Restaurant Review: Botan Japanese Restaurant

Botan Japanese Restaurant
37 Pekin Street
Singapore 048761

+65 6536 4404

Botan Japanese Restaurant in Singapore is located in the hustle and
bustle of Pekin Street, right next to another Japanese restaurant named Shin Kushiya and close to Sushi-Tei on China Street. You can easily miss Botan, and as indeed I did when I first came to check out the Japanese food in Pekin Street, ending up at Shin Kushiya instead. Shin Kushiya and Sushi-Tei are both noticeably bigger than Botan, and a notch higher in terms of elegant interior design. However, Botan has its very own charm, and it is very noticeable that the restaurant is run by a Japanese owner (whom you can watch preparing seafood dishes from the main dining area. So, if you want to have the “real-Japanese” feel, Botan is the way to go.

Ambiance apart, and in terms of food served, Botan plays in totally different league. Both Shin Kushiya and Sushi-Tei are typical Singapore-Japanese restaurants, with dishes that are tasty, but not the kind of quality food you’d get in Japan. In contrast, and as my Japanese friends have assured me, Botan is the real deal. If you want your Japanese food to taste exactly like it would if you ordered it in the land of cherry blossoms, go to Botan.

I never go during lunch hour or early evening because the place is too packed, as there is a lot of people coming over from China square, Raffles Place and the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi. If you want to go around these times, better reserve a table. If you go in the late evening though, you will most likely get a place.

The menu is extensive, yet Botan makes it hard for you not to order something from the first page, as their value-for-money offering is just too compelling, especially in Singapore. For around SGD 20 you get a complete dinner set, served on tray laden with delicacies. My favorites are the Tonkatsu set and the Grilled Salmon Set, the Grilled Chicken set is also quite yummy.

Botan Japanese Restaurant Grilled Chicken Set

 Besides the main course of your dinner set, you will get an assortment of sashimi (usually 3 different types, including salmon and tuna), miso soup, Japanese pickles, daikon or other vegetables with chicken in a delicious homemade sauce, chawanmushi (egg custard), noddles, and of course rice. To add variety, some of the side dishes change from time to time. 

Botan Japanese Restaurant Grilled Salmon Set

Taste-wise, this is some of the best Japanese food I have ever eaten, and you immediately notice that it is made by a food artist. Whatever dishes you try, there are always new and interesting flavors flooding your mouth, and from experience I know this is what home-cooked Japanese food tastes like.

The staff is friendly, fast and knowledgeable. Little details matter, and the hot towels before and after the meal as well as the complimentary lemon-flavored iced water add to the experience. Definitely one of the best dining experiences in Singapore.

5/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review - Shin Kushiya at Far East Square

Restaurant Review - Shin Kushiya

33 Peking Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 048703

+65 6438 8991

One of Shin Kushiya's three outlets is located right in the CBD, very close to Raffles Place, in the hustle and bustle of Peking Street, where the working crowd hangs out after office hours. I've never been to Shin Kushiya on a weekend, but I imagine it might actually be less busy than on a weekday evening, as the people working around China Square, Far East Square and Samsung Hub congregate in sizable numbers in Peking Street in the evening.

Even so, when I decided to drop by at Shin Kushiya for a quick dinner, the place was busy, but not crowded, and there were still a few tables available. This might have to do with the fact that, price wise, Shin Kushiya is one of a very few restaurants that are higher priced than the other bars and eateries surrounding it. Most of the tables at the restaurant seat 6 people, so when it's full I reckon it's packed and quite noisy. As in many Japanese restaurants in Singapore, the atmosphere is busy, and not exactly very cozy or romantic, so I would recommend the place rather for a night out with friends than for a romantic dinner.

Shin Kushiya's menu is extensive to say the least, and we took quite some time in ordering. There is always staff around, and as long as you can attract their attention, they are quite friendly and helpful, if sometimes a bit young and inexperienced. For two people, we ordered Cha Soba (thin, cold buckwheat noddles flavored with green tea powder), Garlic Rice, Sake Butteryaki (pan butter grilled salmon), the Sushi Favorites and Sashimi Moriwase. To drink, we only ordered green tea and water. 

First off, the Shushi and Sashimi were very decent, both in terms freshness and taste. I'm not a big fan of of soba, but I reckon they were ok as well, though nothing that would make me order this dish again. Unfortunately, Shin Kushiya's Sake Butteryaki and Garlic Rice were both sub par and lacking in flavor. In contrast to the Sushi and Sahimi, the Sake Butteryaki did not taste very much of Salmon, and as butter in itself does not exactly have a very intense flavor, the whole affair was rather bland. what surprised me is how they managed to get the Garlic Rice wrong. I mean, this dish is so simply and would require nothing more than a bit of fresh garlic, rice and maybe some herbs and seasoning to round it all off, but Shin Kushiya instead delivered a bowl of rice that was nearly devoid of taste.

Overall, I'd say the more expensive dishes, such as the sushi and sashimi were worth their money, whereas the cheaper dishes all disappointed. At the end of our meal, we were sated, but our bellies were not bursting, and the bill was slightly north of SGD 100. I might go back to Shin Kushiya in a pinch, but it certainly wont make it to the top of my review list of favorite restaurants anytime soon. 

3/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review: Salad Le Express

Restaurant Review: Salad Le Express

China Square Central
18 Cross Street #01-07
048423 Singapore

+65 8223 2709

Salad Le Express is a new salad bar at China Square that opened as recently as two weeks ago. As the name indicates, this place is all about salad and calling it a restaurant would be slightly exaggerating, as Salad Le Express merely features one elongated table for about six people to have a quick, healthy bite.

Owner and manager K S Tan is quick to welcome guests to his eatery and patiently explains over and over again to each new visitor how they only use high quality ingredients for their salads and that they employ a special washing method to remove traces of pesticides from the vegies/fruits.

Initially, Salad Le Express offered pre-packaged take-away salads only, but by now they have "Pick and Mix" Salads, where you can choose your own ingredients. The shop is still new, so I hope the speed at which they mix the salads will pick up in time as the employees get more experienced. As it was, we had to wait about15 minutes for our three salads, which is ok if you're out for lunch, but less so if you want to just drop by and pick up a salad. I'd advise pre-ordering at +65 8223 2709, however, they don't have a website yet so going through the ingredients over the phone might be a bit painful and it may be easier to just take a pre-packaged salad instead.

Personally, I would prefer to eat with real cutlery and out of a proper bowl, instead of the plastic items Salad Le Express uses. That said, I do understand the economic rationale behind the decision.

On the plus side, the salads we had at Salad Le Express we're really quite yummy, with decent lettuce and very flavorful ingredients, well worth the wait. Pricing is still on the modest side, at less than $S 7 if you go for the standard ingredients.

Right now salads and canned/bottled drinks are all Salad Le Express offers, however, according to Mr. Tan, soups and juices will be added shortly.

Overall, a little less "express" than the name suggests, but well worth a visit, not only for salad lovers. Given the moderate prices and decent quality food I'll give it 3 stars, with a possible revision to 4 if they up their game after the business gets going.

3/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review: Garuda Padang Cuisine at Far East Square

Restaurant Review: Garuda Padang Cuisine at Far East Square

Far East Square #01-01
7-8 Amoy Street
Singapore 049949

+65 6536 4111

As the name indicates, Garuda Padang Cuisine is an Indonesian restaurant located in the arcades of Far East Square. Established nearly forty years ago, Garuda Padang is spread throughout Indonesia, with outlets in Lampung, Medan and Jakarta, and finally opened their first outlet outside Indonesia in Singapore, offering Halal Minangkabau cuisine. At present, Garuda Padang has three outlets in Singapore, in Orchard Central, Vivo City, and Far East Square.

The restaurant at Far East Square targets the business crowds from the nearby CBD and China Square, and accordingly the restaurant’s atmosphere is of elegant casualness. Guests have the option to choose a set lunch (starting from S$ 7) or to order a la carte.

  Garuda Padang Indonesian Cuisine

The staff is friendly and helpful, explaining each different food item for those of us who are not too familiar with Indonesian cuisine. Eventually, we went a la carte and ordered Beef Rendang with Sayur Lodeh (mixed vegetables in light curry sauce) and the chef’s recommendation of Gulai Singkong (tapioca leaves and banana blossoms in coconut sauce). The dish comes with as much rice as you’d like, which smelled delicious. In my view, the Beef Rendang was the best of the three, with the meat tender and slightly spicy and very flavourful. The tapioca leaves and banana blossoms were also very nice, and quite exotic for my ang-mo palate. The mixed vegetables however were a bit of a disappointment, being somewhat tough to chew and lacking in flavour.

To conclude this review, I think overall it was an enjoyable meal for S$ 32 for two persons, but nothing out of the ordinary.

3/5 Stars  

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Restaurant Review: Ricciotti at China Square

Restaurant Review: Ricciotti at China Square

3, Pickering Street,
#01-36/37 Nankin Row,
China Square Central
Singapore 048660

+65 6438 8040

Due to on-going construction works at China Square at the time of this review, I doubt most people would stumble across Ricciotti Italian restaurant if they hadn’t heard about it beforehand. I understand there also is a second Riciotti at Clarke Quay, which might offer a better atmosphere, at least until the construction work in China Square is concluded. Even so, this place is a hidden gem.

I’ve been at Ricciotti three times in the past couple of weeks, so you already get an inclination of where this review is going. The first time, I had Hawaiian Pizza, the second time I had the Linguetti Pesto (basil pesto, sundried tomatoes and French beans) and recently we ordered Fusilli al Gorgonzola and Linguine al Granchio (crabmeat in creamy tomato sauce). 

Having lived with an Italian from Southern Italy, I have a clear concept of what pasta and pizza should taste like. Unfortunately, in many Italian/Western restaurants in Singapore one gets the distinct impression that the cook never has tasted proper Italian food, or is just incapable of replicating that taste. Luckily, Ricciotti is a laudable exception to that rule. The pasta is al dente, and the sauces are evidently home-made, with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The pizza I had was quite sizeable and again the ham and pineapple toppings were as one would desire them to be, fresh and tasty.

The staff at Ricciotti is friendly and quick, at least at the times when I dropped by, which admittedly were not peak hours. Lunch time is usually busy, but if you go in the afternoon/evening I doubt you need to make reservations, even on a weekend. The atmosphere in the restaurant is rustic, made for casual dining. The only downside to Ricciotti is that it’s not cheap, with pasta and pizza (9”/12”) ranging between S$18 and S$25. At the time of this review, Ricciotti had a dinner special going on, offering the 2^ndpasta for 50%. They also have some lunch specials and promo offers for DBS cardholders, which are decent value for your money as well.

Overall, if you value good Italian food, I would recommend Ricciotti without hesitation, unless you require a particularly fancy setting for your dinner.

4/5 Stars

Edit: Yesterday, I tried one of their lunch specials: grilled chicken breast with herbs, combined with a small salad as well as mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. Apart from the fact that the tomatoes in the salad were not ripe (ripe, flavorful tomatoes are something I have yet to taste in any restaurant in Singapore), this lunch special at S$ 12  is great value for money.

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