Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Squash @ The Central - Sexy Time
Labels:
affordable,
clarke quay,
cold pressed juices,
health,
healthy eating,
juices,
must go,
salads
·
It's easy to see why my diet has gone haywire, especially after the onset of the new year, with Chinese New Year and Valentines day fast approaching and the food tastings numbering up, one can't help but to load up on calorific foods. Most of you might not know this, but my struggle to balance out being a food evangelist and to pursue a standard of healthy living is very real, and I'm sure most of the others out there can empathise with me.
To be very honest, the juice diet fad has always struck me as ludicrous, capitalising on the power of highly acclaimed celebrities to increase the appeal of a certain sort of lifestyle. Hence when I was alerted of this new juice.salad.wrap kiosk located at Central, my interest was piqued.
Azmaya: just the usual Wagyu Shabu-Shabu affair
Labels:
family friendly,
health,
healthy eating,
hidden finds,
japanese,
robertson quay,
shabu shabu,
steamboat,
will not return
·
I continue on a trend of Japanese Eats and shabu shabu tastings. Today we cover the Wagyu Shabu Shabu Buffet at Azmaya located along the picturesque Robertson Quay (just beside bella pizza).
With red hot competition from various other concepts dotting the island, Azmaya attempts to draw in the crowds with a wagyu buffet special promotion. Priced at just $50 now (U.P. $100), diners get to pick from a menu of proteins (wagyu beef, pork belly, collar, chicken leg, wagyu cut steak and tongue, etc...), side dishes of Kimchi, Namul and Rice as well as a tight selection of ala carte dishes such as Cold Tofu, Spicy Cucumber, Salted cabbage and fried pickles. Take heed that a 2 hours time limit is enforced at the point of ordering.
While the A5 Wagyu Sirloin from Japan ($95) gets a nod from me, the soup base I found to be too light and almost forgettable. Save for the nutty goma dipping sauce, the entire affair was albeit a bit underwhelming.
Try the craveable Wagyu Roast Beef ($15), a tantalising red centre with a piquant dressing for those ravenous carnivores.
Another modest dish for the peckish is the Korean Spicy Cucumber ($6), fresh crispy chunks of cucumber tossed in a spicy chili oil based dressing, the juxtaposition of juicy cooling innards versus the feisty exterior working up an appetite.
Going through a varied selection of ala carte dishes, the Salmon Caesar Salad with salmon roe with Caesar dressing ($13) tickled my fancy. The Salmon slices benefited from a generous squirt of decadent creamy dressing, the orange scatter of roe adding provocative bursts of savouriness and the chunks of avocado pulling in all the pieces. I could have easily gone through two bowls of these.
The Grilled Squid ($14) didn't fare too well as the flesh had gone a little rubbery, a little too familiar with the flames.
Steer clear of the Sashimi (3 types for $17). I question its freshness especially in a place better adept to handle its meats well.
The Gyoza and Assorted Tempura ($15) were your standard run-of-the-mill renditions of the fare found at most ordinary establishments. Shy of fillings in the former and lack of seasoning in the batter in the latter. I was less than impressed and refrained from seconds.
Azmaya with its spacious dining room and more family orientated seating patterns would be a wise choice for birthdays or intimate family gatherings. There's just something about fretting over a steamboat that pulls people together, fostering relationships; the relentless chatter and the mutual cooking favours. That aside, do not expect extraordinary events to unfold at Azmaya on the culinary front.
Azmaya
30 Robertson Quay
#01-12/13
t: 6737 6863
w: http://kthsg-shop.com/azmaya/
Opening Hours:
Tues-Sun 5pm - 1am
ON-YASAI @ Chijimes: A Welcome Relief
Labels:
ala carte,
beef,
beer,
buffet dinner,
buffets,
chijmes,
cityhall,
family friendly,
health,
shabu shabu,
steamboat,
vegetables,
wagyu
·
Weekends are when the guilt sinks in, a culpability towards the stress that I put my body through with my horrendous diet during the weekdays. Take today for example where I followed a Chicken Tikka Naanwich from Fix with Pulled Pork tacos from Mex-out and then rounded up the whole sinful affair with the BEST fried chicken and waffles at The Beast. All this washed down with copious amounts of alcoholic beverages... hey.. don't judge.. after all #TGIF folks! Continuous days of dietary insurgence with hardly any greens in sight usually leaves me feeling sluggish and out of shape. Then, as my mind shifts to the notion of healthy eating, I am deterred by the thought of bland tasteless dishes. Well, if some of you out there are faced similar dilemmas, fret not, I reckon I've found a solution to this problem.
ON-YASAI is a shabu shabu joint hailing from Tokyo. With origins since 2000, this chain currently has more than 300 outlets in Japan alone. ON-YASAI aims to challenge the common concepts, firstly that shabu shabu is an expensive affair and secondly, to delineate the all-you-can-eat steamboat experiences you often get in Singapore brimmed with cheap ingredients and frozen meats. Targeted at the families, couples and the professional woman, they strive to provide a healthy selection of ingredients driven by seasonal produce with a creative array of soup bases.
Besides its usual ala-carte menu, there is the buffet option which comes with 40 different types of vegetables and appetizers. Each diner also receives 1 tray of meat, 1 Chicken Tsumire (Japanese minced chicken in bamboo stick) and 1 dessert. Priced at just $49.90++ on weekdays and $54.90++ on weekends for adults; this is a wallet friendly manner of eating healthy yet eating well. Do take heed that there is a time limit of 1.5 hour per table on the buffet so pace yourselves.
Japanese hospitality meant us trying a multitude of appetizers before the real deal. Jagakara ($8.90) was a peculiar combination of potato and pickled squid that was very much acquired taste, the distinct poignant taste of the sea with the squid kicking up an appetite. Another stellar dish to order with your beers is the Brown Sugared Broad Beans ($3.90), sugar coated with a brief touch of salt, this crunchy snack is extremely addictive and I dived at it continuously much to my embarrassment when the host offered to refill my bowl.
One of the main characteristics of ON-YASAI is the assortment of soups, there are Tomato Soup, Citron Soup with Collagen, Japanese Style Spicy Soup, Golden Soup (truffle flavored), Seaweed Soup, Sichuan Spicy Soup, Soyamilk Soup and secret Sukiyaki Soup. Best part is.. you get to select 2 soups for every pot!
Soon, the pots of soup (we chose the citron soup, golden soup, seaweed soup and soyamilk soup) placed on the induction stoves had reach a rolling boil and we proceeded to cook our meats with gentle precision. The Japanese Wagyu Chuck Roll ($34.90) and Australian Wagyu Chuck Roll ($23.90) both had excellent marbling and cook within seconds of its interaction with the hot stock. Boosted by a refined setup, we were encouraged to leave our meats on a drip tray before dipping in our choice of goma or ponzu suce to prevent watering the sauce down. Utter brilliance and such attention to detail on the restaurant's part. The Japanese Momoiro Pork Collar ($18.90) was best savored in the soyamilk soup, the milky richness of the soup enhancing the fattiness of the protein. I found refuge in the exquisite goma sauce, the use of foie gras adding an extra flavor dimension. Truth be told, I would have loved to take a swim in this sauce had it not been for my nagging reminder to maintain proper table manners in front of my hosts.
The Chicken Tsumire ($6.90) is a house special of chicken mince stuffed in a bamboo skewer that eventually becomes meatballs as you carve them with a spoon into the pot of soup.
Let the feast begin.
The assortment of fresh vegetables and mushrooms filled us up quickly. The excellent broths adding to the pageantry of the dish, the restaurant's consideration for every aspect of the meal pushing it past any type of expectations I've had for a shabu shabu experience.
The Soya Milk Cheese Risotto Set ($5.90) hit the nail right on the head with a grand finale that I've yet to encounter anywhere. At the end of the meal, instead of letting a good rendered down broth with the essence of all that cooked meats and vegetables in it go to waste, we are given cheese, rice, condiments and an egg. After a few magical whisks of the wrist, we were presented with a bowl of silky smooth risotto. As simple as it sounds, it's an ingenious and satisfying way of appreciating the entire shabu shabu experience at ON-YASAI.
The meal concludes in a wave of gustatory pleasure capped off with a dazzling cat-walk of light desserts to sweeten the deal. The Homemade Pumpkin Pudding ($8.90) comes strongly recommended, the dish entailing a restrained sweetness with elegance, stacking earthy flavors from the steamed pumpkin to comforting nuances of cream with the warm toasty notes from the brown sugar syrup.
We also indulged in the Peach Sorbet ($6.90) and the ON-YASAI ice cream ($7.90), a pleasant way to round up the evening of food festivities.
ON-YASAI on the grand scheme of things offers up a holistic experience that intends to debacle some old school shabu shabu controversies. With the backing of such an excellent array of soup bases to boot, I reckon that factor alone seals the deal for many return visits.
ON-YASAI
Chijmes
30 Victoria Street
#01-03/04
t: 6336 4002
Website: http://on-yasai.co.sg/
Ootoya: From Farm to Table
Labels:
clementi,
dinner,
health,
japanese,
media event,
orchard central,
restaurants,
salad,
salads,
sommerset,
vegetables
·
Most of the time, being a 'food blogger', and we often get blinded sided in our rat race to get to latest food fads; more often than not, losing sight of the true essence of food and it's humble beginnings. Especially in Singapore, because of geographical limitations and monetary considerations, very rarely do we come across individuals or corporations that show a remote passion in stressing the importance of sustainability practises in the Food and Beverage industry. While living in Sydney, 'farm to table' movements and 'local produce used' were a dime in a dozen. akin to the magnitude of the waffle and gelato craze here on our local shores, yet returning back to my motherland has cast a huge soaking wet blanket over my conviction to pursue environmental sustainability through local produce. Up till now...
A recent invite to Ootoya opened my eyes to a whole new realm of farming in Singapore. Panasonic Factory Solutions Asia Pacific (Panasonic) has announced it's pilot commercial supply of locally harvested vegetables to Japanese restaurant Ootoya. Cultivated in a 248 square meter indoor agriculture facility, 10 types of vegetables are grown via soil based environment with LED lighting, out with which 3 varieties are now employed in Ootoya's local menu. What impressed me the most tenacity of Panasonic in using their advancements in technology to derive methods to drive self sufficiency through a sustainable cultivation method. In the course of doing so, astutely roping in Ootoya whose focus on quality of life by offering up authentic home cooked Japanese food to their customers is unquestionably in sync with Panasonic's vision to adopt an sustainable and cost efficient method of farming that still hits the home run with the freshness and quality of its vegetables.
Shrimp Salad with Aurora dressing ($4). Mini Red Radish, red leafy lettuce, mizuna and shrimps served with creamy dressing made from bell peppers and tomatoes. Not my favourite but still does a great job in highlighting the great produce that is the local farm vegetables.
For the mains, we were treated to a choice of 3 sets of different proteins. S couldn't get past the Hokke Set, consisting of a charcoal grilled fish, miso soup, chawanmushi, rice and a side dish of braised vegetables; this instantly took me back to my experiences of dining at a Japanese home stay. The style of cooking so delicate and earnest that it almost felt like you were dining under the expert care of a matronly chef, the pride and meticulous ways of the kitchen individuals shining ever so brightly.
My Pork Belly Shiokuji Set presented different flavor dimensions and textures with each bite. The tenderness of the grilled pork belly achieving transcendence with the diners in the room.
Watch out for the new salads featuring the locally grown vegetables to be released officially somewhere in Mid-August. Meantime, for you faithful followers of Ootoya, here's a little something special.
fundamentally-flawed dined as a guest of Ootoya. A major thanks to Adrienne of Golin Harris for the kind invite!
Ootoya Japanese Restaurant
#08-12 Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
Onaka: conscious eating
Labels:
food tasting,
health,
HGW,
labrador park,
restaurants
·
Disclaimer: This is based on a food tasting session organised by Onaka Restaurant Team and HungryGoWhere.
Nestled deep in the western reaches of our island is a quiet refuge for health food lovers and diners with specific food allergies/preferences ranging from gluten intolerance to vegetarianism. Speaking to General Manager, Rosalind Lim, ONAKA, short for Optimum Nutrition and Kitchen Arts, was started in 2008, sparking off from a major lack of choice of foods for children growing up with allergies. Speaking passionately about her efforts to begin a wave of conscious and mindful eating where guests can relinquish in the true flavors of the food though it's aroma, texture, taste and selection of ingredients. Hence here at ONAKA, low glycemic foods are promoted, super foods are prominent and dedication to use all natural ingredients is evident.
Now, I'm going to call it as it is. My experience with Onaka was phenomenal. I came with the least of expectations and walked out of the same door dissolving soul food, my well-being fed by the convictions of the ONAKA team to provide change via mindful and healthy food options. So if you're like me, an unsuspecting individual, and highly doubtful, do give it a try and I'm convinced you'll come to love it as I do.
Onaka carries a range of bottled fruit juices which are cleverly used for catering sensibilities. From Alain Milliat, these juices respect the unique characteristics of each fruit and are only harvested at it's peak of maturity hence giving consumers the optimal prospective of consuming the fruit at its best. Sure enough, my heart was stolen by the Strawberry nectar, rich in sediments with the unprocessed flavors of the plumpest wild strawberries you can find; it was akin to encapsulating a thousand berries in a bottle.
Dinner came off to sceptical start with the signature Watermelon Sashimi, delicate slices of watermelon sous vide with kombu, wasabi roe (set with agar agar), served with a daikon and tamari (gluten free soy sauce) dressing on the side. Employing so many modern molecular gastronomy techniques in this dish, I was impressed by the dish's presentation and fascinated even more by how theses porous slices of sweet melon could resemble tuna so much in terms of appearance, unyielding to the manhandling by my unshaven chopstick skills. Eaten together with the dressing, things made sense.
Nicoise Paper Roll: fresh tuna, cucumber, french beans, herbed egg salad, dehydrated olives and aioli. Dressed to impress with some spring themed micro greens and edible flowers strewed on the white empty canvas of a plate, this dish tasted every part the image it portrayed. Teasing the palate especially with dallop of "aioli" on the side, made only from tofu. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference.
Tofu-Avo Salad Loved the entire Asian inspired salad, the soy brined tofu adding a unusual texture to the mixture. And we all know that avocado does it for me.
Chef jason Vito giving us an introduction to the "Noodles and Grains" section of the tasting session.
Due to poor pacing and a massive hunger attack towards the forward portion of the evening, I was regretfully stuffed by the time the carbs were served. I tried whatever I could and politely denied the rest (much to my dismay again later that night). Out of the 4 dishes we sampled, the Maritime Barley Risotto was by far my favourite, who would have known that barley could soak up all that flavor of the crustacean broth so well? the barley grains plump and chewy unlike the starchy overcooked mush one would associated with the sediments of homemade barley water. The lime foam (apparently, the onaka kitchen team are big on siphoned foams as inclusions to their dish architecture) adding a sour break to the heavy make-up of the dish. clever...
the other carbs for the night: Chilli Crab Capellini, served with crab cake, house-made chilli crab sauce and all this rounded up with a perfectly poached egg on top.
The healthy version of a Pineapple Rice which didn't taste half bad considering that organic brown rice and organic quinoa were wholly used in this dish. The use of carrot juice and roasted pineapples adding moisture to the dish in replacement to the copious amounts of oil used to coat each grain of rice in the usual suspect. A surmountable effort put a regular dish.
last but not least, the Mushroom Soba, roasted mushroom ragu, buckwheat soba, mushroom dashi. This dish did not float my boat, I guess I'm just prejudiced against soba or perhaps the dish's one-noted deliverance with the lingering woody aroma of chinese mushrooms clinging to the air. Not a big fan.
For the carnivores, ONAKA carry a special selection of proteins that would leave you thirsting for more. Let's dive down to details shall we.
One of the must-orders here is the Miso Lamb, slow cooked for an agonising 24hours, no time is wasted here as the results showcase a perfectly rendered and moist piece of carved lamb with an even marbling of fats thrown in for good measure. The flavors were exactly spot on, but mostly the texture and the lusciousness of the lamb just left me in constant debate as to leap for another piece despite the fierce scrutiny from my fellow diners. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone in the midst.
48HR beef with red wine reduction also prepared via means of sous vide. can't remember much about the dish apart from the pumpkin mash which was divine.
Modernist Chicken Curry v2.0. The emphasis is on how the chicken is
- Corn-fed
- Free-range = happy chickens
- Antibiotic and hormone free
contrary to the comments of my neighbours. I loved this dish. The creamy aerated sweet potatoes blending well with the sour tang of the chicken curry, enhanced only by the thin layer of lime foam suspended over the dish. Not a pretty sight once the liquids start flowing around the surface of the shallow dish but I kept mum and feasted on the lovely bits of green okra and succulent chicken. Not much competition there. *phew*
First and last on the agenda (we had an encore for this) is the Duck Pancake, a work of a genius undeniably. turmeric crepes wrapped around warm crispy skin duck confit infused with five spice and drizzle with an orange caramel sauce. Sweet, savoury and crispy, a dynamic interfusion of flavors and textures that led to somewhat a 'mind-blowing' experience. This dish shall and will be on my list of "Best dishes savoured in 2013".
The night came to a close with desserts, the Banana Pastillas was in this context, a mean portion to tackle. But still, me and my partner managed in style. Cinnamon roasted bananas wrapped in phyllo pastry and served with berries, maple syrup, walnuts, banana and the most luscious cardamon ice cream.
The Avo Choco Emotions is the Onaka's solution to a healthy dessert. And truth be told, it is a near sinless version of a mousse dessert, whereby no eggs yolks are used, neither cream nor gelatine. Instead, Valrhona Equatorial 55% dark chocolate is used in a water-based mousse (things we learn in pastry school.. bah!), poured into a siphon and then charged with NO2 cartridges. Pressurized, the air within the chocolate mousse expands to produce some sort of a aerated structure which is then discharged into glasses and topped up with a light avocado mousse. Surprisingly the combination works out like magic. The acidity of the chocolate used, toned down by the richness of the slightly sweetened avocado mousse.
As I've re-iterated before, Onaka has certainly set the bar high even for itself. With a perseverance for the cause to introduce conscious and mindful eating to the public, workload significantly increases since most sauces have to made from scratch in-house. However, efforts have paid off ten-fold with flavorsome fare and artfully decorated plates. Let's pay homage to theses guys, they sure deserve a pat on the backs.
A gentle reminder to please take part in my first {GIVEAWAY}, details are mentioned in my previous blog post here!
460 Alexandra Road
#01-32. PSA Building
Singapore 119963
Tel: 6270 2012
Website: http://www.onakafoods.com/
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