oHacorte Bakery (Okinawa)

Rated #1 bakery in Naha, pictures of oHacorte's fruit tarts lured me to the shop on Saturday at 9 a.m. 

The cafe was full and we had to put our names on the reservation list. However, it took barely a few minutes before we were brought to our seats. It had a very comfortable and relaxing ambience- perfect for lazing the day away. 

We didn't realise initially but later found out that their shop occupied several levels, each with a different concept. It was slightly disappointing that the fruit tart section did not open until 10:30 a.m. On the first floor, you could buy fresh produce, interesting wares such as biodegradable camping utensils, fresh bread from their bakery or you could simply enjoy the food in the cafe.

We ordered three pieces of their baked goods for breakfast the following day. Surprisingly enough, they all remained soft and fluffy!

I ordered the Deli Plate (1,150 yen). You can choose one soup and two delis. The choice of soup included pumpkin cream soup, minestrone and shrimp prawns bisque. The deli choices included german potato of herb sausage & yuzu pepper, garlic shrimp, cajun chicken, marinated mushroom etc.

I went for shrimp prawns bisque, accompanied by the german potato of herb sausage & yuzu pepper, as well as the cajun chicken. Our food took a long time to come and I was excited when it finally arrived. Alas, this excitement was not for long. The cajun chicken was served cold- if my food takes so long to come, I would have thought it was because they were cooking the food such that my food would come out piping hot. The german potato of herb sausage was neither here nor there- the amount of sausage was pathetic with absolutely no hint of yuzu pepper. The egg quiche was also served cold- are they lacking fire or heat in the kitchen? The shrimp bisque was also pedestrian. The only saving grace was the bread.

I would certainly recommend this place for their baked goods, but not so much for the meals. A pity we didn't get to try their famous fruit tarts! Also note that they have a policy that everyone at the table orders something from the menu.

oHacorte Bakery 
1-4-10 Izumisaki
1F Kina Bldg
Naha, Okinawa 

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Hotel Pesquera (Okinawa)

1. Location 

The location of the hotel is good. It is around a 15 minutes taxi ride to the airport (which will cost anywhere between 1200 yen to 1500 yen). While it is not right smack in the shopping district of Kokusaidori, it is around a 15-20 minutes walk. It is also around a 5 minutes walk to MaxValu (a supermarket) and a 7 minutes walk to Fukushu-en Garden (rated #5 on Tripadvisor but I didn't feel that it deserved such a high ranking). 

No parking is available on site and we parked overnight at a nearby carpark (within 1-2 minutes walk). 

2. Room

As long as you do not expect a 5* hotel room, this hotel should suffice for your basic needs. For around US$100 a night, this is probably as good as it gets. It is clean and the beds are comfortable.  Bedroom slippers are provided and you are instructed not to walk around the hotel room in your own shoes or you will have to pay. 

There are very limited channels on the TV and no international programmes are available.

3) Toilet 

The toilet bowl is located separately from the sink and bathtub. The toilet smelt a little weird probably due to the lack of ventilation.

Bath products such as shampoo and body wash are available. Temperature of the water was a little difficult to grasp.

Washing machine and dryer are available.

4) Service 

There is a small reception where there is one person who helps to check in. The reception is not manned 24 hours and you would therefore have to inform them in advance of your check in time. Depending on who is manning the counter, you may encounter someone who is fluent in English or someone who simply cannot speak English. The first night we encountered someone who spoke minimal English and decided to leave our questions for the next day, when a girl at the reception answered our questions fluently in English. 

Hotel Pesquera 
2-4-13 Wakasa
Naha 900-0031
Okinawa 

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Alaise De Bale Ishigaki (Okinawa)

1. Location

Alaise De Bale Ishigaki is around a 30-40 minutes drive from the city centre, which means that if you wanted to have a meal at one of the more popular spots in Ishigaki, it would take you at least an hour to and fro. If you want to stock up on items from the convenience store, do that before you reach the hotel because we didn't see any convenience stores in the vicinity. 

It is a good location if you want to be near beaches- there is a beach right outside the hotel. However, it didn't exactly look like the best spot to swim. It would be a better bet to venture out to Yonehara Beach which is around a 15 minutes drive away from the hotel. It is a popular beach and you can swim with sea creatures without venturing out too far. Kabira Bay is around a 30 minutes drive away. 

It was a short drive to the nearby kayak / canoe store (around 5 minutes) where we rented kayaks to the Fukidogawa River Mangrove Colony. 

If you decide to stay here, keep a lookout for the Japanese name of this hotel because it does not state "Alaise De Bale Ishigaki". 

2) Room

We paid around S$250 per night. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable.Most of the room options allow for two single beds.

There was a folder containing the movies you could rent for free (e.g. Harry Potter, Frozen, Minions etc.). Free strong wifi available. There was a sign stating that lizards bring luck and ants would come if sweet stuff were left open- I guess we know what kind of animals to expect in the room. To be fair, we didn't see any during our stay.

3) Toilet 

The toilet bowl area was separate from the bath tub and washing area. The toilet was relatively big for a Japanese hotel. Full set of toiletries was provided.

4) Breakfast 

We paid around S$15 per person for breakfast. There was a choice between continental or Japanese breakfast and we of course went for the latter. Breakfast was served with a glass of cold tea, with a further choice of hot coffee or tea. Breakfast was healthy and decent, but not sure if it's worth the price.

5) Amenities 

There is the option of reserving a private bathroom (presumably an onsen), although we did not do so.

There is a small swimming pool and you could borrow beach towels from the counter.

6) Service 

The Japanese are well known for their service standards and I wish I could say the same in this case. However, it was a mixed bag of feelings for this place.

While the staff were friendly and courteous, one incident left us feeling a little perplexed. Upon arrival at around 2+ pm, the cafe on the ground floor was closed. We then asked if there were any eating places around the hotel, to which the question was met with a resolute "No". Upon much prodding, the staff suggested a soba place which was around a 5 minutes drive away. I would have imagined that this was a common question, unless people were content to just eat in the cafe on the ground floor (which was closed)- something might have been lost in translation.

7) Conclusion 

While the stay was comfortable, we felt that this place was a tad over priced.

p.s. Do keep a lookout for the night sky- lots of stars in this place with minimal light pollution.

Alaise De Bale Ishigaki 
337-250 Fukai
Ishigaki 907-0451
Okinawa, Japan 

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Builders

Builders was in the news last year, but for the wrong reasons. Despite that, my family who had tried the food at the cafe really enjoyed the meals, so we decided to have lunch there on a weekend. Apparently, there is a minimum order for groups exceeding a certain number of people. While we were not informed of that when we were there (not sure if it is because we didn't hit the minimum number or whether the policy is still in place), they had other strange rules like not allowing us to order for 3 people when the fourth person hadn't arrived. That said, it did not stop us from enjoying the food here. 

The soup of the day was the Bacon Minestrone Soup ($7.90). The soup was appetising and tangy, and perfect with little vegetable and bacon bits.

The crispy Golden Wings ($8.90) had potential to not be "yet another starter" because of the curry vinaigrette which was drizzled over the wings. However, the curry taste was not distinct - maybe I was looking forward to dipping these chicken wings in McDonald's curry sauce!

I enjoyed the Panko Herbed Fish Burger ($16.90) which came with a generous piece of lightly breaded fish between two pieces of buttered burger buns.

My mum was raving about the French Toast ($13.90) and said I definitely had to get it. The french toast was caramelised, crispy at the sides and drizzled with a blueberry compote- enjoyable, but definitely not worth its price.

For a cafe located at a heartlands area, the price is a little steep. That said, the food is enjoyable.

Builders 
53 Sims Place
#01-160
Tel No: 6747 1837 

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VENUE By Sebastian

Eating at VENUE By Sebastian is like an ideal relationship- to keep falling in love with the same person over and over again. I last came here around 3 months ago in a professional setting and was a little reserved with taking too much food because well, it was a professional setting. Yesterday, I came with a good friend and it was just no holds barred. Both times, the food was well executed and memorable.

The restaurant is often full for weekday lunches. However, when we came on a Saturday for lunch, there were only a few souls around, which was great because that meant that we didn't have to battle with noise when speaking. The restaurant was bright and inviting, decked out in comfortable neutral colours.

When you get seated, the waiter will ask whether you know how their menu works. Essentially, their dishes are served according to a "sharing concept", where the intention is for guests to order a selection of dishes to be shared.

First up was the Iberico Pork Jowl, Gremolata, Lemon ($18). The thinly sliced pieces of pork jowl was nicely seasoned and had a nice chewy texture. It seemed like a simple dish without fancy embellishment, but it worked well this way.

My friend raved about this Cold pasta, konbu, truffle oil ($23), and there was no way we were going to get through the meal without ordering this. Again, another dish which looks simple but it was very flavourful, say what you may about truffle oil being artificial, but still simply loving that taste which coats every strand of the pasta. The pasta was also cooked al dente.

The Chilean Seabass, mushroom-bacon ragout, truffle yuzu butter sauce ($32) was hands down, my favourite. I liked it so much that I shamelessly told the waitress not to clear the plate as I had not scrapped the remaining mushroom, bacon and sauce from the plate. The fresh seabass was slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and juicy in the inside. Oh, but that sauce. The creamy sauce together with the mushrooms and bacon were a perfect accompaniment to the light-flavoured fish. Just the thought of the dish makes me salivate.

To end off our meal, we ordered the Pear tart, crumble, baileys ice cream ($14), which the waitress told us will take around 30 minutes to be ready. After all the impressive food we have had, the dessert didn't seem to be as outstanding. Despite that, the dessert of sliced pears laid on a flaky and buttery crust was enjoyable- so buttery, we smelt it even before it was served.

There is no way that I am going to deny that we had a enjoyable meal here. While I would pay $32 for the seabass, I am not sure whether I would pay so much for the pasta or the pear tart.

VENUE By Sebastian 
Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way
#01-02
Singapore 068815
Tel No: 6904 9688 

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Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodles

The Midtown has relatively lower foot traffic although it is a short distance away from Hougang MRT. This is a pity because the food we have tried there so far have been pretty good and affordable. 

As it was raining on the day we visited Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodles, it was a lot emptier than the previous time we visited. You order your food at the first floor and then go up to the second floor to eat. The second floor is basic and can get a little cramped when it is full house.

To satisfy our hunger before the noodles arrived, we ordered the Fried Wanton with Pork ($3). The crunch with every bite was satisfying and did not have the taste of overused oil.

If you want to order Thai Boat Noodles, you can choose between beef, pork and tom yum. You then choose the type of noodles you want, and finally the size of the bowl.  As we were not small eaters by any measure, we ordered a big bowl of Thai Pork Noodles ($6) each. The broth was rich and came with pork slices, pork balls and pork liver. They were generous with the ingredients and the bowl of noodles was a true delight on a rainy day. I also tried the Tom Yam Noodles on a previous occasion and it was executed well.

Value for money.

Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodle 
The Midtown
1187 Upper Serangoon Road
#01-22
Tel No: 6238 0184 

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Tom's Palette Ice Cream

We last ate at Tom's Palette Ice Cream 6 years ago and had good memories of this place. On a Saturday night, we braved the queue for some good ice cream. 

This time, we decided to up our game and order their French Waffles with a scoop of ice cream. We had to wait 15 minutes for our waffles and that was fine because they informed us at the point of ordering. However, we were served disappointment on a plate. Ice cream parlours typically sell Belgian waffles and I was totally prepared for the French Waffles to taste different. What I didn't expect was an exterior which was half-heartedly crispy, and an interior that tasted like some cardboard pancake pre-mix or some bad homemade recipe for waffles. The After Eight ice cream scored much better with its bitter chocolate and refreshing mint. Spending around $10 for this combo was certainly a bad decision.

Order the ice cream, but forgo the waffle.

Tom's Palette Ice Cream 
Shaw Tower
100 Beach Road
#01-25
Tel No: 6296 5239 

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JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach

We were looking for somewhere to have a staycation and to our pleasant surprise, realised that we had sufficient points to book a free night at JW Marriott Hotel. 

1. Location 

The location is unbeatable. It is right smack in the city centre and a short walk away from City Hall MRT / Esplanade MRT. Raffles City Shopping Centre is also a 7-12 minutes walk away. There is no lack of eating options in the area. 

This is how they bribe their guests- yummy gummies! These were placed near the entrance and what a pity we only saw it on the last day because these gummies were delicious.

The check in was fast and the lobby exuded a modern flair. The lifts were a little psychedelic, with the colours of the lights changing frequently.

3. Room 

The room was generally nice, but could do with some carpet cleaning as there were some stains on the carpet which was a little off-putting. There was a long corridor that led to the bed. It is obvious that this hotel is going down the modern / trendy route, with modern paintings splashed across the wall, and the cupboards / walls adorned with mirrors. I am a little mirror phobic and hence chose the side of the bed which did not face the mirror. We got pretty good views from the 14th floor. Plenty of TV channels including international channels. The bed was comfortable. 

4. Toilet 

If anything, I liked the toilet more than the room because it felt like the guy who designed the toilet is someone who finally understands travellers. The sink was extraordinarily wide to contain splashes, there was a stool outside the shower area so that you could put your clothes there (instead of walking some distance to the clothes hooks), mats were already placed at the areas which would always be wet (i.e. next to the bathtub and outside the shower area) so that you didn't need to figure which were bath towels and which were bath mats. Finally, someone who understands.

The bathtub, the shower area and the toilet were located in three separate areas. For those who enjoy the automated toilet bowls, you have it here.

I seldom use the bath products from hotels because they often make my hair express their unhappiness in the form of extreme tangles which takes forever to unknot. However, Marriott's bath products have generally proven to be good and these aromatherapy bath products did not disappoint.

Rain showers in major hotel chains are generally expected nowadays and this was no exception. There was good water pressure and no issue with the water temperature.

5. Amenities 

Even if you do not swim, you should definitely go to the swimming pool to have a look. It's ideal for admiring the beautiful skyline. You should go once at night and once in the morning as the feel is different at different times of the day.

It was extremely relaxing to just sit at the benches by the pool and enjoying the morning breeze.

Bonus: In addition to the swimming pool, there is also a pool table and a foosball table.

It is great for  people who want to do something other than swimming / going to the gym. How about a table tennis table next?



Large comfortable sofas for people to just relax and chill.

There was also a gym which looked pretty well-equipped.

6. Service 

Service was polite and the staff were always ready to render their assistance. They also took note of my request for a higher floor.

7. Overall 

A comfortable stay, but the prices are probably a little steep for a comparable five star hotel.

JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach 
30 Beach Road
Singapore 189763
Tel No: 6818 1888 

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Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining

There are days when you want to pretend to be healthy - this was one such day. Since we were in the area, I suggested having some Japanese vegetarian food at Sunshine Plaza. 

Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining occupied two shop fronts. Simple furnishing without too much fuss. The other shop front looked more inviting compared to the main shop front.

We tried the Salmon Sashimi ($9). There was no way this tasted like real salmon sashimi but as with most mock meat, they usually don't taste like the real deal in any case. This was chilled, and had a bouncy texture to it.

I much preferred the Vegetable Tendon with Miso Soup ($13.90) which was not inferior to the quality of the tendons in the popular shops in town. There was a variety of deep-fried vegetables, including different kinds of mushrooms, lady's finger, asparagus and eggplant. The vegetables were deep fried just right- not too soft, yet not too crispy to the point of being slightly burnt. 

Reasonably-priced Japanese vegetarian food.

Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining 
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-50
Singapore
Tel No: 6337 7050

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