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24 November 2012

Eating out: Sussing out Clementi Mall

The moment you step into Clementi Mall, a delightful draft of cold air washes over you. The lingering scent of coffee from the Starbucks outlet situated at the entrance of the mall linking the MRT picking you up. This is the heartland of Clementi, okay maybe not so since Clementi has a long standing central food market and wet market in its vicinity , but still, the recent development of the six storey retail development is all ready to be the anchor of Clementi town conjugating the convenience of shopping to amenities such as the MRT station and the bus interchange.

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For me, I found the clementi mall to be of enlarged convenience given that it provided a quick gateway to the whereabouts of Phoon Huat (yay to home bakers!!!), it also brought a public library nearer to me!
Newest read and a definite recommendation would be "Heart, Smarts, Guts and Luck" - Anthony K.Tjan, Richard J. Harrington, Tsun-yan Hsieh. A refreshingly human take on getting into the crux of what it takes to build a successful entrepreneurial venture. I'll leave the book review to another time. Meanwhile, lets not forget THE LIBRARY...*swoons*


In the past two weeks, I've taken to dining at Clementi Mall on two occasions, mainly because it was an after thought and its accessibility was a bonus.

First shot was at Ootoya Japanese Restaurant. The heartland version of the atrociously crowded branches in Orchard Central was barely unrecognizable of its affiliation except for the communal area fashioned with floral tatami style seating. A definite plus point since the two of us managed to score the booth seats due to the few patrons present in the restaurant. Without much ado, we ordered the Sumibutadon set with Hijiki Rice ($23.50 + $1.25) and the Oyako Jyu ($13.00). It was a suspiciously long wait, eyeing the tickets very slowly being marked off by the expediter and the calm in the kitchen, our growing impatience evolving into anger fueled by an insatiable hunger. Shuffling my feet for an odd half and hour, I was ready to gorge down on the food. Then.. reality hit me like a ton of bricks as I lifted my first piece of chargrilled chicken to my lips. This was... really good. The Oyako Jyu, basically grilled chicken with egg on rice, epitomized Ootoya's cooking style and values, authentic homecooked japanese meals. And who would deny the fact that homecooked food always had a highway to the heart, a laborious action of love to produce that desired outcome. I was sold, licking up my unbecoming animosity along with the the remains in my bento box. My boyfriend's Sumibutadon set was an absolute steal too, Charcoal grilled Kagoshima Pork with rice. Absolutely love the genuine char grilled flavor on the meats.

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Next up was Soup Restaurant, an old favorite of mine. The company's desire to offer up delectable cuisines with distinctively traditional recipes has brought them to the neighborhood of Clementi Town. With not so much as batting an eyelid, I locked in my orders for the Samsui Ginger Chicken ($15.90), Ah Kong Fan Shu Leaves(s)($8.50) and an irresistible plate of braised peanuts ($2.00). Yes i know of many restaurants that would scam diners with the mandatory peanuts already placed on the table. At the very least, Soup Restaurant has the courtesy to ask first! The only difference, these are worth ordering! The signature dish of samsui ginger chicken was a playground of flavors, fresh lettuce, a delightfully large saucer of ginger with succulent white chicken. You wouldn't stop till the last drop of that intoxicating sauce has been swaddled with a wad of hot white rice. The Ah Kong Fan Shu Leaves have always been a perennial favorite of mine, it's tenderness allowing for a intimate binding with the sambal chili sauce. Top notch dishes indeed.

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Clementi Mall does have some pretty great finds stashed in its sleeves. So do give it a chance should you be considering some mid-range, 'go out in your slippers and shorts' alternatives to dining.

Ootoya Japanese Restaurant
Clementi Mall
#03-53
Tel: 66592644

Soup Restaurant
Clementi Mall
#03-62/63
Tel: 66593688

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