Birthday Dinner at Irodori, Riverview Hotel

I came across this restaurant while reading a blog (I forget the address) and decided to round out B1's birthday celebrations with a Japanese ala carte buffet dinner. I realize now, even if the quality of the buffet is decent, one can get disenchanted by the food easily (what jaded, dissipated lives we lead even as working class). We got a free plate of grilled prawns (fat lot of use to me, since I don't eat prawns. B1 said they weren't very nice), and while the first plate of sashimi was not bad, the followup plate of sake (salmon) and mekajiki (swordfish) was truly nasty (the latter had a chewy tendon-like texture. Given that the swordfish has a lovely buttery flavour, it was like chewing raw cow). The amuse bouche of green tea tofu was refreshing, while the unagi handroll had crispy seaweed. Service was a bit of hit and miss, with some friendly staff and some cold fish. You cannot eat back your ROI, but B1 is of the opinion that we probably pay somewhat as much for a worse meal at Sakae (I notice Sakae dropped the prices of their ordinary plates back to S$1.99 from the exorbitant S$2.29, but the taste is still like crap).

I don't think Irodori is a place I will frequent.

While we were there, I encountered a young mistress accompanying her sugar daddy. While she was dressed ostentatiously, fakes eyelashes and all, with a Gucci bag and a LV belt, he was creepy and middle-aged with a weird ass somewhat striped black shirt with the word VOGUE printed along the opening. I observed that the life of a mistress wasn't that jolly, while she waited patiently for him to return (probably from calling the wife and kiddies) with all the dishes surrounding her.