VERDICT (BINCHO)
My votes for Bincho goes out to the Chargrilled octopus and the Crispy spiced pig ears.

Chef Asai grilled the octopus over the open charcoal until it was smoking hot and slightly charred. The octopus had the great char on the outside and was amazingly tender. It made me think that all octopus were created equal on this planet.

The exciting pig ears was spiced with red chill flakes and lime zest which got my tastebud tingling. The golden crisp was so crunchy, I could easily trade up from my potato chips addiction to this delightful dish.

Having enjoyed sampling three dishes of amazing Japanese flair at Bincho, it’s time for Chef Manel to put his Mediterranean spin on three of Chef Asai’s Chicken Tsukune, Pacific Saury Fish and Beef Tongue at Moosehead. 

VERDICT (MOOSEHEAD)
The verdict at Moosehead was handed down to the Chicken Tsukune and Beef Tongue. 

Tsukune, Japanese chicken meatballs are skewered and typically grilled over charcoal. Chef Manel however prepared the chicken meat differently in a form of patty, grilled and served on a crusty bread. I especially liked this interpretation of Tsukune, as the bread brought in more texture and flavour when you eat them together. Simple, and enjoyable. 


Beef Tongue, it was rather unfortunate that I missed out taking photos of this dish. Was probably busy being a “lighting technican” at the table, I entirely forgot about it. 

It was fear factor for me, as it was my first time sampling beef tongue. The dish resembles two huge stripes of grilled pork liver and topped with garlic butter parsley sauce. The simple fact that I took up the “fear factor challenge” was because I am usually adventurous to try new food. 

It proved to me that my decision was correct. The beef tongue was so well executed, I didn’t even had a second thought that it was a beef tongue I ate. 

It seems like a magical time in my life and I am so blessed to be able to sample both of the chef’s dishes. Thank you Bincho and Moosehead for making this possible.