PIPES By Hattendo
331 New Bridge Road
#01-02 Dorsett Residences
https://hattendo.net/
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| Tonkatsu Sando (SGD $20) |
Bakery Cafe By Day, Izakaya By Night
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $78 per person.
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Established since 1933 in Mihara, Hiroshima, Chugoku, Japan, Hattendo is reowned for their famous dessert pastry cream buns, well regarded among the best bakeries in the country. Since April 2020, Hattendo has launched their flagship store in Singapore with PIPES By Hattendo. A bakery cafe by day and izakaya gastrobar by night, PIPES By Hattendo certainly brings a measure of happiness to diners.
Ambience at PIPES By Hattendo is casual and cozy. The open modern space is spotlit with warm decorative lights overhead, flanked by grey concrete walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a long black bar stocked with rows of colourful bottles. Furnishings are decently comfortable, suitable for long lingering meals. The industrial hiss of the espresso machine periodically interrupts the tranquil silence, while the zen yet tongue-in-cheek decor lends character.
Service at PIPES By Hattendo is friendly and professional. Befitting a good restaurant, staff display intimate product knowledge of the menu, beyond just offering recommendations. Orders are taken and fulfilled after a short wait, and I like that staff proactively offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal, as well as clean up quickly when diners leave. The senior staff are engaging, and will converse with guests, making you feel welcome.
Food at PIPES By Hattendo is Modern Japanese cuisine. Focused on fresh dishes, grilled dishes, baked pastries, and beverages, their ingredients are premium and so fresh, with each order being consistently well executed and beautifully presented. Each bite is a delight, making repeat visits worthwhile. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are higher than elsewhere as befits the high quality, budget about SGD $78 per person.
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| PIPES By Hattendo Exterior |
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| PIPES By Hattendo Interior |
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| Decor |
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| Life Is Like A Cream Bun, Let's Take A Bite With Hattendo |
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| For Your Sake |
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| Novo Mark II Automated Coffee Roaster |
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| Bar |
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| Bar |
The Coffee PIPES House Blend, French Press (SGD $6) features a mix of roasted coffee beans from Guatemala, Brazil, and Columbia, brewed with my choice of French Press. Has a bold fragrance, low acidity, smooth well rounded body, and a rich toasty sweet floral earthy flavour with low bitter notes, ending in a lingering floral finish. Excellent. Highly recommended!
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| Coffee PIPES House Blend, French Press (SGD $6) |
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| Coffee PIPES House Blend, French Press |
The PIPES Original Yuzushu (SGD $23) is a yuzu infused liqueur, with a smooth thin body and a bold fruity zesty sour sweet flavour. Nicely refreshing, this pairs well with most dishes. Good!
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| PIPES Original Yuzushu (SGD $23) |
The Assorted Roasted Nuts (SGD $Complimentary) are served with each order of drinks. It features a medley of roasted and salted cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts. Has bold salty nutty flavour, with a firm crunchy texture. It's alright.
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| Assorted Roasted Nuts (SGD $Complimentary) |
The Marinated Oysters Sugaki (Momiji Oroshi & Kochi Yuzu Ponzu) (SGD $16 for 3 pieces) feature a trio of large, fresh, air-flown Hiroshima oysters, with a slippery smooth texture. Marinated and served in a sauce of momiji oroshi / spicy grated daikon radish and Kochi yuzu ponzu, this lends bright salty savoury vegetal fruity sweet flavour to the natural sweet clean-tasting flavour of the oysters. Luxurious and succulent. Highly recommended!
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| Marinated Oysters Sugaki (Momiji Oroshi & Kochi Yuzu Ponzu) (SGD $16 for 3 pieces) |
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| Marinated Oysters Sugaki (Momiji Oroshi & Kochi Yuzu Ponzu) |
The Fresh Oysters Natural (SGD $15 for 3 pieces) features a trio of large, fresh, air-flown Hiroshima oysters, slippery and smooth with natural sweet clean-tasting flavour. The Fresh Oysters Extreme Bind Of Okinawa Umibudo (SGD $24 for 3 pieces) enhances the base oyster ingredient with usukuchi shoyu / light soy sauce, caviar, and a quail egg yolk, lending a depth of salty eggy briny sweet flavour. Luxurious and succulent. Highly recommended!
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| Fresh Oysters |
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| Fresh Oysters Natural (SGD $15 for 3 pieces) |
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| Fresh Oysters Natural |
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| Fresh Oysters Extreme Bind Of Okinawa Umibudo (SGD $24 for 3 pieces) |
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| Fresh Oysters Extreme Bind Of Okinawa Umibudo |
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| Fresh Oysters |
The Eihire With Yuzu Mayo (SGD $12) version here has chewy crispy thick cut strips of eihire / stingray fin, grilled till it takes on a smoky savoury salty sweet flavour, with the sweet notes being more pronounced. Served with a creamy yuzu infused mayonnaise spiced with chili powder, which has bright milky fruity sweet spice flavour. A lovely and addictive bar snack. Highly recommended!
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| Eihire With Yuzu Mayo (SGD $12) |
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| Eihire With Yuzu Mayo |
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| Eihire With Yuzu Mayo |
The Aburi Chestnut Pork Belly (SGD $18 for 150g) features chestnut-fed pork belly, marinated and grilled perfectly, sliced in thick succulent slabs. With a juicy tender crunch and bold fatty meaty savoury salty smoky flavour, the pork belly can be paired with sea salt crystals for an added salty note, or juicy cherry tomatoes with vegetal sweet flavour. Good!
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| Aburi Chestnut Pork Belly (SGD $18 for 150g) |
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| Aburi Chestnut Pork Belly |
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| Aburi Chestnut Pork Belly |
Loved the Char-Grilled A4 Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras (SGD $38 for 120g), which is so luxurious with well executed premium ingredients. There's a medium slab of fatty soft foie gras with decadent oily smoky salty savoury flavour, served over a sticky thick raspberry and strawberry compote with bright fruity sweet sour flavour, lending a nice contrast. Over a bed of bouncy tender shimeji mushrooms with delicate vegetal earthy savoury flavour, is laid medium thick slices of tender juicy char-grilled A4 grade wagyu beef with robust meaty savoury salty flavour, so yum. Enjoyed this immensely. Highly recommended!
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| Char-Grilled A4 Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras (SGD $38 for 120g) |
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| Char-Grilled A4 Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras |
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| Char-Grilled A4 Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras |
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| Char-Grilled A4 Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras |
Served as 3 pieces in 1 serving, the Aburi Hokkaido Scallops (SGD $32 for 6 pieces) feature perfect bouncy juicy spheres of premium Hokkaido sourced scallops, given a light sear. Has a delicate smoky sweet savoury flavour that is clean-tasting and refreshing, so luxurious. Paired with shredded daikon radish with bright vegetal sweet flavour, and thin usukuchi shoyu / light soy sauce which lends robust salty savoury flavour. Good!
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| Aburi Hokkaido Scallops (SGD $32 for 6 pieces) |
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| Aburi Hokkaido Scallops |
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| Aburi Hokkaido Scallops |
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| Aburi Hokkaido Scallops |
The Wagyu Beef Tongue Stew (SGD $32) is a rich, decadent bowl of stew. The thick creamy braised gravy has robust meaty savoury salty fatty flavour, with the tender vegetables (daikon radish, carrots, potato) within having absorbed the flavour beautifully. The large chunks of premium wagyu beef tongue are tender chewy juicy in texture, with similar meaty savoury salty flavour, so satisfying. This practically begs for a bowl of white rice to accompany. Highly recommended!
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| Wagyu Beef Tongue Stew (SGD $32) |
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| Wagyu Beef Tongue Stew |
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| Wagyu Beef Tongue Stew |
The Yaki Onigiri & Tsukemono (SGD $12 for 2 pieces) features 2 pieces of tightly packed rice balls with pork belly and egg omelette, sprinkled with furikake. Grilled till it takes on a smoky sweet savoury grainy salty flavour, this has fluffy tender moist texture, like a nice warm blanket on a cold day. It's served with a trio of good quality preserved pickled vegetables. There's smooth crunchy takuan / pickled yellow daikon radish with mild vegetal sour sweet citrus flavour. And juicy crunchy kyurizuke / pickled Japanese cucumbers with robust vegetal sweet salty flavour. Also crisp crunchy shibazuke / pickled purple eggplant with vegetal sour herbal flavour. Simple plate, but well executed and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended!
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| Yaki Onigiri & Tsukemono (SGD $12 for 2 pieces) |
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| Yaki Onigiri & Tsukemono |
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| Yaki Onigiri & Tsukemono |
The house signature Tonkatsu Sando (SGD $20) has a thick juicy tender pork tonkatsu cutlet, sandwiched between crisp toasted buttered bread, spread with mustard and mayonnaise. With bold bready buttery meaty savoury sour sweet flavour, this was a satisfying delight, and really filling. Best eaten hot and fresh. Highly recommended!
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| Tonkatsu Sando (SGD $20) |
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| Tonkatsu Sando |
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| Tonkatsu Sando |
The iconic Hattendo Assorted Cream Buns (SGD $12.50 for 5 pieces) are the reason they're well known. With a texture that is a cross between a cake and a bun, the bakers here have pursued the “ultimate delicateness", striking a balance in ingredients that makes each bite of their dessert pastry buns a sublime experience. A little bite of joy for sure.
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| Assorted Cream Buns (SGD $12.50 for 5 pieces) |
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| Assorted Cream Buns |
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| Assorted Cream Buns |
The original Whipped Cream Bun (SGD $2.70 per piece) has a soft airy moist texture that is so fluffy. Filled with a blend of rich custard with lashings of pure fresh whipped cream, thick and creamy and oozy, with refreshing milky sweet flavour. Yummy and lovely. Highly recommended!
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| Whipped Cream Bun (SGD $2.70 per piece) |
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| Whipped Cream Bun |
The signature Adzuki Cream Bun (SGD $2.70 per piece) has a soft airy moist texture that is so fluffy. Filled with a blend of rich custard and mashed adzuki red beans, which are grown in Hokkaido, and cooked slowly and carefully. Has a thick creamy grainy texture, with deep earthy sweet milky flavour. Comforting and nice. Good!
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| Adzuki Cream Bun (SGD $2.70 per piece) |
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| Adzuki Cream Bun |
The seasonal Hiroshima Lemon Bun (SGD $3 per piece) is shaped like a lemon, and has a sophisticated cookie coating around the bun, with a light crisp texture and mild fruity sweet sour citrus flavour to the crust. Within is a blend of rich custard and lemon marmalade, sticky and creamy, with bright floral fruity sour sweet zesty citrus flavour. Refreshing and exciting. Highly recommended!
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| Hiroshima Lemon Bun (SGD $3 per piece) |
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| Hiroshima Lemon Bun |
The Hokkaido Soft Serve Original (SGD $6) is so luscious with its bright milky sweet flavour of the creamy Hokkaido milk soft serve ice cream. Melts pretty quickly though. Served in a glass with a crunchy biscuit cone that has grainy buttery sweet flavour. Good!
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| Hokkaido Soft Serve Original (SGD $6) |
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| Hokkaido Soft Serve Original |
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CONVERSATION