Standing Snatch, Half Squat: 30x3, 2 sets; 40x3, 2 sets; 50x2; 55x1; 60x1; 40X3, 2 sets.
Front Squat: 50X3, 60x3, 70X3, 80X3, 90X2, 100x1
Snatch Pull: 40X3, 50X3, (peppered out at 60kgs)
Military Press: 20x15, 30x4, 35x2 (what a wimpy performance)
Side Bend: 5x20, 4 sets
I am going back tomorrow for more, baby. YEAH!!!
PS: reward for tonight, 4 coffeespoons of Hagen Dasz Summer Berries Ice Cream.
PS: I have an ugly bruise on my waist.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
A Chaotic night for a Kaiseki
A relatively empty carpark, a jam-packed Iketeru.
What is it with my 'luck' of eating at Iketeru on their busiest days.
At least the food more than made up for the 'service'.
Starters: Summer Veggie Beancurd with Unagi, Boiled Spinach with Enokitake Mushrooms
Love the mushrooms these time, better than last month's tofu pok. The highlight was probably the tofu made with summer veggies with a slice of unagi on top, I love the texture!!! The only flaw was probably the sauce floating at the bottom, I wish it was drizzled and coating the tofu instead to accentuate a stronger flavour.
Sashimi: Toro, Flying Fish, Sea Bream, Gurnard, Flambe Octopus & Gyuduck
I love them all, the most interesting to report is probably the slithers of gyuduck and flying fish, because they tendons were much more sinewy this time, so the chef chopped it even more finely to retain the optimum chewiness.
For my first try of the Gunard, I must say that it is very chewy, probably because the fish is a very strong fish and flavoursome despite being a whitefish.
Steamed dishes: Summer Veggie Beancurd, Brinjal, Yam, Okra & Beancurd Skinroll
Other than the yam being a wee bit undercook in the middle, this was a pretty simple dish; not too saucy or having a wow factor, just simple and homey. Will probably favour the summer veggie tofu, I can't get enough of this piece. Thank god for the second slice.
Distraction: Wasabi Maize Dip & Foie Gras in Truffle sauce
Finally, a photo to make up for last month's Wasabi Maize Dip, still packs a punch like last month. Couldn't say the same for the Foie Gras though because the fragrance of the truffles was lost because it had been refrigerated and doesn't melt in your mouth like the last one.
Grilled dishes: Sea Bream with Sweet Miso, Unagi 2 ways, Baby Prawns, Eggplant, Sweet Tomato, Fishcake & Salted Edemame
Probably my favourite dish of the night because of the number of surprises, like the really really sweet tomato, grilled-baked unagi and the saucy unagi salad. The real standout was the Sea Bream: I am normally prepared for juicy salt-baked fish but this was was marinated and dry rubbed with sweet miso, so it was definitely sweet which added a new dimension to the Sea Bream, like an overwhelming chorus that explodes now and then when the stanzas fades into the background before coming back out. Tres Bien!!!
Sushi: Maguro, Squid with Dou Ban Jiang, Amberjack
All these sushi, and I am still awaiting the main course. The maguro was leany, but still perfectly chewy
This I love, since the sweet and spicy dou ban jiang brighten up the squid meat even more, every chew brings out more flavour. *Sigh* I can't get enough of this.
Love the texture, the interplay between the skin and chewy meat and hint of fat beneath.
Main course: Conger Eel Shabu-Shabu & Porridge
First bite into a mushroom and I get a dizzying hit of sake (Chef Ricky later confess to adding it at the last minute), which continued with the veggies but was absent in the seaweed tofu and chicken meatball, both of which hold their own but were exactly standouts.
Distraction: Maguro Tataki
Now awaiting them to make porridge with the leftover stock. Lukewarm on the outside, breezily cool on the inside
More egg to bind the rice so you could easily eat this with chopstick if you so desire. with a side of pickles to go along. Midway through the pot, I met the new F&B manager, Gerard, a true blue OZ. Also went over to the Teppanyaki to meet my Godsister and her friends (and her oh-so-cute baby girl) before dessert.
Dessert: Coffee Jelly & Assorted Fruits
A bigger fruit platter more than made up for the coffee jelly this time.
There will be a Wagyu & O'toro promotion next month at Iketeru, will try to get onto the first tasting menu (I twisted Chef Ricky's arm for this). Anyone want to join me?
Feel free to comment
What is it with my 'luck' of eating at Iketeru on their busiest days.
At least the food more than made up for the 'service'.
Starters: Summer Veggie Beancurd with Unagi, Boiled Spinach with Enokitake Mushrooms Love the mushrooms these time, better than last month's tofu pok. The highlight was probably the tofu made with summer veggies with a slice of unagi on top, I love the texture!!! The only flaw was probably the sauce floating at the bottom, I wish it was drizzled and coating the tofu instead to accentuate a stronger flavour.
Sashimi: Toro, Flying Fish, Sea Bream, Gurnard, Flambe Octopus & GyuduckI love them all, the most interesting to report is probably the slithers of gyuduck and flying fish, because they tendons were much more sinewy this time, so the chef chopped it even more finely to retain the optimum chewiness.
For my first try of the Gunard, I must say that it is very chewy, probably because the fish is a very strong fish and flavoursome despite being a whitefish.
Steamed dishes: Summer Veggie Beancurd, Brinjal, Yam, Okra & Beancurd Skinroll Other than the yam being a wee bit undercook in the middle, this was a pretty simple dish; not too saucy or having a wow factor, just simple and homey. Will probably favour the summer veggie tofu, I can't get enough of this piece. Thank god for the second slice.
Distraction: Wasabi Maize Dip & Foie Gras in Truffle sauceFinally, a photo to make up for last month's Wasabi Maize Dip, still packs a punch like last month. Couldn't say the same for the Foie Gras though because the fragrance of the truffles was lost because it had been refrigerated and doesn't melt in your mouth like the last one.
Grilled dishes: Sea Bream with Sweet Miso, Unagi 2 ways, Baby Prawns, Eggplant, Sweet Tomato, Fishcake & Salted Edemame Probably my favourite dish of the night because of the number of surprises, like the really really sweet tomato, grilled-baked unagi and the saucy unagi salad. The real standout was the Sea Bream: I am normally prepared for juicy salt-baked fish but this was was marinated and dry rubbed with sweet miso, so it was definitely sweet which added a new dimension to the Sea Bream, like an overwhelming chorus that explodes now and then when the stanzas fades into the background before coming back out. Tres Bien!!!
Sushi: Maguro, Squid with Dou Ban Jiang, Amberjack All these sushi, and I am still awaiting the main course. The maguro was leany, but still perfectly chewy
This I love, since the sweet and spicy dou ban jiang brighten up the squid meat even more, every chew brings out more flavour. *Sigh* I can't get enough of this.
Love the texture, the interplay between the skin and chewy meat and hint of fat beneath.
Main course: Conger Eel Shabu-Shabu & PorridgeFirst bite into a mushroom and I get a dizzying hit of sake (Chef Ricky later confess to adding it at the last minute), which continued with the veggies but was absent in the seaweed tofu and chicken meatball, both of which hold their own but were exactly standouts.
Distraction: Maguro TatakiNow awaiting them to make porridge with the leftover stock. Lukewarm on the outside, breezily cool on the inside
More egg to bind the rice so you could easily eat this with chopstick if you so desire. with a side of pickles to go along. Midway through the pot, I met the new F&B manager, Gerard, a true blue OZ. Also went over to the Teppanyaki to meet my Godsister and her friends (and her oh-so-cute baby girl) before dessert.Dessert: Coffee Jelly & Assorted Fruits
A bigger fruit platter more than made up for the coffee jelly this time.
There will be a Wagyu & O'toro promotion next month at Iketeru, will try to get onto the first tasting menu (I twisted Chef Ricky's arm for this). Anyone want to join me?
Feel free to comment
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The return of the Kaiseki
Okay, to be honest, I had this one on the 18th of June, but was away to Penang and Bangkok for 2 weekends before coming back and I better write this up or people will think I have gone to heaven after eating one too many decadent Kaiseki (not to mention poor Chef Ricky in distress if he loses one of his 'regulars')
Starters: Peanut Beancurd with Wasabi, Boiled Spinach with beancurd
Make no mistake, that is tofu pok you see in the spinach. Definitely a better sponge to soak up the sauce with every mouthful, and thinly sliced that it is still springy yet breaks apart easily with every bite.
Love the peanut beancurd, so much more sweeter than the sesame beancurd, like some sort of refined peanut butter jam without the sugar.
Soup: Soup with Prawn Dumpling
More prawn, slurps. What else can I say? Actually the trace of the sudachi lime in the soup left me with a unique aftertaste. Something like a cross between a raw brinjal and bittergourd. Still trying to puzzle it out after all this while.
Sashimi: Surf Clam, Haji, Toro, Flying Fish, Octopus & Barracuda
Fresh surf clam sashimi, the whole clam too. I am getting spoiled like a baby. It's sooo fresh that it taste bloody bloody good (because they have to kill it to open up the shell).
Skipping on pass the usual octopus and toro fare, I quite like the gleaming haji they have this time; and the flying fish on the right hand side of the plate, that was excellent. It was very very chewy, no wonder those things can jump into the air and look like they are flying.
Towards the end, the sashimi chef realized that he left something off my plate and hurriedly whipped up some barracuda sashimi (yes, that fierce snapping fish is now dinner on my plate. Very very tender surprisingly, almost light like sea bream but much more robust if the meat is redder.
Distraction: Flambe TaiMiso & Wasabi Maize Dip
Time to make up for a booboo the last time. The Thai Miso is actually TaiMiso, which is Miso made with Tai (Sea Bream) in the fermentation process. Somehow it comes across as much more sweeter than regular miso (most locally imported miso have too much salt to preserve it) after being flambe; not to mention being sticky like Natto. Think of it as satay sauce jam (I am not kidding).
Also had a wasabi maize dip made from the skin of the wasabi roots fermented with maize seeds, initially you taste the sweetness of the maize before the hit sneaks up to the back of your throat and whams you down the gullet (Apologies for no photos of the deadly poison)
Steamed dishes: Eggplant with Beancurd Skinroll & Octopus
Wow, I never knew that octopus cooked right would melt in your mouth (remember all those chewy leathery octopus meat you get all of steamboats). This is the total opposite, no chewing required, just push the meat with your tongue against the top of your mouth and it breaks apart. Good thing that the mustard is there to make sure you chew (although it hit my nose this time)
The eggplants were just right this time round, tender yet firm enough and the beancurd skin rolls, full of the sauce so alternating bites was a breeze.
Grilled dishes: Adult Ayu, Cod Liver with Cream Cheese, Gizzardfish sushi, Yam, Grilled Chicken & Gobo roots
Now for something exotic. a full grown ayu fish (too bad it is a farmed fish, the wild one cost U$50, which I should insist to be served to me :P). Almost every part of the fish was edible sans the bonehead (:P), even the bones were dipped fried to a crunchy texture. Grilled covered in salt, the natural taste of the fish was magnified tenfold, subtle but sweet.
Kudos to the gizzard fish sushi wrapped in leaf, fragrant yet tantalizing (would be more so if I knew how to open the leaf more gracefully and not let the fishmeat flop out) and the sides of the grilled chicken, yam and gobo roots. I will take this chance to praise the combo of cod liver dip with cream cheese: two pungent really do make a good side dish. I am loving this!
Fried dish: Anago Eel filet Tempura with Pumpkin & Chili served with curry salt
Full filleted Anago eel tempura style, I will admit that the bigger pieces concentrated the flavour in the middle while being a bit bland on the outside (compared to previous servings of this ingredient). As for the veggies, love the pumpkin tempura more than the chili tempuras. Chef Ricky can't keep secrets from me any longer, that curry salt was made with adabi curry powder (:P)
Main course: Nigiri Sushi 5 ways.
The Gyuduck sushi tasted much better this time and was artfully sculpted to bring out maximum flavour. (Believe it or not,) this was my first time having octopus sushi and the knifework ridges on the meat made this piece a synch to eat.
I love the haji sushi and flying fish sushi because they sashimi chef did bring out their best flavour with the perfect cut for the sushi. The toro, however, being freshly thawed was watery (to the touch and taste) and was twice the size of the sushi rice (not the best time to try Toro, I guess)
Dessert: Black Sesame pudding & Assorted Fruits
Everytime I came here, my fruit platter gets bigger and bigger. The black sesame pudding tasted just as good as the last one, couldn't ask for more actually (maybe I should ask them for a bigger slice of the pudding next time)
Bonus: Dragon Roll
I was pining for some Futomaki, so the sashimi chef whipped up a dragon roll to curb the craving. Hehehe, free is good, especially with 4 slices of dragon roll. Each one was definitely a mouthful, which satisfied my Futomaki craving by the end of the last piece.
Bring on next month's Kaiseki menu, Chef Ricky. Feel free to comment.
Starters: Peanut Beancurd with Wasabi, Boiled Spinach with beancurd Make no mistake, that is tofu pok you see in the spinach. Definitely a better sponge to soak up the sauce with every mouthful, and thinly sliced that it is still springy yet breaks apart easily with every bite.
Love the peanut beancurd, so much more sweeter than the sesame beancurd, like some sort of refined peanut butter jam without the sugar.
Soup: Soup with Prawn DumplingMore prawn, slurps. What else can I say? Actually the trace of the sudachi lime in the soup left me with a unique aftertaste. Something like a cross between a raw brinjal and bittergourd. Still trying to puzzle it out after all this while.
Sashimi: Surf Clam, Haji, Toro, Flying Fish, Octopus & BarracudaFresh surf clam sashimi, the whole clam too. I am getting spoiled like a baby. It's sooo fresh that it taste bloody bloody good (because they have to kill it to open up the shell).
Skipping on pass the usual octopus and toro fare, I quite like the gleaming haji they have this time; and the flying fish on the right hand side of the plate, that was excellent. It was very very chewy, no wonder those things can jump into the air and look like they are flying.
Towards the end, the sashimi chef realized that he left something off my plate and hurriedly whipped up some barracuda sashimi (yes, that fierce snapping fish is now dinner on my plate. Very very tender surprisingly, almost light like sea bream but much more robust if the meat is redder.
Distraction: Flambe TaiMiso & Wasabi Maize Dip
Time to make up for a booboo the last time. The Thai Miso is actually TaiMiso, which is Miso made with Tai (Sea Bream) in the fermentation process. Somehow it comes across as much more sweeter than regular miso (most locally imported miso have too much salt to preserve it) after being flambe; not to mention being sticky like Natto. Think of it as satay sauce jam (I am not kidding).
Also had a wasabi maize dip made from the skin of the wasabi roots fermented with maize seeds, initially you taste the sweetness of the maize before the hit sneaks up to the back of your throat and whams you down the gullet (Apologies for no photos of the deadly poison)
Steamed dishes: Eggplant with Beancurd Skinroll & Octopus Wow, I never knew that octopus cooked right would melt in your mouth (remember all those chewy leathery octopus meat you get all of steamboats). This is the total opposite, no chewing required, just push the meat with your tongue against the top of your mouth and it breaks apart. Good thing that the mustard is there to make sure you chew (although it hit my nose this time)
The eggplants were just right this time round, tender yet firm enough and the beancurd skin rolls, full of the sauce so alternating bites was a breeze.
Grilled dishes: Adult Ayu, Cod Liver with Cream Cheese, Gizzardfish sushi, Yam, Grilled Chicken & Gobo roots Now for something exotic. a full grown ayu fish (too bad it is a farmed fish, the wild one cost U$50, which I should insist to be served to me :P). Almost every part of the fish was edible sans the bonehead (:P), even the bones were dipped fried to a crunchy texture. Grilled covered in salt, the natural taste of the fish was magnified tenfold, subtle but sweet.
Kudos to the gizzard fish sushi wrapped in leaf, fragrant yet tantalizing (would be more so if I knew how to open the leaf more gracefully and not let the fishmeat flop out) and the sides of the grilled chicken, yam and gobo roots. I will take this chance to praise the combo of cod liver dip with cream cheese: two pungent really do make a good side dish. I am loving this!
Fried dish: Anago Eel filet Tempura with Pumpkin & Chili served with curry saltFull filleted Anago eel tempura style, I will admit that the bigger pieces concentrated the flavour in the middle while being a bit bland on the outside (compared to previous servings of this ingredient). As for the veggies, love the pumpkin tempura more than the chili tempuras. Chef Ricky can't keep secrets from me any longer, that curry salt was made with adabi curry powder (:P)
Main course: Nigiri Sushi 5 ways.The Gyuduck sushi tasted much better this time and was artfully sculpted to bring out maximum flavour. (Believe it or not,) this was my first time having octopus sushi and the knifework ridges on the meat made this piece a synch to eat.
I love the haji sushi and flying fish sushi because they sashimi chef did bring out their best flavour with the perfect cut for the sushi. The toro, however, being freshly thawed was watery (to the touch and taste) and was twice the size of the sushi rice (not the best time to try Toro, I guess)
Dessert: Black Sesame pudding & Assorted FruitsEverytime I came here, my fruit platter gets bigger and bigger. The black sesame pudding tasted just as good as the last one, couldn't ask for more actually (maybe I should ask them for a bigger slice of the pudding next time)
Bonus: Dragon Roll I was pining for some Futomaki, so the sashimi chef whipped up a dragon roll to curb the craving. Hehehe, free is good, especially with 4 slices of dragon roll. Each one was definitely a mouthful, which satisfied my Futomaki craving by the end of the last piece.
Bring on next month's Kaiseki menu, Chef Ricky. Feel free to comment.
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