Akashi, Tanglin Shopping Centre

I have been recommended by friends to try out Akashi though I never quite managed to do so, despite its central location. When I eventually did however, I crossed its Tanglin premises three times in less than a month.

My maiden encounter with Akashi took place when I met up with the girls for lunch, where I decided Akashi was good enough to Meet The Parents. Scoring a break from our regular Saturday hangout at Tampopo, I took my parents there a week later, where to my surprise, the waitress
1. remembered me
2. what I ordered and scarily enough,
3. where I sat!

Ok, it’s a lot less creepy than it sounds. I was like, Phwoar not bad arh, so what’s 246 + 124 x 3 / 2 – 200 +12?



The service “force” made up of experienced old-timers, sparing customers from those ‘you may have forgotten so I’m asking for the 5th time- can you please top up my green tea?’ scenarios. Sparing the waitress from mental sums (for now), I was secretly pleased and very impressed that she remembered me. Hey, we may be customers but we have feelings too! We aren’t just nitpicking know-it-alls sent by our guts to occupy restaurants space.

Their nabeyaki udon, which was sufficiently satisfying, save for the fact that the tempura prawn and salmon fish had turned soggy by the time the dish arrived. No complains about the sukiyaki either, which came with beef slices rimmed with fat that wrinkled in hot soup.



Zee had raved about the gyu tenderloin –grilled and smothered in teriyaki sauce-and now its my duty to do so too. However thanks to a limited vocabulary (Juicy? Tender? Yawn), I can only say it was so good we ordered another portion within minutes.



Yup, that's the second plate up there. I’m guessing by now you can tell that when we like something, we do it in multiples.



Be it Tom Ton, Tampopo or sushi tei, Mum’s barometer of how good a Japanese restaurant much she likes the restaurant depends the katsu don. But I personally prefer the tori katsu, where aint’t no gravy gonna mess with the cr-cr-crunch

Nowadays I find myself being drawn to the powers of sushi and sashimi- "cold food" that typically rank highly on the bland-o-meter.





I have never seen such nigiris served in Singapore where the upper half acts as some protective shield that wraps around a tiny no-bigger-than-my-thumb knob of vinegar rice. Looking at the pictures, you may have thought the rice disintegrated and I’ve only photographed a part of it but that’s all there was to the nigiri. Do as the Japanese do, I crammed in the entire nigiri whole, at the risk of blocking my windpipe. It was a mouthful of immense joy and satisfaction as the eel nigiri had been lightly dapped with teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with tasted sesame seeds.



I had my reservations about the futomaki- never been a fan of food coloring that looks like it has been inspired by My Little Pony but I wolfed down more than half the plate. Perhaps it’s the new-found appreciation for the sweet vinegar rice and unfussy sushi. Let’s leave creativity for scrapbooking class ok? No more soft shell crab (legs dangling out and all that), tempura stuffed, bonito flakes topped, chili power sprinkled, mango slices drapped, mayonnaise drizzled art-and-crafty sushi for me.

Less is more (this doesn’t apply to my closet or shoe collection under any circumstances).

I could sing about the sashimi! The swordfish sashimi beat others I’ve had hands (and fins) down with its uber milky creaminess that got me slightly dizzy after 2 slices. The salmon slices, ostentatiously lined with fatty streaks, up the ante with its firm freshness. The ama ebi was absolutely resplendent in chilled sweetness.

That being said, our second order of salmon (not pictured) fell short of expectations as it looked not unlike something served by [insert name of conveyor belt chain]. Were we just lucky the first time round?

All in all, Akashi is a dependable family restaurant, kicking off 2008 and the new school term with a considerably loud bang. Lunch time is a lot quieter despite lower prices and it becomes hard to talk once the restaurant fills up and the noise level escalates. Then again, you might probably have tuned out of whatever conversation you were in.