5 good Japanese buffets in Singapore under $40

By Marisse Gabrielle Reyes

Oct 14, 2014 | 1:08am Singapore time

Just because you have a thin wallet it doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve a self-induced Japanese food coma. We track down five good buffets where you can feed your gluttonous alter egos while you’re on a budget.

Note: All prices are for lunch and dinner

Hanare Japanese Cafe ($19.90)

99B Tanjong Pagar Rd., 6222-1976.

The most affordable of the lot, you and a friend can indulge at Hanare Japanese Cafe for no more than a total of $40. The restaurant, which is owned and managed by the same team that brought us Teppei, promises a no-frills self-serve affair. You’ll have to check their Facebook page for the daily specials, but there are loads of high-quality authentic dishes like Negitoro with Sashimi, Iberico Pork Tonkatsu, and Anago Steam Rice. The buffet line’s hot dishes, such as Japanese beef and chicken curry, oden, and chicken karaage, are served in cafeteria-style chafing dishes (we told you it was no-frills). Go green with a selection of pickled Japanese vegetables, salads, edamame and inari sushi. If you don’t have the stomach of Kobayashi, you can opt for the Barachirashi set ($17.90) which comes with a bowl of marinated assorted sashimi on sushi rice along with access to a small buffet of four different appetizers.

Irodori Japanese Restaurant ($36.80)

#03-01, 382 Havelock Rd., Riverview Hotel, 6737-2002 and more.

If you can get yourself to dine in the hotel where the 1995 “Body Parts Murder” took place, you’ll be handsomely rewarded. On the third floor of Riverview Hotel, you’ll find Irodori Japanese Restaurant, an eatery which proffers one of Singapore’s best a la carte buffets at a pretty price. The generous assorted sashimi and sushi platters are reason enough to visit. But if that doesn’t quite cut it for you, there are also loads of great grilled items (eggplant, shishamo, and ebi mentaiyaki), assorted tempura, as well as rice and noodle dishes. Must-orders include the dobin mushi and grilled enoki mushrooms wrapped in thinly-sliced beef. The only downside here is that there’s no dessert included in the buffet, but we reckon you’ll be filled to the brim by the end of your meal.

Kiseki ($19.80 — 34.80, top pic)

#08-01/02/03 Orchard Central,181 Orchard Rd., 6736-1216.

This Orchard restaurant is marketed as a “mega Japanese buffet at mini prices”, so do expect to dine with a eager and hungry crowd. Although the selection of food here isn’t of super-premium quality, it hits the spot if you want to fill up on a variety of fresh sashimi and chilled seafood such as snow crab legs, crayfish, prawns, and mussels on the half shell. The grill station opens during dinner service, and it’s here where you can gorge on ribeye, teriyaki chicken, and pork collar prepared a la minute. Complete your meal with some sweets treats such as green tea ice cream, fruits with warm chocolate sauce, and black sesame mochi. Reservations are encouraged.

Shinkei ($32 — 38)

#01-06/07/10, 600 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, 3158-8527.

Like Irodori Japanese Restaurant, Shinkei offers a great a la carte buffet of over 140 dishes. The sashimi here is superb and with the options of tuna, yellow tail, salmon, swordfish, snapper, octopus, and cuttlefish, the assorted sashimi platter is a must. Over 20 dishes populate the agemono (Japanese for deep fried) menu and especially worth ordering is the ebi tempura, gyoza and ton katsu. There’s also a good variety of grilled items, pan-fried dishes, as well as teppanyaki. For something more substantial, there are small portions of various udon, soba, and rice dishes too. Need more incentive? Kids eat free and senior citizens are 50% off with every paying adult on Sundays.

Shin Minori Japanese Restaurant ($34 — 39)

#03-15/16, UE Square, 81 Clemenceau Ave., 6733-2272.

If you’re tired of predictable Japanese dishes, give Shin Monori Japanese Restaurant a try. The usual suspects are on the menu, but there are also a handful of unique dishes as well. Start your meal with their signature pumpkin chawanmushi – it’s sweet, nutty and deliciously creamy. The makimono sushi gets pretty inventive too, with additions like Unagi Chizu Tanuki Maki (grilled eel with cream cheese and tempura flakes) and Veggi Lover’s Maki Roll (asparagus tempura and avocado wrapped in lettuce). There are also two Italian-inspired creations that are worth trying: the cod roe spaghetti as well as the bacon and scallop pizza. However, if you’re in the mood for something more traditional, the octopus balls and the negitoro sushi are great options.