Ok, so blogger has been acting weird lately and I cannot post new entries... unless I first post an empty entry and then edit it... stupid thing... =(

I realise it's been more than a week since the last entry, and I'm owing F+S the Rise entry, so this is it!

From the entry about the Iron Chef Dinner, there was a promotional flyer regarding "Rise", where:

From Iron Chef Event 2010

We get the degustation menu, 7 course, for $48 instead of $65, so tt and I invited FL and SM to dinner one Friday night. It was their birthday!

From Week 24-27, 2010

The exterior. "Rise" was actually quite hard to find. The map on the flyer indicated a dark road that led up away from the shops to... well, houses. We thought we were going the wrong way a few times, but it was actually situated by itself quite remotely in the middle of houses.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Grainy pic... my camera, as usual, does not work well with darkness.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Upon entering, we were seated and shown the menu by a jolly man with a pleasant smile. Interior was nicely decorated. It's a very cosy place- small and cute, with dim lighting and billowing curtains.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Once again, grainy pic, but there was a sushi bar counter, where a chef prepared our dishes.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Our menu. I was actually comparing the food we had to the ones NQN had two years ago at the same restaurant. I'm really glad we went now rather than then because the food has improved so much!

We were the only table there that night, which was really strange. Apparently, on Wednesday and Thursday nights, the place was really crowded, but Friday night was just... dead. Throughout the night, we had the whole place to ourselves (and no, we didn't book out the whole place) and only 10 minutes before we left, another couple entered. The waiter was super attentive and it was just excellent service. I guess it helped that we were the only table to attend to ^^''...

From Week 24-27, 2010

Our first course- Steamed chicken, tofu and tomato salad with sesame miso sauce. The chicken pieces were really smooth and lacked the dry grainy texture usual chicken breast meat has. I wonder if they processed the chicken meat and "remade" it into slices like that because it was just so smooth. The sesame miso sauce was aromatic (can't go wrong with sesame oil!) and the tofu was soft as silk. Loved the rocket leaves =)

From Week 24-27, 2010

2nd Course- tom yum style soup with scallop tortellini and mussel. It wasn't spicy as usual tom yum soup would be, but had a slight tang to it- perfect for FL, who doesn't really eat spicy stuff. The mussel was really fresh- FL must have really liked the mussel- she stopped talking and had the whole blissful "I'm in heaven!" look =P

From Week 24-27, 2010

They had this zucchini ball in the soup, which was really cute because the base was dark green and flat, compared to the lighter green round dome. =D

From Week 24-27, 2010

Our third course was simply amazing. When it arrived at the table, we were all just staring at the plate in awe. It was simply beautiful. Back two years ago when NQN went, there were only two sashimi cups and one rock oyster. We get 4 sashimi shots =D

From Week 24-27, 2010

Rock oyster glued to the plate with sea salt, swimming in a wonderful sauce... I really wish I knew the recipe to it.

From Week 24-27, 2010

The waiter did explain what each fish was and the sauce that went with them, but I was too busy ogling at them and taking photos to pay attention, but he did mention kingfish. The first one had a yuzu, chilli sauce that an amazing punch to it =D the second one had a sesame sauce and roe~

From Week 24-27, 2010

Tuna and salmon. Both with soy sauce, one with wasabi, other one with spring onion shreds. Oh, did I mention that SM doesn't like raw fish? It was terrible- he cooks sashimi!! Well, he had no choice but to eat these ones raw- and eat them he did. Appeared to rather enjoy them too =) The power of fresh sashimi!

From Week 24-27, 2010

Our fourth course~ A row of tasty morsels that resembled the dish Hideki made at the Iron Chef dinner event.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Rice paper roll of tuna, avocado and papaya, with miso sauce~ I actually had this one last out of the three.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Shiitake chawanmushi. The menu described it as a milk flan, but it's really like a savory panna cotta.Not for one who doesn't like mushrooms because it had a very strong mushroom taste.

From Week 24-27, 2010

THIS!!! Cured ocean trout with yuzukosho tartare... It was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted in a long long time. I actually had this first, and it was simply "the best". "Yuzukosho" translated into salt and pepper with yuzu- a citrus fruit in Japan. I don't remember lemon+salt+pepper ever tasting this great ._. Yakuza Hideki must have some secret technique behind making this. This was mine and tt's favourite I think out of the whole dinner~

From Week 24-27, 2010

5th- Grilled polenta, prawn tempura, Chinese sausage and chunyuan chilli sauce. Again, not very spicy, and I was never a fan of polenta- it tastes like cous cous to me... so this dish was quite mediocre in my opinion. Chinese sausage was an interesting addition, prawn tempura was... well, prawn tempura.

From Week 24-27, 2010

6th course- our main. Roasted duck breast, grilled with witlof, mushroom and mash with hoisin sauce. Served with rice and miso soup. I'm still not exactly sure with witlof is, but I'm guessing it was that long white vegetable that resembled cabbage. Back two years ago, the menu had duck as course 1- appetizer, and chicken as the main. I'm so glad they made duck as the main because it was SO great. Their home-made hoisin sauce went so well with the duck, it was like a luxurious version of pekking duck. SM's favourite dish~

From Week 24-27, 2010

Mmm, duck.... The mash soaked up all the sauce, and any excess was wiped up with the rice.

From Week 24-27, 2010

Last course- dessert of the day: persimmon tart with rum and raisin ice cream and "triple melon"- honeydew panna cotta with a layer of rockmelon jelly and topped with watermelon granita, complete with candied melon peel. This was great- the persimmon tart was really filling (think pastry= butter) but the rum and raisin ice cream went really well together with it. The trio of panna cotta, jelly and granita was really unique, with a combination of firm and soft textures.

From Week 24-27, 2010

I actually really liked the candied melon peel in this one. I wish they'd sell jars of it. Would make nice presents too.

From Week 24-27, 2010

FL's hot choco.

From Week 24-27, 2010

My earl grey in a super cute set of pottery.

From Week 24-27, 2010

I've never seen tea served in such a nice cup. The waiter was keeping a close eye on our table the whole time so it was a bit hard for me to sneak the cup away~ ^^''

It was a really nice dinner for less than $50 per person (well, it was around that much with drinks anyway~). To holders of entertainment gold card (or friends of those who hold the entertainment gold card), you'll have 25% off the bill at Rise, so it's actually worth a visit. Service was great- the waiter was so enthusiastic and happy, attentively refilling our cups of water and describing each and every course to the most minute details. (though he made sure not to give away the secret recipes despite our persistent questionings for some of the sauces). I'm not sure how often they change the menu- the sashimi selection and desserts will change according to season or day, but I don't see it changing very often. It did improve from 2 years ago though (more sashimi!! Better desserts! Duck as main!! XD ) so I might give it another year and try it again- maybe before my entertainment card expires next year. =D

Happy birthday, FL and SM, and I look forward to a wedding invite soon =P jk~

(On a private note: ﾏﾀﾞﾗさん...がんばってください、応援してるからね！>w< ~)