BAR IPPUDO
At this minimalist 12-seat bar, tuck into steaming bowls of Hakata-style ramen while sipping from a selection of around 90 sake labels including citrusy Bijyofu yuzu schwa and light, dry Bijyofu Junrei Junmaiginjo. Bar snacks like Oden (clear soup with white radish and boiled eggs) and Crab Croquettes round out the menu. The space doubles […]
Imakatsu
Imakatsu is a tonkatsu specialty restaurant, which first opened in 2009 in Roppongi, Japan. Using a new style of cooking that is improved from the traditional deep-frying technique and encompasses using varying oil temperatures, Imakatsu’s tonkatsu has won many fans and even a Michelin Bib Gourmand status in the Tokyo 2015 guide. The Star Vista […]
Kacyo
Inside this intimate 35-seater restaurant, an elegant L-shaped sushi counter takes center stage. From prominent decorative pieces like the byobu Japanese silk screen paintings proudly displayed on the walls behind the sushi counter, to the smallest details like the origami crane-shaped ceramic chopstick holders, Kacyo sets the stage for a truly immersive Japanese dining experience. […]
Dashi Master Marusaya
Managed by Japanese katsuoboshi (bonito flakes) wholesaler Marusaya, this riverside restaurant serves up dishes including housemade dashi (in which bonito flakes are an essential ingredient). The MSG-free soup stock features in a range of dishes: udon (from $13), oden ($15), ohitashi ($9 ) — cold vegetable appetizer — and shabu shabu (from $40). At lunch, there are also value for money sets such as Bara Chirashi & Udon Set ($25).
Fuku Kaiseki Restaurant
Fugu takes center stage at this fine dining establishment frequented by Mediacorp celebs (check out their photos at a board near the entrance). The restaurant incorporates different parts of the blowfish delicacy in their omakase menus (from $150). Fugu even finds its way onto the drinks list — in the form of grilled fugu mouth […]
Ippudo (Mandarin Gallery)
Famous Hakata-style ramen joint Ippudo’s flagship outlet at Mandarin Gallery is a smart 76-seat space with a modern red, white and black color scheme. On the menu are rich, warming bowls of noodles such as Shiromaru Motoaji — featuring their classic tonkotsu broth — as well as Karaka-men, spicy noodle soup. To go with your […]
Kamoshita
This dark cavernous eatery on club-lined Neil Road features black walls and a large bar counter. Slow, jazzy tunes give the restaurant a lounge-y vibe. The place is just as much about the drinks as it is about the food. Snacky tapas such as grilled salmon with grilled rice yeast marinated Salmon ($18) and filling beef curry rice ($10/half, $19/full) […]
Ito-Kacho (Orchard)
Affiliated with the popular Ito-Kacho opened in Tokyo in 2009, the restaurant on the top floor of Mandarin Gallery follows the same ethos of the former, offering yakiniku using chilled instead of frozen meats. Some of the meats’ nutrients are broken down during the freezing process and the loss of amino acids cause meats to […]
Bincho at Hua Bee
Housed in the back of a 70 year old Hua Bee Mee Pok store (the one made famous by Eric Khoo’s Mee Pok Man), this hidden gem is accessed via a subtly marked door facing the carpark. Raw and gritty, the space features distressed concrete walls, retro blue tiles and edgy copper furnishings. It’s all […]
Dojo
The cozy 30-seater features industrial-style furnishings, concrete floors and a brick wall, giving the space a charming rough-and-ready vibe. Smack at the center of the CBD, on Circular Road, they welcome a steady stream of professionals in search of a quick meal at all hours of the day. On the menu are Japanese-inflected pork burgers […]