Dined at Watami Jap restaurant at the ION Orchard outlet. There was a short queue when bf and I arrived and thank god, our friends were already seated inside. The restaurant was full but I didn't like their food and service.
My Tempura Udon. Told you I would only eat Tempura or Nabeyaki Udon... #boringfart
A plus point for them as they separated out the crispy fried tempuras from the soup but I wished they could offer something more edible and welcomed like sweet potato or tapioca rather than the notorious capsicum and brinjal. It came with a mushroom as well which I guess it might be a shitake mushroom, or maybe not. Couldn't tell since it's fried and covered with flour.
The tempuras were acceptable but I didn't like the udon and soup. It felt quite tasteless and I had to add some light sauce to it. It was a pain eating that, really.
Also, my tempura came without the usual tempura sauce. I'm not sure if this is now the common practice because my nabeyaki udon which I had at Rakuichi Sushi came without it too. :(
It didn't matter much to me because I still had to dip it to the usual light sauce instead as it's much tastier than the tempura sauce as the latter was a little tasteless.
Service wise, we asked for the tempura sauce for like 2 to 3 times. I guess it's their peak period but that shouldn't be a justifiable excuse. There are quite a number of manpower too anyway. So I guess that isn't the root of the problem. The 1st waiter we asked took a long time that we thought he had forgotten, so we approached another waitress who looked extremely stunned and confused. She gave me light sauce which I confirmed and rejected, since I already had the light sauce with me.
Waiter
Bf : "Excuse me, can I have the sauce for the tempura?"
Waiter : "Ok" *walks away*
5 mins later.. No tempura sauce...
Waitress
Me : "Hi, excuse me, can I have the tempura sauce?" *gesturing a saucer shape with my hand*
Waitress : *confused look for 5 secs*...
After 3mins...
Waitress : *passed me the light sauce and PLACED IT RIGHT BESIDE THE LIGHT SAUCE WHICH WAS ALREADY ON MY TABLE INFRONT OF ME*
Me : *my turn to look confused* "Is this light sauce?" (it was in a little tea pot bottle, all covered up and I assumed they are the same since they look the same but needed clarifications)
Waitress : "Ya" *with full confidence & without a doubt*
Me : -_- "Oh, eh then it's ok because I already have the light sauce" *pointing at the light sauce in front of me*
Bf : "she wants the tempura sauce for that" *pointing at my tempura*
Waitress : *stunned for another 5 secs...* "Oh, for the Ebi isit? Ok"
Me : (Tempura not Ebi meh? Okay fine, correct name is Ebi Tempura lor)
After 5 mins..
Waitress : *places EBI Tempura sauce on the table* without saying anything...
Me : *verified that it's the correct sauce*
10 mins later..
Waiter : *swiftly placed his own version of 'tempura sauce' on our table* without realising that I already have so many saucers of sauces there and *walked away to serve other customers* I didn't even had the chance to decline.
Me : *went on to verify the sauce* and guess what! It's the sauce for CHA SOBA... !@#$% Nevermind that *continue to dip into my light sauce from then on...*
If I do patronise them again, I wouldn't opt for their udons anymore. Perhaps try their rice for a change.
A plus point for them as they separated out the crispy fried tempuras from the soup but I wished they could offer something more edible and welcomed like sweet potato or tapioca rather than the notorious capsicum and brinjal. It came with a mushroom as well which I guess it might be a shitake mushroom, or maybe not. Couldn't tell since it's fried and covered with flour.
The tempuras were acceptable but I didn't like the udon and soup. It felt quite tasteless and I had to add some light sauce to it. It was a pain eating that, really.
Also, my tempura came without the usual tempura sauce. I'm not sure if this is now the common practice because my nabeyaki udon which I had at Rakuichi Sushi came without it too. :(
It didn't matter much to me because I still had to dip it to the usual light sauce instead as it's much tastier than the tempura sauce as the latter was a little tasteless.
Service wise, we asked for the tempura sauce for like 2 to 3 times. I guess it's their peak period but that shouldn't be a justifiable excuse. There are quite a number of manpower too anyway. So I guess that isn't the root of the problem. The 1st waiter we asked took a long time that we thought he had forgotten, so we approached another waitress who looked extremely stunned and confused. She gave me light sauce which I confirmed and rejected, since I already had the light sauce with me.
Waiter
Bf : "Excuse me, can I have the sauce for the tempura?"
Waiter : "Ok" *walks away*
5 mins later.. No tempura sauce...
Waitress
Me : "Hi, excuse me, can I have the tempura sauce?" *gesturing a saucer shape with my hand*
Waitress : *confused look for 5 secs*...
After 3mins...
Waitress : *passed me the light sauce and PLACED IT RIGHT BESIDE THE LIGHT SAUCE WHICH WAS ALREADY ON MY TABLE INFRONT OF ME*
Me : *my turn to look confused* "Is this light sauce?" (it was in a little tea pot bottle, all covered up and I assumed they are the same since they look the same but needed clarifications)
Waitress : "Ya" *with full confidence & without a doubt*
Me : -_- "Oh, eh then it's ok because I already have the light sauce" *pointing at the light sauce in front of me*
Bf : "she wants the tempura sauce for that" *pointing at my tempura*
Waitress : *stunned for another 5 secs...* "Oh, for the Ebi isit? Ok"
Me : (Tempura not Ebi meh? Okay fine, correct name is Ebi Tempura lor)
After 5 mins..
Waitress : *places EBI Tempura sauce on the table* without saying anything...
Me : *verified that it's the correct sauce*
10 mins later..
Waiter : *swiftly placed his own version of 'tempura sauce' on our table* without realising that I already have so many saucers of sauces there and *walked away to serve other customers* I didn't even had the chance to decline.
Me : *went on to verify the sauce* and guess what! It's the sauce for CHA SOBA... !@#$% Nevermind that *continue to dip into my light sauce from then on...*
If I do patronise them again, I wouldn't opt for their udons anymore. Perhaps try their rice for a change.
Bf's sizzling hot beef rice, kinda reminds me of Pepper lunch! Not my cuppa tea because I'm afraid of the splattering of oil and sizzling sound... :(
I'd thought bf's rice were much tastier than mine but it gets quite messy having to stir it yourself, trying to prevent burnt rice and all. BOO.
I'd thought bf's rice were much tastier than mine but it gets quite messy having to stir it yourself, trying to prevent burnt rice and all. BOO.
Expensive salmon sashimi
Although it's a must-have dish for me when dining at Jap restaurants, the prices are also a huge factor to consider. This plate of 6 to 7 pieces cost about $9.90! For me, it's not the amount of pieces they deliver since it varies according to their thickness, but even though I'm a salmon sashimi fan, most salmon taste the same to me, so am not really particular what grade/country they originate from. I'm generally not a fussy eater, unless the food has disgusting stuffs like ginger, parsley etc. Other than that, I'm quite easy going on food choices. I would get a plate of salmon sashimi anytime anywhere is it costs perhaps less than $7? But bf ordered this before I asked him the price..
Forgot to snap a picture of the hot 'green tea' we ordered. Plus point is that it's refillable, best for water barrels like me, but their green tea, we 4 reckoned should be brown rice tea or something. It didn't taste like how normal green teas are like and well, it's brown in colour.
I understand that brown rice tea is one of those healthy teas too beside green tea but this particular brand which they served, didn't taste as nice as the ones they now serve at Sakae Sushi (Yes, I'm really a fan of jap food :P). I was a little upset Sakae switched to brown rice tea instead of the usual green tea but grown to love it after trying. So I was full of hope when I realised Watami was serving brown rice tea too! But it tasted so much different and it most probably be due to its dilution. Trying to cut cost here I guess? :(
Wasn't satisfied with their food and service.
Overall rating :
Although it's a must-have dish for me when dining at Jap restaurants, the prices are also a huge factor to consider. This plate of 6 to 7 pieces cost about $9.90! For me, it's not the amount of pieces they deliver since it varies according to their thickness, but even though I'm a salmon sashimi fan, most salmon taste the same to me, so am not really particular what grade/country they originate from. I'm generally not a fussy eater, unless the food has disgusting stuffs like ginger, parsley etc. Other than that, I'm quite easy going on food choices. I would get a plate of salmon sashimi anytime anywhere is it costs perhaps less than $7? But bf ordered this before I asked him the price..
Forgot to snap a picture of the hot 'green tea' we ordered. Plus point is that it's refillable, best for water barrels like me, but their green tea, we 4 reckoned should be brown rice tea or something. It didn't taste like how normal green teas are like and well, it's brown in colour.
I understand that brown rice tea is one of those healthy teas too beside green tea but this particular brand which they served, didn't taste as nice as the ones they now serve at Sakae Sushi (Yes, I'm really a fan of jap food :P). I was a little upset Sakae switched to brown rice tea instead of the usual green tea but grown to love it after trying. So I was full of hope when I realised Watami was serving brown rice tea too! But it tasted so much different and it most probably be due to its dilution. Trying to cut cost here I guess? :(
Wasn't satisfied with their food and service.
Overall rating :
1 heart for bf's rice and 1 heart for the ambience, nothing more.
