Visit For Angus Beef In Your Noodles + Tempura You Canāt Stop Poppinā [ Food Review ā Menu Update ] Itās been quite a while since we were last at Gaijin, oops. Iām not big on going to KAP mall because of the type of crowd the place attracts (and the mozzies + cig smoke doesnāt help matters either), and with numerous alternatives in the area, Iād completely forgotten about Gaijin until recently!
Turns out a few things have changed: Instead of operating two menus that you can cross-order from regardless of where youāre seated, theyāve removed their sushi menu (side across the cashier). Iām a tad disappointed because I prefer that selection, but I canāt and wonāt fault a business for streamlining operations if it improves their quality and longevity!
Because it was a pretty long day and both of us were feeling pretty under the weather anyway, we chose to get richer and heartier dishes. Niku udon for me, tempura curry rice for him, and ebi tempura to share.
While I know many of Gaijinās patrons prefer their ramen, Iām all about their udon! Partly because there are no other udon options nearby, but also because itās genuinely enjoyable. The noodles are honestly not the best Iāve had ā not bouncy nor stretchy enough for my liking ā but are totally fine when slurped with dashi and niku. The dashi was mild yet fragrant, with obvious kombu notes, which created a mellow, stable base for the true highlight of the dish: the beef. You donāt just get any beef here ā each bowl is crowned with USDA angus beef slices; lightly blanched to doneness whilst retaining its knitted texture. (If youāre hungry, Iād suggest adding on more beef via their āthe worksā option cause the beefās worth it!)
A certain someoneās curry fared well too, with him inhaling most of it minutes after it arrived. The curryās not too thick and on the lighter side; while that may be a turn off to some, it is especially well-suited, and thus easy, to eat with the rice.
And of course, Gaijin knocked their tempura out of the park again. I think theyāre still the only place I eat tempura at, and I donāt think thatāll change soon! Craggy batter thatās airy and non-oily, king prawns that are bulbous and succulent, vegetables that are fresh and sweet ā now thatās happiness in a bite!