Friday, May 27, 2011

[Review] Shokutsu 10, Japanese Food Trail at NEX Mega-Mall

Shokutsu 10 is located at BASEMENT 1 of NEX Mega-mall in Serangoon.
If you're not familiar with the layout of NEX mall, it is highly recommended that you check out the floor plan first.

It's here:

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Shokutsu 10_entrance

Shokutsu 10 is E&S Enterprises Pte Ltd's second Japanese Food Street, the first is located in Jurong Point. Both food streets are conceptualized with a different theme and the theme at Nex is 'Yokoso Japan', which means 'Welcome to Japan'. Its interior designer, Keisuke Kawauchi, attempted to recreate the contemporary Japanese F&B scene by integrating Japanese traditional elements, like stone walls & rice papers, with modern twists.

As the number 10 indicates, Shokutsu 10 comprises of 10 different concepts, including 6 individual restaurants, a Japanese fresh fish market, a Japanese Cafe & bakery, as well as 2 yatai stalls offering popular street food(Japanese pancake & crispy sticks meat as well as seafood), with each individual restaurant offering a different menu and ambience.


Yaki Yaki Bo Teppanyaki Restaurant dishes up juicy beef, chicken, vegetables and seafood such as lobster, shrimp & squid on crispy garlic bread.

If you like, you may choose to dine in front of the high temperature flat griddle and be fascinated by the chef, who'll whip up your teppanyaki meals right in front of you!



Yaki Yaki Bo

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Yaki Yaki Bo_int

Men-ichi Japanese Ramen is filled with fortune cats on the walls(really love the design). Men-ichi's tonkotsu broth(the soup base) is developed by its master chef who has more than 40 years of experience in ramen kitchens which is brewed for over 14 hours! One of its ramen dish, Kyoto Tonkutsu Shoyu Ramen, is rich in collagen & kotteri from long hours of boiling pork & chicken bones.


Men-ichi

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Shimbashi Soba is an authentic handmade soba restaurant has an outlet in Gold Coast, Australia & another in Paragon Shopping Centre.

Soba is actually a type of fruit. Together with buckwheat, these ingredients are being made into noodles from scratch daily. The buckwheat seeds are imported from Tasmania, which are then milled & ground into flour on the spot.

The water which is used to boil Soba can be served as a drink in the restaurant. Not only that, Soba desserts are available too! Soba noodle-making displays are between 12pm-2pm daily.

For Soba Lovers, there are seasonal promotions such as the Shin Soba(New Crop) Promotion, where the freshest & newest soba seeds are being harvested & imported to the restaurant, and Yuzu Kiri(Citrus-flavoured) Soba Promotion, where Yuzu Kiri are added into the dough and made into noodles.

Shimbashi Soba

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Shimbashi Soba_int

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy, Soba Seeds on display.

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

Soba noodle-making display, where I was entertained for the next 20min and so, amused by the master who miraculously converted what seems like powder into strands and strands of noodles. For every milestone, he meticulously chose his tools, rods thick & thin, the patient kneading. How did you manage to flatten the round dough into a square? I was looking at it the entire time where it became squarish right in front of my eyes without me knowing...

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

Currently the ONLY ONE in the region, Tontei Pork Restaurant.



Tontei
Together with the Katsuhiro tonkatsu house in Kyoto, RE&S has created this restaurant which specialises in pork delicacies such as shabu shabu, sukiyaki, tonjiru etc. Designed with wood and bamboo elements, the interior deco & menu is kept traditional Japanese. Its crockery is also carefully selected to compliment the food.

Calvin Timothy and I had brunch here and we ate to our hearts' content.
This is definitely a restaurant not be missed, a place where you'll want to come back, again & again, until you complete trying out all the items on the menu!

Tontei_ext

Tontei_int

My favourite dish of all: Pork Salad.
Fresh salad veges, thin pork slices, the sauce is sweet & slightly sour(like plum). It's a perfect mix, where you'll experience a sudden burst of sesame flavour as you enjoy your salad.

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

This chawanmushi, this heavenly chawanmushi. I want 10 cups, all to myself! And I'm going to finish it ALL!

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

Katsu with cheese.
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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy


The Green Pumpkin is divided into two sections: the bakery cafe & bakery concept. Its bread & cakes includes no preservatives nor additives--a healthier choice! The texture of their bread is unique; a mochi-mochi kind of biting feel, the kind that kind of bounces in between your teeth before it melts down your throat. If you're someone who loves plain bread & cheese, you'll love the white cheese bread as much as I did.

This Japanese Bakery is only found here, at Shokutsu 10, quite sad for me as I stay in the west. Otherwise, I'll definitely frequent this place.

Green Pumpkin Bakery
Green Pumpkin Bakery1.2

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Green Pumpkin bakery1.1

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

Its bread cost about $1.50 and more whilst its cake cost about $5 per slice.

Opt to enjoy your cake order at its cafe. There is a promotion now where you may also order certain meals from other restaurants and have it here.



Green Pumpkin Cafe



Green Pumpkin Cafe1.2

S10 street1.2

S10 street1.2


Yes, this was the other place where I had my second brunch of the day!

Kabe No Ana Japanese Pasta Restaurant.

Established in 1953 and with 12 restaurants throughout Japan, this restaurant is THE ORIGINAL SPAGHETTI HOUSE. It has been featured in many publications and TV programmes and is a favourite haunt among many Japanese Celebrities.

Their original spaghetti is created especially in Italy. However, these strands are cooked to something not as soft as the locals here usually eat so don't be surprised and think it's uncooked. The spaghetti is supposed to like that and the texture is actually well-liked in Japan. I think, if you really love Japanese food, you should adapt and learn to appreciate their eating-style. Besides, what's a better way to experience real japanese food than the chefs preserving the original Japanese taste & texture for us to try? :)

The soup is simply delicious & so was the Mentaiko toasted bread which I tried! *Yummy*


Kabe no Ana

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Kabe no Ana_int

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

Did I mention that their Hokkaido salad is one of those dishes which I would recommend too? It's a bit like the non-spicy thai salad with cuttlefish soup(taste like that I feel).

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

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Photo courtesy of Calvin Timothy

The Kuriya Japanese Fresh Fish Market imports fresh fish directly from Japan three times a week. There are sushi, sashimis, condiments & recipes which you can pick up from here for your Japanese Homemade dishes.

Kuriya Fish Market


Kuriya Fish Market1.2


These two Yatai Japanese street food sells pancakes & Kushiyaki(skewered meats & vegetables on sticks). If you're looking for quick bites on the go, head for one of these casual food stalls.

Nakatsu

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Ootsu

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Ichiban Boshi Japanese Restaurant, a popular Japanese restaurant which is a common sight in Singapore. However one thing which most of us do not know is that each Ichiban restaurants has its own speciality dishes. For this particular one at Nex, they specialize in Kaisen(seafood). Be spoilt for choice, their menus vary from appetizers, set meals, sashimi & sushi on conveyor belts as well as set meals to choose from.
Ichiban Boshi

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Yokoso Japan, Friends!

Specials thanks to Winnie & Phoebe for this Shokutsu 10 Food Tasting Tour. It was truly an eye-opener! *especially the one about the kitchens which are linked together! An intellectual design indeed. :p*

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