Low Carb Gyudon & Beef Plate @ Sukiya in Yishun's Northpoint Shopping Mall

The Greatest Kon is well aware of my continued aversion towards rice, bread, noodles etc and recently recommended a special range of dishes from Sukiya Gyudon, a Japanese chain restaurant famous for their beef bowls! 

Listed on the physical menu, the low carb bowl range was something that the Greatest Kon strongly believes would appeal to me, especially after he had  personally "tested" out the low carb gyudon.

I was excited and decided to check out the Sukiya branch at Yishun's Northpoint Shopping Mall mere days later! As usual, a complimentary cup of tea was served even before I made an order, and just so you know, there's no service charge! 

Here's my order of low carb gyudon, with an extra single portion of beef plate. You can't blame me as I am totally sure that medium serving of low carb gyudon, which has no rice, will not be able to fill my tummy. I had that on my first visit, and walked out of the restaurant half full. 

Yes, this is my second visit. 

And I decided to blog about it, just to share. 

So what did this low carb gyudon consisted of? Thinly sliced beef with onions, sitting on a bed of salad drenched with sesame seed dressing, and a base of white tofu! Healthy to the max, it seemed; even for me. 

It was indeed delicious and stretched my mind towards two extremes; so sinful yet so healthy. The sesame dressing and soy sauce-based savory sauce provided the yummy flavour for the otherwise bland salad and tofu, and the slices of beef were, as expected, tender and fatty! Of course, some credits had to be given to the onions and corn niblets too! 

That extra single portion of beef plate was indeed the correct choice, although it can get a bit over-cloying on its own. By the time I was halfway through, I was in fact craving for plain rice to balance out.

And it was tempting to get some rice to soak up the sauce! 

But no, I did preserve and reject the blasphemous temptation! 

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Address

1 Northpoint Drive South Wing, 

#01-126, Northpoint City Mall, 

Singapore 768019

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.sukiya.com.sg/

Pricing

Low Carb Gyudon - S$5.90

Beef Plate Single Portion - S$4.00

(Inclusive of GST)

Light Show (Preparation) around Kaohsiung Music Center @ Taiwan

Distance back to Chateau de Chine Hotel Kaohsiung from Lingya / Ziqiang Night Market was about 2.1 kilometers, but curiosity beckoned after noticing the trails of light originating from the direction of the hotel. 

Light rays got even stronger and we noticed a familiar building.

One that caught our attention for its peculiar design.

Train tracks for the Kaohsiung Light Rail! Without much barricade and travelling on unconventional tracks that felt almost unreal with grass all around; a separate post shall concentrate on it even though I didn't take it throughout my 3-day visit. 

The oddly shaped and designed Kaohsiung Music Center; honestly, it gave a more scientific vibe, rather than one imbued with elements of the performing arts. From far, it might even give one the illusion of a contemporary Godzilla. 

Not so sure what this infers.

Take picture, for the sake of picture-taking.

Kaohsiung Harbour - now, I had assumed that the light show was concentrated around Kaohsiung Music Center but look at where this beam of light was pointing towards.

An impressive tower of lights that extended all the way to the sky, and infinity! From another angle, it would also look like a beacon of light shining from the base of a alien spaceship!

Now, this wasn't the actual light show as it was a boring Wednesday. But I guess rehearsals and testings would be necessary (with the elaborate light boards) before the actual show, which I shall presume would take place over the weekend instead. 

More photos of the weird yet beautiful Kaohsiung Music Center. Just in case you are wondering, the center does have the option of multiple colors. Officially opened in 2021, I bet it was already covered in LED lights that would have made the changing of colors much easier. 

Line of bollards that was used to park the many yachts at the marina. 

Crossing the Lingyaliao Iron Bridge; well, looked more like a conventional bridge that crossed the love river (so romantic right) although you should also let your eyes veer towards the right which is the track for the Kaohsiung Light Rail.

Testing was ongoing for the light truss totems.

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Address

No. 1, Zhen'ai Rd, 

Yancheng District, 

Kaohsiung City, 

Taiwan

Map

As above.

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

NOSH @ Sembawang (Victory 8) [Singapore]

I knew of NOSH for quite a while but never got to trying it as there were many other dining establishments that I craved for in the vicinity; like Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice (三巴旺原味煲仔饭)! 

This time round, however, my secondary school friend and I decided to pin down an exact day just to check out the cafe which commanded a Google Maps review score of 4.7 from over 1,000 reviewers. That's high for an eatery that's not even facing the main road. 

Without further ado, let's order via the QR code. 

Wait was bearable; first dish came in less than 15 minutes.

Halibut and Chips - said to be one of the best fish and chips in Singapore, this was what I came here for! Dip was this greenish Thai tartar sauce (you have option for the normal tartar sauce too).  

Chips in NOSH meant side winders, potato wedges lookalikes; albeit a slimmer, crispier version. Problem is; I don't like potato wedges and regretted not clarifying earlier on what chips meant! If chips meant shoestring fries, I would have accepted without a grouch. 

Using halibut was already a battle half won, and totally worth the price! Meat was moist with a fattiness that, to me, was second to cod fish, and batter was thin without losing the airy crispness so necessary in any fish and chips!  

While I associated green with wasabi, the Thai tartar sauce had an interesting yet appetising tinge of tom yum; and it complemented the fish so well; way better than the boring tartar sauce! And just in case you are wondering about its spiciness; it was mild. 

A perfect sauce would require adding some chilli sauce to the thai tartar sauce before dipping a piece of the battered fish in it! Mamma Mia! So good; I was enjoying every single bite.

Tater Tots - compared to potato wedges, french fries etc, nothing beats my weakness for these nuggets of crispy goodness. Often touted as a diced up hash brown, this is a highly carbohydrate side that I often can't resist not ordering!

Served piping hot with a crunch-crunch batter, the Thai tartar sauce exemplified what it meant to be the perfect snack! And it was a large serving! *guilt striken*

BBQ Pork Ribs - a 350-gram pork ribs; we thought this would have been a safe bet but we should have just asked the friendly waitresses for their recommendations instead. 

I was expecting a tender texture for the pork ribs but it wasn't to be; and the marination (including flavoring) was limited to whatever sauce you see on top. Disappointing. 

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Save for the BBQ pork ribs, you bet I would be back for the halibut and chips and the tater tots. And I did return yesterday for the former! Now, Alex has turned into a fan. Guess we would be back sooner than expected!   

Address

8 Jln Legundi,#01-13 Victory 8, 

Opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre,

Singapore 759274

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Tater Tots - S$9.90

Halibut and Chips - S$25.90

BBQ Pork Ribs - S$24.90

(Subject to Service Charge Only)

Additional Payment

No credit card payment! 

55年老店豬血湯 - Their Braised Pork Rice @ Kaohsiung City in Taiwan

豬血湯 means pig blood soup; a dish that shouldn't be on my to-eat list since I am not into blood dishes, despite being an ethnic Chinese. Nevertheless, I came to this eatery simply because of a variety show which showcased their braised pork rice! 

One thought about the name of this shop; who would call themselves a shop that had existed for 55 years?! What happened next year? 56 years? And you can't just stop the brand from growing old, which by itself, would be testament of good food, should it survive. 

Braised Duck Egg - it's quite rare to see braised duck egg as they are usually made from egg eggs. Out of curiosity, and that it only cost NT$20 (plus Alex loves braised eggs), let's have one! 

Two key differences; the yolk was much larger, and the flavor was richer! 

Stir Fried Bee Hoon - As this was our first meal for the day, I thought a second main would be helpful, and to provide variety, we went with this simplistic stir fried bee hoon. Turned out to be similar to Singapore's pork trotter bee hoon; which I didn't like! 

Braised Pork Rice - the pieces of braised pork were large; not as finely diced as with most, if not all, of their Taiwanese counterparts, and less fattening too! In a way, I found this to result in more satisfaction, and the taste was richer in savoriness and less so in sweetness; latter of which is pretty unconventional in southern Taiwan. 

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Well worth a try if you wish to try another version of Taiwanese braised pork rice! 

Address

No. 221, Datong 1st Rd, 

Sinsing District, Kaohsiung City, 

Taiwan 

Map

As above.

Order List (in Chinese)

As above.

Pricing

Braised Duck Egg - NT$20

Stir Fried Bee Hoon - NT$45

Braised Pork Rice - NT$45 

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)