Was scrolling through social media one day and found out about Miyabi Don — the bio on their social media account mentions that they are a “Special don shop” and that they are situated at Fortune Centre with operating hours between 11:30am to 2:30pm from Tuesday to Saturday as at the point of writing. Turns out, Miyabi Don is a lunchtime-only concept by the folks behind Piu M; Piu M being a Japanese Italian Shinya-shokudo which translates into English as “Midnight Diner”. A concept by the folks of Piu M under a separate branding, Miyabi Don makes use of Piu M’s location at Level 2 in Fortune Centre since Piu M is only open for dinner service. The interior of Piu M is much like a casual rendition of a Japanese Omakase restaurant — the dine-in setting being one that is rather intimate with the chef considering how most seats are situated around the bar counter facing the food preparation area; there is a dining table good for four (4) pax situated in the corner as well. The menu for Miyabi Don is relatively limited; don’t expect your typical Donburi that is served at most other Japanese establishments though — the menu of four Dons are mostly in Japanese-Italian style just like what Piu M offers in its dinner menu. There is also a limited number of twenty (20) Dons being served a day at Miyabi Don as well. Beverages available at Miyabi Don includes Ayataka, Oolong Tea and Calpico, though one could also opt for the various alcoholic beverages that they have as well.

Having skimmed through the rather limited menu of what Miyabi Don has to offer, we found ourselves going straight for the Wagyu Bolognese Don. Each don on the menu of Miyabi Don comes as a set; the set coming with side of broccoli that seems to be stir-fried with scraps of beef as well as a bowl of Miso Soup. The Wagyu Bolognese Don is prepared by the chef upon order — the dish coming with a sunny side-up above the wagyu bolognese that sits atop a bed of short-grain rice. The chef also asks if the patrons would like to have some cheese shaved atop the Don as well. Digging into the Wagyu Bolognese Don, this feels almost like a Japanese-Italian rendition of the Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice — the Wagyu being diced into small bits and simmered with bolognese sauce; the result is this suitably gamey flavour that is cut through by the tangy tomato-based sauced that provided a good contrast of flavours that kept us going. The Wagyu itself was also pretty tender, considering how there was not much need to chew through the meat. With how sauce-y the Wagyu Bolognese is, the meat sauce is absorbed by the bed of rice beneath — the rice being exceptionally flavourful and suitably moist. Meanwhile, the sunny side-up came with crisp sides and a molten egg yolk; a crowd-pleaser on its own while the shaved cheese adds a dimension of savouriness to the dish. The small dish of broccoli served on the side comes with scraps of beef; the beef providing the broccoli a bit of saltish-ness that carried more flavour than one would from the addition of salt while the broccoli carried a soft crunch. On the other hand, the Miso Soup comes filled with kelp and tofu puffs — the soup carrying a savouriness that hints heavily of an earthy, bean-y note.

Piu M does feel a little bit like a hidden, hole-in-the-wall Japanese diner that serves up an extensive list of alcoholic beverages — this is pretty much the same for Miyabi Don as well, considering how they share pretty much the same premises anyway. It is indeed pretty smart for the folks of Piu M to utilise the space a bit more during lunch hours where Piu M is closed. Miyabi Don can be said as an extension to what Piu M is — Miyabi Don essentially adopting that same Japanese-Italian fusion concept that Piu M is, but packaging it in a format that would best suit as a lunchtime option for curious folks and office crowds in the area. Whilst we had only tried the Wagyu Bolognese Don, we found it to be really satiating — one that hits the spot for us from the mains to even the small dish and Miso Soup that is served on the side; an item where the chef’s passion and dedication in serving his very best to the patrons is well-felt even though he seems to be a one-man show doing everything on his own all by himself. Perhaps this is also the reason why there are only a limited number of twenty (20) dons being served up a day — a number that the chef is likely able to manage without compromising on quality. With Miyabi Don’s don items ranging from $18 to $22 on the menu with the lowest priced items being the Japanese Curry Don and Caponata Don (i.e. Vegetable and Tomato Don), Miyabi Don might not fit quite as well as an everyday eat for those working nearby, though the prices are definitely reasonable when compared to the other Japanese establishments within the same building (save Japanese Curry Express, which is well-known for being value-for-money) — suitable as a weekend eat or a meal to just treat one-self to on an occasional basis. That being said, Miyabi Don does feel like one of those hidden spots waiting to be discovered serving up some really serious Japanese-Italian cuisine with its own flair — a mysterious spot that only those whom are in the know, shall know …