04 December, 2007

Fiery like Wasabi

Wasabi, known as Japanese Horseradish, must be very finely grated before use and has an extremely strong flavour. Its hotness is more akin to that of Hot English Mustard.

However, on the 5th floor of Far East Plaza, lies a small cosy Japanese restaurant run by a couple of Food Nazis – the chef with the lady boss are notorious for their temperament – said to be fierier than the wasabi they dished out, we soon experienced it when she told us in a not so friendly tone, “Don’t bend the laminated menu or else it would spoil”. However, like the short-lived spiciness of the wasabi, the bad attitude and service is soon forgotten the moment the food arrived.

Seated in a small U-shaped counter for 16 pax, the Salmon Belly Sashimi is to die for – it is the most generous serving I had ever seen! The fish was very thick and the fatty meat was very smooth and fresh (It so happened that we visited on a Friday – an insider source mentioned that most Japanese restaurants get their supplies of sashimi on a Tuesday, or a Friday – so now you know).

The Uni Sushi, or the Sea Urchin, is not the Roe, but rather the Gonads, or organs that produce the roe. The serving was once again very liberal and I must say it was very satisfying. The Seaweed was crisply fresh and the gonads were equally faultless.

The California Roll was also very well presented with Ebi Roe nicely coated all over the Mat Sushi, and the Avocado and Crabsticks were plentiful with each mouthful.

The Unagi-Don was also expectedly filled with chunks of Grilled Eel and the wait was worthwhile. Nicely grilled to produce the charred tang, this dish comes seemingly close to the one I had when I was in Japan.

In fact, the food was so good that we wanted to go for a 2nd round of sashimi, but we were promptly refuted by the lady boss who commented, “The chef is too busy and you probably need to wait very long.” Wasabi, they definitely possessed, but I seriously questioned where the “Tei” part comes in? Oh, and do go early because of the limited space, and be expected to queue after 6.30pm. For what you know, you might be standing right behind me, for I would definitely be back!

Rating

Food: 5/5 (Fantastic!)
Service: 1.5/5 (Long queue, long wait for food, grouchy service)
Ambience: 4.5/5 (Cosy family-styled restaurant, but smokey)
Price: 4.5/5 (Value for money for the standard of food)
Total: 15.5/20
14 Scotts Road
#05-70 Far East Plaza
Singapore 228213



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13 comments:

Zi said...

u mean 'spiciness' rather than 'hotness' rite? Mr. foodie..

His Food Blog said...

Hmm...good point, but i felt that technically wasabi is not a spice, unlike chilli. And since they are almost similar to mustard, and 'hot' is used to describe the good 'o English mustard, I felt that 'hotness' would be a more appropriate word to use. But thanks for pointing it out...and hope you enjoy your stay!

HairyBerry said...

thanks for the tip on the sashimi supply...and with that kind of food rating, i guess it's time to pay far east plaza a visit!

His Food Blog said...

The food is really good I must say, for a humble place such as this. And as long as you can take that attitude of the chef and the wife, in addition to the smoky outlet, you should be able to enjoy your dinner.

Interesting scenario that you might experience is one where everybody is hush hush and eating obediently for fear of incurring the wrath of the couple. Ha!

Unknown said...

but not everyone can 'tahan' the husband n wife. haha..

the plates put in front of you so loudly etc. actually its quite fun!

yes, everyone talks quietly! been there a few times and kind of like the food.

i never dared take photos when i am there, in case i incur the wrath of the chef. LOL..

His Food Blog said...

Hi there, nice of you to drop by! Nice photos you have there on your blog... May I ask what camera are you using?

It would be such a waste that you didn't dare to take your photos there... I believed it would turn out beautifully...

Unknown said...

i have a colleague who goes there like once every 2 or 3 weeks, after a while, they will smile at colleague because familiar, but he still tell us, better not. who knows what will happen, and he might not get his special portions and cuts of shashimi. hahah...

it's a Sony T200 :-)

His Food Blog said...

Hmm, ic. But nevertheless I still went ahead and take it. But that probably explains why I dun have my premium cuts. LOL!

Hmm.. ok I am amazed Sony T200 can produce such nice photos.

Anonymous said...

This must be the biggest scam of all time!!!!

I have tasted the most horrible japanese food served in a resturant.

Taste the worst sashimi, sushi & saba fish ever!!!!

And it cost me $47!!!

I feel cheated by all these who review the good food.

To me it’s the worst japanese food i have ever tried & i will never go back even if it’s free!!!!

His Food Blog said...

Hi Anon (Neoscan),

I am sorry that you had a really bad experience.

I have personally brought friends and they have in turn brought many friends to this place and so far all the feedbacks have been pretty positive.

Anonymous said...

salmon had blackish orange colour...instead of the usual fresh orange with bright white stipes.

Taste it & felt like puking straight away as it had a strong smelly fishy taste.

No point serving big slices of stinking fish. i rather have thinner sweet ones at the same price over at waraku.

saba fish was stale & burnt. Fish had no juice in it. Tasted dry & blunt.

Hyginene was a major problem as well. The chef did all the handling of raw fish, slicing fishes, handling rice, pick trays, plates all with minimal washing of his hands right in front of us!
That was a big turn off.

And to cap it off, i went off with a bad stomache ache due to the bad raw fish. What a aweful night!

****neoscan***

His Food Blog said...

Hey neoscan,

Hmmm, you make it sound quite bad. Hadn't had such bad experience before. I reckon you should have feedback to the chef on that day.

Ken said...

nice post. Last week I went to a Japanese Restaurant, their Yakitori is very delicious http://www.nanbantei.com.sg

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