Tetsu

Tetsu touts itself as being the first Japanese restaurant to offer both Tempura and Tonkatsu under the same menu. I was also fortunate enough to be invited for a food tasting event through FP's help to finally taste what the restaurant had to offer. Reviews thus far has been mixed and now its my turn to taste first hand and determine if its an average or a great japanese restaurant.

Location: #03-18 Tanglin Mall

Contact: 68363112

Website: http://www.tetsu.com.sg/about_tetsu/about_tetsu.asp

Menu

Interior

Upon stepping into Tanglin Mall, its apparent that the mall itself is rather quiet. Being left out on the far edge of Orchard Road, this mall is frequented only by the most discerning customers for specific stores and shops. I'm glad to say that Tetsu has its fair share of returning customers. In fact, its one of the more patronized restaurants in the mall. I believe that says something about the food they offer.

Agedashi Tofu

Braised Pork Belly

Sampling Platter with Swordfish Tataki

Our sampling session began with some sake and led straight into their appetiser sampling platter. Beginning with the agedashi tofu, the first surprise of the day was that unlike the usual smooth texture which i'm used to, this version was more starchy and wobbly not unlike carrot cake.
The braised pork belly is apparently braised for 2 days and is extremely fatty, i found it interesting because it literally melts in your mouth and didn't repulse me the way i thought it should have.
The swordfish tataki retained a slight smokey taste along with a rather tough texture which gives the impression its similar to sashimi.

Mixed Sashimi

Another View

I'm rather impressed with Tetsu's sashimi actually, though i'm not aware of the actual cost of this platter, the sheer variety of sashimi you see here is substantial and fulfillingly fresh. The slices were more on the thin side though.

Teriyaki Chicken

Well, this dish has been done to dath everywhere so i really can't say anything much about it. For what its worth, the teriyaki sauce is moderately sweet and the chicken is tender without being too dry.

Sushi Roll With Avacado and Crab Meat

Dragon roll

Lets make a statement here, Tetsu makes good sushi. For both versions, the rice had just the right amount of sweetness and sourness. The dragon roll came with a plump juicy shrimp in a balanced tempura coating. Loved the generous serving of crab roe on both sushi rolls as well.

Assorted Tempura Platter

Here on, its the onslaught of the rather unhealthy fried items. The assorted tempura was very crispy but had a rather thick batter which makes it rather difficult to stomach. To be fair, i give this a high score for its presentation and portion size which is very generous. The batter does get in the way of the prawn though, rendering it rather tasteless in the end. A little less batter and this would be a winner.

Kire Katsu (Pork Fillet)

Rosu Katsu (Pork Loin)

Katsu's are generally a staple in any japanese restaurant due to how it tests the chef's skill in producing a katsu thats crispy and yet preserving the flavors and juices of the subject matter. Tetsu gave us a try of 2 renditions and i'm more favorable for the Rosu Katsu (pork loin). Both versions come in the same batter but the pork fillet version tasted rather dry and more like a kfc chicken then a katsu. The pork loin on the other hand, was juicy and moist without compromising the crispiness. Do note the reason why its moist and juicy is due to the abundance of fat in that particular region though.

Inawani Udon

Close up

The udon came as a prelude to the ending of our sampling session and needless to say, we were all stuffed to the brim by then. However, i have to say that this rendition is pleasing and palatte cleansing. Unlike regular udons, this doesn't have the usual starchy and thick udon variety. In fact, its more like a combination of vermicelli, mee pok and spaggheti. This means its al dente, light and easy to finish. Rather surprising actually.

Strawberry mousse

Their rendition is made in house and fresh daily. With real grinded strawberry bits in it, you'll get a full taste of the fruit. The mousse is slightly rough in texture because of it and there's minimal to no sugar added in the mix, leaving it rather sourish.

Final Score: 7/10

Last word:
Our delight with the restaurant probably rests mostly on the chef's appearance and company throughout the meal. The guy's definitely funny and has great pride in his job which is reflected in the quality of his food. I have to say that the food here is above average and worth a try. Of course, this conclusion is based on food quality alone at this point. Give it a chance, you might like it enough to return just like their regulars.

Village Wok

Village wok, a simple name for a simple image. Traditional food at a semi affordable price and secret recipes which brought about a fortune. I'd like to thank the owner for inviting us for a tasting session and for the wonderful hospitality they've shown the group.

Location: 80/82 Telok Ayer Street Far East Square

Contact: 67439743

Website: http://villagewok.com.sg

Shi De Fu (Literally "Eating for Happiness")

A Quiet Afternoon

Hidden in a rather inconspicuous corner along Cecil and Amoy street is this extremely Chinese looking restaurant. The interior is adorned with simple antique furniture and the bare minimals, tables, chairs, air conditioning and lots of white cloth. In simple fact, its simplicity extends to its food offerings as well. Thats not a bad thing by the way.
In fact, the restaurant is simply a front for a greater business, the actual supply and selling of their famous and secret sauces.

Appetiser

DIY Popiah Set ($20 per set)

Now with the pot

An apt start to our session began with one of their more popular items, the do-it-yourself popiah. At $20 a set, this is pretty good value for money since its possible to serve up to 5 people. The real draw lies in the process of making these little delectable dishes. A little bit of carrot here, some shrimp here, a little cucumber and sauces there, its actually loads of fun for such a simple process. I have to complement the chili sauce provided because it was mild yet retained some spiciness for a suitable kick.

Chilled crab with special vinegrette sauce ($30 per crab)

The "True Beauty"

To enjoy this dish, one must first reserve it with the restaurant since there's only a fixed number of these little crustaceans available daily. The real draw of it lies in the succulently sweet meat and sinful eggish paste that comes with each one of these crawlies. Taken as it is, its already a treat but simply swab a little of Village Wok's top grade vinegrette and you'll be sold on paying a whooping $30 per crab.
Steeply priced? Definitely. Worth a try? The depends on your wallet.

Fried Brinjal with crispy squid in BXO sauce ($15)

This dish was a surprise to me simply because, i dislike brinjal and this dish made me reconsider my opinions of this tasty plant. The sweet sauce coupled with the fried squid served to give the soggy plant more texture and taste then i'm ever tasted before. I enjoyed this dish and have been trying brinjal made dishes ever since.

The Phoenix soars ($21 )

A flashy name for a simple dish. The is basically just a plate of roasted and white boneless chicken. The twist lies in the addition of lettuce to wrap the chicken in and of course, Village wok's own chili and garlic sauce which proved once again to complement it very well. I prefered the white chicken which was more tender but otherwise was only impressed with the sauce since i've had the same conceptualised chicken in other establishements.

Black pepper ham leg ($23 )

Pig's trotters honestly do not appeal to me but this was once again a surprise. The crispy skin coupled with a thin layer of fats and thick lean meat provided a decent balance to the palate. There's a slight "porkish" smell from the fat but is easily negated with Village wok's rather spicy black pepper sauce.

Some special sauces

Village Wok Celebration Parade ($22 )

In chinese, the word is "Fu" which means Bliss

Simply roast pork and char siew in an extremely nicely set dish. The presentation for this did loads to make us hunger for it. This dish was another of their simple dishes done well. Tender, juicy and sweet char siew with an equally juicy roast pork in mustard sauce, whats not to like?

Steamed Pating fish with preserved vegetables ($44 )

Another Look

I love fish and i love batang chopped into little pieces to be used in porridge. This rendition is sadly not one of those i liked. The salty preserved vegetables and steamed fish didn't seem to complement each other since fish are supposed to be sweet and having a salty base simply didn't bring out the flavor i've come to expect and love.

Smiling fortune noodle ($8 )

Another look

This noodles happens to one of the cheapest items you can find here. In fact, its rather value for money, has a strong shrimp taste and is a tad spicy. I liked it though.

Home-made Nonya Kaya with bread

Now this was weird, the kaya was balanced and sweet enough to have all of us popping each piece of bread into our mouths non stop. In fact, after all the food above, we managed to clear 3 plates of this strangely addictive yet simple item. Many of us were tempted to purchase the kaya home as well.

Black glutinous rice with coconut ice cream and lemongrass ice cream($4.50)

Dessert is also a simple affair with the surprise hit being the lemongrass ice cream. I liked the way it cleaned the palate and refreshed our heaty breaths after a heavy meal. I'd recommend it over the coconut ice cream anyday.

Overall Score: 7/10

Last Word:
True to what our host said, the sauces are the star of the day. Without which, the food offerings would have seemed too simple to be worth the amount they commanded. I can understand why people would pay to have these sauces supplied given their popularity with even my group. However, i do need to point out that this meal would have cost in excess of $200 if we were billed for it. And i do feel its still too steep a price to pay.