My Sushi Experience

Otoro (Abt $25.60 for 7 slices) & Yellow Tail ($15 for 7 slices)

Otoro is the most desired part of the tuna belly that usually does not appear on the menus. It is light pink in colour and sometimes almost white due to its fat content, it will melt once it hits your pallet and will leave behind a lingering taste.

It is the best sushi experience I had.
Toro or otoro is rich with omega 3 oils, are commonly thought as the same section of the tuna . Compared to a regular tuna belly, it is distinctly more marbled, and lighter in color.

Uni aka Sea urchin ($9 per piece)

Sea urchin is small and spiky. When I saw them while snorkeling, I would rather not eating it. Things changed. When I first heard in news that if they were left unchecked, urchins will devastate their environment, creating what biologists call an urchin barren, devoid of macroalgae and associated fauna. I decided to save our environment by 'cutting down their population'.

The taste can sometimes vary depending upon the region it is harvested from and whether or not it is in season (June - Sept). Generally, it has a buttery or creamy consistency that some love (like me!). Sea Urchins are a rare treat for those who acquire the taste. Best to enjoy them as sashimi or nigiri. The highest grade is a bright yellow/gold (Grade A) with a firm texture and somewhat sweet. Grade B uni is a more muted yellow and has a softer texture and is less sweet, while Grade C uni is referred to as 'vana' and is often the parts left over from uni that has broken apart during processing or handling.

I presume this is grade B.

Clockwise direction from back: Sea urchin, chu-toro ($9 per piece) and amberjack ($7 per piece).
Chu-toro is slightly to the rear of the tuna and is less fatty, therefore less expensive. It is pink in colour.

Amberjack (quote from http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/sushi_menu/amberjack_sushi.html)

In Japanese sushi terminology, the amberjack is is grouped as one of the "Big Three Yellowtails " which consist of yellowtail, yellowtail amberjack, and the amberjack. They are all considered luxury fishes. All are of the same genus, and only differ slightly. The amberjack is considered best during the Summer. Compared to it's cousins, it is lower in oil, and the flesh is a little softer. It has a pale white flesh and because of its delicate taste, it is sometimes aged in the refrigerator for about 1~2 days to intensify the flavors. Amberjack tastes refreshing when consumed with salt and citrus.

Sashimi don ($14) - to taste different types of freshly cut fish such as salmon, sword fish and tuna in one bowl. Rainbow-like colours excite my appetite and better the entire sushi experience. Sakuraya Restaurant at village centre, west coast of Singapore, along Pasir Panjang road.

Scrummy Salad

While waiting for our chicken being roasted in the oven, we had this scrummy salad.

Wulala!

Croutons on top of salad is an ingenious idea, thanks to whoever came up with this. Normally, croutons appear on top of Caesar salad with parmesan cheese, which is quite cliché, I prefer to try something different: using Italian dressing as simple as 3 parts oil and 1 part Balsamic vinegar. With some pepper as well.

Yummy!

P/S: Roasted Chicken recipe will be out real soon. ;)

Grilled Eggplant

I went back to Malaysia about 2 weeks ago to visit my parents as well as my lovely baby nephew. On the way back to Singapore, we bought some vegetables from Seremban, where my hometown Titi is near to, before heading for the famous beef noodle stall. Alas, Murphy’s Law reigned yet again, it’s closed. Both of us found a way to cheer up a bit - we saved some money by buying some fruits and vegetables at a very low price to bring back to Singapore.

We bought 4 eggplants at Ringgit Malaysia 1.00, which is about USD$0.25, for this dish. Method:

Cut them into half, season with some salt and pepper; massage some oil to coat the eggplant, grill for about 20 minutes or until it turns brown and soft.

At the same time, fry some minced garlic till brown. When the eggplant is done, sprinkle the garlic on top, season with a few dash of soy sauce.

End result: Interested to know my nephew? Here he is!!

Stir-fried Chinese Lettuce

I can't get enough of stir-fried. Simple and easy. Since we have already washed the wok and kept it within easy reach, why not use it more often? Hehe...:)


We went to the market that day, bought $1 of Chinese lettuce, which normally costs 1000% more during Chinese New Year. So we happily stir-fried the 7-8 bunches of them, filling the entire wok before sweating it down.

Stir-frying. You can see that CY is having some difficulties to turn them, but just for a while.... Keep on stirring and they will quickly be reduced to just a plate of vegetables. That's also the reason why we need a wok because it's easier to stir and can stir-fry more leafy vegetables.

Ingredients: Sliced garlic ( 4 cloves), canola oil (or any other frying oil), 1 kg of Chinese lettuce, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, pepper and 0.5 tsp corn starch mixed with some water.

Instruction:

1. In a basin filled with water, wash the lettuce thoroughly, leaf by leaf. This vegetable is notorious for grit.
2. Heat some oil with high heat, fry garlic till slightly brown.
3. Pour in all lettuce, stir fry.
4. When all lettuce wither down, turn down the heat, add corn starch mixture, soy sauce and pepper to taste.

Here you go, one more stir-fried vegetables. Can't get enough of it!

Japanese A-La Carte Buffet @ Hanabi

Our search for annual staff outing continues. This time round, it's Hanabi Restaurant. Not only is it cheap, but most importantly, its near location helps save some petrol and time. There you go ~ A-La Carte Japanese Buffet @ Hanabi.

Without any delay, let's see what we ate today:

Chawanmushi - good to warm my tummy. I guess our partner - CL will like it. Hehe...
Sashimi platter - I like the yellow tail (Hamachi) the best! The salmon (sake) was so fresh! Slurp ~! CY enjoyed eating raw squid for the 1st time in his life, as he had bad experiences with smelly squid in the past. I was tempted to try, quite ok. The octopus was just average but fresh.

On closer look:
Fried mixed vege - suprisingly good, has Wok Hei & umami, a little too oily though. :)

Fried rice with unagi (eel) - its fragrance nearly blew me off. Nice eating with the fried vege, not too oily. We like the small serving, which gives us the opportunity to sample more varieties. Yum yum ~~

I dislike a-la carte buffets which serve big portions of each dish. Before you can sample other dishes in the menu, you have to ask for the bill instead ^.^

Tempura - we find the sauce a bit plain but it's really crispy, no big deal.

Another sashimi platter since I really like the Hamachi (yellow tail) and sake (salmon) very much. Hehe...

But unfortunately, they ran out of maguro (tuna). I don't mind not getting to eat maguro since there won't be any chutoro or utoro (fatty tuna) in this buffet menu, or else they won't be able to stay afloat. Haha!

Vinegared mackerel and prawn nigiri - just average. The prawn doesn't taste as fresh as it looks. Fresh prawns should taste firm and slightly crunchy, not limp.

Started from foreground to background on the right: Unagi nigiri (2 pcs), wasabi herring roe, cod roe salad in beancurd skin. The cod roe salad blends well with the beancurd skin. Tuna belly (minced) temaki. Tasted good.

We loved this cod roe salad in beancurd skin - ordered twice. :)

It's sweet, creamy, a bit of citrus flavour, well-balanced taste. Must Try!!

Grilled Miso Eggplant - a surprise because we don't usually order this in Japanese restaurant. But I would prefer it to be grilled slightly more as it's a bit tough on the inside. Overall, I think it's okay.

Total "damage" - $52.97! The buffet is $27.50 ++, but If you pay by Nets, there will be a $10 off.

Can you believe it??

We ate so much and it's only about $26 per pax?!

My goodness, so if you see this and you happen to be in Singapore, I am sure you don't want to miss the chance to taste the fresh sashimi platter, eggplant, chawanmushi, nigiri at this price, it is definitely worth it. :)

Hanabi Japanese Restaurant

http://www.hanabi.com.sg/

Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs

I woke up early today. It was a difficult drag, as we were out at Mount Faber trying to catch the Perseid meteor shower close to midnight yesterday. Alas, Murphy’s Law reigned, and we were greeted by cloudy skies. But the trip was fruitful, as we had late dinner, whilst overseeing the beautiful Singapore skyline. Never knew having McDonald’s in the car can be so romantic (blush…). And we discovered 4 restaurants on the hilltop to visit and to blog about next time. Yipee!

After washing up, CY went to the gym and I decided to go to the market to buy some pork ribs for today’s menu. As we were strolling along the way, smooth rustling wind was running through my hair. I felt calm and happy. Simple pleasure such as this can really light up one’s day.

Today’s menu is also simple. I discovered this from Pig Pig’s corner. She was kind enough to recommend this over the braised sweet soy chicken via email. Thank you, Ann. Also, I would like to thank you people out there for sharing your recipes without asking for returns, which is heart-warming.

As for today’s recipe, it’s her recipe with some adaptations, since we are staying in different parts of the world; it cannot be exactly the same. Right? (UK & Singapore)

Serve 3

0.6kg Pork Ribs – 200g per person
1.5 - 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce (老抽)
1 tbsp Soy sauce
0.5 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Black rice vinegar
20 g Rock Sugar (see below)

Place all ingredients in a pot.

Add just enough water to cover all the ribs.

Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until meat is tender and sauce is thick and sticky.

End result:
Another one.

Stir-fried Ee Fu Mian (Noodle)

Ee Fu mian or Ee Fu noodle - used to be served as stomache -filler during wedding dinner. Not so cheap and presentable, I guess that's the reason why they do so.

Fry green onions and garlic till fragrant. Prepare Ee Fu mian, cook in hot water till soft, take out and standby. Marinate sliced meat with soy sauce, white pepper and starch, standby.

Soak Shitake mushroom in tepid water with a bit of sugar, when done, cut into slices, reserve the water to cook the noodle later.

Getting ready.

Stir fry carrot first because it's harder. Stir fry Shitake mushroom. When mushrooms are sweated, stir fry greens. Continue tossing and stir-frying till greens turn dark green in colour. Season with 1 tbs of soy sauce & a few dash of white pepper.

Push everything aside, fry sliced meat. When done, pour in the Ee Fu mian, season with dark soy sauce (I put 1 tbs, but it's really depend on your liking), oyster sauce (just a dash), 2 tbs of Shao Xing wine (Chinese rice wine) and 2-3 tbs of soy sauce.

If it's too dry, pour in the mushroom water to dilute. Taste and season if necessary. Add in a bit of Chicken stock cube if needed.

Serve.