J’S GATE DINING IN LOT 10

If there was ever, a hidden gateway into Japan’s culinary culture, this might be it.

Enter through the pearly white doors of Japanese dining.

J’s Gate does not discriminate, and all who seek it, will not be turned away empty bellied, as it were – it spans the entire 4th floor of Lot 10, so there’s space to accommodate, and then some.

J’s Gate Dining is made up of 18 Japanese restaurants, from Sushi Bar to Izakaya style dining, it’s all about experiencing Japanese hospitality, culture and gastronomy.

The vibe is contemporary yet chic. On one side are the ala carte restaurants. On the other, the Japanese food court.

Apart from food, the restaurants sport the entire repertoire of great Japanese Sakes.. Japanese tipple appreciators will be happy to know. And I also think it’s really interesting how they divided up the restaurants by cooking style. Be it Tempura, Teppanyaki, Sushi or even Ramen, there’s something for everybody.

Here’s what I managed to sample so far.. but more and more restaurants will be open for business,  in the weeks to come. 

Umai Sushi Kan Sushi

From Otoro, to Chutoro and Akami, this is the place to sample fabulous sushi.

The undeniably, fabulous, melt in the mouth Otoro is hard to top, I tell ya. Maguro at its best.

This is also a great place for Nigiri Sushi.. well wrapped and flavourful, just a dab of wasabi is all you need to elevate the flavours. 

I always like to start with sushi and work my way down the Japanese food chain. At J’s Gate dining, the key to survival is pacing one’s self. Otherwise, there won’t be any space left for all the delectables, and believe me, there are many.

Torikin Yakitori

Japan’s beer snack is none other than the humble yakitori. It is most commonly consumed in noisy pubs, at simple roadside stalls, or at various open-air festivals taking place year-round all over the country. Here at J’s Gate dining, you get to dine in the comfort of contemporary, ultra comfortable settings.

This restaurant is filled with the smell of deep fried meat in cooking oil – the food itself is perfectly good, and if you choose to sit at the front counter, you will have the chance seeing the chef preparing your meal.

Mouthwatering pork belly-on-a-stick fix, tempered with vegetables.. life can’t get much better than this.

Pork belly.. I’ll take 2 helpings please !

Kushiage Kinme Kushiage

Tempura, a tantalizing assortment of battered and deep-fried ingredients, is definitely one of Japan’s most world-renowned dishes. What many people outside of Japan don’t realize, however, is that there are a number of regional differences when it comes to this famous dish. For most visitors to Japan, it’s this Kanto-style that comes to mind when they think of tempura—large golden battered prawns, crisp tempura vegetables, and a flavorful dipping sauce.

The chefs prepare each dish individually with great care and serve them one at a time. The tempura here is perfectly crunchy on the outside and succulently soft on the inside.

HACHI Traditional Kyoto cuisine

There are so many misconceptions surrounding Japanese wagyu, it’s not even funny. From beer massages to piped music, I’ve hear it all. But honestly the real key to Japanese Wagyu quality lies in the genetics of the cow, the high quality of food they are fed, and the fact that each farmer cares for and tends to each cow till they deliver the best prime wagyu meat yet.

Hachi boasts Kyoto styled traditional dining, i.e. Kaiseki. Kaiseki is the quintessential Japanese haute cuisine, a tasting course characterized by the perfection of its preparation and elegant presentation. Stark simplicity is key, and here they let the meat do the talking.  A word of caution, ask for medium rather than medium rare. They tend to serve you RARE meat that’s super red, bordering on blue if you ask for medium rare. That’s just my humble observation so unless you’re the sort who does not balk at blood, go for it;)

ViTO Café, gelato

Fabulous fluffy ice-cream resembling gelato ends dinner on a high note.  The built up size of J’s Gate Dining though deceptively widespread looking, is a generous is 26K sq ft. Diners who love all things from the Land of the Rising sun,  will be thrilled and spoilt for choice picking from 18 of Japan’s best restaurants at J’s Gate Dining. All restaurants will be fully opened by early March 2018. For more info –  www.js-gate.com or Facebook page “JsGateDining”.

The full list of restos:

Tendon Kohaku Tendon
Menya Ichiyutei Udon
Kaisendon Kinme Seafood rice bowls
Shinanoji Soba
Fuji no Sakura Japanese hotpot
Bonta Bonta Eel rice bowls
TSUJIRI Matcha sweets
Cravebit Bar Bar
Mo-Mo-Paradise Sukiyaki/shabu-shabu
Torisakaba Hanazen Chicken izakaya
HACHI Traditional Kyoto cuisine
ViTO Café, gelato
Torikin Yakitori
Umai Sushi Kan Sushi
OSAKA Kitchen Teppanyaki, okonomiyaki
Kushiage Kinme Kushiage
YAYOI Set meals
Kaguraya Chicken ramen