Ikura – Fook Hai Outlet Menu Rejuvenation [MEDIA INVITE]

Negi Toro Don

Ikura is a Japanese Izakaya style dining that serves a variety of Japanese cuisine. The food served range from Sashimi, Sushi, Maki, Salad, Donburi, Chirashi, Ramen and many more. The complete list consists of more than 100 over items on the list.

Aburi Miso Maki 

Fook Hai outlet is the first outlet of Ikura Japanese. It first opens its door in 2017 and it has gathered regular loyal patrons over these past 2 years. Thus, it is time for this outlet to refresh its menu, we are honoured to be invited to have the first preview of their new menu.

We started our tasting with appetizer Gyoza ($11); Fugumirin ($11) – Sundried Puffer Fish; Tatami Iwashi ($10) – Dried Baby Sardines; and Wakasaki Karaage ($11) – Deep Fried Shishamo.

Gyoza

The gyoza has a crisp exterior, with juicy fillings. Fugumirin is exotic, but the flavour is on the salty side. My personal pick is the Wakasaki Karaage, which is crispy and bursting with flavour. It is perfectly fried and you can eat most of the part. All of the appetizer dishes will go nicely with sake or beer.  

Tatami Iwashi & Wakasaki Karaage

For sharing, Aburi Miso Maki ($17) and Unagi Maki ($17) are a good choice. A creative invention on both maki, the sushi rice seasoned just nice, while the fillings are generous. The sauces on both maki just elevate it to another level.

Aburi Miso Maki 

Unagi Maki

Buta Shogayaki ($13) – Stir Fried Sliced Pork Belly with Ginger. The pork belly is tender, juicy while the ginger aroma lingers at the back. It will go nicely with a bowl of white rice.

Buta Shogayaki 

Sakura Ebi Chahan ($11) – River Shrimps Fried Rice is a nice carbo dish to have. Each grain of rice is al-dente, with a good bite into it plus the “Wok Hei” aroma is strong. The mini river shrimps added a subtle umami flavour and crunchiness in this dish. One of the best dishes of the night.

Sakura Ebi Chahan

For a luxurious option, you can try Ikura’s Chirashi. We tried Negi Toro Don ($21) and Hokkaido Chirashi ($21). I personally like the Negi Toro (minced tuna). The tuna is chopped to almost smooth and velvety texture plus raw egg topping is more tempting compared to the sliced sashimi.

Negi Toro Don

Hokkaido Chirashi 

Udon comes in two versions, soup base or stir-fried. Beef Udon ($13) is the signature udon soup here. Meanwhile, Gyu Suji Yaki Udon ($16) is the stir-fried version. Surprising, my pick goes to the stir-fried version. The udon is firmer and bouncy, topped with delicate sweet sauce. It looks a bit oily, but it delivers in taste.

Beef Udon

Gyu Suji Yaki Udon

Shima Hokke Yaki ($19) – Grilled Arga Mackerel is a good value from money. The fillet is thick and the fattiness in the fish allowing the flesh to remain juicy and flaky over a long period.

Shima Hokke Yaki

For the ramen here, it is best to go with the stronger flavours like Black Tonkotsu Ramen ($14.80) and the spicy Mala Tonkotsu Ramen ($14.80). I did not try the mala ramen, but the black tonkotsu ramen has a generous sweet black garlic flavour in the broth.

Black Tonkotsu Ramen

Black Tonkotsu Ramen

Mala Tonkotsu Ramen 

Leave space for dessert, as the Japanese Tofu Cheese Cake ($7.80) is not to be missed. It is served cold, the tofu-like texture cheesecake is smooth and just melts in your mouth. The creamy cheese flavour is subtle, yet enough to tantalize your tastebuds. The base is dense yet crumble effortlessly when you bit into it. Yummy

Japanese Tofu Cheese Cake

Ikura at Fook Hai has three dining areas. Alfresco, indoor ground floor and indoor second floor. The ground floor seating is very tight, almost like dining in an izakaya in Japan. Good for 2 to 4 person seating. For bigger group and private functions, you will likely be seated on the second floor.

Overall, Ikura @ Fook Hai has an extensive menu and you will be able to find something that suits you. I recommend Aburi Miso Maki, Unagi Maki, Sakura Ebi Chahan and Japanese Tofu Cheese Cake. Cheers!!

Thank you Alvin for the invite and Ikura’s Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 6.5/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50,

  

Ikura @ Fook Hai

150 South Bridge Road

#01-14 Fook Hai Building

Singapore 058727

T: +65 6532 6656

W: https://www.ikura.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/IKURAJap/

IG: @Ikura_sg

OH:

Mon – Sat: 12.00 – 14.30; 17.30 – Midnight

Closed on Sunday.

Menu Available Online

Ding Te Le – A Very Good Shanghainese Staple Food

Signature pan-fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns - Sheng Jian Bao

Ding Te Le at Kovan is an eatery serving Shanghainese cuisines such as Xiao Long Bao (XLB), Shanghainese Noodle and Sheng Jian Bao. Surprisingly, it has been open for almost 2 years. LD and I visited the restaurant frequently when it just opened, but we got so busy we have not returned until recently.

DING TE LE

Signature Steamed Pork & Soup Bun ($5.40) also known as Xiao Long Bao (XLB). One tray comes with 5 pcs of XLB. The skin thin but not translucent, while the pork fillings are juicy and filled with Oink Oink soup that burst when you bit into the XLB. For an easy comparison, the skin is thicker than those sold in DTF, but the meat fillings are almost double in size.

Signature Steamed Pork & Soup Bun - Xiao Long Bao (XLB)

Signature pan-fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns ($5.40) also known as Sheng Jian Bao. This pork bun has a crispy exterior, followed with a chewy internal skin plus thick and juicy pork ball fillings. As it is served directly after pan-fried, it is better to let it cool down slightly before you bit into it. We ordered this for takeaway before and it remains hot even after we let it sit for 30 minutes.

Signature pan-fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns - Sheng Jian Bao

Sheng Jian Bao Fillings

The recent addition of Pan-Fried Meat Dumpling ($5.40) is definitely worth the wait. The skin is crispy, slightly chewy, but enjoyable. The fillings are juicy and generous, definitely, something for a gyoza lover to tried.

Pan-Fried Meat Dumpling

Pan-Fried Meat Dumpling Fillings

Part of the Shanghainese cuisine is their noodles. I personally like their “almost naked” Noodles with Soy Sauce & Scallion Oil ($5.30). Although the noodles that I ordered almost plain, the version in Ding Te Le come with dried prawns. The texture of the noodle is springy and bouncy, while the aromatic scallion plus soya sauce infused it with a delicious flavour. The dried prawns added the OMPH factor to this dish.

Noodles with Soy Sauce & Scallion Oil

Noodles with Soy Sauce & Scallion Oil

For the side dishes, we ordered Marinated Jellyfish with Cucumber ($7.20), Wheat Gluten & Shiitake Mushrooms ($4.80) and Boiled Soybean Sprouts with Oily Bean Curd ($4.80). Frankly, the side dishes did not shine like their main dishes. The jellyfish and beansprouts offer crunchy texture but under seasoned, while the wheat gluten is extremely sweet. A little bit of fine tuning in terms of flavour will add more points to their food.

Marinated Jellyfish with Cucumber 

Wheat Gluten & Shiitake Mushrooms

Boiled Soybean Sprouts with Oily Bean Curd

The décor of the restaurant is simple and bright. More like a modern Chinese eatery. The kitchen is a see-through model, where you can see the Chefs preparing your meal. Service is friendly and efficient.

Menu - Front

Menu - Back

Overall, Ding Te Le offers a very good Shanghainese staple dishes. The noodles, buns and dumplings are as good as those branded restaurants, while the price is relatively cheaper. So if you are near Kovan area, give Ding Te Le a try. Cheers!!

Food: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 6/10

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $0 - $10, $11 - $25.

DING TE LE 鼎特樂

949 Upper Serangoon Road

Singapore 534713

T: +65 6282 4380

F: https://www.facebook.com/dingtele.sh/

IG: @Dingtele

OH: Daily 11.30 – 14.30; 17.30 – 22.30

Kanshoku Ramen Bar – Oishi Tonkotsu Ramen

Signature Kanshoku Ramen

Kanshoku Ramen Bar is a Singapore born Ramen Bar created by Melvin and Brendon, founded in 2014. Kanshoku means 'to finish eating every last bit of your food'. This sometimes can be difficult when it comes to Tonkotsu ramen, however this duo manages to create this in Kashoku.

Kanshoku Ramen Bar @ ION Orchard

My order is Signature Kanshoku Ramen ($13.90), with hard ramen texture. The presentation is simple with only the necessary ingredients. Ramen, Char Siew, Fungus, Spring Onions and Seaweed.

Signature Kanshoku Ramen

First slurp, the broth tasted creamy, robust with a subtle umami flavour. I noticed that it is not oily, however you can feel the subtle Oink Oinkness in the broth. The ramen is thin and springy and easily soaks up the flavour of the broth. The chasu is thin, well-balanced fats and it just melts in your mouth. Oishi!!

Check out the Ramen

As I was hungry, I decided to top up with Noodle with broth ($5.50). It is basically the Ramen with the broth, topped with white sesame. The portion is generous and the texture of the ramen is consistent.

Ramen with Broth

Shoyu Ramen ($13.90). The broth of this ramen is the opposite of the Signature Ramen. It is clear and well infused with quality shoyu. The ramen is thin and springy, complemented the broth nicely. The chasu is thin, well-balanced fats and just melts in your mouth. Suitable for someone looking for a lighter ramen.

Shoyu Ramen

We also ordered the Pork Gyoza ($6.50).The skin is crispy and the pork fillings just burst in your mouth. The tangy vinegar helps to balance too much richness from the pork.

Pork Gyoza

The décor of the restaurant is bright, zen, creating the atmosphere of dining in a Japanese establishment. You can be forgiven if you think of it as a dessert bar instead of ramen bar due to its modern aesthetic. The ordering process is simple and seamless, while the service is no fuss as well.

The Menu

Overall, in the beginning, I thought this restaurant is another franchise from Japanese Ramen outlet. Kudos to Melvin and Brendon in creating a homegrown Ramen Bar. It is definitely comparable to those established brands. For the ramens, they are just OISHI. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7.75/10

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25.

Kanshoku Ramen Bar

2 Orchard Turn

#B3-18, ION Orchard

Singapore 238801

T: +65 6509 8221

W: https://www.kanshokuramen.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/kanshokuramen

IG: @Kanshokuramen

OH: Daily 11.00 – 22.00

Other outlets are listed on their website