Ginza Kushi Katsu, Paragon

From what little I could gather, this shop (#B1-47 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, tel : +65 6262 1304 ) is a kushikatsu joint that also specializes in gyu katsu. Armed with the notion that their gyu katsu is the first of its kind in this country. I would beg to differ. The difference between the first and any runner ups is an eternity because there can only be one first. So these guys aren't even close.

An aburi-ed foie gras and toro don from Maguro Donya Miura Misakikou Sushi & Dining

This was simply indulgence from our friendly blue fin tuna specialist. Torched slice toro, minced toro and foie gras. And some truffle soy sauce. Need I even say more? I just realized after taking the photo that there was just so much pink, even on the little sakura prints on the bowl.

A cheese dosai from Komala's

This was originally supposed to be a stop for some masala tea, but ended up with more than just tea. Along came this cheese dosai which was from the main shop down in Little India (330-332 Serangoon Road); apparently not available from their deli outposts which understandably has a much smaller menu. I remember not being so impressed with their dosai previously but today was kinda nice. Crispy at the edges, the salty cheese to go along and a nice warm sambar. Maybe I should drop by this location for tea more often and see what else is good.

A nasi goreng kampung from Dahlia Cafe

Hmmm...I succumbed after seeing numerous people getting a plate of this nasi goreng kampung. It didn't taste as good as I had imagined. The rice was a little too greasy and the sambal used for the frying was so weak that I needed their sambal belachan and the pickled green chilli to make it a better eat. Those ikan bilis were also salty without being fragrant and I thought they were a little too hard. I'll stick to their nasi goreng ayam if I ever come back.

Fruit juice mee siam from Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

In spite of the name Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa (#02-66 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Blk 531A Upper Cross Street), this stall is also rather well known for their mee siam. A fruit juice mee siam - unique even as a local dish by local standards. The lady proprietor had suddenly become very loquacious at my asking about what fruits were used. After artfully (somewhat) dodging the question with something about not using tamarind (the traditional ingredient for the tangy/sour element) and something about onions, she proceeded with how they had purchased their crayfish fresh every morning and that quality of their ingredient was of the utmost importance to them which adds to the cost and blah blah blah. I don't think they were keen on sharing their secret

But I liked it. An accurate word to describe the broth would be fruity. It was tangy like most mee siam with just a light warmth from the chilli. But that tangy element was just different. Maybe less sharp and more refreshing. I'm not too sure. Liked it enough that I finished up to the last drop.

A first visit to Tampopo this year

It's been a while since the last time. This was a quick dinner. One of the items that wasn't around the last time we were here was the Sakura tori paitan ramen. There was a mini-bowl option which was really perfect if you wanted to test drive for flavour. It turned out to be good. I'm getting the regular bowl the next time. Broth was creamy, savoury and had a hint of yuzu. Marutama it seems has a real competitor now.

There was an expensive seasonal menu premium barachirashi which had crab legs and little blobs of uni amongst the usual suspects. The rice was unfortunately not vinegared. But one cannot argue against the generosity of the seafood they piled on top of the bowl. The quantity of those seafood was at least that of the rice.

Tampopo's negitoro don is an old favourite of ours. Seems like it will remain an old favourite still in the foreseeable future. The price of the bowl has gone up by about a dollar since I last remember.

But look at the amount of chopped toro versus the rice. Though I remember a time when there was a lot more negi to go along with the tuna. In retrospect, the ones from the past did seem like they were also fattier than the ones they served today.