Rakuichi

4 stars for service only, was having lunch with boss and cutomer and focused on everything else but the food. didn’t even know what I was putting in my mouth, to think about it… I don’t remember what I ate. But I was full… Physiological goal achieved.
4 stars for prompt service and serving despite lunch crowd. Which was what I needed. Objective reached.

Overall the food was pretty good but don’t think it’s worth the price.
The two of us spent 100 bucks per person getting the following things:
1. oyster with yuzu sauce. My favorite dish of the night. The yuzu sauce with zesty lemon goes perfectly with those oysters
2. Chawanmushi. I always have a soft spot for steamed egg, and they do it pretty well here.
3. A sashimi platter for two of about 14 pieces. The fish was okay, not super impressed.
4. some shishito pepper and shitake mushroom yakitori. I like the shishito pepper really charred but they don’t cook it to that extent. And you can’t possibly mess up shitake mushroom?
5. Green tea icecream. Don’t think it’s homemade, tastes pretty standard.
Again, it wasn’t a bad meal but you can get more bang for the buck elsewhere.

Authentic Japanese restaurant. Very friendly wait staff. Wide menu selection. Sushi bar. Reasonable tariff.

I first came across the outlet at Far East, which was tucked away and imposible to find unless you know it’s there! Since then I have become a fan (especially of their sushi) and one day decided to try their outlet at Dempsey.
Well,… let’s just say that I still prefer the outlet at Far East.

Now — I’m not a big fan of Japanese food (yeah I know, how is that possible). But I’ve been to quite a few Jap restaurants thanks to friends who are more than enthusiastic about Jap food.
Rakuichi is a pleasant restaurant. Décor-​wise, it doesn’t differ very much from the typical Jap restaurant. The food’s good though. The aburi sushi scores with its good looks — distinct morsels of yummy-​looking sushi. Every piece was tasty, right down to the humble tamago. Only minor gripe is that the chefs were a little too heavy handed with the unagi sauce.
The sashimi was fresh. I liked the wasabi. The grilled beef and beef tongue skewers were surprisingly tasty. Assorted sushi we ordered were all about there. Deserts and desert selection were nothing to shout about though.
I didn’t pay for dinner (thanks LF!) so not too sure about prices. From what I remembered of the menu, prices were pretty decent. Staff were polite.
Guys — if you are inclined towards washing your hands after using the toilet (I know many of you don’t), be gentle on the soap dispenser. A press and soap spurted all over my right sleeve, which took quite a bit of dabbing with paper towels to partially remove. On the plus side, I did exit the toilet smelling fresher than when I entered…

For full reviews and pictures, visit my blog,
Heard from my friends that it’s not easy to get a table at the Far East Shopping Center outlet, which is quite booked but no such issues with the one at Dempsey. If you like your sashimi and Aburi sushi, this is really a place to visit.
Love the buttery and smooth texture of the fish, indicative of fresh and not frozen fishes. They are served with freshly grated wasabi, which IMO is a indicator of a quality Japanese restaurant.
Oyster lovers would be glad to know that the ones served here are ginormous.
The mini course or the bento set is really value for money considering the amount and quality of food. Perfect for sharing (for 2) with an additional side dish.
Highlight of the meal has got to be the Aburi platter. The meat was simply sublime and each piece was drizzled in a different cream/​miso sauce. Perfect torching technique as i’ve previously highlighted in my Kaiho Sushi review. The kita-​komachi rice, one of the best rice in Japan, accompanies the fish, adding that light vinegarish and sweet dimension. The little charred spots bring in some smokiness too.

Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant prides itself as one of the most authentic Japanese restaurant in Singapore. Speaking to the manager he mentioned to me how the cuisine only uses the best quality and freshest ingredients, of course imported from Japan. I don’t know whether it was the way he described the ingredients, but when the food came, the taste of authenticity and freshness were definitely there. It was delicious.
The atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, it’s a great place to be silent and enjoy a good meal.
It is one of the older establishments situated at Dempsey. The parking obviously is great, and the atmosphere somewhat like Robertson quay, is very much so westernised.
There is a wide selection to choose from, it may be a little pricey, but definitely worth it.

Located at a quiet corner of Dempsey hill, Rakuichi is a good place to sit outdoors with plenty of sake and yakitori. And there are smoking tables available!
Inside, you have a choice of seating at the sushi bar counter or on traditional Japanese dining rooms (the type where you sit on the floor) or normal tables, depending on the mood of the group you’re with. The set dinners are reasonably priced and look really delicious though have not had the chance to try their lunch or dinner sets yet. Price wise, it is slightly on the high side at around $ 40 -$ 60 per person. OCBC credit card owners get to enjoy 10% off, so make sure you make full use of it!