(Warning: Pictures of yummy-licious food and descriptions ahead. I am not responsible for any saliva drooping(s), nor grumbling stomach(s).)
*Please kindly wait for the pictures to load due to the huge numbers being uploaded in this entry. *
What do you get when you ask "Where can I eat the BEST and AFFORDABLE Japanese cuisines in Singapore?"
Yes, YOU GET SHOKUDO!
I was glad to be given this opportunity to visit such fascinating "Japanese food heaven" (that's what I called it) with the other bloggers who got into the 20 finalists, organized by OMY and the management of Shokudo. The atmosphere was lively as it was filled with laughter and chatters amongst the bloggers.
Alright, I guess describing everything in text is not enough to convince you. I shall bring on the juicy photographs!
Just look at the beautiful traditional lanterns that were decorated outside the restaurant! (This probably has nothing to do with the food, but I took this anyway because they are just so attractive and light up the exterior of the restaurant!)
The set-up and decoration was really fascinating. (Yes, the Japanese wordings on the light spell "SHOKUDO")
Upon entrance, I was taken aback at the design and ambience of the whole restaurant. It really isn't themed as "Street of Japan" for nothing! I was instantly amazed. The spacious area was lined with different stalls selling different types of Japanese cuisines- definitely a place worth any Japanese food lover screaming in joy for. (I am a Japanese food lover myself and this got me all excited!)
Even their counter is so well-designed. Professionalism indeed.
Every minor detail is so "japanese-styled" (EVEN THE WAY THE CHEFS AND STAFF WERE DRESSED). To me, it is totally a "little Japan" situated in Singapore!
(There are loads more stalls, do check them out!)
Most of the bloggers, including me, were so excited and anxious in capturing pictures with our handphones and cameras. (And I had already used up a large amount of memory space even before the food were served!)
We were then led to a cozy space with reserved tables and got ourselves seated through groupings.
And for now, the moment you've been waiting for. THE FOOD! (Oh my goodness, uploading these pictures are killing me! I can't stop my mouth from watering. *gulp a mouthful of saliva back down my throat*)
The 1st dish- A Japanese-Style omelette, known as SAKURA EBI OMELETTE!
Do not be fooled by the simple egg exterior. This very Sakura Ebi Omelette is no ordinary omelette.
Wrapped beyond the tender soft egg layers are filled with baby shrimps, bread and other tasty ingredients that will leave you lusting for more after each bite.
The inner view of the omelette: (Photo courtesy of Yongwei.)
See? They are made up of different layers aside from the egg. The baby shrimps have a sweet distinct taste that will instantly hype up your senses. Unlike other shrimps that may be hard to chew on, theirs was actually soft! I just love the interesting combination of the three main ingredients of egg, bread and shrimps!
Ratings:
(4/5)
Our 2nd dish-Mushimono (Steamed)- Bamboo Prawn Rice (MY FAVORITE!)(So what lies beneath it?)I warned you. I am not responsible for any saliva droopings! But I know that you will read on because of the irresistible temptation.
.
.
.
.
.
*TA-DA*!
Tasty bamboo rice with
soft,
squishy prawns that are accompanied
with sweet-tasting mushrooms and
vegetables. On top of that, a small addition of
sesame was sprinkled on top to produce the most
stunning taste in your mouth ever.
What I like most was the rice that it has a tinge of
mild stickiness to it. I love it that it is not
overly-sticky and such. Every mouthful produces a fantastic
aftertaste, and you will definitely be eager to have another spoonful even before you swallow the first! Combine every mouthful of rice with the sweet mushrooms and it will leave you with a "
hanging sensation", yearning for more.
Not only that, their prawns are the
tastiest and
freshest ever. Do note that they are
NOT the "
hard-to-chew-on type". (Some
not-so-well cooked prawns that I had eaten before elsewhere are like that.)
In fact, these prawns are
100% chewy, and go really well with the rice. Moreover, the flesh of the prawns is
amazingly soft and "
bouncy" to a large extent.
Perfect.Ratings:
(5/5)
3rd dish-Japanese Western- Rosti with sausage!You must be wondering,
"Huh? Japanese western?" Yes, you heard it right. Shokudo serves Japanese western food! The full set comes with the
sliced sausage and
potatoes (known as "
rosti"), together with special mayonnaise sauce for dipping.
Personally, I do not really fancy potatoes, but this one
completely caught me off-guard! (I was not even aware that they were potatoes when I first saw it.) Being doubtful initially, I took a small mouthful.
They are surprisingly SOFT and CRISPY!I immediately sat up and stared at it. And started to begin having a lot more mouthfuls. It tasted a bit like french fries,
AND even better!
The sausage was not bad, either. Although its a bit hard on the exterior, but it leaves a strong taste in your mouth when/after you chew on it. I took several bites of it, too! To add on to the eating pleasure, dip it with their special mayonnaise sauce. (Their mayonnaise has a slight "
lemonish" taste!)
Ratings:
(4.5/5)
4th dish: Robatayaki -TsukuneFancy some meaty grilled balls? They will live up to your expectations if you like grilled stuff! Personally, I do! Upon sinking your teeth into it, you will realize that this
Tsukune is actually chewy and rich in the meat. I chewed for quite some time before swallowing each bite because the taste actually gets stronger when you munch on it. Definitely something different from all the other grilled balls I'd tried before. It leaves a lingering meaty aftertaste.
Thumbs up for this!
Ratings:
(3.5/5)
5th dish: Dessert-Tofu CheesecakeDo not look down on these small slices of tofu-looking cheesecakes. Each mouthful may be small, but the taste is
SIMPLY EMPOWERING.There is a small
crunchy layer right below every slice that blends in well with the
cheesy taste. If you are a
cheese-lover like me too, this is a
NOT-TO-BE-MISSED dessert that you must try!
See? The crunchy layer at the bottom. AAH, this photograph just don't do enough justice to the real deal! To further increase the eating pleasure, add a flow of strawberry sauce to it!
And there you have it.The soft white layer that is a combination of
TOFU + CHEESE literally
melts in your mouth without really having to chew. The cheese consists of a tinge of saltiness which contributes to its superior taste. Not only that, the addition of
strawberry sauce to the whole dish produces a lingering sensation of mild sweetness, but yet
not overly sweet nor sour!
The only complaint I have about this is that
WHY DOESN'T IT COME IN LARGER SIZES?!(
Alright, maybe I am greedy... but I really love this cheesecake to the core!) In fact, I love it so much that I made use of a blogger's lightning equipment and themed this photograph as
"A dessert descended from heaven". (Look at the strong light shining on it!)
I had difficulty trying to restrain myself from popping it into my mouth at one go. I believe the other bloggers love it as much as I do, too, as they managed to finish them all in a flash.
One word for this.
"Heavenly".Ratings:
(5/5)
Above are the
5 dishes that we were invited to try out, and if you were to ask me if I would recommend this place to my friends, I would give a definite
Yes. (In fact, I am intending to visit the place again on my birthday!)
There are simply too many varieties for you to choose from that I am sure you will be spoilt for choice. Not only that, the services they provided was superb.
So, start planning with your friends and make a trip there now to enjoy the most genuine Japanese cuisines in their cozy premises. You'll love it!
This picture reads:
Catherine loves Shokudo.Shokudo Streets of Japan @ The Heeren Shops
The Heeren Shops
260 Orchard Road, #B1-01
Singapore 238855
Tel: +65 6736 1216
Operating Hours:
11.00 am – 11.00pmCheck out their website for more information!
http://shokudoconcepts.com.sg/Before I end my looong entry for the day
(I had actually been uploading the pictures and blogging for about 8-9 hours on this!) , I present you a group photo which we had taken.
(The 20 finalists photograph! Yay.)Oh, see that
guy with the mustache kneeling down in front? I told him that he kinda
reminds me of something. (No offence, though!) I tried to take photographs of him and he gladly posed for the camera =_=".
Damn it, I regretted not asking him to take off his glasses!
Photo extracted from his
blog (Yongwei)He's actually a friendly and fun guy despite having that weird mustache on him. I bet he got it as a free gift when purchasing a year's supply of
Pringles.
Anyway, the whole event at
Shokudo was drop-dead fun. Even though 10 of us will be eliminated soon, I still feel glad to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the other bloggers and experience the delicacies at
Shokudo. Its definitely something memorable.
A sincere
THANK YOU to the
OMY and management of
Shokudo once again for making this event possible.
A cute magnet given by
OMY. The words on it read "
omy reminds you not to forget Omy".
*sticks it to my fridge*Don't worry, I won't forget
Omy.
Ever! :)
P/S: And don't forget to VOTE for me too! http://contest.omy.sg/ybloggistpopstar/vote.html(Credits to Pei Wen for helping to assist in capturing some of the photographs, and to Yongwei for the permission in the usage of two of his photos.!)Labels: Shokudo Food Review