Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant

Adorned with various dining awards from Simply Dining Singapore and the Singapore Tattler, I was highly expectant of an unforgettable gastronomic dinner experience. Singapore boasts only a select number of decent Japanese Yakitori Restaurants and I was hoping Nanbantei would set a high benchmark in the local dining scene.

The night started off well. B, Z and myself managed to secure window seats on this sunday night without reservations. My previous 3 visits to this popular eatery had come to nought due to the long waiting list.

For our party of 3, we ordered 2 A-Courses(12 yakitori sticks, rice, miso soup and dessert) and some ala-carte dishes.

For the set meal, first came the Pork with Shiso Leaf. Also known as Perilla or Beefsteak Plant, the Shiso Leaf comes from the Mint family. It reminded me of a pork ball with a subtle minty flavour.
Verdict: 3.25/5

The Asparagus wrapped in Pork was average. Unlike the pork ball, the pork used here was sliced thinly and more fatty, reminding me of good old grilled bacon.
Verdict: 3.25/5

Japanese Green Pepper wrapped in Pork was a clone of the Asparagus Pork albeit a change in the type of Vegetable. I preferred the green pepper to the asparagus because the peppers were more juicy. Each bite resulted in an explosion of flavour and the juice helped to eliminate the unctuous taste of oily bacon.
Verdict: 3.75/5

Ever ate a mushroom after BBQing it? Without the Bean paste dip provided, the Grilled Shiitake was in it's most primal form without much taste.
Verdict: 2.5/5

Chicken with Leek was good. I especially liked the crunchiness of the grilled Leek and the chicken was decent with the yaki sauce.
Verdict: 4/5

Chicken Meat Balls here are not bad. Bye Bye Tori Q Chicken balls, you shan't be missed.
Verdict: 3.75/5

Without the ability to absorb any grilling sauces, surprise surprise a grilled quail egg tastes roughly the same as a hard boiled quail egg.
Verdict: 2.5/5

The best dish tonight was definitely the Grilled Chicken Liver. With a slightly charred surface while retaining a soft melty interior, it was a rose among the thorns.
Verdict: 4.5/5

Grilled Beef with Bean Paste Sauce was another winner from the set meal. Tender with the right amount of fats, the beef was well grilled to expose a nice light tinge of pink on the inside. With a light spiciness, it is great with rice or even on it's own.
Verdict: 4.5/5

The grilled lightly salted Ginkgo Nuts didn't taste like the ginkgo nuts I normally have in Chinese Desserts but in a good way. For those with a vivid imagination, it would be something like a balance between the taste of Kachang Puteh and Buttered Corn. Weird analogy I know.
Verdict: 3.75/5

Grilled prawns here are no better than those DIY grilled prawns at chalet BBQs. It was fresh though.
Verdict: 3.25/5

The Miso Soup here is pleasant. Around the same standard as those better entry level Japanese eateries.

As for the dessert, the Red Bean Mochi was the biggest disappointment. It wasn't served warm nor chilled and felt as if it had been left in the open for quite some time but it wasn't even nice to begin with anyway.

For Ala-carte, we got the Grilled Threelined Grunt Fish(Isaki). We ordered this blindly as it was a recommendation by the floor staff. At $20 for an overly salted grilled fish slightly larger than the size of a Selar Fish, I felt we were kind of ripped off as it wasn't even that good. On hindsight, we should have ordered the cheaper grilled fishes like cod or salmon which have a definite smaller margin for error.
Verdict: 2.25/5

As the Mini-Tomato wrapped in Pork was not available today, we opted for the side order of Potato wrapped in Pork instead. I like bacon and I like potatoes(a large straight cut), so this worked for me.
Verdict: 4/5

We also had a side order of Specially Chewy Udon Noodle(Warm). I thought Z was a retard for ordering this. At $12, It was $4 more expensive than the normal Udon and $2 short of a Tempura Udon and till now I still don't get what is the difference between the normal and chewy Udon as it was just plain Udon that arrived anyway. Ok, at least the Udon was springy(though not as good as Shimbashi Soba) though slightly too salty.
Verdict: 3.75/5

Foodwise, Few Hits, any Misses. I also felt that the floor staff despite their experience, seemed unmotivated and cold. Halfway through the meal and another time nearing the end of the meal, our food suddenly stopped coming and only after I enquired about it did they realise that a few hungry patrons had been left forgotten. Another concern was that with a reasonable number of staff around, our empty glasses went unnoticed for a good 20 minutes before I had to physically request for a top up. With about half the patrons being authentic Japenese, did they consider us, young undergrads as second class patrons?

I'm perplexed. I have friends and a pageful of HGW reviews raving about Nanbantei yet, Z, B and myself left feeling otherwise. A case of falling standards or our immature and unrefined palettes?

Bon Appetit!

I decided to make a reservation at this little ordinary-looking restaurant to celebrate my gf's birthday because we were all sick of Wa***u and its diluted sake.

Turned out to be a great experience.

Since it was our first experience at that restaurant and we had absolutely no idea what was nice and what was not [apparently the waitress had no response to "What's nice here?"], we almost ordered everything in the menu. Almost. And we would've licked our plates if not for common decency.

From the carbohydrates group, we had onigiri [salmon and seaweed, each $3.20], cha soba [~$7], and a bowl of rice-in-soup whose name I simply cannot remember. The onigiri was warm and authentic and very presentable. I had no idea how their triangular shape was maintained because it was soft upon taking a bite. Just a tad too salty for me. The cha soba was chewy and delectable. Even the noodle soup [sobayu?] was tasty and surprisingly not too salty.

I remembered the fresh sashimi moriawase and the potent wasabi. Great combination again. 5 stars for its presentation too.

From the yakitori group, I remembered the Bishop's Noses [chicken bum] that were crispy and sinfully oily to the point of perfection, mini tomato that exploded delightfully in our mouths and the pork asparagus. My gf adored the pork asparagus. It is the best in Singapore she's ever tasted, this Japanese food-fan claimed.

With its cosy interior and the loud Japanese chatting away at neighbouring tables, plus the authentic food, you'd think you're in Japan.

Plus, how wrong can it be when you patronise a restaurant favoured by the Japanese themselves?

P.s. You may want to reconsider bringing elderly to the restaurant because I did, and my poor Grandpa couldn't chew through the ligaments in the slender pork slices. A pity for him though...

This cosy restaurant set on the top floor of Far East plaza seems to blend into the surroundings very well. The nondescript exterior never really attracted me, considering i always headed straight to Wasabi Tei whenever i bothered going to the fifth floor. But i did that night. It was a Sunday night but this place still seemed pretty popular because the waitress asked if we could finish our meal in about one hour. So, it seems like reservations are recommended.

The restaurant is really small but it can accommodate large groups with several tables at the side. The real fun would be the counter seats which we had, where the huge grill was the centerstage with two chefs doing their thing. Surprisingly, we didn't smell like we just got grilled after sitting in front of the grill for an hour. The exhaust must be really good.

It was really fun to watch the chef meticulously sprinkle salt over the yakitori sticks (and all over the grill counter too). The food is really served immediately after it is done on the grill and everything really looked so tempting. I was salivating over the grilled squid while my dining partner was so tempted by the codfish. If not for our small appetites and full stomachs, we would have ordered more.

Service at this restaurant is nothing to shout about,although it was adequate. In true Japanese style, every time a customer arrives/leaves, they whole crew would shout a greeting in unison.

There is the appetiser that is at every seat accompanied with some sort of sauce. It is charged separately but you can refuse it. We didn't take it because both of us are carnivores decided we did not really like our vegetables raw.

We decided to order a set meal consisting of eight sticks of the chef's choice of yakitori, sashimi, dessert, rice and miso soup. We also had a side order of grilled corn because the raw corn cobs sitting right in front of us were calling out to us. The meal cost us $44 in total which includes service charge and GST.

The sashimi was served first, consisting of the rather standard Tuna, Salmon and Swordfish slices. Because I am no fan of sashimi and thus my dining partner ate up all of it, I shall reserve my comments. But I have to add that the presentation was really pretty. I was so tempted to chew on the chrysanthemum sitting pretty on top. I did take the tiniest bite out of the Tuna and Salmon but i literally swallowed it (sashimi-lovers, please do not stone me), so I am in no position to say anything.

The first four sticks of yakitori that arrived was the lady's fingers, chicken balls with some kind of herb, cherry tomatoes wrapped with bacon and asparagus wrapped in bacon. This plate is what I call, the consolation to carnivores. It serves to console them that hey, you're eating some sort of greens!

Anyway, the tomatoes with bacon was my absolute favourite. It was plain heaven when you put the whole thing in your mouth, allow it to burst and the tomato juice starts flowing, akin to eating a xiao long bao. The smokey and savoury flavour of the bacon complemented the sweet and sour flavour of the tomato juice. It did manage to make my dining partner, the one who does not like orange-coloured fruits try one and agree with me that it was tasty. Another thing to rave about would be the lady's fingers. I don't usually like them but have recently acquired a taste for this fruit (yes people, lady's fingers is a FRUIT). It was very well done, something i definitely did not envision for a fruit on a grill. My dining partner's favourite was the asparagus. It was juicy and tender but with a certain crunch, definitely not of those run-of-the-mill yakitori sticks.

The next four sticks would be what i call, a carnivore's dream come true. Pure, unadulterated meat. The toasty flavour was well appreciated but because both my dining partner and my tastebuds prefer mild food, we found the meats a little too salty, which I think can be attributed to the miso sauce. In any case, they went really well with the rice. Other than that, the meat on the sticks were tender and substantial. (:

Last but not the least, the corn cobs were truly exceptional. At first glance of the raw corn cobs on the counter in front of us, it was obvious this was not those cheap corn cobs you find in packs of two. Other than the fact that it was really an expensive type of corn, it was also perfectly done. The slightly charred bits were, in my opinion the best bits. In my dining partner's words, they taste like caramel corn. But I think they were kinda expensive, considering they cost us $6 for half a corn cob. I guess all that skill that goes into grilling it can sort of justify this?

The dessert that was included in the set meal was nothing to rave about, but it was tasty and not overly sweet.

25 JUL 2009

I wanted to write my usual detailed and positive review for Nanbantei... But... Since one of the staff restricted my photo-taking, I will just keep it to positive but very brief...

Tried out the Obento set brother bad been raving about and I must admit it was very well priced consider the set came with a decent miso soup, solid Japanese rice covered at different segments with either sea-weed, sliced braised mushroom, or minced meat. The Obento set came with an assortment of 5 yakitori sticks, and a small bowl of classic Japanese dumpling and red bean paste dessert... All these for a mere $12.50... The assortment was grilled to perfection and tasted excellent. Brother also ordered a grilled Nanbanyaki (beef; $6.00) and that was superb as well... Tender and succulent!

All in, the meal cost $36.49 including 10% service charge and 7% GST... It appeared that the Japanese tea was free. Anyway, Nanbantei was very busy when we were there. Without a reservation we had to wait a fair while, so make sure you go with a reservation during peak hours. Also, with plenty of waitresses on staff, the service there was acceptable, though there should've been someone doing tea-refilling rounds.

If interested, write-ups of other reviews can be seen here...

I heard many good things about this restaurant and finally found time (and a friend) to go try out the food. Actually I didn't know this was a yakitori place, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and service. Anyway I am quite a fan of the Jap yakitori.

We were placed at counter seats, even though we had made prior reservations. However, we were not in the least affected by any smoke or lingering smells on the clothes, as the grill area was very well-ventilated. Anyhow, having a counter seat also allowed us to have a good view of how the food is cooked by the 2 Japanese chefs - definitely a plus for a first-timer.

My friend and I ordered a meal set (B-course -which featured 8 sticks of yakitori, based on the chef's selection, assorted sashimi, rice, soup and dessert), a bowl of udon, and additional yakitori sticks to share. The sashimi was fresh but nothing to shout about, as anyway the featured food was the yakitori. The assortment of yakitori in the set asparagus, chicken balls, chicken with leek, lady's fingers etc which were well salted appropriately, had great taste and flavorful. The beef stick however was a little bit disappointing, but cooked to the correct tenderness.

We order sticks of uzura tamago (quail eggs), hotate gai (scallops) and kaki maki (oysters), and a plate of fried eggplants. Stuffings of pork omplemented the eggplant very well in terms of flavour and taste. I was however disappointed about the oysters as it tasted a bit bland. However, the scallops warranted a 10/10 in terms of texture (firm yet fine), and taste (salted and grilled to a perfect finish). I would recommend the hotate gai as a MUST-try.

The service was forthcoming without being intrusive. From the dated appearance of the restaurant and the service staff, I was v pleasantly surprised that they managed to keep up with regular changes of your dining plate. Though the place appeared a little cramped and dated, t added to the charm and cosiness of the place.

Of course, I would have liked the restaurant to have a more classy appearance in view of the quality of the food and service. But altogether, there is a certain rustic feel and cosy charm that will make you want to visit again.

If you are looking for a value meal, do opt for the set meals, as individual orders of other yakitori (e.g. in our case) could quickly add up to a relatively hefty sum. However the quality of the food accurately reflects the amount that one forks out.

As a side note, the restaurant seemed to attract many Western diners (prob because the restaurant has earned itself a reputation through e.g. Wine n' Dine, etc).

Lunchtime on a Tuesday and we have the luxury of a leisurely lunch (i'm on leave, yay !)We decided to come here because a) we actually got seats and b) to try the lunchtime (read: cheaper) menu since it's my first time.

I've never been a fan of the 'waraku'-style of Jap-meets-West fast food. Give me real food please, none of that mass-produced , flat-tasting convenience food. When you step into Nanbantei, it gives off a really 'authentic' vibe, praps it's the presence of Japanese diners who look like they're frequent customers, praps it's the way the chef by the grilling counter goes about his business.
He has this way of sprinkling at the skewers (salt? seasoning?) that shows he must've been doing this for a long time. (Analogy for the local context: Like watching a veteran char-kway teow seller doing a little dance by the wok as he dishes out plate after plate of the sinful stuff!)

2 of us shared 2 bento sets

Yakitori set
Salmon sashimi set

The skewers are the star attraction, and they do not disappoint. Beautifully charred with the right intensity of smoky flavour. Tempura was also nice. Sashimi was not bad.
Serving size is more than enough to fill you up, so it's pretty gd value-for-money.

This place seats perhaps 30 at most. Likely to get crowded during dinner (not sure if they accept reservations). When we were done, it was past the lunch peak hour (about 1.30 pm?) but there were quite a few diners queueing outside.

I think a lot. To be precise I think of my next meal a lot.
I always make up silly plans prior to my meal time to eat at where and where and it's times like those that I will seldom divert from my preplanning.

Imagine my initial reluantance when my bestie suggested this well known dining place at Far East when I had been making plans for kimchi ramen. The tiny entrance kinda puts me off and I had always walked past this place without knowing its fame. (did't check HGW yet)
Well, since bestie wanna eat, I gotta oblige.

Were led to the bar counter by friendly wait staff and it was the first time I sat so close to watching my food being prepared! (hawker centre / food court self service don't count okies..) Instead of some small place, I started to feel that it was cosy instead.

I am always famished (blame it all on early corporate lunches!) and the easy on the eye menu is really tempting. Everything seemed to read/sound so good...

Ordered Negima, Shittake, Gyu Yaki, shishamo, grilled salmon, yasai tempura and asparagus maki.

Simply love the appetiser (veggie sticks) with miso paste.
Bestie put chilli powder into her taste and claimed it tasted better.
I'm not convinced and will stick to basic miso paste.

Negima = good (leek wasn't overpowering the taste of the chicken)Shittake = well, they were norm, you know.. nothing to shout about
Gyu yaki = reasonably well done and well seasoned
shishamo = crunchy little fishes yummy
grilled salmon = fresh! great!
yasai tempura = can't really remember much as it did not really stand out compared to its meaty counterparts
asparagus maki = MY LUV!!! I had assumed the asparagus would come covered with bacon but instead it came with a thin layer of lean pork. Grilled to crisp yet the greenie within it had retained its freshness and sweetness stilll...

I didn't regret the decision to dine here and definitely the sight of a few ethnic Japanese in their typical after work attire ( crisp white shirts with rolled up sleeves and jacket in hand) proved that this tiny place is definitely worth it!

I was thrilled when my friend suggested Nanbantei for lunch as I had a wonderful meal here the last time I was here. Surprisingly, the place was not full even though it was Sunday. Perhaps it was still early as we were given counter seats since some of the tables were marked for reservation.

Having lunch here is definitely less hurting on the wallet as the set lunch menu is very reasonably priced. Even though I don't eat rice, I ordered the Salmon Shioyaki set ($10.40++) as it's better value for money than the ala carte menu. The grilled salmon was definitely the star: plump and juicy with crispy skin. Absolutely delicious! I polished off everything (pickles, tuna salad, miso soup and watermelon) but the bowl of rice was left completely untouched.

My companion had the signature Yakitori Obento ($12.50++) which was quite a feast for the eyes with 5 assorted yakitori. I tried the quail egg which had a smokey flavour and was very bouncy. The set came with a red bean paste dessert which was quite good as it was not cloyingly sweet. But I suppose this only appeals to beans-loving people like me as my friend didn't like it at all.

From the ala carte menu, we had the Pork with Leek ($5.70++). Since I don't eat meat, I only tried the leek which was charred and quite fragrant. I wanted to have the shishamo initially but being fickle minded, I had it changed to Unagi with Long Onions ($5.80++) at the last minute. This is my favourite! The grilled eel was so soft and smooth that it almost slid down the throat.

I wanted to have the shishamo initially but being fickle minded, I had it changed to Unagi with Long Onions ($5.80++) at the last minute. This is my favourite! The grilled eel was so soft and smooth that it almost slid down the throat.

It was fun sitting at the counter as we could get to see the chefs preparing and throwing a liberal amount of salt on the food while grilling. The squid seemed to be very popular and I think I will try that next time! For I will surely come back for another satisfying meal.

For photos/reviews, visit My Food Sirens =)

I just need to write a review for Nanbantei even though I frequent the place countless times.

Okay, some reviews says the yakitori can be too salty. Well, I agree but only you need to watch which chef is on duty. There's a plump guy with glasses, he ALWAYS gets to aggressive with the salt. Just tell him not to. I must emphasize, the master chef, the older gentleman always serve PERFECT yakitoris.

What I like especially is their Cha Soba, they serve it with quail egg. Not many restaurants serve it this way. Plus their soba is tangy. Ask them to chill it longer for you, it's more refreshing to have it ice cold on a hot sunny day.

Sometimes they have seasonal items like the Alaskan crabs or sweet corn cobs, totally delicious!

They are not known for their sashimi...but I tried it twice. First time, it was great, one of the freshest I've had in Singapore but second time, its not so fresh. The sashimi slices are served nice and thick.

Try their other grilled items like squid or cod fish! It is very very good. TRUST ME!

Cod fish: Flesh is tender and firm, usually boneless. The skin is thin and cripsy! Together with the sauce....YUMMY!!

Squid: I am never a squid lover, I only eat it here. Its tangy and chewy and juicy, not rubbery and dry. with a layer of crisped skin.

Both are not fishy at all.

Prices varies from $20 for a set lunch to $60 if you order fancy stuff like seasonal items.

Overall, it's my all time favourite Japanese restaurant.

This is my second visit to Nanbantei and I wish it could be better. Last night four of us went for dinner arriving early and ordering a variety of yakitori and a few other items. Service was great and the staff is very friendly and attentive, but the yakitori itself, OK at best.

Negima (chicken with leaks): This was pretty good. The chicken was tender and the leaks were cooked through well, but the sauce was dense and obscured the chicken taste.

Tsukune (chicken ball): Small, anemic, dry and slightly tasteless. I prefer mine to be larger and softer with a higher fat content and cooked so that they are juicy, not hard. Ideal for me? Served with a raw egg yolk.

Sasami wasabi (chicken tender with wasabi): Over cooked. The chicken was slightly tough on delivery instead of plump and juicy looking (things rise another 4-8 degrees after getting removed from heat, no?). The wasabi wiped on top was the same bright green as you get in a carousel sushi shop, though the heat was moderated down. Not bad if the chicken had tasted OK.

Shitake Mushrooms: Good.

Eggplant: OK, but as the egg plant shrinks quite a bit during cooking the presentation with a large pinch of ground ginger on top was not attractive to me. Taste was OK (I love grilled eggplant).

Tori Ume Shisho: Portions of leg meat (skin on) with salted plum and beef steak plant (shiso) sandwiched within. Very nice.

Yaki Onigiri: I liked this a lot. Grilled until crunchy on the outside and served on a skewer. Nice and original presentation.

Ochazuke (tea rice): Fine. This is hard to goof up and tasted just fine at the end of the meal.

We also had some tomatoes which were actually fine, and the staff was gracious enough to swap it out when we noticed chili peppers in the dressing the first time (chili allergy person at the table (not me!)).

Overall a restaurant that should be much better. The concept of yakitori is simple - grilled chicken. If the chicken was cooked to perfection, was juicy and plump and tasty, this would be an A+ restaurant as the breadth of available dishes is good and the service very nice. But, since the main item is not perfect it dulls the entire experience.

Would I go again? Probably, though I'll certainly try other yakitori locations before I go a second time. Wasn't terrible, but sure could improve.

(Disclaimer: I lived 8 years in Japan and loved to eat yakitori there.)