They seems to be having up to 60% discount storewide all year round. Almost all the items are discountable except the 3 pieces for $15 or $30.
I have never fancy whole year round discount shops but was looking for bermudas to wear in this HOT and humid weather, I walked in to browse.
They have different cuts and style of bermudas, some of them are so nicely cut, you can even wear to work. It is important to be looking good yet comfortable in this hot, humid weather.
I bought the piece which it's usual price at $56 to be discounted at 60%, I paid only $22.40 for it.
It has a 3 colours, black, grey and khaki. Nice :)
Even every customer walks in to a eu yan sang outlet, you will be served with a small serving of ginseng tea.
Without fail, I was served mine when I walked into this outlet. I got my 20% discount voucher ready to buy the goodies from them.
My usual: manuka honey, birdnews with pearl powder, Pei Par herbal syrup. This trip I bought what the staff recommended, their Soothies candy; herbal soothies, American wild ginseng and green tea.
The staff are friendly and knowledgable on their products.
I have walked past a few times finally last wednesday, I walked in for lunch.
The area was very nicely renovated with wood, making the place very cosy and romantic. The ceiling has a dome with world map, nice :).
We ordered a hawaiian pizza and a mix combo (calamari, wings, wedges, prawns). I was quite disappointed with the pizza, it has more mushroom and cheese, only a few big chunks of pineapple. The crust is like biscuit, very thin and soggy at the centre of the pizza where the fillings are. The mix combo was ok.
They have a teabreak menu where a person pay less then $10, you get coffee/tea and a tray of 7pastries. Got to try that the next time I am there :)
This outlet is located at a quiet spot, good for a relaxing afternoon tea break.
I espcially like coming to this outlet when I am in Vivio or Harbourfront area, not so crowded and noisy.
They having tea break promotion now from 3pm-5pm, with any drinks order (not regular coffee or soft drinks) you are entitled to buy a cake, chicken pie or seafood pie at a lower price.
I specially liked their maccachino after I give up cappacino but somehow the strawberry shortcake can be better.
Overall the environment is clean and quiet and service staff are friendly and fast.
Wahiro is a boutique japanese restaurant spanning 2 different outlets, one in Katong and the other in Novena. Helmed by Chef Hozumi, the restaurant attempts to bring the light flavors of Kansai to Singapore's Japanese cuisine scene. In fact, he has garnered several accolades and nods from the media for his offerings, a few which can be found here. It was with moderate expectations that we visited this humble outlet at Katong. Does it deserve its credit?
Note: This post was also done with the Nikon D60 camera. Do let me know your thoughts on the pictures.
The exterior and the mall itself is nothing to shout about. In fact, its so quiet i was surprised to find the restaurant still having a decent clientele. Is that a testament to its food? I'll find out soon. The interior is modest with wooden furniture and a sushi counter. The tables are placed rather close together and the restaurant probably seats about 30 to 40 patrons. My first gripe is that the table is a little too small for all the food thats about to be lavished upon it. Its a small gripe but worth mentioning nonetheless.
Japanese Tidbits (Nonbei Course Meal) $40 - The first item to grace our table is the japanese tidbits from the nonbei course. 4 brilliantly presented items comprising of a very well made omelette, japanese sweet seaweed-like thingy and 2 others which i have conveniently forgotten. I do remember my opinion of this dish though. I liked it and so did my gf. Its very appetising and definitely raised expectations of what to expect next.
Wahiro Salmon Satsuma Age ($8.80) - This was not part of the 2 courses we had and honestly, we rather regretted ordering it. The salmon fish cake interesting because i've never seen it anywhere else, but it had an incredibly strong ginger taste and came across as rather dry and spicy. An equivalent in the taste department would be close to a fish-made ngor hiang.
Sashimi - Regardless of which set you chose, it came with a sashimi platter of tasting proportions. This means the portions were rather small but reasonable in the grand scheme of things. The sashimi is generally of a decent quality and fresh. The texture of the fish ranges from melt-in-your-mouth to those were slightly tough depending on the type of fish but were generally good and pleasing.
Tempura (Yuuge Unagi Yanagawa Course) $30 - Their rendition of tempura had a very light and thin batter which was easy to stomach. It helps that the batter did not cover the taste of the prawn as well. Albeit the prawns being of a smaller size then usual.
Kushiyaki (Nonbei course) - Japan is famous for their grilled sticks and this is supposed to be a faithful representation of their much loved art. Despite the small serving, i found the chicken wing and bacon with asparagus nicely done with a smokey taste to it. It also retains its original juices and is still tender despite the grilling. A bigger portion would have helped loads.
Grilled Eel and Burdock Omelette (Yuuge Unagi Yanagawa Course) - Unagi omelette in hotpan. I actually liked this pretty much. It had thin yet generous slices of unagi and a thin later of onions and burdock. The unagi is literally melts in your mouth and is slightly sweet. The omelette did not come across as oily at all. Burdock was added to it which has medicinal and dietery properties which is a plus.
Oden (Nonbei Course) - Naruto with braised raddish. Naruto is essentially japanese fish-paste cake. This version is rather big but scored fairly low in the taste department as it was basically tasteless. The braised raddish, however, ended up being the one thing that wowed me that night. I'm not someone who likes raddish but this has to be tasted to be believed. It must have been braised for a ridiculously long time to have absorbed the tasty broth it now resembled. Texture was soft and surprisingly tender with it remaining hot throughout the meal. In fact, its perfect for a cold day to warm your body. Very nicely done indeed.
Ochazuke (Nonbei Course) - The perfect way to end a full course japanese meal. Ochazuke is basically rice submerged in either tea or hot water with certain condiments comprising of tsukemono and umeboshi (both pickles). Truth be told, i was not used to having rice as an ending dish but this proved to actually be appetising due to the pickles used. In fact, the pickles were rather overwhelming in huge quantities and gave the rice a sourish taste throughout. This is an example of the traditional methods used by Wahiro which may or may not be agreed upon in Singapore. I found this quite interesting though.
The final bill came up to $90.40 for 2 people for an interesting meal.
The food here really isn't too bad. Its very traditional and honestly, i think the Nonbei course would be perfect as a winter meal for the amount of warmth the meal brings. The quality of food is above average but the portions were indeed small. Still, we left stuffed to the brim in the end and rather satisfied. I actually found my gf's meal more worth the money as opposed to the Nonbei course though. Will i return? Maybe for lunch one of these days for a more budget experience.
In my dreams, there is this beautiful place, with blue skies and clear sea. I dreamt of having my favourite brunch here with the one I like. We eat to our hearts content, and relax there while the hourglass freeze, just for us.
In my dreams, we have a cup of cappuccino. The aroma of the bean and the wonderful scenery of the place somehow makes the ordinary coffee taste better. And oh yes, there’s a cute cookie to go along with too.
In my dreams, I can never forget the taste of my beloved Eggs Royale ($14). The ever-favourite poached eggs, I just wish we can be together everyday. There is nothing more satisfying in life to have you by my side. O’ my dear, just the thought of you makes me sleep better.
In my dreams, I always envisage places where we will never run out of desserts. I have a sweet tooth you see. I dreamt of meeting the royal Sir-Deli’s, but it was a pleasant surprise with Privé Carrot cake ($6.80)
In my dreams, everything and anything can happen. There are bad dreams, and of course sweet ones like you. I’m glad I can still occasionally dream of you, that is enough. Enter my dreams, and give me a kiss.
***
Privé bakery café is a wonderful place to visit if you haven been there after i posted my previous entry. Well, I couldn’t afford the restaurant main course yet, that’s why you will probably see more of my post on their brunch and desserts, which are affordable and good. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
The USP philosophy of Spizza is that it serves gourmet wood fired thin crust pizza in a society that has pretty much only seen thick crusted pizzas. This was quite a number of years ago before gourmet thin crusted pizzas started sprouting all over the country. Is the restaurant still relevant in this day and age or has the concept fallen on deaf ears? Do we actually like thin crusted pizzas in the first place? I'll find out the hard way.
Misc: This post was shot using the Nikon D60 which was recently purchased. Let me know if it looks alright. Cheers.
The restaurant is hidden in an obscure corner of Jalan Kayu with a very small signboard signaling its presence. The interior and exterior is rather small with simple tables and a pizza wood fired counter taking up most of the space. The good part is that you get to see the pizza's being made and the dough knead after you order. The bad part is it usually takes some time before you are served due to that.
Commodo ($11) - Essentially, its salad with grilled portobello mushrooms, cut cherry tomatoes and feta cheese interspersed in between. This was rather well received by my family and the mushroom was juicy and exuded a smokey fragrance. Portion size was rather small for the price and pretty much serves one or two at most.
Suberbo ($11) - This is seafood salad with calamari, prawns, some mussells and topped with lemon dressing. Lemon dressing here is literally unsweetened lemon dressing with seafood. This was less well received and my sisters got sick of the greens in the salad stating that it was too raw for their liking. The seafood was acceptable but once again, portion size was rather pathetic.
Spagghetti in mixed seafood ($16) - Ordered this for my parents as their more traditional chinese and don't really like pizza. I found this rather good with the spaggheti al dente and the seafood the usual freshness. The tomato dressing was balanced but skewed towards the sourish corner.
Sofia ($17) - On towards the pizzas themselves. Sofia is a tomato based seafood pizza with mozerella cheese, shrimps, mussells, basil and scallops. Notice the description stated scallops with an "s". This was the main reason for ordering pizza, in reality, it came with 1 medium sized scallop and about 3 shrimps. That was a real disappointment for me, given its price, i'd expected alot more then the amount of ingredients used. As it was, it felt like i paid $17 for a biscuit with some seafood bits. To be fair, it tasted pretty good if not for the overly charred edges and the minimal ingredients. The cheese used was also of a higher grade then usual.
Helena ($17) - The star of the day was Helena, despite its charred edges as well. The pizza had grilled pesto chicken, bell peppers and tomato. The pesto chicken was well done and evenly distributed amount the pizza with the bell peppers providing a slight bite to it. With that said, it still felt too expensive for its price though.
Bill: The bill came up $79.20 for 6 people but it was my treat so it was actually just one person.
To be fair, the pizza's were really quite good. I like thin crusted pizzas and the wood firing gives it a crispy and earthly charm. However, giving the choice and budget, i would actually choose Il Piccolo instead of Spizza if the chance presents itself again. At the same price, i could have gotten much much more from Il Piccolo. As it is, the meal was satisfactory but i wont return due to the price quality ratio.
Tetsu touts itself as being the first Japanese restaurant to offer both Tempura and Tonkatsu under the same menu. I was also fortunate enough to be invited for a food tasting event through FP's help to finally taste what the restaurant had to offer. Reviews thus far has been mixed and now its my turn to taste first hand and determine if its an average or a great japanese restaurant.
Upon stepping into Tanglin Mall, its apparent that the mall itself is rather quiet. Being left out on the far edge of Orchard Road, this mall is frequented only by the most discerning customers for specific stores and shops. I'm glad to say that Tetsu has its fair share of returning customers. In fact, its one of the more patronized restaurants in the mall. I believe that says something about the food they offer.
Sampling Platter with Swordfish Tataki - Our sampling session began with some sake and led straight into their appetiser sampling platter. Beginning with the agedashi tofu, the first surprise of the day was that unlike the usual smooth texture which i'm used to, this version was more starchy and wobbly not unlike carrot cake. The braised pork belly is apparently braised for 2 days and is extremely fatty, i found it interesting because it literally melts in your mouth and didn't repulse me the way i thought it should have. The swordfish tataki retained a slight smokey taste along with a rather tough texture which gives the impression its similar to sashimi.
Mixed Sashimi - I'm rather impressed with Tetsu's sashimi actually, though i'm not aware of the actual cost of this platter, the sheer variety of sashimi you see here is substantial and fulfillingly fresh. The slices were more on the thin side though.
Teriyaki Chicken - Well, this dish has been done to dath everywhere so i really can't say anything much about it. For what its worth, the teriyaki sauce is moderately sweet and the chicken is tender without being too dry.
Sushi Roll With Avacado and Crab Meat - Dragon roll - Lets make a statement here, Tetsu makes good sushi. For both versions, the rice had just the right amount of sweetness and sourness. The dragon roll came with a plump juicy shrimp in a balanced tempura coating. Loved the generous serving of crab roe on both sushi rolls as well.
Assorted Tempura Platter - Here on, its the onslaught of the rather unhealthy fried items. The assorted tempura was very crispy but had a rather thick batter which makes it rather difficult to stomach. To be fair, i give this a high score for its presentation and portion size which is very generous. The batter does get in the way of the prawn though, rendering it rather tasteless in the end. A little less batter and this would be a winner.
Kire Katsu (Pork Fillet), Rosu Katsu (Pork Loin) - Katsu's are generally a staple in any japanese restaurant due to how it tests the chef's skill in producing a katsu thats crispy and yet preserving the flavors and juices of the subject matter. Tetsu gave us a try of 2 renditions and i'm more favorable for the Rosu Katsu (pork loin). Both versions come in the same batter but the pork fillet version tasted rather dry and more like a kfc chicken then a katsu. The pork loin on the other hand, was juicy and moist without compromising the crispiness. Do note the reason why its moist and juicy is due to the abundance of fat in that particular region though.
Inawani Udon - The udon came as a prelude to the ending of our sampling session and needless to say, we were all stuffed to the brim by then. However, i have to say that this rendition is pleasing and palatte cleansing. Unlike regular udons, this doesn't have the usual starchy and thick udon variety. In fact, its more like a combination of vermicelli, mee pok and spaggheti. This means its al dente, light and easy to finish. Rather surprising actually.
Strawberry mousse - Their rendition is made in house and fresh daily. With real grinded strawberry bits in it, you'll get a full taste of the fruit. The mousse is slightly rough in texture because of it and there's minimal to no sugar added in the mix, leaving it rather sourish.
Our delight with the restaurant probably rests mostly on the chef's appearance and company throughout the meal. The guy's definitely funny and has great pride in his job which is reflected in the quality of his food. I have to say that the food here is above average and worth a try. Of course, this conclusion is based on food quality alone at this point. Give it a chance, you might like it enough to return just like their regulars.
1=SGD 0.0587
They seems to be having up to 60% discount storewide all year round. Almost all the items are discountable except the 3 pieces for $15 or $30.
I have never fancy whole year round discount shops but was looking for bermudas to wear in this HOT and humid weather, I walked in to browse.
They have different cuts and style of bermudas, some of them are so nicely cut, you can even wear to work. It is important to be looking good yet comfortable in this hot, humid weather.
I bought the piece which it's usual price at $56 to be discounted at 60%, I paid only $22.40 for it.
It has a 3 colours, black, grey and khaki. Nice :)
Rating given:
Even every customer walks in to a eu yan sang outlet, you will be served with a small serving of ginseng tea.
Without fail, I was served mine when I walked into this outlet. I got my 20% discount voucher ready to buy the goodies from them.
My usual: manuka honey, birdnews with pearl powder, Pei Par herbal syrup. This trip I bought what the staff recommended, their Soothies candy; herbal soothies, American wild ginseng and green tea.
The staff are friendly and knowledgable on their products.
Rating given:
This is my 1st time buying from Zara. There was always a crowd in this outlet whenever I am in Marina square.
They have very nice pieces of clothing but somehow it little too expensive.
Last wednesday I walked in noticing there's not too much crowd and there are some sales going on.
I spotted a few pieces of tops, limited pieces left at below $30 a piece. The material is very soft and comfortable and not body hugging at all.
I bought a few pieces of the sales items :)
I will walked in and browse again the next time I am there :)
Rating given:
Saw their banners of "Storewide $39.90" and walked in to browse their bags.
They have beautiful bags, made of cloth mainly. Very japanese style, probably because of the cloth used.
They selling all their bags at $39.90 and giving a 20% discount for bags that are already tagged at $39.90.
I saw this pretty pink handbag and fell in love with it. It's pink is sweet and the bag is very light weight.
I wanted to buy another bag, white, but they dont have stocks and the display piece is quite dirty.
They dont have much stocks left, hurry if you want to grab one of their bags.
Rating given:
I have walked past a few times finally last wednesday, I walked in for lunch.
The area was very nicely renovated with wood, making the place very cosy and romantic. The ceiling has a dome with world map, nice :).
We ordered a hawaiian pizza and a mix combo (calamari, wings, wedges, prawns). I was quite disappointed with the pizza, it has more mushroom and cheese, only a few big chunks of pineapple. The crust is like biscuit, very thin and soggy at the centre of the pizza where the fillings are. The mix combo was ok.
They have a teabreak menu where a person pay less then $10, you get coffee/tea and a tray of 7pastries. Got to try that the next time I am there :)
Rating given:
This outlet is located at a quiet spot, good for a relaxing afternoon tea break.
I espcially like coming to this outlet when I am in Vivio or Harbourfront area, not so crowded and noisy.
They having tea break promotion now from 3pm-5pm, with any drinks order (not regular coffee or soft drinks) you are entitled to buy a cake, chicken pie or seafood pie at a lower price.
I specially liked their maccachino after I give up cappacino but somehow the strawberry shortcake can be better.
Overall the environment is clean and quiet and service staff are friendly and fast.
Rating given:
Wahiro is a boutique japanese restaurant spanning 2 different outlets, one in Katong and the other in Novena. Helmed by Chef Hozumi, the restaurant attempts to bring the light flavors of Kansai to Singapore's Japanese cuisine scene. In fact, he has garnered several accolades and nods from the media for his offerings, a few which can be found here. It was with moderate expectations that we visited this humble outlet at Katong. Does it deserve its credit?
Note: This post was also done with the Nikon D60 camera. Do let me know your thoughts on the pictures.
The exterior and the mall itself is nothing to shout about. In fact, its so quiet i was surprised to find the restaurant still having a decent clientele. Is that a testament to its food? I'll find out soon.
The interior is modest with wooden furniture and a sushi counter. The tables are placed rather close together and the restaurant probably seats about 30 to 40 patrons. My first gripe is that the table is a little too small for all the food thats about to be lavished upon it. Its a small gripe but worth mentioning nonetheless.
Japanese Tidbits (Nonbei Course Meal) $40 - The first item to grace our table is the japanese tidbits from the nonbei course. 4 brilliantly presented items comprising of a very well made omelette, japanese sweet seaweed-like thingy and 2 others which i have conveniently forgotten. I do remember my opinion of this dish though. I liked it and so did my gf. Its very appetising and definitely raised expectations of what to expect next.
Wahiro Salmon Satsuma Age ($8.80) - This was not part of the 2 courses we had and honestly, we rather regretted ordering it. The salmon fish cake interesting because i've never seen it anywhere else, but it had an incredibly strong ginger taste and came across as rather dry and spicy. An equivalent in the taste department would be close to a fish-made ngor hiang.
Sashimi - Regardless of which set you chose, it came with a sashimi platter of tasting proportions. This means the portions were rather small but reasonable in the grand scheme of things. The sashimi is generally of a decent quality and fresh. The texture of the fish ranges from melt-in-your-mouth to those were slightly tough depending on the type of fish but were generally good and pleasing.
Tempura (Yuuge Unagi Yanagawa Course) $30 - Their rendition of tempura had a very light and thin batter which was easy to stomach. It helps that the batter did not cover the taste of the prawn as well. Albeit the prawns being of a smaller size then usual.
Kushiyaki (Nonbei course) - Japan is famous for their grilled sticks and this is supposed to be a faithful representation of their much loved art. Despite the small serving, i found the chicken wing and bacon with asparagus nicely done with a smokey taste to it. It also retains its original juices and is still tender despite the grilling. A bigger portion would have helped loads.
Grilled Eel and Burdock Omelette (Yuuge Unagi Yanagawa Course) - Unagi omelette in hotpan. I actually liked this pretty much. It had thin yet generous slices of unagi and a thin later of onions and burdock. The unagi is literally melts in your mouth and is slightly sweet. The omelette did not come across as oily at all. Burdock was added to it which has medicinal and dietery properties which is a plus.
Oden (Nonbei Course) - Naruto with braised raddish. Naruto is essentially japanese fish-paste cake. This version is rather big but scored fairly low in the taste department as it was basically tasteless. The braised raddish, however, ended up being the one thing that wowed me that night. I'm not someone who likes raddish but this has to be tasted to be believed. It must have been braised for a ridiculously long time to have absorbed the tasty broth it now resembled. Texture was soft and surprisingly tender with it remaining hot throughout the meal. In fact, its perfect for a cold day to warm your body. Very nicely done indeed.
Ochazuke (Nonbei Course) - The perfect way to end a full course japanese meal. Ochazuke is basically rice submerged in either tea or hot water with certain condiments comprising of tsukemono and umeboshi (both pickles). Truth be told, i was not used to having rice as an ending dish but this proved to actually be appetising due to the pickles used. In fact, the pickles were rather overwhelming in huge quantities and gave the rice a sourish taste throughout. This is an example of the traditional methods used by Wahiro which may or may not be agreed upon in Singapore. I found this quite interesting though.
The final bill came up to $90.40 for 2 people for an interesting meal.
The food here really isn't too bad. Its very traditional and honestly, i think the Nonbei course would be perfect as a winter meal for the amount of warmth the meal brings. The quality of food is above average but the portions were indeed small. Still, we left stuffed to the brim in the end and rather satisfied. I actually found my gf's meal more worth the money as opposed to the Nonbei course though. Will i return? Maybe for lunch one of these days for a more budget experience.
Rating given:
In my dreams, there is this beautiful place, with blue skies and clear sea. I dreamt of having my favourite brunch here with the one I like. We eat to our hearts content, and relax there while the hourglass freeze, just for us.
In my dreams, we have a cup of cappuccino. The aroma of the bean and the wonderful scenery of the place somehow makes the ordinary coffee taste better. And oh yes, there’s a cute cookie to go along with too.
In my dreams, I can never forget the taste of my beloved Eggs Royale ($14). The ever-favourite poached eggs, I just wish we can be together everyday. There is nothing more satisfying in life to have you by my side. O’ my dear, just the thought of you makes me sleep better.
In my dreams, I always envisage places where we will never run out of desserts. I have a sweet tooth you see. I dreamt of meeting the royal Sir-Deli’s, but it was a pleasant surprise with Privé Carrot cake ($6.80)
In my dreams, everything and anything can happen. There are bad dreams, and of course sweet ones like you. I’m glad I can still occasionally dream of you, that is enough. Enter my dreams, and give me a kiss.
***
Privé bakery café is a wonderful place to visit if you haven been there after i posted my previous entry. Well, I couldn’t afford the restaurant main course yet, that’s why you will probably see more of my post on their brunch and desserts, which are affordable and good. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
The USP philosophy of Spizza is that it serves gourmet wood fired thin crust pizza in a society that has pretty much only seen thick crusted pizzas. This was quite a number of years ago before gourmet thin crusted pizzas started sprouting all over the country. Is the restaurant still relevant in this day and age or has the concept fallen on deaf ears? Do we actually like thin crusted pizzas in the first place? I'll find out the hard way.
Misc: This post was shot using the Nikon D60 which was recently purchased. Let me know if it looks alright. Cheers.
The restaurant is hidden in an obscure corner of Jalan Kayu with a very small signboard signaling its presence. The interior and exterior is rather small with simple tables and a pizza wood fired counter taking up most of the space. The good part is that you get to see the pizza's being made and the dough knead after you order. The bad part is it usually takes some time before you are served due to that.
Commodo ($11) - Essentially, its salad with grilled portobello mushrooms, cut cherry tomatoes and feta cheese interspersed in between. This was rather well received by my family and the mushroom was juicy and exuded a smokey fragrance. Portion size was rather small for the price and pretty much serves one or two at most.
Suberbo ($11) - This is seafood salad with calamari, prawns, some mussells and topped with lemon dressing. Lemon dressing here is literally unsweetened lemon dressing with seafood. This was less well received and my sisters got sick of the greens in the salad stating that it was too raw for their liking. The seafood was acceptable but once again, portion size was rather pathetic.
Spagghetti in mixed seafood ($16) - Ordered this for my parents as their more traditional chinese and don't really like pizza. I found this rather good with the spaggheti al dente and the seafood the usual freshness. The tomato dressing was balanced but skewed towards the sourish corner.
Sofia ($17) - On towards the pizzas themselves. Sofia is a tomato based seafood pizza with mozerella cheese, shrimps, mussells, basil and scallops. Notice the description stated scallops with an "s". This was the main reason for ordering pizza, in reality, it came with 1 medium sized scallop and about 3 shrimps. That was a real disappointment for me, given its price, i'd expected alot more then the amount of ingredients used. As it was, it felt like i paid $17 for a biscuit with some seafood bits.
To be fair, it tasted pretty good if not for the overly charred edges and the minimal ingredients. The cheese used was also of a higher grade then usual.
Helena ($17) - The star of the day was Helena, despite its charred edges as well. The pizza had grilled pesto chicken, bell peppers and tomato. The pesto chicken was well done and evenly distributed amount the pizza with the bell peppers providing a slight bite to it. With that said, it still felt too expensive for its price though.
Bill: The bill came up $79.20 for 6 people but it was my treat so it was actually just one person.
To be fair, the pizza's were really quite good. I like thin crusted pizzas and the wood firing gives it a crispy and earthly charm. However, giving the choice and budget, i would actually choose Il Piccolo instead of Spizza if the chance presents itself again. At the same price, i could have gotten much much more from Il Piccolo. As it is, the meal was satisfactory but i wont return due to the price quality ratio.
Rating given:
Tetsu touts itself as being the first Japanese restaurant to offer both Tempura and Tonkatsu under the same menu. I was also fortunate enough to be invited for a food tasting event through FP's help to finally taste what the restaurant had to offer. Reviews thus far has been mixed and now its my turn to taste first hand and determine if its an average or a great japanese restaurant.
Upon stepping into Tanglin Mall, its apparent that the mall itself is rather quiet. Being left out on the far edge of Orchard Road, this mall is frequented only by the most discerning customers for specific stores and shops. I'm glad to say that Tetsu has its fair share of returning customers. In fact, its one of the more patronized restaurants in the mall. I believe that says something about the food they offer.
Sampling Platter with Swordfish Tataki - Our sampling session began with some sake and led straight into their appetiser sampling platter. Beginning with the agedashi tofu, the first surprise of the day was that unlike the usual smooth texture which i'm used to, this version was more starchy and wobbly not unlike carrot cake.
The braised pork belly is apparently braised for 2 days and is extremely fatty, i found it interesting because it literally melts in your mouth and didn't repulse me the way i thought it should have.
The swordfish tataki retained a slight smokey taste along with a rather tough texture which gives the impression its similar to sashimi.
Mixed Sashimi - I'm rather impressed with Tetsu's sashimi actually, though i'm not aware of the actual cost of this platter, the sheer variety of sashimi you see here is substantial and fulfillingly fresh. The slices were more on the thin side though.
Teriyaki Chicken - Well, this dish has been done to dath everywhere so i really can't say anything much about it. For what its worth, the teriyaki sauce is moderately sweet and the chicken is tender without being too dry.
Sushi Roll With Avacado and Crab Meat - Dragon roll - Lets make a statement here, Tetsu makes good sushi. For both versions, the rice had just the right amount of sweetness and sourness. The dragon roll came with a plump juicy shrimp in a balanced tempura coating. Loved the generous serving of crab roe on both sushi rolls as well.
Assorted Tempura Platter - Here on, its the onslaught of the rather unhealthy fried items. The assorted tempura was very crispy but had a rather thick batter which makes it rather difficult to stomach. To be fair, i give this a high score for its presentation and portion size which is very generous. The batter does get in the way of the prawn though, rendering it rather tasteless in the end. A little less batter and this would be a winner.
Kire Katsu (Pork Fillet), Rosu Katsu (Pork Loin) - Katsu's are generally a staple in any japanese restaurant due to how it tests the chef's skill in producing a katsu thats crispy and yet preserving the flavors and juices of the subject matter. Tetsu gave us a try of 2 renditions and i'm more favorable for the Rosu Katsu (pork loin). Both versions come in the same batter but the pork fillet version tasted rather dry and more like a kfc chicken then a katsu. The pork loin on the other hand, was juicy and moist without compromising the crispiness. Do note the reason why its moist and juicy is due to the abundance of fat in that particular region though.
Inawani Udon - The udon came as a prelude to the ending of our sampling session and needless to say, we were all stuffed to the brim by then. However, i have to say that this rendition is pleasing and palatte cleansing. Unlike regular udons, this doesn't have the usual starchy and thick udon variety. In fact, its more like a combination of vermicelli, mee pok and spaggheti. This means its al dente, light and easy to finish. Rather surprising actually.
Strawberry mousse - Their rendition is made in house and fresh daily. With real grinded strawberry bits in it, you'll get a full taste of the fruit. The mousse is slightly rough in texture because of it and there's minimal to no sugar added in the mix, leaving it rather sourish.
Our delight with the restaurant probably rests mostly on the chef's appearance and company throughout the meal. The guy's definitely funny and has great pride in his job which is reflected in the quality of his food. I have to say that the food here is above average and worth a try. Of course, this conclusion is based on food quality alone at this point. Give it a chance, you might like it enough to return just like their regulars.
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