Complete the Jap Meal

Had a craving for Jap curry the other day... so we went to Go Go Curry @ 313. Why Go Go, because it looked very very much like the one we had in Japan of course. So we decided to go check it out.



We ordered this to share. The portion is HUGE! But the katsu was kinda too dry. Curry was only okay. Not fantastic.

Then to satisfy ourselves after a not very satisfying dinner, we went to have dessert @ 1-Caramel~~~



Red miso souffle with yuzu sorbert~ It was one of the BESTest souffle I've ever tasted! The softness was just right, the flavour was full yet light... It was amazing! It's a definite MUST TRY!

Thank you GF!

Adaline already told me she's sent me something quite some time ago but I've forgotten all about it.

So it was a pleasant surprise when I received her snail mail all the way from Hong Kong. Last time when we were in school, we used to write random notes to each other.



This is what she got for me. Isn't the letter the cutest? In the letter, there's a very pretty charm bracelet which Adaline got her sis to get for me from Tokyo! So sweet of her! 真是有心了!!! She's also included a picture of me which we took at Blue Ginger last year for Mel's wedding dinner.

It's always things like these that warm my heart! I'm a really fortunate girl!

Professor Layton

Movie of the moment: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva


credits:wikipedia

If you've been following my games review, you would know that I'm an absolute fan of the Professor Layton series of games. So far, I've covered the Professor Layton and the Curious Village and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. I'm currently waiting for the Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel's English version to be out.

Anyhow, this is a movie not to be missed for all Professor Layton's fans.

I was a little disappointed with the number of puzzles within the movie itself, and how quick Professor Layton solved the puzzles, since that means I didn't really have enough time to ponder over them.

The sword fight reminded me a little of the ending of the Diabolical Box which is actually quite exciting to watch.

The best part of the show has got to be the soundtrack though. When you have such a title as the Eternal Diva, you can expect lots of songs. I love them all!

Now I can't wait to lay my hands on the upcoming game to curb my puzzle itch.

Marvelous Cream

Marvelous Cream is not exactly new in Singapore.



And their stuff is not exactly cheap. A Mont Blanc and a Banana Cream Brulee will cost you almost $20.

I was rather excited to try them out since the display really look very good. Turns out, the Mont Blanc only has a tiny quarter chestnut on top inside of the whole chestnut displayed at their counter. Taste wise, it wasn't fantastic. It is also a bit too creamy for my liking.

The Banana Cream Brulee is another disappointment. Normal cream brulee has a top coating of caramelized sugar. Here, the coating was rather bitter. There is not much hint of banana either. In fact, I didn't really enjoy this.

Having said all these, I might still go back to try their ice cream and many other cakes, just to give them another chance. Though I think price is one major deterring factor, especially when the cakes weren't so impressive.

Baumkuchen, Baumkuchen, Baumkuchen~~~

Mr こいびと came to visit poor one-eyed me with something I've been wanting to try for ages! Presenting the Baumkuchen!



The Baumkuchen is very popular in Japan despite it being a cake of German origins. It is also one of the many popular gifts which the Japanese will bring along when they go house visiting. Bringing exquisite gifts, usually sweets (in Japan, cakes and such are usually called "sweets"), along for a house visit is part of the Japanese culture.

This also explains why most shopping malls in Japan housed a whole level dedicated to sweets. This is an entire separate level from the food hall. On this level, you'll be able to find all kinds of pretty looking sweets with even more beautiful wrappers. Of course, they are not cheap either.

One of the shops we saw at Tobu Deparment Store (東武百貨店)'s "sweets" level was selling pieces sliced off from this gigantic roll of Baumkuchen. The crowd at the shop caught our attention and we decided to pop in to have a look. At that time I have no idea that was the Baumkuchen, nor was I aware that it is such a popular rage in Japan.

Bishamon Ramen

The other day we had lunch at Bishamon just to check out their Sapporo ramen.



We ordered the Miso Ramen which costs $13.90. Pretty reasonable considering that they have a few slices of meat, some corn, some menma (my favourite!!!), a piece of seaweed and a whole egg. Soup base was good, though not as thick as what you'll find at Ippudo. The meat was too dry and tough. As for the ramen, the springy-ness is comparable to Marutama's.

Ponyo ponyo ponyo sakana no ko...

Movie of the moment: Ponyo


credits:wikipedia

I've been wanting to watch Ponyo for the longest of time but haven't got the chance to. Ever since I went to Japan and visited the Ghibli Museum, I'm even more determined to check out Ponyo.

I wasn't disappointed! The plot might have been very simple and straightforward, but the execution itself was beautifully done. I believed Hayao Miyazaki has outdone himself with Ponyo! There's nothing not to like about Ponyo!

Lollipop Lollipop Lollipop

My new phone arrived today!


It was delivered right to my office doorstep (well, almost anyway...) as requested.

Ippudo's Ramen

Welcome to Ippudo, the much raved about ramen from Japan.



Be warned that you'll have to queue around 30mins or more to get to try their food.

Ramen @ Marutama Ra-Men

I'm not usually a ramen person. But when I first tried the ramen @ Marutama, I was impressed! Marutama only offers three kind of ramen. One - the normal ramen. Two - the normal ramen in spicy broth. Three - the normal ramen in a 7-mixed nuts broth. I've tried all three and my personal preference is still the spicy one. So far, I've been there with different people and they all preferred the spicy ramen.

Bento Takeout @ Niwa Sushi

Lately I've been obsessing with charaben (read: cutesy Japanese packed lunch). Check out Bento Central for "anything and everything you need to know about bento". Actually I was led to this site when I was browsing all the lovely bento pictures at Adventures in Bentomaking. Looking at all the beautiful pictures made me crave for my very own bento.

Before I can start making my very own, I bought one for lunch at Niwa Sushi. Never mind their site though, apparently it's still under construction. I'm not sure if this is a newly set up sushi place, but the one I went to is located at the end of CityLink, very near the exit towards Suntec. They are having a 10% discount during lunch time 12noon to 2pm.

I was a little disappointed with the service when they couldn't be a bit more flexible since I was there on the dot. 2pm that is. They informed me that their cashier clock showed that it was already over 2pm.

Rive Gauche's Longan Almond

I've always been a fan of Rive Gauche's cheesecakes, but this is the first time I'm trying their Longan Almond cake.

おまもり

Something I bought for the girls & 姐from Japan.





I love おまもり!!! No guesses the 恋爱 one goes to who~ May you find your Mr Right soon!

New Year

In Japan, the start of a new calendar year holds much more significance than just the start of a new year. It is much like our Chinese New Year, where most Japanese return back to their hometown to celebrate the new year with their family.

The day begins with a trip to the local shrine. Usually you can see many Japanese women deck out in their exquisite kimonos as they make their way down to pray for safety, happiness, or longevity. Already while I was there in Decemeber, some random few obasans were spotted in their beautiful kimonos at the shrines, after which they dropped by the local kimono shop to have their new year outfit made.

It's the time of the year where it's really cold in Japan. While I was there, almost all parts of Japan were experiencing heavy snow except Tokyo. It was an exceptionally cold winter for them.

2009 Reflections

One more hour and it'll be the end of 2009.

Before I open my K-On! new year package from Japan, before I start celebrating a brand new year and life, I'd like to count my blessings and thank God for this year.

The Pandora Box

pGame of the moment: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box


credits:wikipedia

Professor Layton is back!!! While some of the puzzles are rather challenging, the rest of them are much easier than the puzzles in Professor Layton and the Curious Village.

Did I also mention that the graphics are much better too?

I really like the story plot and this time round, there are more mini games, which are all rather interesting and fun! You get to collect ingredients along the way to brew tea for the characters you meet in town.

All in all, a very satisfying game!! When will the next Professor Layton be out? Can't wait!

Afa 09

Knowing that I'm such an おたく, Mr こいびとbrought me to AFA, despite him hating to be caught in crowded places. And thankfully for Mervyn, he was there early and was able to help us get tickets in advance!

It's decided. I've gotta do a cosplay at next year's Afa! (\^o^/)

Claire de Lune

Movie of the moment: Tokyo Sonata


credits:wikipedia

A film about a dsyfunctional Japanese family, the execution was creative and sometimes, WTF. The film was full of contradictions. It was funny, yet not so funny, serious, but yet not so serious, amusing, yet empathetic.
My fav part was Claire de Lune. Somehow, the music bring out the whole mood of the film and you feel all the different feelings all at once. It was magnificent beyond words and it touched my heart. And of course, I cried...

Ion

I haven't visited Ion since it opened. So when 姐wanted to meet up for my birthday, I suggested going Ion.

I was more interested in the food hall rather than the shops. So excited to see a store selling たいやき, since I've been craving for it for some time already.

Suspect X

Movie of the moment: Suspect X


credits:wikipedia

So who's the murderer?

One of those mystery thriller, so typical of Japanese literature, this is one of the more famous one in Japan. Plus I'm a sucker for anything Japanese. Plus plus, I like films that keep you thinking and wondering. Plus plus plus, Masaharu Fukuyama is a cutie!
Nice!