Tachinomiya Review: First Japanese Izakaya To Open At A HDB Block

Which is ironic, considering how this word refers to casual bars or drinking houses that usually serve inexpensive food. T achinomiya is an izakaya that sticks closer to the word’s definition.

This neighbourhood bar found at a HDB block in Kovan makes grabbing a beer an on-the-way-home affair for those living along the North-East Line. Tachinomiya - Japanese Bar At A HDB In Kovan Food at Tachinomiya Tachinomiya’s drinks menu features an array of Japanese beers, sake and whiskeys.

They have Asahi on tap, so we got two pints of Asahi Super Dry ($9.50 per pint) . It’s always nice to have finger food to nibble on between sips, so we ordered some yakitori sticks to share. There’s a minimum of four yakitori sticks per order and we chose Asparagus + Bacon ($2.50) , Pork Belly + Leek ($2.50) , Mentai Salmon ($4) , and Unagi ($4) .

I liked that the tare (Japanese dipping sauce) used to coat the yakitori wasn’t too thick or sweet so the flavours of the meat came through. The mentai salmon was also tasty since Tachinomiya tops the salmon liberally with mentaiko sauce, though it could’ve been better if the salmon was cooked to a lower level of doneness.

Cheese Mentaiko Scallop ($3.50) was everything we were expecting and more. The scallop was served in its shell, with a dollop of mentaiko and a thick, gooey layer of torched cheese blanketing it. A taste of the rich, salty cheese melded with creamy, umami mentaiko immediately had us muttering “ so good” while we stuffed more in our mouths.

This is a flavour combo that dethrones salted egg and truffle, but it’s pretty heavy on the palate so just one or two of these scallops should satisfy. Each set goes at $8.90 and consists of a donburi, a cup of miso soup, and tea.

We found ourselves needing the brown sauce they came with to help with the dryness. We also decided to try Aburi Salmon ($15) , which was served with a cup of miso soup like all rice bowls on their menu. The slices of salmon were thin, and it’s possible to find more satisfying salmon rice bowls elsewhere at $15 or less.

Ambience at Tachinomiya Tachinomiya has casual, modern furnishings, and it is good for groups of four or smaller. The verdict Tachinomiya makes a comfortable hangout for those in the neighbourhood. They have affordable lunch sets and a variety of rice bowls if you want to have a full meal, but the mains we ordered weren’t impressive.

Instead, we’d opt for finger food and sides to go along with our drinks.