Changing Appetites: Just Your Luck

When we first tried out this restaurant in 2006 (yah, very long ago), they branded themselves as a Western and Japanese fusion, and we kinda liked it back then. But it seemed that since early 2007, the restaurant had revamped its tag line to "The All American and Dessert Cafe", which is not also exactly precise due to the infusion of Mexican influenced items.

Funky decor with bright colours and big vibrant wall murals were that something which stood out from the rest of other generic food joints like Carl's Junior, The Cafe' Cartel, and Swensen's along the same stretch at Marina Square.

Bonless Shanghai Chicken,   S$8.90++,   

As common as this dish may sound, it was too quick to prove me wrong. Deep fried crispy chicken tossed with sweet and spicy pineapple-citrus sauce and topped with sesame seeds, it was a delightful tangy twist when eaten together with the wasabi mayo dip.

Bacon Chicken Fajita in BBQ-style,   S$17.90++,   

Disappointment fell the moment this was served to our table - so much less enticing than what described and pictured in the menu.

Basically, it came in a hot plate filled with bacon basted in BBQ sauce and smothered with mixed grated cheese, laid in a bed of lettuce and topped with pico de gallo (a fresh condiment made from chopped tomatoes, onions, and chiles - typically jalapeños or capsicums).


And this is what you do with your hot plate ingredients. Wrap them up into the flour tortillas served alongside, add some sour cream, and munch it up! However, the result was extremely dry and the bacon was too rigid. We got sick after a while and we left it unfinished.

Classic Cajun-style Fajita (Chicken),   S$15.90++,   

Not much difference from the previous Bacon Chicken Fajita, just a little more moisture from the cajun marinated chicken and added cheese sauce. Still, not a recommended dish.

Cheese the Chicken,   S$14.90++,   

An all-time favourite in this restaurant. Just look at the layers of delicious nachos, tender grilled chicken, mango slices, and drizzled with cheese and CA's special mango sauce. Not a neat presentation, but it's this same mess that blow you off. The only complaint was that the cheese sauce seemed a little too cold and solidified when served.

CA Honey BBQ Steak,   S$18.90++,   

BIG was our immediate reactions when we saw the 200g stirlon steak, but too large a size became a bad thing when the steak turned out unpleasant. The meat was a piece of boring rubber, and really tough to chew on. Thankfully there were other sides like the cheese nachos and baked potatoes to balance it off, and a slice of grilled pineapple to punch in some scanty juices.

VERDICT
Fusion restaurants always whip up some unique / weird combinations (whichever you call it), and it's either a bingo or a miss. For those who don't mind risking your taste buds, you could try your luck at Changing Appetites. Food is not entirely bad, but they all have one thing in common - the significant lack of moisture.

Changing Appetites
#01-204, Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard, S(039594)
(+65) 6339 7670
Mon - Fri: 11.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.
Sat - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 11.30 p.m.

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service:

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar: Spoilt for Choices

The popular Marché concept, had been brought into the market by Thai Express Concepts (also the company which brought in Thai Express, Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafés and New York New York), but in Japanese style instead.


We went early on a weekday, and fortunately, we got into the restaurant without any waiting. Because most of the times, it's jammed up with the long queues, and you can't make any reservations beforehand.


Once you step in, you would be issued a Shokudo card and a wooden token. Like Marché, it was free seating for everyone, so the wooden token (instead of tissue packs) could be used to 'reserve' your table.


Afterwhich, you could then start making your rounds around the restaurant, browsing what the various food stations have to offer.


Japanese thin-crust pizzas.


Besides traditional Japanese cuisine, Shokudo also offers Japanese-infused Western food like these Japanses burgers.


Assorted meats and seafood, fresh and raw.

Food and pricing were displayed altogether, in a very clear-cut manner. After you've decided on what you want, you'll hand over your Shokudo card to the chefs and order straight from them. Your food then gets cooked on the spot, and you can collect it the moment it's done, piping hot.

Grilled Chicken Omu Rice,   S$6.80++,   

Fried rice, topped with streams of tomato ketchup, wrapped together in an egg omelette - made up this sweet and sticky combination known as the Omu Rice. Going alongside, was a reasonable share of tenderly grilled chicken steak.

Pork Katsu Curry Rice,   S$7.80++,   

We seldom eat Japanese curry, so we don't really know how to judge what's good and what's bad. For us, we kinda like this version, thicker and tastier than the usual, with lots of potatoes and carrots in it. The Pork Katsu was mildly fried, not too oily nor too much flour. Ultimately, what we like best about this dish was the generous portion.

Bamboo Barbequed Eel Rice,   S$3.80++,   

For those who wants a less filling main course (so that they could still try a variety of other sides), this Bamboo Bbq Eel Rice is just the right thing for you. And we both thought that S$3.80 for such a tasty portion of Unagi (eel) was quite a steal.

Shitake Mushrooms Skewer,   S$2.00++,   
Pork Asparagus Skewer,   S$2.50++,   

Skewers were pretty much of the average, but a tad to the dry side. They would be better off if accompanied by some sauce.

Banana and Chocolate Crepe,   S$4.80++,   

Freshly made hot crepe topped with one the nicest combinations around - bananas and chocolate. Yum.

Red Bean and Mochi with Ice Cream,   S$5.80++,   

The Japanese Red Bean was gooey; Mochis were soft and chewy; Matcha gelato ice cream from Haato was full of flavour. Opt for this bowl of guilt-free dessert, if weight / health is an issue you're concerned about.

VERDICT
You see what you get - The brilliant part about this whole concept is that you could take as much time as you like to place an order; and you could have your dessert before your main course without getting weird stares from servers or customers from the next table. Then again, due to a clashing amount of both positive and negative feedbacks, the quality of the food becomes a question. In our opinion, it wasn't as bad as "don't even bother trying" (cause it depends on what you order, and there are too many to choose from); neither was it the super uber delicious kind. Nonethless, what will keep us returning to Shokudo is the varied diversity and affordable pricing.

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar
#B1-44E, Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road, S(179103)
(+65) 6937 3793
Mon - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service:

Kuishin-Bo: Worse After Renovation

I remember I used to be very excited going over to Kuishin-Bo for a buffet meal, but sadly, I no longer feel the same now. After a renovation in April 2007, standards dropped - both variety and quantity.

This afternoon, I went for Kuishin-Bo again, for the third time after its renovation. (I didn't take any pictures in the previous two rounds.)

Sushis,   

Colours and presentation were attractive. They made decent sushis, except for the rice being too hard, and they didn't stick together very well. Anyway, just grab a bit of these to start off, and then move on. Don't stock up your buffet stomachs with carbos!

Sashimis,   

We all love free flows of Sashimis, because they are fine, fresh, and always aperitive. Japanese people believe that Sashimis should be eaten first, before other strong flavours affect the palate.

Seafood,   

The seafood section was quite pathetic. Kuishin-Bo used to serve fresh oysters before the renovations, but now they'd replaced them with mussels instead. Prawns were pretty fresh, while the conches were just sick (at least to me and a few others). Yellow brainy juice (or whatever that is) oozed when I dugged out the conch flesh, and it was utterly appalling to my mouth - tasteless tough rubber.


I didn't take anything from the deep fried section because nothing tempted me there.

Teppanyaki,   

Beef, chicken, dory and salmon - the four standard meats good enough to have in Teppanyakis.

Beef Kaminabe,   

The best dish of this restaurant I supposed was the Kaminabe (Japanese paper steamboat). Given the cold weather lately, it was much of a joy to slurp through a pot of boiling hot soup. Rich overflowing sapidity streaming into your throat, and down to warm your stomach. Terrific.

(From top left, and clockwise down:) Soba, Cha Soba, Udon,   

The cold noodles were merely passable - they just made it through the mark; and soba sauces were towards the "too salty" side.




Expansive selections from the dessert sections.

Desserts,   

Desserts came cute, tiny, and in delectable assortments. The chocolate fondue was irresistably fudgy (it goes best with the bananas); eclairs exploded inside mouths with icy cold ice cream; fruit tarts were good; mini donuts were covered with overly sugary coatings; and mini cakes were acceptable. Though the quality was fairly good, the best bet was that they were all bite-sized :) Sweet sweet treats.

VERDICT
The first time there is always a good experience, but subsequent visits would deem Kuishin-Bo as "not so nice" anymore. If you really want, add an approximate S$10 more and go for the dinner instead - you get free frow of expensive snow crabs, and special items like baked lobsters, candy floss and such. But still, the price could probably get me better buffets elsewhere.

Kuishin-Bo, The Authentic Japanese Buffet Restaurant
#03-002, Suntec City Mall
3 Temasek Boulevard, S(038983)
(+65) 6238 7088
Mon - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
http://www.res.com.sg

Buffet Lunch:	S$24.80++ (Weekdays)
	S$27.80++ (Weekends)
Buffet Dinner:	S$33.80++ (Mon - Thur)
	S$39.80++ (Fri - Sun)

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service: