Welcome to King Albert Park. Looking for Japanese places?

If anything, it seems that the Bukit Timah neighbourhood has been seeing quite a bit of action within the F&B scene of the late — we have written about quite a number of newly-opened establishments that had sprouted up in the neighbourhood in recent times, and there are still more to be discovered while we are at it. Yet another recent addition to the neighbourhood that we had only discovered not too long ago is Hokkaido Ramen; an establishment which seems to have quite a generic name which had just moved into a shop unit at basement two at Bukit Timah Plaza. Hokkaido Ramen takes over the former premises of a butchery named Kiru Kiru, which is located just beside the entrance to FairPrice Finest at basement two of the mall. One can describe Hokkaido Ramen to be simply-decked; the use of cloth banners which Kanji characters and the large use of wooden furnishings and fittings does evoke a modern Japanese vibe for the establishment, though one can still argue that the overall interior decor is tuned more towards functionality than form. An interesting thing that we have observed though did not ask the folks at the shop about was how they are seemingly affiliated with Cut Butchery — a butchery that also runs dining concepts like GRILL by CUT; both also being situated at Bukit Timah Plaza, as well as Karubi within Huggs Collective at Clarke Quay Central and Gyushi at OUE Downtown, considering how the staff at Hokkaido Ramen were wearing shirts with the GRILL by CUT branding. Whether this remains true or not, one thing about Hokkaido Ramen is certain; the establishment is pretty much focused on their ramen offerings — one can look forward to a menu that consists of Japanese ramen featuring various types of broths such as that of Miso Ramen, Shoyu Ramen and Tonkotsu Ramen to go for. For those who prefer dry ramen, there is also a Hokkaido Miso Gindara Dry Ramen to opt for as well. There are also a number of sides to share around the table, as well as a Kinoko Cold Tofu being the only dessert item being listed here.

The process for placing an order at Hokkaido Ramen has been kept rather fuss-free for diners who are a well-versed with technology — there is a hard copy of the menu that is being stuck on the wall for the east reference for patrons, though orders would be taken via the scanning of the QR code on the table. Once the order has been confirmed and that payment has been made online, the receipt with a queue number would be sent to the mobile phone where patrons will collect their order once the queue number has been called out on the display that is placed above the counter. We usually find ourselves gravitating towards ramen dishes that are either served dry or features a spicy element — this eventually made us go for the Hokkaido Kara Miso Ramen; a ramen dish which the menu describes to come with elements such as White Miso, Red Miso, Yellow Miso, Chilli Oil, Chilli Paste, Garlic Paste, Hokkaido Noodles, Pork Belly Chasy, Black Fungus, Bamboo Shoots, 1/2 Ajitama Egg and Spring Onions. It is interesting to note that while all their Japanese Ramen dishes features “all toppings” by default, Hokkaido Ramen does allow one to opt for Regular Broth or Heavy Broth for most of their ramen dishes — the latter being charged at a dollar extra. Going straight for the spicy miso broth, we felt that the Heavy Broth option went well with the Hokkaido Kara Miso Ramen; while we would reckon that the heavy broth might be a little bit on the saltier side for their other offerings, the heavy broth here seemed to have provided a depth of flavours amidst the moderate level of spiciness that is contributed by the chilli oil and chilli paste added to the broth. The Hokkaido Noodles were done in a way that carried a bit of bite, while the Pork Belly Chashu was meaty and did not carry any undesirable porky stench — we were actually pretty impressed with how it came with a bit of smokiness as well. Overall, a bowl of ramen which seemed to have exceeded our initial expectations.

Apart from the Hokkaido Kara Miso Ramen (Heavy Broth), we had also given the Hokkaido A5 Satsumagyu Miso Ramen a try. For the Hokkaido A5 Satsumagyu Miso Ramen which we had ordered, we went for the Regular Broth rendition instead; the menu also describes the Hokkaido A5 Satsumagyu Miso Ramen to come with elements such as White Miso, Red Miso, Yelow Miso, Hokkaido Noodes, 30g A5 Satsumagyu Ribeye, Black
Fungus, Bamboo Shocks, 1/2 Ajtama Egg and Spring Onions. We found the flavours of the Regular Broth to be already rather flavoursome on its own; it does come savoury at just the right touch — going for the heavy broth for this item would have potentially made it a little jelak. The highlight of the Hokkaido A5 Satsumagyu Miso Ramen was undoubtedly the 30g A5 Satsumagyu Ribeye — best to be had without having left in the broth for too long, there wasn’t any hint of gaminess coming out of the A5 Satsumagyu Ribeye; itself also being easy to chew through and provides for a bit of a twist compared to that of the usual bowl of ramen. Meanwhile, the Kinako Cold Tofu did sound like an interesting item on paper — it turned out to be a Lao Ban-esque beancurd that is topped off with Warabi Mochi featuring a drizzle of Kuromitsu and dusting of Kinako powder (i.e. soybean powder); nothing too out of the ordinary, though a combination that worked well. Prices of the ramen at Hokkaido Ramen can be said to be competitively priced against other Japanese ramen specialty shops that are located all across the island — the lowest priced Japanese ramen item being charged at $9.90 (being the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen), while the Hokkaido Miso Gindara Ramen is the priciest item on the menu at $29.90. Considering the quality of the ramen here, we would say that the consistency of the ramen here fits well with the price point; certainly an option which would not mind having again — definitely an establishment that is worth checking out especially if one is to be within the area.

Konoha Japanese Cuisine was one of the places that we had chanced upon at KAP Mall when we were walking around the area after having finished our dinner in the neighbourhood one day — the restaurant does seem to have been around KAP Mall since August 2023, and occupies a shop unit located at the ground floor that is situated in the same row as other notable tenants in the mall such as MoMiJi Kyoto Cafe (which is a concept run by Chef Teppei Yamashita whom also runs other F&B establishments like Teppei, Teppei Syokudo and Hana Hana), itself having taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Gaijin Soul Food. As with most shop spaces situated in KAP Mall, Konoha Japanese Cuisine occupies a dual-storey shop unit. The way that the space had been segmented out at Konoha Japanese Cuisine is rather similar to the layout that Gaijin Soul Food had used — the ground level space sees the food preparation area being bound by counter seating; almost akin to that of a fine dining establishment serving up Omakase set menus, while the second level features booth seating and regular dining tables and chairs that will work great for groups between four to six pax. The entire establishment comes decorated with a rather Japanese flair, featuring plenty of wooden panelling and furnishings — there is even a small corner on the second story that is tastefully decorated with various wares and small items as well. The menu at Konoha Japanese Cuisine is pretty varied; the menu is split into categories such as appetisers, sashimi, Chirashi Don, Sashimi, Curry & Tendon, A la Carte, Ramen & Udon, and Donburi — there is pretty much something for everyone.

We were informed by the staff serving our table that they were pretty much short handed and quite a number of items are thus unavailable during the day of our visit — this would include items from the Chirashi Don and sashimi sections of the menu. There was much contemplation to order one of their curry rice dishes when we skimmed through the menu considering how they looked quite enticing based on the illustrations on the menu — the staff then recommended for us to give their Chicken Katsu Curry a go which we eventually went for. Konoha Japanese Cuisine describes the Chicken Katsu Curry as “curry with breaded chicken cutlet” on their menu — that being said, apart from the bed of Japanese short-grain rice which the breaded chicken cutlet is sitting on, we also observed that there were bits of Japanese pickles that came along with the Chicken Katsu Curry. Simple as it sounds, the Chicken Katsu Curry from Konoha Japanese Cuisine is one that is more than what meets the eye — going for the breaded chicken cutlet, we quite liked how the fried chicken cutlet came with a crispy, golden brown batter while the meat is still tender and moist within. It is also noted that the breaded chicken cutlet itself was not in any way greasy, while it also does not reek of any undesirable odour of overused oil. What really took us off guard was how the chicken seems to be marinated, carrying an umami note that was almost similar to that of prawn paste chicken that lightly lingers around the tastebud without being particularly intrusive — definitely tickled our senses and was a rather interesting addition for us. The curry roux itself was nothing out-of-the-ordinary, and especially so now that we have tried more artisanal renditions of Japanese curry such as that of the Champion’s Curry that we have had at Japan Rail Cafe, and the rendition of Japanese Curry Rice at Kuro Kare at Singapore Management University; still one that was sufficiently sweet with evident curry undertones nonetheless. The red pickles provided a good crunch that refreshes the tastebuds, which provides a good break from the carbs and the meat.

Apart from the Chicken Katsu Curry, we had also given other dishes from Konoha Japanese Cuisine a go; this would include the Konoha Udon, which is a dish that I described on the menu to be “flavourful broth with hearty udon”. One thing we really liked about the Konoha Udon here is how they have used a thinner sort of Udon rather than the thick Udon that some places would gravitate towards for such a dish. The Konoha Udon also came with elements such as kelp and Kamakabo (i.e. Japanese fish cake) that makes the Konoha Udon feel a little bit more wholesome and hearty with a good contrast of colours from different elements in the bowl. The thinner Udon for this dish meant that it was really easy to have; nothing too jelat as it might have become if thick Udon were to be used — the thin Udon still coming with a bit of a chew to it whilst coming in a lightly savoury broth that seems to involve a bit of Shoyu for flavour. The greens help to add an additional crunch to the Konoha Udon for some variance of texture as well. Meanwhile, the Agedashi Tofu comes with a light, almost tempura-like fried batter; the tofu comes all smooth and silken within that delicate batter, which had soaked up a bit of that light soy sauce that gave it a lightly savoury note that is well accompanied by the bonito flakes that provided an umami note. Overall, our take on Konoha Japanese Cuisine is that it does seem to be an honest and down-to-earth establishment that wants to serve up Japanese cuisine of a good quality for its price to their patrons — there isn’t much of an attempt where the dishes seem to have strayed out of the comfort zone here. Rather, their Japanese fare attempts to be as relatable as they could be to an average patron. Prices of the rice and noodle dishes (with the exception of the the items listed in the Chirashi Don section) at Konoha Japanese Cuisine ranges between $12 to $20, while the items in the Chirashi Don section would cost from $20 to $32. A place worth considering dining at if one is craving for Japanese cuisine around the King Albert Park area.

Belated shout out to this A5 wagyu buffet. The picture speaks for itself, nuff said. Stuffed ourselves silly

#plainlyinbukittimah

Feel free to char this for quite a while, unfortunately unlike normal beef the rib fingers doesn't have a lot of chewyness, it's tender but not ridiculously tender, and there's a bit of sinews making it more unpleasant.

Average, for someone who normally like rib fingers

Every bit the dreamy piece I expect

It's really as good as it gets, tender, flavourful, and with the teeniest bite (you don't want meat to be exactly like butter with 0 mouthfeel, then it doesn't even feel like meat)

This was meh, I mean it's decent and there's no porkiness at all, but the texture isn't the most tender no matter how much of the cook I vary

The charcoal dies after less than 30mins tho, which shouldn't be a problem unless you cook piece by piece like me

The ribeye cap which I forgot to take a pic of after cooking, is surprisingly nowhere as good. It's quite chewy even after I vary the cook, and quite lean so it chars like lean meat instead of your normal fatty wagyu. I feel like that's a mistranslation because this can't be ribeye cap, it's usually the most fatty and most flavourful cut

King river aus wagyu

Delicious as ever, I almost NEVER order the same thing, I hardly return to the same place. One of the most perfect renditions still, the tender beef w the slight bit is really as good as it gets for a wagyu bowl that's not just pure fattiness. And even the onsen egg and pickles somehow work better than most other places, idk why

Served w balanced miso soup and a decent salad

Lovely

The beef went up by 3++ per plate across the board for the wagyu stuff. Pork jowl is 8++ on the online menu as well, so just be aware. Still great value for money for sure

Some of the best pork and again at great value. I'm really not quite sure how to review good yakiniku places because once the ingredients are there, the rest are your own skills

Char both sides well. You will be rewarded with the perfect bouncy crunchy texture for pork jowl

I cannot recommend this place enough. The fact that they're a butchery means their prices are absurdly low for their incredible quality.

It annoys me hugely when wait staff at places with good ingredients don't know about said ingredients.

So, I'm doing their job. Satsumagyu is the wagyu Olympics winner, and it comes from Kagoshima.

And they really are good. It's incredibly tender, there's the teeniest of bite, and the beefiness is decent too

Short ribs sear until completely grey on one side and turn. After a few seconds on the other side, it should be grey already and quickly remove, rest, season, and serve

Ribeye cap season on one side while searing, once it's fully grey on the bottom and you see the oils, flip and repeat on the other side. Middle should be red, you're shooting for medium rare-medium on this piece(cos it's thicker)

Absolutely incredible meat at absolutely incredible places. The best value yakiniku place on the island, prove me wrong. At most places this quality would be 3 digits on the bill per pax

Delicious!

One of the best, the sauce is an intense version of something that would be used for a braise, the sweet savoury flavours were on point and wagyu was tender.

Really lovely, highly recommended

Never had it before and the flavours stunned me. Cold brewing is really lovely, it extracts so much flavour and yet looks so deceptively plain