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And riding the recent gyukatsu high, their signature Hokkaido Wagyu ($70/ set) Katsu was expertly prepared. The golden-brown batter was light with that delicate crunch from the panko crust and the premium beef was a wonderful medium rare pink—tender, not too fatty or cloying and a nice balance of fats with its divine marbling. The cube-like chunks also ensured that it is not overly indulgent and it definitely needs to be salted for that extra oomph. Oh, and you got to eat it with a bit of fragrant yuzu kosho served on the side. So good!

Each set comes with a bowl of miso soup as well as free-flow Japanese rice topped with yukari, pickles and free-flow thinly-sliced crisp raw cabbage which we could dress with a refreshing yuzu ponzu or creamy sesame. Should you decide to go for a la carte, the prices are $4 off. 

With a craving for all things fried, I decided to try Katsuya recently. Located along Tanjong Katong Road, the Japanese Tonkatsu Specialty Restaurant has a lovely menu that consists of not just the familiar tonkatsu (Hire and Rosu cuts) but also offers Unagi (eel) katsu, dory fish katsu, Japanese wagyu katsu as well as exclusive off-menu items like salmon, hotate (scallop) fry and lamb katsu.

Beautifully done, the soft juicy Salmon Rare ($42/set) Katsu was flakey fresh and quite literally melts as you bite. The batter was perfectly thin and light too. Glistening at the top, two fatty salmon belly pieces were crowned with their homemade tartar sauce and the other two were embellished with wasabi and a fresh squeeze of lemon. The sauce was creamy, and savoury with a slight tanginess; very moreish and complementary. A more refreshing pairing, the salmon pieces with wasabi and lemon were even better after being lightly salted! Note that as with all off-menu items, a pre-order is required!

‼️🌱$12.90+ 2 course set meal at @ivegansg ✨ additional 5% off bring your own container for takeaway😉✨
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I like the @i12katong outlet as the interior is bright and calming with window side views of the joo chiat shophouses!💯
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check out their wok hey udon and crispy maki✨ all ages will love it and won’t feel like you are missing out on any flavors or taste 👅

✅ Healthy ✅ No MSG ✅ vegetarian / vegan 🌱 prefect for families looking for regular spot for healthy food which is hard to find nowadays with everything high in sodium oof 🙃
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❤️Support such environmentally friendly and health conscious FnB❤️

Wild mushrooms, crispy kale, shoyu butter sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano and togarashi. This is vegetarian. The idea is fantastic and the sauce was tasty, but the noodles were overcooked.

Another sando joint. This uses 12-hour sous vide Kurobuta pork collar, shredded cabbage, tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo and Japanese milk bread. The meat had everything good Japanese pork has - flavour, texture and fats. Although it's enjoyable, I still find it overpriced.

@ivegansg (爱素) cafe restaurant serves natural, healthy and tasty plant-based whole-food!

All the dishes here are served without MSG and without refined sugar. They use Olive oil and Pansalt to cook! Hence, the meals here are all natural and healthy!

They have quite an extensive menu that features vegan dishes from pasts to burgers to fried rice to noodles to chinese stir fry dishes. There is something here for everyone, catering to all differing tastes!

Super love the lovely ambience at the i12 Katong outlet too! (They also have another outlet at Thomson Plaza.)

Featured here are the below food:
-Mushroom Soup
-Pan Fried Dumplings
-Pulled Shroom Sandwich
-Half & Half Pizza: Pesto and BBQ
-Wok Fried Udon
-Sweet and Sour Lion Mane Mushroom
-Guacamole Maki
-Portobello Maki
-Avocado Smoothie
-Mango Banana Smoothie
-Apple Ice Smoothie
-Osmanthus Peach Gum (hot/cold)

My top favourite dishes here was the pan fried dumpling, guacamole maki and the sweet and sour lion mane mushroom! My family was impressed with all the food here!

Bring your family and friends here for a plant-based dining, focusing on health and natural flavours!

📍Thomson Plaza
301 Upper Thomson Rd
#01-109 Singapore 574408

📍i12 Katong,
112 East Coast Rd
#02-20 Singapore 428802

Not sure if they still have this on the menu but the Curry Sando was pretty decent. I liked the soft fluffy texture of the Hokkaido milk bun that’s toasted just right. There was a nice curry spread, though it seemed slightly sweet and tangy also. Topped up for tater tots and it was worth it. Pretty decent coffee here too! Going there on a weekend would definitely mean some crowd and noise.

Rate:🌟🌟🌟

Cafe Natsu's finer attention to detail is most evident in their wagyu hamburg don.

Their wagyu hamburg patty was thick, tender and juicy, well-seasoned and grilled to perfection. It is topped with an onsen egg yolk and sits on top of a bed of oroshi or grated daikon radish which lends a fresh subtly sweet contrast to the beefy and rich wagyu patty and creamy luxurious onsen egg yolk.

My favourite part of this dish is the aromatic and perfectly balanced chestnut mushroom rice and crunchy white kimchi which comes paired with the wagyu patty. The rice and kimchi are flavourful on their own but serves to elevate the wagyu patty to the next level. I loved how Cafe Natsu melded all these flavours to create a harmonious and balanced dish.

As mentioned previously, Cafe Natsu is indeed pricey but when viewed in the lens of 'finer' dining, it may well be justified!

At $26+++, Cafe Natsu's pork katsu Sando is indeed pricier than most sandos which cost below $20+++. The burning question is therefore whether the higher price tag is justified.

I liked how the sando is nicely and neatly layered to maximise the contrast both texture and flavours-wise. The thick, crispy and tender pork katsu is sandwiched between two slices of fluffy bread, crunchy lettuce, diced onions and stripes of green apple. The pork did not taste gamey and I loved how the tartness of the green apple and diced onion brought out the subtle sweetness of the pork.

For those who prefer a 'messy' sandwich, the cafe provides a doubanjiang aioli on the side with gives a strong bold umami filled flavour boost to the sandwich if you like a stronger flavour. I though preferred to use it as a dip for the crispy fries (which we really loved) which came with the sando! To be honest, how do you dip a sandwich into the sauce?!?

I have read several reviews about Cafe Natsu and their prices and I do think it's a matter of perspective. Yes, it's pricey compared to other cafes. However, if you pay attention to how they have tried to elevate dishes like the pork katsu sando with their attention to detail (the immaculate layering of the sandwich to ensure a constant mouth feel and flavour profile and the gorgeous plating) and treat it as a form of 'finer' dining, the price becomes much easier to justify.

That said, if I am asked as to whether I would pay 30% to 50% more for Cafe Natsu's food, my answer is probably no though I would for a special occasion or as a nice treat to myself.

Cafe Natsu is a Japanese-inspired brunch cafe in the Joo Chiat area. The cafe's interior is an interior designer's dream with beautiful elegant lines and spaces.

Each of the dishes served were beautifully and artistically plated. Their kani croquette was shattering crisp on the outside and rich and creamy on the inside. In particular, we loved the black vinegar butter sauce which served as a dip on the side. It was rich, acidic, luscious and tangy, and paired beautifully with the croquette (and their fries too)!

The prices here though are a little steep... The food is good and the ambience lovely but $16 for a starter is really hard to justify if there isn't an occasion!

Mochi Donuts😋 Please refer to my previous Cafe Natsu post for my full review!😄