Pork Cutlet, Fried Rice & Desserts @ Tampopo Takashimaya

I am back at Tampopo again! Not totally unexpected since i did mention previously that i would be visiting this Japanese restaurant for its supposedly famous pork cutlets.

This time, i am at the branch located in the very accessible Takashimaya shopping centre. Without further ado, let's start on our meal!

Sakuraebi Fried Rice

"Sakura Ebi from Suruga Bay Japan": the words with bold red font right above the picture must have been enticing enough for fried rice guru (Alex Chiu) to give it a try.

With each grain that was plump and fused with fragrance, the taste was disappointingly normal.

There wasn't any hint of surprise from the imported sakura ebi although both of us agreed that it had a flavour that Singaporeans will find familiar; the flavour of hae bi (虾米) or otherwise known as dried shrimps.

Mentaiko Layer Pork Cutlet

A set at an additional S$4 was ordered simply because i was too hungry! It's my lunch at 4pm okay and my stomach had been growling since 11am!

The piece of beautifully fried pork cutlet. Contrary to my usual fast response when it comes to putting food in my mouth, i was actually taking the time to slowly appreciate this piece of edible artwork.

I read from this blog called cheeserland.com that mentaiko is damn delicious! And that explains my selection of this cutlet that contained the fish roes. As you can see from the picture, the pork was layered and this should have created a more juicy variation than its whole piece cousin.

Regrettably, i found that they were pretty dry and though they might look crispy, they were really not. Thank god for the rice as it seemed to enhance the flavour of the cutlet and make it marginally better. For all we know, it could be the magic of the mentaiko.

Given one thing i was most impressed in the partaking of this dish, it has to be the soup. Delectable broth unlike your typical miso soup!

Strawberry Parfait

The parfait from Mr Curry was so memorable that i had to order this when i saw it on the menu. You can never go wrong with cornflakes and ice cream!! I should attempt this at home!

Cheese Chiffon Cake

Deliberating between the absolutely marvelous scoop cake and this super light cheese chiffon cake, i decided on the chiffon eventually for two reasons; never had it before and it's tagged with best seller.

The cheese cream came out really strong yet strangely light without that overbearing feeling that is the norm for many cheesecakes after a few bites. This fluffy cake is best served cold and really suitable as a staple for a relaxed afternoon tea.

However, I still prefer the scoop cake over this cheese chiffon cake.

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Location

391, Orchard Road,

#B2-33, Takashimaya Shopping Centre

(Right beside MOS Burger)

Price

Sakuraebi Fried Rice - S$12.80

Mentaiko Layer Pork Cutlet (Set) - S$22

Strawberry Parfait - S$6.30

Cheese Chiffon Cake - S$5.80

Subject to GST and Service Charge

What is the little bugger doing?!

This is definitely not accepted in any normal society!!!!

This bratty toddler (also known as my nephew) looked as if he was molesting my mother in the picture! Shame shame purely had no effect and he kept pushing his hand to grab something "hidden" underneath the shirt!

A kid is a kid lah. He was actually searching for my mom's jade pendant. Such pure innocence! Nonetheless, we have to arrest such undesirable behaviour before he gets older!

=____=

Fruit Ninja @ iPhone

This was transferred to my iPhone when Alex transferred his purchase to my computer. Lucky me i know! Haha. I have been trying to get him to buy some of the more expensive games but the only victory so far is Plants versus Zombies.

I didn't enjoy myself when i played the Classic and Zen modes. To a certain extent, it can get monotonous after a few minutes. An impatient person will hate to play these two modes regardless of the peaceful calmness Zen is supposed to bring.

That's when the fast paced arcade mode comes into picture. I tried this out of boredom after ignoring fruit ninja for half a year! For those 6 months, i was wondering what it is about this game that Alex paid for.

When i said fast-paced, i meant a 60 seconds gameplay!

To slice the fruits (ranging from one as small as strawberry to one as big as watermelon) that fly all over the screen, put one finger to the touchscreen and control the knife! It's a game therapy that will help to relieve any stress you are facing!

Get as many combos (defined as at least a consecutive 3-fruits slice) as you can to gain bonus points. Ignore the irritating bombs (okay, this sounds a bit stressful) and fully utilise the special fruits like iced banana (slows the screen), blue striped banana (double the points) and red striped banana (a frenzy that pumps up a lot of fruits on the screen)!

My personal favourite is the red striped bananas as i can get as many as 11 fruits in one slice! And if you are lucky, you might get all three special fruits at roughly the same time! To put it more explicitly, the slower screen play will enable me to get the maximum fruits in one slice while doubling the bonus points that increase tremendously due to the more than many-fruits-in-one-slice combos!

And always remember the blitz! Consecutive combos will get you the blitz that can add as many as 30 points!

Once the game concluded with confetti celebrating your victory, additional presents are given based on how well you play the game! I always strive for combo god!

As with any game, a challenge is always present. And in the case of fruit ninja arcade mode, it's how high your points can go! My record is now 820!

Can you beat that?!

I am striving for 1,000 points!

Loui's NY Pizza Parlour @ Universal Studios Singapore (USS)

When you are in a theme park of a considerable size and time is limited, the fastest and most efficient way to satisfy your hunger is to patronise the usually overpriced restaurants or food courts located within the park.

That's what exactly what we did in USS! An air-conditioned place was exactly what we need in that burning weather to prevent the onset of a heat stroke.

Loui's NY Pizza Parlour attracted us with its brightly coloured facade and a cuisine that isn't as common as local fare like chicken rice or nasi lemak! Who, in their right mind, will pay S$9 for a plate of normal nasi lemak that might only cost S$3 on mainland Singapore?

Ordering is IKEA-style; you bring your plate, queue up, order with the service staff, collect your food and pay at the cashier! Simple enough.

Here's what we had.

Mushroom Soup

Quality mushroom soup is noticeable at one glance and once you know how to differentiate, you will never see Campbell's mushroom soup in the same light again!

Generous pulpy mushroom bits set in a rich, creamy broth peppered with crunchy croutons, this is what quality is all about! I regretted not ordering an additional bowl for myself!

Loui's Beef Lasagna

Presentation wise, this looked like something my dog will pass out on a bad stomach day. With a dollop of white vomit if the condition is more serious.

According to the menu bar, this is supposed to be homemade! If my mom cooked as bad as this, i would never allow her to put this on the menu. She can insist over my dead body!

Okay lah, actually it passed the taste test. Just that the pasta was too hard; the result of an extended period of time in the oven. Hm..... The lasagna from Buckaroo is so much better!

Hawaiian Pizza

With a few available selection, it's always safe to stick with Singapore's favourite pizza; the Hawaiian.

And Loui's version is huge with a thin crust!!! Worth it and totally suitable for the older generation who cannot digest too much carbohydrates!

Margherita Pizza

This is another choice although i didn't really enjoy the ingredients for this pizza. After a while, the crust actually tasted a bit like roti prata!!

When i wrote huge, i meant it to be bigger than my face!!!

Original NY Honey Wings

These were damn delicious even though i am not a big fan for chicken skin that isn't crispy! There was a uniquely strong flavour that I initially cannot put my finger on what it really was.

Rummaging through my memory, it finally dawned on me! The juicy chicken wings must have been marinated with burger king's bacon sauce with added honey!

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Location

Within New York Zone of Universal Studios Singapore (USS).

Pricing

Mushroom Soup - S$4.80

Loui's Beef Lasagna - S$9.30

Hawaiian Pizza (Per Slice) - S$8.50

Margherita Pizza (Per Slice) - S$8.50

Original NY Honey Wings (3 pcs) - S$5.30

Inclusive of GST and No Service Charge

Additional Information

There are four of you and each of you is hungry enough to devour a cow?

Get the gigantic pizza at S$38 (six slices)!

The Lost World Zone (Waterworld) @ Universal Studios Singapore (USS)

I am a person who prefers unconventional (yet legal) methods to solve problems.

And the first time i entered "The Lost World", it was not via the main route from Ancient Egypt but through the discovery food court! Purely unintentional though.

Since it's the land of the dinosaurs, you should not be surprised to find the whole zone filled with replicas of the ancient reptiles! One of the most recognisable trademarks for this era is no doubt the T.Rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex).

This water feature is getting to be too common in Singapore! Well, so long the kids enjoy it, who cares! And i do envy them as it is very embarrassing for an adult like myself to play like them in the hot weather.

Pterosaurs wind compass. Not sure if it works because wind was non-existent on the day i went USS! Singapore should have a weather that maintains at 15 degrees celcius throughout the year!

The afternoon sunlight was so unforgiving; most visitors were hiding in the shade!

Finally, i am going into the attractions for the sector. This is part of the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure.

An exciting river raft ride that is guaranteed to get you wet! Look at the huge splash it generated in this picture! The heat was making me super unwilling to queue for an extended period of time and therefore, i could not comment further on the primeval dinosaur exhibits you are supposed to view along the river.

Judging from this picture, you can roughly gauge how much my mom would love to be young again! The fact that i egged her to pose for my camera is totally negligible.

Canopy Flyer should be a great way for me to get some breeze and the family eagerly picked up the pace to the entrance.

Fifffffffffty five minutes?!?!??! No way!!!

Once again, the family entertained itself with the dino models. The teeth for this T-rex are made of rubber like material. Super safe for kids!

Dino-Soarin' is a ride so common in many theme parks (big and small) that it would not attract the interest of thrill lovers like myself! Plus, i tend to get giddy in this go round and round and round ride.

Waterworld has no relation to Jurassic Park (except both were lost worlds) and i wonder why it is not listed as a separate zone! In terms of marketing, the impression given was that it is a standalone attraction!

By the way, Waterworld is a popular "live" show with a long queue! Don't freak out when the service members prevent you from joining the main queue! Another queue will be created for entry via the side entrance. I was basically laughing at those kiasu visitors who insisted on going to the main queue! Wahahaha.

For those who are unaware, the set does look like a sea animal theme show.

See those coloured seats? Right in front is the blue zone, followed by the green zone. Never ever put your butt down the blue seats (known as soaked zone)! The green benches are not very safe either if you are in the center row. Let me explain in the next few pictures.

The actors (aka the bad boys in the show) were merciless in using water guns to attack the audience!!! Look at those poor audience who had to protect themselves using their brollies!

Imagine the shock on my face when pails of water were used instead. Quite a few visitors were soaked to the skin and there seemed to be no rules and regulations in this self-contained area!

After the cold torture, the audience gamely did what the actor wanted them to do. The penalty for not following basic instructions? More water on your body! *note: the actors seemed to have a strong dislike for soccer jerseys*

The show started soon after. I have never watched "Waterworld" and only remember that it was a box office bomb. Nonetheless, it was entertaining though the plot was pretty predictable.

Water was heavily used and we have no doubt on that even before the start of the show!

Some scenes featured dangerous stunts like falling from the crane. It's one thing to do it once in a long while but to do it three times a day (12.30pm, 2.30pm and 5.30pm) is damn agonising!

Loud pyrotechnics never fail to add to the "wow" factor.

It's the smoke that got onto our nerves. Singapore has enough of the haze from Indonesia and we don't need another bloody "real life example"! Overall, i do enjoy the show!

The centre seats are indeed better. I shall bring along a clean set of clothes and maybe a waterproof camera the next time i watch "Waterworld".

Take a picture with the cast before leaving for Far Far Away!

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For my 1st post (Hollywood Zone), please click HERE.

For my 2nd post (New York Zone), please click HERE.

For my 3rd post (Sci-Fi City Zone), please click HERE.

For my 4th post (Ancient Egypt Zone), please click HERE.