Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant
1 Keong Saik Road #01-01
7 Fraser Street
#01-48 DUO Galleria
65 Ubi Road 1
#01-92 Oxley BizHub
https://www.facebook.com/Man-Man-Japanese-Unagi-Restaurant-185009705272373/
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| Unagi Donburi (SGD $28.40, Medium) |
Succulent Unagi Donburi
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 6
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $41 per person.
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Established by Chef Teppei Yamashita of the Teppei Group in October 2016, Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant specialises in freshly filleted, charcoal grilled, fresh water eels marinated in tare (light soy sauce, sugar, mirin rice wine). The consistent quality of their unadon / unagi donburi / grilled fresh water eel rice bowls have attracted daily queues of up to 2 hours, and garnered Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant critical acclaim, along with a spot on the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand List 2017.
Ambience at Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant is cozy and inviting. Warm, dim lighting illuminates the modern, functional wooden furnishings, tightly packed within the small floor space. The limited seating lends well to intimate meals, but also means longer than usual waiting times of up to 2 hours for a seat. The holding tanks of live eels are visible from the entrance, while the clear glass panels over the kitchen allow you to watch Chef preparing the eels. There is however, a faint grilling odour hanging in the air.
Service at Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant is passable to an acceptable standard. Feels transactional, as requests and tasks are carried out methodically and efficiently, but with a distinct lack of soul. Still, it serves its purpose for a casual dining restaurant, while not being particularly memorable, as least it's not terrible. Orders are fulfilled very quickly, but I note it's sometimes hard to attract the attention of staff. At least they're quick to clear empty / dirty tables when diners leave.
Food at Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant is not just Japanese cuisine, but solely focused on unagi / grilled fresh water eel. Carefully charcoal grilled, and periodically dipped in tare (light soy sauce, sugar, mirin rice wine), making it completely delicious. Really, everything else here just plays the sidekick to the eel hero. Portions are nicely sized for individuals. Prices are slightly more expensive than elsewhere, but you're spending on good quality, making it value for money. Budget about SGD $41 per person for a meal here.
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| Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant Seating |
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| Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant Seating |
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| Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant Seating |
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| Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant Menu |
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| How To Eat |
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| Grilling Eel |
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| Grilling Eel |
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| Grilling Eel |
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| Chef Flipping |
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| Chef Marinating |
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| Chef Fanning |
The Beer Sapporo Premium Black (SGD $8) is a Schwarzbier style, dark leather black lager, brewed by Sapporo Breweries Limited in Shibuya, Tokyo, in the Kanto region of Japan. It has mild aromas of espresso, chocolate, hops, and roasted malt, with a smooth, toasty, and light body texture. Flavours of roasted coffee beans, toasted bread, raisins, and caramel, with a foamy head. Finish is quick, clean, with little bitterness but slight floral undertones, yet still remains refreshing.
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| Beer Sapporo Premium Black (SGD $8) |
The Beer Sapporo Premium White (SGD $7) is an American style, bright straw golden lager, brewed by Sapporo Breweries Limited in Shibuya, Tokyo, in the Kanto region of Japan. It has mild aromas of grass, corn, hops, and malt, with a crisp, clean, and light body texture. Flavours of rice, metal, green apple, and wheat husk, with a moderate carbonation. Finish is quick, clean, with little bitterness but slight metallic undertones, yet still remains refreshing.
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| Beer Sapporo Premium White (SGD $7) |
The Chawanmushi (SGD $6) has a wobbly soft, warm egg custard pudding, garnished with shiitake mushroom, shiso leaf, and a slice of tender, silky soft unagi / grilled fresh water eel marinated with tare (light soy sauce, sugar, mirin rice wine). Has lovely and satisfiying eggy vegetal earthy savoury salty sweet flavours here. However, it's also more expensive than elsewhere.
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| Chawanmushi (SGD $6) |
Not for the faint of heart, the Unagi Bone Crackers (SGD $6.60) makes a perfect drinking snack. Fried till crisp and crunchy, sprinkled with salt, these unagi / grilled fresh water eel bones are light, but should be eaten with care as it has some sharp edges. Pretty satisfiying, and a novel idea. Worth ordering!
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| Unagi Bone Crackers (SGD $6.60) |
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| Unagi Bone Crackers |
The Hitusumabushi (SGD $29.50++) set is served with a host of sides, including dashi / kombu seaweed soup / broth, braised peanuts, pickled mustard greens, and a trio of sauces - sweet, savoury, and spicy. There 3 different ways to consume the meal; eating it on its own, adding some of each side, or pouring the soup / broth into the bowl. The eels are quality imports from the town of Mikawa Isshiki, Aichi prefecture, Chubu region of Japan; kept alive in holding tanks, ensuring freshness.
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| Hitusumabushi (SGD $29.50++) |
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| Dashi |
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| Braised Peanuts |
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| Pickled Mustard Greens |
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| Sauces |
The Unagi Donburi (SGD $28.40, Medium) is the star. A bed of fluffy sticky Japanese white rice, stacked with tender, silky soft unagi / grilled fresh water eel, which has been periodically marinated with tare (light soy sauce, sugar, mirin rice wine) while being charcoal grilled. This gives the unagi / grilled fresh water eel a bold, sweet savoury salty flavour, with a hint of smoky aroma. I can understand why this is considered among the best unadon / unagi donburi / grilled fresh water eel rice bowls in Singapore. Highly recommended!
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| Unagi Donburi (SGD $28.40, Medium) |
The Unatama Set (SGD $20.50) features a bed of fluffy sticky Japanese white rice, stacked with tender, silky soft unagi / grilled fresh water eel marinated with tare (light soy sauce, sugar, mirin rice wine), giving it a bold, sweet savoury salty flavour, with a hint of smoky aroma. Completed with soft spongy slices of tamagoyaki / rolled seasoned egg omelette, with an eggy sweet flavour. Portion is small for the price though, making it poor value for money, albeit still a delicious meal.
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| Unatama Set (SGD $20.50) |
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| Unatama |
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| Unatama |
The Unagi Kabayaki (SGD $54.80) features a whole eel, freshly filleted, marinated with tare (light soy sauce, sugar, mirin rice wine), then grilled and cut into squares. A rich source of vitamin A, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids, the tender, silky soft unagi / grilled fresh water eel is large enough to share between 2 - 4 people. Has a sweet savoury salty flavour with a smoky aroma. This is more lightly marinated than the version served with rice, allowing you to taste the natural flavour of the eel meat. Good!
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| Unagi Kabayaki (SGD $54.80) |
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| Unagi Kabayaki |
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| Unagi Kabayaki |
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CONVERSATION