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2023-05-02
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A coworker recommended a really good place for Japanese near his home. As we were in the area, we decided to to find it. Niju was a lot smaller than I expected. A simple blue exterior and not much else to go by.The inside was only bar seats facing the open kitchen area where two chefs worked. It was tight and felt like any small Japanese izakaya. And that is exactly what this place was. Serving an izakaya experience.Menu is in English nd Chinese. They offer a variety of dishes including donburi,
The inside was only bar seats facing the open kitchen area where two chefs worked. It was tight and felt like any small Japanese izakaya. And that is exactly what this place was. Serving an izakaya experience.
Menu is in English nd Chinese. They offer a variety of dishes including donburi, ramen and yakitori. They also offer sets. We decided to share a few items to see why my coworker raved over it.
We ordered two drinks because I was curious about the taste of one of them. Boyfriend had the Melon ($25, on the left) and I had the Tomato Soda ($25, on the right). This is a brand I've had on numerous occasions but this is the first time I've ever had tomato flavour. I liked it a lot! It was like a bubbly tomato juice. It was very nice. If I see it in stores I'd definitely stock up. The melon was nice with the taste of melon but the tomato ... just fantastic.
We shared a couple of snacks. This is the Deep Fried Volcano Shrimp Balls ($30). The coating was crispy and not too thick. The shrimp meat was firm with a strong taste of shrimp.
But the most surprising element? A runny custard made from salted egg yolk. A very common ingredient used in Singaporean dishes was used here. I liked this combination and reminded me a bit of the banquet type starters you get with the salted egg yolk deep fried shrimp or crab balls.
We ordered two Grilled Chicken Wings ($48 each). Lightly grilled and super juicy. The sauce was sweet and sticky.
We tried a ramen and upon recommendation, we had the Spanish White Pork Ramen in Chicken Broth ($78). The ramen wasn't your traditonal Japanese. It wasn't heavy and oily. It was also toppe with clearly Western ingredients: cherry tomatoes, yellow zucchini, asparagus. Rosemary also scented the soup.
The broth though not oily was a rich chicken soup with a hint of shellfish taste. Giving it an wonderful umami layer to the soup.
The noodles used were thin and chewy. It clung to soup well.
On every table there was a bottle of vinegar with dried fish soaking in it. The chef told us to add a bit of it to the noodles. This was interesting because after adding it, it gave it a more refreshing layer that oddly complimented it. Bringing out the taste of the shellfish even more.
The pork was sliced in thin pieces and felt more like a pork chop than the usual pork belly used in charshu Very tender with a subtle hint of miso.
We also shared a Grilled Beef Tongue Rice ($86). At first we wanted another bowl of ramen, but after chatting with the chef, he suggested we try this instead. A good recommendation. The beef tongue was thickly cut into cubes. It was perfectly grilled so it was still tender yet with the wonderul crisp exterior I love about beef tongue. A generous slater of sweet sauce was layered so you get enough to flavour the rice as well. Western ingredients like cherry tomatoes, yellow and green zucchini were added as toppings. But the most surprising was the carrot. It was pickled! I didn't expect that until I bit into it. A wonderful balance from all the meat.
Definitely see why my coworker suggested this place. A Japanese restaurant with a Western twist that didn't seem too far out. The place is small and cozy where you can chat with the chef. Just like a tiny izakaya in Japan. It does get busy as there was also someone waiting for a table.
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