Irodori Japanese Restaurant

Finally, under the recommendation of my buffet-kakis, I had ala carte buffet lunch at Irodori, Riverview Hotel..

Important note: Must make reservation!
Due to the mid-size capacity and its restaurant's popularity.. it was full when I was there on a Saturday..



first up! the signature Green Tea Tofu is a complimentary dish.. it'll be on your table when u arrive.. with no surprise, the silken tofu was smooth in texture and the green tea taste was refreshing.. it cleanses your taste buds before your binge! great first dish..



next up was also a complimentary dish.. not sure what's the name of the dish so I shall name it - Steamed Salmon.. it was seasoned to perfection and the taste was just right! the saltiness of soy sauce and the natural sweetness of the salmon just balances out.. I can gobble down a bowl of rice with this..



Why Ebi Mentai Mayo was a complimentary dish?!?!?! How I wish I could order 10 of this delicious prawn! trust me.. it was that good..



Final complimentary dish which I do not know the name of.. Let's just call it Fried Salmon with Ikura Mayo.. The mayo was good to go with any fried items.. I rather they separate the mayo from the fried salmon coz a few of them were so drenched in it that it became soggy.. taste wise was pretty average..

I was still okay with the standard of the food up till now when only complimentary dishes were served.. subsequently, my horrible food journey began.. (with a few good moments here and there)..



Salmon Steak was a huge shock for me.. It tasted okay.. but the two pieces of salmon was really miserably small.. real small.. not that I would expect a huge piece of salmon coz it was ala carte buffet so small portion would make space for other stuff.. I totally understand that theory.. but the two pieces (close to slices) of salmon were so thin and dry inside and oily outside.. oh gosh..



Saba was another average dish.. *yawns*



Pork Roll with Golden Mushroom woke me up.. the pork was tasty and I finished 4 pieces by myself.. heehee..



I thought Beef Roll with Golden Mushroom would be as nice.. BUT! it was not even half as nice as the pork version.. the beef was like chewing gum.. hahahahaaa.. I spat out the ever-chewable tendons.. not ordering this ever~



Why can't I find a decent Chawanmushi at a buffet? this is so disappointing.. yes it has all the basic ingredients like naruto maki fish cake, chicken chunk, etc.. it does not have the taste of a good dashi stock.. *sobs*



Ebi Tempura was FANTASTIC! I ordered this twice! the prawn was of a good satisfying size.. considering the affordable buffet price.. I think the standard of the tempura was comparable to that of Sushi Tei.. :D



Tea Pot Soup was another FANTASTIC dish.. it was soup served in a tea pot.. I'm not sure what ingredients was added.. but I saw mushrooms in the tea pot.. the soup made me feel better after that awful chawanmushi experience.. (^o^)



I ordered Mixed Sashimi to see if their sashimi was fresh in general.. sad to say, only salmon and swordfish can make it.. the rest of them such as tuna, snapper and octopus, were just not very good..



Irodori Maki consists of lobster salad.. it was so good that I had two plates of this to myself.. but the generous amount of mayonnaise was too much for me..



Torikaraage (Fried Chicken) was totally a deja vu! two small chunks of chicken.. LOL lor.. really.. it was tasty alright but I was so speechless by the portion that I did not order again.. hahaha.. I need to order again everytime I want to eat a piece of fried chicken?! that's a joke.. I'm not expecting big portion of it but a reasonable portion.. I'm sure they can give 5 to 6 pieces in a plate for two persons right??



Salmon Sashimi came when I was about to stand up and leave.. I ordered this at 12.15pm.. this plate came at 1.45pm.. no doubt it was nice and I finished it anyway..

Did anyone realised that I ordered too little for an ala carte buffet??

YES! I still had the space to accommodate that last plate of salmon sashimi.. because I was not full after spending more than 2 hours in a buffet restaurant.. it was the first time I stepped out of a buffet restaurant and could still think of what to eat next..

for $35++.. the variety they offer is more than reasonable.. and like all restaurants.. there would be hits and misses.. but Irodori fared badly in portion and waiting time.. I ordered many dishes and I had to wait ALL THE TIME.. as you can see from the photos above, my table was NEVER full.. more than half of the time I was waiting for the dishes to come and for the waitress to attend to me.. not only they were understaffed.. the orders just DO NOT COME.. it was an unsatisfying buffet experience..

the waitress asked for my understanding.. citing that "the orders are jammed up" because many people were ordering.. if it's a new establishment, I can totally understand that excuse.. but it was a Saturday and the restaurant was fully booked (I saw their reservation paper with all the tables marked with customers' names).. I thought that they could have been more prepared..

I couldn't continue sitting there waiting for the dishes which I do not know whether they would come or not.. for instance, the salmon sashimi that came after 1 1/2 hours.. I don't think I need to spell it out how ridiculous it was..

I do not think I will be back for second visit.. it was just nightmare.. after this unsatisfying buffet.. I'm soooo looking forward to going for another one to quench my thirst for fresh sashimi, good Japanese food and great buffet spread at a decent and responsible buffet restaurant..

Irodori Japanese Restaurant
382 Havelock Road
#03-01 River View Hotel
Tel: 67372002
Fax: 67350301
Operating Hours: (Daily) Lunch: 11:30 - 14:30 Dinner: 18:00 - 22:30
Buffet Lunch & Dinner Adult: $35++, Child: $22++ (Below the age of 10)
Website: http://www.irodorijapaneserestaurant.com.sg/

Mei Heong Yuen Dessert (Chinatown Point)

after shopping and walking for hours..
i was craving for something sweet and cold..
after pondering hard while looking at the menu..
i decided to order Durian Snow Ice ($5)..
(menu: http://www.meiheongyuendessert.com.sg/menu.html)



hmmmm.. the snow ice turned out to be much smaller portion than what was shown on the official picture on the menu..
but the guy next to me ordered Mango Snow Ice.. and his was really a big mountain of ice lehz..
unfair.. tsk (>_<)

the Durian Snow Ice does not have any fruit but only syrup and durian-flavoured ice..
for my next visit.. I wanna try Mango Snow Ice that has mango cubes!

Mei Heong Yuen Dessert (Chinatown Point)
133 New Bridge Road
#B2-32/33 Chinatown Point
Tel: 65383892

Yong Xiang Xing Yong Tau Foo (永祥兴豆腐)

oh my gosh.. how many years has it been?
how come the queue is always there??



though the queue was reeeeaaalllly long.. i think i queued for about 15 to 20 minutes.. which was not that bad.. how to order:

Uncle: how many bowls?
Me: 2
Uncle: $8. Sit where?
Me: There.
Uncle: Okay. Go sit.

the uncle was right behind me as i walked to my table.. two bowls of hot and fragrant yong tau foo were served..



due to inflation and whatever nots.. the price has increased to $4 per bowl.. compared to $3 in 2011..
however, there are 10 pieces of yong tau foo.. since everything were done at the stall (on the spot?).. everything just taste so good..
it is a simple dish.. yet so difficult to find a good one.. but Yong Xiang Xing probably serves the best yong tau foo..
thumbs up up up!

Yong Xiang Xing Yong Tau Foo (永祥兴豆腐)
32 New Market Road
#01-1084A People's Park Cooked Food Centre

Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen

first, let's browse the menu.. the special and the signature will be their Kazan (volcano) Ramen
which are served in the preheated 300⁰C hot-stone bowl..

(open image in new tab to enlarge)





Images from Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen website

I ordered Kazan Kaisen-shio (seafood) Ramen.. I was waiting excitedly for the volcanic moment..



The waiter came with the hot-stone bowl.. as shown in above picture.. besides ramen at the bottom, there were a lot (i really mean A LOT) of cabbage and bean sprouts.. some capsicum and dices of carrots..

The waiter warned me that the stone bowl was verrrry hot.. so when he poured the soup.. i moved to the back of my seat..

HOWEVER, (here comes the moment of truth), there was hardly any signs of the soup sizzling.. errr.. i waited for 3-5 minutes for the "volcanic moment".. if you are curious what's the volcanic moment i was so looking forward to.. please refer to the descriptive picture below.. (specifically Step 3)


Image from Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen website

The waiter came and removed the lid.. i was like "eh? where's the volcano eruption??" there was none!! not even sizzling sound.. when the lid opened.. the soup was not boiling sizzling hot.. suuuuuuuuuper disappointed.. i mean if the volcano ramen is the selling point.. if the soup does not sizzle in the so-called preheated to 300⁰C hot-stone bowl, then what is the restaurant selling? ramen in looks-good stone bowl?



What salvaged the disappointment food experience was the BIG prawn, BIG slice of squid, BIG scallop, a mussel, above average soup, passable ramen.. realised there was not a word of "fresh"? hahahahaa...

I am not a healthy eater.. so basically I didn't eat the vegetables.. the ratio of the noodles to vegetables was 1:1.. so after I finished the seafood and ramen.. the vegetables in the remaining soup really looked like another new bowl of soup dish.. hahahahaa..

If you are not full enough, the Kazan Ramen set comes with a bowl of rice.. which was supposed to be served last..
(see descriptive picture above, Step 5)

I might (very very hesitant) visit again.. if they could really make the stone bowl HOT.. and consider reducing the amount of vegetables..

Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen
10 Sinaran Drive
#02-68/69 Square 2
Tel: 63796636
Website: http://tonkotsukazan.com
Operating hours: (Daily) 11:00 - 22:00

Japan Trip: Day 1

It's gonna be almost one month since I went to Japan to eat, shop, see sakura and enjoy the season of Spring~..
I shall slowwwwwwly blog abt my trip :)

(Fly away~ on 6 April)
At 1 am, I am already in my sleep mode. As excited as I could be, I was still dragging my tired feet to the departure gate at Singapore Changi Airport. Guess who was or were there to send me off???? *drum roll~*

It was Kai Kai and Jia Jia with their bamboo.. wahahahaa!



(Arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport...)
Fast forward to Japan time to 9.30am! Oha! Oha! Ohaiyo~ Arriving with a grumbling stomach.. Every inch of my skin and every taste bud of my tongue were craving for Japanese food.. But there was no bento! saddenz.. I had to settle for the F&B offered at the kiosk.. I picked up some drinks and snacks to tame my empty stomach while travelling on a 5-hour journey to Osaka..



Before I forget, let me remind all curious hungry hoppers like me, not every sakura-related product taste good.. The Sakura Peach Tea quenched my thirst.. but it was rather bland.. I would like it more if the peach taste was stronger.. The Strawberry Pocky is heart-shaped de!! It's super duper kawaii (cute)... There were bits of strawberry and the taste is so much more 'strawberry' and creamier.. Love it~~ Nabisco Chip Star (Caesar Salad) was super oishii (delicious).. Right after I landed, just tidbits were enough to make my jaw drop and they were good enough for me to comment that they are NOT junk food!!

(Arrive at Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka)





What to do at Osaka? OMG what else? EAT SHOP EAT EAT SHOP EAT EAT! I first headed to Dotonbori.



The number one must-eat (if not you did not come to Osaka) is Takoyaki!






It would be impossible for you to miss this store.. besides that GIGANTIC Octopus shown in the picture above, there is always a long queue at the shop front.. besides the original Takoyaki (octopus), they also have Bacon and Cheese and Seafood (prawn) options.. I tried their Takoyaki.. it was a big WOW moment for me.. It was so good to the extent that I realised this is the REAL Takoyaki.. even the ones in Tokyo are not even half as nice as this store's Takoyaki! Yes! its that good.. The outer is soft and it was as thin as a membrane.. once you cut it into half.. the soft, moist and creamy inner just ooze out with the chunk of tako (octopus).. it was to die for.. really..




Osaka Dotonbori's famous crab.. yes it was very delicious but it was very expensive as well.. I managed to find/eat crab that was as good yet bigger in portion and cheaper in price when I went Tokyo later of my trip.. The second photo was my dinner.. the crab from this famous store is on the top right corner with the two ice packs on top of it.. three words would nail the second picture - everything was oishii!





Haha.. This cream puff shop opens late late along Shinsaibashi.. you can buy a few and eat while doing your shopping.. be sure to grab the favorites before they run out!

Finally words for the post on my Day 1 in Japan: Females are priviledged~ when travelling on trains during peak hours. They have special cabins in the middle of the train for Women Only. (^O^)

Akashi Japanese Restaurant (Vivocity)

What's the best way to give myself a treat on Labour Day?
Indulge in delicious fooooood~
Of course, to have good yet affordable sushi.. it has to be Akashi!
Note: Akashi at Vivocity has been relocated
from #B2-07-09 to the new #B2-28.



Wow.. another iPad-integrated Japanese restaurant.. I recalled Genki Sushi uses iPad for ordering purpose too.. Anyway.. using iPad to order is more convenient, in the sense that you need not look around trying to get the attention of the waitresses.. you could just select what you want and submit your order.. simple, easy, fast!



Tempura + Saba + Maguro + Tako Set ($21) is such a steal! not only the sashimi were fresh and thickly sliced.. look at the generous portion of top quality rice and the big big piece of Saba! the tempura looks good too right! hahahahaaa.. this is not my set so I didn't get to try the tempura.. heh heh..



Sake Don Set ($26) consists of 10 thickly sliced super fresh salmon sashimi and very oishii (delicious) rice.. maybe I was too hungry.. I wanted more rice.. hahahaaa.. but the salmon was really good! it was good enough to just eat it without wasabi or dipping soy sauce.. thumbs up up!



ooh ooh ooh oh my god.. look at the beautiful pinkish salmon awaiting for me to eat them.. *drools* oh! don't underestimate the tamago (egg).. it's very tasty too~ so are you checking your schedule to make time for Akashi? hahahahaaa.. no worries.. i shall list down all their outlets..
Akashi Japanese Restaurant (Vivocity)
1 Harbourfront Walk
#B2-28 VivoCity
Tel: 63769972
Opening hours: 11.30am - 10pm

Akashi Japanese Restaurant (Paragon)
290 Orchard Road
#B1-01 Paragon
Tel: 67358887
Opening hours: (Lunch) 11.30am - 3pm, (Dinner) 6pm - 11pm

Akashi Japanese Restaurant (Orchard Parade Hotel)
1 Tanglin Road
#01-01 Orchard Parade Hotel
Tel: 67324438
Opening hours: (Lunch) 11.30am - 3pm, (Dinner) 6pm - 11pm