Akanoya Robatayaki Tasting Session
1 Tanglin Road
#01-01 Orchard Rendezvous Hotel
Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 2:30pm (Lunch), 5:30pm - 1:30am (Dinner)
https://www.akanoya.com.sg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Her Pen And Fork, msginginly, Chubby Botak Koala, and Purple Taste.
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| Kushiyaki / Grilled Skewers |
Fresh Seasonal Dishes At This Point-And-Grill
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 9
Budget about SGD $168++ per person.
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Established in June 2011, Akanoya Robatayaki is a Japanese robatayaki / barbecue restaurant that uses binchotan / white charcoal for grilling, whose philosophy for the very best ingredients and exquisite dining can be seen in their approach - buying an entire Japanese village’s entire production of goma / sesame sauce being just one of many examples. Having passed down to 2nd-generation owner Javier Goh since January 2022, Akanoya Robatayaki continues to draw regulars for their attention to detail and care for guests.
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| Akanoya Robatayaki Signage |
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| Akanoya Robatayaki Exterior |
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| Akanoya Robatayaki Interior |
Ambience at Akanoya Robatayaki is cozy and intimate. The long but narrow space is dominated by a centrepiece counter with fresh seasonal produce displayed in front of the open grilling station, lit by spot lights. Private alcoves lie at one end, while the other end has a quiet bar and the restaurant's refrigerator for dry-aging. Seating is slightly cramped, an intentional design, but the atmosphere is great. Ventilation is pretty good, we had minimal cooking odour on our clothes despite being directly in front of the grill.
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| Decor |
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| Seating |
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| Table Setting |
Service at Akanoya Robatayaki is engaging and attentive. Regulars return partly because the restaurant goes out of their way to accommodate, for example, with Western fine dining ware, birthday celebrations, and off-menu items. Chefs behind the grill serve dishes up on long wooden paddle boards, a unique experience. Staff display good product knowledge, being able to describe ingredients in dishes, and cleaning up quickly to prepare for the next course or next set of diners. General Manager William Liou is an affable host, most willing to share.
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| Paper Cranes |
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| Paper Cranes |
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| Hardy Noces D'Or Sublime Cognac Grande Champagne |
Food at Akanoya Robatayaki is delicious traditional Japanese cuisine, focused on kushiyaki / grilled skewers and light bites, elevated to gourmet standards through premium seasonal ingredients. Head Chef Brandon Teo and team produce course after course to exquisite quality, every morsel a delight. Portions are sized small for individuals, but a series of these means a meal here is still substantial and filling. Prices are premium but not as expensive as elsewhere, budget about SGD $168++ per person.
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| Ageing Fridge |
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| Display Of Ingredients |
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| Display Of Ingredients |
During this invited tasting to Akanoya Robatayaki, we sampled the Hakken Set (at SGD $168++ per person) which featured 9 courses. We also had 4 additional courses over-and-above the Hakken Set, which Chef kindly arranged for us.
We began with the Otoshi - Roasted Pumpkin, Sakura Ebi, Nanohana Salad, Crab Roe. The roasted pumpkin was beautifully tender soft with vegetal earthy sweet smoky flavour, contrasted by the crunchy sakura ebi / baby shrimp with salty savoury spice flavour, and the juicy crisp nanohana stalks with vegetal grassy sweet flavour. A dollop of creamy chunky crab roe with briny salty sweet flavour completes. Paired with a clean-tasting Otoshi - Sencha / Green Tea. The medium green tea was warm with gentle earthy flavour.
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| Otoshi - Roasted Pumpkin, Sakura Ebi, Nanohana Salad, Crab Roe |
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| Roasted Pumpkin, Sakura Ebi, Nanohana Salad, Crab Roe |
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| Roasted Pumpkin, Sakura Ebi, Nanohana Salad, Crab Roe |
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| Otoshi - Sencha / Green Tea |
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| Sencha / Green Tea |
Next was the Agemono - Crab Croquette, Crab Liver Sauce, Ikura. The crab croquette has a crisp golden exterior, a flaky moist interior, and lovely sweet savoury briny salty bready flavour. Garnished with creamy chunky crab liver sauce with bold bitter herbal savoury flavour, and juicy globules of ikura / salmon fish roe that burst with briny salty flavour. Completed with edible flowers, so pretty. Paired with a unique Agemono - Ginger & Passionfruit Tea. The ginger and passionfruit blend of tea was cloudy thin, with bright fruity spice sweet flavour, the mild carbonation tingly on the palate.
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| Agemono - Crab Croquette, Crab Liver Sauce, Ikura |
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| Crab Croquette, Crab Liver Sauce, Ikura |
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| Crab Croquette, Crab Liver Sauce, Ikura |
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| Agemono - Ginger & Passionfruit Tea |
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| Ginger & Passionfruit Tea |
The off-menu Shokupan - Milk Bread, Seaweed Butter With Nori, Sakura Ebi was next. We loved the firm outside soft inside milk bread with its toasty bready sweet buttery flavour. The luscious creamy butter is infused with nori / dried seaweed and sakura ebi / baby shrimp, resulting in an intense yet pleasant burst of milky vegetal earthy salty shrimpy savoury buttery flavour, really addictive. I only wished we could get more bread to go with the delicious butter.
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| Shokupan - Milk Bread, Seaweed Butter With Nori, Sakura Ebi |
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| Milk Bread, Seaweed Butter With Nori, Sakura Ebi |
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| Milk Bread, Seaweed Butter With Nori, Sakura Ebi |
Next, the Nimono - Chicken Thigh, Mashed Potato, Black Truffle, served in an elegant glass bowl. The base of creamy fluffy mashed potato and tender soft baked potato was properly starchy salty buttery, while the deboned chicken thigh was tender and juicy with meaty savoury salty sweet flavour from the rich chicken gravy. A luxurious slice of fresh soft black truffle contributed a touch of woody earthy savoury flavour.
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| Nimono - Chicken Thigh, Mashed Potato, Black Truffle |
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| Chicken Thigh, Mashed Potato, Black Truffle |
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| Chicken Thigh, Mashed Potato, Black Truffle |
The Osuimono - Dry Aged Fish-Bone Soup, Shimeiji, Leek, Fish Milt, Prawn followed. Uncovering this bowl of thin clear soup made from dry-aged fish bones released an enticing aroma, and the mild fishy sweet savoury herbal flavour was palate-cleansing. Garnished with crisp leeks and wispy spring onions with vegetal sweet herbal flavour, bouncy shimeiji mushrooms with vegetal earthy flavour, soft fish milt with mild fishy savoury flavour, and springy deshelled prawn / shrimp with sweet savoury flavour. A bowl of soulful comforting delight.
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| Osuimono - Dry Aged Fish-Bone Soup, Shimeiji, Leek, Fish Milt, Prawn |
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| Dry Aged Fish-Bone Soup, Shimeiji, Leek, Fish Milt, Prawn |
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| Dry Aged Fish-Bone Soup, Shimeiji, Leek, Fish Milt, Prawn |
Next was a platter of Kushi - Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh, Grilled Curry Pork Belly, Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy. The platter is served with 3 side dipping sauces, a creamy yuzu mayonnaise with bright tangy sweet milky zesty flavour, a thick black miso garlic with robust herbal salty savoury spice flavour, and a chunky yuzu kosho with tangy zesty sweet spice flavour. That said, the meats were already well marinated and tasty on their own, though pairing each in turn with the dipping sauce lends additional complexity and depth of taste.
The Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy features tender chewy ohmi wagyu beef brisket marinated in a beef au jus, with smoky meaty salty savoury peppery spice flavour. The Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh features tender chunky boneless chicken thigh marinated in miso paste, with smoky earthy savoury sweet flavour. The Grilled Curry Pork Belly features chewy slabs of pork belly marinated in a curry powder, with smoky meaty spice savoury flavour. Paired with a Kushi - Bergamot Tea, Sudachi Lime. Served separately, you're meant to stir the sudachi lime juice into the bergamot tea, this combined medium thin blend carrying floral zesty tangy sour earthy sweet flavour.
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| Kushi - Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh, Grilled Curry Pork Belly, Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy |
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| Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh, Grilled Curry Pork Belly, Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy |
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| Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy |
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| Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy |
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| Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh |
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| Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh |
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| Grilled Curry Pork Belly |
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| Grilled Curry Pork Belly |
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| Grilled Miso Chicken Thigh, Grilled Curry Pork Belly, Grilled Ohmi Wagyu Beef Brisket With Gravy |
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| Kushi - Bergamot Tea, Sudachi Lime |
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| Bergamot Tea |
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| Sudachi Lime |
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| Bergamot Tea, Sudachi Lime |
The Yasai - Asparagus, Broccolini, Green Chili, Onion Miso followed. This had a stack of crunchy asparagus, tender broccolini, crisp green chili, and soft caramelised pearl onions, along with grilled garlic and edible flowers, in a thick grainy miso paste. Combined, each bite carries addictive smoky vegetal bitter salty herbal sweet spice savoury earthy flavour, yum. More enjoyable than expected.
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| Yasai - Asparagus, Broccolini, Green Chili, Onion Miso |
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| Asparagus, Broccolini, Green Chili, Onion Miso |
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| Asparagus, Broccolini, Green Chili, Onion Miso |
Next was the off-menu sample Chef was trying out, the Tapas - Grilled Kurobuta Pork. This had tender slices of chewy grilled kurobuta pork, with smoky meaty salty savoury flavour, rather like bacon. Completed with garlic and spring onions, I thought this was tasty.
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| Tapas - Grilled Kurobuta Pork |
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| Grilled Kurobuta Pork |
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| Grilled Kurobuta Pork |
Next the Sakana - Braised Sea Bream, Burdock Root, Sea Bream Liver, Ginger Flower Pickles. The base is a flaky soft boneless fillet of sea bream fish braised in soy sauce with mild fishy savoury salty sweet flavour, surrounded by crunchy burdock root with vegetal salty savoury earthy flavour, and a slab of creamy sea bream fish liver with funky mineral earthy savoury flavour rather like foie gras. Pieces of crunchy ginger flower pickles lend a contrasting vegetal sour sweet flavour burst. Paired with Sakana - Darjeeling Tea, Black Pepper, a novel brew. The warm thin darjeeling tea infused with the essence of black pepper results in an interesting earthy peppery spice flavour that grips the palate. Intrigued enough to try making this myself!
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| Sakana - Braised Sea Bream, Burdock Root, Sea Bream Liver, Ginger Flower Pickles |
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| Braised Sea Bream, Burdock Root, Sea Bream Liver, Ginger Flower Pickles |
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| Braised Sea Bream, Burdock Root, Sea Bream Liver, Ginger Flower Pickles |
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| Sakana - Darjeeling Tea, Black Pepper |
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| Darjeeling Tea, Black Pepper |
Next was the Nikku - Ohmi Wagyu Beef Cheek, Mashed Potato, Caramelised Pearl Onion. The base of creamy fluffy mashed potato was properly starchy salty buttery, while the soft caramelised pearl onions carries vegetal sweet smoky flavour. But the star was the ohmi wagyu beef cheek, oh so tender soft with smoky meaty savoury salty fatty flavour. Completed with fresh micro greens, we took our time savouring this luxurious dish.
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| Nikku - Ohmi Wagyu Beef Cheek, Mashed Potato, Caramelised Pearl Onion |
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| Ohmi Wagyu Beef Cheek, Mashed Potato, Caramelised Pearl Onion |
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| Ohmi Wagyu Beef Cheek, Mashed Potato, Caramelised Pearl Onion |
The Donabe - Butter Rice, Sakura Ebi, Abalone followed, presented in a claypot tableside, then taken away to be portioned individually. The sticky moist grains of oily butter rice carries lovely buttery sweet savoury flavour, while the bits of crisp sakura ebi / baby shrimp within lend a shrimpy salty savoury flavour. The large tender slices of abalone pick up the flavours of the dish, masking its neutral taste. Finally, the juicy globules of ikura / salmon fish roe that burst with briny salty flavour complete.
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| Donabe - Butter Rice, Sakura Ebi, Abalone |
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| Butter Rice, Sakura Ebi, Abalone |
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| Butter Rice, Sakura Ebi, Abalone |
Inserted this additional order of Somen - Wheat Noodles next. The warm comforting soup made from slow simmered katsuobushi / bonito flakes resulted in deep savoury sweet flavour, while the silky thin wheat noodles were easy to slurp up with its mild grainy sweet flavour. The bowl was completed with wispy spring onions, lending a light vegetal herbal sweet flavour.
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| Somen - Wheat Noodles |
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| Wheat Noodles |
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| Wheat Noodles |
Ended with the Warabi Mochi - Chestnut Mochi, Brown Sugar, Milk Rice Foam, Sesame Ice Cream. The chewy soft chestnut mochi with nutty sweet savoury flavour was yummy, while the brown sugar and milk rice foam lent bright floral earthy milky sweet flavour. The creamy scoop of sesame ice cream holds grainy nutty sweet milky flavour. Paired with the Warabi Mochi - Mugicha / Roasted Barley Tea Soda. The lively bubbly roasted barley tea soda carries gentle grainy earthy sweet flavour, nicely palate-cleansing too.
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| Warabi Mochi - Chestnut Mochi, Brown Sugar, Milk Rice Foam, Sesame Ice Cream |
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| Chestnut Mochi, Brown Sugar, Milk Rice Foam, Sesame Ice Cream |
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| Chestnut Mochi, Brown Sugar, Milk Rice Foam, Sesame Ice Cream |
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| Warabi Mochi - Mugicha / Roasted Barley Tea Soda |
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| Mugicha / Roasted Barley Tea Soda |
Absolutely loved our dining experience at Akanoya Robatayaki. The cozy ambience, engaging service, delicious food, and generous prices, make Akanoya Robatayaki a solid choice for a memorable meal, and we can see why they have many regulars. Will return to Akanoya Robatayaki for more!
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CONVERSATION