Cheeky Don has been one of those names that we had been hearing about for quite a while within the local F&B scene — these folks had first started out as a home-based business, though they did had their pop-up stint within the grounds of Chef X at Central before opening a space of their very own. Their brick-and-mortar store is located at the second level of Millenia Walk; they had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Gochi So Shokudo there. As one would have expected, Cheeky Don serves up their usual lineup of Donburi at their Millenia Walk location; there is also a line-up of hot / cold classic side dishes, as well as ala-carte appetisers and sides. Patrons looking for a sweet treat can also look forward to giving their range of Kakigori a go.

Having not tried Cheeky Don before, we went for the Signature Cheeky Don — it is interesting to note that all Donburi orders at Cheeky Don allows the patrons to choose between one hot classic side and one cold classic side to go along with their Donburi. For our order of the Signature Cheeky Don, we went with the Midnight Diner-Style Nagaimo for our choice of the hot classic side (plated together with the Signature Cheeky Don) and the Zen Salad for our choice of cold classic side. It also does come with a bowl of soup on the side, whilst the Donburi features their Takenoko Rice. Truth to be told, the Signature Cheeky Don is more than just a simple Japanese Donburi — the entire deal felt pretty gastronomical in a way that it does seem that a lot of emphasis has been placed in the science behind how each element works to attempt to bring the flavours and textures to the next level. Coming with pork jowl, Cheeky Don describes the cooking process to involve brining, marinating, grilling, flame-torching and smoking; the whole process ensures that the pork jowl comes tender with the juices of the meat still locked in — all that whilst the meat does come with a hint of smoky char with almost crisp edges for a good texture. It is being topped off with a Chimichurri sauce that adds a zingy note that cuts through the meatiness as well. The Takenoko Rice was another highlight; coming with a brown hue, it was pretty evident how this was simmered with Dashi broth — the umami flavours being fairly prominent while the inclusion of bamboo and crispy fried tofu bits provided a contrast of textures to go along as well.