The Assembly Ground @ The Cathay

Was in Singapore recently for the Music Run, and of course food is always a highlight of any trip. Located in the Cathay, The Assembly Ground is a café that serves up some truly delicious comfort food and coffee.

The Assembly Ground

The Truffle Fries came highly recommended by my sis and it didn’t disappoint. The homemade truffle mayo made for the perfect dip with the wonderfully crisp fries.

Truffle Fries ($12.60)

Starving from the failed attempt to escape a room prior to lunch, I was in the mood for some meat. Slow-roasted to perfection, the Beef Ragout really hit home on the tastebuds with its jam-packed flavor and tenderness. The piece of toast was slightly overdone but this was made up for by the rosti. Yummy!

Beef Ragout with Rosti ($23.50)

Drenched in white wine and drizzled with slow roasted garlic, the Farmer's Smoked Duck didn’t disappoint.

Farmer's Smoked Duck ($17)

Finally, there’s the Assembly Burger. Made with organic angus patty, red meat was never processed better.

The Assembly Burger ($21.50)

If you ever find yourself in Singapore, and around the area, do give it a try! If not for the food, go for the ambience. It’s a mere 5min walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT.

Where:

The Cathay

2 Handy Road #01-21

Singapore 229233

When:

Mon – Fri: 11am – 10pm

Sat – Sun: 10am – 10pm

Big Bob Burger and Coffee @ PJ

It's been aaaaaages since Bravo and I have been on an official foodscapade mission, and we finally accomplished it over the weekend!

What better way to reignite the foodie fun than with burgers. There's one I'd always wanted to try - Big Bob Burger and Coffee at the revamped Atria Shopping Gallery.

Big Bob Burger and Coffee

The entrance to the parking at the mall was tricky to find but we eventually found it. Then, there was the fun of winding our way up the levels to finally find free lots. Then, down the cargo lifts to the mall, walked all the way to the other end of the mall and finally we're at our destination!

The burger selection.

It wasn't too difficult a decision to make when it came down to ordering.

I got the Classic Cheese Burger while Bravo's choice was the Most Wanted - which was similar to mine except it's got the extra sliced beef in it. We both got the combo which comes with a Coke, and either a side of French Fries (+RM6.90) or Onion Rings (+RM7.90).

Classic Cheese Burger (RM.23.90) and the Most Wanted (RM25.90).

The burgers were pretty sizeable - almost as big as my hand haha.. The patties were juicy and uber beefy nomnomnom! I only wish the onions were cooked. The onion rings were yum but a tad salty. But otherwise, the whole experience was good. Could barely finish the whole thing though. And for once, neither of us could fit dessert in. Shocking but so very true.

Verdict: Pretty good burgers. Think I'd just share one next time, or maybe try their pizzas or pancakes or waffles mmm...

Fun fact from Bravo - the importance of equalising pressure to avoid pain in the ears when diving. Had no idea till now!

Where:

Big Bob Burger and Coffee

Atria Shopping Gallery

Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya,

47400 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor.

When:

Daily 10am - 10pm

Yut Kee Restaurant KL

Why, hello again! It's been quite a busy few months of a hiatus and I've finally got some sort of a breather for a post for the brand new year!

Today, I was introduced to Yut Kee Restaurant in the heart of town. My partner in crime notes that this establishment's signature is their chicken chop. Throngs of people have been known to flock here and in true Asian style, queue up for the food. Today was no different but the wait wasn't long, and it helped that our tummies weren't growling (loudly).

Yut Kee Restaurant

I quite liked the interior, with its old-fashioned feel. The tables and chairs brought back fond memories of my grandparents' home.

The old-world interior of Yut Kee.

Right, enough blabbering. On to the serious stuff.

The steamed bread with kaya wasn't bad. Although I would have preferred it to be crisper but it's steamed so up to personal preference! The butter was good though - can't go wrong with New Zealand butter eh? ;)

Marble cake was good. Period. Super buttery, which makes everything just that more heavenly and sinful.

Steamed bread with kaya and marble cake (RM1.20).

Now, on to the mains.

Chicken Chop (RM9.50) and Roti Babi (RM9).

Not that I've had much experience with chicken chop but this version of Chicken Chop is not what I'm used to. It's drenched in brown sauce with sides of potatoes, veggies, and overcooked onions. Not a huge fan of sloppy chicken skin but the meat and everything else was ok.

The Roti Babi however, really played to my tastebuds! For the uninitiated, it's basically French toast filled with fried pork in between. Nom Nom Nom!!! What made it even better was the crunch of the sengkuang. Not sure what it is in English but it's some sort of turnip. I could eat this everyday.

Verdict: Happy and full foodies. Good thing we didn't order another main or we'd be stuffed and the afternoon's calorie-burning regime would have been an epic fail.

If you're a fan of old-style settings and good old fashioned sinful fare, give Yut Kee a visit.

Where:

Yut Kee Resturant

No. 1, Jalan Kamunting,

50300 Kuala Lumpur.

When:

Daily 7:30am - 4:30pm

Closed on Mondays.

The Nippon Series: Burgers of the Wagyu kind.

In an attempt to keep a balanced diet, in complementing all that ramen, tempura and okonomiyaki, one can't possibly go wrong with good ol' beef burgers, and of course when in Japan, one would go for beef of the Wagyu variety!

Stumbled upon Kobe Gavly at Kyoto Ramen Koji, the most unlikely of places amongst the ramen shops.

Kobe Gavly

According to them, the patties here are made of Kobe beef. I got the most basic burger which is the Kobe Gavly, with a side of some deliciously sinful deep fried sweet potato wedges. The patty itself was like a big, slightly flattened meatball wedged between the buns with lettuce and tomatoes. Portion was a tad small but it was delish nonetheless.

The Kobe Gavly

Where:

Kobe Gavly @ Kyoto Ramen Koji in Kyoto Station.

From one small burger to the next, heading back to Tokyo. This one isn't Wagyu but it is a good burger. With tummies rumbling, this was a great find from a stroll through Roppongi. 

The 3rd Burger @ Roppongi 

The Edamame Beans Burger was pleasant to the tastebuds. Who knew that edamame beans paste go well with a beef patty? Everything from the buns to the vegetables were super fresh. Yummylicious! So far, small burgers seems to be the trend though.

Edamame Beans Burger

Where:
The 3rd Burger @ Roppongi

Last but not least, there's Burger Mania!

The Platinum Burger

The Platinum Burger is a scrumptious burger with three Wagyu steak slices. It was a little tough to bite the steak slices at times though. Hard work for a piece of meat, but all well worth it.

Where:
Burger Mania @ Hiroo

Next trip, I'd like to give Blacows a try as it apparently beats Burger Mania with its quality Wagyu burgers at a level on its own. Tokyo, I'll be back!

The Nippon Series: Tempura and Tonkatsu - Deep fried goodness!

I've long been a fan of pork, and when it comes deep fried - Oh my!

Under the recommendation of my Tokyo-based cousin, I went with Saboten in Shinjuku.

Saboten @ Keio

It seems like just like in Singapore, there is always a line outside every restaurant at mealtimes. There's a beautiful, and very tempting display outside with the selection of dishes they serve to keep customers salivating.

Tempting display.

At Saboten, they first serve you a healthy appetiser in the form of shredded cabbage. Get your dose of vegetables before the sin of deep fried pork cutlets kick in.

Healthy appetiser - shredded cabbage.

Then, the star of the meal. Topped with an omelette, the pork was breaded and deep fried to perfection. NOMNOMNOM. Too happy for words.

Pork Loin Cutlet Katsudon.

Where:

Saboten is a chain with over 500 restaurants across Japan, you will not miss it.

I went to the one on the 8th floor of Keio Department Store in Shinjuku. 

Now, on to Tempura!

After visiting the Imperial Palace (more like a walk in the grounds outside and getting annoyed with Chinese tourists), it was time to fill up. Walked over to the labyrinth that is Tokyo Station for some Tempura at Keyaki. By that time, I was beginning to become familiar with the place so finding the restaurant wasn't such a task.

Keyaki @ Tokyo Station.

The Keyaki Tempura Bowl was satisfying to say the least. Consisting of shrimp, squid, sand borer (a type of fish it seems, never heard of it!), sweet potato, lotus root, eggplant, and green pepper, this sizeable portion was simply happiness. 

Oh, almost forgot to mention that Japanese rice is amazingly good, every single grain of it, regardless of the dish is comes with.

Keyaki Tempura Bowl.

Where:

Keyaki @ Tokyo Station

The Nippon Series: Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki!

Kuidaore is a Japanese word meaning to "ruin oneself by extravagance in food".

Food associated with kuidaore in Osaka are Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, and Kitsune udon. Two of them happen to be on my list of faves and so began their search!

Thanks to Google, I found out about Fugetsu - a restaurant that specialises in Okonomiyaki.

Fugetsu @ Tempozan Marketplace.

For the uninitiated, Okonomiyaki is a Japanese style pancake with vegetables, meat, and/or seafood blended in a batter.

At Fugetsu, they cook the Okonomiyaki on a hotplate right in front of you at your table.

Hotplate at the table.

You can choose from a range of toppings, from beef tendon and shrimp to squid and kimchi. It was a tough choice, but pork was the final decision.

If you've had okonomiyaki in KL, you're probably used to having them filled with mostly batter and hardly any other ingredients. The one at Fugetsu was the exact opposite of that. It came with hardly any batter, and a whole load of cabbage, pork and egg.

Okonomiyaki in the making - with heaps of cabbage, pork and egg.

It took a good 20 minutes if not more for it to cook, and by the time it was ready, it looked perfect with the sweet sauce and mayonnaise to top it off. It tasted wonderful. Now, where can I find Okonomiyaki in KL that remotely resembles this?

They also do pretty decent Yakisoba, which is cooked in the kitchen and served onto the hotplate.

Yakisoba and Okonomiyaki.

Where:

Fugetsu 

They're a chain with restaurants across Japan but the one I went to was at Tempozan Marketplace in Osaka.

Now, on to Takoyaki. I'd heard there are heaps of stores to choose from at Dotonbori so I gave Creo-ru a try. DO NOT GO THERE. The filling, which consisted mostly batter, was uncooked - which one can tell by the deflating ball as they try to pick it up, and there was a sorry size of an octopus bit inside. Such a disappointment.

Good thing I'd already had some pretty epic Takoyaki in Kyoto.

Gindaco @ Porta.

Stumbled upon Gindaco and am really glad as they were the best Takoyaki I've had. The chefs put such effort into those wonderful octopus balls, it's no wonder there's always a line of people waiting to get their share.

Takoyaki from Gindaco, Yummy!

Crisp on the outside and filled with cabbage, bits of pickled ginger, green onions and a big fat piece of octopus. Deliciousness packed in a ball.

Where:
Gindaco @ Porta near Kyoto Station

The Nippon Series: Ramen Adventures!

Fresh off my trip to Japan, and having had a wonderful gastronomical affair, it would not be fair to not share the love. Since there was a wide array of food I had in the space of two weeks, there will be a number of posts in the Nippon Series. The first one shall be on one of the most loved exports around the world - Ramen.

I'll start with one of the restaurants at Kyoto Ramen Koji - a ramen mecca at Kyoto Station. It was difficult to pick between the eight restaurants there but we finally settled on Araumado.

Araumado @ Kyoto Station.

As with most if not all ramen restaurants, you buy a ticket for the type of ramen you want from the vending machine at the front of the restaurant and present it to the attendants who will then seat you.

Arauma Ramen with a side of Gyoza.

Arauma Ramen - cooked in pork bone broth with roasted garlic oil, the ramen was slightly chewy to the bite. Simply delicious! The gyoza was really yummy as well. What was different was that the skin was not stuck together as what I’m used to. No matter, they were delicious regardless!

Where:

Araumado @ Kyoto Ramen Koji in Kyoto Station.

From one Ramen Street to the next, Oreshiki Jun can be found at Tokyo Station. 

Oreshiki Jun @ Tokyo Station.

Tried their Tsukemen, which is basically dipping the ramen in a separate bowl of soup. It was an interesting experience to say the least. The slices of pork and the broth were extremely flavourful, but my only gripe is that the soup was just not hot enough.

Tsukemen. 

Right next to Oreshiki Jun is Rokurinsha. If your tummy isn't grumbling and you don’t mind queueing in line for at least 30 minutes, give it a try as I’ve heard they do the best Tsukemen. 

Where:

Oreshiki Jun @ Ramen Street in Tokyo Station (B1F Yaesu South Exit)

Finally, last but not least, I’d like to bring to your attention Ichiran – they specialise in Tonkotsu Ramen ie. pork based broth. 

Ichiran @ Shibuya.

Seating only 21, this branch at Shibuya provided a one of a kind experience. Let me tell you why.

As per usual, one buys a ticket for their ramen at the vending machine (after waiting in line for at least 30 minutes down the stairs into the basement in the sweltering heat and humidity). One would usually be seated when a table is ready, but this is where the story is slightly different. 

The row of individual booths.

Once language of choice is determined, the attendant hands over 2 pieces of paper and motions you to go past the curtain into a row of 10 individual booths.

On one piece, you choose your preferences on your bowl of ramen from the richness and flavour strength of the soup, to the amount of garlic and chilli you want. On the other piece is the option to top up on noodles, slices of pork and other sides such as egg and mushrooms should your tummy feel the need to be filled up even more.

Choose your preferences and then order!

Once ready, place your voucher and your preferences in front of you and press the red button. The chef takes your order and off she goes to prepare it.

Behind the scenes - Here you can see the row of booths on the other side. Couldn't see where the ramen prep though!

This bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen was by far the best I've had. The soup was flavourful yet not overwhelmingly rich, the pork slices so tender, and the chilli complemented the soup very well.

Introducing the best bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen I've ever had.

The individual booths idea is ingenious. One gets to concentrate on and enjoy their bowl of ramen with no distractions whatsoever.

If you've been to Tokyo and haven't been to Ichiran, or if you're running on a tight schedule, Ichiran is highly recommended. They're a chain with many locations across Japan, so do go check one out near you!

Where:
Ichiran @ Shibuya