Japan's Niku Katsumata on Duxton Road, Singapore

I've been wanting to come to this yakiniku place for a while now (47 Duxton Road, 9162-7502), but their sky-high prices prevented me from doing so. Fortunately, I realized the other day that they are now doing lunch, and at much more reasonable prices. That wagyu donburi above (yes, there's rice underneath) went for only S$21.30 (US$15.90), a relative bargain compared to what would've likely been triple digit price tags for dinner.

While the meat above was rather lean (and thus boring), at least it was tender. Plus, it all made for a healthy meal, especially since they provided a little kettle of broth to pour in and make an ochazuke. One day I'd like to come here to try their dinner (interestingly, they cook on crystal platters, allegedly for more evenly spread heat), but I definitely can't be the one paying.

Chunky Lobsters at Oxley Tower, Singapore

A lobster roll place has opened in the city (138 Robinson Road #02-03) with the tagline "Seafood Made Affordable." How affordable? The lobster rolls were just S$16 (US$12), or just a third of the price of Lobster Pince & Pints. Fortunately, the quality of the lobster meat was good, being nice and firm without drowning in mayo. Now, the bread was a little sweet (and that bisque didn't really have much of a lobster taste either), but I'll eat it again. It turns out that these guys were inspired by Luke's Lobster in New York, if I read it correctly.

Bakso Soup from Ayam Penyet Ria

It wasn't until I looked it up just now did I realize how long it's been since I've been to Ayam Penyet Ria. This time, I just went for soups, like that bakso soup above, as well as some soto ayam, both of which were crisp and savory, and with the added bonus of some decently spicy sambal to go with it. I liked how the bowls here were nice and small too. I really should come here more often; there were quite a few other things on the menu that looked worthy of a try, including even the drinks and desserts.

Pasta e Formaggio at Oxley Tower, Singapore

My first impression here wasn't good, as the place reeked of garlic (138 Robinson Road #01-08, 8114-5984). But the prices were reasonable and the pasta was made from scratch. More importantly, they didn't overcook the noodles, and the garlic ultimately didn't overwhelm my food either. It was better than I thought it would be.

The portions were pretty small though (I had to order a second plate). And my preference for decent yet affordable pasta places still skews towards a lighter-tasting Abate or even Ah Bong's. But I'll come here again, perhaps next time asking if I can eat outside so that I don't have to sit inside that garlic pit.

Tamoya Udon Singapore is Serving Ramen Now

It's been a while since we've been to Tamoya. It looks like only the Liang Court location remains now, and they've expanded their menu to include ramen too, of all things. The good thing was that the broth was spiked with a good amount of sesame oil, making it nice and fragrant. But the noodles were waaaaaaay too soft. Granted, I left the bowl sitting there for at least five minutes before I started to eat, so part of it was my own fault. But if I get this next time then I'd better see if they are willing to cook my noodles firmly instead.

Kailis Fish Market Cafe in Fremantle, Australia

OK, so those mussels from Rockpool last night were not the local Perth chili mussels that I was looking for. Instead, these were. They were from a waterfront shop out in Fremantle that looked worryingly touristy (48 Mews Road, 08-9335-7755).

Fortunately, everything was wonderfully fresh, including some rather briny oysters, some nicely grilled lobster, and some delightfully tender fish. The mussels were fresh too, but it took some getting used to the heavy tomato taste (think: a marinara sauce that one usually associates with pasta instead). In that sense, I'll pass on the mussels next time, but will be happy go for the fish and chips again.

BTW, they amusingly had fish and chips as a gelato flavor here. It didn't really taste like fish and chips; it was just fried batter mixed into the gelato. And oddly, it tasted more like a banana flavor to me. It was fine, but would've been more interesting if they at least had a more pronounced sea salt taste in there.

Chili Mussels from Rockpool in Perth, Australia

It seems that one of the local things to get in Perth is a dish called chili mussels, which are done up in chili, garlic, and tomato. I'm not sure if Rockpool's version above is meant to be an interpretation of that or not, but the mussels were very fresh at least, and that vermouth and pepper based broth that it came in was surprisingly punchy. Anyway, it's hard to go wrong with anything at Rockpool; I was happy with my squid ink risotto as well as a number of other starters that we had shared. The thing I maybe liked the most was a sesame old fashioned that I closed the meal with.

The Merrywell in Perth, Australia

This pub at the Crown Perth had a big banner that said that they had won some award for the best steak sandwich in Perth. So we went in to give it a try. To my dismay, it came with not only sweet potato fries, but also beetroot (hey, it was Australia after all). The good thing is that I didn't mind the beetroot as much as I thought I would. But I still don't like sweet potato fries.

Lallah Rookh in Perth, Western Australia

When I searched online for good restaurants in Perth, this Italian place (77 Saint Georges Terrace, 08-9325-7077) showed up on several lists. And I can see why. It was delicious, featuring largely local ingredients that were all done with care. I particularly liked a firmly-cooked tube pasta that they gave us in their chef's menu, not to mention some local octopus, as well as that quail above. They had quite a thing for figs here too, featuring it with not only a blue cheese mousse to start but also in a dessert that they closed with. Best of all, it was cheaper than what it would've likely cost in Singapore. Good choice.

Getting Salt and Pepper Squid in Australia

We needed a quick bite after getting into Perth this afternoon, and the hotel bar had none other than salt and pepper squid on their menu. We figured that we'd get that then since it's so popular Down Under. It did the job with a nicely textured and peppery batter. It does make me wonder though if anyone has tried introducing Rhode Island-style calamari down here.

Avocado Toast at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck

It turns out that The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck at Changi Terminal 3 does breakfast! I grabbed this avocado toast above, which had some wonderfully sweet tomatoes as well as some really nice bread underneath. And it wasn't too citrusy either. We'll have to get our hands on more of that bread.

Langra and Kesar Mangoes From India

It's Indian mango season again! Mustafa had the usual alphonso and banganapalli varieties, as well as dusheri and pairi. But fortunately they also had two that I haven't tried yet: langra and kesar. I wasn't getting my hopes up for langra: it was green on the outside and yellow on the inside. But it turned out to be impressively sweet like a Thai honey mango, all with just a hint of richness. The kesar, on the other hand, looked much better with its bright orange flesh inside. And it was more complex than the langra with a tinge of mustiness (in a good way). Thumbs up to both.

Side note: Raj has shut down (oh no!), although at least it was Murugan Idli Shop that has taken its place with a now much larger venue.