Koji

 Thanks to the pal who took the effort in arranging a meal here with reservation.

At the Entrance

The concept of Koji is a trendy and casual Japanese sushi and sashimi joint. They focus on quality fresh seafood which is affordable, catering the nearby office crowd. They also offer an omakase menu in the evening served along with sake and shochu. However, do make sure to make a booking in advance for Omakase Menu.

Entrance

The space in Koji is rather limited with about 20 diners in the high chairs sitting around the centre island kitchen. Diners can get to see everything prepared in front of their eyes.

Seating around Center Kitchen

Besides the usual menu they have, there may have more than what is offered in it. 

Additional Menu 

Do check out the boards plastered on the wall for special items or it will be best if we can approach the servers to check out for the recommendations of the day.

Menu Board

We were puzzled by the paper bag that was provided to every diner. When checked, it was actually provided to place our mask while we were dining.

Paper bag

Sitting at the bar top counter surrounding the central kitchen is an enjoyment to me always. I love how the staff prepare the food, especially slicing Sashimi in front of my eyes.

Preparation of Orders

As one of the Ala Carte item on the menu, the chill spiny lobster salad was sweet and tasty, evenly mixed in the sauce. Absolutely, a good starter for my meal.

Spiny Lobster Salad - $5

Sashimi Moriawase indicates an assorted Sashimi plate. This Kome on the menu consists of 10 pieces of sashimi namely, Tuna, Salmon, Great Amberjack, Sweet Prawn and Sword Fish.

Kome - $26

Our friend was in the mood for some Sake and after some hesitation over the varieties available on the menu board, we had decided to go with the 300ml bottle of Kansansui

Kansansui 寒山水 - $39 (300ml)

The sake cups that were used was pretty interesting as there was a glass rabbit in the bottom of the cup.

Rabbit in Bottle

So Cute

The dish was a special item that is not on the written menu nor the digital menu. The Barracuda was recommended by the server. The fish was made into both Sashimi as well as torched sushi, beautifully placed and plated.

Barracuda - $50 

Besides enjoying pieces of sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi. We have some slices of Barracuda torched and bundled with sushi rice.

Barracuda Sushi

When the plate of Barracuda was done and left with the bones, it was then taken into the kitchen and deep-fried to crispiness. Dab them into a dollop of Japanese mayonnaise given and enjoy every bit of the remaining fish.

Deep-Fried the left overs 

Good food is worth the wait. It took quite a while for the grilled squid to be served but it was all worthwhile for its texture and quality.

Grilled Squid - $18 to $22 

The dessert hits the right spot and ending my meal on a good note. The sea salt ice cream came in a faint blue in colour and I love the taste totally. It was fragrant, packing vanilla beans taste and added with the natural sea salt taste, it makes everything went well. 

Ice Cream - $8

The overall dining experience was pleasant and with the attentive and friendly services as well as quality food, I do not mind being back again for more. As the seatings are rather limited, I suggest that it will be better to make a reservation before heading down. 

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Koji
Location: 252 North Bridge Rd, #03-28A The Providore Raffles City, Singapore 179103
Website

The Coffee Academics

Being spoilt for choices in the Basement of Raffles City, we finally settled down with The Coffee Academics (TCA) on the 2nd round of walk there. TCA is located in the mall just right to our popular Tiong Bahru Bakery.

The Coffee Academics

We took a while to look through the menu as we could not decide which signature dishes of theirs to order.

The Coffee Academics

One of the recommended all day breakfast in the Menu. Upon looking at the dish, I was dumb founded and thought I order the wrong thing as it looks like a plate of raw food, salmon with beef Tatare.

The breakfast set is special using beetroot and potato rosti with luxurious smoked salmon served with refreshing mango tzatziki, topped with a sous vide egg and ikura. Personally, I like this dish as it was not too filling to the stomach for our tea time yet giving us a satisfaction of the food. Love the riots of textures given in this dish from crispy rosti to the savoury mango tzatiziki and runny egg york, not forgetting the popping sensation from the ikura roes.

Le Smoked Salmon - $23

It's tough to dine and leave a coffee place without ordering a cup. Okinawa is one of the Signatures in the menu. It consists of Cappuccino with Okinawa brown cane sugar. Coffee was served in a stainless steel tray with a cup of drinking water.

Okinawa - $6 (Hot)

Love the fragrant Lychee smell from the tea but if there is not much taste of it when comes to drinking tea.

Lychee Oolong - $6 (Hot)

Pretty good impression left by them. It is a good idea to come here for breakfast, tea or coffee.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

The Coffee Academics
Location: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-12, Raffles City, Singapore 179103
Website

The Handburger

The Handburger is one of the stalls under the concept of Soup Spoon Union located in Raffles City Shopping Centre. The concept is not the usual "Order and Pay later" system in most restaurants, instead they did it the reverse with ordering and payment at the same counter.

Concepts of Soup Spoon Union

Once your order is ready, the buzzer will set off and you have to collect your food at the respective counters.

Buzzer

The Handburger practices the healthy living where by the handcrafted burgers includes grilled 100% grass-fed prime beef patties and portobello mushroom sandwiched in wholewheat brioche buns.

I had The Works containing cheese, mushroom, sunny side up egg, juicy thick cuts of tomatoes, handpicked butterhead lettuce and 100% grass-fed prime beef patty grilled to perfection. Making them a meal gives me an option of drink and choice of sides.

The Works - $15.90 / Set

If you knows about Soup Spoon and had tried their soups, this Velvety Mushroom Straganoff should be of no stranger to you. Its stomach filling hot chunky mushroom soups is tastily great item to pair with the meal.

Velvety Mushroom Straganoff

The choice of drink was pretty interesting. Besides having the home brewed Iced Lemon tea, we have the Hibiscus and Sugar-Free Sakura Sencha.

Drinks for the set

The healthy combination of chicken breast, portobello, cheese and honey mustard for the burger. Though the mushroom looked abit on the dry side, the overall taste was just not too bad.

Chicken Porobello

Another interesting item on the menu will be the Union Sampler that gives diner a petite caesar salad and two petitie mains - a soup and slider. The items was served on a wooden serving board that was tailored make to put both the plate and bowl into the sunken slot.

Union Sampler - $12.50

The original Slider was bite size, perhaps a few bites and you could have done with the burger. It consist of beef, cheese, grilled onions and honey mustard.

The Original Slider

Fresh greens with bacon bits, dried cranberries and croutons and vegetables were dressed lightly in its cream sauce.

Petite Caesar Salad

Overall, I like the concept as more choice are available apart from the usual Soup Spoon, however in terms of quality and standards, its quite of an average fare.

Rating: 3 / 5

The Soup Spoon Union
Location: Raffles City Shopping Centre #B1-61/62

St-Marc Cafe

Heard about St-Marc Cafe and seen it in Vivo City but never had the urged to try it. Following our dinner meal, we suggested to have a chit chat session to satiate our sweet tooth cravings. Of all places suggested, St-Marc Cafe scored the most with its eye catching colorful display units on their chiller.

Can you resist such temptations? Japanese desserts just never failed to lure us further especially in such yummy presentation.

Interior

Enjoy every single mouthful cold cold and hot sensation with their signature Fuji series. With the elegant twirls from the vanilla ice cream stacking on the crispy hot butter danish and sprinkled with matcha power as well as red bean topping by its side, it almost made me go bonkers! Luckily, we had our dinner settled earlier on.

Classic Fuji - $7.30

If two is a company and three is a crowd or would you say the more the merrier? Matcha Latte was smooth and creamy with taste dominated by the milk . In terms of Matcha flavour, it seems that the ratio and proportion went out. For stronger matcha scent, I would rather go for those in Starbucks.

Small Matcha Latte - $5 / cup

It seems like we had a little Matcha Toxication here. Matcha was just part of everything which we had ordered. Kyoto Delight was simply another variation of Classic Fuji served in a dessert glass with cool vanilla ice cream among a scoop of Matcha Ice Cream, mochi dressed in peanuts dust and mini rice balls.

Kyoto Delight - $8.80

With such assortment and pretty desserts before our eyes, we left the place with a satisfied stomach.

Rating: 3 / 5

St-Marc Cafe
Location: Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road #B1-44M Singapore 179103

Comnam Broken Rice Bowl

It's been a while I had heard about Comnam and its broken Rice bowl. They are launched by the folks of NamNam Noodle Bar and there is no need for another question about its location as they are just located next to the Noodle Bar. Likewise, when you talk about MSG in their food, it does follow suit.

Comnam Vietnamese Street Eats

Even the ordering concept is the same, just fill up the order on the piece of paper with pencil and proceed to the counter for payment and collection. Comnam, when broken down and translated in Vietnamese refers to cooked rice (Com) and Nam Refers to Southern (Vietnam). Thus if you are thinking the origin of the broken rice dish, its actually from Saigon in South Vietnam.

Ordering Process

Having their desserts before the meal as drink, I find that this Che dried Longan, Lotus Seeds, Water Chestnut and seaweed was rather similar to our chinese dessert, Ching Tng. Served in a cup where ingredients were stacked up occupying half of it with shaved ice toppings over them. Sweetness was moderate and tasted refreshing.

Che Dried Longan Drink - $4

No dripping of Viet Black Coffee as we had ordered them in Cold Condensed milk Version.

Viet Coffee - $2.60

Crispy Potao String Shrimps were served in with a faux newspaper on its base, absorbing the grease from the fried stuff. This String Shrimps looked extremely delicate and indeed very crispy. A closer look at the curls, they were actually made up of yellow onion rings.

Crispy Potato String Shrimps - $6.90

Another side plate that is worth the order will be its calamari or rather cripsy squid on the menu. It was deep fried and also presented with a faux newspaper. Dipping them into the dill and green chillies sauce is indeed very appetizing.

Crispy Squid, Dill, Green Chillies

  Besides having the traditional metal cup with ordering slip and pencil on the table. Seasonings and condiments were readily prepared on every table.

On the Table

Presentation of the Dry Rice Noodles with Sauteed chicken, prawn, seafood money bag was a common sight of a bowl of Vietnamese food where you find raw shredded vegetables like carrot, cabbages and beansprouts on the bowl. Also, a lime wedge as a add on enhancing the taste of the food.

Dry Rice Noodles - $10.90

Sauteed Chicken

The Spicy Beef Rice Noodle soup gave out a strong heady scent of prawn paste and spiciness which kind of summarized its spicy level. The bowl of spicy beef rice noodle include Pork Balls and bean sprouts. To minimize the spice level, adding lime juice will help.

Spicy Beef Rice Noodle Soup - $9.90

The Dry Pork Noodles came in a differently as compared to the two others Noodle ordered. Perhaps its more for someone who are more adventurous and love Pig Offal. The bowl consist of fish cake, beansprouts and pig offals like intestines, heart and belly meats. 

Dry Pork Noodles - $10.90

Instead of Rice Noodles, these yellow curly noodles were served instead.

Noodles

 Though it was supposed to be a "Rice" Place, we ended up ordering their noodles instead. Therefore, it gave me another reason to visit them again. Besides there are no GST or any service charge required.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Comnam Broken Rice Bowl
Location: Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road #B1-46/47 Singapore 179103