Battle of the Chirashi!

Last week the wifey and I took a break from our daily duties with a  staycation at the Fullerton Hotel (courtesy of Standard Chartered Bank). We decided to end our mini retreat with a Japanese meal. What better place to check out than the restaurant that supposedly makes the best Chirashi in Singapore - Chikuwatei Japanese Restaurant.

Here are the pics to whet your appetite...

Signature CHIRASHI KOU: thick slices of Salmon, Amaebi, Sweet Prawn, Chutoro,
Scallops, Kanpachi and Unagi, served with house-made Tamago and fresh Ikura from Tsukiji.

Chawanmushi. This version had numerous pieces of seafood within. Just one word - Yum.

We've had Chirashi from more than afew restaurants in Singapore and I dare say I do know a thing or two about this dish. It is easy to understand why the Chirashi Kou from Chikuwatei is in the running for the best Chirashi in Singapore. The thick chunks of fresh seafood threatens to overflow from the bowl. I particularly enjoyed the Chutoro. It was of perfect thickness (just large enough to fill your mouth for a good chewing) and fat enough to give it a chewy and smooth texture, yet not overly fatty.

Verdict: Is this the best Chirashi I've had? What it has going for it is the amount and quality of the ingredients. In this, it beats most other Chirashis. In terms of overall taste though... I still prefer the one at Ryo Sushi. As for the ambiance of  the restaurant, I prefer the intimacy of Ryo Sushi. So, is the Chirashi at Chikuwatei the best in Singapore? I'd say "no", but it sure comes close,

Big Eats in the Little London Trip

     Being the foodie that we are, I've decided to chronicle our London adventure from the viewpoint of food. Here are the highlights.

Duck and Waffles     

First day in London, we were given a treat at "Duck and Waffles" by my colleague Junxiong.

View from the restuarant

The famous Duck and Waffles

Abeno Okonomayaki
After catching "Mathilda" at West End, we decided to pop into one of the "Japanese" restaurants on the way back. Little did we know that this little place has been voted one of the "must-eats" in London.

Prepared from raw ingrdients right in front of you

The finished product

Buckingham Palace Cafe

This cafe is located on the grounds of the palace itself. We decided to lunch here after the palace tour.

ice-cream made from milk from the Royal Farms

Burger and Lobster

How can we miss out on this joint? Needs no explanation.

Bourough Market
Largest oysters I've ever had.

Thomas Cafe - the only Burberry Cafe in the World

We stumbled into this "one in the world" Burberry cafe while window shopping at the Regeant Street flagship store. Their specialty? - Lobster of course!

Verdict? Not bad but I rather eat at "Burger and Lobster".

La Porte des Indes
The UK once seriously considered making curry their national dish. Needless to say we had to try the curry in London. Right opposite our hotel was this nondescript (or so we thought) Indian restaurant which looked quite decent. Imagine our surprise when we entered. There was space enough for a few large parties, complete with a man-made waterfall and lounge area. Once again we stumbled upon a gem. Apparently "La Porte des Indes" was a winner of several food accolades, by the look of the certificates lining the wall. Thankfully, it lived up to it's fame. The French-inspired Creole Indian cusine was one of the best we had on this trip.

 It was indeed an apt way to end our first London adventure with the baby.

London Adventures of a 3 month old Baby (and Parents)

      This year we celebrate 5 years of AIA's listing on the HK stock exchange with a gathering in London of producers from AIA markets around the world. The wifey decided she wanted to tag along. Moreover, she's not prepared to go anywhere without our newborn, Shiloh. So Shiloh has to come along as well. People said we were mad to bring a 3 month old baby all the way to London. Well, you'd never know if you never try. Here are the highlight's of our London adventure.

Strolling through HYDE PARK on the way to HARRODS at Knightbridge

      The little one seems to love the green outdoors. She looked around and was extremely well-behaved. The crankiness started only when we got to the shopping centre.

To BUCKINGHAM PALACE to visit the Queen

Pit stop at St James' Park while waiting for out turn to enter.

Visiting 7 storeys of toys at HAMSLEY

BOROUGH MARKET

 CRUISE down the River Thames

Coldest day of the trip: Shiloh all bundled up.

Rounding off the trip with antique shopping at PORTOBELLO MARKET

In the end there wasn't much antiques to be had. We ended up collecting stuff for Shiloh's Peter Rabbit themed nursery.

Special Mention: MATILDA the musical at West End

     Thanks to the mother-in-law, we had the privelege of a night out on our own, the wifey and I. What's a trip to London without experiencing a musical on West End? We didn't want to go for one that could be caught back in Singapore. So "Phantom of the Opera" was definitely out. Besides we've already caught it before. The wifey decided on "Mathilda", based on Roald Dahl's book by the same name. It turned out to be an excellent choice. I was very impressed with the thought that went into the set. How the mechanics for each scene worked hand-in-hand with one another is something to behold. However, I was blown away by the performance of the cast. The way the children danced, sang, and performed their hearts' out, deserved the standing ovation that they received. It is certainly a musical that I would highly recommend - a "must watch", trust me.

      In conclusion, it was an enjoyable trip. Bringing an infant on a long-distance vacation isn't as impossible as some people make it out to be. Thank God for His protection over all of us, especially the wifey and Shiloh.

Michelin Quality Sushi at Shopping Centre Prices

     It is not everyday that one comes across a food establishment good enough to warrant a visit two days in a row. The wifey and I stumbled upon such a place while taking a stroll after a hearty supper one evening last week. The place - Ryo Sushi, located among the stretch of restaurants next to Orchid Hotel, along Tanjong Pagar Road.

     This little Japanese sushi restaurant has only been opened for a week, but has already seen a few repeat customers; not least a trio from overseas who decided to have their final meal in Singapore here. At this rate, it would soon outgrow it's modest seating capacity. 

     We were fortunate to be seated indoors, facing the chef. The sushi is prepared right in front of you and placed directly from the chopping board onto your plate; one piece at a time. Each piece of sushi was expertly paired with a suitable seasoning and condiment (I found the soya foam pretty interesting). This not only enhanced the flavour of the sushi, but also preserved the taste that the chef intended. There's no danger of over-soaking your sushi in soyasauce or adding too much wasabi here. In fact, you are not given the choice of adding sauce; which I must admit, is a good thing. We had the omakase menu which beside the sushi, included edamame, onsen tamago (egg), a small chirashi bowl, crab-meat maki and soup; all this for less than $40 per person (no service chatge and GST).

Onsen Tamago with Trffle - an amazing combinition

     The next day we were back for more. This time we tried the large chirashi bowl as well as the uni rice bowl. The chirashi is one of the best, if not the best I've ever had (and believe you me, I've had quite a few at different places). It was so good that we ordered a second portion. Go for the chef's recommendation and add the onsen tamago to the chirashi. You have to try it to understand the burst of flavour - warm egg, truffle, fresh sashimi, wasabi and chef's secret sauce... YUM!

     The uni rice is the most decadent thing I've had in a while. The uni is literally mixed into the rice right before your eyes. As if this is not enough, more uni and added on top. I've never eaten uni this way before. We also discovered that the restaurant made it's own hijiki, pickled ginger and pickled lotus root condiments

Unbeatable!

     I was debating with myself whether to be selfish or share this gem with all of you. Don't want too many people crowding out the joint. One could be forgiven for thinking that the chef was trained in Japan. In fact, Roy was trained locally. This proves that we do have quality here - Michelin quality.

Shiloh - Carrying the Presence of the Almighty

     On the 6th of July 2016 we held Shiloh's full month celebration at the Fullerton Hotel, Straits Room. This venue was painstaking restored to it's colonial glory and preserved as it was. It was a good chance to catch up with family and reconnect with old friends. 

     

     Here's an excerp of my thank you speech, explaining our choice for our daughter's name. 

     "So why did we name her Jing Ying? It’s taken from Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. 敬畏耶和華 to have 聪颖.

Proverbs 31: 10-31 summarizes the meaning of this “Wisdom”. Proverbs 31 speaks of the “virtuous” woman. The Hebrew root word more aptly describes it as “strength” and “valour”; more often to describe armies. In the rest of the chapter, we see this strong, valiant, wise woman, also having business acumen, yet generous and very importantly, she’s diligent. These are the traits we hope to inculcate in our little one. And it all starts with teaching her to fear the Lord. Hence her name 敬颖.

Why Shiloh:

1 Samuel 1. The House of God was in Shiloh. The Ark of the Covenant was in Shiloh. Hannah had her prayer answered when she prayed at Shiloh.

This is to remind us that the Lord heard our prayer and granted this precious girl to us.

1 Samuel 3. The word of the Lord was precious in those days and there was no open vision. Yet the Lord called to Samuel at Shiloh.

It is our hope for Shiloh that the Lord’s presence will always be with her; that she will carry His presence and be a light and testimony for Jesus. Also that the Lord will call to her as He did to the Prophet Samuel when he was a small boy. And Shiloh would be sensitive and obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit all the days of her life.

And Finally, why Shiloh? So that she can join Jordan and Emmaus to play “Find my name on the Map of the Middle East” – Just Kidding!

So today, as we dedicate Shiloh to the Lord; it is as much a dedication of Ziyan and myself to bringing her up to be a woman that loves and fears the Lord".