Small cone, S$2.00 (promotional price)

My friend Vincent – who’s also a fervent foodie – has, on numerous occasions, raved and raved about the fabulous milk ice cream he had while holidaying in Hokkaido. So when Milca opened at the new ION Orchard, he was one of the early birds who went to check it out. His report: Not as good as, but close to the real deal.

That was nearly 7 months ago. I’ve been wanting to try it too, but hesitated because of its S$5.00 price tag. Five bucks for soft serve ice cream? Hmm….

But two weeks ago, I passed by the stall, and it was going for an easy S$2.00, albeit downsized. Of course I bought one right away!

Mmm…now I know why Vincent couldn’t stop raving about it. It’s truly divine!

It’s silky smooth, slightly airy, and not too sweet. It also feels creamy, but doesn’t leave a rich after-taste.

Even more surprising was how delectable the waffle cone was. It’s really thin, light, and crispy!

In no time, I gobbled up the entire cone. This is seriously addictive stuff!

Ice cream, "frozen" for eternity

Various toppings are available, should you prefer to spice things up. But in my mind, Milca ice cream+cone is already a marriage made in heaven, and needs no third party to wreck this perfect union.

Milca Hokkaido Soft Ice Cream
2 Orchard Turn
B4-67 ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Daily: 11am – 9pm

BBQ meats twin combo - roast pork & char siew, S$16.00++

Rick and I are both HUGE fans of Imperial Treasure’s roast meats, especially their roast pork. See how beautifully golden the crackling is! It’s evenly crisp and light, just sublime. The char siew is succulent, has good bite, and isn’t too sweet.

On a previous visit, we tried the roast duck and it was superb too.

Pig's Liver Noodle (dry), S$6.80++

Rick LOVES pork liver, but I’m squeamish about cooking it at home, so he has to get his fix outside.

Shrimp wanton noodle (soup), S$7.30++

Having not gotten over the disappointment of Noodle Place’s shrimp wanton noodle, I was curious to see how Imperial Treasure’s version would measure up.

Here, they haven’t got a wanton+shrimp dumpling combo, so I settled for just shrimp wanton.

Imperial Treasure’s shrimp wantons definitely trumps Noodle Place’s! Here, the shrimps are uber fat, fresh, crunchy, and sweet. Very shiok!

But for the noodles, I think Noodle Place’s is thinner and has a nicer mouth-feel. Also, I prefer yellow chives which is more authentically Hong Kong-style, rather than spring onion.

As for the soup base, both are about the same.

So it seems the score is even. But if I had to choose, it would be Imperial Treasure for me, cos it’s more about the shrimp wantons rather than the noodles.

Note: This place fills up quickly. Queues are expected at peak hours and weekends, and seating is cramped in the inner section. But we’ve been here a couple of times, and have been satisfied thus far with their consistent food quality and efficient wait staff.

Total bill for 2 – including beverages, wet towel, 10% service charge + 7%GST – was S$41.80.

Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House
Orchard Turn
#B3-17 ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Tel: (65) 6509 8283

Mon to Fri: 11am – 10pm
Sat to Sun: 10:30 – 10pm

Takoyaki (fried octopus balls), 6 for S$4.80

On the same night we had dinner at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, I joined the queue for the much-hyped takoyaki from Tsukiji Gindaco at ION Orchard’s B4 food hall.

Verdict: Miles better than Takopachi over at Takashimaya! There’s a nice-sized chunk of octopus in each ball, and the beni shoga (red pickled ginger), tenkasu (crunchy flour bits), leeks, and katsuobushi (fish shavings) are of much better quality.

The best part was the crispy, browned exterior. They achieved this by pouring a final round of oil onto the hot iron pans to further brown and crisp up the cooked flour balls. Sweet…!

Left: Pre-battered balls; Right: Ready to be served!

While it was delectable, it wasn’t quite as mindblowing as I’d expected. Hmm, maybe my expectations were too high? But a friend who’s tried the real deal in Japan told me that while it’s better than what’s currently available elsewhere in Singapore, it still falls short of the original ones in Japan.

Oh well, I guess we can’t eat chicken rice in Russia and expect it to be as authentic as in Singapore. At least we now have something closer to the real deal.

Tsukiji Gindaco
#B4-64/65, ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801
Open: 10am – 10pm daily

Rosu katsu (pork loin) set, S$13.50

So many exciting new F&B players, but only one tummy. Ginza Bairin seemed like a good dinner choice, mainly because it was quite empty (read: immediate seats + short wait for food).

Established since 1927, Ginza Bairin is an offshoot of the original Ginza, Tokyo-based restaurant that specializes in tonkatsu. We ordered the pork loin and pork fillet teishoku (set meal).

Spy the fat on the right edge?

The pork loin did not disappoint! Juicy and tender, the meat had a nice bite as well. The panko (breadcrumb) was a little coarse, but on the whole, the crust was light and crispy, and beautifully grease-free.

If I had to nitpick, the cutlet is a little thin, which makes the panko-to-pork ration just a bit too much. For now, my gold standard for tonkatsu is Tonkichi, but of course, Tonkichi is significantly pricier than Ginza Bairin.

With more choices, this just means good news for tonkatsu lovers. If I can afford to splurge, then Tonkichi it is. For something more pocket-friendly without compromising too much on quality, Ginza Bairin is a decent alternative.

Hire katsu (pork fillet) set, S$13.50

The pork fillet is not something I’d order again. It was tender, but not moist nor tasty enough. To compare, the pork fillet at Tonkichi is way superior.

Tonjiru

We didn’t think much of the accompanying pickles and dressing for the shredded cabbage, but they did help to effectively cut the grease. Instead of the usual miso soup, tonjiru is served. Being pork broth, it’s heartier than dashi stock. Less miso is used. There’s also slices of konnyaku, carrot, and daikon, if I recall correctly. I rather liked it, but Rick thought it could be less salty.

The set-up here is casual dining, almost fast food-like. You pay for your order at the counter, then grab a table. The food was served pretty fast. With soft drinks at S$2.00, a meal here costs around S$16.00. Besides teishoku, there’s also curry katsu rice, donburi, and katsu sandwich on the menu.

Ginza Bairin
B4-39/40/41/42
ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801

Tel: (65) 6509 8101
Open: 10am – 10pm daily