The popular Bugis district is home to various renowned restaurants such as Saveur and Gunther's. Can Manzoku impress our demanding palate for Japanese cuisine?

Chirashi Set | S$25/++

As it was our first visit, we decided to check with the serving staff the house's signatures and the Chirashi Set was highly recommended. Chirashi or else known as "Scattered Rice" in Japanese is a bowl of sushi rice topped with a variety of raw fish.

My eyes beamed with delight when the dish was served as the generous portion of salmon, tuna, swordfish and amberjack was neatly arranged alongside tamago (egg) and ikura (salmon roe). With most of the condiments handmade from scratch, the wasabi and shoyu sauce were no different. If you enjoy your sashimi thickly sliced, this would be a bowl of bliss. However for those with a penchant for a more delicate and melt-in-your-mouth cut, this may not come across as palatable.

Ikura Chawan Mushi | S$8/++

The second signature which was recommended was none other than the Ikura Chawan Mushi. A popular delicate egg custard dish that was almost tofu-like in texture, the lovely pops from the Ikura which carried an intense savoury complemented the natural sweetness of the silky egg well.

Unagi Set | S$26/++

With the bento sets, it all came with a side of miso soup and two slices of watermelon. Like the Chawan Mushi, the freshwater eel was carefully treated to carry a balance of sweet and savoury flavours. While the lady found the sauce a touch too salty for her liking, it suited my palate just fine. While the flavourful unagi partnered the white rice to make it a main course to savour, the chefs should pay more attention to removing the pin bones as we removed a couple and it would have been disastrous for those unaware!  

Yuzu Juice | S$5/++

While the hot green tea was complimentary, the yuzu juice was a worthy try and a chilled beverage is always welcomed on any hot afternoon! What made it especially refreshing was the diced lemon in the drink!

The Singapore's F&B scene has no lack of mid-end Japanese restaurants and Manzoku is a clear winner in terms of the quality of offering and more importantly, an affordable price tag to the dishes. What made our dining experience even more enjoyable was the polite service rendered by the lady who took our orders. Apart from greeting us upon entering through the heavy wooden doors, the staffs uniformly bid us farewell when we were done with our meal. 

Definitely returning for a second visit though we may take note to visit slightly earlier for lunch as the restaurant closes at 3pm!

Overall verdict: 8.0/10

Manzoku Japanese Restaurant

18 Purvis Street

#01-01

Singapore 188597

Tel: (+65) 6337 2566