Sakura International Buffet @ Dhoby Ghuat + My Day Out

This is the second time I am dining at Sakura International, even though I have heard lots of good things about this buffet place.

I had my first time at Safra Tampines's branch, and it wasn't as good enough to make me want to go back. However, this time, it is an invitation by my brother to spend lunch time with him, and is to go to a different branch, at which he thinks will fair well in my books.

I also agreed to give Sakura another chance, because I have not eaten Japanese, nono, I mean I have not eaten LOADS of Japanese food for a while now. hahaha. I really, really like Japanese cuisine, and will always be game for a day out to go Jap.

I am not a buffet person though, as I can never make the amount of food I eat quite match up to the cost. LOL.

I am so glad I took time and calories on this as Dhoby Ghuat branch really changed my impression of the Sakura Internation Buffet! Read on to find out... ... (invitation by bro to spend lunch with him, but I paid my share alright. haha. We are both students... ...)

Sakura International Buffet @ Dhoby Ghuat

Picture courtesy of Suki Group of Restaurants

Location
One other reason I agreed to go out for lunch was because I find that this particular branch of Sakura is exceptionally accessible. The others I know of are all at some far flung places not within reach from school or home. This Dhoby Ghaut one is centralized and looks like a city garden, reminding me of Fish & Co. glasshouse branch. =) I like the tranquil there.

Mode of Operation
At Sakura, all the diners will pay first, then be led to a table, where you get 4 tiny number clips. The number clips are for clipping onto a stand, to indicate which cooked food you'd like to be served, like Shishamo, Skewered Squid, Grilled Squid etc.

As buffets are, the rest are all self-service, with tissue and cutlery pre-arranged on the tables.

The bill for two was a standard $51.60 for two adults.

Food

Scallops, mussels and kueh pie tee.

I went for this first, which were found at the back of the restaurant, opposite the Sakura Desserts shelves. I really love mussels! haha. And the kueh pie tee is DIY, so you can choose to load your tiny cup full of fresh prawns, or do it the standard way of filling the bottom with bang guang, then eggs, a bit of chili and the prawn on top to make it look nice, like I did. =)

The scallops are not as fresh as I'd like them, but the mussels are pretty good, and the kueh pie tee is worth your calorie and stomach space too! That prawn on the kueh pie tee is really tender and fresh. =)

Mentai sauce (salmon eggs & mayo mix) mussels, crab, oyster, yakitori, and tempura prawns.

I like the mentai sauce from Sakura! The crab meat and oyster are both mixed with flour batter and placed back into the shells. The crab tastes good, but I don't like the oyster. The flour will make you fill full faster, and waste your calories, so I'd say limit your intake of things like these and the tempura... ...

The prawn of the tempura is good, but the tempura batter is tasteless.

The yakitori is not bad! My brother likes it.

Salmon sashimi!

This is what we really came for! hahaha. Yup, both of us really like salmon sashimi a lot, and wanted to "kill" this. The other one, the swordfish sashimi is not that good.

At Safra Tampines, the sashimi wasn't really fresh. But I am glad to say that this is good! This one we got yesterday is pretty much as good as it gets in Singapore for the normal price. So eat more!

Lotus slices, mentai scallop, egg mayo, meat, mentai salmon and black fish egg sushi, seaweed.

I love the seaweed! The rest are okay. I think for the sushi, just choose those that you can't eat the meat separately, as the rice will be filling. And the rice here is not particularly delicious... ... It also doesn't has vinegar which I like.

Desserts and Fruits! Skewered mochi balls with azuki topping, mochi, white chocolate, kueh lapis, orange, pineapple, guava, longan and dragonfruit.

I like the spread of fruits that they have. I took the fruits before starting on the other foods, to aid digestion and try not to eat so much. hahaha.

Of the desserts, I don't think it's very worth it, except for the white chocolates! LOVE that. And go for the konyaku too, because konyaku jellies are zero calories food, but they do make you fill full. The cakes are nice. Go for the durian green tea one and the cheesecakes. Surprisingly, their cheesecake passes my standards.

Skewered squid.

Nice! This is really worth it. And having more of it will make your buffet very, very worth the $26.15. hahaha.

I like squids anyway. =)

Jing Yu.

I have forgotten the name of this fish in English. But this is good! It's one of those cooked foods where you clip the clips for.

Shishamo (Pregnant Fish)

GOod! You can eat the whole thing! This is my first time trying something like that out. My bro says that this is not the best, but I am satisfied that it is crispy, tasty, and reminds me of Kuning fish in Nasi Lemak.

Chicken Satay

This is good! The chicken is very tender, and definitely much much nicer than all the standard coffeeshops ones! Eat more, eat more.

Green Tea ice cream with peanuts chips.

I love this. My brother thinks it's nice too. Of all the ice creams, I think the durian is not bad, the sherbets are good. The rest are nice too, but you can get it outside.

Yoghurt Jelly

There are many of these packed jellies, or konyaku, as the Japanese know it, and I like them all! Feast on konyaku if you are a fan as well. These are not cheap outside, so it is another thing to make your buffet worth the money.

Drinks
There are hot drinks from the Nescafe vending machine, so you can get your hot cappaucino, milo, plain green tea, plain hot water there.

The cold drinks are pretty good too! With options such as Sjora in Mango Peach, Nestle Green Tea, Blackcurrent, Sakura's own Soya Bean Milk.

Not bad at all. I ended off the meal with the plain hot green tea. =)

Overall Rating: 8/10
I love the place, tranquil and good for a warm talk, sit down, relax, discussions. Plus really not bad food at such a great price. Can go back!

******

We went to Comex for about 3-4 hours after food stroll, and then walked to Esplanade to take the bus home. Below are some pictures along the way.

Art display at Esplanade

Stage lights.

These are really working, but I thought they make good art in a photo. haha. Not sure if anyone appreciates my sense of style.

Digital boy skating.

Digital Lady Ballet.

******

Just want to share with you a bit of hip hop dressing. haha, I went to watch Step Up 3 in 3D, and I must say, it's good! Real good in 3D. It's my best 3D movie so far. Up was rubbish. So was Avatar.

Step Up 3 is made for the 3D, so the director uses the effect and deliberately put in scenes that can be played up by 3D, making it a really good experience for viewers.

Hip hop. Baggy clothes, designer canvas shoes, a cap.

Read more "Sakura International Buffet @ Dhoby Ghuat + My Day Out..."

Old Town White Coffee @ Subang Jaya

I was so excited to learn that there is not only Carrefour, but also the familiar Old Town White Coffee just a short walk from my temporary stay place in KL, Malaysia.

It is always heart-warming to be eating and buying from a name that sounds closer to home, i.e. Singapore.

I thought it'd be nice to start my food blogging in Subang with a very simple task of comparing the OTWC chain across the two countries. And I am really glad to say that standards are the same!

Everything from the decor, the waiters' uniform, the ordering system, the utensils, cup, and food are the same! Much to my relief. haha.

I have eaten quite a lot from the menu, and today, I decided to try the Javanese Mee, Plain Thick Toast and Organic Spirlina Orange Juice.

Javanese Mee, RM 6.80

The display of this mee reminds me of Cold Ramen from Kado Man. It consists of dry mee served on a large round plate, in Javanese mee style sweet mee goreng-like sauce, with toppings of half an egg, crispy you tiao, baked potato cubes, chopped peanuts, green onions, spring onions, with a lime to enhance.

I especially like the taste of slightly sour lime juice mixed into the sweet sauce. It coats the noodles very well, and really made me feel like this is a well-round balanced bowl of ramen. hahaha, I still can't get out of the ramen life.

The baked potato cubes also tasted delightful, with slightly crispy, on-the-verge-of-burnt feel, yet bites in as rather soft. However, it tasted a bit bland, although I am fine with this, since I feel eating pure food is healthier than soaking in butter etc.

The crispy you tiao are no so to my liking though. It may taste good to people who like crispy toast bread and biscuit like food. But for me, I prefer you tiao to still be dough soft on the inside.

The chopped peanuts are also self-cooked, probably either roasted or fried till fragrant. Very nutty and adds dimension to the mee.

The mee is not bad, but nothing too special.

Rating: 4/5
I think the best main course from OTWC is still Ipoh Hor Fun.

Organic Spirulina Orange Juice, RM 5.20

I like this!! It has just the right intensity of sourness, yet retains the tea feeling. I think so far, all the beverages from OTWC are really good, apart from Si Mut Milk Tea and Nanyang Kopi 'C', which are strange to me.

Rating: 4.5/5

Plain Thick Toast, RM 1.50
As with the normal toast bread, I don't really like this. I feel that the skin though toasted to the right level of crisp, is bitter. I much rather prefer the moisturized inner portions of the bread.

Rating: 3.5/5

Overall rating: 8/10
I still like this place as much as ever. haha. It is affordable in Singapore and really cheap in Malaysia. I think my favourite cold drink here is the Organic Spirulina Orange Juice!! Why hadn't I tried that earlier? I like the Rose Float, Black Currant Yoghurt Smoothie, and Organic Wheat Grass Honey too. Not to mention OTWC original, Hazelnut White Coffee and Iced Mocha White Coffee.

There are two outlets in Subang, both are within walking distance (~15 min):

Subang Avenue
Lot SG-08, Subang Avenue, SS16,
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 603-5636 8988
Fax: 603-5636 8788
(On sight of Carrefour, walk/drive further down, OTWC is the middle of 3 block of condos, ground floor, easily spotted.)

Subang Jaya SS15
No. 92 Jalan SS15/4,
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 603-5621 0092
Fax: 603-5621 0092

(From Carrefour, cross the overhead bridge, walk till the end corner, turn left, walk straight up the slight slope, OTWC is easily spotted along the shophouses on your left, with the brown canopy and Old Taste printed on it.)

PS: They have free wifi here with really good connection and speed. Makes it real good to blog their food. =)

P/S/S: I totally hate addresses. Seriously, how many of you can spot places using plainly addresses? At most times, the place is right in front of you, and you're still looking for that door number!! LOL. Landmarks and walking directions are definitely easier. Much easier still if you're driving, since one can't possibly crawl in the car at one foot per second! All websites need to do is show some pictures of landmarks around or describe the landmarks. Read more "Old Town White Coffee @ Subang Jaya..."

Waffle Pancake (Chinese) @ Prima Deli Jurong Point Branch: Why the queue? Is it better than famous NTU's?

It really intrigues me to see the long queues everyday at the Jurong Point branch of Prima Deli. I have not spotted similar queues at any other Prima Deli branches.

I know that Prima Deli's waffles are good because I myself really like the one at Tampines Mart's branch, besides KFC. It's soft, tastes of a lot of egg whites, and superbly tasty. But the big drawback is that that one is never going to be crispy because the formula of the batter isn't tailored for crisp, and I still prefer skin crispy waffles no matter what. So it's like 美中不足 (it's beautiful, but not perfect).

Having only eaten from that one Prima Deli, I was inclined to think that all branches have the same recipe. But as you would soon find out in my review, this is absolutely not true.

Waffle Pancake (Chinese) @ Prima Deli Jurong Point Branch

Available: Prima Deli at Jurong Point

Volume: Bigger than both NTU's and Prima Deli Tampines Mart

Star Properties: Totally white batter

Looks
This is the best waffle pancake look that I've ever come across. Waffle makers are basically standard, and anyone can get them. Most people would get the smallest size one, but with big squares, like NTU's. Even Prima Deli Tampines Mart is using a mould with larger squares than this. So you see, there is already a difference in the waffle maker between two polar branches at opposite ends of the island.

Plus, this looks really clean because of the all white/cream colour batter versus the standard pandan flavoured ones around. Nice, and extremely even browning, and slight crisp on the edges.

Rating: 5/5

Pancake Taste
This does not have any pandan at all, neither the fragrance nor the taste. It's just sweet, but it's not flatly sweet. There is a nice feel of well-balanced butter etc.

However, being very used to having pandan in waffle pancakes, I was quite sad that this one has chosen to skip it altogether.

Rating: 4.8/5

Spreads

I ordered Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Original. All the spreads are great!! The chocolate, though not artisan's chocolate or Belgium chocolate or Cadbury, etc, is real chocolate, not Nutella! The peanut butter is the chunky one, with obvious crunches in between bites. So that's very nice to chew, since the waffle is soft.

Rating: 5/5

Amount of Spread

Okay, it's still half the waffle... In this case, the strength of the spread taste is not very strong, so I'd like them to put more spread. And they actually do state that add spread costs something like $0.20 more??

Rating: 3.5/5

Crisp

It is really crispy when hot. But too bad, it goes totally nua/chui/soft very quickly, while NTU's one still has its crispy skin.

Rating: 4.5/5

Don't think there is much secret here, as the buckets are not kept in the refrigerator. It's just a matter of getting the mix right, and cooking for the right time at the correct temperature. =)

Overall Rating: 8.7/10
There are many pancake machines, so the wait is not as long as it looks. Buy if you are in the area! =) I'd definitely prefer it to be pandan flavoured though.

PS: I think the Tampines Mart one is a lot better, and a match for NTU's. Just that it's tofu soft. =) Read more "Waffle Pancake (Chinese) @ Prima Deli Jurong Point Branch: Why the queue? Is it better than famous NTU's?..."

Santouka 山头火 Ramen - A Recommendation by ieatishootipost & gang

I have no idea why I am only blogging about ieatishootipost now, given that I have been reading it for a few years and also own a handful of blogs prior to this. Moreover, I always recommend my friends to read it if they really wanted to find something good to eat in Singapore, because that blog seriously only blogs about good food, and nothing else.

This time round, ieat has gone on the search for the best ramen in Singapore to list down the Top 10, and I, being a Japanese lover, just had to get into the fun and excitement of the search! Enjoying the adrenaline rush that builds up. =)

[Since History was my most-hated subject in school, after Literature, I shall not post much on beginnings and whatnot. Furthermore, I think the writeup on all food at ieatishootipost is already so perfect! Read Santouka on ieatishootipost here. I prefer to focus on the entirety of the restaurant, as we all know we are paying for it in cosmopolitan Singapore. Yes, so don't waste your $$$ on yucky food.]

Santouka 山头火 Ramen

Setting & Ambience

First step in Santouka was delightful with the wide-open view of Singapore river and very much unblocked blue sky, together soft sunlight setting in on the entire restaurant.

It's always nice seeing greenery and water during mealtimes.

The furniture is well-spaced despite the narrow and not very big place, unlike many Chinese restaurants which squeezes me up at too close a proximity to the next diner, for comfort, and no space to place my belongings.

The surroundings certainly goes into my book as a place that couples can have a good meal at.

However, the decoration is slightly sparse in contrast to glitzy restaurants like Ippudo and Watami. Perhaps not the first date, but yes for a regular hangout.

On a side note, there is a long line of cushioned sofas outside the restaurant, so that people may queue in comfort during peak hours. I really take my hat of that as most places would give you a row of single chairs, and strange ones like Ippudo give you a big waiting table to stand around at.

Rating: 4/5

Service

I was greeted nicely by a new staff, who very promptly brought me a jug of water, the menu and a basket to be placed on the floor and hold my bags.


I wanted to change seats for more lighting, and she gladly shifted everything to the next table. In the process, she was also well-aided by the more experienced staff, which was heart-warming, since I know that this kind of peer help do not exists in many restaurants.


Throughout, service was prompt, polite, and pleasant, with a lot of thank you as the cashier.

Rating: 4.5/5

Food

Menu

The menu is sparse in the sense that this is a dedicated ramen restaurant, so you do not get the dizzying array of sashimi, rice dishes and dessert, as you would as chains like Sakae, Sushi Tei or Watami.

All you see will be the different types of ramen.

Ramen - Toro Niku Kara (Spicy) Miso Ramen

As the title goes, I ordered the Toro Niku Kara (Spicy) Miso Ramen, as the pork cheeks are highly recommended by one of ieat's gang.

I put them all together and decorated it myself! hehe.

I didn't really like the way that you have to order the pork cheeks separately and then the noodles, as it ups the price this way. =(

The Pork Cheeks

The pork cheeks are good, such that I could finish them despite having eaten two other ramen meals right before visiting Santouka. Also, normally, no matter how great the taste is, I'd still control myself and don't eat so much fattening meat. So pork cheeks is one of the exceptions.

The serving is quite a lot, with 6 big pieces, and I only bite about 1/4 of the piece for each mouthful of noodles I take. So by the time it finishes, I ate enough noodles and drank enough soup to be very full.

The taste, though good, was a little bit disappointing, as it reminded me of Narcissus brand canned stew pork. I was a little surprised at the quite normal taste since I have eaten this from 20 years ago. It is a good taste, and I do not compromise on the taste of my canned stew pork. I only buy Narcissus. So yes, the pork cheeks tastes good, but not unique for me.

Besides that, I like the taste of pork neck in teppanyaki better than cheeks.

However, the texture and amount of fats (which is little and not visible, so is good grade meat) is definitely something you would not get outside Santouka. =) So yes, I do like the taste, and the meat as a whole.

As far as I know, on the mass market, Santouka is the only place that serves pork cheeks.

Supposedly, for maximum taste and best texture, you dip the cheek in the boiling hot soup and melt the interwoven fats, so that the cheeks would melt in your mouth. However, I enjoyed the plain version as much, so I basically soaked half in the soup and ate half plain.

Rating: 4/5

Soup

The soup is strong and tasty, and has that special slightly herb-y taste. It was so refreshing that I drank 1/3 the bowl until I finally figured out the secret behind that great taste.

It is miso, as I ordered of course! haha, but I sort of forgotten because I was taken aback by the shot of eye-gleaming (which is a grade lower than eye-PoPpInG. hahaha.) curry-lookalike soup.

It is on the salty side and I would advise not to drink it, since Japanese also do not usually drink ramen soup. They use it as flavouring for the noodles and ingredients.

See! Got sesame one! Cute.

Also, I need to point out that I felt very thirsty after that, and so it could be an overdose of MSG.

The part that wasn't satisfying for me is the apparent lack of spiciness despite the menu calling it spicy. I take that as failure to do as promised, which I feel is very important for products.

If you are looking for the same taste of soup (in fact, I think better), Beppu Japanese Noodles at Tiong Bahru Plaza is better. I drank up every drop, and if you choose spicy, it is really spicy. However, the meat and noodles are definitely no match for Santouka (which is also expectedly more expensive). =)

Rating: 4.5/5

Noodles

Yes, the noodles pass the QQ-test. =)

I would set this as the minimum pass benchmark for Q ramen, and I'd expect all ramen joints/chains/restaurants to produce this grade of standard round and long noodles.

Rating: 4/5

Drink

The green tea here is good, because you get a whole boiling teapot to yourself with the tea bag. I guess that means no free flow. But the two cups that the one pot poured was more than enough for me.

Side - Egg

The half-cooked hard-boiled egg is good too, with very flowy yolk, which can be a bit messy if held slantedly. I'd prefer slightly more cooked yolk, and slightly less salty, yet more flavourful egg though.

For egg only, I recommend O-An Japanese Restaurant, which I will blog about in later posts.


Rating: 4/5

Price/ Value-for-money

The normal ramen are reasonably priced at around $14 before service charge. However, the pork cheeks really ups the ante quite a bit. So I am posting to psychological prep anyone who needs it.

1 Japanese Tea $2
1 Toro Niku Kara (Spicy) Miso Ramen $20.50
1 Komi-Tamago (Half-cooked Hard-boiled Japanese style ramen egg)
10% Svc Charge $2.35
7% GST $1.81
Total $27.65

I find it a tad expensive, as this is not a 5/5 dish for me. However, this is the best bowl of ramen for holydrummer of ieat makan buddies. So, go try. It is good, and probably wouldn't garner complains.

Rating: 4.8/5

Would I go back?

Yes, to try the other styles. But I am not in love, and so maybe not so soon. I do not really find the cheeks die-die must eat, and I must have it again. But I feel, yes, they are must-tries in your life. And once in a while. =)

Would I recommend?
Yes, but no need to rush, no need to make special trips. For the next time the girlfriend complains nothing to eat since the location is quite central, or a friend reunion, yes. =)


Overall rating: 8/10

RAMEN SANTOUKA
6 Eu Tong Sen St S'pore 059817
#02-76 The Central
Tel 62240668


Walking Directions:
From Clark Quay MRT Station, turn left on exiting the barricades, and left again to the exit saying "To Central" (besides the flight of 90 steps staircase). Seeing Subway at the end of the escalators, turn to Azabu Sabo's side, take the one level escalator to 2nd floor, you should see lots of banners and Japanese words already. Walk all the way pass Manhatten Fish Market and Billy Bombers, it's the tiny shop at the end! =)

PS: Quite sad that the pictures are not very good for this. Sat at the wrong place. I actually feel like going back for better pictures that will do Santouka justice. So tired after long walks that day. haha, just felt like pouncing on the food due to the recommendation. Read more "Santouka 山头火 Ramen - A Recommendation by ieatishootipost & gang..."