Sumire Yakitori House

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Thought that the place was not crowded but turned out that most of the tables were under reservation. In the end we decided on the counter seats with a great view of the staffs grilling the sticks. Although we were sitting right in front of the grilling section, it was not smoky. While looking through the menu, we were served a complimentary side dish which was lightly dressed cabbage.Volcano Roll ($9.90++/ 4pcs)Sushi roll with avocado, crabmeat, and cucumber on top with spicy salmon, flying fish roe and homemade spicy mayonnaise sauceFelt the roll itself was rather bland without the mayonnaise sauce. The avocado, crab meat and salmon could barely be tasted.Bakudan Korokke ($8.90++)Homemade Egg Potato CroquetteIt looked like a deep fried ball when served. Cut it opened, one would be able to see the molten lava egg yolk flowing out smooothlng from inside. Potato salad enclosed the egg. Interesting dish by itself. No wonder it was recommended by the staff. Tsukune ($4.90++)Big Chicken Meatball with CheeseThe meatball were so juicy and crunchy that my partner thought we were having pork meatballs and could not believe that its chicken.Enoki Bacon ($3.90++)Bacon & Golden Mushroom with Garlic Soy SauceThe stick looked rather dry but it was juicy and crunchy.Eringi ($3.90++)Oyster Mushroom in Garlic ButterI like that the mushroom was lightly seasoned which one could still taste the actual flavour of the mushroom.We down the meal with green tea ($1++/ pax), which was refillable. continue reading

For full review - http://midas400.blogspot.sg/2014/08/sumire-yakitori-house-bugis-junction.htmlWe are back to having impromptu dinners again after a rather long break. The venue of choice, Sumire 笑 Yakitori House at Bugis Junction. This restaurant is the Tokyo brand's first oversea venture outside of its 15 outlets in Japan. Sumire is a casual Japanese style beer house serving grilled skewer items as its main specialty.Upon stepping into the restaurant, you'll be greeted with loud "Irashaimase!" from the entire crew in the restaurant, a usual practice in Japan that is trending in Jap eateries in SG. There is an open concept kitchen where the chefs prepare their customers orders under the scrutiny of the public eye.We didn't notice this at first but realized later that the kitchen hood that they are using are very good at what it does, the entire restaurant and its patrons didn't reek of BBQ smell at all.The eatery adopts the new iPad ordering system like many modern restaurants in SG. The friendly staffs will explain the ordering process in detail for all new visitors.Once seated, a complimentary bowl of Cabbage Shiodare was served. Fresh raw cabbage leaves drizzled with Japanese salt dressing are a good way to cleanse the palates in between rich tasting dishes, as explained by the staffs. The salt dressing was really delish.Placing orders was a breeze after we got the hang of how the menu lists works. We ended up ordering 17 dishes in total...kinda ambitious for 4pax!Yuzu Salmon & Avocado salad $3.90++, fresh salmon and avocado cubes served with yuzu ponzu dressing. Nice and refreshing.Choco Balls $2.90++, braised quail eggs in Jap soy sauce. The tiny eggs were nicely cooked with soft creamy center, but we all find the soy sauce a tad too salty for our liking.Sashimi Santen Mori $17.90++, 3 kinds of fresh seafood served with a slice of lemon. Its extremely fresh and juicy, we liked.Tsukune (chicken meatballs) for Ladies $4.90++ per stick, served with Teriyaki-Mayo sauce and Melted Cheese. The Ladies version are made up of 3 bite-sized morsels for easier consumption, whereas Man's version has got two larger balls (sotong ball sized) which have a more satisfying bite for the guys.The chicken meatball itself tastes pretty much like those sold at takeaway kiosk like ToriQ, quite ordinary but the generous topping of teriyaki sauce and creamy mayo makes up for the lack in taste, overall quite ok.Grilled Tori Kawa (chicken skin) $2.20++, one of my fave chicken parts, a rare find in SG. This was very well executed, the slightly charred edges was crispy and non charred part was tender and springy, coupled with the savory teriyaki sauce...perfection!Daikon Tower $7.90++, Sumire's rendition of the popular oden dish is very interesting, with chunky slices of daikon stacked into a tall tower and dashi broth with several slices of chikuwa and some konjac at the base, topped with bonito flakes. The broth was light yet flavorful, and ingredients were yummy too. Definitely recommended.Bakudan Korokke $7.90++, Sumire's signature dish, a huge croquette ball with a whole soft boiled egg wrapped in the center. Once sliced open, the creamy yolk oozes out from within.This dish looks special but taste so so, the potato was quite dry and bland, we were not very impressed. I wouldn't order this again.Goma Tebaage (sesame chicken wings) $7.90++ and Crispy Gyoza w/ Yuzu dip $5.90++. We liked the chicken wings, very tasty and skin has a slight crisp, pretty addictive to eat. The gyoza on the other hand was forgettable.Yari Ika Teriyaki $8.90++, grilled sotong with teriyaki sauce. For the price tag, we got quite a big serving of grilled squid which was delicious too, great value for money!Ebi Mentai Mayo $4.90++ per piece. Prawns were fresh, not the best ebi mentai I've eaten but pretty darn good for its price tag. I would order this again.Tamago Oroshi Ponzu $6.90++, this dish was perhaps the only dish that we felt is not worth ordering. The egg was overcooked and didn't taste sweet which we feel is not right.We managed to wiped out all the 17 dishes we ordered. Food quality was mostly hits rather than misses, with pocket friendly prices to boot. For the amount of dishes we had, we each paid only $38 including ++. Service staffs are friendly, helpful and responsive. We love dining at this cozy eatery and will definitely return again for more value for money Japanese fare. Do make reservations in advance cos many people had already found out about this gem, the restaurant was running a roaring business serving a full house crowd even on a weekday evening! continue reading

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/04/sg-sumire-yakitori-house-affordable.htmlYakitori basically means skewered and grilled food. In a way, the easy way is to relate it as the Japanese version of Southeast Asian's famous satay! This restaurant has a user-friendly iPad ordering system whereby you simply insert all your orders into the machine and it would be sent directly to the counter or kitchen. With rising labour costs and challenging operating business conditions, this certainly brought another facet to automation in the F&B scene. Could this potentially lead to a lack in personal or humane touch in customer service?This reminds me of Ronin cafe, which has no menu and it is crucial for the owner to find a way to balance the service and efficiency at an eatery.Chicken Meatball for Ladies (Teriyaki Sauce & Mayo)Chicken Meatball for Ladies (Teriyaki Sauce, Mayo & Cheese)Interestingly, there's meatball for men and ladies which basically means that men get bigger portion and ladies smaller. I'm a super fan of mayo and cheese, so the dressing was definitely a hit for me. The meatballs were soft and tender, cooked to perfection and nicely coated with teriyaki sauce, melted cheese and mayo. However, the meat had a slightly unpleasant stale taste which was covered underneath the sauce even though the coating was so strong.Bakudan KorokkeOne of their signatures was this homemade potato croquette which won me over at first sight. It was a very irresistible combination of soft-boiled egg hiding in a crispy croquette with creamy potato salad. Please bear with the photo above as I was looking for the egg yolk to dissect, the soft-boiled egg was guaranteed cook to the right level although the photo didn't really show the flowy egg yolk. Surely a recommended dish for egg and potato food lovers!Tamagoyaki with Mentai CheeseThis Japanese omelette looked very tempting with the mentai cheese oozing out but the texture of the egg roll was quite disappointing as it tasted soggy. I would have preferred a firmer hold and was expecting a stronger punch of flavours from the mentai cheese. According to Michelin 3-star chef, Jiro Ono, mastering the creation of tamagoyaki could take up to a decade and this version surely needs improvement.Hotate Mentai MayoHotate Garlic MayoHotate means scallop in English, the dish above was simply to bake the half-shelled scallop together with the fish roe/garlic in mayonnaise on top resulting in the brown hue shown. You could taste that the scallop wasn't very fresh but for the kind of price you're paying it's reasonable. Personally, I would have preferred it better if there was a more generous fish roe serving to cover the whole scallop.Cheese OageThe cheese bean curd skewer was crispy and airy, sprinkled it with bonito flakes, spring onion and drizzled with soy sauce. This savoury dish had given a different mouthfeel and interesting taste.Asparagus BaconEnokitake BaconThe mushroom and asparagus wrapped in the bacon were juicy and generously packed to fit in the bacons. The sweet sauce slowly absorbed by the meat during cooking had also brought the savoury dishes to the next level.Tomato BaconI loved the fact that the cherry tomato wrapped in the bacon was so sweet, crunchy and succulent that the juice burst into your mouth once you bite which complemented well with the caramelised salty bacon. Simple and delicious!Chicken ShoulderThe chicken shoulder skewer was so tender and grilled to perfection. Do note that they also serve almost all parts of a chicken including heart, liver, soft bone, inner breast, thigh, tail and skin which would certainly attract foodies with distinctive indulgence preferences.Chicken with green pepperPersonally, I find the yakitori tare sauce tasty and the chef also controlled the grilling time well but it seemed that the ingredients were not marinated sufficiently as the yakitoris were unable to give a wow factor.The bill came to about S$25/pax for 3 persons, this place certainly served reasonably priced and above average yakitori and food. Service wise, the iPad ordering system fortunately did not lead the service down while the service crew were very friendly and attentive who consistently had smiles on their faces. I will perhaps revisit this comfortable and welcoming restaurant when I suddenly have craving for their potato croquette or yakitori! continue reading

In the quest of searching for authentic kushiyaki, a Japanese classic inclusive of bite-sized delicacies skewered and grilled, I am deeply honoured to be invited to a private food tasting session at Sumire Yakitori House. With 15 outlets in Japan itself, Singapore was chosen to become the first venture outside the country, as it was seen as a growing hub for food (among other things). Their initial concept - a yakitori bar, was originally targeted at men, who enjoyed their wide range of beer and sake while having yakitori. However, the President of Sumire - Mr. Yuzawa Tadanori, thought that good food is best shared. Since then, the bar concept is molded into a restaurant, catering for people from all walks of life.Their first local outlet is seemingly difficult to find, girlfriend and yours truly had to pace the mall and search the directory whilst trying to locate the restaurant for the first time. Well, it wasn't that difficult to navigate around after knowing it is nestled at the edge of Bugis Junction, just across Bugis+. Upon arriving (anonymously), we were greeted loudly by the chefs and service staff with smiles hanging on everyone's faces, and it was noted that greetings would be given whenever customers enter, leave or when food is being served. On a side note, these people are probably the happiest service staff I have ever came across. Another plus point is awarded to the open kitchen concept where trained professionals prepare your grills, and cosy interiors, which exudes a typical Japanese restaurant "feel" and even evokes a sense of nostalgia, if you have been to Japan.Sumire Yakitori House is one of the growing numbers where iPad menus are utilised, besides the use of traditional paper menu, providing great convenience to both the technologically-savvy and tech-illiterate. Being on our virgin trip to the restaurant, one of the friendly staff kindly assisted us with the menu and introduced us some of their signature dishes. According to prior research and recommendations, Bakudan Korokke (S$6.90) is one of the most recommended dishes. Also known as the "bomb", the homemade potato croquette leaks out a stream of velvety smooth yolk from its crispy exterior of potato and breadcrumbs when opened up (which was similar to molten chocolate cake or custard bun). Being texture and flavour-rich, this dish is indeed a gastronomical explosion.While waiting for the next serving to arrive, which took less than 5 minutes on a weekday night, we munched on some cabbage, served with Shio-Dare sauce (salt dressing) and sesame seeds to aid in digestion. Highly known for it's rich and natural vitamins, cabbage has excellent age-defying and beautifying properties among other benefits. At Sumire, the first bowl of cabbage is complementary, while subsequent servings are priced at S$1.90 each.Potato salad (S$3.90) is a recommended appetiser to prepare your palate for what is to come. The clever texture-full combination of assorted vegetables mixed with mashed potato will make you drooling for seconds. I had a hard guess on the shredded decorations around the salad, which I thought was beancurd skin. Mr Shin, the humble managing director of Sumire, kindly enlightened me that it was actually fried wanton skin. I actually felt stupid for a moment.Their signature yakitori is an obvious choice to order off the menu. At Sumire, most skewers are either grilled with Shio (salt) or Tare (teriyaki sauce), serving the best of both worlds. We had the highly recommended Negima (S$2.90) - tender and succulent chicken meat skewered in-between leeks, Nankotsu (S$3.90) - chicken soft bone (also known as cartilage) and meat which proved to be a tad dry and tasteless to my disappointment, Cheese Tsukune (S$4.90) - a great combination of minced chicken infused with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise and cheese. Interestingly, their tsukune comes in "men" and "female" sizes, the former comes in bigger sizes, whereas the latter presents a smaller bite for the demure.A short interview with Ms Felicia, the HR manager of Sumire, reviewed that they have incoming plans to gradually introduce the variety of yakitori. Diners, like myself, can look forward to grilled seafood and beef skewers in time to come.Tamago Mentai Cheese (S$7.90) makes to girlfriend's favourite list, and the answer is obvious - soft, runny mentai cheese encased within the classic Japanese omelette, makes for a perfect starter.Mentai Cream Udon (S$8.90) is a huge recommendation by myself. This big bowl consists of chewy udon, thinly sliced cucumbers, seaweed and mentai, in a creamy base. As with all the creamy pastas, less is more, making sharing a wise choice. For desserts, try out their signature Sumire Ice Cream (S$3.90) - vanilla ice cream drizzled with black sugar and dusted with soya bean powder. The picture will say the rest.In a nutshell, there was no doubt that Sumire makes quality and authentic Japanese food affordable. Derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the world "smile", Sumire Yakitori House hopes to promote that "smile is priceless" and that their restaurants, which encompasses both food and services would bring smiles to everyone's faces. And you know what? They did it. continue reading

Met my family for dinner at the new Sumire Yakitori House at Bugis Junction. When we first entered, we were greeted heartily by the service crews. Each table is given an Ipad to take orders. The menus given to us are less comprehensive than the menu in the Ipad. Interesting, the Tsukune comes in two “sizes”, meatball for men and meatball for ladies. The prices for the meatball for men and the meatball for ladies are the same. The only difference is the bite size between the two options. The meatballs are very juicy and flavorful. However, there are soft bones in the meatballs. If you don’t like soft bone, you might not like the meatballs. The king prawn yakitori is expensive and not fresh. I would not recommend. The potato salad is chilled and delicious. continue reading