Tanyoto

Tanyoto sounds like some funky Japanese word but actually just means "Fish Head Soup" in Chinese (Tang Yu Tou).

Steamboat rules the day, with a mind boggling array of soup bases and sauces to choose from.

As it was our first visit there, my kaki and I opted for the lunch buffet (SGD23.80+++ per pax) so that we could try a little of everything. There are also optional add-ons (like SGD4 for free flow plum drink or barley)

The buffet menu. Click to enlarge

We eventually settled on 2 soup bases- the restaurant's "signature" Sichuan peppercorn soup and a tomato fish broth. We paid an additional SGD8.80 for the "signature" peppercorn soup.

We were so taken aback by the thick layer of chili oil lining the surface of the fiery sichuan broth that we scooped most of it out

Here's what we had for starters:
Cold bean jelly- Underwhelming, akin to biting into tasteless konnkayu jelly


Saliva chicken- the sichuan peppercorn sauce was wickedly spicy and the chicken meat was sufficiently tender


Fried fish skin- deliciously crunchy and savoury- we just couldn't resist pinching on these throughout the meal


Before the main steamboat items arrived, my kaki and I scurried over to the sauce counter to concoct our favorite combinations.

Being the boring person that I am, this is the best I could conjure up:

Chilli padi in light soy sauce and sesame sauce with crunchy soy beans and spring onion.

The mains arrived in quick succession

A single serving of fresh medium sized prawns.


Beef and chicken slices. Decadently tender, best eaten with sesame sauce


Fish fillet- Sorry. These were gobbled up before I could whisk out my camera. They were extremely fresh and carried a hint of delicate sweetness, with no fishy aftertaste whatsoever. Apparently the restaurant takes lots of pride in its fish.

Lotus root slices- I didn't really like this. They were crunchy and highly starchy.

Beancurd skin ribbons- Eye candy which unfortunately didn't deliver in the taste department.


Homemade chicken balls, pork balls and beef balls. Temperature and timing are of the essence here. Quickly scoop the balls up once they surface to enjoy them at their best. The balls taste strangely rubbery when overcooked.


Mushrooms and vegetables- We had tons of these. The golden mushrooms go exceptionally well with the numbing hot soup base. Be prepared to cry lots.

By the time we were ready for dessert, it was already 140pm and we were starting to wish that we were tai tais who didn't have to rush back to work.

We quickly caught the attention of a service staff and asked for 2 bowls of aloe vera with honey. These came in pretty little bowls scattered with osmanthus flowers that made our hearts flutter. My kaki was so blown away that she proclaimed this as the highlight of her meal.


Although the restaurant is not very crowded, don't expect tip top service. The staff seem to cluster in corners and do not exercise much initiative. Decor is however tastefully modern, with classy fish murals and dark wood furnishings.


Great for business dining- if your client enjoys steamboat. There are even private rooms on the second level for big parties.


In conjunction with their anniversary celebration, the restaurant presented us with return food vouchers amounting to 50% of our total bill. Being a sucker for freebies, I was quick to make a return visit with yet another unsuspecting makan kaki. This time, we went ala carte and thoroughly enjoyed a medley of vegetables, mushrooms, sweet clams and fish slices. Our accompanying soup bases of tomato and spicy sichuan peppercorn were divine. After factoring in the discount from the vouchers, we ended up paying around SGD25 each, which is excellent value.

Unlike the Chinese Feasts, this is not a steamboat joint that I can afford to come to every week for lunch. However, I will definitely save this place in my "must-go" list for special luncheons.

Tanyoto
177 River Valley Road
#01-25/25A, Liang Court Shopping Centre
Tel: 6836 6839

Fun but forgettable

What does the J in JPot stand for? Jumbo? (because of the restaurant's affiliation with Jumbo) Or perhaps Japan? (given the recent wave of interest in Japanese themed restaurants)

Being die hard steamboat fans always on the prowl for good deals, my kaki and I decided to give JPot's set lunch a shot. Set lunches (starting from 9.80+++) are a wallet friendly alternative to dinner as ala carte prices tend to be toppish.

The restaurant is tucked in a quiet corner of Vivocity. We literally skidded to our seats as the wooden floor was quite slippery. Other than that, the restaurant's interior is aesthethically pleasing with good ventilation and a picturesque view of Sentosa.

My kaki ordered Set A (9.80+++ comprising of marinated pork slices, 2 pork balls, a small basket of vegetables and mushroom and a bowl of rice). She chose a bak kut teh soup stock.

I opted for Set B (12.80+++ comprising of beef slices, 2 beef balls, a small basket of vegetables and mushrooms and a bowl of rice). My soup base comprised of a superior broth concocted by the restaurant.

Enticed by mouthwatering descriptions of the "popping" fish skin (3.80 a portion) and "DIY" fish noodles (3.50 a tube), we ordered a serving each to share.

I preferred the beef set to the pork set as the thinly sliced beef was a breeze to cook and boasted sufficient bite and flavor (as opposed to the marinated pork slices which was over-tenderized to the extent that it didn't really taste like real meat anymore). The soup stocks initially came across as peppery and bland but gradually took on a lovely umami flavor after fully absorbing the meat and vegetable juices.

The sauces/condiments range is extensive and fun to experiment with. I sprinkled multiple portions of fried garlic bits on my rice while my kaki devised her own special peanut sesame sauce. We thoroughly enjoyed immersing the fish skin into the bubbling stock (the crackling sounds emitted from the popping skin are strangely therapeutic). The same cannot be said of the fish noodles, which sadly didn't taste as good as it looked. The stringy lumps of paste did not form a nice swirl and broke up into small unappetising piecesThis was definitely a fun lunch date. However, there are many other steamboat restaurants offering better set lunches at an equivalent or even cheaper price (e.g. The Chinese Feasts @ Suntec and Bei Shan Chuan Spicy Steamboat on the 3rd floor of Vivocity)