Yonehachi

The basement of Takashimaya is good for quick bites. There are stalls selling Japanese donuts, Korean pancakes, salads, smoothies, pastries and sandwiches on-the-go. And there are Indian, Thai and Vietnamese food in the food court, apart from the usual (and quite boring) fairs.
The other side of the basement has a few casual Japanese dining options, Yonehachi being one of them. Setting itself apart from the other stalls selling ramen and udons, Yonehachi specialises in the traditional Okowa rice. The steamed short-grained glutinous rice is available with different mix-ins of your choice, including red bean, chestnut, scallop or salmon.

My red bean Okowa with deep-fried prawn. The side dishes, including a miso soup, a salad with Japanese mayonnaise, steamed vegetables, green beans and seaweed, gave a great variety of different flavours and texture. The steamed slices of daikon, mushroom, pumpkin and lotus root were not overcooked and lightly seasoned with soy sauce. The sweet glutinous rice was slightly chewy and extremely filling. The crunchy red bean and the roasted black sesame had a nice contrasting texture. The prawns were, however, too dry and covered by too much batter. It was the least impressive component in the set.

Scallop and seaweed Okowa with deep-fried chicken and hot soba. This Okowa was more salty but equally tasty. My companion was not a fan of hot soba and would have preferred the cold version. Again the chicken was over-fried and a bit dry for me.

Despite being in a food court, seating was still arranged by staff who would also bring the meals to the tables. Although the service was a bit slow, the food was overall quite nice. Given their affordable price range, I would be interested in coming back to try their other sets.

Yonehachi
#B2-04-1/2, 391 Orchard Road
Takashimaya Food Hall
Ngee Ann City