A night at the theatre

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Went to watch Swan Lake on ice and decided to have dinner at Rakuzen since the restaurant was one of the few around the area which opens at 6pm. We decided to give the set menu a miss this time and ordered from their ala carte. I had the Sake 3, a shashimi dish consisting of thick slices of salmon, salmon belly and salmon roe ($16) while Co had the handrolled sushi with soft shell crab ($5).



The shashimi was very fresh with thick slices of salmon and plump juicy roe which just slithered down my throat. The waiter recommended the Hotate no Mantai ($10), which is grilled scallop topped with an assortment of vegetables and mushrooms. Co skipped the scallop as it was still too raw and seafoody.



We shared a plate of assorted grilled meats and vegetables, Kushiyaki no Mori ($20). The platter consisted of chcken wings, squid balls, shitake mushrooms, green chillies, and more hotate. There was also a skewer of grilled sushi rice, very tasty as the rice was slightly charred.

And of course we ended the dinner with our favourite goma ice-cream.


Arrived at the Esplanade theatre with plenty of time to browse through the merchandise on sale. We bought the very attractive program ($20) and a Russian matryoshka nesting dolls ($25). The matryoshka is one of Co's favourite collectibles.

the program

the flyer inside the program




The ice-skating was breathtaking and dazzling, with many finely executed twists and turns. One the lead skaters was really cute and smiley and we were also intrigued by the 'stilt skaters'. The crowd gave a standing ovation at the end but this was only after they were entertained with an impressive encore of superbly executed ice skating by the cast (Singapore audience are really so passive!). Overall, it was a truly spectacular show and well worth the money for the opportunity to watch world class ice skating.

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posted by Co&Ji at 10:13 AM, | 0 comments

Tea time at Sun with Moon Central

Tuesday, September 11, 2007
We have read good reviews on the dessert selection at Sun with Moon and so decided to head over to the Central branch for their teatime special. I ordered their famous tofu cheese cake ($5.00) which was served with a bird cage encasing the cake but the waiter immediately removed the cage even before I could take a photo! The tofu cheesecake was light on the palate, with a nice biscuit crust.


Co had the Warabi Mochi ($6.50). The ice cream was a bit melted, probably because of the warm honey at the bottom.


We also ordered the apricot green tea and premium green tea for $2 each, the teatime special.

We checked out the Japanese stores at Central and bought a box of Hokkaido Camembert cheese cake ($16.90) and Tokyo black sesame mochi ($12.90) for munching during the rugby world cup matches (go All Blacks!!).




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posted by Co&Ji at 9:57 PM, | 0 comments

Brewerkz - Good old American food

Went to one of our favourite restaurants, Brewerkz for a carbo laden and seam busting lunch. We ordered half a slab of barbecued pork ribs ($23.99), prawn arrabbiata ($20.99), sauteed mushrooms ($6.99) and 2 pints of Hopback ale ($7.99 for a pint 560ml). The pork ribs were tender and well marinated, with meat falling off the bone. The mashed potato was delicious and as we tucked in, we tried not to think of all the double cream that went into making it so smooth and creamy.




The sauteed mushrooms is always one of our favourite side dishes.



The prawn arrabbiata, a dish of big sauteed prawns in a spicy sauce served over shell pasta was value for money. The sauce was loaded with herbs and fried garlic and there were 8 plump and juicy prawns.



Brewerkz is always a good place to hang out for good American food and freshly brewed beer. Plus there is a 20% discount on food items during lunch hour till 4pm.

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posted by Co&Ji at 9:33 PM, | 0 comments

A well deserved brunch

Hurray, I completed the Shape 5km run in good time and we went out to Wine Garage to celebrate. I had the poached egg over polenta with house cured bacon, duck confit and roasted peppers ($19). Polenta is an Italian staple of boiled cornmeal. The poached egg was well done with a deep orange yolk oozing out and was absolutely delicious. The duck confit and cured bacon went well with the polenta.


Co had the Garage burger but today, the fries were not as crispy. Paired the food with a bottle of Spanish Macabeo from their Sunday List ($31). The new ice cream flavour was a lavender sorbet ($3). The sorbet was very refreshing with a strong natural flavour of lavender.


Now that the Shape Run is over, I have signed up for yet another challenge; the Standard Chartered 10 km run on 2 Dec. Another celebration at Wine Garage then......

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posted by Co&Ji at 9:02 PM, | 0 comments

Sashimi and Wagyu beef at Rakuzen

Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Had dinner at Rakuzen and not surprisingly, the restaurant was pretty quiet for a Saturday night. The waiter recommended the sanma sashimi and wagyu beef which were the specials for the week. The whole sanma ($15) was very fresh and one of the best sashimi I have eaten.


The wagyu beef ($30) did not wow our tastebuds at all as we expected a more tender, melt in the mouth texture. The beef tasted like ordinary tenderloin and on hindsight, we could have had two more plates of the sanma sashimi for the price of the wagyu beef.



The seven kinds sashimi ($55) was served in a deep bowl and although fresh, the presentation was not as attractive as that in Haru's. I would have preferred the sashimi served on a bed of ice.



We also ordered the grilled eel sushi ($12). Co did not like the grilled eel as it tasted too 'eely' unlike the ones at Haru's. I also found that the sushi rice crumbled easily.



Co had the grilled beef set ($18) for the main course, while the other two diners had the mini udon and sushi set ($22) and grilled beef and sushi set ($26).



Total cost of dinner for 5 was $230, including dessert. The cost of the dinner was inflated by the sashimi and wagyu beef and a cheaper alternative would be to order their value for money set dinners, which is still highly recommended.

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posted by Co&Ji at 9:51 PM, | 0 comments