Killer Style Teppanyaki

My memories of Teppanyaki are family dinners. For some reason there was a period when I was less than three-feet tall that we used to have weekend dinners at this particular Teppanyaki shop that now closed. And then, since the proliferation of the quick and dirty version of teppanyaki at food courts and I haven’t been to a teppanyaki for a long long time.
There is so much beauty in the simple things.

I’m a big believer of simplicity, pure simplicity. And here, they keep it simple. Very simple – quality ingredients treated with the highest respect (excellent knife skills are a pre-requisite).




As with a lot of eating that we did in Tokyo, there was a close physical proximity to the man that prepares your food. The chefs here have their personal groove; they work with the hot plate and they do things well. Part of the experience is the dramatized cooking, a little flame a little steam and a “smell-track” that is designed to whet your appetite.





Our order included both surf and turf – both exceptional, so if budget and diet permits – have both. The cooking here is cone with commitment and integrity. After the live prawn are presented, they slide onto the hot plate and are gently held down, then deftly beheaded, shelled and de-veined. Special attention is given to everything. Care is taken to flatten the tail shells, removing the unsavoury bits from the head and then coated in oil and left to fry up to a crisp. Head to tail eating. Yum, the crunch and the intense flavours that were concentrated at these extremes were even better than the sweet crunchy flesh. A little salt, some heat and a fresh piece of sweet flesh and all carefully orchestrated on the shiny hot plate – so deliciously simple.



Teppanyaki Akasaka
Tokyo Zennikku Hotel 37F,
1-12-33 Akasaka,
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81-03-3505-1437

The Skinny on Skinny Pizza

The Skinny Pizza to me isn’t pizza.

It looks like a pizza but it sure doesn’t taste like one and thankfully is a fad that has not taken over all the pizzerias. I had the Ah Taki Tuna Skinny at Barracks that promised much but really it was more like tuna salad (tasted ok) served on an edible cracker plate. Sure it was skinny and yes it made a wonderful crack and snap but it was also too crispy and hollow to be a good honest pizza dough. I’ll vote for thin crust –crispy and tender- any day!

20 Bites of Tokyo

1. Kyubei, Ginza



Established in 1936 and probably the most famous of the Michelin starred sushi places; Kyubei is a place where you come for a good sushi, sample a part of sushi history and pay respects to the inventors of the gunkan sushi.

2. Random Izakaya under the tracks, Akihabara
Cute mother and son team, a totally random find but fabulous.

3. Sushizanmai, Akihabara



“Sushi Galore” which was incidentally was offering specials for different cuts of tuna for the day – maguro, otoro, chutoro, aburi toro - we glossed the laminated menu and settled for a self-designed “maguro zanmai” and a little bit more.

4. Jangara Kyushu Ramen, Akihabara



The pitter patter weather made it perfect for a hot bowl of ramen but that also meant standing in line huddled under a transparent umbrella, which really is no fun. Squashed up next to otakus in the shoebox sized shop is also half the experience of noisily slurping down the thin noodles and drinking hot rich tonkotsu spiked with mentaiko and laced with oil.

5. Beef Rice Bowl, Akihabara
Exit from Jangara Kyushu Ramen and take 15 steps in the left diagonal direction and have a gratifying beef rice bowl which I’m convinced was my eating companion’s obsession during our entire trip in Tokyo – sometimes measuring our tax refunds in units of beef rice bowls.

6. Freshness Burger, Akihabara
Made with nature friendly ingredients and fresh ingredients – we had the classic WW burger, double patty with the cheese and the works. Amongst others, they serve a spam burger, how does that ties in with the freshness philosophy?

7. ANA Akasaka Teppanyaki, Akasaka



Fantastically fresh seafood and scrumptious fatty beef cooked in a highly stylized manner that is designed to titillate your appetite. Really really awesome.

8. Jou mon, Ropponggi



Other than me being mildly obsessed with one of the waiter’s really cute fish motif shirt, the whole experience here is fantastic. The shelves and bar top is lined with shochu jars and bottles of sake and the menu is extensive. We ate for hours and went through sticks and stick of yakitori along with mimigar, homemade tofu, ramen and washed it all down with sake and grapefruit sours.

9. Caplis Royal



If you love Calpis, think rich creamy Calpis. Yum.

10. Tenfusa, Tsukiji



Tsukiji, even when you grumpily drag yourself out of bed in at 4ish in the morning with your eyelids half open, you'll eventually get over it and be glad to you got up, it an awesome awesome place. The amazing natural beauty in the colours, shapes and sizes that the ocean surrenders to us is so beautiful and everything looks oh so delicious. You can spend hours exploring, gawking and being trigger happy in this market and once you get hungry there are the looong snaking queues at Sushi Dai and Sushi Daiwa or if you can’t wait in line, our greasy alternative of tempura in the corner store and a wake me up coffee and jam toast in the cafe.

11. Robuchon at Ropponggi
Good but disappointing.

12. Aoki Sadaharu



13. Kuon, Ebisu



Raw pig liver anyone?

14. Random Soba



15. Midori Sushi, Shibuya



Let’s face it, Midori has kickass value bites. Sit in line for a while but the sushi platters are true to its motto of being of high quality and of good value. The platters are fabulous and it being the uni season, an uni each – so that we won’t fight but what I really liked was the aburi platter.

16. Pap House, Shibuya



Hand picked beef and only marbling score 10; the beef here is sweet fatty beef. Hear the sizzle, witness the rising flames as the fat drips and onto charcoal, smell the sweet fat and then taste the good cow’s life.

17. Mizutani Sushi, Ginza
Here I rediscovering the art and craft of sushi and that not all tamago-s are made equally – there are tamago-s and then there is mizutani’s tamago.

18. Sweet Potato Agemanju & Tempura, Asakusa


The more important reason why we went to Asakusa.

19. Okonomiyaki



20. First Kitchen, Akihabara
Tokyo on a budget? Fast food but not necessarily bad food, their mentaiko pasta goes down easy and the chicken wings are supposed to be good.

Keep Stirring

“These days, one of the most important stages of making a risotto is considered to be the mantecatura, which comes from the Spanish word for butter, mantequilla. It means the beating on of butter and cheese right at the end of cooking, to give the risotto that fantastic creaminess.”

- Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy

I love this book. It is so generous and honest in wanting to pass on the knowledge that Locatelli has acquired over the years. I haven’t read it from cover to cover but I’ve read sections of it and reading the risotto section made me feel loved. As result, I've been trying to pass on that love and I’ve been stirring a lot of risotto. I’m still learning about it.

Risotto is a beautiful thing. The sheer simplicity of it demands that you pay attention to the quality of ingredients and patience that you invest in the process. You can’t rush it; you have to coax it gently with your wooden spoon, slowly encouraging each grain to soak in as much it can manage.

I’d admit risotto seems intimidating but it really isn’t. You need to keep stirring but can blink and you can even walk away from the pot for a brief period and it’ll forgive you. But if you need to keep your dinner guest occupied, standing conversation around the pot with people taking turns at stirring works as well.

Is there a real technique behind the stirring? I don’t know. Someone said we could only stir in one direction for a reason I cannot remember. Someone else advised, we should stir in a figure 8, I have tried both of that and stirring in both directions and I don’t see any major differences. At least I think the risotto turned a blind eye to my inconsistencies.

And for a dish that has intimidated many, it is ironically something that is very adaptable, you can put anything in it – there are plenty of variations in the book but the for the last risotto I stirred, I used Locatelli’s basic risotto recipe and added roasted butternut squash – delicious!

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
2.5 litres vegetable stock
50 g butter
1 onion, very finely chopped
400 g Arborio rice
125ml dry white wine
75g cold butter, cut into cubes
100g Parmesan, grated
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Slice squash in half, remove seeds, and rub with olive oil. Roast face-side down in a 180 degree Celsius oven for 40-45 minutes or until tender when pierced.
2. Scoop out the flesh and mash and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a heavy-based casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and cook very slowly for 5-7 minutes until soft.
4. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until heated through and well-coated with the butter.
5. Stirring continuously, add the white wine and cook for a few minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
6. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until absorbed. Continue to add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously, until all the stock is absorbed - about 15-17 minutes. When cooked, the rice should tender but firm in the centre.
7. Stir butternut squash then leave to stand for 1 minute.
8. Add butter and Parmesan, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Season to taste and serve.

City Girl Grows Urban Sprouts

Up to two and a half months ago, I had never planted a thing in my life. Never. Ok, granted I had to grow a few bean sprouts for science class in school on cotton pads but other than that, nothing else.

And then occasionally I come up with half crazy ideas like owning an organic vegetable farm but thankfully my friends keep me grounded and reminded me that I really haven’t grown anything in my life, so really a farm is quite a far fetched idea. Ok, so I’m not going to own a farm and the concrete-grass ratio where I live is not in my favour, so the only real city-friendly alternative for now is container gardening.

This is part of my starter garden. Ok, so it really isn't a garden. It is more like a collection of containers. Small ones, round ones, large ones and ugly ones. In them I have planted cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, coriander, beans, carrots and rocket. On the surface it seems easy, grab a pot, pour in some soil, plant the seeds according to the directions at the back of the packet, give it some water, sunshine and talk to them occasionally. Technically it almost seems as easy as following the directions on the flip side of a Betty Crocker mix but in reality there are all these other variables that you don't even think about.

And here’s how it all started. I tried to buy the best compost I could get my hands on which means, having some humility and going to the nursery and having to ask silly questions like, “I need to buy some soil. I’m planting some vegetables and I want them to grow tall, strong and tasty, what do you recommend?”

With some soil, some seeds, sunshine and water, I’ve managed with varied success. Some of my plants have been consumed by aphids and some died for reasons unknown to me. But the ones that survived and the ones that grew into delicious end products that made the whole trying process worth it. Now I can proudly snip some rocket or some basil from my containers and in a few months let’s hope I’ll have some tomatoes.

I love vegetables and I love salads; growing my own vegetables, I think is a fabulous idea. Firstly, I can plant my vegetables organically. Secondly, I feel like I’m eating more responsibly – in a minor way, I have reduced my carbon footprint because when I really think about it, the earthbound organic salad leaves that I constantly consume is flown in from across the world and there is something not very earth friendly about that. And really, this is as fresh as it gets.

Fingers crossed, I’ll have some juicy tomatoes soon.

Back on the Italian Trail: Garibaldi’s New Menu

I haven’t been to Garibaldi’s in a while and was hardly a regular there but perhaps that is about to change.

With the recession and some love from the restaurants with their shrunken prices I feel a little encouraged to dine out and to visit places that are not on the usual eat list.

Garibaldi’s has launched a new menu. What’s new? More pastas and risottos at more accessible prices; with the expansion of these sections of the menu, it is big and it reads well.

Some of the new choices read beautifully - Homemade Noodles with Slow Cooked Castricum Lamb Ragout and Dried Ricotta, Homemade Crab Meat Tortelli with Mussels, Zucchini and Saffron Sauce and Homemade Pasta Tubes stuffed with Wagyu Beef, Cheese Sauce and Leeks Confit – a combination of luxurious comfort and elegance, it is tempting to slowly eat through this section of the menu. The Trenette with Sardinian Vongole and Grey Mullet Roe in White Wine Sauce was a kicked up version of a classic vongole – strictly speaking, the bottarga is not necessary but a wonderful addition to elevate it and to set it apart.

Moving further down the menu, the risotto menu is the largest I’ve ever seen. Risotto with something from the land or the sea, they’ve got most of the bases covered. Even if you didn’t want to eat a risotto, you’ll be tempted to. One of the new additions that was something that I wanted to try even though I’m not a big fan of carbonara was their risotto carbonara. Seriously, a risotto carbonara – served with parma ham. The only carbonara that I really eat now at this point in time is one with a poached egg. I’ve tasted this carbonara and I think it is an interesting idea. It taste like it but different, it tastes good and is fun to eat but if I had to choose between the two forms, I think I chase the twirl in my fork because combining the desired creamy risotto texture with an already relatively rich, I could only stomach a limited number of spoonfuls.

Whilst the other sections of the menu have expanded as well, it is the expansion of the comfort carbs that sit closest to my heart. That in my books translates simply: I can go in for a plate of delicious comfort plate in some of my favourite forms and pair that with something from the other sections and I’m can be a happy camper.

Garibaldi
36 Purvis Street
#01-02
Tel: 6337-3770

Once again: Chicken & Paprika

I’ve put them together again, chicken and paprika. I think I’ve found a slightly better combination though. Chicken, paprika and chorizo; this trumps the first recipe I worked on. After making this about three times for different crowds, I’m convinced this is a winner. Maybe chorizo will be my new bacon, smoky and paprika included!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chorizo, sliced into 2-cm thick coins
8 chicken thighs
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 rounded tablespoon paprika
90 ml shao hsing wine
6 sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy based pan or Dutch oven and brown chorizo and set aside.
2. Using the same pan, brown the chicken pieces until the skin is golden brown. Remove and set aside. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of oil and discard excess.
3. Sweat onions and garlic in the pan for about 3 minutes and then add the paprika and tomatoes and fry for another minute.
4. Add shao hsing wine and deglaze, scrapping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add chorizo, chicken and thyme into the pan. Add water until it comes up to the halfway point of the chicken. Bring to a boil and then braise for 90 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Eggs&Eggs&Obsessions

I don’t know what it is or how it happened but I love eggs. When I read a menu and I see poached egg, usually everything else fades into the background. When I’m seated at the sushi counter and I spy a block of tamago, I'll have to have a piece or when there is an onsen tamago on the menu, I’ll have an order of that too please, thank you.

mentaiko tamago

Then there is something about an egg and egg combination that is classic and more seductive – I keep thinking about the cover picture Jean-Georges Vongerichten Simple to Spectacular cookbook of his signature egg caviar dish. Over dinner last week, I discovered another egg on egg combination that I loved – Mentaiko Tamago. I had this at Mimigar last week and it was perfectly satisfying. The tamago wasn’t too sweet or too greasy but moist and deliciously punctuated with the tang and distinct mentaiko flavour. I think they should put this on the regular menu.

Mimigar
1 Nanson Road,
#01-08, Gallery Hotel
Tel: 6235-1511

Revisiting some Italians

Over the past months and few weeks, I’ve been doing ‘comfort’ eating. I’ve been eating at familiar places and in particular I’ve been eating at the same Italian places. Whilst I love trying somewhere new, sometimes nothing beats knowing exactly what you are going to get even before you open the front door of the restaurant. Here’s the rundown.

Valentino's

I’ve been back for three different types of sittings in the past few months. Once for a no-holds-carbs-evening-out with the girl friends, second for a private party for a friend who turned the big three-O and lastly for a lazy Saturday lunch. And on all three occasions and after all these years, I still think the food and the ambience is amazing. Have a bowl of pasta, split a pizza, nibble on the menu seasonal anchovies or settle down with the grilled to perfection steak Florentine (this is really awesome!), you can’t go very wrong.

Buko Nero

I have been a bit of a manic with this hole in the wall. After my first meal there, I made sure I had a table for every month of the year. I’ve dined there with all sorts of permutations. A table for two, three, four, five and six persons but I’ve never eaten there by myself. I’ve had their set lunches, the set dinners, the daily special pastas, the regular menu, ordered my own and nibbled at other people’s courses, ordered almost half the menu and sharing it and after all that experimenting, I’ve settled for my own ‘menu’ – a soup (either the soup that is on the board or the default porcini mushroom soup laced with truffle oil), a pasta (a toss up between the specials, default choice of spicy prawn spaghetti and the other rival pasta on the printed menu) and a serving of ham and cheese crostinis to share. Dessert is optional. The rational behind my mania: I like what they do and I like what it stands for: small, intimate and food made with love. There are some things that sometimes irritate me, in particular the long almost irrational waiting time between courses, but I overcome that with good company and some patience.

Da Mario's

Since it’s re-opening on the opposite side of its original location, I’ve been there three times on three consecutive weeks and I’m very sad to report that Da Marios has lost its ‘al dente’ touch. Visit after visit was a downhill tumble, and so I don’t think I’m going back for a long long while. On my first visit, we were served tepid appetizers and limp pastas and the waiter almost looked shocked at my replied, “to be honest, the soup was under seasoned and tasteless and the courses were tepid” to his question on how our appetizers were. After our pastas, I decided that my dessert allowance was better spent elsewhere (even though I remember that they have a gorgeous tiramisu). On my second visit, my pasta was still too soft but the bruchetta gave me a slight glimmer of hope. On my third and final visit for this year, our pastas were still limp but I had the wisdom to stay away from the capellini that was close to gloppy on my first visit and to stick with its fatter and flatter cousins – spaghetti and linguini – but they were still cooked beyond the point of al dente. I can’t figure it out. Are they cooking these to ‘Asian noodle’ standards? Why can’t I get some al dente pasta here? But maybe there is a way around it, I can tell them to undercook my pasta and it might turn out ok but seriously, I trust not the service here - on my third and possibly my last visit, a seemingly innocent request to get our bread warmed, where I was left irritated with the stupid answer they gave me and cold bread and was the final straw. This was third time, not so lucky and I’ve had it here.

Valentino's
11 Jalan Bingka
Tel: 6462-0555

Buko Nero
126 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel: 6324-6225

Da Mario’s
60 Robertson Quay
The Quayside #01-05/06
Tel: 6235-7623

Tenshin: An Art Mastered

I have a deep fear of deep fat frying and most frying for that matter. A pot of hot fat coupled with my usual sense of clumsiness, are a bad combination together. As a matter of fact, I just managed to land a few splutters of hot oil yesterday and so I’m nursing some burns. And so, with regards to cooking, I love most of it but if someone else could do the frying for me, please be my guest.

Tenshin I would say is a confident restaurant. In this age where we praise super foods and organic, deep fried is generally relegated to bad food; you have to be really confident that what is served is top quality deep fried food that has nothing to do with the greasy tag that can make you feel sick in the stomach.



Here frying is an art form. The work is hot, intense and precise. It starts with a basket of fresh ingredients that are then lightly coated with a barely there tempura batter. Working in pairs behind the copper shield the tempura masters swiftly drop the ingredients into the hot oil and then pulled up at an exact moment and then instantly set in front of you. Each item so perfectly fried. Hot, light and crispy and integrity of the ingredient preserved through the cooking process that allows you to taste its absolute essence - I don’t think I had ever really tasted a matsutake till I ate at Tenshin: I could almost taste and imagine the earth that it grew in.

Seasoning is left up to you. Sea salt or flavoured salts – curry, green tea – or swish your tempura around in tempura sauce with grated daikon. And then wash all the goodness down with hot tea, this helps to aid the digestive process.

Bits and pieces of my lunch:

The mini kaiseki set that consisted of a salad, a sashimi plate, tempura of three types of seafood and three types of vegetables + separate order of uni, scattered tempura rice served with pickles and miso soup and dessert.

Tenshin
1 Cuscaden Road
Regent Hotel #03-01
Tel:6735-4588