The Grill Tokyo - Siam Paragon Complex

It has been a long long time coming since I been to BKK. Those days, I would be there almost monthly if not every two months. When I was golf craze then, each trip a golf game must be on the agenda with the aim of playing different course each time. My recent trip here was a lightning one, steal some time and spent an afternoon at Siam Paragon complex. Heard of some upper class malls there but only this time that I managed to step into it. Little did I realise that it was near Siam Square and MBK, where I used to stayed in  my very very first trip many moon years ago ! Was amazed my the sheer size as there is Siam Centre, Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon all interconnected. Spent strolling the place while awaiting dinner time, had a drink at Taling Pling, tried the must drink - lemongrass drink. Dinner time comes, decided to have non-oily healthy food and Japanese comes to mind, there were a number of Japanese restaurants there, and chosen The Grill Tokyo. Spacious, with a few intimate tables in alcoves and large tables for groups at one end. Modern style with an open-plan kitchen.

As a start, ordered salmon belly, hamachi and Uni - part of a must in my shashimi ordering. Was lucky that they served yellowtail belly which allowed me to have enough good dose of healthy Omega-3 fish oil for the day.

Salmon Belly, Hamachi and Uni



Soy milk flavoured hot pot with sliced black pork and vegetables - delicious, I like the soup




Plain soba as a filler



Grilled hamachi with teriyaki sauce - too sweet (should have ordered with salt)

Did not have had enough so ordered another portion of hamachi, this time its a mixture - front perhaps the belly part and at the back, the typical normal hamachi. Taste yummy.



Caviar House & Prunier - Hong Kong International Airport

Caviar - a real delicacy, had it in the Japanese restaurants, ikura, uni, tobikko and rarely masago. I was in HKIA transiting to Manila on a late night flight. After having some food at the Cathay Lounge, I just want something light to last me till I reached the hotel in Manila so I can go to bed immediately. So having caviar will fit the situation here. I had passed by this special counter-type restaurant, renowned caviar and smoked salmon specialist Caviar House & Prunier few times and this is the only time I decided to give it a try. Prices were rather steep and so just ordred the minimum quantity as the price is based in

Plain ice water to cleanse palate

Caviar St James and Caviar Malossol - 5 g each

Caviar St James was introduced for the opening of the Prunier restaurant on St James Street in London, such caviar is of low salt content with borax, perfectly matured two months after the catch.

Caviar Malossol preparation also known as pure salted is one of the masterpieces of Prunier caviar preparation. Rich in character due to its unique salt content and preparation, Malossol has the Beluga taste. There is also the premium range, known Caviar Heritage which is sold at HKD2530 for 30gm.size. Its claimed that only 8-10% of Prunier caviar production can be set as this grade. It is prepared according to the Persian methods and its Prunier's ultimate pride.

To distinguish between the 'ikura' from what is available here, I decided to try their Balik Salmon grade ie Balik Pearl Spoon as below.

Wish to have more caviar the next time an opportunity arise.




Balik Pearl Spoon - 20 gram



Home cooked - tomato soup spaghetti with roast chicken and fried egg

Tomato-onion soup Spaghetti - tasty soup, after boiling spaghetti, coated it with butter but forgotten to season with salt-pepper, thus blend, soup made up for it) 

  

whole roasted chicken from Cold Storage - cut to main pieces

normal fried egg

Chinose Chinese Restaurant - Jin Jiang Hotel Shanghai

Second time to this restaurant at the local 5 star hotel, Jinjiang on Mao Ming Nan Road. Chinose restaurant is rather up market Chinese restaurant in this hotel and serve some of the great chinese food. Following were the orders on that evening..

Conpoy soup



dried scallop, vege

Toufu with top layer of seaweed and mushroom - like the dish

Dried wanton noodles

Teriyaki grilled cod fish

Ling Fish - consumed by Emperor

Black sesame soup with soya beancurd

different view of the ling fish

another view of the ling fish

Self cooked - Prawn with minced garlic and minced garlic/parsley & Portobello mushroom stuffed with minced garlic/parsley and minced meat

Managed to get some fresh prawn and portobello mushroooms and decided to prepare the following simple dish; Prawn with minced garlic and minced garlic/parsley & Portobello mushroom stuffed with minced garlic/parsley and minced meat;

Stuffed Prawn prior to fried

Cooked prawn - should have skewed

Cooked portobello mushroom

Signature Restaurant - Pan Asian Cuisine - Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, HCMC

For dinner, I decided to have it in hotel instead of going out since I was alone.

A new landmark joining the Saigon skyline.....wasn't there during my last last trip there. View from Sheraton Hotel Saigon's room

Signature restaurant menu

Assorted bread - nicely baked and I almost had it all, hungry or too good ?

Complimentary from the chef.....wasabi foie gras...good combination and nice pairing, but I did not finish it since i need to watch my cholesterol level

Assorted Oyster Vietnamese way- one of my favorites raw dish besides shashimi

Local Vietnamese Restaurant - Lunch

The following day, my host brought me to have a lunch with one of his customers. I enjoyed local vietnamese cuisine and tried most of the dishes until after some booze, the customers suggested something more delicacy...snake (I never took the dish but just the pictures)....the Vietnamese indulge in such delicacy just like the Chinese! Some of the pics taken as below....

Snake gall

Sanke blood and gall

Fried snake flesh & skin with vege 

Snake soup

snake soup from top of pot view

Close shot of snake soup

Snake skin - streched

Micro brewery Lion on District 1 Saigon

It had been more than 4 or 5 years since my last trip to HCMC, I had been to this popular micro brewery on District 1 (the so called expensive area in HCMC), perhaps twice in my last few trips. This place is popular with foreigners as it offers fresh brewed beers - aka german micro brewery in the region, like Paulaner. I was brought to this place as my host thought as a foreigner, this is the place to go hahah...We ordered of course beers to gulp and other standard dishes....of the more special one was below Star Fish;

Star Fish - had it for the first time

part of the shell been knocked off....

knocked off shell....

the pretty lady at work....

the pretty lass was happy when I shot her....

the complete shell that was removed from Star Fish

Por Jai iAuthentic Thai Restaurant in Serangoon Garden

Was walking around Serangoon Garden one evening and since its dinner time, scouting the area for any special local favorites....the popular Chomp Chomp Food Centre was packed and the queue was overwhelming.....as I hate to queue for food, decided to move to another vicinity and found this Thai restaurant.

the kangkong belacan...lacked oomph and perhaps wok was not hot to have the wok flavor (the one tasted in Bangkok was nicer)

Red curry pork....pork has the odour - not to my liking.

tom yum kung....enough punch...spice, sourness, chilly fire

always the must order when patronise Thai restaurant - chicken green curry was not fresh (well, the fact that you only found frozen chicken, what else can you expect)

Home cooked Salmon fish patty sandwich

Had nasi briyani from the food court near Serangoon Central, nothing to shout about. So for dinner, decided a self-cooked ala-western. Pan fried potato Salmon fish patty with garlic bread and butterhead salad. Yum Yum....