Food is an essential part of our lives, especially a Singaporean’s life. We are always on the lookout for cheap and good food. But just like the saying “Good things aren’t cheap and cheap things aren’t good”, it is a constant challenge to find cheap and good food. As I am writing this review, I am excited to share with you somewhere in Town where cheap and good food come together.
Located at the basement of The Cathay, Misato is an unpretentious eatery that pays attention to details. I kid you not as I say that, great emphasis is placed on the quality, taste and food presentation. The group of us who went down for a media tasting was surprised to find out that besides keeping the prices competitive, ingredients, condiments and even the tableware are imported from Japan.
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| Matcha Ice Blended ($3.90) |
Crazy weather in Singapore always made people crave for something cold and icy. If you prefer to have something cold and you like matcha, try the matcha ice blended. It is made with Uji green tea powder blended with Hokkaido milk and served with whipped cream on top. The end result is a smooth glass of milky icy matcha goodness. The addition of azuki bean simply give it that extra textural touch which works the magic for me.
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| Hot Green Tea ($1) |
For peeps who prefer something hot, there is hot green tea available. It was a pleasant surprise to see the hot green tea being served in a beautiful tea pot set which was imported from Japan.
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| Cheese Korokke ($4.90) |
When the Cheese Korokke (Croquette) was served to our table (yes, you are given a table tag when you order your food at the cashier and the food is served to you. Not self-service), we were impressed with the presentation. Although the setting of the location seems to be like a foodcourt setting, I assure you that the only thing that match the setting is the price. The Cheese Korokke has crispy exterior with a smooth creamy texture on the inside. What surprised us was the tearing cheese effect once we broke the Korokke into 2. Definitely a must order for us!
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| Tebasaki Chicken Wings ($5.90) |
One of the things that I hate about eating chicken wings is the hassle of getting my fingers stained while eating the wings. However this is definitely not the case for the Tebasaki Chicken Wings served here. The midjoint wings are cut into half for easy consumption. Beware as this is very addictive! Currently there is a promotion running till end of October with a free coke to be given for every order of Tebasaki chicken wings.
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| Handmade Gyoza (6pcs -$5.50; 10pcs -$8.90) |
One of Misato’s signature dish is the Handmade Gyoza which is available in 2 sizes – 6pcs or 10pcs. Unlike the gyoya served elsewhere, Misato’s gyoza is served with a paper thin crispy “wing”, The gyoza are stuffed with chicken and vegetable fillings. I like how juicy and generous the fillings are. We were reminded that the gyoza is best to be eaten within 10 minutes. So eat your gyoza while it is hot! =)
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| Misato Oyakodon ($7.90) |
Perhaps you might find it funny if you were with us at this media tasting, there were more than once that we referred to the menu for the pricing of the item served. P.S: The serving portion of this Misato Oyakodon is not a kid size, it is a standard serving size of an Oyakodon served anywhere else. But look at the what is in the bowl! Generous amount of Ikura (salmon roe) and tobiko (flying fish roe) are used as garnishes for the chicken and egg rice bowl.
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| Misato Ebi Donburi ($9.90) |
Another favourite of the night is Misato Ebi Donburi. One of us had commented on how he likes the sweetness of the prawns but it was unanimous that the tiger prawns served were very fresh! It is a pity that one of the prawn was slightly over done, if not it would be a perfect bowl of Ebi Donburi for me.
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| Teriyaki Salmon Donburi ($10.90) |
The grilled salmon is glazed with Teriyaki sauce and served with homemade prickles. The portion is again generous and I suspect that it could fill the tummy of 2 small eaters.
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| Chicken Katsu Curry ($7.90) |
The presentation of Chicken Katsu Curry again wins hands down. Usually at a foodcourt or even a coffeeshop, a chicken katsu curry might cost around the similar price but I would never get a detailed presentation of having curry sauce at the side with Japanese pickles and onion. The serving portion is generous as compared while the quality of the food maintains. The only setback is the curry sauce was slightly saltier than we would like it to be. But peeps who prefer something more savoury, this might be your thing.
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| Zara Soba ($6.50) |
Zara which means bamboo basket in Japanese while Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. Instead of serving them in bamboo basket, serving the noodles on bamboo leaves elevated the whole presentation. I like how the noodles are cooked to perfection, nothing too soggy nor hard. Each of the noodle strand is well separated and tastes really good with the homemade dipping sauce. With the serving being so generous, this is simplicity at its best!
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| Misato Paw Anmitsu ($5.90) and Matcha Zenzai Mochi ($4.90) |
If there is something you must die die order here, please do not skip the Misato Paw Anmitsu nor the Matcha Zenzai Mochi if you have sweet tooth. The matcha ice cream, shiratamako and mochi are all made in house for quality assurance. Instead of having some overly sweet matcha ice cream, the matcha ice cream is creamy with prominent matcha taste and right amount of sweetness. Definitely one of the better matcha ice cream around. When the matcha ice cream is paired with the chewy shiratamako, kanten and azuki beans, it is seriously a real treat for dessert lovers.
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| Sanshoku Warabi Mochi ($5.50) |
One of the highlights of the night is this Sanshoku (3 coloured) Warabi Mochi. Warabi Mochi is a traditional Japanese dessert with a jelly-like texture. I have seen it many times at Japanese fair which is usually very expensive. To my surprise, the pricing here is very affordable and it comes in 3 flavours – soy bean, black sesame and matcha. It was recommended to start with the lighter flavours e.g soy bean and end with the matcha. The matcha flavour is well loved by the group for its distinct matcha flavour with a slight bitter aftertaste. Personal favourite is the soy bean ones which has a mild aroma of the soy bean and I like it best with the melt in-the-mouth texture.
Do note that there is a limited quantity of food and desserts served per day to ensure the quality and freshness of the food. There is no overnight food to be served and desserts such as warabi mochi, bavarois, ice cream, shiratamako, kanten are all made in house! Just as the slogan of Misato, sovereign food of art, I am amazed by the eye for details put into the dishes. So
if you are around Dhoby Ghaut area and craving for some affordable authentic Japanese food, check it out!
Misato
2 Handy Road The Cathay #B1-24 Singapore 229233
Tel: +65 6887 4438
Operating Hours: Mon – Sun 12pm to 9:30pm
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