Kinki Restaurant + Bar

Located on the second and third floor of the iconic Customs House, this modern Japanese restaurant and bar is a funky space with a brightly-colored floor mosaic (designed by Miami Ink’s Chris Garver), exposed pipes and light fixtures fashioned from fishing hooks. Servers look as hip as the décor, togged out in blue Kinki T-shirts, […]

Ryu’s Japanese Restaurant & Sake Bar

This Capitol Piazza restaurant is a surprising mall find. Traditional Japanese fare is on offer at the family owned establishment run by third generation restaurateur, Hiroyasu Sakuma. The 50-seat space is decked out with traditional Japanese curios including an elaborate miniature Shinto house. They pay great attention to detail with the food too. The vegetables […]

Sakurazaka

A modern space with pine wood furnishings and a sleek feature wall showcasing rows of bowls with chopsticks, this shabu shabu and sukiyaki specialist is a calming space, just right for communal meals. Go for one of the shabu shabu sets (from $48) — with pork, seafood or beef — or pick from a la carte options like white clams ($6/200g) and Australian beef tongue ($14/100g). […]

Shirokane Tori-Tama

This homey 45-seat yakitori joint is part of a Tokyo-based restaurant group. They specialize in chicken skewers (from $3.50) featuring all parts of the bird: heart, gizzard, tail, spleen, liver and neck. It all goes great with sake, and the restaurant has a great selection pulled from sister establishment Orihara Shoten next door. The restaurant is equipped with a […]

Sushi Kou

Located at Orchid Hotel in the Tanjong Pagar area, Sushi Kou counts a good number of other Japanese restaurants as its neighbors. But what sets this sushi restaurant apart is its affordable and straightforward lunch sets—a boon for the nearby CBD warriors—and reasonably priced omakase sets. With fish and seafood flown in twice weekly from Tsukiji market in Tokyo, the 40-seater restaurant focuses on showcasing the best […]

Syun

Well-known chef, Hal Yamashita’s first restaurant outside Japan is a modern fine dining spot with a focus on the cuisine of Kobe. The space is refined yet minimal, decked out in wood and marble. For the menu, seasonal produce is shipped in from Awaji Island and Tanba. Dig into luxurious dinner tasting menus (from $95) featuring […]

Takumen

This ramen spot sees a steady stream of CBD office workers on weekdays and Japanese expat families over the weekend. The place is an offshoot of fast growing online ramen store Takumen, which offers over 100 kinds of ramen for delivery nationwide in Japan. They serve up a rotating selection of six types of ramen such […]

Takumi Restaurant

This Japanese restaurant offers a stellar view of Keppel Bay. The place is outfitted with lots of wood and carved stone (care of Chanto Design). Order from an extensive menu with plenty of a la carte options and kaiseki courses. Dig into sashimi — including salmon belly ($20) and sea urchin ($28) — as well as sushi such as Chirashi Sushi ($35) and California Roll ($9). Plus, there are Robata specialties […]

Tamashii Robataya

This joint’s located on the second floor of a North Canal Road shophouse. It’s so hidden away it almost feels like a secret. Take the elevator up (enter from the side alley) and you’ll find a relaxed space with a cozy reception, a private dining room and a long chef’s counter. Japanese grills or robatayaki are the specialty here. They offer $88, $138 and […]

Osaka Kitchen Singapore

Tucked away in a cozy corner of Japan Food Town in Wisma Atria is the intimate 30-seater Osaka Kitchen Singapore, a local outpost of the well-known teppanyaki chain in Japan. Using fresh ingredients sourced directly from Japan such as the finest wagyu beef, Osaka Kitchen specializes in the cuisine of the Kansai region. The menu might be compact but expect a […]