Yamato Izakaya occupies a sprawling space in Oxley Bizhub, located a short walk from Tai Seng MRT. It is really well known for having three famous dining concepts (Man Man Unagi, Ramen Hitoyoshi and Tora Tora) under one roof. The place was absolutely packed when we visited on a weekend for dinner!
Those wanting a more relaxed atmosphere should opt for the outdoor seating which is more spacious and open. The indoor seating is air-conditioned but felt a bit too noisy. You do get a pretty cool view of food being prepared though! The unagi grilling station is particularly cool to watch.
The menu at Yamato Izakaya is really extensive, with everything from sushi and sashimi to tempura and ramen. To start, we opted for the Three-Kind Sashimi ($31.90). This is a chef’s selection, consisting of 3 pieces of salmon, yellowtail and tuna. Each piece was thick, fatty and melt-in-your mouth. However, while the quality is great, it still felt a bit pricey.
Next up is our favourite Agedashi Tofu ($7.90). This comes with 4 pieces of deep fried tofu and a generous topping of bonito flakes. It was good overall!
Another deep fried dish we cannot miss out on ordering in any izakaya is the Soft Shell Crab Kaarage ($19.90). It was decent for sure, but for the portion size (just one crab), this was also kind of expensive.
Next, we tried the Salt Grilled Squid (Ika Shioyaki, $29.90). This dish is fresh and not chewy at all. It has a lovely smokey taste from the grill which comes out nicely with the simplicity of just salt seasoning. My only issue is (as you probably guess) that it too is relatively quite pricey.
For main dishes, the first to arrive was the Iberico Pork Teppanyaki ($20.90). The teppanyaki wok-hei was really nice and the pork itself was fatty and tender. There is also a small side of beansprouts which breaks up the oiliness of the dish. I wish they could have given a larger portion though! If you are only ordering one dish and rice, it would not be enough.
Something quite unique about Yamato Izakaya is this mini-donburi concept. You can choose from two dons and you will get half-portions of each at just $3.50 extra. Here, we got the Salmon Don ($13.90 by itself) and the Assorted Tempura Don ($12.90 by itself).
This was the only dish I felt was super worth it because you get so much food and greater variety for a reasonable price. Both dons were good; the prawn tempura was perfectly crunchy and the salmon cubes were addictively creamy.
The Chirashi Don ($27.90) was also worth the price, with an assortment of 5 types of thick-cut sashimi and a dash of ikura. The sashimi is undeniably fresh and bursting with fatty goodness. This dish was super satisfying!
The Verdict
Overall, Yamato Izakaya delivers great quality Japanese food across many types of dishes. However, I felt that (besides the donburi dishes) most dishes were overpriced relative to the quantity and that they could be a bit more generous with the portion sizes. Come here if you are looking for a space for big groups and don’t mind paying a bit more for it!
Yamato Izakaya
Address: 65 Ubi Rd 1, #01-92 Oxley Bizhub, Singapore 408729
Opening Hours: 11:30am–3pm, 6–10pm Every Day
