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From 9², which had recently made its comeback into the F&B scene in Singapore after the closure of Hotel Innotel where it was situated; now located at Dawson Place — a neighbourhood shopping mall in Queenstown.
A pretty simple iteration here; fuss-free without all that marination of the raw fish; just salmon sashimi slices coming with Chili padi for that raw punch of spiciness, while the shallots help to add a crispness to the dish. Not a fan of the warm bed of rice underneath; always found it to be a weird temperature contrast with the raw fish over the top, though the rice also comes with a lightly savoury sauce for some flavour. The Ikura helps to add a umami burst as it pops in the mouth; a pretty decent Donburi spot that is conveniently located in the neighbourhood — not the best, but quality here is pretty respectable to say the least.
Abundance in a bowl!
Only $18.90 for this awesome bowl Japanese sushi rice covered with fresh cut of thick sashimi, shrimp and roe.
Quite a treat indeed.
Drinks: rekorderlig premium passionfruit (refreshing!)
Unfortunately, 2 Dons weren't enough for 2 fatties (the portions here are small), so we ordered the Smoked Duck Hoisin Sauce Tortilla Pizza ($13.90+) off the Bar Bites menu to share.
While I didn't like the visible pools of oil on top of this pizza, the crunchy tortilla base was surprisingly more of a hit than miss for me. Its rigidity keeps the pizza from spilling everywhere, & the size of the skies is a good one for finger food. The smoked duck with fragrant hoisin sauce was reminiscent of peking duck (probably because of the latter) - in all, a winning combination of a fusion dish in my books.
💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀️ Al fresco seats available
🙋 Service Charge applicable
🚫 No GST charged
The Salmon Belly Don ($16.90+), on the other hand, seemed to have not enough salmon slices for the (same) amount of rice that they give. I mean, there's the spoonful of juicy fish roe that explodes in your mouth when you bite into it, but somehow I feel like you get more bang for your buck with the Wagyu bowl. Then again, beef ranks so much higher than salmon on my scale, so... I guess I'm biased. Don't get me wrong, though - the salmon belly was yummy & the half-doneness in the centre was MM-MMM!
💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀️ Al fresco seats available
🙋 Service Charge applicable
🚫 No GST charged
The Wagyu Don ($16.90+) was delicious! It had a fairly decent balance of grilled Wagyu beef slices to Japanese rice. The beef was not too chewy & kept me happy throughout. I inhaled everything with the amazing runny onsen egg that provides a heavenly creaminess to the dish. A great dish at such a good price point in the town area - big thumbs up from me.
💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀️ Al fresco seats available
🙋 Service Charge applicable
🚫 No GST charged
There are so few reviews of 9² Coffee House & Bar online, none of which were extremely recent-- most are from when they were still called WTF Coffee House & Bar. So right before I dropped by, I actually called them to ask if they exist. (I usually Facebook message, but they weren't responsive on Facebook) & I am glad they do, because I was pleasantly surprised by my food & I'd very much like to return again 😁
However, something that disappointed me a little was the beers available on tap - 9² only has Archipelago draft beer. The rest of their menu consists of bottled beer. Archipelago isn't bad, but when you are just in That Mood where you're on the hunt for new/craft beers fresh from the tap... This wouldn't cut it. No matter though, for there are other watering holes nearby for those days.
Indoor seating is very limited so you'll more likely than not have to sit outside. Not a problem in this wintery weather that Singapore is experiencing right now, but it will be an issue if mother nature starts raining down on you. ☔
💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀️ Al fresco seats available
🙋 Service Charge applicable
🚫 No GST charged
