Italian/Japanese/Korean

Italian/Japanese/Korean food would be food primarily found in these countries, or done in the various styles.

Japanese

Mar 2023

Japanese rice bowl, excellent taste with innovative options.

Started out back in 2019 by 2 young men, Hideki is slowly expanding its business. Recently forming a new partnership with none other than the skinny but wise chef, they are slowly expanding from their original base at Yishun.

Not strictly serving Japanese food, but more inspired by Japanese style of cooking, and using Japanese sauces. Most items here are done aburi style, blow torch seared after light cooking. I love sushi done Aburi style so I’m quite a sucker for this. Transferring this cooking style to meat other than fish is interesting and looks like it is working.

One very interesting observation here is that all of their meats are very fresh and succulent, even the deep fried ones. Very good cooking!

Yishun Park Hawker

Kallang Bahru

Ordering is a process, depending on which type you choose. If you choose an item under the mentai bowl, which comes with a sauce, you get 2 sides; if from the aburi bowl, you get 2 sides and a sauce. All the sauces are pretty excellent, different sauces might fit different items better, you can simply go with your instincts. if you have insticts like a deer staring at headlights, I'm sure their friendly staff can offer some advice.

The aburi beef would be the top choice! Beef…. Done aburi style, this alone is appetite whetting. Actually, if you think about it, a nice medium rare steak is similar to aburi sushi, isn’t it? 😆 😆

The beef used is fresh and succulent, seared to perfection, the serving is also generous, it’s marvellous. If Yishun is not too far away, I’d visit every week! Good thing they now have a new branch at Kallang!

The chicken aburi is also a good treat. Tasty and succulent chicken meat, if you’re lucky and the skinny chef is on duty, he would recommend the suitable sauce for your choice of meat. I was advised teriyaki sauce, good call chef!

Chicken katsu is fantastic too. Suitably crunchy layer of batter with a subtle prawn paste aroma, it is well worth a try, and for me, the best of the chicken variety here. Similarly, the chicken karaage has prawn paste flavoured batter, it is essentially a fushion har cheong chicken; needless to say, despite it being deep fried, the chicken remains succulent and juicy.

Situated at odd places, they are not too busy during off peak hours; but if you go during peak lunch hours (at Kallang) or dinner (at Yishun), there can be waits of up to 20 mins, beeper collection.

Give them a try, if Yishun or Kallang is a bit out of the way, try deliveroo!

Yishun Park Hawker menu

Kallang Bahru menu

Hideki SG

51 Yishun Avenue 11. #01-17 Yishun Park Hawker Centre, s768867

63 Kallang Bahru, #01-443, s330063

Daily 11am – 8pm

https://www.facebook.com/hidekigourmet/

https://www.instagram.com/hideki.sg/?hl=en

Bruno

Italian

Oct 2022

Top independent Italian restaurant, with a French owner that speaks Singlish...

Wonderful Italian food, made by a French from Bordeaux; from the sound of it, also an adopted Singaporean. Bruno has been in Singapore for almost 20 years and started Bruno’s more than 10 years ago.

Everything I’ve tried here over the years are at least 7 out of 10…. besides the caramalised onion and Hawaiian pizza, I have not had any that I don’t think is very good. As for the onion pizza, I think it’s more a personal non preference for these. They're supposed to be the in thing.

I will highlight a few dishes which are exceptional:

1. Grilled octopus

Cooked to perfection, from the succulent texture, I suspect the squid is 90% cooked. Giving it a soft squishy bite that is heavenly. This is a must try!

2. Pizzas

Bruno may be French but he definitely knows how to make a pizza (erm, Ziggy.... he does run a successful Italian restaurant). We will not talk about the topping as that is just up to individual preferences. The crust here is superb. Tasty, yes the pizza dough is…, gently crunchy and softly chewy to bring it home before you wash it down.

After I finished a slice, I noticed my cousin looking at me and smiling, he told me he usually doesn’t eat all the pizza crust, but he finished the lot here. "Likewise…" I told him

3. Beef ragu ravioli
I will remember my first bite of Bruno’s beef ragu ravioli. The moment the ravioli hit my senses, my body jerked back in delight. Strong beefy taste and so well marinated it felt like fireworks in my mouth. Big pieces of raviolis too!

4. Iberico pork chop (Bruno’s char siew)

Cut into slices from a strip of pork, this pork chop is served like char siews. Each piece of “char chop” is tender, tasty and terrific! There is a sliver of fats at the top of every piece that makes your tongue sing. They are not very big pieces, but if you have to cut it, do it lengthwise so that every bite gets the fats…

5. Crab meat pasta (Granchio)

A creamy tomato sauce that is delicious. It is nice, I just don’t know how to describe except, delicious!

Every trip to Bruno’s has been delightful. The only issue is that other than the Tanjong Katong outlet, where Bruno started, the others seems to be not as great. I have to admit I haven’t visited the Serangoon outlet yet. Do make reservations online at the web link above (or whatsapp96227547), can be quite full on weekends.

Clockwise from top left: calamari, carbonara, crayfish spaghetti, meat platter, risotto

Bruno’s Pizzeria and Grill

344 Tanjong Katong Rd, Singapore 437113 (Closed Mon)

544 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 218166 (Closed Mon)

(Bruno’s Bistrot) 201 Telok Kurau Rd, #01-06, Singapore 423910 (Closed Tue)

12 – 230pm, 6 – 1030pm

https://brunospizzeria.kitchen/