Tendon @ Vivo

Two, three years? 

That's how long it has been since the last time I had a bowl of tendon at this outlet here in Vivocity. 

It isn't because I don't like tendon. 

It's simply because I sometimes forget to walk all the way to this side of the first floor and end up eating at the other places down at the basement. 

The last time I came here I was with visiting relatives from Australia. 

It isn't because I've avoided the place.

It's because (I realize) I haven't had much of Japanese tendon (doesn't matter where) either.

It's quite strange. 

Especially when you consider that this dish is a very attractive, heartwarming one.  

The sight of all your chosen food piled up 3D style over a bowl of rice is automatically an appetizing, inviting one.

Most of the selections seem to be on the seafood side.

At times its' fish. 

At times it's vegetables. 

There might be squid. 

And of course, there's always prawn. 

Prawn and vegetables tend to be our favorites when it comes to tempura. 

Whenever there's tempura I like to go for sweet potato, mushrooms and eggplant.

Today we went for the prawn tendon. 

Actually, it wasn't just the prawns that we wanted. 

We wanted fish too. 

But we didn't want to order another bowl of rice, and they didn't have it in the ala carte section anymore.

The new menu is one of the things that has changed at this place. 

It's probably one of the most notable changes that you'll see when you're making your orders. 

The other (less) notable thing that's changed is the name of the place.

I don't remember what it used to be called, but I know it didn't have the "Tokyo-something" that I see at the entrance now. 

The variety also seem to have changed. 

Maybe people ordered less rice dishes during Covid season. 

Maybe it was discovered that people wanted udon and ramen as much as they wanted rice. 

Because they've added noodles to the menu now. 

It's not a bad thing- customers love choices and who doesn't like a nice bowl of slurpy noodles in soup. 

I just thought it rather strange to have noodles in a place (once) known for its tempura tendon. 

Anyway, so we ordered the prawn tendon. 

And unless my memory is blurred, I thought the bowl seemed much smaller than what it used to be. 

It wasn't that the bowl was small. 

But I think the prawns used to be larger. 

Now they seemed.... skinnier. 

Or maybe the batter was thinner..

There was just something.

But we made the best of it, dividing up the prawns between ourselves, eating everything (tail even), before deciding to add on a plate of gyozas. 

Not for any particular reason. 

Just that familiarity is always good in the face of change. 

I like gyozas. 

But my (slightly disappointed) dining companion likes it more.