Hardly do we ever hear the words ‘affordable’ and ‘beef’ in the same sentence—especially in Singapore, to chance upon pocket-friendly beef that doesn’t skimp on quality is uncommon.
Brought to you by the same folks behind sake gastrobar Kabuke, Tokidon is a relatively new concept that recently opened in Hong Leong Building. Priding themselves as the ‘Purveyor of Gourmet Wagyu Bowls’, their menu focuses on a selective but tantalizing range of beef bowls—all at a price that will not burn a hole in your wallet.
With prices starting from just S$11.90, Tokidon is where all beef-lovers should keep their eyes peeled for.
Hidden in the corner of the basement in Hong Leong Building, this 80′s Disco-inspired Japanese eatery is hard to miss—decked out in quirky multi-coloured neon lights, this 20-seater eatery in the heart of Raffles Place may just be the next hit amongst those working in the area.
We opted for a serving of Tokidon’s most basic bowl—the Gyudon (S$11.90 nett). Fluffy white Japanese rice is topped with furikake and a light garlic soy dressing, as well as slices of striploin and an onsen egg—the hallmark of a classic Japanese beef bowl.
Served medium rare, we found some inconsistency in the doneness of the striploin but nonetheless, each piece impressed us. While it wasn’t melt-in-your-mouth tender, the striploin was extremely well-seasoned and paired well with the fried garlic chips and oozy onsen egg which gave the dish an added dimension of flavours.
Considering its price, this was one pretty darn good bowl of gyudon we’d see ourselves returning for.
Should you find yourself hankering for something fancier that encompasses an added oomph of flavours, the Truffle Wagyu Don (S$23.90 nett) would go highly recommended.
As one of Tokidon’s signature items, what you can expect is a sizeable portion of wagyu striploin with a dash of their house-blend truffle soy sauce drizzled over it.
Served medium-rare with a pink centre in the middle, barely any effort is needed to chew into the tender and juicy wagyu striploin slices. Although we thought that the meat itself was already good on its own, the truffle soy sauce—though extremely light on the palates—only served to bring out the best flavours of the beef bowl.
Other options include Truffle Tenderloin Don (S$15.90), Wagyu Sukiyaki Don (S$17.90) and Wagyu Misozuke Don (S$23.90).
16 Raffles Quay
Hong Leong Building #B1-33
Singapore 048581
Tel: +65 9151 9572
Daily: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place