Rakuzen - Food Bloggers Lunch Outing

Since their opening 2 years ago, Rakuzen offers unique and innovative dishes, not only catering Japanese cuisine but also Asian-Japanese fusion. Finely detailed wooden decoration and stylishly designed, Rakuzen is set to provide Japanese food lovers an alluring ambiance and enhance their dining experience.

We had Renkon Natto ($8) as the starter. Having tried natto for the first time, we must say that we took a liking for it. We were told by fellow food bloggers that natto would be an acquired taste, and Rakuzen's rendition of natto had a milder taste as compared to others. Though it was a little sticky, the natto did not taste as fermented as we thought it would be.

A & J's rating: 3.5/5

Atsuyaki Tamago ($6.00) 
If you like omelette, this is certainly a delight. Unlike the usual sweet tamago, Atsuyaki Tamago is more savory than sweet. The thick rolled omelette was moist and juicy. Elaine shared with us that rolling the tamago actually locks in the sauce and contributes to the juicyness of the tamago.

A & J's rating: 3.25/5

Salmon Sashimi ($10)
Having read that Rakuzen imports fresh fish directly from Akita, how can we give our favourite sashimi a miss? The salmon sashimi was thick and firm but having tried better sashimi elsewhere, the ones here paled in comparision.

A & J's rating: 3.25/5

Spider roll ($8)
Though nicely decorated with flying fish roe, the entire taste of crispy soft shell crab maki was subtle and rather bland. The rice was a little sticky and we wished there was more flesh in the crab.

A & J's rating: 3/5

Stamina Roll ($14) - Unagi and avocado within, top with more unagi
Impressive name indeed but the unagi maki failed to match up with its name. The unagi was rather dry and rubbery. It would be better if they drizzle a bit of kabayaki sauce over the unagi.

A & J's rating: 3/5

Maguro Yukke ($18)
Maguro Yukke stood out from the rest with its unqiue combination of tuna sashimi with fresh, creamy avocado. Tuna sashimi sat comfortably on pieces of avocado bed topped with black bean, soy sauce, sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. A finishing touch of a raw quail egg completes the dish beautifully, definitely a sight to behold at its exquisite presentation. The savory taste of black bean and soy sauce with delicate taste of tuna sashimi settled in nicely with each other.

A & J's rating: 4/5

Although Rakuzen offers a wider variety of food than many other Japanese restaurants and we were simply spoilt for choices, it failed to meet up our expectations. Lunch with fellow food bloggers was truly a memorable experience, with half the time spent on taking quality photos and passing the dishes around for that one shot to be presented to our silent readers out there. The staffs were constantly on the standby to serve but at the same time, did not want to disturb us from snapping away. They only refilled our cups when we finally picked up our chopsticks and started digging in. Haha. Can't wait for the next outing. Desserts, anyone? =)

Read more from our foodie friends:
Justin j2k3blogs,
Kaelyn My Food Sirens II,
and Elaine Divine Essential

Rakuzen
9 Raffles Boulevard
Millenia Walk
#01-14/19
Tel: 6333 1171