Canton Paradise: Reasonable Chinese Food

An interesting observation dawned on me today - most of my blog posts cover establishments that serve Western food, whilst there is a paucity of posts on Chinese food establishments (this post brings the total count to two). While I have had my fair share of dining at Chinese restaurants, the best I've had would probably be Li Bai at Sheraton Towers, a meal which I had several years ago. It's also interesting to note how I seem to hold the perception that mid-level Chinese establishments aren't really worth blogging about, for Chinese food really makes up the bulk of everyday fare, and blogging about quotidian things may not be worth the effort. Nevertheless, I aim to change that, for I hope that Ruminatory Rumblings can be a more all-encompassing space. Hence, I decided to write a post on Canton Paradise, an offshoot of Paradise Group and sister to the well-received Paradise Inn chain of restaurants.

For the mains, my dining partner and I opted for a bowl of noodles each. Specifically, I chose the signature prawn dumpling dish (the exact name evades me now, and a google search for their menu has yielded no results). While the noodles were rather inexpensive at $8.30, the dumplings were run-of-the-mill and unworthy of being called a specialty. In addition, I had hoped that the noodles would be topped with slightly more gravy, although on the flip side, it was commendable that the chef had refrained from making the noodle dish overly salty. 

Signature Prawn Dumpling Noodle

In addition to that, my dining partner and I ordered a regular roast duck ($13.80) to share. While the duck tasted alright, it lacked any unique points and tasted similar to that found in other mid-level establishments like Din Tai Fung and Crystal Jade. 

Roast Duck

All in all, the dinner at Canton Paradise was decent, although I must admit that I enjoyed it more for the company and less for the food. Nevertheless, I may make a return trip to try the Dim Sum, for the establishment is purportedly more well-known for its light bites.

And that concludes my second post on Chinese food. Voila!

Concetto: Lacking the Finesse of a Concerto

Given the rave reviews about Concetto by Saveur, my dining partner and I jumped at an opportunity to pay this casual cafe-esque (alright, sorry, being a little pedantic about satisfying my alliteration OCD habits now) dining establishment a visit. 

For drinks, my dining partner opted for a glass of mango juice while I had the white wine. While both drinks were rather unremarkable, I'll save on criticism for that as good drinks are generally unexpected of mid-level restaurants (I'd be glad to stand corrected if anyone has good recommendations though!).

As for mains, we had the Prawn Aglio Olio and Crab Risotto. The former was redolent of Saveur's Angel Hair Pasta, for it consisted of sakura ebi, just like its sister dish at Saveur. However, it was slightly too oily for my liking and was laden with salt, so much so that my dining partner and I had to take constant sips of water to cleanse our palate. Nevertheless, it was commendable that there were about four prawns, which, in my opinion, makes for a pretty good deal for a $10.90 dish. 

Prawn Aglio Olio

As for the crab risotto, the dish tasted rather interesting, although a disappointingly minute amount of crab meat was served. In addition, the risotto was a little too goo-ey for my liking, though different individuals with varying tastes may be free to think otherwise.

With the infinitesimal amount of crab meat, they might as well have called me the "Risotto - with a peak of crab meat"

All in all, the meal at Concetto fell short of expectations, although the reasonable prices also meant that my expectations were probably too high to begin with. 

Sichuan Dou Hua Restaurant: Old times asunder, quite a let-down

A good restaurant is one that aces the test of time and of evolving tastes, and yet has the "temerity" to retain its sense of originality - a mark of what it stands for, perhaps, its raison d'etre (Ok, Blogger doesn't allow me to use the accent circonflexe). 

(Ok, just a disclaimer: I'll probably be using rather uh..laconic language today, for today happens to be one of the times whereby I'm feeling inarticulate. It's as though I'm in a state of malaise. Oh well, I hope my linguistic languor will recede tomorrow!)

On another note, speaking of places that I've grown up with, one of them would have to be the Sichuan Dou Hua Restaurant, an establishment with two branches at Park Royal Hotel and the UOB Building. For years, my family and I have been ardent supporters of their beef hotplate dish, for its succulence and flavour were unparalleled. Hence, after a protracted period of not patronising this restaurant, we decided to revisit it last weekend. 

To start off, I was dismayed that our favourite pickled cucumber appetiser (a welcomed alternative to the usual Chinese rendition of "amuse bouche" comprising beans) was no longer served. All in the name of cutting costs or scrimping on effort.

Next up, the beef hotplate was served first as per our request. Although I used to enjoy the beef immensely, after having tasted a plethora of beef dishes in recent years, I have come to the (unfortunate) realisation that the beef at Sichuan Dou Hua tastes the way it does because it is laden with tenderiser. While it was nice that the beef was sliced rather than diced this time round (it usually comes in large chunks), the heavy reliance on tenderiser was apparent from the sheer look of the beef. It's rather inexplicable, although a seasoned beef eater will probably identify with what I mean. Aside from that, the gravy comprising an unctuous soy-based sauce and lots of spring onions still complemented the beef well, although one should expect to be reeling from an insatiable thirst thereafter for the chefs never fail to go heavy on the MSG.

Beef Hotplate

The following dish served was the Gongbao Prawn dish, which retained its eclectic equilibrium of sweet and sour as before. Nevertheless, I wished that the dish had been a little spicier, as it lacked the "oomph" that was present before. 

Gongbao Prawns

In addition, we also had the Crab Meat with Broccoli and Egg White, one of our best-loved dishes from past times. Sadly, this was the most disappointing dish for it seemed as though the chefs might have forgotten to add seasoning/salt - the dish was tasteless! I suppose that after all this while, some readers might be under the impression that I write in an exaggerated manner, and in response to this, this I have to proclaim vehemently: I am not being hyperbolic at all in this case, for the dish did not even have an iota of flavouring/seasoning! 

Un-titillating to the tastebuds

Lastly, I had the beef tendon soup, which I used to adore as the cut green chilli stuck a teetering balance of astringency and sweetness. The feeling is rather undescribable (or is it just my lack of linguistic skill today) - some foods taste great precisely because they are audacious in a sense and venture to the verge of tasting slightly - or almost - perverse. Strange as this may sound, there is no better way of describing it in my opinion. 

With regard to the beef tendon soup, there was something lacking in the broth this time, for the delicate equipoise it used to possess was no longer present - to my dismay, it tasted weird instead. 

Beef Tendon Soup

All in all, the meal left me in a state of ambivalence. The meal harkens back to an earlier conversation I had had with a mentor, who told me that "Ignorance is suffering postponed". While I had endured no measure of "suffering" during this meal, some thoughts came to mind, for I felt that my exposure to more cuisines and a wider range of food in recent years had undeniably led me to realize that the food Sichuan Dou Hua serves was rather plebeian, and that flaws in the quality of the food itself were masked by artificial flavouring at best.

So, after all this, is ignorance bliss? I would still beg to differ, and although I miss the good old times whereby I was more easily contented with whatever fare I had as a child, I appreciate the insight and broader perspectives that I have gleaned over the years, as well as the finer palate and discernment that I have developed. Afterall, just like ignorance is suffering postponed, an unrefined palate that might bring satisfaction does so for the reason that the diner is unaware of better options, a position which I would personally prefer not to be in.

Mezzanine at Hyatt

Being a seafood lover, I had been craving for a taste of the autochthonous sons of the sea - haha alright, perhaps this is hyperbolic - I meant, lobsters. Out of the few local places whose lobsters I've tried, the only outstanding one was Mezza9 at Hyatt - the briny streaks of lobster meat which I devoured rather barbarically were of just the right saltiness. 

With hopes of reliving my lascivious love story (or lobstory) at Mezza9, I made a return trip half a year later. To my dismay, the change of menu meant that the fresh seafood platter was no longer available, but lo and behold, they had a grilled seafood platter dish under the ala carte section, an option which my dining partner and I chose jumped at without hesitation. 

To avoid putting the cart before the horse, I'll expound on the starters first. Before the starter arrived, we were served a basket of piping hot sourdough bread along with a tomato-based, slightly ascerbic dip.Thereafter, we had the duck liver terrine ($36), whose texture was reminiscent of that of foie gras - buttery, yet not overly oily. The terrine was also one of the more well-balanced ones that I've tried, for care has been taken to moderate the amount of salt added so as not to saturate one's palate.

Bread with such a delectable dip

Duck Liver Terrine

As for the main course, the grill (serves 2) comprises a whole boston lobster, tiger prawns, king crab leg, salmon, tuna, aioli and a lemon ($138). While I had had a fresh lobster in mind, the grilled lobster was pretty delicious as well, being succulent and well-flavoured. In addition, while the king crab leg was on the dry side, the salmon and tuna were well-grilled such that they retained their moisture despite having been grilled to searing brown perfection. What a delight!

A Garrulous Grill, full of stories of the sea

As for dessert, we had the stone fruit tart, cinnamon and walnut crumble, vanilla bean sauce and sherbet, as well as a trio of chocolate, vanilla and raspberry gelato. The former was a rather riveting dish, especially with stone fruit being a relatively uncommon ingredient in fruit tarts. Nevertheless, the tart was nuanced and was a winner in that it refrained from being overly sweet. 

Stone Fruit Tart, Cinnamon and Walnut Crumble

As for the gelato, the chocolate was rich and redolent of dark chocolate; the vanilla, while being distinct from the mock vanilla ice-cream that most of us are accustomed to, was definitely not the best that I have tasted; the sourness and freshness of the raspberry sherbet was uplifting.

All in all, my dining partner and I enjoyed our meal at Mezza9, and while the food might be slightly pricey, the premium price is well worth it for the dining experience is complemented by the attentive service and calming ambience which offers respite from the buzz of everyday life. 

Omphaloskepsis: The Curious Case of Oriole Cafe (& Bar)

Omphaloskepsis is a curious - almost idiosyncratic - kind of hobby. The term also happens to be one of my favourite, for I have a penchant for strange words, some of which have sadly fallen into desuetude. While words like "allochthonous" and "parvanimity" send wave of ecstasy all the same, "omphaloskepsis" probably ties in more neatly with the theme at hand, i.e., food. On one hand, the act of navel-gazing is redolent of admiring one's tummy (more like a burgeoning belly thanks to all the food); on the other, the same practice can get one lost in a whirl - a vortex - of daydreams, just like how reading food reviews that are of the same opinion may make one more hesitant of expressing a contrasting viewpoint. On this note, allow me to expound on the curious (yes, "curious" yet again) case of Oriole cafe, an establishment located at Somerset that has been touted to serve good food but which failed to do so on my visit. 

Having amassed a 74% thumbs-up rating on HungryGoWhere, I had definitely expected better of Oriole. For the mains, I had the St Louis Pork Ribs ($32) while my dining partner had the Baked Seafood Linguini ($26). The former came with manis chilli marinade, samba matah, sweet potato fries and tossed greens. While the pork ribs were listed as a specialty, there was certainly nothing much to boast about - the meat was not well-grilled and lacked sufficient marination, and worst of all, there was rather little meat to pick off the rib bones - an anorexic member of the Sus genus, perhaps? The only redeeming factor would have been the sweet potato fries, an attempt by Oriole at distinguishing themselves from the commonplace fries or truffle fries. 

St Louis Pork Ribs

As for the Baked Seafood Linguini, it was served in parchment paper and consisted of linguine, prawns, scallops and snapper fillet topped with roasted tomato sauce. According to my dining partner, the linguini was dry and tasted rather mediocre, although the generous portion of seafood was commendable.

Wrapped up like a mummy in a sarcophagus

As for the wines, due to their Happy Hour (3-9pm), we had the two-for-one red wine deal and opted for their Terrazas Malbec (Argentina) house pour ($14), which was medium-bodied and was quite smooth on the throat. In addition to that, being a oenophile, I decided to give the lychee prosecco a shot as it was a rather unconventional twist to the usual prosecco. Indeed, the prosecco gave off a whiff of the scent of lychees, although it was rather similar to other sparkling wines taste-wise. 

All in all, dinner at Oriole was quite a disappointment given all the hype about the restaurant. Nevertheless, I might make a return trip to try out their coffees and the several other wines on their menu. One thing that Oriole might wish to consider, though, would be to find a niche, instead of being overly ambitious in aiming to simultaneously be a cafe and a bar.

Thukpa, Anyone?

After a protracted period of languor, I have finally recovered from my torpidity and mustered sufficient "energy" (for want of a better word, for words elude me now) to blog about the latest fare I have had. I'll keep it short (and fairely terse) though, so here goes:

My friend and I visited Tim's Restaurant & Cafe for a quick meal over lunch. A self-declared Nepalese-Western restaurant, Tim's serves up cheap western food as well as several Nepalese dishes. Being an aventurière, I opted for the Thukpa ($8), which is purportedly a traditional Nepalese dish. My friend, on the other hand, opted for a sirloin steak ($12.50). Both of us went for the meal, which consisted of soup, dessert and coffee, tea or milo for an additional $3.50 (Only I had to top up the extra amount; my friend's meal was already one of the set lunches on offer). 

For starters, we had the tomato soup, which was not bad in that there were vegetable bits that added some substance to the soup. Nevertheless, it was too diluted for my liking, for I personally prefer purée-style tomato broth like that at Saybons.

Tomato Soup

Alas! The long-awaited thukpa had finally arrived. The dish consisted of traditional sherpa noodle soup cooked in chicken stock and seasonal vegetables topped with chicken meat, omelet strips and slices of sausage, or so the menu read. However, to my dismay, the noodle lacked oomph and the soup was mediocre at best, for I could not taste any distinct flavours. The up side though, was that there was a heap of vegetables, a point that would probably endear this dish to vege-lovers. All in all, the thukpa left me disappointed, for the menu made it sound greater than what it really was. Nevertheless, for the mere price of $8, it wasn't bad, so I guess I'll have to save on my complaints. 

Thukpa

As for my dining partner's sirloin steak (which she had ordered to be of medium-well doneness), it seemed rather tough, though I will refrain from being overly harsh for the quality was expected of a $12.50 steak. 

Sirloin Steak

Lastly, a slice of banana cake was served for dessert. The banana cake was alright, though a plus point was that it was not overly sweet.

Banana Cake

In a nutshell, I wasn't too thrilled about the Nepalese cuisine at Tim's, as - in spite of the foreign-speaking and Nepalese-like servers - it remains to be seen whether the cuisine served can be called true blue Nepalese fare. One thing for sure though, is that the prices are reasonable and that it attracts a sizeable office lunch crowd, so, should one be in the vicinity (Braddell), he may wish to give it a go. 

And now that this post has been completed, allow me to say this: In all honesty, I find it extremely difficult to give reviews on places which I deem "so-so" - for excellent establishments, it is easy to describe the multisensory experience; for sub-par restaurants, it isn't difficult to thoroughly criticize their food and be merciless about it. However, for mediocre restaurants, there is no word more apt nor appropriate than "so-so" - a word that encompasses the ennui yet grudging acceptance of the level of food served ("grudging acceptance" for reasons like cheap price etc). 

Oh well, such is the case for "so-so" food establishments.

Maki-San (On Freedom of Choice)

Before "customization" came free will. While consumers may be aware that we probably do not possess as much freedom of choice as we would like to believe, the notion - or illusion - of having options is one that appeals to our intrinsic humanity, especially so if one does not believe in the deterministic argument. Alright, enough of the verbose vernacular - you probably get what I mean. Today's feature covers Maki San, a casual Japanese cafe/take-away stop that capitalises on the customisability of its salad/maki rolls as its unique selling point. 

The first thing a customer has to do is to indicate his food preferences on a form. For the sushi, there are two options - little san (1 wrap + 1 rice + 3 essentials + 1 sprinkle + 1 house sauce, $7.90) and mega san (1 wrap + 1 rice + 5 essentials + 1 special + 1 sprinkle + 1 house sauce, $9.90). While the sheer number of categories and smogasbord of choices might seem discombobulating at first, filling in the form turned out to be a surprisingly fun task. Having been peckish, I opted to have a Mega San and chose the following ingredients:

Wrap - Traditional nori (seaweed)
Rice - Healthy brown rice
Five essentials: Roasted mushroom, onion, avocado, steamed ebi and ebiko (prawn roe)
Special: Smoked sashimi
Sprinkles: Bonito (Japanese fish flakes)
House sauce - Monthly Special, which was a blend of sweet and sour (bearing testament to my predisposition to take risks and penchant for adventure)

Simple yet Elegant Presentation

Maki Roll

On the whole, the maki was not bad, though I felt that there were several points for improvement:
1) The maki was on the dry side, for it felt as though only a few drops of gravy had been applied. For gravy-lovers like me, do consider requesting for more gravy, though that would likely set one back by another $1).
2) The brown rice was a little too hard for my liking.
3) The layer of brown rice encapsulating the ingredients could be reduced, as it seemed as though bulk of the maki consisted of the rice. Personally, I prefer Isetan's rendition of makis as their rolls comprise a larger proportion of ingredients and go easy on the rice. Nevertheless, this might be merely a personal preference, as I acknowledge that others may be more accustomed to a carbo-centric diet than I. 

All in all, I will probably make a return trip to Maki San to try out their Japanese white rice as well as to sample the plethora of choices that I have yet to taste.

Lola's Cafe: Buzz about Brunch

Given all the buzz about brunch at Lola's Cafe, as well as the multiple features that it's had on several platforms, my dining partner and I decided to give this eatery a shot. Much to our surprise, upon our arrival merely 15 min after its opening, the cafe had already been filled to its capacity and we had to be waitlisted. If anything, this piqued my curiosity further - was this establishment really worthy of the attention that it had received?

Interior of the Cafe

After some negotiation with the servers, my dining partner and I were seated snugly in a cosy couch. Both of us ordered the Mushroom Melt ($10), a vegetarian dish that surpassed our expectations - the brioche bread was soft and porous, giving off a fragrant whiff, and the generous serving of cheese and mushroom that coated the brioche melded seamlessly with the yeasty delight, coalescing to give an alloy of smells and tastes that satiated both the olfactory and gustatory demands. In summary, a brilliant brunch to start the day, especially for the price that Lola's charges.

Mushroom Melt

For the dessert, we had actually planned to go for the signature Seasalt Chocolate Tart with Coffee Cream. To our dismay, the abovementioned dish was out of stock, leaving us with no option but to settle for the Chocolate Nutella Tart ($7). While the oreo cookie base was delectable, the nutella was slightly cloying - good for those with a proclivity for saccharine sweets, but lacking in nuance (to me, an example of a great chocolate dessert would be the one "Waterloo Times" offers). 

Chocolate Nutella Tart

In a nutshell, Lola's cafe lived up to our expectations, although diners must be forewarned about the beeline that they would have to endure should they arrive at peak hours. 

Le Répas à Bistro du Vin

Dinner at Bistro du Vin was not my virginal trip to the establishment. I had been there before to have their set lunch - a troika of well-crafted dishes at an extremely reasonable price of $30++ . I remember their foie gras ravioli with much fondness, and it was with this nostalgia - not unlike the complex hazelnut and port wine sauce that lingered - that I made a return visit to Bistro du Vin. 

 Pate and Rillette

For starters, we ordered the pate and rillette ($24). The pate was buttery yet not overly oily, bearing testament to the care and effort invested into the dish. Like a ballerina, it pirouetted (no teetering here) across the fine divide between being lusciously unctuous and cringe-inducing creamy. Furthermore, the duck rillette was flavourful with a tang of salt and yet, unlike others that I had tasted before (e.g. the one at Bistro du Sommelier), it took care not to be overly brackish. All in all, the pate and rillette was quite a good starter that diners should sample when visiting Bistro du Vin.

Next up was a seasonal dish of mussels in white wine sauce ($20). On one hand, the amount of garlic and salt in the gravy was well-controlled, and the dish stood out when juxtaposed against similar dishes at other establishments (even well-known ones like Brussels Sprouts). However, the mussels were rather miniscule, reminiscent of the oompa-loompas from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in comparison with the average man.

I am from the land of Lilliputian labyrinths..

For the mains, we had the veal blanquette with mushroom, pickled onion and rice ($33) (which we replaced with mashed potato) as well as the beef cheek braised in red wine, 

carrot, mushroom, pearl onion, bacon & mashed potato ($33). The former was decent as the cream sauce was rich and yet, not exceedingly heavy on the palate. Unfortunately, the veal was too tough for my liking, making the dish rather prosaic (it's a malapropism, but please allow me some creative licence as a writer!) and pedestrian. The latter, however, had a diametrically opposing problem. While the meat of the beef cheek was beautifully succulent and tender, the gravy was of an appalling salinity that left my tastebuds reeling in shock. 

Veal

A Microcosm of the Dead Sea

The mains marked the end of our little food overture, as we did not have sufficient gastric capacity for dessert. On another note, ambience-wise, the interior is quite cosy and good for a gathering with friends. Nevertheless, diners should note that Bistro du Vin can get rather noisy in the evening, what with the incessant chatter and boisterous revelry of other patrons. Hence, should one be looking to enjoy some quiet time, he might wish to consider dining at other establishments or paying Bistro du Vin a visit in the afternoon instead. 

In the final analysis, Bistro Du Vin offers decent French food and above-average service. While the food at Bistro du Vin may not be fantastic, it exerts an inexplicable and enigmatic pull on me, tethering me back to make return visits time and again.  

Part Two: Fuss-free French Food - Saveur's Desserts

In the few years that Saveur has been in business, this locally owned establishment has certainly made a name for itself as the one stop shop for affordable French food. Personal favourites include the lightly-seasoned angel hair pasta and the foie gras with port-infused apple. However, given that the appetisers and main courses at Saveur have been widely reviewed, this article will focus on the dessert at this establishment instead.

On my last trip to Saveur, I tried two desserts, the Chocolate & Hazelnut and the Cookies and Milk. The former consisted of a chocolate mousse with crushed hazelnuts, broken raspberry bits, rice krispies and a chocolate tuile. While I did not particularly enjoy the mousse (possibly due to my own bias), due credit must be given to the dessert chef for the airyness of the mousse. In addition, the mousse was not cloyingly sweet and a state of equipoise was reached when the broken raspberry bits were consumed together with the mousse. Unfortunately, the rice krispies (which were probably employed to increase the variety of textures in this dish) stood out like a sore thumb for me; I would have preferred the rice krispies to have been excluded from this dish. 

Chocolate and Hazelnut

The Cookies and Milk, however, exceeded my expectations. Presentation-wise, the use of milky froth landed my approbation, as the dish was composed in a simple yet stylistic manner. In addition, the use of steamed milk was a clever choice as it not only added to the dish's aesthetic appeal but also ensured that the lacteal notes of the milk did not overpower the other flavours but instead, appeared like an apparition and yet, lingered on like a miasma. Having said this, the dessert was slightly too saccharine for my liking, as the concoction of milk soil, honey cloud, cherries kirsch and peanut butter augmented the sweetness of the cookie dough ice cream a tad too much. Nevertheless, this dish would likely appeal to those with a sweet tooth and is worth a try should one have extra capacity after the main course. 

Tantalising Treats Frolicking Frivolously Amidst the Frisky Froth

In summary, although Saveur's desserts are not outstanding, they are decent and worth a try. Hence, do give the dessert at Saveur a go should you already be there!

Affordable Avenues for a Voracious Appetite: Part One

Having had to cut down on my food expenditure recently, I decided to check out some affordable places to dine at. Some of these were first-time trips for me; others are places that I frequent with friends and family. 

Part One of this series features two reasonably-priced Japanese restaurants. 

Affordable Japanese Food

I adore Japanese cuisine for its whimsical exquisiteness. Yet, a good Japanese meal - be it kaiseki or omakase style - is often totemo takai. Hence, I was glad to have stumbled across two establishments that offer reasonably-priced Japanese food. While these restaurants certainly do not offer basilic banquets, they are worth a visit for those on an austerity drive. 

1. Ginza Kuroson Singapore

Strategically situated in Meidi-ya (a place frequented by Japanese expats in Singapore), Ginza Kuroson offers a plethora of fresh fish imported from the ports of Japan. While the items on its ala carte menu may not conform to the notion of being "cheap", the lunch set is undeniably a steal. There are three lunch sets (all under $20), the most reasonable of which I believe to be the $19.90 option, which consisted of a generous serving of tempura moriawase, grilled chicken, sashimi rice bowl and fresh sashimi served neatly in a compartmentalised tray. The meal was also complimented with a salad and a bowl of miso soup.

$19.90 Lunch Set

In addition, be sure to give the ikageso (squid tentacles) a try. I must admit, though, that I was initially skeptical when my fellow diners urged me to order the ikageso. Nevertheless, the lightly battered, chewy tentacles rose to the occasion, for the layer of batter was of a homogeneous thickness and (unlike much of the other fried food I've had)  did not have an iota of rancidity. 

Ikageso

Kudos to Ginza Kuroson for having gotten that right!

2. Ippudou

Having been a regular patron of Aoba, I was dismayed when its outlet at Ion shut its doors a while ago. In retrospect, Aoba was not exceptional in any way. Barring its eggs which sported yolks of glorious lava-esque consistency, the ramen served was usually overly limp and the sheer saltiness of the soup often left a thirst that lingered on for hours. Nevertheless, it exerted an inexplicable pull on me, prompting me to make several repeat visits over the years. 

Since Aoba moved out, I have been on the prowl for other noteworthy ramen outlets, much to no avail. However, all that changed when I was introduced to Ippudou by a couple of old friends I met up with. Like parrots that chirped (or perhaps, squawked?) in harmony, all of us opted for the Shiromaru Tamago ($18), the purported signature dish at Ippudou. Indeed, we were taken by surprise when the server asked how we would have liked our noodles done - soft, medium or hard. That Ippudou offered three methods of ramen preparation was, truly, pretty cool. All of us opted for our noodles to be of medium hardness and waited eagerly to sample ramen prepared al dente.

Given my abstemiousness when consuming carbohydrates, I was surprised at the way I devoured my noodles. In fact, there was a stark contrast between Ippudou's ramen and that which most would be familiar with - the flavourful flour threads were of approximately the same thickness as angel hair pasta and required quite a bit of masticating. Yet, al dente had never worked so well before, and with every bite came a growing edacity that, if kept unchecked, might very well have burgeoned into an insatiable appetite for the chewy goodness that was the ramen. 

Furthermore, the tamago was simply ambrosial, so much so that it relegated that at Aoba to the echelons of the "so-so" category. Indeed, the egg yolk was like an orb that oozed with luteous lusciousness, akin to the evening sun that fades into the effulgence of the Western sky. 

Mm...

Saigo ni, it would probably be wise to re-evaluate the common misconception of Japanese food being pricey and off-putting, for a multitude of economical options exist. After all, at times, even the kingliest of kings might choose to forgo a regal repast for a simple, unpretentious meal, one that satisfies the palate and yet conforms to the requirements of a stringent budget cut.