Thursday, September 8, 2016

Tomi Sushi 富寿し/シンガポール・ノベナ店 @ Novena Square

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Sometimes, one just have a craving for Japanese food. Had never tried the sushi at Tomi, so it was an opportune moment. The place was fairly relaxed on a Friday night and no reservation was necessary. For drinks, ordered a Calpis Highball to try. Never tried a highball, nor a Calpis before!

So, a search was necessary to understand the stuffs that am drinking. Calpis is a Japanese uncarbonated softdrink. Hmmm, like a soda? But interestingly, Calpis is manufactured by Calpis Co. Ltd. which is a subsidiary of ...*drumroll please* Asahi! Ooh...so interesting. Actually, Calpis tasted like a sweet yoghurt drink. Quite nice, in fact. Cloudy coloured.

So what about Highball? Highball is simply a mixed alcoholic drink with an alcoholic base and a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixer. Japanese people do like their Highballs. Very common to find it at yakitori places. Usually its base is whisky and topped with soda.

Calpis Highball (カルピスのハイボール) @$10++

Am liking the Calpis Highball but was rather doubtful of the whisky proportion...tasted mostly of Calpis.

Food-wise, had some sushi. Ordered my usual favourites of Hotate and Tsubu-gai sushi. Lovely sweet scallops sushi.

(front) hotate sushi (ホタテの寿司) @$8++

The main reason why I'd order the whelk sushi (tsubugai nigiri sushi) was for its refreshingly crunchy texture. Better than squid, I'd say. Best value for money at $5++ for a pair.

tsubugai nigiri sushi (つぶ貝[ツブガイ]握り寿司) @$5++
That few sushi won't be able to fill you up, so let's have some more. Wanted to order a tamagoyaki (玉子焼き) but it wasn't in the menu, I think or perhaps didn't see it. So ordered a tamago sushi anyhow. It was one huge oversized cold sweet egg with a bit of sushi rice in it. Preferred savoury egg though.

tamago sushi (卵寿司) @$4++

For the finale, was the best sushi of the night. The anago sushi. It was the last plate to arrive. Two beautiful piece of salt-water eel sushi. It was fatty and so plump tasting. Good choice.

anago sushi (アナゴ寿司) @$12++

Saturday, September 3, 2016

[Media Invite] XBox Showcase 2016

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Microsoft has announced the arrival of the Xbox One S Gears of War Limited Edition 2 TB Bundle that will be coming to Singapore on 25 November 2016. Crimson red in colour and designed as if it came right out of the game with a battle-weathered console chassis, bloody thumbprints on the controller red metallic D-pad. How's that for a close encounter of the ultimate Gears of War 4 experience? Brings a smile to the face.

Gears of War 4

XBox One S Gears of War Limited Edition 2TB Bundle @$699
Was invited for a preview on the games as well. It has been a while since I played any console games. Hope I didn't embarrass myself in front of the hardcore gamers. Oops.

coming to SG on 11 Oct
woOhOOo!
Tried it on a XBox One S white and the experience was all good. Yay to the HDR quality and the fluid movements in the game. Tactile feedback on the console was good and the hints from the game was adequate for a newbie to move around and to complete the mission.

battle on via console
Other games available for XBox One and Windows 10 include Forza Horizon 3, Dead Rising 4, ReCore, Scalebound and Halo Wars 2. Gamers can now buy one game and enjoy it on XBox or on PC with Windows 10.

ReCore is an action-adventure set in the futuristic world of spacecraft and sand dunes. The protagonist is Joule and her friends are robots. ReCore was created by Keiji Inafune of Metroid Prime fame.

ReCore will be available from 13 September 2016
In ReCore mission, there were specific actions that the gamer needed to do. Was so troublesome...the event helper that was standing behind me couldn't stand it anymore and decided to just show me how to do it. Hahaha! Other than that, the character's movements were very good and can even scale the wall. So cool!



If you are into more gore, then Dead Rising 4 might be your kind of game. Zombies, everywhere. Blood, everywhere. Anything and everything, can be a weapon. It has a rating of M18, so you know.

The protagonist is Frank West, and the trailer was quite amusing. You can watch it in YouTube. Mayhem is the theme and of course, zombie slaying.

#frankieisback

What can I say? I started with Frank with lots of swag, and heaving a big hammer which was used to the max in a melee, then a baseball bat which was quite good but all gone too soon. I think it was used till they broke! Then, I had some cannister of sorts which spewed fire when I managed to figure out how to throw it to the zombies. Ended up with Frank having to box his way out of the hordes and hordes of zombies...am so sorry Frank! Had a gun in the inventory list but couldn't figure it out how to switch to that. Faints. Haaha!
Dead Rising 4 coming to SG in December.

If you are purely in for the speed, then the racing game Forza Horizon 3 features stunning Australian skyline and beaches.

let's race along the beach




Happy Gaming!

Thank you Microsoft and Diandra for the invite.


Friday, September 2, 2016

[Media Invite] Grissini @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront

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Grissini at Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel is a contemporary Italian Grill restaurant. Large and comfortable space with choice of indoor or alfresco dining. Helmed by the gregarious Chef Antonio Cocozza from Naples, one can expect delicious hearty rustic southern Italian dishes with fresh ingredients and seafood. For meat lovers, be thrilled with meats executed expertly from its Josper oven.

menu
bar area
kitchen area
Private and exclusive rooms are also available for functions. At one glance, the large private room is able to seat 20 pax at the table. Its adjacent room could seat about 10 pax.

private room
Bellissima Private Room

If evenings are cooler, the alfresco seats are quite nice. But on hot humid nights, I'd rather be indoors in the cool comfort of airconditioning.

outdoors
If you happen to be outdoors, you'll notice its Josper oven. When the oven is in action, don't be surprised by the delicious smells wafting your way...mmm.

can you find Josper?
Be mesmerized by rows and rows of wine bottles found on-site. Such a pretty sight! Plenty of choices on what to drink.

wine
Grissini means breadstick and expectantly, there are bouquets of breadsticks on the table for diners to munch on. By far, the crispiest breadstick that I've ever tasted in any restaurant. Longish, large and super crunchy sticks. Don't forget about the creamy Japanese mayonaise with sundried tomatoes dip. Yums!

breadstick and dip
For antipasti, the Charcuterie Platter pairs well with wine. If you have a large group of about 8 pax, you might want to consider adding more parma ham to the platter. The default would be 100gms of meat. The platter was served with breadsticks, ubriaco cheese, fig and marmalade jam. The ubriaco cheese or also affectionately known as 'drunken cheese' is a type of artisan hard cheese made from cow's milk bathed in wine from the Northern region of Italy. Crumbly and complex in taste.

Charcuterie Platter (Prosciutto Di Parma) @$16++ for 100gms

Diners are spoilt for choice if you are looking for starters with cheese and greens. For example, the  Smoked Cheese Salad and the Cheese with Parma Ham. Both were well presented.


The parma ham in the Smoked Cheese Salad was flavourful and really loved the dressing of the rockets. The burratina was pillowy soft and subtly light in flavour. The baby rockets had been lovingly drizzled with Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil "Primo" D.O.P. And the scattered olives provided some sudden bursts of saltiness.

Smoked Cheese Salad @$26++
Cheese with Parma Ham @$26++

The pan-fried buffalo mozzarella wrapped in 12 months aged parma ham, will leave diners with a strong impression. Marjoram herb, baby rockets, orange oil and taggiasca olives eaten with the pan-fried melted mozzarella was so tasty. This and a sip of wine would equate to happiness.

The Heirloom Tomato Salad was equally enjoyable too. Again, there's baby rockets, taggiasca olives and Sicilian EVOO and dotted with basil oil. "Cimelio" heirloom tomatoes were used in this dish.

Heirloom Tomato Salad @$24++

After the starters, let's move onwards to Primi or the first course which generally contain hot food.

We had mushroom risotto (meatless) of carnaroli rice which is more traditional as compared to arborio that is considered as more common. Carnaroli is a medium grained rice grown in Northern Italy and has a higher starch content. Liked the way the grains were cooked and the overall creaminess of the risotto.

Mushroom Risotto @$24++
Spaghetti Clams @$24++

If pasta is more of your thing, the Spaghetti Clams is a pretty plate. The slightly plump looking baby clams were very beckoning.

An even prettier plate would be the Boston Lobster Linguine. Its appetizing reddish hue and firm slices of lobster meat sitting atop of a well-sauced swirl of linguine. Premium ingredients presented in a non-complex way. However, its taste was anything but simple. If you like intense smokiness, this might be just what you were looking for. Was quite surprised at its intense and strong smokey flavours.

Boston Lobster Linguine @$36++

The best pasta dish for me, had to be the Tortelli Veal Cheek. Small parcels of flavourful goodness. Highly recommended. Butter, sage, parmigiano reggiano and Alba white truflle oil and the faultless handmade dumpling stuffed with veal cheek. Lovely.

Tortelli Veal Cheek @$24++

The next course would be Secondi and one gets meat! It was time to try the delicacies from the Josper oven. Octopus, chicken and wagyu. Pick a favourite!

a change in utensil is necessary for our secondi
First up, was the pollo or grilled octopus. Such lovely legs. Plump meaty tentacles, lightly grilled and so tender. Chef Antonio shared that the octopus had travelled from Spain. Was a joy to bite into slices of this octopus. Good enough on its own. If you like a bit of variation, can have it with salsa verde sauce too.

Octopus @$36++ per portion
Spring Chicken @$38++
The spring chicken was cute, in a way. A tad smallish in size, and served with ratte potatoes and asparagus. One could taste the natural flavours of the meat. The dip was optional.

Wagyu Ribeye @$78++

The Wagyu Ribeye was as good as expected. Natural flavours, lightly seasoned and served with rockets, tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Thought the dark and thick sauce tasted a tad like marmite though but it should be red wine sauce. Fatty wagyu yums.

gently, softly
As of all meals, eventually, it will come to an end. Chef brought out a tray of artisanal gelato with exotic flavours. Ever tried truffle ice-cream? Not the chocolate truffle mind you, but the fungi truffle version. I never. So this was a first. Or, how about a balsamico ice-cream? Keke, neither have I. Am thinking by now, that Chef Antonio is an adventurous chef!

gelato galore  (front to back)- parmesan, basil, black truffle, balsamic vinegar and cherry tomatoes

Gosh, the black truffle and olives flavour was seriously strong. Truffle lovers rejoice as now you can have your ice-cream and eat it too! This was one true to taste ice-cream. I think I still prefer my balsamico in its liquid form for the breads and salad. The parmesan cheese was distinct as well with its cheesy 'flaky' flavour. For the cheese lovers.

Done being adventurous, I'd prefer the comfort gelato that were the basil and cherry tomato.

cherry tomato gelato @$8++ per scoop

Overall, it was quite fun to taste the new flavours and see how others react to it. Keke! Thus far, it was love, hate or undecided.

There were a lot of firsts for me in this tasting. First time trying Limoncello Tiramisu. Showcasing the lemon liqour from the Amalfi Coast nonetheless. Decorated with lovely crunchy caramelized hazelnuts.

Limoncello Tiramisu @$14++

Or, if you prefer something dark, choose the beautiful Chocolate Tart. Warm hazelnut chocolate tart, served with chocolate ribbons and a bevy of those crunchy caramelized hazelnuts. Nutty, chocolatey and the right sweetness, just the way many of us would like it. Loved the edible flowers with its vibrant contrasting colours.

Chocolate Tart @$14++

Grissini offers something for everybody. Modern and comfortable dining space, with the experienced Chef Antonio bringing us flavours of his hometown with influences from his worldwide stints, a good variety of starters, main courses, highlights from the Josper oven and beautiful desserts, with some fun experimental flavours for the assorted gelato. This is the place to bring your mama and the cheeky cousins to.

Thank you Jennifer, Chef Antonio, Grand Copthorne Waterfront and the friendly service crew of Grissini, for taking care of us. It was an enjoyable meal and experience at Grissini. Not forgetting, special thanks to HGW for the invite.

Buona notte e Buon Appetito!

 
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