Location: Dhoby Ghaut, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore
I am familiar with Sakae Sushi (who isn’t?) but not with its teppanyaki offering restaurant. My wife however tried it once with a friend and was absolutely hooked to it. After a few prodding from her, I finally agreed to give it a try, choosing the branch in Plaza Singapura since this is one of the malls which we frequented. For your information, Sakae Teppanyaki has a smaller business footprint compared to Sakae Sushi. There are currently only 7 branches in total in Singapore as opposed to the 35 from its sushi cousin (that’s the count I got from their website).
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| Front entrance of Sakae Teppanyaki |
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| Our seat around the cooking area |
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| Three bowls |
Although the establishment in Plaza Singapura is not large, the furniture is spaced out enough to have ample walking area. The layout is divided into 4 clusters, with furniture in each cluster centered on a teppan, the flat top iron grill which the chef used to prepare and cook right in front of diners. This means that unless your group is large enough to fill a table, small groups will have to rub shoulders with strangers seated right next to you. It is the usual way to dine in a teppanyaki setting but it could surprise those unfamiliar with the seating arrangements.
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| A refreshing Honey Aloe Vera Tea (SGD4.99) while waiting for our dish to be readied. Its sweetness is addictive and those cubes of aloe vera are just asking to be sucked through the straw. |
I selected a Sakae Set, enticed by its array of offerings within the set which included salmon teriyaki, teriyaki chicken, simmered spicy white clams, black pepper deer meat, pan-sheared shrimp dumplings, assorted vegetables, stir fried udon and the ubiquitous miso soup, all at SGD49.99. The set also came with a choice of udon or soba (we chose soba) but we were worried that just 1 filling of noodle would not sate our appetite, we took an add on of Kimchi Fried Rice (we would have wanted Garlic Rice but it wasn’t available) at SGD3.99.
Although I read about teppanyaki in articles, it was my first experience of having a chef cooking right in front of me. The experience was memorable and rather nice, with the sizzling and stir-fries catching our attention. Maybe I was expecting a little more action like those seen in movies because after a while I felt that the cooking was not as exciting and the experience quickly wane off. Still having a chef cooking and preparing the disk right in front of you and most importantly, having it fresh off the oven onto your plate was an experience I cherished.
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| Udon, teriyaki chicken and shrimp dumplings in progress |
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| Flipping the salmon while waiting for Kimchi Fried Rice |
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| Teriyaki chicken, shrimp dumplings and assorted vegetables ready for consumption |
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| Spicy white clam, slightly spicy and salty, with a special taste to go with |
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| Stir fried udon, a large portion that could fill 2 persons' stomach |
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| Our add on Kimchi Fried Rice does not have any taste of kimchi, and since it contains dried shrimps, I couldn't give an objective view of it given my dislike for this item. |
The food quality was fine overall, especially with the teriyaki sauced dishes and the spicy white clams. The salty teriyaki sauce was swiped clean from the plate with whatever food we had on hand would tell how addictive it was.
In the end we were disappointed that we could not finish everything because the set was really filling us to the brim. In hindsight adding the Kimchi Fried Rice was an overkill which we should have avoided. The price tag was value for money at the size and offering of the set so I would consider visiting it once in a while.
Environment: A teppanyaki dining spot in CBD where the chefs cook right in front
Suitable for: for family or friends, good for celebrations
Price: luxurious (>SGD20 per meal per pax)
Price: luxurious (>SGD20 per meal per pax)
Food score: 9/10
Food: 4.5/5.0
Service: 4.5/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0
Ambient: 4.0/5.0
Operating hours: 11.30 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. (last order at 9.30 p.m.)
Directions: Disembark at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station and make your way up the escalator. Remain on this level (B2) and work to the area away from the MRT entrance. This restaurant is at the middle, right past the escalator.
Contact: +65 - 6337 5676 (phone) (Plaza Singapura branch)
E-mail: -
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #B2-52/54 Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839.
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