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Mikuni Set Lunch Food Review



If you're a huge fan of Japanese food like me, you're bound to have heard of Mikuni while researching for your next place to try. Even Hungrygowhere rates it 84% (at date of post) and it is consistently serving quality food. Unfortunately, the prices are preeettty steep, but there's a little benefit you could exploit which is...

the amazing LUNCH MENU

The lunch items are between $65 to $120++, which is much cheaper than if you went during dinner where one main item is $48++. Oh, and if you have The American Express Platinum Credit Card, or The Far Card you get up to 50% off dining here!! For more details, click on the respective links. (This post is NOT an ad for them.)

Be sure to make reservations before going, and they do have a dress code so no shorts and slippers please.

Appetizers

Mikuni is fitted with a modern japanese decor, but some might even find the blue lights a little strange. Nonetheless, the service is pretty good and you are provided with hot towels to clean your hands with while waiting for your appetizers.


Some crunchy crackers and salad, This isn't anything worth mentioning but it kind of builds the suspense until you get your mains. 

The mains


  • PREMIUM BENTO “MIYABI” 弁当 華 120

The Miyabi set, also the most expensive set in the whole menu, is definitely worth the value. Look at that grilled Kagoshima Wagyu Beef you cook on the stone slab and watch it sizzle! 


 
*_* the aroma is enough to make your other companions envious


Apart from the wagyu, you get an organic salad with mixed vegetables, 3 kinds of Sashimi, BBQ Eel, mixed Tempura, lobster with uni sauce and miso soup. It kinda feels like you've got the best of everything Mikuni has to offer, all to yourself without having to share! Ie, bliss.

The lobster with uni sauce was amazingly rich, you'd be wishing you had a bigger portion after the first bite.

  • SASHIMI SET 刺身セット 90 


As a huuuuge sashimi fan, this item caught my eye and definitely did not disappoint. The uni was gloriously fresh and the tuna just melts in your mouth. Simple superb. The set comes with seasonal sashimi, deep-Fried Tofu, chawanmushi, rice, pickles and miso Soup.


One of the freshest uni's I've eaten in my life.

If you're wondering what that green thing is, that's seaweed. It was really good!

  • DISCONTINUED SET 

I ordered the sushi and assorted sashimi set but this seems to be discontinued. I thought it wasn't anything special, so I wouldn't recommend you trying this anyway! (Think it was $65++)


The sushi wasn't anything special, and fried corn was just strange.

I wanted to try a range of Mikuni's food but the highlight was the sashimi.

  • AUSTRALIAN BEEF & EBI OUGON SAUCE SET 80 オーストラリアビーフと海老黄金鉄板焼きセット 

The last set ordered was a teppenyaki one! It consists of chawanmushi, teppanyaki Prawns with Golden Sauce, Australian Beef Tenderloin, vegetables, rice, pickles and miso soup.


The beef was really tender though it was a tad bit overcooked for medium rare.


The set also comes with garlic rice and smooth, flavourful chawanmushi.



All set items come with... dessert!


I think this changes depending when you're there, but when I went it was this cute mixed fruits panna cotta served in a (tiny) jar.


Which was devoured in like, 10 seconds.

All in all, I'd definitely come back to dine at Mikuni - after I've saved up a bit for it that is.

Mikuni
Level 3, Fairmont Singapore
(Hint; Enter through Raffles City Shopping Centre!)

Opening hours:
Lunch:
Monday to Sunday - 12:00pm to 2:30pm
Dinner:
Monday to Sunday - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
Dress Code: Smart Casual

For reservations, call +65 6431 6156 or emaildining.singapore@fairmont.com

Note: This was not a paid or sponsored review, just wanted to share one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Singapore that's perfect for dates or cosy celebrations!


FIJI Water Dessert Platter for Ladies Night at The Exchange

Some of my friends overseas are sooo envious whenever they hear about Ladies Night in Singapore. We're one of the few countries in the world that actually give out free drinks to Ladies on this special night! Of course, this promotion is only applicable to select bars in Singapore, and one of the top picks has got to be The Exchange at Asia Square. It caters mostly to the office crowd and there are a number of expats just catching a beer after a hard day's work. On Wednesday's, this place is packed with people choosing to stand around to people watch, or do some serious mingling.

What about the Ladies? They definitely love it.

Free drinks but different flavours weekly keep them coming back. Lychee martinis this week, or kiwi slushie margaritas the next, anything is possible, and the alcohol within makes everybody happy.

In partnership with FIJI Water, The Exchange came up with a dessert platter that's only served on Ladies Night!

Just enough to share with your girlfriends ;)

The platter is made of;

- Pliable FIJI Water Chocolate Ganache
with homemade vanilla ice-cream, mint scented lime curd, dehydrated Manjari mousse
This was my favourite of the 3! The chocolate just melts in your mouth and that mousse was so addictive mmmm.

- Deconstructed Pear & Passion Fruit Frangipane
with FIJI Water baby poached pear, almond crumble, frozen FIJI Water lemon foam, passion fruit custard

and

- FIJI Sweet Corn Sorbet
with hazelnut parfait, egg yolk glass and fresh strawberry
The sorbet was amazing! Thick yet stays true to the sweet corn flavour. A must try!

The brains behind this dessert is Adrian Sim, The Exchange's Pastry Chef, who wanted to incorporate FIJI Water in the desserts due to the water's smooth taste and soft mouth-feel.

The FIJI Water Dessert Platter is priced at $35++ and is available every Wednesday from now to 27 May, only at The Exchange.

Thanks for having us FIJI Water and The Exchange!

The Exchange

8 Marina View 
Asia Square Tower 1
Singapore 018960
Ladies Night only on Wednesday's


Taiwan Travelogue Day 2: Addiction Aquatic Development in Taipei


Being the foodie that I am, I researched pretty extensively on the topic before my actual trip to Taiwan. I can't settle for random "oh I'm too hungry let's just eat here" stalls anymore ever since a disaster in Hong Kong. Anyway, coming up tops from many many websites was this funny named hideout - Addiction Aquatic Development (AAD).


Just the size of these makes you want to lick your fingers already.

Alright alright here's how the entrance looks like. 

Like what is up with its name?? Are you developing people to get addicted to aquatic food? Haha. Jokes aside, the Addiction Aquatic Development is a must see for tourists. It's a clean and eye opening experience to check out the wide variety of seafood. I need to emphasize that this is SO CLEAN!!! People are usually turned off by wet markets but this was air-conditioned, dry floors kinda comfort, enabling you to appreciate it much better. There's also a huuuuge sushi and sashimi area that's amazingly fresh which you can grab off the counter, pay, and devour at the tables outside.

They're worth it.


I wasn't feeling well even before I went to Taiwan due to some gastric flu problems, but I did not want to give up the chance to eat delicious sushi so we went ahead and got a number to try the famed sushi restaurant in the middle of the market. It's a bit troublesome to get to so just grab a cab. So cheap anyways.

It's just amazing to stare at them

The first segment would be all the live seafood waiting for you to grab into a basket and bring them home. Of course if you're there on holiday and you're living in a hotel... run along to the next segment where there's food to be had on the spot! 


This stall had a long queue but I'm not interested in cooked food very much. This is like Taiwan's version of 'caifan' hahah.


This seafood joint is not for those who like to keep their hands clean. Pick your poison and sit by the bar as you peel off that juicy meat off your crab or lobster, completely fresh and perfectly marinated.

Then there's the sushi section.



Rows and rows of affordable sushi that taste as good as they look!! Don't believe me when I say it's affordable?? Check this out. 


Tuna sashimi. At approx $28 sgd for this lot.

Japan grade salmon sashimi at approx $17





After you pass the takeaway sushi area, there's a sushi restaurant where a ton of people are waiting at. Since there were a bunch of people, we decided to give it a try. However we were told that it was going to be a looong wait (think 50 numbers in front of us or something) So we couldn't resist and ordered some while waiting for our turn at the sushi restaurant. There's quite a few areas to eat your packed stuff outside the AAD.


Yellowtaillll. Damn fresh cannot take it wanted to eat everything.

PSST! If you intend to eat there, I'd suggest you run past all the crabs/lobsters/sushi etc and grab a number to the sushi place, THEN turn around and slowly appreciate everything from the beginning. We had to wait 1h. No joke.

When it was FINALLY our turn, we took a look at the menu. Wah really quite ex. We were quite full by this time (no thanks to the earlier sushi) so we ordered the set.




Verdict? Don't waste your time. Buying off the counter is the same quality as the one in the sushi restaurant as they were all caught fresh the same day! The chefs aren't as skilled as the Japanese who put in extra effort in the seaweed, rice, and sauce, so it's better you save your time (and stomachs) and load up on the takeaway food.

Sharing some of the other pictures I took that day.







Ramen egg! Shiok!


Some of the shops don't have seats at all to save space!

Uni, anyone?



When we were done eating, we went next door to check out the fish market but it wasn't interesting =\ You're better off skipping this.


There are some other restaurants outside but they were yakitori places. Why come all the way here for yakitori!? Maybe you could check it out and let me know though.


Will I come back again? Definitely YES. However my trip was too time packed and we didn't have time to travel to this a little out of the way find. There is nothing to do around it.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Coffee Bean Beanstro Christmas menu and pretty logcakes

One of the most famous Christmas songs is "All I want for Christmas is you" sung by the (then) angellic voice of Mariah Carey, and is a song that is completely overplayed in shopping malls. Not all of us can be so lucky to have our desired person as a christmas gift, so we have to comfort ourselves with other, material things - like cake.

Have you gone down to Orchard to look at the lights yet? Now all we need is some snow, but too bad we have to settle with rain lah. To bring up the Christmas spirit in you, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf have a new menu and some Christmas sets for you to either buy for yourself, or buy to give the person whose house you're visiting. Good idea aye?

GIFT SETS


This Holiday Cocoa Trio Gift Set and Warm Winter Cocoa Gift Set caught my eye the moment I checked out their Christmas products.


You get to make your own drinks using Coffee Bean' exclusive cocoa powder!! Also, did you spot that Red Velvet powder too? :P Each cocoa tin has a shaker top for controlled portions, and the Holiday set also comes with a mini metal whisk!


Christmas mugs, tumblers and peppermint teas.

CAKES

Wouldn't it be nice to share a cake with your family and friends to complete that holiday cheer? Coffee Bean's cakes do not disappoint with their pretty designs and Christmas decors!


If you're interested in ordering a cake, please remember to call 3-4 working days in advance, excluding the day of order, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.



Prices vary from $29 to $171. My favourite is the Gingerbread house that looks too cute to eat!

CUPCAKES

If you think cakes might be a bit much for your big party gathering, why not cupcakes? These are easy to share and saves you the hassle of cutting hahaha.


Get your Apple, Banana, Chocolate, Cranberry and Blueberry cupcakes at promo price of $35 for a pack of 20!



You can keep the santa's as a souvenir haha! I like how the cupcakes are rich but not too overpowering :)


Let's not forget the less fortunate during this festive season and do our part to make their 2015 a brighter one. Purchase this adorable Christmas bear that William is holding at $5 and full proceeds will benefit the Singapore Children's Society. Choose to bring this bear home or donate it to the children by hanging it on their tree in the store!



Lucky winners of a icing log cake contest won Coffee Bean Expresso Machines each!


For a list of Coffee Bean outlets in Singapore, check it out here.

Photos were taken at the Suntec outlet:

No 3, Temasek Boulevard, 
#02-603/604, Suntec City Mall, 
Singapore 038983 
Tel: 6884 5726 
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 8am - 10pm



Thank you Coffee Bean and thanks William for the pictures!

Indulge at Park, Grand Park City Hall Hotel lunch buffet Review

As we approach everybody's favourite month (admit it, you love getting gifts or snapping up discounted items, or maybe it's just the Christmas songs in the air), it's time to let loose and reward yourself for all the hard work you've done during the year. You deserve it. 

Think about how much you've achieved over the past months, how you've grown and learnt from mistakes... doesn't that make you feel better about yourself? 

There was a birthday celebration on the day I went, so the area outside was blocked off. A nice place to hold a meal event with family and friends!

Likewise, I decided to indulge my taste buds at Grand Park City Hall's in-house restaurant recently for a buffet lunch. Grand Park City Hall is a convenient short walk from City Hall MRT, and is just next to Funan and Peninsular Plaza. It's a nice area to head to when Raffles City Shopping Centre is too crowded during mealtimes.

I was pleasantly surprised at the spread of food, there was seafood, cheese, salad, mains, grilled and a huge dessert table with a delightful spread! Was the food as good as it looked? I was about to find out.

The seafood table:


The seafood table spread was full of scallops, mussels, prawns, salmon and yellowtail sashimi, as well as assorted sushi. 



Chef/Staff will refill the food at regular intervals, so you'll never see an empty area. I'm not a big fan of cooked scallops and mussels so I gave them a pass, but the sashimi and sushi were decent.



Yellowtail is low in sodium and rich in omega-3, which are essential as your body can't produce them naturally. They are also associated with lower risk of diabetes, lower blood pressure, cancer and arthritis. 

WINNING DISH for me in this category has got to be the: Prawns. They were really fresh and crunchy!

Let's move on to the mains, shall we?

The mains:

Chinese, japanese, western and even italian, Indulge at Park really does serve an international buffet using various cooking techniques. Let's take a look at some of them.


Seafood stew ala Italian cuisine, the squid was a little too chewy for my liking.


Braised pigs trotters and cereal prawns. I felt the portion of pigs trotters could have been larger (ie more meat) and the cereal prawns were a bit soggy, though. 


The okonomiyaki was really popular with its fish flakes and sweet sauce. Don't miss this out!


There's also a chef making okonomiyaki and slicing the steak right in front of you!




My companion liked the steak but it was quite fatty to me. It looks dry in the picture but there's gravy on the side for you to add at your own discretion.



WINNING DISH for me in this category has got to be the: Baked sea bass. I had three servings of this because it was THAT good. It was fresh, seasoned well, no fishy taste, nice and soft. Grab this when it's just laid out and you have a winning dish. An absolute must try!

The cheese table:



Cheese, crackers and some grapes to reset your palate. 


Am not a big cheese fan but my companion was very happy with the cheese, there were only 3 (mostly soft cheese) types - Manchego, Salad Cheese and Brie so don't expect too much.

The salad table:

Usually salads at buffets are overlooked, but this one had quite a nice spread.

It's good to incorporate vegetables in your meal. Try to save some space for this k? Your body will thank you.


I had lots of cherry tomatoes ^_^

 WINNING DISH for me in this category has got to be the: everything. You can't go wrong with salad right? There were 4 different sauces to choose from so there's something to suit your liking.

The dessert table;

Pretty cakes, adorable macarons, ice cream, strawberry fondue, cupcakes, and more were on the dessert table at Indulge at Park. The ladies were very, very satisfied.


Look at that spread! It runs both sides of the table *_* 


These assorted cupcakes were tiny bites of love. You're full by this time but there's always room for dessert.



Mousse and jelly anyone?


Bread and butter pudding was really deliciously soft and fluffy! Best consumed warm.


WINNING DISH for me in this category has got to be the: Signature Durian Pengat. Man this was world class. Everyone there must've agreed with me because it would be wiped out within 5 minutes of replenishing and there were people waiting around the area to catch it when it was back. Uncles and aunties would take one bowl full at each time.

If durian's aren't your thing, the chocolate ice cream is a close second. Thick and slightly dark, the bitterness drizzled with your choice of sauce (milk chocolate for me) was a perfect way to end the meal.


If you're interested in checking out Indulge at Park at Grand Park City Hall Hotel, there's an amazing deal brought to you by American Express and Hungrygowhere!

Here are the prices on ordinary days:

Buffet Lunch : 12noon to 2.30pm 
(Mondays to Saturdays),
$36++ per person*

Buffet Dinner : 6.30pm to 10.30pm 
(Sundays to Thursdays)
$52++ per person* 
$59++ per person (inclusive of 3 glasses of wine)
$99++ per person (inclusive of free flow of champagne, wine, beer and soft drinks)

* Children under 12 dine at 50%.

Here's their prices for their special Christmas menu, valid from 1-30 Dec! (prices differ on Christmas eve, Christmas day and New Year's Eve)


Lunch Buffet: 12noon to 2.30pm
(Mondays to Saturdays)
$45++ (Adult) /$22.50++ (Child)
$55++ (Adult) (Inclusive of 2 glasses of selected wines)
$95++ (Adult) (Inclusive of Champagne, Wines, Beer & Soft Drinks)

Sunday Lunch Buffet : 12noon to 3pm
(Sundays)
$55++ (Adult) /$27.50++ (Child)
$65++ (Adult) (Inclusive of 2 glasses of selected wines)
$105++ (Adult) (Inclusive of Champagne, Wines, Beer & Soft Drinks))

Dinner Buffet: 6.30pm to 10.30pm
(Sundays to Thursdays)
$58++ (Adult)/$29++ (Child)
$68++ (Adult) (Inclusive of 2 glasses of selected wines)
$108++ (Adult) (Inclusive of Champagne, Wines, Beer & Soft Drinks)

PROMOTION PSST~

Get the buffet lunch for just $30++ per person with your American Express card until 2 December!!


American Express and Hungrygowhere have done a tie up with a number of establishments to bring you $30 specials for lunch or dinner, a few of the good deals I'd recommend would be:

  • Gyu-Kaku (Anchorpoint) - Wagyu lunch for $30++??
  • Al Forno (East Coast) - Starter, main course AND dessert for $30++??
  • Marukyu (Raffles Place) - bara chirashi don, tempura (dinner) and chawanmushi for only $30++??
  • Lawry's The Prime Rib (Mandarin Gallery) - Lawry's chef cut 120gm of prime beef rib OR Italian chicken & mushroom OR US kurobuta baby back ribs for $30++??

Talk about a good steal! For the full list, click here. These end on 2 December though, but I'm sure the deals will come back again in future. Keep a look out for them!

Don't forget to get a free cocktail or whisky taster or drink promotions with your redeemable with your American Express card! For more information, refer to my other blog post here.

#30liciousamex

Have any good buffets in Singapore to recommend? Do leave a comment below if you'd like me to check it out~
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