いま食べたい‼

Some might say that spending S$28.80 on a Wagyu Don might be a tad exhorbitant, but I really was more than pleased with the tenderness of the beef with an Onsen egg, complete with a portion of Foie Gras by the side.

The rice portion might not be very big, but the reality would be that if one would order this bowl, it should not be for the sake of carbohydrate loading.

The charcoal-grilled Wagyu Steak (S$48.00) was served with a Wafu Tare sauce and some greens by the side. Nothing too fancy in terms of flavour, I would reckon. But I was much intrigued by the ball of horseradish mash that sat on the steak, as it had the texture like any other mashed root vegetable, but with a fraction of the punch from a typical Wasabi paste.

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Grilled dried stingray fin (S$15.00) was a pretty delicate snack to go with Sake for sure, because it had this chewy and slightly sweet texture like Bakkwa, but came in thin strips with a condiment of Japanese mayonnaise. That said, this might also be a high-end snack, considering the price point against portion size which was barely enough for sharing actually.

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Without a doubt, any restaurant around the Marina Bay area might be able to offer a beautiful view of the city skyline and occasionally some spectacular fireworks show, but having some charcoal-grilled skewers at Level 8 of OUE Tower was still a first for me. Even before the food were served, my eyes wandered off to the scenery outside.

The restaurant’s Kushiyaki would be a perfect companion to the rice wine and the view, especially at night. Among the items in the menu, I would say that I liked their Satsumaimo (S$6.00) which was basically grilled sweet potato the most. Their Tori Kawa (S$5.00) was crispy despite being tightly packed to the bamboo skewers. I would also go for their Shishito (S$5.00) which had a slightly freshening taste amidst the salted grill.

On the other hand, I thought their Tori Tsukune (S$7.00) was much under-seasoned, so it might not have been a very impressionable item to pair with Sake or beer.

If making decisions was a big challenge, they would also offer a chef’s choice Kushiyaki Moriawase that comprised 10 skewers for S$60.00. And I’m probably guessing that Burpple Beyond’s “25% Off Kushiyaki Dishes” would be a good reason to over-order…… maybe?

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An S$18.50 bowl of piping hot Aburi Toroniku Spicy Shio Ramen was something that I usually would not order, but I was glad that I did. The (mildly) spicy Shio broth was rich and it went well with the firm texture of the Ramen. Three slices of flame-grilled pork cheeks were just enough to make this meal feel complete, though I might want to add on more spring onions to balance the flavours.

All seemed like a quiet enclave at Unazen, until the staff shared that the diners could also order from the Tampopo menu (they were adjacent to each other).

Anyway, the Seiro Mushi B (S$28.80) was one of their lunch sets that comprised the Unagi Kabayaki, Kurobuta Kakuni and shredded Tamagoyaki, accompanied by a side dish of vegetable pickles and a bowl of soup.

The rice beneath was steamed with some sort of broth, but the flavours were too subtle to be picked up, and the overall texture turned out mushy. The grilled eel also lacked that layer of smokiness, though it did appear freshly grilled to me. Overall, the component that left the deepest impression would be the Kurobuta Kakuni, for it was so tender and flavourful and that it could literally melt in the mouth.

Lunch sets were available daily, from 11.00am to 2.30pm.

Grilled squid might not seem to be the best kind of bar food around, but the Ika Yaki here was done so well that my table of four had to get our seconds.

Let’s just say that his S$15.00 dish was much thinly cut than what was seen on the menu. However, it was perfectly cooked to avoid that rubbery texture. In the softness of the meat also lies a subtle but noticeable char that discouraged me from putting my chopsticks down.

What seemed to be a casual drinks session ended up as a dinner, as we started to order other foodstuff like the Murotsu Oyster Ikura, Tori Kawa Karaage and other char-grilled skewers. Before we knew it, we ordered some too many Kirin beers and Highballs, and I don’t suppose one will still think the Izakaya experience here is sub-par.

Yakiniku had been a trending sight in the food scene recently, but apart from the neighbourhood restaurants that had emerged, Wa Don-Don might be another name that one should remember.

As I was ushered to the seat, the waitress was prompt to bring over a piece of frozen towel, which was kind of a godsend because the charcoal grill was already warmed up and ready to fire some meats. Their Ox Tongue with Spring Onion (S$24.00) was pretty interesting as the grilling was to be done on only one side before removing from the grill, so that the chewy meat would also carry a refreshing flavour from the generous layer of spring onion. Ribeye with Salt (S$19.50) was also a must-get for me as the thin layers of ribeye were really juicy and was loaded with the classic salt and pepper flavours coupled with the aroma from the burning charcoal. Pretty much a simple pleasure!

One of the simple joys from Kuriya Japanese Market would be their Salmon Mentai Sushi which would come in a pack of seven pieces at S$8.90.

Although the rice might be a little bit dry towards the end of the day, it was still lovely to have the salmon pieces decorated with mayonnaise and roe before blow-torched for a bit of char.

And for those who might think that this could be a bit too pricey still, the icing on the cake was that I bought this at a 30% discount after 8.00pm. Now I am thinking if I should swing by the shop on a more regular basis to grab this for my late dinners and suppers.

It’s a wonderful mix of flavours and texture with Tsujiri’s Warabimochi Parfait (S$8.50), as the tea soft-serve had a good balance of sweetness and bitterness, on top of whipped cream, Houjicha jelly and roasted rice cushioning the soft serve. The Warabimochi, each coated in Matcha powder and soy powder respectively, were also smooth and mildly chewy, plus they were quite reasonably-sized too! Drizzled with black honey sauce, the flavours were further elevated to make this a delicate yet indulgent parfait dessert.

I would guess that most people would have their favourite haunts to get their Tendon fix by now, but since Tempura Makino was a popular specialty restaurant chain from Japan, why not right?

Their Makino Special Tendon (S$25.00) comprised three pieces of Ebi Tempura and a piece each of Kisu Fish, Anago, Ika, Maitake Mushroom, Butternut Pumpkin, French Bean and Egg, all supposedly fried upon order. Hence, waiting time was understandably longer because of this “tsudoage” style.

The first impression of the Donburi was not too bad to be honest, because the mouth of the bowl was rather wide, but that also meant that the fried stuff were laying quite flatly on top of the rice. Somehow I hoped that everything was standing and leaning against one another. In terms of its flavour, I felt that the ingredients tasted a little delicate, relying on the Tendon sauce to add that Umami, but that was pretty much it.

Prices were definitely steeper than what many other places would offer. Even though the ingredients used could be said to be more premium, it might be quite a while before I make a return visit, since there was no lack of eateries to choose from in Suntec City Mall.

Bread shops were competitive at the basement of Great World. Among them, Gokoku Shichifuku was a brand that was brought in by RE&S Group (the same group that owned Ichiban Boshi). With a wide selection of bread and baked buns with fillings, bread lovers would find it difficult not to take a second look, especially when they could earn loyalty e-stamps with every S$20.00 spent.

Of course, the Signature Hokkaido Red Bean Anpan (S$2.40) was a mandatory purchase for me because the red bean paste was perfectly sweet with many red beans that could be nibbled with every bite. What was surprisingly good was that the bread was also very soft and fluffy, so it would probably also be a hit among young children because they could also easily eat this bread. I mean, don’t we all reminisce a nice Anpan from a Japanese bakery during our childhood?