I was filled with anticipation when I stepped into Shima for Teppanyaki dinner. It's been awhile since I had a proper Teppanyaki dinner cooked professionally, and getting my bonus is a cause to splurge, yes? :)
I was kind of disappointed to note that the restaurant had become much smaller! It used to be 2 storeys high, with a Teppanyaki section, a Yakiniku section, and a main dining room. There used to be also a sitting area where they serve matcha ice-cream with the best Azuki beans after your meal! But now it is only single storey, and with not much space around...so sad.
J ordered the Lobster set meal with US Ribeye - just because I'm buying dinner?? - Duh! And I had the Shima set meal with Beef Fillet.
Tempura!
My set meal comes with a mixed Tempura. I have not tasted ebi tempura this good for a looong time! The batter is thin and crispy, and you can still taste the juicy sweetness of the shrimp! This is how I believe real Tempura should taste like? I had 3 ebi and didn't say a word about sharing it with J....hehehe...because I was enjoying it too much to share them!
There was also an eggplant tempura, pumpkin (or was it sweet potato) and a green bell pepper which I gladly passed to J! No like green bell peppers!
Soft shell crab
J's meal comes with the Soft shell crab. I don't really eat soft shell crab, because I think the way the soft shell crinkles in my mouth just make me feel like the crab is still alive! Aaarrggghh...but J enjoyed his crab as always! I stole a piece of his mushroom tempura...yum :)
Cooking in progress
The Chef started to get busy, preparing our first few dishes. J's lobster can be served either as sahsimi, or cooked on the Teppanyaki grill. We opted for cooked lobster, thank you!
The lobster is cooking under the cover, and the salmon is slowly simmering in the sake contained in the aluminium foil folded into a box. Meanwhile, 2 slices of onions are being grilled away at one side, as well as the salmon skin! Can't wait to taste the food!
Salmon in Sake
If you think the Salmon in Sake looks small, well it is small because it is only half a slice of salmon! The Chef had kindly portioned the food into 2 so that we get to share our set meals. I simply love salmon cooked this way, and they still serve it in this shell shaped steel (?) plate! It has been served this way eversince I had my first dinner in Shima, which is eons ago! Hmmm...I wonder if I can get the recipe for the sake sauce...
Salmon skin & Lobster
See that strip of salmon skin? Yes, it has been cut into 2 too! But it was still deliciously crispy and had me wishing I had more of it. The lobster was cooked in some buttery sauce which is just heavenly! Add some of the seafood dipping sauce, and you get a buttery piece of lobster with a hint of vinegar so that it is not so "jelat". I ate my lobster slowly, hoping to savour the taste longer...
Lobster shell
The lobster shell is not spared! The Chef poured sake into the shell, and let it simmer for awhile before serving the whole thing to us. The sake is strong! But this would be a nice soup to have when it's freezing and snowing outside. But too bad, we are in Singapore!
Garlic Fried Rice
Humble Garlic Fried Rice just taste so much better when it is Teppanyaki-ed. I wonder how many kilograms of garlic does Shima uses everyday, because most of the dishes are smothered in garlic! Hey, I am not complaining, just curious :) The garlic fried rice is very fragrant and you can really taste the bits of crunchy garlic in it.
Beef Fillet and Ribeye
The two types of beef are cooked simply with nothing but tons of garlic, salt and pepper. Just the way I think good beef should be cooked, and the result is just pure beefy goodness. The beef fillet is tougher than the ribeye, but both are equally satisfying.
Fried mango with vanilla ice-cream
We were quite full at the end of the meal, but the waitress suggested we try the Fried Mango with Vanilla Ice-cream. I think J was sold at the word mango, and we ordered it. But it is worth the calories and splurge! Half slices of mango "fried" on the Teppanyaki grill, and then splashed with Cointreau, before a scoop of ice-cream was put on top and drizzled with butterscotch. Sigh...what more can I say except....dig in!
It was definitely a great meal, and an experience that I will not soon forget.
