In the peak afternoon hours, Chi Kinjo is not so much a dim sushi bar and highball den as it is at night. The Stanley Street newcomer takes on a brighter visage with lighter items on its new lunch menu — all without compromising its usual mod-Japanese cuisine concept.
The humble onigiri gets turned into a bulkier profile with Chef Lamley’s bread-less sandwiches. Coming in at $8 for a pair (with your choice of a dipping sauce and a side of salad) or $12 for two pairs (with two dipping sauces), the sushi sandwiches are hefty enough to get you filled up.
Choose from selections such as the Asian Prawn Cocktail with tiger prawns, chili shrimp paste and cucumbers, the Phoenix Roll with unagi, crab, and lettuce, and the Sake Sunrise with cured salmon, tobiko, cheese, and avocado. These big carb-laden boys are meant to be dipped into savory sauces such as the garlic-miso dip and the tried-and-tested red pepper dip.
Bigger appetites call for bigger entrées, and $18 will get you The Bento Box — a platter of hamburg steak with XO sauce ginger pork. The meaty mains are accompanied by a variety of side dishes: ume (pickled plum) rice, spinach with Caesar dressing, and an egg roll with wasabi mayo paired with a trio of Japanese pickles. At that same price point, the Chirashi Box is another highlight. Here, sushi rice is adorned with an assortment of marinated sashimi, with yuzu sauce drizzled on top. You get a side of silky smooth chawanmushi too.
If there’s room for extra sides, we strongly recommend the Ming Dynasty Egg Tofu ($14) — a beautifully crafted culinary sculpture made with century egg, crab, and homemade tofu.
Oh, and if you order anything from the lunch menu as a takeout, no service charge is incurred. Now, if only we could convince them to serve highballs during lunch…
FIND IT:
Chi Kinjo is at 29 Stanley Street
Contact: 6910 2742
Open Mon to Fri 11.30am-2:30pm, 5pm-1am; Sat 6pm-1am; closed Sundays
MRT: Telok Ayer
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