JuJu: Steamboats at Your Best Comfort

Having tried the 6-course set lunch at Tao's a year+ ago, we're now hopping over to its next-door neighbour, JuJu, for their 6-course hot pot lunch. Both restaurants are managed under the same company, and located at the same mall - PoMo Centre, formerly known as Paradiz Centre. The new name sounds kinda funny though.

1st Course: Starters

Semi-Boiled Golden Egg with House Starters,   

The elongated plate came with some beef and shellfish which I can't really remember, but the main spotlight was the Golden Egg. Semi-boiled to 70% and when mixed with their own special sweet sauce, it was HEAVENLY I tell you! Never in my life I knew something so common (eggs) could taste so uncommon.

2nd Course: Side Dishes

Vermicelli,   

The Vermicelli was the usual kind, and it was there just to fill you up. Other side dish choices include White Rice, Rice Stick, and Soba.

Soba,   

Their Soba was a bit below standard - more on the hard side.

Looking at the menu now, the lunch set actually includes a Dumpling Platter but I realised I don't have any pictures. Either we forgot (to take photos), or the restaurant forgot (to serve), or the dumplings tasted so mediocre that we had forgotten (whether even we ate them in the first place). Okay I just saw the dumplings hiding in the main platter itself, and they must have really tasted mediocre because I don't recall their existence at all!

3rd Course: Mains

Fresh Pacific Ocean Platter,   

The Fresh Pacific Ocean Platter seemed the most intriguing and worthy set, with different types of seafood sitting in a large wooden boat. The seafood are basically some prawns, mussels, fish slices, crab sticks, a whole crab etc; and the crux to great seafood lies in their freshness, and JuJu did it.

Chicken and Pork Combo,   

Chicken and Pork Combo was nothing unusual with brinjals, yam, lotus roots, carrots, plus other vegetables. Meat were also fresh and thinly sliced (perfect for steamboats), but personally, we prefer the pork to chicken.

4th Course: Soups

Hot and Spicy Soup,   

The restaurant offers individual hot pots, and also individual soup bases - JuJu’s Hokkaido "Kun Bo" Clear Soup, Hot and Spicy Soup, and Creamy "Kun Bo" Soup.

We chose the first two, and both of us find the Hot and Spicy Soup too overpowering that it masked out the natural taste of all the steamboat ingredients. The attentive waitress noticed the changes in our faces and offered to pour in some "Kun Bo" Clear Soup to neutralise the spicyness, and it did help a little.

5th Course: Beverages

Ice Plum Vinegar,   

According to the waitress, these Ice Plum Vinegar were supposed to aid in digestion, and indeed, it felt really soothing after a heavy meal.

6th Course: Desserts

Pearl Harbor,   

There wasn't much variety in the desserts, so we left our decisions to the friendly service crew. Pearl Habor was similar to what we know of, the Honeydew Sago. Not bad, pretty refreshing.

Glutinous Purple Rice Topped with Sweeten Yam,   

This was similar to our usual Hei Nuo Mi (Black Glutinous Rice Dessert) but I don't like the Glutinous Rice desserts, so nope, this wasn't for me.

VERDICT
We were initially attracted to the idea of having individual hot pots, and little did we know, steamboats can be comfortable too. However, the price jump from lunch to dinner didn't seemed quite worthwhile because the difference only lies in the kinds of dumplings being served. And as expected, JuJu's service was a big plus!

JuJu Hokkaido Hot Pot
#B1-18, PoMo Centre
1 Seleie Road, S(188306)
(+65) 6336 6689
Mon - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
http://www.juju-restaurant.com

6-Course Set Lunch:	S$19.80++
7-Course Set Dinner:	S$29.80++

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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.

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Nexus Gourmet: Don't Belittle this Unaesthetic Restaurant

Who says nice food only comes from posh restaurants with rocket-high prices? This homely modest restaurant here shall prove you wrong.

Roasted Duck and Mango,   S$7.50 nett,   

A taste bud kicking appetiser to start with. Slices of roasted duck tossed with mangoes, cucumbers and beansprouts - a fine balance of airness, crunch and sweetness. Chilies and plum dressing added the spicy and sour zest to it, which we believe many Singaporeans will fancy.

Tropical Hawaiian Pizza,   S$9.50 nett,   

This homemade Hawaiian Pizza was a wrong dish to choose. The thick pizza base was too doughy and dry; sliced chicken and ham were not even tender; tomato sauce was dry too; and the mozzarella cheese came in stingy amounts. The whole pizza just felt like a big chunk of stale bread, and the only relieves were the juicy canned pineapples.

Barbequed Chicken,   S$14.50 nett,   

Now now, this one is good. Grilled chicken leg, accompanied with mashed potatoes, broccolis, carrots and mushrooms, glazed with a special BBQ sauce. Not tough, not fatty, just soft and tender succulence, for every bite of the chicken you make. Mashed potatoes were unbelievably heavenly - velvety, fluffy and pepperish. Splendid!

Tiramisu,   S$6.50 nett,   

When my spoon first sank in, I knew this wasn't going to disappoint us. Kahlua (coffee-flavored liqueur made in Mexico) rushes its way out and ends up in your mouths with lingering transcendence. And the fact that the Tiramisu was presented in a cup, each of this dessert is exquisitely and individually made.


The layers of strong Kahlua soaked Savoiardi (lady fingers cookie), topped with rich creamy mascarpone cheese, and then dusted with bitter sweet cocoa powder.

Crème Brûlèe,   S$4.50 nett,   

This is the dessert which kept us coming back to this restaurant thrice. Crème Brûlèe means "burnt cream" in French, and is created by burning sugar under a blowtorch, resulting in the hard layer of caramel on top of the custard base. Because of Nexus' brilliant effort to add in oranges and orange zest, the whole Crème Brûlèe was jazzed up, becoming an unique dessert to die for.

VERDICT
Due to its location, Nexus Gourmet is usually loaded with office crowds in the afternoon, but quite unpatronized at night. It may not be a bad thing though, because it could always become a good spot to celebrate special occassions more privately. (Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) Service here is very warm and friendly, and yet they do not charge anything for that. Yes! The prices on the menu are nett, meaning GST and service charge absorbed. And for that kind of (extremely) reasonable pricings, you get incredibly delectable food. We seriously recommend this restaurant to all!

Nexus Gourmet
161 Telok Ayer Street, S(068615)
(+65) 6223 3376
Mon - Sat: 11.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.
Sun: 1.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.
PH: Usually Closed
http://nexusgourmet.blogspot.com

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