AikuceEats

foodie at heart. Finding inspiration through the various cuisines I eat to improve on the food that I'd make myself #aikucefood = food i made

[aikuceeats]

Rhubarb

Value for money Quality Michelin French food

The Lunch Menu is 52++ for 3 courses and 88++ for 4 Course Omakase Menu. Very worth it for the experience, ambience and each dish was like an art piece. Do ensure that you have enough time to eat a relaxed pampering lunch as we came at noon and didn't leave till after 2pm. The set up of the restaurant reminded me of Odette.

Starter

Anchovy | Aioli | Puffed up cracker | Fish Roe

What a satisfying crunch it was!

Appetizers

Hamachi | Beetroot puree | White horseradish yogurt | Blackberry

It was a generous serving of Hamachi wrapped in a layer of seaweed. A zero carb sushi option. There were so many flavors in this dish that I had to clean it up with the warm bread that they would offer. I personally liked the Olive Bread the most (with whole olives inside), followed by the Sourdough, and then the Baguette last. The bread was served warm and the staff would offer top ups throughout the meal.

Lemon Verbena | Ricotta | Bonito vinegar | Sliced Tomato

A vegetarian option that was nicely presented, but I would order the Hamachi again without a question (and I don’t even eat beetroot)

Mains

Confit Barramundi with olive oil | Zucchini flower stuffed with beetroot | Passion fruit sauce

I could not really taste the Passion fruit but it was a refreshing sauce that did not feel jelat in any way. The wait between the appetizer and the main course was almost 30 minutes but the food was served warm and the fish was tender and juicy. The cracker on top gave a different texture to the dish and I believe it was a fish cracker.

French duck seared and roasted | Crusted with parsley | Daikon | Blueberry sauce

Both mains had a bokchoy served with it. The daikon (in red) was served on figs (if I recall correctly). The french duck was cooked perfectly and the blueberry sauce paired well with the duck. From the other side, the duck looks like a stone with moss growing on it (it’s actually parsley). My favorite of the 2 mains

Dessert

Mango | Coconut | Pineapple

Sweet and fruity. The Mango was a thin layer, almost jelly-like but what I’d go back to Rhubarb is...

Peanut butter | Smoked Hay Ice Cream | Chocolate

The smoked hay ice cream was absolutely delightful. A scoop of charcoal black icecream with peanut butter and chocolate. I wasn’t able to finish the cake but I finished everything else on the plate plus the charcoal cookie. Yum I was sad when I finished the dish cause I would definitely would have loved more.

Petir Fours

Chef Paul came out personally to deliver the final dessert. Lychee Jelly, chocolate, and the tiny strawberry madeleines (my fav of the trio).

Tea/Coffee I believe is charged separately.

[aikuceeats]

Terra, August 2020

Tried out Terra for my birthday which is an Tokyo Italian Omakase concept. Chef Seita is originally from Tokyo but spent 4 years in Italy.

Ambience

The server came out with the below tray of fresh ingredients to show what may be served today and asked if there were any food allergies or dislikes. Looked like we were in for a good meal (with lots of fresh seafood? Read on to find out more..)

Porcini butter with Focaccia

I liked the concentration of the porcini mushrooms in the butter and it was light

1st course

Shizuka sweet corn soup (1 month)

Cold dish that was sweet and the portion was just right.

2nd course

Oven baked scallop au gratin,

Maitake Mushroom, Water chestnut, garlic butter, parmesan cheese

Served in a mini Le Creuset pot. Loved the size of the scallop and it was cooked perfectly.

Pasta Course

Hokkaido Bafu uni (+10SGD), Botaga homemade fish roe, Yuzu

Spaghetti was al dente and uni flavor was there, however the pasta felt rather thick and I felt the Tagliolini would have helped the uni flavor stand out better and not feel so filling and would have been more refreshing (Suggestion!)

Chef's Recommendation

Homemade tagliolini with Wagyu beef rag (not pictured) as we wanted to try something different

There were some minced beef pieces and small meat pieces. To be honest, I felt like I was eating Beef Bak Chor Mee and felt a bit tired by the time I finished portion. Abby explained that tagliolini is quite a rich pasta - it's made in house with just egg yolks (20 over?) and flour (no water)

Verdict: forgettable for the most part. The noodle was similar to having mee kia

4th Course

Iberico pork, Maitake mushroom, Asparagus

The mushroom and asparagus was salted and cooked well. At this point, I was too full to appreciate this dish properly. The sauce was flavorful but I had to give a slice to my dad. Even my usual iberico pork loving dad was asking where was the fish or seafood.

Coffee Tiramisu made with Okinawa Black Sugar, Castella cake instead of butterfinger with a dash of rum

The portion was about right and the birthday dish had an extra strawberry or two. Dessert was presented with a musical box wound up to the tune of Happy birthday. I appreciated that they took a photo my party and instantly printed it out as a souvenir.

There were little statues in the restaurant. I recall a pair of frog outside and I spotted the White Rabbit near the toilet. I liked how they were considerate to put female amenities in a novel-like book in the ladies (attention to detail)

Overall feel and thoughts

I had looked forward to the experience. For lunch, I'd say Terra has great value (cheapest option is 58++ for 4 courses).

I felt that it was off to a great meal up till the Pasta and Main. I'm willing to try again but be more specific in what I'm looking for- perhaps a less rich and heavy meal and more seafood based (got tricked with the platter at the beginning). I guess I had hoped for more Japanese influence though I did appreciate the ingredients that were from Japan.

Wagyu Beef Rag followed by Iberico Pork was also too meat heavy. I felt that fish would have been a better alternative for the 4th course.

To me, I appreciate the food and story journey which I felt was lacking. Didn't manage to catch Chef Seita at work but I noted the kitchen is a small space. Despite Covid19 measures, it was nice to see that almost all the tables were occupied on a weekday.

Server's knowledge and service differed. I had difficulty understanding 1 particular server and she insisted there was no yuzu in the uni pasta when we clearly tasted it. I then clarified with another server (Abby) who then confirmed there was-- she was more certain of the spread and was able to share more of the story behind the dishes.

#aikuceeats #omakase #italianomakase #michelinstar #singapore

Written on August 27th 2020

[aikuceeats]

Tendon Kohaku had a 45 min wait when I arrived there at 545pm on a Saturday. We got seated at 630pm and was given a simple and straight forward menu to order from. Having been in line, I knew what I wanted to order already though. Basically if you come to Kohaku, you’re here for the tempura don. In terms of spice level, there’s spicy and regular. I had a bite of the spicy and it was a bit numbing for me – so no guesses needed on which option I had opted for. The non-spicy option was quite a sweet sauce. I would advise to not complain about what seemed like a lack of sauce at first glance cause the sauce may have trickled down onto your rice. The tsumemono was white radish with yuzu in a gingery sauce which complemented the tendon well

In terms of what is in your don, on the menu it said prawns, chicken and vegetables. What you actually get is 2 prawns, 2 generous pieces of chicken, 2 long beans, 1 crab stick, 1 baby corn, 1 pumpkin, 0.5 mushroom, 1 thick piece of ika. That’s a lot of value in terms of condiments for S$15.00++. The set comes with a hot bowl of udon with spring onions at S$19.50++. I’m not sure whether the set is worth it but if it’s your first time there, it’s nice to try. Their udon was thinner than the typical udon we normally see but was chewy. I would not have complained if I was given this bowl of udon to eat (and I don’t even like udon in the first place)

The tempura was served freshly fried and lightly battered. The chicken was tender, prawns felt fresh and just cooked. In fact, the vegetables did not lose their “juicy-ness”. I guess the most surprising condiment was the squid/ika as I’ve never had squid in tempura before. Although the hotel was fried, I didn’t feel gross like I was afraid that I might have felt.

They didn’t charge for the water and I observed that they were quite prompt at refilling the green tea (S$2). The music that was playing was Japanese instrumentals which made you feel like you were in Japan or a ninja. While waiting, I was able to see the chefs scurrying and hard at work. It was also somewhat reassuring for me to see the chef add new oil in the pot for frying. For this price, I would see myself as a returning customer. As we left the restaurant, the line was roughly ended where we had started queuing.

Tempura Kohaku #03-310/311 Suntec City Eat At Seven 7 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec Tower One, 038987 Open Daily 11:30 - 4PM; 5PM - 10PM

[aikuceeats]

Riverside Good Food at Zion Hawker Food Centre is just opposite Great World City. The stall sells a variety of food including hokkien mee, oyster egg, and popiah.

I’ve been here at night before but not lunch. At 1pm on a weekday, it was still easy to find seating for 5 pax. I decided to eat at this store because of how clean the store seemed to be. I also saw that they had a best of 2017 awards which means they must have been recently recognized.

The white kway teow noodle did not seem as salty as the original char kway teow. It’s probably more similar to penang char kway teow and it’s cooked with cai poh (preserved white radish). The stall owner was nice to check if I wanted my noodles cooked with chili or pork lard. Upon hearing that I didn’t want chili, he made the effort to rinse out his wok. The noodles were served piping hot and I’d say there was wok hei. The stall owner also squeezed the lime after asking and I was glad as I wouldn’t have to do it myself. Definitely would recommend this dish if you’re nearby as it’s filling and less than 5 dollars to fill your tummy when you’re near town.

[aikuceeats]

If you’re craving for chirashi, Sushiro is one of the affordable places that you can consider in Singapore.  It’s a 12 seater eatery and it’s situated among the food kiosks at Thomson Plaza.

It costs $12.80 for the basic Chirashii don that comes with enough salmon, tuna, and salmon roe that would probably satisfy your craving.

The premium chirashi don comes with the raw sweet prawn and a ‘mountainful’ of rice. Honestly speaking, I feel that 2 pax can probably share one premium chirashi don and still be full. However, as the premium chirashi is double the price of the normal chirashi, I would recommend the basic chirashi instead of sharing between two as there might be a better proportion of fish to rice then.

The wasabi felt pretty fresh and the servers were able to top up the wasabi if you’re the sort of person who likes a bit of wasabi with every spoonful of sashimi. I wish that they had swordfish or mekajiki in the sashimi bits as that’s the fish that I savor the most.

I was here on a Saturday at 530pm and a line had already started when the restaurant only opens at 545pm. If you arrive and there already seems to be a long line, you can always order their take-out for the same price without the service charge.

Sushiro Singapore 301 Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Plaza #01-113F Singapore 574408 Closed on Tuesday Open Hours: 11:45 - 14:15; 17:45 - 21:15

[aikuceeats]

A New Beginning

It’s been a long time since I went on my hiatus.

After encouragement from family & friends, I have decided to pick it up again. I have a whole stash of food pictures that I have stored for the past 3 or 4 years that I have stopped writing reviews.

It started off due to having incentives for reviewing. However, my love for food is real. I have seen how my pictures have changed from when I first started till where it is now. What I look for in the dishes that I eat have also changed. The food that I make for myself at home (#aikucefood) has also been influenced by the stories that are behind the meals that I have consumed over time (#aikuceeatsout).

..and there’s still plenty of room for me to grow! (okay, maybe not sideways)

I thank you in advance for the tolerance and patience that will be coming my way. I thank my food buddies for allowing me to feed my camera first before we dig in. itadakimasu!