Ramen Play

I must admit I was kinda skeptical about trying Ramen Play. Afterall, they are part of the Breadtalk group’s venture into non-confectionery products…what experience does Breadtalk have about setting up ramen restaurant?! However after trying out their ramen, I was convinced that I’ll return to visit them again =)

Here’s the star dish which made me changed my impression of them…“Sanpou Tonkotsu Ramen”. Sanpou in cantonese means to “3 treasures”, in this case refers to the ingredients added to the ramen: braised pork cheek, cha shu and braised pork belly.  Of which I liked the braised pork cheek and pork belly more than the cha shu. The pork cheek was tender and the pork belly chewy. Both had very nice texture. Given the generous serving of the “protein”, the ramen was pretty value-for-money!

The ramen was also cooked to the right softness & texture and the soup was delightfully tasty.

Of cos condiments were also essential to enhancing the taste of the ramen. Here they provide 3 condiments: Chilli Paste, Chilli Chives and Fried Garlic.

The Chilli Paste resembles slightly to “Hae Bi Hiam” (Dry Chilli Shrimp Paste) while the Chilli Chives has the taste of “Toufu Ru” (Fermented Bean Curd). Both are nice additions to the ramen, esp for chilli lover like me…

We also tried the hot pot Beancurd Chawamushi.  The server will bring the empty hot pot and pour in the egg mixture in before closing the lid and let it cook for about 11 mins. They will set a timer and place it at the table; once the timer rings, the Chawamushi is ready~ A fun way of presenting the dish. However I find the taste of beancurd slightly too overwhelming for my liking…perhaps the normal Chawa wldn’t have the same problem.

Overall it was a nice surprise for me as they outlived my expectations of them. Good try Breaktalk Group!

Other related posts:

• Menya Musashi Ramen
• Men-Tai Ramen
• Tonkotsu King Ramen Keisuke
• Ramen Craze

Biku Restaurant, Bali

Going to Biku Restaurant was again a last minute decision cos our original choice – Boneka at St Regis was fully booked for Sunday Brunch. But we were glad to have found Biku which serves afternoon tea at very affordable price (compared to Singapore).

We reached the place at about 2pm and it was already full. Finally got a table after about 20 mins of waiting time. As the place was not air-conditioned, despite its high ceiling and fans installed, we were still feeling slightly warm on a hot summer afternoon…

After taking our afternoon tea set order, the server brought a wooden tray with what looked like “white candies” on them. He started pouring liquid into the small square holes. We stared at the tray for a while not doing what to do before the server explained that we had to dip the “white candy” into the water before it magically turns into a wet towel~ interesting.

They also served complimentary strawberries with cream while we waited for our scones & pastries.

I was awed by the pretty tea sets and the cute knitted pot warmer~ The pot warmer was also available for sale. I even saw one in green, designed to look like a cute frog with big eyes.

Our tea set comprises of:

• Finger sandwiches – cucumber, salmon & cream cheese, ham and mustard, Mini spinach quiche
• Scones with jam and cream
• Selection of sweet treats

The sandwiches were pretty normal. The scones were tasty and not too dry. Typically I prefer my scones with cream but I liked the jam at Biku more than the cream. The cream was too bland for me.

Overall it was a nice place to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea. One can also do so some shopping at the restaurant as they sell little trinkets, accessories, books etc. I was tempted to buy an aluminium bottle printed “Water by Day, Vodka by Night” in fonts similar to the Absolute Vodka bottle, but managed to resist temptation. I end up buying a key-lookalike bottle opener =)

Reservation is recommended if visiting them at typical tea time as by the time we finished our meal, our table was placed with a reservation tag for 4pm.

Other related posts:

• Cafe Jemme, Bali
• Sarong Restaurant, Bali
• Mozaic Restaurant, Bali

Cafe Jemme, Bali

Cafe Jemme was one of the restaurants I had shortlisted to try on my previous visit to Bali last year but we ended up forgoing them for Sarong Restaurant instead. So this year, we attempted to visit them.

The restaurant was almost empty when we reached by around 6.30pm. There was option of taking an indoor seat or the outdoor ones which oversees a padi field. Unfortunately the rice crops were already near to harvesting, so the view was somewhat similar to seeing hays in the field…and with the engine sound of cars passing by the main road…the atmosphere was not “idyllic”…

Given the warm weather, we decided to stay indoors instead and I felt that the ambience was better.

We were served a complimentary starter of Sambal Tomato Bruschetta. We then ordered a Mixed Plate of entrees, Lobster and Prawn Thermidore – Half a lobster simply served with cheesy mash and side salad, Bintang Marinated Fillet of Beef  – On sauted herbed potato with slow roasted tomato & cabernet juice. I ended my meal with a chocolate chunk ice cream.

The mixed platter was not exactly impressive, I can’t recall any specific item which I enjoy in particular. The lobster and prawn thermidore was pretty standard, but not baked enough for the cheese to form a crispy layer on top. The sauce and side dishes for the beef fillet was pretty nice, but my piece of beef was slightly tough & not tender enough for my taste.

I ordered a chocolate chunk ice cream to end my meal, tempted by the word “choc chunk” but it turned out to be plain chocolate ice cream only…

Overall it was a decent restaurant to have a decent meal. It wasn’t cheap thou…Given the similar pricing to Sarong Restaurant nearby, I would prob return to Sarong than Cafe Jemme…

Other related posts:

• Biku Restaurant, Bali
• Sarong Restaurant, Bali
• Mozaic Restaurant, Bali