Itadakimasu

A novel spin on classic okonomiyaki where crispy grated potatoes forms its base. It is topped with cabbage, bacon, Hokkaido scallops, bonito flakes, mentaiko sauce, and shredded nori. Every bite was flavourful, moreish and oh-so-good! I thought that this combination was ingenious, especially for me, a rosti lover.

These rice crispies were fancy and impeccable. In one bite, you have the buttery smooth uni, pops of ikura, briny caviar and refreshing cumumber slices with crunch of the rice crisps. So much going on yet everything worked in creating a delightful symphony of flavours and textures.

With Burpple Beyond Deal for 1-for-1 sashimi, we had salmon and swordfish sashimi that were served on ice with shredded daikon radish. The slices were fresh and relatively thick for a satisfying mouthfeel.

For lunch, it offers a menu of donburis and cutlets starting from $10. Each main comes with a side of salad, miso soup and rice. The Chicken Karaage Don has bite-sized chicken pieces on top of hot Japanese rice. Each chicken piece was crispy, tender, juicy and flavourfully marinated.

The signature Gyu San Hamburg Set ($23.80) comes with two 90g wagyu patties, Japanese rice, miso soup and green salad. The beef patties were served on top a personal mini grill with charcoal blocks underneath it to keep the meat warm. Savouring the pure flavour of the patties on their own, they were the juiciest and most tender hamburger that I ever had. There was a nice smoky charred flavour from the sizzle of the grill.

The plating of the Salmon Mentaiko Donburi was interestingly different. A generous slab of salmon drizzled with mentaiko sauce, sauteed mushrooms, furikake, ebiko and onsen egg seated atop a "patty" of Japanese rice, with edamame at the side. It was a light and filling dish overall.

The lunch set comprised of a mixed-cut gyutan that were char-grilled till brown and a little crispy on the surface. Seasoned lightly with salt, the taste was surprisingly good. It is similar to beef steak but with a milder beefy taste; and tender but not that tender. The thin slices had a unique rubbery-chewy texture while the thicker cuts resembling steak were chewier with bolder flavour and had more of a bite to it.

The lunch set came with a starter of salad, a small cup of miso soup and a piece of warabi mochi. The don was stacked with thin slices of sukiyaki beef, an onsen egg and some mushrooms with a savoury sauce. And to my surprise, it came topped with a pumpkin croquette. The thinly sliced Wagyu beef was grilled flavourfully to a nice fatty tender and the pumpkin croquette was crispy and naturally sweet and savory.

Haven't been here for a long while and one thing for sure is that they have taken their presentation up a notch. The Bara Chirashi Don was served in a ceramic white soup plate instead of a bowl. It was gorgeous to behold as it's plated beautifully and vibrantly coloured from the assortment of diced sashimi and topped with ikura and edible flowers. Interestingly it had blocks of steamed egg instead of tamago.

This modest rice bowl consisted of a generous serving of deep-fried tempura shrimps and vegetables. Perhaps not a ten out of ten-don but it was satisfying and the tempura were light and crispy without being greasy.

The soba was light yet flavourfully packed (all natural, no MSG) and comforting bowl of noodles with a hint of citrus. Served in a hot dashi broth with kelp, shredded spring onions and yuzu peel, the soba noodles were nutty and the texture was just right - firm but smooth and not grainy. The accompanying tempura prawns were juicy with a delicately airy and crispy battered coating.

Japanese fried rice is always a yes for me and the Miyazaki Beef Fried Rice caught my attention in their latest seasonal menu. Fluffy Japanese rice was stir fried with small chunks of wagyu beef, eggs, garlic and spring onions. This looked like such a modest dish but the taste was exceptionally satisfying. It was well-flavoured and the beef pieces were tender and fatty that added to the overall beefy, smokey flavour of the dish.