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Introduction
An offshoot of the popular Japanese omakase, Teppei, Hana Hana offers Japanese yakitori over a charcoal barbecue.
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Above information is for reference only. Please check details with the restaurant.
Hana Hana is located next to the well known Teppei at Orchid Hotel. Both are opened by the same person which is Japanese chef Yamashita Teppei. While Teppei is directly under the management of Japanese chef Yamashita, Hana Hana is under his wife. Hana Hana offers kushiyaki (skewer cuisine) à la carte and omakase sets in a fuss-free, limited-seating format. While one has to book 3 months in advance in order to dine in Teppei for its well known omakase, Hana Hana does not take reservations.On a Saturday evening I am surprised to find that I am second in queue with 30 minutes to opening for dinner. Maybe it is because it has been raining the whole day. The restaurant is relatively quiet throughout the whole meal, as it is half filled. We are seated at one end where we have a great view what the chefs are cooking.The chef’s recommendations omakase meal is available in $40+, $50+ and $60+. Since it is rare to come here for dinner, we decide to go for the $60+ meal, which consists of 10 Yakitori sticks (including Wagyu beef, goose liver, salmon belly, prawn), 2 appetizers, 2 sushi, 1 main (minced chicken don/ ocha-zuke/ barachirashi).We started the meal with a plate of assorted sashimi. The raw fish tastes quite fresh and served with fresh wasabi. The dish is letdown by the overly salty seaweed which is served with it.Next we have stewed salmon for appetizer. The small dish is full of bones. I think we spend 80% of the time trying to remove the long, thin bones.Next is stewed vegetables for appetizer. The radish and carrot cubes are soft and well flavoured.This is followed by pan fried salmon and unagi (eel), which is well flavoured.Next we have half serving of croquette. It has mochi texture and tastes cheesy too. The croquette is a bit too char too.Next we are served a plate of skewers.Baby corn skewer - a bit char on one side but tastes juicy.Mushroom skewer - juicy in taste.Sweet potato skewer - it is soft and sweet.King Prawn - it is huge in size, tastes very fresh and juicy.Next is followed by a marinated quail egg skewer, which looks rather grey in color.It is followed by the foie gras skewer, which is melt in the mouth but a bit too char.This is followed by another plate of skewers.Chicken wing skewer - quite juicy but difficult to remove from the skewer to eat.Chicken neck skewer - tender chicken meat.Salmon belly skewer - a bit too dryBeef skewer - it does not have beef taste (which I thought it is pork belly at first), and is a bit tough to bite.Octopus skewer - texture like dried cuttle fish.Next we are served angel fish liver on cheese. The strong tastes of both balance each other, which tastes rich and smooth.It is followed by a cricket skewer which is light and crispy in taste.The meal ends with a main dish. Most will order the bara chirashi. The serving is slightly smaller than the usual. The sushi rice is topped with assorted marinated raw seafood cubes and fresh wasabi. It tastes of the freshness of the seafood.But today I decide to go for the minced chicken don. Minced chicken on top of plain rice, topped with a raw egg and pickled ginger. Mixing all up, the egg gives the rice an extra smooth texture. Yummy and hot in the stomach, which is quite soothing in a cold raining day.Overall the meal is not bad and we are filled to bursting. Although the number of dishes may not looks as many as what is served in Teppei’s $80 multi course meal, one really feels as full. As the place is not packed, we have the full attention of the staffs who shared small talks with us. Tea is often refilled.
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We had heard much about Hana Hana (an offshoot of the ever popular Teppei @ Tanjong Pagar) but never really fancied joining the queues (and the hype!) just to dine there. But as luck would have it, we were in the Tanjong Pagar area one Saturday late morning when we caught sight of an almost non existent queue just before opening hours and decided to give it a shot.Located just next to Teppei at a corner of Orchid Hotel along Tanjong Pagar Road (actually they sorta share the premises and staff), Hana Hana is the cheaper sibling to Teppei and serves up a rather limited menu that includes Teppei's signature Bara Chirashi Don. Seating is restricted to counter seats only and you have a view of the chefs preparing your food.Bara Chirashi Don ($17.60) - The famous Bara chirashi Don. A rather sizable bowl of fresh pieces of salmon, tuna and swordfish mixed in with a light soy sauce on a bed of rice, topped with roe and strips of seawood; certainly not wow or anything near the best chirashi I've eaten but definitely value for money.Higawari ($17.60) - The higawari or daily special of grilled wagyu was relatively lacklustre in comparison to the don, coming across as a little overcooked but still tender and relatively juicy, doused in a mildly sweet sauce. The wagyu lacked beefiness and I honestly couldn't tell it was wagyu, not from the lack of marbling. Served with a bowl of rice. Decent but not something I would specially order again.Advertised prices are nett (even though the bill breaks it down to include service charge and GST) and the both of us spent $35.20 on lunch. In my humble opinion, both the quality of ingredients and the taste aren't great so what draws the crowds and the rave reviews? My guess - very reasonable pricing, limited seating and herd/hype mentality.See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2015/11/hana-hana-value-for-money-bara-chirashi.html
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