Hanare by Takayama Dinner $150 For Two @ Takashimaya S.C.

Hanare by Takayama dinner for two that costs $150++ seemed like good value for money. Six courses, including sashimi and their famous kamameshi rice.

Japanese Restaurant at Takashimaya Shopping Centre

Japanese restaurant Hanare by Takayama is helmed by Chef Taro Takayama. His CV includes stints at three-star Michelin restaurants in Osaka and the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Singapore. His first Japanese restaurant in Singapore is Takayama on Shenton Way. Hanare by Takayama is his second, more casual restaurant at Orchard Road. Here, the highlight on the menu is Kamameshi – a slow-cooked mixed rice dish cooked in a “kama”- a traditional iron pot.

Hanare by Takayama Dinner Menu

We had lunch at Harare before (you can read our post which contains more pictures of the restaurant) and were pleased with the affordable set lunch. This was our first time having dinner at the restaurant. They have an a la carte menu available, but we thought the $150 dinner for 2 menu seems worth exploring. The menu was straightforward with options for upgrading the grilled fish course and a choice of different types of Kamameshi. We stuck to plan to just have the basic dishes without “upgrades”. But was tempted by the add on of sake for $30. That turned out to be a mistake.

Dinner for Two at Hanare by Takayama

Salad and Sashimi

Dinner started with a good sized portion of salad. The salad itself was the usual bunch of assorted vegetables. Fortunately it was topped off by a generous sprinkling of whitebait. Together with the plum dressing, it was a decent salad to start our dinner.

Based on our lunch experience, we had expected a modest sashimi platter. But this was not the case. The sashimi platter of three types of fish was served in large thick slices. The salmon was quite ordinary but we enjoyed the lush taste of the yellow tail and the tuna.

Chawanmushi and Grilled Fish

The Tottori crab chawanmushi was the best item of the day. This was the first time I have heard of Tottori and so needed the help of the internet to find out what it is. According to Wikipedia, Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan. It is famous for its sand dunes and that may explain why it has such good crabs. The shredded bits of crab in the chawanmushi made it a special dish for us. Very fine and delicate. We would love to try the Tottori crab dishes on the a la carte menu on a next visit.

Grilled salmon belly was oily and rich in taste. A few slices of vegetable tempura completed the dish.

Kamameshi Course

For our Kamameshi course, we picked the salmon and ikura kamameshi. The cooked rice with a topping of grilled fish and salmon roe was served in a heavy metal pot.

The dish looked its best when the ingredients had been mixed but before they were stirred.

After the fish and other ingredients were stirred it looked less attractive but the smell and taste of the combination was very good. Some miso and pickles and a simple dessert completed the meal.

House Pour Sake

We had a good experience with affordable sake during our recent lunch at Nobu. Good sake at a Japanese restaurant in Singapore need not be expensive. This prompted us to try the optional House Pour Sake at $30++. This was the disappointment of the day.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs

Hanare by Takayama
391 Orchard Road
#03-07
Takashimaya Shopping Centre 
Singapore 238872

Opening Hours: 12 noon – 8:30 pm

Nearby MRT Stations: Somerset, Orchard

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The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog