Hokkaido-Ya

Located on the 2nd floor of VivoCity, Hokkaido-Ya is a new conept by Sushi Tei Pte Ltd. Decide what you want using a hardcopy of the menu, so as not to hog the self-ordering kiosk – there are two, at the entrance. The place is more for tech-savvy and literate customers, as you can only order through the kiosk and there is no staff to assist you in the process. Upon placing your order, grab a buzzer and place it a distance away from the camera to take a photo of its QR code. Pay by NETS or credit card at the kiosk, or cash at the counter. Since it opened on 12 June, I have tried its aburi salmon don and truffle bara chirashi don. Preferred the latter as the cubes of sweet tamago and fresh sashimi (salmon, scallop, tuna and prawn) went well with the truffle-oil-coated shiny pearls of rice. Together with crunchy cucumber, roes and tempura batter crisps for a balanced texture. Niigata rice and chilled, not frozen, salmon from Norway are used here.

Coriander Leaf

There were noticeably fewer participating restaurants in Singapore Restaurant Week from 24 to 31 Mar. Decided on Coriander Leaf, a Pan-Asian restaurant on the 2nd floor of Chijmes. Could neither rave about its first course of pomelo and green mango in chilli-lime dressing topped with coriander leaf, nor fault the dessert of Alphonso mango sorbet with fresh fruit salsa and meringue. Thai mango salad was followed by second course of tiger prawn tempura, and sweet potato noodles with honsimeji mushrooms and edamame. Do not expect the tempura to be thin and crispy like how it was done in a good Japanese restaurant, or the sweet potato noodles to be springy and chewy like how the Koreans do it. But the sweet prawn and flavourful japchae made up for what this dish lacked, and I liked both the mushroom and edamame. Main course of tender Tandoori chicken, served with cucumber relish and mint chutney, was well-marinated and went well with the butter naan.

Magosaburo

Located on the first floor of Tiong Bahru Plaza where Three Little Pigs used to be, Magosaburo is a Japanese Western Café not to be confused with the Japanese BBQ-turned-wagyu-dining restaurant of the same name (sometimes spelt as Magosaburou) on the 5th floor of Ion Orchard. Visited on a weekday for lunch and tried a few dishes. Scoop your spoon through its Salted Konbu and Truffle Chawanmushi to get a mix of ingredients in every mouth so none would be too salty. You have been warned. Sakura Ebi Angel Hair Pasta was a tad spicy but good. Break apart the runny egg yolk and mix it with the al dente angel hair pasta – also known as capellini reminiscent of our local mee kia, if you prefer to eat your food with a little sauce or dressing. And could neither rave about nor fault the Sunny Breakfast.

Tokyo Sundubu

While Sundubu is a Korean tofu stew cooked with vegetables and meat or seafood, I first ate it at a Japanese restaurant that has since closed. The dish supposedly gained popularity after a Korean opened a sundubu restaurant in Los Angeles. There are two branches of Tokyo Sundubu, Japan's largest sundubu restaurant chain, in Singapore – Raffles City Shopping Centre and Suntec City's Eat @ Seven. Though my dining companions and I visited the former on weekdays (once for lunch and once for dinner), waited very long for our orders to arrive if our food was even served. We had Mushroom Sundubu, Kuro-Buta Sundubu, Kuro-Buta Mushroom Sundubu, Seafood Sundubu and Cheese Sundubu. Among us, we also tried different combinations of all its soup bases and levels of spiciness. I liked the salt and ginger soup base at level 1 as its taste was not overwhelmed by the miso and/or spice. Found the portion too small though, and its price a tad high.

Fat Cow

Chose to dine at Fat Cow, located on the 1st floor of Camden Medical Centre, during the recently-ended Singapore Restaurant Week (from 28 Oct to 4 Nov) as I have heard and read many positive reviews about this Japanese restaurant that specialises in Wagyu. Visited on a weekday for lunch and started with an appetiser. Could neither rave about the salad and miso soup nor fault the flavourful and silky smooth chawanmushi. There were two main courses – Fat Cow Donburi and Fat Foa-Gura Don. The former comprises slices of tender charcoal grilled wagyu beef, recommended to be done medium rare, which went well with the perfectly-cooked onsen egg and shredded leeks over rice. Loved the glazed melt-in-the-mouth foie gras in the latter and am not complaining about the not-too-tough wagyu cubes over rice. While both were delicious, they lacked the wow factor. Its dessert of honeycomb ice-cream also failed to impress.

Tsuta

It has been almost a year since the world's only Michelin-starred ramen restaurant, opened by chef-owner Yuki Onishi in 2012, arrived in Singapore. There is always a queue whenever I pass by Tsuta at Pacific Plaza and the only time when I do not see anyone waiting, it is closed. So imagine my delight to spy empty seats in the Japanese restaurant, located on the 1st floor, when I walked past on a weekday. Waited for my turn (there were a few people in front of me) and ordered a Ajitama Shio Soba, adding a Yuzu Wonton, from a big touchscreen. Chose original Japanese taste over less salt for the seafood and chicken broth mixed with Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt, and served with green olives pureed in truffle oil. The long straight thin noodles were cooked just right in a delicately flavourful broth that was a tad oily, with a subtle aroma and taste of truffle that did not overwhelm. Char Siu was tender and nicely seasoned while flavoured egg had runny yolk the way I liked it. I loved the wonton skin and yuzu so the filling of minced meat was not cloying.

Gan Yakitori

My dining companion and I were at The Star Vista on a weekday and it was time for dinner. Having tried Bornga and Wrap & Roll, we settled on Gan Yakitori – an izakaya that uses bincho charcoal that supposedly produces a full flavour in the grilled food without destroying its proteins. Located on the 2nd floor, it is one of the many Japanese restaurants in this shopping mall that has seen many shops come and go since it opened a few years ago. Could neither rave about the grilled scallop and cold soba nor fault its fishcakes from the oden menu. All the yakitori items we ordered were well-seasoned and grilled nicely such as the hard-to-go-wrong tomato or asparagus bacon maki and mid-joint wing, which was crisp on the outside and moist inside. For some of the items like chicken with leek and quail egg, you can choose whether to have them with sauce or salt. Oh, and its extensive offerings extends beyond food to include a wide variety of alcoholic drinks too. Kanpai! Itadakimasu. 

Sugisawa

There are many Japanese restaurants at Robertson Quay, so much so that we were spoilt for choice and took a while to decide which to visit. The decision was made harder with no crowd in any of them and hardly any food (that other patrons were eating) for us to see if it looks good. It was too early for dinner and some places were just opening. In the end, we settled for Sugisawa as there was something for everyone. Could neither rave about nor fault the trio of appetiser, potato salad and smooth Chawanmushi. While the ebi tempura was not too oily, could not say the same of its deep-fried lady's fingers and pork that was also a tad tough. The yakitori was too sweet for my liking and its rice utterly disappointing – not only was it not Japanese rice, it was one of the worst I have ever eaten.

Tamashii Robataya

Have wanted to try Tamashii Robataya, located on the 2nd floor of a row of shophouses along North Canal Road, for a while and finally made a reservation for lunch on a weekday. It was my dining companion's first time trying robatayaki or Japanese grill served on Samoji, a long wooden oar that Japanese fishermen used to serve their catch centuries ago. Seated at the counter where fresh ingredients separated us from the chefs, we could watch our orders being prepared. Lunch sets come with rice, refreshing salad and pickles, succulent salmon sashimi, mix mushroom in butter sauce that I could not fault and homely Ton Jiro – Japanese soup made with pork and vegetables, and flavoured with miso. There was nothing to rave about its Tsukune Steak (grilled minced chicken with onsen egg) and Sake Teriyaki or grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce. The highlight of our meal was the Maccha and Goma ice-cream, that is, green tea and black sesame flavours.

Kanshoku Ramen Bar

I thought there was an aroma of truffles in the air. Sniffing around to trace its source, it seemed to come from Kanshoku Ramen Bar. Located at B3 of Ion Orchard between Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House and Wrap & Roll, this is a local brand and its 3rd branch after The Metropolis and Orchard Gateway. We found a table for four and sat ourselves down. An order chit (but no writing instrument) was brought to us. My dining companions ordered Signature Kanshoku Ramen while I had the dry version of Truffle Ramen. Also shared Black Truffle Edamame – simply edamame drizzled with truffle oil, and Pork Gyoza. The latter was the best dish of our meal as the Hakata-style ramen was a tad hard and mine was too dry despite the onsen egg. Could neither rave about the Ramen Egg that we added nor fault the torched caramelised Chashu that one of us found sweet.

Imakatsu

One of us was tasked with the "job" of finding a good place for lunch and the place of choice was Imakatsu. The Japanese restaurant, which specialises in tonkatsu, has been around for 80 years in Japan with its flagship at Roppongi and presence also at Ginza. It was a weekday when my dining companions and I visited the branch at Boat Quay, its 2nd in Singapore after The Star Vista. While none of us have tried the place before, we were looking forward to a meal there due to the rave reviews online. However, reservations were not allowed so we decided to try our luck. As there were no available seats indoor, we settled for a table outside. No air-conditioner, just the fan and thankful for no haze.

Ordered Bite Size Pork Fillet and Chicken Fillet Cutlet Set from the lunch menu – comes with miso soup and pickled vegetables, unlimited rice and fresh cabbage. The katsu items had tender and juicy insides with a thin, crisp and evenly-coated layer of batter that was not too oily. Loved the sweet potato and preferred the pork to chicken fillet. Raw crunchy cabbage was perfect with sesame dressing especially when interspersed with deep-fried food. I could not complain about the soft-boiled egg I added, just like the lovely rice and pickled vegetables. Non-deep-fried food items on the menu include Oyako Don, Pork Don with Oroshi/Ginger Sauce and Cold or Hot Udon.

Akanoya Robatayaki

The door is always closed, whether or not the place is opened for business. On the left of the entrance, you can see its opening hours. My dining companions and I made a reservation for dinner on a Saturday. Sliding the doors apart, we stepped in and saw three U-shaped counters where diners sit around. Behind each are two chefs and separating them from us are raw ingredients – some in their packaging while meats were skewered on sticks and seafood covered with ice for freshness. Like a marketplace as the staff who served us, shouted our orders with the respective quantities in Japanese and the rest (if they were not busy) acknowledged as loudly together. Food was slow-grilled and passed to diners via a wooden oar, just like how Japanese fishermen used to grill their catch over an open fire using an oar.

Ryu’s Dining & Bar

Walked by Ryu's Dining & Bar many times, almost always after meals but never when I was looking for food. Reminded myself to try this Japanese restaurant, located on the 1st floor of Capitol Piazza beside Taiwanese Dazzling Café and Italian Equilibrium, and finally remembered last weekend. Made reservations for dinner, not that it was necessary but we did not want to make a wasted trip down. Started with a complimentary cold soup, followed by three types of sashimi from Tsukiji Market – thick slices of chutoro, long tail fish and sakuramasu (grilled) were fresh and succulent. While a dining companion was disappointed that the swordfish sashimi was not available, I loved how the charred taste accentuated the sakuramasu or cherry salmon. Tsunami Tree, an assortment of Japanese bites, was lovingly presented on a two-tiered display. On the upper wooden tray were seaweed with minced ginger in a lacquered cup, bacon potato salad in a square container and mackerel with onions.

Hashida Garo

Tokyo's Hashida is headed by Master Sushi Chef, Tokio Hashida while its 1st restaurant outside Japan is helmed by his son, Chef Kenjiro Hashida. Better known as Hatch (pronounced as Haa-chi), he has since opened a 2nd establishment in Singapore to reach a wider audience with his culinary creations and share his personal passion for the visual arts. Both are located at Mandarin Gallery – Hashida Sushi on the 2nd floor and Hashida Garo on the 4th. Though the latter is a place where desserts meet art, main course is also offered as part of its set menu served with Wagashi of the day and hand-picked Japanese tea of the day. These are, however, only available during lunch and dinner times and the first-flush-tea harvested once a year is not refillable. Garo means gallery in Japanese and this "unique multi-faceted space aims to hold a visual and gastronomic feast for the senses through a creative amalgamation of food with art". As my dining companions and I were there for dinner on a weekend a few months back, the menu may have changed since.

Ootoya

Passed by Ootoya, established in Japan since 1958, at both Clementi Mall and Orchard Central (it also has presence at Changi City Point) many times. The former looks empty from the outside while there is almost always a queue outside the latter. Was looking for a place to have an early dinner on a recent weekend when I finally decided to try the Japanese place, at its Orchard branch. As I would be having chawanmushi that was part of my dining companion's set order – also comes with rice, miso soup and pickles, I decided to have its Mushi Nabe as an alacarte item. It was described as steamed vegetables and Yongenton silky pork in hot pot. Served in a claypot with bonito flakes on the side, the thinly-sliced pork was tender with just the right amount of fats. Steamed vegetables comprised of lettuce, mushroom, onion and tomatoes that I could not fault. I enjoyed the pleasant dish despite the a-tad-bland soup, but not the meal due to its slow service that explained the perpetual queues.

Mitsuba

I was back at the same restaurant for lunch within a week, also on a weekday but with another group of dining companions. It was definitely not because I was so impressed with its a-la-carte buffet during my 1st visit that I dropped by again to try other items on the menu. In fact, most of the food we ordered for the buffet was mediocre with a few not-too-bad dishes and only one that stood out. The Teba Karaage from the Age Mono menu, or deep-fried marinated chicken mid-wing, was crispy on the outside with succulent and well-marinated meat. We could not fault its Chawanmushi and Dobinmushi (Japanese teapot soup) though were divided over the tempuras and Teppanyaki Pork Shogayaki. Found the former a tad oily and its batter too thick for my liking while some of us thought the latter, pork in Japanese ginger sauce, had a gamely smell and taste.

Takujo

Heard so much about Singapore's first integrated Japanese emporium in a 34,000 sq ft space on the 1st floor of Marina Square. Emporium Shokuhin features a live seafood market, customised temperature and humidity-controlled beef dry-aging facility, gourmet grocer and 8 unique dining concepts including café and bakery Kohi-Koji (bought and tried its bread, nothing to rave about or fault) and a ready-to-eat section. The 6 restaurants are fine-dining Takujo, gyoza and ramen Burosu Honten, Senmi Sushi, seafood wine bar Umi & Vino, shabu-shabu Tsukeru and yakiniku grill Gyuu. For dinner on a weekend at Takujo, we started with two types of raw oysters – fresh and firm, juicy and sweet, leaving me with no doubt that they were not farmed in freshwater. Kani Zozui, or crab porridge, and grilled scallop was again sweet with a taste of the sea. No complaints about its appetiser of smooth chawanmushi though, and the tender braised black pork belly from the Nimono menu.

Ginza Kuroson

Another new addition to the food and dining scene at Takashimaya is Ginza Kuroson, with another branch at Robertson Quay, by Henry Bros. Also behind Ryoshisushi Ikeikemaru at the basement of Liang Court and 3rd floor of Westgate, it is known for fresh seafood at reasonable prices. Opposite Patties and Wiches on the 3rd floor, the Japanese restaurant occupies the space vacated by Kinokuniya (on the 4th floor now) with French confectioner La Cure Gourmande's 1st Singapore store and Asia's 2nd after South Korea among others. Dropped by for late lunch on a weekend and was led to the long marble counter facing a display of gleaming seafood on ice. Could see the chefs prepare cold dishes and grill my order over charcoal though hot food is mostly cooked in the kitchen. Could neither fault the appetiser, salad and miso soup nor rave about its rice and pickles. Loved the chawanmushi and succulent salmon teriyaki with crispy skin but found the dessert of coffee pudding too milky for my liking.

Syun

Was looking for early dinner at Sentosa over the weekend and decided on Syun, a contemporary Japanese restaurant helmed by celebrity chef Hal Yamashita. With 9 restaurants in Japan, this is his first overseas foray which opened last December. As he hails from Kobe, the menu here is rooted in Kobe cuisine using premium ingredients freshly imported from the likes of Awaji Island and the Tanba area in Japan. According to Resorts World™ Sentosa's website, Syun will renew our perception of Japanese cuisine with its nouvelle interpretation of Japanese fine dining. Located along Festive Walk, it is a participant of RWS invites that gives up to 50% rebate for two diners. Not outright discount but better than nothing, I guess. There are two entrances, one of which allows customers to walk on stone tiles amidst pebbles and climb two steps up to a raised wooden platform with a wooden table and four wooden stools (saw an out-of-place Dyson bladeless fan too).

Gyoza Ya

Gyoza Ya first opened last year at the basement of Robinsons Orchard between Laurent's Café and Sushi Goshin, also by the Akashi Group. It has since expanded its presence to B4 of Ion Orchard opposite 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken. I have been to both branches on different occasions and tried its Yaki Meshi or Seafood Fried Rice, Tokusei Tonkotsu Ramen, Pan-Fried and Boiled Dumpling with Pork. There was a lovely wok hei in the fried rice with every grain evenly seasoned nicely and no lack of ingredients to go with every satisfying mouth of rice. Special pork bone soup was flavourful yet light and springy ramen was cooked just right. But the only piece of chashu was so chunky that the fats were too cloying and the meat tough. Skin of gyoza was thin with the pan-fried version crispy on one side. Preferred this to the boiled ones. Both were packed with generous filling of delectable and succulent pork. Sit at the counter if you want to watch how these are uniformly wrapped.

You may also be interested in Gyoza King by Keisuke Takeda.