Japanese

This bowl simply turn the tables for fried food for me! Love it how non greasy and oily each piece is, locking in all the flavours the food originally have! The sweet, custardy pumpkin, fresh crunchy prawns, even the long beans are sweet and flavourful 🙀

Best thing of all? This bowl of fully filled tempuras will only set you back by $13.90, comes with a side of chawanmushi and miso soup (and fresh flow vegetable pickles) 😻 Can't believe it took me so Long to try this out!!

The Short Review

Price Range: $9-$16

Nearest MRT: Kent Ridge

Instagrammability: High -
Taking over the late Late Plate's space in the NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Waa Cow's outdoor verandah provides a nice spot for your photo op.

Food:
1) Wagyu Don - Main [$17.90]
Standards wise, it's on par with Tanuki Raw, but Waa Cow does throw in a bit more beef for its heftier price. Charring the tops of the rice is a little unusual, but the burnt taste hardly permeates through the bowl. The rest of the rice is better than Tanuki's.

At first glance, the shallot jam looks suspiciously like a dollop of chilli, but it was actually pretty delicious.
Any well-executed onsen egg is glorious, but perhaps swapping the common micro-roe for plump ikura could better justify its price.
Comes with token miso soup.

2) Soy Glazed Wings [$8.90]
Love at first bite. Crisp, flavourful; though my friend complained it was a tad oily.
Special thanks to Constance & Aaron for letting us try them!

Present & past NUS wayfarers enjoy 10% off. Though nearby joints like DSTLLRY may still triumph in the battle of the Dons, you can't beat being on campus. Waa Cow makes Wagyu Dons between tutorials a reality.

Their extended menu, which includes Chirashi Dons, launches today, so if The Deck's Japanese food is too sad for your liking, pop over to Waa Cow for a little splurge.

Come Here: Again.

A long week of work calls for a meal that heals. If you work in the area, you're probably familiar with the super affordable, tasty rice bowls available here at lunch. At dinner, expect comforting dishes such as the classic Okonomiyaki ($8.80) and the Hanpen Cheese ($6.80), deep-fried fish cake stuffed with cheese, served with cod roe mayo (make sure they serve this hot!). What's nice is that they also do some really unexpected, elegant dishes like the Shime Saba — mackerel sashimi scorched with a blowtorch right before your eyes, served with lemon, mustard and soy sauce. Also go for the Maguro Tataki with ponzu jelly, a really nice play on contrasting flavours, and by then, you'd have forgotten about the insane week you've had.

Rollie Olie offers gorgeous sushi rolls that are freshly made upon order. You get to choose from an interesting variety of novel Asian fusion types such as Bollywood with curry prawn filling, or the K Pop kimchi-flavoured sushi roll. Prices range from $12.95 to $16.95 per roll. For familiar flavours, go for the Sunkissed Salmon ($16.95), or the Dos Amigos ($14.95) which marries grilled eel and cream cheese, and is topped off with red roe!

This locally-owned shop serving Hakata-style ramen has already made a name for itself as one of the best new ramen places in town. Located in the The Metropolis (opposite The Star), Kanshoku serves three basic versions - the Tonkotsu, Shoyu and Spicy Tonkotsu. All versions come with either pork belly or charshu, or both if you like. Go for the basic Tonkotsu ramen ($12.90), and add an Ajitama egg for an extra $2 - you won't regret it! The Hakata-style noodles are distinctly thin and straight, and the pork broth is nicely balanced and not too salty. This might just be your next favourite ramen place!

If you've been dying to try Teppei's famous chirashi, you'll be glad to know they've added one more outlet to their empire. Newly opened at the basement of Takashimaya, get the Kaisen Don to taste what the hype is all about, and see if you're partial to this style. To some, the marinade might be a little salty, but to others, it's pure bliss. Head over before the queues go crazy!

Located in Palais Renaissance, Ishinomaki is a Japanese grill and sake restaurant focusing on fresh seasonal produce and seafood flown in from Japan. Aiming to replicate the the feel of a Japanese fishing village, this new space is decked out with raw wood and metal furnishings. Their menu includes set lunches with prices ranging from $17 for assorted tempura to $32 for sashimi and grilled eel (all set lunches come with an appetiser, chawanmushi, rice and miso soup), and lots of smaller imported seafood dishes served fresh from their robata grill. Menu highlights include the Ikura yuzu oroshi and Iberico Pork secretto.

Aoki is arguably most famous for their Mazechirashi, which is perfectly executed. You get a good ratio of sashimi to rice, good texture, and flavours that meld together amazingly. The nigiri sushi is top-notch as well. Go for their lunch sets; they're very affordable considering the incredible quality. Always make reservations as they have limited capacity.

The Sushi Bar is known for two things: long queues and salmon aburi rolls. Their aburi rolls are topped with salmon and mentaiko mayo, and lightly seared with a blowtorch. To-die-for! Be sure to order the Chirashi Don, it doesn't get more value-for-money at $24, with such decadently thick cuts of sashimi! Be sure to make reservations.

Considered to be one of the best sushi restaurants outside Japan, Shinji certainly lives up to its name. Albeit extremely pricey, you get incredibly fresh sushi, and an unparalleled dining experience. Plus, you get to interact with the chefs while enjoying delicately prepared nigiri sushi with very clean flavours. You'll be planning to save for your next visit even before you leave.

Sushi Kou serves both nigiri sushi and maki, and do both very well. Their produce is flown in from Tokyo, Kyoto and Hokkaido, so expect fresh, quality sushi. What draws customers back would probably be their affordable prices and great quality. Try their aburi sushi - the pieces of fish are so lightly seared that they just melt in your mouth. DIVINE. They are known for their affordable omakase sets too, if you don't feel like having sushi.

Tatsuya has been around for eternity, and they are renowned for serving excellent sushi. It is evident that the sashimi is super fresh, with the delicate, well-cut slices of sashimi simply melting in your mouth. They do omakase stunningly well, but that comes with a pretty hefty price tag. If you'd still like to enjoy sushi without breaking the bank, go for their bento sets. Your stomach and wallet will thank you.