Japanese Mini-Mart’s Yummy Mentaiko Pasta

HEAR (Click links below to listen/ download podcasts):

• Denise catches up with Audrey Lee, founder of Bakery & Cafe Little House of Dreams.
• Audrey shares about her latest F&B concept EasyFood.
• Audrey recommends where to enjoy one of her favourite Japanese-style pastas.

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Every is a Japanese Mini-Mart on one side and a Cafe on the other!

Hello Makan Kakis! This week, our foodie friend Audrey Lee of Little House of Dreams returns for a catch-up (her cafe has moved to Tiong Bahru!) and tells us all about her new F&B concept EasyFood – gourmet meals & pastries at wholesale prices that are quick, convenient & wholesome. Scroll down for details! She also shares her favourite picks for festive goodies from the Little House of Dreams bakery, which you can hear all about in the podcasts above.

Audrey also recommends her favourite Mentaiko Pasta ($9.50), found in a little corner of Havelock Road, better known for the bak kut teh. Surprisingly, the pasta (and other Japanese fusion dishes) can be found, in of all places, a Japanese mini-mart called Every. It stocks food, drinks, cooking sauces, toiletries and lots of bits & bobs imported from Japan in their retail side and then the other half of the space houses a little cafe. They do great set meals, from rice bowls to noodle dishes and also have an ala carte menu featuring sides, snacks and yes, Audrey’s favourite pasta.

OH MY OMAKASE!

HEAR:
Click here to listen/ download podcast of this week’s oishii episode!

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Greetings Gluttons! Brace your bellies because this week, we bring you a multi-course experience that’s filling, affordable and absolutely delicious. Add an affable, entertaining Japanese chef and you have a wonderful, leisurely night out! Our Makan Kaki Wendy Foo of Ryan’s Grocery recommends a place she loves and has been visiting for years, especially on date night with he husband. Matsuo Restaurant has an excellent omakase experience which you must try. Here’s a sample of what Chef Hiroyuki Matsuo might serve you and rest assured everything will be super-fresh and beautifully prepared.

Kway Chap & Ramen with a Michelin Connection

Hello Foodie Friends!

We have another new Makan Kaki to get acquainted with and chances are, you’re already well-acquainted with his delicious smash-style hamburgers. Meet creator of Omakase Burger and owner of Picnic Food Park, Cheng Hsin Yao!

As a self-confessed food geek, he’s super into R&D, perfecting recipes and finding the next big food thing – enter Seizan Uni Ramen, the latest addition to his Picnic Food Park family. Seizan is a 2-Michelin Starred Omakase restaurant in Tokyo and the same dashi used there is now being used to make bowls of decadent uni ramen here in Singapore (scroll all the way down for details)! But first, let’s get to know Hsin Yao and his food obsessions…

HEAR:

• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 1 – Hsin Yao explains the Picnic Food Court concept & elaborates on Omakase Burger, which started it all.
• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 2 – What goes into each bowl of Seizan Uni Ramen?
• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 3 – Hsin Yao on his food preferences, signature dishes and childhood food memories.
• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 4 – Hsin Yao recommends his favourite Kway Chap in Singapore!

SEE:

Hsin Yao adores his comfort food & so when he dines out, he likes to keep it simple – it’s all about places that are good for the heart and good for the soul. Case-in-point, this hawker stall he’s been eating at since he was seven years old.

To-Ricos Kway Chap at Old Airport Road food centre has been a long-time stalwart & recently hit the headlines when the Michelin guide gave it a Bib Gourmand mention earlier this year. This is a well-deserved accolade that Hsin Yao whole-heartedly agrees with. He believes that this is by far the best Kway Chap in Singapore.

Why? First of all, the sheer level of execution when it comes to the preparation of all the innards – stomach, skin, intestines & more – is such a labour of love to clean all the innards well and To-Ricos does a great job. Secondly, it tastes phenomenal. Here, in one saucy, braised bowl of piggy parts, you get a perfect lesson in balance – salt, heat and acidity all come together beautifully.

Ra-Ra for Ramen!

Meet our new Foodie Friend, Head Chef at Jamie’s Italian (Vivocity), Ashley Lim! First of all, with the sad news of the branches in England going into administration, the good news for Singapore foodies is that it’s business as usual at both Jamie’s Italian outlets here. As such, Chef Ashley and his team continue to serve their customers with passion and pride.

HEAR:
In our interview:

• Click here to listen/download podcast for Part 1 – more about Le Cordon Bleu trained Chef Ashley, Jamie’s Italian Singapore and their signature dishes. In fact, you can also watch Chef Ashley in the kitchen making their famous prawn linguine here!
• Click here to listen/download podcast for Part 2 – what Chef Ashley cooks at home and what he looks for when dining out.
• Click here to listen/ download poscast of Chef Ashley’s slurpilicious ramen recommendation.

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As a first recommendation, Chef  Ashleyshares with us his favourite Japanese noodle place in Singapore. This might be a point of contention for ramen lovers, because everyone has their go-to restaurant, but in his humble opinion, he thinks Sanpoutei has the best ramen in Singapore. This Japanese ramen chain is always reliable and has different options for noodle-lovers.

Amazing Akashi & Ebi Tempura Maki Mono!

HEAR:

• Click to hear/ download podcast of Chef Ming Tan talking about Jam @ Siri House Part 1
• Click to hear/ download podcast of Chef Ming Tan talking about Jam @ Siri House Part 2
• Click to hear/ download podcast of this week’s Japanese restaurant recommendation!

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How lucky we are in Singapore to have such great access to great Japanese produce & spectacular Japanese restaurants. And while there are a good many top quality Japanese restaurants that specialize in one thing, from Ramen to Sashimi, there is something to be said about this week’s recommendation.  Our Makan Kaki Chef Ming Tan‘s go-to Japanese restaurant, while not a specialist eating place, still manages to serve up a whole variety of really solid dishes, whether it’s a hot bowl of Gyudon (Udon, sliced beef in broth) or Chirashi or Sushi that you want.

Akashi is an old stalwart that has been around for a good amount of time, delivering consistent quality across the board, yet is still accessible and won’t break the bank. Time and again, Chef Ming is impressed by Akashi’s ability to please and surprise with the quality of the produce they obtain and he is always happy and satisfied when he dines there.

Tantalising Tonkatsu

He’s back! Chef Daniel Tay, who was last here in 2015 during Chinese New Year, returns with more goodies to share. His family bakery, Old Seng Choong, has a newly-opened store at Clarke Quay Central (Eu Tong Sen St), where you can try before you buy! Some of the yummy things on offer include Hae Bee Hiam Pineapple Tarts and cookies in a myriad of local flavours, ranging from Putu Mayam & Gula Melaka to Satay & Cereal Prawn. Take home some delicious Nian Gao, Red Date & Yam Cakes, all in time for Chinese New Year! But for his first recommendation in 3 years, Chef Daniel wants to share his favourite place for Japanese breaded pork dish, Tonkatsu.

Special-Occasion Japanese Omakase

HEAR:
Click here to listen to this week’s episode!

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Just in time for Mothers’ Day this Sunday, here’s a suggestion for a restaurant that will certainly pamper Mum in everyway – from the surroundings, to the service, to the food. Take our Makan Kaki, Chef Tim Ross-Watson‘s word for it – he’s proclaimed Hashida Japanese at Mandarin Gallery as one of, if not THE MOST, memorable meals. Chef Tim admits that he rarely says anything is amazing and is very picky, so trust him when he says this will be one of the most exquisite meals you’ll have. It’s definitely fine-dining, special occasion food, but so worth the money you pay for the quality of the entire experience.

Hashida is an Omakase restaurant and the first to be opened outside of its original home in Tokyo, headed by Master Sushi Chef, Tokio Hashida. Chef Hashida makes regular trips to oversee his restaurant here in Singapore, and if you’re lucky enough as Chef Tim was to have him serve you, you’re in for a sublime treat! Chef Tim’s most distinct memory of his meal at Hashida is when Chef Hashida pulled out the most enormous slab of the freshest Tuna Belly (or Otoro) from under his counter and expertly extracted a huge slice (almost as big as his mobile phone!), which he then gently laid on a tiny ball of sushi rice. These are fish-to-rice ratios that Chef Tim was impressed with. Otoro is the premium part of the tuna belly, fatty and melt-in-your-mouth, looking almost like a slab of marbled beef. Lots of white, with hints of pink. Stunning. This Hashida Sushi Signature is a must-try! Everything is exquisite to look at and taste, yet clean and simple. Even something as basic as Chawanmushi (steamed egg tofu) is elevated.

From start to finish, you will be well-taken care of at Hashida. The interiors are calming, zen and very pristine. The counter seats are comfortable and at just the right height , the service is impeccable and of course, the food outstanding. The Omakase menu changes seasonally, but rest assured you get the very best quality of produce and dish after dish of beautiful food that runs the gamut from sashimi to sushi to noodles, shellfish and meat, all washed down with copious amounts of sake!

Dinners are elaborate and luxurious, but if you prefer, lunch is also a lot of fun, as the chefs engage in a lot of banter with customers for a thoroughly enjoyable, lively experience.

TASTE:
HASHIDA SUSHI SINGAPORE
333A Orchard Road
#04-16 Mandarin Gallery
S(9238897)

Open Tues – Sunday 12-3pm; 7-10pm (Closed Mondays)

Tel: 6733 2114

Where a Japanese Chef goes for Good Sushi in Singapore

HEAR:
Listen to this week’s super-fresh sushi-laden episode here!

SEE:
Hot on the heels of his recent Michelin Star, Terra Tokya-Italian Restaurant’s Chef-Owner Seita Nakahara returns to recommend his favourite Japanese restaurant in Singapore. And when a Japanese chef recommends another Japanese restaurant, it should be pretty darned good, no?

According to Chef Seita, Shiraishi at the Ritz Carlton is the best, for its seasonal produce, which means the menu changes often and you’re guaranteed different dishes prepared with only the freshest Japanese ingredients. That means Chef Seita returns often for a taste of chef-owner Mr Shiraishi Shinji’s exquisite specialty Edomae Sushi and sashimi, straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. A quick word on Edomae cuisine – the sushi consists mainly of fish (like tuna, bonito, halibut, sea eel and shell fish) caught off the waters of Edo (Old Tokyo). Back then, the lack of refrigeration called for sushi chefs to get creative with various preservation methods, including using sauce, vinegar, ginger and wasabi on the fish, not only to add delicious flavours, but also to prevent the raw fish from spoiling too quickly.

Chef Shiraishi continues this proud tradition at his restaurant, which has been going strong for over a decade now in Singapore. Our Makan Kaki Chef Seita’s absolute favourite dish at Shiraishi is the deceptively basic and simple Negitoro-maki, or tuna roll. Chef Seita says that the tuna, leek, wasabi, rice and seaweed are all perfectly balanced and whilst one order is enough, he finds himself ordering it again and again at one sitting because it’s that good!

As we head into Autumn, Chef Seita urges you to look out for the seasonal Matsutake Mushrooms, which are wonderful in a soup or simply grilled for a delicately fragranced meal. Shiraishi update their menus often, so do check their website for specials and make a reservation soon for their sublime Alacarte, Set Lunches or Kaiseki Dinners.

TASTE:
SHIRAISHI
#03-01/02, Ritz Carlton Hotel, 7 Raffles Avenue, 039799
Open Daily: Lunch 12:00 -2:30pm; Dinner 6:00 – 10:30pm
Tel: +65 63383788