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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Les Bouchons: Husky French Dishes

This is our first time stepping into a French restaurant, but it was a far cry from what we always pictured French cuisine to be like - those dainty artsy unfilling dishes. I won't use the word 'unauthentic' to describe, as Les Bouchons specializes in grilled meat, largely steak, so do expect hearty portions.

The restaurant gave a very homely feel, with interesting posters filling up every cosy corner.

Burgundy Escargots with Garlic Herb Butter (9 pieces),   S$16++,   

We finally plucked up the courage to eat these "snails" and we like it pretty well! I don't know much about Escargots but the Garlic Herb Butter made a good combination.


We were given a condiment platter consisting of wholegrain mustard, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish, and Maille's Bearnaise Sauce. Three out of five tasted unfamiliar, but we had fun smacking blobs of everything onto whatever that entered our mouths. (Yes! That's how 'lup sup' we are.)

Salad (Part of Any Entrée),   S$32.80++,   

With every order of an Entrée, comes a bowl of chilled salad. Pleasantly refreshing and a tad on the sour side, there was a mix of salad greens, tomato slices and walnuts, dressed in some tangy vinaigrette.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Vigneron Butter,   S$32.80++,   

The restaurant is known for its steak and this did not let us down. We happened to get a slightly fattier piece, but despite its thickness, the steak was not tough nor difficult to chew. The Vigneron Butter added to the flavour and juiciness of the steak.

Each Entrée also came with unlimited servings of homemade French Fries, and I heard they are cooked twice (parboiled then fried) for its own kind of uniqueness - soft and crispy, neither oily nor soggy, and with light saltiness. No wonder they're called French Fries!

Grilled Fillet of Salmon,   S$32.80++,   

The steakhouse did surprisingly well for fish. I cut through the whole Salmon Fillet to unveil slabs after slabs of fresh pink meat. Yummy.

VERDICT
Les Bouchons sells food on the mid-high range, but you would enjoy the unpretentious nature of it, that inclusive of their ambience and service.

Les Bouchons
7 Ann Siang Road, S(069689)
(+65) 6423 0737
Mon - Fri: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat: 7p.m. - 10 p.m.

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CP: Part 2 of the Prepacked Series

Today I present you two new delights from the CP series.

You can prepare this by either oven toasting or deep frying; opt for the former if you want a healthier choice as the wings are already pre-fried.

CP Mexican Wings,   S$$4.95 nett,   

I like it sinful so I chose the frying method and the first thing that caught my attention was the smell, which reminded me of KFC fiery drumlets with its crispy golden brown skin and a dash of red pepper. It looked so tempting that I took it with high hopes, but sad to say, it was nice on the outside but not on the inside. It tasted bland, and it could be better if it contained more of the oomph-factor!


I've been purchasing packets of CP Glazed Teriyaki way before these samples came in simply because they're quick, easy, and delicious.

CP Glazed Teriyaki,   S$4 nett,   

Once ripped open, there is an inner clear bag which you can conveniently throw into the microwave oven or boil in hot water. The result is tender chicken morsels soaked in mildly sweet and zesty Teriyaki sauce. Oh I loveee the sauce!

VERDICT
CP offers decent easy-to-do home snacks / dishes that wow your guests or family.

CP Foods
Available in all leading supermarket stores
(+65) 6538 7020

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Din Tai Fung: Same but Safest Dishes

The weekend lunch crowd for Din Tai Fung was terrible, but nevertheless, we joined in the waiting list. Service was fast though. 15 minutes and we managed to enter the restaurant despite holding a large queue number.

Steamed Chicken Soup,   S$8.80++,   

Just when I had cravings for soups, this came as a disappointment. The chicken meat was tasteless, the soup was bland and oily, and it was rather expensive for a small portion like this.

Steamed Pork Dumplings (10 pieces),   S$9++,   

Their specialty Xiao Long Baos were the only thing I tried when I first visited Din Tai Fung, and since then, I've been ordering them every time I revisit.


A distinctive characteristic about Din Tai Fung's dumplings is the 18 folds on top of every single one. Though the skin was thin and translucent, the dumpling did not burst when being picked up. Instead, it stretched and rested nicely on my porcelain spoon.

One bite and I knew it was the same goodness which I first fell in love with. The minced pork was savoury, and the stock where the whole dumpling got flooded in was also very tasty. Naturally, nothing could match the Xiao Long Baos better than the vinegar and ginger dipping sauce.

Fried Rice with Shredded Pork and Eggs,   S$8.50++,   

This was another usual dish I would order. Simple, but it can never go wrong. The soft Shredded Pork was an ideal companion with the savoury and fragrant Fried Rice.

Special Braised Beef Noodle Soup with Beef and Tendon,
S$10++,   

We had little expectations of this bowl of Braised Beef Noodle Soup but it proved us wrong! The soup was strong but didn't had the foul beefy odour, while the noodles, beef and tendon were all soft and well fused with one another.

VERDICT
Delectable dishes with affordable prices, it's never too much to make more return trips. However, it's impossible to stay in Din Tai Fung for long during peak hours, because the pressure from the fast service and queue outside will make you leave almost immediately after completing your meal.

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰丰 - Wisma Atria
#02-48/53, Wisma Atria
435 Orchard Road, S(238877)
(+65) 6732 1383
Mon - Fri: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat - Sun: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
http://www.dintaifung.com.tw

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