Tempura Makino’s First Outlet Outside Japan – in Suntec City

A well-established tempura specialty chain in Japan, Tempura Makino, has come to our shores! Conveniently located at #02-305/308/311 of Suntec City’s West Wing, it’s near Donki (if you need a landmark) & nearer to Esplanade than Promenade MRT.

Within the premises, there are options to dine at booth or counter seats – if you’re seated at the latter, you get a good view of chef freshly preparing made-to-order tempura.

Tempura Makino’s Interior – Booth/Counter Seats

Tempura Makino’s style of tempura is right up my alley. As you can see, the batter is light & crispy. Really appreciate how it’s not dripping (or even soggy – eeks) in oil. They even have Mochi Ice Cream Tempura ($4.80++/piece)!? There are 2 flavour options: Strawberry/Matcha. Mochi gives this dessert a chewy texture, alongside the ice cream which is creamy & takes a while to melt. While I don’t have a sweet tooth, hence am undecided if I’d order this again, this gets plus points for novelty.

I am a MASSIVE lover of eggs, & their Tempura Egg ($2.50++/pc) me greatly 😂 After seeing Jamie’s Instagram stories & hearing her rave about it, I must say it lived up to my expectations. I enjoyed every slurpy bit of it & could totally eat this on its own to savour the creaminess of the yolk. But I found myself pairing it together with the other tempura we had & enjoying it more that way.

Speaking of creamy – know what else is creamy? These Tempura Oysters ($3.80++/pc)! They were absolutely bursting in my mouth.. & I was shocked when Jamie revealed these are priced so affordably. IMHO they tasted & felt more lux than that. Will definitely order this again the next time I’m here.

Special shoutout goes to the noods, which are available in cold/hot options – we picked cold for both.

I loved how silky smooth the Inaniwa Udon ($7.80++) is, & enjoyed the Soba ($6.80++) that I nicked from Evan. Both are good for sure, & it probably is a matter of preference as both of us had a different favourite carb choice.

Wash down your meal with some refreshing ice cold draft beer – I had a pint of Asahi Super Dry ($13.80++/pint, $8.80++/half-pint)…

… Or pair it with their housepour sake:
❄ [Cold] Tomioh Gin No Tsukasa Junmai Daiginjo ($48++/300ml, $30++/180ml)
🔥 [Hot] Hakushika Nadajikomi ($30++/300ml, $20++/180ml)
🍶 They also have other sake bottles available for the discerning ones (i.e. not me)

Housepour Cold Sake – Tomioh Gin No Tsukasa Junmai Daiginjo

Other tempura items on their food menu include:
➡ Prawn & Vegetable Tempura ($16++): A nice platter of Prawns (3 pieces), Eggplant, Maitake (mushroom), Butternut Pumpkin, French Bean, Lotus Root

➡ Chicken Fillet ($5.80++/plate): I’m not a huge fan of chicken tempura, but this is one of the better ones out there. The chicken was juicy & thankfully not dry

➡ Mentai Seaweed ($6.80++/plate): A heaping amount of mentai in this one – personally too overwhelming for me, but A+ for generosity! Probably best eaten with rice to balance out the salty flavours. Seaweed remains crispy alongside the light tempura batter 👌🏻

➡ Asparagus ($2.80++/piece): My favourite veggie tempura of them all – well executed, with a lovely crunch to the bite. There’s an Asparagus with Bacon ($4.80++/plate) option as well, for the porky lovers. I’d imagine that’d add a nice savoury touch to the Taste of Green.

➡ Okinawan Mozuku Seaweed ($5.80++/plate): No this is not hair LOL. It’s quite a sight to behold, also delightfully crunchy, & I think this is where the light batter really shines. I can’t imagine this being enjoyable in a thicker batter & dripping in oil. I loved chowing down on this goodness with the tempura egg 😉

Thanks Jamie/EN Group for the invite & hospitality! 💕

Tsuruhashi Fugetsu – Lunch Specials & Modern Okonomiyaki

For those who work in the area, Tsuruhashi Fugetsu’s affordable weekday lunch specials at $16.80++ are worth checking out. From Mon – Fri, 11:30 – 14:30hrs, choose from a different special of the day, all of which are centered around yakisoba (fried egg noodles):

Mon: Spicy Shoyu Yakisoba
Tue: Mentai Mayo Shio Yakisoba (pictured)
Wed: Omelette Yakisoba
Thu: Negi Mayo Shio Yakisoba
Fri: Cheese Yakisoba

Mentai Mayo Shio Yakisoba

All specials come with rice, teriyaki chicken, & miso soup… Dang y’all be so full after that, rollin’ back to work.

Their Modanyaki ($10.80++ onwards) is their take on a modern okonomiyaki – featuring savoury pancakes with a twist. You get the crispness of fresh cabbage, the chewyness of yakisoba, & flavours of various meat/seafood within.

Modanyaki – A Work of Art

This was fried on both sides before my very eyes, timed to perfection as how the Japanese take pride in their craft. A generous amount of cabbage goes into the modanyaki; the fibre helps to make this dish less oily, which I certainly value.

Fresh ingredients for okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki in the making

Want to get your daily dose of veggies in? Try this. 😝

Thanks @alhsx for the invite & Brand Cellar + Tsuruhashi Fugetsu for the hospitality! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope & Quandoo

Eat at Seven’s Udon Kamon – Scrumptious Fusion Udon

Udon has grown on me in recent years – especially when I’m craving for something carby. The new menu at Eat At Seven’s Udon Kamon is right up my alley, with hawker-inspired udon dishes.

Local twists on high quality udon

Walking that fine balance with the innovativeness of local cuisine, yet staying true to its Japanese roots, diners have 3 specialty dishes to indulge in:

Dark Sauce Dry Udon

The Dark Sauce Dry Udon ($10.80++) has such a simple name that doesn’t fully capture how delicious it is. This was a hot favourite amongst everyone at the table, quite closely following its inspiration of KL chilli ban mee.

The spicy & sweet dark sauce coats the udon very well. With ingredients like with minced pork, crispy anchovies, vegetables & half an ajitsuke tamago – dare I say this is a pretty dang balanced dish!

Ipoh Style Chicken Udon

The Ipoh Style Chicken Udon ($10.80++) is my personal favourite, subtly reminiscent of Ipoh-style hor fun. Imagine their signature sanuki udon in a delicious soy-based gravy that is light on the palate & fragrant, with plump mushrooms providing that earthy flavour, & juicy texture. The silky smooth sliced chicken thigh is steamed with ginger & Japanese leek, & thereafter drizzled with light soy sauce & black sesame oil.

Are you salivating already? The multi-dimensional layers of flavours are why this was my favourite dish of the night 😍

Truffle Beef Ying Yang Udon

Last but certainly not least, tantilize your tastebuds & noses with the Truffle Beef Ying Yang Udon ($15.80++). The sauce, made from XO sauce, truffle & bean paste, is umami & thick though not overwhelming. The truffle smell is pretty strong though 😉

I didn’t expect the interesting double-texture of the udon noodles to work so well. Half of the udon is flattened & fried such that it is slightly crispy, even after soaking in the sauce for a while.

Thanks @alhsx for the invite & Brand Cellar + Udon Kamon for the hospitality! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope & Quandoo