Closed
Located in the quieter part of Ang Mo Kio, Jubilee Complex, the restaurant ambience is cosy, comfortable and quiet, away from the buzz of the crowd. I had passed by it several times before and was tempted to go in to try the food since I am usually more into trying out small establishments than those chain restaurants (based on personal experiences, the food is generally much better and more unique in those humble little shops). I'm glad that I finally did.
The huge slab of hotate on top of the little mould of sushi rice (I love it when there is more meat and less rice in a sushi) is unbelievably fresh and silky, and for $2.80 only; it is a dish I can keep on ordering when I'm there for a meal.
As for the sashimi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the akami does not have any fishy smell (most akami I had tried in many places have that hint of fishy smell except in the likes of Kaiho and of course, the supreme haven of Japanese cuisine; Shinji) and even the mekajiki tasted okay (I normally cannot stand the taste of this fish but the one in Kinsa does not have that typical fishy smell at all). Ika and Ama ebi taste good also. The salmon belly is needless to say; fresh, creamy (due to the higher fat content) and smooth; pure delight to one's palates. I especially like the seasoning sprinkled onto the rice; looks insignificant but this little touch counts a lot in my opinion and it helped to enhance the taste of the rice. The appetizer in a little small glass bowl is very flavourful also and performed its role effectively to whet my appetite.
Their maki rolls make for pretty good bites.
One of the must try is the prawn tempura temaki because the piping hot, freshly cooked prawn tempura wrapped in crisp, fresh seaweed and vinegared rice is simply heavenly in taste and texture.
The service is very good; very prompt responses to requests and friendly. Especially an uncle in there who will take the effort to query about customers' opinions on the food—make one feels important as a customer. And found out that some Japanese patronize this restaurant; a sign of the quality of the food there since I personally know that Japanese are particularly fussy about the standard of Japanese food they eat (a reason why one will never see a Japanese dining in one of those commercialized Japanese restaurants).
Now, I do not always have to trudge down to Cuppage to satisfy my cravings for quality and affordable Japanese food (and Shinji is more for that occasional sinful indulgence) since there is Kinsa (and another two restaurants, though for raw fishes, Kinsa is the choice).
In fact, I actually prefer this place over Aoki and even one of my old favourities, Kaiho since I find the quality to be almost the same—special note: the special complimentary appetizers in Kinsa wins the one in Aoki, hands down—but there is a difference in price. While I can only get ordinary types of sushi, such as akami, tamago and ebi in a sushi set lunch in Aoki and Kaiho, with the same amount of money spent, I can order more premium items, along the lines of hotate and amaebi, in Kinsa by ordering individual sushi items off the menu.
With the set meals at less than $20, I can afford to patronize this restaurant often. Have to admit that the ala carte items are too tempting to resist either.
My Thoughts: It used to be one of my Favourite Haunts when located in Ang Mo Kio
This restaurant is no longer in operation.
