Tonkichi - Suntec City

Picture of a bowl of Sesame Seeds to grind at Tonkichi

Found another great Japanese food outlet at Suntec City Basement over the weekends! This one reminds me of my favourite “Ma Maison” (See earlier posts) and is quite close in the running too, in terms of the Japanese food served. Tonkichi is part of the Pokka Food group and renowned for Japanese food. We have to try it.

Curious as to how they would taste compared to the ones we had at "Ma Maison" (another favourite Japanese restaurant of ours), we also ordered the Tonkatsu sets we usually love to eat – this also appears to be their specialty! There are quite a few varieties here at Tonkichi such as: Rosu Katsu, Curry Katsu, Hire Katsu (pork cutlets) … We decided to order the Rosu Katsu set (consists of loin pork) @ S$ 20 and the Hire Katsu set (consisting of 3 pieces of pork cutlet) @ S$ 18.

Interestingly, we were served a bowl of sesame seeds before we were served with the main course! I thought why. I later understand that this was suppose to be one of the spices to be sprinkled over the katsu pork served later. We were supposed to grind the seeds in the bowl so that the sesame fragrance comes out. So we did!

Rosu Katsu Set

The katsu sets came. The presentation reminds me very much of the ones I had at “Ma Maison”. So I really had to try the pork to see if they come close too. My oh my! The pork katsu served here is more crispy in my opinion and the pork meat is much more tender and soft. Believed it’s the bread crumbs that they used to fry the pork slices in that makes it very crispy. Really nice. The katsu cutlet is even more tender and very sweet too!

Hire Katsu Set (Pork Cutlet)

The thoughtful restaurant also tops up your lettuces when your plate becomes empty and so there’s more for you! One thing lacking is the katsu sauce and the salad oil still pales in comparison to that at “Ma Maison”. But the food steals the show and its still very good overall. I would definitely come back here for a Japanese meal again. Their menu still offers many other Japanese sushi, sashimi and ala carte dishes. Worth exploring if you are looking for good Japanese food.

Tonkichi has another 2 outlets in Singapore; at Takashimaya and Isetan Scotts Shaw House respectively. The one we visited was at 3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-009, Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038985 Tel: 6339 4231.

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak

This one is a great find and its already been famously acclaimed as the No. 1 Nasi Lemak so I must record it down in my foodie blog.

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak is at Adam Road Food Centre. What I like about this simple dish sold here is the hot and fragrant nasi (i.e. malay word for “rice”) – this stall uses a special Basmati rice whose rice grain is very small and fine, hence its great taste! Nasi Lemak means rice cooked with coconut. It is always the fragrance of the rice that determines whether this dish is rated good or not.

Of course, the side-dishes served with the nasi lemak matters a lot too. With well-cooked side-dishes, even the simplest nasi lemak can turn out a winner. The meals served here at Selera Rasa is a winner in every way - including the tasty fried chicken wing, fried ikan bilis and otah! The fried chicken is crispy outside yet tender inside and so are the fried ikan bilis (small fishes). There must be a secret recipe as to how they are cooked because they all taste just so right! Words just can’t describe it.

The set meals are also interestingly named as deals we see in card games e.g. Full House, Royal Flush, and Royal Rumble ranging from S$2 - S$5. My favourite is the Full House meal @ S$4 which has my favourite fried chicken wing, otah, fried egg, handful of ikan bilis and few slices of cucumber. Of course, not forgetting the must-have chilly padi served with the Nasi Lemak.

After a scrumptious serving of Nasi Lemak, don’t forget to also have a cup of Teh Tarik (Malay Milk Tea) available from the nearby Malay drink stalls to complete your meal. No need to say more. Selera Rasi Nasi Lemak is at No. 2 Adam Road Food Centre, Singapore.

Viet Lang @ The Arts House

Visited The Arts House recently and found this little Vietnamese restaurant, Viet Lang. Viet Lang is derived from Vietname's present name "Vietnam" and its historical name "Anh Lang". As its name suggests, it serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine and was previously relocated from Chijmes.

Housed within a colonial style block at the Old Parliament Lane, Viet Lang exudes an old-world charm the minute you stepped into the restaurant. Soothing Vietnamese music was playing in the backdrop and the ambience was a cosy and comfortable one, just like when you stepped into your own home. We were shown to a table at the corner of the restaurant, with a backcouch filled with lots of cushions! So comfy!

Making ourselves at ease, we started the evening with some lovely Vietnamese Lemon Grass Tea served in a pot, which was a specialty @ S$7 per pot.

We could not resist the tantalising appetisers on the menu at irresistibly reasonable prices too. We ordered the Chef Recommended "Cha Cuon" - which were described as Imperial Rolls made of crispy net rice paper rolls with shrimp and chicken filling @ S$7. The rolls were simply delicious!! Not oily, very very crispy and crunchy indeed. The chilly sauce that was served with the dish deserves a mention as it went very well with the rolls. Overall with the fresh greens served, all of them brought out the flavour of this Vietnamese starter very well - simply refreshing and delicious! I noticed most of the diners also ordered this one and its definitely worthy of my recommendation too!

For the main, Ted went for the Soupy category. This was a luxury indeed! This dish known as "Banh Canh Cua Ca", were mini rice noodles with crabmeat and fish served in thick soup @ S$16. The broth was thick and fragrant! Served hot with the crabmeat and fish cooked together, it was heavenly. It reminds me of the delicious sharkfin's soup and just as delicious except this is crabmeat! I would recommend this one to you too, if you are one of those thick chinese sharkfin's soup lovers!


This simple Vietnamese dish - which is my favourite known as "Bun Ga Xao" (@ S$15) - made of cold noodles topped with stir fried chicken/beef, bean sprouts, lettuce, cucumber served with Chef Bao's homemade sauce is quite a stir with me!! I simply love it! The ingredients were fresh and with the sauce, it was neither too sour or sweet. I had tried this dish before at some other Viet restaurants and found them to be either too sour or sweet to my liking. This one here seems perfect! With the chicken and bean sprouts mixed together in the dish, the noodles felt very crunchy and tasty indeed!

As I read from the menu, Chef Bao must be the chef here at Viet Lang and I would definitely like to salute him for all the delicious Viet cuisine served here. Each dish ordered brought out the flavours of Vietnam very well and we were definitely pleased ... !

The bill came out to be an average of about S$30 per person and this includes the tea and appetisers we had, plus 10% service charge and 7% GST. However, for the delicious food there, its definitely worth a visit! If you are near The Arts House next time, dont miss Viet Lang. Its at 1 Old Parliament Lane, #01-03, Annexe Building, Singapore 179429 Tel: 6337 3379. You may want to call and make a reservation just in case, as seats seem to be quite limited there.

Culina Enoteca

Valentine's Day came and swept by on Saturday 14 Feb 09! Both of us have been busy since the New Year started and hardly found time to relax & haunt for good food. After springcleaning and preparing for Chinese New Year on 27 Jan 09, it was a whirl-wind, back to work... Busy busy busy.

But we have to make time to celebrate this special day - Valentine's Day. My sweet valentine, Ted brought me to Dempsey Hill to avoid the crowds. How very thoughtful! We started out earlier than usual as we did not make any reservations. But he's got a plan in mind already. Lots of couples were walking around Dempsey in the early evening with flowers and balloons in hands... oh what a lovely sight!

Soaking in the romantic atmosphere, we settled for Culina Quality Food & Beverage @ Enoteca knowing the good food wont fail us! A Valentine's Dinner menu (@ S$50++ per person) with various choices was offered. Menu looks good enough for us.

The place was a little small but cosy for us. We did not mind the seats inside the store (air-con) which gave us a good view of what's happening outside... and inside.

We created the menu of the day ourselves and it was:

For TED

Starter: Grilled Scampi

Main: Mulloway Fillet Set

And Dessert: Chocolate Indulgence

For STRAWBERRY

Starter: Scallops Carpaccio

Main: Veal Medaillon Set

And Dessert: Chocolate Indulgence

We noticed the place was awarded with a plaque for being "Women's Weekly Gold Plate" for Most Interesting Dining Restaurant! The food was indeed quality as they claimed. The seafood we had as starters were very fresh indeed. It would have gone very well with wine but we did not to go for it that evening. The main was was a decent portion with a special mention on the Mulloway fish fillet - with its freshest which appears to have came just from the sea or rather, straight from the store!! The veal medallion was tender and it was cooked using Vanilla Essence hence its sweet taste. Its difficult to find veal of this quality - of its real flavour, if you know what I mean! Freshest is really the key here and we enjoyed the great food a lot while chatting away... the nice chef also offer a complimentary dessert for us - something like fruit jelly but i found it too sour for my taste.

The final moment came. It was the dessert - a lovely sea of chocolate mousse which melted right in my mouth! YUM! Culina Enoteca is a quality food and beverage place if you do not mind dining at a grocer itself. Its definitely a great experience! Whats most important is that I believe if you are looking for freshest, grocers are the best place to go cos the chef could just pick up any item they intend to cook right inside the store! Would definitely go there again ... and you gotta try it too!

Culina Enoteca is at Blk 8 Dempsey Hill, Dempsey Road, #01-13, Singapore 249679 Tel: 64747338. There are a few outlets in Singapore. Check them out!

Dian Xiao Er

How would you like to pick up a "secret manual/recipe" like one of those you see in Chinese kungfu movie?? Well, we picked this one up at an unexpected find - Dian Xiao Er at Changi Airport Terminal 3. Famous for its delicious herbal roasted duck. Looking around for Chinese food, we stumbled upon this tiny little restaurant looking like an olden Chinese traditional inn made up of bamboo settings filled with olden Chinese tables and chairs. Their menu booklet is entitled their "secret manual/recipe" and looks just like one of those "Chinese martial arts secret manual" picked up by one of those martial arts exponent you see in a Chinese kungfu movie! (Please see photo above for a view of the menu booklet I was referring to)

In the "secret manual", of course you would find their best recommendations to a good menu. Each cuisine served in the restaurant is specifically described in their "manual" so that you would know the goodness and benefits to that dish you intend to order.


We had to try the recommended "Ten Wonder Herbs Roasted Duck" as its their signature dish! The roast duck appears to have been already all roasted and ready to serve. But my goodness, this dish is fantastic! Never knew roasted ducks taste so good, especially with herbs! The texture and flavour of the duck was very good. The duck was well marinated and the meat was very tender but not fatty. The skin was also thin and crispy. Served with the herbal gravy, the duck tastes simply great! I understand that the ten wonder herbs are typically consumed for vitality and energy. To put it simply, its to recharge a person. So a revitalising dish it is indeed! With a unique flavour given to a duck.

We also ordered other dishes like the herbal soup and the Xiao Er Crispy Toufu (beancurd) which was one of its recommended dishes. My complaint is that the serving seems little and might not be enough. We went as a group of three for dinner but had to eat with constraint as the food seems just too little in my opinion. Despite the little complaint I have, the herbal duck is still worth going for.

Dian Xiao Er has about 7 outlets now around Singapore. The one we went is at 65 Airport Boulevard Level 3, L-F3 Changi Airport Terminal 3, Singapore. Tel: 6542 3789.

Happy New Year 2009!

Strawberry Moments would like to wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous new year 2009 ahead! Cheers!

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lock Kee

Merry Christmas Everyone! Where did you spend your Xmas?

In our hot and tropical country Singapore, no one would have thought of us having Xmas dinner in a spicy flavoured Nasi Padang restaurant! We did! And it was Restaurant Hock Lock Kee at Hotel Rendevous that we went! It was a fantastic dinner with superb flavours of spices and chilli!

The current frenzy over the Channel 8 TV drama serial "The Little Nonya" depicting the heartwrenching story of a girl and her ups & downs in life in a Peranankan family has got everyone interested in the lifestyles, food, desserts, chilli spices and flavours of a Straits nonya-baba & their Peranankan dishes again! Failing to find a Peranakan restaurant nearby Dhoby Ghaut area, we settled for a close Nasi Padang Restaurant.. at Hotel Rendevous.

This restaurant was established since 6 decades ago and is famous for its delicious Western Sumatran Nasi Padang. Even our Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong had patronized them. They had quite a few shifts in their restaurant location previously from a modest coffeeshop along Bras Basah to Raffles City to finally being here at Hotel Rendezvous. The simple yet tasteful decor of the Straits kopitiam (coffeeshop) sums up the atmosphere and quality of food you expect there.

Big bro joined us this time for dinner. The three of us ordered the Assam Pedas Fish-Head @ S$23. The fish was tender and fresh. The dish was also spicy hot and correctly soured with the Assam spices. One of the rare few well cooked Assam dish you can find!

We added on with dishes of salad appetisers (of cucumber, onion and chilli), fried batang fish slices and fried mashed potatoes. The staff also served us with big plates of chicken curry gravy and green curry gravy to go with the rice and food. I tell you - the gravies are all I need! They are simply heavenly delicious and spicy. The food like the decor of the restaurant - are simple yet tasteful! You also got to try the icy cold and sweet colourful dessert, Chendol laden with thick coconut milk with sweet brown sugar. This dessert is a simply wonderful end to your dinner!

You have to visit this place to try their food if you love chilli, spices and Chendol! Restaurant Hock Lock Kee is at #02-02/03, Hotel Rendezvous Gourmet Gallery, 9 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189559 Tel: (65) 6339 7508.

Happy Chef Seafood Noodle House, Sydney

While away from home, sometimes you just get a sudden craving of your usual local delights. So this time while at Sydney, I ended up at this foodcourt in Chinatown Mall... in the hope of finding some local Singapore food to satisfy my tastebuds!

Happy Chef Seafood Noodle House was the name of the stall in the Sussex Centre foodcourt I chanced upon. I was attracted by their colourful signboard of photos displaying the huge variety of Asian noodle dishes they served. They seem to have a long list of accolades including – recommendation by some popular TV programs - “Yan Can Cook” (hosted by the famous Martin Yan), Chinatown series on Foxtel and Channel 7’s “Sydney Weekender”.

They are also voted as a finalist in the I LOVE FOOD AWARDS 2007. In particular, the stall is renowned for their delicious laksa which has been complimented by many including Luke Mangan, one of Sydney's top 10 chefs.

Their famous laksa is a fusion of ingredients of all sorts – wanton (Chinese dumplings), roasted pork, chunk of Tau Pok (fried beancurd), bean sprouts and vermicelli noodles. I thought the laksa would probably be customised to the local Aussie taste, which should be unlike the typical thick Nonya & coconut milk laden laksa we have back at home. To my pleasant surprise, their laksa gravy taste just like ours, although the flavour is much lighter but its more spicy by the Singaporean standard. I was a happy and satisfied man when I finished the whole bowl of laksa, perspiring all over because of the spices! One could not have asked for more … away from home yet being able to savour this delicious local dish!

Verdict - one of the better tasting laksa we had (outside Singapore)! Would go back again when craving for local food. Price is also reasonable at A$8.50. Worth visiting as it also serves many other authentic Asian cusines (Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese/HongKong,etc..)

Happy Chef Seafood Noodle House is at Sussex Centre, Shop F3, 401 Sussex Street, Haymarket, NSW 2000, Australia Tel: (02) 9281 5832