This New Japanese Eatery Has Okinawan Street Food—Taco Rice, Onigiri Sandwiches And More

Karii has Okinawan street food at Suntec

From Hokkien mee ravioli to green curry omurice, working at Eatbook means that we’ve had our fair share of unique fusion food. That said, we’ve never thought of pairing tacos with rice—until now. If you’ve passed by Suntec City recently, you might have noticed something new. Opened just last month, Karii is a new restaurant serving Okinawan taco rice bowls and other tasty Japanese street food, including soba, onigiri, desserts and more!

While we hadn’t heard of taco rice before, we were told it’s a popular Okinawan street snack that combines bold taco fillings with fresh veggies and Japanese rice. Interestingly, the dish was created to cater to the American troops stationed at the many US bases in Okinawa post WWII.

At Karii, you get to enjoy the unique dish with either Hokkaido Pork ($6.80++) or Beef ($7.80++), along with delicious sides including Teriyaki Chicken ($3.50++), Unagi Kabayaki ($5.50++), and Goya Tempura ($2++), AKA bittergourd fritters.

FYI, if you’re watching your carb intake, you can request to swap out the rice for a larger portion of veggies instead.

As recommended by the staff, we went with their Hokkaido Pork bowl, featuring freshly steamed Japanese rice, melty cheese, fresh arugula, shredded cabbage, and a load of minced Hokkaido pork in a savoury-tangy, tomato-based sauce.

The taco rice paired great with the Unagi Kabayaki. Though a tad small in size, it was juicy, tender, and slathered in a delicious sweet-savoury glaze.

Despite not being fans of bittergourd, we enjoyed the Goya Tempura. Each slice added a subtle bitterness that cut through the richness of the dish. The batter was also light and not too thick, adding an addictive crunch.

Apart from their taco rice bowls, they’ve also got several onigiri flavours on the menu.

A standout is the Mentai Ebi Onigiri (from $9.50++), pairing fluffy Japanese rice with a thick slice of spam, sweet rolled omelette, lettuce, and crunchy tiger prawn tempura, finished with creamy mentaiko mayo, before it’s all wrapped in fresh Japanese seaweed.

Spend an extra $3.50++ to complete your meal with a bowl of miso soup, a side of pickled Japanese seaweed, and two appetisers of the day.

For something more filling, order yourself a warm, comforting bowl of Okinawa Soba ($8.80++/$13.80++), starring chewy Okinawan wheat flour soba, bouncy, tubed-shaped fish cakes, red pickled ginger, and thick slices of braised pork belly in a savoury pork and bonito-based miso broth.

End off your meal with their Assorted Sata Andagi ($3.50++), AKA crunchy and cakey deep-fried Okinawan doughnuts.

Each serving comes with three flavours: earthy sweet potato, fragrant vanilla, and sweet brown sugar.

Karii is located in the basement of Suntec City, a quick two-minute walk from Promenade MRT Station and a six-minute walk from Esplanade MRT Station.

For more Japanese food recommendations, read our guide to the best ramen in Singapore, including famous restaurants from Japan. Alternatively, check out our ranking of the best shio pan in Singapore.

Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #B1-170, Singapore 038983
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6970 8837
Website
Karii is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Heather Ng.
This was a media tasting at Karii.