Ciki and I were bar-hopping after our dinner at Ippudo Ramen, and before going to our second stop at Orgo Bar, we decided to have some snacks at Tomo Izakaya, Esplanade Mall.

The Japanese casual dining restaurant has an original outlet at Clarke Quay, and they serve a variety of small dishes together with Japanese beers and sake.

Izakaya is a term referring to a Japanese drinking establishment that’s focused on drinks, but like many bars, serves food so that you will not drink on an empty stomach.

Besides the branch at Esplanade, folks working in the Marina Bay area will also be happy to know that they have a new sister restaurant – Akari Dining & Bar – at Marina Bay Link Mall.

Looking at Tomo Izakaya’s menu, the dishes are standard to any usual Japanese restaurants – Sushi ($8-20), Sashimi ($18 upwards), Makimono ($4.5-12.5), Kushiyaki ($5-12/skewer), Agemono ($7.5-18), and Udon/Soba ($10).

As we already had dinner, we ordered mostly skewers like Okura Bacon ($7) and Enkoi Bacon ($8.5), as well as Tori Karaage ($10). The food that we ordered was decent, nothing exceptionally fantastic, but good enough to go along with our sake.

A good place to hang out with colleagues after work for drinks and a simple dinner. Tomo Izakaya at Esplanade also has an ala carte buffet lunch (12pm – 2.30pm daily) for $23.8++, which includes around 25 to 30 items like sushi, sashimi and others. I’d probably drop by to try the buffet when I am craving for Japanese food.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Tomo Izakaya
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-09 Esplanade Art Centre
Tel: +65 6333 0012
Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5pm – 11.30pm

3A River Valley Road
#01-04 Clarke Quay
Tel: +65 6336 0100
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 3am

For more recommendations, please read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

Takashimaya at Ngee Ann City had revamped their basement Japanese food court. The current space is bigger and it has more Japanese eateries – like Baikohken, Nakajima Suisan, Romankan Yokohama, Tsuru Koshi Udon, and Yonehachi – which serve cheap and good Japanese food.

So if you haven’t been there for a while, maybe it’s time to check it out when you are looking for a place to eat in Orchard.

Baikohken

Tucked in a corner of the Japanese Food Hall, Baikohken has always been known for serving generous portions of ramen. Prices start from $13.5 upwards for a bowl of regular ramen.

391A Orchard Road #B2-01-04
Takashimaya Food Hall Ngee Ann City
Tel: +65 6235 3483

Nakajima Suisan Grilled Fish

The menu is Nakajima Suisan is rather limited, but there are more than enough options for fish lovers. The cheapest item on the menu, Saba Set is only $7.5.

There are also Salmon Teriyaki Set ($12), Gindara Terryaki Set ($14.5), and Hokke Hiraki Set ($10) to choose from. Each set comes with miso soup, white rice, pickles, and salad (ala carte items are $2 cheaper).

391 Orchard Road
Takashimaya Shopping Centre Food Hall

Romankan Yokohama

When you mention Tonkatsu, most people will think of Japanese restaurants like Tampopo, Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, or Tonkichi. But the problem is a tonkatsu set there can easily cost $20 or more.

This is where Romankan Yokohama – a tonkatsu speciality eatery – comes into play. It has been a fixture at Takashimaya’s food hall for some time, and although the tonkatsu ($13) isn’t spectacular, you can’t really complain for that kind of price.

391 Orchard Road #B2-04
Takashimaya Food Hall Ngee Ann City
Tel: +65 6738 2505

Tsuru Koshi Udon

My friend is a big fan of Tsuru Koshi Udon at Takashimaya Basement Japanese Food Court. He’d go so far as to that it is the best Udon he had in Singapore.

After having it, I thought it was okay, nothing special really. That said, I can see myself coming back when I’m craving for Udon because they have affordable prices.

Udons range from the basic Kake Udon ($6.5) to the more fanciful Curry Udon ($9). I had the Ebi Tempura Udon ($9) and Niku Udon ($9) and they were fairly decent. Add $5 to get a set meal with Mini Soboro Don or Mini Kakiage Don.

391 Orchard Road
Takashimaya Shopping Centre Food Hall

Yonehachi

If you are looking for a light and simple meal, try the healthy Okowa rice meals at Yonehachi. It serves simple Okowa sets which include the famous sticky rice, miso soup and pickles; and cost between $6.80 and $7.80. They come in different flavours – red beans (original), chestnuts, salmon, Hijiki seaweed and sansai (vegetable).

For something more substantial, they have Grill/Fry Okowa sets like Shio Saba, Chicken Teriyaki and Unagi. Prices range from $11.80 to $14.80 depending on the Okowa.

391 Orchard Road #B2-04-1/2
Takashimaya Food Hall Ngee Ann City
Tel: +65 6333 8227

Non-Japanese options:

Ambush Pasta Bar

Serves simple and (relatively) cheap western food like pasta and sausages. Pastas are available for $11, and you can add on $3.9 to upgrade to a set.

391 Orchard Road #B2-04
Takashimaya Food Hall Ngee Ann City
Tel: +65 6726 8303

Fisherios Fish N Chips

The kiosk specialises in fish and chips, which starts from $6.

391A Orchard Road
#B204-4-2 Ngee Ann City

Mignon’s Steak

Besides affordable steaks ($19.9 for Ribeye Steak), Migon’s also has a comprehensive menu which includes appetisers (below $10) like Mushroom Soup, Mussels, and Escargot. The casual steakhouse is worth a try for those on a budget.

391 Orchard Road #B2-04-3
Takashimaya Shopping Centre Food Hall
Tel: +65 6737 3556

For more recommendations, please read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

Ippudo is one of Japan’s top ramen shops and there was a hype when it opened in 2009. Even till today, there are often long queues during lunch and dinner.

The founder of Ippudo, Shigemi Kawahara, is known as the Ramen King after three consecutive first place wins on a nationwide ramen-making competition where the top ramen chefs compete to create the best ramen.

Does Ippudo ramen at Mandarin Gallery live up to the hype?

Ciki and I were there for dinner on a weekday, and it was fortunate that we went early as there was a long queue waiting outside shortly after. Upon entering Ippudo, I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. Unlike the usual ramen places, the dimly lit restaurant at Mandarin Gallery, Orchard road has a modern and classy vibe.

Besides ramen, Ippudo’s menu also has other side dishes like Agedashi Tofu ($10), Gyoza ($6), Chashu Hotplate ($8) and Tonkotsu Croquette ($12). After a quick glance at the menu, we ordered the classic Shiromaru Motoaji ($15) – original recipe tonkatsu soup served with Hakata-style thin noodles, rosu chashu, cabbage and spring onion; and Karaka-Men ($17) – Ippudo pork broth with special spicy miso and ground pork.

The chashu, oh the chashu.

At Ippudo, the Shiromaru Motoaji ($15) comes with a gorgeous piece of rosu chashu (pork loin). The Hakata-style noodles are springy and delightful, while the broth is refreshing and very addictive.

It is one of those moments where you find it hard to explain how something so simple can taste so delicious.

The Karaka-Men ($17), on the other hand, has a spicy kick to it and is no less addictive than the Shiromaru.

Like other ramen shops, Ippudo has its own regulars who swear by it and visit on a regular basis to satisfy their ramen cravings. While there are also others who felt that it is overrated and not as good as the one in Japan.

I think it all boils down to knowing how to manage your expectations. Ippudo has always been known as one of the best ramen shops in Japan, and this probably explains why some people go there with ridiculously high expectations and end up being disappointed.

For me, there is no doubt that Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery is one of the best ramen restaurants in Singapore. The question is, are you willing to queue up for it?

Singapore Food Blog Review
Ippudo Ramen
333A Orchard Road
#04-02/03/04 Mandarin Gallery
Tel: +65 6235 2797
Mon to Sat: 11am – 11pm
Sun: 11am – 10pm

I’ve walked past Sugisawa Japanese restaurant many times but somehow, I’ve never noticed it. On the outside, the Japanese restaurant at Robertson Quay looks very plain, which explains why I don’t remember seeing it before.

Ju suggested going there after reading raved reviews about the food. We had lunch there last week and we left the place very satisfied. I’d definitely recommend Sugisawa Japanese restaurant for good Japanese bento sets at affordable prices.

The menu has a good selection of Japanese food ranging from affordable bento sets ($15-22), good quality sushi ($15-25), and fresh sashimi ($13-40).

We shared the Sashimi moriawase ($25) which comprises an assortment of fresh sashimi. It was excellent value for the quality of the sashimi.

I was tempted by the Yakiniku bento ($15) and Ebi Fry bento ($16), but eventually I decided to stick with the Tonkatsu bento ($15).

The tonkatsu was fairly decent, not like those that you can get from tonkatsu speciality restaurants, but still good enough for me to satisfy my craving.

The Tempura bento ($18) that Ju had took our breath away when it arrived at the table. Not only do they look good, they taste great too!

Sugisawa Japanese Restaurant at Robertson Quay has very good value for money bento sets. Like other Japanese restaurants, the bento set is inclusive of rice and miso soup. But what makes Sugisawa different from the rest is that the portions are really generous and they even come with sashimi.

One thing to note, though. The service isn’t exactly friendly, and depending on how you see things, it can be quite intimidating. That said, Sugisawa is one of my new favourite Japanese restaurants. I’m not sure about you, but there’s just something about Japanese food that makes me happy.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Sugisawa Japanese Restaurant
30 Robertson Quay
#01-16 Riverside View
Tel: +65 6235 0212
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm; 6pm – 10pm

For more recommendations, read my list of best Japanese restaurants in Singapore

I first knew of Keisuke Tokyo Ramen at Parco Marina Bay when I went to Nantsuttei Ramen for lunch. One of my favourite hobbies is to read restaurants’ menu, and I remember that they had an ebi-based broth (not Shio, not tonkatsu, not shoyu) ramen when I took a glance at their menu.

A while back, I went to Keisuke Tokyo for lunch, specifically for their award-winning ebi ramen, only to find out that they’ve removed it from the menu late last year.

Is Keisuke Tokyo still worth going? Is Keisuke Tokyo the best ramen restaurant in Singapore? Just how good exactly is Keisuke Tokyo to win the prestigious title of Ramen King in TV Tokyo’s Ramen Champion Series?

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so.

The only ramen that shouted “EAT-ME” was the Kani ramen (crab stock), but we thought that it was unremarkable. While it was interesting to try the crab stock, the Watarikani Ramen ($15.8) wasn’t out-of-this-world good. The Tonkatsu Ramen ($13) – see the next picture – was decent, but not enough to make me go all the way to Parco Marina Bay just to eat this.

There are only a few things in the kitchen’s arsenal, but it does a pretty good job of accessorising them with different toppings and soup bases to make the menu appear bigger than it is. That’s not to say that there aren’t things to order. Besides the many variations of ramen ($11-15), Keisuke Tokyo also has side dishes like Karaage ($6), Yaki Gyoza ($1 each), Tonkatsu ($9) and Tori Teriyaki ($6) on the menu.

Would I go back to Keisuke Tokyo for their ramen? I’m not sure. There are after-all many Japanese restaurants in Parco Marina Bay at Millenia Walk to try.

That said, Keisuke Tokyo remains one of the more popular ramen places in Singapore, so if you haven’t been there before, maybe you would like to drop by for a visit and let me know if I missed out on anything.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Keisuke Tokyo
9 Raffles Boulevard
#P3-02 Parco Marina Bay Millenia Walk
Tel: +65 6337 7919

With so many restaurants lined along the two sides of Lorong Mambong, it’s easy to miss out Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ restaurant if you are new to Holland Village. How many times have I walked past it when I was in the area? Plenty.

I can’t believe that it took me until now to try the Japanese restaurant, but boy am I glad that I finally went there for dinner recently. Gyu Kaku means bull horn in Japanese, but to me, it translates to meat heaven.

Besides Holland Village, the Yakiniku restaurant also has other two branches at Chijmes and UE Square. There’s really nothing better than the sizzling sound of wagyu beef over the red-hot charcoal grill.

The manager suggested the Fuku Set ($179/2pax, $249/3pax, $309/4pax) which comes with assorted kimchee, aburi bacon, choice of salad, assorted mushroom, wagyu fillet steak, wagyu karubi, wagyu rump cap, kurobuta pork collar, duck breast, gindara miso foil grill, ishiyaki mentaiko and a choice of dessert. There is also the Warai set ($149/2pax, $209/3pax, $269/4pax) which is slightly more affordable and comes with choices like lamb chop, wagyu tongue, and wagyu nakaochi.

This is the Horenso Salad at Gyu-Kaku restaurant, which is essentially a Japanese style Spinach salad topped with bacon and creamy sesame dressing. If it was up to me, I’d call this the awesome-Japanese-salad.

After finishing the fantastic salad, we continued with the assorted kimchee, aburi bacon and the Japanese stone grill rice. I wasn’t really paying attention to them, though. I was distracted by the huge plate of wagyu-goodness on the table…

I ate a slice of beef. Two. Three. And then half the plate was gone. It was impossible to slow down. They were so good. Oh my god. A piece of Wagyu fillet steak, a bite of wagyu karubi, a mouthful of wagyu rump cap – I can die without regrets now.

Halfway through the meal, we shifted our focus to the kurobuta pork collar, duck breast and gindara. The grilled cod was not bad, but I felt that it was a distraction from the beef. Who needs cod when you can have wagyu beef? The same goes for kurobuta pork collar and duck breast. Still, everything was gone in a flash. More meat please!

The servings of the Fuku set should be enough for most people, but my brother is a big meat eater, so we ordered more food from the ala carte menu.

If I had eaten the Wagyu Brisket ($13.9/small, $19.9/large) first, it might have tasted fantastic, but there was no turning back after we had the wagyu fillet steak and rump cap.

Even though we already had a lot of meat, it was impossible to resist the 200g Wagyu ribeye steak ($89.9). Our bellies were bursting when we were done with the steak. This is the reason why I can never be a vegetarian.

I was quite amazed that we didn’t smell like BBQ after finishing dinner. The air ventilation of the restaurant was very good; the fumes from the BBQ were ventilated efficiently through the vents. It was also great that the staff came along often to change the grill plate.

Gyu Kaku Japanese BBQ restaurant is not cheap. But it serves good quality meat, and I like the fact that you won’t smell like BBQ after a meal. I will definitely come back when I am craving for wagyu beef.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant
29 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village
Tel: +65 6466 4001

30 Victoria Street
#01-01/03 Chijmes
Tel: +65 6333 4001

81 Clemenceau Avenue
#01-18/19 UE Square
Tel: +65 6733 4001

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

For more recommendations, please read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

Much has been said about Chikuwa Tei at Mohamed Sultan road, the Japanese restaurant opened by the former Chef of Wasabi Tei at Far East Plaza.

From what I heard, the chef used to be a food nazi when he was at the previous Japanese restaurant. Although he had a nasty reputation, the place was extremely popular and there were always long queues. That said, I did not visit Wasabei Tei when he was there, so I wouldn’t know how it was like. I can assure you though, the chef was perfectly fine when we went there for dinner a few weeks ago.

Chikuwa Tei has 18 bento sets on the menu to choose from, and the price range from $12 for the more affordable Mackerel set to $25 for their popular Chirashi Sushi set.

My dining companion went for her favourite Grilled Eel set ($20) and it was wonderful. The sight of the huge slice of grilled unagi was enough to get a ‘wow‘ from us.

I like the Ten Cha Soba set ($12) – which you see in the first picture. Deep-fried tempura with cold green noodles, very simple yet so satisfying.

Salmon Sashimi ($10 for 5 slices). Om nom nom nom.

From the Makimono menu, we eyed the Avocado & Crab Maki ($8) and Deep-fried prawn ($12), but in the end we decided to share the Tuna Belly & Spring Onion ($12).

Dessert is probably Chikuwa Tei’s weakest link as they only have green tea and matcha ice cream. It doesn’t really matter as we were full anyway. I wouldn’t say no to another serving of salmon sashimi though.

Chikuwa Tei is a place that I will go back again when I am craving for Japanese food. The offerings are generally good, and the prices for the bento set and ala carte menu are very reasonable. For those of you who have been to Chikuwa Tei, En Japanese Dining Bar across the street, has a 50% promotion off Sushi and Sashimi from 6pm – 8pm daily.

For more recommendations, please read my list of best Japanese restaurants in Singapore

Singapore Food Blog Review
Chikuwa Tei
9 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01
Tel: +65 6738 9395
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm

Update: Taira Izakaya is now closed

Izakaya is a casual Japanese bar where you can enjoy food with drinks. It reminds me of Spanish Tapas Bars, and one of the best things about such dining concepts is that you get to try so many different food.

Located at Holiday inn Singapore Orchard City Centre in Cavenagh Road, Taira Izakaya is the perfect place to go after a long day of work for some light snacks and drinks.

The Japanese drinking bar has a pretty comprehensive menu and the items are reasonably priced. You can find sashimi ($15-20 for 5 pcs), sushi ($3-12/pc), maki ($5-12 for 6 sushi roll), grill items ($5-25), skewers ($$2.5-5/stick), and tempura ($5-12).

Izakaya food is slightly more substantial than tapas, and they are meant to be shared. It is probably a good idea to go with a group of friends so that you can try more food.

We started with the California Roll ($10). The gorgeous sushi roll was utterly delicious, and we finished it very quickly. Needless to say, we were tempted to order a second helping, but we decided to try the Spicy Tuna Maki ($12) instead.

While waiting for the Maki to come, we had the Salted Grilled Unagi ($16), Yakitori ($2.5) and Enoki Bacon ($2.5). My dining companion is a big unagi fan and she thought that the one that we had was nothing special. Given that there are so many yummy choices like teriyaki grill cod, grill kurobuta and miso grill king prawn amongst the Yakimono selection, we probably wouldn’t order the Unagi again.

I thoroughly enjoyed Taira Izakaya’s bacon wrapped mushroom – it was extremely juicy and tender. The Chicken Skewer, on the other hand, was run-of-the-mill.

And of course, the must-have Salmon Sashimi ($15 for 5 pcs). What can I say? 5 pieces are definitely not enough. The Karashi Tuna Roll came last, and it had a spicy kick. Both of us agreed that the California roll was better (or at least we liked it more), and I definitely want to try the Chopped fatty tuna roll ($12) next time.

All in all, Taira Izakaya offers simple and delicious Japanese food. It is worth mentioning that we were the only locals there that night. If you have been to Taira Izakaya before, do check out Izakaya Nijumaru at Cuppage Plaza, Orchard Road.

Tell me, which is your favourite Izakaya in Singapore?

Singapore Food Blog Review
Taira Izakaya
11 Cavenagh Road #01-16
Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Tel: +65 6836 5298

For more recommendations, read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

There are many restaurants in Vivocity, but I always find it hard to decide on what to eat. I’ve announced on twitter that I wanted to try all the Vivo City restaurants, so as to do a guide on where to eat in Vivocity.

My friend was craving for sushi and sashimi that day, so we settled on a Japanese Restaurant for lunch. Shin Kushiya Japanese Charcoal Grill has been around since 2006, and they currently have four outlets in Singapore: Serangoon Gardens, Suntec City, Far East Square and Vivocity.

The Japanese Restaurant specialises in charcoal-grilled skewers, with choices of chicken, pork, beef, lamb, seafood, and vegetable. Prices range from $2 for a stick of Yakitori, to $3.8 for prime beef, and $9.8 for lamb chop. Besides charcoal-grilled skewers, Shin Kushiya also has the typical Sushi, Sashimi, Agemono, and Udon on their menu.

The executive set lunch ($29.80) comprises salmon sashimi, chawanmushi, Japanese salad, assorted tempura, sushi selection, appetiser, soup and dessert of the day.

We shared three skewers: Yakitori ($1.9), Chizu Maki ($2.8) and Gyu Karubi ($3.8). My favourite was definitely the Chizu Maki – Mozzarella cheese wrapped with thinly-sliced pork. We also like the succulent and tender prime beef stick. The Yakitori, on the other hand, was fairly decent, nothing much to shout about.

Most of the items on Shin Kushiya are reasonably priced, and their Japanese food is competent. I can definitely see myself coming back if I’m having dinner in Vivocity.

For more recommendations, read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

Singapore Food Blog Review
Shin Kushiya Japanese Chargoal Grill
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-120-122 VivoCity Singapore
Tel: +65 6275 8766

33-35 Pekin Street
Far East Square Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 8991

3 Temasek Boulevard
#01-031 Suntec City Mall Singapore
Tel: +65 6337 3988

1 Maju Avenue
#02-03/06 myVillage @ Serangoon Garden
Tel: +65 6634 2816

I will cut to the chase and tell you to go En Japanese Dining Bar at River Valley for their 50% promotion off Sushi and Sashimi from 6pm – 8pm daily.

The prices of the ala carte menu are similar to other Japanese Restaurants in Singapore. But it makes a whole lot of difference when you factor in the 50% discount off sushi and sashimi. Forget about the other Japanese casual dining restaurants, go to En Japanese Dining Bar’s for their 50% Early Bird Promotion.

It was a table full of food that night. We had Sashimi Platter, Maki rolls, Pork Belly (picture below), Sushi Platter, Soba and Black Sesame Ice Cream. By the way, En Japanese Dining Bar’s menu is not restricted to just Sushi and Sashimi. They have a good selection of Grilled Dishes, Tempura, Salad and Appetisers too.

We started with the Nigiri Platter ($23.80 before 50% discount) with 8 pieces of Sushi. Up next was the California Maki ($10 before 50% discount) which was nicely placed on an elongated white plate. Even without the 50% discount, I think it is good value considering that it comes at $10 for a platter of 6 Maki rolls.

Where else can you find a California Maki Platter at just $5++? This is incredible. Other selections on the Maki menu includes Soft Shell Crab Roll, Tuna Roll, and Salmon Avocado Roll (prices range from $4.80 to $12 before 50% discount).

Sashimi fans will definitely order the Sashimi Go Ten Mori ($34.50 before 50% discount) with five different kinds of sashimi. If you have a big group of friends, go for the Sashimi platter with seven different sashimi ($47.50 before 50% discount). Otherwise, the individual Sashimi options are available too.

En Japanese Dining Bar is a great reasonably priced Japanese Casual Dining Restaurant to satisfy your Japanese Food cravings.

Do note that the food promotion of 50% discount off Sushi & Sashimi is only available at their Mohamed Sultan branch (River Valley road). For those who cannot make it for the early bird discount from 6pm to 8pm, you can go there for supper as the Mohamaed Sultan branch opens till late night 3am on Friday and Saturday.

En Japanese Dining Bar has another branch at Bukit Timah and they have a different promotion of Japanese Hotplate Buffet at $48++/pax.

Service at the Japanese Restaurant was quite poor during our visit. Their staff were not very knowledgeable about the menu, and they missed out one of our orders. But I guess we can’t complain since they have such a good promotion.

This is going to be my new favourite place for cheap and good Japanese food… Unless you guys make it too crowded!

For more recommendations, read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore.

Singapore Food Blog Review
En Japanese Dining Bar
207 River Valley Road
#01-57 UE Square Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 2212

Sun to Thu: 6pm – 12am
Fri to Sat & PH Eve: 6pm – 3am

557 Bukit Timah Road #01-14/16
Crown Centre Singapore
Tel: +65 6468 5710

Mon to Thu: 6pm – 11pm
Fri to Sun & PH: 12pm–3pm, 6pm–11pm

Note: The 50% promotion off Sushi & Sashimi is ongoing, but please call En Japanese Dining Bar to verify it again before going down.

It has been a while since my last visit to Holland Village, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of new faces. My list of restaurants in Holland Village is slightly outdated now, I will be updating it soon.

Anyway, our main objective that night was 2am Dessert Bar, so we decided to have a light dinner at Yoshimaru Ramen Bar.

Yoshimaru Ramen Bar is famous for their Hakata Ramen, or known as Tonkotsu (pork bone) Ramen. I don’t really know much about ramen, but from what I understand, the broth for Tonkotsu ramen is made from boiling pork bones over high heat for many hours. The result is hearty pork flavoured soup with ultra thin ramen.

I had the Traditional Hakata Ramen ($11), and it was excellent. With a gorgeous runny boiled egg and the mouth-watering char siu, the bowl of rich and flavourful ramen was the perfect thing for a rainy night.

We also had the Shabu-shabu Pork Ramen ($14), which came with thin pork slices instead of char siu. There are a few choices on Yoshimaru Ramen Bar’s menu, you can also go for the Moridakusen Ramen ($15) which has all the toppings, or the spicy Yoshimaru Tan Tan Mian with peanut sauce and chilli oil.

My favourite ramen places in Singapore are still Tampopo restaurant and Ramen Santouka, but Yoshimaru Ramen Bar is a pretty decent place to have a quick dinner if you are at Holland Village. And oh yes, just in case you are interested, the Japanese Ramen Bar is under the same management as Jumbo Seafood Restaurant.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Yoshimaru Ramen Bar
31 Lorong Liput
Holland Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6463 3132

902 East Coast Parkway, Blk B
#01-12 Playground @ Big Splash Singapore
Tel: +65 6346 3132

Standing Sushi Bar has established a good reputation for good quality Japanese cuisine since opening back in 2009. The quirky concept of standing-in-a-sushi-bar has also helped boost their popularity in the Singapore Food Scene.

Fans of Standing Sushi Bar will be happy to know that they have recently added new branches at 8Q Singapore Art Museum and Marina Bay Link.

The new location at 8Q sam is much bigger than their original outlet at Raffles Place. While I like the idea of watching the chef in action while eating at a sushi bar, sometimes I just want to sit in a corner and enjoy my Japanese food in peace.

Standing Sushi Bar’s menu is very comprehensive and it includes a good variety of sashimi and sushi, agemono, robatayaki, noodle and grilled items. It took us a while before we could decide on what to order. Luckily, the staff was very knowledgeable about the menu and she advised us to go for some of their popular dishes.

The Sushi Take ($25) set came with 7 assorted nigiri, 2 pieces of maki, miso soup and a salad. Every piece of nigiri was so delicate and easy on the palate.

The Garlic Fried Rice ($7) came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. It had a lovely smell and every grain was so good. Seriously I could just eat this and ignore everything else. Definitely one of the best fried rice I’ve had.

Standing Sushi Bar’s Sashimi Platter ($35 for 6 kinds, 12 slices) is a good choice if you want variety. But we decided to focus solely on Salmon Sashimi ($10 for 5 slices). There are only so many words you can use to describe sashimi, and sooner or later, it is inevitable to repeat the same description. So here goes: the gorgeous salmon sashimi was extremely fresh, and it was excellent with a gentle touch of wasabi.

With choices like foie gras, chicken heart, chicken gizzard, chicken skin, chicken cartillage on Standing Sushi Bar’s robatayaki menu, it was very difficult to choose just one. In the end, we went for the Beef & Enoki mushroom skewer ($8 for 2 sticks) and it was fantastic! Together with the flavourful sauce, the mushrooms added an earthy tone to the succulent and tender beef.

Anyway, I am not sure if it is just me, but I do feel that most Japanese restaurants in Singapore have pretty expensive grilled skewers. Do let me know if you know any place that serves cheap and good yakitori.

We were quite full by now, but of course, there’s always room for desserts and we ended the Japanese dinner with matcha and black sesame ice cream.

* * *

The fact that there are plenty of seats in a Standing Sushi Bar (SSB) is contradicting, but I am not complaining. The new Standing Sushi Bar at 8Q @ Singapore Arts Museum (SAM) is a place where you can dine in peace and have good Japanese food. Otherwise, there is always Food For Thought Cafe, which serves comfort food at affordable prices.

With sashimi, sushi and sake, my life is complete.

// Standing Sushi Bar at 8QSAM has an 1 for 1 Asahi draft beer promotion from Monday to Friday 5pm – 7pm happy hour.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Standing Sushi Bar
8 Queen Street #01-03 Singapore
Tel: +65 6333 1335

8A Marina Boulevard #B2-51
Marina Bay Link Mall Singapore
Tel: +65 6634 7068

1 Raffles Place #B1-02B
One Raffles Place (OUB Centre) Singapore
Tel: +65 6533 7078

I have been wanting to try Japanese Buffet for very long. After doing my research, most people seemed to agree that Ikoi Japanese Restaurant at Hotel Miramar, Irodori Japanese restaurant at River View Hotel and Senki Japanese Restaurant at Killiney road are amongst the best Japanese Buffets in Singapore.

As my friends have been to Ikoi and Irodori Japanese restaurant before, we ended up at Senki Japanese Restaurant for the buffet dinner.

With over 100 items on the Japanese buffet menu, it’s probably a good idea to skip lunch if you are going there for dinner. Most importantly, come with a group of friends so that you can order more things to share.

Under normal circumstances, it is a sin to order so much food. But since we were already at Senki restaurant for their Japanese buffet, we would be fools if we didn’t eat to our hearts’ content. I could imagine the number of rounds that I have to run the next day just to burn off the calories — oh whatever, the diet can wait.

Amongst the Sushi/maki available on Senki’s menu, we tried the Floss Karashi and Mango California. The former was surpsingly good, the tasty chicken floss had a slightly spicy sauce. While the latter was not too bad, it came with the appetising mango topping on top of the typical California maki.

We were proceeding on a rather slow pace. Mindful of the fact that there were many items that we wanted to try, we only had a hand roll each. Senki Japanese Restaurant has quite a selection of different hand rolls: California, ebi tempura, salmon skin, chopped tuna, tamago, tuna, salmon.

My friends’ eyes were glittering when the Sashimi platter arrived. This is probably the highlight of the Japanese buffet since you can eat as much sashimi as you want. Tuna, sword fish, salmon, yellow tail sashimi were devoured in an instant. We kept asking for salmon sashimi throughout the night – free flow sashimi is joy.

From the appetisers, we had chawanmushi, and goma tofu. We continued to fill our stomachs with the grilled dishes: sticks of Yakitori which were so-so, the seemingly healthy grilled shiitake, the Saba Shioyaki, and the delicious Jagaimo Mentai cheese yaki (potato with fish roe and cheese).

Deep-fried food always tastes good. Needless to say, we had an assortment of tempura (prawn and vegetables). Another favourite was the Agedashi Tofu, fried beancurd that was crispy outside and soft inside.

Forget about Senki Restaurant’s tonkatsu, it is not worth the calories. If you like deep-fried food, go for the Tori Karaage – juicy chunks of fried chicken that were good and sinful.

I cannot remember how many items we tried out of the 138 selection on Senki’s Buffet menu, but we definitely ordered at least a few dishes from each category.

For those of you who are keen on the Japanese buffet, the different selections include: appetiser, salad, sashimi, maki, nigiri sushi, hand roll, Itamemono (pan fried dishes), Owan Mono (soup), Agemono (deep fried dishes), Yakimono (grilled dishes), Menrui (noodle), and Gohan (rice).

Between bites, we stoned for a few moments, and stared at the empty plates on the table. We ate, and ate, and ordered some more. We chatted, and took toilet breaks to rest our stomach for even more food. It felt as though we were feasting for three days long.

The Japanese Buffet at Senki Japanese Restaurant is $30++ for lunch, and $33++ for dinner. Prices are the same for weekday and weekend. For eve/public holidays, it is $39++ for the buffet dinner.

Which is your favourite place for Japanese Buffet in Singapore?

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Senki Japanese Restaurant
109 Killiney Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 5565

Bugis Junction has gone through a revamp and some of the newer (okay, maybe not that new) restaurants at Bugis Junction include: Let’s Sweet Japanese Desserts Buffet, Nanxiang Xiaolong Bao, and Nando’s. The funny thing is, I have never eaten at any of the Bugis Junction restaurants before.

Even though I always pass by the restaurants in Bugis Junction, they somehow didn’t appeal to me, and one of them is Ma Maison Restaurant. The dark entrance of the place was probably the main reason, and it took me until now to try the food there.

Ma Maison Restaurant is located on the second level of Bugis Junction (they also have another branch at the Central). Although it is a Japanese restaurant, the decoration is predominately French, and they serve Japanese rendition of European dishes.

There are five different choices for Ma Maison’s set lunches, and each comes with soup, salad, rice/bread and a drink. The options for the set lunch are the following: Set A) Japanese Western Set Lunch (changes daily), B) Japanese Western Set lunch (changes once every 3 days), C) Hamburger Steak, D) Salad Set, and E) Curry Rice Set.

We opted for Set A, and it was fried Chicken with Japanese dressing for that day. I couldn’t quite describe the taste of the dressing, it was slightly sweet, yet savoury – I felt that it didn’t go very well with the chicken.

Ma Maison is famous for its Hamburger Steak, so it goes without saying that I had to try it. With a beautiful sunny side-up sitting on top, the hamburger steak was well prepared, and the lovely brown sauce complimented the meat perfectly. Although the portion looked small, it was actually quite substantial with the additional salad, soup and rice/bread.

Ma Maison recently opened a new cafe at Parco Marina Bay which serves pastries, cakes and coffee. They are currently having a promotion for their set lunches, have a fruit tart for dessert by topping up an additional $4.80++. I wasn’t expecting much from the Mango Fruit Tart, but it turned out to be exceptionally good.

* * *

Prior to this visit, I was under the impression that Ma Maison Restaurant was quite pricey, but after glancing at the menu, most of the main courses are reasonably priced from $15-$20ish and they also have a 20% promotion off ala carte items for ladies on Monday Nights. However, if you are a big eater, you will probably need to order an extra appetiser/dessert to share as the portions at Ma Maison are small.

Ma Maison offers value for money set lunches which range from $12.9++ to $16.5++. This is the place to go for lunch if you are working in the Bugis or Clark Quay area.

// Also read about the $10.50 three course set lunches at Chef Daniel’s Kitchen.

For more recommendations, read my list of the Best French Restaurants in Singapore

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Ma Maison Restaurant 200 Victoria Street
#02-51 Bugis Junction Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 4819

6 Eu Tong Sen Street #03-96
The Central @ Clarke Quay Singapore
Tel: +65 6327 8122

Cafe Ma Maison
9 Raffles Boulevard #P3-03
Parco Marina Bay, Millenia Walk Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 9391

Besides desserts, I have been eating a lot of Japanese food recently and it wouldn’t be right for me not to tell you about Izakaya Nijumaru Japanese Restaurant at Cuppage Plaza.

As much as I will like to keep this place a secret, many Singapore Food Blogs have written on Izakaya Nijumaru before, so I guess there’s no harm for me to share this little Japanese gem with everyone.

Cuppage Plaza has always been known as a mini Japanese food paradise with the likes of Nagomi Japanese Restaurant, Kaiho Sushi Restaurant, Kushigin Japanese restaurant, Maru Sushi restaurant, Ooi Japanese dining, Kazu Sumiyaki restaurant,  Ohsumi Japanese restaurant, Hanashizuku Japanese cuisine and Izakaya Namiwa in the rather dodgy building.

Out of all the Japanese restaurants in Cuppage Plaza, my friend recommended me to try Izakaya Nijumaru. The plain menu only has the name of the dishes without any pictures. Under normal circumstances, a boring-looking menu isn’t helpful to a visual person like me. But as I flipped through the menu, there were some interesting choices which seemed to jump out of the pages saying “EAT ME!”

One of them was the Beef Teriyaki ($13). It was very well executed, the tender beef was prepared just right and while the teriyaki sauce was rich, it didn’t overwhelm the meat. Only one word to describe this — Yummy!

The Katsu Curry Rice ($10) was another excellent choice. For just ten bucks, it was a huge bowl of the delicious rice and katsu topped with the sweet curry sauce.

On the other hand, the Hire Katsu Set ($11.50) was completely different from what I had in mind. Instead of a beautiful rack of nicely fried katsu, it was served in chunks and the meat was slightly dry. I’d go for the Katsu Curry rice over this.

We ordered a serving of Salmon Sashimi ($15) and when it came to our table, we realized that it wasn’t enough for four person, so we ordered another. See that fatty slab of salmon up there? It’s in my stomach right now. Oh life is good.

Some of the other dishes that we had: the deep-fried golden brown Agedashi Tofu ($5), two sticks of grilled Shitake Kushiyaki ($4), Tempura Soba ($11) and Maitake Tempura ($10).

Izakaya Nijumaru is a great hidden gem with good Japanese food at very affordable prices. If you are meeting your friends in town and trying to decide what to eat in Orchard, you may want to drop by Izakaya Nijumaru at Cuppage Plaza for a drink and some Japanese food.

Merry Christmas everyone, have a good feast during Christmas Dinner tonight!

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Izakaya Nijumaru
5 Koek Road #02-10
Cuppage Plaza Singapore
Tel: +65 6235 6693

// I’m adding Izakaya Nijumaru to my list of Singapore Best Japanese Restaurants.

As I was walking in Orchard Central, I suddenly realized that it is actually a pretty nice place for dining. First of all, Orchard Central is relatively quiet compared to the other shopping malls in Orchard Singapore, and most importantly, there are a lot of restaurants in Orchard Central!

The funny thing is: Ootoya Japanese Restaurant is the only restaurant in Orchard Central that has a queue. In case you are wondering how to find a way around this, no, they don’t take reservations. You need to be there early before lunch/dinner time, or just wait (at least) twenty-thirty minutes for a table.

Anyway, Ootoya specializes in teishoku, or set meals that come with rice and soup. They have been making a name in the Singapore food scene for serving simple, and relatively affordable Japanese food.

Coated with a generous spread of bread crumbs, the final product is a golden crispy exterior that covers the pork inside. Straight out of the piping hot oil, the Breaded Pork Loin Cutlet ($16 for set, $11 for ala carte) is nicely cut into strips and served with the katsu sauce.

My friend told me a lot about Ootoya’s grilled fish, so we decided to go for the Charcoal grill horse mackerel set ($20 for set, $15 for ala carte). If you don’t fancy picking bones from the flesh, then it’s probably wise not to order this. But if you like fish, here’s a good grilled mackerel – a signature dish from Ootoya.

Don’t be mislead by the name, the Charcoal grilled chicken salad with basil sauce ($16.50 for set, $11.50 for ala carte) is more than just a normal salad. The charcoal grilled chicken was very tasty! Even though Misstamchiak gave me two pieces of the chicken thigh, I couldn’t stop staring at her plate throughout dinner.

* * *

Ootoya at Orchard Central has good Japanese food at reasonable prices, but I’m not sure if I’ll be coming back. Don’t get me wrong, it has nothing to do with the service, or food, or prices, but I’m just too lazy to queue up. Besides, there are plenty of options for good Japanese food in Singapore. I will be blogging on another ‘hidden-gem’ Japanese restaurant next week. Meanwhile, please share with us if you have any recommendation for good & affordable Japanese restaurants in Singapore.

Has anyone been to Ootoya’s new branch at Suntec City Mall? I wonder if it’s easier to get a table there?

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Ootoya Japanese Restaurant
181 Orchard Road #08-12
Orchard Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6884 8901

Ootoya Suntec City
3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-057
Suntec City Mall Singapore
Tel: +65 6837 3718

My friends are probably hatching a plot to murder me as I type this, but I’m going to risk it and tell you guys anyway — Koh Grill & Sushi, a small Japanese eatery in Wisma Atria Food Republic, is an amazing place for good Japanese Food at very reasonable prices.

It isn’t appropriate to use ‘Best Japanese restaurant in Singapore‘ to describe Koh Grill & Sushi since they aren’t really a restaurant. How about this? Why don’t we call them the best hidden find/gem for Japanese food in Singapore instead?

To give you a better idea, we were sitting at a small wooden table in the food court, near the escalator. I was skeptical about the Japanese food here even though my friends raved about them all the time. Well, I didn’t believe that a Japanese eatery in a food court could actually serve good Japanese food. Obviously, I had to eat my words.

We started off with what I shall call the best-maki-in-my-life, or otherwise known as the Shiok Maki ($15) at Koh Grill & Sushi Bar. If you are going down after reading this post, please do yourself a favor and order the Shiok Maki. The melty cheese sauce had a strong dabbling of mayonnaise, and it was the perfect companion for the charcoal grilled eel wrapped with lightly roasted salmon maki. How could something so simple… taste so good? We had no idea, no idea at all. The photo may not look very appealing, but just wait till you try it.

The Gindara black cod fillet ($13) was lightly salted and charcoal-grilled. It had a very clean and fresh taste. We also ordered the Nasu Miso Yaki ($5). The Eggplant served with sweet miso paste dissolved in an instant after I put it into my mouth. For once, I actually like eggplant.

It wasn’t a lot of food, but we were actually pretty satisfied by this stage. Nonetheless, we decided to push our luck with the Pitan Maki ($15) anyway. The special house-sauce was a mystery, but we were guessing that it’s probably made of century egg. On top of the maki, there were tiny black century egg cubes mixed together with the generous serving of the crunchy tobiko. If I could only choose one maki, I’d definitely go for the Shiok Maki over this.

We ended the meal at Koh Grill & Sushi Bar with a scoop of black sesame ice cream. The three of us paid around $20 per person for the food, which was very reasonable for the quality of the Japanese food that we had.

I BBM-ed my friend (who introduced me to this fantastic hidden find) after the dinner, and told her to go back to Koh Grill & Sushi Bar as soon as possible — because I’m going to blog about it. Needless to say, she wasn’t happy with me. It’s a gem which my friends wanted to keep a secret. If you are having difficulty to decide what to eat in Orchard, you may want to drop by Wisma Atria Food Republic and check out Koh Grill & Sushi.

One of my favorite past times is to sit at the sushi bar, and just eat.

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Koh Grill & Sushi Bar
435 Orchard Road #04-21
Wisma Atria Singapore
Tel: +65 9180 3805

Everything starts with a craving.

The story goes something like this: I woke up one day, and found myself craving for tonkatsu, or more specifically, Katsu Sandwich. I was suddenly reminded about Romankan Yokohama, this Japanese eatery in the basement of Ngee Ann City.

Even though there’s always Tampopo Japanese restaurant, Tonkichi Katsu, Tetsu Japanese restaurant, or even Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin in Orchard, I was trying to look for an alternative to the best tonkatsu in Singapore. Well, I don’t want to get too comfortable and always go back to the same few places to satisfy my katsu lust. What happens if all of them closed down one day? I need a backup plan, a new Japanese restaurant that can give me the same good old katsu.

For a rather isolated place, Romankan Yokohama seemed to be doing fairly well. I wanted to order their Katsu Sandwich. But after taking a glance at the few katsu sandwiches (they looked unappealing: thin & dry) which were made in advance, I decided to go for the Rosu Katsu ($13) instead.

Sadly, I wasn’t impressed with the tonkatsu too. Outside, it was fried all right, with a shattering crunch when I took a bite. But inside, it was slightly dry, and wasn’t juicy enough. But I guess we shouldn’t complain, since the prices of tonkatsu at places like Tampopo or Tonkichi would easily be $20 (before taxes).

If you are coming from the direction of the Takashimaya Food Hall, go all the way in until you see Fisherios Fish N Chips – Romankan Yokohama is hidden right at the corner. The katsu isn’t spectacular, but the prices are definitely much more affordable. It is also a rather nice place for a quiet dinner at Ngee Ann City.

Are there any regulars of Romankan Yokohama here? What do you usually order when you are there for dinner?

Restaurant Review
Romankan Yokohama Katsu
391 Orchard Road #B2-04
Ngee Ann City Singapore
Tel: +65 6738 2505

I have been to Patisserie Glace and in fact, blog about their Japanese Desserts and Cakes a few times before. But I am curious about how they have been doing since Chef Yamashita left to set up Flor Patisserie, so I went back and had some cakes (all in the name of curiosity).

My accomplice chose the Mont Blanc ($5.6). It had a airily light chiffon base which was nicely decorated with the pretty swirls of Japanese chestnut with custard cream.

I have no idea why the chef decided to call this the Chiffon Cup. Yawn, the name hardly does justice to the dessert. If it’s up to me, I will call it something like: happiness-in-a-tiny-cup, or omg-the-best-chiffon-cup.

“Mmm.. Mmm..” This is all we could muster after having the Chiffon Cup ($3.5). How could something be so impossibly light, and dainty? Not to mention that there’s my favorite puff pastry on top of the chiffon too! I’d buy half a dozen of these, and have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And no, I’m not going to share them with anyone. They are all mine! ALL MINE!

If you like green tea, you will definitely enjoy the Emerald Isle ($5.2). I had this cake during my previous visit to Patisserie Glace (which I didn’t blog about).  The perfect pairing of Green Tea Sponge with red beans, and topped with Japanese chestnut and strawberry.

Give me a Strawberry Souffle and I will do anything for you.

After having the Japanese Desserts from both places, I’m more inclined to go back to Flor Patisserie mainly because they have a dine-in area. But if it’s a takeaway, Patisserie Glace at Icon Village (5 minutes walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT) will be more convenient.

Having been to Tampopo Deli, Patisserie Glace, Flor Patisserie and Provence Bakery, I think it’s time to check out Kki at Ann Siang next. Tell me, which is your favorite Japanese Patisserie in Singapore?

// There’s no dine-in area at Patisserie Glace. However, you can eat the cakes at Kopi Alley which is just around the corner (with the purchase of any drinks). If you are working in the area, drop by after work as there’s 20% off cakes after 6pm.

Restaurant Review
Patisserie Glace
12 Gopeng Street #01-33/34
ICON Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6400 0247

I don’t care if you are going to throw tomatoes or rotten eggs at me, but I am going to declare Ramen Santouka at Central as the best ramen restaurant in Singapore.

We’re raised to believe that there is always something better out there. What if there isn’t? What if this is the best ramen place in Singapore, but I keep insisting on finding a better one elsewhere? Does it mean I have to try a few lousy ramen restaurants before I come back to Ramen Santouka and believe that they have the best ramen in Singapore?

If you have been reading my food blog for some time, you will know that I am not the biggest fan of ramen. It reminds me of instant noodle, and it seems silly to pay over the odds for it. But somewhere along the way, I realize that it is much more than that.

A bowl of good ramen, has superior stock that is carefully prepared by the chefs for hours. A bowl of good ramen, has springy noodles that bounce off the tip of your tongue. A bowl of good ramen, comes with slices of charshu that never seem to be enough, and a boiled egg that is runny in the middle. I think the perfect bowl of ramen is the one from Santouka Ramen at Central and I believe many also think that they have one of the best ramen in Singapore.

Even though I have not been to that many ramen places in Singapore, the Kara-Miso Ramen ($14.50) is a clear winner with its spicy yet addictive broth. The Shio ramen ($13.50) was good, but it paled in comparison to the spicy ramen.

I tried to coax the ramen to stay still, but it was far too mischievous and simply didn’t want to listen. The noodles bounced around the surface of my tongue, just like how a bunch of kids ran around in a playground. Slices of the ever-so-tender charshu had the “must-try-me-otherwise-you-will-regret-it” look. It was frighteningly tasty. How could something that’s so vulnerably thin, taste so good?

Will you queue for ramen?

Go Ramen Santouka during off-peak timings, if not be prepared to queue up for the bowl of ramen. Speaking of queues, I think I shall brave the long waiting lines to try Ippudo Ramen at Mandarin Gallery next!

Restaurant Review
Ramen Santouka
6 Eu Tong Sen Street #02-76
The Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6224 0668