Itadakimasu

Back at @kotobukisg at the heart of Shenton Way. Totally enjoyed the tranquility while dining there as usual. Always love their daily feature at good discount between Mon to Fri.
This Chirashi was their special item for Monday and it was yummy and generous in serving.

Queue formed as expected before it resumed operations at 5pm today, all to check out the latest hype over its yuzu chicken broth ramen.
Besides the thick slice of aburi Cha Shu, the bamboo shoots stood out as the most complementing ingredient in the bowl. The thin ramen went well with the clear citrusy broth.
Their Buta wing gyozas were delicate and pleasant, much like the lighter taste of the chicken broth ramen. However, the diced Cha Shu fell short of expectations, rather confused whether it was meant to be similarly light in taste or strong and flavourful.
Overall, the light broth with yuzu flavour was pleasant though it didn’t have the deep flavours compared to Tonkutsu broth. Mainly for its ramen, dining here was pretty straightforward, quick like having a cup of instant noodles.
Maybe I’m not that much a fan of yuzu compared to clam or seafood broth; but this felt like too ex a bowl of instant noodles.

Limited to 30 bowls a day, this collaboration with No Signboard was only available at its Mandarin Gallery and MBS outlets.
It was quite mixed feelings about this national dish creation. While we agreed that it was a soup-based ramen after all, we still kinda missed the thick eggy gravy of the original dish that would deliver more punch. Having this broth was like that of a chilli crab XLB we had somewhere. Though watery, the flavour was pretty on-point.
The piece of crab claw was an apt choice, while the 2 fried buns didn’t really find their place in the watery broth.
Overall, the creation was still worth the try at this time of the year when many chilli crab inspired dishes would be popping up around SG.

Inside, they served the typical kind of Izakaya dishes along with their wide variety of sakes and other drinks.
Nevertheless, the 7-course Omakase set we had showcased the skills and heart put into preparing their dishes. With thick-cut sashimi, oysters in ponzu, marvellously fried soft-shell crab and miso cod etc, it was a meal that satisfies. Of cos, the meal was even more complete with a bottle of sparkling sake.

Both no lacking in the truffle aroma, the al dente thin ramen was just great for the flavours.

Situated in old Orchard Plaza, this is just a small establishment with confined space, giving one the same feel like that in Japan itself.
Not as obvious from its name, it is actually Japanese fused with French influences. And the result was a Japanese dining experience with surprises in taste. That explained why the meal started with appetisers with cream cheese, liver pâté and burrata cheese.
On top of the more typical but fresh items like Hiroshima oyster and Anago sushi, we were intrigued by their other items done very differently. Their sashimi was served with an interesting miso-peanut butter like sauce which gave it an awesome flavour, we’ll-complemented with crispy garlic chips and wasabi. The fried tuna was served with a tartar-like toppjng that went well with the deep-fried tuna.
The meal was no lacking in premium ingredients, with black cod, king crab, Kagoshima beef and Uni.
The black cod was well-executed and flavoured with a plum-pesto sauce, special and delicious. The king crabs were done tempura style and served with also an unique orange ginger sauce. Biting into those well-marbled juicy beef was just heavenly. And the meal definitely ended on a high note with the yummy angel hair pasta topped with Uni and generous portion of Ikura.
By the end of the meal, we felt absolutely satisfied, with the good deal, quantity and quality of the food. We would recommend to add on a sake or wine to make the experience an even better one. Due to its space and popularity, early reservation will be a necessity to avoid any disappointment.

This was an Ebi-Tonkotsu broth that harnessed the deliciousness of their Tonkotsu with that yummy seafood flavour. The result was no super rich seafood but instead one that was delightfully enjoyable and drinkable, so much that I slurped the bowl dry at the end of it.
The bowl came with half a lobster, beautifully cooked that left us wishing there was more. With a lava-centre Onsen egg, this was a ramen that would certainly draw us back again. Hope they make it a permanent item on their menu.

Not only were the prawns huge, fresh and tastily done; their ginormous prawn heads were so crunchy most of it could be eaten too.
For more variety, their Tendon with vegetables and melted cheese would be recommended, although this came with a regular sized prawn. But there’s even a grilled unagi for even more taste and texture.
We liked that they didn’t overdo with the sauce and we could still enjoy the flavours of the ingredients. Their spicy version would be recommended over the original for the subtle spicy kick. This would be our pick for a good and satisfying Tendon meal.

Proudly from Niigata Japan, they offer ramen with distinctive fish stock made with dried sardine.
Besides soup ramen, we would recommend their dry Tsukemen with rich dried sardine dip. It was our favourite item to savour the umami richness of dried sardine with their springy ramen.
Their Maze Soba Aburi Chashu would be another dry option which also come with delicious rich Tonkotsu broth.
Centrally located at Shaw House, with another outlet at Holland V, this would be a good recommendation for a yummy ramen that’s different and good.

Here, their special Tontoro ramen was a big treat with generous serving of their juicy meat. The Tonkotsu broth was flavourful and good as usual. Upsize the ramen and add on Onsen egg for an even heartier meal.
Of cos, check out other Japanese offers when at the DDD food section. Back to Santouka, check them out at Central this Sunday for selected ramen at only $3.10 as they celebrate their 31st Santouka day.

We had no regret going for their Ohmi Wagyu set for those unforgettable juicy marbled beef steaks. Our set with seafood also included perfectly cooked scallop and large prawn at the beginning of the course. Do top up for their oyster b’cos it was just so good. Towards the end, their carefully prepared Osaka Okonomiyaki completed our meal with a hearty end before dessert.
There were options in their set and all those that we picked, including grilled avocado with melted cheese and omelette with pork belly were great. Look out for their seared specialty sesame tofu as it was just fabulous.
After so long, it was nice that our visits to Japan Food Town have been good as we checked out their tenants.

We like it best with just a clear soup, topped with an onsen egg for that slightly creamy touch.
Of cos some crispy fried ebi or vegetables were our perfect toppings to complete the meal. Simple and good, and do look out for promotional sites to enjoy it with some discounts too.