We had the good fortune of stumbling upon the newly-opened Donburi King in Serangoon NEX while trying to dodge the Sunday night crowds. Donburi King seems pretty undiscovered as of yet, being tucked away at the far end of the mall on the first floor hence there was no wait at all.
Starters: Fresh Oysters, Crab Cakes & Gyoza
We couldn’t resist ordering a half-dozen New Zealand Oysters ($14) as pricing was so reasonable and on par with many oyster bars’ happy hour pricing. These were definitely high-quality and fresh and of a decent size. We slurped them up in no time.
I think the pricing is a promotion price, so I would probably come back again soon before this deal is gone.
The Kani Cream Korokke (Fried Crab Cream Croquettes, $6.90) was a dish that surprised us. I’m not a huge fan of crab cakes, but these were fried well (not too greasy) and the crab taste did come through. The creaminess was just right as well.
We make it a point to try Gyoza ($4.90) at every Japanese restaurant we go to. Donburi King’s version was pretty alright, I think (hope) they are handmade as each one is shaped slightly differently. It has a crisp bite with a juicy interior so it passes the key gyoza requirement. ๐
Donburi Heaven: Generous, Thick Slices of Sashimi
Moving on to the mains; Donburi King undeniably goes all-out on their seafood donburi. We were very impressed with the amount and thickness of the sashimi cuts given with each bowl. Each don also comes with a miso soup and two slices of sweet tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette).
We first tried the Tekka Don (Red Tuna Rice Bowl, $18.80) which came with 10 pieces of tuna sashimi. Granted, this is not the fattiest tuna out there, but for $18.80 it is definitely very, very worth it.
Next up was the Salmon with Ikura Oyakodon ($22.80). This one is for salmon lovers, with 9 slices of sashimi-grade salmon which just melts in your mouth. Donburi King is also pretty generous with the ikura (salmon roe) and the price premium is very reasonable.
For those who can’t decide between either, the Akami Salmon Don (Red Tuna w/ Salmon Rice Bowl, $17.80) is for you. This was a mix of tuna and salmon as well as some which is perfect for those who want a bit more variety.
Ramen: Hearty Alternatives Worth Trying
Donburi King also did some decent ramen that is worth a try if you are not feeling the donburi. The Tontoro Ramen (Pork Cheek w/ Black Garlic Broth, $18.80) has a deliciously rich broth, generous slices of pork, bamboo shoots and half an egg. The noodles were so-so but the broth and ingredients made up for it.
The Iberico Miso Ramen ($18.80) was pretty good as well. The broth was much lighter for this one, with a more delicate miso taste compared to the thick tonkatsu broth. The slices of pork belly are also thinner which I prefer. They could afford to make the bowl a bit more spacious though, at times it felt like it would overflow.
The Verdict
All in all we felt that Donburi King was a great find. The food is high-quality, the price-point is reasonable, service is brisk and the wait is also not too long.
To top it all off, we got 15% off total bill because of Donburi King’s opening promotion for the NEX outlet. Would love to come back here again!
Spent: ~ $24 per person (check out the menu on their Facebook Page)
Rach Recommends: Looking for other restaurants in NEX? Try some mind-blowing paofan here.
Donburi King ็็็ (ใฐใใฐใใใ) – NEX
Address: No 23 Serangoon Central, 01-58 NEX Shopping Center, Singapore 556083
Opening Hours: 11:30amโ3pm, 5โ10pm every day
