Monday, May 18, 2009

Food for Thought: Kyomomoyama @ The Central

Kyomomoyama opened its first outlet in the Mitsukoshi Shopping Mall in Taipei in 2004 and it became an instant hit with the public leading to the establishment of 2 more outlets in Taiwan within a fairly short period. Its overwhelming success prompted its management to expand its operations beyond Taiwan's shores.  Singapore was chosen.

The branch at The Central, headed by Chef Nakada Makoto, is by far the largest of its outlets with a seating capacity of about 100 diners.We arrived early, slightly before 7.00pm. It was already dinner time yet only a handful of tables were occupied. Hence we were able to secure a window seat with a stunning view of Clarke Quay and the Singapore River. It was good to see that when we left the restaurant at about 9.30pm, it was almost fully occupied.

Darling wife ordered a dinner set comprising tempura prawns and vegetables, salmon sashimi, grilled unagi, chawan munshi and a salad. The set had its usual accompaniments - miso soup, pickles, fruits and ice cream.

The full dinner set

The portion of the grilled unagi was generous for a dinner set. Although the skin was pretty well-charred, the eel remained moist and soft on the inside which was a definite plus point. The Chef did well to use the kabayaki marinade very sparingly, thus playing down the sweetness of the sauce which in turn heightens the natural sweetness of the eel. Overall, the unagi was very well executed and in our opinion, met the mark.

Grilled unagi done to perfection
The Chef was equally generous with the tempura which came with 2 pieces of fried prawn fritters and vegetables. Unlike my grilled prawn, darling wife's tempura version was tender and tasty.

Tempura Moriawase
Another dish from darling wife's dinner set that deserves mention is the sashimi. Three slabs of salmon sat in a tiny porcelain bowl, visually enhanced by a lone chrysanthemum. While the texture and freshness of the sashimi are nothing out of the ordinary, its dainty presentation stole our hearts.

Sashimi salmon
My choices from the a la carte menu were Spider Roll and Kushiyaki Moriwase or mixed grill on skewers.

The Spider Roll sushi was filled with crispy soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, sweet fish floss, crab roe and black sesame. At $8.50 for a serving of 4 delectable pieces, one couldn't possibly complain, although my only complaint was not having enough of it.

Spider Roll
Spider Roll

The Kushiyaki Moriwase was a steal.  The dish came complete with 6 skewers of grilled items including lady's fingers, shiitake mushrooms, salmon, prawn and scallops. The grilled vegetables were excellent as were the scallops and salmon which were both slightly under-charred. The prawn, regrettably, was over cooked rendering the meat dry and almost tasteless.

Grilled salmon

Grilled vegetables - lady's fingers and shitake mushroom
Grilled seafood - scallops and prawn

Kyomomoyama's dessert menu has offerings of 6 different kinds of traditional Kyoto sweets, including ice cream and home-made almond tofu. However, it is the home-made plum wine jelly which we highly recommend.

Plum wine jelly
This is the type of eating place I would suggest for friends looking for a decent Japanese restaurant that offers value for money. Its moderate pricing (in the range of $30-$60 per person) promises not to burn a hole in your pocket even if you should choose to indulge in the most expensive items on the menu. I was not unhappy with the quality for the price I paid.

Kyomomoyama @ The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-87 The Central @ Clarke Quay


Ambiance: 6
Service: 6
Food: 6.5
Pricing: $$
Recommended Dishes: Plum Wine Jelly; Kushiyaki Moriwase; Spider Roll; Dinner Set with Grilled Unagi.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

My Thoughts for the Day: The Artist


What is the mental and emotional make-up of an artist? Oftentimes, I wonder. Eccentric like Dadi, temperamental like Goya or morbid like Van Gogh? Or perhaps all of these wrapped up into one?

My sister who is a person with disability paints rather well and she is definitely all of the above. When in a state of blissful sanity, she would be artistic, creative, imaginative and much more.


She painted these. Judge for yourself but I think they are all excellent examples of what and how introspective works of art should be.

They are for sale from S$250 upwards. Anyone who is interested may drop me a note in facebook or send me a message mlbk888@yahoo.com.sg








Food for Thought: Celebrating Mothers' Special Day

We take every opportunity to celebrate with food and I gather it's not just me. In fact, it's a Singaporean thingy - somewhat a culture. So last week, starting from Tuesday, we have been celebrating Mothers' Day with food. The climax of our celebration was, of course, spent with mummy dearest at home together with siblings and our spouses.


Godson Boon Yang and daughter-in-law celebrated darling wife's special day with dinner at The Chicken Hotpot, Level 4 of Square 2.

Goddaughter Laura attended church service with us on Sunday morning followed by lunch at Nanbantei's Cuppage Plaza's branch, Khugisin Charcoal Grill.

My celebration for Darling wife ended on a high note with a romantic dinner at the Taiwanese franchise, Kyomomoyama at The Central, overlooking picturesque Clarke Quay and the Singapore River.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My Thoughts for the Day: Mothers

It's okay that Mothers' Day has passed us by several days. It is never too late to pay tribute to this special breed of women and what better way to do so than by sharing some of my favourite quotes by famous people about them. Here goes ...

What are Raphael's Madonnas but the shadow of a mother's love, fixed in permanent outline forever? ~Thomas Wentworth Higginson


Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper


God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

My mother had a slender, small body, but a large heart - a heart so large that everybody's joys found welcome in it, and hospitable accommodation. ~Mark Twain


A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

If I was damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o' mine, O mother o'mine.
~Rudyard Kipling

The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. ~Carrie Latet

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb