Akimitsu

Akimitsu
68 Orchard Road
#04-65 Plaza Singapura

83 Punggol Central
#01-65 Waterway Point

3 Gateway Drive
#03-09 Westgate

53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
#B1-22 AMK Hub

930 Yishun Avenue 2
#02-28 Northpoint City

1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-54 VivoCity

5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#B1-33 Changi City Point

https://www.facebook.com/akimitsu.sg/

Mega Don With 16-Grain Rice (SGD $18.90)

Delicious Award-Winning Tempura Donburi

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 5
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $17 per person.


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Established by Chef Tanihara Akimitsu in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo, Japan, sometime before July 2014, Akimitsu Shitamachi Tendon or Akimitsu is a reowned tempura donburi / tendon / tempura rice bowl restaurant. As the 5th generation descendent of a famed tempura master, Akimitsu utilises the signature family recipe for tempura which stretches back over 130 years to the Edo era of the Samurai (since 1889). Akimitsu opened in Singapore in July 2017, quickly gaining popularity for their well executed tendon at wallet-friendly prices.

Ambience at Akimitsu is basic, modern, and functional. The simple, clean, but bare-bones place is warmly lit, and neatly lined with light wooden furnishings, closely packed to maximise space. Conversations will carry from the next table. There is minimal decor beyond large Japanese kanji words that are back-lit. The glass enclosed kitchen offers a partial view of the team at work, and also prevents the odour of frying from escaping.

Service at Akimitsu is basic, casual, and transactional. Staff will quickly show you to seats, but don't display much product knowledge. On a particular visit, they also served me the incorrect sauce. Still, it's alright enough to get by, but payment is self-service over the counter. Orders are fulfilled quickly and served to your table, while cleaning up is performed efficiently. At times, there seems to be confusion when handling crowds during peak lunch hours.

Food at Akimitsu is Japanese cuisine, with a focus on tempura donburi / tendon / tempura rice bowl. The family recipe tempura batter is light, crisp, and delicious. Also good that their dishes aren't greasy. I understand consistency was an issue when they started, but they seem to have stabilised now; quality during our visits was good. Portions are sized for individuals. Prices are wallet-friendly and affordable, in fact, this is among the cheapest tendon places. Budget about SGD $17 per person.


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Akimitsu Signage

Akimitsu Facade

Menu Lunch

Menu Tendon

Menu Tempura Rice Set

Menu Tencha

Menu Sides & Desserts

A straightforward Iced Lemon Tea (SGD $Complimentary With Set Meals), sweet and sour in taste, with a thin refreshing texture.

Iced Lemon Tea (SGD $Complimentary With Set Meals)

The Beer Asahi Super Dry (SGD $7.50) is a Japanese pale lager, brewed by Asahi Breweries in Tokyo, within the Kanto region of Japan. This bright, clear golden yellow brew has a tame aroma of hops, grass, corn, and apples, with a smooth, refreshing, medium body and medium carbonation. Taste is floral bitter sweet, with notes of wheat, rice, malted barley, and lemon citrus, with a super dry, crisp finish. Very drinkable.

Beer Asahi Super Dry (SGD $7.50)

The Chawanmushi (SGD $Complimentary, Part Of Set Meal) is warm and lightly wobbly soft in texture, with a delicate eggy earthy sweet flavour. It has a slice of shiitake mushroom on top, and a chunk of crab stick within. The warm Miso Soup (SGD $Complimentary, Part Of Set Meal) is garnished with crunchy seaweed, and has a thin but rich texture, with deep savoury earthy flavour. The Pickled Daikon Radish (SGD $Complimentary) is available to add as you wish, and has a crisp light texture with bright sour sweet spicy flavour.

Chawanmushi (SGD $Complimentary, Part Of Set Meal)

Miso Soup (SGD $Complimentary, Part Of Set Meal)

Pickled Daikon Radish (SGD $Complimentary)

The Signature Tendon (SGD $14.90) is a heaping helping of ingredients, where the ratio of sticky fluffy white rice is overwhelmed by the generosity of tempura. There's 10 different ingredients (with 12 pieces), all coated in their house light crispy tempura batter, which isn't overly greasy. For vegetables, there's crunchy baby corn with bright vegetal grainy sweet flavour, 2 soft string beans with delicate vegetal grassy flavour, firm carrot with muted vegetal sweet flavour, tender eggplant / aubergine / brinjal with delicate earthy sweet flavour, bouncy shiitake mushroom with light vegetal earthy flavour, crunchy seaweed with bold earthy salty briny flavour, and tender pumpkin with bright vegetal sweet flavour. There's also a medium sized fillet of tender soft john dory fish which is rather bland on its own, a soft-fried egg with a runny yolk, and 2 juicy bouncy prawns / shrimp with delicate sweet salty savoury flavour. I chose the original sauce for this, and it was delicious. Highly recommended!

Signature Tendon (SGD $14.90)

Signature Tendon

Signature Tendon

Signature Tendon

Signature Tendon

The Ebi Tempura & Pork Shogayaki Donburi Set (SGD $13.90) features a base of sticky fluffy white rice, topped with shreds of thin chewy pork belly shogayaki, which consists of pork belly and white onions marinated in light soy sauce, mirin rice wine, and ginger. This has a robust savoury salty sweet herbal flavour. Completed with 2 large pieces of tempura ebi / prawn / shrimp, with has a light crispy batter and a burst of juicy sweet savoury flavour. Good!

Ebi Tempura & Pork Shogayaki Donburi Set (SGD $13.90)

Ebi Tempura & Pork Shogayaki Donburi Set

Ebi Tempura & Pork Shogayaki Donburi Set

The Mega Don With 16-Grain Rice (SGD $18.90) features 3 toppings. There's shreds of thin chewy pork belly shogayaki, which consists of pork belly and white onions marinated in light soy sauce, mirin rice wine, and ginger. This has a robust savoury salty sweet herbal flavour. There's bouncy juicy chunks of fried boneless chicken karaage, topped with creamy chunky egg mayonnaise, with meaty savoury sweet eggy salty flavour. Completed with 2 large pieces of tempura ebi / prawn / shrimp, with has a light crispy batter and a burst of juicy sweet savoury flavour.

The base of 16-Grain Rice features multi-grains sourced from 8 regions across Japan. There's polished barley, rolled barley germ, rice-shaped barley, glutinous barley, black rice, green skin brown rice, glutinous brown rice, red rice, red beans, red sorghum, corn, barnyard millet, glutinous foxtail millet, glutinous millet, amaranthus, and adlay. With a sticky fluffy texture, this has a grainy sweet flavour. Packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and natural enzymes, it's said to aid the body's metabolic rate and digestion.

Mega Don With 16-Grain Rice (SGD $18.90)

Mega Don With 16-Grain Rice

Loved the uncommon and unique Yuzu Jelly With Ice Cream (SGD $4.90). While the scoop of creamy icey vanilla ice cream is fairly standard with its floral sweet milky flavour, it's the wobbly soft gelatinous chunks of yuzu jelly which make this stand out. The bright citrus notes, with zesty sweet sour flavour, is appetizing and pleasantly sharp, making you crave more. Good!

Yuzu Jelly With Ice Cream (SGD $4.90)

Yuzu Jelly With Ice Cream

The Hokkaido Milk Pudding (SGD $5.90) is soft and wobbly, with a gelatinous texture that is fairly dense. Love the sweet milky flavour of this dessert, though it's rather expensive.

Hokkaido Milk Pudding (SGD $5.90)

Hokkaido Milk Pudding

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