A group of friends, checking out the food scene and talking bout stuff.

Saturday 25 April 2015

Ippin Cafe Bar - Humble Japanese home-style dishes that'll surprise you.

04:33 Posted by Unknown , , , No comments
If you're ever in the vicinity of Clarke Quay/River Valley/Mohamed Sultan, you'll notice many Japanese restaurants lining the streets. Most of these restaurants are rather pricey, but take a walk opposite UE Square (across Hakata Ippudo to be more specific) and you'll find an unassuming, humble little family-run Japanese eatery called Ippin Cafe Bar tucked in a corner.

Once you step inside, you'll be greeted by the cheerful Ayumi Fujishiro, who runs the restaurant. You'll also notice Japanese condiments, ingredients and food products lining the shelves. But I'll talk about why they're there later. Let's get to the food first.

Here's the Deep Fried Oyster Set ($24) with sides of Hatcho miso soup, Nikujaga pork and potato stew, salad, and rice cooked with barley to reduce carb intake so you'll have a healthier meal. 

The oysters were lightly battered and fried to a crisp golden brown, and paired very well with the wasabi egg mayo dressing. But here's the thing: I'm not gonna lie, the oysters were pre-battered, pre-fried, then frozen. But don't worry, they didn't smell or taste of the stink that sometimes comes with oysters.

The pork and potato stew we sampled was lacking in pork but it still remains a hearty side that'll fill you up, especially with the generous serving of potato.

 This is the Grilled Oyster & Veggies in Ponzu Butter Sauce set ($20).

If you prefer something light, this is for you. The juicy oysters were grilled in a fragrant ponzu butter sauce.
 The Miso Udon Noodle with Oyster Set ($15) was very tasty. It may look simple, but something about the sauce it was cooked in gave it so much flavour. As someone who prefers strong, vibrant flavours, this hit the spot for me. But imagine my surprise when I found out how it was made.

This is how. From a pack of instant noodles that comes with the deliciously flavourful sauce. Add veggies and meat and there you have it! There's nothing wrong with eating instant noodles of course, I eat it all the time. But I had expected more, coming to an F&B establishment that charges above $10 for each dish. I had expected them to make the sauce themselves, perhaps with a family recipe passed down from a grandma. After all, Ippin is a home-style eatery.
A three-pack instant noodles (shown above) costs $7. Was it really worth $15 with sides of Kobachi and dessert? I don't think it was, but you do the math.

The Oyakudon set ($15) was pretty simple as well. And as I had caught on to the secret to their dishes, I asked about the stock that's used to cook this dish– it's a pre-packed dashi stock.

Towards the end of our meal, Chef Naomi came out to speak to us. She candidly said, "Honestly, I'm not a very good chef. But I'm very lucky to be able to use these great products to cook."

I appreciated her honesty and candor. And I guess Ippin's selling point is in their exclusive Japanese food products. It's not only an cafe, it's also where you can purchase some Japanese food products you can't find anywhere else in Singapore. If you want to recreate a dish you've tasted at Ippin, you can just ask about the ingredients, buy some off the shelves, and cook it at home if you so wish to.

Ippin Cafe Bar
18 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238967
Tel: 6733-4794
Hours: 11am-11pm

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