Sky on 57

Isshinkyo at Yuzuya Ryokan

One of the more unique ryokans we've come across in our travels recently was the Yuzuya ryokan in the Gion district of old Kyoto. Their in-house restaurant Isshinkyo serves local Kyoto style kaiseki meals with a slightly different flair - by using the popular yuzu, a Japanese citrus, to flavor many of their dishes and complement the meal.

The ingredients used were all top notch, fresh and seasonal. I could only imagine what a summer kaiseki set would bring to the table when the warm weather usered in an abundance of produce.

First up was a winter melon appetizer. Two tiny, perfectly round pieces of melon stewing in a hollowed shell. The fleshy melon was swimming in a bowl of melon broth flavored with bits of yuzu.

The second dish was a platter of fifteen different dishes, each an appetizer in itself. There was Japanese pickles, some marinated seafood, tofu and even rare Kyoto beef, seared to perfection.

Then there was the sashimi course, followed by the grilled butter fish.
Next we had the snapper hot pot with daikon broth and yuzu, and the egg porridge flavored with yuzu slivers. Finally, dessert came in two parts - yuzu jelly, and sweetened beans dipped in macha.

All the ingredients made for a unique and wonderful meal. I would highly recommend having dinner here, if not stay the night for the full experience. The restaurant itself is a scene of beauty and Japanese Zen-like tranquility.

Isskinkyo is located in the Yuzuya ryokan at: 545 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku
Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 605-0000, Japan. Tel: 075-533-6369

Il Lido Seasonal Degustation Menu

Like the old saying "out of the frying pan, into the fire" we jumped right into a lunch at Il Lido on Sentosa island the morning I returned from my feasting trip in Japan. It was another Monday, a perfect day for a nice sumptuous lunch before real work could begin.

Il Lido was featuring their seasonal degustation menu. We had no objections. The dishes were all perfectly executed, tasted wonderful, and we enjoyed our each course so much we forgot to take photos of some of them.

Il Lido is at 27 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa Golf Club.

Tel: +65 6866 1977

Omakase & Aburi Sushi, Tatsuya's, Singapore

In return for a wonderful treat to the two-star michelin restaurant, Tokyo Birdland, in November, I took my friend to my favorite neighborhood restaurant.  Andy, my favorite chef there, created a number of delightful dishes making full use of the fresh Tuesday fish delivery and the bounty of the season.  Uni, kani, ikura and many other wonderful fish were featured and all prepared in new and interesting ways.  Not pictured were the dish of fresh ikura and crab & shishito tempura which I consumed before remembering to take their photos.

Baked Crab and Rice in Clam Shell

Clam Yakitori



Uni and Prawn





Seared Wagyu Beef





Scallop with Foie Gras









Seared Tuna



Shinji By Kanesaka Monday Lunch

It's never too early in the week to have a nice sushi lunch, even though it may be a Monday. Today, we're both trying the new Shinji by Kanesaka sushi restaurant at the Raffles Hotel arcade, the first overseas venture by the relatively young yet highly respected Kanesaka-san. Lunch consisted of twelve courses of the freshest fish flown in from Japan.

Shinji by Kanesaka is at 1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel, #02-20
Tel: +65 6338 6131. Reservations highly recommended.

il Lido, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore

Many crimes are committed in the name of justice.  Similarly, in the name of getting our money's worth (D Guy had a 1 for 1 deal at il Lido), we ordered the degustation lunch which is ultimate "Tai-tai" and thus committed a severe crime of indulgence on a weekday.

Getting a seat by the window always ensures a light ambience and a feeling of getting away as you take in views of the sea and the greens of Sentosa Golf Club.  The 5-course menu was extremely filling and perhaps due to our recent trips to Japan, felt overly heavy going.  Still at $148++ for two, it was a great meal and a good deal.  Without the deal, I would order the simplest pomodoro capellini with basil leaves and leave it at that.

Scallops with Confit Cherry Tomatoes, Roast Garlic Cream and Crispy Prosciutto

Pan Roasted Goose Liver with Apricot Compote and Walnut Salad

Fettuccine with Spiny Lobster and Spicy Tomato

US Prime Beef Tenderloin with Spinach Cake, Garlic Sauce and Barolo Reduction

Molten Lava Milk Chocolate Cake in Hazelnut Crust with Vanilla Ice Cream

Otaru Sushi Dori, Hokkaido, Japan