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Minori Dining & Sake Bar: Harvesting Fine Food With Flair

A new addition to the snaking list of Japanese restaurants in Singapore is Minori Dining & Sake Bar @ UE Square Shopping Mall. Garnering loyal patronage even from Japanese expatriates, Minori has indeed managed to park itself at the top of the aforementioned list. Set up in mid-2007 by Mr. Thomas Loh, Minori recreates the flavours of Japan in a 5-stars style at bargain prices.

This spacious restaurant boasts a large dining area that seats 150, two private dining rooms that seat 24 and a private tatami corner that seats 12. Despite the size, this restaurant still exudes a sense of cosiness and comfort. This, perhaps, can be attributed to Minori's décor concept, which centers on the theme, of the reaping season. "Minori", by the way, is Japanese for "harvest". Minori's (the restaurant) interior decoration is cleverly pulled together by artistic elements such as murals of rice harvests and art installations of dried reeds – perfect complements to Minori's mahogany colour palette, dim lighting and spaciousness.

The good people at Minori are set on ensuring that every diner – from the buffet fanatic, to the corporate luncher, and to the sake barfly – gets his fill.

For the buffet fanatic, a whopping 120-item buffet menu consisting of fresh sashimi, sush i, teppanyaki dishes, sumiyaki dishes and cooked dishes awaits at Minori. For starters, Minori's sashimi selection includes fresh, thickly-sliced salmon, tuna, black king fish, octopus, yellowtail, snapper and cuttlefish. If you want to sample an assortment of several sashimis at once, opt for the Sashimi Moriwase, a visually-appealing platter of five kinds of sashimis of your choice. Minori's Temaki ( Hand Roll) selection also enjoys a wide assortment of at least 17.

On the other hand, if you have room for only three, the California, Ebi Tempura and Spider hand rolls are best choices. These hand rolls are filled with generous contents of crabmeat, avocado and crunchy vegetables; tempura prawns that are deep-fried to perfection; and crispy deep-fried soft-shell crab respectively. If you are feeling adventurous, the Kabocha No Fukume Ni (Japanese pumpkin simmered in special sweet sauce) will see to that. Notably a favourite amongst ladies, this unique appetizer is hard on the outside, soft on the inside and sweet inside-out.

If your meal needs some beefing up, sample the Gyuniku Shogatayaki (beef strips pan-fried in special sauce and garnished with onions) – one of Minori's many signature dishes. To get the most out of this tender beef dish, pick up some beef strips together with some onions garnishing and dip thickly into the special chef's sauce. If you prefer white meat though, the Tori Teppan (chicken teppanyaki ) – marinated bits of tender and juicy chicken – is a must-have. And not forgetting the carbs-addicts, curb your cravings with the Unagi Yaki Meshi, fragrant fried rice that is generously served with fried eel and egg.

Should you choose to forgo the all-that-you-can-eat buffet, fret not; Minori's ala carte menu is all about exclusive flair. Minori's Sunshine Maki ($15), for instance, comprises succulent grilled chicken rolled with nori (seaweed) and wrapped with a thick layer of sweet mango cream. The Hotate Meintai Chizu ($18) consists of baked-to-perfection scallops that are lavishly garnished with high-quality cod roe and layered with melted cheese. Minori even manages to inject a culinary swish into the traditional century egg – by using it as a puree atop the delectable, chilled egg custard in its cold appetizer, Minori Pi Dan Tofu ($8). Need warming up? Let the miso soup take a back seat this time and allow the steaming Lobster Nabe Steamboat soup ($18) to take you to feverish heights of satisfaction.

Apart from these, Minori also caters to the corporate luncher by offering reasonably-priced executive lunch set; and to the sake barfly by offering an extensive beverage list of Japanese beers, sakes and shochu. There is something for everyone here.

Mimicking the Japanese's reputation for good manners, the wait staffs are professional and prompt. Empty dishes are quickly cleared away and water glasses are swiftly refilled. During busy periods, restaurant owner Mr. Thomas Loh even helps out on the floor.

The SD Food Advisor's Take on Minori
Minori is, as local foodies go, "die-die must try!" With something to offer everyone, from an eight-year-old to an eighty-year-old, it is the perfect venue for a family outing. The all-you-can-eat buffet especially is value-for-money, with prices ranging from $28++ (adults) for lunch and $32++ (adults) for dinner. As for the ala carte menu, some may find the prices a tad pricey, but for food with exclusive flair, it is justified.

About the Author

Author Bio:
This petite wordsmith and literary mistress sure dream big: She wishes to place herself alongside the likes of legendary travel writer Paul Edward Theroux and celebrated food writer Alan Eaton Davidson as she unveils only the best of Singapore’s hot zones and sizzling kitchens. For this, Ezaida digs going “off the beaten track” to take her alike-minded audience on a Singaporean road less-traveled.