Stimulation for the sight - Hyper Japanesque

Although my main aim was to visit the Super Japan Matsuri, it turned out to be a huge disappointment due to the huge crowds and lack of organisation. Granted that it was the first time that this was held, I think the organisers probably underestimated the turnout thus leading to this situation. I couldn't even see the end of the queues for the food stalls and the counter to exchange tokens was also closed when I reached the venue. Flabbergasted at having wasted my time and effort in braving the weekend crowds to get to the Esplanade, I was about to leave and have dinner elsewhere when I came across a poster about this exhibition by Japanese artists taking place at Jendela Gallery on the second floor. As such, I decided to swing by for a visit and see if it offers anything special.

This was the first time I had visited Jendela thus I was a bit surprised to see it being smaller than I imagined. Or it could be that there were not that many exhibits so the space opened up for the exhibition was limited to a certain extent. I wouldn't say that I liked all the exhibits here but here are my favourites so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

If you are interested, take note that the exhibition is still ongoing until 3 July 2016.

Apparently, this is not just for show but does work like a telephone.

Where is Nomura Hideo?

In the mood for geso...for some reason

Indescribable yet fascinating

Butterflies are an intriguing thing to me. On one hand, they can be very pretty to look at but on the other hand, they seem to have this mysterious and somewhat sinister feel.

Looks like a heart and a tree combined

Looks similar to a bonsai

Something as simple and mundane as umbrellas can turn out to feel different depending on the arrangement.

Revisiting Okada Coffee and making new discoveries

Just realised that my first visit to Okada Coffee was back in 2013. Wow, that was almost three years ago!

With each visit to this place, there are two conflicting feelings I experience. On one hand, I'm glad that this place is not crowded so it has become my secret oasis for some peace and relaxation while getting my sweet fix. However, I also worry if this place is making enough money to keep going and I would really hate to see it go if it gets edged out by a bigger and more profitable business as what is seen at many other shopping malls across the island. I'm just simply thankful that this cafe is still here and seems to be going strong despite being very quiet on a Saturday evening. I noticed that there were quite a number of ladies who turned up on their own like me so I guess we all like this place for the quietness as compared to popular coffee chains which I can never get a seat at.

One thing I think would be good to attract walk-in customers would be to refresh the menu from time to time or have seasonal specials. To be honest, there are times when I want to try something different but find myself struggling to find something which I've not tasted yet. From what I observed, many people tend to come here for the desserts and drinks such as coffee. I think I've tasted most of the cakes and desserts here so it would be nice to have some new choices at times. Then again, if the cafe feels that they can do better by concentrating on a few items which they are strong in, I think that's fine too. Just that it would't hurt to have new surprises in the menu for a limited period if they want to test waters and don't want to commit long-term to a new item so quickly.

For the drink, I tried the matcha float which had a strong but not overpowering matcha fragrance and flavour. The taste was further accentuated by the ice cream which melted into the drink and provided a slightly sweet and creamy taste. It was a great thirst quencher considering how hot it was that evening. I love my matcha but it's not easy to get the balance between bitterness and sweetness correct in matcha-based desserts. If I drink this on its own without the ice-cream, I think it would have tasted good too.

As for the dessert, I got the chestnut parfait which surprised me in some ways. I did not expect to see so much chestnut paste on top with the glazed boiled chestnut pieces which looked so appealing. Beneath the chestnut paste were the cold cheesecake cubes and crunchy cornflakes which provided a variation in the texture. In terms of the taste, the first mouthful may seem quite sweet due to the chestnut paste but as you progress further, the taste becomes less overwhelming. The layering of different levels can be somewhat adjusted though because there was no chestnut paste in the middle of the glass. As such, it became a bit bland and dry to eat the cheesecake with the cornflakes towards the end. Other than that, I thought that this was a pretty good parfait on the whole. Oh, before I forgot, the butter cookies on top of the parfait were very aromatic and tasted good with the chestnut paste.

I wonder what I should order on my next visit?