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. My Tasting Palette .
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. In celebration of food and dining experiences . |
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Exploring and discovering new restaurants Dining and chilling out with my loved ones Baking and cooking over the weekends Sharing my love for food with others
Vanilla bean pods (one can never have enough) Valrhona Cocoa powder Valrhona chocolate Macarons from Laduree and Pierre Herme Madelines mold Pretty cake stands (I only have one and only one) YUZU from Japan! (They taste great in almost anything) A food tour to Italy and France Opportunity to study at Le Cordon Bleu |
Thursday, June 21, 2007 Latest Loves... Say hello to my new friend from Japan- Mr An Pan Man. He's so adorable. Don't you just want to pinch his cheeks. Grins. He's a reminder of my favourite Japanese bun. How I love an pans and azuki beans!  Mr An Pan Man- "An Kick" and "An Punch" I bought a new cake stand when I went to Lim's arts and living today. It's so prettily printed with pink and red hearts on a stripped stand. I can't wait to use it!  Cake stand
Sunday, June 17, 2007 Japanese dnner to celebrate father's day [[Dinner for our hero]] In view of father's day, we decided to cook a meal for our dad. We were still in the "we miss Japan food " phrase so we planned to re-create some memories with our Japanese inspired cooking. We had a fun time cooking and we were pleased with the results. Everything turned out pretty well. My sis baked the dessert entirely on her own. It was rather nice despite a few blunders.   Our card and gift for our dad *** The menu Spinach and diced carrots and pickles Miso soup with mixed vegetables Tonkatsu with homemade katsu sauce Potato Croquette Strawberry shortcake ***  The appetiser  Miso Soup   Tonkatsu and our cabbage with our "ponzu sauce"   Pretty huh. love the contrast in colours Friday, June 15, 2007 Japan Trip Part III: The most notable... The most expensive and ripped-off meal goes to: Shabu shabu at Gion District, Kyoto  Australian beef('cause the Japanese beef was unaffordable), rice and pickles*** The most satisfying on a rainy and cold day: Kyushu Jangara at Harajuku, Tokyo J and I went back to eat it again 'cause the broth(made with chicken, pork and vegetable) was way good. However, the only disappointing fact was that it was Tokyo styled noodles which meant thin and curly noodles. (not the springy type they have in Sapporo)  Our ramen: topped with fatty pork, char siew, a whole egg, spicy roe, memna  Our happy faces *** The most value-for-money meal: Katsukara at Pontocho, Kyoto It was the most value for money 'cause the barley rice, miso soup, cabbage and pickles were refillable. Everyone ate at least 2 bowls of rice 'cause we were hungry and tired. And it's not just that. The katsu is really THE best! we ordered the sirloin cut 'cause the fillet was more fatty (read: fattening). The batter was crispy and it wasn't like other katsu that were oily. We liked the katsu so much that we went to the branch at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo but that wasn't quite as good.  The warm tofu appetiser ( we had to try tofu in Kyoto since they are famous for that)  The 120g of Sirloin katsu that we had  Sesame seeds that we have to pound before adding the sauce to dip for the katsu  Very full but happy*** The most interesting meal: Nishin Cold Soba, Kyoto This soba dish is unique to Kyoto and we saw this in quite a number of restaurants so I decided that I must try it. Basically, it is cold soba noodles with dried herring, grated yam and wasabi. The grated yam is an acquired taste I must say. To me, it was rather tasteless and the texture is rather uniquely gooey. But I felt that this meal really reflected Kyoto's character and charm as a city still influenced by the zen teachings of simplicity.  My Nishin SobaThe biggest and cheapest fruit: Japanese apple from Ueno, Tokyo For 200 Yen. Yes! the rest were completely not affordable or rather we aren't used to paying so much for fruits in Singapore.  Big apple! Enough to be shared among 4 peopleThe prettiest meal: Bento set bought at the JR Kyoto Station We were spoilt for choice at the station as we were choosing our bento lunch to bring on board the Shinkansen. I chose this one because it looks really pretty with so many colours. But it didnt taste good. Just had to applaud the Japanese for their presentation of their food. 
Thursday, June 14, 2007 Japan Trip Part II: The best meals... Endo Sushi: We went to look for it on a Sunday when we realised that the Osaka Central Market was closed on Sunday. We asked the locals that we met in our limited knowledge of Japanese and they told us "Endo Sushi- Oii-shii". So we were determined to go back on another day to look for that place that C*Hubby H*ubby recommended. We were delighted to find it. Even on a tuesday morning, it was packed with well-dressed people in suits. The sushi rice was the best ever; it was warm, soft, nicely portioned and well-balanced with vineger. Even the miso soup that we ordered was fantastic. Didn't manage to take a photo of it but it was miso soup boiled with clams. Can you imagine the goodness and richness of the soup? *** Daiwa Sushi: After Endo Sushi, J and I were really looking forward to another good sushi meal of its equivalent. We headed to Tsukiji market in Tokyo with a purpose. To have sushi at Daiwa! We saw the queue at Daiwa at 1015am in the morning. That made us more determined to eat that so we joined in the queue. Daiwa had 2 small stalls; each seated only about 10 persons at the sushi counter where 3 chefs were hard at work, pressing the sushi rice and slicing the fresh fish. We had to sit separately 'cause there was no room for 4 persons to be seated together. The fish at Daiwa was really really very fresh. Fresher than any raw fish that I've eaten. You can tell of its freshness just by a look. The o-toro was so fatty that I was so ecstatic. The uni was nearly overflowing off the seaweed sheet and it tasted absolutely like.. Heaven. All the buzz around me, the cramped seats left J and I unfazed and we literally gobbled down every single piece of sushi so fast that the chef seemed amused and delighted with us. We ordered a second serving of the uni and we were sent back into pure bliss. I wonder where I can find such good sushi in Singapore. Even my favourite Inagiku seem to pale in comparison. Ah.. I want to stay in Japan for the good food that it offers! ***  The chef making Teppanyaki style  Thinly Sliced Garlic, mustard, kobe beef  Veges!!! I love! Our entire meal... Yuzu Sorbet. Deliciously refreshing.  The queue outside Daiwa told us that it's really really good. We waited out there for about 1/2 hour. Note that this picture was taken at 1015am!!! How early!  The o-toro that melts in your mouth. Hmmm... Uni!!! J and I ordered another piece after we finished our set. More sushi. The Osakan way of eating sushi. Using the brush to spread the soy sauce over the fish slabs.  Endo sushi serves their sushi by plates. 5 pieces of sushi per plate and you don't get to choose the types that you'll be getting but I'm not complaining. The otoro and uni once again. HAAA  The second plate- the sushi on the extreme right isn't a ball of rice. It's actually a flaky white fish that I don't even know its name.  the third plate of sushi- consisting of more toro and abalone.Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Japan Trip- Desserts and sweets Toraya, Ginza Tea room We went to try the traditional Japanese desserts at Toraya, one of the oldest makers of traditional confectionery in Japan. Toraya also supplies coonfectionery to the Imperial Family in the 16th century till present day. Toraya believes in the art of wagashi- to indulge the consumer in all 5 senses (apprearance, taste, texture, scent and sound). Sound meaning the lyrical Japanese names given to the wagashi. We were given roasted grains/barley cold tea=- a drink that I found the taste a little weird. I felt that roasted grains were more acceptable as food rather than drink.  the roasted grains tea The dessert that J and I shared cause we were too full. Or rather we wanted to save our stomachs for other food. My sis ordered this dessert- a jellied like cold noodles that is supposed to be dipped in the brown sugar syrup. Something that I can't really appreciate though J says that it's a refreshing dessert to eat during summer.*** Pierre Herme, Tokyo We were determined to get a taste of Pierre Herme's creations so we headed to the Pierre Herme boutique in Tokyo located at Isetan Shinjuku basement. Pierre Herme has been called the "Picasso of Pastry" and he first opened his shop in Tokyo before moving back to Paris.  Everything in the shop seems to scream "eat me!". Just that we are not so rich to do so.  Plaisir Sucre ( Love the chocolate ganache, milk choclate with praline and the hazelnut dacquoise..oohhh just wonderful)  Chocolat macaron- It was devilishly delicious. Totally rich with chocolate and really chewy. I love the more subtle flavour of the vanille one though. I wished that I have bought some too! *** L'atelier De Joel Robuchon, Tokyo We were too full from our katsu lunch but we went in to buy 3 brioche anyway just to eat on our plane ride back. It is the best brioche I've eaten to date. The richness of the butter that melts on your tongue and the fluffy and tender center. Simply bewitching.   Brioche *** Sadaharu Aoki- the branch at Midtown Roppongi I was reading about this Parisian, Japanese pastry chef, Sadaharu Aoki before going to Japan and I'm dying to try his mille feuilles and eclairs. So we stopped by the salon at Roppongi before flying back.   the bakery that looked and smelled heavenly Dessert Platter that I ordered. Sy ordered one too. the desserts that stood out for me were the matcha opera cake with its intense matcha that complements the bittersweet chocolate, the vanilla mille feuille and the cassies with chocolate cake below.  Napoleon Cake-Cassies with Chocolate This was my favourite from those that I've tried. The intense citrus flavour oozed out from the cassies and the chocolate cake and pistachios just went perfectly well with it.  My sister ordered the chocolat praline. It was really, really good. She gobbled down the macaron so we didn't know what flavoured it was. Looks like rose to me though. |
