... was what I wanted to hear but instead it was..
"How many?"
"You can only eat for 90 minutes, you okay?"
Hifumi is a wallet-friendly Japanese Restaurants that offers all-you-can-eat appetizer bar when you order any of their set menu.. (kinda reminds me of Ponderosa and Sizzler which have ceased their operations in Singapore..)
Also, you can just pay an additional $2 for free flow of drinks that ranges from soft drinks such as Gingle Ale and Mirinda, to hot beverages such as Mocha, Latte and Green Tea. (See more in the menu below.)
First.. Let's go through the menu, shall we?
(Note: Click on image to enlarge)
(Note: This menu is from Hifumi's Facebook. However, it is not up to date. The prices had increased slightly when I visited on 9 June 2013.)
Itadakimasu! Let's eat!
Salmon Oyako-jyu Set ($17.99) was pleasant visually.. the generous portion of salmon and salmon roe had totally covered the box of rice.. I took the first mouthful without any wasabi and soy sauce to find that.. (-_-) the salmon was of room temperature.. the rice does not taste like what I usually have in Japanese restaurants..
by right, the chilled raw salmon should be taken out for cut when they prepare the dish.. hence, if the salmon was of room temperature.. either they did not chill the raw salmon or they had prepared the dish beforehand and served it up when someone ordered it.. it was the first time I ate my favorite salmon so slowly..
Saba Shioyaki Set ($12.99) looked good.. apologies for not having any comments on how it tastes cos' I'm not a fan of saba..
The appetizer bar was definitely more star-worthy than the main sets.. Takoyaki and Onion Steak were the latest items introduced about 5 weeks ago.. I don't eat onions so you won't see that on my plate..
Takoyaki (center) was passable.. alternative meaning that you can really pass on it..
I really wanted to tabao (take away) Sweet Potato Fries (left) soooo much.. It was fried to crisp and then stirred in sugar syrup and glazed with brown sugar powder.. This dish was super powerful! I could snack on this for 90 minutes..
Rice Cracker (right) was to be eaten with vegetable gravy.. but the vegetable gravy is not in the picture.. the gravy was cooked with onions, cabbage and carrots.. thickened with starch.. good to have with a bowl of rice.. (^o^)
Vegetable with Cheese Fondue (back) has vegetables such as broccoli and potatoes.. as you can see from the picture above.. I took potatoes only.. hahaha.. I'm not an "avid" vegetable lover.. but as all of us know.. anything with cheese just won't go wrong (most of the time)..
Chawanmushi was nicely done.. to the extent that it surprised me a little.. the silken egg was soft and smooth.. it was so nice that I had 3 of this! besides a cube of mushroom and crabstick.. there was..
a SHRIMP!
My number one dish: Pumpkin with Walnut Salad.. This was super delicious! The mayonnaise / salad sauce was not too creamy and thick.. so it was just nice.. This was another dish that I want to tabao too!!
Soba with Sesame dipping sauce was a pretty generous dish to have on an appetiser bar.. especially if it's all-you-can-eat.. this was not mine but I heard that it was refreshing and nice.. and of course filling too..
Radish with Minced Chicken tasted healthy.. hahahahaa.. in other words, bland.. like hospital food.. gosh..
While rubbing the full full tummy, finish the meal with something sweet like Fruit Cocktail!
Service: BAD! No greetings, no smiles, no courtesy.. The first Japanese restaurant that does not say "Irasshaimase" (Welcome/Please come in).. When I went to pay.. the staff did not talk to me at all.. she was talking to the waiter.. pointed at the amount I had to pay and put her hand out, asking for my payment.. after I handed her my credit card, she left! and asked the other staff to print out the receipt for my signature.. Omg..
Ambience: Spacious.. which was really an important point because there were a lot of space for you to move around to get your food and drinks!
Hygiene: FAIL BIG TIME! They do not use disinfectant spray to wipe the table.. I saw the waiter wiped the table with a cloth and swept the bits of food to the floor and some flew onto the chair.. he did not bother to clean the chair.. it was like that when I was there watching him clearing the tables..
Verdict: Though the service was bad, the hygiene was not up to standard.. I will be back for second visit! because I only spent about $20 per pax and I felt like I had eaten an ala-carte buffet.. Worth it!
Hifumi Japanese Restaurant
68 Orchard Road
#04-68 Plaza Singapura
Tel: 63384712
Operating Hours: (Daily) 11:30 - 22:00
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