[CLOSED] Kaisen Tei (313@Somerset)

After months of talking about this place, we finally visited it for brunch!!!! We ordered the aburi salmon and a DIY chirashi bowl. We were tentative at first because there was barely anyone at the restaurant, but we decided to give the place the benefit of the doubt because after all, it was opened by the Ministry of Food. We did not regret it :-) the aburi salmon bowl was torched to perfection with a substantial amount of mentaiko covering it. It was enough to balance out the salmon and rice yet it was not overwhelming (after all, I personally think that mentaiko can become a bit "gelak" after a while. Anyhow, the dish was well-balanced, with the sweetness from the rice, the wholeness from the salmon and the "wokhei" from the torched mentaiko. The DIY chirashi was good too, although I did wish that the pieces of sashimi on top was smaller. However, the sashimi (salmon and tuna to be exact) were fresh and paired well with the seaweed and rice. The condiments (there were 4 complimentary sides for a medium DIY chirashi bowl) were not the best, it felt a little out of place rather than compliment the bowl. However, overall, both dishes were good and definitely worth the affordable price paid. Do not be afraid of empty places for looks can be deceiving!!! I'm glad I stepped in to try the food offered by Kaisen Tei.

We wanted pork Katsu Curry but they were sold out on their pork 😭 Here we have the creamy crab cream Croquette that's a little too creamy for my liking 》$14.90

Here I have the signature Kaisendon that comes with 3 types of fishes - Salmon, Maguro (Tuna), Mekajiki (Swordfish), Mini Hotate (Scallop), Ikura (Salmon Roe), Tamagoyaki (Egg Roll), Cucumber, Scallion, Pickles, Sesame Seeds and finally their special Kaisen Sauce in a single bowl. All the fishes were freshly sliced in the kitchen (not pre-sliced). The seafood was really fresh, and overall tasted not bad and it was worth the price 》$13.90

Kaisen Tei is currently having a Opening Special - 50% Off Second Bowl (not sure when it's ending) that is valid only on weekdays. I had this on a Friday evening and gotten it at $6.95! 😍😍😍

There's also DIY option where you can personalise a bowl from $11.90 onwards.

STEP 1 - CHOOSE A SIZE
Small @ $11.90 with 2 choices of fish included
Regular @ $13.90 with 3 choices of fish included

STEP 2 - CHOOSE A BASE
Sushi Rice or Salad

STEP 3 - ABURI (TORCHED)?

STEP 4 - CHOOSE A SAUCE
Kaisen / Wafu / Wasabi Yuzu / Yakiniku

STEP 5 - CHOOSE A FISH
Small - 2 Choices / Regular - 3 Choices
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Samlon / Maguro (Tuna) / Mekajiki (Sword Fish) / Tako (Octopus) / Ishigaki Gai (Calm) / Mini Hotate (Scallop)

STEP 6 - TOP-UPS OR SIDES
Corn / Tempura Bits / Tamagoyaki (Egg Roll) / Mentaiko (Fish Roe) / Miso Soup
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Premium Toppings at $3.80 Each
Kurage (Jellyfish) / Mini Hotate (Scallop) / Negitoro (Minced Tuna) / Avocado / Ikura (Salmon Roe) / Unagi (Eel) / Tobiko (Fish Roe)

Discovered this new DIY donburi eatery while window shopping in 313. I would say all this for 13.90 is pretty bang for your buck (and now they're having a 2nd bowl at 50% promotion!!!) . I liked that they did not drown their sashimi /rice with too much marinade, so I could still taste the freshness of the fish. They are quite generous with the pickled radish (which cuts through the richness of the fatty fish) so if you're not a fan then maybe ask them to replace it with more... tamago ? Hahaha no harm trying ! Go try this soon before the promotion swims away~

A distinctive difference I noted was that the pork was tender yet still had a firm bite, and relatively crisp even though it was taken straight off from the display counter.
I would have wished the meats were freshly fried, but there were some space constraints. Not quite sure about the plastic plates too.

Kaisen Tei has opened at both 313@somerset and GSH Plaza Raffles Place.

http://danielfooddiary.com/2017/03/15/kaisentei/
#DFDSingapore

I however, went for the alternate route and decided to order there preset best seller - An assortment of seafood and condiment on a bed of sushi rice, their Signature Kaisen Don. 🍣
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Salmon, Maguro Akami (Tuna), Mekajiki (Swordfish), Mini Hotate (Scallop), Tamagoyaki (Egg Roll), Ikura (Salmon Roe), Cucumber, Scallion, Pickles, Sesame Seeds and finally their special Kaisen Sauce. 🍱
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Overall it felt that the quality was subpar in terms of the seafood and presentation. A simple yet meticulous dish such as this fails to impress with fresh ingredients, and cold mushy rice. Just the thought of using cooked rubbery scallops as well as using a plastic bowl definitely speaks for itself. 👎🏻