Tantalising and Affordable Lunch Sets from Dashi Master Marusaya @ 86 Robertson Quay

Dashi Master Marusaya, flagship restaurant of the Marusaya Group had launched their new lunch sets and I was fortunate to have the privilege for a taste. Be spoilt for choice as there's Udon Lunch Set, Dashi Shabu Lunch Set, Rice Bowl Set Lunch, Tantalising Set Lunch, Hot Toban Set Lunch and Shokado Bento Box.

Opens from 12pm to 2.30pm for lunch and from 5pm to 10.30pm for dinner. On Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, it is open from 12pm to 10.30pm. Dashi Master Marusaya is a cosy chic 90-seater restaurant and offers a comfortable space for dining-in.

cosy interior

First things first. I'd recommend to place an order for the Shokado Bento Box as it is only available in limited quantity daily. Ideal for us who would like to have a bit(e) of everything. Multi-course meal that includes appetiser, chawanmushi, tempura, grilled fish, meat dish, 2 kinds of sashimi, small rice bowl, small udon and dessert. Beautiful Shokado Bento, a highly satisfying and enjoyable experience.

SHOKADO BENTO 松花堂弁当

Shokado Bento Box 松花堂弁当 @$58++

Super loved the thick-cut sashimi, the luscious fatty pork that glistened, healthy grilled salmon and best of all, one also gets their famed chewy udon in lovely dashi topped with katsuoboshi plus a bowl of salmon don to satisfy most cravings.

meat dish (Shokado Bento Box)

beautiful thick-cut sashimi of salmon, maguro and a white fish (part of Shokado Bento Box)

grilled fish (Shokado Bento Box)

Tempura (Shokado Bento Box)

small salmon don (Shokado Bento Box)

small udon (Shokado Bento Box)

Shokado Bento Box offers generous portions of food, but for the lighter eaters, fret not as there are enough variety from the various lunch sets that's bound to satisfy almost everyone.

RICE BOWL SET LUNCH 丼ランチ

Tuna Belly Don Set 大トロ丼セット @$38++

For most of the lunch sets (except for the Shokado Bento), one could choose 3 sides to go along with the meal. For example, one could add-on a small dashimaki tamago, fried chicken, edamame, hijiki salad, nanbanzuke, ohitashi, california roll or matcha cake.

beautiful tuna belly

For first-timers to Dashi Master Marusaya, the must-try would be the all-time favourite Dashi Shabu Set Lunch. There's Hokkaido Pork Shabu, Beef Shabu and Wagyu Beef Shabu Set to opt from. For the all luxurious mouthfeel, go for the Wagyu Shabu set!

DASHI SHABU SET LUNCH だししゃぶランチ

Wagyu Shabu Set 和牛しゃぶしゃぶセット @$48++

choose your salt

If you like your meal sizzling hot, do try the Wagyu Toban Set from the Hot Toban Set Lunch menu, Thick-cut wagyu slices, sitting pretty ontop of the grill plate. Tender meat with a good chew, with tasty jus and laid ontop of a spoonful of fluffy rice. Yums!

HOT TOBAN SET LUNCH 熱々陶板ランチ

Wagyu Toban Set 和牛陶板ランチセット @$48++

still thinking of this

Come on down to Dashi Master Marusaya today and enjoy their new set lunch menu! Price ranges from $13++ to $58++.

Once again, thank you Jennifer and Dashi Master Marusaya for the invitation.

Dashi Master Marusaya

Address: 86 Robertson Quay, #01-01 Robertson Blue, Singapore 238245

Website: http://bitejapan.asia/marusaya/

Contact: 6732 0383 or email: info@marusaya.sg

Business Hours:

Mon-Fri: 12pm to 2.30pm, 5pm - 10.30pm

Sat-Sun: 12pm - 10.30pm

Nabe Seizan 鍋 @ Japan Food Town Wisma Atria

Nabe Seizan is the offshoot of Seizan, a 2-Michelin star establishment in Tokyo. While Seizan is a kaiseki restaurant, Nabe Seizan 鍋 specializes in Japanese hotpot. Its prices are rather steep and the staff informed that their strength is in the dashi. Other than that, Seizan also offers mabushi during lunch time. What's a mabushi? It's a variant of hitsumabushi which is an eel rice dish enjoyed 3-ways. For mabushi, it is other protein (usually beef) enjoyed two-ways; as it is and with dashi and condiment.

Currently, they are having Agu Pork Mabushi during weekday lunch only. Decided to give it a try since I was around the area. The Ohmi Wagyu beef mabushi is available everyday during lunch hour.

interior

Discovered that the restaurant is pretty smallish but liked that the tables are adequately apart. There was only another table occupied during that day of visit. Service staff (non-Japanese) were earnest and friendly.

complimentary tea

It was only a short wait before the food was served.Was informed that the dashi is refillable.

Agu Pork Mabushi Set @$25++

Agu Pork

Agu Pork is Okinawan pork and is similar to kurobuta. The slivers of meat was deliciously tender and flavourful. Enjoyable as it is.

There was a small dish of curious paste and it tasted like chicken rice chili paste. Asked the staff about it and she mentioned that usually the sauce would be provided during dinner time to enjoy with the hotpot as a dip. Queried on whether the chili paste was requested by local customers but the staff clarified that it was actually concoted by their Japanese chef, Mr Yamamoto. Perhaps Chef Yamamoto was inspired by our chicken rice?

Chef Yamamoto 'chicken rice' chili paste

Next, one could enjoy the rice with the dashi. The soup was clear and lightly flavoured. Pleasantly mild and the chili paste helped to give a different dimension to the taste.

Style 2 - eaten with dashi

Topped up the lunch set with a dessert. It was a pudding dessert called wasanbon. While wasanbon refers to the fine grained sugar, the pudding has milk and fruits in it and topped with chopped white wine jelly.

wasanbon 和三盆 @$5++

The pudding was very likeable. Soft like tofu with reasonable sweetness. The fruits were pear and peach and the white wine jelly was good. The white wine jelly matches with the pudding.

yums

Expect the spend about $30 to $50 per pax during lunch time and double of that during dinner time.

Harry's Bar @ Novena

Harry's has a set lunch promotion where one could get a main course (choose one from 10 choices) and  a drink for just $15++. Drinks could be coffee, tea or juices.

Set Lunch menu

We ordered Chicken Masala, Harry's Jazz Burger, Prawn Star and Crabmeat Spaghettini.

Crabmeat Spaghettini and Harry's Jazz Burger (served with chips and spicy slaw)

Chicken Masala

The Chicken Masala was served with charcoal bread. Kinda novel to eat black bread. Unfortunately, the chicken masala was rather salty and the chicken meat was so tough. Ugh.

Prawn Star

For the lunch sets, just get the pasta. Lovely al-dente Prawn Star and if you like your noodles slightly softer, then go for the Crabmeat Spaghettini.

The place is usually relaxed during lunch hour, so if you're looking for a place with high chances of getting a table during weekday lunch time, then head on here. The lunch set is reasonably priced.

Rakuichi @ Oasia Hotel

If you are looking for a quiet place for lunch, this might be it. Located at the ground level of Oasia hotel, next to Marmalade Pantry. Unlike Marmalade, the entrance to Rakuichi is not via the hotel. Second visit to Rakuichi, and this time round, chose the Tokubetsu set (トクベツセット) @ $29.80++ that is available during lunch only. About five items in the set inclusive of salad, miso soup and dessert.

Food was served up very quickly as the restaurant had only three tables seated then, including ours. First item to arrive was the salad. This time round, the salad had crispy salmon skin bits added to it. Green tea was complimentary and a wet towel was provided for customers to wipe their hands prior to the start of the meal.

salad

The salad was enjoyable with the tangy sauce, fresh leaves and crispy salmon skin. Next up, we were served the assorted semi-grilled (aburi) sushi. Noticeably, the sushi was slightly smaller than previous visit.  Liked the tamago and the hotate ones the most.

assorted semi-grilled sushi (7 pieces)

Then, all the remaining items were served up together all at once. Miso soup, grilled prawn and potato, and pan-fried fish head with butter and teriyaki sauce. The miso soup was pretty ordinary with some tofu and kelp.

miso soup

grilled prawn and potato with mentaiko sauce

The prawn dish was nice but lacking in the mentaiko sauce. The cheese layer was good, though this wasn't mentioned in the menu. Thought it was potato gratin! Speaking of potato, this smallish hotplate contained potato wedges at the bottom then with some grilled prawns assembled, then topped with cheese. Melted cheese ontop of the prawns? Yes, please.

The pan-fried fish head was easily the best dish. Caramelized teriyaki sauce with deep fried fish head (though a tad bony) was yums with slight smokey flavour.

pan-fried fish head (salmon?) with butter and teriyaki sauce

Meal ended with goma ice-cream. Have to wait a short-while as the ice-cream was still rock solid when served. No worries, as this meal can be accomplished within the lunch hour. Service was friendly and efficient.

sesame ice-cream

Expect to spend about $35 per pax.

GRUB @ Bishan Park 1

First time visiting during lunch hour on a weekday. To get here, one could take a cab and drop off at the Bishan Park carpark. Informed the taxi uncle to take us via Sin Ming Avenue.

The days of the long queues might have passed, but this place is still pretty busy during lunch hour. Lunch sets are priced at $15 and $17 and you'll get additional cake, on top of your burger or main course. Quite a good deal, considering that the average cost for a burger is about $13, so that $2 extra would nett you a decent slice of cake for desserts. If you get a pasta dish, for example one that costs $17, then with the lunch set, the cake would practically pay for itself. Free, even better!

lunch set

Had tried the fish burger and the cheeseburger during previous visit, so this time round, went for the Har Cheong Gai Burger. I can almost imagine how it would taste like. Yums.

Food was served pretty fast. All burgers come with fries, but one could opt for a small salad as well. Needed my greens, so no prize for guessing what I had. Tangy vinaigrette and pleasingly sourish.

The patty for the har cheong gai was fried till a deep brown colour. Very very crispy batter. Am thinking that if the burger was served with those fragrant sambal belachan, then the oomph factor would probably have shot up by twofold!

Har Cheong Gai Burger @$13++ (ala-carte), or $15++ (lunch set)

are we ready?

Liked the portion of the meat. Easy to slice through and it was juicy thigh meat encased in crispy prawn paste batter. The prawn paste taste was rather mild but one could still detect it. The crispy batter somehow reminded me of luncheon meat chips.

juicy thigh meat

For the cakes, there were adequate options and variety to choose from. On our day of visit, there were about 6 cakes options and a key lime pie.

rainbow cake, key lime pie, lavender earl grey, ondeh-ondeh and milk tea cake

The top two cakes for me was the rainbow cake and the ondeh-ondeh cake. Don't you feel happy, just by looking at those colourful layers of soft sponge?

Milagro Spanish Restaurant @ Orchard Central

If you have the opportunity to be at Orchard Central during lunch hour on a week-day, you might want to check out their lunch sets. There are two price range for the lunch set meals; $19.90+ or $26.90+ for two course-meal or three course-meal respectively.

There was at least five choices for entrees, mains and desserts. Pretty impressive, I must say. Being a small eater, was happy to do two-courses. Chose the pan-seared seabass as the main, and tiramisu for desserts.

The fish took the longest time to arrive. You can say, it was the last to be served. The Chicken Harissas and pasta all came way earlier...

pan-seared seabass served with sauteed mushrooms, salad, rice and salsa verde

The fish was kind of burning hot from the pan. Cooked quite nicely, but need a tad more seasoning.

Was very happy with my choice of dessert. Served in a jar, and it was just scoop after scoop of delightful yummy-ness.

Here's the tiramisu 3-shots:

tiramisu in a jar

looks good

taste good!