Japanese

There's a reason why @keikaisendon.sg has been popping up in malls all over Singapore. You get fresh and generous helpings of sashimi at affordable prices!

Both sets were quite similar in terms of sashimi variation -- you get a healthy serving of the classics like salmon, tuna, and swordfish, and shrimp and even scallop! I preferred the mentaiko bowl because of how fresh and seared the mentaiko was, but both were very worth it with the promotion.

Giant chirashi don ($39.90) 🍛 7/10

Doesn't a huge bowl of colourful fresh fish put a smile on your face? This beauty is supposed to be shared between 3-4 people but my gluttony got the best of me and ate it with just 1 other.

There was so much salmon, tuna, swordfish and even bits of scallops layered over the warm rice that helped to bring out each spoonful's flavour. What a feast!

Ok food, agonisingly slow service.

Was not impressed by the food and service here previously and ordering takeaway from them is not much better.

The beef was alright but wasn't "shabu shabu" as described -- it was actually composed of (admittedly tender) chunks of beef instead of the usual strips found in shabu shabu. Quite a lot of it was also onion filler.

What really made this experience sour was how atrociously slow although 3/4 of the floor was waiting for their food and a queue was forming outside. I had to wait more than 20 mins to takeaway -- at the end, I just went in and helped the oblivious waitress pack my food.

Topped with smokey and tender pan-seared short rib and a wobbly onsen egg, this donburi was such a joy from start to finish. The beef was so tender and flavourful that I chewed through each piece one bite and followed it up with a scoop of the savoury rice.

I usually don't even finish all the rice in a donburi but Tanuki Raw's signature mixed rice really did it for me -- I finished every last grain!

If you're ever craving quality cuts of grilled beef and pork, look no further than Hey Yakiniku for these scrumptious barbequed meats over a smokeless grill.

Tontoro ($6.90/100g) 🐷 8/10

Also known as pork jowl, these were one of the thickest-sliced pieces of meat we were served. However, it was actually one of the most tender because of the marbled nature of the pig's cheek! I especially loved charring the edges of this meat verily because it went so well with the meat's fatty composition.

Karubi ($5.90/100g) 🍖 9/10
Prime karubi ($11.90/100g) 💸🍖 10/10

The two karubis are both made of beef short rib and was my favourite selection of the entire meal! The short rib, though thin, provided a remarkable mouthfeel with its streaky texture.

Just when I thought the normal karubi was gratifying, the prime version really amazed me with its melt-in-my-mouth tenderness. Dazzling as it was, I'm a bit doubtful about spending more than double the price on the premium version. But hey, if you've got a stuffed wallet, I'd say definitely go for it. The difference is palpable.

Australian wagyu ($27.90/180g) 🥩 9/10

180g of steak gets you a sizeable portion, but they cut it up before you grill this so cooking this steak becomes more manageable. That said, as cooking steak takes a fair amount more dexterity than cavalierly throwing the other picks of meat into the flames, make sure to take out your steak before it's overcooked.

I prefer my steak a healthy medium-rare, and that doneness allowed me to sink my teeth into each slice and cleanly sever the meat in one bite. Beware not to cook the steak much more than that -- it took me a notable bit of negotiation when I left a slice in the flames a tad too long.

Gyu Tan ($11.90/100g) 👅 7/10

Last but certainly not least, don't get squeamish over the fact that you're eating beef tongue -- it tastes not much different from muscle anywhere else on the cow's body! I found it a little chewy, but this is a good pick for those who prefer their meats leaner.

Garlic tonkotsu ramen ($15.50) 🍜 9/10

I was expecting the usual faint hint of garlic oil when I ordered this but I was greeted with a blast of pungent garlic with each rich spoon of soup. At the bottom of the bowl, I found crunchy slices of raw garlic that I happily chewed up with the other rice dishes here. Highly recommended if you're a garlic fiend like me!

On top of the soup, I was pleasantly surprised by how amazingly tender the tonkotsu slices were. I mean, swipe to look at how the meat just falls apart!

Truffle mushroom pizza ($18.90) 🍕 6/10

The price isn't not bad for a 12" pizza ('large' size in Domino's) and the mushrooms were fresh and juicy.

However, I wasn't impressed by the crust because it tasted too bready and not flaky/crusty enough. That was a dealbreaker for me.

Aburi mentai don ($15.80) 🍣 7/10

I find that it's hard to get torched mentaiko wrong -- these bowls of flamed salmon and mentaiko mayo were certainly very enjoyable. Especially with the bursts of tamago and cucumber.

However, I think the bowls could be much more satisfying if the salmon slices were thicker.

Beef steak jyu ($14.90) 🥩 8/10

These chunks of beef were quite worth it for the price. Not only do you get roast beef on top -- underneath the pink slices of tender beef was some sukiyaki beef (beef strips with onions), which added to the overall flavour of the rice.

I must say that some pieces of beef are inconsistent because I could bite through some slices but others needed a bit of pulling/sawing to bite through.

Singapore's ONLY muslim-owned Japanese izakaya just opened late last year! Since izakayas are usually a casual bar with plates of bar food, there are no prizes for anyone who can guess why halal izakayas are rare.

I've posted a collection of photos of some of the many dishes I had there, but I want to highlight a few favourites -- the butter garlic clams and the thicccc sashimi slices!

The sauce in the butter garlic clams 🐚 was thin but had such an umami kick, we ordered a bowl of plain rice just to pour the delectable sauce over. Yes, the mix of butter and garlic is simple, but they are the basic ingredients of so many dishes for a reason.

As for the sashimi 🍣, the slices were like double the size of usual sashimi slices and sooo fresh. I'd really recommend this place for its sashimi because it was so enjoyable biting down into these firm pink chunks 😍

Authenticity-wise, I doubt that the butter garlic clams are native to Japan but it was fun sitting in eatery which was decorated izakaya-style, and tasting the varied tapas-like dishes.

®️: 7/10

A highlight is the unagi eel and egg over rice, which features a splendid savoury-sweet sauce that coats the perfectly-seasoned sticky Japanese rice deliciously. Comfort food may sometimes be simple, but Ichiban Boshi gets it just right.

Crispy and moist inside!

This outlet at Jem is my family's go-to Japanese restaurant when we feel like having quality sushi and Japanese set meals. The sushi quality is consistent and so are the sets which offer a nice variety of quality donburis and sides.

I really like how chewy the tagiatelle is here without being too much, and the creamy creamy carbonara. It's pretty worth it even for the $13.90 version! Sadly, the mentaiko taste wasn't that strong and I could only taste a hint of the spicy roe behind the basic taste of heavy cream.

It also needed a lot more parmesan cheese to bring it's flavour to the next level, and the waiter gladly brought us a giant shaker full of parmesan.

For my first meal of freedom, I returned to my favourite sushi buffet place -- shin yuu!

It felt so amazing to take my mask off outdoors and to eat piping hot served food.

They have such fresh sashimi and delicious cooked beef for those who prefer meat. They have a modest range of well-made, small servings so you can sample many dishes quickly and decide what you like best. I've reviewed them before and gave them a 9/10 and I stand by it.