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Shokudo food review (OMY Ybloggist competition)

Shokudo.

Shokudo. No, it's not a place for you to meet other enthusiasts who enjoy solving mind-boggling number puzzles. That's called Sudoku by the way. To the average joe who do not take notices of the subtle difference in the two words, one may think that there is indeed a direct link between puzzles and Japanese food.

That's all folks for the short eat-potato (read: English) lesson and into the restaurant and review proper we go. Don't worry, there's more to eat than just potatoes.

Having no prior experience dining in or even entering the japanese counterpart of Marche, I decided not to consult any reviews from renowned food gurus that are readily available on the internet so as to enjoy this maiden experience with a virgin (read: clear and fresh) mind. I do hope that this review can provide you with a main course of information, and garnished with touches of light-heartedness. A picture paints a thousand words, hence hopefully the pictures below (together with a thousand words or so) can paint a mental image of the dining experience I had in Sudo *cough* I mean Shokudo.

Greeting its potential customers are figurines of various sizes that stand on an artificial island made up of smooth pebbles, decorated with plants which is a good representation of Singapore, a country well-known for its greenery.

And once you shift your field of vision to the area above the figurines after admiring the amount of handicraft involved in these dolls, you'll be mentally transported out of Singapore where a prominent sign of the restaruant reads: Streets of Japan. You begin to form a mental image of the mouth-watering dishes that you see when you watch Japan Hour on television. You start to salivate, albeit in your mind (not literally, because hey, those artificial plants don't really need a source of water, so save your salivary enzymes for the food later ya!

After the customary "Welcome" by the enthusiastic restaurant staff embracing your arrival with open arms, before you sashay down the "Streets of Japan" and soaking into the atmosphere, don't forget that this eatery is based on a concept similar to Marche: you have to collect a card which is needed when you order your favourite dishes later on. And no, don't let your primal instinct that you acquired from boarding local buses take over you, for you don't expect to find machines that you can tap the card onto and expect a loud beep to follow your tapping of the card. It is not as EZ as that. This mode of recording the amount that you'll have to pay at the end of your meal allows customers to prepare their wallets for the bill that waits at the exit counter. All that is needed to be done is to approach the computer terminals located in the restaurant and you'll have an idea how much slimmer your wallet will be after you've filled up your stomach. Oh, please do not lose this card. Failure to do so will require you to come up with a speech to explain your situation, and your wallet will lose more weight as a result.

Now you're ready to walk the streets of Japan! But wait, I'm not going to do that carrying my bag, so why not get a seat first and leave your stuff there before you make your purchase?

When it comes to seats, whether you're looking for a cosy corner to share a memorable occasion with your loved one, or an open and spacious area fit for a conference with your business associates over lunch, this place will have the right seats suited for the right occasion.

Yes, I note that your stomach is protesting audibly, so onto the Streets of Japan we go.

As you walk along the path flanked with food stalls decorated with signboards à la Japan, it isn't hard to understand why it is named "Streets of Japan".

Whether you're looking for traditional Japanese cuisine in the form of Sushi, or east-meet-west culinary creations, you will be greeted with a variety that will certainly make you spoilt for choices.

If you fancy some surprise in the form of an egg omelette encasing a good mix of ingredients, you'll be happy to know that this place serves japanese-style omelette;

Or if you didn't have enough satay at your friend's BBQ last night, this place also serves meat and other foodstuff served using satay sticks that is sure to satisfy that craving of yours.

In this food review contest, the contestants were served with 5 signature dishes of Shokudo.

Leading the pack and first to be served was the japanese-styled omelette named Sakura Ebi Omelette. The main character of this dish, as the name implies, is a good ole omelette accompanied by the supporting cast of dried bonito flakes (you know those plastic bag material-like stuff that comes with your takopachi that sells for 3 for $2 at pasar malams?). For the extra taste, the omelette is lightly-dressed in, not kimono, but mayonaise. Er no, although the first word of the name is sakura, it does not come with cherry blossoms.

A closer look at this signature dish before we attack it with our stomach juices.

Enveloped in egg goodness is a hidden cast of, no prizes for guessing since the name of the dish implies it, tiny shrimps named Sakura ebi. As I plunged my teeth into a portion of the dish, it met with a teeny-weeny bit of resistance contributed by the fried egg and released the goodness of sakura ebi into my oral cavity thereafter. A dish best eaten when it is hot (in terms of thermal energy, not spicyness), this dish would leave you asking for more. A novelty indeed, where seafood meets with the origins of a chicken.

The second dish was the bamboo prawn rice. From the name itself you can already guess what's in the bamboo serving container when it's brought to you.

Greeting you on the top are fresh prawns, centred by a small collection of vegetables to provide the fibre that I lacked from the previous omelette dish and sprinkled with a small amount of sesame seeds. The prawns were cooked well (not overcooked, which is the most important thing to note when cooking prawns), and after tasting it, my oral cavity told me that the prawns were indeed fresh. Actually, before I tasted the dish, I caught sight of a word that is featured prominently in the restaurant itself.

The word is "Xian1", a chinese character representing freshness. Really lah the prawns are fresh, I'm not trying to "Xian1" you lah!

Another look at the dish!

Removing the prawns on top will reveal the secret hidden below, and the secret below is none other than... *drumroll*
Rice. I mean, it's bamboo prawn rice, what else do you expect? No surprise here, and if you expected a surprise hidden below the prawns, it'd be better for you to head to the nearest supermarket for some KinderSurprise / KinderJoy instead.
The rice was kept warm, thanks to the prawns on top that help to conserve the thermal energy trying to escape from the rice below. Covering the rice was a generous serving of gravy, which plays an important role in preventing the dish from being too dry to the mouth. A good dish for one, or to share with your loved one.

Next up, a beautifully-made golden brown potato strips made into a pancake-like dish, accompanied by chicken sausage and a small serving of cream comes with the dish named Rosti Sausage.

The rosti itself has a light taste, similar to that of hashbrowns that you can purchase from the fastfood restaurant near your place. The key plus point is the fact that the potatoes retained its crunchy texture, which is a welcome respite from the potatoes that I've taken in the form of soggy fries in the past in other eateries.

As for the sausage itself, credit has to be given for the fact that a small amount of juice comes out with each bite of the sausage. Otherwise, it does not really stand out from any other sausage.

Accompaning the sausage and the rosti is a concoction of cream mixed with, I suspect, lemon juice. At first glance I thought it was mayonaise. But after tasting it, my friends and I came to a conclusion that it tasted like whipped cream mixed with lemon juice. Nevertheless, it provided a fresh taste to the mouth, although people who don't enjoy dairy products may not want to include this portion of the dish.

Tsukune balls. This dish was served with fresh lettuce. Other than the fact that it came with a juicy texture, otherwise it would probably not be a prominent feature in my dining experience in the restaurant. Quite ordinary, with the familiar chicken nugget taste.

The dish that I was waiting for, after hearing good comments from the friend sitting opposite me. The legendary tofu cheese cake.

One look and I thought I was being served raw tofu. The chef made it look like tofu, hence the name. You can choose to eat it just like that, or if you have a sweet tooth, you may want to include the strawberry sauce that is provided.

The cheesecake, on biting, reveals its smooth texture that is already evident from its appearance alone. If you don't really have a sweet tooth, you can consider this dessert as it isn't too sweet, just omit the strawberry sauce and you'll have a perfect dessert to suit for not-so-sweet tooth.

A good dining experience, one that can turn an unhappy face into a smiling one. The prices are not really exhorbitant, and they are affordable.

Did I say a picture paints a thousand words? I think I used more than a thousand!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Shokudo food review (OMY Ybloggist competition)

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