Osaka Time is one of those spots that was a surprise find to us — was actually headed down to another spot within the same neighbourhood for lunch on a weekend but found the place that were initially intending to dine at being closed. Osaka Time (which had opened its doors recently in April 2023) is located within the relatively new FoodMore Food Court at the second level of Blk 118 Aljunied Crescent above the Sheng Siong Supermarket there — the hidden nature of the food court also meant that there is a relatively low footfall, which caused a few tenants such as 5-Star Dim Sum to have shifted out after a short period of time. Other tenants that still have a stall operating within the food court at the time of writing includes L32 Handmade Noodles and Sun Bistro. It is not difficult to locate Osaka Time in the said food court; the stall actually shares a space with the neighbouring wanton mee stall named 17 House of Noodle, which is located at the left of the entrance of the food court with the display chiller for its yet-to-be-prepared sashimi being in full view to the patrons. Bring an establishment that focuses on its raw food offerings, Osaka Time interestingly serves up a menu of sushi and sashimi dishes here — quite a peculiar offering in a food court setting; patrons can also go for their other items such as their Chirashi Don as well as Maki (i.e. sushi rolls). For those looking for cooked food options, Osaka Time also does serve up items like the Unagi Don and Chasu Don (yes, it is spelt that way in the menu) as well to cater to those whom have such preferences.

It is not being described in the menu about what is featured in their Signature 17 Maki. However, we did observe that the Signature 17 Maki does come rolled with Unagi and avocado within the roll; the sushi rice being topped with salmon sashimi and a mayonnaise-based sauce that is being flame-torched before being served. The Signature 17 Maki also comes with pickled sushi ginger (i.e. Gari) as well as a generous knob of wasabi on the side — the Signature 17 Maki is also sliced into eight (8) pieces, and is an item that is also good to share across the table. Going straight for one of the pieces of the Signature 17 Maki, we thought that the sushi rice was packed pretty well — the rice being sticky enough to hold everything up even when it is being picked up by the chopstick; there is also a really light hint of sweetness from the vinegar grains, though this was rather faint and might not be quite detectable to some. To be fair, we weren’t quite expecting the elements featured in the Signature 17 Maki to be Unagi and avocado; both of which being ingredients which we felt to be slightly more premium and not necessarily elements which we would find from a stall that is situated in a food court. That being said, this was a good combination; the soft Unagi here does feel particularly boney and scale-y, yet provides a savoury note to the maki whilst the avocado compliments the maki perfectly with its inherently smooth, buttery texture. The torched salmon was done just about right; melt-in-the-mouth and carried a distinct hint of flavours, yet went well with that umami sauce that drenched atop the maki — the sauce was almost akin to a Mentaiko mayonnaise that has been blowtorched for that slight smokiness that also creates a charred appearance that increases the aesthetic appeal as well. Quite a remarkable maki that is pretty well-executed; something that we were not quite expecting to find in a food court for sure.

Considering how we made the visit to Osaka Time by ourselves and without having planned for it, we weren’t able to give a good variety of their dishes a go — we would loved to have given their Chirashi Don offerings a try, but that would have meant that we would have to forgo the Signature 17 Maki that we found ourselves really enjoying during our visit there. That being said, Osaka Time does deserve quite a mention for how they are serving up items that one would typically find at a Japanese restaurant in a food court-style setting; we are usually very apprehensive about visiting such establishments due to concerns of the food quality, though we felt that Osaka Time did quite well in managing all that we are concerned with after trying the various items we have had. Apart from the Signature 17 Maki, we had also given their Salmon Aburi Mentai sushi a go; the Salmon Aburi Mentai sushi seems to have featured salmon belly sashimi that was incredibly fatty and melt-in-the-mouth — pretty shiok, we would say. Prices at Osaka Time can be said to be rather affordable — priced wisely to accommodate to the masses given that they are a stall that is being set-up within a food court, the prices of the Donburi items ranges from $8.90 to $13.90; the Bara Chirashi Don sits at a price tag of $9.90, making it just below $10 and is probably one of the most affordable Bara Chirashi Don available out there. For those looking at their Sushi items, these would be priced at $2.90 to $5.90 for a pair per portion; the most priciest item would be the Hotate Sushi. Maki offerings in the meanwhile starts at $5.90 for the Salmon Tempura Maki, to $14.70 for the Signature 17 Maki that we have had. All in all, we did find Osaka Time’s Signature 17 Maki having solved on cravings for a food maki that is akin to the style of the Shiok Maki from Koh Grill & Sushi Bar at Wisma Atria; perhaps surpassing that even. A hidden spot that Aljunied residents would likely come to appreciate having in the neighbourhood — we would most likely find ourselves returning to Osaka Time to give their Chirashi Don offerings a go!