Katanashi

Was thinking of bringing the Girl to somewhere Japanese but not selling ramen. Searched on Unilocal,and discovered this place. Here’s my review (taste is in point 3)
1. The atmosphere is nice and really casual. As some of the reviews have mentioned, if you do a reservation they will write a simple greeting card for you. And the wet towels they provide are also hand decorated. The effort to personalize your meal is notable, and I applaud it. This act certainly stands out from most restaurants.
2. This restaurant has a lot of emphasis on your personal interaction with your food. I got an unagi «rice bowl» and the Girl got a salmon «rice bowl», and we were supposed to mix the rice with the butter and soft boiled egg a la Pepper Lunch. And another customer came and they ordered Green Peas, and there was a «challenge» by the staff in which the customer was given 1 chance to grab as much green peas with 1 hand as his dish. Such interaction certainly makes your visit more memorable, and probably makes the food taste better.
3. Now for the food proper. I got the Unagi Meshi ($ 19.80), and mixed the rice myself. Considering the price, the piece of unagi in my stone bowl is ok-​ish in size — it’s about palm size. Nonetheless, it was marinated well and had a good texture! (I’m a fan of teriyaki unagi) the rice was nice, soft and not too sticky (there was butter in the rice so that could have helped). The only point is the rice crust that forms from the rice being stuck on the hot stone bowl, but that can’t really be helped. I also ordered the Masuzake ($ 9.80), which gave me 180ml of Sake. It is served in an wooden box and a «shot glass» (you probably would see it in other reviews), and definitely eye catching. However though, it’s not as strong «alcoholic-​ally» sake as I expected it to be. So it’ll be good for those who haven’t tried sake before. But for sake lovers this sake might, in my limited opinion, not provide enough punch (that burning sensation down the throat). Nonetheless, the sake was pleasant and very nice to drink down!
Overall, I would bring my friends along to try this place due to the interesting interactions that they can get. Price wise… Considering it’s right at Boat Quay, it’s not too bad. Good place as a date too! But the reason for 4 stars is, the food is not that impressive that would leave a lasting impression in me.

Consistently delicious dishes from agedashi dofu, sashimi salads, sake poured uniquely in a wooden box cup and many other tasty things. Everyone in our group enjoyed the evening and attentive service. Great value too. Will definitely be back!

Awesome place for lunch. Limited menu at lunch with mostly Japanese rice dishes (xxx Don). Delicious, it’s a most try if you’re in the area at lunch time. Pork Kakuni-​Don and Salmon Yukke-​Don were done very nice. Miso soup was among the best in S’pore. Cant go wrong with Asahi Black.

$ 12nett set lunch, what’s there not to love! A good variety of about 8 types of rice bowls from the regular chicken don to more interesting ones with raw salmon and tuna, not forgetting the eel! You know that these folks are serious about offering you a good value lunch as it’s not just the run of the mill type rice bowls that offered.
Feeling bored and wanna get creative, grab a marker and doodle on their wet napkin wrappers.
Overall an enjoyable lunch place with good value and if you fancy a view of the Singapore River, ask for a seat at the alfresco area!

I love izakayas and Katanashi does it right. Easy, fun, loud, fried food and yummy drinks. Perfect for happy hour or a chill weekend.
The salted sake was kinda odd but really drinkable. Then we had the butter Mochi, beef carpaccio, salmon yukke, tuna tartare, fish cake stuffed with cheese and a mentaiko dip and the ‘kfc’ fried chick. All fab. Very unhealthy. But you know what you’re in for.
The clear winner was the salmon yukke. A soft boiled egg with an awesome runny yolk sat on top of sliced fresh salmon. Drizzled with some ponzu sauce and lady finger bits and seaweed, we dipped almost everything in the leftover sauce. Licked it up.
I wanted to lick up the mentaiko dip too but stopped myself. Now I’m not sure why. It was absolutely yummy. Salty and tasty with little bits that you bite into. Then there was the beef. Not as raw as I would like but totally tasty and tender too.
The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the Mochi in butter broth. Just too much chewing needed. It had the texture of an agadashi tofu until you start chewing and then it becomes gummy. Eeks! So only if you like salty gum.
A clear winner for me. I’ll definitely be back for more. Especially the carbonara udon that I didn’t get to try!

Tuna cutlet is yummy! Stuffs are very friendly!

This is one of the places in Boat Quay near my yoga place that I enjoy going. Usually I only care about the food, and the ambience is nothing that I am very particular about, but there is something about the chorusy and warm japanese staff and the cute menu that just draws you in, and you feel very welcome and comfortable. I enjoy the variety of food dishes available here, they have small bites and moderate portion dishes right up to rice and noodle dishes, so you can go regardless of how hungry you are. I love their fried chicken, the batter is sweet and crunchy and the meat is tender inside. Plus, I like it that you can order per pc so you don’t feel like such a pig. I like the sashimi salad as well, for $ 8.70, I think the portion and quality of fish is pretty good. The other item on the menu I really love is the salmon butter rice. They cook the salmon, butter and rice together with mentaiko (cod roe) right in front of you in a sizzling hot bowl, and I loveeeee the flavor of the rice. All topped off with a pint of ice cold Sapporo, and I am a happy girl. :D

I tend to avoid Boat Quay, but this cute restaurant toward the end of Boat Quay near Absinthe has solid Japanese food for good value. I like the sashimi for lunch which is $ 12. They have a bunch of other set lunch options that sound good; they avoid the strictly trite and boring Americanized Japanese food options.
Service is polite and efficient. A big plus for me is that they amply provide some things you take for granted until you live in Singapore: crisp, chilled water without ice that is refilled without your having to ask and wet napkins (individually labeled) as well as regular-​strength dry napkins provided at the table.

I’m willing to say that Katanashi is one of the better restaurants in touristy Boat Quay. Also, I always see a group of Japanese people here, so I’m pretty sure this joint is legit!
I remember coming here the first time for a UYE that Cindy Q.* set up many moons ago. This place has come a long way since then. They’ve expanded their food offerings, and I’m willing to overlook their Japanese English descriptions and the occasional misspellings on the menu as the food is pretty solid. The last time I went, I started with the tuna «tar tar» (sic) which was a creamy mixture with some avocado. I know it sounds as interesting as a double decker couch (Lego movie, anyone?) but shiok it was! For mains, Miguel and I are fans of the salmon rice that they serve in a heated clay pot. Before they serve it to you, they throw in a tablespoon of butter in the center of the bowl, then mix it up with some raw salmon. I think it’s fairly priced for $ 19.
We were still able to walk in without a reservation on a Friday evening, but it was almost full by around 8 PM. I’d definitely reserve if you’re a group of 4 or more. Order all of the fried goodness and enjoy it over a cold Asahi. A great place to grab some grub before the club!
*CORRECTION: My initial post mentioned Marcus L. as the organizer of this UYE, when in fact it was Cindy Q. Gotta give credit where credit is due. Thanks to Nik T. for the correction!

I’m always a big fan of places that have a nice atmosphere. The staff here was super friendly and helpful. The service made me feel like I was in Japan. The beer was reasonable and so its definitely a nice spot for a drink. They had a nice menu of different dishes. Kind of a cross between an izakaya and tapas. But I’d say the food was all of good quality and they had an interesting menu. It wasnt just Suishi/​yakitori. It wasnt TOP quality or something but reasonably priced and enjoyable.
Its a fun/​lively spot. Nice atmosphere for a casual and fun evening. Its a nice spot for a date or just to hang out with friends. I’ll be back for sure.

Cheery quick service, I like having lunch here. Its good, simple, includes salad and miso soup. all for $ 12. They do a good karaage and tebasaki. I love the salty powder and tangy sauce for the tebasaki which is $ 1.50 a piece.
I like that they are flexible to give me the sashimi bowl with all salmon instead of tuna. And quite often they will have a daily special. I’ve brought many different people there for a quick catchup lunch as you can have a conversation, get willing service, take your time to eat since the food came quick and the funny part is thereafter, I often walk in with someone else and see someone I had brought before bringing someone else for lunch!
It works for a regular stop in this busy raffles place area. $ 2.50 at lunch gets you a huge glass of housemade lime juice!
I haven’t played but I’ve seen someone playing the edamame game. Basically if you order edamame, you have to play scissors paper stone with the server. If you win you can grab a handful of edamame from the basket with all 5 fingers. If you lose, you can only use 3. But I saw an expatriate lady who lost. and the staff very nicely gave her a second chance. She still lost but she grabbed a lot of edamame with 3 fingers anyway. so it seems like a good and fun deal to me!
Today they had a negitoro special, also for $ 12. The wasabi here looks like a mix of fresh and powdered and chef is always happy to give more as requested.
The staff all recognise me now so even without me asking, they will prompt me «Extra vegetables?» Very nice touch.

Came for dinner and I think I will stick to lunch.
The dinner menu is small and there are some good dishes but also some misses. The dishes are generally too sweet for me.
Nothing spectacular and there are too many other choices around.