Angus Meat Ragu ($21 for homemade pasta)

I absolutely loved the texture of the tagliatelle/fettuccine - perfectly al dente with a firm bite to it (even though it reminded me of Mee pok). The sauce was not what I had expected though. I would have imagined it to be more of like a Bolognese sauce, but this was light and garlicy, yet meaty at the same time. I would say that it helped to let the tender, flavorful beef cheeks shine through all that dough.

However, I would have liked a larger portion. If not for the truffle fries, I would have left still hungry. And while it definitely tasted good, it's overrated, but that's just my humble opinion. Perhaps it's just because of the high expectations I had stemming from all the hype surrounding this dish.

Hangover ($18)

This pizza bar's main selling point is it's DIY aspect, where customers get to pick whatever ingredients they want. Not being too familiar with pizzas, I settled for one of their signatures instead. I like my pizzas tomato-based, and this was way awesome. The crust, the cheese, and the portion were all really on point. Every pizza is made to order, hand stretched, and gorgeously irregular in its circumference.

Being in NS, every meal outside of camp is a luxury. And I'm glad I made the choice spend on of them here. I don't eat a lot of pizzas but this is without a doubt the best pizza I've ever had, and I left craving for more even though I finished the entire 11-inch pie myself!

Queued for at least 10 mins before getting this durian chendol softserve ($7)

And it was great. I love that it successfully Incorporated the flavours of chendol into an ice cream concoction, though they could have been more generous with their ingredients. The durian was fresh, and had a very sweet note to it, which sort of overpowered the entire dish. Being the durian lover that I am, I did not complain. But if you're a chendol purist, give the durian version a miss.

I highly recommend you to share this as it does get a little jelat after a few mouthfuls.

Chirashi ($25++)

Not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive. Like the fact that it came with watermelon (albeit an extremely small portion) and miso soup. Overheard the next table saying that their sister outlet, Manzoku, serves larger portions, but I'd say the portions here are already great at such a price point especially given its location in posh boat quay.

Now, I like to use the Ikura as a test for freshness. Sadly to say, it was somewhat almost salty, an indication that it lacks freshness. As for the other fishes, I'd say that it isn't the freshest either. The Akami for example, was more pink than red. Judging from the other photos, perhaps I had gone on the wrong day.

For $25, you do get your money's worth though. It seems as though quantity exceeds the quality, but it may have been due to my high expectations from raving reviews. Manage your expectations and I'm confident you would be more than happy to part with $25 for this bowl of chirashi goodness.

Tip: if you are a massive fan of salmon, ask for them to swap the rest to salmon, and you will be rewarded with a vulgar amount of it (not that anyone would be complaining of course)

The Alpha ($14.90)

Been here three times now, and all I can say is that it never disappoints. Wolf Burgers cooks up burgers just the way it should be - perfectly greasy, and purely sinful. By far the juiciest burger ever I've ever eaten, and perhaps one of the meatiest. Not the most optimal bread to buy ratio, but who cares when the patties are that good?

Roast Beef Don ($18.80++)

Layers upon layers of gorgeously pinkish tender roasted beef, cut relatively thick compared to others, provide for an unbelievably satisfying bite every time. The wasabi sauce looks heavy, and I thought it would overpower the flavour of the beef, but it was rather light and adds a little zing to create a sort of contrast in flavours as you savage through the mountain of meat. The set even comes with miso soup and salad, which provides fantastic value for money.

It's not perfect though. The egg was overcooked, and the serving of rice was way too small. Had to end up ordering another bowl of rice, which added $3 to the total bill. So unless you're a small eater, this isn't going to fill you up.

Went for the salmon promotion - 5 slices for $3

Ordered 40 slices between the two of us, which is more than enough. They didn't sell rice as it is though. Instead, it came as a set, inclusive of a salad and soup for $5 in total. Bill came to $20 flat per person after taxes, which is extremely affordable.

Quality is decent, but you can't expect great quality at these prices.

I tend to prefer restaurants with smaller menus, the reason being that I believe in specialisation. Ginza Tendon only has two main items on its menu - Special and Vegetable tendon.

To be honest, with fried food, the difference in taste between high quality and low quality ingredients is very subtle, much less than raw food such as sashimi for example. So I can't comment much about that, although the chicken breast was surprisingly juicy for some reason.

The thing I liked about this was the experience, it's intimacy, reminiscent of sort of an omakase meal almost, where the chef prepares your meal right in front of you before personally serving it to you. Oh, and that lovely poached-then-fried egg.

And last but not least, the price - $13.90 before taxes, inclusive of chawanmushi and miso soup. That's really a steal.

Crab pasta ($12.90)

Tastes very much like a thinner version of chilli crab sauce. I like how they used penne instead of spaghetti because that way, you get more of the sauce with every bite. Loved the addition of ikura, I would say that it elevates the dish. Was never a fan of fusion dishes, but this is an exception.

Ordered 3 other dishes: beef, salmon and the carbonara. Loved the beef - extremely tender, as expected from its lengthy 24-hour cooking process, to the point where the meat just comes apart with the slightest contact with the fork. Accompanying mash potatoes were smooth and delicate, and rich at the same time.

People in charge of the operation are obviously very passionate, taking the time to check on the quality of their food, and you can definitely taste it in their offerings.

Great food, at such an affordable price. It's a shame that it's so out of the way, but worth second visit.

Mighty Cheese Steak ($15)

It was love at first bite with the heaps of beef, and rich melted cheese. It really was the ultimate cheese steak sandwich. Sadly though, this is one of those times where that love just doesn't last till the end. In my opinion, there was just way too much cheese in there, and along with all that grease, it made for a pretty "jelat" meal to finish. In fact, I was already filled by the time I finished half of it, and finishing the other half was a struggle.

It was really delicious though, at least the first half of it. So if you intend to try it, I'd recommend you share it. And then go to the gym so you don't feel too bad about consuming all that calories!

Salmon Kaisen ($16.00++)

There's really only one place that comes to my mind when I'm craving for some salmon sashimi. Served in 4 different ways, Tanuki offers both quantity and diversity, with their generous servings of salmon. Although I've had bad experiences with the rice on previous visits, this time, the rice was freshly cooked, and retained its warmth and moisture. To quote a friend: "this is the best thing that I've eaten in 18 years".

For $16, it's already very reasonable for the amount you're getting. During lunch time, it's a mere $12.90. That's what I would call a steal.

Wagyu Round Roast Beef Set ($19.90++)

This is honestly the best beef bowl I've ever had. It came with a massive serving (250g) of Wagyu beef that was wonderfully tender, with a small amount of extremely flavourful fat. Was a little sceptical about the amount of peppercorns on top of the beef, but it played well with the slightly sweet sauce and spicy wasabi, and every single bite was bursting with multidimensional flavour down to the very last.

Also, it comes with tofu, vegetables and a soup. Not really a fan of those but the beef really does make up for it.

Worth every penny. And definitely worth a second visit.