Monday, December 24, 2018

Fukuoka - To Eat (24Dec2018 Kanazawa Maimon Sushi 金沢まいもん寿司 マークイズ福岡ももち店)

Fukuoka - To Stay
Fukuoka - To Do
Fukuoka - To Eat
Fukuoka - To Buy
Fukuoka - To Eat
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金沢まいもん寿司 マークイズ福岡ももち店

 Kanazawa Maimon Sushi
Mark IS Shopping Center Sushi Lvl3
(AVOID!)
 *Long queues seemingly at all times of the day. Remember to take a queue number first. Their estimate times seem to be moving targets.*
 *Many items at 1800hrs were sold out or not avail.*
Sea Hawk area starting to look like a survival joint. Survival eats with many of them located in Mark IS shopping center. Located on the 3rd floor along with the food court is this Sushi joint. Long, long queues. Tried to get it at about 1300hrs. Wait time for a single seater was 225mins. Over 3hours! Dinner early at 1700hrs was no better. Wait time of 45mins which honestly was a moving target.13min -16mins.

So popular at all times, or could be because of the holiday.

Located at Mark Is Shopping Center Lvl3
Ordered On:
24Dec2018
As seen with some missing pictures. As the courses came in, they were so uninspiring and unimpressive that it just wasn't worth it.
 *Pictured Chutoro which honestly lacked luster. Didn't even bother with their Ottoro orders which seemed pricey and from photograph expectations vs reality its quite a big difference.*
 Total Fed 1, 3,304Yen
Food 3/5
Service 3.5/5
Value 2/5

*The long wait times weren't really an issue if the food met the standard. However that failed miserably and a total waste of space and time. You're better off finding somewhere else to get your sushi fix.*
Ambience 3.5/5

Will absolutely avoid. Food court may have simpler, cheaper alternatives over this crazy long wait and poor showing of sushi. As of 1800hrs, I'd say about 10% or so of their menu options weren't available. Pricey and not worth.
You maybe interested in more worth while sushi joints
Osaka : Kuromon Sakai Sushi
Sushi Zanmai Chained restaurant
 900Yen from food court lunch.
*Similar to Osaka Marugame Seimen Udon located beside Sheraton Miyako Hotel.*

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Nagoya - To Eat (19Dec2018 Ikinari Steak, Terrasse Nayabashi Food Court )

Nagoya - To Stay
Nagoya - To Do
Nagoya - To Eat
Ikinari Steak
(Chained Establishment)
Aeon Mall Narita has one located on 2nd Floor in the food court.
Recommended by Tony.T

Opens from 11am-11pm
The place was packed by 11.15am
Happy Hour from 1500-1800

 *located at B1*
Located along shopping street, this Pork Katsu place is known primarily for their Miso Fried pork cutlet.
Ordered On:
19Dec2018

Wild Steak 300g
Fed 1 at 1502Yen After Taxes

 *Wow! An impressive, huge gentleman's cut. Pretty nice fat distribution and comes on a sizzling hot plate. The set meal comes with a simple salad with dressing choices laid in front of you and a table side steak sauce to add to meat.
Pros:
- Huge Cut and Value for money!
- The meat has pretty good marbling.
- Loads of fantastic condiments to go with your steak. Enjoy how you like it! Wasabi, sweet radish sauce, garlic paste (personal favorite), basic salt and pepper, straight up or with their steak sauce.
Cons:
- Not that tender but for the price is still a deal!
- The steak sauce is on the salty side so do be mindful of how much you're laying down.

- Very medium rare-rare. This may not be a con to that many, but the internal temp of the steak isn't that high when served. The plus side is that they can reheat your hotplate on your request and you can keep your steak warm or further cook it. Kudos on that point.
Ambience 3.5/5
Food 3.5/5
Service 3.5/5
Value 4/5
Fed 1 at 1502Yen After Taxes

Value for money steak joint. Think Pepper Lunch in Singapore, but on steroids and way better meat and condiments. Well worth an affordable indulgent steak meal. The 300g was already filling for myself and I did request the plate be heated as the medium-rare was a little too rare even more myself.
You might also be interested in these value steak joints.
SFO - Buckhorn Grill in SFO located basement of Myers shopping mall. 
KIX - Osaka. Not exactly steak, but beef roast over rice. Red Rock Americamura. 
Aeon Mall Narita has Ikinari located on 2nd Floor, in the food.
Ikinari Steak Japan, 〒450-0003 Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi, Nakamura-ku, Meiekiminami, 1 Chome−24, 12

Terrasse Nayabashi
Food Court

(Shared by Lim P.C)
Located Behind Hilton Nagoya 150m
Simple quick eats with two options of fast food and three dining options at the food court. 
Similar to Osaka nearby Udon Joint, Marugame Seimen 280m away from Sheraton Miyako.
Ordered On:
19Dec2018
Tonkatsu sets
*Cutlet may look thin, but after the crispy fry of the breadcrumbs, it fluffs right up. Pretty good fat content. The down side is that there's no free flow of salad and you kinda have to shuttle back and forth the counter to get your salad dressing.
The grated radish Tonkatsu is sweeter and more refreshing than the heavier sweet sauced Tonkatsu order. Ebi side order was good Japan standard serve.*

Tonkatsu joint
Food 3.5/5
Service na
Value 3.5/5
Each about 1000Yen
Ordered On:
08Jan2019
From the Udon Stall

  Pretty much same kinda standard udon from Marugame Seimen (Udon House)
Udon 3.5/5
Value 4/5
A warm soupy Udon to warm the insides with, or a hot Tonkatsu fry? There's also a Chinese counter at the far end. Near, sheltered and beside the Supermarket. 

Nagoya - To Do (19Dec2018 Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology)

Nagoya - To Stay
Nagoya - To Do
Nagoya - To Eat
Toyota Commemorative
Museum of Industry and Technology

Totyota found its humble beginnings in Nagoya. The grounds are divided into two portions. Its early beginnings in the textile industry and later moving onto the Automobile giant that it became.

Nothing much really. Was really expecting way more vehicles on display, but the displays are really text intensive. However, with the tentative staff at each section, giving a presentation in English, did highlight some interesting factoids about Toyota.

If you're looking for their hardware, this place would fall short.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Singapore - To Eat (15Dec2018 Luka Italain - Dining / Pizza / Bar)

Singapore - To Stay
Singapore - To Eat
Singapore - To Do

Luka Italian
Dining/Pizza/Bar
(Recommneded by Yi.L)

(Chinatown MRT/Outram Park MRT)

Luka is a casual Italian with a little Japan twist dining outlet. A casual place for drinks and slight twist on some of its Italian offerings.
Luka Italian 18 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088441
Ordered On:
15Dec2018
Complimentary Sour Dough Bread
*A great start. Nice warmed up sour dough bread served uniquely with fresh ricotta and lovely olive oil. A great start.*
Veal Ravioli SGD22
*Wow. A hit. The ravioli was beautifully put together with sage butter. A gentle cheesy cream sauce that goes with the tender veal stuffing. A really nice dish that's portioned just nice to be just filling.
Prosciutto E Rucola Burrata SGD19
Mozzarella Cheese, Parma ham, arugula, cherry tomato, parmesan, burrata and Balsamic
*Wood oven pizza with a very generous serving portion of quality ingredients. Pizza and Italian dining go hand in hand, and I must say this really hit the mark with its quality in crust and simple ingredients. Well worth the lunch deal pricing and hugely portioned. The two main orders could have fed 3 in fact.*
Smoked Egg with Uni and Waygu SGD12
*Interesting. I was expecting a warm egg thou. The quality ingredients speak for itself. Interesting but prob could have given this a skip.*
Chocolate Pudding Special SGD12

*This was a desert special. Their caramel sauce was unquely elegant and not overly sweet/artificial. The biscuit twill and the ice-cream were nice, but we didn't care too much for the chocolate pudding texture. Its like a soy based, tough tofu kinda texture. We'd probably had preferred a brownie like consistnancy and richness. Nice but not great. Should have gone for their salt egg lava cake instead.*
Total Fed 2 at SGD71.50
Food 3.5/5
Value 4/5(For the Lunch deals/3.5/5 for their regular menu)
Ambience 3.5/5
Service 3.5/5
(We were early at the time, but they were still very prompt in clearing plates as well as keeping our glasses filled.)
Looking for pretty good Italian eats at affordable prices. Their lunch deals are a relative steal and their regular menu has some unique Japanese twist offerings that look delectable.
Would have given their pudding and smoked egg dish a miss, but their other selections looked good as they came flying out the open concept kitchen.
A nice casual dining location with good wood oven pizzas that would be as good and even better than some places in Italy.

You might also be interested in Wildwood London and Franco Manca London for value Italian Pizza eats!

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Manila - To Eat 13Dec2018 Gumbo)

Manila - To Stay
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Manila - To Eat

Manila - To Buy
Manila - To Eat
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Gumbo
3rd Floor Robinson's Mall
Recommended by others

Located on the 3rd floor of the Robinson's Mall. 
Gumbo serves up a taste of New Orleans. 
Ordered On: 
13Dec2018
Gumbo Lunch Set Meal. 1088Pesos

Choice of two appetizers and two mains.
 *Buffalo wings were one of their signatures. Pretty decent with a very gentle heat from the sauce. The blue cheese sauce is average at best. The mozzarella cheese sticks were more breaded exterior than cheese.*
Grilled Pork Chop

 *Pork chop is decent. A nice creamy mushroom sauce that pairs nicely with the rice. Surprisingly the corn is pleasantly sweet.*
Seafood Jambalaya

*Pretty okay. Not over the top, but the ingredients were fairly generous. Not spicy at all.
Fed 2 but could have fed 3.

Value 3/5
Food 3/5
Ambience 3/5

Service 3/5
Both dishes were mostly generous with the rice than anything else. Pretty decent deal especially if able to feed three people or more. A different location other than the usual local cuisine. For Filipino cuisine, Congo Grille still takes first dibs.
Click here for Location of Gumbo Robinson's Place Manila, Adriatico Cor. Pedro Gil, 669 Zone 72, Ermita Manila, 1000 Metro Manila