Happy Friday!

I really wish to rediscover my love for and interest in writing. I feel sad when I visit the blog sometimes and after logging in, just proceed to log out because I just don’t feel the inclination to write and I am just not inspired to write anything. Writing used to feel so easy and effortless and nowadays it seems to be one of the furthest things from my mind. Focus is hard to grasp with apparent brain fog most of the times, and I just feel that whatever is typed out is somehow just meaningless banter.

But still, it is a Friday after all! Best day of the week because there is no work tomorrow. Isn’t it sad when on a day-to-day basis, the only thing worth looking forward to is the lunch break and end-of-workday, and then to Friday? When Friday comes around, there is already that impending dread that the weekend, though here, is too short and Monday already seems to loom around the corner. Well, I know this is all negative talk that I should refrain from and instead learn to ‘live in the moment’, enjoy each day for what it is rather than look ahead to something that we can’t control, or that only seem to make us feel bad. There really isn’t a point to be at this moment now, harbouring regrets about yesterday and worrying about tomorrow. And ok, I know that most people would say that everyone is exactly the same, in looking ahead to the meal breaks and then the going home part. We are all alike in that aspect but we all react and respond differently because of how differently we are wired internally. It’s just like how eating a humongous sandwich can make me experience heavenly bliss but to another it is just… food.

So anyway… with 8 months of 2016 gone and the last third of the year to go, I was thinking if I should, scratch that, I was thinking of where else I should visit. The last few years have seen me taking quite a number of vacations in the span of a year, at least 4 or more. This year, I have been on just 2 holidays.

In May, I visited my favourite city, Tokyo, once again. I already lost count of the number of times I have been there but yet there is always that desire to visit. There never really is an itinerary or reason for visiting each time but somehow I just look forward to going there. This time, I revisited Gotemba Premium Outlets. It’s the second time I’m going there and it’s so different from the first. Weather-wise it definitely felt different and also in terms of the crowd. It was so empty when I first went in 2009 and freezing cold. This time, it still wasn’t too hot because the seasons were changing, but the crowd size was visibly larger. Also, the people I went with on this trip, to Gotemba at least, were avid shopaholics.

This was the situation at Gotemba, where we were crossing from one part to the other, after having a very un-Thai version of basil chicken rice at the food court. Personally, as I don’t shop as much these days, I only bought some casual clothing from GAP (the typical go-to shop for most people at these outlets I think). My Gotemba companions scored big though, with one of the most value-for-money buys from Loewe for most of them.

Just recently at the end of July, I took a short trip to nearby Hong Kong, another of my favourite cities, but which is starting to lose its shine somewhat. I still enjoy it for its familiarity and proximity to Singapore that is such a boon in terms of the relatively short flight time, but circumstances seem to have began to cast shadows on these. Nevertheless, I tried something new this time! Craved for char siew and my friend brought me to this Michelin-starred eatery. We actually queued (albeit a short while) to enter even though it was past lunch hour. Verdict? I think it’s ok, not bad but not fantastic that I would want to queue for again. It’s the same as Tin Ho Wan, not bad but not worth the kinds of queue that we see.

Other than this, the only other local thing I had on this trip was a small cup of Hong Kong milk tea from Tsui Wah that I ordered at the airport while waiting for my flight that was delayed for a couple of hours due to the the typhoon that set off the island on a Signal 8 Typhoon alert the night before I was due to depart. I also chanced upon a Gerard Dubois patisserie in Causeway Bay and tried the lemon curd tart that was pretty nice and zesty!

There were so many things there that I would have liked to order to try but I could only choose one because I think that’s the maximum sugar load I could take at any one time. Or so I would like to trick myself into believing.

So if I take Hong Kong and Tokyo out of the equation, what are the other plausible choices? Should I venture a revisit of either?

Japanese Curry rice

Perhaps like a lifetime ago, I had the idea that Japanese food consisted of sushi and sashimi. In fact, I wasn’t exposed much to all things Japanese as a kid, until when I started working maybe, when somehow Japan became popular. Before that, Japanese anime, manga and even their dramas were popular here but that never really caught on for me. I don’t even know when I started latching on to the “Japan wave”, if I even did anyway.

I think it was when I started working when I started having sushi pretty regularly, visiting the then-hugely popular Sakae Sushi with their innovative conveyor-belt sushi chain stores. It was fun to sit and watch colourful plates of sushi moving past, with the excitement coming in grabbing something we liked and wanted to have when the restaurant is busy and we have been waiting for it for a while. It wasn’t a few years after that when I first stepped foot into Japan (yes call me a mountain tortoise or whatever but I went to Japan the very first time in 2006 I believe). By then I think I had already been acquainted with Japanese curry, through this restaurant called Curry Favour that used to be Stamford Building in City Hall. I like their curry, which could be customised according to your preference of spicyness, and you could order half or full portions, the former of which was already rather substantial, especially with the rice and pork cutlet that was served up as part of the curry offering.

So in the last Tokyo trip, we also had Japanese curry one evening as my friend was craving for it, especially on a cold, rainy and extremely windy night. We popped in to this restaurant on the upper floor of Takashimaya in Shinjuku and I ordered a Seafood curry rice and this was what came.    The curry was served in the same contraption as what I recalled from Curry Favour, but I can’t say the same about size. I wonder if my appetite has increased from then, which I highly doubt so, but this one seemed quite small and the curry contained within was also quite little in terms of amount. The pieces of seafood inside was a little sad, maybe one prawn, one scallop, and I don’t know what else now, plus there was a stalk of cauliflower. Hmm. The taste was alright, but for the price that we paid I don’t think it was value for money. I suppose it being Takashimaya with a proper place to dine in, with ample space and ambience, that had all been factored into the price, as compared to say, if we were to have our curry rice at the hole-in-a-wall shops located along the streets or at the train stations, such as Coco Ichibanya (which in Singapore is a proper restaurant but in Japan it’s more of like a fuss-and-frills-free eatery). Besides, the funny thing was also that the rice, served on a plate, was flattened to cover the surface of the plate so for people who need the rice to fill up their tummies would probably be left needing a second helping somewhere else, supper perhaps.  We couldn’t complain much since we were rather tired that day from the whole day of rain and wind, and it was comforting to be sitting in a sheltered place away from the strong gusty winds that were howling outside. It was so windy that lots of people had their umbrellas blown upside down and as I walked across the long wide bridge over the numerous train tracks of JR Shinjuku station, I had to consciously walk along the side near one wall to prevent myself from being blown away! 

Pâtiserrie Francaise Colombin, Tokyo

On one fairly chilly and drizzly day in Tokyo, my friends and I popped into this cafe/bistro that instantaneously seem to transport us in a time capsule back to a couple of decades ago. Even as Patiserrie Francaise Colombin, with its French name and located along the glitzy, upmarket street of bustling Omotesando, the interior felt like a world of difference. Perhaps it being a weekday afternoon played a part, as there was this huge group of patrons who were well into their golden years, chatting boisteriously and merrily over coffee and cakes. There were other scattered pairs of patrons but this group who were seated in the midst of the cafe had about 10 or more in their party.

We were given a corner table and although what drew us in originally was the delectable-looking and creamy Swiss roll, it didn’t seem to be offered on the menu. Poring through what was available that afternoon, we decided to order a Matcha Mont Blanc and a serving of Pancakes. I would admit that I have never really had a Mont Blanc, or that I could remember because of the way it looks that somehow it didn’t seem like something I would like. I am not that into creamy mousse and that is how a Mont Blanc appears to me, but we decided on this anyway and it was a pleasant surprise. Now I know that Mont Blanc is actually made of pureed, sweetened chestnuts, the latter of which is something I like (not so sure about ‘sweetened’ though). But the part of it being ‘topped with whipped cream’ is probably the off-putting part. As much as I love cream cheese or clotted cream that comes with scones sometimes, I don’t fancy cream cheese frosting because it is too sweet and whipped cream… just because. It just does not compare up with clotted cream which is more dense and richer in texture and therefore more enjoyable, though with a definitive higher fat content I suspect.

Our surprise in this Mont Blanc derives from its taste, which isn’t too sweet despite my initial misgivings. Perhaps the matcha that was used in making it helped to counter and balance the original sweetness of this cake. And it was what was contained within that also drew slight exclamations of surprise from us.   Besides what you see inside here, the creamy white blob of something which I can’t now recall but which isn’t something very sweet, deeper in the core was another green-tea flavoured blob of cream that was quite yummy. Pardon my lack of recollection of the details, and also my limited vocabulary in describing the taste. That’s why photos are important in capturing moments to remember, and in this case, I have not taken an adequate number of them, especially in the face of bad memory. On the whole, we gave this Mont Blanc a thumbs-up!

Next up was the pancakes, which were really small discs of caramelised flour cakes whose taste reminded me of creme brulee. The huge dollop on top is whipped cream but in this case, it goes well with the fluffy pancakes, that aren’t too heavy and dense, and their size helps to make us feel that we aren’t overindulging. It may be a case of self-delusion but who cares right, since we were on holiday!    This place is like a hidden gem amidst the bustling Omotesando shopping belt but I believe there are many of such places all over, whether in Tokyo or even right here in our own backyard, evidenced by the multitude of cafes that are sprouting up island-wide, many of which I have never had the chance to visit before they close for whatever reasons. Well, as with all F&B establishments, there are always hits & misses and not all cafes in Singapore are good, whether food or coffee or just the cafe experience in itself. 

eating my way through Tokyo

Despite having been to Tokyo countless number of times and obviously loving the place, I can’t say that I know the place well because Tokyo, whether we are talking about the city in itself or the various precincts, is so huge as compared to Singapore (which I also can’t say I know well). The other reason also would be that these days I don’t have a planned itinerary when I visit, but rather go with my mood which more often than not takes me back to places that I am familiar with, unless the adventurous and energetic streaks spring forth that takes me on an exploratory trail around. There is a lot of walking involved even if we are talking about the usual places and therefore it is easy to grow weary.

Where food is concerned, it is seldom a miss, even if it is a very non-descript tiny hole-in-the-wall shop or those convenient booths that you find crammed in a corner of the busy train stations. One afternoon, before meeting my friends for coffee, I popped into this shop somewhere near JR Shinjuku. It is in the basement of Odakyu department store but not part of the mall’s food hall, more of a small collection of eateries interpersed between the floors of the mall and the train station. I used to ‘frequent’ the tempura joint in that stretch but I wasn’t feeling the mood for tempura that day so I thought that I would go for chirashi, a serving of sashimi atop a bowl of rice. I really love this bowl! Even if I am not a big fan of rice these days and only ate the bed of white, chewy Japanese rice beneath as a sign of respect for the chef since I was sitting at the counter, the generous serving of fresh and delicious sashimi made this 850yen pre-tax (iirc) totally worth it, especially now that the exchange rate is relatively favourable for us!

On another day, while I was at the Roppongi Hills area, I was again checking out food options near the metro station. Near the exit to Roppongi Hills, I had tried a couple of shops before which sold ramen, both the soup and dry versions but again ramen wasn’t ranking so high on my list of cravings then, so after a long process of walking back and forth I finally settled into this shop that sells very yummy-looking set lunches (based on the displays outside the shop). I chose this grilled fish set, which my goldfish memory has caused the type of fish to elude me, and it comes with healthy brown rice, some pickled vegetables and sald and a bowl of miso soup. The fish was a little oily, not so much from the grilling but I think more from the natural fish oil that was found on the underside of the skin. Well, perhaps I am in  self-denial in saying this but at least it wasn’t deep-fried and I really enjoyed it to the last morsel of fish!  Here is a closer take on the fish, which is a litte charred on some parts but overall, it’s all good!  I had an earlier post on the food halls that I was checking out on a daily basis (hoping I don’t get recognised by the obasans manning them) and they are really amazing even if prices are not what I would consider as economical, at least not from a Singaporean point of view. Perhaps it is also not that cheap from a local perspective because comparatively, we are able to get cheaper options elsewhere, such as those shops that operate with the vending machines where you buy your meal ticket and present it at the counter in exchange for food. One of those nights after a Bikram class, I decided to give myself a treat, not that I wasn’t already indulging and treating myself in Tokyo every single day….

But this bento box that I got from Takashimaya really made me happy just by looking at it. After I finished it, I discovered to my horror that this was meant as a 2-person portion! Again, I tried to make myself feel better by getting friends to agree with me via a post on Instagram that this can’t be for 2 persons, right? Either that, or the Japanese people have really small appetites. Haha, as you can tell I am still in self-denial mode. All nine items in this tic-tac-toe box tasted great for post-workout me in that cold weather which called for a sumptuous meal! It included breaded and deep-fried chicken and fish, salads, sauteed squid and prawns, etc. It was probably the best bento box I ever had so far. 😀    And the last item here is something I didn’t eat, but my friends ordered from a Food Court at Diver City, when we visited to check out the life-size Gundam figurine. The food court is so atypical of Japan but I guess this area catered more for tourists and visitors and a collection of food stalls in an enclosed free-seating area makes sense. It felt very un-Japan though, but the food quality I would reckon is far above the general food court fare that we get (in most Singapore food courts anyway), as commented by my friends who loved the dollop of eggy mash on top too. 

Yakitori goodness

I can’t remember the name of this restaurant, but it’s an eatery located at one of the upper floors of Tobu Department store in Ikebukuro. It resembles an izakaya of sorts but then in a very different setting, as it doesn’t have your usual “salary man” drinking and smoking, it being a department store where I suppose smoking isn’t allowed indoors. It feels more like the typical Japanese restaurants that we might expect to see in Singapore, with spacious seating arrangements and the use of wooden furniture.

There was some misunderstanding in the reading of the menu that led us to ordering more than what we could finish. It just goes to show that my level of Japanese proficiency isn’t too fantastic.

So these are the grilled vegetables that we ordered – leek, cucumber, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.These were the minced chicken balls (tsukune) that we ordered, coated with different choice of sauces. Among yakitori, this is one of my favourites, aside from the veggies. I can’t appreciate most other yakitori such as chicken skin, innards or what-have-you.  The whole lot of yakitori sticks we had. The plate on the left-hand side were the mis-ordered ones. They were also minced chicken balls but coated with a pre-determined set of 3 different sauces. We couldn’t finish all of them eventually because it was just too much food.Reason why we couldn’t finish… because we ordered other things too. My friend and I shared the Oyako-don, which was really yummy as the egg was so smooth and fragrant, it’s almost like extremely creamy scrambled eggs.  Another of my friend ordered this dish, which I don’t really know what it was. There was breaded chicken slices on top of some rice, but I have no idea what the yellow bits were. He didn’t seem to enjoy this as a sizable portion was left behind, or maybe it was just the rice and carbs that he didn’t want to have. The 2 mains were part of a set that came with dessert, a very interesting type of mochi coated with soy bean powder, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a syrup of sorts, probably honey or maple syrup?  On the whole, the dinner was pretty ok I guess, as yakitori is a type of Japanese food I enjoy, though I hardly have them these days and the variety I consume is rather limited. Nevertheless, most of the food in Japan are good; it is hard to go wrong regardless of the type of establishment and the corresponding price of the dish. Perhaps unless there is some preconceived expectation that isn’t met, but for me so far, I don’t think I have been much disappointed by food that I have in Japan. 🙂