I've heard a lot about Chikuwa Tei, a new venture by the infamous Nazi chef of the now-defunct Wasabi Tei at Far East Plaza. It's a pity that I've not had the opportunity to dine at Chef Peter's former restaurant, but I certainly don't mind paying a bit more for a spacious dining area and friendly service.
A crunchy braised renkon otoshi entertained our tastebuds as our orders were prepared.
Every spoonful of the smooth chawanmushi ($5++) was chockful of ingredients, ranging from pieces to chicken to strands of chewy Korean noodles and shimeji mushrooms.
The restaurant's signature chirashi featured fresh cuts of hirame, kajiki, kanpachi, salmon and tuna, as well as a dollop of buttery uni and a piece of tamagoyaki on a bed of well-seasoned sushi rice. Along with the above-mentioned starter, the chirashi set ($25++) also includes a bowl of fruits, miso soup and pickles. Particularly worthy of mention was the oily salmon sashimi, as well as the generous slices of fish which were certainly the thickest I've ever had!
The relatively quiet weekday lunch crowd and decent food- in terms of both price and taste- made for an ideal location for catching up with friends (over many refills of green tea). I'll love to try Chikuwa Tei's famed cod fish hotpot sometime!
Chikuwa Tei
9 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01
Opening hours: 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-10pm daily