ShuRaku - My New Favorite Izakaya

The first time I dined at ShuRaku with my pals SC and CS, my foodie senses were jumping for joy. It was one of the best meals I had in a while. Izakaya menus are usually quite standard and similar but for some reason, this place just blew me away and I'm planning to go there again this week! Must. try. more. dishes.

The spicy salmon tartar you see above is unique with a raw quail egg cracked on top mixed with avocado, pine nuts and served with crispy nori crackers. My heart used to belong to an alike dish at Kingyo but they since got rid of it! Boohoo!

Next up, we tried the Eda-Matchsticks. You guessed it, edamame beans mixed with potatoes, fried to a crisp and served with a ying yang of mayo and ketchup dip - simply scrumptious!

The Roulette roll is now one of my new favorite specialty rolls. An amalgamation of spicy chopped scallop, avocado and cucumber topped with negitoro, lotus root chips and finished off with a dab of black seaweed soy sauce. Inventive, I say!

Here's an original take on mini slider. Best known here as a 'Japa Slida', and much like KFC's 'Double Down' burger, say bye bye to bread buns and hello to rice patties! A deliciously marinated pork/beef burger with all the fixins' and sealed with a piece of nori, this savoury slida is one to watch out for.

These BBQ back Japanese style ribs will leave you licking your fingers, digging underneath your nails and yearning for more once you get down to the bone! As one of their signature dishes, this meat will fall right off the bone, into your stomach and ingrained in your foodie memory forever.

Last but not least, the Autumn Roll. Yam tempura and cream cheese, topped off with seared salmon, wakame and mayo, definitely a delight for the fall. The atmosphere is much like the other tapas places downtown but the flavor combination, portions and coupons set them aside from the rest.