The fifth concept by independent Japanese restaurateur Teppei Yamashita has caused a stir, with long lines out the restaurant’s casual premises at 1 Keong Street, behind the pretty Working Capitol building. Why, you ask? Because it’s Singapore’s only unagi-only Japanese restaurant, specializing in live unagi from Aichi prefecture flown in twice a week and slaughtered and filleted to order in their glass-enclosed kitchen—a guaranteed freshness that is rare to find even in Tokyo. The casual, blond wood-heavy 37-seat space has other great touches—real wasabi root served alongside every main (little grater included), affordable gin and sake cocktails. Surprisingly, though, a meal here will not blow the bank—a legacy Chef Yamashita has maintained since his early Orchid Hotel days.
