http://www.soshiok.com/articles/12046
Yuzu rules at Shimbashi Soba
Fri Mar 13 2009
Tan Hsueh Yun
Urban, The Straits Times
Yuzu soba, is available at Shimbashi Soba, B1-41 Paragon until March 25.
Singapore, March 13, 2009 - I was going to like the yuzu flavoured soba at Shimbashi Soba, that went without saying.
Regular readers of this column will know I cannot resist anything made with the Japanese citrus fruit.
What I did not count on, though, was just how much I would love it. The springy, slightly chewy buckwheat noodles have flecks of yuzu peel in them and taste so delicate.
They are even better dipped in the special sauce served with the noodles which has freshly grated yuzu zest in it. With every bite, you get a whiff of yuzu.
You see why I cannot stop thinking about it ?
Shimbashi's soba chef Takafumi Kumayama, 38, says the noodles are made with just the embryo of the buckwheat seed, which is why the noodles are a very pale yellow, instead of the more robust grey-brown of regular soba.
They taste much lighter than regular soba too and are fantastic on their own - Yuzu-Kiri Seiro ($14.80), or with tempura ($23.80).
When the noodles are gone, ask for some soba-yu - the cloudy and very nutritious soba boiling water - and pour it into whatever dipping sauce is left. Give the brew a quick stir with chopsticks and drink up.
That hot, umami-rich broth is the perfect ending to a delicious meal.
Now, like the regular soba Shimbashi serves, the yuzu soba is made fresh daily and is available only until March 25. There are 40 servings available each day.
I intend to eat my fill while I can, and if I have to wrestle people to the ground to get the last available serving, trust me, I will.
Yuzu soba, available until March 25, from Shimbashi Soba, B1-41 Paragon
Tel: 6735-9882.
Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm; and Kuriya, B1-06 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: 6883-2020.
Opening hours: noon to 10pm
Read -> Heartwarming soba t Shimbashi Soba
Other citrus goodies:
Light and Crisp
I am a big fan of Japanese rice crackers so I could not resist getting these chilli and yuzu-flavoured ones.
So light and crisp, they make a perfect snack. I wish the yuzu flavour was more pronounced, but you certainly feel a gentle bite of chilli at the end.
Kirimochi Age, $2.90 for a 75g pack, from Isetan Scotts, B1 Shaw House.
Opening hours: 10am to 9.30pm daily
Juicy Goodness
Trust the Japanese to think of everything. These Iyokan mandarin oranges, grown in the Ehime prefecture, are for those who hate the bitter white membrane surrounding orange segments.
The membrane peels off almost in one piece, leaving just plump, juicy sacs of citrus goodness.
They look fabulous in a salad of baby spinach and walnuts, or a fruit salad with strawberries, kiwis and grapes.
How sweet they are will depend on your luck. Some are sweeter than others, but even the tart ones have a bright, lively and irresistible flavour.
Iyokan, about $14 for a bag of four, from Paragon Market Place, B1-20 Paragon
Tel: 6738-2798.
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm daily
Lovely Spread
It is true that if I really wanted to, I could whip up some lemon curd in under an hour or a batch of marmalade in maybe two.
However, I have been bitten by the lazy bug lately and would really rather be putting my feet up and reading food magazines.
So let's leave the stirring and bottling to the more industrious, shall we? I recently tried out some jams from Staverton Ewe and like them very much. The British brand is part of a range that also includes Stokes and Suffolk m&d gourmet products.
The Lemon Curd does not glisten as much as homemade versions and the texture is not quite as voluptuous, but I really like the bright lemon flavour.
This is excellent spooned onto shortbread biscuits. The slightly bitter Seville Orange Marmalade is fabulous on toast and would also be good alongside pan-seared foie gras.
Raspberry Jam does not have the tart edge I like, but I am sure that will please almost everyone else.
This is lovely spread over a chocolate croissant. It worked warmed and served with a wedge of flourless chocolate cake too.
Staverton Ewe jams, curds and marmalades
$13.75 for a 454g jar, from Cold Storage, B1-18 Great World City
Tel: 6735-4730.
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm daily
Yuzu rules at Shimbashi Soba
Fri Mar 13 2009
Tan Hsueh Yun
Urban, The Straits Times
Yuzu soba, is available at Shimbashi Soba, B1-41 Paragon until March 25.
Singapore, March 13, 2009 - I was going to like the yuzu flavoured soba at Shimbashi Soba, that went without saying.
Regular readers of this column will know I cannot resist anything made with the Japanese citrus fruit.
What I did not count on, though, was just how much I would love it. The springy, slightly chewy buckwheat noodles have flecks of yuzu peel in them and taste so delicate.
They are even better dipped in the special sauce served with the noodles which has freshly grated yuzu zest in it. With every bite, you get a whiff of yuzu.
You see why I cannot stop thinking about it ?
Shimbashi's soba chef Takafumi Kumayama, 38, says the noodles are made with just the embryo of the buckwheat seed, which is why the noodles are a very pale yellow, instead of the more robust grey-brown of regular soba.
They taste much lighter than regular soba too and are fantastic on their own - Yuzu-Kiri Seiro ($14.80), or with tempura ($23.80).
When the noodles are gone, ask for some soba-yu - the cloudy and very nutritious soba boiling water - and pour it into whatever dipping sauce is left. Give the brew a quick stir with chopsticks and drink up.
That hot, umami-rich broth is the perfect ending to a delicious meal.
Now, like the regular soba Shimbashi serves, the yuzu soba is made fresh daily and is available only until March 25. There are 40 servings available each day.
I intend to eat my fill while I can, and if I have to wrestle people to the ground to get the last available serving, trust me, I will.
Yuzu soba, available until March 25, from Shimbashi Soba, B1-41 Paragon
Tel: 6735-9882.
Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm; and Kuriya, B1-06 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: 6883-2020.
Opening hours: noon to 10pm
Read -> Heartwarming soba t Shimbashi Soba
Other citrus goodies:
Light and Crisp
I am a big fan of Japanese rice crackers so I could not resist getting these chilli and yuzu-flavoured ones.
So light and crisp, they make a perfect snack. I wish the yuzu flavour was more pronounced, but you certainly feel a gentle bite of chilli at the end.
Kirimochi Age, $2.90 for a 75g pack, from Isetan Scotts, B1 Shaw House.
Opening hours: 10am to 9.30pm daily
Juicy Goodness
Trust the Japanese to think of everything. These Iyokan mandarin oranges, grown in the Ehime prefecture, are for those who hate the bitter white membrane surrounding orange segments.
The membrane peels off almost in one piece, leaving just plump, juicy sacs of citrus goodness.
They look fabulous in a salad of baby spinach and walnuts, or a fruit salad with strawberries, kiwis and grapes.
How sweet they are will depend on your luck. Some are sweeter than others, but even the tart ones have a bright, lively and irresistible flavour.
Iyokan, about $14 for a bag of four, from Paragon Market Place, B1-20 Paragon
Tel: 6738-2798.
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm daily
Lovely Spread
It is true that if I really wanted to, I could whip up some lemon curd in under an hour or a batch of marmalade in maybe two.
However, I have been bitten by the lazy bug lately and would really rather be putting my feet up and reading food magazines.
So let's leave the stirring and bottling to the more industrious, shall we? I recently tried out some jams from Staverton Ewe and like them very much. The British brand is part of a range that also includes Stokes and Suffolk m&d gourmet products.
The Lemon Curd does not glisten as much as homemade versions and the texture is not quite as voluptuous, but I really like the bright lemon flavour.
This is excellent spooned onto shortbread biscuits. The slightly bitter Seville Orange Marmalade is fabulous on toast and would also be good alongside pan-seared foie gras.
Raspberry Jam does not have the tart edge I like, but I am sure that will please almost everyone else.
This is lovely spread over a chocolate croissant. It worked warmed and served with a wedge of flourless chocolate cake too.
Staverton Ewe jams, curds and marmalades
$13.75 for a 454g jar, from Cold Storage, B1-18 Great World City
Tel: 6735-4730.
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm daily
