Just when we’ve barely recovered from our Christmas-feasting induced food coma and guilt-induced gym workouts, the Chinese New Year feasting season is upon us! Oh no… but hey, like death and taxes, there’s nothing more constant in life than the annual CNY pig-out. The guilt-induced gym workouts can wait just a little while longer.
Shabu-Shabu Meat Cuts – Are you drooling yet?
My philosophy in life is simple – if you’re going to use up your calories, don’t waste them on bad food. Every time I’ve tried the food at any one of the nine restaurants housed under Emporium Shokuhin, I have not been disappointed. The best case in point is this – I recently tried a wagyu beef shabu-shabu buffet at a not-to-be-named Japanese restaurant. The shabu-shabu broth there was so bland it was tasteless, the beef quality was mediocre, etc… I could go on and on. You know how you truly appreciate something once you’ve experienced something else much worse? That is exactly how I felt here. The difference could not be starker from the shabu-shabu buffet offered by the newly opened Shabu Tan Japanese Hotpot.
Just before they go into the hotpot and my stomach.
You know how with good quality meat and hotpot that is hot enough, you’re supposed to just swish the beef twice in the soup and go “Shabu, Shabu!” and it’ll be perfectly cooked? You get that here whereas at other restaurants the meat might still be frozen and require a longer cooking time.
Crab Coquette from Takujo that was sooo delicious.
Not only is the meat quality at Shabu Tan superior, you can tell immediately from the quality of the broth. The Tonkotsu miso is brewed for 12 hours and is full of collagen (don’t rush out the door yet, ladies; finish reading my article first).
What really grabbed my attention was the Xiang La soup base. Unlike the classic Ma La variety that gets your tongue so numb you can’t even taste the food anymore, this Xiang La version gives you the spicy kick to enhance the flavour of the food without paralysing your mouth, which I found absolutely brilliant.
Not usually a Pen Cai fan but this Lobster Pen Cai from Takujo was seriously da bomb with its superior stock.
You know we’re all about sharing the good stuff. You can now get a one-for-one deal on the Shabu-Shabu buffet at Shabu Tan for Premium Australian Wagyu Beef (S$69.90++ for adults, S$21.90 for children) and Top Grade A4 Kagoshima Wagyu Beef (S$99.90 for adults, $27.90 for children)! Even the basic option of Australian Grass-fed Beef (adults: S$19.90 for lunch, S$25.90 for dinner; children: S$13.90) comes with Kurobuta pork and much more. There’s a S$10 surcharge for weekend and public holiday dining but hey, that’s still a steal at one-for-one.
Takujo Signature Sashimi Yu Sheng
If you’re feeling fancy and particularly ravenous, you can add delicacies to your Shabu-Shabu such as Live Boston Lobster, Alaskan King Crab Leg and whole Soon Hock fish for only S$29.90 each. For a limited period from now till 4 March 2018, a yusheng buffet counter will be set up for you to get creative with unlimited ingredients. This is already in the buffet price so you don’t have to pay extra.
Doesn’t that look enticing?
The drool-inducing deals are not confined to just Shabu Tan. Senmi Sushi touts the best value yusheng in Singapore at just S$8.88++ for two persons, Gyuu+ Yakiniku Grill is offering 38% off its wagyu beef buffet and a la carte beef dishes as well as a whole live lobster for only S$28.80++, and much more.
Gyuu+ Yakiniku Grill Buffet offerings
As always, there’s a wide variety of takeaway products and hampers you can get from Emporium Shokuhin for the festive season, including the ability to customise your own hampers. For every purchase of the Shokuhin Prosperity Yusheng fit for six to 10 persons at S$63.80, you get a S$10 dining voucher. Each Chinese New Year hamper you customise above S$100 gets you a S$20 dining voucher.
CNY Create Your Own Hamper
In case you’re wondering what to do with all that money saved from all the good deals I’m sharing with you, just stuff them into a big fat Ang Pow for me. Huat Ah!
Emporium Shokuhin
6 Raffles Boulevard
#01-18 New Wing@Marina Square Mall
Singapore 039594
