This year Singapore will finally have her very own Singapore Comic Con! While the name is new, the convention is actually a continuation of the yearly Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC), one of Singapore’s top Pop Culture show. We are just two weeks away from the convention which will take place on the 7th and 8th Dec 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo Hall A/B/C from 10am-7pm. Ticketing information can be found here.
Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019
Although the word ‘Toy’ has been taken out from the show name, what’s a Comic Con without toys? Exhibitors will be bringing their latest toy collections to the show. For Star Wars fans, be sure to check out the Star Wars Chess set complete with Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.
Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019
Besides the latest pop culture merchandise, fans can look forward to a star-studded line-up, including three-time New York best-selling artist famed for his artwork in graphic novels such as Batman: The Black Mirror series, Mark Simpson or better known as Jock. Alongside Jock, comic book artist and penciller, Greg Capullo will also be present for a special meet & greet session. Fans can also catch a glimpse of pop surrealist, Tara McPherson in action this year.
Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019
A visit to the Good Game Experience (GGXP) area is a must for all gamers. PVP Esports zone will be holding the finals of Singtel’s PVP Campus and Corporate Leagues featuring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Dota 2 at the area.
From console games to tabletop games, be sure to check out this area to get all your gaming fix. If you are a Pokemon Trading Card gamer, do participate in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Special Event Championship at the Comic Con Pokémon Special Event, by Maxsoft and Project EXT. Register here on their website.
Image Courtesy of SGCC 2019
With so much to do and see, Singapore Comic Con should definitely be on your agenda for your next weekend outing!
SITEX 2019, which will take place from 28th Nov to 1st Dec 2019 at the Singapore Expo, will feature a dedicated gaming zone. Here are some of the things to look out for.
Free Play Area
SITEX is not just about buying gadgets and electronics. At this free play area, you can try your hand at some of the featured games and even stand to win prizes! For example, you can take part in the MSI Gaming Triathlon Challenge 2019, where three separate 1v1 game challenges will be randomly drafted out of a pool of 10 games. These games include golden classics like Tetris and Puzzle Bobble and modern day favourites such as Street Fighter V and the newly released FIFA 20. This make it a fair competition regardless of age.
There will also be an area for retro-gaming. Arcade classics like Columns, Bomberman, Mario Kart, Metal Slug X, and old school “versus” fighting games such as Super Street Fighter II will be available at the area transporting you back to the 80s and 90s. Classic game consoles such as the SEGA Saturn, Nintendo Entertainment System, Neo Geo, and the original PlayStation
Card and Board game enthusiast are not neglected. Gallant Games, a game store in Singapore, will be participating in the exhibition this year. Popular table-top role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer 40,000 will be brought in by Gallant Games.
Upgrade your Gaming Gear
Home-grown gaming chair company Secretlab, now a regular at SITEX, will be at the show again this year. If you need a good gaming chair to go with your gaming rig, you should definitely try out their chairs at their booth.
If you need to upgrade your machine, check out Aftershock PC booth and Dell’s Alienware booth. Dell will be showcasing their latest Alienware Aurora Desktop R9.
For the Creator
East Asia Institute of Management (EASB) and Lionheart Studio, the competition will hold their Battle Arena Competition catered for aspiring artists and design enthusiasts. There will be three competitions namely, Ultimate speed painting, Game Design Prototype and Digital Art Workshop.
Hosted over three days at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre, C3 Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Singapore 2018 gripped fans by storm. Aptly dubbed South East Asia’s biggest and most prestigious Japanese Popular Culture event, it celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, boasting an exclusive line-up of activities and celebrities.
Mr Shawn Chin, C3 AFA’s Organiser and SOZO’s Managing Director shared his thoughts: “10 years ago, Anime Festival started as a dream among my team to create a professionally-run Anime and Japanese Popular Culture event that fans, including myself, will truly enjoy. The festival has grown from having 25,000 attendees in year one in 2 halls in Singapore to 100,000 attendees last year in Singapore alone. Today we continue to be customer-focused. We are proud to be the definitive J-Pop event that connects our customers with the latest most sought-after contents direct from Japan, and we’ve been delivering this for the last 10 years across Asia.”
AFA’s success has also expanded over the decade to include other countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, delivering upon its promise to connect the SEA region with exclusive Japanese content. Each year, it drives to be bigger and better than before; each year, fans return in droves.
NUSCAST managed to snag media passes during this incredibly exciting weekend and sent four of its writers, Pan, Ziqi, Nathan and Kelly to immerse themselves in the AFA experience. Let’s hear what they have to say!
Pan
Wow, it’s been 10 years of AFA already? Time really flies. I remembered attending my very first AFA back in 2010 – admission was cheaper (how I missed those $8-priced tickets!) but everything was way smaller in scale as compared to now. I attended my very first Anisong concert in 2012 to watch Sea*A and jamming along to Minami Kuribayashi, May’N and Sphere. AFA has truly been a blessing of eight years: here’s to many more years of creating memories, of building friendships, of bridging communities.
As I stepped into AFA on Saturday, I was greeted (as always) by a huge Gundam figure.
“Welcome to AFA!”
Yep, I’m definitely in the right place. With my trusty guide map and Stamp Rally booklet in hand, I was ready to explore the area!
To commemorate AFA’s 10th anniversary, they introduced a stamp rally! I thought it was a really fun idea because it encouraged patrons to explore corners of AFA they would usually avoid (as well as an incentive for them to stay – the completion of the booklet entitled one to participate in a lucky draw!).
AFAntastic Stamps And Where To Find Them
For example, I was not a Fate/Grand Order fan but I made to visit the booth (and post a wish on its wall) in order to get a stamp. At the FGO booth, I watched with mixed awe and amusement: players crowded around a huge summoning circle, placing their phones in the middle and praying hard for a 5* summon. Fans cheered and groaned collectively when a draw was successful or a failure respectively. Here, I witnessed the spirit of AFA: it brought together fans regardless of age, gender, background.
The Summoning Circle at Fate/Grand Order Booth
I strolled along to Creators Hub, my all-time favourite place in AFA. Who could resist the draw of cute and cool merchandise? Despite the crowds, I like walking around and admiring the art (the walks also allow me to think and re-think if I should buy something or not!). The quality of the merch this year definitely increased. All of the art were impressive – and they were not limited to J-Pop: I spotted BTS and Produce 101 on my rounds. KDA’s Pop/Stars (League of Legends) was also on loop at a booth. I bought mostly Pokemon-themed loot.
But I think my absolute favourite loot was the Edge of Tomorrow x Voltron Legendary Defenders poster I acquired! I really wanted the Keith and Lance version of Titanic poster, but it was sold out by the time I reached on Saturday. I have to say one thing though: Creators Hub was too small for this many vendors. I felt that the walking spaces were too narrow. Popular booths had a clot of patrons, which led to little or no space to move to the next booth. It was literally suffocating, I had to escape through one of the many exits just to breathe.
I manage to catch a glimpse of Shuuka Saitou and Ai Furihata, seiyuus of Love Live! Sunshine, who graced the Odex stage on Saturday, much to the delight of their fans. They gave out 200 pieces of namecards to lucky winners who spent $50 on Love Live! Sunshine merchandise at the Odex booth. Fans expressed their enthusiasm by waving huge plushies of Ruby and You (although they were taken before the fans went on-stage for safety reasons).
I also spotted Mr Miles Morales on his daily neighbourhood patrol:
Spider-Man slinging into action at AFA with the wacom tablet!
Pretty cool publicity for the upcoming animated film right there with wacom! I also spent lots of time admiring the new figurines from Qposket and Gunpla!
Qposket and Gunpla exhibits featuring some iconic figurines
You can even vote for your favourite SAO character and showcase your love on a huge board. Sinon was seriously popular – leading by a huge margin the last time I visited the scoreboard.
Fans sticking by their favourite SAO characters!
On the way, I managed to snag a picture of the insanely huge Aragami from God-Eater as well:
I eat all ‘em red tapes!
Speaking of eating, I met up with a few of my friends at the designated food area. Naturally, the food was expensive, but delicious. I tried the beef don (SGD$9) while my friends had the hotly-advertised Lobster Mazesoba (SGD$15). I had a taste of the latter: the mazesoba tasted like hokkien mee. For the former, the Hokkaido rice topped with beef was really good. They gave three big pieces of juicy and tender meat. $9 is definitely overpriced though, but it is AFA after all. Meanwhile, the Kamikatsu booth sold chicken and pork katsu sandwiches for SGD$8. They came in these cute packagings:
All aboard the tonkatsu express!
The pork katsu tasted like crispy shabu shabu – it was pretty juicy. Combined with the bread however, it was not as good. The bread was simple and plain, so the katsu would have probably done better alone.
Overall, I thought AFA was really packed with interesting exhibits, although I would suggest for AFA to be more interactive with its guests. The stamp rally and lucky draws were a good starting point – hopefully more of such activities can be hosted over the next few years in order to spice the festival up! It would also be great if Creators Hub could be given more love/space!
Ziqi
It all began when I marked my calendar several months before this date. I checked off three boxes on 31st November, 1st and 2nd December, and didn’t pay it much heed until much later. On hindsight, my actions were more instinctive than it should have been. This year’s AFA was my 4th Anime Festival Asia in a row, and what draws me back year after year is tradition. It marks the occasion where I can let my inner otaku-ness be uncaged, and join the pack of other like-minded collectives in the yearly event. Think of it as a festival, yes. This year, I was looking for the exciting “new” in the backdrop of the “old”, yet comfortable, setting.
The Creators Hub
I believe this was the most exciting area in the whole event. The endless possibility and creativity that flowed out of this doujinshi area drew crowds in like kids to a candy van. We all know the dangers of the hub. Once you step in, you will be in this area for a while. I say this not because of the sprawl of cheap, handcrafted goods that was on offer, but other budget hunters and pin collectors that probably had the same intention as you would. The alleyways were caked with people, bodies smashing in a chaotically orderly manner. Ladies please wear your tallest platforms the next time you intend to challenge this area, you might find it hard to breath before nipping your merchandises. And fellas, please keep your hands to yourself, I felt a brush against my backside several times, luckily not in succession. I hope that next year’s area will be bigger, with more space to walk. Despite all these nuances, people, and myself included, continue to be attracted to the allure of this place.
Food area
What would be a Japanese themed event without good, authentic japanese food! The strawberry shaved ice returned, and the wagyu beef don was a must-try. The tantalising aroma of the seared beef was enough to make anyone that entered this section salivate. Imagine washing that delicious juicy nikudon with some cold green tea!
For the budget friendly people, don’t worry. Nissin cup noodle was there to offer some good ole comfort food that wasn’t too damaging on the wallet. I tried the UFO spicy mayo noodle and it was very tasty. There were even multiple hot water dispensers and a basin provided to drain the water from your noodles.
There was also a Detective Conan cafe this year that had a menu ranging from pastries to cakes to sodas. The themed food was a bit too pricey for my liking.
MUSE
Taiwanese merchandise seller was back again at this year’s AFA- a welcoming sight to those who couldn’t wait to get their hands on official goods of their favourite mainstream anime. I say mainstream because everywhere I looked, it was either a Sword Art Online poster or RE:Zero’s Emilia staring back at me. To the newer fans, MUSE provides a starting point on building up their otaku collection, but to me, they are anime that dated several years back. The art is new, but the goods they are printed upon stays the same. One good tip to prevent yourself from overbuying is ask: What do I do with this Emilia file, or this Kirito Umbrella? Do I really need it?
Nathan
I will first of all admit that I am still quite the newbie in all of this. Ten years of AFA? That’s great–not that I know much of the first seven years of it, sadly. Yes, I’ve only been around for three years: one AFAID and two AFASG’s, but each time they always manage to amaze me. I mean, look at the turnout!
What’s that? Sure, we can talk about AFAID for a bit first, in the spirit of ten years of AFA. To be honest, they’re exactly the same. I think Singaporeans make better (and more risque!) cosplays, but beyond that, it’s the same spirit, the same amount of crowds. The same artists often grace the stages of both, and it has been a wild ride.
Probably it’s easiest to sum up their differences by simply saying Singapore is so much more expensive, end of story. I mean, I remember getting my first anime-related merch–a Shigatsu keychain–back in AFAID two years ago, for around $2.50 ($10 for 5. Yes, five). I considered myself lucky to find one stall selling keychains at twice the price last AFASG. Back then I thought, Thank you very much, I think I already have too much keychains.
Speaking of, I can give you two bits of advice, applicable to any and all AFA. One, do go on Fridays or Sundays if you will only be going shopping. Yes, they will still be packed, but nothing like the masses on Saturday. Meanwhile, if you’re going on Saturday anyway, do yourself a favor and wake up late. If you go there about lunchtime, you won’t have to wait in line to enter, the Creator’s Hub isn’t as jam-packed, and you’ll have about two more hours of sleep–a win-win for everybody!
Two, if you’re only going shopping anyway, do drop by AFAID for an absolute steal–oh what’s that? They may not have one next year? Shame. Moving on.
But it’s the tenth year of AFA, so there must be something special this time around right? Oh yes. A front row seat to see Kayano Ai-san. This was the first time she ever went overseas for an event like this. I didn’t care that it was for (the actually surprisingly decent) SAO Alicization day stage, but we should be honored that we could tease her about Matsuoka-san for an entire hour.
I would say that was the absolute highlight of this year’s AFASG. Even more than Kawasumi Ayako-san yelling “EXCALIBUR!” for three different lines in the Fate/Grand Order stage? I’d say so. Just maybe.
Kelly
The Closing Day of AFA featured more performances, more interviews, and more photo opportunities. I arrived in the morning, and headed straight to Creators Hub, which has always been the most popular part of the convention.
Even on Closing Day, the hub saw busy crowds, although there was surprisingly no gridlock. All the usual fare was sold there- keychains, posters, stickers, and some shirts. Beyond these staples, I would have liked to see more unusual merchandise, but that’s rare to see at any convention. Hypnosis Mic seemed to be this year’s favorite in the bishounen genre, while Fate was clearly the most popular. Luckily, although it was Closing Day, very few pieces of merchandise were sold out in the days before.
Outside the hub, there were various official booths. The Pop Team Epic pop-up caught my eye, due to the booth’s unique design. It sold official merchandise, such as stickers and shirts. It also had a doodling wall, where anyone could draw their own panel in the style of the comic.
I got to catch a dance, followed by a short interview, by the cosplayer Ruru on the cosplay stage. The stage itself also featured many of her cosplay pictures.
The Akiba Stage had a brief cosplay appearance by Baozi and Hana, who came dressed as Kaitou Kid and Kudou Shinichi from Detective Conan. They answered questions from the speaker and the fans, and spoke about doing less cosplay in the future due to work commitments. They also launched a new makeup line called Flowerknows, which had its own booth at AFA.
Lunch within the venue was, as usual, slightly overpriced. The cup noodles booth drew the biggest crowds– perhaps it was the familiarity, or because you stood a chance to win photo opportunities with various cosplayers. There was also an attached stage where cosplayers were being interviewed. Cosplay and cup noodles seem like an odd pairing, but it appeared useful for drawing people in.
I ended my day by catching Revue Starlight on the Day Stage. Revue Starlight is a musical-turned-anime about Karen and her close friend Hikari, who are both budding stars in acting school. Their VAs came dressed as their respective characters, and participated in a 45-minute interview on stage. They talked about their culture shock when they first came to Singapore for such events, and their personality differences from the characters they portray. For example, Karen is a genki, but her VA says herself tends to fret more. As an audience, we also got to see selected fight scenes from both the musical and the upcoming anime. Both VAs talked about the unique connection between the musical and its anime adaption, as they are also stage actresses portraying the very same characters in the musical.
This was the 10th time that AFA has been held, and event is still going strong. The quality of artists appear to be steadily improving over the years, and each year the convention increases in popularity. Perhaps it could do with having more creative side events– then again, its focus has always been merchandise. Overall, while there are local conventions with free entry, AFA is certainly well worth its entrance fee.
Conclusion
Being the 10th anniversary of AFA, it might be natural to expect this year’s AFA to be the most elaborate of them all. And in some ways it was, with the sprawling crowd and myriad of booths and activities present. Yet, the event largely felt the same as any other AFA, with the huge focus on merchandising, the droves of cosplayers and the presence of everyone’s beloved Creators’ Hub.
However, this familiarity might be exactly what has allowed AFA to endure and become as successful as it is today. At the end of the day, what AFA represents is community, which is what binds us all as fellow anime/manga fans. Without events like AFA, it surely would have been far more difficult for anime/manga to gain as much as traction as it has in the present day.
And that’s why, we would like to end off our coverage of this year’s AFA with our gratitude towards it. Thank you for being there for all of us for the last ten years, it’s been a blast! We hope to see many more years of AFA to come!
The inaugural Japan Park 2018 is happening now at Suntec Convention Center Hall 403 and 404 from 4th of August to 5th of August. The tagline of the event is “Play, Get and Taste a selection from 47 Prefectures”. Be sure to come with an empty stomach so that you can eat your fill at the event itself. You can also buy a piece of ‘Japan’ back home in form of a tatami at The Tatami Shop.
Event Map
The entrance fee is SGD15 for a day and SGD25 for two days. The area itself isn’t that big that would warrant a two full day visits. However, if there are performances at the main stage that you wish to catch on both day, the two day pass will be suitable for you. There are other special package ticket which comes with either a special Keisuke Ramen or a VIP ticket for Poppin’Party, a popular girl band in Japan. More information at this link.
6 Zones of Japan Park
6 Zones of Japan Park
There are a total of 6 zones in Japan Park. The Omakase stage is where you will catch a list of performance ranging from traditional Japanese Dance to Celebrity Cosplayer talk show. Check out the time table below to make sure you don’t miss the performance that you are interested in.
Omakase Stage Time Table
KUNI-KEN Shamisen Live
If you have kids and wish to burn some of their endless energy, sign them up for the sports challenge at the Kids Sport zone. The challenge involves a few physical tests which will last about 20 minutes. The booth is hosted by the Albirex Niigata Singapore FC which is a satellite of Albirex Niigata of Japan. The Singapore team has been playing in the S.League since 2004.
Kids Sports Zone
CharaExpo Mini
CharaExpo Mini
Unlike the last CharaExpo, this mini edition is definitely not comparable to the full scale CharaExpo of last year. The area is much smaller than the previous year. However, for fans of BanG Dream!, this year CharaExpo will not disappoint you. Members from Poppin’Party will be performing live at the Omakase stage on the last day of Japan Park.
Poppin’Party
There was also a Yukata talk show on the first day where all the fans get to meet the members of Poppin’Party.
Giant posters for you to take picture
Other than BanG! Dream, Love Live is also another franchise that is promoted at this year CharaExpo Mini. There is a booth dedicated to Love Live where a big screen version of the popular Love Live School Idol Festival is available for you to try.
You can also get merchandises at the Bushiroad booth located in CharaExpo Mini. Some items are already sold out on Day 1. So make sure to get them quickly if you have decided on what to buy.
Bushiroad Booth
Experience Japan
Japan Park
There are a few unique Japan experience you can get to try out at Japan park. Koka city is known as the city of Ninja in Japan. Try your hands at shooting some ninja shuriken at a target. It is definitely not as simple as you think.
Koka Ninja
Matsuri game is another popular activity enjoyed by many in Japan during any Matsuri (festival). There are however only two games available at the Maturi Game booth.
Matsuri
For the tea lovers, you can get an authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony experience . There are limited time slot so you may wish to register earlier with the staff.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Food at WA-Shiok Gourmet Festa
WA-Shiok Gourmet Festa
The WA-ShiokGourmet Festa is where you will find some of the best Japanese restaurants that are available in Singapore. With 18 stores including Keisuke Ramen, Ginza Lion and Menya Sakura, you will be able to enjoy all the different food together at the same time.
The event uses a cashless token system. Your wristband is how you will pay. Do note that the credits inside are non-refundable, so top-up them gradually and not at a single go.
Japan Park is definitely an event for Japanese lover. The event itself covers a broad base of Japanese Culture. However, the breadth comes at the expense of depth. It doesn’t feel like a Matsuri to me, nor does it feels like an Anime/Manga event. Nonetheless, Japan Park is a good to visit for the weekend for all the Japanese lovers out there.
Details
Japan Park Singapore 2018
Venue: Suntec City Convention Centre Halls 403-404
Are you a fan of BanG Dream!? If so, you must not miss the upcoming Japan Park Singapore (JPSG) 2018 held on the 4th and 5th of August. The popular Poppin’Party band is performing live at JPSG! All the band members will be here in Singapore except drummer Ayaka Ohashi.
Before we finally get to enjoy their music live in Singapore, we manage to get an exclusive interview with Rimi Nishimoto who voiced Ushigome Rimi, the bassist of Poppin’Party.
[GameTrader.SG (GT)] How has becoming a Seiyuu changed your life?
[Rimi] My life has completely changed because before becoming a voice actress, I was very a shy and simple girl from the rural part of Japan. Now, I perform in front of people as an actress and musician, I give energy to the people with my performance. I am still trying to become a great artist that can really inspire people.
[GT] Could you share with us how did you started with Voice Acting? Were you scouted or you applied for the role?
[Rimi] I started when I auditioned for a new group in an animated series called Milky Homes. I actually wasn’t selected but they remembered me playing the guitar during the audition. When they were putting together BanG Dream!, they contacted me to be part of the show.
[GT] We love BanG Dream! What do you enjoy about being part of BanG Dream providing the voice of Ushigome Rimi?
[Rimi] My character Ushigoma Rimi is a very girly and feminine character. She’s very adorable and I really enjoy playing her as she’s very cute. Rimi loves eating chocolate in the anime, which is very similar to me, as I love chocolates!
[GT] We also heard that you are into games! What are the recent game titles that you have played and enjoyed?
[Rimi] Nintendo Switch’s Splatoon 2! I am constantly playing that.
[GT] Who were you inspired by or what anime inspired you to be one?
[Rimi] I love Angel Beats, which inspired me to be a voice actress. As for who’s my inspiration as a voice actress, I do not have anyone in mind.
[GT] Lastly, any upcoming development for BanG Dream! or Poppin’Party that you would like to share with us?
[Rimi] On 11th of July, Poppin’Party will release our 10th single called Double Rainbow, along with a new song, 最高 (さあいこう)!. Also, Poppin’Party will be performing in a ticketed event in Shanghai on 21st of July called “ビリビリマクロリンク” at the Mercedes Benz Arena.
(C) JPSG2018
Catch the live performance of Poppin’Party at this year’s Japan Park Singapore 2018.
Come 4th August, The first inaugural Japan Park Singapore will be held at Suntec Convention Centre. If you like all things Japanese, this is a event that you would want to go. 47 Prefectures of Japan, covering travel, food, technology, lifestyle, entertainment, sports and trends will be there at Japan Park for you to see, experience and taste.
For the foodies, the WA-Shiok Gourmet Festa will feature some of the best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore. From Ramen, to Wagyu Hamburg Steak, some of these items will be priced below $10.
Charaexpo Mini is another highlight of the event for the game and anime fans. There will be games corner for visitors to try and also voice actors and actresses whom you can meet. Bushiroad’s BanG Dream!, Love Live School Idol Festival and Cardfight!! Vanguard will also be featured at Charaexpo Mini.
If you are a fan of the popular anime BanG Dream!, you will be happy to know that Poppin’Party will be performing live at the event itself!
Sales of Early Bird ticket starts on 16 June at www.apactix.com.
Details
Japan Park Singapore 2018
Venue: Suntec City Convention Centre Halls 403-404
There is a new Pokémon Cafe that opened in March 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. This unlike the previous Pokémon cafe, is a permanent cafe located in Nihonbashi area and is not a pop-up cafe. If you are traveling to Tokyo and also a Pokémon fan, this is a pilgrimage you must make. However, the cafe is not available for walk-in. Follow our guide here on how to get a reservation. For a review of the cafe, read about our experience here.
Getting a reservation
Pokémon cafe is still very popular having open just recently. Booking can only be done via their website and not possible via phone or other methods. Also the website is available only in Japanese. But fret not, here is our guide to make the reservation.
Press the button indicated below to start your reservation.
2. Select number of guests
Tip: Reservation is only for max of 4 guests. If you have a party of more than 4, simply book multiple slots. However do note the reservation is tagged to a certain timing and each timing has limited slots, so be sure you make the reservation in quick succession.
3. Select a date
Once you have selected the number of guests, a calendar will pop out below.
The dates that are greyed out means it is full (red box) or the date is not yet open for reservation. You can only select those that are white in color (green box).
Tip: You can only reserve up to a month in advance. Seats are rather limited and can be full fairly quickly. To be the earliest, at 6pm Tokyo time, a month before the date you wish to reserve, visit the reservation site and you will be one of the first to access the booking for the date.
4. Choose a timing
5. Enter your details
This is likely the hardest part for non-Japanese speaker. Basically, you have to enter 1) your name, 2) your phonetic name in ‘hiragana’ (a type of Japanese writing), 3) your contact number and 4) your email.
A sample of filled details:
The mobile number enter should be a Japanese number but you may enter your own country number. The form checks for 10 number characters, so you might want to ensure you enter only 10 number. Alternatively, you can use the number of the hotel you will be staying in. For the 2) phonetic name, just head to http://japanesetransliteration.com, type in your first name and copy and pasted the hiragana into the field.
6. Optional purchase and confirmation
At the next page you can opt in to buy some of the merchandise.
You will need to prepay using your credit card. Click next to continue.
Finally at the confirmation page, click the button above to confirm your reservation.
You are finally done! You should be receiving a confirmation email about your booking.
Usually, we don’t do food review. However, today, we will be doing our first food review of the limited-time Bak Kut Teh Ramen from Keisuke at Suntec. By the way this is not a sponsored post in case you are wondering. This unique fusion ramen will make a good lunch for you when you visit the IT Show at Suntec this weekend.
Bak Kut Teh Ramen is created by the Founder of Keisuke, Keisuke Takeda which is launched in conjunction with the upcoming Ramen Teh movie by Eric Khoo. You can read more about it on Mothership. It’s also worthwhile to note that Ippudo does have its own rendition of Bak Kut Teh inspired Ramen.
Now on to the food…
I was a bit surprised by how well presented the dish was. Perhaps my expectation isn’t high to begin with. After all, we are all used to order Bak Kut Teh at hawker center where the meats are just stacked up randomly in the bowl of soup. Like the other type of Ramen from Keisuke, I can see that extra attention has been put into placing the ribs and vegetable. The bowl is kind of unique by itself too.
However, the three pieces of You Tiao do look a bit out of place as I’m used to seeing larger portion of You Tiao with Bak Kut Teh. Otherwise, the You Tiao is crispy and crunchy, and goes very well with the soup. In fact, it’s even better than at some specialized Bak Kut Teh shop that I have been too!
The soup itself is delightful and at the same time surprising. Knowing that you are eating Bak Kut Teh Ramen, it should not come to your surprise that the soup indeed taste like our local Bak Kut Teh with a familiar peppery flavour to it. What surprised me was that the soup has a slight taste of Tonkutsu! So while it taste familiar, you will also get a feeling that the soup is not something you have tasted before.
The Bak Kut aka pork ribs looks tough on the outside, but they are actually very tender. They slip off the bone fairly easily and together with the dark soya sauce, it will certainly delight your taste buds.
Overall, we really recommend this Ramen. It is only available till 30th April 2018 and only at the Keisuke Ramen branch at Suntec. I saw many who ordered this Ramen dish today at the restaurant. And do be warn that it is a fairly big portion. Perhaps enough for two ladies to share. As for me, I left with a stomach full of Bak Kut Teh warmth.
IT Show 2018
The yearly IT Show 2018 is now happening at Suntec till 18th Mar. The Keisuke Ramen branch that sells this Ramen is just nearby.
PS: There is a PlayStation booth at level 6 where you can try out games like Shadow of the Colossus and Monster Hunter. Be sure to check that out if you have time.
Singapore is having her very own Final Fantasy Cafe. From now till 10 February, come down to Watanabe Coffee at Shaw House Orchard road which has been transformed into a Final Fantasy Theme Cafe.
Things to Eat
While the full Watanabe Coffee menu is still available, the only special Final Fantasy dish is the Moogle Curry And White Stew set (Kupo!) with a choice of a Moogle Drink Or Materia.
Both drinks are flavoured drink. Nothing really that special. As for the Curry Rice, it was decent but not something that you would want to keep coming back for. My Moogle’s face is a bit distorted as well. Otherwise, it would have looked more like a Moogle.
Things to See And Try
The entire cafe is decked out with Final Fantasy poster and standees. Outside the cafe, you can take pictures with standees of well known Final Fantasy character like Sephiroth and Lightning.
Three PlayStation 4 loaded with the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT are available for you to try. The original Dissidia was only released in Arcade around Japan. It’s basically a fighting game where you can play as characters from the Final Fantasy universe. This game is not your typical Final Fantasy RPG but would definitely appeal to fans with affinity for fighting games.
Things to Buy
Even if you are not eating, which you can probably skip if you are not into themed cafe, there are things to buy as well. The plush toys are really popular. When we were there, the Cactuar, Moogle and Tonberry were all sold out. We were told by the staff that they maybe restocking but are unsure of when.
Things to Take Home
There are free coasters given to each diner. I ordered the Moogle set and got two! The coasters come in a few designs but are given at random. A free poster is given out to each customers as well. As of the time of visit, only two posters are available for choosing from Final Fantasy XIV which we thought Dissidia poster maybe more appropriate.
Worth it?
Overall, it is worth the trip only if you are a Final Fantasy Fan. The food is a bit overpriced as of most theme cafe and a bit underwhelming. If merchandise is your thing, it’s also a bit disappointing that most stuff are out of stock. Hey but if you are truly a fan, you would have come earlier to get them.
We came during lunch hours and there isn’t much of a queue. The same cannot be said for weekends. Nonetheless, given a week more to go, do visit the cafe if you have the time.
Details
Pop-up Date: 24 Jan – 10 Feb 2018
Venue: Watanabe Coffee (350 Orchard Road Shaw House #01-00)
Final Fantasy Menu: Available from 11 am onwards
Opening Hours: 8:30 am to 10pm (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun), 8:30 am to 11pm (Fri, Sat)
