Bali with the EY interns

Ended my last semester in SMU with a trip to Bali with the crazy bunch of EY interns. I'm a city person so I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did. Turns out that I had boatloads of fun in the sun.  For four days we lived and feasted like kings on mind-shatteringly tender pork ribs, chilled Bintang beer, ridiculously cheap Magnum, and all manner of local delights. I went water rafting for the first time, experienced my first beach with crystal clear waters, and got pummelled by a waterfall . I returned with no souvenirs except two pairs of funky tasseled shorts at $4 a pair, a slight tan, and a ton of photos to edit. Never have I shopped so little yet felt so happy post-trip.

Lunch in a hut overseeing paddy fields

Review: Sushiro Sushi

Regine, my exchange buddy and fellow food addict will never be able to eat at the sub-par kaiten sushi joint right below her apartment ever again (not like we have much time left in Japan though). We have Sushiro スシロー to thank for raising expectations. 

To 'bribe' her to help lug some of my books back to her apartment for shipping home,  I treated her to lunch at Sushiro, where we stuffed our faces for a blissful two hours.   

Sushiro is one of many kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi chains in Japan. Every plate costs 100 yen before tax (108 after tax) with the exception of some premium items. Singaporeans should not confuse this with the similarly named Sushiro in Singapore famous for its affordable chirashi dons, but the Sushiro here deserves just as much recognition for serving great sushi at a great price.  

Plates of deliciousness

Gaga Over Granola

Inever used to eat breakfast regularly, but the range of strange and exciting breakfast foods here in Japan has changed that. It seems like granola here is very popular with the locals. Kellogg's Japan alone has at least 6 types in its granola product line, and they all come in convenient resealable packages. Why has this packaging innovation not made its way to Singapore yet? Lazy me hates having to hunt for an empty air-tight box after opening a box of cereal, and then having to squeeze the packet into the box, crushing the cereal in the process. 

Say hello to my granola collection: 

From left to right: Kelloggs all-bran fruit mix granola, Kelloggs fruit granola half-fat, Nissin uji matcha granola

Food Adventures in Tokyo

Ihave been too lazy to blog recently due to the deluge of exams and homework and other boring but necessary stuff. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to be a good student while on exchange, but I guess it is not easy to just shirk off my innate Singaporeaness. Whatever, I have still managed to work towards my main goal. 

I chose to come to Tokyo mainly for the food, and glorious food I have eaten. 

Champon at Ringer Hut. Decidedly too bland for my tastes. Extremely filling and chockful of vegetables. 

Review: Satsuma Imo Sweet Potato Pretz

Ihave always been more of a Pocky than Pretz person, but the awesome Pretz flavours here in Japan have brought me over to the snappier, naked side.  Every single time I go to Donki and see the towering stacks of Pretz, I invariably lose control and grab at least 4 boxes of assorted flavours.  But sometimes, a flavour is so good that you devote your entire Pretz quota to it. 

I accuse the following for the curse of chubbier cheeks:

Yup all 3 boxes are mine. Don't judge. 

Dorm Room Grub - Pancakes and French Toast

There's nothing like a stack of fluffy pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. This 100yen Showa Hot Cake Mix I bought from Don Quixote is my new best friend and has rightfully earned its place as a pantry staple. I was too lazy to read the instructions so the consistency of the pancake batter probably wasn't totally accurate - but hey, it turned out perfectly ok. My pancakes just weren't as thick as those shown on the box. The 300g of mix was sufficient for 3 uses. 

Look at those sexy air pockets

Dorm Room Grub - Cheap Chicken Dinners

Eating out in Tokyo everyday need not be expensive if you know where to go. But, being the cheapo that I am, I get a kick out of scrimping and saving every yen I can by cooking my own food.

The site Tokyo Cheapo has been an absolute godsend in recommending some of the cheapest supermarkets ever.

I bought a 2kg bag of frozen chicken thigh from Niku no Hanamasa Supermarket near Shin-Okubo station for a grand total of 640 yen. Some might think I'm crazy to lug 2kg of frozen chicken back home on a 1h train ride just to save some $$, but I would do it again anytime. That's less than 700 yen for 9 large pieces of chicken, which fed me for close to 3 weeks. In comparison, buying the equivalent at the supermarket near the dorm would cost me close to 400 yen for 2 pieces.

Why pay for convenience when you can save some moolah and burn some calories at the same time? It fills me with happiness to know that I saved so much. It's a drug. This cheapo thing.

Some obligatory photos of how I cooked the chicken, complete with random desk objects for meal companions:

Miso Ramen with chicken, egg, nasu and negi