Sometimes, I fall for the old ‘seasonal special’ gag and come out of it wondering if I could’ve spent my money better.

While Akimitsu’s special iberico x prawn tempura ($17.90++) is decent, the torched iberico shabu shabu itself couldn’t quite convince me that it was deserving of its place in the bowl. While it was nice and satisfyingly smoky, the texture left a lot to be desired. It was like paper, and sliced far too thin with no fat to give it any actual flavor.

The prawn tempura was crisp and tasty though, so I’d definitely order those babies on their own next time. While the tempura batter is thicker and rougher than Tendon Kohaku’s, it is more flavorful, and the tendon sauce is more savory and less sweet when compared to Kohaku’s.

Today’s lesson? Pass on the pig, and shell out for the prawns.