There are some food that can bring back memory of Japan yet even fewer places in Singapore that evoke the ”sense of place” we have visited.

And it is in Kki (keki is Japanese for “Cake”) that I found a sense of familiar comfort and solace.  For one, it is tucked among the [...]]]>

A cake that brings back memory of Japan

There are some food that can bring back memory of Japan yet even fewer places in Singapore that evoke the ”sense of place” we have visited.

And it is in Kki (keki is Japanese for “Cake”) that I found a sense of familiar comfort and solace.  For one, it is tucked among the secluded slopes of Ann Siang hill.  Away from the crowd. A quiet place to sip your afternoon away over a cuppa of joe with friends or even on your own.  Everything in the store reminds me of Japan, the name, the logo, the decor, the merchandize, even the location has a taint resemblence of the hilly Harajuku / Omote Sando district.  Now I know where I’ll be whenever I’m homesick.

Looking around it’s easy to see that the owners have paid a lot of attention to the many details.  Credit must go to the enterprising owners and aspiring chefs for creating this charming place.

Some say the cake I ordered defines a Japanese pastry chef but to me I ordered what reminds me most of the sweet memories of Tokyo; the mont blanc or marron (chestnut) cake.

I wish for more places like this.  Hopefully this is the beginning of the many good things we can look forward to.

Find Kki on 7 Ann Siang Hill.

Your doctor’s advise: Continue reading only with a full stomach. Some of the pictures may cause severe response of gastric juices 

My Warning: as always a strong stomach is highly recommended for responding to your divine calling

Woohoooo woohooo I am delighted to annouce that the official sanuki udon pilgrimage for 2010 has started!  Hahaha…every mention of udon brings back [...]]]>

Slurp and sip to divinity

Your doctor’s advise: Continue reading only with a full stomach. Some of the pictures may cause severe response of gastric juices 

My Warning: as always a strong stomach is highly recommended for responding to your divine calling

Woohoooo woohooo I am delighted to annouce that the official sanuki udon pilgrimage for 2010 has started!  Hahaha…every mention of udon brings back fond memories of our udon event with Cathay organization which took us on our own udon pilgrimage to Shikoku in 2007. Something we so wanted to do inspired by the Udon movie. So simple – we see we do and we ate. 

But the sad facts remain that I have not had a good bowl of udon for ages.  The problem here is I’m not even sure if I want to put myself in front of a bowl of cold stainless steel machine-made, heartlessly mass produced strains of udon anymore. At least the last time I checked, I’ve yet to find a hand-made udon shop here.  Sometimes this is what these trips do to you;  Drives you up the wall.  But yet it certainly brings back fond memories. 

To sample all 33 outlets featured in this year’s guide is nothing short of an major undertaking.  But I’ve provided a courtesy udon google map with pinpoint locations that you can save, edit or add your own comments and with the help of an GPS device you can be sure you will never miss any of the 33 outlets.  Just make sure you have room for it.  Some of the food photos on the map will cause some needed distraction from work. Take my warning to heart but have fun reading and slurping (LOUD). 

Of course all my misdemeanors and adventure with udon in this blog will forever serve as a stark reminder that work remains before soggy, uninteresting, limpy, soft and slimy noodles is irrevocably eliminated from the surface of this goregous green earth (because we deserve better) and yet also maybe a consolation (if any) that good food might just be around the corner – so don’t ever give up! My udon past on has been forever inscribed here.  And some samples of the fat silky, chewy noodles worth every slurp you will find on the pilgrimage are like this.

(latest: only 32 outlets this year, one owner has decided to take a year sabbatical)

Or read more in the Zaobao feature http://www.mediacenter.learnsushi.org/?p=105 

Udon pilgrimage map with links and photos 

View udon pilgrimage 2010 in a larger map 

The mention of a food trip to Tokyo is enough to get everyone in the room excited.  Dad, mom, kids and even grannies. So what is it about Japanese food that makes us all so happy and excited about eating in the streets of downtown Tokyo? For one we know Japanese [...]]]>

Say yum yum in Japanese

The mention of a food trip to Tokyo is enough to get everyone in the room excited.  Dad, mom, kids and even grannies. So what is it about Japanese food that makes us all so happy and excited about eating in the streets of downtown Tokyo? For one we know Japanese food is well-loved.  And like what many of those who traveled with us have told us - it is because they know they have someone they can trust traveling with them all the way from Singapore to Tokyo.  Every step of the way throughout the trip, to have someone there who knows where to eat, what to order, how to travel around within the city and offer all the help needed to have a great time in Tokyo.  And of course someone who actually knows and speaks your language. (I know what you like even before you can articulate it…hey just like any other Singaporean, I love good food too!)

Somehow I think we got manage to get our Japanese friend’s attention.  Much credit can now be given to the Tokyo metropolitan government for their efforts to help foodies like us navigate and survive the gourmet jungle in Japan – in the form of a website that offers several language translations of some of the most common and popular Japanese ingredients and food.

You can finally eat yourselves happy with help from Menu Japan

After my initial test-run, I am already very impressed by the website capabilities – the coverage of menu items is rather extensive.  I selected sashimi as a keyword and out comes 115 multilingual results of individual foods to choose from as if I was translating a full menu.  There’s definitely enough for anyone to eat for a long time.

Honestly once you go on this trip once, you quickly realize it not difficult travel on your own in Tokyo.  You just need to know where to eat and what to order. And now help is readily available in the form of a website. Check out Menu Tokyo website: http://menu-tokyo.jp/

These knowledge base and information have been around for ages albeit in Japanese still I’m so glad FINALLY someone realized all this data can be put into good use for the benefit of food-loving people like you and I.  Gratefully we seemed to be on the right track to ensure good Japanese food may never be lost in translation ever again.

If you have been to Japan in the last couple of years, you might have notice the latest food fad in Japan – fruit vinegar. More and more artisan vinegar shops have opened up inside department stores, selling a wide array of expensive drinkable vinegar that comes in stunning wine-look-alike bottles. Or you might have [...]]]>

If you have been to Japan in the last couple of years, you might have notice the latest food fad in Japan – fruit vinegar. More and more artisan vinegar shops have opened up inside department stores, selling a wide array of expensive drinkable vinegar that comes in stunning wine-look-alike bottles. Or you might have seen slick-looking vinegar bar inside the major train stations wooing the young and health-conscious Japanese with fanciful concoctions of vinegar drink. Everyone in Japan is wild about vinegar. People used to dislike vinegar for its tart taste and pungent smell, but these vinegars; cleverly flavored with fruits like blueberries or bananas are nothing like the vinegar we generally know of. They are palatable and only natural to become an instant craze.

But this craze is all for a good reason. Vinegar, especially black vinegar or Kuro-zu is very good for our bodies. It is said to contain notable health benefits like regulating your blood pressure, lowering your bad cholesterol level, helps digestion and among all; great for your skin and hair.

We don’t have a vinegar bar here as yet, but the good news is you can actually make your own. (like the one in the picture above) With a few simple ingredients, you can actually create your own fruit vinegar at home. Blend it with milk or yoghurt; it makes a deliciously addictive beverage that is great for your health. It’s yummy & it’s healthy, isn’t that great?

If you are interested to learn more about fruit vinegar (how to make and serve), we are currently having a series of healthy workshop with Mizkan at various community clubs around the island. Visit our website www.learnsushi.orgспални to find out more.

Another Japanese-theme “food court” has opened up and this is certainly nothing to be excited about. We have too many of this same dining concept over the past year. But after a visit to Ebisboshi Shotengai (ES) at Iluma the other night, I realize ES sets apart from the rest; for one, [...]]]>

Ordering My Okos

Another Japanese-theme “food court” has opened up and this is certainly nothing to be excited about. We have too many of this same dining concept over the past year. But after a visit to Ebisboshi Shotengai (ES) at Iluma the other night, I realize ES sets apart from the rest; for one, ES is the only one that hails from Japan (i.e. they have the exactly same thing in Japan) and second, ES has a really unique and fun food self-ordering system.

Here comes my Okos mins later

Like the other with the similar food concept, ES is made up of about 7 different food brands or food stalls. But unlike the others, there is no need for you to queue up at the individual stall for your food. Once seated, you will be given a pen to order your food. And no, it is not for you to write down your order. It is a high tech pen that allows you to order your food without leaving your seat and without a serving staff. All you need to do is to point the pen to the corresponding icons on the menu (i.e. paper menu, not moniter) and your order will be sent to the kitchen. There are also icons on the menu for you to review and confirm your order. The impressive part is the pen actually interacts and responds by repeating and confirming your order. How cool is that? In times where good service staff is like one in a zillion, I thought this whole concept of self-ordering is really good. I’m pretty sure this touch-pen self-ordering system is here to stay. Bet we will be seeing more and more restaurants using this system in the near future. Besides, it made my first dining experience so much more fun that it didn’t matter much even though the food wasn’t perfect.