Japanese

The Beef Tongue Gyukatsu Zen ($37) is thickly sliced and though it does not melt in one’s mouth like the A5 Miyazaki Sirloin, I actually prefer this because it is less greasy and the meat has a nice springiness. It is served with a homemade chilli pepper miso sauce that adds a kick to the meat.

Each set comes with an onsen egg, a variety of dipping sauces, a citrusy salad, rice and a rich bowl of miso soup. There is also an accompanying mini stove for you to sear the meat further if you prefer your meat to be a little more cooked.

The A5 Miyazaki Sirloin Gyukatsu Zen ($55) features a deep fried breaded Wagyu steak that is medium rare on the inside and crispy on the outside. The marbled beef literally melts in your mouth and the texture and taste is almost like beef fat.

Each set comes with an onsen egg, a variety of dipping sauces, a citrusy salad, rice and a rich bowl of miso soup. There is also an accompanying mini stove for you to sear the meat further if you prefer your meat to be a little more cooked.

The Okonomiyaki Fries ($9.90) definitely exceeded my expectations. The freshly fried shoestring fries are drizzled in okonomiyaki sauce, mayo and bonito flakes - this is crispy and soooo delicious! Definitely something I will re-order again.

I thought their specialty lies in their meat rice bowls but the Original Chirashi ($20.90) was surprisingly delicious as well. The generous serving of sashimi cubes (eg. salmon, tuna, octopus) and ikura is fresh and well seasoned.

Original Wagyu Beef ($22.90) comes with seared Wagyu beef pieces that are juicy and smokey. The flavour of the beef really comes through and served with a poached egg, tobiko and pickles, this is one satisfying rice bowl.

Hokkaido Butadon ($16) comes with tender pieces of Iberico Secreto (note: for that lack of a better description, that refers to the armpit of a pig😂) glazed in Nikiri sauce (sweet soy sauce) and grilled to perfection. The rice bowl comes with onsen egg, mushrooms and pickles. I like that this is not too sweet and the pork has a really nice texture.

Tried the Grilled Cheese with Cod Roe Mazesoba ($18.30) and surprisingly, it is not jelak at all👍🏻The aromatic cheese and savoury cod roe go well together - together with a slice of soft chashu, bamboo shoots, spring onion and springy noodles, this is one hearty bowl of mazesoba. Added an extra piece of chicken karaage for extra indulgence - yums!

The Kabayaki & Tempura Don ($16) comes with a delicious piece of chargrilled unagi and mushroom and egg tempura. The unagi is brushed in a sweet and savoury glaze and is infused with smokiness. The meat is soft and moist, and it is not fishy. The tempura is crispy and not oily, I love the shimeiji mushroom, and the runny yolk ties everything together. Oishi🤤!

Wagyu Suji Don ($17.90) comes with A4/A5 Miyazaki & Australian Wagyu beef cubes stewed with seasonal vegetables and topped with onsen egg. The beef is tender and flavourful, while the stewed carrots, radish and chewy konjac add sweetness and texture to the rice bowl.

I topped up $3 to complete the set with clam miso soup, salad, seaweed appetiser and dessert, which is quite a good deal. The matcha pudding with red bean is not too sweet or bitter. Overall, this is a pretty hearty and value-for-money lunch set - enjoyed this!

Hei-Bi Pasta ($22) features al dente linguine cooked in a spicy dried shrimp sauce that is packed with unami. The “kelong” tiger prawns are big, fresh and meaty. Topped with onsen egg and ikura, this is one addictive pasta that I can’t get enough of.

Butadon ($22) comes with torched pork belly, onsen egg and ikura on top of Japanese rice and it is so good! The thinly sliced pork belly has a good balance of sweet and savoury notes and it is torched to smokey perfection. The runny onsen egg wraps up everything and each mouthful is a delight.

I tried the Inaniwa Udon Set ($27.80), which came with hot or cold udon, assorted tempura and salad. I opted for cold udon and it is so refreshing! The tempura is fresh, crisp and not oily at all, and it goes well with the dipping sauce. The variety is great too - there is even eel and a crab leg. It does get a little jelak after a while (partly because the serving is really generous) but the salad with sesame sauce helps keep things at bay. What a treat!