One of the dining establishments that we had made a mental note on but had been sitting on the plan of giving the spot a try would be that of Itadakimatsu — these folks are located at Old Airport Road Food Centre occupying a stall space that is along the same row of stalls as where would find other notable establishments such as Minced Pork Bros. Itadakimatsu should be quite an easy stall to spot considering the use of Japanese-style paper lanterns for its decor hanging from the sides of the stall; it also sports a signboard with a clean design comprising of a logo and its name in a fairly unique typeface as well. As one might have noticed from the stall’s namesake, Itadakimatsu serves up Japanese fare; the stall does carry the tagline mentioning “Restaurant Standard Hawker Price” — its menu comprises of mainly Donburi items but also does feature items like Gindara Shio Grilled Cod Fish, Truffle Oil Angel Hair with Scallops & Ikura. Apart from such items, they also do offer some side dishes such as that of the Grilled Japan Oyster with Mentaiko and Ikura Chawanmushi as well — just to name a few.

The A5 Wagyu Hamburg Don (200 grams) is one of the items that is mentioned as a Chef Special — it does seem that the item is only added to the menu some time after Itadakimatsu has opened its doors; rather than being an item listed in the signage on the facade of the stall, the item is mentioned on a wooden board hung from the top of the stall in front of the counter. Itadakimatsu does not describe the elements that come with the various dishes that they have to offer; with that being said, it can be observed that the A5 Wagyu Hamburg Don (200 grams) does also feature a Demi-glace as well as Ikura — it also comes with a mix greens that consists of shredded cabbage, slices of cucumber and cherry tomato all seated atop a bed of short-grain rice. One thing to note is that all the elements in the bowl are made upon order; the A5 Wagyu Hamburg itself being hand-formed from scratch after we placed our order — the A5 Wagyu Hamburg also coming with melted cheese within the Hamburg patty itself. Done to a medium-rare consistency, the Hamburg patty had a good ratio of fatty parts to lean meat — the meat being tender inside and without any veiny or fatty parts that would have made it difficult to chew through; carried a firm bite with a bit of a smokiness and crustiness from the being grilled on the pan, while the melted cheese does add another dimension of savouriness. The Demi-glace sauce was chef’s kiss; it carries that sweet savoury note that gives both the patty and the rice sufficient flavour — a very rich, thick and indulgent sauce that we can’t get enough of. Topped above the A5 Wagyu Hamburg would be the Ikura which adds a popping sensation and an umami note to the entire bowl — the Ikura being sprayed with edible gold dust just for that extra touch of exquisite vibes for the A5 Wagyu Hamburg Don. Whilst pricey as an eat from a hawker centre, we did feel that the quality and execution of the A5 Wagyu Hamburg Don is leaps and bounds beyond what we have tasted from some Japanese restaurants out there — definitely something worth going for if looking for something to treat oneself to celebrate the small wins in life!