If you want to treat yourself to exceptional artisanal Japanese gourmet food, The Gyu Bar must be at the top of your considerations. 

Every single dish that we ordered hit the spot, but their Signature Premium Wagyu Beef Platter stole the spotlight. 

The beef simply tasted divine. The rich beef flavour was enhanced with just the right amount of salt, and its near-perfect marbling made it smooth and buttery. 

Albeit a lot pricier than the others, this bad boy weighed 300 grams and was able to satiate all four of us in our group. 

We also tried their dry Spicy Beef Ramen, which packed just enough spice without overpowering the beefy umami flavour that seeped into the noodles. 

And since we were technically splurging anyway, we also ordered their Matcha Ice Cream and Yuzu Sorbet. 

Both ended up being just alright. The Matcha Ice Cream in particular could be creamier, but we still enjoyed them. 

That said, The Gyu Bar can only seat 35 people, so it’s best you make a reservation so you can secure a table. 

We actually reserved a week prior since this restaurant always reaches its full capacity, and if you decide to walk in, you will have to queue. 

Wakuda is a renowned Japanese restaurant in Singapore led by Chef Tetsuya Wakuda, who is recognized by the Japanese government as Japan’s Master of Cuisine. 

Piqued by this fact alone, our team all agreed that we should experience Chef Testuya’s gastronomic ingenuity, and we were extremely glad to do so. 

The dishes were surprisingly modern, and everything tasted exceptional. The wait staff were also very accommodating and even recommended most of the dishes that we ate. 

Since we wanted to be experimental, the waiter suggested that we try their thinly sliced octopus with spicy radish and citrus sauce for our appetizer. 

Although the octopus is not your usual starter, this particular dish was an explosion of flavour. The combination of spicy and sour left our tastebuds tickled, craving for more. 

For our main, we ordered a mish-mash of chirashi, sushi, and nigiri, and two of the standouts were the aburi toro don chirashi (tuna belly, scallion, and garlic on sushi rice) and the uni (sea urchin) nigiri. 

We also have to thank the restaurant’s cosy and relaxing ambience because it’s a nice compensation for the almost 40 minutes that it took for the food to be served. 

It is also worth noting that this restaurant is relatively pricey, but given the expertise of Chef Tetsuya and the mouthwatering dishes, we believe it’s money well spent. 

Following the concept “sen,” which means fresh or freshness, Sen of Japan’s menu heavily is built around contemporary takes on traditional Japanese ingredients. 

As big fans of seafood, our team decided to put this restaurant’s food to the test and were able to conclude that their dishes were exquisite. 

We ordered their Maguro Pizza for our starters and were stunned by the fresh, nutty, and almost oaky combo of the bluefin and truffle mayo. Not to mention, the thin-crust dough under the bluefin wasn’t soggy, which is an added bonus. 

Their Black Cod Soy also proved to be a head-turner, especially the special soy marinade, which was packed with umami flavour. 

Although we tried Wagyu in previous restaurants, we still agreed to try Sen of Japan’s Wagyu A5 Striploin Steak. It was rich, savoury, and buttery, but compared to their other dishes, it was nothing to write home about. 

In terms of their serving speed, we were actually surprised at how quick they were to bring in our dishes. However, one of the wait staff who led us to our table was quite unwelcoming and dismissed our team member’s request for a glass of water. 

For a high-end restaurant that charges a lot for food, we couldn’t help but expect a certain level of professionalism since it’s technically a part of what you pay for. 

Fortunately, the food was good enough to lift up our moods. 

Shin Kushiya is one of the pioneers of kushiyaki or skewered dining in Singapore, and we’re more than happy to taste all kinds of goodies presented in a stick. 

We admit that, at first, we had a difficult time picking our preferred kushiyaki since there were a lot of options to choose from. Veggies, protein, seafood—you name it and Shin Kushiya will put it in a skewer. 

In the end, we decided to order their Shin Buta Platter, which is a selection of meaty and savoury pork skewers. 

In all honesty, most of us prefer beef over pork. However, for this platter, the pork was seasoned well, wasn’t too greasy, and was even easy to chew. 

If anything, it’s a welcome change from all the beef that we tried in other Japanese restaurants. 

We also ordered their chicken yakitori and tebasaki (chicken wing) kushiyaki but found them a bit one-dimensional since they mostly just tasted like soy sauce. 

But for the affordable price, the food wasn’t too bad, especially if you’re not craving gourmet Japanese food. 

We want to warn you though that the restaurant can get so crowded that it almost feels like it’s a fast-food chain. 

We have to admit, sometimes our palates crave simple yet hearty food that fine dining restaurants can’t quite provide. And with The Ramen House, we were able to satisfy our cravings without breaking the bank. 

It’s also perhaps the best place to go to after a night out. 

This joint doesn’t have an extensive or even sophisticated menu, but their food, particularly the ramen options, is more than enough to satisfy any diner. 

Our group favourite is their beef and pork belly ramen, which are equally meaty, rich, and savoury. 

The noodles are always chewy, and the umami broth has seeped into these to the point that they can stand alone without the protein in the bowl. 

To sum it all up, we really love this restaurant and the food it offers. 

Do note though that The Ramen House isn’t a high-end restaurant, so you shouldn’t expect special treatment from the staff.

The place also gets crowded, so make sure you go before or after rush hour.