Okinawa is a place in Japan which has been on my to-visit list for the longest time, especially cos I want to see the aquarium (I love looking at animals but don't like being out in the sun, so aquariums are perfect). I must say that I have never really eaten Okinawan food before, so I was pretty glad that someone suggested this restaurant. Of course, while waiting for everyone to arrive, we spoilt our appetites eating cream puffs from the restaurant directly opposite the diner, as well as giving into temptation and eating Japanese curry rice from the food court in Mediya :/
The quintessential Okinawan dish - Champon which consists of bitter gourd and tofu, stir fried with pork belly. I found the dish slightly too salty for my taste (though I do understand that the Japanese like their food salty). It was well executed - hardly any bitterness from the bitter gourd and very tasty.
The tomato salad was very refreshing - lots of sweet cherry tomatoes lightly dressed and lots of salad leaves.
Eggplant and minced meat stew - most of us found the eggplant slightly undercooked, and were not used to it cos the usual eggplant we get locally are usually cooked to death and mushy. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be like that?
I think this was the skewered chicken thigh which was really delicious. I think someone was full so I got to eat double my portion ;D
The star dish of the day - was the roasted pork ribs with cartilage. Can you imagine the cartilage cooked until it was oozingly soft just like jelly. Plus it was well marinated and slightly charred. Mmmm I will go back just to have this dish!
Stewed pork belly - not a fan of pork belly. The sauce is slightly sweetish and the carrots are stewed until soft. Everyone else loved this so I think I'm just an anomaly.
We had to eat some carbs, so this chilled ramen was perfect for sharing and ending off the meal.
Even though we ate so much, I think the bill was about $30 per person (without alcohol), which I think is a very very decent price considering what we ate. Will definitely come back.
We adjourned to the desert store above for some Bandung and green tea chiffon cake. Perhaps it was diminishing returns but then I didn't find either cake particularly mindblowing. Though I must confess that I was super stuffed from dinner and my pre dinner snack...
Nirai Kani
177 River Valley Road
Singaproe 179030
Tel 6339 4811
I would highly recommend you to call and make a booking - the restaurant initially looked empty but it was really full by the time we left at about 830pm
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