NN Header

Saturday 5 April 2014

Dinner at Shin Minori Japanese Restaurant @ UE Square


To satiate craving for alot, alot of sashimi and chawanmushi craving, and a special treat, *Celine and I went for Japanese buffet dinner again, this time at Shin Minori Japanese Restaurant located at 81 Clemenceau Avenue #03-15 / 16 UE Square, Singapore 239917 and the number to dial is 6733 2272.



I heard rather favorable reviews about this place, but inevitably was wondering if it would be as good as the Japanese buffets at Ikoi Japanese Restaurant, Irodori Japanese Restaurant, Kushi Bar, Sushi Kanazawa or Senki Japanese restaurant.



Bathed in soft dim lights in a comfortable setting respledent of rich Japanese culture, Shin Minori was packed to the brim tonight with diners. We enjoyed the hot pot of tea served first, while placing our order at this all-you-can-eat, a la carte buffet restaurant.



It seemed rather fitting to start the meal off with Hiyayakko (chilled bean curd), a cold, smooth cube of delicacy that was sweetly fresh and tender to the touch, served with soft fish flakes and spring onions.



I had the Momo Sarada (peach salad) next, a tiny dish of delicacy formed by fresh greens and sweet peaches. I loved this item as I am a peaches fan; didn't detect any dressing but the salad was tasty on its own.





Then there were the Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) and Kabocha Chawanmushi (pumpkin steamed egg custard). I thought that their chawanmushis were a little too watery / diluted, but the taste was rather good. The pumpkin one was sweet, redolent of pumpkin's flavor. Both contained chicken meat and gingko nut.



We had the Sashimi Moriwase (assorted raw seafood) - a platter of paradise. Their platter of salmon, swordfish, tuna, squid and snapper was rather fresh with bouncy textures and the soft sapid of seafood. We had a good time with this platter, and ordered more afterwards (salmon, swordfish and tuna).



The Ebi Tempura (deep fried prawn) was tasty and crispy, crusted with flour layer.



Next, there was the Tori Kimo (skewered grilled chicken liver) and Nankotsu Karaage (deep-fried chicken cartilage) - while one was succulent and flavorful, the other was crispy and delightful to the bite.



Afterwards, we Uzura (grilled quailed eggs) - my all time favorite.



They served our Teba Karaage (deep-fried chicken wings) next - a very interestingly skewered crispy delicacy spread to a kite-shape. Every nibble was satisfying - from the skin to the tender flesh within.



We had more skewered Yakimono (grilled)  items - Shiitake (Japanese mushrooms), and Asuparagasu Be-Kon (bacon asparagus). Both were delicious, especially the latter, without any fats in the fine slice of bacon, so it was a delight.



Now we have this huge plate of Gyuniku Shogayaki (beef with special sauce) - a lovely concoction of tender beef slices pan-fried and immersed in garlic / onion sauce with a distinctive taste of spices.


.
Following the above, we now had the Nasu (eggplant) on sticks, grilled. The soft vegetable came with a slight charred hint and sapid flavor of fish flakes served with its sweet natural taste, so it was a nice treat.




Another vegetable dish was served next - Moyashi Iteme (pan-fried beansprouts) - juicy sweetness with a refreshing crunch to it. No, the golden flakes weren't salted fish, but the beansprouts were tasty enough on their own without requiring salted fish to heighten its natural flavor.



We had another vegetable dish in a row - Okura (lady's fingers) - another sweet, crunchy, sticky delicacy with its flavor enhanced by the fish flakes and slightly-charred overture. 



Lastly, our final indulgence of Buta Kimchi Itame (kimchi with pork) - while the pork slices were tender and the radish pieces were crunchy, we were disappointed that the kimchi was sweet without any hint of spiciness at all. 

The meal with lots of variety and adderssing our sashimi cravings cost us SGD$44.00 each.

No comments:

Post a Comment