Nozomi - Unique Yummy Japanese Dishes

Nozomi, the restaurant at the end of Nihon Street in Millenia Walk, is surprisingly crowded given its secluded location.

What I like about this place is the repertoire of interesting and unique dishes not found anywhere else. In fact, I want to try them all, if the wallet allows.

Sakura Ebi is claypot filled with premium stuff such as Sakura Ebi for the essence of the sea and slices of truffle for the earthy aroma. And lots of ikura added for pops of umami. The starchy rice imbued with these flavours is really a wholesome treat. So good that other seasonings is no needed.

Salmon Lovers Platter is pretty good too.

The place is more of Izakaya style and the service is decent.

Frankly speaking, I feel do very satisfied after a meal here and I want so much to come here again to try all the different dishes like Hokkaido Scallop Black Truffle Capellini, Pidan Tofu, Hotate and Amaebi Don, Hokkaido Uni Chawamushi, Truffle Salt Potato Noisette, Smoked Duck Salad and Amebi Age. And Sakura Ebi gave a nice preview of the quality of food here. But circumstances disallows me to do so. Yup, personal issues … If I have the chance, will like to write more about other dishes.

Thoughts: Unique and Delicious Japanese Food with a Twist

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk’s car park

Nearest MRT: Promenade

9 Raffles Boulevard

Millenia Walk #02-06

Singapore

Sandaime Hiraki - Wholesome Japanese Meals plus … Japanese Oden Rice!

A new kid on the block of Nihon Street at Millenia Walk is here (sort of, this piece is way overdue), keeping up with the tradition of providing quality Japanese food!

One of the reasons that this restaurant is worth a visit is the “Japanese Chicken Rice” (my own words) served with all the meals here. Actually, it is rice cooked in oden (a kind of Japanese soup, not chicken), but my first impression is that it tastes like chicken rice. Starchy in texture, not too oily, but thoroughly captured the essence of ingredients of oden, thus intensely flavourful, this rice is so good that I can have a second helping of it. Since I love the starchiness of Japanese rice, this version of “chicken rice” is absolutely my favourite “chicken rice”.

Tontoro Bento is highly recommended. The meat is slightly tougher, but the taste of it is so good. Nutty goodness of the fats of the pork bursts into the mouth when taking a bite off it. I also like the raw egg and miso soup that come with it.

Sashimi is decent, being fresh.

Skewers is pretty good, a nice side dish to order.

The place is very bright, airy and clean, great for a relaxing meal. If you want to be seen by passerby, can opt to sit beside the open window by the corridor. I mean, why not, if you are looking great.

Thoughts: Good food at good prices. One of my regular places to go to.

9 Raffles Boulevard

#02-10/11

Singapore

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk’s car park

Nearest MRT: Promenade MRT

Gochi So Shokudo - Value for Money Premium Black Pig Feasts

Iberico pork is renowned for being the best due to the rarity of the breed, high level of oleic acid, the marbling and the nutty aroma resulted from the pigs’ unique diet. So naturally, it will cost an arm and a leg to savour this premium pork. So imagine our excitement when the new kid on the block of Nihon Street at Millenia Walk, Gochi So Shokudo, offers Iberico set meals at a very affordable price range of $15 onwards.

Secreto Belly Don immediately got my attention when I was flipping through the menu full of all kinds of Iberico pork dishes, being prepared in various ways: from stir fried, charcoal grilled to deep fried. For one, it is not often that I can find in other Japanese restaurants pork prepared this way: chargrilled till the exterior is imbued with strong aroma of roasted meat while retaining the succulent texture in the middle. It is a bit like char siew meat actually, except that it is more premium. Needless to say, it tastes very good. The marbling makes the meat tender and juicy. And it helps that the rice is well-cooked, being firm and starchy.

Bellota Iberico Katsu features, again, fresh, succulent, juicy meat, wrapped in a layer of crispy deep fried breadcrumbs. This, of course, gets the thumbs-up from us.

Teriyaki Bellota Iberico Loin Donburi set is oh-so-good too. And for obviously the same reasons as Secreto Belly Don and Bellota Iberico Katsu. The meat in this dish is like katsu being grilled and then being drizzled with the flavourful teriyaki sauce. And it works. Though this dish is seasonal, so if you see it, gonna try it before it disappears from the menu.

For the price I’m paying for Iberico pork, I know the ambience of the place will not be fancy and posh. And I’m right, in fact, it is like atas foodcourt setting, but I’m not complaining. I will take premium goods with great pricing any time over fancy setting.

And yes, I am a regular of this place already.

Thoughts: Must try! For the sake of your palates and wallet.

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk's car park
Nearest MRT: Promenade

Millenia Walk #02-16
9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore

Tomi Sushi - Value for Money Set Meals

Millenia Walk is like a food haven, this place has so many different kinds of restaurants located in it. And I finally visit the last restaurant in Nihon Street repetoire: Tomi Sushi! And yes, it deserves the place in Nihon Street that features restaurants providing good Japanese food at great prices. What I like about Nihon Street is that different dining concepts, from White Curry, Teppanyaki, Robatayaki, Ramen, Shabu Shabu, Tonkatsu, Super Chirashi to Sushi, are featured there with no overlapping, so I can just go there and then decide which restaurant to visit.

The interior is bright, with ample space between the light beige wooden tables, thus setting up a nice ambience to dine in. Service is pretty okay.

The highlight of this eatery got to be the huge variety of value-for-money set lunch meals. I am so spoilt for choice that I take ten minutes to decide which one I want. They have the affordable Nigiri Umi—this is like the assorted sushi set, Salmon Nigiri, Sashi, Sakura Nigiri—this features both tori karaage and sushi, Chirashi, Tempura, Negitoro Don—minced Tuna belly that I love, Salmon Don, Gin Teri, Saba Shioyaki, to the more luxurious, also more expensive set meals like Osusume lunch. So this huge array of choices makes this place a great choice for gatherings.

The quality of the raw fishes is pretty decent, being of the right firmness and texture. Those thick slices of fishes are served at the right temperature and has no hint of fishy smell. Given the price point of the set meals, the fishes are not exactly crème de la crème. And the colour of the salmon is slightly paler than what I would have appreciated. But I have no complaints here since for the price I am paying, such quality is pretty worth it already.

The negitoro don is very flavourful. This gets the thumbs up from me. For this set meal, recommend to take away the shredded beancurd skin from the cold soba since its texture is too rough and does not go well with the smooth texture of the noodles soaked in the light soba sauce.

All in all, this is the restaurant I will always consider when looking for decent Japanese food that is kind to my wallet!

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk's car park
Nearest MRT: Promenade

Millenia Walk #02-12/13
9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore
Contact No: 6238 1123

Miyako Teppanyaki & Grill - Love the Sheer Variety of the Set Meals

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After trying out almost all the restaurants in Nihon Street's line-up and being impressed with them, naturally, we got to check out the new kid on the block: Miyako Teppanyaki & Grill. What impress me about this restaurant are the variety of set meals available and the changes, vast improvements to be exact, done to the menu based on feedbacks. Now I can say that this place is officially a true part of Nihon Street's family, where nice Japanese food that does not break the bank can be found. And Japanese also patronizes this restaurant, which goes to show how good the food here is.

The decor of the restaurant is pretty much along the line of nice mid-range Japanese restaurant. While neither striking nor exceptional, it has that cosy ambience that is great for family outings and gatherings for friends or colleagues. And it definitely helps that the place is spacious.

The donburi set meals available during lunch time are very value for money, and I decide to try Soft Shell Crab Don since it is not like one can get this kind of don everywhere. Well, I guess I make the right choice. The generous portion of soft shell crabs are fried to an amazing texture where it is soft, with a little bit of crispiness. I like to munch on the crab legs for the slight crunchiness while I love to eat the main body because of the creamy flesh hidden within. And I also like the specialty sauce drizzled over the crab.

As for the set meals, which are also available during dinner, I am surprised by the huge variety there. For grilled fish sets alone, there are seven of them already, imagine that. From the usual suspects of salmon and unagi to the rare ones of yellowtail and snapper, fish lovers are spoilt for choices.

Since I prefer raw fish over cooked one, I opt for the Scallop & Prawn Teppanyaki set instead, and oh boy, am I glad I choose this. The fresh scallops and prawns are skillfully grilled to the point that the meat has a bit of charred surface, for that lovely aroma of grilled meat, yet retaining the succulent texture. The scallops are juicy and springy though easy to bite—well-prepared scallops should be like that. And the huge prawns are creamy, I like it so much that I even end up scrapping the incredibly creamy, flavourful hepatopancreas from the base of the prawns' heads. Yes, I highly recommend savouring this part of the prawn, don't let such a gem go to waste. The seasonings is light, enough to enhance the taste of the seafood without stealing the limelight. Another highlight is the fried garlic slices that are served with the set meals. The muted pungent flavour of fried garlic goes so wonderfully with the meat. The accompanying vegetables are kind of ordinary though, they are more for a well-rounded diet.

My companion orders the Chicken Steak Teppanyaki Set, and his verdict is that it is awesome when paired with Japanese sauce, which is available upon request. I have tried it, and I find that the meat is very well seasoned, and like the seafood, grilled to perfection. It does not really need the sauce in my opinion, the scattering of pepper on top is enough to make it tasty.

The salad is Japanese tangy salad sauce drizzled over fresh, crisp raw vegetables. It is a decent appetizer to whet the appetite, and I like it that they are generous in pouring lots of sauce over the veggies. And the slightly translucent, starchy Japanese rice here passes the standard I expect from Japanese restaurants. Yes, I am very picky about the quality of rice. The rice got to be good for me to patronize any restaurant again since it is what makes or breaks a hearty meal.

Kushiyaki of the day: yakitori, complimentary from the order of 300ml of sake served in a Japanese styled bucket of ice, is also another winner. The meat is very flavourful due to the faint hint of charred meat, well-seasoned meat and a coat of the savoury sweet yakitori sauce. This does get me hyped to try other kushiyaki items in the future.

Salted caramel ice-cream is a nice treat to end the meal. I always like the taste of molasses in caramel, but I do find that caramel, in general, is too sweet to my liking. The salted caramel ice-cream here gets the proportions right as it is not overly sweet, thus I do find myself enjoying it a lot. And a bit saltiness makes the ice-cream taste so great!

Service here is impressive since the friendly staffs are attentive and respond promptly to requests.

With the set meals priced at pretty wallet-friendly prices, plus the good food, I am set on visiting this restaurant again soon.

My Thoughts: It is one of my Favourite Haunts!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Uma Uma Ramen - Charms of Izakaya

Closed

It’s official, Nihon Street is one of my favourite haunt now, with Uma Uma cementing the regular haunt status of this place. Like the other offerings of Nihon Street, Uma Uma adds to the bustling vibe of Nihon Street, which features restaurants that is perfect for gatherings: to chill out and just have boisterous conversations with one's companions.

The interior resembles a hybrid of Japanese Izakaya with the wooden wall panels and furniture and modern pub due to the dim yellow lights and bar counter. It is interesting and gives the feel that this is the place to cast your inhibitions aside and just enjoy the company of your friends … or family, maybe. And the friendly, easy-going staff makes it even more so.

While I love this restaurant, it is not because of its soup-based ramen since I find the soup to be too strong in the taste of pork—Burosu Honten's ramen is still my favourite for ramens with soup. The dish that seals the deal for me is actually the Mazesoba Chasiu—a dry ramen. This ramen is amazing due to the springy yellow noodles and generous toppings of chasiu—a kind of barbecued pork, spring onions, leeks and sesame seeds. These ingredients yield a ramen that has robust flavours. And a splash of chilli oil gives that extra kick to the taste, covering all spectrums of flavours. This is definitely a must-try.

Spicy Chasiu rice bowl is like the miniature version of Mazesoba Chasiu, with rice replacing the noodles. The starchy Japanese rice goes very well with the ingredients also. But I do find that this dish is way spicier than Mazesoba Chasiu, and not everyone is able to take that level of spiciness. Chasiu rice bowl, on the other hand, does pale in comparison to its spicy counterpart as without the chilli, the chasiu tastes a tad too salty.

Spicy Negitoro rice bowl is a nice alternative to all the chasiu dishes. The spicy sauce drizzles on top of the raw minced tuna works to make the otherwise plain dish exciting. The pearl-like rice helps a lot to make this rice bowl worthwhile to try.

And Chicken Karaage is a nice bite-sized treat.

With the love for this place's dry ramen, rice bowls and casual ambience, I have been going to here on regular basis already.

My Thoughts: It is one of my Favourite Haunts!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry - Simplicity at its Best

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After the enjoyable dining experience at Kurama Robatayaki, we are hyped to check out the other restaurants in Nihon Street’s line-up, and off to Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry we go!

Everything about this restaurant is based on simplicity: simple izakaya style setting, simple menu of set meals plus sides and simple concept of white curry paired with meat and vegetables. And with nothing elaborate, I can actually walk out feeling satisfied and full after a meal there.

We start off with tsukumono, which is pickled cabbages and red peppers, and the crunchy, crisp texture, paired with the simulating taste of vinegar, serves well to whet our appetites. The truffle chawamushi and soup that come with all set meals are full of flavours. For the chawamushi, obviously the flavour comes from the truffle oil. And the good part is they go easy on the truffle oil, just adding a bit for a hint of earthy aroma to enhance the taste without crashing with the delicate taste of the egg custard. And the clear soup is packed with umami of the clams that I enjoy.

After savouring the extremely tasty soup, which is perfect for cold weather, I do find that the white curry is more toned down in terms of flavours. But I definitely prefer the white curry here over other kinds of Japanese curries. Most Japanese curries are simply watered down version of Indian curries, so I might as well go to Indian restaurants to get my kick of the day. The white curry puts something different on the table. It is rich with the creaminess of milk and has that slight taste of pepper that makes it a little bit more spicier than its Japanese counterparts, which is what I like. I can say the curry here is in a league of its own. The starchy Japanese rice goes perfectly well with the white creamy curry. The fried ebi is fresh and crispy, thus making for hearty treats.

And the meat of pork hamburg is soft and succulent.

As for the truffle fries, I like the iota of truffle oil lacing the fries at the top. But it is a different story for the fries at the bottom, which are drenched in the oil. Frankly speaking, while it is great to get lots of shaved truffle slices, too much truffle oil can ruin the taste of the food. And the last bit of fries is way too overloaded with truffle oil that it assaults our senses. Though on the third and fourth try of the fries, the amount of truffle oil used is just right.

Service is great, being prompt and friendly, and has this izakaya feel to it that makes patrons feel at ease, which makes this place great for unwinding after a day’s work or getting together with family or friends.

With the free flow of soup and rice—only applicable if each patron orders a set meal, the set meal is extremely value for money. Needless to say, this restaurant is one of our regular haunts already!

My Thoughts: It is one of my Favourite Haunts!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Kurama Robatayaki - Hearty Surprises in this Surprise Find

This restaurant is no longer in operation 

I usually have most of my weekend lunches at my regular haunts, so this kind of contributes to my lack of updates. So I am not expecting to put up any new content on this site till the end of this year as I am running low on annual leaves to go on food journeys around Singapore. And surprise, surprise, I find a hidden gem in the form of Kurama Robatayaki when shopping at Harvey Norman!

This place is called hidden gem because one cannot spot it if casually walking around the central area of Millenia Walk. This restaurant, along with other Japanese restaurants, is actually nested within Nihon Street on the 2nd floor. So just keep an eye out for a big Nihon Street signboard to find the place. Seems like recently, lots of shopping malls are into featuring exclusive areas for Japanese restaurants. Some do not work for me, while some become my favourite haunts. As for the one in Millenia Walk, I like the scenic ambience with bamboos plants lining one side of the wide corridor, and the restaurants here look promising. I had tried Saboten before at 313 Somerset, so naturally, I decide to try out another establishment instead, and Kurama does not disappoint.

The exterior is a mishmash of colourful Japanese ornaments, decorations and sake bottles, which extends to the bar area near the entrance. It does have the feel of a traditional makeshift Japanese-themed chill-out spot. And hiding behind this bar is the restaurant where the countless of white paper lanterns, some with Japanese word on them with black ink, greet the patrons. Another centrepiece of the place got to be the wooden counter that is decked with various produces. The setting somewhat makes this place looks like a nice cosy restaurant located beside the market, minus the noise, of course.

Not only is Tsukune Don a great hearty and flavourful treat, it is unbelievably value for money. At only $9.90, I get a bowl of chicken minced meat skewers, paired with egg and very well-cooked quality Japanese rice topped with seaweed flakes, bonito flakes and other seasonings. The lightly seasoned chicken is fresh and full of meaty flavour, and the half-cooked egg is prepared in such a way that a tiny pressure breaks runny thin egg white to douse the rice and tsukune in egg yolk—simple things in life can be so enjoyable.

Spicy Salmon, which is originally $26.90, is now $8.90—this is the price I remember, these may vary from the actual prices slightly, is a real steal. The fresh slices of raw salmon are glazed with a dash of spicy seasonings, which gives the extra kick to the taste. For its original price, this don is still worth a shot due to the novelty of spicy salmon and the quality Japanese rice. At the super discount, this is a must-try.

Momo: chicken thigh meat on skewers is a good choice to order to try out what the robatayaki dishes here are all about due to the attractive price of $3. The preparation of this dish is reminiscent of that of the best sumiyaki restaurant, Kazu. After sprinkles of sea salt and pepper, plus a spray of oil, and the fresh, succulent meat is off to the grill. And this works because going light on seasonings allow the flavours of grilled meat to shine through. I say the momo here is pretty comparable to the one in Kazu.

The quality of tebasaki is comparable also, but this is more expensive than its counterpart in Kazu, as do other sumiyaki items. But there are times where I will go to this restaurant for sumiyaki over Kazu when I favour better and spacious setting or I have cravings for sumiyaki during lunch time—Kazu is only opened during dinner. And the super value for money dons are worth a trip down there.

Do take note that when I put the tag "Value for Money" to this post, I am referring to the dons available during lunch. Ordering the ala carte items such sumiyaki and robatayaki items is another story.

The service is good. There is this auntie service staff is friendly and full of zest, and we appreciate this kind of great service that has a unique Singaporean feel to it.

Needless to say, this restaurant has become one of my top choices for lunch already due to the great price, variety and decent quality of food.

My Thoughts: It is one of my Favourite Haunts!

Saboten - Delicious Tonkatsu ... and Salad

If you check out my reviews, you will notice I generally have bad impressions of chain restaurants. There are of course exceptions, like Rakuichi, and Saboten!

What this place gets right are the tonkatsu and the free flow of salad. The tonkatsu is coated with an amazingly crispy yet fine breadcrumbs that does not cut the mouth, unlike lots of CUTlets out there. I highly recommend the tenderloin over the loin meat since as the name has stated, the meat is tender, fresh, flavourful and juicy. The loin meat is a bit too tough and has too much fat. The special sauce has the right balance of flavours and a bit of sourness to kick things up. To make things interesting, many patrons need to grind the sesame seeds before mixing them with the specialty sauce. Needless to say, the aroma of the crushed sesame adds more robustness to the overall taste.

The salad of finely shredded cabbage totally whets the appetite when the tangy sesame sauce or ponzu one, maybe both are added to the cold, crisp, extremely fresh vegetables, served in a cold bowl. Even the rice served here is of high quality type. The grains each has a pearl-like sheen coating it, looking really moist. They are perfectly cooked: no broken grains, smooth texture and quite soft to the bite, but not overly so.

Dessert is yuzu ice cream, which refreshes the palate a lot. Nothing really special, but I am glad that watermelon is not served instead since a lot of Japanese restaurants love to serve watermelon.

Service is okay. They are prompt to responses and are quite friendly.

I became a regular of the place already.

Update: I find the quality of the meat to have somewhat dropped. The rest are still good though.

My Thoughts: My Favourite place for Tonkatsu.

This restaurant had shifted to Millennia Walk.