Aji-Tei @ Singapore

Yup.. I haven't done with Singapore's food post yet.. So, let's we continue shall we? As I said before there are many Japanese restaurants around Singapore, and these restaurants not only specialized in Japanese foods but also in Japanese desserts.. When it come to the desserts, Japanese really has a passion of it.. They create the dessert so fancy, delicate, colorful, and also healthy way..


So when I still in Singapore, why don't I give it a try? And this time I took my mom to try it in Aji-Tei Japanese Cuisine & Dessert House in Takashimaya..


We were looking at the menu and we can't decide what to eat, it's hard to choose.. All is good, so colorful, and look delicious.. The pictures on menu really tempt us to try everything! haha..


Aji-Tei has a pleasant environment with the minimalist black furniture..


My mom ordered this Matcha Parfait (SGD 7.80), it includes the yummy goodness of red bean paste, cornflakes, jelly, whipped cream, matcha ice cream, and mochi.. The ice cream itself is very creamy, smooth, and light.. It's a blend of bitter green tea and sweet milk.. This parfait had a rich matcha flavor and was very delicious, I love anything matcha flavor haha.. Trust me it tasted good as it looked!


Next is my Anmitsu (SGD 4.80), is a Japanese traditional dessert made of small cubes of translucent jelly and served with red bean paste, mochi, glutinous rice balls, and slices fruits of peach and orange poured with sweet sauce..


This restaurant is not only serve Japanese desserts but also varies Japanese cuisine, so we also try their Ebi Prawn Tempura (SGD 10.80), deep fried prawn in tempura batter..
The tempura was pretty good, the prawn was sweet and fresh.. In fact it was so crunchy that you can hear the crackly bite..

I think Aji-Tei is a decent place to enjoy a wide variety of Japanese dessert and cuisine in Singapore.. I just wonder whether this Aji-Tei is the same as Aji-Tei Restaurant in Pacific Place? Hmm I'll find out later when I visit Aji-Tei in Pacific Place hehe..


Aji-Tei
Japanese Cuisine & Dessert House
Takashimaya #B2-02
Singapore

Beard Papa's

When it comes snack cravings.. E really love this cream puff, Beard Papa's.. I think Beard Papa 's is the most delicate cream puff (or simply we called it kue sus) I found in Jakarta..


One of their outlet in EX.. At Beard Papa's, you have a choice of cream filling like chocolate, vanilla, cappucino, and green tea flavors.. Our fave is the green tea one, but it's so difficult to get it.. The green tea flavor is not always available everyday..


Like this time E still can't get the green tea one, so he goes for the Cappuccino Cream Puff (11K), a crispy puff pastry filled with a generous cappuccino cream filling.. The puff pastry has a consistent and most appealing filling that is pumped into it and freshly prepared as you order..



The puff pastry was light and airy with delightfully crispy crackly crust, the cappuccino cream filling was delicate flavored.. It was a bit messy to eat but sooo good.. Mmm..


And this is one of the Beard Papa's stations in Hong Kong.. It's all about freshness, they bakes cream puffs and fills it immediately..


Looks in Hong Kong they have many varies menu much different with their menu in Jakarta, looks so tempting and tastes delicate..


Surely, we choosed the Choux a La Creme - Original with Green Tea filling (HKD 12).. It always available everyday there.. Looks the oozed green tea cream filling, it was excellent and it tasted wonderfully smooth, delicate, and not too sweet.. Love it..

Really this is the most delicate cream puff I ever eat.. Nyummm..


Beard Papa's
Entertainment X'nter L2 # B-03
Jl. M. H. Thamrin Kav. 13
Cental Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 31900787

Mall Artha Gading Ground Floor #B1-1
Jl. Boulevard Artha Gading Selatan No. 1
North Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 45863852

Kembang Goela

Back to Jakarta, so what we have here.. Hmm do you miss an Indonesian dish? Here it is, we have a fine Indonesian cuisine in Kembang Goela.. Actually the dish served here is not purely Indonesian, it's a fusion between Indonesian and Dutch cuisine..


Located in Sudirman area in Plaza Sentral, this restaurant is situated in the back of Plaza Sentral office building..


The restaurant is set up in a collaboration of minimalist colonial of Dutch style and old Java style with some old photographs hung on its wall and several antique wooden furniture set as a dining area components.. The place is very clean, bright, and has a pleasant ambiance to enjoy our meals..


The pianist to serenade the guest with some classical tunes the whole night long..


After we sat down, they served us with this deep fried spaghetti stick as a complimentary..


I found something unusual here with their Ice Tea (15K), it is just an ordinary ice tea but with a stick of fresh pineapple.. I don't know why the put a pineapple on it, but it's nice though.. hehe

Not long after the waiter took our order, our appetizer came up..


Wow looks unique yaa.. This is Sosis Om Yance - Uncle Yance's Sausage (75K), the one metre long boiled chicken sausage in a long wooden plate and served with mustard and tomato sauce.. It's quite a big appetizer for two people yaa hehe..


The sausages was cooked with some spices which you can taste it gently in every bite and it's juicy though.. Nice..


Next is Tahoe Telor Bledek - Bledek Tofu Omelette (27.5K), is an deep fried Indonesian tofu omelette with shredded cabbage, carrot, and bean sprouts served with sweet soy dressing.. It tasted wise, the omelette was nicely crispy on the outside yet still had a soft texture of tofu in the inside and the sweetness of the soy dressing really a good complement to the overall taste.. But I still have no idea why it called bledek hehe..


Mie Goreng Bang Doel - Doel's Fried Noodle (35K), is a Javanese-style fried egg noodle in sweet soy sauce served with shrimp crackers..


I loved they way they cooked this noodle, it was not too dry nor too wet with a simply sweet and savory taste.. This was pretty good, much better than I expected..

All in all, even though it was quite a pricey dinner, but definitely worth it due to the excellent service and great food using quality ingredients.. Worth a try for sure


Kembang Goela
Plaza Sentral
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 47-48
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 5205025

Din Tai Fung @ Singapore

Still in Singapore and here's a lunch I had with my family.. We had a lunch in Din Tai Fung.. Hmm Din Tai Fung? At the first I think it's better for us to try a new restaurant that we haven't tasted before in Jakarta.. However, my brother always claim that Din Tai Fung in Singapore is more delicious than in Jakarta.. So what's make the difference?


Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant known for their famous Xiao Long Bao.. I'm sure most of foodies familiar with this restaurant.. I've posted about Din Tai Fung in Jakarta before, and here's all about Din Tai Fung in Singapore.. Let's find out what's the difference..


Every time I passed Din Tai Fung in Paragon Singapore, I always see a long queue.. It's no difference this time, we need to wait for at least 15-20 mins to get a table there, it's always packed!


The interior is just like a typical Chinese restaurant interior, simple and modern minimalist.. The dining room dominated by wood furniture..


Here's some of their new menu and some chef's recommendation..


We started with Stewed Beancurd Cubes with Honey Sauce (SGD 4.30).. It did not seem so appetizing, but it turned out to be a really good appetizer, everybody loves it.. The beancurd had a spongy texture and tasted sweet..


This is what we and everyone come for, a basket of juicy and delicate Xiao Long Bao - Steamed Pork Dumplings (SGD 9.00), a Chinese dumplings filled with sweet minced pork and fragrant soup.. Their Xiao Long Bao here is standout, one of the best and it is expertly prepared.. Looks its translucent and smooth skin, it strong enough to keep all its soupy juices inside.. And the broth inside was sweet and flavorful..


Their Shrimp and Pork Siew Mai (SGD 9.30) was also interesting.. Larger than the usual pork filled siew mai, and it is made with minced pork filling topped with fresh shrimp..


Next, Steamed Shrimp and Pork Dumplings (SGD 9.80), also made of minced pork and a whole shrimp in each dumpling.. It's tasted good and it's quite similar like xiao long bao with an addition of a shrimp, but these weren't as soupy as xiao long bao..

Another of their specialties is the Taiwanese noodle, the texture is just like hand-pulled noodle..


My father ordered this Chicken Noodle Soup (SGD 10.80), a bowl of plain noodle served with steamed chicken soup.. Looked so plain but don't let its appearance fool you, this steamed chicken soup was really good, the soup was bursting with the original sweetness of fresh chicken.. This clear soup was light but energizing/good for your body and the chicken was really tender.. This soup is also one of Din Tai Fung's specialty..


My brother want to try this Fried Pork Chop Noodle (SGD 8.80), a fried pork chop served inside the noodle soup.. The pork chop was breaded, salted, peppered, and fried for a savory-sweet meat..


Then, I and my mom shared this Zha Jiang Noodle - Spicy Pork Minced Noodle (SGD 7.00), noodles topped with stir-fried minced pork and tofu in salty beans sauce.. This noodle is also known as meat sauce noodle, the sauce goes well with the noodle and it's tasty..


We ended our lunch with this sweet Steamed Mashed Yam Buns (SGD 5.80), sweet xiao long bao version filled with mashed yam/taro.. It's really nice, the sweet was just right..

So, have you notice the difference between Din Tai Fung in Jakarta and Singapore? For me their taste is more or less the same, but in Jakarta they serve halal (no pork) version.. Surely, my brother as a pork lover will prefer Din Tai Fung in Singapore, for him the dish is more tasty there.. Overall, there's no doubt about the food in Din Tai Fung, they always maintain the high standard of the food, the dishes is obviously prepared with quality ingredients.. That's the reason make their prices in high side, but it's reasonable and still affordable..


Din Tai Fung
Paragon #B1-03/06
290 Orchard Road
Singapore
Tel. (65) 68368336

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar

Back from Singapore, I just found that how Singaporean fancy the Japanese foods.. There are many Japanese restaurant in Singapore, you always can find Japanese restaurant in every mall in Singapore.. It varies from the ramen house, traditional Japanese restaurant, and the fancy Japanese restaurant.. We were tempting to try them all, but of course we can only try some.. And this is one that attracts us the most, because of its uniqueness and we haven't it in Jakarta yet.. Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar..


Located at the basement extension of Raffles City Shopping Centre, Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar is not a usual restaurant that you imagined, it's more like food court but not exactly.. Hmm so what is it? It's a self-service Japanese Restaurant.. If you familiar with Marche Restaurant concept in Plaza Senayan or Food Kulture in Plaza Indonesia, so here's another version of it.. Shokudo shares the similar concept like Marche, having several cooking stations, barcode card payment system, and themed dining area..


The colorful entrance.. Upon entering, you will be given a barcode card (just like Marche did), which is used to swap when you ordered the food and it used to calculate the bill on cashier when you are going out..

Let's see what is inside..How they looked like?


The place is like a Japanese market with several stalls sell different Japanese foods..


The oden cooking station.. Oden is Japanese one-pot dish which is consisting of several ingredients slowly simmered in light sweet soy sauce based soup.. Oden is known as Japanese winter dish.. You can choose what ingredients you like, it varies from processed fish cake, tofu, vegetables, konyaku, and many more.. It's fresh and has many varieties..


Japanese-style omelette station..


Seems Singaporean really enjoy dine here, and so do we hehe..

So how about the food? In here you can taste all the Japanese food like sashimi, sushi, oden, teppanyaki, udon, ramen, bento, Japanese dessert, and many more.. In addition to traditional Japanese food, the foods also varies to some fusion Western-Japanese food like Japanese pizza, burger, pasta, and more..

We were wandering through some melange of various cooking stations, and we didn't know what to eat.. We're really spoilt for choice..

Finally, we decided what to eat for dinner..


I ordered this Salmon Onion Omelette (SGD 5.80), salmon wrapped in Japanese omelette with delicious mayonnaise drizzled generously over it and topped with bonito flakes.. The omelette was very rich in flavor, it tasted a little sweet, a little salty, and its smooth.. I'm not exaggerating here, but it was really good! Although its just an ordinary omelette but the mayo really blended well with the egg, it was a lip smackingly good!


This was what E opted for, Chicken & Ham Okonomiyaki (SGD 8.90), a Japanese-style pan-fried batter cake with chicken, ham, and shredded cabbage drenched with Japanese mayonnaise and sweet brown sauce.. I found that it was a good choice, with a mix of sweet and savory flavors also the soft textures of the batter..


Tako Ball (SGD 3.50), a grilled octopus flour balls/takoyaki.. These takoyaki was served hot from the pan, they're still heavenly taste and succulent.. The bonito flakes added a touch of savoriness to the soft takoyaki, a tasty snacks indeed..


If you are in the mood for something more conventional, go for their Japanese Sukiyaki.. My friend ordered Sukiyaki Beef (SGD 9.80), a mixed veggies, tofu, sliced beef, and shirataki/Japanese konyaku noodle in a light soy sauce based soup served in little hot pot to keep it warm.. This is a light, warm, and savory soup with a wonderfully delicate ingredients, the ingredients were cooked evenly in the sauce, the thinly sliced beef was also quite tender. Its really a good dish to keep your body warm..


Chukka Kurage (SGD 2.50), a seasoned jellyfish.. I'm not fancy eating jellyfish, but my friend said it's a little spicy, a little sweet, and the texture is crunchy, the bits of sesame add some taste to it.. It totally thrilled her hehe..

If you are a fan of Japanese food, you should give it a visit and you may like it here.. You can really enjoy the wide array of Japanese food here, it gives you so many choices for what to eat, and its taste delicate.. E gives 5 out of 5 for his own rating haha, so we definitely looking forward for our next visit when we come to Singapore again..


Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar
Raffles City Shopping Centre #B1-44E
252 North Bridge Road
Singapore
Tel. (65) 68373793

Decanter

Are you planning for your romantic dinner or looking a place just to chill out with your friends? I think this is it, Decanter.. Located in Kuningan area, Decanter is a wine house to enjoy the comfort of good wine..


The ambiance is no doubt, one of the pulling factor here.. With a full of plants decor, spacious area, this wine house really gives a comfy and homey feeling.. They design some area with hundred small light bulbs to resemble a starry sky which give a romantic atmosphere.. The place is perfect for romantic dining or wine lounging..


They have an open-concept kitchen where we could see directly how the chefs prepare our dish from the dining area..


The beverages, Lemon Juice (20K) and Pineapple Juice (20K) for E.. It's quite refreshing but I didn't sure it is a real fresh juice fruit.. What a small serving size..

The food here is served in large portion, indeed they emphasized the spirit of sharing and togetherness here..


So we just ordered this Tagliatelle Lamb (130K), a homemade spinach tagliatelle pasta braised well in seasoned lamb bolognese ragu sauce.. This was good, the pasta was fresh and cooked in al-dente texture.. And the sauce also cooked well with all the spices..


And Alsatian Choice - single size (55K), bratwursts and sliced pork legs served with finely shredded sauerkraut/sour fermented cabbage and mustard.. It is a traditional Alsace food.. The bratwurst/pork sausages had a nice crunchy skin when u bite and it's really juicy inside.. I didn't eat that pork leg, but E said its nice, tender and tasty.. A good option for meat lovers hehe..

Decanter is a nice place to chill out, the service was good, and the most important thing is that I am happy with the ambiance here.. Even though I think that the food here is less varied and a bit expensive.. For me, as this place is a wine house so it's more appropriate for wine lounging than the dinner..


Decanter
Plaza Kuningan - Menara Utara GF
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C11-14
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 52963888