Hey Hive!
Now that it's been quite a while since Singapore has has been out of lockdown, or what our government has termed "circuit breaker", restaurants have been operating pretty much as usual aside from implementing safe distancing measures. We've also been eating out more and trying new places!
Well technically this isn't a "new" place per se, because it's actually a place we visit quite frequently but in Japan - Sukiya!
Yes Sukiya recently ventured out of Japan and into Singapore! It's one of our favourite go-to places in Japan and Sean and I always lamented that they never came to Singapore. The one other time I saw Sukiya outside of Japan was in Bangkok but I didn't try it over there unfortunately.
This was back in Tokyo but we always make it a point to eat Sukiya at least once every time we visit Japan!
But anyway back in mid February, Sukiya opened up in Singapore! Everyone was really excited and there were long queues the moment it opened and even for weeks after that!
We actually went by on a weekday but even then there was such a long queue! We normally don't go by so soon after opening day because of crowds but we were so excited to try Sukiya again after not visiting Japan for so long we just couldn't resist! We did have to wait about 15-20 minutes though, but it was worth it.
They do have a takeaway counter though for people who want to order to-go instead, and you probably don't have to wait too long here compared to if you want to sit and eat.
Here's the takeaway menu:
And of course, their signature dish is the standard Gyudon! We were quite surprised to find that it was actually very reasonably priced, especially since it's quite a well-known brand! I think even Yoshinoya's gyudon is more expensive!
So about 20 minutes later, we could finally be seated! We were quite surprised to see how packed it was on a Monday afternoon though, but oh well.
The interior was a lot like the Sukiyas in Japan, but obviously the seating arrangement was a lot different. In Japan, most Sukiyas have a long bar counter in the middle with bar seats surrounding it, and tables lining the walls. Here, there were more tables and a shorter bar table, since Singaporeans tend to sit in groups.
But I really like the interior a lot! The natural wood furnishings blended well with the red and the art on the walls were definitely my favourite part. The chair backs were a little short and the tables felt a little low, but other than that it's actually pretty welcoming and homely, which is basically what Sukiya is going for, and they nailed it for sure. It was a little cramped though, especially at the entrance because of the wall narrowing the walkway but it was fine. The only thing missing is the Sukiya song that continuously plays in the Japan Sukiyas.
The menu was slightly different compared to the Japanese one though, but for the most part it's similar. They obviously had the usual Gyudon:
And of course, Japanese curry:
I'm not sure if the Japan Sukiya has this yakiniku bowl:
And yakitori bowls:
But I know they have unagi bowls in Japan too even though I've never tried it.
This one is definitely new though! It was weird seeing the bok choy in a gyudon, but it was cool that they branched out to make it look more Chinese-style.
Anyway, since I've never tried a yakitori bowl before, I thought I would try it! So I ordered the Half Boiled Egg Yakitori Bowl. And about 10 minutes later, here it is!
Sean ordered his usual Okura Gyudon, aka gyudon with ladies' fingers! When Sean was working in Japan for a brief period, he basically ate this almost every single day.
I was so excited to try my special yakitori bowl but first, I had to crack the egg on top of it!
A perfect soft-boiled egg on top of a hot steaming bowl of rice and yakitori! Yummy! It was actually really delicious too! The yakitori was nicely marinated and seasoned, the rice was sticky and perfect, and the egg was nice and runny albeit a little cold. I think they might've stored the egg in cold water to keep it from over-boiling, but mix it with the rice and it's fine.
Sean also enjoyed his okura gyudon a lot, and the beef itself was actually pretty accurate to how it tastes in the Japan Sukiya. It had been a long time but it definitely reminded me of Japan for sure.
The bowl itself was also quite a reasonable portion size, and was actually quite worth it for the price. I was definitely full after that meal! And I thought the bowl itself had a cute design too!
Sukiya currently only had one outlet in Singapore; in Suntec City which is near the city center, and is actually a mall that Sean frequents for DDR. So now he makes it a point to go to Sukiya at least once a week every time he goes there to play at the arcade. It is pretty affordable considering it's in the city center, so if you're ever in the area and looking for some good, cheap Japanese food, check out Sukiya!
Anyway, I can't believe I'm actually at 100 foodie posts already! That's crazy! I've been thinking of starting a new food series since I've been cooking at home a lot more, and since I'm at 100 I think this is a good milestone. I'll still be posting restaurant food, but I hope you look forward to more home-cooked content as well, starting next week!
Thanks for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
In a weekend the early days of it opening, I saw the queue went around.
yeah it was crazy! can only go on weekdays I think when the queue is more manageable
Yes, if the queue is shorter, I may give it a try.
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Hi @taco.cat, apologies for the downvotes. My anti-farming feature got abused. Here you can find more details. Take care
oh dang alright thanks for letting me know @keys-defender!
Wow nice! There are Sukiya in Singapore!! ;))
yes! they recently opened up here and it's great! especially since we can't go to Japan these days..
Hi taco.cat,
That´s true! Ah, COVID19 really sucks! I miss traveling and want to visit Singapore as well! Sentosa island is amazing! ;)