If you grew up in Ang Mo Kio, you’d know that this building, Broadway, used to be a cinema. Now it has gentrified, don’t be fooled by the classy interior of the restaurant. The prices here are wallet-friendly.

Premium Sashimi Moriawasa for 2 ($45)

The Japanese-owned restaurant is large with 120 seats and 2 VIP rooms. Equally expansive is the offering of 150 dishes so it is not surprising to find that “Marugoto” means “to eat an entire meal” but we think you can eat a lifetime of meals here. Home-grown Chef Quek Weili, who has worked at Japanese fine dining restaurants in Singapore such as Nogawa Sushi, Aoki, and Takumi, helms the kitchen, assisted by a ramen chef who has worked at the defunct Noodle House Ken.

The restaurant tries to get the best quality ingredients at the price that we are paying. Many of the meat and fish are marinated with shiokoji, salted fermented rice, a traditional Japanese seasoning that gives the umami taste.

For a few starters, the premium sashimi moriawasa (for 2, $45) came beautifully plated but we were there on a Monday and since fish are usually delivered on Tuesdays and Fridays, the sashimi wasn’t as fresh as they could be. The thinly sliced beef carpaccio ($25), Australian wagyu with a marbling of 7-8, came lightly poached, drizzled with fragrant truffle oil and specked with black pepper. Oily but very smooth and tender. This was Chiobu’s favorite starter. I preferred the gyoza (pictured above, $5.90), made with kurobuta black pork, with a very delicate skin, although Chiobu remarked that it could be crispier and the filling could be more substantial.

For the mains, the tonkatsu ($13.90, additional $4.90 for rice, salad and dessert) uses fresh bread crumbs or in Japanese, nama panko, which made it crispier than usual and, Chiobu commented, the pork was less dry than elsewhere. The very reasonably priced wagyu wafu steak ($17.90) arrived sizzling and was tender in parts that were raw, Chiobu’s favorite parts, but tougher at the edges. The best way was to remove from the heat quickly when you deem it cook the way you like.

Out of the three mains, my favorite was the Tokyo shoyu ramen ($15.90), with lip-smacking collagen and salt in the broth–Chiobu found it too salty but I loved it–springy noodles and pork so gelatinous it dissolved in the mouth. The egg could be improved, too hardboiled.

To round things off, we had cream brulee ($4.90), which unfortunately proved the adage that Japanese has no good desserts true. Too eggy and not light enough for our liking.

Our conclusion is although the food is nothing to shout about, it is wide-ranging and decent at an affordable price, in a great ambience. Good for families, large group, and even dates.

Marugoto Shokudou

4190 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6
Broadway Plaza
#01-07
Singapore 569841
T: 6451 2822

1130am-2230pm
(closed for lunch on Mon)

Rating: 3.063/5 stars

PS: Thanks Andy and Weili for the invite.

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.