日本料理大好き!

The number of courses sounded daunting at first, but that was what we got to enjoy the premium cuts and boy, was it a great decision! We were so stuffed, but enjoyed the whole experience very, very much.
Pictured were the five courses I enjoyed the most. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed every one, but those were the most memorable ones for me.
1. Akami (lean tuna): I already expected the chutoro and otoro (the fattier cuts) to be good, but I'm partial towards the akami because it reminded me of my time in Japan. Good food is good its own right, but when it actually brings you back somewhere... now that's really something. The chef also shared that it's not common we get something like that in Singapore (I agreed) because they've marinated it beforehand to get it to taste like that.
2. Madai (Japanese seabream): This was my first time having it and I wonder where it has been all my life. Not as well known as the salmon or tuna, but no less amazing in taste- really light and fresh!
3. Onsen tamago and Ikura (I call it the "Eggs on Egg"): Both ingredients already amazing on its own, but what a flavour explosion when eaten together. The creaminess and slightly saltiness of it all... so satisfying.
4. Ika (squid): None of that rubbery texture here, this had a nice chew and wasn't tough at all.
5. Hotate (Scallop): I think "melt-in-the-mouth" is one pretty overused phrase but this literally did. Wonderful.

What an incredibly exciting culinary journey, especially with the friendly chef. We were lucky to be seated next to a nice couple, who explained that it was their first omakase and apologised for asking "noob questions". I waved that off quickly and as I told her, we were all there to learn and that's part of the fun. Service was efficient (our glasses were never empty and plates promptly cleared), and considerate (our plates were wiped clean in preparation for the next course, ginger promptly refilled). Definitely recommending this place!

I was craving for some Japanese skewers over rice, but sadly this bowl failed to satiate it.
There were three types of skewers– tsukune, buta bura and yakitori. All of them were really average tasting, but the tsukune (usually my favourite) was bland. I did appreciate the well-cooked Japanese rice underneath though, which was drizzled with a sweet Teriyaki sauce and the complete-ness of the set, which came with soup, appetiser and fruit.
Service was good, as was the ambience, especially when you're seated near the glass windows capturing the view just before the sun sets. The only let down was very unfortunately the skewers, which had looked and smelled so so promising.

We were joking that there's no way to make this dish look good, but thankfully it certainly tastes good! If you prefer heavier and fattier fish like in this case- tuna, this is definitely a great option. It was incredibly rich in taste because of all the fats, but nonetheless, very satisfying, much like eating a good slab of steak.
Do note that it got too rich after a while (and that is why they have thoughtfully complemented it with radish and lemon) so to get the best of both worlds, I'd recommend getting another lighter tasting fish to share them with a friend.

Picked this mainly because it was shown as the Outlet Manager's recommendation, and I did enjoy it! It is more commonly known as "butterfish", and just as its name suggests, its rich flavours came through despite it being simply grilled.

This is a place where most people just order, eat and go, so it's definitely not where you'd be able to linger. But, if you're looking for a fuss-free meal that tides you through your errands in Orchard, this (& made extra value for money with the tofu, pickles, miso soup and a generous amount of salad) will certainly fit the bill.
Also, if you're a slow decider on food, the perpetual queues might intimidate you, but not to worry, because there are menus available by the cashier so just grab it and stand aside to peruse. Otherwise, I believe the efficient and friendly staff would be more than happy to assist 😊

Definitely not the best soba noodles I've had, but I love that the stall prides itself on the quality of the ingredients and the fact that the noodles were handmade. This whole set was a nice, light Japanese meal and considering the location, I found the pricing to be very reasonable. There was quite a variety of side dishes to choose from as well, like fried eggplants/octopus etc.
If you're bringing a bigger appetite, definitely go for their soba+rice bowl set! If my memory serves me right, portions were generous and prices starts from $12.90 for it.

Yellowtail fish has always been my favourite choice of sashimi, and the ones over here did it justice, with it being incredibly fresh. If you like yellowtail as much as I do, just go ahead and order a plate of the fatty yellowtail sashimi instead! $9++ would get you three thick slices of the good stuff.

I think you can never go wrong with chawanmushi, but this was an especially good version! A generous heap of ikura is placed on top of the egg, and then drenched with nicely flavoured stock (albiet a tad too salty for my liking). BUT the thing that impressed me the most was how good the egg itself was, with its velvety smooth texture and equally delightful flavour.

They may be known for their raw fish but they certainly did an outstanding job with their grilled one too!
The fish in question is a beautiful mackerel that was simply seasoned with salt. They were alittle heavy handed with the latter, but take away the skin (that's where most of the saltiness is) and underneath is tender and fresh white meat with none of that fishiness. Like what Japanese cuisine is famous for, this whole meal was so well thought out- pickles and grated daikon was served along side to complement and cut through the natural oiliness of mackerel.
This was served with a slice of fruit (orange), miso soup and a generously filled chawanmushi. What a delightful meal.

As a huge fan of beautifully cooked eggs, imagine my disappointment when I opened the box to find an already broken egg yolk spilling across the salad :(
But I can only imagine that it is because it was broken during delivery. This benefit of the doubt shall also be extended as to why the hamburg patty was unfortunately dry and hard. BUT that being said, what it lacked in the texture department, it made up for it in terms of its flavour. The meat was so flavourful, as was the beautiful delicious sauce drizzled (or rather, generously poured) over the fluffy rice. It is one bowl I wouldn't hesitate to eat again for sure, except this time, I'll eat it on-site.

Was hankering for their fresh fish from the Tsukiji Fish Market menu they were running the other time (which we're still dreaming about till this very day) but was slightly disappointed it wasn't there anymore.
Still, I was determined to have a go at their fish again, and finally settled on this from their new 'Healthy' menu.
Not too sure if 'Healthy' would be the right word to describe it because the fish was encased and deep fried in a extremely crispy batter, but I did enjoy it. Though, I felt that it wasn't the best way to showcase the freshness of their fish, but it was still pleasant... almost like the Japanese version of our local Fish Soup. I was expecting the soup to be the regular liquidy kind, but it came more gelatinous, much like the Shark Fin soup that they serve in Chinese restaurants. On hindsight, I much preferred this rendition because it made the wonderfully crispy fish less soggy, and I could enjoy it properly. They were indeed generous with the vegetables in the soup, and the tofu was reallyyy smooth and tasty. Only slight gripe was that their 5-grain rice felt more like white rice with occasional appearances of coloured grains, but overall, still a wonderfully satisfying meal which further proves the restaurant's quality and consistency.

Nearly every table had this as a side, and it was clear why. Salmon maki was better than average and while mayonnaise and floss has always been a winning combo to me, what clinched the deal was the fact that they used garlic mayo! (Y)

Finally got all the hype after I tucked in. The salmon was kept moist and so beautifully flavoured with the garlic shoyu sauce. The only thing that could have, and did, make it better was the onsen egg (included), with its golden liquidy yolk flowing generously onto the rice. Before I knew it, my bowl was soon only left with the glistening oil from the fatty goodness of salmon.