This is where Singapore’s most popular Tendon and Unagi restaurants meet.
Tendon Kohaku which is considered as one of Singaporean’s top Tempura Donburi restaurants, has expanded with its fifth local outlet at Clarke Quay Central basement.
However, this outlet is quite unlike the other branches at Suntec City, Chinatown Point, Boat Quay and SORA Japan Gourmet Hall, presenting a brand-new collaboration with Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee Man Man Unagi.
What you get is 1 collaborative dining concept, 2 restaurants with 40 seaters each.
While diners are not able to cross-order between the 2 restaurants, both restaurants are each offering an exclusive collaboration dish which incorporate the Kaisendon recipe from Teppei Japanese restaurants – also helmed by Chef Teppei Yamashita of Man Man Unagi.
Hungry to know more? Here are 5 NEW, exclusive and oishii dishes not to be missed at Tendon Kohaku:
Kaisen Tendon by Kohaku and Teppei ($26.50) Available at Tendon Kohaku Clarke Quay Central
The collaborative dish between Tendon Kohaku and Teppei Japanese restaurant is a one-of-a-kind Kaisen Tendon. Those who enjoy the best of both worlds – crispy fried tempura and chewy fresh sashimi in a single bowl will certainly crave for this combination.
The bowl comes with generous servings, almost over-flowing with tempura prawn, long beans, Unagi and crab stick deep fried in a blend of high-grade sesame oil and cooking oil.
What makes people keep going back to Tendon Kohaku are those golden-brown tempura pieces with light-crispy texture.
This happens due to a combination of the in-house batter, and special cooking technology which helps keep the oil clean and fresh-tasting even after frying.
The other half of the bowl comes in the form of cubed sashimi toppings such as salmon, tuna, ikura, scallop, whelk and swordfish.
These ingredients are mixed in a special Kaisen don recipe by Chef Teppei Yamashita before being placed on top of the bowl of white, fluffy and fragrant Nanatsuboshi white rice imported from Hokkaido.
Diners can also choose to opt for the 16 multi-grain rice instead, specially sourced from different prefectures in Japan to create a different and unique taste.
Jumbo Unagi Tendon ($29) Available at Tendon Kohaku Clarke Quay Central
The idea of deep-fried Unagi tempura already makes me salivate.
Instead of grilled Japanese eel, Tendon Kohaku offers Unagi in deep-fried version, and the icing on the cake is its size – coming in an XXL Jumbo version.
The huge eel is coated with the signature in-house batter, deep-fried for a couple of minutes till golden brown and crispy, then drizzled with the appetizing tendon sauce.
Diners can choose between the non-spicy or spicy sauces.
Even though the original sauce has a sweeter taste profile, I still prefer the spicy version for an extra kick which will set just a slight tingling of the tongue.
This jumbo Unagi was thick, fleshy with a chewier bite, which complimented well with the contrasting soft and fluffy texture of the Hokkaido white rice.
Crispy Unagi Dragon Roll ($9) Available at Tendon Kohaku Clarke Quay Central
Other than just donburi, you can expect sushi rolls here which are great for sharing.
Wrapped in Nanatsuboshi Hokkaido White Japanese rice and seaweed, the Unagi Dragon Roll contained tempura prawn, tempura crab stick and avocado, deep-fried before slicing into 6 pieces.
The surprising element were the bits of crispy tempura batter sprinkled over the dragon roll for the extra crunch, complemented with toppings of tobiko (flying fish roe).
The flavour is further enhanced by a light drizzle of the sweet and savoury Kohaku Tendon sauce and mayonnaise over the roll.
The textural contrast between the chewy rice within the sushi roll and crunchy tempura batter was interesting, though I wished for more dipping sauce on the side for extra flavour.
Premium Chawanmushi with Unagi and Ikura ($6.50) Available at Tendon Kohaku Clarke Quay Central
Priced at $6.50, the Premium Chawanmushi sounds like a good deal.
This came with pieces of steamed Unagi topped with glistening blobs of ikura on top of the chawanmushi made with egg, chicken broth, shiitake mushroom and spring onion.
The combination was well-balanced, with smooth and wobbly custard-like texture encasing several ingredients.
Kaisen X Hitsumabushi by Teppei and Man Man ($32.50) Available at Man Man Unagi Clarke Quay Central
The Kaisen X Hitsumabushi is a collaborative dish between Teppei Japanese restaurant and Man Man Unagi.
What you get is a sizable bowl topped with half a Japanese eel freshly grilled on charcoal and dipped in a thick and rich in-house special sauce for the extra oomph.
The other part comes with cubed salmon, tuna, ikura, scallop, whelk and swordfish mixed in the same special Kaisen don sauce, along with Nanatsuboshi white rice and freshly-grated wasabi on the side.
If this is the first time you are having Man Man’s Hitsumabushi, there are four ways you can enjoy the dish.
Firstly, savour the first portion of the eel on its own to appreciate the smoky aroma and the crispy texture; secondly add nori (seaweed), wasabi and green onion to the Hokkaido rice and eel; pour in the clear dashi to the abovementioned mix to create soupy rice Ochazuke style.
The fourth way is to include age-dama which are the bits of deep fried flour-batter from Kohaku’s tempura, giving the rice more textural crunch.
Tip: Include some wasabi in a spoonful, and experience the ‘explosion’ of fresh-tasting sashimi, fleshy unagi pieces and crispy tempura bits.
Both Tendon Kohaku and Man Man Unagi is set to open on 31 July 2019 (Wed) at basement 1 of Clarke Quay Central.
With this collaboration between the 2 favourite Japanese brands in Singapore, this dining concept provides an alternative and convenience for diners who want to experience everything under the same roof.
Tendon Kohaku 天丼琥珀 X Man Man Unagi Opening Special
The first 50 diners on its opening date of 31st July and 1st August 2019 (50 bowls each day) are able to redeem a Kaisen X Hitsumabushi OR Kaisen X Tendon. Check out Tendon Kohaku’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TendonKohakuCQC for more redemption details.
Redemption time is from 11:30am to 3pm, while stocks last. This is applicable only for the outlet at Clarke Quay Central, T&C apply.
Tendon Kohaku 天丼琥珀 X Man Man Unagi
Clarke Quay Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #B1-52,53, Singapore 059817
Opening Hours: Lunch 11.30am – 4pm Last Order 3:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/TendonKohakuCQC
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Tendon Kohaku.