Saturday, December 26, 2015

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar: Home of the Shiok! Maki. Nuff said.





Within the usually quiet Wisma Mall, is a restaurant that has maintained popularity for quite a while now, boasting fans who readily swear on the goodness of a particular dish that their menu alone offers. Tucked along the side of the food court, Koh Grill used to be a hidden gem with few in the know, serving up a variety of good, though not great, sushi and more famously their Makis, which are among the best you can get at the price point (more on that later). They also offer a variety of cooked food and skewered barbecued meats (yakiniku) which for the most part is decent enough. 

Almost always a crowd during dining hours so be there early
By this point of the review, some fans of the eatery may be wondering why I’m even bothering to type out a review of the place lasting more than two sentences-is it not good enough to warrant a must-try on the get go? Indeed, taking only their unique Makis into account (again, more on those later), Koh Grill easily earns two thumbs way up and an instant must-try stamp. With that said however, their other dishes are at best, above average and at worst, mediocre. No, this is not a post written to hipster bash the eatery. In fact, I was quite hesitant in starting to pen the piece. However I have been visiting the place quite often in recent times and I do believe that a bit of honest tough love is in order every once in a while.

Quality and Taste: 

Let us begin with Sushi. 

No doubt fresh enough, but is that really all there is to good sushi?
Generally speaking, the made to order sushi they serve up are decent enough, using fish which are adequately fresh, especially the ones on their daily catch menu (which you can find pinned on a board to the far right of the sitting counter area). Sadly, that pretty much sums up all the praise I can give pertaining to their traditional sushi. Again, I cannot fault the freshness of the fish they use at this price point but sushi is not just fish on rice, and like any good dish it is a combination of different factors, like temperature, ingredients, freshness, seasoning, preparation and so on, the mastery of each of which within a dish warrants the title of genuine gourmet. 

I’m quite sure no one is expecting Michelin stars at this price point but, more often than not, their sushi are quite sloppily made: uneven cuts lead to quite extremely varied thickness of the fish topping the rice, resulting in inconsistent experiences on each visit; rice not properly kneaded or seasoned with vinegar leading to brittle pieces that fall apart when picked up; rather petty use of non-rice components which would be fine if not for the slight premium they charge compared to other places. 

Roes Woes: Very little roe were given for $4.50 a piece
One of the most miserably sized kanpyo fillings i have met
The fact is that they simply do not match up to competitors in their price range for traditional sushi, with places like itacho, Genki and Ikekimaru offering pieces which are more balanced, consistent and equally fresh and often at slightly lower prices per piece. Ultimately though, Koh Grill still blows away the competition of overly commercialized, budget sushi places which I won’t be naming here. Seriously though, those things exist solely to further damage the dwindling supply of good, grown fish. Pay a few cents more and get real food instead of that weird tasting stuff that will probably give you maggots in your brains! I exaggerate… But back to the point: Koh Grills traditional sushi like the Nigiri and Gunkan are above average for sure but definitely not the steals that their reputation might suggest.

Next, the cooked stuff. They’re satisfactory for the most part. Among those I have tried are the Salmon Miso Soup and Yaki Udon, both of which have a reasonable asking price of about ten dollars. The former is a hearty soup chock-full of lettuce and salmon. The soup uses dark miso which makes it a little heavier, meaning that it can serve just as well as a start to your meal or as the main course itself. It is served piping hot and each sip feels very comforting. As for the latter, I have a friend who raves quite fervently about the great taste of the dish. Now, I’m not sure if his sentiment is one held by all who have tried the dish but I personally wouldn’t call it incredible. Indeed, the Yaki Udon is a messy goodness with its flavour primarily carried by soy sauce which, I’m happy to say, has a good balance. This is complimented by bits of egg, leek, carrot and some chicken then topped with bonito flakes. It tastes rather sticky and chewy with the combination of the Udon noodles, runny egg and sauce deciding such a texture. It’s quite nice and those who have not tried it might want to do so. However, a rather meager portion and overly simple taste which it carries-basically tastes like mere soy sauce with little sophistication-does not warrant it an INCREDIBLE, it does however score a strong seven points or so on the scale. 

A hearty broth with fish and veggies
it's like fried rice but with Udon instead
As for the actual Grill’s part of Koh Grill, the last time I ate was too long ago and I cannot exactly remember its taste. I can say however that the Kushiyaki did not strike the best balance between price, taste and portion.

Finally we move to the best that Koh Grill has to offer - their amazing Makis. Singlish is quite the versatile language, and I say this because there is no faster or better way to describe the Makis than the word: "Rojak". They are not sushi, not the purist kind at least; instead, they are a delightfully unorthodox mix of traditional sushi ingredients and some unexpected ones with a Singaporean twist. The most famous is the shiok maki (1st generation) which I must say is rather appropriately named. It features a tempura prawn rolled into the centre of the sushi which is then topped with salmon (or shake), flying fish roe (Tobiko) and lots of sauce-the key component of which is egg mayonnaise. The entire thing is then broiled, courtesy of a blow torch, which gives the already flavourful package even more flavours. Suffice to say, the first time one of these would be abominations enter your mouth an explosion of flavours and taste will be felt. Sweetness, saltiness and umami surge your palates on full assault. The dish is not at all delicate and it has no sophistication either, but the combination simply works, perhaps so due to the abundance of sauce which bring a bit of harmony to the otherwise overly-broad mix of sensations provided by each ingredient since it helps to adjust the overall taste of the dish to something more consistent. 

The star of the show. Everyone wants a piece of him...
All superstars need their closeups. Just look at him ooze glamour from every pore
Whatever the case, the Shiok Maki is a great eat and the same can be said about much of their other makis like the Pitan Maki which bravely throws century eggs on top of sushi, a combination that might make sushi shokunin cry blasphemy but makes my tummy extremely happy. My personal favourite is the Crappy Maki which combines swordfish and soft shell crab. It’s a good dish for those who like their food chewy and tougher to the bite. For those who haven’t tried, swordfish is quite unique: it's tougher to the bite but once through gives way easily. It's also slightly sweet and not too fishy. Some might like this combination and some might not. Try it for yourself and decide. The general idea is that all their Makis rely on a daring combination of ingredients which somehow find balance to provide a burst of flavours in each bite without becoming a disgusting mess of things-basically Rojak, as I have said earlier. There are quite a few more pieces on their menu but having put down the mainstays, I won’t be elaborating here.  Just know that if you’re new to the place, go for the Shiok Maki first. You can’t really go wrong with that.

Crappy Maki-soft shell crab within, swordfish atop. My personal favorite
Century egg sushi...sounds so wrong but tastes so right

Ambience:
Before I forget, the ambience is not that great. The lighting is alright and the service too, but what you get are really tight walking and seating spaces with tables cramped closely to each other. These are small flaws given the food there but ambience is nonetheless an important factor. Do note that it is not a great place for long chats though given the long queues and rather limited seats. You could choose to stay and have a long chat over the meal but anyone with a decent sense of consideration will soon feel like a douche-bag after seeing the queue.

Conclusion:
Now comes the difficult part. If you consider only the Makis in general, I think Koh Grill easily scores and 8 and up in quality and taste but then of course there are the other, more disappointing dishes; and I believe that if restaurants cannot vouch for the quality of an item, they should not put it on the menu. With that said, they are not really that bad either; they simply pale in comparison to the Makis. I hope you’re getting my dilemma and hesitance by now. And if you do, please forgive me for doing the ratings a little different this time. Here goes…I'm going to give two ratings, one for the desire to be strict in me and the other for the pure awesomeness of the makis...

FOODIE’S RATING (Overall)
Quality & Taste(75%)
7
Prevalent freshness in most dishes are upset by a lack of effort in preparation. Nonetheless relatively good eats
Value (15%)
6.5
Pricing is generally acceptable for given portions. A few hits (Yaki Udon, Makis) and a few misses (traditional Sushi)
Ambience & others (10%)
6
Nothing to write home about. Tight spaces and noisy but gets the job done
Total
6.8
A decent contender in the Japanese food scene But look below...

FOODIE’S RATING (IF YOU'RE JUST HERE FOR THE MAKIS)
Quality & Taste(75%)
8.5
Uniqueness in innovation combined with incredible explosions of flavour make their makis one hell of a treat
Value (15%)
7.5
The average price of 20 or so dollars is quite a bargain for all the different fish you are getting per Maki, not to mention the good portion. 
Ambience & others (10%)
6
Ambience does not change just because we are singling the Makis out
Total
8.1
A really strong contender in the contemporary sushi scene

Koh Grill is a worthy restaurant which any sushi lover who does not consider oneself a strict purist should try. Again, I must emphasize that the stars here are their Makis and the Shiok Maki is the Madonna of the lot. Everything else here is quite average and some above so. You may want to try some of the other stuff, who knows you might like them, but start exploring more and I assure you that there are many places which give you more bang for the buck when it comes to traditional sushi, yakitori and so on. On the whole though I'd still recommend the place to any food lover. 

PS: After much discussion in a high key private meeting, Mark and I unanimously voted in agreement that actually, purist sushi lovers should just get their snobbish heads out of their asses and give the Makis a try anyways, because it really is quite freaking good. And let's face it, a true purist sushi eater in Singapore would probably have starved to death by now. 

Address: 435 Orchard Road, #04-21 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre, Singapore 238877 (inside the food court)
Hours: 11:30am to 10:30pm

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Otoko Ramen -A Fresh Interpretation of Shoyu Ramen

Intro 
As an unabashed fan of the heart-attack-inducing goodness of Bario and other similar proponents of the Jiro style of ramen, I was stoked to hear about Otoko Ramen, which had ostensibly reminded some bloggers of Jiro ramen. Excited at the prospect of indulging in a bowl of Jiro ramen again, I nevertheless tempered my expectations, the result of having previous unreasonably high hopes for other stalls shoved down my throat.


Ambience
I won’t waste too much time talking about the ambience in Otoko, because it’s a rather simple, small eatery, non-descript in its appearance, but with a modern feel, unlike the rustic, slightly grimy feel of Tonkotsu King. Rather, unlike the ramen chains which have grown far too detached from their roots, Otoko has an interesting story, as related to me by a wait staff.

Otoko was started by two ramen chefs, who had worked for Santouka in Japan for 10-15 years before deciding to strike out on their own. This explains the incredible chashu served here (more on that later). Having opened since July 2015 or so, they recognized the over-saturation of tonkotsu broths in the ramen scene here, and decided to do something slightly different. Another concession they made to local tastes was with the minced meat suspended in the broth, which is a nice change-up from the usual floating “collagen” (read: fats).

Taste
Shoyu ramen (medium) with Ajitsuke Tamago ($12.90)
Let's start with the broth this time round -I had Otoko's shoyu broth this time round. With its dash of pepper and its slight hint of garlic, I can see why it reminds some of the Jiro broth. Unfortunately (for the heart attack-inclined at least), that’s where the similarities with Jiro end. For starters, Otoko is a lot less oily than Jiro. Otoko’s broth also has none of that overwhelmingly garlic taste that can serve as a deterrence against vampires.

To rate it on its own merits, Otoko’s broth starts off well, striking a good balance between the shoyu/tonkotsu base and the hints of pepper and garlic. I’d say that it’s a manlier version of the traditional shoyu ramen, which I do find too light and sweet at times. It does lose a bit of steam halfway through, by which I mean that the pork undertones become less apparent and the shoyu becomes more so. Some shoyu stores have it much worse though; halfway through your bowl, you feel like you’re drinking pure soy sauce. Thankfully, Otoko isn’t like this.

As for the other components of the ramen, I felt that the noodles were a tad underwhelming, in that they didn’t have a character of their own, but merely absorbed the soup’s. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that it lacks that distinction of greatness.

The flavoured egg and the chashu –WOW. Holy shit. The former is hands-down within the top 2 in Singapore. In line with that tired old cliché about pictures, just look at how the yolk is oozing out. Absolutely perfect. Honestly, its only real rival is Tonkotsu King’s egg. To compare between the two, I do taste a little more soy seasoning in Otoko’s. Whether that’s preferred to Tonkotsu King’s is entirely down to individual preferences, so I won’t opine on this matter.


Otoko's chashu is comparable to Santouka’s overpriced Toroniku, albeit less the killer price tag. It’s definitely marinated much better, and unlike Santouka’s, it has a fantastic meat-fat ratio (Santouka’s is overly-fatty for my liking, but that’s the only way it can achieve that melt-in-your-mouth effect). As others have noted, it’s not paper-thin, but neither is it like the slab of meat that accompanies Tonkotsu King’s. This was the star of the meal, and I’m definitely ordering an extra serving of chashu the next time I’m here.


About the only contentious part of the bowl is the serving of cabbage and beansprouts. Being the notoriously picky eaters they are, some Singaporeans adamantly refuse to touch beansprouts (I was guilty of that as a child). However, keep an open mind and eat it –it’s there for a reason. Many have complained that the portions are too big, but that’s precisely the purpose of having the beansprouts and cabbage with their refreshing qualities.

It’s also important to mention that Otoko’s broth left me without the bloated feeling that is the result of really oily ramen. This is akin to ramen in Japan, which while intensely flavourful, doesn’t use more oil than necessary to add body to their broth.
A slightly bigger portion than usual, but still manageable for any true ramen fan
Conclusion
Otoko is a fresh interpretation of the traditional shoyu style of ramen, drawing (at least) some inspiration from the Jiro style of ramen. It has absolutely killer chashu, which bears repetition as it’s that good. It’s a little out of the way in Alexandra Central, but with ramen that’s positively different, it’s a journey worth making.
FOODIE’S RATING
Quality & Taste(75%)
8.4
Come for the broth, stay for the chashu
Value (15%)
8.0
A hearty portion of homely ramen
Ambience & others (10%)
7.8
A modern interpretation of a small ramen shop
Total
8.3
Get your ass over to Alexandra, it's worth it

Address: 
321 Alexandra Road 
Alexandra Central Mall
#01-16
6250 2889

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11:00am to 10pm
Closed from 3pm to 5pm

Friday, October 23, 2015

Tonkotsu King -The Jewel in King Keisuke's Crown


Introduction:
I first discovered chef Keisuke Takeda's Tonkotsu King in 2013, when it was only 1 tiny branch at Orchid Hotel and served the best Tonkotsu ramen in Singapore. It was so good that I had planned to leave it as the conclusion to our ramen series. Needless to say, it proceeded never to materialise. During my period of self-rationalised procrastination, Tonkotsu King has expanded into 4 branches island-wide, and still consistently serves the best Tonkotsu ramen in Singapore, bar none (Ikkousha's version has better balance, but ever since it's move from Ramen Champion, it's standards have been fluctuating, to say the least). That being said, out of the 4 branches, the original one at Orchid Hotel is still the jewel in Keisuke's crown, and the one most worth visiting, if travelling to Tanjong Pagar isn't a big inconvenience.

Ambience:
Come early (at say, 11:15am) to avoid the queues
Tonkotsu King isn't tough to spot at all -just look for the throng of people standing at Orchid Hotel and you'd have found it. The fact that it still attracts long queues and longer waiting times, even years after opening in fad-obsessed Singapore (read: even after the frenzy has largely shifted from ramen to other crazes), is a testament to Tonkotsu King's lasting greatness. 

The eatery itself is tiny, accommodating only 18 people at any one time. Even then, to move around, these 18 lucky ones have to contort their bodies in various yoga positions. This is why, in line with the utilitarian ethos of the eatery, it might be wiser to simply sit down, shut up and enjoy your ramen.

Despite its Japanese interior, Tonkotsu King isn't one of those eateries that pretends to be what it isn't -that is, despite its success, it remains true to its roots of being a humble ramen shop. The only concessions it gives towards decor would be the various Japanese posters pasted around the shop, including some articles featuring Keisuke himself.

In light of this, this isn't a place where you'd go to for attentive, personalised service. Neither is it a place conducive for conversations or "hanging out" of any kind. Instead, this is a utilitarian, almost gritty place, one in which food quality comes first and customers second.

What's arguably the most important to the atmosphere of an eatery is how it makes the customer feel. In this regard, Keisuke does an amazing job in importing the ambience of a small, traditional ramen shop, as Tonkotsu King makes one feel as though he's dining in a hole-in-the-wall eatery in Japan. To put it simply, Tonkotsu King exudes authenticity, which is often missed by most restaurants. In line with ramen's roots as a humble salaryman's dish, Tonkotsu King indeed feels like an establishment that a salaryman would visit after a long day at work. The phrase "the devil's in the details" could not be less apt; simplicity and authenticity are details that Tonkotsu King excels in.



Taste and quality:
What I had -Tonkotsu King ramen with a flavoured egg, strong taste and more oil. Go big or go home

Like a true traditional ramen shop, Tonkotsu King does not have many options. Essentially, what a customer has control over is the saltiness and oiliness of the pork-based soup, with an additional option of choosing various sauces (black or red) to add spice. The newly-initiated should go for "normal" levels of saltiness and oiliness in a plain Tonkotsu soup base, which might be too strong compared to other eateries. This is how ramen's supposed to taste though. For subsequent visits, the "strong" levels are worth venturing into. 

The perfect bowl of ramen?
Mmmmmm, fats...
Upon receiving the order, the amount of fats floating within the soup might be shocking for the faint-hearted. Don't fret though, the fats add richness to the soup. Forget momentarily about cholesterol and sodium content; this is one of the best bowls of ramen you're gonna get in Singapore, so enjoy yourself and eat up. While we're on the topic, the soup is exceptionally thick, and for lack of a better word, "creamy". It tastes as though a live pig was thrown squealing into a pot of boiling water, and kept there until its flavour has thoroughly infused every water molecule. The broth is definitely a hard-hitter and takes no prisoners. When compared to some of the ramen we had in Japan however, Tonkotsu King's broth is more reliant on oil to bring about its heaviness and taste, whereas ramen in Japan was less oily but still more substantial and flavourful -perhaps due to the differences in pork quality, the duration of boiling or the amount of pork actually used. With that caveat aside, Tonkotsu King's broth is definitely one of the best you can get locally.

The taste of a bowl of ramen is important, but so is its mouthfeel. Amidst all the attention paid to the taste of the broth, the greatest contributor of mouthfeel is one that's overlooked -the noodles. In roping in his noodles supplier to support his Singapore venture, Keisuke clearly understands the importance of the noodles used, which can make or break a bowl in subtle ways. In doing so, Tonkotsu King's noodles have a decent amount of bite (choose the "normal" option), they are of an appropriately medium thickness befitting the thick broth, so just the right amount of soup clings on to them. Crucially, the noodles and the soup are perfectly complementary, as though they're made for each other. ‎


In my opinion, all of Keisuke's ramen eateries (ie including Tori King, Keisuke Ramen Tokyo) have mastered the art of making the perfect flavoured egg (or ajitsuke tamago). The flavoured egg has a beautifully molten core, and as seen from its dark exterior, has clearly been seasoned. It's also refrigerator-cold -a nice refreshing touch, so eat it before the soup warms it up! Keisuke's pork chashu is similarly well-marinated, unlike most other shops which don't marinate theirs. A huge slab of pork cut thick, it's a very generous serving of chashu. Due to its thickness, it doesn't have that melt-in-your-mouth texture that some ramen shops' chashu have, but with its marination, that's perfectly alright. 






If you get tired of the heaviness of the meal, there's also a free flow of marinated beansprouts to help take some of the edge off the meal. I'm not sure what sauce that is, but as an ex-beansprout-hater, I've come to love those at Keisuke. 


Incredible beansprouts!
 
Conclusion:
Keisuke's Tonkotsu King is a ramen shop that any true ramen fan would be loathe to miss, and with 4 branches in total, it's more accessible than ever. It could just be my nostalgia speaking, but it's probably worth mentioning that out of its 4 branches, the one at Orchid Hotel is the most consistent, which I suspect could be attributed to the fact that its smaller seating capacity gives them more control over quality. ‎
The ideal state of a bowl of ramen -in my stomach

FOODIE’S RATING
Quality & Taste(75%)
8.7
Not as good as Japan, but probably the best in Singapore
Value (15%)
8
Reasonable pricing, sizeable portions, fantastic quality
Ambience & others (10%)
7.7
Entirely reminiscent of a hole-in-the-wall shop in Japan -good or bad, you decide
Total
8.4
One of the closest to Japan’s ramen standards you’ll get in Singapore

Address: 
#01-19, Orchid Hotel, 1 Tras Street, 078867

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11:30 - 22:00 

My obligatory thanks:
As a man of my word, I am bound to reluctantly acknowledge that the photographs above were taken using an iPhone 6. I still typed the entire post on my BlackBerry Q10 though.