exact). It certainly had some nostalgic value for me too. But I think my taste buds got REALLY spoilt after spending years away from the US.

Swinging Bowl Satay (Stephens Place, Adelaide)

2012-02-01T00:56:00.000+10:30

It's that Thursday lunch time again. I was fully intending to go back to Penang Hawker Corner in Renaissance Arcade, but... As I was walking towards the Penang joint, I went past this place. I knew of this Swinging Bowl Satay joint. My friends frequent it, but I had never eaten here. I'm a sucker for curry, and the smell coming out of this place just attracted me, and I tend to follow my nose. I walked in and got myself a plate of:

Curry chicken, a sambal egg, rice and stir fried vegies.

All this for about 13 bucks including the drink (so this plate of food was actually less than 10 bucks). The curry tasted wonderful; aromatic and as it should. Spicy enough to make me sweat around my nose but not exceedingly hot to burn. Very generous serving of rice; they pack a largish bowl first then open that up on a plate before pouring curry over. The sambal egg had that punchy smell/taste to it. The only concern I had was that I hoped they were making enough money to keep the place running because it's wonderful in both quality and quantity.

Zucca Greek Mezze (Promenade, Glenelg, Adelaide)

2012-02-01T00:52:00.001+10:30

On a very sunny Sunday, we went to the Rocks Restaurant but we were told that it was not open for lunch. So we looked for an alternative, and found the Zucca Greek Mezze Restaurant on the Promenade. It didn't start too well. As we were sat down, I asked for a table inside; facing the ocean, as I could see that there were some empty tables. Instead we were told there was no table available that side. Sure. We sat at a table facing the marina. No problem, as we thought that side was hired out or something. Then we noticed that other parties are shown to the other side. What the...? We wondered if they had booking; we didn't. But it was obvious that people without booking were also led there. Hmmm? Is it because we are a party of 3, instead of 2 or 4 or 5? No, we saw a party of 3 being shown inside who obviously did not have a booking. We really wondered if it's because we were not Caucasians and they were. I really hope that's not the case. But the collective thought already soured the atmosphere for us. When it came to ordering, things got worse; we requested if they could make a seafood platter for 2 into a platter for 3, as there were 3 of us, and as well as the fact that my parents have been here before and managed to get a platter of seafood and meat for 2 made from different platters. Alas, there was no such luck this time. We could see that the waitress serving us was arguing for this but no. So we ended up ordering the following dishes:

A mezze serving of moussaska.

A mezze serving of grilled octopus.

A seafood platter for two.

The food was passable; at least there was enough for us. But I've had better seafood platters elsewhere before. And everything else really spoiled the fun. Frankly, all I was thinking during the meal was "let's get this done and over with, and get the F outta here." It's not like we were being stingy; we spent nearly 170 bucks for a lunch for three. In appreciation of all this, I gave them the exact money down to the cents. I don't think we'll come back here anytime soon.

Penang Hawker Corner (Renaissance Arcade, Adelaide)

2012-02-01T00:35:00.003+10:30

It was at the beginning of the year when shops were not open, yet I had to work; couldn't make lunch to bring to work. What can I do but... Go out for a lunch? I have known that this Penang Hawker Corner existed as far back as I can remember; like all those years ago when I was an undergrad at Adelaide Uni. Yet I had never eaten here. Until now. I am a sucker for these two items:

Curry laksa and coconut juice.

Close look at that bowl of laksa.

It was very good. The noodle was not exactly my favourite; the thick Hokkien kind. But that's just my personal preference, and the rest really made it up. I especially liked the soup/broth. I was also happy with the amount served as well (ie. plenty). Coconut juice didn't hurt either; sweet and refreshing. So this was another case of "why didn't I come here before?"

Cocolat (Rundle Street, Adelaide)

2011-12-31T22:24:00.001+10:30

After finishing a lunch with friends at Nanyang Cafe, we went searching for some dessert, and we found ourselves in this Cocolat cafe on Rundle Street. There are two sizes of dessert, and of course I ended up having the full size. Both the cake and coffee.

Jaffa, full size.

It was wonderful. Both cake and coffee. But I was bursting at the seams. Turned out I came back here quite often...

Malacca Corner (Central Market, Adelaide)

2011-12-28T13:45:00.000+10:30

Since I did not have lunch material at home to make one, I had to go out and find one on my own. I hit the road in search of one, and the bus took me to the Central Market area. I wandered over to the joint I have known existed for as long as I can remember yet never tried it until this day. It's Malacca Corner on the eastern end of the Central Market. I looked at the menu with pictures on the wall and settled for this item, as I've never had one.

Head Hunter's (Sarawak) Laksa

The first thing I noticed was this subtle hint of cinnamon which was not a bad thing; just a little surprised. I knew it was a bit different from your regular laksa but. The noodle is of rice vermicelli; no thick hokkien noodles like the one from Nanyang Cafe. I actually prefer this noodle to the other one. Not too bad at all, and I wished I had come here sooner.

Sussex Hotel (Walkerville, Adelaide)

2011-12-23T14:21:00.000+10:30

It's the last working day of the year, and some of us decided to go out for a lunch. We headed to Sussex Hotel in Walkerville; about 10 minutes drive away. It's your typical suburban pub. I decided to have a burger.

Sussex burger.

The burger was very good; beetroot spread added a good accent while bacon tasted smokey. Patty was not dry but not too fatty either. Chips were on the salty side though; full of chicken salt. Beer selection was of your typical suburban pub; major brands only. I really wished they had Vale Ale but no. So had to settle for a glass of coke instead.

Ajisen Ramen (Regent Arcade, Rundle Mall, Adelaide)

2011-12-22T14:03:00.000+10:30

It's the usual Thursday going out for lunch day. Because of an unexpected meeting with the boss, I was short for time. I needed something quick, and usually that calls for noodles. I saw that Ajisen Ramen opened a second location in Regent Arcade before and decided to give it a go. Being a chain, I didn't expect much from this place. Learned from a past mistake, I avoided anything too spicy. And I ended up getting...

A "Paiku" ramen upsized for an extra dollar.

I avoided the Aso Volcano ramen as I had it before; my stomach is no longer lined with asbestos and I thought better not test it out at this time point. "Paiku" is pork belly cooked in soy based sauce (somewhat similar to teriyaki sauce) long enough to make it melting soft. There were four large pieces of this in a bowl. These were surprisingly good, and filling. The noodle is of straight type; every time I eat ramen at an Ajisen joint, I always think that curly noodles would be better suited as the soup would stick to noodles better (like the one from Tokyo Ramen in Central Market).

Gyoza.

I like gyoza, and these were alright. Not the best ones I have ever encountered but wasn't too bad either. I thought these were better than the dumplings from Dumpling King on King William St.

As I was after a quick lunch, I was happy enough to finish the whole thing (starting from entering the premise to leaving the premise after paying) in about 30 minutes. I guess I was a bit shocked to see an AUD19 bill for a lunch consisting of a bowl of noodles and a serving of dumplings though. One another thing that bothered me was mismatched heights of the chairs and tables. Chairs were way too low for me to sit comfortably and eat. Maybe they are designed for taller people...

Lobethal Bierhaus (Lobethal, SA)

2011-12-12T06:25:00.000+10:30

Our lab went out for a field trip to Lobethal Bierhaus; it's been planned for some time. We hit Barristers Block winery first then went to the Bierhaus. The back of the Bierhaus was more cellar door; for 3 boutique wineries (Scott Winemaking, Tillbrook Estate and Robert Johnson Vineyard). I ended up spending quite a bit on wines on this day; 14 bottles altogether. After making our purchases, we hit the front end of the microbrewery.

Tasting platter of the brew is available

14 bucks for trying out all the brew available at the Bierhaus. A rather good idea (at least for me as I don't process alcohol too well).

(from L to R) Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Red Truck Porter, Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and Bohemian Philsner

I am not much of a beer drinker, but even then I liked the Stout, IPA and Hefeweizen (probably IPA the best). And meanwhile, we were getting rather hungry, and an empty stomach and alcohol don't agree too well (at least to me). And so we went on to have our lunch.

Chips. Plain and cajun spice varieties are available. AUD10.90 ea.


Pork belly. AUD27.90.

These went very well with beer. I think the pork belly did help in slowing down the effects of alcohol for me. Note that there two pieces of pork belly on the plate. It was very filling.

After the meal, one of the co-owner of the brewery showed us the brewing rigs around. Very interesting stuff indeed. The Bierhaus also offers bottled beer to take home however I ended up not buying any as I did have 14 bottles of wine to take home. They are also available from select local bottle shops and so I thought I could buy them there instead of lugging more bottles home. Though I must say I was rather tempted to buy that 2 litre carboy of IPA if only for the novelty of the bottle. I very much enjoyed the day. Kudos to the organizer.

The Crepe's Story (Rundle Mall, Adelaide)

2011-12-11T17:36:00.001+10:30

I was told of this crepe joint by a fellow scientist at work. I was told that it's more or less in Japanese style, and I was intrigued and immediately wanted to give a go. And so I dropped by one day after the regular Thursday lunch to see what all the fuss was about.

I love crepes. I love mangoes. I love ice cream. So what would happen when all three are mixed? Usually my motto is "too much of a good thing is wonderful".

Mango and ice cream crepe. With a spoon.

Sadly on this occasion, I was wrong. Mild temperature mango and cold ice cream wrapped in a hot crepe made everything lukewarm; resulted in melted ice cream, warm mango and cold crepe. Furthermore, eating this beast became a real problem as it started to drip all over the place. A lesson learned here was "do not mix hot and cold components in a crepe".

I went back there on another occasion seeking a re-match. And so my second go was a mango and Nutella crepe. No more cold components, learned from the previous encounter.

Mango and nutella crepe.

And this was great! Obviously it was yummy; did I mention elsewhere that I also love Nutella? And the whole thing stayed hot, and there was no mess. I did find it a bit pricey (for what it was) but I guess it's still within the "reasonable" range for a shop on Rundle Mall.

Mamak Corner (Bank St., Adelaide)

2011-12-08T12:34:00.003+10:30

It's Thursday and it's going out for a lunch day. I heard good things about this joint Mamak Corner on Bank Street in the city. The last couple of times I thought of trying the place out, it was packed out. I'm not patient enough to wait in line when I am hungry and must eat; and so I moved on. Learned from the experience, I rocked up a little earlier; like before noon. And there were plenty of tables. I walked in and looked at the menu and was a bit surprised to see a pretty thin one. Pretty much rice dish only; not much of noodles. And I ended up having this;

Lamb curry and a glass of fresh lime drink

This was very good. It came out within 3-5 minutes after I sat down. The opening special set me back 12 bucks but for me it was well spent. Curry tasted as it should, and was spicy enough for me to work up some sweat but not exceedingly hot so you cannot taste anything else. The drink was soothing the heat of the curry. It was a good lunch, and I'll try out Nasi lemak next time I come by this place.

The Currant Shed (McLaren Vale, Adelaide)

2011-11-24T23:24:00.005+10:30

It's that time of the year again. The Christmas season. Our research group usually goes out for a lunch for the occasion. And for this year... We went down to McLaren Vale. We hit a couple of wineries before lunch then went to the Currant Shed based on reviews on the 'net as well as word of mouths.

After we got there, we had a serving of nibbles to start with; pate, olives, dips and whatnot with two different kinds of hot bread. This happened outside under the shade. It was actually pretty good. We then moved to the tables for the lunch proper. We had some choices in the course but I chose as follows.

Slow cooked pork belly with a ceviche of scallop,
pickled strawberries and a Grenache reduction.

This was very yummy. Pork belly was done nicely with crunchy skin. Didn't know what ceviche was but found out it's citrus cured seafood with chilli accent. It's a bit different to how I usually have scallop (either raw or grilled). Pickled strawberry was also interesting.

We then went onto the mains.

Wagyu beef with roasted King Oyster mushrooms,
grilled radiccio,creamed potato and a shiraz jus.

The beef was done just right; very tender. This went quite well with the Shottesbrooke McLaren Vale 'Eliza' Reserve Shiraz. Shiraz jus was very good too. Maybe I would've preferred a little more rare but others on the table preferred it more cooked. Can't realistically expect to cater for everyone's taste in a situation like this (a party of 20+). Maybe we should've asked for sides as some of us felt it was lacking some green colours; we didn't think of it as it was not listed on our lunch menu (but available in the regular menu).

And finally we went onto the dessert.

Lavender creme brulee with pistachio shortbread.

Now, to be honest, I was a little disappointed. It tasted very good. It did have a hint of lavender note. The crusty caramelized sugar on top was okay. But for some reason I found quite a bit of oil separated out and settled between the custard and the caramel. I don't know why/how this happened but it felt oily. At least my creme brulee actually set to some solidness. Others on the table found theirs quite a bit runny. Again, we didn't know how that happened as mine was more on the solid side. It did go well with a cup of coffee though.

All in all, I really enjoyed the lunch. The restaurant was spacious, very green and had a very relaxing atmosphere.

Tasca Viva (Jetty Rd., Glenelg, Adelaide)

2011-11-20T18:41:00.003+10:30

Out of the blue we decided to go out for a lunch on Saturday. I saw this review on 'Tiser about this Tapas bar in Glenelg and we decided to try there. We didn't make a booking for a table but we thought there had to be some free tables as we aimed to get there just before 12; as this joint offers breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturdays, we thought that time of the day is way too late for a brekkie yet too early for a lunch. Anyway. The place was pretty much empty; when we got there, a couple of people were leaving and we were the only customers after that. We decided to sit inside but sat at a table next to Jetty Rd. We liked the decor and the food; we went for chef's selection of Tapas #2 at $45 per person. Maybe a bit pricey for a lunch but hey. They immediately started to bring the food out and it started with...

House flavoured olives.

Salsa and bread.

Plate of cold cuts.

There were also stewed chickpea, a couple of meat dishes and a few more plates of food. At the beginning, since we started so lightly, we were considering the possibility of leaving the restaurant somewhat hungry. In the end, just about every dish they brought out, we were wondering if that was going to be the last; as we were getting very full. We managed to hog down the whole lot somehow (and not wasted any) and left the place with a very full stomach. As a whole I didn't think the food was as good as Mesa Lunga. However the location, atmosphere and the service made up for it. If we come back here, we'll probably go for the cheaper #1 tapas combo and leave a bigger space for a cone of Royal Copenhagen ice cream across the street from this place.

Kenji Modern Japanese (Hutt St., Adelaide)

2011-11-09T18:52:00.000+10:30

A bunch of us decided to go out for a dinner on a Friday. We decided to go to Kenji Modern Japanese Restaurant on Hutt Street. I've been there a few times and they never disappointed me. And again, they came through.

We had Zensai mixed appetizers and also a serving of puffer fish as entree. Then went on to have some nice mains.

Slow cooked Barossa pork crackling.

Didn't get to taste this one... Bugger. Got pretty full on other stuff before touching this dish. I've been told it's good. Yeah. I'm pretty sure of it. Next time.

Beef Tataki.

This was quite nicely done. "Tataki" means striking or hitting in Japanese, and in cooking terms a piece of meat or fish is seared on the surface then rapidly cooled often by dunking it in ice water. Served usually sliced and with condiments including ginger and soy sauce. Bonito fish fillet is often cooked in this way (traditionally seared by cooking it in rice straws). It was very good. As expected.

A plate of Tempura. Lots of them.

Tempura batter was done properly, not cheap, nasty and thick gluggy kind. You get the nasty ones by not paying attention; the batter should be made in ice water and kept on ice to stop developing gluten. Came with dipping sauce you dunk these guys in. Was very nice.

A Funamori with sushi and sashimi.

Meaning "served up on a boat" in Japanese. Usually serving seafood such as sashimi and sushi in this style. At Kenji, they use this triangular shaped porcelain dish instead of traditional little wooden boat. Again, nice selection of sashimi and sushi served up.

Then we went onto dessert.

Ice cream.

Banana and chocolate souffle.

I had the souffle which was nice and fluffy. It was all very good and very much enjoyed. Not the cheapest restaurant, but always worth the price (to me anyway).

Takoyaki (Nanba, Osaka, Japan)

2011-10-29T12:33:00.000+10:30

Got these little octopus balls from the street vendor next to Nanba Grand Kagetsu revue venue. 20 odd years ago, they would never put mayo on these things. These days it's put on almost as a default. I had to specifically ask not to have any mayo on it. My gourmet friend thinks that mayo can mask the mediocrity to bring the food to "edible" level as mayo coats taste buds with emulsified egg, essentially numbing them out. Anyway. These were pretty alright; maybe because this was my breakfast...

Terminal 3 at Changi Airport

2011-10-29T12:32:00.000+10:30

On the way back from Japan, I went through Changi Airport yet again. I was looking forward to the good rest at the airport hotel at Terminal 2 but unfortunately it was booked out. The guys at the reception of T2 hotel called Terminal 3 and they found me a room. I should have taken the skytrain to T1 then to T3 as suggested by staff rather than from T2 to T3; ended up walking a rather long distance to the hotel. Anyway. T3 hotel was still quite okay.

T3 Transit Hotel room. SGD80 for 6 hours.

After checking in and a quick shower, I went out to grab something to eat before hitting the sack. I went about in the T3 mall in search of that particular food, and this time, unlike on the way to Japan, found it.

Hainanese chicken rice with sweet tea. SGD8.

I was a happy chappy. I just went back to my room and had a fairly decent rest before headed out to board the plane to go inward bound.