At Akari Japanese Dining and Bar, you feel at home immediately as you step into the warm and cosy ambience. This semi-fine dining restaurant offers a wide array of more than 70 items on the ala carte menu, leaving you spoilt for choice.
Chef Hirotaka Murata from Akari. Photo Courtesy of japanese Dining and Bar.
Having over 20 years of illustrious experience in designing exquisite kaiseki sets, Chef Hirotaka Murata showcases his impeccable skills in the various methods of preparation in the newly revamped menu. One can expect nothing less than a gastronomically pleasant experience at Akari with mouth-watering dishes such as Kurobuta Hooba Yaki (grilled kurobuta pork grill on hooba leaves with miso, S$30), Kaisen Tenkomori (chopped mixed sashimi over-flat on rolled sushi, S$25), and the likes.
Torimomo Yuzukosyo Yaki; Grilled and marinated chicken leg with original yuzu pepper sauce flavor, S$20.
Visually enticing, these thick and succulent pieces of chicken in Torimomo Yuzukosyo Yaki are plated aesthetically amongst sliced red peppers, lotus root and lettuce. The burst of flavour that ensues, as you sink your teeth into the yuzu pepper sauce marinated meat, promises that it would pander to even the fussiest of tastebuds. While slightly charred on the outside from grilling, the tenderness of the chicken meat was surprisingly not compromised.
Yamatoebi Iridashi; Pan fried whole rock lobster with Japanese stock and grated radish, S$28.
If chicken is too boring for you, then you are in for a treat as their newly added lobster dishes are sublime. Be it fried or boiled in the soup porridge, the chef’s expertise in different methods of preparing lobster is faultless. In Yamatoebi Iridashi (S$28), the pan-fried lobster did not come off as too dry as we would have thought so initially. On the contrary, the slightly sweet lobster meat was tender and juicy.
Yamato Ebi Zou-Sui; Whole boiled rock lobster in claypot porridge, S$24.
The chef has also nailed it in Yamato Ebi Zou-Sui, a claypot porridge with a whole boiled rock lobster simmered in it. Teeming with the sweetness and rich flavour of the fresh lobster meat, this clay-pot porridge made us look at porridge in a different light. While lightly flavored, the porridge was not in the least boring or bland. The broth absorbed just enough of the sweet and rich flavor of this lobster dish, which we believe would be a hit with the patrons.
Iron Teppan Gratin: Iron fried tofu with special home-made cream sauce, S$12.
By far one of the most creative sweet-and-savoury pairings that we have come across, the Iron Teppan Gratin certainly packs a punch. The sauce used here is made from scratch by the chef and cannot be found elsewhere. Not only do the slices of fresh fruits like bananas and strawberries make for a visually appealing dessert, their fruity flavours also pair well with the subtle hint of milkiness in the tofu.
The alfresco area of Akari. Photo Courtesy of Akari.
At the entrance of Akari lies an alfresco dining area, which is ideal for tapas and drinks in the evening. Whether you are looking to have some happy hours or a more intimate setting with your colleagues, Akari is the place to go. Be sure to make reservations as seats fill up pretty fast, especially during peak lunch and dinner periods.
Akari Japanese Dining and Bar
8A Marina Boulevard #01-02
Singapore 018984
Operating hours: 12pm – 3pm; 6pm – 10pm
