Katanashi An @ Telok Ayer

Japanese Tapas Bar anyone? Katanashi An in essence is a Japanese izakaya serving excellent food like a Spanish bodegas or pintxos.

Located right at the junction of Boon Tat Street and Amoy Street is the Japanese tapas bar called Katanashi An. It has a cosy izakaya-like setting where many Japanese business people would frequent. Junichiro Yano 矢野 潤一郎 founded the first Katanashi restaurant in Kawasaki in 2007 and has since expanded to multiple locations in Singapore, Phnom Penh and Taipei. Every store is unique and features familiar Japanese flavours with a twist.

1. Tuna and Avocado Tartar
2. Salmon Aburi with Ikura
3. Hotate Mentai Aburi
4. Deep Fried Burdock Roots
5. King of Cream Cheese
6. Grilled Chicken Thigh
7. Beef Tataki
8. Taro Wasabi
9. Broiled Saba (Mackerel)
10. Mac & Cheese
11. Deep Fried Chicken Wings
12. Unagi Omelette
13. Eihire (Dried Stingray)
14. Chazuke (Sour Plum)

Tuna and Avocado Tartar

Delicious with hints of wasabi and went perfectly with the toasted Japanese-style baguette.

Salmon Aburi with Ikura

OK dish, the salmon was aburi at table side and then topped with ikura (salmon roe).

Hotate Mentai Aburi

The scallops lost all the moisture and shrank at least 60% from their original size.

Deep Fried Burdock Roots

Crispy and salty, a good snack for drinks.

King of Cream Cheese

Another one of their signature tapas, it was made from Japanese cream cheese that is similar to Philadelphia.

Grilled Chicken Thigh

The secret to a really crispy skin on the grilled chicken, one Cantonese chef told me, is to hang the chicken to dry before grilling or deep frying. This will take away moisture from the chicken, which is the biggest enemy to crispiness.

The chicken thigh was juicy and the skin was really crispy. Served with a lemon wedge and a dollop of shiso pepper yuzu chutney that was the soul of the flavours. *Must order in advance to avoid disappointment when you do the seat reservation as you can see that it’s limited in supply.

Beef Tataki

Beef tataki refers to a Japanese method of preparing fillet beef, where the meat is lightly seared, marinated, sliced thinly similar to sashimi, and served with a citrus-soy dipping sauce.

Taro Wasabi

Broiled Saba (Mackerel)

The saba (mackerel) fillet was marinated in vinegar before it was broiled with a blowtorch at the table side.

Mac & Cheese

The American mac & cheese given a Japanese makeover. The essence is the macaroni, but the cheese used was not American, which made all the difference. Japanese cheese is more artisan and creamier, less salty, beats the American cheddar by a mile.

Deep Fried Chicken Wings

These Nagoya-style tebasaki (Japanese chicken wings) have shatteringly crisp skin, marinated in a savoury-sweet sauce that’s redolent of garlic, ginger and soy sauce. But they didn’t make it with a sticky glaze like the Nagoya version.

Unagi Omelette

Amazingly fluffy omelette with grilled unagi as filling. Delicious!

Eihire (Dried Stingray)

A night in an izakaya cannot be without the quintessential eihire. I finished the whole plate.

Chazuke (Sour Plum)

Everyone ordered a chazuke to replenish some carbs. The dashi was clear and light, made from bonito and kombu stock. The nori strips added some satisfying savouriness that can only come from seaweed.

Visited for the first time and it’s a hidden gem. We love Katanashi An, because it’s unassuming and comfortable. You get exactly what they offer: great service, solid sake program, and well-prepared food. You won’t find anything over-the-top here, but they don’t promote that either. Katanashi An is simple, welcoming, and you’ll find yourself leaving satisfied more often than not. 

Katanashi An 型無庵
1 Boon Tat Street #01-01, Singapore
Tel : +65 6221 5101

Visited May 2023

#katanashian #katanashi.sg @katanashi.sg