Cold Buckwheat Noodles at Mijin

Not that I care about how famous a Korean restaurant is in Singapore or in Seoul. But Mijin's menu appeals to me. Buckwheat noodles and easy dishes. As long as you can do pork, you'll have something to eat here. There's nothing complicated about the menu, and at least there're cold noodles.  

The lunch sets are great. I could dine solo. The perilla oil buckwheat noodles with bossam pork or pork cutlet is my default. They also offer salmon in the sets, so many people are pleased about the option of fish. Too bad that these sets aren't available at dinner. So you do need two people to share the portions. 

With M, we split a small portion of bossam pork (10 pieces), buckwheat spring onion pancake, and three pieces of steamed dumplings. And a portion of Mijin's signature cold buckwheat noodles. They honestly do the pork really well here, one of the better versions around. I love it because it's nothing fanciful, they do the food nicely, and my stomach is happy.

The downside — we're restricted to a one-hour dining slot. So if you're looking to catch up longer with a friend, you'd have to adjourn elsewhere. M and I wanted to chat, so we popped out to a quieter venue with easy wines. We skipped all the noisy bars right outside Mijin. Heh. My head couldn't deal with the crap music and loud convos tonight. Also, I wanted AC. This row of bars sits in an alley without a breeze. 

Breaded Beef :: Gyukatsu

Again, not fond of fried foods, but once in a bit, it's fine, especially if it's after a heavy gym class. We have been stopping by Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu at Raffles City. It's surprisingly okay. I'm okay with beef or pork, not hot about the breadcrumbs, but I can sort of get rid of it, so that's okay. 

I like how they place a little hotplate at the table for us to finish the beef to the done-ness we prefer. They usually do it more rare, but today, mine was almost well-done, so I didn't see the need to sear it any farther. Gyukatsu, as opposed to tonkatsu. 

I'm not interested in the choices of wagyu cuts. I always opt for the meal set of tenderloin and tongue. That mix is nice. Breaded beef. I couldn't quite ditch the batter. I only brushed away as much as I could, and ate the rest. I'm not interested in the other cuts of meat. A combination of tenderloin and the tongue works well for me. 

Husband tried the sirloin the other time, and decided to try my combination. He liked it too. The meat is leaner. Today, he added a minced fried patty. It was pretty much a burger. Heh.  

What's stuck in my mind is their miso soup. I generally ignore miso soups at chain restaurants or the smaller ones who use powder or middling miso paste. Bu this was quite a pleasant surprise. I didn't mind sipping a little. For a chain sited in a mall, they didn't stinge on the miso soup. They gave a version that's really quite decent. 

Pork Congee with Ama-ebi

I had a small pack of chicken stock in the freezer that should be used up soon. I found a free morning to cook lunch, so I decided on pork congee. I could easily get the ingredients the day before at the supermarket or the wet market, depending on where I passed by. 

Besides minced pork, the husband also likes his congee/porridge with innards. Of course I didn't have to clean or slice any innards. I simply went to the supermarket to get a pack of sliced mixed innards. All I needed to do was to slightly marinate and sear them before putting them into the boil with the rice. #ImpieCooks2026

Decided to add on ama-ebi (甘エビ). It wasn't really for the husband. It was for Choya. Hahahaha. It's good for her to have a variety of proteins and vitamins going in. But she can't finish a tray in two days. She can have two pieces raw on the day of purchase, and two pieces cooked the next day, but no more. So the husband will always take her leftovers. 

For the husband, I didn't exactly include the ama-ebi as sashimi. I blanched them quickly before serving. That kept its crunch and sweetness. I fried up an omelette with spring onions to go with the meal. Extra protein is always welcomed.