Ah, mentaiko. The exquisite roe of Alaska pollock used as a classic culinary ingredient in Japanese cuisine for its strong, rich flavor and thick, sauce-like texture — a highly premium option for most.
Now, the umami-packed ingredient can officially go mad for mentaiko in a promotion that spans across four restaurant concepts in Singapore. Appropriately called “Mentaiko Madness”, the deal features an assembly of 21 mentaiko dishes available to be devoured at Nex shopping mall’s Tokyo Eater Pop-up Store and the outlets of Ichiban Sushi, Men-ichi, and Kabe no Ana islandwide.
The downward spiral into mentaiko madness should begin at Tokyo Eater, the pop-up store at Nex’s Japanese Food Street that changes concept every few months. This time dedicating their offerings to everything spicy cod roe till Sept 30, the likes of Mentaiko Don ($11.80, roe served on white rice and scrambled eggs), Mentaiko Mazesoba ($13.80, dry ramen with a hunk of mentaiko, pork chased, bamboo shoots, and onsen egg), as well as Aburi Mentai Mayo Don ($12.80 for chicken, $14.80 for salmon topping on white rice with mentaiko mayonnaise) make an appearance. The adventurous can also try the Mentaiko Ice Cream ($3.90) that strangely tastes alright, despite being a fusion of ice cream and spicy cod roe.
Available only until June 4, Ichiban Sushi offers the likes of the Kaisen Mentai Roll ($13.90), Tori Mentri Cream Udon ($12.90), and the enormous Ishiyaki Mentri Chazuke Wazen ($21.90) set that comprises of stir-fried pork belly and onion pieces served over rice in a hot stone bowl with a generous wedge of mentaiko — it also comes with seaweed-battered dory fish, chawanmushi, and mentaiko ice cream thrown in.
Men-ichi Japanese Ramen is simply offering a Takata Mentaiko Tonkotsu Ramen ($14.90) on its end of the deal, laying down lumps of mentaiko in its standard ramen bowl — also available only until June 4.
The final restaurant taking part in the madness till July 2 is none other than Japanese-Italian fusion eatery Kabe no Ana — the OG when it comes to mentaiko spaghetti in Japan. Being the originators of the dish, it’s now transformed its creation into the Mentaiko Maze Spaghetti ($21.90), a heart-racing platter of spaghetti piled with mentaiko, prawns, squid, crispy anchovies, pickles, seaweed, dry chili, citrus peel, and a soft poached egg.
There’s also the Moshi Mentaiko Pizza ($16.90), a thin crust pie with a thick base of mentai mayo topped with mochi, squid, prawns, and seaweed. Those who can’t get enough of creamy, savory entrées should definitely dig into the Mentaiko Cream Sauce Omu Rice set ($22.90), which is exactly what your egg-fuelled dreams are made of.
