Akanoya Robatayaki

This restaurant was a last minute decision to pre-empt an otherwise boring weekend stuck in town. We decided to splurge a little on some good Japanese food and Akanoya came to mind. Located in the Orchard Parade Hotel downtown Singapore, the restaurant was a noisy, bustling joint that seemed to have created an authentic dining experience right out of Tokyo. Even the waiters appeared to be mostly Japanese.

Food was served robatayaki style, prepared, cooked and handed to you via a long wooden paddle as you sat in front of the counter and watched the chefs at work. We ordered an array of dishes, from grilled tatami fish, vegetables to seafood, beef, pork and gingko nuts. Highlights of the meal were the jumbo prawns, wagyu beef and Hokkaido crab legs.

Only top quality ingredients could transform a simple grilled vegetable or fish into a mouthwatering feast. All this can sometimes make robatayaki a pricey indulgence that some would be unwillingly to pay for simply grilled food items.

Akanoya is located at 1 Tanglin Road, #01-01, Orchard Parade Hotel, Singapore. Tel: +65-6732-1866.