The Sun (and the Moon) Also Rises

In my book, there are two kinds of favourite restaurants in the world. There's the kind that may be absolutely wonderful from a culinary point of view, but by virtue of their spectacular prices, exotic menus, or sheer ostentatiousness, should be reserved for special occasions. Then there is the kind where one knows exactly what to expect - consistently good food at reasonable prices. The experience need not be exhilirating (that's the other kind) but it should warm the cockles of one's heart and leave one feeling that all's well with the world. By my book, Sun Moon Cafe at Wheelock Place is a familiar favourite. That is precisely why it has taken this long from the time we discovered it to this, its first appearance in this here blog. It's the kind of place we never set out to go to but end up at more times than we can count, sans camera. Still, better late than never, as they say...

honey fruit tea and yuzu tea

hokkaido seafood kamemeshi

We are nothing if not predictable. We like to order familiar favourites, especially when we're tired and grumpy after a hard day's shopping. Ever since we discovered the honey fruit tea and yuzu tea (black tea sweetened by honey and fruit), we have never failed to order these.

The other mainstay is the cafe's signature kamemeshi. This is the equivalent of Chinese claypot rice. There are ten or so versions of this on the menu, even one with foie gras. The hokkaido seafood variant is served with lots of yummy stuff including unagi (eel), ebi (prawn), and hotate (scallop). The rice is the perfect balance between soft and crispy, and is delicately fragrant, infused with pickled ginger.

The last time we went, we ventured into new territory, ordering some Japanese-style snacks.

minced pork and cabbage omelette

The omelette was served with a well-balanced vinegar-based dipping sauce that was an excellent complement to the fried omelette.

Japanese croquettes

The croquettes, creamy-smooth on the inside and coated with a super-light tempura-like batter, were served two ways. One was smothered in brown sauce and accompanied by wholegrain mustard. The other was smeared with a horseradish sauce and accompanied by regular mustard. Perfect PMS food.

It was a pity we didn't have room for dessert that day. We'll just have to return for more, which is no hardship really. We would recommend Sun Moon Cafe to those who want something different from the usual sushi menus of the Sakae Sushis and Sushi Teis.