Armed with culinary skills gleaned from his 2-decades-long experience preparing sushi and cooking Japanese food, Chef Kenji Nakagawa—a master in the art of Edomae sushi—astounds yet again with his stellar line-up of sensational donburi options available during lunch.

From now until 14 June 2018 (except 12 and 13 May 2018), our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ to enjoy Sushi Jiro’s donburi lunch sets (which comes with a serving of chawanmushi and miso soup) at the following prices: luxurious Wagyu Don at S$50++ (U.P. S$68++), Una Don at S$48++ (U.P. S$58++), Chirashi Don at S$48++ and new to their donburi line-up, Tendon at S$20++.

Additionally, there is also a 20% discount on all Japanese sake and wine across lunch and dinner—this applies every day of the week so you have no reason to not drink up.

As far as Japanese fine dining goes, Sushi Jiro still remains one of our top few picks for the very simple reason that top quality ingredients remain at the heart of their food and coupled with Chef Kenji’s culinary mastery, our taste buds are always taken on a sensational trip.

UNA DON

Unagi-focused restaurants are common in Japan, but become rare treasures once you leave the country’s shores. Thankfully, there are no shortages of places to get these flavourful bad boys in Singapore.

Sushi Jiro’s Una Don (S$48++, U.P. S$58++) does not disappoint and we particularly liked the way that Chef Kenji prepares his rendition of the traditional Edo-period dish. He coats it with just enough tare to give the unagi a glorious sheen as well as a sweet and savoury finish but not overdoing it such that it totally drowns out the taste of the freshwater eel.

The shredded egg crepe that forms the bed is a nice touch as well. Providing a nice eggy flavour, it—along with the Japanese pickles on the side—really takes the edge off savoury, slightly fishy eel.

WAGYU DON

If like us, you’re a sucker for premium quality beef or more specifically wagyu beef, then their Wagyu Don (S$50++, U.P. S$68++) is definitely something to go for.

Otherwise known as ‘gyudon’ at many Japanese establishments, this stellar beef rice bowl boasts a generous serving of thickly cut, buttery wagyu that brims with intense beefy flavour. The real showstopper here is undoubtedly the beef but more so, the rendered beef fat that just finds its way in and around the bowl, coating the individual rice grains as it goes along.

The onsen egg provides a secondary layer of richness which, when eaten together with the wagyu and rice, creates one heck of luxurious flavour explosion.

TENDON

New to their donburi lineup is the Tendon (S$20++). Featuring a variety of ingredients deep-fried to golden perfection, each individual component boasts a crispy exterior and a soft, tender interior.

The ebi (prawn), in particular, was a standout. Lightly battered, the ebi tempura was neither too overly doughy nor oily. The crunch was delightful and coupled with the naturally sweet prawn and the savoury-sweet sauce drizzled over top, made for a totally enjoyable experience.

CHIRASHI DON

As much as we tend to harp on the restaurant relying on fresh ingredients and treating them delicately so as to retain as much as of its natural flavour as possible, none perfectly epitomises this notion better than their Chirashi Don (S$48++).

Featuring a mixture of fresh, thickly cut fish including the likes of the oh-so-luxurious otoro (fatty tuna), uni (sea urchin) and more, you’ll undoubtedly be yearning for it for days. The variety of fish in this single bowl also gives diners the opportunity to sample different seasonal catches of varying tastes and textures—a huge bonus considering that a medley of premium fish like this would be much more expensive elsewhere.

WINE & SAKE PROMOTION

Now, the only thing left to do to complete your dining experience is to pair your Japanese food with Japanese sake and wine!

Sushi Jiro is currently running a 20% promotion off all sake and wine on their expansive drinks menu so there really is no reason why you should be skipping alcohol for your next meal there.

And if you have always wanted to try premium Japanese alcohol (man, the Japanese make really good alcohol beverages!), this is your chance because it is not every day that you get a 20% discount off something so premium, yes?

From now until 14 June 2018 (except 12 and 13 May 2018), our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ to enjoy Sushi Jiro’s donburi lunch sets (which comes with a serving of chawanmushi and miso soup) at the following prices: luxurious Wagyu Don at S$50++ (U.P. S$68++), Una Don at S$48++ (U.P. S$58++), Chirashi Don at S$48++ and new to their donburi line-up, Tendon at S$20++.

This promotion is not valid in conjunction with others promotions and discount.

Sushi Jiro Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
#04-600 Marina Mandarin Singapore
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6445 3055
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade
reservation email : sushi.jiro@sushijiro.sg

This post is brought to you by Sushi Jiro Singapore.

A brand new dining concept by WATAMI originating from Tsukiji, Japan, Niku Kappo offers diners authentic Japanese Kappo-style delights through its colorful menu filled with a diverse selection of food options.

As the word “Niku” suggests, Niku Kappo’s menu has a strong focus on meat. From Meat Sushi to Meat Hot Pot, Niku Kappo only seeks to present Japanese cuisine at reasonable prices.

The serving portion of the Niku Tendon (S$12.90) was considerably larger than most tendon which made for a value-for-money meal.

We loved that the ingredients for the Niku Tendon are different from the typical vegetable-dominant tendon.

It consists of a hearty rice bowl topped with many ingredients—including green capsicum, bacon, thinly sliced pork belly, two chicken fillets and an onsen egg—which are coated with a light and crispy tempura batter and drizzled with a generous portion of sweet yet flavourful sauce.

Another dish that we tried was the Gyu Don (S$11.90), stewed beef with soft boiled egg on steamed rice. Simple dishes are not easy to perfect but Niku Kappo delivered again with the soft and tender stewed beef served.

With a great spread of dishes, the other stand-out items include the Tokusen Niku Sushi Mori (S$36.90) and the Mt. Fuji Nabe (S$18.90).

Niku Kappo
2 Orchard Turn, #B3-23 ION Orchard,
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6509 9366
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

About the writer:
A member of the team at ladyironchef, Claire’s mission is to lead a life without regrets – to explore the world and its treasures boldly. When she isn’t pursuing her interests in writing, academia and music, Claire spends her free time with family and her pets. She also hopes to run her own animal shelter in the future.

We often gripe about the lack of affordable Japanese restaurants in Singapore. Sure, there are the usual household chains, but hole-in-the-wall concepts and humble neighbourhood joints are few.

It is not every day that we need to sit down for a lavish and aristocratic Japanese meal, because more often than not, what we seek is comfort food that will not have our wallets take a beating. A recent lunch at Kinsa Sushi fits this bill exactly, and we are so adding this to our list of all-time favourite inexpensive Japanese eats.

Nestled in the quaint HillV2, Kinsa Sushi is made for the heartlanders and all who love a simple Japanese meal. Prices are not at all intimidating to say the least, and the menu is well-covered with the usual Nippon favourites prepared with premium ingredients. Most dishes are priced under S$15, and the star dish – Wagyu don, served with Grade A4 Kagoshima Wagyu, is only S$24.80!

Here, we share the memorable dishes that we had at Kinsa Sushi, and all that are worth heading back for; every one a reason to love Kinsa Sushi, we’d say.

[ Giveaway ] We are giving away 3 X S$50 Kinsa Sushi dining vouchers. Leave a comment below, and share this post on your Facebook timeline to win. More details on the giveaway at the end of this post.

#1 KAGOSHIMA WAGYU DON

Now, this has got to be the first on the list because the Wagyu Don is unbelievably good! And the best part? It is only S$24.80! This is unheard of, because all the good wagyu-don in Singapore come with exorbitant price tags of at least S$50 and above, so this is a good 50% discount.

No, Kinsa Sushi does not scrimp on the quality. Prepared with Grade A4 Kagoshima Wagyu and prized for its premium marbling, your don will be nothing but divine. With a good 60g of wagyu slices, alongside a runny egg that is best eaten when beaten in and mixed with the rice, the Wagyu Don is a fantastically value-for-money one-dish meal and we already know we will head back just for this dish!

#2 KINSA ROLL – CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO MAKI ROLL WITH ABURI MENTAI

Hands up if you love aburi rolls like we do! Introducing the Kinsa Roll (S$14.80) – cucumber and avocado maki roll, wrapped with torched salmon and flying fish roe, and jazzed up with flamed mentai that adds some cheesiness and saltiness to the fresh roll. We love how the aburi is so well-controlled and that the salmon is left slightly raw and chewy. The warm mentaiko sauce just completes the roll and adds a punch to its overall blend of flavours. We’d love to think of the Kinsa Roll as a must-have Instagram-worthy item. Good to share, but sure, you can have it all to yourself too.

#3 GRILLED PRAWN MENTAI

A whole large prawn that is beautifully flame-grilled with mentai (marinated roe of pollock and cod), the Grilled Prawn Mentai (S$9.80) boasts a melty goodness that compliments the sweet prawn flesh so well. This is grilled to order, so expect a little waiting time. It will be worth your patience, surely. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised by the price tag. So, give us one serving per person, please! No need for sharing!

#4 CHIRASHI DON

We are on a never-ending quest to scout for good chirashi-don in Singapore. Well, another to add to our list is Kinsa’s verion at S$24.80 per bowl. You do not get the most colourful arrangement, but it is surely a hearty bowl with fresh sashimi slices.

If you have any preference, or there are specific fishes that you want or do not eat, just let the chef know and he will be happy to customize a bowl for you too.

#5 FOIE GRAS SOUP

Because drinking miso soup in a Japanese restaurant is too mainstream, we now indulge in foie gras soup. Unbelievable and too good to be true, but that is precisely how pampered your taste buds would be when you dine at Kinsa Sushi. A bowl of Kinsa’s Foie Gras Soup is only at S$6.80!

#6 OOTORO SASHIMI

A plate of good fatty tuna sashimi is always good for the soul. We love biting into a well-marbled one and feel the fats melt in our mouth. That comes with a hefty price tag, of course, and our hearts can’t take that shock too often. But lo and behold, Kinsa Sushi serves a portion of five slices at only S$35.80! There is no strings attached, and the ootoro is definitely fatty and fresh.

If you prefer salmon to tuna, Kinsa Sushi offers a portion of five slices of Salmon Belly at an unbeatable price of S$9.80.

#7 HOUBOU SASHIMI – FISH TANK/ SEASONAL PRICING

Kinsa Sushi flies in a limited batch of seafood and sashimi in a “fish tank” directly from Japan. You can get a whole fish – prepared in any style you like – (Prices range from $30 to $80 depending on seasonality, types/sizes of fish). Just go to the counter to pick the freshest catch; the chefs will advise on the best way to cook the fish.

You may choose up to 2 ways of preparing the fish. Usual methods would be to do a sashimi style and/or grilled. And no matter what method you opt for, no parts of the fish will be wasted. Even if you want the entire fish to be served ala sashimi style, the bones and other remnants can be used to brew a broth. Customers only pay for the fish selected at the tank; all culinary methods chosen are at no extra charge.

#8 GRILLED SQUID

Surume Ika, anyone? This reminded us of our times at Japan, when we would take a stroll along the streets on a wintery night, and street snack stalls would tempt us with their grilled squid on stick. A freshly grilled squid, lightly salted with a smokey flavour always warms our hearts in a very special way. This Grilled Squid (S$11.80) dish at Kinsa Sushi brings a taste of familiarity that we so covet.

#9 TEMPURA BENTO

Now, this is an extremely affordable lunch option if you need a fuss-free meal. For only S$11.80, lunch is a huge serving of tempura assortment with Japanese pearl rice, miso soup and a side salad. A nice, quiet lunch with comfort Japanese food is all we’d need to take a breather from work, yes?

KINSA SUSHI DINING VOUCHERS GIVEAWAY

1. Kinsa Sushi is giving away 3 X S$50 dining vouchers.
2. Leave a comment in this post to tell us which dish you would like to try at Kinsa Sushi, and why we should choose you.
3. ‘Like’ Kinsa Sushi on Facebook.
4. Share the link of this post on your Facebook timeline.
5. The contest starts from now till 23 April 2015, 2359 hrs.
6. Winners will be notified by email.

UPDATED ON 30 APR: The three winners are Angelize, Casy Ang, and Koh Hock Guan.

For the latest updates, go to kinsasushi.com, like Kinsa Sushi on Facebook, and Instagram.

Kinsa Sushi
4 Hillview Rise
HillV2 #02-02
Tel: +65 67107278
Mon to Thu: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri, Sat & Sun: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Bukit Batok

This post is brought to you by Kinsa Sushi.