Saboten - The Real Good Taste of Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet) @ Parco Marina Bay (Millenia Walk), Singapore

Mentioned Japanese breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu) a few months ago and i would likely give you a long tirade on why i don't understand what's the big deal about it!

Trust me, i tried quite a few in Singapore to confirm and reaffirm that Teriyaki Chicken tasted way better than Tonkatsu. At least that's what i assumed to be correct before i stepped into Saboten - on Kon's persuasive recommendation.

Back in its country of origin, Saboten is one of the largest tonkatsu chain and i vaguely remember one branch in Bangkok that perpetually had the longest queue among other food establishments.

Ordering the signature Pork Loin Katsu Set (Large) is the best way to give a fair judgment and what appeared shortly on the table caught me by surprise; plain shredded cabbage, a bowl filled with sesame seeds and a wooden stick.

In all honesty, i would have taken the initiative to sprinkle the sesame seeds on the cabbage and pounded them using the stick!

Not to fret if it is your virgin visit, the friendly service staff would actually go through with you, step by step, on what to do. For example, that these two sauces housed in crystallised bottles were for the cabbage. [Kon took over the job as he is a regular of Saboten]!

Depending on your preference, you could choose to have the dark sauce (supposedly a vinegar that was yuzu based) or the creamy white sesame dressing. I went for a mixture of both and was extremely delighted with this tasty yet healthy combination!

To ensure that you get the most out of those raw sesame seeds, you must do your part by grinding them yourselves! Not a hard chore although i did spend a while to make sure they were grated as finely as possible.

That's not all - please find the earthen urn on your table, scoop up a generous amount of the essential tonkatsu sauce and drench the by-now-powdery sesame seeds! Damn, so much prep work just to have a piece of deep fried pork?!

By the look of the breaded pork loin cutlet, i was half expecting a disappointment like many others before this. Maybe the problem lies with me. Nevertheless, i paid good money for the cutlet and i don't waste food.

I cut a small piece, dipped it into the sauce that took me a lot of time and effort, put it in my mouth and started chewing. Have you ever gotten that exaggerated feeling of fireworks exploding around you when you are really happy with something? 

I did on that very evening at Saboten.

Crunchy golden crust that didn't oozed oil, pork that was optimally moisturized, self-made concoction of yummy sauce; factors that were merely complementaries to a great dish. The deciding factor was no doubt the sinful layer of glistening pork fat!!

Craving for tonkatsu used to be impossible. Now? I have been freaking craving for a piece of that marvellous pork from Saboten for the past few weeks!

=====

Location

9 Raffles Boulevard, #P3-01,

Parco Marina Bay, Millenia Walk

Price

Pork Loin Katsu Set (Large) - S$23

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Additional Information

The set was really worth the price! A scoop of a mildly bitter green tea (matcha) ice cream was included to conclude a pretty heavy meal.

And did i forget to mention that this bowl of simply delicious miso soup was also packaged within the set. And best of all? You pay S$23 and get FREE REFILL of rice, miso soup and cabbage!

That's what i call a damn good deal!

The Undisputable Giraffe Crane

taken from  http://mattnelmes.wordpress.com/my-work/other-projects/mechanimals/giraffe-crane/ 

It's not hard to know why people love to associate the giraffe with the towering crane used in many construction sites; it's elongated, skinny neck is a giveaway physical trait. 

But last week made it the first time i actually caught sight of a construction crane that was painted to look just like a grazing giraffe!! Now, that's what i called an undisputable giraffe crane! 

Citin Hotel Review - A Budget Hotel Along Jalan Pudu @ Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia]

Hotel accommodation in Kuala Lumpur is getting more expensive and for a traveller who prefers to save on hotel charges for more meaningful items like food, i find it challenging to find a place that falls within my overseas budget.

My conditions are simple; centralised location, a fully air-conditioned room and an attached private shower. Oh, and the price must be less than S$50 a night! Things like free wifi and television would be considered as bonuses.

Thank god i made the decision to explore the website of this hotel i booked two years ago for a Kuala Lumpur trip. 

I vaguely recalled it was a comfortable stay and the promotional offer this time was even more attractive!

Before i touch on rates, let me share with you our room on the highest level (twelfth floor); card-access entry, carpeted floor, clean bed, wall mounted LCD projector. A bit dated but pretty cozy.

Add in two complimentary bottles of mineral water (drinking tap water is not encouraged), coffee/tea making facilities, the free use of room wifi and you could roughly guess this was more than what i expected as mentioned in the second paragraph.

This was the window view that greeted me for the two mornings i was in Citin Hotel; the mingling of both new and old in the bustling capital of Malaysia.

Now coming to the all-important toilet - it was definitely not dirty although there was two problems i encountered; pathetically low water pressure for the shower that made it extremely frustrating to bath and yellowish-brown water from the wash basin.

Of course i made a phone call after seeing the discharge coming out from the tap! Brushing and flossing my teeth are two essential steps i need to undertake twice a day! A service staff came up to the room to apologise and explained that the water tank was being cleaned.

Not a good enough explanation in my opinion but well, i could only pray for the best. Which didn't happen and remained unresolved even after i checked out.

To be fair, the hotel staff were really apologetic about the whole incident and i must say that besides the two unfortunate problems, the service standard of the hotel was outstanding for hotels in the budget category.

Would i be back? Absolutely! I would, however, request for a room on the lower floor.

=====

Location

38, Jalan Pudu

[Opposite the recently furbished Puduraya Bus Terminal]

Price

Less than S$100 [RM199++] for two nights of stay! Check out the following website for more details on its attractive promotional rates!

Website

http://www.citinpudu.com/

Additional Information

As part of his duty, the Operation Manager sent me an email soliciting my comment/feedback on my recent stay in Citin Pudu - a golden opportunity for me to state my concerns via official means!

I replied the email and surprisingly received a response within a day! The OM apologised for the shortfall in service and promised to bring these concerns to the immediate attention of the maintenance team.

Old School Dim Sum (传统点心) @ Restoran Yook Woon Hin 玉壶轩茶楼 [Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]

When i was actively searching online for authentic dim sum around my hotel in Kuala Lumpur, i came upon numerous articles mentioning an old school dim sum restaurant located in Petaling Street.

There's something about old school that i could hardly resist - the likely recollection of memorable childhood memories that could momentarily bring me back to the olden days.

Restoran Yook Woon Hin was indeed not your typical yum cha restaurant at first glance as i would classify it as more towards a coffee shop setting with minimal decor than a fancy, air-conditioned restaurant

Nonetheless, the traditional push cart service was still in operation and manned by an elderly staff who has to cover the whole shop singularly! For assurance to get the first pick, please sit near the entrance where the dim sums were steamed.

We were not ambitious in getting more food (at least not with Alex around) and ordered our usual of siew mai, har gau (steamed prawn dumplings) and chee cheong fun. Most were served in tiny stainless steel plates instead of the more common bamboo steamers.

These were supposedly siu mai and although i was expecting a revelation, i received none. They lacked the robust juicy flavour that was almost a norm in Singapore. Disappointingly, it was the same issue with the thick-skinned har gau.

The Lo Mai Kai (glutinous rice with chicken) tasted pretty good with a balanced play of both sweetness and saltiness. Amazingly (note the sarcasm), i was thinking towards the line of rice dumplings (instead of lo mai kai) as i dug in.

For a chee cheong fun lover, Alex stopped after having his first bite since he was more accustomed to the slightly sweeter sauce whereas in my honest opinion, i totally enjoyed the uniqueness of the savoury sauce which came with fish cake, beancurd skin and mushrooms. 

In terms of texture, the chee cheong fun won many for its softness and delightful slurpiness!

A mish mash of beancurd puff, brinjal and fishcake made up this dish known as fried beancurd (please don't ask me why as i seriously have no answer). The same sauce for chee cheong fun drenched the items and provided the taste that would otherwise be really dismal.

=====

I wasn't impressed (except for the chee cheong fun) as you can guess from my review but i am not ready to throw in the towel yet. With over 50 dim sum dishes on the menu, what i had was at most 10 percent and there MUST be a few that continue to draw customers back to the shop.

Location

100 Petaling Street

Map

As depicted by the red arrow.

Price

No idea even though i could vaguely remember the total was around S$10! Kindly refer to the menu below!

Menu

As Above [Click for a bigger picture]

Homemade Deep Fried Crispy Pork Lard (猪油渣) - The Best Snack To Turn a Bad Day Around

While scouting for snacks in the kitchen this very evening, my eyes rest on a plastic canister placed next to the expensive water filtration system; an area my mom frequently used for her nuts (peanuts, macadamia nuts and not the nuts found on guys).

Initially, i thought it would just be another nut-filled container but my food-sensitive instinct told me to step closer for a better look. I almost let out a happy scream when i realised what it really held! 

Loads of homemade pork lard with a golden brown sheen that beckoned me to slowly savour them in the absence of my parents who will otherwise definitely look at my tummy and ask if i could 'afford' them.

One piece, two pieces, three, four... 

In a short span of merely a few minutes, i have already taken more than twenty pieces - hearing the pleasing crunch and tasting its superbly delicious yet incredibly unhealthy natural flavour were just the appropriate senses to turn a bad day around!

*p.s. i popped a few more pieces of this divine snack as i was typing out this post*

Gobi Cafe - Disturbingly Delightful Desserts @ 350 Joo Chiat Road [Singapore]

While walking along the lengthy and food-heavy Joo Chiat road, i chanced upon a little cafe that had an AO-sized poster filled with pictures of appetite whetting desserts [the Crème Brulee Poire William looked exceptionally good].

Frankly, I am all prepared to splurge a bit just to pamper myself but the fact that i would not likely have more than one sweet course stopped me in my tracks to step beyond the glass entrance!

Having the dessert-loving Gang of Four would be a better bet in ensuring a more comprehensive review (can order more mah) for this tiny outfit known as Gobi [the name must have derived from Gobi desert].

It didn't take us more than two weeks before i found myself (with the other members) seated in a predominantly white shop that had a maximum capacity for not more than 18 dessert lovers.

"Created with Passion, Consumed with Pride" - such an egoistic statement can only be confirmed by customers and let's see if it is really true in the following review.

Espresso Baileys Souffle

With three different types of souffles, we were in a fix on which to order and had to resort to asking the staff member for her opinion; espresso souffle was supposedly top on the popularity chart.

I have nothing against souffle and i love coffee although i also belong to that weird category of humans who generally dislikes coffee related products like coffee candy, coffee cake etc [the same goes for durians]!

Despite the soggy bread texture, the light layer of sweetness resulted in a coffee related dessert that i found to be just nice for my liking.

Yolkless Cheesecake

People allergic to egg yolk should give this a try!

Densely rich yet creamily soft without a significantly over dosage of cheese (cheese lovers would not take this well), this was definitely one of the best cheesecakes i ever had, second only to the ones my sister brought in specially from Australia! Our only complaint? The almost tasteless biscuit base.

Strawberry Shortcake

Don't be fooled by its extremely boring outlook.

The melting effect was literally in play when the shortcake lightly touched the thousands of taste buds on my tongue! That amalgamation of fluffy Genoise sponge and Crème Chantilly was nothing short of amazing and we could not help but exclaim (again and again) how delicious it was!

Before this came along, I thought the highly acclaimed Scoop Cake from Tampopo was the 'matchless' cake. That position has definitely been replaced by Gobi's strawberry shortcake.

=====

Location

350 Joo Chiat Road

Opening Hours

Mondays - Closed 

Tuesdays to Thursdays - 12pm -9pm

Fridays to Sundays - 12pm - 10pm

Website

www.gobi.com.sg

Price

Espresso Baileys Souffle - S$12.00

Yolkless Cheesecake - S$7.30

Strawberry Shortcake - S$5.80

[Subject to Service Charge Only]

Additional Information

These misleading bottles of mineral water placed on your table are not complimentary! Be prepared to fork out S$1.80 for a bottle.

Do take advantage of the daily tea time promotional deal from 3-7pm when you can have a slice of cake and coffee/tea for only S$7.90! Top up S$1 if you prefer to have special drinks instead of dull coffee/tea.