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[Food x Media Tasting] IPPIN Cafe Bar
Recently I was invited to my first media food tasting event! Even though I'm a foodie, it was my first time being in the presence of food bloggers and it was really a great learning (& yummy) experience!
Ayumi Fujishiro (Chief Cheerleader of IPPIN Cafe Bar)
About IPPIN Cafe Bar
Ayumi was originally working as an executive in Japan until she made a bold decision to leave after suffering a temporary hearing loss. With so many opened doors filled with endless possibilities in front of her, she took a bold and adventurous decision to come to Singapore to help her father set up IPPIN Cafe Bar in October 2014.
" We wanted a place where people can be themselves and enjoy everything a peaceful home offers"
IPPIN is a hidden gem where you can relax and enjoy a yummy meal and sip on some sake or tea with you friends, family, or partner. When you step in, you'll also notice that they have a wide range of Japanese products that were are specially imported!
The bar area - where we can order freshly brewed tea and sake!
Ayumi pouring お茶 (ocha - tea) for us!
Freshly brewed green tea
おいしそう～
おいしそう～
ほうじ茶 玄米茶 煎茶 (S$6)
Houjicha, Genmaicha, and Sencha (S$6)
ほうじ茶 (Houjicha): Might not look like green tea because of it's color but it's because the tea leaves are roasted, whereas other tea leaves are steamed. It's high in catechin and low in caffeine and tannin so it's suitable for children too!
玄米茶 (Genmaicha): 'Genmai' in Japanese means brown rice and this tea combines the green tea leaves with roasted brown rice. If you notice the white popcorn-like things in the container, it's the popped roasted brown rice grains!
煎茶 (Sencha): is probably the most popular tea in Japan and it's made by infusing the processed whole tea leaves in hot water. It has a perfect balance of refreshing aroma, delicate sweetness and mild bitterness.
I love all 3 but if I had to choose one... I think I like Genmaicha the most!
Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Beer (Koshihikari, Pale Ale, & Dark Ale) and Granagri (S$9)
Kanazawa - one of the famous areas in the Ishikawa prefecture. The Kanazawa station was selected as one of the World's Most Beautiful Train Stations by the Travel & Leisure (USA).
Hyakumangoku - During the Edo period, Kanazawa was governed by a famous samurai named Hyakumangoku (1 million yield) which showed how much land they govened.
Koshihikari - One of the most famous & delicious type of Japanese rice. It has a very light and smooth texture. Recommended Temperature: Approx. 4 Degrees.
Pale Ale - Using six-row barley seeds which is home-grown. It has a well-balanced bitterness from hop and a smooth texture. Recommended Temperature: Approx. 4 Degrees.
Dark Ale - It has a rich taste and it's recommended temperature of approx. 8 degrees because if it's too cold, it'll be difficult to enjoy the nice aroma.
Ganagri - It hsa a fruity aroma with a creamy texture. The recommended temperature of approx. 8 degrees because if it's too cold, it'll be difficult to enjoy the fruity aroma.
Wondering why the sake cup is in the hinoki box? It's so that after drinking the sake from the cup, you can drink it from the box to enjoy the sake with a woody taste.
Kirai Junmai - Junmai (純米) means that there is no additional startches, sugars, or alcohol, which gives it a rich body and higher acidity than other sakes. It's has a 14% alcohol content.
Tokugawa Ieyasu Daiginjo - It has a perfect harmony of sweet aroma and a rich, deep flavor. 17% alcohol content. Tokugawa Ieyasu is the legendary shogun .
I like having my sake hot (熱燗 Atsukan) because I feel like the aftertaste is smoother and enhances the flavor of the sake.
Some people might find ponzu to be too sour but by adding in butter, it makes it makes it smoother.
I LOVE oysters (raw/stir-fried/grilled/baked/fried) but I was a little surprised at how small the oyster turned out after grilling it.
Yakisoba (Fried Noodle) Set (S$12)
Yakisoba (similar to the Singaporean Mee Goreng?) is a very simple dish that can be found at school festivals (学生際 Gakuseisai), summer festivals (夏祭り Natsu Matsuri), diners (居酒屋 Izakaya), and at home! Some places use the udon noodles instead of the normal yakisoba noodles and that's quite yummy too because it's chewy chewy.
I added the Yuzu Koshou (Citrus Pepper) to the yakisoba to give it a refreshing but slightly spicy flavor to it!
Houjicha, Genmaicha, and Sencha (S$6)
ほうじ茶 (Houjicha): Might not look like green tea because of it's color but it's because the tea leaves are roasted, whereas other tea leaves are steamed. It's high in catechin and low in caffeine and tannin so it's suitable for children too!
玄米茶 (Genmaicha): 'Genmai' in Japanese means brown rice and this tea combines the green tea leaves with roasted brown rice. If you notice the white popcorn-like things in the container, it's the popped roasted brown rice grains!
煎茶 (Sencha): is probably the most popular tea in Japan and it's made by infusing the processed whole tea leaves in hot water. It has a perfect balance of refreshing aroma, delicate sweetness and mild bitterness.
I love all 3 but if I had to choose one... I think I like Genmaicha the most!
Kanazawa - one of the famous areas in the Ishikawa prefecture. The Kanazawa station was selected as one of the World's Most Beautiful Train Stations by the Travel & Leisure (USA).
Hyakumangoku - During the Edo period, Kanazawa was governed by a famous samurai named Hyakumangoku (1 million yield) which showed how much land they govened.
Koshihikari - One of the most famous & delicious type of Japanese rice. It has a very light and smooth texture. Recommended Temperature: Approx. 4 Degrees.
Pale Ale - Using six-row barley seeds which is home-grown. It has a well-balanced bitterness from hop and a smooth texture. Recommended Temperature: Approx. 4 Degrees.
Dark Ale - It has a rich taste and it's recommended temperature of approx. 8 degrees because if it's too cold, it'll be difficult to enjoy the nice aroma.
Ganagri - It hsa a fruity aroma with a creamy texture. The recommended temperature of approx. 8 degrees because if it's too cold, it'll be difficult to enjoy the fruity aroma.
Wondering why the sake cup is in the hinoki box? It's so that after drinking the sake from the cup, you can drink it from the box to enjoy the sake with a woody taste.
Kirai Junmai - Junmai (純米) means that there is no additional startches, sugars, or alcohol, which gives it a rich body and higher acidity than other sakes. It's has a 14% alcohol content.
Tokugawa Ieyasu Daiginjo - It has a perfect harmony of sweet aroma and a rich, deep flavor. 17% alcohol content. Tokugawa Ieyasu is the legendary shogun .
I like having my sake hot (熱燗 Atsukan) because I feel like the aftertaste is smoother and enhances the flavor of the sake.
それでは、「いただきます」
Let's sit down and eat! Itadakimasu!
Here's a few set meals that you can enjoy at IPPIN!
Miso Udon Noodle with Oyster Set (S$15)
In the Aichi prefecture, miso udon is considered soul food! IF you've been to Nagoya (which is in Aichi) it's really well known for the Miso Katsu (pork cutlet) too! The soup is on the thicker side and it's great to have it on a rainy, cold day.
With the naturally produced by placing koji soybeans in a a wooden barrel for two summers & winters. and comes with salad.
Grilled Oyster & Veggies in Ponzu Butter Sauce Set (S$20)
Oysters are from the Hiroshima prefecture - the most famous place for oysters in Japan!The oysters are grilled together with veggies in a ponzu (Yuzu citrus vinegar) butter sauce. It comes with rice (with barley), Hatcho miso soup, nikujaga (pork and potato stew), salad and dessert.
I LOVE oysters (raw/stir-fried/grilled/baked/fried) but I was a little surprised at how small the oyster turned out after grilling it.
Deep Fried Oyster Set (S$24)
These oysters are also from Hiroshima! The oysters are lightly battered so it's crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside. The oyster was SUPER YUMMY! It looked big and plump and tasted super creamy! It comes with tartar sauce but I enjoyed eating it by itself.
It comes with rice (with barley), Hatcho miso soup, nikujaga (pork and potato stew), salad and dessert.
Yakisoba (Fried Noodle) Set (S$12)
Yakisoba (similar to the Singaporean Mee Goreng?) is a very simple dish that can be found at school festivals (学生際 Gakuseisai), summer festivals (夏祭り Natsu Matsuri), diners (居酒屋 Izakaya), and at home! Some places use the udon noodles instead of the normal yakisoba noodles and that's quite yummy too because it's chewy chewy.
I added the Yuzu Koshou (Citrus Pepper) to the yakisoba to give it a refreshing but slightly spicy flavor to it!
I just wanted to say that the salad was super yummy! It's a mix of cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes. I like how you can add your own dressing because I don't really like my salads drowning in dressings (how do you taste the veggies if it only tastes like the dressing?!).
After enjoying a delicious meal, you can walk around the store where there are many premium food-related items displayed on wooden shelves.
A few things that caught my attention!
The strawberry wine looks super yummy!
Also this 'magical powder' which makes your ordinary cup noodles super yummy! This one is the red pepper flavor.
The lovely people at IPPIN were kind enough to give us all a goodie bag!
じゃ～ん♪
Sake Chazuke (Salmon Tea ... porridge?)
Chazuke is a really simple meal (or maybe a snack) I used to have at my grandma's house. It's SUPER SIMPLE, you get a bowl of rice, place a few condiments on top (salmon, a bit of wasabi, seaweed, etc.), pour hot green tea in the bowl and you're done!
This is a pre-packed version so all you have to do is put it on top of rice and
When I got home, I was so happy to see this in the goodie bag! I was eating the salad at IPPIN Cafe Bar with this dressing!! If you love wasabi, t
Since I'm biologically (lol) Japanese, the food at IPPIN Cafe Bar is really the classic, authentic Japanese home cooked meals. おふくろの味 (mom's food/taste of mom's food) is a term that's used to describe home-cooked food in Japan. IPPIN Cafe Bar's food isn't like the other Japanese restaurants with all the sashimi, sushi, and tempanyaki - since that's not really eaten at home. If you want to experience the おふくろの味, IPPIN Cafe Bar is definitely the place to go because home-cooked food tastes good because it's made with lots 愛 !
Thank you so much Hazel and the lovely people at IPPIN Cafe Bar for having me!
本当にありがとうございました！ごちそうさまでした
18 Mohamed Sultan Road
Tel: 6733 4794
Operating Hours: Monday ~Saturday
11am - 11pm
#BetterThanMom
xoxo,
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