Nagomi @ Cuppage Plaza

I never heard about this Nagomi restaurant before. So when told that reservations is A MUST, I was suspicious because how can such an unknown Japanese restaurant in a quiet corner of Cuppage Plaza be so popular?



Cuppage Plaza , famous for many Japanese restaurants (and also seedy pubs and bars), have been in the news lately for the wrong reason. We went there early one weekday evening, and avoided most of the Japanese expats seeking "ECAs" at this place.

When I entered the restaurant, I was surprised to find out how small this place is. A few tables and a bar counter. Diners are to remove their shoes at the door. So if your feet smells like salted fish after a day's work, better go and freshen up your socks first before coming here.



One of the first dish was this beautiful Japanese tomato. How good can a raw tomato be? Well, it's amazingly sweet and juicy, yet without the "raw" tomato taste which some hate. To neutralise the tomato, some creamy mayo were provided to refreshen your palate. Dip some of the tomatoes into the sea salt to better taste the sweetness of the tomato. Excellent.



More appetizers were served. This time a small bowl of pasta with mayo and fish flakes, plus...




chilled Japanese vegetables. I thought they were skillfully prepared as such simple appetizer could have such amazing taste.




Oyster lovers will be in heaven. Their oysters are one of the freshest I had in Singapore. Really fresh, plump and there is totally no "fishy" taste and smell to it. I did not have to squeeze any lemon or sauce into the oyster. It's that fresh.




Sashimi were equally sweet and fresh with a great crunchy texture. Scallops, blue fin tuna, and others.




Crispy deep fried fish served with a small bowl of sea salt. Initially, I thought deep frying these fish is a way to mask their fishy taste and texture. But I was wrong. The fish itself was still sweet and jui, and the deep frying of the skin added an extra dimension of crunchiness. Imagine sinking your teeth into a layer of crunch, followed by the soft and sweet flesh of the fish.




I find this braised pork belly above average. Nothing too amazing, as compared to their other seafood dishes. It was tender and flavourful, but lacks something. I don't know what.




This looks more like a Chinese dish than a Japanese dish. Steam whole Mehikari fish. Again, fresh and sweet. I am already ready to crown Nagomi as the best place in Singapore to enjoy Japanese sea produces.



The Grilled beef slices were very good. And may I add that they used high quality beef. (Not sure if it is Wagyu grade beef, but it was really juicy and flavorful)



Ended our Japanese dinner with Porridge cooked in Chicken stock. If you think that Cantonese porridge are the best, wait till you try this Japanese chicken porridge. Each mouthful of this porridge is bursting with flavours of rich chicken broth and silky egg white.



Dessert was a simple, juicy and sweet Japanese peach. The chef was good at picking the best produce at that particular season.



At S$130 per person, this is truly money well spent. There is no menu here, and the chef cooks whatever is in season at that period of time. And even diners sometimes get different items too. Some tables next to us had different dishes. But you can be assusred that whatever the chef serves is of very high quality and high standards.

Definitely one of the best Japanese restaurant in Singapore.


Nagomi
5 Koek Road
#02-22
Cuppage Plaza
TEL: 6732 4300

Old School Delights

Having so loved the homecooked food put up at their yearly Chinese New Year parties, the owners (siblings Aaron and Olivia) of Old School Delights decided to take this love one step further, setting up this themed café two months ago. Its menu serves up 'retro' fare such as mee siam and laksa.

Visitors are welcomed to full-length chalkboards across the walls on both sides and wooden benches and tables, resembling that of old school classrooms back in the eighties (or even earlier). One would be overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia upon entering the premises.

Our lunch was started off with their Signature Pulut ($1.80 each), or more commonly known as Lemper Udang (correct me if I'm wrong). The spicy dried shrimp fillings gave the kick to this appetizer. Remember to try their otah too.



Mee Siam ($4.50) is reportedly the inspiration behind this café. Staying true to the 20-year-old home recipe passed down by the owners' grand-aunt, its gravy comprised 11 secret ingredients. Even if you are not a mee siam lover, try the OSD version and who knows you might just get hooked.



Another must-try here is the Laksa ($5.20). A popular dish rich in Peranakan culture, the bowl of laksa I had here was a winning combination flavoursome gravy, noodles and hearty servings of dried beancurd, fish cake and cockels among others. While less coconut milk was used, making it a more guilt-free indulgence for all.





There are four simple desserts on the menu: Chendol, Sago, Burbur Hitam and Red Bean Soup ($2.80 each).

For some reasons only Sago was available for the day, I gave it a try nevertheless.

Even though appearance wise it was just like our normal ice kachang without the colourful syrups, when taking in the first bite, started rolling in were the memories of the good old days when my mum would reward me for helping out with her house shores with 50 cents, which later would get me a bowl of ice kachang from the kopitiam across the street.



Many diners (including me) were seen disappointed when were told their best-selling Seriously Dark Choc Cake was sold out. (The lady in the backdrop probably shared the same sentiment. Just kidding...)

Apart from providing pleasure to the stomach, not on the café's menu was an extensive collection of retro toys which diners are encouraged to browse and make purchase. Some of these toys we grown-ups are all so familiar with include the Five Stones, Aeroplane Chess and Chatek. One of these would be sure to evoke fond memories of your childhood and awaken your inner child.







It doesn't matter when and where you had the last bowl of laksa from the pushcart uncle in your neighbourhood, come down here to Old School Delights and you can have all your old favourite dishes encored.

If you are a tertiary student, flash your student/matric card to enjoy 10% off total bill. Do note that this promotion is valid on weekdays, 3pm to 6pm only.

I would like to thank Yen of Vanilla Minuet who led me to the discovery of this place. You may check out her blog for more amazing photos on OSD.

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY TO ALL CHILDREN AND THE CHILD IN YOU.


Old School Delights
215M Upper Thomson Road Singapore
Wed to Sun, 12pm – 11pm
6458 4518

The Pancake War: Food For Thought

Food for Thought's outlet at 8 Queen Street is the place to be if you're looking for a relief from the hustle and bustle at the nearby Bugis Village and Junction 8. Or if you're seeking an energizer after a study session at the nearby National Library. Or if you want to enjoy good food while helping a good cause: FFT does not have a service levy, but all tips go to the Give Clean Water Fund. While it does not charge for a free flow of iced water (and I don't see why any restaurant should), you are encouraged to donate $2 to Living Water International to grant an African with access to clean water.

Once you've navigated to Queen Street, locating FFT should not be a problem because it's is housed in a glass house which stands out from its surroundings. And once you've entered the place, it's difficult to resist the cozy vibe of the tastefully decorated café.

FFT's 8Q menu is more varied than that at its North Bridge Road Outlet, and what its breakfast menu, available from 9am to 5.30pm daily. I'd love FFT even more if the breakfast menu was available all day, but I'm not complaning! While the breakfast menu is not extensive, I love the idea of being able to customize your meal from a selection of fry-up items. The next time I drop by, I'm going to help myself to the brioche, thyme hashbrowns and their much-raved-about scrambled eggs with cream!

There're six other varieties of pancakes to choose from as well, such as Mixed Berries and Dark Chocolate with Stewed Cherries. If you're not a fan of sweet toppings, you can simply have them botak (i.e. plain) for an affordable $6 as well. I ordered Banana Walnut Pancakes ($10+), a huge favorite of mine. The generous portion of banana slices and walnuts are served on top of the stack by default, but you can choose to have them embedded inside like I did.

The inconvenience I faced walking to FFT in the rain (with an umbrella that persistently upturned every minute or so) was well-worth it after I had my first bite of these thick and fluffy pancakes. While just as superbly soft like Cedele's, FFT's pancakes were perfectly moist to boot. The generous portion of caramelized bananas and crunchy walnuts hidden inside made them all the more lovable.

Maple syrup is not served here, but who really cares when you have gula melaka syrup instead? Normally used in traditional desserts like chendol and Nonya kueh, the gula melaka syrup lent the pancakes a delightfully aromatic and sweet edge. An affordable but equally worthy alternative to maple syrup, surely! Oh, and did I forget to mention that the cold fresh cream which made such a lovely accompaniment to the warm pancakes is hand-whipped and not from a can?

I wish I had space for more, but the pancakes turned out to be just the right portion for an early dinner as I just had a cup of awesome ice cream at Tom's Palette. Guess the grilled vegetables and butterscotch and apple crumble have to wait for another time!


Food For Thought
8 Queen Street
Mon-Sat: 9am-10pm (Last orders from kitchen 8.50pm)
Sun: 9am-9pm (Last orders from kitchen 7.30pm)
Breakfast is served from 9am to 5.30pm daily

Au Jardin Les Amis @ Singapore Botanic Gardens

With the F1 race this weekend, many people will actually be avoiding the Esplanade-City Hall area due to the crowds (and cars) there.

A good place to go to this F1 weekend is actually the Botanical Gardens, which houses a few restaurants and bistros such as the Au Jardin restaurant from Les Amis.



The restaurant is located in the charming EJH Corner House near to the carpark of the Botanical Gardens.



Completed in the early 20th century, this colonial house was the residence to many Assistant Directors of the Botanical Gardens during the colonial era.

You will be welcomed at the front door and brought up to the 2nd floor of the house where the main restaurant is. Today we are having their Sunday Brunch (S$78++ per person), and is recommended that you reserve early for a seat next to the windows (don't worry, you will all be seated in air-con comfort).



At the centre of the hall is the buffet spread with lot's of minature appetizers. Even though this is a buffet, but the service staff still helps diners to choose and pick what they want.



There is a heated hot appetizer station at the side table too.



Always starts a brunch with a Soup of the Day (from the buffet) to warm your stomach before making your way down the buffet list.



Smoked Ham and bacon, Foie Gras terrine with hazelnut waffle, scallops cerviche.



Vegetable tart, Salmon Gravlax, Fricassee of asparagus with smoked bacon, Prawn with basil "en papillote", Farm mushrooms with parsley. The prawn with basil "en papillote" is one of my favourite here. Crispy and delicious. The vegetable tart was equally good too.



Parma ham with melon, more of my favourite Prawn with basil "en papillote" and Foie Gras terrine with hazelnut waffle, vegetable tart and Duck rillette. Au Jardin must have specially selected their rock melon as each piece was as sweet as it could get. The parma hamw as also of high quality. I am also equally impressed by the duck rillette too.



During the buffet, each diner has a choice of eggs done in a style they like. Here we have the Egg Cocotte served in Le Creuset mini iron pot.



And here, the Egg Benedict with muffin. I prefer the latter for the runny egg yolk which was absorbed by the muffin underneath.



Still could not get enough of the appetizer, so went for a final serving.



The mains for the brunch (Each diner allowed to choose only 1 main) which we had selected were this fish dish of Gunard, shaved artichoke, parmesan, balsamic and parsley oil.




I thoroughly enjoyed my Lobster with angel hair pasta, which was the 2nd main we shared.



By the time dessert was served, we were already very full. There were only 2 desserts to choose from: Pain perdu with vanilla ice cream



and the Seasonal fruits and berries with sorbet. I prefer the former as I am someone who likes chocolates and vanilla.



Ended the brunch with Les Mignardises which goes well with their...



Coffee and tea (included in the buffet).

One of the better Sunday brunch in Singapore, at a beautiful location.


Au Jardin Les Amis
1 Cluny Road
EJH Corner House,
Singapore Botanic Gardens

RaindrOps Café

Tucked away in a quiet corner at Scape, RaindrOps is one nicely decorated café that you wouldn't wanna miss. Here at RaindrOps, whether you like to dine inside its well-lit glasshouse for its cosy ambience yet vibrant atmosphere or the al fresco area, being surrounded by a sea of greenery in all angels, it provides an excellent getaway from the hustle and bustle of Orchard shopping belt.



The café serves a mixture of European fare of great variety. From their beautifully plated appetizers and salads, to pizza, pasta and other main courses, to their must-have desserts, its menu is sure to bring you a culinary adventure for your palate.



Our Tataki Tuna ($8) was simply a beauty to behold upon - Pacific tuna lightly pan-seared to lovely pink. While the tuna was fresh and appealing, the black pepper taste in my opinion was too strong that it killed the subtle taste of the tuna. The shimeji mushrooms on the other hand were toothsome and gave this dish the extra bites.



Portobello mushrooms were out of stock for the day, the helpful service staff recommended us to give their Beer Battered Mushrooms ($8) a try instead.

Crispy and on the outside and warm and soft on the inside, flavourful juice oozed out of my button mushroom the moment I sank my teeth into its golden armor. How satisfying~



One of the mains we had was Vongole ($14) - seafood linguine pasta served with clams and garlic white wine sauce tossed in flame.



My Crispy Salmon with Asparagus ($16) didn't disappoint. The salmon fillet was very fresh and succulent, and the potato mash creamy and tasty. Not forgetting the surprisingly delectable bitesize veggie which gave the dish the crunch. Even though I didn't usually like carrot and cucumber, I couldn't help it but finished all off by myself.



My companion's Chicken Leg Lemongrass with Pumpkin Risotto ($15) was decent too. The tender free range chicken leg was marinated with red wine sauce and made savoury with a Thai twist. The pumpkin risotto was firm and of just the right creaminess served as a good complement.

It was another case of too much good food for us that we (albeit unwillingly) had to give dessert a miss.



Their non-alcoholic menu was quite limited. Considering that Scape is a place where yousters hang out, I was surprised that there were only a handful of non-alcoholic drinks but an extensive array of wines and beer selections on the menu. Perhaps the café is catering more to working adults. But well, I might be wrong.

The service staff were sincere and attentive. While I was busy shooting our appetizers, one of the waiters asked me whether we would like to have our mains later. A small gesture it might be, I was always appreciative towards service with such thoughtfulness.



There are several in-house promotions going on. Besides their $10 weekday lunch, to help wash away your Monday blues, have your date with Raindrops on a Monday to enjoy 15% off your total bill (or 20% for RaindrOps members).

With service and food of such remarkable standard, all I can wish for is just a clear blue sky on my next visit.


RaindrOps Café
2 Orchard Link *Scape #02-38
6834 4977