Arinco King (CLOSED DOWN)

Rin(g) my Bell

I was trembling with anticipation as I made my way down to Ion Food Hall on a Monday morning to pay homage to the much raved about Arinco King.

Good news. No queue! Arinco Fever must have finally died down.

After randomly scanning through the list of items available (sandcakes and rollcakes), I decided to order the salt caramel rollcake, which is touted to be the best selling item in the shop.

The rollcakes. Choose from vanilla, salt caramel and matcha. Each flavor comes with its own unique box, complete with ice packs that can last for up to 3 hours.


The equally pretty but not so sale-able sandcakes, which are much cheaper (but purportedly less tasty) than the rollcakes

At SGD18 per roll, the salt caramel rollcake is no cheap treat. The store doesn't sell individual slices (so its one whole roll or nothing). Each roll ain't that long either- it can comfortably feed 5 people at most.

A life size salt caramel rollcake strategically placed on the counter to tease us rabid foodies....

Consumed by greed, I decided to dispense with niceties and ask for a slice of the roll to be cut for me a la minute . The service staff obliged and proceeded to do so with utmost precision and finesse. I was suitably impressed.

The roll was every bit as scrumptious as it looked, with a sinfully rich cream centre spiked with hints of bittersweet caramel, encased in a velvety sponge exterior. This was unlike any other roll I had ever eaten. Everything about it was fresh, exquisite and delicious.

Due to the open concept of the Food Hall, seating is highly limited. It was a mean feat trying to gingerly cradle my handbag in one hand whilst eating my precious roll with the other. Nonetheless, with the JPY skyrocketing at such high levels against the SGD these days, this is a small price to pay for a piece of Japanese heaven right here in Singapore.

News Alert for Eastlanders

For Eastlanders out there with a weakness for fried chicken and cajun fries...Popeyes has opened an outlet in Century Square (#05-14)

Now that's one less reason to trudge all the way to Changi Airport for your Popeyes fix.

The holy grail

Some trivia about Popeyes (taken from their website)

1. Began in 1972 in New Orleans
2. Named after the character Popeye Doyle in the movie "The French Connection" (Oh..and I always thought it was named after the cartoon...)
3. Has beaten KFC before in a nationwide taste test
4. On facebook and twitter (!)

Think you're a foodie? Challenge

I love taking part in contests/lucky draws, especially those that possess the below qualities:

1) Prizes are many and too good to miss
2) Companies are of decent standing and wouldn't randomly circulate/sell my particulars to some data companies which will spam my mailbox
3) Not many people know of the contest (thus increasing the probability of winning)
4) The contest subject is close to my heart e.g. food related
5) It doesn't take too much effort to complete the application form

This "strategy" has paid off quite handsomely so far. Some of the items I have won to date include ipods, movie tickets, toiletries and food vouchers. Although some might think it is a little frivolous to go gaga over such insignificant freebies, its amazing how these little surprises can add color to an otherwise dull (and luckless) day.

Over time, I'll be intermittently posting up details on contests which I think are too good to miss.
Here's one to start off:

Pan Pacific's Think You're a Foodie? Challenge
This contest is pretty straightforward. Every Mon, a Japanese-food-related question will be posted in the below link.

http://www.panpacific.com/en/countries/singapore/singapore/pan_pacific_singapore/think_youre_a_foodie_challenge.html

All you have to do is to be one of the first 2 folks to email the correct answer (together with your name, ic and contact no) to nfarisha@panpacific.com with the subject header "Think You're a Foodie?" and you'll soon find yourself feasting on a delectable "Keyaki Palate Pleaser" (includes two pieces each of Blue Fin Tuna, Yellowtail and Scallop sashimi and a bottle of Keyaki Sake (180ml)).

Yum.

The catch? You have to be the first 2 to email the correct answer. Which means that if you really want to win, you should standby your computer at 12am on Sunday night and keep refreshing the above link to ensure that you are the first to receive (and respond to) the updated question of the week.

May the "win" be with you!

Megumi

Ma Ma Ma Mia...

This is a distinctly Singaporean Japanese restaurant. The chefs are local, the servers do not speak Japanese and even the food seems catered to local tastebuds.

Having said that, there's a definite charm to the place that keeps me returning for more. The unassuming interior resonates with warmth, its simple yet cosy ambience making it an ideal spot for a quiet weekday meal. Service is sincere (though occasionally lacking during peak hours) and the food is generally good.

Whilst the menu boasts a decent selection of assorted raw fish, these do not feature as prominently as the cooked items.

In our latest visit to the restaurant, my partner and I decided to order our usual favorites as well as a couple of new dishes.

Salmon Sashimi- Quality is generally above average, but can vary depending on the cut of the fish and day of the week. Slices are thick and bear hints of sweetness. (Note: We opted for Agi sashimi in an earlier visit and didn't enjoy it at all)

Fried Salmon Skin- The greyish salmon skin looked hideous in its unmasked glory but passed the taste test with flying colors. The bite sized pieces were light and crisp, with a texture and taste similar to that of seasoned seaweed.

Megumi Maki- This is one of my personal favorites. The clean fresh flavors of avocado, cucumber and crabstick drizzled with a generous mountain of ebiko roe never fail to strike the right chord in me.
Miso baked eggplant- Another personal favorite of mine. The nutty miso paste slathered liberally on the soft underbelly of the grilled eggplant is highly addictive. This is one mushy dish that is very, very good.Garlic Fried Rice- A serving of this dish can feed 2. Each grain of rice is bursting with wok hei goodness- definitely one of the better versions of garlic fried rice I have tried so far.

Unagi tofu- I am typically not a fan of unagi so this dish does not particularly appeal to me. The tasty batter encasing the unagi crusted tofu however makes all the difference. If only I could just order the batter and tofu alone.

Drinks- We usually order ice green tea. However, being a sucker for packaging, I decided to order a bottle of Maru (currently on promotion at SGD28 per bottle). Maru is a gimicky dry white wine which is supposed to go well with "sushi and asian food". It added unparalled sweetness to the raw fish and heightened our dining experience to almost dizzying levels (alcohol level is 12%). We couldn't finish the whole bottle and barely made it home that night.

If you are driving, do note that parking space directly outside the restaurant is highly limited. Your best bet is to park at the public carpark across the road (beside the Shell Station) and take a short stroll over.

Reservations are strongly recommended. The best days to visit are Tuesdays to Thursdays.