Waraku: Casual Japanese Dining

We chose the branch at The Central © over the one at Cuppage in hope to catch a glimpse of Singapore River through the window seats, but our hopes were dashed due to the overwhelming crowd during dinner time.

Oh well, the interior (without the window seats) wasn't too bad - warm and friendly. Moreover, the food and company made this dining experience an enjoyable one.

Beautiful Lady,   S$6.80++,   

We've never dared to try Sake, 'cos we've heard how unbearable it could actually taste for some. However, we fell in love instantly upon the first sip of this strawberry flavoured Sake. Sweet and subtle, the alcoholic taste wasn't too hard on us.

Matcha Float,   S$3.80++,   

We were expecting thick milky Matcha kind of drink, but this was the fizzy soda kind, with a scoop of Matcha ice cream on top. It's subjective, but we didn't like it.

Cha Soba,   S$9.80++,   

The memory of Waraku's Cha Soba has always been very vivid from the day we first tried it. Still as impressive as before, this simple plain dish never fails to leave us in great satisfaction.

Yakitori Don (Regular),   S$9.00++,   

Yakitori (grilled bird) is a Japanese type of skewered chicken, and I usually enjoy Yakitori by biting the meat off those wooden sticks. But here, the bite-sized chicken pieces were presented in a gob together with Japanese rice, stir-fried onions, cabbages, and seaweed. Something we felt lacking was some sauce, to make the dish less dry and more appetising.

Sakura,   S$18.80++,   

The Sakura set comprises of a massive bowl of creamy soup Udon and Hotate (scallops), plus a hefty bowl of Japanese rice topped with shredded egg and salmon roe.

We sure ate to our fill as we savoured every thick chewy strand of Udon with the concentrated cream sauce, whiffing the strong aroma of the cheese. Hotate were sweet tasting, but the freshness was quite unknown due to the heavy masking by the sauce. On the other side, rice bowl bacame boring once the juicy fish roe ran out.

Potato Mochi Cheese,   S$8.80++,   

Even the name itself sounded tempting enough. Hot cheese oozing out with every bite of the deep fried Potato Mochi. Simply celestial!

Tonpei Yaki,   S$6.80++,   

Sliced pork meat with Japanese white cabbage, covered in soft golden omelette, dressed in Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. The Tonpei Yaki turned out to be a mix of appropriate sweetness and saltiness, and it served as a modest side for sharing.

VERDICT
Just by judging from the crowd inside and queues outside, Waraku is no doubt one of the popular Japanese restaurants in Singapore. Delicious authentic Japanese cuisine, sizable portions, that comes with affordable prices too.

Waraku - The Central
#03-89/97/98, The Central ©
6 Eu Tong Sen Street, S(059817)
(+65) 6327 8860
Mon - Fri: 11.30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
http://www.waraku.com.sg

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service:

Waraku @ East Coast: First and Best

The first launch of Waraku at East Coast in year 2000, kick-started it's business to the many more branches today.

We were greeted by these interesting Tatami seats upon entering the reserved room. They weren't the traditional Japanese ones however, because I guess Singaporeans wouldn't want to kneel down in front of their food. So, Waraku improvised the Tatami seats by having a hole underneath the table, and the customers could slot their legs in and sit like on a normal chair. After all, Singaporeans want to eat in comfort.

Gyu Yanagawa Wazen,   S$16++,   

This set comes with simmering raw beef, a raw egg to be put in, a bowl of Udon, rice, and potato salad. An interesting dish we would say. The beef was fresh and juicy when being brought out; with the add of an egg in it, it was heavenly. The Udon was the usual, nothing much about it. The potato salad was really nice, fresh and sweet - sure an appetiser to start with.


The yummy beef when cooked.

Cha Soba,   S$9.80++,   

Texture, thickness and elasticity of these cold noodles were perfect. The Soba sauce, with a dip of it, simply brought out this Cha Soba's very best. One bite and you will know. Excellent!

Potato Mentai,   S$8.80++,   

Potato slices, topped with baked cheese and a piece of butter, made this one of the very popular side dish here. However, the potato slices were rather raw, and we felt this dish could be better if the potatoes were softer.

Gindara Teriyaki,   S$11.80++,   

Small small piece of cod fish steak, heated on a claypot with slow fire. It was good - nice and warm as it entered our mouths, but the quantity we got wasn't really worth the S$11.80++.

Matcha Ice Cream Cake,   S$6.80++,   

More like "Ice Cake" to us. No taste of "Matcha", no presence of "Cream", just little ice bits in the shape of a cake. The corns and red beans didn't integrate in well either.

Dorayaki Ice Cream Tempura,   S$5.80++,   

You have the eat this quick - else the ice cream would melt to a horrible state in no time, (because of the warm fried outer Dorayaki,) and when you try to pick it up with that small feeble toothpick, everything falls down into a clumsy plop.

VERDICT
Cha Soba was the best bet of the day; the set meals were the value for money ones, with portions enough to feed 2 not-very-big-eaters; and the desserts were below average. All in all, Waraku serves good authentic Japanese food, in a friendly dining environment, suitable for everyone - couples, friends, and families.

Waraku - East Coast
1020 East Coast Park Way, S(449878)
(+65) 6242 1123
Mon - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
http://www.waraku.com.sg

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service: