Ju-Rin, Crows Nest

"There's a Japanese restaurant in the north that has the best grilled ox tongue ever" 

After hearing that comment from a friend, I was sitting in Ju-Rin a few days later ^_^

Specials Menu

The specials board was packed full with delicious sounding dishes, and we are having a hard enough time trying to pick from the regular menu that was equally extensive !

It took us probably a good 15minutes to decide what to have beside the grilled ox tongue.

Torched Salmon w/ Avocado Salad

The salad was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary. The salmon slices I found lacking the burnt flavour that I would expect from an aburi (torched) salmon dish,  the dressing was citrusy and refreshing that goes well with the creamy avocado.

Grilled Ox Tongue

The famed grilled tongue !! Instead of thinly sliced tongue, Ju - Rin's is quite thick , about 0.5cm-ish ?

Despite its thickness, the tongue was surprisingly tender and full of flavour. Wished there were more than 3 slices per serve though :(

So is it the best grilled ox tongue - it's a YES from me ^_^

Scallop Tempura Roll

When I saw this on the menu, I just had to order it after having an amazing scallop tempura roll at Ainoya.

Unfortunately the scallop tempura roll here was lacking in flavours compared to Ainoya's. I wasn't expecting such a difference as the fillings were basically the same, scallop tempura and cucumber.

Hmmm....

Agedashi Tofu

The agedashi tofu was great, silky soft tofu encased in a slightly chewy crispy starchy skin drenched in dashi sauce .

Nasu Miso Dengaku

The eggplant was good as well, there was a good spread of sweet miso to complement the soft silky flesh :)

Cherry Blossom Sticky Rice

One that we picked from the special board, we thought it was a dessert when we ordered it. 

But after tasting it, we are not so sure anymore LOL

The sticky rice was mixed with some cherry blossoms then steamed, served with a small side of cherry blossom salt - no sweetness whatsoever in this dish.

So what do you think - was it a dessert or was it meant to be eaten with the main meal ?

Nonetheless, it was one pretty dish :D There was a lovely scent of cherry blossoms both in the sticky rice and salt, and just love the very light tinge of pink that the blossoms give.

Cherry Blossom Salt ; Cherry Blossoms

The service was quick and friendly, there was hit and miss with the dishes we ordered that night but overall the food were good.
The ingredients used were fresh and there is a good mix of traditional and more modern Japanese dishes.

The very cheery owner was buzzing around the dining room, conversing with regular and new customers alike.

At one point he asked why am I only taking photos of the food, do I not want to take photos of him too ? 

He shied away when I was pointing the camera at him though LOL

Surprisingly he knew a little Indonesian, so he said "Terima Kasih" (thank you in Indonesian) as we leave the restaurant :)