I have to say that I liked everything I saw. From the tenant mix consisting of new shops and familiar brands who made the effort to dress up in the form of swanky concept stores, to tiny details such as the rest rooms and not-too-glaring lighting, made for an excellent first impression.
We reached the place at about 8pm, and headed for Watami Casual Japanese Restaurant, after reading a favourable FB status update.
(Source: Watami website)
Sushi Grandeur ($10.80)
Close upThe unagi was really good considering the relatively low price. Oh, in case you're wondering, by right there are supposed to be three pairs of salmon, scallop and unagi. They ran out of scallop (replaced by salmon) and.....Iateoneunagibeforeshecouldtakeapicturesothere. =)
Tori Karaage and Negi Pirikara ($7.80)
Tori Karaage and Negi Pirikara ($7.80)The deep-fried chicken bits in spicy scallion sauce was another interesting dish which was pretty reasonably-priced.
S spotted lipstick marks on her green tea mug, and got the waitress to change it. The waitress was visibly distressed and apologized profusely, before replacing the mug with.... you guessed it, the same mug.
And how did we know it was the same mug? Because the lipstick stain never clean properly - inside still have!!!
Not wanting to make a scene, we decided to just pay and leave after our meal. It was, after all, only 8:50pm; plenty of un-explored shops awaited.
Watami Casual Japanese Restaurant ION Orchard
Taste: 6.5/10
Value: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Verdict: Probably won't be back. There weren't any killer dishes and in general the place seems to lack a distinctive "type" of Japanese food, like Tonkichi has fried pork cutlets or Sun with Moon has the whole new-age fusion thing going for it.
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We also walked through the "360 marketplace", another Jasons-type gourmet market, and came across these brightly-coloured bell peppers! As we stood transfixed by the multi-hued veges, we could'a sworn at least 3 different groups walked past, stopped, came back and tried to test if they were fake.
These'll make a fantastic salad I'm sure
Apparently very very spicy****
The past two weeks were filled with so many celebrations for the both of us too. Her birthday, my (delayed) birthday, our anniversay, etc. We had a few celebratory desserts but these two stand out:
Seah St Deli, Chocolate decadence - $11.90First, Seah St Deli's famous seven-layer chocolate cake. I've been meaning to try this since I heard about it from my colleagues, but never got around to it. In fact, I'd meant to come here to try the key lime pie, the other house specialty.
By the time we got there (9:30pm) we were left with either the chocolate decadence or American cheese cake - not too shabby!
The cake is supremely tall. Seriously. It sort of glares at you and tries to stare you down when it first arrives. Every layer is perfectly even and reminds me of how the pictures on those Betty Crockers Devil's Chocolate Cake look like, uniform in their evil.
Despite its height, you are still able to eat the cake in dignified forkfuls, as the sponge does its job of keeping the shape of the cake beautifully. The cherry sauce and chocolate twirls are nice additions, but really, the star is the cake.
If I have one complaint, both S and I felt it was a tad too sweet. The fudge contained traces of caramel, which some may not really like, though this is balanced out somewhat by the chocolate sponge, which is not overly-cloying.
Over all, I'd say this is one cake you have to have at least once in your lifetime - or once a year if you're a chocolate lover. Any more and you'll turn into a cacao bean!
Canele, Caribe, $8.50
On the other end of the height spectrum sits this unassuming cake from designer pastry maker Canele.
Do not be deceived by its looks, because this cake packs a huge chocolate rush! It is not much larger in girth from an average char siew pau, but boy does it make up for it in its intensity.
Every bite you sink your teeth into brings you closer to chocolate heaven (where the grills are edible!). The smooth, dark chocolate paste contrasts perfectly with the roasted hazelnuts that adorn the square-looking cake.
I would say that this is definitely one of those rare chocolate cakes meant for one person that have to be finished by two. S and I almost lost our voices at KTV after dinner cos of this!
By the time we got there (9:30pm) we were left with either the chocolate decadence or American cheese cake - not too shabby!
The cake is supremely tall. Seriously. It sort of glares at you and tries to stare you down when it first arrives. Every layer is perfectly even and reminds me of how the pictures on those Betty Crockers Devil's Chocolate Cake look like, uniform in their evil.
Despite its height, you are still able to eat the cake in dignified forkfuls, as the sponge does its job of keeping the shape of the cake beautifully. The cherry sauce and chocolate twirls are nice additions, but really, the star is the cake.
If I have one complaint, both S and I felt it was a tad too sweet. The fudge contained traces of caramel, which some may not really like, though this is balanced out somewhat by the chocolate sponge, which is not overly-cloying.
Over all, I'd say this is one cake you have to have at least once in your lifetime - or once a year if you're a chocolate lover. Any more and you'll turn into a cacao bean!
Canele, Caribe, $8.50On the other end of the height spectrum sits this unassuming cake from designer pastry maker Canele.
Do not be deceived by its looks, because this cake packs a huge chocolate rush! It is not much larger in girth from an average char siew pau, but boy does it make up for it in its intensity.
Every bite you sink your teeth into brings you closer to chocolate heaven (where the grills are edible!). The smooth, dark chocolate paste contrasts perfectly with the roasted hazelnuts that adorn the square-looking cake.
I would say that this is definitely one of those rare chocolate cakes meant for one person that have to be finished by two. S and I almost lost our voices at KTV after dinner cos of this!
