If you’re working in the CBD and are looking for an affordable meal for your lunch break, head over to Onori at Far East Square in Raffles Place. This new Japanese eatery serves up premium handrolls with crab, unagi, uni and more. Better yet, everything is priced from $3.50+!
Onori offers their handrolls in sets of three, four, and five for $11.90+, $14.90+, and $17.90+, respectively. This works out to be $3.58+ per piece, which is considered a great deal in our books. You can order them individually, but we recommend getting their sets for the best bang for your buck.
Each roll is made fresh to order with Akitakomachi rice, known to be really soft yet firm to keep the handrolls in shape. The rice is steeped in red vinegar and kombu to achieve a richer flavour.
They don’t skimp on the quality of their seaweed either, as each roll is wrapped with high-quality Japanese nori. They’re even sheathed in plastic sleeves to ensure that they stay crisp.
A crowd favourite is the Hotate w Uni Paste ($7+), which pairs soft, buttery scallops with uni paste, fresh jellyfish, and thin sheets of shio kombu, before being topped with flying fish roe and crispy rice cracker balls.
Another banger is the Unagi Kabayaki ($5.50+), starring grilled unagi in a sweet-savoury glaze and XO sesame conpoy sauce on a bed of fluffy tamagoyaki, garnished with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
We enjoyed the Miso Gindara ($6.50+), a winning combination of torched black cod, sweet saikyo miso, charred asparagus, leeks, and ginger flower, finished with thin, delicate strands of subtly spicy ito togarashi, AKA angel hair chilli.
We also had the Aburi Engawa ($7.50+), featuring fatty, melt-in-your-mouth tender engawa in a sweet-savoury soy sauce, served with herby shiso pesto, torched cabbage, sea grapes, and bonito flakes.
The Snow Crab & Negitoro ($6.50+) was my personal favourite, stuffed generously with shio koji negitoro, AKA fatty tuna in a fermented marinade, shredded snow crab, cucumber slices, sake lees, and a refreshing sweet-tangy yuzu marmalade.
Upsize your set with one of their handcrafted drinks, with three options to choose from: Iced Matcha (from $3.90+), Iced Matcha Latte (from $4.90+), and Yuzu Jelly (from $3.90+).
FYI, these drinks are also available a la carte for an additional $1+ each.
The Iced Matcha Latte is made using the first harvest of matcha leaves and fresh milk to achieve a creamy mouthfeel and a balance between sweet and earthy notes.
The Yuzu Jelly was equally delicious, comprising yuzu juice, yuzu-flavoured jelly, and candied chunks of the citrus fruit.
Onori is located on the first floor of Far East Square, a two-minute walk from Telok Ayer MRT Station. We recommend visiting early, as seats are limited and can get quite busy during peak periods.
Check out our Instagram video below for our feature of Onori.
In related content, read our Telok Ayer cafe guide for brunch and coffee options in the CBD. Alternatively, check out our Telok Ayer food guide for more great eats in the area.
Address: 135 Amoy Street, #01-03, Far East Square, Singapore 049964
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 8pm, Sat 11:30am to 3pm
Tel: 6298 2236
Website
Onori is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.