March is the month of food fairs and bazaars—Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar and Kampong Gelam Bazaar are just some examples. Adding to this list is the ISETAN Sakura Matsuri fair at NEX running till 24 March 2024. The annual Japanese food fair is back stronger with a lovely variety of savoury foods and sweet confectioneries in light of the upcoming sakura season in Japan!Â
ICMYI: check out last year’s Sakura Matsuri edition!
We started the feast with some Mentaiko Mayo Takoyaki ($9) from Nakayama Shokuhin.Â
Each box comes with six tako balls packed with fresh and chewy octopus, and then topped with mildly spicy mentaiko mayonnaise. This was a great snack to share with my colleague while we were exploring the fair.
As we were getting our takoyaki, the Egg Hashimaki ($6) from the same booth caught our attention. If you’re not familiar with this Japanese street snack, just think of okonomiyaki wrapped with a pair of chopsticks. We highly recommend this if you’re a fan of this classic sweet-savoury pancakes, packed with lots of cabbage and egg!
Having tried a couple of savoury snacks, we wanted something sweet. We then came across the adorable Assorted Japanese Sweets ($6) from Yakimono Club—a booth selling dango and warabi mochi.
A box comes with two dango sticks of your choice. We went with the three-coloured and purple sweet potato dango! The former is your regular Japanese rice dumplings with no filling within, while the latter is a white rice flour ball coated with purple sweet potato.
Here’s another sweet treat for those with a sweet tooth: Fruits Cafe TOKIO is back with their popular crepes.
Last year, their Shine Muscat Crepe was a crowd favourite; this year, they are back with the Strawberry Crepe ($12), a thin crepe brimming with milky cream and fresh Japanese strawberries.Â
Tanghulu made waves on the Internet recently, and so Stone River came through with a selection of candied fruits. Some flavours include Shine Muscat ($9), Orange Candy ($7), and Strawberry Candy ($5).
For those working or studying in the area, consider getting the Braised Bento Box ($15.80) from Ijima. This hearty meal comprises a fish cutlet and grilled unagi atop a bed of scallop rice! There’s also a salmon rice option if that’s your preferred seafood choice.
For more bento options, there’s also Hakusuinokura, which offers Wagyu Hamburger Steak & Fried Egg Bento ($22). FYI, this is a new addition to the fair!
The Japanese food fair is held on level one of NEX in front of Baskin Robbins. Make your way down before 24 March to eat to your heart’s content.
In Japanese food-related news, read our Beyond the Dough review for Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizza by a Japanese chef in Bugis. Alternatively, read our guide to the best Serangoon food places for Korean braised spicy chicken and more.
Address: 23 Serangoon Central, NEX Atrium Level 1, Singapore 556083
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 10:30am to 9pm, Fri-Sat 10:30am to 9:30pm
Website
ISETAN Sakura Matsuri Fair is not a halal-certified fair.
Photos taken by Hor Kia Ee and edited by Melvin Mak.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.