Food Picks: Mentaiko dishes at Hakata Mentai Yamaya Kitchen at IMM
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The star ingredient here is karashi mentaiko from Kyushu.
ST PHOTOS: EUNICE QUEK
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SINGAPORE – Calling mentaiko lovers, have your fill at Hakata Mentai Yamaya Kitchen, a two-week-old casual Japanese eatery at IMM in Jurong East.
The star ingredient here is karashi mentaiko – salted pollock roe marinated in a spicy seasoning – from Kyushu, widely regarded as Japan’s largest mentaiko producer.
What is supplied here comes from Kyushu-based company Yamaya Communications, which not only produces the mentaiko, but also has restaurants called Yamaya Kitchen in Japan and overseas locations including Taiwan and Thailand.
Known as Hakata Mentai Yamaya Kitchen here, it is franchised by Singapore-based listed food and beverage company Japan Foods Holding, known for its restaurant empire selling ramen, gyoza, warabimochi and pizza across many chains.
I like that at Hakata Mentai Yamaya Kitchen, the menu goes beyond the common mentaiko mayonnaise over fries or mentaiko baguettes.
The main highlight is its selection of Japanese-style rice sets ($15.90 or $16.90) with a choice of protein – chicken cutlet, tempura prawn, fried fish, saba (blue mackerel) or teriyaki chicken.
Each set comes with chicken karaage, soup, rice, tamago (Japanese rolled omelette) and accompanying condiments to complete the meal – a knob of mentaiko and karashi takana (spicy pickled mustard greens) to mix into the rice, as well as mentaiko mayonnaise and mentaiko sauce for dipping.
In line with its opening, there is free-flow mentaiko, takana, miso soup and rice till Dec 31. This offer will also be available at its next outlet, which opens at PLQ Mall on Nov 22.
Besides the sets, there are also omurice, udon and ramen dishes. Top up $3.90 for free-flow drinks (soft drinks, coffee and tea).
I am not particularly keen on the Mentai Egg Drop Udon ($11.90). I find the combination of udon with the Chinese-style egg drop soup rather jarring, but I do enjoy the Mentai Cream Baked Cheese Udon ($12.90) and Grilled Prawn Bisque Udon ($13.90). Both offer creamy goodness in a bowl.
Where: 01-88 IMM, 2 Jurong East Street 21
MRT: Jurong East
Open: 11.30am to 11pm daily
Info: @yamayakitchen on Instagram
