SG Japanese Eats

Was over at Daiyusan Sushi Bar for dinner earlier this week with my dining companion. Like my first visit, the overall food experience still feels pleasant and enjoyable. This time round, we tasted a different selection of food. The night’s menu consisted of:

~Deluxe Chirashi Don: Definitely the highlight of our meal. This indulgent bowl came with a fresh offering of assorted fish cubes, uni, and ikura, atop a bed of rice that was seasoned really well!

~The Kushiyaki Moriawase (Chicken Wing, Asparagus with Bacon, Cherry Tomato with Bacon, Chicken Thigh , Shitake Mushroom): Each skewer was nicely grilled, and my personal favourites were the Cherry Tomato with Bacon which nicely pairs sweet tomato with the savoury meat, and the lightly salted and juicy Chicken Thigh.

~Buta Kakuni Don: The braised pork belly slices were tender and packed with flavour! This was also served with a soft boiled egg which added a creamy mouthfeel.

~Chawanmushi of the Day (Uni Chawanmushi and Unagi Chawanmushi): Both versions of chawanmushi were good, but we both preferred the unagi one!

Butahage, the Hokkaido restaurant famed for its award-winning butadon (pork bowl), opened its flagship outlet at Suntec City earlier this month.

The star dish here is their signature Obihiro Meibutsu Japanese Pork Loin Don. The grilled pork slices were already thick and juicy, but it was the savoury 80 year old dipping sauce that elevated the whole dish. I’m salivating thinking about it now! There is also another option that comes with Canadian pork loin, but I would recommend going with the Japanese pork.

On top of the classic butadon, a selection of other Japanese dishes made with Hokkaido ingredients are also available. There’s Tendon, the Singapore exclusive Salmon Mentai Avocado Don, plus sides and dessert that are worth considering.

We were over at Honcho recently, a multi-concept venue that features an omakase restaurant, rooftop bar, and basement bar.

At their omakase restaurant, we got a sneak preview of their upcoming $68++/pax 6-course omakase dinner set that will be available only on Wednesdays. With highlights like fresh thick-cut sashimi and interesting nigiri sushi (with toppings like garlic butter & scallion sauce!) to a fork-tender braised short rib, it was an enjoyable set overall! For a big eater, I was substantially full by the end of the course, so I think the price point is pretty worth it too! Do note that some of the dishes you see here might be different from what you get as they plan to rotate the dishes seasonally.

The sashimi slices were fresh and decently thick, but it was the ingredients beneath that elevated this bowl! The rice had nice bites of crispy tiny shrimps and crunchy puffed rice with mild truffle undertones; something different from the regular flavoured rice you find at other places.

Each piece was really tasty, with some of the fish having been dry-aged, which gave it a richer flavour and more delicate texture! Do note that you might not be getting the same seven pieces you see here as they usually serve it ‘omakase’ style, so it’s dependent on the chef’s ‘mood’ that day.

The beef was tender, and glazed in a well-balanced, glossy sauce that was really flavourful! The fried garlic chips added a savoury crunch too!

We were impressed with our recent yakiniku dining experience at En Yakiniku.

They use binchotan charcoal here for the grilling and it really does make a difference in terms of taste (slightly smokier)! We tried some of their premium quality beef cuts (sourced from Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu, Japan) like A4 wagyu ribeye & A4 wagyu striploin (both of these were so good!), beef tongue, oyster blade, US beef chuck and US prime short rib (loved this too!), as well as tasty pork cuts like Iberico pork collar and chestnut duroc belly, along with tiger prawns, tsukune chicken ball, and some of their cooked food items. The food here ain’t the cheapest, but you are definitely getting your money’s worth with the quality! This place acts as a sake bar too, with an open bar concept so do order some alcohol to pair with your grilled food!

The service standard here is awesome; you can request for help to grill the meats for you and even to de-shell prawns! The ambiance here is really cool & convivial as well, and both of these factors certainly elevated the overall dining experience even more!

We had dinner at Guriru, a Japanese Hamayaki inspired concept by Chef Teppei Yamashita and Anagram Food Lab last week. We tried a number of food items like charcoal-grilled seafood & meats, pizzas and more!

~Black Tiger Prawn
~Hyogo Oysters (both grilled & raw)
~Guriru Oyster Rice
~Kurobuta Pork Belly
~Meltique Beef
~Whole Squid
~Smoked Duck Pizza
~Fugu Mirin Boshi & Burnt Round Cabbage
~Chocolate & Black Sesame Mochi (will be in menu soon)

We were pretty impressed with the food, with more hits than misses overall. Some of the hits include Black Tiger Prawn (nicely grilled, with the garlic butter adding a good flavour to the prawns!), Raw Oysters (so fresh and succulent, with the ponzu sauce pairing so well with the oysters!), Kurobuta Pork Belly (this was so good, with a lovely melt-in-mouth texture!), Fugu Mirin Boshi (very addictive!) & Smoked Duck Pizza (love the texture of the crust!)! They have some off-menu items here too, like Grilled Yellowtail Fish (which we tried but not pictured) and more, that can be ordered but subject to availability on that day. We also had a preview of their new upcoming mochi dessert, and we liked how smooth and soft the texture was!

Although the location here is a little out of the way, I would recommend a visit here (especially if you drive) for their food, chill poolside dining vibes and great service (shoutout to Cris for her awesome hospitality!).

Had a wonderful meal over at JinHonten, a brand new concept by the Les Amis Group recently, where I enjoyed their 10-course omakase dinner ($450++; 8-course lunch is $180++) skilfully prepared by Head Chef Issey Araki.

Each course from start to finish was so exquisite! Every dish was so fresh and delicious, and prepared using ingredients airflown mainly from Japan! My favourites were the Steamed Kuro Awabi (tender black abalone, paired with a richly addictive abalone liver sauce!), Nodoguro “Benihitomi” Hand Roll (crispy roasted nori sheets filled with meaty fillets of blackthroat seaperch - yummy!), Charcoal Grilled Hida Beef (perfectly cooked to a nice texture - this is so, so good!), and Kegani Donabe Rice (each grain of rice has been infused with umami flavours of the Hokkaido hairy crab, making the whole dish so flavourful)!

The delectable food, beautifully designed dining interior, great service, plus Chef’s ‘showmanship’ made this a truly memorable dining experience!

[1. Appetiser] - Murasaki Uni | Botan Ebi
[2. Steam] - Kuro Awabi
[3. Hand Roll] - Nodoguro “Benihitomi”
[4. Sashimi] - Menuke
[5. Shabu Shabu] - Kinki
[6. Deep Fried] - Shiro Ebi
[7. Refreshment] - Nasu
[8. Charcoal Grilled] - Hida Beef
[9. Donabe Rice] - Kegani
[10. Dessert] - Musk Melon (not pictured)

There seems to be a rising trend in yakiniku style bbq joints opening up in humble coffeeshop settings these days, and Ryo Yakiniku is one of them! Plus, they are Muslim owned, so I was quite intrigued to check them out!

This was one of the better yakiniku style bbq I’ve had recently; we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of their meats! Everything was so well-marinated and flavourful! If it’s your first time here, I’d recommend getting their Deluxe Set ($40 - feeds 2 pax), which has beef cuts like Karubi and Gyutan, and also chicken and a mushroom platter too - all of which go really well with their house-made sauces! If you are feeling indulgent, you can also get more premium cuts like the A5 Wagyu ($16) and Striploin ($12). The A5 Wagyu, especially is so juicy! Pro tip: The A5 Wagyu just needs a sprinkling of salt to bring out the full flavour of the beef - no sauce needed at all!

✨ Overall Rating: 3.8/5
🏷 Ryo Yakiniku
📍 61 Tai Seng Ave, Singapore 534167
⏰ Mon to Sat: 5pm - 10.30pm

Maruhachi, known for serving up affordably priced restaurant-quality tonkatsu, has recently launched their limited edition (till 30 June 2022) Cheese Menchi Katsu in celebration of their 8th and newest outlet opening in Bedok. Here’s what we tried at their Edgefield Plains outlet:

~Cheese Menchi Katsu Curry ($10.80)
~Blackpig Katsu Set ($15.80, served with Japanese rice & miso soup)
~Special Pork Katsu Don ($12.80)

As it was my first time trying their tonkatsu, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, despite its humble setting. It’s comparable to those I’ve had at some Japanese restaurants before. The Blackpig Katsu was my favourite - it was crispy and pretty succulent overall! I enjoyed the Cheese Menchi Katsu Curry too, but would have enjoyed it even more if it had more cheese. They are also available on GrabFood, foodpanda and Deliveroo (selected outlets).

Recently had dinner with my family at Mr Yakiniku, a newly opened yakiniku joint located in a coffeeshop beside ComfortDelGro Driving Centre at Ubi.

They serve a good variety of fresh, affordable and good quality bbq ingredients like meats (beef, chicken & pork), seafood and even plant-based meats! My favourites are the Wagyu Steak, Karubi Prime (boneless shortribs), Harami (skirt steak), Saikyo Miso Tai (snapper) and Hotate (scallop w/ shell). All of these went really well with their signature Mr Yakiniku sauce, which has pineapple puree, making it sweet and tangy!

They also serve charcoal grilled donburis for lunch from 11.30am-2.30pm, where you can choose your choice of meat (includes corn, mushroom & onsen egg) along with Japanese rice, dry ramen or salad. Featured on my last pic is Beef Cube w/ Japanese Rice.

The ambience here, although in a coffeeshop, is pretty cosy, well-lit and even comes with huge fans to keep you cool in SG’s heat. Good for gathering of friends or families!

✨ Overall Rating: 3.7/5
🏷 Mr Yakiniku
📍 179 Ubi Ave 4, Singapore 408793
⏰ Mon to Sat: 11am - 10.30pm