Fukuichi Japanese Dining

Fukuichi Japanese Dining Restaurant is the joint partnership of Fukuichi Gyogyo of Shizuoka, Japan and Chun Cheng Fishery of Singapore (CCF). Fukuichi’s core business is fisheries where they have facilities on board their ships to flash freeze fish at sea (-60 degree celsius). Unlike chilling, freezing at -60 degree celsius kills bacteria and parasites and preserves the meat at its original condition. Fukuichi takes pride in its state of the art cold storage in Fukuichi Ohigawa Cold-storage in Japan. CCF is the first company in Singapore planning to launch its ultra low temperature -60 degree celsius cold storage system and Cold Chain Flow processing and handling operation in November 2010. Together with the facilities available at CCF Singapore, it is changing the landscape of frozen fish consumption, especially in tuna, the core of natural Japanese seafood dining in Singapore.

They have both indoor and al fresco seating, with the sake bar located outside.

4^th November

On my first visit, due to lack of seats indoor, we took an outdoor seat. It wasn’t all bad, because it was rather airy and the fact that it just rained helped too. The view of Somerset Road was pleasing to the eye as well. They had just started this restaurant, and there was an opening special, of 20% off total bill.

Due to poor lighting outdoor, I was unable to get a good picture of what I ordered. I’m showing the stock picture from their website here. I ordered the sashimi and tempura set ($25++). It comes with the salad, chawanumushi, rice and miso soup. Everything was wonderful.

My dining partner ordered the Bento set ($35++). It consists of mixed sashimi, 4 pieces of nigiri sushi, 1 piece of tamagoyaki, 4 pieces of rolled sushi, mixed tempura, unagi, salad, chawamushi and miso soup. He loved this a lot and actually ordered again on 5 subsequent visits.

Dessert is included in every dinner set, and the dessert of the day was some green tea pudding.

26^th Nov 2010

We paid our second visit to Fukuichi Japanese Dining as the 20% off promotion was still valid for the month of November. We visited for lunch and the set menus available for lunch was slightly different with more variety and lower prices.

Complimentary hand roll. I believe this was in conjunction with their recent opening.

Swordfish sashimi ($18++). The sashimi tasted fresh, juicy, and was well sliced.

His Bento set ($35++). This set was the same as that served during dinner.

I ordered the cod fish baked with mentaiko set ($20++), which comes with rice, Japanese salad, chawanmushi and miso soup. I loved it! However, I wished the portion of the fish could be bigger.

The dessert of the day was mochi. I liked this more than the green tea pudding. It tastes like Taiwan Chiu Fen mochi.

28^th May 2011

It was my 3^rd visit there and I went with a bunch of 6 other friends. We were there for dinner on a Saturday night. As the sets available for dinner was rather limited, most of us ordered the same set. The other option would be to go ala carte, but obviously the set has better value. For April and May 2011, there was a promotion for 25% off total bill.

Chicken Katsu Set ($20++). It comes with rice, Japanese salad, chawanmushi and miso soup.

Salmon and mushroom tempura set ($25++). It comes with rice, Japanese salad, chawanmushi and miso soup.

I ordered the beef set ($28++) which comes with rice, Japanese salad, chawanmushi and miso soup. It was the best decision of my life. I ordered medium rare and the beef was cooked to perfection. The beef was so tender and juicy and the sauce complimented it really well. It got me craving for more, despite the portion being reasonably enough.

Dessert of the day was ice cream mochi. 30^th May 2011 To make use of the 25% off promotion while it was still valid, I visited Fukuichi Japanese Dining with different friends, despite a mere 2 days since my previous visit. I was still craving for the beef.

Kani Tofu (with century egg) ($6++). We decided to try out their signature dish after reading some reviews and this really lived up to its name! I’m not sure how to go about describing this, because I’ve personally never tried something like this before. But I’ll just say, it’s worth a try.

Garlic butter grilled scallops. (4 for $16++). Buttery and cheesey with crispy garlic, just the way I like it. I love scallops!

That’s my beef today. And sadly, apparent from this picture, the beef isn’t as soft as the one I had 2 days prior. The beef was overcooked. Just my luck.

The other 3 ordered the famous Bento set and sang praises about it. I would still return as I love the chawanmushi, the beef (done right), the tempura, the scallops, the crab tofu, actually, everything! The prices are reasonable as well, even without the discounts. I highly recommend this place over sushi tei or something which is of the same price range. Being conveniently located near Somerset MRT and close to Orchard is a bonus.

*****

Ambiance: 7/10 (indoor) 8/10 (outdoor)

Food: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Overall: a great place to have Japanese cuisine on a tight budget!

*****

Fukuichi Japanese Dining

111 Somerset Road

TripleOne Somerset

#02-11/12

Singapore 238164

 

Tel: 6271 5586 / 6472 8269

*****

Daily: 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm–10.30pm(Last Order)

*****

Getting there:

By Car:

Turn right into car park entrance along Devonshire Road or Turn left into car park entrance along Somerset Road

Mon – Fri:

7am – 6pm    $1.20 per 1/2 hr After 6pm    $2.50 per entry

Sat, Sun & P/H:

7am – 6pm     $2.50 1st 3 hours, $1.20 per 1/2 hr After 6pm     $2.50 1st 3 hours, $1.20 per 1/2 hr

By Bus: 7, 14, 14e, 16, 36, 65, 111, 123, 124, 128, 143, 162, 162m, 174, 174e, 175, 502, 502a, 502b

By MRT: Somerset MRT Station (NS23) North-South Line

The Patissier – Cakes

I had a cake from the Patissier for my birthday. It was my first time trying anything from the Patissier. They are touted to produced French pastries.

“Earl grey-infused strawberry mousse between layers of chiffon sponge sits ever so lightly on a royaltine chocolate base.”

This was the best cake I ever had in my life! I loved the earl grey flavour and how it was blended so well with the strawberry mousse. The chiffon layers weren’t soggy and the hardness was just right. The crunchy chocolate base was the best idea ever.

Assuming all their cakes possess the same standard, I highly recommend The Patissier!

*****

The Patissier

4, Mohd Sultan Road #01-01 S(238955)

Tel: 67373369

Monday- Friday from 10.30am -7pm

Saturday -Sunday: 10.30am -5pm

*****

18, Ann Siang Road #01-01 S(069698)

Tel: 62205565

Monday – Friday from 10.30am- 7pm

Saturday – Sunday: closed

 

Getting there:

Mohamad Sultan Road:

By car:

Parallel coupon parking available in front of the restaurant

By Bus:

139, 195

 

 

Suburbia – Dinner

This restaurant was almost empty when I visited. I guess they get their business from events and weddings rather than dine in customers. The ambiance is serene and beautiful, a good choice for a wedding reception. The location is inaccessible without a car, being located in Sentosa.

Unimpressive bread, but the garlic butter was good. The bread was like, hard. But at least it was served warm.

Tiger Prawn Salad vol au vent – Cold prawns tossed in dill cream mayonnaise, on puff pastry, sprig of garden greens and sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts

The prawn was big and fresh.

Lobster bisque

I asked the waiter whether the lobster bisque was good. He said yes. I asked really? He said really. And yup it met our expectations! Really good! The usual price for this soup is $10 anyway. Not too expensive.

Australian Rib Eye – it wasn’t evenly cooked. It was part medium and part medium rare. I wouldn’t recommend this.

Honey Spiced French Duck Breast

Tiramisu

This was good! I don’t like my tiramisu to be oversoaked, or overly alcohol-ed. And this was just nice.

*****

Ambiance: 9/10

Food: 7/10

Value: 6.5/10

Overall: except for the unimpressive bread and steak, the lobster bisque and tiramisu was really good.

*****

Suburbia

30 Allenbrooke Road,

Sentosa

Tel:    6376 5938

*****

Getting there:

By Car:

Entry to Sentosa on Weekdays:

5.01PM – 6.59AM – $2

Entry to Sentosa on Weekends:

5.01PM – 6.59AM – $3

The University Club – Lunch

This restaurant is located in Shaw Alumni Building in NUS. It is owned by the people behind Prive at Keppel Bay.

I was there for lunch and they had a set menu. 2 course ($25++) or 3 course, which included a dessert ($28++).

The bread was soft and fluffy but crispy on the outside. I liked it.

Appetiser – pear and cheese salad.

It was good in my opinion and I wish I had ordered that.

Appetiser – Roasted tomato and garlic soup

I ordered this because I like tomato soup. This soup has a high viscosity and isn’t watered down too much, which is good.

Main – Sous Vide pork jaw

Sous-vide (pronounced /suːˈviːd/), French for “under vacuum” is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time—72 hours is not unusual—at an accurately determined temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 60 °C or 140 °F. The intention is to maintain the integrity of ingredients and achieve very precise control of cooking.

The meat was so tender, juicy, and flavourful. It was yummy if you can ignore all health factors! The sous vide method of preparation isn’t a gimmick after all. I’ve heard so much about it but it’s my first time trying. However this was too fatty and not for the faint hearted (or anyone on a diet).

Main – Seafood Risotto

My main course. Pretty average but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Dessert – Apple Crumble

This was fantastic! It wasn’t too sick in any way and the crumble, the shell, the apples and the ice cream went together so well. This is definitely a must try.

My dining partner didn’t want desserts.

Cappuccino

Coffee and tea was included as well, and I ordered a cappuccino with a top up of $0.80.

******

Ambiance: 8/10

Food: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Overall: the only downside about this restaurant is the weird location. However, the food didn’t disappoint. The dessert was fantastic and I’ll be back for more.

******

The University Club – Lounge & Dining Rooms

11 Kent Ridge Drive,

Shaw Foundation Alumni House 4/L

119244

 

Tel: 6779 8919

******

Open Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm

******

Getting there:

By Car:

Mon – Fri:

8.30am – 5pm    $0.0214 per min    

Saturday:

8.30am – 5pm     $0.0214 per min (Capped at $2.568)    

 

By Bus:

10, 30, 51, 143, 183, 188, 200, 30E

Out of the Pan – Dinner

It’s hard to miss Out of the Pan when shopping at Raffles City. It’s a causal restaurant located night next to the fountain. They specialise in crepes!

They’re having a promotion with UOB credit cards. 1 for 1 savory crepes, from Mon – Thu. There’s also 20% off total bill for Feed at Raffles card holders.

Being a huge fan of crêpes, how could I miss this!

They serve 3 types of crêpes here: whole wheat, sundried tomato, and plain. And of course, they have a variety of fillings for you to choose from.

Avocado and mozzarella with plain crêpe ($15.00)

Seafood jungle (prawns, scallops) with sundried tomato crêpe ($16.50)

Peking duck (more like roast duck) with whole wheat crêpe ($15.50)

Black pepper beef with plain crêpe ($15.50)

The total bill was only $37.65! It averages out to $9.40 per crêpe. Very worth it indeed!

*****

Ambiance: 6.5/10 (very noisy)

Food: 7/10

Value: 9/10 (with the 1 for 1 promotion)

Overall: recommended for a simple dinner!

*****

Out of the Pan

252 North Bridge Road,

#B1-45

Raffles City Shopping Centre

Tel: +65 6431 610

*****

Sun–Thu: 10am – 10pm

Fri–Sat: 10am – 10.30pm

*****

Getting there:

By Car:

Parking available at Raffles City Shopping Centre

Monday – Friday

8am to 5pm: S$2 for first hour

S$0.50 for subsequent 15 minutes

5pm to 8am (the next day):

S$2.50 per entry per day

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays

8am to 8am (the next day):

S$2 for first 2 hours

S$0.30 for subsequent 15 minutes

By Bus:

Bus stop located at Bras Basah Road

14, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 128, 130, 131, 133, 140, 162, 162M, 167, 171, 190, 502, 502A, 502B, 518, 518A, 518B, 578, 579, 581, 587, 590, 598, 700, 700A, 857, 960, NR7

Bus stop located at North Bridge Road

32, 51, 61, 63, 80, 195, 851, 961, 980, NR2, NR5, NR7, NR8

Bus stop located at Stamford Road

7, 14, 14e, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 128, 131, 162, 162M, 167, 171, 175, 190, 700, 700A, 502, 857, NR7, NR8

By MRT:

City Hall MRT interchange station (EW13/NS25) along the East West Line/North South Line.

The Nail Bar – Manicure

I found a deal on Tip It – $10 for classic manicure at The Nail Bar.

The shop was small with not much “spa feel”, typical of Far East Plaza nail parlours. However, the service was alright. The manicurist who served me was Siew Teng. She was quite good!

OPI big apple red

I had to top up $2 for Seche Vite top coat (cheater! Most manicure shops use seche vite by default!). No manicure is complete without seche vite top coat. I wanted to bring my own bottle as I had a hunch that they would not give it for free, but I forgot.

*** UPDATE ***

It’s been 10 days since the manicure and my nails are still as good as new!

Moral of the story: always use OPI and more importantly Seche Vite!

TWG (The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands) – Crepes

Having around 30mins more to the start of Lion King the Musical at Marina Bay Sands, we popped by TWG for some desserts. I didn’t want to order tea as there wasn’t much time to sit down and enjoy it anyway as we only had 30mins to spare.

EMPIRE CRÊPE – Crêpe served with a salted butter caramel sauce infused with Napoléon Tea, with a scoop of green tea ice cream! ($3++) The size of that scoop was generous and the taste of the green tea was pretty prominent.

This was mine, and I found it to be very tasty! Definitely above average.

1837 CRÊPE – Crêpe served with homemade berry marmalade made of raspberry, blueberry, cherry and blackcurrant infused with 1837 Black Tea. ($14++)

I would recommend crepes from TWG. Sweet crepes from other restaurants, like Out of the Pan, cost $14++ as well, so I reckon that this is priced very averagely. I would rather have my crepes at TWG as it tastes better.

*****

Ambiance: 7/10

Food: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Overall: I love their crepes almost as much as I love their teas. Would like to try out other pastries and cakes if I revisit.

*****

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on the Bridge

2 Bayfront Avenue,

B2-89/89A,

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Singapore 018972

Tel: +65 6535 1837

*****

Open daily 10 am – 11 pm and until 12 midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and on the eve of public holidays

*****

Getting there:

By Car:

1    URA Bayfront Car Park (11 Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018940)

MON-FRI:

7am to 6pm     $3.00/hr

6pm to 7am    $1.20/hr

SAT:

7am to 1pm     $3.00/hr

1pm to 7am    $1.20/hr

SUN / PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

$1.20/hr from 7am to 7am the following day

2    Marina Bay Sands

7am to 7pm     $6.00 for 1st hr, $1.00 for next subsequent 1/2hr, up to a maximum charge of $26.00

7pm to 7am     $6 per entry

$6 per day for guests staying at the hotel

By Bus:

97, 106, 133

Café Oliv – Dinner

Café Oliv is my all time favourite casual restaurant. The prices are reasonable and the food is fabulous.

Crab bisque $4.50

Grilled whole scallop, bacon, spinach with balsamic oil and vinaigrette $10.90

Gratin Oliv Herb Butter Yolk Cheese Mornay Escargot One Dozen $14.90

Salty egg soft shell crab $6.90

White button mushroom fritter $6.90

US russet potato rosti with sour cream $8.90

Grilled Chilean Cod Fish $20.90

Dill salmon with white cream $13.90

The reason why I always return: Black Angus Rib Eye Steak in medium rare! I’ve had this countless times, and the standard has been rather consistent. It’s a MUST TRY!

$28.90

Crème brulee. The custard was served warm, or maybe, HOT here. I prefer it cold.

Brownie with ice cream

Mud pie (the ice cream sort)

They only offer 3 types of desserts and amongst the 3 desserts, only the brownie is good. But even so, I wouldn’t recommend trying the desserts alone. We only tried them because it came in a set.

I highly recommend Café Oliv for the Black Angus Rib Eye! For that price range, it’s one of the best you can get.

*****

Ambiance: 6/10

Food: 9/10

Value: 8.5/10

Overall: highly recommended for a casual meal!

*****

Café Oliv

220 East Coast Road

Tel: 6344 3114

*****

11:30am-11pm

*****

Getting there:

By Car:

Public parallel parking in front of the restaurant

By Bus:

10, 12, 14, 32, 40

Hungry in Phuket

I went to Phuket for a short 4D3N getaway with my friends! We booked a driver to bring us around on 2 of the days.

When we arrived in Phuket, thanks to having no meals on board we were starving! Our driver brought us to a place he recommended for lunch.

Coconut was 35B

Phad thai with prawns

Stir fried morning glory

Pineapple rice. This one’s really good!

BBQ chicken

The total bill for all these and 3 coconuts was 485B

For dinner, we went to a hill top restaurant in Phuket town called Tunk Ka Café, at Rang Hill. I actually shortlisted this, due to good reviews, and because it’s always nice to have nice scenery while having the meal. The price was on the low side too. Our driver helped us to reserve a table for this as reservations are recommended in order to secure a seat at this popular restaurant.

Due to the rain, the unsheltered seats were wet. If not, it would be lovely to be seated there.

The view from this restaurant was beautiful.

Thai iced tea 35B and iced coffee 65B. Their ice coffee was raved about so I had to try it, at the risk of being not able to sleep!

Fried calamari 130B

Pandan chicken 120B

Steamed rice

Chicken satay. Not quite the same as Singaporean ones.

Tom Yam soup 120B and crab meat & herb “Bai Chaploo” in coconut milk curry 120B (whatever it is) – BOTH WAS GOOD! I emptied my portion.

Total bill was 1060B.

For the 2nd day’s dinner, we settled it at Mali Restaurant, which was a 5 mins walk from our hotel, and it’s owned by the same company thus we got like 10% off. From the name, you can tell it specialises in probably, seafood. It’s more of a western food restaurant, which somehow serves thai food too, and I heard that the lobster bisque’s good.

Mixed grilled seafood

Lobster Bisque 150B – to me, this met expectations, for a $6 lobster bisque.

Fish & chips

Unfortunate me, forgot to consider thouroughly, and ordered thai red curry WHICH WAS TERRIBLE. It tasted like chemicals, and this may have caused my ‘food poisoning’. Basically, from the 3rd day onwards, I’ve been having discomfort EVERY time after I ate something. Like I will be bloated with gas and only by burping it out for a period of time will I feel more normal again. There are 3 suspects. This one, road side banana pancake (delicious though, I had chocolate pancake without bananas), or the disgusting breakfast on my 3rd day. I don’t know.

This is the only roadside food I tried during my 4 days in Phuket. I have a weak stomach and will generally avoid roadside food as I want to enjoy my holiday without frequent visits to the toilet. However, this looked irresistible to me. The pancake skin was like a mixture roti prata and crepe. It’s crispy and best eaten hot.

The terrible breakfast I had on the 3rd day. I didn’t finish this. Maybe left with 80% or what. Because my eggs tasted sweet and blah.

The iced milk tea was to my liking though.

 

For dinner on the 3rd day, we had Italian food at Capininna. The price was obviously not dirt cheap but cheaper than Singapore standards so ok. They had aircon seating too which is uncommon in Phuket.

Focaccia with mozzeralla and parma ham 250B. This was delicious but it’s TOO HUGE. It’s like 30cm in diameter.

Four cheese pizza 300B

Salad pizza, my favourite! Rucola, cherry tomato, parma ham and parmasen. 350B

The pizzas were huge! This was like, 40cm in diameter!

For our last lunch, we went to Anna’s Phuket restaurant in Phuket Town. The interior is not typical thai rustic style, but more well furnished and it was air conditioned. The prices were steeper than the typical though, but not by a lot.

Thai fish cake 170B – super delicious!

Stir fried calamari with salted eggs 120B

Vegetables -100B

Steamed seabass with lemongrass and chilli – 400B

Overall, this restaurants was not bad, I would visit again.

That wraps up my meals for 4 days in Phuket. I excluded the unmemorable ones, like a meal at the food court. Thai food is generally quite delicious but not for those with weak stomachs. I suffered from some kind of food poisoning towards the end of my trip and felt like throwing up after eating anything.

I bought a box of Mochi Rings from Dunkin’ Donuts at the airport! They’re more expensive, 35B each, at the airport compared to the price of 26B at Jungceylon, Patong. However, since Dunkin’ Donuts in Singapore don’t sell Mochi Rings, I had to get them there regardless of the price hike! They’re my favourite donuts.

Spa in Phuket

We had massage almost everyday in Phuket. For the first day, we went to Kim’s Spa in Phuket Town, which has proper spa interior (not like those shady massage parlour) and on the cheap side.

I picked the massage for 700B – 1hour aromatic oil massage and 1hour food & hand reflexology massage. I added a manicure & pedicure for 350B.

I picked the lemongrass oil for my massage.

At least at a proper spa like this, there will be private massage rooms, and not just curtain separators! Privacy is a must for me.

And the ultimate winner is, the bed has a hole for my face! Those without a hole are unacceptable by me.

However, they do not provide lockers at all. Your bags and clothes can be placed under the massage bed.

Foot reflexology was done downstairs. They use reclining arm chairs which are very comfortable. You can almost lie flat down.

My manicure! Love this colour. However, oddly, they don’t apply top coat, so it chipped after the vigorous activities we did the next few days.

On the 3rd day, we had foot massage at Montra Thai Massage in Jungceylon, Patong. Surprisingly, it was only 250B for 60mins of foot massage! I expected the mall price to be more expensive, but that wasn’t the case. Even for random roadside massage shops, foot massage was priced at 250B too.

However, the masseur who did it for me, a male, had rough hands, which of course affected my comfort. But for $10, it would do.

The massage chairs for foot reflexology was reclining arm chairs, which felt very comfortable.

Our bags were put away in lockers near the reception area and we held on to the keys.

They offer fish spa too! 380B for 20min fish spa + 30mins foot massage. My friend tried this! So this cost $16 for that package. That is so much cheaper than the rate you get in Singapore.

 

On the last day, I had the BEST MASSAGE IN MY WHOLE LIFE at The Raintree Spa! Their prices are higher than the previous 2 shops, but it’s so much better – the ambiance, the skills, the whole experience. I even think that local high end spas can’t compare to the wonderful experience I had at The Raintree Spa.

There’s a 50% promotion for Thai Secret Treatment package which cost 1400B after discount!

It’s a 3 hour package.

Firstly, I had 30mins of herbal steam sauna, which smells of lemongrass. Truly relaxing!

Next, I had a 1hr body scrub with Thai Secret Body Scrub (Thai ancient recipe of body treatment contains tropical herb, tamarind and jasmines rice). The masseur was very meticulous with this, using ample strength to scrub me everywhere. However, I developed some rashes on my forearms and hands. But everywhere else, my skin was super smooth and soft! The scrub didn’t leave me feeling cold and gross (unlike others I’ve had). She used warm water when diluting the scrub on me so the temperature was perfect.

After the scrub, I took a shower in the en suite shower room!

Lastly, I had a 90min massage with lemongrass oil. It was very relaxing! The strength she used was perfect. It’s strong, but didn’t make me feel painful in any way (I hate “massage” where they love to pinch and poke). The momentum was swift and constant throughout! And the spa bed has a hole! The ambiance was great too. Dim candle lights with calming music.

In the same room, there was a locker and a closet for your clothes, which is good, as I somehow feel that lockers placed outside the rooms aren’t as safe. There’s also a huge Jacuzzi tub, which I didn’t get to use as my package didn’t include Jacuzzi.

My friend did Aromatherapy Facial Massage (A healing touch of massage and therapeutic properties of essential oils stimulate blood circulation leave your skin smooth and radiant) for 1000B and Foot & Hand Reflexology for 600B and was swearing by how good the facial massage was. It’s not the regular facial, but they would actually massage your whole face and it was very relaxing.

So for my package, it cost around $56. For such standard in Singapore, it’s probably going to cost around $300!

I highly recommend The Raintree Spa if you’re visiting Phuket.