I'm always on the hunt for decent and affordable Japanese food and my eyes lit up when i heard that Chef Takayama of Takayama has opened a kamameshi specialty restaurant which doesn't break the bank. Kamameshi is also known as "kettle rice", a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in a "kama" (iron pot). My first Kamameshi was actually at Sun with Moon, which actually serves pretty decent kamameshi too.

While Hanare may look like a pricey restaurant located in Takashimaya shopping centre, the prices are really affordable. We sampled the 6-course dinner set menu for 2, which showcases the restaurant's best dishes, and it only cost us $110++ for a rather satisfying meal.

2 appetisers were served, a tofu and white bait salad with a tangy plum sauce, and slices of sashimi. The sashimi wasn't the freshest and Jr found that the kampachi was a bit slimy. No loss for this pregnant woman who can't take raw food for now. 

As we march towards the hot and humid summer, savour the last taste of the balmy Spring at Fukui, where Head Chef Nick Pa’an presents several multi-course sushi menus curated on a weekly basis. For Spring, feast on a wide variety of seafood and produce. From the sea, you'd have young conger eels, firefly squid, Hokkaido hairy crab, and from the land, some crisp bamboo sprouts and white strawberries.

We had the 9-course dinner ($288/pax). Typically, you would have a sushi course, unless you're pregnant like me, or if you can't take raw food. For some sushi items, Chef introduces the addition of bincho-tan into his open kitchen to sear rich seafood and i guess that kind of cooks the seafood. However, if you want a fully cooked menu, here is what you can expect.

 

First, a really sour appetizer of vinegared seaweed, vinegar jelly, and ponzu with the creamy firefly squid. While the sourness may have removed some fishiness of the squid, i thought there was a tad too much acidity. This was followed by a Wara-smoked Japanese Butterfish. The Japan imported rice straw lent a woody fragrance to the oily fish. There was also a light spice from the onion and daikon sprouts. 

For the Hot Dish, we had a cooked Japanese Abalone with a nori sauce. I thought this was a tad fishy with all the flavors of the sea, plus the added salinity from the Ice Plant made it the fishiness even more pronounced. Take my taste buds with a pinch of salt now because i don't quite enjoy seafood currently. Jr didn't seem to have much issue with this dish. 

The Grilled Japanese Star butterfish was to my liking however (surprise surprise). The rich Amera tomatoes balanced any oiliness with a full-bodied sweetness. More savory notes were added with a sheet of crunchy tatami iwashi.

Meet my nemesis, the sea cucumber. Ok i don't hate it, i just don't see the appeal of it. The texture was really good in this one though and Jr happily ate them for me. The braised daikon and bamboo shoots were sufficient for me. I liked that the bamboo shoot only had a milk flavor and was crunchy.

I really enjoyed the tempura course, which featured a thinly battered monkfish, Japanese sweet corn, asparagus and Japanese sweet potato. No dipping sauce was required for this at all. And ooh that sweet potato tempura was so fluffy and creamy.

Since i couldn't have the regular Chirashi, Chef made me a premium don with a variety of seafood- Blackthroat seaperch, Kinmedai, Kuruma Ebi (Japanese tiger prawn), Zuwaigani crab spring roll, Amaebi, Kaki Yubeshi (persimmon with yuzu) and Tatemaki (Japanese pancake- egg and black sugar), plus a tempura egg yolk. The rice is rather special- it is seasoned using Okinawan black vinegar and black sugar. It's a decent bowl, but i'd very much prefer a chirashi don.  

To round off the savoury menu, an Amberjack collar soup with maitake was served. This is a clear soup that showcases the natural flavors of the amberjack and it was light and earthy and extremely comforting. 

For dessert, we had a selection of seasonal fruits- Awayuki Ichigo with a lovely cherry blossom-pink blush, naval orange and musk melon. 

Some hits and misses on this menu but again, it could be my pregnancy taste buds plus i'm sure sashimi and sushi would be better. I guess we just have to come back after baby is out of the oven. 

Lunch sets start from $138++ to $168++ for seven courses. For lunch and dinner, Sushi Omakase* starts from $188++ to $258++ for five courses, and Omakase menus start from $288++ for nine courses to $388++ for ten courses. Binchotan sushi is only available for dinner seatings. 

Fukui

25 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238969

Mon- Sat: 12 - 3pm, 6 - 10.30pm 

Tel: +65 6509 0909

Ovenbird is a family-owned, home-style SG-Japanese fusion restaurant helmed by self-taught Chef Jeffrey Yeo. The one-man show started 2 years ago from his Yishun flat before opening in Mar 2021 at City Gate Bugis and Chef Jeffrey continued to run everything on his own, sometimes with the help of his wife. A seasonal Omakase menu ($130 nett) is served here and Chef Jeffrey calls it 'Ah Beng style Japanese food'. 

 

Since there's only 1 chef/waiter, the courses are served to all diners at once. So please be punctual. While waiting, we started with a Japanese Dasi Ale which Chef recommended. This is definitely a first that we had beer with omakase but it was actually good with our courses. The Chawanmushi with Sake Sujiko, Matsutake trimmings and Shoyuzuke, was first served. The egg custard was deliberately kept plain to go with the creamy marinated salmon roe. 

Then the generous Ah Beng started serving us a whole lot of fish, starting with the Katsuo Tatami- fresh line-caught (bonito). Autumn is the perfect season for bonito as the fish is super fatty. The grated daikon with chili pepper and lemon ponzu helped to cut the richness of the fish. 

When we celebrated our 3rd anniversary last month, we "travelled" to Japan through Omakase @ Stevens new autumn menu, since we thought we wouldn't be travelling till next year. Chef Shusuke Kubota managed to bring autumn to us through the 11-course dinner omakase ($280/pax), using the freshest seasonal ingredients from one of our favorite countries. 

We stepped into my favorite season with a pretty delicate bowl of Gomadofu that resembled Koyo (autumn leaves). Under the warm orange Bafun uni and fresh Hokkaido Ikura lies the mochi-like homemade sesame beancurd with 'ago dashi jelly' which was slightly chewy and incredibly fragrant.

In the Hassun (snacks), the seasonal Pacific Saury made an appearance on top of a homemade brioche, dressed with garlic oil. Other snacks included the pan-seared Anglerfish liver on crispy Monaka pastry and topped with persimmon (almost foie gras-like); and the deep-fried yam with Wagyu Prosciutto.

The Hay-smoked Katsuo has been a fixture on the Chef's menu. The interesting use of Fourme d'Ambert sauce helped to tone down the fishiness, together with the sherry balsamic and walnut oil. 

This was followed by a cold Kagawa Somen tossed in a sauce made of abalone liver and rock seaweed, topped with sliced Chiba abalone and more uni. You know it's love when you get more of your favorite uni from your other half (i gave him more abalone). 

While i've had Shirako before, this was the first time i had it served hot in a broth. The heat gave the cod sperm an even creamier and milky texture. Chef Shu cooked this in his special chicken scallop broth and it does have a strong taste despite the chili oil. 

One of our favorite dishes was the fried tilefish with edible scales. Even though the fish was fried to a crisp, it was not oily at all and the fish remained crispy in the Matsutake dashi that was finished with some shaved Kabosu citrus. 

The maim event is also a staple on the menu- a charcoal-grilled Kagoshima Wagyu served with the seasonal lily bulb with Okahijiki and a sauce made with port and red wine and Sansho pepper. 

Even though we were stuffed, we couldn't help but add on Chef's special donabe. There were several toppings to pick from and we went with the Sakoshi Bay oysters on maitake dashi rice (since we didn't have it on the dinner menu) and boy were they huge! Jr was very pleased with this. 

For desserts, there's the choice of a boozy sake one with seasonal Nagano grapes on a sake jelly covered with sake kasu mousse and crushed sherbet, topped with crispy rice puffs and sake foam. The deconstructed Mont Blanc was truly a special one that is inspired by Chef Shu's childhood and his grandmother and resembles the snowcapped mountains in Nagano. 

If you're hoping to experience Japan (before any VTL happens), Omakase @ Stevens would deliver with their dinner plates and exceptional service. 

Omakase @ Stevens

30 Stevens Rd, #01-03, Singapore 257840

Tel: +65 6735 8282

Mon- Sat: 5.30 - 10.30pm

I gave up on any form of private dining since the scene started gaining popularity. Why? It is not because i turn my nose at fads and trends, it's just impossible to get a table at any decent ones, so i wait, until they become big enough to go commercial LOL. Mustard Seed is one of the private dining turned restaurant type and it is still hard to get a table- reservations are snapped up within a minute of their release on the first day of the month at 10am. I only managed to dine here 2 years after Mustard Seed set up shop in the sleepy Brighton estate in Serangoon Gardens, all thanks to my lucky friend and his extremely fast fingers. 

Mustard Seed is helmed by Chef Gan Ming Kiat, who serves his personal interpretation of Singapore's food, inspired by Japanese cuisine and technique. The fine dining, omakase style menu marries his prior experiences at Candlenut and Goto- Mod-Sin with Japanese. The menu changes every 2 months and starts at $140+ per pax for lunch and $168+ for dinner.

Jiu Hu Eng Chye is usually made with cuttlefish but at Mustard Seed, fresh squid is used, scored and seared quickly into tender scallop shapes. Instead of the usual kang kong, cucumber and kale were used instead, topped with a housemade sweet sauce which is a mix of sambal with red miso and hoisin. I don't typically enjoy the cuttlefish kangkong dish and i definitely prefer this version which is more elegant. 

Prawn Tortellini with Ipoh style broth eased us into the hot dishes and boy does it comfort the soul. The inspiration of the dish comes from Ipoh chicken hor fun and the broth is made with kampung chicken, and infused with prawn heads and prawn shell for more umami. The tortellini wanton provided a little more chew due to the pasta skin and it was quite a textural delight.

MoboMoga welcomes all you modern boys and modern girls (the name actually means that) at its dark and eclectic sake-bar/izakaya with a speakeasy vibe. Located along the main Mohamed Sultan road side of UE square, you would probably miss this sake bar if you do not spot the red lantern hanging outside. Duck in through the door within a door (note it's the smaller one) and scoot onto a seat around the bar counter for your Japan experience in Singapore (since we can't travel). 

You may feel a little out of place, just like you would at a local Japanese bar where no one speaks English. We were told by friends that we should ask the pretty Japanese service staff for recommendations for food and sake and we dutifully heeded the advice. It would otherwise be daunting to pick something from the vast collection of sakes here.   

Not fans of innards, we skipped the recommended sweet shrimp shiokara ($12) and low temperature cooked chicken liver ($14) and went straight for the izakaya defining tsukune ($12), which sadly lacked the crunch of the cartilage. Instead, you get some nutty bites (probably from some form of nuts like gingko or peanut). The grilled chicken meatball is doused with a sweet tare and topped with a whole creamy egg yolk.

BBQ on sticks, all the convenience, none of the hassle. Yakitori Yatagarasu obviously is doing things right by their skewers, having expanded their business during these strange times. Both outlets are situated along Circular Road, just a few stores apart, offering a selection of yakitori and pork belly-wrapped sticks, alongside some appetizers, fried food, and some carbs. I loved the cosy interior and we sat at the counter where we could see chef work his magic.

It was brainless to go with the starter set ($29/pax), which includes chef's choice of 4 chicken skewers, 2 pork skewers, with a salad (cabbage, onion, or coriander), plus an alcoholic drink (except sake). 

Glad to have this refreshing cabbage salad to go with the savory sticks. Jr went for coriander which IMO is one of the most disgusting veg to eat on its own. Like isn't it a garnish? As much as he liked coriander, i guess his love for it isn't sufficient for him to finish the plate of salad. 

Yakitori are priced at $2.50 with the exception of tsukune ($4). We were served the tender fillet which was flavored by teeny drops of yuzu kosho. 

Of course the chicken thigh was better due to its higher fat content.  

Now something i've never tried in my life is the chicken tail (aka chicken backside). What have i been missing out my whole life?! This part is perfect for grilling because the fat makes it crispy and there's a tender knob of meat hidden as well. I happily gave the gizzard away because i'm not a fan of such chewy textures. As for the soft bone, well i ate whatever meat there's on it. Unfortunately, all diners have to order the set together, so i'm stuck with these parts. I'd probably order my choice of items in the future but i'm also glad i got to try the chicken butt because of this. 

We enjoyed the juicy crunch of the lettuce wrapped in pork belly. The pork belly items are priced from $3.50.

The long beans wrapped in pork belly also exploded when we bit into them. 

Of course we had to order more. Sitting in front of the grill was of no help when it comes to restraining calories. Loved the mix of king oyster mushrooms with pork belly. Asparagus works too. If we had more space, i'd have gone for the more interesting items like pork belly wrapped curry rice or okonomiyaki.

The shiso leaf pork belly was another of my favorites due to the refreshing flavor.

We also had an order of the fried oysters, which were plump and juicy. 

Yakitori Yatagarasu is worth a repeat visit for a casual dinner. Good food, good prices, and attentive service. Also, frozen towels are a thing, perfect for refreshing your fingers while dining. 

Yatagarasu

66 and 72 Circular Road Singapore 049426

Tel: +65 6221 7785

Mon - Sat: 6 – 10.30pm

More Japanese restaurant reviews! What can i say, Japanese cuisine is my favorite. This time, we checked out Kaunta, a modern 20-seater Japanese restaurant by the same team behind The Sushi Bar. Kaunta is the slightly more upmarket sister which uses fresh ingredients from Japan. While they used to serve donburi, they have moved on to serve an omakase concept now, with lunch starting from only $50. 

Other than sushi, you could also have the A5 Wagyu Beef Bowl ($80) which is limited to 5 sets per day. This don is topped with butter wagyu, and uni, ikura, caviar, onsen egg and truffle bits over Japanese rice. 

We went with the Aoi sushi set ($60), which consists of an appetizer (sakura ebi salad), hot dish (chawanmushi), 8 pcs of sushi, complimentary toro maki, miso soup and dessert.

The appetizer was a salad with fried sakura ebi. Love the fragrance in this but the wasabi citrus soy was a tad strong. This was followed by the unagi chawanmushi with a silky mushroom dashi broth. I loved how the eel was fluffy and not at all rubbery. 

The fish are mostly aged at Kaunta to give it that umami boost. We were also surprised by the house-smoked salmon here. At first i tolerated the generous smear of wasabi in my first 2 pieces of sushi, but when it came to the spineless squid, i teared. That was when i had it and requested that Chef Peter tone down the wasabi and everything tasted much better after. 

Chutoro and Akami, both were good but i preferred the marbled piece better. 

Shima Aji. 

Scallop soaked in sake.

I didn't quite like the sweet truffle tamago which was served way too cold. Somehow cold tamago just reminds me too much of the generic supermarket types. 

The complimentary toro roll was a tad vinegary but delicious nevertheless. 

A Salmon belly miso soup marked the end of the savory course. The fish had been fried lightly and provided a toasty flavor to the soup. 

Ice cream was served to end the meal and there was the choice of yuzu or sesame ice cream and they are served with a homemade umeshu jelly. The jelly goes better with the bright yuzu but i really liked the rich roasty sesame. 

The sushi at Kaunta are fresh and decent. There was also an effort to share with diners what produce are used. Sans the not too pleasant spicy start, the meal was quite pleasant and makes for a good casual sushi meal. Wouldn't mind dropping back in for a quick lunch. 

Kaunta Singapore

11 Kee Seng Street

#01-12 Onze

Singapore 089218

Tel: +65 8788 3535