Bar Review: Kimoto Gastro Bar - Of Good Tempura Batter and Smoky Skewers

The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Japanese kushiyaki bar with good tempura batter.

The must-orders (if any): Special Tempura Don, Kawa Kushiyaki

Summary: Situated at The Sail @ Marina Bay, the very misleadingly-named Kimoto Gastro Bar is decidedly traditional in its Japanese kushiyaki bar aspirations, offering an extensive variety of tanned, delectably charred and smoky kushiyaki pleasures along with a selection of small plates, salads, dons and tempura. The Kawa (chicken skin), in particular, is a sinfully marvellous indulgence for hair-down Fridays and one of those days you just wanna ravage ~~the surface of~~ a piece of fried chicken but good, without the hassle of finishing off its white carcass beneath. Elsewhere, whilst not quite at the euphoric grease heaven levels of Ginza Tendon Itsuki or Tempura Kohaku, the Special Tempura Don, with its insistent crisp and crunch of bite, brings to the yard one of the best tempura batter around. It is at first instance immediately head and shoulders above the likes of Tensho, Akimitsu and the Irvins Salted Egg at Raffles Place MRT-esque line of tempura concepts surfing the tempura wave, all of which have delivered tempura batter ranging from mediocre to outright saucily flaccid.

P.S. There is an ongoing soft-launch 30% discount until 21 August 2017, with another promotional discount after that to be announced.

Special Tempura Don (Chicken Breast, Prawn, Vegetables, Onsen Egg) ($14.90).