The Buffet at Daimaru (Hokkaido)

I love eating buffets- from Singapore to Las Vegas to Japan- if the buffet is value for money, you will find me there. Despite the long queues at this buffet  located on the 8th floor of the Daimaru shopping centre (possibly indicating a good buffet), the food was disappointing.  

You have 90 minutes for the buffet and it costs 1490 JPY (around SGD$19).

They have a clock on the wall to subtly convey the message that you have to finish the buffet within the stated time.

It might look pretty appealing at first- till you realise that there is neither quality nor quantity. There were different stations including a small Japanese food station, salad station, Chinese food station, Italian food station and a dessert station.

The Chinese food section looked totally unappetising. Even the Japanese food section which I assume should have been their forte, looked rather pathetic- the deep fried onion has been left in the open for too long, the sushi was non-existent.

The queues for the Italian food kept forming. They were probably the most edible of the lot. The pineapples on the Hawaiian pizza were really sweet.

The pasta in tomato sauce was accompanied by little chunks of sausage (I think). It was pretty much what an amateur chef could come up with.

The number of desserts you could take at one go was limited to three at one go.

The overloading of mascarpone for the tiramisu totally destroyed the joy of eating tiramisu.

The chocolate cake was dense and good. Another good dessert choice is the waffles where you can add your own syrups and canned fruits over it.

Sure, this buffet is cheap and therefore I shouldn't harbour any expectations. But I think there's a certain bottom line to how food at a buffet should be like and the fact that locals were actually snaking around corners to queue for this buffet made it extremely queer that this buffet is so popular. Not worth the wait and money.

The Buffet
Daimaru
〒060-0005 札幌市中央区北5条西4丁目7番地
8th Floor 

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Le Tao (Hokkaido)

A Japanese friend once asked me, "Do you know if they have a sweets shop here?" Initially, I thought she was referring to a candy shop. I later realised that she was referring to Japanese desserts.

Le Tao is a very famous dessert shop in Otaru- there are 5 branches with different concepts, all located along the same stretch. 

We decided to try the Le Tao Pathos Cafe. 

The popular double fromage cheesecake is sold on the first floor. On the first floor, there is also a creperie where the crepes are paired with brownies.

The interior design of all the Le Tao branches is very tasteful. That of Pathos Cafe is whimsical.

As we were spoilt for choice (and also because we didn't understand the menu), we decided to get the  Double Plate (1365 JPY). This consists of mini pieces of cheesecakes. Let's just put it upfront that I'm not a fan of cheesecakes- but since this is so popular both with locals and foreigners, I just had to try it. 

Such a pretty plate of dessert. This consists of the famous Fromage Double, Chocolat Double and Venezia Rendezvous. The one that tasted the most familiar was the Chocolat Double which tasted pretty much like tiramisu. The Venezia Rendezvous had a tart-looking base- however it's texture was nothing like a tart. It was more flaky and crumbled easily. While the cheese was light, Le Tao hasn't converted me into a cheesecake fan. 

I was looking forward to visiting Le Chocolat of LeTao because I thought it would have chocolate-related desserts.

It turned out that it sold chocolates only and not chocolate desserts.

While the lightness and mildness of the cheese may appeal to cheesecake lovers, Le Tao is a pretty place but not the right dessert place for me.

Le Tao 
5-22 Sakaimachi, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0027, Japan

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一丁 (Norbesa) (Hokkaido)

We were walking aimlessly around the Susukino area, looking at pictures on the menu to determine if they looked good. After walking in circles, we ended up at Norbesa, which is where the Noria ferris wheel is located. The restaurant might look quiet from the outside but it's actually pretty crowded. 

This is really the place to be if you want to sample food that Hokkaido is famous for- at extremely reasonable prices. The Crab Sushi (530 JPY) was so sweet and fresh. I love eating crabs and am very familiar with the slightly salty meat of the crab. But this was plain sweet. 

The Scallop (680 JPY) was also insanely good. You get to decide how cooked you want the scallop to be, as it slowly simmers in a tasty broth.

To make ourselves feel healthy, we had a portion of Salad (530 JPY for a small portion). Lots of fresh vegetables in this, together with an absolutely light and delightful sesame dressing.

We also had Yakitori (980 JPY) which was grilled from different parts of chicken, including chicken skin, chicken gizzard and chicken meatballs. This took the longest to arrive at our table probably because it takes some time for the smokey flavour to emerge.

Click here for the menu.

The food was good and worth every single cent.

うおや一丁
札幌市中央区南3条西5丁目1-1(ノルベサビルB1)

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Furano Natulax Hotel (Hokkaido)

Our trip to Furano was very pleasant, partly because we stayed at Furano Natulax Hotel which is a stone's throw away from JR Furano. When you come out of the station, just walk diagonally to the right and you will be there in a minute or two.

This hotel has a very modern design with an emphasis on the "natural" feel- the room numbers are engraved on stones while one of the wall panels was bare concrete.

At night, the little garden is illuminated, becoming a mini wonderland.

The room is very clean and pretty spacious by Japanese standards. The sink is located outside the bathroom. 

Service is excellent. There is supposed to be free Wifi but our connection was very bad. When we called the reception, they said, "Please hold on, we will bring wifi to you." The receptionist came with the modem where there are instructions on how to connect. Although we ultimately managed to get intermittent Wifi, it's really the problem-solving attitude that really counts.

Also, one elderly man walks around (we suspect he's the owner) helping confused tourists like us. He gives useful suggestions on how to get from the hotel to another place and also where to find good food (no doubt he claims that the hotel serves the best Furano omlette curry).

We paid 14,700 JPY (approximately SGD$190) per night per room. While it might be pricey, you are probably paying for the good location and good amenities in the hotel. Besides its close proximity to the JR station, there are also buses going from the JR Furano station (Dohoku bus) to other places such as New Furano Prince Hotel which is next to the popular Ningle Terrace. Get a timetable from either the reception or from the tourist centre located right outside the station.

Furano Natulax Hotel 
076-0026北海道富良野市朝日町1番35号
(1-35Asahicho,Furano,Hokkaido 076-0026)

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Richmond Hotel Sapporo Odori (Hokkaido)

If I were to recommend a place to stay in Sapporo, I will definitely recommend Richmond Hotel Sapporo Odori in a heartbeat. It is value for money and is near everything- Susukino Station (5 minute walk), Susukino entertainment district (5 minute walk), JR Sapporo Station (15 minute walk), Odori Park (10 minute walk).

There is another Richmond Hotel nearer to the JR Sapporo Station which is more expensive. If proximity to the JR Sapporo Station is not that big of a deal, you should definitely consider this one. 

It is easier to find this place if you walk through the Tanuki Koji shopping arcade. 

An extremely efficient way of checking in- you get your card, scan it at the machine, insert your credit card/cash, and the room card becomes valid. The receptionists are also conversant in English. 

The receptionist also handed us a packet containing the following- face mask, sponge, rubber band etc. This is the first time I'm actually receiving such a package. A small thought goes a long way indeed. 

The room is very small- but by Japanese standards, it seemed pretty okay. The bathroom was also bigger than the bathrooms I have seen in other places in Japan. 

Another plus is that besides the free wifi access (which actually works in the room), the hotel also provides free internet access at the lobby.

For one night, we paid 7000 JPY (approximately SGD$90) for the room. While it may not be situated right smack next to the JR Sapporo Station, I think it's still of good value- book early! 

Tip: There's a shop right opposite the hotel which sells souvenirs of Hokkaido- it is duty free if you buy 10501 JPY and above worth of souvenirs- which is actually a pretty good deal for last minute shoppers. Plus they will help you pack it into boxes if you intend to check them in.  

Richmond Hotel Sapporo Odori 

〒060-0062 北海道札幌市中央区南２条西４丁目４-１

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Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant (100 AM)

Pagi Sore is one of our favourite Indonesian restaurants in Singapore. So when a Groupon came up, we snapped it up almost instantly. 

The branch at 100 AM was pretty empty during lunch time on a weekend.

The appetisers came up first. The Keropok Belinjau ($1.20) came even before we ordered anything. The one we ate tasted like it has been left in the open for quite some time- it would have been much better if it were still crispy. But the combination of lime and becalan made this pretty addictive nonetheless. The slightly bitter taste of the belinjau fruit was quite distinct.

The Kangkong Belachan ($9.80) is pretty much a staple I order everytime I run out of ideas of what vegetables to order- you might want to be wary of the level of spiciness!

The Ayam Bali ($14.80) was truly lovely- the smokiness of the tender grilled chicken thigh with a sweet marinate made this a clear winner.

The Sotong Pedas ($11.50) was pretty ordinary.

The Tahu Telor ($10.20) is a massive block of beancurd, together with crispy egg bits. The sweet sauce was also a good accompaniment to this dish, together with some nutty goodness.

Value for money Indonesian food!

Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant (100 AM) 
100 AM
100 Tras Street
#02-28
Tel No.: 6 636 1373 

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Chu Dao Chinese Cuisine 厨道

We bought a Groupon to eat at Chu Dao because I remember it was pretty good the last time I tried it. This is a fairly new restaurant set up by celebrity chef Tan Yong Hua. 

A classy-looking place, with a small seating capacity.

We had a whole Peking Duck ($68). We added the duck meat to the Ee Fu Noodles ($8). The skin is not the usual egg skin, but is more of the chewy kind. You also get to wrap your own ingredients into the skin. The skin was crispy and not fatty. The Ee Fu Noodles had a wok hei taste and was adequately moist.

We also had a Braised Special Beancurd with Shimeji Mushroom and Vegetables ($16). This was executed better than the Three Kinds of Vegetables in Wok-Fried X.O. Chilli Sauce ($14) which tasted like the chef forgot how much condiments he added- it was way too salty.

The Pan-fried Pork Spare Ribs with Coffee Sauce ($16) was very well coated with an aromatic coffee sauce.

This is one of my favourite dishes because it's as addictive as french fries- you don't want to eat them, but once you start, you can't stop. The Pork Floss Brinjal with Salted Pepper ($10) is unhealthy in every way- pork floss, salted, deep fried- but that's why it's so appealing. Lightly battered and non-greasy, it made for an addictive snack in between the dishes.

I would give the dessert a miss. The Chilled Mango Sago ($5) was dilute and just made for a nice cold drink. There was no depth to the dessert.

Service, while polite, was lacking. They did not place the pots of tea at our table and did not refill our cups as well- we had to request for them to do so.

Chu Dao Chinese Cuisine 厨道
45 Joo Chiat Place
#01-01
Tel No: 6 334 1925 

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Wild Honey (Mandarin Gallery)

I have always wanted to visit Wild Honey, but the thought of having to wait in the line endlessly (they didn't take reservations, the Scotts branch does) turns me off. To celebrate a good friend's birthday, we decided to meet early so that we didn't waste time in the queue. 

They had their menu on tablets at the counter. One lady tried to take the picture of the menu on the chalkboard and the girl at the counter said, "Sorry, no photos allowed." Not really sure what the rationale of not allowing her to take photos of the menu since the menu is already available online.

I had the Tunisian Breakfast ($19) which I really liked! Unlike your usual breakfast platters consisting of eggs, bacon and/or pancakes etc., Wild Honey totally nailed it for their innovative breakfast offerings. Piping hot and spicy pan of shakshouka together with Chorizo sausage with two fried eggs and brioche. The shakshouka was flavourful and was perfect with the fluffy brioche. It was like a treasure hunt trying to find the Chorizo sausage but really, anything doesn't matter as long as you have the heavenly combination of brioche and shakshouka.

Interesting breakfast choices, but be prepared to wait during peak hours!

Wild Honey (Mandarin Gallery)
Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road
#03-02
Tel No.: 6 234 3900 

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Selfish Gene Cafe

Who wouldn't be intrigued by the name of this cafe? I always thought the owner was inspired by the book The Selfish Gene (which I tried reading but it was too heavy going) but it turns out that it's named as such because Gene, the owner, is selfish when it comes to food- he would not serve anyone food that he would not eat himself. 

A nice cosy place where strangely enough, crowds didn't congregate here on a weekend.

I got myself a Breakfast Plate ($15.80). As usual, this didn't manage to fill me up because I have a pretty big appetite. But the food was good. The scrambled eggs were runny, the sauteed mushrooms were moist and infused with a herby garlicky flavour, the tomato confit was sweet (very surprisingly), the honey baked ham was normal and the bread was warm and fluffy.

We also got the Chocolate Cake ($5.80). While it was decent, it wasn't that fantastic. In my mind, I still can't forget the insane Death by Chocolate cake at Riders Cafe.

And the famed Banana Cake ($5.80) is really something worth getting. The crumble beneath the bananas gave a nice twist to this homely moist cake. So did the lines of peanut butter sauce over the cake- not a fan of peanut butter, but it was subtle and provided a different edge to the cake. Definitely worth getting this cake!

Service was friendly as well. Worth a visit!

Selfish Gene Cafe
40 Craig Road
Tel No.: 6 423 1324 

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