[ Food Review — Amazing bday dinner! ] After resigning to the misfortune that is having two significant birthdays in a row thwarted by totally-not-lockdowns, I definitely not sulkily told a certain someone to surprise me for dinner instead.

And oh boy did he deliver!

Say hello to $300 worth of sashimi/sushi from Morinaga Izayaka Restaurant. Holy. Snap. (Thank you for spoiling me!!)

I normally don’t bother listing price tags because 1) I don’t remember them, and 2) unless the price is notable, I don’t really see a need to include them. But yesterday’s dinner was worthy of a mention because holy snap, it’s SUPER worth for all the fresh and gorgeous cuts we got. (Can anyone say tons of quality ootoro/chuutoro/wagyu/hotate??) And hey, this is a pretty darn good substitute for my birthday omakase that got cancelled!

What you’re looking at is MIR’s takeaway-only Temaki Sushi Family Set for $250+ (meant for 4-6, but we outdid ourselves with a table of 3, heh) + Bluefin Tuna Toro & 4 kinds of fresh sashimi for $38+ (discounted from usual price of $58) + a starter of Chicken Soft Bone ($6+).

(Pst, if you like alcohol, they’re doing big discounts on takeaways for those too ;D)

Due to a small confusion, we received the nori and 2 sets of rice later. But all’s good because we made deconstructed sushi-bazhang which allowed me to eat more sashimi anyway! To make up for this hiccup, Ito-san from Morinaga Izakaya called us personally — we didn’t even realise the mistake in our food-induced stupor — and got a Grab driver to deliver the missing items over. How's that for service recovery?

Here’s a taste of what the restaurant is like: Nestled in the basement of Midpoint Orchard, Morinaga Izakaya is a homely hole in the wall that evokes the feeling of taverns in Tokyo and Osaka. They serve reasonable bento in the day — charmingly called 'Japanese Economical Rice' — and their few tables are popular with those who appreciate spirits and sakes with their sushi and sashimi after nightfall.

(If you do end up visiting: Just like any izakaya, ordering alcoholic drinks helps with their margin, given the affordable nature of their dishes and fare! Don’t be shy; drink up!)