Keyaki

After reading quite a few good reviews online, my family decided to go for dinner at Keyaki.

Entering the restaurant brought me back to the time when I was in Japan at this hot spring area! Really reminiscent of Japan! I thought dinner was off to a good start.

Amuse boche - seaweed

This was quite thick, a little sour, not bad

Seared sushi

I'm not exactly sure what fish this is because the waitress recommended this fish to be served as seared sushi. This was not bad but they didnt press the rice tightly enough together so it was crumbly when we picked it up and dipped it into the soy sauce. The fish was seared nicely though 3.5/5

Sashimi Platter

We went to the sashimi counter to choose the fish. Rather disappointed at their service because we told them we wanted otoro but they didnt include it in the platter AND the worst thing is? The uni wasnt fresh at all, there was this very smelly and yucky smell when we put it in our mouth. The salmon belly was quite good (though what can go wrong with salmon?) the rest of the fish + ark shell were just average. The tamago didnt have much taste either. We sent the uni back to the chefs. 3/5

Fugu - fried puffer fish

Now this was not bad, but then again, what could go wrong with something being fried? Haha. Anyway, this was like eating hmm, bak kwa but much less salty and nicer (imo). It was soft but not totally because there's still some bite to it and its slightly salty! I'd say its quite a good appetiser 4/5

Assorted tempura

Think this was not bad too. There was a huge-ass onion tempura though haha. Smelly breath!! 3.8/5

Otoro sashimi

This seriously was A HUGE LETDOWN. There was SO much tendon and it was SO tough and so hard to chew! The 3 of us spat it out together at the same time after putting it into our mouths. Really bad pieces of otoro. When we told the waitress, she said its inevitable, cos sometimes the otoro comes like that. But really, shouldnt the chef be able to tell while slicing the toro? I've had otoro/chutoro/kamatoro at so many places before and I've never once had such a bad slice. Really, do not order this. Not worth your money at ALL. 0/5

 Stewed Kurobuta pork

My parents said this was quite nice! Like the pork was really soft and quite fragrant! Haha my dad was quite appalled at the layer of fat though. 4.3/5

Grilled eel

I quite like their version! Much softer than what I've eaten at other places, almost like anago? And the amount of sauce isnt overpowering the dish either so yea, I like that fact! 4.3/5

Grilled Foie Gras

This was not bad considering its $25 and there were like 7 pieces? Haha just that it got a little uh sick eating it all on its own! Cos foie gras v rich so eating it on its own without anything can get a little too much! Oh and it was a tad overcooked as well. But still, okay considering its $25! 3.7/5

Mango ice cream, ume jelly, mixed fruits

This was average only, mango ice cream quite nice, ume jelly - Aoki still wins hands down. 3.6/5

Black sesame ice cream, white sesame with chestnut ice cream

The black sesame one was okay, not very strong black sesame taste (so far, Triple Three's still the best!). The white sesame one had no taste of chestnuts at all, the white sesame had a subtle fragrance that was quite yummy. 3.5/5

We also ordered yuzu ice cream that tasted nothing like yuzu, or more accurately had no taste. Ordered red bean ice cream with red beans, and this had the strongest flavour. Also ordered another ice cream but I forgot what, also didnt have much taste! 

Overall, I wouldnt recommend you to order dessert! At least not their ice creams.

I think Keyaki is an average Japanese restaurant, with some average dishes but the sashimi... I really wouldnt recommend it. The ambience outside is v Jap-ish but the inside isnt that Japanese I feel. My parents and I agreed that we would rather stick to our tried-and-tested Jap restaurants.

As for the service, the waitress was quite funny. After we went to the sashimi counter with her and ordered the sashimi, when we came back to the table, she kept all our menus except my Mom's cos my Mom was still browsing through hers. Like what? You think we're just gonna eat those few pieces of sashimi only for dinner? Then Mom and I shared the menu, and the waitresses walked past and saw but didnt bother to offer to bring another one for me/my Dad. We had to ask them to bring. Wasnt very satisfied with the service either. Wouldnt be coming back, that's for sure.

Keyaki

Pan Pacific Hotel

Sweets @ Garibaldi - 7 cakes!

With a 15% voucher from Sweets @ Garibaldi, the boy went down to Mandarin Gallery and got 7 mini cakes/tarts for us to share & sample (:

Here's a description of what we had!

(L-R)

Back: Lemon Lime White Charm, Crunchy Heaven

Front: Fruit Tart, Fromage Blanc

Crunchy Heaven: Chocolate & hazelnut cream on chocolate sponge spread with crunchy praline

This was the lowest on our list because of a number of reasons:

1) The "crunchy" praline wasnt crunchy at all, it was soggy in fact. Perhaps an overnight cake? Or one that has been left on the shelf for too long?

2) The hazelnut cream tasted VERYYYY weird and didnt go well with the cake at all. I couldnt make myself eat anymore of the cream so the boy had to finish it. Sorry, not a good rendition of a classic cake. 1.5/5

Fruit tart: this was a really normal one, the tart's very thin, seems as if its non-existent when you eat the "tart", the pastry cream isnt v nice either, this was ranked 2nd lowest among all 2/5

Lemon Lime White Charm

White chocolate mousse with vanilla sponge & fruit jelly on sable biscuit

This one's crust was thicker and crispier. We really liked how fresh this tasted! The slight sour twang of the mousse with the surprise find of 2 types of jellies inside! One was really sour, the other not as sour. Would recommend this to those who like a little bit of sour-y taste in their desserts! We certainly loved this! 4/5

Fromage Blanc

Orange centre surrounded by light cream cheese mousse and vanilla sponge

First bite - ewww quite sick but after a few bites, the taste grows on you! The mousse is quite lightly whipped, and the orange centre is a welcomed change in flavours. 3.8/5

Strawberry cheesecake, Tiramisu, Coffee Toffee

Strawberry Cheesecake: The boy thought there'd be strawberries mixed into the cheesecake batter hence he bought this but actually its just normal cheesecake with a strawberry on top! So he felt slightly cheated haha. Anyway, this was okay, average, again, a too thin crust (for us) but a rather light cheesecake I'd say 3.4/5

Tiramisu

An absolute must-try! (Quote their catalogue)

I'd agree its good, wonderfully soaked sponge fingers, just right ratio of alcohol + coffee, and enought mascarpone cheese to make it light and airy~ Quite good I'd say!! 4/5

Coffee Toffee

Velvety Chocolate mousse with a coffee toffee centre and chocolate sponge

I'm saving the best for the last!!! This is truly a MUST-TRY!! Somehow everything works extremely well together and you'd be surprised that you actually like this cake! (Okay maybe not you if you're a coffee/toffee lover, but for me, someone who doesnt have a particular preference for either, loved this!) The mousse was oh-so-light and the toffee centre isnt too sweet, the coffee balances it perfectly! I hate sweet desserts, so yea, this isnt sweet, trust me. A bite of the feathery light chocolate mousse coupled with a slightly denser coffee toffee and mmmm~ the boy and I sighed with delight. So glad the boy bought this even though he wasnt sure I'd like it! Turns out to be the best cake! (: The design's quite unique too! Haha reminds me of pottery. 4.5/5

Overall - think their cakes are rather average? Wouldnt be rushing to go back and try their cakes anytime soon since there are so many other shops I've yet to try! But still, its a strike off my "To-Try List" because I've always wanted to try their cakes ever since I saw their "opening-soon" shop at Mandarin Gallery but always didnt have the chance to. 

Sweets @ Garibaldi

Mandarin Gallery

Ann Chin Popiah

Having read about how awesome Ann Chin popiah is, I made the boy drive me to buy it after tarts at Drips, ice cream @ Brownice and 4 main courses at Broun (yes I know, you're probably appalled at how much we can eat). However I was disappointed at the popiah. It was a small portion, much smaller than the ones I've been eating so far (at $1.60, I guess they have to keep the popiah small in order to sell it at that price).

The popiah skin was hard and chewy, which was what I really didnt like. The ingredients were quite okay though! Lots of crispy stuff inside which made it quite a joy.

I wouldnt go back for another piece of the popiah, sad to say. I'd rather spend $2 and get a much larger + much nicer + more value for money popiah at Longhouse or spend $2.50 at Takashimaya basement to get a superrrr awesome popiah instead of this!

Ann Chin Popiah
Blk 335 Smith Street
Chinatown Complex

Pave Chocolates

The whimsical store of Pave! Really love the decor, but the 1st level of the shop is a little small I'd say. They have a 2nd floor but it was closed off tonight! Lucky we went in earlier before the crowd came in and snapped up the remaining salted caramel tart pictured below (:

Salted Caramel Tart

Now this is reallyyyyyy sinful and ohso decadent! Layer of caramel, in between a layer of thick chocolate ganache with crunchy hazelnuts to add texture, mmmm. If you're a salted caramel fan, please get this!! The tart base is quite good, and the whole thing is served really chilled, which is a good thing! This tart, though seemingly small, packs a punch! 4/5

Scones with butter and jam (or more accurately, blueberry compote I'd say)

Ohmyyyy the scone was SO soft and crumbly!!! So fluffy and fragrant! It went really well with the compote. They'd toast the scone before serving it to you and eating the warm fluffy scone with the blueberry compote on a cold night made me so happy!!! Yum yum (: 4.3/5

Japanese Yuzu Tea

Decided to try yuzu tea because we'd never try such a tea before and turns out its quite good! Slight twang of yuzu thats not too strong but the taste of it is definitely there. Full-bodied taste that breaks through the richness of the desserts! I liked the tea! 4/5

Roasted almonds coated in almond & dark chocolate Gianduja

Decided to buy this for my Dad as he's an almond fan. Tried it but I dont think its v nice cos I felt the chocolate isnt v good quality, it has a sticky and slightly sweet aftertaste even though its supposed to be dark chocolate. The almond is fresh and crunchy though! Overall, dont think I'd buy it again. However, my Dad thinks its nice, so once again, taste is subjective!

We missed the famous chocolate souffle as they said they'll only start baking it after 9pm but we wanted to go to Wimbly Lu to try out their desserts, so we left before we could try the souffle! We would probably be back to try their souffle and other desserts they have to offer!

The serving staff are rather friendly as well and would great you with a cheery hello when you enter the shop! A good place to have desserts after a meal I'd say. They also sell jams and chocolate truffles.

Pave Chocolates

93 East Coast Road

Hairy Crab Feast at Li Bai

Having been wowed thoroughly by their hairy crab meal last year, my family and I decided to come back to Li Bai for their hairy crab feast! (:

We ordered the hairy crab meal with additional hairy crabs each! (: Here's what the menu features:

Hairy Crab Xiao Long Bao

Topped with a thick creamy layer of hairy crab roe. Delicate bao skin of the right thickness that went so well with the filling. could be a little bit more generous with the roe though. other than that, it was a good start to the meal. 4/5

Birds Nest Soup with Hairy Crab Roe/Sharks Fin Soup with Hairy Crab Roe

Actually, the menu states sharks fin soup, but last year, the waitress changed it to birds nest for me and I rmb all of us were wowed over how yummy it was, so this year we asked the waitress to change it for us again (: Exquisite, elegant food/art. Classic gold and yellow dish to showcase its superiority. Imagine a bowl of cream of mushroom. but now, replace all the cream with hairy crab roe and the mushroom with birds nest. Lots of roe, lots of birds nest! A smile comes right after every spoon of the soup :) I'd say this is a MUST-TRY! 5/5

Hairy Crab

To make sure we enjoy every single strand of the crab meat, we asked for our crab shell to be removed when served to us. The waitress was really great! As my mom finished her sharksfin soup first (our birds nest took a little longer), hence she asked my Mom to start on her crab first and helped my mom peel the shell off her crab legs. Then as we started eating out crab, she helped us peel ours as well, while we were eating! Great service (: The crab meat is sweet and really yummy. Only disappointment was that the crab turned cold very quickly (should be due to the air con) which made it less appetizing (tasteless, cold) as we eat. The roe was super duper awesome when hot though! Recommend eating the roe first (: 4/5

Ginger tea!

Felt that theirs was quite good! Hot and spicy plus not overly sweet (: The Chinese believe that we have to drink ginger tea after eating the crab to ease the "coolness" of it! My dad and the boy thought it was spicy enough though!

Cod Fish with mushrooms

Initially, we were uncertain of what fish it was as the meat was a tad too tough to be a cod. After confirmation with the waitress, it was confirmed to be a cod. The fish went well with the condiments (spring onions, chye por, soy sauce). However, the sauce was too salty to our likings. Too wasted to soak the cod in so much soy sauce. Plus the chef really overcooked this one, all of ours were hard which made us doubt whether this was cod fish or not because even my maid at home can steam the cod fish just nicely till it melts in our mouth so we were rather disappointed with this. The mushrooms were yummy though! 3/5

Springy noodles with abalone and mushroom

My mom remembered how wonderfully springy and awesome the noodles were from last year's meal and we werent disappointed with the noodles this time round either! Its like a damn good plate of wanton mee! The mee is very springy and chewy, its like a perfectly al dente wanton mee haha. Each bite makes you want to slurp up more of it! The mushroom was the softest and most flavourful mushroom I've ever eaten in my life!! Abalone was great too, the stock they cook their stuff has so much depth in flavour and I can tell they really let the mushroom and abalone absorb the broth fully to present the best taste and texture to their customers! MUST-TRY once again! 5/5

Fresh Longjing Tea

They changed our long jing tea to this prior to dessert

Hashima with black sesame tang yuan in ginger tea

I'm not sure how a good hashima should be but personally, i like this dessert a lot. The rice balls were well made. The skin will not stick to your tongue or to the roof or bottom of your mouth. The skin and filling ratio was just right. The ginger soup tasted very much like the ginger tea except that it is slightly stronger and a lot sweeter. 4/5

Personally, I feel that Li Bai really dishes up quality dishes, no wonder its a veteran in the Cantonese food scene here. Actually, not just Cantonese, in the Chinese food scene! I really applaud the wonderful service we got at Li Bai (esp with the waitress patiently picking out the crab meat for us!) and their friendliness + quick response! Overall, dining at Li Bai is a joy and they were fully booked the night we went (no surprises) so I'd recommend making reservations!

Li Bai

Sheraton Hotel