Birthday meal at Tatsuya

Dinner at Tatsuya, one of Singapore's more popular Japanese restaurant, is one that requires some sort of an occasion, at least for me.  The lunch sets are good value for money but going omakase at dinner is really an indulgent, fun experience that I wish for all sushi fans to have an opportunity to experience.  In my case, what better ocassion could I ask for other than my birthday, especially the last birthday before I turn big 3-0?

On a Saturday at 7:30pm, the sushi counter was still relatively quiet less than half-filled. Closer to 8pm, the rest of the dinner crowd started filling up the restaurant and counters. The waitresses in their body-hugging kimonos walked hastily back and forth, back and forth behind us, along a narrow corridor to fulfill orders from hungry diners. The sushi chefs, all five of them behind the counter, never had a free moment. Their deft hands could not stop moving and that busy scene went on for another good two hours. 

Initially, the chefs almost all had their sashimi knives on, long and sharp.  They were slicing beautiful slabs of fresh fish for sashimi course.  Then there was the shiny long metal chopsticks that could neatly arrange and decorate the plates.  A dollop of wasabi, beautiful little stalks of shisho (oba) flowers, and a cute crysanthemum flower that looked like a cheerful yellow button added visual aesthetics to our rectangular platter of sashimi. The kanpachi, creamy and pristine, was my favourite of the night.  But that was after another delicious seasonal sashimi of katsuo (bonito) in a ponzu vinegrette. It was so good that I zoomed right into the dish, forgetting to take a picture of it.  That said, the hairy crab from Hokkaido mixed with its own crab miso was a close second, if not for the bits of cartilage.  I don't like akagai (ark shell) but Tatsuya's was fresh and crunchy.

Then the kitchen took over, giving the Chef a breather to concentrate on other diners.  We had a couple of lovely seasonal dishes in the form of grilled sanma (pacific saury) and a snow crab leg tempura.

Shortly after, the Chef got busy again.  He sliced the fish for the sushi neta, then crafted each piece of sushi followed by either blow-torching and / or dressing.  Tatsuya's sushi are modern, refreshed with special sauces and interesting toppings that add texture and flavours.   Sometimes, the sauces could be overpowering, such as in the case of the hotate (scallop) with goma (sesame) dressing.   If you are a purist, then forget Tatsuya.  But most of them, the additional things made sense.  Look at the anago sushi.  It was soo good!  Grilled ala minute, it was dressed with a little sweet sauce.  It was deliciously warm in the mouth, disintegrating easily with the sushi rice.  But it would have just been too one dimensional if not for the crispy bits of fried salmon skin bits that the Chef used as a topping. 

Dinner ended with a house-made custard pudding with vanilla-infused brown sugar syrup.  It was creamy, soft and rich.  By then I was too full to fully enjoy them.  The boy did not have the luxury of seconds until then.  But the sushi chefs were still not done for the night.  The leftover fish had to be packed and the counter cleaned down good and proper.  I guess the sushi counter at Tatsuya would never be a tranquil scene.  Yet against that energetic backdrop throughout the night, my heart and mind just focused on one thing - how blessed and happy I was to be there experiencing the moments with someone really special.

This post is for you D.  
xoxo

Seville: Abantal (1*)

Amuse bouche 1: tuna tartare and potato salad

The other meal that impressed me a great deal was at Abantal, a 1* Michelin restaurant located in the city of Seville.  Touted as a modern take on traditional Andalusian cuisine, I had no benchmark and no expectations going into the meal.  That was probably why I walked away feeling like Abantal was a little gem that caught the eyes of just a few.  The meal was worth remembering so much so I tried to look up the young talent behind the restaurant,Chef Julio Fdez Quintero, to find out more about his food and philosophy.  Alas, nothing remotely interesting was available online.

The dining room at Abantal was simple and classy with brown tones and wood as the main themes.  The food was presented simply as well, letting the food speak for itself.  It was a meal that I wished I had more stomach room so I could try more of Chef's dishes.  It would be a meal that I want to return to Seville for. 

Amuse bouche #2

Inside the cup was a medley of chopped apricots, almond, microgreens.  But...a cold soup of sweet garlic and almond was poured over.  After the mediocre amuse #1, this completely upped the game.  The balance between flavours really made this dish.

Appetizer 1:  Squid ink rice with squid and razor shells.  This was jaw-dropping awesome.  Okay, admittedly, I have a bias for all things squid ink but this was truly flavourful and reminded me of the sea with each bite.  The razor clams were meaty too, adding that bit of texture.  But it was also very rich, I don't really want to know how much butter could have gone into the dish but I could have easily just have this appetizer as a main course. 

Appetizer: Seabass carpaccio was a little underseasoned but the little cubes of cheese and ikura made up for it.

Main: Hake served with chickpeas and spinach stew and pinenuts was an acquired taste.  Two generous pieces of fish from one side of a fish (i.e. the entire fillet) were welcomed but one of them, the thicker cut, was way underdone.  

Main: Poached cod in olive oil with roasted aubergines and grilled artichokes was okay.  The cod wasn't the oily sort that I like so it scored lesser points for me.  I enjoyed the vegetables more.  Haha.  The eggplant was in the form of puree and the grilled artichokes were what it was with a good amount of smokiness from the grill.

no bread, but a cracker, was served alongside.  it was dense, crunchy and not much taste.

Dessert: Cherries in Liquor with vinegar ganache , white chocolate ice cream and candy of raspberryThis dessert was another memorable dish.  The vinegar in the ganache was a surprisingly complementary flavour and took the edge off all the other sweet things going on such as the cherries and icecream and the bottom layer chocolate cake (which was also very oh-so-good as it was dense and fudgey).




Abantal
7 Alcalde Jose de la Bandera
41003 Seville

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Bedrock Bar and Grill

Freshly baked bread and a whole head of roasted garlic in oil

This, is what I would return to Bedrock alone for. Soft, white bread freshly baked in the open hearth, spread with softened cloves of caramelised garlic and its accompanying oils, and a good sprinkle of salt to season the whole deal.  I could make a meal out of this complimentary dish alone, but of course I would not do that.  I still ordered a set lunch. 

Ravioli with mushrooms

The skin was a little beyond thick but the cream sauce was quite flavourful.

Pan-fried fish with poached egg and bacon

The fish was tender but not very flavourful unfortunately.  I don't think it was intentional.  The egg would have been redundant if not for the bland fish that made the runny egg taste extra good.

Poppyseed Cake

Isn't poppyseed banned in our little island?  In any case, the cake was decent.  The thick clotted cream was even more awesome.

Apple Tart with Vanilla Icecream

The tart was, erm, quite a failure with too stodgey and thick a crust and too little apple.  The vanilla ice cream was extremely good though, speckled with vanilla beans, smooth and rich. 

Spain: Akelare (***)

Back to Spain...

I fell in love with the restaurant's surroundings the moment I viewed its website.  I knew it was going onto my "to-go" list.  The restaurant is probably worth a visit just to see the specatular views over the Cantabrican sea.

I didn't specifically request but we got a window seating anyway.  On hindsight, I would definitely recommend for anyone making a daytime reservation to make a special request for the window.  Eating with a panoramic view of the vast deep sea and clear blue skies was priceless!

Although Akelare has the reputation of being a classic restaurant, I found the menu to be seasonal and rather interesting, with bits of innovation and dishes full of flavour.

Amuse Bouche 1

I learnt that Akelarre Restaurant has its own garden where many of the ingredients used in its recipes are carefully grown.  

The meal at Akelare was my favourite one in the trip.  Great food, great view and great company - cannot ask for more.  Here goes the food..

Amuse bouche 2

The amuse bouche brought smiles on everyone's faces.  A whimsical box of cute little snacks contained a macaron-looking snack that was actually cured tuna and rice crackers.  Then there was a swiss roll spread with black pudding.  The cute little pigs were puffed up rice crackers topped with a thin translucent slice of bacon.  Lastly, the candy looking thing contained a powder that oddly reminded me of chicken flavoured Twisties.  It was awesome and that set the stage for the rest of the meal, where all the dishes delivered memorable visual presentations and deliciousness. 

Amuse Bouche 3

After all that amusement, we were prepared for our main courses next, not two more amuse bouches!  But we welcomed them anyway.  I had a creamy and refreshing gazpacho, served with bitter arugla and a crispy parmesan "lollipop".  This was served only to me, because the restaurant knew I did not take meat and thus, could not really enjoy the pork cracker and swiss roll.  I thought that was especially thoughtful.  In a white porcelain spoon, we had a sweet and intense melon soup in a jelly, topped with some crispy bits.   

Then we got on the meal proper.


Delicious multigrain bread with the crispiest of crust and warm innards.  A generous serving of butter balls were placed on the table when my friend requested for some.  Even though I knew the risk of getting full on bread, I found myself getting a second and then a third.



Prawns and French Beans cooked in "orujo" fire

This was my choice of mains.  Fresh shrimp flambeed over lava rocks and liquor in a sturdy iron pot.  The shrimps were then plated beautifully tableside with ice plant, a puree of green peas, and a powder made from shrimp shells and rice.  The shrimps were tender and creamy.  Together, the flavors and textures were subtle but just perfect.



Roasted Lobster

Mozzarella ball spiced up with a powder that was not spicy, but fragrant.  That was a whole lobster, including the "miso" laid beneath and the meat was done barely cooked.  The texture was very good.

Iberico pork braised, with green tea powder

Hake with goose barnacles

Very clean flavours and slightly Asian with the thick sauce.  Hake is a firm white fish that is light and not very strong in flavours.  Goose barnacle is not any part of a goose, but a sea crustacean that tasted like a clam / geoduck.  This dish was just okay for me.



"Zebra" fish

We were wondering about the inverted commas but it became clear immediately when we saw the dish.  Squid ink was used to paint onto the squid's body to mimic a zebra.  The squid was so tender that hardly any work was required to chew it through.  The mash on the bottom (can't remember what it was) was flavourful and went well with the squid.

"Another Apple Tart" - a signature dessert

The apple tart was comprised of a luscious apple cream sandwiched between puff pastry and wrapped in an piece of printed "tent" that tasted like fruit leather (think: Uncle Toby roll-ups).

Nuts, Lemon and Cinnamon in Equal Equilibrium

I didn't like the dessert too much.  The lemon cream was really sour but objectively, it was balanced off by the sweet cinnamon cream.  Perhaps it was all just too creamy and heavy, I felt it was quite one dimensional despite the crispy shells.  That was probably because the shells were more than a little hard so I really could not be bothered to eat them.

Grape, milk and cheese

My least favourite dessert because they were too individualistic and did not really combine well to me.



Mignardises

The bowl was covered with an edible skin that was pear flavored.  It hid chocolate with ganache and caramelised hazelnuts underneath. 

Paris: Nodaiwa

After a couple of weeks in Spain, I stopped over for a couple of days in Paris before returning to Singapore.  The first day, I indulged in a girly and chi-chi lunch at L'Apege with my dear friend SW and her little precious daughter.  We had lots of fun there but I will share that in a separate post. 

The following day, a Saturday, we had the company of her husband as well and all of us went to lunch at Nodaiwa as SW was having a craving for Japanese unagi. Now, that would likely elicit a "Unagi in Paris??" response but I trusted SW as always. 

I knew Nodaiwa was an offshoot of a famous unagi-ya in Tokyo and later learnt that Tokyo served naturally-bred unagi while the outlet in Paris did not have the luxury of the same quality and used bred species from the European waters instead.

Without going into the long and short of preparing unagi, it is an understatement to say that a good dish of unagi is difficult and tedious to prepare.  In the usual Japanese tradition and rigeur, it takes many years for cooks to become good at anything : ). 

For lunch at Nodaiwa, there was a few sets that offered good value to add a little variety in your meal.  Much like a good steak meal at Morton's, one gets to choose bewteen three sizes of unagi (180g, 230g, 300g).  The only difference between an unadon and a unaju is that the former is presented in a bowl, with sauce while the latter is prepared and placed in a lacquered box.

I ordered a Matsu set.  It comprised of a small unadon (130g), raw tuna sashimi, miso soup and sunomono (pickled vegetables). 
 

 

The eel was tender and moist and the accompanying generous drizzle of sauce over warm, sticky Japanese rice was such an inviting sight.  The sauce, which tasted sweet, salty, thick and delicious all at once, was almost caramelised and glistened over the grilled eel like a shiny layer of topcoat over fresh manicure.  The restaurant had a special spice called sansho, which smelled a little like lemon grass but less intense.  It added a different flavour when sprinkled over the unagi that was quite interesting.  I think I prefered mine neat.  The rest of the meal was nothing memorable except that the sashimi was less than stellar. 

After unagi, we shopped in the area with the intention of stopping by Pierre Herme for ice cream.  Available only in the summer, SW could not stop raving about the ice cream.  Her favourite was the Ispahan, their famous rose and lychee-flavour combination, and that was what she got.  I got the less known Montebello, a strawberry and pistachio combination.  

Each cup of ice cream cost 5 or 6 euros (I cannot remember exactly) and tasted smooth and sweet.  One cup after a big lunch seemed impossible to accomplish, and it was borderline heavy if not for the fruit.  But I could not stop digging in.   The flavours were strong individually, with bits of texture from natural fruit and bits of nuts.  SW's little girl knew exactly what she wanted as well.  Salted caramel was pretty good too, with a more sticky texture.  I am not as big fan of a fan of caramel as the little girl but it must have been good because she finished one helping without much of an effort at all.

Nodaiwa
272 Rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris, France
Tel: 01 42 86 03 42

Pierre Herme
4 rue Cambon
75001 Paris, France