Tetsu

Tetsu touts itself as being the first Japanese restaurant to offer both Tempura and Tonkatsu under the same menu. I was also fortunate enough to be invited for a food tasting event through FP's help to finally taste what the restaurant had to offer. Reviews thus far has been mixed and now its my turn to taste first hand and determine if its an average or a great japanese restaurant.

Location: #03-18 Tanglin Mall

Contact: 68363112

Website: http://www.tetsu.com.sg/about_tetsu/about_tetsu.asp

Menu

Interior

Upon stepping into Tanglin Mall, its apparent that the mall itself is rather quiet. Being left out on the far edge of Orchard Road, this mall is frequented only by the most discerning customers for specific stores and shops. I'm glad to say that Tetsu has its fair share of returning customers. In fact, its one of the more patronized restaurants in the mall. I believe that says something about the food they offer.

Agedashi Tofu

Braised Pork Belly

Sampling Platter with Swordfish Tataki

Our sampling session began with some sake and led straight into their appetiser sampling platter. Beginning with the agedashi tofu, the first surprise of the day was that unlike the usual smooth texture which i'm used to, this version was more starchy and wobbly not unlike carrot cake.
The braised pork belly is apparently braised for 2 days and is extremely fatty, i found it interesting because it literally melts in your mouth and didn't repulse me the way i thought it should have.
The swordfish tataki retained a slight smokey taste along with a rather tough texture which gives the impression its similar to sashimi.

Mixed Sashimi

Another View

I'm rather impressed with Tetsu's sashimi actually, though i'm not aware of the actual cost of this platter, the sheer variety of sashimi you see here is substantial and fulfillingly fresh. The slices were more on the thin side though.

Teriyaki Chicken

Well, this dish has been done to dath everywhere so i really can't say anything much about it. For what its worth, the teriyaki sauce is moderately sweet and the chicken is tender without being too dry.

Sushi Roll With Avacado and Crab Meat

Dragon roll

Lets make a statement here, Tetsu makes good sushi. For both versions, the rice had just the right amount of sweetness and sourness. The dragon roll came with a plump juicy shrimp in a balanced tempura coating. Loved the generous serving of crab roe on both sushi rolls as well.

Assorted Tempura Platter

Here on, its the onslaught of the rather unhealthy fried items. The assorted tempura was very crispy but had a rather thick batter which makes it rather difficult to stomach. To be fair, i give this a high score for its presentation and portion size which is very generous. The batter does get in the way of the prawn though, rendering it rather tasteless in the end. A little less batter and this would be a winner.

Kire Katsu (Pork Fillet)

Rosu Katsu (Pork Loin)

Katsu's are generally a staple in any japanese restaurant due to how it tests the chef's skill in producing a katsu thats crispy and yet preserving the flavors and juices of the subject matter. Tetsu gave us a try of 2 renditions and i'm more favorable for the Rosu Katsu (pork loin). Both versions come in the same batter but the pork fillet version tasted rather dry and more like a kfc chicken then a katsu. The pork loin on the other hand, was juicy and moist without compromising the crispiness. Do note the reason why its moist and juicy is due to the abundance of fat in that particular region though.

Inawani Udon

Close up

The udon came as a prelude to the ending of our sampling session and needless to say, we were all stuffed to the brim by then. However, i have to say that this rendition is pleasing and palatte cleansing. Unlike regular udons, this doesn't have the usual starchy and thick udon variety. In fact, its more like a combination of vermicelli, mee pok and spaggheti. This means its al dente, light and easy to finish. Rather surprising actually.

Strawberry mousse

Their rendition is made in house and fresh daily. With real grinded strawberry bits in it, you'll get a full taste of the fruit. The mousse is slightly rough in texture because of it and there's minimal to no sugar added in the mix, leaving it rather sourish.

Final Score: 7/10

Last word:
Our delight with the restaurant probably rests mostly on the chef's appearance and company throughout the meal. The guy's definitely funny and has great pride in his job which is reflected in the quality of his food. I have to say that the food here is above average and worth a try. Of course, this conclusion is based on food quality alone at this point. Give it a chance, you might like it enough to return just like their regulars.