It’s been nearly a month of no dine-ins, and truth be told, it’s hard to find a reason to head out since so many of our weekend outings and meet-ups revolve around the consumption of food. Still, from enjoying our meals at the backseats of cars to leisurely picnics at the park, people have been creative while still adhering to the rules — so expect F&B outlets to also step up their game.
A recent trend we’ve been seeing on Instagram feeds is bento boxes. These often include exquisite handmade sushi and fresh sashimi, presented on a bed of Japanese rice, in a traditional-looking wooden box that makes the idea of takeaway suddenly way more enticing. Even several high-end Japanese restaurants are providing islandwide delivery, and since this happens to be the last week of our “Heightened Alert” phase, it could very well be our last chance to savour an omakase meal outside of month-long waiting lists. Ahead, we present 7 of the best bento options, listed according to your budget.
1. SUN WITH MOON
The contemporary Japanese restaurant located at the heart of Orchard Road is a safe bet, and often an easy go-to option when you’re in town. This time, they’ve decided to bring their authentic traditional Japanese fare and modern Japanese dishes to us at home, with the Kaiseki Sushi Bento ($58). You’ll be getting a sushi platter of medium fatty tuna, yellowtail, sweet shrimp, scallop, grilled eel, salmon roe, salmon, and salmon pink dragon sushi rolls. On top of that, the set also includes appetisers to accompany your meal, with sweet omelette, grilled miso marinated codfish, fried shrimp, grilled and fried chicken, fried Japanese fish cake, stewed sweet potatoes, and steamed green soy beans.
Order online via sunwithmoon.oddle.me, or on Deliveroo and GrabFood.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. $5 delivery fee.
- Opening Hours: Mon – Sun, 12:30 PM – 02:30 PM ; Mon – Fri, Sun, 06:30 PM – 09:30 PM ; Sat 06:30 PM – 08:00 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @SUNWITHMOONSG. visit their website at SUNWITHMOON.COM.SG.
2. RAPPU
RAPPU has been one of the hottest F&B joints lately, especially since they boast the distinction of being “Singapore’s OG handroll bar”. When dining in is available, you’ll want to head down for an experience by their bar, where seafood is wrapped with warm rice and crispy seaweed, and served to you freshly-made each time — with a flight of sake too if you’d like. For now though, we’d gladly indulge in their at-home handroll kits. The Rappu 6 + RAPPU Sake set ($48) consists of hotate (scallop), kanpachi (amberjack), salmon, toro (fatty tuna), crab, and engawa (flounder fluke fish, which you can wrap in the seaweed provided, and enjoy along with a 60ml bottle of sake. You may also spring for their The High Roller set ($93), where you’ll find premium ingredients such as Grade A Hokkaido uni, F1 wagyu, ikura, as well as caviar.
Order online via rappu.oddle.me/en_SG.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. Free delivery for orders above $125, or $10 delivery fee. Order by 8pm the day before.
- Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @RAPPU.SG. Visit their website at RAPPU.COM.SG.
3. THE GYU BAR
If you miss the sound of meat sizzling on a communal BBQ grill, we feel you too. Bookmark The Gyu Bar the next time you want to hit that spot, because this Japanese yakiniku restaurant does serve up a tantalising platter of premium wagyu beef. Otherwise, get one of their beautiful bento sets. The Wagyu Uni Chirashi Bento ($54.20) consists of aburi wagyu, Hokkaido uni, ikura, tamago, yaki, and goma, where we get delightful marinated marbled beef cubes alongside a generous slab of fresh sea urchin. The Truffle Wagyu Sirloin Sukiyaki Bento ($54.20) is just as appealing, with wagyu sirloin sukiyaki, sliced truffle, ikura, goma, and an onsen egg atop a bed of truffle rice. This feels more like a hearty rice bowl, one upgraded with quality tender meats and fragrant truffle.
Order online via thegyubar.sg, or call 9150 3164.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. Free delivery for orders above $150, or $8 delivery fee per location with orders above $60. For orders less than $60, courier charges depend on distance.
- Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @THEGYUBAR.SG. visit their website at THEGYUBAR.COM.SG.
4. TORIO
The Japanese restaurant is dedicated to their mission of presenting quality premium ingredients and authentic fare, at prices that won’t break the bank — in fact, they have omakase dinner sets that start at just $80. That, of course, extends to their delivery menu as well. The Premium Wagyu Gyuniku Don ($85) includes miyazaki A5 beef, truffle, onsen egg, foie gras, and ikura, while the Premium Toro Ikura Uni Don ($85) is a godsend for tuna lovers, since it combines chutoro, sliced toro, uni, and ikura in one good-looking bento box.
Order online via form.jotform.com/201645011510437.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. Free delivery for orders above $100 (before GST), or $20 delivery fee.
- Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 12:00 PM – 6:30 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @TORIOSG. Visit their website at TORIO.COM.SG.
5. IKO
IKO is a mod-Jap restaurant and bar concept, complete with IG-worthy neon lights, that just opened in April 2021. They serve up contemporary Japanese dishes and Robata-grilled bites such as cold seafood somen with a light bisque foam, uni pasta, or seafood and meats grilled over binchotan, white charcoal traditionally used in Japanese cooking — after all, their chef Jeremmy Chiam used to helm the well-loved Le Binchotan. To cater to home dining, the F&B outlet has come up with the Luxe Box ($88), a premium seasonal box that features truffle rice topped with Hokkaido bafun uni, torched Hokkaido scallops, ikura, and torched botan ebi, a particularly juicy and covetable type of shrimp.
Order online via letsumai.com/widget/iko-restaurant, or WhatsApp / call 8866 5218.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. $10 delivery fee. For takeaway orders, enjoy 10% off total bill.
- Opening Hours: Mon – Sat, 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @IKO.SG. visit their website at IKO.com.SG.
6. KYOTEN
High-end Japanese restaurant Kyoten would be one of the places you’d go for an indulgent birthday meal, and with high-end produce sourced directly from famed Japanese seafood markets that’s flown in four times a week, their ingredients are as fresh as can be. They also employ traditional Japanese techniques to further maintain the freshness of their fishes, and are advocates for the art of sushi ageing, which is used to “balance the taste and draw out the full flavour of the fish”. An omakase set from Kyoten would, of course, be a top choice. The Omakase Bento ($320) consists of 12 pieces of sushi and 7 kinds of sashimi, with uni and awabi (abalone) included as well. Since they promise only the freshest though, the premium content in the box might change based on the chef’s choice and ingredients available.
To order, call 6223 0213.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. $20 delivery fee. Order at least 2 hours in advance.
- Opening Hours: Daily, 11:30 AM – 8 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @KYOTENJAPANESE. Visit their website at KYOTENJAPANESE.COM.
7. SUSHI KOU
Sushi Kou is also another high-end Japanese restaurant, an 8-seater joint located at Holiday Inn Orchard, that specialises in traditional Edo-style (Tokyo-style) sushi, which employs minimalist yet complex techniques to bring out the best of their fresh produce. In fact, these are air-flown directly from Toyosu Market in Tokyo, which is equal to, or perhaps better than, the quality we can expect from fine-dining sushi restaurants in Japan. Their bento sets look just as exquisite as something served in their restaurant — the Kou Special ($300+) consists of toro (fatty tuna), steamed abalone, bahun uni, murasaki uni, ikura, and caviar. Yes, we’re talking two kinds of uni, sourced from Yoichi city in Hokkaido, making this the ultimate treat-yourself indulgence.
To order, WhatsApp 8591 1933 or call 6235 5670.
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- Islandwide delivery and pick-up available. Free delivery for orders above $380.
- Order from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Delivery: 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM.
Follow them on Instagram at @SUSHIKOU.SG. visit their website at SUSHIKOU-SG.COM.
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