Specialising in Taiwanese-style hotpot and bubble tea, Coucou Hot Pot is opening two outlets in Singapore at Suntec City and Jewel Changi Airport.

Photo by Lynde Lim

Established in 2016, Coucou Hotpot has currently has outlets in China and Hong Kong and it is opening its first outlet in Singapore at level three of Suntec City’s North Wing will open in Dec 2021 while the second outlet at Jewel Changi Airport level 2 (next to Kam’s Roast) will open in Jan 2022.

While Coucou Hotpot Singapore has yet to announce the full menu for its Singapore outlet, it has revealed on Instagram that it will serving a selection of meat (Japanese wagyu, Iberico black pork slices USDA beef), seafood (abalone, live shrimps, Boston lobster) as well as the usual hotpot ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms and meatballs.

Photos credit: Coucou Hotpot Singapore

Other than hotpot, Coucou Hotpot will also be offering a selection of Taiwanese tea and bubble tea.

Coucou Hotpot Singapore
Level three of Suntec City’s North Wing
3 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038983

Jewel Changi Airport level 2
78 Airport Blvd., Singapore 819666

Known for its Vietnamese pho and street food, Mrs Pho has opened a new Vietnamese Charcoal Hotpot and Barbecue concept, Mrs Pho House at Ngee Ann City.

Mrs Pho House specialises in traditional Vietnamese charcoal fired hotpot as well as grilled side items. All dishes—including broths, ingredients, and side dishes—are prepared by a third-generation female Chef Linh from Vietnam.

To celebrate their opening, Mrs Pho House will be offering 50% off soup bases from 8 Sep – 8 Oct 2021. Diners must a prior reservation to enjoy the promotion.

There are four soup bases available on Mrs Pho House’s menu and they are made with Vietnamese herbs, spices and ingredients:

• Collagen Pepper Pork (regular S$28, large S$28)
• Vietnamese Perilla Mutton (regular S$25, large S$30)
• Herbal Chicken and Mushroom (regular S$23, large S$28)
• Crab Bisque (regular S$38, large S$48)

You can get a variety of meats, seafoods, vegetables and mushrooms that are perfect for hotpot.

Meat options include:

• Japanese wagyu
• Pork belly
• Iberico pork shoulder shabu shabu
• Handmade meatballs
• Beef balls
• Lemongrass brine chicken

Seafood options include:

• Whole rainbow lobster
• Scallops
• Mussels
• Tiger prawns
• Baby octopus
• Fish fillet

The Pomelo Salad (S$18.90) might not sound like much, but it was our favourite dish from Mrs Pho House’s menu. The refreshing salad came with Vietnamese crystal pomelo, fresh tiger prawns and fresh herbs.

Another dish that we really loved was the Mrs Pho Iberico Pork Belly on Skewers ($5.90) featuring marinated juicy slices of Iberico pork belly on sticks.

There are also other side dishes such as the Five Spice Butter Quail (S$18.90), Lemongrass Chicken in Claypot (S$13.90), and Stuffed Squid (S$19.90).

Mrs Pho House
391 Orchard Road, #B2-36A, Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238872

A hotpot feast with gorgeous waterfront views? Little Sheep Hot Pot at One Fullerton is a popular hot pot restaurant chain which has almost 300 branches all over the world.

Founded 18 years ago in Inner Mongolia, you can be sure that the dishes served here have an authentic Mongolian taste. Standing out from the regular hot pot restaurant, Little Sheep Hot Pot is well-known to serve broths that do not require a separate dipping sauce.

Not only will you enjoy mouth-watering platters and soups, but you also get to dine with a picturesque view if you opt for outdoor seating.

Trust us, the rich, palatable broth base is just enough to satiate your tastebuds. Each broth base blends a harmony of flavours, spices, and ingredients such as goji berries, jujubes, black cardamon pods, ginseng, and herbs.

We ordered their famous broth, the Mushroom Soup (S$9++), which is arguably one of their richest broths, with an earthy flavour that complements the superb meats perfectly.

We recommend pairing this broth with their signature meats, the Kurobuta Pork (S$10++), Signature Lamb Rolls (S$9++), or the USA Beef (S$14++). The meats are thinly sliced, tender, and juicy.

Enjoy a hearty meal with your friends and family while you take in the views of the spectacular Marina Bay waterfront. Feast your tastebuds on the wide array of meat platters offered, paired with equally delicious broth, and feast your eyes on the lovely view of the bayfront. Enjoy!

Little Sheep Hot Pot
One Fullerton
1 Fullerton Rd, #01-05
Singapore 049213

Beauty In The Pot (BITP) is opening its 7th outlet at nex in October 2020. Beauty In The Pot rose to fame with its beauty collagen broth and it has firmly established itself as one of the most popular hotpot restaurants in Singapore.

Beauty In The Pot will be taking over the spot vacated by the now-defunct MOF @ My Izakaya. The Paradise Group—the parent company of Beauty In The Pot—will also be opening Canton Paradise next to Beauty In The Pot.

Photo credit: Beauty In The Pot

We are definitely hoping that the new outlet at nex will open until 3am like the other the Beauty In The Pot outlets. Can’t wait to have steamboat supper at the new outlet!

Beauty In The Pot nex
23 Serangoon Central
#02-01 nex
Singapore 556083
Nearest station: Serangoon

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant is a no-frills and utterly unpretentious steamboat restaurant along Joo Chiat Road that stands out against all other places not just for the affordability of its food, but also the authenticity and marvellous quality of the Teochew fare. They stick to the tried-and-proven methods of keeping things simple, with a myriad of dishes suitable for casual dining and gatherings

You know that this is the real deal you step into the restaurant and see countless photos of celebrities who have dined at the restaurant plastering the wall. The owner has travelled to and worked in various countries to pick up the skills needed to execute each dish perfectly, so as to ensure that only the most authentic and best-grade dishes are brought to the table.

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant is a clear hit amongst the older generations and it is definitely one that young adults alike should hit up for a wholesome, communal meal.

And you’d love to know that at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant, the owner promises you something: if the food is not good and fresh, they will refund you. Money back guaranteed is the best guarantee for a good meal, right?

EVERYTHING IS MADE FROM SCRATCH

From their fragrant steamboat broth to the fish paste noodles and bouncy fish balls, the folks behind the restaurant pride themselves on having almost everything handmade, bringing you only the freshest and nothing less.

Even the chilli is a star in its own rights. You have to try every single dip for your steamboat; they are made fresh in-house daily!

STEAMBOAT IS THE WAY TO GO

The star and centrepiece of this restaurant is definitely their steamboat. Every table should order a steamboat for sharing, on top of all the a la carte dishes that you may wish to add on.

Their signature soup base is a best described as a labour of love—the chefs prepare and wash the necessary bones and carcasses before adding them into a giant pot with their speciality ingredient—shark cartillage—then have them all boiled for over 5 hours daily.

The result is a creamy collagen-rich broth that is both savoury and sweet, and highly addictive. Even though we were stuffed by the end of the meal, we couldn’t help but have one last bowl of soup before leaving.

Prices start from just S$10 for 2 to 4 people, with a plethora of ingredients to choose and help yourself to.

FRESH SILVER POMFRET

You can look forward to a variety of seafood dishes to elevate your steamboat experience. The Silver Pomfret (seasonal price), in particular, is set to impress with its freshness. Afterall, what is Teochew cuisine without a good pomfret, right?

Wild-caught from Surabaya—which is known to have the best quality and sweetest Chinese Pomfret around—you can tell how fresh it is right from the moment your teeth sink into the white flesh that is soft yet firm at the same time.

We are telling you that quantities are limited so if you’re in luck, you have to go for it because it is worthy of the splurge.

DRUNKEN PRAWNS

The Drunken Prawns (S$8/100g) is something you cannot miss out on. Fresh prawns are intoxicated with Chinese wine and herbs, allowing the wine’s flavour to permeate throughout the body, intensifying the natural sweetness of every single prawn.

As mentioned, do not forget to flash this advertorial upon sitting down for steamboat during dinner hours. From Mondays to Fridays, every table with a steamboat order will enjoy free-flow drunken prawns. You are in for a real treat, guys.

HOME-MADE FISH PASTE AND FISH BALLS

Handmade from scratch, the fish balls are a must to order—everything from the mixing of ingredients to the shaping of the fish balls are prepared by hand without taking the easy way out.

You can literally taste the difference when you bite into these bouncy delights and it is amazing how they managed to conceal the fishy odour without compromising on the taste.

Another dish you must make sure to order up would be Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant’s signature squid paste fillet—made using 99% fish paste and 1% vegetables and chestnuts without the use of flour at all, you know that what you get here is undoubtedly the real deal.

VARIETY OF PREMIUM MEATS

No steamboat is ever complete without meats. Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant offers an array of high-quality meats that are imported from USA and Brazil—while it did not particularly blow our minds, these meats are definitely not something that we would decline.

Here you can choose from meat including USA Prime Beef (S$12 per portion), Pork Belly (S$9 per portion) and Fresh Chicken (S$8 per portion).

CLASSIC A LA CARTE TEOCHEW DISHES

Steamboat just ain’t enough when dining at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant. We suggest you save some space for some of Jinji’s equally delectable array of Teochew a la carte dishes.

The a la carte items do not come packaged with fancy accessories nor over-the-top creations but the simplicity of it is precisely why we love their Teochew fare. Here are some of the sumptuous dishes you can expect at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant.

PORK KNUCKLE

Should you be looking for something more indulgent, the Pork Knuckle (S$30) will go highly recommended. Boy, this dish checks all the boxes for what a good pork knuckle should taste like.

Upon your first bite, be prepared to be impressed by the crisp texture of the crackling skin before digging into tender and succulent pork meat.

TRADITIONAL SALTED CHICKEN

The Traditional Salted Chicken (S$18) may be light in seasoning but that itself is enough to leave us satisfied. There is nothing fancy going on in this dish but every piece of chicken is extremely flavourful, making this a simple but hearty dish that we’d return for.

GOLDEN PRAWNS

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant isn’t afraid to boast the variety of cooking methods that they have which can transform a seemingly simple seafood into a myriad of dishes.

The Golden Prawns (S$30) is one of the many prawn dishes that they offer. Despite being heavily coated in a crisp and golden layer of flour, it was surprisingly light in flavour and that only served to accentuate the flavour of the prawns.

JADE KAI LAN

Who would have thought that a vegetable dish would excite the entire table of diners? Well, the Jade Kai Lan (S$12) was one that we wiped out within minutes.

We thought that kai lan is best enjoyed when stir-fried, but this dish proved us wrong. Stir-fried kai lan is hidden below a stack of deep-fried pieces of the same vegetable, bringing you a textural variety that is nothing short of impressive. The latter reminds us of crispy kale!

BRINJAL WITH PORK FLOSS

The Brinjal with Pork Floss (S$12) may be a fairly straightforward item on the menu but it is still a remarkable one at that.

Deep-fried brinjal pieces are covered with a generous amount of pork floss, curry leaves and chilli; this dish is a winner. The different textures made it a delightful side dish to munch on and it will forever change your impression of brinjal.

GOLDEN PUMPKIN

The Golden Pumpkin is essentially deep-fried pumpkin slices doused in a rich and piquant salted egg sauce that will have salted egg yolk fans swooning in no time.

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant
176-178 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427447
Tel: +65 6348 8924
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 2.30pm
Mon to Sun: 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

This post is brought to you by Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant.

Sunny Singapore has seen a recent slew of hot pot restaurants as of late which can only confirm one thing—that we Singaporeans are absolutely crazy about it. In fact, before colossal brand Hai Di Lao made hot pot trendy again, steamboat dinners used to be limited to family reunions during festive occasions. But the philosophy behind it stays the same—the act of bringing people closer together through the cooking and sharing of food from a communal pot.

But while restaurants such as Hai Di Lao and Beauty In The Pot remain at the top of the hot pot rankings, especially so for their array of tasty soup bases, fresh ingredients and out-of-this-world service, prices there are not necessarily affordable. Thankfully, we have cheaper alternatives such as Shi Li Fang that offer hot pot meals with an equally extensive range of fresh ingredients without compromising on the quality whatsoever.

Affordable prices, reasonable service and food that tastes just as good as their bigger counterparts? Count us in!

BIZARRE DECOR THAT IS STRANGELY WELCOMING

Decked out in perhaps some of the most unorthodox restaurant decor around, dining at Shi Li Fang—irrespective of which outlet you visit—will have you feeling as if you were dining in a toy store. With plushies scattered all around and waiters donning Pikachu hats, it truly does not get any more bizarre.

//

8 DELICIOUS SOUP BASES

While there are plenty of soup bases to choose from, the ones we find ourselves returning to constantly is the tomato, mushroom and collagen chicken (extra top-up of S$3.50).

The tomato is mildly savoury with a sourish-sweet undertone that gives anything you cook inside it a sweet, umami note. The mushroom, on the other hand, boasts the same sort comfort you would derive from a piping hot bowl of cream of mushroom (sans the cream) and the chicken collagen is just the epitome of comfort.

Regardless of whether you opt for a single pot, a double pot, a triple pot or a quadruple pot, prices still remain at S$12.80.

//

EXTENSIVE RANGE OF INGREDIENTS

The ingredient options here are aplenty with several meat options such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, as well as assorted offal to fill your pots with.

If you happen to be hankering for some hot pot but find yourself having to eat out alone during lunchtime, then do consider their lunch set options that cater to individuals and groups—just as affordable and a surefire way to get you pumped to take on the rest of the workday.

Shi Li Fang has outlets at Chinatown Point, Orchard Central, City Square Mall and Thomson Plaza.

Shi Li Fang (Orchard Central)
181 Orchard Road, #07-10/11,
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 6238 0800
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

Photos are credited to Shi Li Fang Hot Pot.

This unique moniker—Captain. K—can be interpreted in two ways. You can analyse it as K for anything Korean or K for Kenneth, the down-to-earth former Marine Chief Engineer turned F&B owner of this speciality seafood eatery.

Fit for all sorts of communal gatherings, corporate events and special occasions, the ambience of Captain K is rather cosy with the ever-ready staff always at hand to tend to your needs and requests.

Everyone knows Captain K for its multi-tiered Seafood Tower and you bet we love that too. But the humble eating—famed for its extremely fresh seafood—is introducing hotpot in its menu at its Middle Road outlet on 01 November 2017 and the prices are very reasonable for the quality!

Now you have more options for communal dining at Captain K Seafood Tower. We share with you our favourites from the hotpot menu, as well as everything we love about its signature 9-tier Fresh Seafood Tower.

Supper goers will be delighted to know that Captain K’s Middle Road outlet opens until 4am every day, making it the perfect supper spot in town.

PS. For the month of November 2017, simply quote ‘Ladyironchef upon making your reservation to enjoy a whopping 30% off Captain K’s hotpot and an even better 40% for orders after 10pm—valid all day, every day. This promotion is not valid for soup bases as well as seafood.

Come 01 Nov 2017, Captain. K will introduce its exclusive hotpot, giving you even more variety now. After narrowing down your two soup bases (Kombu Dashi is the sixth available option), take your pick from a slew of over 97 steamboat ingredients that feature dumplings, homemade balls, signature pastes and of course the premium seafood list.

Soup bases are priced at one for S$16 and two for S$20, with a supplement of S$4 if either of your option includes Ginseng Chicken.

Half and full portions are available so that you do not over-order (or under order). The exhaustive list of ingredients sure drove us crazy! We were hooked on the Fried Beancurd Roll (S$4/half, S$8/full) that gave a lovely crisp—but the tip is to only dip it into the bubbling soup for 3 seconds. It was really addictive, to say the least!

The abalone (S$15/half, $30/full) was also stellar along with the Red Garoupa (seasonal price) that captured the essence of the hearty broth infused in its soft, flaky white meat.

For all the carnivores out there, let the tender Sliced Lamb (S$8/half, S$16/full) and the US Wagyu Beef Chuck Roll (S$12/half, S$24/full) leave you grinning from ear to ear. There is also a stellar variety of pork but we say you go straight for the US Kurobuta Pork Belly Shabu (S$7/half, S$14/full).

And the meat party doesn’t stop there. You must try Captain K’s Homemade Balls. Every meatball is huge and substantial, making it more filling than it looks. There is the Assorted Meat Balls Combo (S$11) for those who want the best of all worlds. We absolutely enjoyed the Beef Meat Ball (S$5/half, S$10/full)!

There is a range of Homemade Paste too; from Ebiko Prawn Paste (S$16) to our favourite Century Egg Fish Paste (S$10).

Captain. K certainly does not compromise on the quality of their seafood and meat; we were thoroughly impressed with our meal, to say the least.

A fuss-free seafood extravaganza awaits at Captain K and it is a location that is suitable for all occasions, be it for parties or a family dinner. As crowds peak during dinner, be sure to swiftly make reservations for your gastronomic seafood delight.

For the entire month of November 2017, quote ‘Ladyironchef’ upon making your reservations to enjoy a 30% discount off your hotpot meal, and a whopping 40% if you dine after 10pm. This promotion is not valid for soup bases as well as seafood.

The famed nine-tier Captain K Seafood Tower has indeed taken the food scene in Singapore by storm. Comprising nine staggering steamer trays stacked atop each other, each level is steamed to absolute perfection all thanks to a treasure trove of natural seafood juices and briny tang, in combination with the simmering hearty broth at the base.

From mussels, scallops, clams, crawfish, oysters, prawns, squid and Chilean King Crab, the key to what sets this seafood eatery apart lies in Captain K getting the freshest seafood from its suppliers at Senoko Fishery Port daily. Do note that the variety of seafood may vary according to the catch of the day.

You can choose from 5 distinct soup bases that best cater to your palate: Korean Kimchi, Tomato, Sze Chuan Mala, Tomyam Mushroom and Ginseng Chicken. All are priced at S$12 each except for Ginseng Chicken (S$18) with glutinous rice stuffing that represents a premium selection.

We highly recommend the made-from-scratch Tomato option for a novel yet tantalising experience. We were sceptical initially but realized that the soup boasts surreal hints of sweetness, which perfectly counters the strong tanginess that stems from the bold tomato flavour.

Highlights of the Captain K Seafood Tower (S$328.90) includes the luscious Prawns that are plump and sweet.

The oysters also lean away from the usual briny taste and offer a memorably sweet yet light flavour. We were pleasantly surprised by this!

However, the showstopper goes unanimously to the Chilean King Crab. The succulent pieces of crab meat are unparalleled and the taste is elevated when you pair it with the homemade Thai Mookata dip.

Whether you show up as a party of two or intend to have a mass family reunion, there is a tier for everyone. A three-tier option (S$59.90) with clams, mussels, prawns, oysters and scallops all in the crustacean mix is ideal for a pair.

If you upgrade to a five-tier tower (S$118.90), you get tiger prawns in addition to the three-tier seafood selection. The portion increases proportionally as well. Go jumbo with the seven-tier tower (S$198.90) and enjoy a serving of squid along with all the other aforementioned seafood.

Once you have massacred the tower and reached the soup base, you can also choose from an array of ingredients to add to your flavour-packed soup. The plates are colour-coded starting from S$2 for the yellow plate all the way to S$8 for the deluxe black plate.

And guys, can we just repeat how much we enjoyed the premium nine-tier tower? The price may sound shocking at first but if you go work out the sums and split it among eight people (because it is good for eight), you’d realize that you are getting a lot of value and premium seafood for the price you are paying. Just gather your best friends and go for an epic seafood party!

Captain K Seafood Tower – Middle Road
112 Middle Road, #01-00
Midland House
Singapore 188970
Tel: +65 6255 5744
Mon-Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Sat-Sun: 11.30am – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm
(Last order at 2.30pm and 10pm)
Website : https://www.captaink.sg/
Nearest Station: Bugis

This post is brought to you by Captain K Seafood Tower.

Hai Di Lao Hot Pot is finally opening a new outlet in the East of Singapore at Bedok Mall. Known for its Sichuan-style hot pot and exceptional services, Hai Di Lao has quickly established itself as one of the most popular hot pot restaurants in Singapore.

The opening at Bedok Mall is certainly great news for East-siders who no longer have to travel all the way to town to satisfy the cravings for the awesome tomato soup.

Over at Hai Di Lao’s outlet at 313@Somerset, it is not uncommon to wait for at least 45 minutes for a table during dinner hours.

While Hai Di Lao has yet to announce an opening date for the Bedok outlet, the menu is expected to be the same as the other locations.

Other than the new location at Bedok Mall—which is located directly above UNIQLO and next to the entrance of Bedok MRT—Hai Di Lao Hot Pot currently has four other outlets at 313@Somerset, Clarke Quay, VivoCity and IMM. We wouldn’t bet against it opening the next outlet in the North of Singapore.

Hai Di Lao Hot Pot
311 New Upper Changi Rd
Singapore 467360

Reading Food Blogs and watching food shows are among my favorite pastimes. Food blogs with delicious photos and intriguing words have the ability to suck me in for hours, while food shows are somewhat more direct – they make me hungry instantly. I’m sure many of you are currently hooked to Sizzling Woks, the popular food show on the best zhi char eating places in Singapore.

I’m not surprised because I get many requests to blog more about cheap and good Zhi Char in Singapore all the time. Today, I will like to share about one of the Zhi Char restaurants in Singapore that my family always go to: B.K Fortune Seafood Steamboat restaurant. They are located just a few steps away from Bar Bar Black Sheep along Bukit Timah road (towards King Albert Park direction after Sixth Avenue).

Unlike some Zi Char Stalls in neighbourhood coffee shops that charged $40/kg for crabs (prices that are comparable to Seafood restaurants), the ones at B.K Fortune Seafood restaurant are only $30/kg and we paid $56 for two huge Salted Egg Yolk Crabs.

Crabs do not really appeal to lazy people like me. It’s a dish that requires a lot of effort, but offers very little return (in terms of meat) – so you can understand why I don’t really like crabs. But when we eat out at Seafood restaurants in Singapore, I will always go for either the famous Singapore Chilli crab, or the Salted Egg Yolk Crab. And if there’s one thing you should know, Fortune Seafood Restaurant’s Salted Egg yolk Crabs are gorgeous! I’m not going into details about how they taste like, but believe me – they are fingers-licking good!

This isn’t a very pretty photo, but Fortune Seafood’s signature Assam Curry Fish Head ($15) is a must-order dish. The flavours hit you in different waves, first the spicy-and-sourish assam gravy, second the smooth and fresh taste of the fish head – I love it! The assam gravy was so good that I filled my bowl of rice with it.

Amongst the other dishes that we had at Fortune Seafood Steamboat Restaurant, the Sweet & Sour Pork ($10) was exceptionally ordinary – there was too much fatty meat and it didn’t have the right bite.

When eating at Zi Char restaurants, we would usually order the crowd-favorite Hot Plate tofu. But this time round, we decided to throw caution out of the window and went for their Mango Sauce Fried Tofu ($8). It was a disaster. The sauce accompanying the tofu was done the Thai-mango-salad way, but the whole dish was just deep fried tofu (bland and slightly dry) with the dressing. Give me hot plate tofu any day please.

If you have difficulty finding the place, they are located directly opposite the old turf city. Otherwise, look out for the former premises of Brewerkz. Now, it’s your turn to share with me a good zhi char stall in Singapore.

// The name of the restaurant is Forture Seafood Restaurant with a ‘R’, but it seems that there is a common spelling mistake online where everyone calls it Fortune Seafood.

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
B.K Fortune Seafood Restaurant
887 Bukit Timah Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6469 5957
Opening hours: 11am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5pm – 11.30pm Daily

Tetsu, opening its doors at Tanglin Mall on January 17, 2008, pride themselves in serving Kushi-Tempura and Kushi-Katsu. Their concept is based on a “LIVE” preparation in front of you by their chefs, who have intensive training in their Japanese Headquarters.

The first impression upon stepping into Tetsu is really nice decorations. Contemporary yet not too modernize till the extend of losing the authentic Japanese feel. Chic furnishings like the curtains, and decors in the restaurant. The whole place exudes an elegant feel with its classy and clean look.

Tetsu certainly does not fits the bill with association to Food Junction, your local food courts isn’t it? But the truth is, Tetsu is actually owned and operate by Food Junction. Surprise surprise, i was quite astonished by this fact when i first heard of it. But i am pleased Food Junction is finally making full use to leverage on its experience and connections in the Food & Beverage Industry, to provide us the consumers with a wider variety of choices to dine at.

The counter bars in Tetsu are specially designed in such a way that diners can seat in close proximity to the chef, who will prepared their feast up for them, well its not just the stomach feast alone, there’s the visual feast right before you.

I was invited by Miss Pris Yap, who’s the consultant for Tetsu for a food tasting session. Here i will like to put disclaimer first, the review written herein will not be influence simply because this is a food tasting session. Whatever written herein is the Frank and Honest opinions of my friend and i who went to Tetsu for the occasion.

We had the assurance from Miss Yap that they will seek our honest opinion to improve Tetsu, and that every visit to Tetsu will be the same, the food will not look or taste specially good just because this is a food tasting event.

My secret food partner joins me for Tetsu, and she’s a lover of Japanese food, so the review will be a combination of what both of us felt about the meal.

There’s also a VIP room which u can actually make a reservation to book it if you have a certain number of guests, around 10 at least if i’m not wrong.

At Tetsu, there are affordable set lunches from the Jubako, Katsu, Tempura,Sakana (fish) which are in the 20s to 30s price range. I’ll say the set meals are definitely value-for-money.

There is also the designer Kaiseki sets available. Kaiseki is an 5 course set, made up of 4 seasonal appetizers, designer salad, premium kushi-style main course, imported udon from Japan, and dessert at a mere $35. Of course there are more expensive options of the Kaiseki sets going at $45 and $55.

A wide range of Sake, Shoju, and wine are also available to go along with the food. We didn’t had any Sake because it was still early in the afternoon. Perhaps next time!

Salmon Carpaccio ($18)

For appetizer to start off our meal at Tetsu, we had the Salmon Carpaccio with french dressing. Carpaccio originated from Italy, and its usually slices of beef, tuna, or veal traditionally thinly sliced or pounded thin, with olive oil or vinaigrette drizzled over it.

We’ll preferred the carpaccio to be slice thinner, the thick and generous slices of the carpaccio at Tetsu is almost akin to sashimi portions. For people who like sashimi, they will probably have mixed feelings for this dish because usually sashimi lovers like the clean and fresh taste of the fish, and its raw texture on its own, but for this salmon, it has a french dressing on it.

Nonetheless, the Salmon Carpaccio is quite fresh, and with the current Citibank promotion, receive this as a complimentary with a minimum spending of $50.

The Salmon Carpaccio is an interesting take on fusion japanese & italian appetizer (although this is done with french dressing). The french dressing helps to balances the richness of the salmon with the complex sweet and sour taste of the dressing, the contrast between the taste is definitely appealing.

Roll sushi 6 Pieces ($18)

The roll sushi is covered with crunchy sesame seeds, but on the other end the sushis can actually can get quite dry. My friend thought that if the roll sushi comes with some sauce it will be perfect.

Traditionally sushi rolls are supposed to be eaten in one mouthful by putting the whole sushi inside. But the sushi here is a tad too big, so we couldn’t really fit it into our mouth.

Apparently it has salmon and scallops inside, though when mixed together the scallops taste can’t really be felt. The blend of crunchy sesame seeds and tobiko makes its quite yummy though. However at $18 for 6 pieces, it is considered rather expensive. Have this if you have the extra budget to spend on A la carte.

Onsentamago Tofu Salad ($13.50)

Onsen Tamago is hot spring egg. The eggs here are cooked slowly in hot water, so the whites are still soft while the yolks just slightly cooked. Blended together with tofu and sesame sauce, the combination offers a very refreshing approach to the normal salad.

The salad is served by mixing the egg together with the greens and tofu. A good appetizer if you are like us, prefer runny eggs.

Thats all for our A la carte starters, just to recap, we had the Salmon Carpaccio, the roll sushi and the Onsentamago Tofu Salad. All these three appetizers are ordered from the A la carte menu and are not in the set meals which are coming up next.

Rosu Katsu Set ($24.50)

The Rosu Katsu (Pork Loin) set is the actual main course that we are having for our lunch. There are two options for the Katsu set, you can choose from either the Rosu Katsu (pork loin) or the Hire Katsu (fillet katsu). Pork loin is fatter than fillet katsu in nature, which makes it more tender than Hire Katsu.

Another interesting point to note, besides the usual sauce that comes with the Katsu, Tetsu provides an alternative, the curry powder to go along with the pork loin. The curry powder is another option if you are sick of the usual sauce, however the powder here is quite on the salty side, so just dipped into it slightly.

The katsu is specially imported from Japan, lightly fried to produce a crust that is light but yet double the thickness of the usual katsu. The meat is marinated for 3 days to ensure its tasty and succulent texture.

Famed for their Katsu, the Kushi-age style (skewered with breaded batter) certainly lives up to expectations. The breaded style of the katsu is really good, the panko crumbs on it is very light which gives it a melt-in-your-mouth feel.

Furthermore, the katsu here has a generous cut, unlike some restaurants which cut the pork into very thin slices. At $24.50, the Rosu Katsu set is really a steal, definitely good value for money!

Fresh greens

The fresh greens are the appetizer which comes along with the Katsu set. Basically its a run of the mill salad with japanese sesame salad dressing, ordinary but yummy.

My partner likes the dressing for its slightly tangy but yet salty taste, and the texture of the sauce is creamy. But for me, i’m more of a fan for oily italian salad dressings, so this salad didn’t quite work out for me.

Kaiseki Set Course B ($45)

The Kaiseki Dinner course B comes with assorted 4 on a palatte as its appetizer, stick vegetable, Crab sukiyaki for the paper pot, with tempura as the main, and udon or rich, served with a dessert.

The main difference between course A ($35) and B ($45) is 10 bucks, with the addition of the Crab Sukiyaki. And the differiential between B ($45) and C ($55) is that C has an addition tuna carpaccio.

For our main course in the Kaiseki set B, the tempura is done kushi-tem style (tempura). It comes with six tempura, prawn, salmon, pork, beef, scallop and vegetables.

Tetsu is being known for its Katsu and Tempura aspects, and to tell the truth, we found the tempura to be quite a disappointment as we had expected better things from them. Right, the prawn was a bit small, not fat enough for a tempura, we didn’t get the “kick”from eating the prawn.

The Salmon (beside the prawn) was done better than the appetizer in the course.

My partner love the fresh air-flown scallop from Japan.

The seasonal vegetables are zuchinni and okra which my partner found it to be all right, but i didn’t like my vegetables to do it in this way, i prefer them green!

The pork and beef were quite average too. One thing that my partner concluded was if the mains are done in Kushi-age (breaded) rather than the one we had Kushi-tem (tempura), we felt that it will be definitely be better.

We felt that the tempura batter had nice texture, but it wasn’t seasoned enough, so it was quite tasteless for us. Nevertheless the batter is very light, not that oily and it didn’t leave any oily aftertaste that mediocre tempuras do.

The only reason we can conclude for the disappointment in the Tempura is because we had such high hopes for them, so even they are quite good, but they didn’t come out as well as we are expecting. You should try the Kushi-age (breaded) for this main!

Assorted 4 on palette

This is the appetizer for the course B. One thing that i liked about the starters in Tetsu course meal is that they are changed regularly because the chef will always pick the freshest ingredient for the current season.

The appetizer is suppose to comes in the different flavors, sweet, salty, and sour. Specially designed to tantalize your taste buds and “prepared” them for the main course.

I like the zesty chicken too which comes with orange and lemon flavour to provide the sour-ish taste.

My partner didn’t like the Salmon teriyaki, she preferred the tamago and prawn which helps to the sweet flavoring of the salmon.

Cod is done with miso, to give the salty flavor.

Stick vegetables

The Stick Vegetables also comes part of the Kaiseki set B. Its just your normal vegetables, but it comes with a soy-bean like sauce.

Kani-Suki (Crab Sukiyaki)

The prelude to the main, there’s the snow crab legs which are filled with snowy sweet white meat. However we lamented the fact that there is only two crab legs.

The Japanese straw mushroom is always nice in sukiyaki. And the soup base here is nicer than the other sukiyaki we tried before. It tasted sweet but not excessively so till its artificial.

Inaniwa Udon (warm)

The Inaniwa Udon is also imported from Japan. but the warm udon had a nice soup base so it’s good for rainy days.

Inaniwa Udon (cold) ($6.80)

The udon is not the fat kind, and its sort of flat like ipoh hor fun, nice and slippery! One of the udon comes with the Kaiseki set, and we ordered another one to try both the cold and hot udon.

Banana Tempura & Ice ($7.80)

In our frank opinion, the banana tempura is a ripped-off. For two pieces of banana tempura, we can get better ones at the hawker center at 50 cents each. Certainly not worth the price tag of $7.80!

Kisetsu ice & Warabimochi Monaka ($7.80)

This dessert fares slightly better than the Banana tempura. The combination of the Japanese Mochi with one scoop of normal vanilla ice cream is quite good, but still not worth the hefty price that comes along with it.

Kokonatsu Milk Purin ($5.80)

We concluded that the Kokonatsu milk purin, or coconut pudding is the best among the three desserts. This pudding is something new to us, not your usual run of the mill Japanese dessert which you commonly find in Singapore Japanese restaurants even though its supposed to be a classic Japanese dessert.

Coconut flavor wasnt that strong, we like the sublet flavor! hmm it was really pudding not creamy so i dont really like it
The coconut pudding is good to try for novelty, and it comes with the Kaiseki course set anyway, so there’s no need to order additional dessert.

Tetsu is certainly a nice place to try if you are looking for Japanese food. The set meals are really value-for-money, and the Kaisekis course meals, although heavier in price tag, but they provide more in variety and quality also. We felt that if its two person going to Tetsu, you can either order two set meals, or order one Kaisekis Course meals, and something from the A la carte menu.

The reasonable and affordable pricing at Tetsu means that you will no longer need to spend a bomb for your favourite Japanese food anymore. Tetsu offers a really chic environment, quite unlike your traditional Japanese restaurant. Its an excellent place to either bring a date for her cravings of Japanese food, or a group of friends where you can chill out with the selections of Sake, Shoju, and wine.

My secret food partner and i, plus Miss Yap had a great afternoon enjoying and discussing about Japanese food, restaurants, and some off-topic conservations. We were so full from the meal! My thanks to Miss Yap for inviting us to a wonderful lunch experience at Tetsu.

And one other thing which I noticed, when we went in during 12 noon on a Monday afternoon, there wasn’t much people in the restaurant. But when the clock ticks towards two, the crowd starts coming in already. So you will be fine if you go during normal lunch hour, but still better to make a reservation.

I’ll certainly revisit Tetsu to try out their other stuff, maybe i will have the Kaisekis done in Kushi-age style (breaded) the next time! Tetsu’s at Tanglin Mall level 3, and remember to use your Citicard to get the free Salmon Carpaccio!

All in all, the Katsu is excellent! Its really a must-try if you visit Tetsu. The other fame of Tetsu, their Tempura leaves more to be desired, we felt that their Kushi-age style is better than the Kushi-Tem style. Nevertheless, the Kaisekis course meals are still value for quality. The desserts area is the part which i felt Tetsu must really improve on if i were to go back for a revisit. Being a big fan of any dessert, i must have a nice dessert after every meal. And the desserts selection there can’t quite make it for now.

Tetsu
163 Tanglin Road
#03-18 Tanglin Mall
Tel: 6836 3112

” Singapore’s First LIVE Kushi-style Tonkatsu & Tempura restaurant “