[NEW] 7 Japanese Dishes Under S$20 You Can Find at Japan Food Town

Japan Food Town graced us with its presence last Saturday, and we saw many Singaporeans flocking to the food hall eager to check out what the space has to offer. As we have predicted, the hall was rather spacious, with restaurants located side by side and each offering their own unique specialty dishes to further draw in the crowd. Unfortunately, since the food town is still in its opening phase, some of the restaurants have rather erratic opening hours and are only offering food in limited quantities until the crowd simmers down around the next week or so.

Since we were already there, we couldn’t help but check out some of the Japanese cuisines that caught our attention. Also, since some of the items sold at Japan Food Town are on a pricier side, we decided to compile an article for our readers, with dishes that cost less than S$20 so that you can indulge in a wholesome Japanese meal without having to break the bank!

1. Tonkotsu Ramen from Machida-Shoten

Heralding from Tokyo, Japan, Machida-Shoten is known for its customizable bowls of ramen that allows you to select the flavour of the soup, noodle texture as well as the amount of oil in each piping bowl of ramen. The restaurant garnered quite a steady crowd on its opening day, with queues stretching all the way to the next restaurant.

The price points here at Machida-Shoten were rather affordable too, with prices as low as S$13 for a bowl of ramen. Since we wanted something more substantial, we opted for the Tonkotsu Ramen S$16.50 with 3 generous tender slices of Chashu as well as a braised ramen egg doused in a hearty pork boned ramen broth. What makes Machida Shoten stand out from the ubiquitous ramen stalls lies in the noodles that they used in the ramen which was rounder and thicker – resembling that of egg noodles from local delights like Mee Rubus – though less cloying. We couldn’t help mopping off the whole bowl of ramen!

2. Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Rang Mang Shokudo

Rang Mang Shokudo will be serving artisanal fried chicken (not just your everyday fried chicken) that has been marinated in buttermilk for 6 hours and double fried in low heat in their efforts elevate the ubiquitous fried chicken.

Buttermilk fried chicken that are freshly prepared a la minute! The prices here are mostly less than S$20, with a set meal costing S$16.80 and a la cart butter milk fried chicken from S$6 – S$10 depending on the size and toppings. Since we were in for something adventurous that day, we opted for the Basil & Cheese buttermilk fried chicken – lightly coated with flour that  came with a resounding crunch every bite.

The basil and cheese sauce too, was surprisingly addictive and we were amazed by how Basil and Cheese could go so well together! Other more note-worthy sauces include Yuzu Pepper and Wasabi Cream!

3. Onigiri from Bonta Bonta

Bonta Bonta specializes in Onigiri, or simply put, rice balls that are affordably priced between S$3.50 to S$4.50 depending on the ingredients used. We were huge fans of their Seaweed Onigiri, as well as the Mentaiko Onigiri that were sold out within the day. Bonta Bonta uses Kinmemai rice of the highest standards that are specially selected by a rice sommelier which has higher nutritional values as compared to the normal rice.

Other than Onigiri, Bonta Bonta also serve Chirashi Don and other rice bowls that are priced between S$21 to S$40.

4. Udon from Inaniwa Yosuke

Also known as exceptionally well-done ramen in Japanese, we knew we had to try Inaniwa Yosuku’s udon for the 150-year old handmade tradition translated into silky, chewy, udon that are undeniably Inanwa. Prices here start at S$16, and we tried the Ajikurabe Set which comes with hot and cold ramen in Shoyu.

As we have predicted, the texture of the udon were divine, with the right intensity of springiness which was possibly one of the better ones we have had. Unlike the thicker and rounder udon noodles we can find at most Japanese establishments in Singapore, the udon noodles at Inaniwa Yosuku were much thinner. For the best experience, dip the udon into the cold soba before adding the wasabi and spring onion garnishing!

5. Tempura Donburi from Tempura Tsukiji Tenka

I mean, who can say no to Tempura?

Tempura Tsukiji Tenka specializes in Tempura Donburi, and their prices mostly ranges around S$19 to S$30, with the most value-for-money set featuring the TenDon (S$19.80) that consists of fresh ingredients like prawn, fish, mushroom, lotus. pumpkin and lady’s finger tempura. The tempura was lightly battered, with a hearty crunch that came along with every bite and we were glad that it wasn’t too oily! You can also enjoy it with the tempura dipping sauce available on every table.

6. Teppanyaki from Osaka Kitchen

Osaka Kitchen specializes in Teppanyaki, and here, you can watch the chefs prepare the dishes like Waygu Beef and Okonomiyaki on a hot plate right before your eyes! The dishes on their menu ranges from S$10-S$20 for a single Teppanyaki dish – not a bad idea to treat yourself to the flavours of Osaka which is still well-within the budget of S$20!

7. Buckwheat Soba from Yomoda Soba

Yomoda boasts a light, carefree atmosphere that has drawn quite a huge following since its opening. Their buckwheat sobas are made freshly daily on-site and are all priced from S$10.80 per bowl – one of the cheapest food options that we can find at Japan Food Town.

Japan Food Town
Wisma Atria Level 4
435 Orchard Rd
Singapore 238877

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am – 11pm

Photos taken in collaboration with: The Local Design (www.thelocaldesign.com)