Waa Cow! (Citylink Mall)

Those whom have been following us on our social media accounts for a while would probably known that we have been following the folks of Waa Cow! for quite a while across the opening of their various locations all across the island — Waa Cow! Should not be a brand that is too unfamiliar for most; this is considering how they have been around for quite some time ever since their inception at the NUS location at Stephen Riady Centre. The brand has since grown quite a fair bit since then, with the brand even further introducing sub-brands such as that of Waa Cow! Yakiniku and the latest of the lot — Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen. Being its latest concept born out of the Waa Cow! branding, Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen is situated at CityLink Mall; Waa Cow! should be quite an easy find, considering how they are located right beside Platypus Cantina. The look of this location at CityLink Mall can be described as one that comes with a more simple look; perhaps even basic as compared to their other locations such as their Marina One or CIMB Plaza outlets that generally have a louder aesthetic. Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen adorns the same blue and gold decor scheme that is familiar to the brand; there is lesser use of motifs and neon lights — there is also some use of wooden accents amidst all the blue and gold that exudes a more homely vibe with the space. There is also a generous amount of space dedicated for its dining area; the bar counter being located in the middle with access between both sides available from the back for staff to serve both areas with ease. Waa Cow! has been known for their Signature Wagyu Beef Sets and Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen still carries those items in their menu; other categories of the menu at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen includes Premium Seafood Dons, Appetisers, Oishi! Chawanmushi and Sashimi. There is also a Innov! Kitchen section in the menu that comprises of dishes that are exclusively available at this location. Beverages available at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen includes non alcoholic options like the Karma Cola, House Yuzu Lemon Barley and Hot Green Tea — just to name a few, as well as beer on tap.

Considering how the items in the Innov! Kitchen section of the menu are exclusively available at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen, it was needless to say that we were drawn towards ordering something that is listed in this section of the menu during our visit made there on a weekday evening. The item that caught our attention whilst we were skimming through their menu was the Dashi Cream Tonkatsu Don; Dashi is an element that would be familiar with most whom have enjoyed Japanese cuisine before but the infusion with cream definitely sounded interesting here. Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen does not describe on the element that are being featured in their menu items; that being said, one can observe that the Don does come with elements such as Japanese short-grain rice, sous-vide egg, kimchi, cucumber, pickles and a Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet that is drenched in the said “Dashi Cream” and topped off with fresh scallion. Excitedly digging into the Dashi Cream Tonkatsu Don, we quickly found out that the Dashi Cream does seem pretty much like a cheese sauce here; this isn’t the average cheese sauce however, considering how it has been done to a more liquid consistency and doesn’t really come with the stretchiness that would make for that cheese pull effect that was considered “trendy” some time back. That being said, it does add a hint of savouriness and tang almost similar to heavier-tasting cheese; we were actually glad that they went pretty light with this considering how things could have easily become overwhelming just by this one element — this is even despite there being a little Dashi Cream being drenched on the rice itself. The short-grain rice was pearly and a little sticky — done just the way that it should be; there is also seemingly a bit of teriyaki that is being drizzled on the rice that helped add a bit of sweetness, providing the rice with an interestingly sweet, savoury and tangy note especially on parts already drenched with the Dashi Cream.

The Tonkatsu itself is on-point; it does seem that Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen went with a slightly leaner cut of pork here so that the deep-fried pork cutlet came with a meaty bite — the golden-brown panko batter gives it that light crispiness that Tonkatsu is usually associated with; all that without being particularly greasy while the Dashi Cream further provided flavour and a creamy texture to go along with it. The sous-vide egg comes all runny; the egg yolk eagerly flows as one pokes the egg with the chopstick. Our favourite element amongst the secondary component would be the kimchi; the kimchi here does provide a good crunch and a tang that cuts through the heaviness of the fried pork cutlet and the carbs — all that whilst the cucumbers provided a refreshing crunch. All Dons do come served with a salad and a bowl of Miso Soup on the side; the salad served on the day of our visit being one that featured kelp, cherry tomatoes and Goma dressing. During our visit, we had also went for the Grilled Miso Eggplant — there are the half and full portions that one can opt for this item and we went for the former. The grilled eggplant interestingly comes with other elements apart from the the miso paste — think Ikura, Rice Krispies and Spring Onions; the spring onions are most likely added for the aesthetics, though the Ikura further adds on to the earthy and savoury flavours with its umami notes and gave it a popping sensation while the Rice Krispies provided a crunch factor. One thing about Waa Cow! has always been the consistency of their offerings; the quality of their dishes have largely improved from the time when they had just started out at NUS, and they have managed to maintain so across their different locations across the island. Whilst other concepts like Waa Cow! Yakiniku can be argued as being vastly different from Waa Cow!’s core brand, one can still tell that the food served is still of a standard that is familiar to its core concept. Prices of their Dons start from $14.90 to $30.90; the items listed on the Innov! Kitchen section being priced on the lower end of the range. Considering the selection of more inventive creations exclusively available at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen, this is one location that Waa Cow! fans should not miss.