God Fire ramen from Ikkousha

This bowl from Ikkousha (111 Somerset Road, #02-15, TripleOne Somerset) had to be by far the spiciest ramen that I've had. Then again, I've never really made it a thing trying spicy ramen. While this packed a respectable amount of (woody and almost herbal) heat in the still savoury pork bone broth, it wasn't anywhere close lip numbing. God Fire was really just an impressive name for their chilli based tonkotsu broth. I prefer their regular option down at Ramen Champion.

The charshu that they had in this bowl was much more thinly sliced and it resembled those from the tonkotsu bowls at Keisuke's Tonkotsu King.

Moments before The Hunger Games

This was probably the first time I'm getting those blue fin tunas from the Kyushu Fair down at Isetan. It did taste a lot better than I expected with the otoro slices that came with the pre-requisite oiliness. In retrospect, I had preferred the chutoro and the maguro slices for their much more robust tuna flavors in comparison with the fattest part of the belly which tasted a lot more mild, but was textually more sublime. These of course were rather expensive as well.

Some new seafood rice stuff from Ootoya

Here're a couple of items that weren't on menu the last time we were at Ootoya. Both of which featured seafood on top of rice in bamboo steamers. The intention was I'm sure, to impart flavour into the rice. That hadn't quite worked out for the ebi seiro which featured sakura ebi. Those strips of omelette that came along with the rice actually tasted a whole lot more than those shrimps and the rice was largely flavoured by the cubes of shiitake mushroom. The clams with hijiki option faired much better in the department of flavour. Both still tasted rather healthy if you catch my drift.

Brasserie Gavroche, Tras Street

This would be the first time in a long while that I've been brought to a place where I knew almost nothing about. That had almost resurrected in me the appeal of mystery in a food place since I had usually made it a point to understand or at least know what I am getting myself into. Brasserie Gavroche, (66 Tras Street, tel : +65 6225 8266) as one might surmise from name, serves French food.

Before I get on to the food, I must not neglect to mention that the restaurant serves a very tasty cheese choux puff for befores.

One of the starters we had was sautéed bamboo clams with jamon Iberico. The flavour and presentation did well away with theatrics. Each ingredient stood on it's own being individually identifiable even when put together. The bamboo clams were fresh tasting with it's mild sweet chewiness, the sharp garlic in the lightly tart tomato base, spicy bitter rockets and the bodied nutty ham were all together yet apart. If that makes any sense.

Then there was also a rich and creamy terrine of Périgord duck liver which we polished off with extra servings of hot bread that tasted like it just came off the oven.

The bone marrow on Poilane bread wasn't what I had imagined. For one, there was a lot less bone marrow than I had expected out of something that was called bone marrow on menu. But the flavour from the marrow was surprisingly robust for the measly portions. They paired off well with the garlic confit that both enhanced and detracted from the flavour of the marrow. Confusing? I thought so too.

Stepping off my usual beaten and bovine path, I opted for a fish quenelle with crayfish sauce. What was that you ask? Oven baked fish mousse in a broth that tasted very much like lobster bisque. Pretty good stuff there.

Disappointment came in the form of the rum baba. It was bread-y rather than cake like. Came with too little cream and too diluted portions of rum. Should've stuck with profiteroles.

S is for......

......Squids. That were Seared and Sizzling on a Saturday.

S is for Sapporo, that was conveniently located beside the Succulent squids.

S is for Snack, which we made out of the squids and Sapporo on a Saturday.

S is for Satisfied.

Re-eating the charshu don from Baikohken

Probably my favorite thing on menu here. What I found out today was that it was better with a few healthy shakes of pepper and chilli powder that they provide.