Tuesday, September 01, 2020

[STAY HOME] My first IGTV on Traditional Matcha Preparation with Naoki Matcha + Happy Ice Ice-Cream + Kofuku Ramen & Don

 Whenever I dine-in at a Japanese restaurant, I would usually ordered their hot Matcha as my drink. Matcha is known to improve our health as it is high in antioxidant, helps to prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and even aids in weight loss according to some studies.

Recently, Naoki Matcha (@naokimatcha) delivered to me their Superior Ceremonial Blend Matcha Powder which is a versatile blend suitable for beginners to make lattes, matcha tea and etc. After doing some research, I realised that there is so much more knowledge in the traditional matcha preparation and it's not only just adding of hot water. To prepare Matcha in the traditional way, one would need the traditional Matcha Tools. I ordered them online from Lazada consisting of the Chashaku (Bamboo Scoop), Chawan (Matcha Bowl) and Chasen (Bamboo Whisk). 

Recorded a video of myself preparing the traditional matcha and uploaded it on Instagram as my first IGTV post as the video was longer than 60 seconds thus I had the option to trim it and post it on my feed as an IG post or post as IGTV. One issue I faced was the layout ratio. I make the video into the square ratio of 1:1 but when it was uploaded as IGTV, everything including my subtitle was cut off! I have to re-edit my video to fit into the IGTV proportion of 9:16 ratio. The whole process including recording of the video took me hours.  Click on this link to view my IGTV.

After whisking the matcha in circular motion to the hot water, it should turned frothy. The matcha from this blend has a balanced, unami flavour which is not too bitter. Would consider making a cold version of matcha latte soon. You can get this from Shopee at this link too.

Tried out lots of different flavours of ice-cream from Happy Ice SG thanks to a collaboration arranged by Irene (@foodwanderers) and Jonathan (@happyicesg). They are most famous for bringing in the range of popular Xiao Mei Boba series ice cream from Taiwan on Shopee. 

The most common one being the Xiao Mei Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream that is made of caramelised brown sugar and milk filled with soft and chewy boba! 

I'm loving the Xiao Mei Taro Chunk & Boba Ice Cream that comes with a smooth milky pudding on top and filled with QQ Boba and chunks of taro. So yummy! 


The Xiao Mei Pudding and Boba Ice Cream taste like custard with ice cream and boba.


My girl is excited to try their cute Arty Cream Ice Cream which comes in 3 different flavours and in the shape of a panda paw, kitty head and shape of heart. Love that we don't have to step out of the house and can get these cool ice-cream delivered to our doorsteps just by ordering from shopee. 

Kofuku Ramen & Don operates as a kiosk concept in Downtown East serving affordable and authentic Japanese Ramen, Donburi and some sides with no pork or lard! By affordable, it means that none of their items on the menu cost over $9! 

I tried out the following items on the menu 

TORI KATSU DON ~ S$6.80
KOFUKU RAMEN ~ S$5.80
TAKOYAKI ~ S$3.80
GOYOZA ~ S$3.80

My favourite is the Tori Katsu Don which is prepared in the style like an Oyako Don with seaweeds, onions, dashi-based sauce eggs and chicken katsu. There is a generous amount of chicken katsu in this bowl. It has a nice breaded crunch on the outside and tender meat inside. 

The Kofuku Ramen is packed in a way that the broth and ramen is separated so that the noodles do not turned soggy or the broth getting dried up. It's basically chicken paitan ramen with bean sprout, seaweed and a ramen egg.

Takoyaki are soft with a well spread of Takoyaki and Mayonnaise sauce and the Goyoza is nicely fried and taste just the way I love my goyoza to be. Just missing the vinegar sauce to dip in. Thanks Kenny (@_boyz86) and Kofuku (@sgkofuku) for arranging and delivery these over! 

Enjoying the current arrangement of alternating between going back to office and working from home which I guess won't last too long. Soon, it will be back to the usual daily grind. 


XOXO

No comments: