Month: July 2009

Eat Japan + More Cooking

It’s a very itchy handed impulse that i bought expensive food. I shouldn’t keep cash in my wallet, that is what i do to prevent myself from spending. Bought Cherry Blossom nuts from Isetan Scotts and 2 package of Japan maggie mee from Liang Court. No more food stuff for me.

DSC09115Cherry Blossom Nuts
DSC09130Japan Maggie Mee

My dad passes me a digital scale which i dunno where he gets it from. This inspires me to bake more. My oven is spoilt and my dad wants to buy a new one for me. should i get microwave or oven for baking cakes? I really loves baking. It’s like playing Play Doh.

DSC09138Digital Scale

Marutama Ramen

Have been eating at Marutama Ramen for quite sometime. They have 2 branches: Central and Liang Court. Aka ramen is considered one of the latest ramen they have launched. Japanese ramen usually comes with char siew, but this Aka ramen served with 3 chicken balls. Shoyu egg is an ala carte order. Chicken balls can also be ordered from the ala carte menu. Before you start digging in, squeeze the lemon into your soup. It gives the soup base a refreshing lemon smell and taste. Marutama’s noodle is distinctively different from many other stores. They are thinner, less soggy therefore firmer and curly.

The very first time i eat at this ramen store when Central first open, i din really like it. I remembered back then they only have 3 or 4 ramen types to choose from. You can either add lemon, egg, spring onions to your ramen that’s all. I think i ordered the normal one with additional spring onion. The soup is oilier than i expected. I gave away my char siew to Lester and i’m left with whole bowl of noodles and spring onions. I wasn’t used to Japanese ramen at that time, i only know Aijisen. One of the characteristics of such authentic ramen is that the soup usually has this layer of oil from cooking the poultry bones for soup. After my 2nd visit, Lester introduces me to other soup base and the ala carte selctions, then it changes my impression totally.

The must-try shoyu egg here. A little runny on the inside… Something that i want to achieve.

DSC09129Marutama Ramen at Liang Court
DSC09119Aka Ramen
DSC09127Chicken BallDSC09120Shoyu Egg
DSC09124Shoyu Egg (Inside)

Straits Kitchen

It’s really harder to meet nowadays. I think this is only our 2nd gathering this year, 1st one on Serene’s wedding in February. 我们都很忙 hor。Anyway, it’s a random poly gathering. It’s great to see these people again.

We are engrossed with diving. There are currently 5 divers in our click. Hopefully the rest can become one next year. We talk about oversea trips and hence lead to spending money. We are still unconstructively crap. Blah blah blah~

IMG_8074Straits KitchenIMG_8075Straits Kitchen EntranceIMG_8082InteriorIMG_8080Dessert Bar that is closer to usIMG_8076Qin’s belated graduation bear from Laily, Lester and me
IMG_8079Qin and LailyIMG_8081Qin, Laily and me
IMG_8097Serene is gobbling her food
IMG_8100Everyone

More photos on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=137394&id=671344551&l=d3ee50b0de

Sapporo Ramen Miharu

One of my recent cravings is Ramen. Visited Sapporo Ramen Miharu at Gallery Hotel.  Heard this is one of the few authentic Japanese Ramen set up in Singapore. The shop is pretty small.  Inside can only occupy 4 groups of people and some counter seats. For smokers, there are non-aircon seats outside. Gallery Hotel seems to be populated with Japanese dining, there are other Japanese dining tenants open too.

I find the noodle is more like  Santouka, the thicker noodle type. Generally the ramen portion is quite big. Sapporo’s ramen has a few more different soup bases to choose from:

  • Tokusen Miso (Special Blended Miso)
  • Miso Tonkotsu (Special Bleneded Miso Pork Flavored)
  • Ohkara Miso (Hot Spicy Miso)
  • Miso Tsukemen (Miso Cold Noodle)
  • Wabusi Shoyu (Fish Based Shoyu)
  • Tokusen Shoyu (Special Soy Sauce)
  • Tokusen Tonshio (Special Pork Flavored Blended with Salt)
  • Koumi Tsukemen (Soy Sauce Cold Noodle)
  • Dsshi-shio
  • Miso
  • Shoyu

Each ramen comes with half a shoyu egg, char siew, corn, bamboo shoots, spring onion and seaweed. However, most of us did not finish the soup because we find it too saltish to our tasting. Shoyu eggs here are almost thoroughly cooked to the yolk. I will prefer a little runny inside. There are also more different sides dishes to choose from compared to Maratama Ramen and Santouka Ramen. Char Siew Don comes in a small bowl but it’s nice. Leek omelette reminds me of the Guo Tie (锅贴) and pork gyoza is juicy, thumbs up! Tokusen Shoyu soup base is soya sauce taste with no miso i think, that explains the color of the soup. Leroy’s Miso Tonkotsu tastes like peppery mild Bak Kuh Teh. Tokusen Miso soup base tastes a little nutty.

IMG_8052
Sapporo Ramen Miharu Ramen
IMG_8058
Char Siew Don
IMG_8059
Char Siew
IMG_8053
MenuIMG_8067Tokusen Shoyu (Special Soy Sauce)IMG_8065Miso Tonkotsu (Special Bleneded Miso Pork Flavored)IMG_8068Tokusen Miso (Special Blended Miso)
IMG_8062
Leek OmeletteIMG_8066Leek Omelette (Close Up)
IMG_8061
Hokkaido Fried Pork GyozaIMG_8064Hokkaido Fried Pork Gyoza (Close Up)IMG_8056Yellow capped is vinegar and they have special blend pepperIMG_8055Special Blend PepperIMG_8070Tokusen Shoyu (Special Soy Sauce) Remaining
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Miso Tonkotsu (Special Bleneded Miso Pork Flavored) RemainingIMG_8069Tokusen Miso (Special Blended Miso) Remaining

Desaru Trip + Long Tongue

Lester is always ahead of me, he has blogged about the Desaru trip we spent over the weekends. It is relaxing in a way, the Gan Clan Association has kept the itinerary simple and we are well taken care of by the organisers.

As usual, you spend most of the time sleeping on the coach when travelling to Malaysia. I get bored easily and started playing with my tongue. My tongue is long and pointed but Lester’s one is like short and bui bui~ Maybe that’s why he speaks faster while mine is too long and i always drip my saliva when asleep.

IMG_7552Caught.IMG_7623Lester has short and fat tongue.IMG_7746Diao me~IMG_7778Starwars shit~IMG_7899Loves table cloth.IMG_7917Durains~ Yum~

Shoyu Eggs 3

I have made a total of 6 eggs previously. I eat 1 myself, brought 2 to Lester and the rest are gobbled by my family. Anyway, i told my sister to take pictures of these eggs before eating, just want to know the outcome of the yolks.

DSC09109

So the rest of the eggs are so cooked too.

DSC09111

Wah~ Why she eats so 补? 1 shoyu egg and 1 put into the soup.

Shoyu Eggs 2

The judgment day, after soaking my shoyu eggs overnight. Exterior has that brown appetizing color, inside still too cooked. !@#$% First bite, the sauce is too saltish. On the other hand, i am more relieved as they do not have weird soya sauce taste just because i can’t find Kikkoman and replace it with 李锦记. The yolks are still not in the centre.

IMG_7489

Looks nice?

IMG_7490

The egg really absorb in all the sauce. See the color gradation in the cross section.

IMG_7491We decided to throw away the yolks.

Some improvements to make:

  • Maybe buy those ang-mo’s white shell large eggs, i believe the yolks will be nicer.
  • Need to re-gauge the cooking time. Probably set it before the water boils.
  • Shoyu sauce must be less saltish.