Tenya @ Orchard Central - Japan No.1 Tendon Chain Restaurant Opens In Singapore

Japan's number one Tendon Chain Restaurant - Tempura Tendon Tenya with 226 stores in Japan as well as in the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, has opened their latest outlet in Orchard Central, Singapore. Better known as Tenya, the restaurant has earned a following for its authentic, quality, value-for-money meals.

Signature Tenya Tendon 3.5/5

Standing by the reputation for offering value-for-money meals, their Signature Tenya is only $8.50 that comprises of black tiger prawn, red fish, squid, pumpkin and french beans fried in a coat of secret recipe flour batter. There are many tendon restaurants in Singapore. Compare to them, the batter is less crunchy though. Worth mentioning is the tendon tare or glazing sauce that was developed together with a traditional soy sauce maker, Kinoene Shoyu, which was established in 1830. What brightens the sauce is the addition of dashi and grilled eel essence, which whets the appetite when mixed with the tempura.

Tori Tempura 4/5

A special tendon that is only available in Singapore, not even in Japan is the Tori Tempura ($9.90). The rice bowl comes with tempura chicken, chicken karaage, tempura egg, pumpkin and sweet potato. I would recommend sprinkling some of the Togarashi Chilli & Spices to go with the tori tempura. The togarashi is produced by Yagenbori, a 395-year-old traditional spice company. It is a special blend of roasted red pepper, fresh red pepper, sansho pepper, black sesame seeds and mandarin orange peels.

Cold Soba 3.8/5

Hot Udon 4/5

If you not in the mood for rice, there are both hot and cold Soba and Udon available in the menu too. I personally prefer the inaniwa udon for its delectable texture. For those that have a bigger appetite, you can actually opt for a more sumptuous meal where you can pick from an array of Tendon/Tempura with either soba or udon noodles served hot or cold for a mere $11.90.

You can also complete your meals with some appetisers and sides such as Chawanmushi, Kinoko Gomaae, Chilled Tomato Salad, Tori Kaarage, Truffle Fries and more.

Hokkaido Soft Serve

If you still had some space after your meal, I would suggest having the Hokkaido Soft Serve ($2), ending the meal on a sweet note. The smooth and creamy soft serve is made with 100% dairy products from Takachi, Hokkaido, served in a wafer cone.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Tenya Singapore
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#B1-01
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 65096838
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Peace Japanese Cuisine @ OUE owntown Gallery - It Even Have A 8-Course Vegetarian Omakase

With its humble beginnings in 2017 in an industrial estate in Bukit Batok Crescent, Peace Japanese Cuisine had once shifted and settled at Beauty World Centre for 2 years before landing itself at the current space at Downtown Gallery. Its membership has grown over the years, with regulars often returning for their favourite dishes.

Kani Hiyashi Pitan Tofu 4.2/5

Such as its Kani Hiyashi Pitan Tofu ($6.80). The homemade steamed cold egg tofu was soft and custardy, with a layer of crabstick meat underneath for a boost of textural bite. The blanket of century egg subtly flavoured the tofu, and I learn it is also one of the reasons why even non-century egg diners fall for this dish as well.

Tori Karaage 4.5/5

One of the most crowd-pleasing items is its Tori Karaage ($8.80). For less than 10 bucks, you get a serving of 8 extremely juicy and succulent pieces of chicken meat. The mouthwatering part was when I peeled off the thin crispy layer of chicken skin, some of the juice and fats that were stuck underneath started to drip onto my plate.

Kama Shioyaki 4/5

Yellow Tail Carpaccio 4.2/5

The restaurant prides itself on using fine quality ingredients. That is evident in both Yellow Tail Carpaccio ($10.80) and Kama Shioyaki ( price by weight). The cold dish features slices of yellowtail topped with flying fish roe and dressed with a special truffles oil mix in Japanese shoyu. I love the meaty texture of the fish, which was beefed up further by the oil mix. But the flavour of the truffle had overpowered the fish slightly. As for the grilled Japanese Fish Collar, its supple and tender meat was pure joy.

Aburi Unagi Salmon 3/5

Aburi Unagi Salmon ($19.80) is popular among the regulars too. The combination of mentai seared salmon on a Japanese eel roll tends to give that melt-in-your-mouth texture, one of the key reasons why such maki is always a popular item on the menu. The version here was good, but I feel the rice ratio was on the high side.

Wagyu Teppanyaki 4.5/5

A must-try item I feel is the Wagyu Teppanyaki (200gm/$27.80). It is a pan-fried A3 Wagyu Sirloin Steak served with jus cooked with its own fats and a dollop of homemade garlic sauce. Mine was pan-fried to an ideal state where a good amount of fats had been rendered off just enough to release its flavours. And the well-seasoned jus had the effect of elevating its flavours as well.

Steamed Eggplant 4.5/5

Peace Japanese Cuisine is known for its omakase too, even for vegetarian omakase. Not known to many, unless you are its regulars. Upon request, an 8 Course Vegetarian Omakase ($138 per pax) can be arranged with at least 2 days in advance notice for them to prepare the special ingredients. A glimpse of how creative the dishes can be, we were served a steamed Japanese eggplant with vegetarian dashi. And the best part is that the eggplant was not in any way soft and mushy, but the chef managed to retain its structure like pan-fried potatoes. The chef explained that as the steam evaporates, leaving the eggplant in the pan gives the eggplant a nice sear on the side, resulting in the delicious charred sides.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting. 


Peace Japanese Cuisine
OUE Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way
#03-20
Singapore 068815
Tel: +65 66940828
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1130am - 3 pm, 530pm - 9 pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to the traffic light junction. Cross the traffic light to Maxwell Road. Turn right and walk towards Shenton Way. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]