Divine Japanese

Nasi don has undergone a rebrand recently and is now @ricebowl.san. Gone are the days of Japanese fusion nasi lemak, and most regrettably of all, their stellar sambal chili. In all honesty, the spicy, savoury sambal was the best thing in their rice bowls, so I’m pretty bummed to see it lost to the annals of history. Also gone are some of their flashier menu items like the Blackpink Calamari, but at least they retained their Honey Chicken ($6.50 nett).⠀
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The Honey Chicken was sufficiently salty and sweet without being saccharine thanks to the honey marinade. The marinade penetrated deeply into the juicy, moist meat of the chicken thigh and flavoured this otherwise mild tasting chicken. The rice was surprisingly superbly sauced up with lashings of sauce over the fluffy white Japanese rice. ⠀
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To my delight, @ricebowl.san serves a healthy portion of vegetables with most meals, and I can finally eat a good balanced meal while not having to worry about my wallet. What was very odd was that the rice was adequately seasoned, but the vegetables, which needed the same amount or maybe even more love, were un-sauced & unseasoned. However, the one thing that killed the vibe was the additional deep fried enoki mushrooms, which absorbed way too much oil and tasted slightly sickening. Maybe the oil was old, or perhaps their deep fryer wasn’t hot enough, resulting in a surfeiting enoki tempura.⠀
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Despite these minor shortcomings at @ricebowl.san , I can definitely vouch for how tasty & affordable these bowls are.

Sometimes, two good things are better off separated. Case in point is @sukiya.singapore new special, the Shrimp with Chili Gravy Gyudon ($11.90 nett for XL bowl). I’ve already professed my admiration for Sukiya’s stellar sukiyaki beef, and that hasn’t changed one bit. The felicitously fatty beef slices were absolutely ambrosial, and the stewed onions were superbly sweet & accentuated the savoury qualities of the beef.⠀
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The shrimps were in chili gravy that was clearly inspired by Singapore’s national dish of chili crab. The thick, spicy & sweet & salty chili gravy was the perfect seasoning for the shrimps, which were satisfyingly snappy & bouncy. However, as brilliant as both beef & shrimp were, they could not coexist. There was just a cacophony of flavours, with the sweet & salty soy simmered beef warring against the spicy, salty & sweet shrimps. There was no cohesion, and both the beef & shrimp were trying to one up each other which resulted in the rice bowl feeling rather disjointed.⠀
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Sukiya’s beef is amazing, and their shrimp with chili gravy was surprisingly satisfying. However, they simply don’t work well together, and both would undoubtedly shine when left to stand on their own merits.

Compared to its far more popular brethren ramen, udon is rather overlooked, and I’d say unjustly so. Idaten Udon does their part to right this wrong with their udon centric menu with offerings that range from the simple but comforting udon in Kake Udon (plain soup udon) to more unique ones like curry udon and this Pork Kimchi Udon ($12.50 before additional 9% GST).⠀
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Idaten’s unctuous udon is served in a light kimchi broth with a thick slice of radish, some seaweed and pork shabu shabu. The thick, springy udon noodles are perfectly poached and possess a captivating chewiness, making each bite a delight. The kimchi broth was the real MVP, with the subtly spicy, supremely savoury & tastefully tangy flavour profile that’s unmistakably kimchi. The light yet sapid kimchi broth is addictively appetising, and you won’t be able to resist imbibing it all.⠀
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Since Idaten Udon is an udon shop, I won’t judge their tempuras so stringently. With that said, their Jumbo Ebi ($4.30+) & enoki tempura ($2.20+) were massive but both had exceptionally thick batter coating it, and they did get surfeiting quite quickly. Oddly enough, the sweet potato tempura ($2.50+) fared better, and was a delight to devour.⠀
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Ramen is a lot more common than udon, but u don wanna miss out on Idaten’s unctuous udon.

@sushigo.sg can certainly roll up a few handrolls, but sometimes you gotta go bigger. Well, they can roll a fat one pretty darn decently too. Their Jumbo Ebi Roll ($6++) lives up to its name, with a particularly ponderous prawn breaded, deep fried and rolled in sushi rice & sheets of seaweed, garnished with lashings of spicy mayo & dollops of tobiko. The crunch of the breading contrasts well against both the natural springiness of the prawn as well as the soft fluffiness of the sushi rice. The spicy mayo was spicy enough to make a scintillating statement, and the creaminess of the spicy mayo bound the tobiko to the roll & made the Jumbo Ebi Roll all the more luxe.⠀
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I don’t know if any one of you does this, but every time I hit up a Japanese sushi place, I always get an order of their tempura prawns. Sushi Go was no exception, and their Prawn Tempura ($5.80++) was quite decent. Fresh, snappy prawns are battered in a light but crisp tempura batter and deep fried competently, and a dashi broth is served on this side as the sole source of seasoning. While not as stunning as the tempura prawns from another sushi chain, Sushi Go’s Prawn Tempura was still quite excellent.⠀
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I don’t think I’ve had a single dish here at sushi go that would deter me from going back to @sushigo.sg, and you’re goddamn right I’ll be back.

If you need a bigger serve of rice, Sushi Go also offers mini rice bowls to satiate your carb craves. I chose to sample the new Kushi Tori Don ($5.80++), which is technically chicken rice. The chicken kaarage was surprisingly sublime, with well flavoured & juicy chicken meat enveloped in a tastefully thin batter that’s deep fried till golden brown perfection. The meatballs, on the other hand, were obviously prepackaged & frozen balls. As such, they had the texture of stress balls and were as dry as flip flops. At least there was enough teriyaki sauce to make it somewhat alright

Everyone loves to roll up that good stuff, and you can go to @sushigo.sg to find rolls of the good good. Although my order of Soft Shell Crab Handroll ($4.50++) was delayed for about 45 minutes due to the kitchen getting absolutely slammed, I finally got a roll with a freshly fried crab and this roll had me on a roll with how satisfying it was. ⠀
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The crispy, slightly meaty soft shell crab was deep fried flawlessly, and decorated with a dollop of spicy mayo before getting rolled in a seaweed with sushi rice & tobiko (flying fish roe) for little pops of umami. It could’ve used more spicy mayo for more impressiveness, but this roll was sufficiently redolent. As for the Lobster Salad Handroll ($4.50++ as well), it may not be real lobster meat in there, but I’m a sucker for lobster salads nonetheless. It’s adequately creamy & suitably savoury, and the lobster isn’t minced too finely, so you get a satisfyingly chunky texture with a sufficiently springy chew on the bits of lobster.⠀

If you’re craving handrolls, go roll up to @sushigo.sg for some rolling good times.⠀

If you want rice with your sashimi, Sushi Go’s nigiris won’t let you down. As expected, their Mentai Mayo Salmon Sushi ($3++ a pair) was the most popular nigiri, and it wasn’t difficult to see why. Tastefully thick slices of salmon sashimi are draped over little rice rectangles, dabbed with a dollop of mentaiko mayo and lightly kissed by a flamethrower. It’s simple but undoubtedly umami from the creamy, salty mentaiko mayo, and the natural fattiness of the salmon make this an unexpectedly luxe sushi.⠀
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Sushi Go has it all in decent amounts: they offer decent quality at reasonable prices, and they offer a decent selection of sushi & other foods. If you’re hankering for sushi, hop aboard & go to @sushigo.sg!

I’m old enough to remember conveyor belt sushi restaurants being a unique marvel, with Suki & Sakae Sushi both blazing a trail in the F&B scene. They walked so that all these new conveyor belt sushi restaurants could run, and boy there are a lot of them. @sushigo.sg is one of the many competitors in a crazy crowded market, using their futuristic subway themed decor & conveyor belt trays fashioned into little bullet trains to deliver your order(s) and to stand out from the crowd.⠀
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Aesthetics are nice, but quality & taste of the food is paramount. Sushi Go has that adequately covered with their reasonably priced sushi & sashimi offerings like this Sashimi Moriwase ($15.80++). It’s supposed to contain five varieties of sashimi, namely hamachi, salmon, swordfish, sweet shrimp and tuna, but they ran out of hamachi that evening and compensated with more salmon. I certainly wasn’t complaining, as all of the seafood is flawlessly fresh and retains a terrific texture. The sweet shrimp did their name justice, while the slices of fish were of a charitable thickness. In fact, the tuna sashimi was so tasty I had to get a second individual portion ($5.80++).⠀
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Sushi Go has it all in decent amounts: they offer decent quality at reasonable prices, and they offer a decent selection of sushi & other foods. If you’re hankering for sushi, hop aboard & go to @sushigo.sg!

I know that going to a ramen place to order a rice bowl is absolutely counterintuitive, but contrary to popular belief, men don’t always want noods. Sometimes we’re looking for some fun, sometimes we’re looking for some love, and sometimes we’re looking for some happiness. And here at @hanamaruken_sg, I found Happiness Don ($13.80++).⠀
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The Happiness Don really does spark joy with three sizeable slabs of soft bone pork ribs, which have been slowly stewed for about a day. The result is a stunningly sapid piece of pork that falls apart at the slightest provocation, and every breathtaking bite of pork is packed to the brim with unbelievable umami. The pork ribs have been stewed for so long that cartilage within the ribs have been stewed into a jelly, and these bouncy collagen rich tubes are such a delight to bite into. ⠀
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The steamed Japanese rice in the bowl is sufficiently sauced with the same stellar stock that the ribs are stewed in, while the edamame & onsen egg turn this Don into a fully fleshed out & satisfying meal. The pickled ginger was a thoughtful touch, as the sharp sourness was adept and cutting through the fatty richness of the pork & the creamy, sticky runny egg yolk. With just how sublime the Happiness Don is, I don feel so bad about skipping the ramen.⠀
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As for the six piece Gyoza, they were crisp, delicious and fantastically fried, but $8.80++ a plate is a bit of a tall ask as these gyozas are notably diminutive. They are unquestionably unctuous though, with remarkably thin skin swaddling a tasty amalgamation of minced meat (pork? Chicken? Both? We will never know) and chives. Your mileage will vary, but at the end of the day I regret nothing.⠀

Now, back to the more pressing issues at hand, like @sakabaigokochi Unagi Pressed Sushi ($19++). Carb-laden dishes like rice & noodles are crucial to every Japanese izakaya thanks to the alcohol munchies. However, Sakaba Igokichi has shied away from the usual donburis (rice bowls) and ramen in favour of pressed sushi, udon & yakisoba.⠀
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A half dozen massive wedges of unagi pressed sushi are arrayed on an equally massive plate, and the sense of scale is certainly not quite captured in this photo. Each piece of pressed sushi is a two biter minimum, and both are pretty big bites. The nicely grilled unagi has been glazed with enough sweet & salty teriyaki to fully flavour it as well as the lightly vinegary rice. An oft overlooked but crucial component of a good sushi is for the rice to be served at room temperature instead of hot or cold, and Sakaba Igokichi has absolutely nailed this. The cherry tomato & sprinkling of spring onion bring a pop of freshness to this savoury, starchy sushi, and it’s just begging to be washed down with more sake.

Beef sashimi is controversial, but if you stumble across a place that does it right like @sakabaigokochi, you’ll come to see the merits of raw beef like I did. Sakaba Igokochi’s Beef Tataki with Dashi Ponzu ($12++) is executed excellently, and I had no qualms with consuming the slices of almost raw beef.⠀
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The slices of beef were just lightly seared, and were tender and decently marbled with fat. Most of the flavour in the dish was provided by the dashi ponzu. It was salty & sour, an odd combo to have with beef, but it definitely grows on you. The salinity from the dashi makes the meaty flavours of the beef more pronounced, while the tanginess of the ponzu adds a refreshing, zesty twist to the beef.⠀
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Coupled with the crispy deep fried garlic chip on every slice of beef, the Beef Tataki hits all the necessary contrasts to make it a delicious dish. Soft beef, crispy garlic, salty & savoury beef & dashi, slightly sour ponzu, and the heat from the horseradish provided makes for an intriguing dish that must be tried at least once. Ponder upon the complexities of Beef Tataki while sipping sake, and you’ll have yourself a good time.

@sakabaigokochi Scallop & Avocado Tartare is insanely good value. This entire portion only cost me thirteen dollars before tax & service charge! Sliced avocado is absolutely smothered by an avalanche of diced scallop sashimi, topped with a spoonful of ikura (salmon roe), and sauced up with some soy sauce and some wasabi mayo if I remember correctly.⠀
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The scallop was astonishingly fresh, proven by its soft & supple texture, and it was sweet & slightly savoury. The ikura literally pops in with bursts of briny, umami juices to flavour the mild tasting scallops. The avocado added creamy richness to the mild tasting shellfish, and despite my initial reservations, the combination of creamy avocado, ikura & fresh scallops actually panned out. The soy sauce & wasabi mayonnaise aided with this, as the salty soy sauce was the essential source of salinity, while the wasabi mayo brought the heat to spice up your night. ⠀
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At just thirteen bucks a pop, this tremendous tartare is a must order with some house sake at @sakabaigokochi. The scallops are gonna be a superstar, I can feel it.