I start of this new year of Sakae blogging by having lunch at a sister outlet of Sakae that I never eaten at before – Sakae Teppanyaki. I was trying to save enough money Sakae Dollar in my Sakae Card so I can dine in at Sakae Teppanyaki. Together with me yesterday were two of my neighbours , Edward and “Miss M” and my good friend Louis. We went to the branch at Cineleisure in Orchard. Quickly we were greeted by a nice promotion while browsing the menu. 50% off the 3rd set lunch after ordering 3 set lunches. Now that will be additional savings! Edward and Louis ordered the beef set, while Miss M ordered chicken set. For me, I ordered the Sakae set.
Salad with Tomato Apple Sauce: Even Miss M who does not like vegetables, enjoyed this dish! At first sight, we thought it was chilli sauce. But the chef told us it was tomato sauce that had bites of apple in it. The salad is so fresh. The bowl served was cold, which tells us that the whole salad had been in the fridge and served chilled. Truly unique sauce we felt.
Assorted Mushroom: Only included in Sakae Set. I was afraid that the mushrooms would be bitter but I was wrong. The mushrooms were very soft. Mushrooms lovers will sure like the way this dish is cooked.
Teppan Chawanmushi: I thought it will just be those normal chawanmushi served in a cup at Sakae Sushi. But when the chef poured egg into the onion skin, I was stunned! Topped with a prawn and a slice of Japanese fish cake, this chawanmushi is the best! The onion skin gave the egg a little onion taste too. The egg was not overcook too. This is a must-try!
Beef Set: Served with Tofu Steak and Vegetable, Louis and Edward had their beef medium cooked. Louis let me have a cube of the beef. I always prefer my beef to be well done because I am afraid of eating blood. But this beef was cooked so nicely that it was not well done yet no blood.Very tender too. This is going to be the next set I will probably eat when I go eat again.
Sakae Set: Served with Tofu Steak, Duck Meat and Salmon. I thought duck would be an interesting choice since I have not eaten Japanese cooked duck before. Although the salmon was rather thin and nothing very special about it, the duck was not the same. Served with this special sauce that made the taste very special. The meat was easy to bite too. About the Tofu Steak, it was soft on the inside, kind of crispy on the outside! Never really like tofu but this is nice! Topped with a little steak and carrot. Another must-try side dish.
Chicken Set: Served with Half Shell Scallop. Miss M ate this but I did not try it. But according to her, it was good! Looks good anyway. I did however eat the scallop since she did not want it. I thought initially it was clam but Louis told me it was scallop. Both of the scallops I ate, I felt that there was kind of like sand inside. Not very pleasant for me although the taste was good. At least I tried something new!
The overall dining experience was excellent! I had to confirm with the staff if I could use my Sakae Dollar to pay and she helped me to check and double check. The chef asked if everything was alright. Did not have to call the waiter to refill water as the waiter went on her round quickly. The price was more affordable than I initially thought. I thought each person will cost about $20. But with $11.90, a set lunch can be eaten. Eating teppanyaki at a food court will already cost about $8 without drinks. I was told by the staff that there will be new dishes in the menu soon. So I hope by my next visit, I will see more varieties!
