Tanuki

From the same people behind Standing Sushi Bar at Queen Street and Marina Bay Link Mall, Tanuki is named after a Japanese racoon dog. Inspired by classic American bars, it is located on the 2nd floor of Orchard Central with outdoor seats that overlook bustling Orchard Road and an air-conditioned indoor dining area. A few red metal chairs and green retro lamps stood out against the industrial-looking concrete bar counter and floor. Wooden tables with metal legs were paired with assorted chairs in wood and metal. When my dining companion and I visited on a weekday evening, the understaffed place was packed with happy hours (5-8pm) crowd made up mostly of working professionals. Overheard the couple in front being asked if they would like to sit at the bar counter but was just told there were no available seats when our turn came. So said we did not mind counter seats and sat at a high counter by the glass frontage facing the inside of the shopping mall.

Here, the East-meet-West menu focuses on martinis and shrubs. The latter, a 19th century New York favourite, is made from vinegar boiled with fruit. According to its website, a gentleman's pour (45ml of alcohol instead of the usual 30ml) is used and complementing the drinks are tapas. There are many raw food including oysters going at $1 each during happy hours and customers can enjoy up to 12 freshly-shucked oysters with every purchase of alcoholic beverage. For a while, my order of apple martini was left standing at the bar counter after the bartender had prepared it before the drink was brought to me. This was followed by Tanuki Aburi – yuzu salmon, mentaiko scallop and spicy crab meat torched on scallop shells. It was a delicate balance of taste and texture, sweet and savoury which did not overwhelm. Next was Trio Carpaccio where thinly-sliced and no longer cold salmon, tuna and swordfish came with red wine vinaigrette, sashimi soy sauce and ponzu sauce.

I am not a fan of raw oysters so we only ordered half a dozen that were fresh, juicy and perfect with the lemon. Then, the steak tartar of raw minced Australian beef and egg was served. Gingerly took a mouth after mixing it as I have never tried raw meat (no, I have yet to try horsemeat sashimi) before. Found it too chewy for my liking though it went well with the mustard, bits of sake-poached Fuji apples and onion. Could not taste the sake in the apple sliced too thin to be crunchy, and loved the accompanying chips. Thought I had an overdose of raw food and decided on a Musubi – deep-fried luncheon meat on top of rice wrapped with a strip of seaweed, and served with wasabi and ginger slices. Familiar taste packaged as creative-styled sushi. Last but not least was the Moby Stick, two beer-battered deep-fried skewered Dory Fish with lotus chip in side salad, fries and dips of wasabi mayo and yuzu. Like the rest of what we had, there was nothing to rave about or fault.

Update: The restaurant has relocated to the 4th floor and opened another branch within Kapok Singapore's store at the National Design Centre.