Established in 1980, Shima at Goodwood Park Hotel is the oldest Japanese restaurant in Singapore which is known for its traditional teppanyaki. It is frequented by Japanese expats and those with has a discerning appetite for fine Japanese cuisine.

Freshly grilled food (yaki) on an iron plate (teppan), Shima offers teppanyaki courses in a slightly aristocratic yet traditional setting. In short, you can expect nothing short of the finest quality and dedicated service.

The beef tenderloin steak came with a smoky exterior and medium-rare interior. Accompanied with deep-fried garlic chips and yasai-yaki, this main course was a true stunner.

Other than its signature Teppayaki menus, Shima also offers sashimi and sushi which is air-flown at least once a week from Japan.

Every grain of rice is coated with the oil used to fry the garlic, with pepper added to elevated the overall fragrance of this dish. It was, hands down, the best garlic rice that we’ve had in Singapore.

Shima Restaurant
22 Scotts Rd
Goodwood Park Hotel
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 6734 6281

Winning the one-Michelin star for 3 consecutive years now, Alma by Juan Amador is a restaurant that enthrals with their creative Asian-inspired spins on European nosh. Helmed by Executive Chef Haikal Johari, diners can definitely expect to be spoiled with tasty, impressionable delights as well as great wine.

In celebration of their 3rd year anniversary, the restaurant and their team of talented chefs have meticulously crafted out a brand-new dinner menu that is set to amaze diners, old and new. Focusing on contemporary European dishes that are paired heavily with Asian influences, Japanese flavours take centre stage in their splendid array of dishes this time around.

Available in 4-course ($S117++), 6-course (S$158++) and 8-course (S$197++) options, the tantalising dishes present to diners flavours that are exhilarating, innovative and familiar, all at once. 

OKAYAMA MUSCAT GRAPE

The gastronomic experience begins with Alma’s first course, the Okayama Muscat Grape. Topped with julienned Okayama green grapes and a helping of Hokkaido uni, the Japanese Bluefin chutoro tartare beneath is mixed with onions, pine nuts, and mayonnaise before finally being seasoned with a mildly fiery Yuzu kosho sorbet that is savoury at the same time.

As if it doesn’t already look enticing; dig in and you’d notice a myriad of different textures and flavours teasing your palates all at once.

Photo Credit: Alma

MUIRGEN OYSTER

For the largest umami explosion, the Muirgen Oyster is what you should be looking forward to.

IBERICO PORK JOWL

Sous-vide first before being grilled on a traditional binchotan grill—a white charcoal commonly used in Japanese cooking, the Iberico Pork Jowl is then being slathered with a layer of aka miso which is known to be richer and bolder in flavours.

Full of smoky aroma, the crunchy sour apples and fresh flowers that are delicately perched on the Iberico Pork Jowl brought out a contrast in flavours and textures while the sesame paste at the side provides an extra earthy flavour to the dish.

Photo Credit: Alma

OHMI BEEF

For those of you who adore meat with a passion, you mustn’t miss out on Alma’s Ohmi Beef. Regarded as one of the top wagyu beef varieties in Japan, this dish is made using Omi beef, the oldest and undeniably one of the most reputable beef brands in Japan.

Served together with an intense wine and beetroot reduction, fine horseradish potato and crispy seaweed, we were beyond impressed by everything that was brought out on this dish but it was truly the incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth Omi beef that will blow your mind away.

MANGO

The bright and fresh flavours which were used to kick off the menu return again at the end to round the palate off in the last course with the dish, Mango.

Made using Alphonso mangoes from Pakistan, the sorbet in the middle isn’t just tangy and sweet. The team behind this new dinner menu has incorporated zingy flavours by using Myoga, a Japanese ginger bud that resultantly provides a mildly spicy taste that cuts through the sweetness.

Calamansi foam, yoghurt, meringue and passionfruit surround the sorbet as a final touch to complete this divine dessert.

Alma by Juan Amador
22 Scotts Road
Goodwood Park Hotel
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 6735 9937
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 9.30pm
Sat: 6pm – 9.30pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Orchard

For most people, it seems almost like an annual ritual during the Singapore Mooncake Festival to visit the Takashimaya Mooncake Fair as you can find all the mooncakes by the different restaurants and hotels there. Be it buying mooncakes, or just hanging around to try the various new mooncakes flavor for 2010, the response to the Takashimaya Mooncake fair is always overwhelming.

But if you hate to squeeze with the crowd just for a box of mooncake, go to Raffles City level 3 – there’s a smaller Mooncake fair with 22 participating retailers.

I know this post is kind of late since most newspapers, magazines and food blogs have written on some of the must-try new mooncakes flavors for 2010. Nonetheless, I decided to share a list of the interesting mooncakes flavors that I want to try during the Mooncake Festival 2010. So lets find out which are the best Mooncakes in Singapore 2010.

Goodwood Park Hotel Mooncakes

Goodwood Park Hotel has a strong reputation for its durian pastries and desserts, with the durian puff and cake among the most popular items on it’s menu. Naturally, one of the signature mooncake of Goodwood Park Hotel is the D24 Durian Paste Snowskin Mooncakes ($50 for 4 pcs). Their mooncakes are definitely a must-try if you like durian, but please stay 10 feet from me after you have them.

22 Scotts Road
Tel: +65 6730 1786

Marriott Hotel Mooncakes

I’m not sure about you, but I prefer the traditional baked mooncakes to the snowskin mooncakes. The white lotus seed paste with single yolk ($49 for 4 pcs) from Marriott Hotel may sounds boring, but I think it is exactly what I need for the Mooncake Festival 2010. How many yolks do you like in your baked mooncakes?

320 Orchard Rd
Tel: +65 6735 5800

Raffles Hotel Mooncakes

52 bucks for a box of 8 ridiculously tiny snowskin mooncakes? I must be mad to pay for this. Tell me again: why am I doing this? Oh, it’s champagne truffle! Right. Everybody knows about the famous Champagne truffle mooncakes from Raffles Hotel. Enough said.

(North Bridge Road Entrance)
1 Beach Road
Tel: +65 6412 1122

Paradise Group Mooncakes

Being a fan of the Chinese cuisine at Taste Paradise, I must say I’m quite curious how their mooncakes fare against the more experienced hotels and restaurants. Some of the creations from Paradise Group include: Golden Pomelo, Fragrant Black Sesame, Sweet Custard with Cashew Nuts, and at just $38 for a box of 8, their mooncakes are priced slightly lower than the ones from the hotels.

Any Paradise Restaurants in Singapore
Tel: +65 6288 8961

The Regent Singapore Mooncakes

Consumers are a very fickle-minded bunch, and we want novelty.

Every year, the chefs from the different hotels and restaurants will think of new creations to satisfy the consumers’ growing demand for different flavors. For the Mooncake festival 2010, The Regent Singapore came up with Baked Ham & Pork Floss with assorted nuts and the Ginger Paste with Pine Nuts snowskin mooncakes. Personally, I feel that it’s really an acquired taste, but by all means go ahead if you are game enough to try the exotic mooncakes.

1 Cuscaden Road
Tel: +65 6733 8888

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Which are the best mooncakes in Singapore 2010? Let us know which mooncakes have you tried, and which are the ones that you are tempted to get! Have a good Mooncake Festival 2010 indulging in all the different mooncakes!