ESqUISSE Tokyo : Sweets Selection by Asia's Best Pastry Chef 2017

Some people are good at studying but they may not be good at teaching. Some chefs may be good at doing plated desserts but not petit entremets. I haven't try the plated desserts by Asia's Best Pastry Chef 2017 Chef Narita of 2-Michelin star Esquisse Cinq, but I must say that the individual sweets are underwhelming.

Housed in the ultra posh Tokyu Plaza Ginza, ESquiSSE is an atas French restaurant that has a takeaway booth for its petit cakes and breads. Dine-in is only strictly for plated desserts so takeaway can be troublesome. But fortunately Ginza 6 is smart at playing the marketing game. Shoppers can "dabao" food and enjoy them with a panoramic view of Ginza on the Kiriko Lounge 6F.

We deliberated amongst the small and expensive cakes before settling on 5. Papillote (\800) has the most unique design as it is shaped like a gift made of chocolate. It was difficult to "untie" the present (maybe it wasn't meant to be untied) and the Tiramisu cake hidden inside was mediocre. The Mont Blanc looked promising but the meringue was too hard to crack. The Fraisier was pretty but boring and too sweet. Armagnac caught my interest as very few chefs would openly sit a mousse dome on a mixed nut base in this manner. The bitter caramel mousse pairs beautifully with the orange creameux but I would love the base to be slightly crunchier.

My favorite, turned out to be the dark horse--Riz Au Lait (\650) which is an oriental spin from the classic rice pudding with dust of Matcha. It was the least sweetest of all and I always have a weakness for things with a pleasant, light milky aroma. But for an award winning chef, I would be expecting for creative and bold creations. Currently these lean on the conservative side and I would gladly invest elsewhere.

Tokyu Plaza Ginza 4F
5-2-1 Ginza  Chuo-ku
Tokyo
http://www.esquissetokyo.com

Mont Blanc

 

Armagnac

Riz Au Lait

Papillote

Fraisier

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Antoinette Launches New Menu : When Hakka Meets French

Mod-Sin is not an unfamiliar term in Singapore’s gastronomical scene but talk about French-Hakka fusion, I am quite sure Chef Pang of Antoinette is the first to launch it in Singapore. On the savoury menu is a repertoire of new dishes—of which some pay tributes to Chef Pang’s own Hakka’s culinary heritage. For instance, the Hakka Gnocchi ($24) is a colourful variation of the usual yam balls with the use of beetroot, sweet potato and purple sweet potato. I was a bit worried that the foie gras might overpower the dish but fortunately it did not. The flavourful stir-fry of dried shrimps, cured pork and morels make this no less delicious than an authentic Hakka suan pan zi.  


The Spaghetti ($24) is a delicious spin off from the classic Hakka noodles with a robust pork belly ragout with cuttlefish and aromatic elements like the ebi sakura. I might be biased towards Chinese noodles but this dish appeals to me anytime better than a plate of traditional spaghetti. I can imagine myself finishing the entire portion with chilli padi. As a half Hakka who is being raised by my Hakka maternal grandparents, I grew up with a fondness for suan pan zi and niang dou fu. Although these can be found in some hawker centres, I always feel that Hakka cuisine is under-represented versus Cantonese or Teochew cuisine. As such, it is heartening to learn that Hakka food has been placed on the French menu, giving more people the chance to understand and taste what Hakka food is.

Bread and Butter ($5) : Satay Bacon Epi, Levain, Baguette, 5 spice escargot with butter in unique flavours like chye poh and sambal

But the menu goes beyond the love story of French and Hakka. There’s local inspired dishes like Chicken Rice or Kale Caesar Salad that has a funky salted fish dressing. I highly recommend the Chili Crab Arancini (3pcs) because it tastes just like having chilli crab but without the trouble of deshelling the crab. Think of a giant crab meat ball, deep-fried to a golden crisp exterior with a gooey cheesy core, served in a pool of homemade chilli sauce cooked with lobster bisque. The bonus is the nuggets of fried Chinese buns littered randomly in the dish. What a clever interpretation of the Chilli crab dish and I love this more than the real dish. 

Expect no less from the desserts section as it has always been Antoinette’s forte. The Misty Forest ($18) that makes a smoky entrance reminded me of Harry Potter’s movie; as dark and mysterious as the main grand cru dark chocolate cremeux that envelops the tastebuds. But if there’s one dessert that is bound to win Singaporean’s hearts, it will be Pandan ($14), a 2-part dessert comprising of pandan kaya butter toast served alongside a plated dessert of Pandan ice cream, coral sponge, caviar, coconut crumble, lime foam and salted gula Melaka.    

Pandan, pandan, pandan. I haven’t come across any Singaporeans who don’t like pandan. This dessert is almost like a dream come true for myself who loves every single element here. And now, I (secretly) wish that there’ll be a pandan entremet on the cake collection next year.

Penhas Outlet

30 Penhas Road Singapore 208188

Mon-Thur 11am-10pm

Fri/Eve of PH 11am-11pm

Sat 10am-11pm

Sun/PH 10am-10pm

Mandarin Outlet 

33A Orchard Road, Mandarin Gallery, 

#02-33/34, Singapore 238897 

11am-10pm daily

http://www.antoinette.com.sg/

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Rice and Shine 2017 : 101 Guide to Japanese Rice Snacks

Do you love to snack? I do. 

In fact, not only me but my family and friends enjoy snacking, especially Japanese snacks. I know that snacking is usually considered as an unhealthy habit but do you know that snacks, if chosen wisely, can aid in hunger and weight management? 

So here comes rice snacks, a low-calorie and healthier alternative that could quell hunger pangs and avoid bingeing or overeating in the next meal. 

In a bid to raise awareness on rice snacks and their nutritional value in Singapore, a Japanese rice snack fair "Rice and Shine" was held on 23 September (Saturday) at Chinatown Point.

The event not only saw the participation of various rice snack manufacturers from different prefectures in Japan but also cooking demonstrations and nutritional talks.

According to Mr Derrick Ong (above), accredited dietician of Orchard Medical Specialists Centre, there are plenty of reasons why rice snack is the healthy choice.

1) For people with coeliac disease, rice crackers are a great go-to gluten free snack provided that there are no wheat additives.

2) For people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), plain rice snacks without wheat, onion or garlic additives are a good low FODMAP snack.

3) For people who need to watch their blood sugar levels, rice crackers which are made of wholegrains like brown rice would make a lower GI snack.
 
Here's a quick run-through on the participating rice snacks company:

Brand: Amanoya
Must-try Snack: Kabukiage
Founded in 1951 from Tokyo, Amanoya started manufacturing fried rice cracker from 1954. Kabukiage, a traditional fried and flavoured with soy sauce, was invented in 1960. This popular old school snack can be found almost everywhere including university canteen shops! 

Website: http://www.e-amanoya.co.jp/

Brand: Bonchi
Must-Try: Uni Agesen
Founded in 1931, Tokyo,  BONCHI CO., LTD have been inventing a variety of rice crackers and the most recommended product being the Uni (sea-urchin) flavoured. To be honest, I love this more than the real uni!
http://www.bonchicorp.co.jp/

Brand: Echigo Seika
Must-Try: Funwari Meijin Kinako Mochi (bursts and vanishes in your mouth)
Founded in 1947, Niigata, ECHIGO SEIKA CO.,LTD has been one of the most famous company dealing with rice products that is not limited to rice crackers. There's even dried noodles, vacuum-packed rice, rice cakes, etc.
http://www.echigoseika.co.jp/

Brand: Narumiya
Must-try Snack: Bubu Arare
Founded in 1923, Kyoto, NARUMIYA has been producing rice crackers using 100% of Japanese rice. Beyond the usual rice crackers, they also produce small rice crackers to put as rice toppings as well. Their products are loved by people in Kyoto as snacks with tea.
http://www.narumiya.co.jp/index.html

Brand: Osama Rice Crackers
Must-try Snack: Halal certified Okaki
Specialises in okaki, which is made of rice to make rice cakes. They started to export their products to Europe in 1950 as a pioneer. Their okaki products are Halal-certified and vegetarian.
http://osama-do.co.jp/index.html

Brand: Iwatsuka
Must-try Snack: RICE STYLE (p.s. go for their addictive Siracha flavour) 
Founded in 1947, Niigata, IWATSUKA CONFECTIONERY CO LTD uses 100％ Japanese rice and partners with selected farmers to supply the special ingredients. One of their signature product, RICE STYLE, is gluten free and rich in fibers. 

http://www.iwatsukaseika.co.jp/index.shtml

Brand: Kingodo Seika
Must-try Snack: Horohoro Yaki Wajio
They use specially selected Japanese rice and US rice as their ingredients. In order to avoid unwanted smell from steamed rice cake, they always use clean water to wash the rice.

http://kingodo.co.jp/

Brand: Bourbon

Must-try: Cheese Okaki (I think this needs no introduction!)

Bourbon was founded in 1924 under the name Kita Nihon Seika (North Japan Confectionery). It started making candy drops using a Japanese machine and slowly rise to popularity and entered the candy market in 1984 with its famous cheese okaki, a perfect mixture of shoyu rice crackers and cheese within

http://www.bourbon.co.jp/

Brand: Morihaku

Must-try: Kongari Corn Rice Cracker

Founded in 1948, from Gifu City. Keeping with the use of traditional method, MORIHAKU CO. aims to invent new flavour. Catch interesting ones like Salmon mayonaise, Ebi-mentaiko, tom yam goong, cheese curry, chilli oil and so on.  

http://www.morihaku.jp/

While not every snack is available for purchase yet in Singapore, most of the items can be found in major supermarkets including Fairprice Finest, Meidiya, Isetan Jurong and Iroha Mart. It was a fun and educational afternoon as the public not only got the opportunity to savour and interact with representatives from the snack manufacturing companies but also learn about the value of rice snacks.

Next time when you visit supermarkets or travel to Japan, don't forget to stock up on these healthy rice snacks!

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L' Automne : A Sweet Spot All Seasons

Bromance? 

It doesn't only appear in K drama but also in real life. For Chef-owner Koutatsu Kanda of L' Automne, another well-known local patisserie in west Tokyo, this is certainly true to describe his relationship with two other celebrity patissiers, Yuki Ajiki and Tsujiguchi Hironobu. The three of them (Chef Kanda being the most junior) worked and lived together during their years at ら・利す帆ん (now defunct) before each of them moved on to develop their respective career paths in pastry.


Chef Kanda won some famous French chocolate cup at the young age of 22. After his stint in Provence, he returned to Tokyo to take over his family business at L'Automne. The close relationship of these three chefs continues to present as can be seen from the photo found in YA's book in which both Chef Tsujiguchi and Chef Kanda also contributed in the foreword columns.

Located in Shin-Ekota, L' Automne sits on a lower radar than Mont St Clair and Yuki Ajiki, but his items are still swept up at a no less faster rate. I was there for this signature matcha cake 古田 but it was gone despite having arrived 1 hour within the opening time. His "eco田" chouxs? Sold out. His cakes are not as original as Yuji or as complex in flavor combinations as compared to Tsujiguchi but they are still delicious and good, at least still better than the average department store cakes. Most importantly, the price range of 400-600 yen is certainly good news for our wallets. (More reasonable than Mont St Clair)

I won't dwell into every single item we've tried but I would recommend the purple sweet potato Mont Blanc because rarely do we get it as a regular item in a pastry shop and the version here made with Okinawan Chura Koi Beni was not overly sweet. I loved it more than a typical chestnut Mont Blanc. Another item will be the Collage, a rather predictable yet beautifully assembled collage of chocolate and pistachio. I didn't like the raspberry jelly layer but the chewy, nutty pistachio base and the melting textures of the mousse changed the way I looked at pistachio cakes.

From croissants to chocolates to cakes, the item range is just as extensive as a full-fledge patisserie. Sometimes it amazes me how shops like his, YA's or TH's can churn out so many items. Good to know that there are two dine-in tables with a total of 8 seats. Most Japanese takeaway the cakes but I think it still depends of your luck if you want to "chope" a table successfully. No minimum order of drink required and they make efforts to plate your cakes.

Certainly I'll return again for the missing items. Not only in Autumn. 

Address:〒165-0023 東京都中野区江原町2-30-1　　Google map >

Daily 10:00～20:00 (Closed on Wed)

Access:

Oedo Line Shin-ekota Station 大江戸線 新江古田駅　Exit A1 turn towards immediate left
Seibu Ikebukuro Line Ekota Station 西武池袋線 江古田駅　Walk 10 min from South Exit
http://www.lautomne.jp/

Clan 594 yen
Strawberry and almond cream mousse

Crunch 540 yen
Vanilla mousse, Framboise, Chocolate mousse, Crunchy Chocolate Coating

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Anywhere Door : Avoid these Scary Photogenic Sweets

Doesn't this remind you of Doraemon's most popular gadget that can transport the user to the place they desire?

But in Tokyo, it is the name of a shop that sells colorful cone shots in the backyard of Harajuku. Ordering is simple. Choose a basic type of chocolate coated cone and match it with your preferred drink, be it latte or hot chocolate  (380 yen). The colorful display of cone shots at the counter is certainly very instagram-worthy and you may spend a long time thinking of what combo you like to have. 

Having a soft spot for limited edition flavors, we went for the summer special matcha fru-bet paired with raspberry chocolate cone. I had no idea why it was called fru-bet but my wild guess is they are trying to make it like a light sorbet when it tasted more like a matcha latte ice cream rather than a sorbet. The cone shot was disappointinly NOT crunchy at all and tasted like "lou feng" wafer cone. We found it even more troublesome to eat then a normal drumstick ice cream but I imagined it could be worse if we ordered the usual cone shot filled with hot latte. The base was a solid chocolate that is similar to what you find at the end of a typical ice cream drumstick but the chocolate was so thick and clumsy my friend gave up eating that part. 

But the "Melt Tiramisu" did not fare any better. It wasn't a tiramisu to start with, but a cone filled with cream and nothing else. I loved the texture of the cream, rich and velvety but the entire thing was too sweet to handle. Both the Matcha and Houjicha were exceedingly sweet but the Hojicha is worse because the cone was coated with white chocolate (dark chocolate for the Matcha version). 

I finally understood why there was barely any customer when I visited on a Sunday afternoon. Had expected a line of youngsters queuing up. Since my last visit, it had been launching more photogenic or colorful desserts like the cotton candy cloud but I am doubtful that they boast any true substance in taste.

Better to enter the door of any conbini store rather than this "anywhere door". 

東京都 渋谷区神宮前3-27-15 FLAG 1A

https://www.facebook.com/anywheredoor0121/
http://anywheredoor.jp
11am-7pm daily

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The Bird Southern Table & Bar Opens at Marina Bay Sands

Award-winning Yardbird has finally opened its doors at Marina Bay Sands under the name The Bird Southern Table & Bar, offering authentic Southern U.S. cuisine and warm hospitality. Think hearty, comfort flavors that are rich and leaves you coming back for more. 

On the table of almost every group of customers is the signature Chicken "n" Watermelon "n"Waffles ($45) which spells everything that you see on the plate. Brined in a secret marinade for 27 hours according to a heritage family recipe before being deep fried in an air pressure fryer, the chicken is not shatteringly crunchy but has a light crispness that retains moistness beneath the skin. Even the most challenging breast meat section was well-executed. The chicken wings are already very flavorful on its own but the honey hot sauce is readily available for that extra kick (though less spicy than Tabasco). Just as important here are the tender Vermont sharp cheddar Cheese waffles that works as an outstanding pair with the bourbon syrup.

The Macaroni n Cheese ($14) is another popular favorite (especially amongst kids) that is made with five artisanal cheeses. Probably because I had this immediately after the chicken, the taste was comparatively lighter than usual Cheese dishes elsewhere. But that's not a bad thing. Just try to dig in while it's hot before the pasta starts to dry up.

For those looking for light appetizers and drinks, The Bird's extensive beverage program serves up high quality cocktails, whisky and bourbons from the signature Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade and to the regional-inspired The Japanese Pork Chop, Ong Bak and Pandan Mule. The drinks are truly refreshing and their restrained sweetness is what I like best about them. In fact, alcohol lovers or wine connoisseurs would delight to know that The Bird boasts one of the most impressive selections of bourbon and internationally sought-after spirits. The menu even offers special bourbons to pair with the fried chicken!

Diners can enjoy them alongside appetizers such as the creamy deviled eggs and Fried Green Tomato B.L.T, of which the latter is a less common combination of house smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, smoky tomato jam all stacked on a deep fried green tomato. With plenty of umami-packed ingredients all in one bite, this dish would make you go mamma Mia. For desserts, we tried the Cafe Creme Brulee and Banana Pudding which are truly keeping up with the spirit of authentic Southern US desserts. In other words, they are extra creamy, rich, dense and sweet. Honestly speaking, I'm not a fan of their desserts. However, for their other interesting sweets that are not categorized under desserts (e.g. 77 elvis pancakes - peanut bacon butter, bourbon maple syrup, banana compote, chocolate chips) give me a call and I'll be right back anytime.

B1-07, Galleria Level

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Lunch
Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Dinner
Daily: 4:00pm - 11:00pm
Drinks and Light Snacks
Daily: 11:00pm - 2:00am
Weekend Brunch
Sat/Sun: 10:00am-4pm

Click here for updates and menu

 

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