Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow

Right in the midst of Singapore’s Circuit Breaker, Kiyoshi Japanese Restaurant was launched along Amoy Street, specialising in Inaniwa udon, yakitori, sushi and bento sets. Kiyoshi (清 ) means clear and pure, and this principle reflects in the dishes that are served in this Izakaya restaurant.

Tofu & Avocado Salad with Sesame Dressing ($11.80) can be eaten as a light meal or as a starter for sharing. It is as fresh as salad can be but easily replicable at home.

Tekka Tataki ($14.80) comes in six slim slices of gently-seared tuna accompanied with homemade special sauce and chopped onions. The tuna is fresh and sweet, its flavour accentuated with a light zing from the raw onions and savoury sauce.

To unwind, the restaurant offers a wide selection of yakitori to go with your sake or beer. I tried Yakitori Chicken ($2 per stick), Buta Bara ($2.50 per stick), Black Angus Ribeye ($7.50 per stick), Cheese Maki ($3.50 per stick), Tebasaki ($2.80 per stick) and Shishamo ($1.80 per stick). The chicken is a little tough but the rest of the meats are chargrilled to juicy perfection.

A fish head contains the tenderest parts of its meat around the cheeks and fins. Salmon Kabuta Shioyaki ($11.80) is a salt-grilled salmon head that will go extremely well with a bowl of fluffy Japanese rice. The crispy salmon skin is packed with flavour and the fish meat retains its succulence.

Salmon Mentai Roll ($12.80) is the winning combination of crispy tempura prawn and cucumber wrapped with salmon aburi and mentaiko sauce. Easily a crowd pleaser. I may want to try the Unagi Cheese Roll ($13.80) in the next visit. It looks more interesting.

One of the specialties in Kiyoshi is handmade Inaniwa udon, which originates from the Inaniwa area of Inakawa-machi, Akita prefecture. The strands are slimmer than regular udon but slightly thicker than somen. Inaniwa udon is smooth, springy and delicate-tasting. Served cold with a dipping sauce or with a pot of piping hot Oden (seasonal item, $22.80), the chewy noodles are slurp-worthy and delicious with every bite.

If you do not like udon, you can opt to switch to zaru soba or cha soba (Note: there is an additional $1 to change from udon to soba for the noodle dishes).

Tempura Zaru Soba ($18.80) is served with an assortment of tempura pieces such as prawns, eggplant and sweet potato.

If the weather is a little too warm for comfort, consider a cold dish of Salmon Ikura Cha Soba ($20.80). The soba has a firm texture and bite. The initial serving is generous but if you really enjoy the noodles, you can add half a portion of udon/ soba for $5.

Kiyoshi has an extensive menu to cater to Japanese food lovers and their Inaniwa udon is particularly outstanding. The 80-seater restaurant is spacious for family meals or gatherings with friends (practise safe distancing measures!). There is also a ‘live’ sushi bar counter to watch the chefs at work.

Food: 7/10
Price/value: 6.5/10
Décor/ambience: 6/10

You may be interested in…
–Dashi Master Marusaya, Robertson Quay: Good Udon but Over-Rated and Perfunctory
–Tamoya Udon たも屋うどん-シンガポール, Liang Court
–BOTAN Japanese Restaurant, Far East Square: 20-year-old Restaurant Gets a New Chef with 40 Years of Experience
–Ikki Izakaya, Metropolis @ Buona Vista: Not Authentic Japanese but Hella Great Experience with Live Band

Written by Cheang Shwu Peng.