Opened in October 2014, the restaurant’s name means “wait a moment” in Japanese, and was so named because its owners feel good food is worth waiting for. The restaurant’s specialties are yakitori, sushi and sashimi, but they also offer selected pastas and other dishes.
Located 2 minutes away from popular cafe Strangers Reunion, Chotto Matte is a cosy space decorated by a co-owner’s drawings. The chef at the helm is Roy Chee, previously the Executive Head Chef at Standing Sushi Bar. Knowing Standing Sushi Bar’s reputation for good sushi, we couldn’t wait (get it!) to find out what the food was going to be like.
I loved the scallop sashimi – it was plump and sweet, and so fresh you could almost taste the sea. The others were tasty, but did not stand out as much for me.
The white tuna is very different from its blue-fin tuna and big-eyed tuna, having a fattier quality and tasting like pork, except without the oily residue.
The Tokusei Tsukune ($4) was homemade chicken meatball with soy sauce, and reminded me of a softer version of Ikea meatballs. The seasoning was just right, and the overall taste was acceptable, but nothing spectacular.
The Tebasaki ($3), or chicken wings, was disappointing. I liked the skin, because it was slightly charred and crispy at the sides, and added a smoky flavour. However, the inside of the chicken wings were too bland.
This was one of my favourites, being flavourful and tender, and the fatty parts literally melted in your mouth, without the greasy, choking feeling.
The base to make the fried rice is also specially prepared by the chef to ensure every dish of garlic fried rice served has the same consistent flavour. I’m not a huge fan of garlic so I was a little apprehensive, but the garlic fried rice was good. The rice was fragrant, and was softer than normal rice. It also remained moist throughout, even when the dish was getting cold.
The meat was slightly sweeter and chewier than the Buta Kakuni, but was equally enjoyable.
This place can be classified as a triple threat with their mastery of sushi, sashimi and yakitori. I like how attention is paid to every detail, and I was impressed with how thoroughly the rice was taken care of. Their Scallop Sashimi, Buta Kakuni, Kagoshima Pork Belly Don and Wagyu Yakitori were especially good!
If you can’t decide what to get, you can order the Omakase ($100 per pax) for 10 courses of chef-recommended dishes.
Chotto Matte is a short walk from Outram Park MRT.
Address: 54 Blair Road #01-01 Singapore 089954
Telephone: 6222 8846
Opening hours: Daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-midnight
They accept reservations, but make sure to call them at least 10 days in advance as seating is limited.
This post was brought to you by Chotto Matte.
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