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Tsukada Nojo (Updated)
we revisited the collagen hotpot place at the new Plaza Singapura extension recently again. this update from our last posting in September 2013 will give better perspective of Tsukada Nojo (or Tsukada Farm), the makers of the organic collagen-based hotpot from Kyushu, Japan.
the restaurant comes in a classic japanese timber setting and tables fitted with an electronic induction cooker for their one famous signature dish, the Bijin Nabe or chicken collagen pot. they will serve you this collagen pudding you see below, which will be heated until it melts into a thick savoury broth. The chicken that comes with it is this rare breed of Jittoko chicken which is apparently raised organically in Kyushu. the collagen that makes the Jidori chicken soup is claimed to be purely from the Jittoko chicken bones, with no artificial ingredients.. 
once the soup simmers, the staff will scoop a small serving into a sake cup for you to try. you'd find that the collagen taste is strong, without any hint of artificial flavouring. 
with the soup done, the other ingredients for the Bijin Nabe hotpot will be thrown in. this includes Tori Tsukune (chicken meatballs), deep friend tofu, mushrooms and other organic fruits & vegetables. the dish will also come with prawns and your choice of noodles which you can put into the pot at any time. we went for the ramen-styled thin egg noodles which were springy and went well with the soup. for info, this entire offering is $25 per pax (minimum of 2 pax to serve) and the collagen pudding can be refilled by the number of additional people (i.e. 3 people, 2 rounds of refills). 
besides the Bijin Nabe, there were also a couple of side dishes that we ordered. their Nanban Chicken, which was served with their own tartar sauce was not bad, though we felt that they applied a tad too much cream on it. however, we found their homemade Tamagoyaki omelette to be really delicious! they also have some unique dessert offerings, and we tried their mango pudding as well as their Yuzu Sorbet, both of which were served in very creative fashion. 
be warned though, the average waiting time for this place is 2 hours on weekends and they don't take weekend reservations. and once their queue numbers are taken up, you'd have to come back another day, so do try to visit before 7 pm. lunch time is actually when you could make it into Tsukada Nojo without much challenge. their collagen-based ramen takes centre-stage during this time slot. 
their Bijin Men sets are actually pretty interesting, where they serve up this tray of ingredients which also serves as the cover for ramen with collagen soup broth below. the noodles are well simmered in the soup and you'd get a choice of either thin egg noodle, rice noodle or thick mochi noodles. We could also decide if we'd like the soup base to be shoyu, shio or red hot styled. while this comes with slightly steeper than regular ramen pricing, i guess the variety of ingredients well makes up for it. 
in all, Tsukada Nojo gives a very different dining experience, a nice change from typical Japanese fare. they even have this interesting loyalty programme system where you will be given "name-cards" for each visit. you will start off with the rank of Assistant Manager and will be given more privileges as you rise from General Manager to CEO. and with food offerings like these, i think i'd be fast climbing up the Tsukada Nojo corporate ladder. 
Tsukada Nojo 68 Orchard Road Singapore 238839 Plaza Singapura #03-81 Opening Hours 10 am to 10 pm (daily) I wonder if the CEO gets to jump queue.. |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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