Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wagyu Sashimi and Fugu
It was our 12th wedding anniversary, and we went to have a meal. We wanted something special and this flyer came along...
Fugu! That puffer fish that is extremely hazardous to health if prepared incorrectly...
I did have some reservations with Honjin 7, since the forums have mostly vilified the food, the service and the price. But my previous visit was fine.
And so off to Honjin 7 we went, though on hind side (on the motivation, not that either of us came to any harm) I hope we didnt have a death wish on celebrating our wedding anniversary...
We had ordered only 1 fugu set to share so that we can try the rest of the stuff and ordered:
- fresh oysters on ponsu sauce
- fish liver
- cod fish sperm
- (some seasonal) fish in 2 ways : sashimi and grill
- hot sake
The sake came first in bottle sitting a hot water bath in a small sake barrel. We selected a sake cup each from a tray and we toasted each other. This dinner is shaping up well.
The appetizers came next. No complains. The oysters were huge :)
Then the first of the fugu set. Fugu sashimi. We asked the manager (lead waitress) if it were safe to eat and if anybody had any "problem" (we werent going to ask if they had any "deaths" now, were we?). She laughed heartily and said Singapore is so safe so dont worry (that didnt answer my question). Turned out the fugu was prepared in Japan and sent to Singapore, so I didnt have to worry about some unqualified chef preparing this in the back kitchen.
It was pretty, translucent pieces laid out like a chrysanthemum though we didnt taste anything special about it. It was almost tasteless. But when dipped into the ponshu sauce, a hint of sweetness and flora. Nice. Guess it will be better if eaten fresh in Japan.
The next was the seasonal fish. Blah. Same for the grill. Thank goodness it was "seasonal" and not on the regular menu...
The piece de resistance was the wagyu sashimi. Not the bluff type served at other places where it was seared at the sides. No fire or heat or any kind has touched this sashmi. Seriously WOW. I will go back just for this alone. $25 for 5 good size pieces (promo price). It was sweet butter melt in the mouth. I cannot believe it is MEAT. No fibre, no stringy bits, almost no chewing required. WOW x 100. I gotta go back before the promo ends, and order the large 8-10 pieces portion. E played true to his loving hubby role and gave me, the gluttony wife, the 5th piece.
Next up, fugu bits, the innards (no liver) and skin. Weird but strangely addictive, could be the poison.
Fugu soup in paper pot. Good.
Fugu porridge. Very Good
To round off, we were given 1 scoop of ice-cream each. He had green tea and I had yuzhu. WOW x 20. Can somebody tell me where to get some? The manageress says they imported theirs directly from Japan.
The service was efficient and homely, even from the pouty waitress. Our tea cups were never empty. Dishes were served quickly and cleared just as quickly, even changed. I dont understand the bad reviews, especially 1 that complained that the toilets were at opposite ends of the building, get with it, the restaurant is sited in a pre-war building. DUH.
Gotta go back soon. And I'm not going to correct the forumers, but now you know.
10% discount if you have are an NUSS member.
Fugu! That puffer fish that is extremely hazardous to health if prepared incorrectly...
I did have some reservations with Honjin 7, since the forums have mostly vilified the food, the service and the price. But my previous visit was fine.
And so off to Honjin 7 we went, though on hind side (on the motivation, not that either of us came to any harm) I hope we didnt have a death wish on celebrating our wedding anniversary...
We had ordered only 1 fugu set to share so that we can try the rest of the stuff and ordered:
- fresh oysters on ponsu sauce
- fish liver
- cod fish sperm
- (some seasonal) fish in 2 ways : sashimi and grill
- hot sake
The sake came first in bottle sitting a hot water bath in a small sake barrel. We selected a sake cup each from a tray and we toasted each other. This dinner is shaping up well.
The appetizers came next. No complains. The oysters were huge :)
Then the first of the fugu set. Fugu sashimi. We asked the manager (lead waitress) if it were safe to eat and if anybody had any "problem" (we werent going to ask if they had any "deaths" now, were we?). She laughed heartily and said Singapore is so safe so dont worry (that didnt answer my question). Turned out the fugu was prepared in Japan and sent to Singapore, so I didnt have to worry about some unqualified chef preparing this in the back kitchen.
It was pretty, translucent pieces laid out like a chrysanthemum though we didnt taste anything special about it. It was almost tasteless. But when dipped into the ponshu sauce, a hint of sweetness and flora. Nice. Guess it will be better if eaten fresh in Japan.
The next was the seasonal fish. Blah. Same for the grill. Thank goodness it was "seasonal" and not on the regular menu...
The piece de resistance was the wagyu sashimi. Not the bluff type served at other places where it was seared at the sides. No fire or heat or any kind has touched this sashmi. Seriously WOW. I will go back just for this alone. $25 for 5 good size pieces (promo price). It was sweet butter melt in the mouth. I cannot believe it is MEAT. No fibre, no stringy bits, almost no chewing required. WOW x 100. I gotta go back before the promo ends, and order the large 8-10 pieces portion. E played true to his loving hubby role and gave me, the gluttony wife, the 5th piece.
Next up, fugu bits, the innards (no liver) and skin. Weird but strangely addictive, could be the poison.
Fugu soup in paper pot. Good.
Fugu porridge. Very Good
To round off, we were given 1 scoop of ice-cream each. He had green tea and I had yuzhu. WOW x 20. Can somebody tell me where to get some? The manageress says they imported theirs directly from Japan.
The service was efficient and homely, even from the pouty waitress. Our tea cups were never empty. Dishes were served quickly and cleared just as quickly, even changed. I dont understand the bad reviews, especially 1 that complained that the toilets were at opposite ends of the building, get with it, the restaurant is sited in a pre-war building. DUH.
Gotta go back soon. And I'm not going to correct the forumers, but now you know.
10% discount if you have are an NUSS member.
Labels: to Eat Drink Party
# posted by yojanjan : 12/29/2009 12:23:00 PM
