We Singaporeans love our Japanese food and we're really lucky to have great and affordable options on our little island. It's easy to rattle off sushi, bento and ramen joints but i'm usually stumped when it comes to teppanyaki. Well here's introducing SHIMA, a fine dining teppanyaki establishment at Goodwood Park Singapore. SHIMA has been opened since 1980 (i regret to inform that i did not know of its existence prior!) and recently reopened after a month-long renovation.

The refurbished SHIMA is now made more comfortable with better exhaust piping so one could dine without smelling like bbq meat. They have also retained their one-inch thick cast-iron griddles that were custom made in Japan. Well, the 'wok' has been seasoned for 34 years of seasoning to produce delicious flavors (don't worry it's clean).

We had the good fortune of having Chef Victor Yok, SHIMA's Sous Chef who has been with the restaurant since it opened, cook for us. The menu of the night featured items from the Weekday Teppanyaki Lunch Buffet. It's a steal at $49.90/pax! The buffet lunch is also available on weekends for $59.90 with a few additional dishes.

I enjoyed the fresh buttery Salmon sashimi and the yummy California Maki. Well that is because the seafood is air-flown twice a week from Japan’s Tsukiji Market to ensure quality and freshness. The sushi rice was very well seasoned too! If you do not fancy teppanyaki, you could just visit SHIMA for sushi and sashimi. :)

Prawn and Shisamo tempura are also available under the buffet spread but i didn't like the powdery prawn and the thick batter.

From the mains, we enjoyed SHIMA’s signature Poached Salmon ($25 ala carte) which featured a Norwegian salmon gently simmered in SHIMA’s secret sauce.

The meat was cooked to a nice pink center. I don't lie about such things. Picture evidence for your validation. I would say that the sauce is kinda sukiyaki style but less sweet.

The oysters are darn good too and they are so fresh and fat! Super yummeh! The regular ones were cooked with garlic and some special sauce and some of us went for round 2.

SHIMA is highly diner focused and will customize their service to suit each guest. Vegetarian Teppanyaki options are available upon request and Chef also entertained our special request of Oyster Omelette ($30 per 120g, not on menu)! And i say this is the best oyster omelette i've had in my life!

Premium beef at SHIMA is sourced from the best farms in Japan and America, and Wagyu-lovers can feast on top-notch A5 Wagyu ribeyes from esteemed farms in Kagoshima ($140 per 100g) cooked to
preference. The lunch buffet usually serves Australian Tenderloin. We had the US Tenderloin ($45 per 120g) from the ala carte menu which was juicy and tender. Very very nice.

SHIMA doesn't let any precious ingredient go to waste and the wagyu fats from the steaks are used to make the fried rice! Best seasoning ever.

SHIMA makes all their sauces in house and that's why the meats are so delicious too. I rather enjoyed the Teriyaki Chicken cubes which were succulent.

If you do not fancy Teppanyaki, like i mentioned, you could do other types of Japanese food here at SHIMA. Sushi, Shashimi, Shabu Shabu and Yakiniku are available in the other dining rooms. There is also the option of private dining room with a minimum spend of $100 spend/pax.

We ended off dinner with desserts. The goma ice cream was really smooth and tasty! SHIMA also does seasonal fruits imported from Japan so you could also sample the fresh produce without having to fly to Japan.

SHIMA is certainly my new go to for Teppanyaki! Set Menus are priced at $90 onwards.

SHIMA
Level 1, Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 6734 6281
Daily: 12 - 3pm, 6 - 10pm

Last post on the HIC'Juice restore level 2 cleanse! Was reminded of this because there's a recent pop up at Rockstar by Soon Lee and I went to grab some juices! :)

Was in a semi state of insomnia because my body was just bursting with energy. You would think that going on juice alone would make you lethargic and hungry but nope! That said, I really wanted to sleep but somehow the body thought otherwise. I also crazily believed that I can do a marathon at 1am in the morning. What did they put in my juice?!

640am. Weight: <39kg Mood: Energetic

Had my juice early (because I'm a rebel like that). Well I always skip the warm water with lemon thing because it's too much of a hassle. Drink 1 was the yummy 4 carats which I surprisingly took to even though there's celery in it. I shared some with the mummy and mama. Btw they both liked Heart Beet too! I took the obvious opportunity to get mummy to take the bottle of Kaleidoscope. Mission accomplished! I really couldn't stand that mix. Replaced that final drink with my coconut water from Day 2 since I didn't managed to drink it before I sleep. Well remember to just chill, there's no need to force yourself to go through the whole cleanse. Drink to your limits #yolo.

1030am Lemon n Spice
No kick for me. I'd take this drink over Kaleidoscope, which mummy has informed me that she only drank a little because it's spicy for her. So says the woman who grew up on chili. -Roll eyes-

1215pm
Yoga for lunch! Hot Patanjali at my regular studio to work out the arms. I had a hard time concentrating at the start because I'm so hungry!! Then I decided to cast away the need (yes food is a need) and to focus on my body. Felt terribly drained after the class though. Jelly but toned arms and a superbly flat tummy! Thankfully I'm not losing my abs. Had to use every ounce of willpower to walk away from marche and not lose myself to the freshly baked breads. God this sucks. Need to get back to my juice now!

Oh My Greens was waiting for me back in office. A slight energy booster with the mix of Celery, Apple, Pineapple and Broccoli. It's an ok drink like I mentioned before.

4pm. Green Lemonade was my tea break. Apple, Cucumber, Kale, Celery, Romaine Lettuce, Parsley and Lemon. The green juices do taste quite the same but this is a little cooler in terms of taste.

Ended the cleanse with Lemon N' Spice and Coconut Water.

Well, the cleanse was rather tough to get through for a serial snacker and rule breaker like me but I'm glad that I kinda stuck to it. If you want tastier juices, I'd recommend Level 1. The green juices, though good for your body, is quite nasty. I guess I just need to find a company that doesn't add too much celery in their juices.

So HIC Juice wasn't too bad but like I mentioned in my first post, the major con is the weight and fragility of the pretty bottles. I much preferred the lighter and smaller packs that they sell at their store on Boon Tat Street. They definitely need a store somewhere in town! For $8 a pop (250ml), it is certainly a good (and cheaper) way to initiate yourself into a cleanse.

Read about my entire HIC Juice Cleanse experience here! Day 1 and Day 2. Happy juicing people!

Finally another brunch place in Orchard Road! Seasons Bistro, a casual dining outlet at Triple One Somerset offers seasonally-changing menus based on Americas inspired cuisines. What's Americas you say? Well it's the melting pot of cuisines in US duh. Dishes are inspired by Chef Benjamin's travels and Seasons Bistro using seasonal ingredients to give you the freshest flavors at pocket friendly prices.

From brunch to dinner, drinks to desserts, you'd be hard pressed not to find something to eat. The menu is pretty extensive. On weekends, brunch is also served and we gave it a shot alongside dishes from the main menu. Make it a happy brunch with the sweet 2 + 1 promotional offer on Moscato wines.

Starters from the main menu. I really enjoyed the Seared Yellowfin Tuna Taco ($14). The flavors were light and refreshing with the pickled onions, crispy shallots, cotija cheese and cilantro jalapeno watercress salad. I obviously cannot resist anything with avocado in it (it's in the mayonnaise) and also crunchy tortillas!

The Pan Seared Foie Gras ($16) - came with chocolate ganache, bacon jam, caramelized bananas and granola crumbs. The bacon jam, made from molasses, maple, onion and bacon, had the right amount of tartness and sweetness. We felt the dish could do away with the banana because it made the dish too sweet. The pain de mie was also too dry and porous. The foie gras was faultless.

The Grilled Portobello Salad ($16) was marred by the overseasoning of red wine vinaigrette. Cut that down and the dish would be delish. I couldn't help picking at the homemade candied walnuts.

The mains such as Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($22) and Surf & Turf Gumbo ($27) failed to impress. I was expecting the full blown Southerness but got a watered down version instead as both lacked in the flavor department. The brunch items were also meh-ish. Yes it was edible and filling (the portions were more than huge) but it's just the usual fry-ups. The pancake in the Lumberjack was a little more chewy than I liked and still lacking in buttermilk. The bagel offering (Montreal & Lox, $15) did nothing to quench my NYC bagel thirst. It was, like the typical bagels in Singapore, bland and hard.

Seasons Bistro is not all that bad and brunch was saved by the delicious Sangria Loco Cocktail Pitcher ($45 for 1.5l). They add elderflower to the red wine sangria and I swear I could have this as a main course with their generous serving of cut fruits.

The day was saved by desserts. Clockwise from top, we have the Lemon, Basil & Olive Oil Cake ($8), Chocolate Fudge, Deconstructed Banana Split ($12), Red Velvet Cheesecake ($10), Carrot Cake ($12) and in the middle, the Mojito Tart ($12). Of the lot, the carrot cake fared the worst with a dry texture. The Lemon basil cake was rather intriguing with its strange powdery texture. As for the chocolate fudge, well it's impossible to get it wrong.

I loved the Mojito Tart ($12), a toasted crunchy coconut tart with mint lime curd and rum cream. It had the right balance of tartness with an amazing crust. 

The Season’s Red Velvet Cheesecake ($10) was absolutely amazeballs. Rich, creamy chocolate cheesecake with a yummeh Oreo base. I would come back to Seasons just for this cake!

Hits and missed at Seasons Bistro but certainly a good spot for some cakes and drinks hic*. 

Seasons Bistro 

111 Somerset Road, #01-11/12

Triple One Somerset, Singapore 238164

Tel: +65 6836 5841

Mon - Thu: 11am - 12am

Fri: 11am - 2am

Saturdays: 10am - 2am

Sundays: 10am - 12am

Weekend Brunch: 10am - 4pm

DOMVS, The Italian Restaurant at Sheraton Tower Singapore is showcasing a new menu which plays on the classic Italian flavors. Sure I've been to tea at and dinner at Li Bai (read review here) but I didn't even noticed that there's an Italian restaurant in the hotel! So anyhoo, here is what we tasted.

I liked that the restaurant has ample space between dining tables so that one can dine in peace. There's certainly a posh feel to the restaurant.

Starting with appetizers. I didn't expect much from a grilled squid ($22) dish but was delighted by this one. I maintain that fresh seafood should be done simply and seasoned lightly. And this was really fresh and I loved that char on the tentacles.

The Vongole ($22) was also another favorite seafood dish that night. The best way to eat this white wine clams? Remove all meat and dispose all shells before digging in. Delayed gratification worked extremely well. Make sure you dunk the garlic toast in too. Soo gooood!

I wasn't too impressed with the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio ($25) which was really bland. I couldn't even taste much of the beef.

Lobster Bisque ($28) was a good choice with rich crustacean flavors and chunks of lobster. Gotta say that the freshly baked croissants took some of that limelight away from the seafood stew. 

My favorite main course was the succulent Lamb Chop ($48) doused in a coffee sauce which isn't too overpowering.

Beef Lasagna ($36) had an interesting presentation. Each slice is made individually and baked in a giant pasta sheet which kept the lasagne moist. I thought the dish could do with a more acidic meat sauce. 

The Homemade Basil Tagliatelle ($32) was served al dente atop a delectable bed of fried Eggplant. The homemade pasta was cooked with a slightly piquant Tomato Sauce and topped with salted Ricotta cheese. The dish was kinda bland for me as the basil flavor didn't quite come out. I enjoyed the eggplant the most in this dish.

Duo Seafood ($60) was a motley crew of poached Boston Lobster, battered Red Garoupa and Italian Rice in a Tomato Seafood broth. The presentation confused me and did nothing to enhance the flavors. The garoupa went to waste with that deep frying imo.

We tried 3 desserts, the Salted Crème Caramel ($18), Strawberry Tiramisu ($18) and Banana Strudel ($18), of which only the banana strudel impressed me. Banana isn't my typical choice for a dessert as i thought it to be too heavy but this was surprisingly light, even after all that feasting. The thin and crispy filo pastry is certainly worth a mention. The other desserts were too sweet for me. 

Hits and misses at DOMVS but i guess with the extensive choices, the overall experience wouldn't be too bad. An affordable three-course Executive Set Lunch, priced at $42/pax is also available. 

DOMVS 

Sheraton Towers Singapore

39 Scotts Road Singapore 229230

Tel: +65 6737 6888 

Absolutely loving the cafes popping up in my hood and the latest addition is Sunday Market at Lim Tua Tow Road. This cool spot serves up an Asian-inspired fare of Sirloin Rendang Toast ($15.90), Roasted Duck Pancakes with garlic hoisin sauce ($12.90) which gives diners something other than the usual Eggs Benedict for brunch. 

We had to get ourselves the famous Bangkok Toast ($10.90) which was a cinnamon thick sweet brioche toast with Matcha Green Tea custard, served with Thai milk tea ice-cream. This is the first time i've had Bangkok Toast and i had absolutely no idea what to expect. 

Well, it looked pretty much like a regular french toast. That is until you cut it through and bite into it! 

The fluffy brioche was soaked in a sweet milky liquid (probably condensed milk) which would satisfy any sweet tooth. I love every component of this dish, be it the intense matcha custard or the candied exterior of the toast. It also comes served with a Thai Milk Tea ice cream. Sadly, that was a little more icy than milky. Anyway, LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. 

Another stellar dish was the Pulled Duck Sandwich ($13.90) which is a shredded duck confit paired with creamy slaw, orange brown sauce and crispy duck skin. The serving was damn big and we were stuffed by the end of it. 

Even though the toast looked really heavy and huge, it was actually very airy and i found the meat to bread ratio to be perfect. This brioche is more buttery and savory compared to the Bangkok Toast and the meat was juicy and very savory. Another must try at Sunday Market. 

Other savory dishes that i may consider trying would be the Waffles. They have it with Fried Chicken ($11.90) and also Smoked Salmon and Avocado ($14.90). The latter is served with a cheese ice cream! Interesting hur! 

Sunday Market also does other homemade ice-cream with Asian inspired flavours such as Honey & Fig, Yubari Melon Gelato, Yuzu Sorbet, Kyoho grape, all at $3.50 per scoop. You could do it with waffles too ($6).

Adequate coffee, nothing fantastic. Give their milk tea a shot instead. But whatever you do, make sure you at least get yourself a Bangkok Toast!

Sunday Market

22 Lim Tua Tow Road Singapore 547772
Tel: +65 6287 8880
Weekdays: 1pm - 11pm
Weekends: 11am- 11pm

Super delayed post because i've been caught up with all the other eating and just got reminded by this post sitting in my draft box! So here the delicious Cake Spade which you guys probably all know about already but nevertheless worth a mention because their cakes are so yummeh!

I've been meaning to give them a try for the longest time but every time it comes to my mind, they're usually closed. So i was determined to buy some back when i passed by, even though i had no cake craving whatsoever. The 3 flavors featured here are (from top to bottom), the Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake, The Hummingbird and the Spiced Carrot Cake.

On the much raved about Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake ($5.90), i'd say it's just the regular strawberry hearts from the traditional bakeries. There was a nice graham base but the rest of the cake (could i call it that?) was very gelatinous (think Jell-O consistency). And that imo is not a good thing unless you're 5.
I was surprised by the Hummingbird Cake ($5.90) because i didn't expect to like it so much. It's a banana cake with pineapples and coconut. It may sound really heavy but it wasn't. In fact, it was a moist and light cake with a tinge of banana and a trace of pineapple. The coconut was simply the icing on top.

I liked the Spiced Carrot Cake too but not everyone would take to this really dense and flavor packed cake. Chunks of carrots with nuts and dense moist cake spiked with cinnamon. This tasted of Fall. Mummy thought it was more like a fruit cake though. The layers of vanilla cream cheese made this cake even more so addictive. Yums!

While the cakes did a great job, the brownies were just bleargh. The Oreo Cookie Brownie ($3.20) was really oily and bland. The brown paper bag that carried the brownie was soaked in no time and if you squeeze the slice a bit, you can see the oil oozing out. I only tasted sugar and fats in this one and the chocolate was sorely missing.

Cake Spade is really small so it quite made sense for takeaways. To locate it, well, it's around the corner from the famous Keisuke Ramen (read review here) shop at Orchid Hotel. Cakes are sold by the whole too and are priced $52 onwards. Tarts are also available ($4.20) and they have a small selection of coffee and tea should you choose to dine in.

Cake Spade

1 Tras Link, #01-06
Orchid Hotel, Singapore 078867
Tel: +65 6444 3868
Mon - Thu: 12 - 8pm
Fri - Sat: 12 - 10pm

I could live on sandwiches like the Europeans do. Well, that's if the sandwiches are the hearty types Gæst (pronounced as Guest) makes. This Nordic sandwich shop in CBD is run by Danish owners Kim and Stinne and they serve freshly baked breads daily from 7am and yes, everything is made from scratch.

I wanted to visit Gæst before my Norway trip to get an insight of this Nordic cuisine but that didn't happen. Now that I'm back, I'll give you a comparison report. I've not seen anything remotely close to this awesome brunch I had at Gæst. But if there's anything this standard and this amount, be prepared to give up your arms and legs. The food in Norway is terribly expensive and just really meh.

Back to Gæst. To tackle their sandwiches for a weekday lunch, the strategy is to dress for a picnic and to get out of office before lunch time. The small kitchen churns out limited quantities of bread and you probably gotta wait to dine alfresco while they prep your sandwich (it takes a while). The better alternative is to head there on the weekends like I did and yes they finally decided to open on Sundays as well. Brunch items are served from 9am on weekends and the menu is different from the weekday one.

Thankfully, the signature Pulled Pork Sandwich ($14) is available on the weekends too. One simply has to order this. You gotta screw your diet plan a little or work doubly hard after digging into the roasted pork with crunchy crackling. My favorite part was the refreshing orange marinated red cabbage and with apple slices. The juiciness helped to balance the slightly dry pork that was lacking a little in flavors.

I would have gone for the Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon ($15) but the other Mister C had a different idea so it was the boring Brunch Plate ($20) for sharing.

Well, I guess the supposed highlight of this dish is the Danish style omelette with potatoes and bacon. This is quite like the Spanish Tortilla in terms of concept but turned out to be more homecooked chinese fried potato egg. I enjoyed the sourdough bread on its own with the rhubard compote, brie, caramel sauce (love!!) and cream cheese.

Other weekend items include Muesli ($7) and Potato Sandwich ($14), which I thought would be a great vegetarian option with salt boiled potato, lemon and salt marinated leeks, hazelnut and rye crunch with pea tendrils and smoked mayonnaise.

Coffees are strong and decent enough, though a little on the bitter spectrum. I'd probably give their refreshing elderflower and rosemary soda ($5) a shot next time.  

GAEST

21 McCallum Street, #01-01 

The Clift, Singapore 069047

Tel: +65 6634 0922
Weekdays: 7am - 9.30pm
Weekends: 8.30am - 3.30pm