It has been a while since I've had a chance to visit new Japanese restaurants. So I'm excited to resume my "authentic Japanese reviews" at Sens Dining near Holland Village.
It's at a very convenient location, right near the MRT exit.
Sens Dining at Holland Village
Address: 243 Holland Ave, Singapore 278977
Web: https://sensdining.com/
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/nQLZEMwPFHKgV5VaA
It's my first time here.
I'm pretty sure it's not done by a Japanese because a Japanese wouldn't name a Japanese restaurant "Sens."
Of course, the naming of a restaurant is not an issue at all. I'm just doing my profiling.
The restaurant's interior is magnificent. Really impressive.
It has two spacious floors, and the second floor looks like this.
It's a clean design, good lighting, and beautiful decorations.
It was also spacious because there were no other customers when I dropped in. It may be because I entered at a pretty early time on a weekday.
The menu looks like this. I won't be posting all the pages of the menu, only some of the pages. However, overall there is a vast variety of Japanese food.
The menu has the feel of an Izakaya.
Tacos
Yes, they're Tacos. As in, the Mexican Tacos.
Not Tako. (Sashimi name for octopus)
I'm intrigued to try this out.
It's an interesting menu, not in a "traditional Japanese" way, but more in a new and eye-catching way. With the interior design and the food presentation, being Instagramably presentable is clearly a big part of their strategy.
Here was our order for two people.
Salmon Mentai Taco - $12.50 (I think they had a 1-for-1 deal)
The Yagura Ketsuga Sushi box $ 88.00 (2 - 4 pax)
Wagyu Sukiyaki Set $39.50
Age Dashi Tofu $8.00
The Yagura Ketsuga Sushi Box
The Yagura Ketsuga Sushi Box. Or the Yakura Ketsugo. Or whatever.
It has two different names for this dish on the menu, but I don't understand what either is referring to.
Anyways, I do like the idea.
It's a three-layered Chirashi box in the shape of an old Japanese Castle, although the top layer is quite bare.
The first layer is a basic Chirashi with some Ikura inside. The second layer features Uni, Ikura, and Negitoro. Nothing fancy here.
It's neat. It's highly Instagramable for those of you who are into it.
The taste is good. I feel the rice is strongly sweetened with umami, but the sashimi isn't bad, either. Not fishy. The Uni and Ikura are decent.
The size is deceptively small, especially for the price. A lot of the value goes into the presentation of the dish.
Salmon Mentai Taco
This dish is interesting.
The outer layer crust is Ebisen or prawn crackers. The prawn cracker quality is outstanding.
I like the twist.
The taste is okay. I'm not sure if I'll order again, but I felt it was an experience to try.
One thing I'll say is that they charge an amazingly high price for the ingredients, as it's just salmon and Tobiko.
Some other dishes I ordered.
One thing I'll add at the end - the Premium Malts beer quality was excellent. That's always important to me, and I ended up having three glasses!
Japan guru rating
Sens dining is a good place for a quiet dinner or a date. The prices may be a little expensive for the quality of the materials, but the taste is solid.
It gives you a spacious and relaxed atmosphere with a menu full of twists and some good photos while you're at it.
As a Japanese Restaurant
7.0/10
I may come again depending on the occasion. Would I recommend if someone were to ask me for a recommended authentic Japanese restaurant? Maybe not.
I might recommend them this restaurant as a Japanese restaurant with a twist, though!
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