Go! Go! Curry!

I have to post this. During my last Japan trip in 2007, we hunted high and low for Go!Go!Curry! in Shinjuku. We saw the signature yellow logo but for the oddest reason, could not find the right staircase or lift to go up. It was late and we were tired, so we abandoned our quest.

Little did I expect the yellow Go! Go! Gorilla to come to Singapore.


OK, this is what the "Economy Class" takeaway (S$12.50) looks like. The different "classes" (Healthy, Economy, Business, First) just refer to amount of rice, not size of katsu. The laminated paper box is sturdy enough to take the curry poured over the cutlet and rice.

Tastewise - we were expecting curry but were slightly taken by surprise as it's more like a thick beef stew. It's not bad, once you get over that expectation. Flavours are robust and hearty. Just not very curry-like. The meat is pretty good quality and the rice is short-grain Japanese rice. No shortcuts, I'm glad. But I still wonder what the Shinjuku experience would have been like.


GO! GO! CURRY!
ION Orchard Outlet
2 Orchard Turn
#B4-55 ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Tel: 6509 4555

313@somerset Outlet
#05-01 Stall 24 Food Republic
313 Orchard Road
Singapore 238895
Tel: 68366855

4 Fingers Bonchon Crispy Chicken

Bonchon is a Korean chain that's a hit in the U.S. A group of four friends (hence "4 Fingers") brought the franchise to Singapore. What caught my attention (besides the NYC subway style wall-tile decor) was the media attention it had garnered. In the U.S., Esquire and GQ lauded Bonchon as "best fried chicken" and The New York Times also did a feature on it. So now, is it really worthy of the praise?



There's quite a lot of fat in chicken wing skin, and the Koreans have managed to cook chicken in such a way (twice-fried) that renders the fat out (yay!), resulting in a delightfully thin and crunchy skin. Miraculously, the meat stays tender and moist.

I did a takeaway box (6 wings, S$7.95) of both flavours - soy garlic (rather sweet) and hot (very mild). The wings are lightly painted with sauce and the skin did a good job of staying crisp, despite our humid weather. I'd still recommend eating them fresh on the spot than doing a takeaway though.



Worthy of mention are their fries. Generously seasoned with seaweed, sea salt, paprika and chili flakes! Oh *love*! But even their "large" (S$3.50) is not a huge portion.

Other downsides? You do have to wait a while (about 15-minutes) for your chicken to be prepared. I guess this means they cook only upon order, and not pick from a tray of ready-fried items like KFC does. Service is a little lacklustre but they do have a nifty

And it's not cheap - my little snack of 6 chicken wings and pack of fries cost S$11.45, but I might come back still. But either for the chicken or the fries, not both. Too much fried stuff in this killer heat of late is just going to do me in.


BONCHON CRISPY CHICKEN
2 Orchard Turn
#B4-06A ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Open daily: 11 am to 10 pm

Boomarang - Best.Sticky.Date.Pudding.Ever!

The heavens have opened up and I hear cherubs singing! Supremely moist, dense and sticky - all the qualities I have been looking for in sticky date pudding...found! If anything, this one probably over-delivered in these respects. And as if that's not decadent enough, the warm pudding comes with a gob of buttercream and creamy (real) vanilla ice cream, and then the whole thing is drenched in butterscotch syrup!

Thanks to Marina who tipped me off on this dessert (S$10) at Boomarang! Sorry, Marmalade Pantry, but this is what I was really expecting when you say sticky date pudding!



Boomarang is a sprawling bistro, cafe and bar that's taken over the old Simply Bread at Robertson Quay. It's Aussie tucker, as close as you can get to the real thing. There's lots of outdoor seating, especially wooden tables and chairs. But in this weather, unless you have a melanoma deathwish, the shade is probably a better idea.



Boomarang serves all-day breakfast on weekends and public holidays, and from 8am-11.30am on weekdays. Their breakfast menu is extensive and portions are hearty! I went for the works - "Kings Cross" (minute steak, beef sausages, crispy bacon, fried eggs, mushrooms, roma tomatoes on sourdough, S$20). The minute steak was a little dry but I enjoyed the bacon and herbed beef sausages. Eggs are still runny. The roma tomatoes are delicious (I usually balk at breakfast grilled tomatoes but had no trouble with these).



We also could not resist ordering the Wagyu Corned Beef Hash (S$16) - sauteed potatoes, fried eggs on Turkish toast. Unfortunately, the hash was bland and we could barely taste the wagyu. Potatoes were a tad more flavourful with herbs. And the soft Turkish toast was addictive - I used them to mop up the butterscotch of the sticky date pudding!



Boomarang welcomes kids and families - you'll see lots of these on weekends. There are children's menus (click for bigger photo, sorry for the mess!) and colouring kits to keep little hands busy. Boomarang is also pet-friendly. Bring your dog and they can give you a dog bowl.



Of course, Aussies are never far from their beers! I also noticed a well-stocked wine cellar. But do try their coffee - it's really good. Apparently they bring in Campos, raved by the New York Times as worth flying from New York to Sydney for. Even my 2-year-old Jolie was hooked, assiduously stealing teaspoons of it from her daddy's cup.

Boomarang can be a nice place to chill out by the riverside. However, when it gets crowded, service and food can be slow. I should like to come back perhaps on a weekday and try their Pepper and Lime Calamari, Wagyu Steak, and Peppered Kangaroo Loin. Anyone in the mood for marsupial meat?


BOOMARANG BAR & BISTRO
60 Robertson Quay
#01-15 The Quayside
Singapore 238252
Tel: 6738-1077 (reservations advised)
Open daily 8am til late