For May's date night, we went back to our favourite izakaya, i.e. a Japanese bar/snack/finger food joint, at Cuppage Plaza. Fuzzy and I used to frequent this izakaya several times a month before Chubbs came along, be it for their very reasonably priced set lunches or a simple kushiyaki (grilled skewers of meat/veg/seafood) dinner. Sadly, we haven't eaten here in more than nine months.
It was a pleasant welcome when the waitresses recognized Fuzzy and I when we arrived. They couldn't believe that Chubbs is already more than 8months old, and kept asking,"Has it really been that long?" They took turns to get to know Chubbs, stroking his face, squeezing his thighs, and all (we disinfected him the moment we got into the car). Still, it was great because they helped us entertain him for a bit. The patrons at neighbouring tables asked for Chubbs' name (surprised that he was a boy) to played with him too. Some of the aunty diners stopped by to ask who takes care of him daily, and what's his age. Chubbs was a good sport, smiling, waving hellos and goodbyes to all who conversed with him. Fuzzy kept saying how proud he was of Chubbs.
Chubbs sat in the not-so-clean high-chair provided, and looked around for about 10-minutes. It was his first time in an izakaya. He was enthralled by the delicious smells of the skewers grilling over the fire and the general buzz of the place. Once he sussed out his new environment, he settled down and played with the new Combi teether that Fuzzy got him.
"Acting out what my bib says, is overrated."
I order the oyako don (simmered chicken, egg and vegetables over rice) every time I eat here. It's my idea of Japanese comfort food. I've tried this dish across the island, and think that they make the best version of it. More often than not, Fuzzy's choice will be katsu curry don (deep-fried pork cutlet, smothered in Japanese curry, over rice). Tonight, we had a fillet of beef done teriyaki style too, and for drinks, a flask of sake. Needless to say, the copious amount of meat and rice caused us to almost roll out of the restaurant. There's always room for dessert though, which was home-baked chocolate oatmeal cookies :)
We love this place because the food is consistently above average, the prices are not exorbitant, and it's housed in a convenient location. We missed the homely Japanese fare, and will definitely be back soon. One of the waitresses summed it up when she told us that Chubbs "made all of them very happy" tonight. Yes, they made Fuzzy and I happy little campers too.
