Uya Unagi (四代目菊川) at Wheelock Place

Uya unagi is another famous Japanese restaurant specialized in unagi (eel).  It is conveniently located on the 2nd floor of Wheelock Place, right in the center of the busy Orchard Road.  We arrived at the restaurant at 6pm, the moment the restaurant opened for dinner, without a reservation, on a Monday.  The place was quite empty, my friend and I were the only two customers at the time.  When we left the place at around 7.40pm, the place was still half empty.

There are some small private rooms available for business people to discuss their work while dinning, or for people who would like to have more privacy.  This is a very good point.

Sashimi Mori (Standard), $35.00++

We ordered a sashimi mori as appetitzer.  There are two options, standard and premium, we chose the standard version.  It consisted of swordfish, tuna, salmon, and I think mackerel, and then one unknown.  The crown jewel of this plate was definitely the swordfish.  I must admit I never had any high expectations of swordfish, as it is usually served cooked in western cuisine, and its flesh tends to be quite tough.  Served as sashimi, the swordfish was actually quite thick, firm and meaty, with an abundance of fish oil.  And it was really fresh, not a hint of stinky fishy smell.

Hitsumabushi  (Large), $48.00++

I ordered the large Hitsumabushi for my main.  The portion was huge, for both the unagi and the rice.

Both Man Man Unagi and Uya are famous for their unagi, so I naturally will compare the two.  The grilled unagi at Man Man is thinner, and soft, with some charred portions.  The unagi at Uya is thick and firm.  There is no hint of any charred portion.  The outer section is crispy, the inside is tasty solid.  I think Uya's unagi is like a muscular athlete, while Man Man's is more like a shy young lady.
I like Uya's unagi more than Man Man's.

The soup that came with the Hitsumabushi was good too.  It was clear and fragrant.  Together with the unagi, it was like mom's tender hand gently massaging.  A good complement to the unagi.  And if you run out of soup, you can actually re-fill.

Service-wise it was good.  We ordered a number of dishes, including dessert, and they asked us whether we would like everything come together or one by one.  We chose one by one.  When we finished one item, they would clear the table first, before serving the next dish.

Overall, the dining experience was good.  The food was excellent, and environment was conducive.  It is more like a proper restaurant where you can talk business, or leisurely enjoy your meal, while Man Man is more like a fast-food outlet.  In addition, they accept reservations, you can give them a call if you worry about long queues.

iO Italian Osteria at HillV2

iO Italian Osteria is located at HillV2, a short distance from Hillview MRT station on the downtown line.  It is surrounded by all the condos, and hardly any HDB is in-sight.  I would not have even known about this restaurant if not for this Smart Local video.  Anyway, the restaurant seems to be quite busy, and reservation is necessary, so I reserved a table for two 5 days in advance for lunch on 9 Aug, our national day.

The restaurant front is typically Italian, which is totally uncharacteristic, and looks very run down.  My friend even commented:  For such a restaurant, is reservation really necessary?

Once you step in, it is a different story.  The place was almost full, and the vacant tables had already been reserved.  People seemed to come in large groups, as we were the only group with 2 persons and we were relegated to the very back of the restaurant, tucked in one corner, in company with all the carton boxes.

The interior design is simple and no-frills, yet very sturdy.  The wooden chairs are heavy, so if you wanna start a fight here, don't even try to throw a chair.  The cutlery is of the same level of sturdiness.  Forks, spoons and knives are all gold-plated and heavy.

Baked Pork Belly with Wild Fennel, $9.00++ for small

We ordered the porchetta, which is baked pork belly with wild fennel for starter.  There are two sizes available, small & large.  The waiter said small is for 1-2 persons, while large is for 3-4 persons.

Close-up of Baked Pork Belly

The skin of the pork belly is super crispy.  You could hear the 'catcha catcha' sound when you bite it.  And the smell was so fragrant.  Usually baked pork belly will tend to be dry, but for this one, the meat was still very juicy and bouncy, you can feel it bouncing around in your mouth.  Like German pork knuckles, it is a bit salty, but it is much less intense compared to German pork knuckles.

What is special about this dish is they inserted some wild fennel in the pork belly.  Wild fennel has a similar taste to black pepper, its slight spiciness enhanced the flavor of the meat, making it more appetizing.    This is a must-order dish if you come and visit this restaurant.

Beer Braised Beef, $24++

For my main, I ordered beer braised beef, served with mashed potatoes.  The beef is slow-cooked till super super soft.  It is so easy to eat.  The beef will separate when your knife presses on.  The good part is that the beef can still remain in shape after cutting.  You can cut it to whichever size, big or small, and then eat like a nobleman with elegant manners.  In terms of taste, I can only say:  This is heaven!

Service-wise, they are acceptable, the local staff, or say the Asian staff, are more friendly.  There are two Caucasian ladies there.  One is quite senior in age, and is dressed in a chef's attire.   She is quite friendly, and would like to talk to the customers.  The other is at the cashier, who is quite dull and keeps the conversation to the minimum.

Master Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao at North Point City

Had dinner at Master Wang last night, as I had never tried their food before.  It seems they are specialized in Chinese la mian and xiao long bao, plus some dim sum.

Cream Custard Buns, $5.50++

We ordered a plate of cream custard buns as a side.

The buns are really yellow in color, both for the cover and the filling.  The creams inside are good, smoothy softy and not very salty as some other places.

Hand-made Siew Mai, $4.20++

We also ordered a siew mai.  Pork is their filling, without prawn.  Somehow with the absence of prawn, the bounciness of this item is completely lost, so is the rich flavor.   However, it is good for people who can't take prawns.  It is a good alternative.

Xiao Long Bao, $6.80++

For xiao long bao, I ordered the one of original taste.  Well, it is quite a disappointment.  Look at the picture how it looks when it is presented.  Looks like the soup has been leaking all around.  Taste-wise, it is lacking any dominant flavor, almost tasteless.  Comparing with Din Tai Fung's xiao long bao, there is quite a lot of room for improvement.

Ramen with Fresh Prawn Dumplings, $8.80++

I got a ramen with fresh prawn dumplings as my main.  The noodle itself, I think, is hand-made.  It features the characteristic elasticity of this kind of noodle, a bit tougher than your normal noodle, but it is tough in the good sense.   Each dumpling has a full prawn inside, and it just sprints out into your mouth when you have your bite.  Must give them a thumbs up for this.  The soup is on the lighter side, fits my taste.

Chinese herbal chicken soup, $8.80++

The highlight of the meal is their Chinese herbal chicken soup, served in a teapot!  And you pour out the soup into a tea cup and drink the soup like tea.  The ingredients are really simple.  Chicken, gojiberry (枸杞）, red date （红枣）, and huaishan （淮山）, that's all.  Put all the ingredients together and boil for a few hours, and you get that super taste soup.  They got it right for this dish.

Overall, the food is quite decent, the service is acceptable, and the price is reasonable.

Feng Food at North Point City

Feng Food is a newly opened restaurant at North Point City, specializing in Taiwanese cuisine.  The place is not very big, but it is quite distinctly decorated with very traditional Chinese architecture style, with a hint of the Taiwanese minority tribes.

Noodle with Specially Marinated Pork Chop, $10.80+

I ordered one of their signature dishes, noodle with specially marinated pork chop.  The noodle was simmering in the broth, while the pork chop was served in a separate plate.  I think it is the same concept as Malacca's bean sprout chicken rice.

Let's start from the broth.  The taste was just nice, not too mild, not too strong.  It gave me this 'clean' feeling.  The noodle was the thin type, but it was still strong enough not to break and almost all noodles came in one complete thread.

The pork chop was good.  It was 'specially marinated', I guess, with some lemon sauce, and then grilled till cooked.  No part of the pork chop could you see any charred parts.  That was pretty good control of the fire.  Thumbs up for them.  The lemon sauce paired very nicely with pork.  It helps to lighten the meat smell, infusing a breeze of fruity fragrance.  The inner part of the pork chop was still quite tender and juicy, not dry or hard to chew.

In terms of taste, the food was not bad.  Portion-wise, it is not very big.  More suitable for ladies, or when you are not really hungry, just want to have something to satisfy your food craving.

Central Hong Kong Cafe at North Point City

Central Hong Kong Cafe recently opened a new branch at Yishun's North Point City.  The decoration is very much the retro Hong Kong style.  Photos of the signature Hong Kong neon signboards are everywhere, chaotic, and rustic.

There is an ipad on every table with their menu pre-installed.  You can take your time to flip through the various items available, and with a few clicks, your order is placed.

Four Treasure Rice, $7.00++

I ordered their signature four-treasure rice.  The four treasures are: crispy duck, chicken wing, sausage and salted egg.  Well, let's start from the crispy duck.  It was not crispy at all.  It tasted more like smoked duck, and it was pretty salty.  In a certain way, it also tasted like the luncheon meat, except it was duck meat instead of pork.

Next, the sausage.  It was half a stick of the type of sausage that you get from supermarkets at $1++ for a whole packet type of sausage.  The only prominent flavor?  Salty.  The salty egg was decent, as you really can't go wrong with this.  The chicken wing was nice, though, tender and juicy, although the skin was a bit charred.

You will be given a slip after your food is served.  You just take that slip to the cashier when you pay your bill.

Overall, I think the food is pretty over-priced and not really attractive, but if your purpose is to find a place for some friends to sit down and chit-chat, then this place is still not too bad. 

Yuba Hut at North Point City

Yuba Hut is located on level B1 of North Point City at Yishun.  The place is quite small, a couple of bar-counter type of sitting, plus a few tables for groups of 4.

Everything is self-serviced here.  First, you look for a place to sit, then make your order at the cashier and make payment.  You will be given a buzzer to alert you to collect your dishes.  Disposable cutlery is at a small counter behind the food collection point.  You need to pick up your own cutlery after you collect your food.

Beef Steak Don, $16.90

I ordered the beef steak don, as the portion looks big in the menu.  It is grilled beef, served with a generous portion of black and white sesame seeds, with a soft-boiled egg on top of plain rice.  The beef was grilled till fragrant, and the meat was still tender.  Most of them were bouncy and juicy and nice to eat, but some had very tough tendons that demanded quite a bit of teeth power.

The rice they use is some kind of Japanese short-grain rice, but probably normal grade, not the premium type of Japanese rice.

In terms of portion, the portion was quite small.  The portion of rice should be no more than a small scoop.  This is perfect for people who don't eat rice, or on a low carbo diet.  After finishing everything that was in that bowl, my stomach was about 30% full.

Gyoza-ya at North Point City

Gyoza-Ya is located on level B1 of the new wing of North Point City, among a cluster of eateries.  The setting is casual and comfortable.  Small but cosy tables, just nice for friendly gathering over some good food and drink.  They also serve beer and sake, perfect.

This place is specialized in Gyoza, which is the Japanese style dumpling.  The difference between Japanese dumpling and Chinese dumpling, according to my own observation, is as follows:

1. Japanese dumpling mostly are pan fried.  Chinese dumpling mostly are boiled till cooked, though some are pan fried too.

2. Japanese dumpling has a very thin skin while the Chinese version has a much thicker skin.

Truffle Gyoza, $9.80++

We ordered their truffle gyoza, a premium item on their menu.  There were 3 pieces in a plate.  The exterior of the gyoza was covered in a thin layer of truffle (jam?).  The fragrance of the truffle was dominating.  Well, the smell of the truffle, some say it is fragrant, some say it smells like gas leak, it is kind of very subjective.  You may like it, or hate it.  The filling was pork and mushroom, the taste was quite plain, not to compete with the strong flavor of the truffle, I guess.

Yaki Gyoza Pork, $5.80++

We also ordered their yaki gyoza with pork fillings, a more common item, and less burdensome on the wallet.  Quite a typical Japanese dish.  The skin was thin and a bit crispy on the side that it was fried.  On the side that was not fried, it still retained some bounciness of the flour.  Inside was the juicy minced pork.

Yasai Itame, $4.80++

The surprise was the yasai itame, stir-fried mixed vegetables.  We expected a tiny plate of vegetables, but it came with quite a portion.  Cabbage, bean sprout, carrot, mushroom, there were quite a variety of vegetables.  And it was cooked upon order, some it was hot and fresh.

Overall, the food is quite decent and reasonably priced.