HAN

HAN 
331 North Bridge Road
#01-04 Odeon Towers
Opens Mon-Sat (12-3 pm Lunch; 6-11 pm Dinner)
Call for reservations: 6336 2466
Japanese (Osaka cuisine)
$150 per pax
Heavenly service and food
**Two stars for Kushikatsu

   
     ZM and I actually ate at HAN in early August, but I delayed writing this entry because the restaurant experience was so heavenly I did not know how to do justice to it - I still don't!

   All I can do is tell you that this is my first two star entry and I created a Japanese label tag because I can no longer hide my clear preference for Japanese cuisine.

 

     It all started because I was longing to go to Japan, but I couldn't since I had agreed not to travel to Japan until I had given birth to our children (see how stern ZM is?). So, ZM and I agreed that we will slowly try the best of Japanese Cuisine that Singapore has to offer.

    The first stop is HAN.

      HAN is different from the ordinary japanese restaurant. It serves authentic Naniwa - old Osaka cuisine with hints of Korean and Chinese elements. It specialises in Kushikatsu - skewered treats that are dipped in batter and breadcrumbs and then deep-fried in oil. It is one of Osaka's  proud traditional dishes.

    I'm more of a sashimi type person in terms of Japanese Cuisine. I dislike tempura. Really dislike it. While, my mum loved tempura and disliked sashimi. It was with that in mind that I picked HAN. I don't know if it was a little (or a whole lot) of wishful thinking but I thought in some way we could both share this fried food experience.

   And, wow.

   It was one of those moments where you realised maybe you dislike fried japanese food - only because you never tried real fried japanese food before.

 

     ZM and I chose the Kushikatsu 10 sticks Omakase Course for dinner. They first served us a platter of seasonal appetizers. It was an almost saintly experience. The purity of the food cleanses your tongue and palate. 

   Pardon my fat thumb. I was probably too excited and I didn't even noticed it after I took the photograph. After the appetizers, they set up the sauces and the vegetables for the main course. I found all the vegetables heavenly (I cannot stop using this adjective). 

    

    You will inform them of your dietary preferences before it starts. They skewer everything - prawn, mackerel, squid, chicken, pork, tomato, foie gras, etc in all kinds of perfect combinations. It is a symphony of fried delicacy and I am kind of weeping that I am not eating this as I write. 

    

      After about 10-12 skewers, the symphony is complete. The chef who cooks in front of you, if you sit at the Kushikatsu counter, will ask if that is enough. And you will smile and kind of just give a fat cat contented sigh. 

   They will change your tea to a tea for dessert and serve dessert. Our choice was their special sesame ice-cream filled into wafer biscuits that was made by the kitchen as well. 

    

And at the end of it all, trapped halfway between bliss (of what it was) and sadness (that it has become was), you will know that you can never eat normal Japanese fried food again - without your brain calling you a fool and your heart running away and betraying you. 

Even you, I've ruined you.

 So, forget my words, one by one, forget about each skewer, the ascending taste, the crisp and light texture, the surprise in each ingredient, forget them all. 

Forget them my friend, for it is only in a dream that you taste perfection. 

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar - The Place to Eat Maki in Singapore

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar
#04-21 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
Reservations: Call 91803805 (or use Chope)
Daily: 11.30 am to 10 pm (closes later on Fri & Sat)
Our meal (4 pax): $40 plus per pax
Average - $20-33 per pax
Japanese
Pretty bad service except the Maki is Heavenly
1* The Place to Eat Maki

     P was going to give us a treat with her first paycheck and she chose Koh Grill & Sushi Bar. It was the national day weekend and it looked as if the place was giving away free sushi from the likes of the queue. P told the waitress she made a reservation and the waitress scowled back, there is no reservation. P coolly showed the email confirming her reservation and the waitress paused for a moment then said, wait a moment. 

 A minute later, we were shown to an empty table. 

  The waitress stoically informed us that all sushi and sashimi orders will take half an hour to be served, then she went off to another busy table. 

   This is the japanese restaurant equivalent of the hawker store that sells such good food that it is going to be as nasty to you as it is humanely possible. Ok, I exaggerate. A little. 

  But, the maki really is heavenly and all the food was good: 

  

Not bad slightly sweet sake. 

Chicken Karage - I ordered it as it is one of my Mum's favourites. 

Puffer fish! This is actually really good.

And finally, the main highlights: 

      There was only one thing to be said at the end of the meal：

 娘，妹长大了！

Kiraku Japanese Restaurant

Kiraku Japanese Restaurant
55 Market Street, Sinsov Building, #B1-01
Reservations: 64386428
Closed on Sundays and PH
Mon to Thurs & Sat: 11.30 am - 3 pm, 6-10.30 pm
Friday & Eve of PH: 11.30 am - 3 pm, 6-11 pm
Dinner - $60 per pax
Japanese
Pretty good sushi & extensive sashimi menu
Attentive Service

     ZM has been busier with work so I asked him to pick a dinner place near his workplace (Raffles Place area) for a simple dinner. He always picks Japanese (haha) because of me. ZM doesn't really like sushi or sashimi - so I always think it's rather a raw deal for him (pun intended).

   Kiraku is a relatively nice place to eat sushi - the ambience is quiet and elegant and you don't have the sushi tei crowd. The sushi is of a slightly higher level than Sushi Tei. I noticed that the wasabi is already put in the sushi, which led to a mouth of OMG after I dipped the sushi into my soy sauce with substantial wasabi. The tamago was light, fluffy and sweet - really good.

        I really recommend the Amaebi with Foie Gras - it's so good! Except it's $14 per piece.

         ZM had some udon thing which came in a huge ass bowl and saba fish. The saba fish had a nice texture but in my opinion, there were too many bones to make it enjoyable.

We also ordered the Kani Cream Croquette (snow crab) to share, but it was so incredibly creamy I couldn't taste the crab. 

   In all, this is really a sushi and sashimi place. There were 1 for 1 alcohol specials too and you could see a group of Japanese (always a sign of authenticity?) sitting outside on the tatami mat booths and kanpai-ing, which was kind of boisterous and cute. 

    I asked ZM if he would write some entries on my blog about our marriage. He refused. 

    "Ok. You miser. I'll help you write," I said. "So, from what you have experienced so far, what would be your first advice on marriage?" 

     "Choose the right wife." 

      "How do you choose the right wife?" I laughed. 

      "Gut feeling." 

       "That's very helpful. So what happens when you choose the wrong wife?" I asked.

       "Life sucks." 

Maguroya

Stall 79, Lau Pa Sat
18 Raffles Quay
Opening Hours: 10.45 am to 2.30 pm, 5 to 8.30 pm (Mon-Sat)
Ranges from $8 to $22
Japanese
Well-priced sashimi sets & extremely yummy fish broth


  The most common question I get these days is "how is married life" and I usually give one of the three answers: (i) good, (ii) it's the same and (iii) we haven't moved into our home yet, so there isn't much of a change. As is much of life, it is far too complicated to be answered simply in five minutes during the lift or even during a span of a meal. When I was younger, I was often befuddled by these questions and struggled to answer - only because I wanted so sincerely to really express how I felt, but was let down by my own ability to express it.

  ZM and I make a much stronger effort to eat with each other every day than we did before. Before we were married, it would not be inaccurate to label us as a "weekend couple". Still, after marriage, you feel a sense of responsibility for the welfare of your other half and an almost sweet relief whenever you meet him, as if your brain is happy and goes ah, there you are, with all your limbs intact. Truly taking your bond as one flesh very seriously.

   On a whole, ZM doesn't enjoy seafood (gasp! travesty!) and was generally averse to raw fish. So, I'm always touched when he finds seafood and japanese places for us to eat at. I actually think he is starting to enjoy it in itself.

   The menu is a joy to read:

   Apparently, this stall was set up by quite a famous sashimi provider to restaurants - hence you get the same quality without the middle-men upping the cost. At this price, it's hard to find any other place that could beat this quality.

   My favourite, by far, was the fish broth. Sadly, one cannot get free re-fills (which sounds stingy to me). Also, the squiggly writings on the board "served with... LOVE" makes me laugh, because the stall is manned by two very stoic men who correct your japanese pronunciation robotically.

  After I finished my small serving of fish broth, ZM passed me his. I gave it back to him. We sickeningly pushed the soup to each other a few times, and then both drank it together. Perhaps for some couples, the answer is to buy more soup. But, I love sharing the little of what we have together.

  Be it, soup, raw fish or time.