Koh Grill & Sushi Bar

In a nutshell
Fudz: Koh Grill & Sushi Bar
Cuisine: Japanese
Location: 435 Orchard Road Wisma Atria Shopping Centre #04-23 Singapore 238877
Note: Opens at 1130hrs and does not accept reservations. You queue if you want to eat.

The story

We crave freedom when we are in the middle of a terrible project. Okay, it was not terrible. It was hellish. We would look at each other, nod empathetically, pat on backs and say things like, "we will eat something good after this."

My inmates and I decided to go for Japanese food after breaking out of prison. Japanese food is usually a safe bet... unless you're one of those queueing up for Sakae Sushi. Nobody can help you.

Ashley raves about the Shiok Maki. Online reviews rave about the Shiok Maki. I think the people eating hokkien mee at Wisma Atria's Food Republic (where Koh Grill & Sushi Bar is) rave about the Shiok Maki too.

It took about 15 minutes just to get the server's attention to take our orders. What are 15 minutes when we had been eating prison food for months?

It took more than 45 minutes for three of the bento sets to arrive. These sets consisted of udon soup and sushi. I wasn't sure why it took so long. We checked on their statuses after the half-an-hour mark and the waitress could not give a reasonable reply. The rest of the team were already more or less done with their meals. All the sushi orders were nowhere near done.

And when they came, they looked like this.

Check the bottom right maki. They look like they had just met with an accident.

I'm not particular about how my food is presented as long as it still looks appetising. BUT this is a Japanese restaurant specialised in sushi. The picture above is a blasphemy to Japanese cuisine that prides itself on presentation as well as taste. Why did it take so long for them to make sushi that look like these? I think I can do a better job on the plating if I were in a sushi buffet, picking sushi for myself to eat.

They need a lot more skilful sushi chefs then. If they can't make the presentation decent, the least they can do is to serve up a lot quicker than 45 minutes.

Taste-wise, it's all good.

Shiok maki come in either ebi or eel

The one with ebi

I suspect that it tasted so good because it was heavily doused with mayo mentai cream. The downside was that the salmon and ebi drowned in the sea of mayonnaise. They could swim when they were alive. Now that they are cooked, they could not beat the cream flood.

Tofu with century egg and roe

Cha soba with quail egg

It was a good meal despite the long wait and bad service.

I wish restaurants will teach their servers NOT to stack patrons' plates on the table in front of them. I wish they do not have to 'transfer' leftovers from one plate to another while stacking them. Hawker cleaners can do that because they need to clear the tables fast for the next customer.

Then again, I found out that Koh Grill & Sushi Bar does not charge customers' for service, only GST.

Brunch with the bunch

In a nutshell

Fudz: Oriole Cafe & Bar

Cuisine: European

Code: Casual and smart

Location: 96 Somerset Road, Pan Pacific Services Suites, #01-01, Singapore 238163

Dial: +65 6238 8348

Interweb: http://www.oriolecoffee.com/

Damage: $30 per pax

Taste: To get your caffeine and alcohol fixes at the same time

Ambience: Dim lighting unless you choose to dine al fresco. Neighbouring patrons are a tad too close for comfort in case you want to whisper top trade secrets or sweet nothings.

Service: Good

The story

To be honest, we only went for the breakfast menu that was displayed on the acrylic tabletop board for weekends (till 3pm). We need eggs - scrambled, poached and fried and nothing could deter us from having breakfast at midday when normal human beings are already thinking about lunches.

Great coffee. So I heard from those who indulge in the black-brown liquid. I am not a coffee drinker so this pledge of thumbs-up come from everyone who had their coffee in Oriole. The owner is an award-winning barrister so we shall assume that he knows his coffee beans from the good and bad.

Latte

I did not intend to talk about Oriole's coffee. I only want to talk about their breakfasts. I am deeply in love with their Caesar Salad too but I have to save that for another day as well.

I am terrible with documenting.

They have Moroccan styled lamb sausages that come in a bowl. Do Moroccans eat their breakfast out of bowls? I wonder, I wonder.

With fried egg, chick peas, feta cheese

Scrambled

The portions look small for ravenous creatures like us. Our hunger subsided but we are used to being stuffed. I could have ordered that bowl of Caesar Salad... I dream about it all the time.

Eggs Benedict with ham topped off muffin buns

Full English Breakfast

The bacon strips are extremely salty. I am good at eating salty food but their bacon defeated my tongue without much of a fight. The eggs are done well but the sausages are either too porky or dry.

Breakfast is definitely not its forte but we asked for it.

I know, I really want to tell you how good the salad is.