Whenever I have a craving for sashimi, my go-to spot is Mitsuba Japanese Restaurant. They offer an all-you-can-eat ala carte buffet, so I can enjoy unlimited amounts of sashimi to my heart’s content. Previously, I used to frequent Shin Minori at UE Square, but their service standard was not up to par. Fortunately, Mitsuba has provided us with a new Japanese buffet option.
I have visited Mitsuba at least 8 times over the past 2+ years, and each time has been a pleasant dining experience with consistently efficient service and delicious food.
Location
Mitsuba is situated on the 3rd floor of Clarke Quay Central, located on Eu Tong Sen Street. For those travelling by MRT, the nearest station is Clarke Quay.
Prices
Regular Buffet
- S$56.90++ (Adult)
- S$27.90++ (Child below 1.4m tall)
- Free (Child in baby chair)
Premium Buffet
(includes special dishes like raw oysters, scallop sashimi, foie gras, crayfish, giant tiger prawns, grilled wagyu steak, Iberico pork ribs, lobster bisque, dessert-of-the-day and soft drinks, in addition to all items from the Regular Buffet menu)
- S$99.90++ (Adult)
- S$49.90++ (Child below 1.4m tall)
- Free (Child in baby chair
If buffet is not your thing or you’re just looking for a quick lunch or dinner, Mitsuba also offers an ala carte menu.
Menu
Mitsuba’s regular buffet menu boasts an extensive selection of authentic Japanese cuisine, such as Sashimi, Sushi, Temaki (handrolls), Maki Mono (mat sushi rolls), hot and cold appetisers, Yaki Mono (grilled dishes), Age Mono (deep-fried dishes), Teppanyaki (hot griddle dishes), noodle and rice dishes, simmered dishes, and ice cream.
For a complete list of their offerings, be sure to check out their website.
The buffet comes with free-flow hot or cold green tea, and water is also complimentary. When you’re seated at your table, a staff member will approach you to serve you your choice of tea or water.
Ordering Process
To place your order, simply use the tablet provided on your table. The dish images on the digital menu are quite accurate in representing the portion size of each item, which comes in a single serving. For instance, if you have a group of four people and all of you want to get salmon sashimi, be sure to increase the quantity to at least four or more. The restaurant doesn’t automatically serve portions according to the number of people in your group.
However, for certain dishes, like the pork or beef yakiniku or stir-fried beansprouts, they are served in a plate that’s good for sharing between 2-3 people, so there’s no need to go overboard with those items.
Complimentary Dish
Every table is served a complimentary Hotate Mentaiyaki dish, which includes one scallop per person. These are half-shelled scallops baked with mentaiko, and they’re absolutely delicious! The dish is quite rich, salty, and creamy, making it a true standout.
Appetisers
To begin our meal, we enjoy having some hot Dobinmushi (Japanese Teapot Soup) and Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg) as it helps to warm up our stomach. We highly recommend ordering the teapot soup, which has a refreshing taste when you add some calamansi juice. Once you finish the pot of soup, you can ask one of the staff members to refill it for you instead of ordering another pot. The chawanmushi is also delicious, with a soft and wobbly texture and well-balanced seasoning.
- Mentaiko Tamago Yaki (Sweet Egg Omelette with Mentaiko Sauce) – If you’re a fan of mentaiko, this dish is a must-try. The combination of sweet tamago and savory mentaiko is absolutely delicious.
- Trio of Chuka Wakame (Seaweed), Chuka Hotate (Wide Scallop Trim Meat), and Chuka Idako (Baby Octopus) – These are classic dishes that we always order, and they never disappoint. You can’t go wrong with them!
- Nanban Zuke (Fried Fish Marinated with Special Sauce) – The dish is served cold with a tangy and sweet sauce, which gives it a refreshing flavour. I really enjoyed it.
- Smoked Duck – Although listed under the Teppanyaki section, the dish is actually served cold. It’s pretty ordinary, but my hubby likes it.
- Hiyashi Tomato (Cold Tomato) – Sweet, crunchy, and refreshing. It’s surprisingly good, especially for someone like me who doesn’t usually eat tomatoes on their own.
- Yuzu Daikon (Pickled Radish in Yuzu Sauce) – The yuzu sauce is appetising, and the daikon has a nice crunch to it. It helps cut through the greasiness of fried food and makes for a great palate cleanser.
Sashimi
We always go for Sake (Salmon), Maguro (Tuna), Mekajiki (Swordfish) and Tako (Octopus). The fish slices are always thick and every piece is deliciously fresh. The salmon, in particular, has a sweet taste. We also recommend trying the Shiro Maguro (white tuna), which we believe is made from escolar or butterfish. It’s a very oily fish with a completely white colour, but it contains indigestible wax esters, so you can’t eat too much of it or it may cause diarrhoea-like symptoms.
Sushi
When it comes to buffets, I usually avoid carb-heavy foods as they tend to fill me up quickly. However, I appreciate that this place makes their sushi and sushi rolls with smaller pieces and less rice, which allows me to enjoy a wider variety of dishes. Some of my recommended sushi choices are the Sake Aburi (Salmon Sushi with Mayonnaise), Sake Mentai Aburi (Flamed Salmon in Mentaiko Sauce), Sake Mayo Ball (Salmon Sushi Ball with Mayonnaise), Sake Truffle Sushi (Salmon with Truffle Oil), Spider Maki (Softshell Crab), and Wagyu Bifu Maki (Wagyu Beef).
Teppanyaki and Yaki Mono
- Meltique Bifu – One of my all-time favorite dishes that I never fail to order is the Meltique Beef grilled with garlic and salt. I like it cooked to medium rare, as it’s more moist that way, but sometimes it can be slightly overdone. Although there might be some chewy parts due to sinews or tendons, the overall taste and flavour are delicious. If you’re a beef lover, this dish is definitely worth a try.
- Bifu Yakiniku – Tender and flavourful meat. Highly recommend this dish.
- Unagi Kabayaki – Nicely grilled eel that remains moist inside. Goes well with teriyaki sauce.
- Bifu Enoki Maki (Beef Roll with Golden Mushroom) – Delicious dish with a nice crunch from the enoki mushrooms.
- Eringi Teri (Oyster Mushroom with Teriyaki Sauce) – Quite dry and bland without teriyaki sauce.
- Yaki Buta (Roast Pork Belly) – The meat is a bit dry and tough for my liking, likely due to the lean cut with few fat layers.
- Gindara Teri (Cod Fish with Teriyaki Sauce) – The cod is sweet and moist, but watch out for bones.
- Kurobuta Soseji (Black pork with garlic & pepper) – Surprisingly good sliced sausages with peppery aroma
- Arabiki Soseji (Japanese pork sausage) – The sausage has a satisfying snap when bitten into.
- Uzura Bekon (Bacon Wrapped Quail Egg) – This is a personal favourite of mine, with a delightful contrast of textures and flavours between the bacon and quail egg.
Age Mono
- Sake Kawa (Salmon Skin) – Crispy and crunchy!
- Spicy Tebasaki (Japanese Fried Chicken Wing) – I find this quite addictive, the coating has a unique taste that I really enjoy. I could easily finish a dozen of these in one sitting, haha.
- Kani Karaage (Softshell Crab) – I haven’t seen softshell crabs in Japanese buffets before, so it’s a real treat to be able to enjoy them in unlimited amounts. They’re nicely fried and don’t feel greasy.
- Ebi Tempura (Prawn) – This dish can be inconsistent, with the tempura batter sometimes being light and crispy, while other times it can be thick and soggy. However, when it’s done right, it’s really tasty. The prawn meat inside retains a nice crunch.
- Ebi Furai (Breaded Prawn) – Similarly, this dish can also be inconsistent. However, if you’re lucky enough to get a batch that’s nicely fried, the breaded coating is actually quite good – it’s crunchy and not too thick.
- Kaki Furai (Breaded Oyster) – We also love this, as it’s crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside.
Some other fried items that are worth trying include the Ika Geso (Squid Tentacles), Tako Karaage (Octopus Tentacle), Agedashi Tofu, Tori Karaage, Korokke (Croquette), Truffle Fries, and Bonjiri (Chicken Butt)!
Mentaiko Spaghetti
My hubby always orders this dish at the end, and it’s amazing how he manages to fit in a plate of spaghetti after eating so much beforehand, lol. But I must admit, this spaghetti is not bad at all because the mentaiko flavor is quite savoury. Those who love mentaiko will definitely enjoy this dish.
Ice Cream
My favourite ice cream flavour is the lime one, which isn’t actually listed on the menu, but I always manage to find it here. It’s very refreshing and the perfect thing to have after a heavy meal. The strawberry ice cream is also good.
Conclusion
All in all, I think Mitsuba Japanese Restaurant offers a great buffet. While their menu may not be as extensive as other Japanese buffets, I find the quality of their dishes to be superior. Additionally, their service is very efficient, with dishes being served quickly and accurately. The staff is also very attentive, ensuring that empty plates are cleared often to make room for new dishes. If you’re a lover of Japanese food, I highly recommend giving Mitsuba’s buffet a try.