Kiyoshi Tasting Session - Dine-In

Kiyoshi Tasting Session - Dine-In
75 Amoy Street

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm


https://www.facebook.com/75amoystreet/

This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits. Attended with representatives from Jennifer Yeo Lifestyle, and Chubby Botak Koala.

Kushiyaki

Cozy & Casual Family-Friendly Restaurant

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $22++ per person.


.....


The COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of circuit breaker measures in Singapore hit the food & beverage industry really hard. That's why I was surprised to hear that Kiyoshi opened its doors on 13th April 2020, right after all restaurants were forced to prohibit dine-in. With a name that means 'pure' or 'clean', Kiyoshi is a casual family-friendly restaurant focused on speciality Inaniwa udon noodles, with bento set meals for takeaway and delivery, which I'd previously ordered.

Kiyoshi Signage

Counter

Ambience at Kiyoshi is bright and family-friendly. The spacious place is neatly lined along one wall with wide booth seats, while the other wall is lined with individual high tables and group dining tables. Warm lighting casts a soft glow, and decorative statement artworks lend a zen feel. The simple, clean lines are contrasted with shelves stacked high with sake casks. The place feels comfortable and inviting.

Kiyoshi Exterior

Kiyoshi Interior

Painting

Service at Kiyoshi is friendly and attentive. With less crowds due to cautious diners, staff are able to accord each table more attention. They quickly greet and seat guests who enter. Orders are fulfilled quickly, and I note staff diligently clean each table when diners leave. The restaurant manager displays good product knowledge on their dishes, being able to describe the inspirations and ingredients that go into each dish.

Seating Booth

Seating Booth

Seating High Counter

Food at Kiyoshi is Japanese cuisine, targetted at families. Think large communal portions, with above average quality, not the most premium, but good enough. Dishes are consistently well executed to order, and ingredients are fresh. Plated with a variety of colour, each dish appeals to the senses; from sight, to aroma, to taste. Prices are reflective of other casual Japanese restaurants, budget about SGD $22++ per person for a meal here.

Sushi Counter

Sake Casks

Green Tea Mugs

They naturally offer Biru (SGD $11) or Beer, which is great for pairing with skewers or light bites.

Biru (SGD $11)

The Tsukemono Daikon Zuke (SGD $Complimentary) or pickled daikon radish in white vinegar has a crunchy texture, with sharp tangy sour citrus sweet flavour. Refreshing from the addition of orange zest, this works as a good palate cleanser between courses.

Tsukemono Daikon Zuke (SGD $Complimentary)

Tsukemono Daikon Zuke

The Goma Doresshingu No Sarada (SGD $11.80) is a beautiful salad. A medley of fresh crisp vegetables (lettuce, chard, bell pepper / capsicum) form the base, which is then topped with juicy cherry tomatoes and Japanese cucumber, tender avocado slices, and silken tofu beancurd. Dressed in a rich sesame sauce, this has bright vegetal sweet nutty flavours that are so refreshing. Helps open the palate nicely.

Goma Doresshingu No Sarada (SGD $11.80)

Goma Doresshingu No Sarada

Goma Doresshingu No Sarada

The Temaki Sushi are nicely hand sized, with crisp dried seaweed sheets wrapped around sticky vinegared sushi rice, garnished with strips of crunchy cucumber. Nice vegetal earthy sweet flavours. The sauce within is overly generous, it started dripping out the tail of the sushi hand roll, resulting in this being a little messy to eat. But it's tasty!

The Shake Ikura Temaki (SGD $9.80) bursts with bright briny sweet salty flavour from the tender raw salmon fish and juicy salmon roe within. The Maguro Akami Temaki (SGD $9.80) has a meaty tender chew with meaty savoury sweet flavour to the bluefin tuna fish loin. The Yawaraka Kani Temaki (SGD $7.80) was my favourite, the crisp soft shell crab having a savoury salty sweet contrast to the rest of the hand roll. The Unagi Temaki (SGD $7.80) features tender silky grilled fresh water eel marinated in teriyaki sauce, resulting in a deep sweet salty savoury smoky flavour.

Temaki Sushi

Shake Ikura Temaki (SGD $9.80)

Maguro Akami Temaki (SGD $9.80)

Yawaraka Kani Temaki (SGD $7.80)

Unagi Temaki (SGD $7.80)

Temaki Sushi

The Kushiyaki platter here is decently executed, with a major difference being that they've opted not to marinade the skewers, instead serving the sauce as a dip on the side. This allows you to taste the natural flavours within each skewer, and also means the infused smoky aroma is slightly more pronounced. We sampled 6 of the skewer varieties. The Yakitori (SGD $2 per skewer) has a firm moist chew to the chicken thigh meat, and a delicate sweet savoury smoky flavour. The Buta Bara (SGD $2.50 per skewer) was large but lean, resulting in the pork loin being slightly dry, though it had good meaty savoury salty smoky flavour.

The Enoki Buta Maki (SGD $3 per skewer) had tender pork belly wrapped around juicy golden mushrooms, bursting with a vegetal earthy sweet savoury smoky flavour. The Aspara Buta Maki (SGD $3 per skewer) had tender pork belly wrapped around crunchy asparagus, gently releasing its vegetal earthy bitter savoury sweet smoky flavour in each bite. The Chizu Buta Maki (SGD $3.50 per skewer) was disappointing with its overly gamey taste and firm chew. The Chizu Niku Maki (SGD $4.50 per skewer) was my favourite, with the succulent beef melting away on the tongue, and the gooey mozzarella cheese lending sweet cheesy milky notes to the robust meaty savoury salty smoky flavour of the skewer.

Kushiyaki

Kushiyaki

Yakitori (SGD $2 per skewer)

Buta Bara (SGD $2.50 per skewer)

Enoki Buta Maki (SGD $3 per skewer)

Aspara Buta Maki (SGD $3 per skewer)

Chizu Buta Maki (SGD $3.50 per skewer)

Chizu Niku Maki (SGD $4.50 per skewer)

Kushiyaki

Kushiyaki

Sampled a selection of 3 Nigiri Sushi. The Shake Nigiri Sushi (SGD $3.80 for 2 pieces) had succulent tender slices of raw salmon fish loin over sticky vinegared sushi rice, holding delicate sweet sour savoury flavour. The Maguro Akami Nigiri Sushi (SGD $6.80 for 2 pieces) had firm meaty slices of bluefin tuna fish loin over sticky vinegared sushi rice, holding robust savoury sour sweet flavour. The Kanpachi Nigiri Sushi (SGD $4.80 for 2 pieces) had silky slippery slices of greater amberjack fish over sticky vinegared sushi rice, holding mild sweet salty sour flavour. Yes, it's not the most premium, but it's fresh and clean-tasting.

The Aburi Shake Ebi Mentai Maki (SGD $12.80) was a highlight here. The sticky vinegared sushi rice roll holds a stuffing of crisp dried seaweed, juicy prawn / shrimp, and crunchy cucumber. Laid over the top is a succulent tender slice of lightly torched salmon fish loin, coated with gooey torched pollock fish roe. Get a bit of everything in one bite, and you're rewarded with a robust burst of salty sweet savoury sour smoky vegetal flavours all at once. So yummy.

Nigiri Sushi & Aburi Shake Ebi Mentai Maki

Nigiri Sushi & Aburi Shake Ebi Mentai Maki

Nigiri Sushi

Shake Nigiri Sushi (SGD $3.80 for 2 pieces)

Maguro Akami Nigiri Sushi (SGD $6.80 for 2 pieces)

Kanpachi Nigiri Sushi (SGD $4.80 for 2 pieces)

Aburi Shake Ebi Mentai Maki (SGD $12.80)

Nigiri Sushi & Aburi Shake Ebi Mentai Maki

A traditional Tonkatsu Kare Don (SGD $11.80), executed well. The base of sticky fluffy Japanese white rice is garnished with crunchy tsukemono daikon zuke / pickled daikon radish in white vinegar with sharp tangy sour sweet flavour. The crisp outside tender inside crumb-battered tonkatsu / pork cutlet has a moist bite to texture, with mild savoury sweet flavour. The star however, is the rich, thick Japanese curry gravy, with its bold sweet savoury spice flavour, really addictive. Served with a rich misoshiru / miso soup filled with fish cake and seaweed, having a deep earthy savoury salty flavour. Warm, comforting, and soulful.

Tonkatsu Kare Don (SGD $11.80)

Tonkatsu Kare Don

Misoshiru (SGD $Complimentary)

Tonkatsu Kare Don

The Tenzaru Cha Soba (SGD $19.80) was decent, akin to what you'll get elsewhere. The thin slippery zaru cha soba / chilled green tea infused buckwheat noodles have a subtle earthy grainy flavour, and is lovely when dipped into the warm mentsuyu / noodle soup base (made from mirin rice wine, light soy sauce, kombu seaweed, and katsuobushi / dried bonito fish flakes), picking up the savoury salty flavours of the sauce. The tempura moriawase / assorted tempura features crisp tempura battered sweet potato, brinjal / aubergine / eggplant, and spot prawns / shrimp. The vegetables have a lovely earthy sweet savoury flavour, while the prawns / shrimp have a more pronounced sweet flavour. Served with condiments of grated daikon radish and wasabi to taste. I enjoyed this straightforward but well executed rendition.

Tenzaru Cha Soba (SGD $19.80)

Zaru Cha Soba

Tempura Moriawase

Tenzaru Cha Soba

Kiyoshi prides itself on their speciality Inaniwa Udon Noodles, a variety of udon noodles originating from the Inaniwa area in Akita Prefecture, Tohoku region of Japan. This cream-coloured udon is hand-stretched to be thinner than regular udon, yet is thicker than somen. The most important part of the process is the repeated hand-kneading of the noodles, which helps it achieve its thin, smooth, delicate, melt-in-your mouth texture. It has a light grainy sweet flavour, with a slippery soft chew to texture, though you can request for a more firm texture if you prefer.

Their signature cold noodle dry dish is the Ten Chirashi Inaniwa Udon (SGD $16.80). A wobbly onsen soft boiled egg mixed in provides an eggy sweet gravy, which renders the Inaniwa udon noodles silky slippery smooth. Garnished with dried seaweed and tempura moriawase / assorted tempura, including scallops, shiitake mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, and bell peppers / capsicum. The vegetables have a lovely juicy crunch to texture, with vegetal earthy sweet flavour, while the scallops are tender with bright sweet savoury flavour. A unique and yummy dish which we all enjoyed.

Ten Chirashi Inaniwa Udon (SGD $16.80)

Ten Chirashi Inaniwa Udon

Ten Chirashi Inaniwa Udon

Their signature hot noodle soup dish is the Kitsune Inaniwa Udon (SGD $14.80). The warm mentsuyu / noodle soup base (made from mirin rice wine, light soy sauce, kombu seaweed, and katsuobushi / dried bonito fish flakes) holds savoury salty flavours, and the Inaniwa udon noodles pick it up well. Garnished with strips of seaweed with vegetal earthy flavour, and tender sheets of sweet dried beancurd skin which bursts with grainy sweet flavour. Pure comfort food on cold days.

Kitsune Inaniwa Udon (SGD $14.80)

Kitsune Inaniwa Udon

Overall, I enjoyed the dining experience at Kiyoshi, and have since placed orders on other occasions, and visited a couple of times. Do check out Kiyoshi for hearty Japanese fare!


.....







.....