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2013-11-09 289 views
One of the reviews said the churashi was made out of too many small sushi squares. I found there to be a lot of seafood and it was tasty . The beef ball skewers that came with the entree set were superb, the salmon roll average. No way this can be compared to same level as a sushi tei. It's a better than average Japanese restaurant and if you don't feel like western or hawker food on siong siak street it's about your only option. I'd come back here again .
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One of the reviews said the churashi was made out of too many small sushi squares. I found there to be a lot of seafood and it was tasty . The beef ball skewers that came with the entree set were superb, the salmon roll average. No way this can be compared to same level as a sushi tei. It's a better than average Japanese restaurant and if you don't feel like western or hawker food on siong siak street it's about your only option. I'd come back here again .
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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I had wandered into IKYU without any knowledge about it, but it had looked rather nice, and my friend and I were both hungry. Since they were offering a set lunch at around $25, so figured, why not!The decor of the place is really nice, classy and elegant with a little industrial feel- plenty of dark wood and metal, with slightly darker (and more romantic?) lighting. The bar area, where patrons could sit, and where two sushi chefs- one Japanese and one Malaysian- were preparing sushi and enterta
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I had wandered into IKYU without any knowledge about it, but it had looked rather nice, and my friend and I were both hungry. Since they were offering a set lunch at around $25, so figured, why not!
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The decor of the place is really nice, classy and elegant with a little industrial feel- plenty of dark wood and metal, with slightly darker (and more romantic?) lighting.
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The bar area, where patrons could sit, and where two sushi chefs- one Japanese and one Malaysian- were preparing sushi and entertaining everyone with their banter and stories. It was a very friendly and chill sort of vibe.

So after some consideration, we decided on what we wanted! We also ordered drinks, I got a yuzu iced tea (which was very normal and therefore not deserving of a photo) and he got a cocktail with milk and japanese strawberry liquer.
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Tadaaaaa! It doesn't look like much, but it was actually really good! The alcohol taste was really subtle, and even though I don't like milk, I would have gladly drunk the whole glass!

Anyway, our appetities came soon after. He stuck with the safe option- potato salad- while I went for the salmon spring roll.
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His potato salad was nothing amazing I felt, but he was happily gobbling it down, so I guess if you love potato you'd like it haha. I really like my spring roll though, the skin felt like the rice paper used for wrapping vietnamese spring rolls, but crispier, giving it a crunch, and the proportion of rice and salmon and roe was just nice, allowing me to taste and savour the buttery texture of the salmon ^^ The bonito flakes sprinkled on top were a nice touch too!

Then came our mains! I was super excited because I had got the chirashi don, which i love- sashimi slices on rice, what not to love!- and he got the seven sisters sushi (basically 7 pieces of sushi lol)
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Here's his sushi! I couldn't take a nice picture because it was too long, but presentation was actually very nice! Moreover, the server was super nice too, he took the time to explain each sushi so that we could fully appreciate it. I tasted the tuna sushi, which had very nice, fat, sticky rice with a thick slice of tuna on top. While not the best tuna I've had, it was not bad.
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And then my set arrived! I was super happy when I saw it ^^ While the sashimi was chopped up instead of in slices, it was more than compensated by the huge amount of fish. The chirashi was really yummy, with each sashimi having different textures (the salmon was the best I feel, buttery and fat, it was smooth and slid down my throat) and mixed with the lightly seasoned rice
There was also this sweet pickled gourd in it? I'm not sure what it's called, or if it even is what I think it is, but it went really well with the fish because its sweetness brought out the sweetness of the fish as well!
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Close-up of my yummy yummy lunch!

All in all, it was a great lunch with good food at fair prices. But what was really worth mention is actually the attentive and personalised service at IKYU. I have rarely had such great service, with prompt removal of dishes and topping up of water, and smiles all round. It was very impressive and made my lunch so much better! 5/5 stars!
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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$30
Level2
18
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2013-01-19 115 views
For pictures and full review, visit http://melicacy.com/?p=5028Wafu Marinated Salmon Carpaccio ($16.50): Divine slices of fatty salmon are augmented with a wafu marinate that brings out the bright brininess of the ocean.French Foie Gras Flavoured in Miso ($18.50):The French Foie Gras Flavoured in Miso is a must-try.This is a Japanese take on the French foie gras. The miso glaze added a whole new dimension to the fatty liver. Seared till caramelised and crisp on the surface, with tender interior
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For pictures and full review, visit http://melicacy.com/?p=5028

Wafu Marinated Salmon Carpaccio ($16.50): Divine slices of fatty salmon are augmented with a wafu marinate that brings out the bright brininess of the ocean.

French Foie Gras Flavoured in Miso ($18.50):

The French Foie Gras Flavoured in Miso is a must-try.

This is a Japanese take on the French foie gras. The miso glaze added a whole new dimension to the fatty liver. Seared till caramelised and crisp on the surface, with tender interior that disintegrates in your mouth, there is a perfect balance of sweetness and savouriness. Genius interpretation.

Taraba King Crab with Soy Butter ($48.50 for 2 pieces):

Priced at a whopping $50 for two claws, quality is what you’re paying for. Pristinely fresh, meaty and juicy, kissed very lightly with soy butter, the seasoning is kept subdued to allow the natural sweetness of the crustacean to shine.

Century Egg Traditional Potato Salad ($8.50):

A twist to the plain old potato salad, the addition of century egg made this dish an instant hit.

Blow Fish Tatsuta-age with Sansyo ($16.50):

Tatsuta-age is a typical Japanese-style fried chicken, but here they’ve applied the same method of cooking on a different subject –blowfish now takes centre stage. I love all things deep-fried. The Blow Fish Tatsuta-age with Sansyo is no exception.

Assorted 5 kinds of Aburi Sushi ($38.50):

The Aburi Sushi consists of nigiri sushi with a fish topping that is blowtorched to a caramelised surface, but still partially raw underneath.

Pricey for a sushi platter, but if you look at it in terms of freshness and quality, what you pay for is what you get.

Crispy Hot Spicy Salmon Roll ($8.50):

I dislike seaweed; therefore sushi rolls with nori are not my favourite kind of sushi. This version with the tempura crust, however, makes the sushi roll more enjoyable. Love the fat chunk of salmon smacked in the middle.

Shrimp Tempura California Roll ($15.50):

Another way to make me eat my nori is to stash it out of sight, like with the carlifornia roll, and add a crispy element, the crispy shrimp tempura in this case, so it distracts me from the seaweed.

This, my friend, passes with flying colours.

Silver Cod Marinated in Saikyo Miso ($25.50):

If you love fish, the Silver Cod Marinated in Saikyo Miso will bring boundless delight to your palate. Saikyo Miso is a sweet white miso originating from the Kyoto region of Japan. The delicate sweetness, along with the crispy caramelised skin and flaky tender flesh, is highly enticing.

It comes with a huge price tag though –for a small portion of fish that takes up only a paltry space of an average person’s tummy.

Shocyu Cheese Cake with Berry ($8.50): Alcohol lovers will enjoy this dessert. The rich creamy cheesecake is spiked with an intense taste of sake –which is what brings this dessert to a climax.

While IKYU scores high points in terms of taste and quality, this place is more ideal for those who want to catch up over drinks and a light meal, and not for the hungry and ravenous.

The chefs and waitstaffs are not forbade to drink on the job, therefore clinking of glasses with diners are a common sight. You can easily tell who the regulars are by mere observation.

The food took a long time to emerge from the kitchen, leaving me hungry and glum –it made me wonder if the chef has been drinking too much. The food eventually made up for the unpleasant wait, putting a smile on my face with every bite.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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  • French Foie Gras Flavoured in Miso
  • Silver Cod Marinated in Saikyo Miso
  • Shrimp Tempura California Roll
Level3
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For pictures and more reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.comI suppose by now everyone has heard of IKYU (Tiong Bahru) by now. It's a high end Japanese dining joint opened by Executive Chef Takuma Seki, former chef-de Cuisine of Hide Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands. And it is the only Japanese restaurant in the hippie coffee zone in Singapore- Yong Siak Street. The interior is a futuristic industrial jungle made with stunning pieces of brass, bronze and concrete. Definitely an atypical Japan
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For pictures and more reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.com

I suppose by now everyone has heard of IKYU (Tiong Bahru) by now. It's a high end Japanese dining joint opened by Executive Chef Takuma Seki, former chef-de Cuisine of Hide Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands. And it is the only Japanese restaurant in the hippie coffee zone in Singapore- Yong Siak Street.

The interior is a futuristic industrial jungle made with stunning pieces of brass, bronze and concrete. Definitely an atypical Japanese restaurant and i'm not quite sure how it relates to fine dining or the Zen that IKYU tries to achieve. It's not that i don't like the decor, it's just that i feel it works better for an izakaya bar instead.

Food wise, the prices are on the high side as IKYU takes pride in using quality ingredients. The fish is flown in three times a week from Tsukiji and so, sashimi prices start from $15.50 for 5pcs of Salmon/Squid/Engawa to $68.50 for 5pcs of Blue Fin Otoro tuna. Sadly, the fish didn't come close to the Tsukiji sort that i've had.

The lunch menu on the other hand is a lot more affordable ($25/35) and i'm glad i tried this before even considering their ala carte menu. 4 sets are available and each comes with appetizer, salad, soup and dessert. Pardon the bad quality pictures as it was a spontaneous lunch and the lighting is not the most ideal for food photography.

I enjoyed the crab meat appetizer that was served that day. Sweet and juicy shredded crab meat with some sesame dressing.

The IKYU sushi set ($35), assorted sushi 6 pieces and roll, is the most pricy of the lot because of the expensive fish from Tsukiji. If you have eaten at Tsukiji before, these sushi are like half the size of what you get there. I was perhaps 50% filled after eating this and i don't consider myself to be the biggest eater around (just look at my size). I found the fish to be on the dry side as well.

S had the IKYU Chirashi set ($25) which is the same Bara chirashi on the menu ($28 ala carte). Little cubes of sashimi?! You've got to be kidding me. The only other place that i see cubed sashimi is at Sushi Tei and they serve it on their salads. Honestly there are way better chirashi-dons around and i would direct you to my favorites- Chikuwatei and Tomo Izakaya. They give you fresh, chunky, sliced sashimi. Not diced ones.

I have no idea what to make of this orange milk pudding that they served us for desserts.

Perhaps the seven-course omakase menu ($128) would provide you with a better idea of the quality of the food served at IKYU, but honestly, i would rather take the money somewhere that can actually fill me up. IKYU is just average to me. I think i would be happier eating at Sushi Tei in fact. Maybe i'm biased; a hungry girl is an angry one. It makes me hungry just thinking about this one. :/

Would IKYU work for the Tiong Bahru crowd? I can't speak for the others but it's not my cup of coffee. Pop over to the other bakeries for your brunch instead.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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Date of Visit
2012-09-20
Spending Per Head
$32 (Lunch)