Sun With Moon Light Review: Traditional Japanese Kettle Rice And Seven-Course Bentos At Jurong East

Sun With Moon Light serves Japanese kamameshi at JEM

Fans of Japanese food might be familiar with Sun With Moon at Wheelock Place, which has been in the biz since 2005. They’ve now opened a casual concept in the heartland called Sun With Moon Light, serving a more streamlined selection of their original menu. You can find it at JEM shopping centre, directly connected to Jurong East MRT Station. Westies can now try out traditional Japanese kettle rice and sumptuous lunch bentos with convenience and ease!

 

Food at Sun With Moon Light

Sun With Moon Light’s signature dish is kamameshi, AKA Japanese kettle rice. It is a traditional delicacy that has been eaten since ancient times, with preparation methods that are unpretentious while still incorporating high-quality ingredients. 

Japanese short-grain rice is steeped in an iron pot filled with  stock made from bonito and kelp to incorporate depth and umami. The rice is then cooked in a diverse medley of ingredients which each impart their essence, namely chestnut, mushroom, konjak, carrot, lotus root, and egg. Just imagine the complexity of flavours that is achieved!

I’m not a rice girly because I find plain white rice boring and a waste of precious stomach space. But the flavour-infused kettle rice had me gulping down every bite. The amount of liao also gave each bite a lot of variety for both flavour and texture.

There is a wide range of protein options available for the kamameshi. Those with a firm favourite can opt for the single-protein sets like Chicken Teriyaki Kamameshi ($15++) and Beef Yakiniku Kamameshi ($17++), while diners who want the best of both worlds can get duo sets such as the Saba And Shio Koji Salmon Kamameshi ($18++) and Unagi And Hotate Kamameshi. For maximum variety, there is an Aburi Kaisen Bara Kamameshi ($22++) which features salmon, unagi, scallop, sweet omelette cubes, and salmon roe.

All kamameshi sets come with a complimentary beverage and your choice of either a Mini Udon or Tonjiru. The former is a simple bowl of chewy noodles topped with a fishcake and some tenkasu AKA crunchy tempura bits. I’d recommend it to big eaters who want an extra dose of carbs to complete the meal. 

Don’t think you’re getting the short end of the stick by opting for the Tonjiru. It’s not just a plain ol’ bowl of instant miso soup, mind you! It’s simmered with heaps of goodies like pork, carrots, spring onions, and konjac. I found it very comforting and tasty, and a good break in between mouthfuls of rice to wash it all down. 

For an additional $3.50++, you can top up your kamameshi set with a side dish. We went for the cute Cheese Imo Mochi, which is a savoury potato mochi cake with melty cheese in the centre. Eat it while it’s hot for some oozy goodness, it definitely doesn’t hit the same once the cheese hardens. 

Alternatively, you can get the Ika Siew Mai, a unique twist on traditional pork and shrimp-based siew mai. The dumplings here are made with steamed squid and fish paste, providing a bouncy chew and subtly sweet seafood flavours. 

Aside from their Japanese kettle rice sets, another must-try at Sun With Moon Light is the Okemori Komachi Bento ($35++). As someone who loves to try as many dishes as possible instead of getting full from just one main, this grand sampling platter is right up my alley. It features six courses of savoury bites and one dessert. Familiar components are the Ika Siew Mai and Tonjiru.

There’s also a Deep-Fried Breaded Oyster which is crunchy on the outside, and plump and juicy within. It’s drizzled with a sweet and savoury tonkatsu sauce, and best eaten when it’s hot and crispy. 

Next up, a Chawanmushi with diced veggies and shimeji mushrooms. A Japanese meal just doesn’t feel complete without some silky egg custard, and this one hit the spot with a robust broth tinged with notes of vegetable.

We then moved on to a trio of savoury appetisers: Teriyaki Chicken, Potato Salad, and half a Marinated Egg. They’re all classics to fill your tummy with, and executed well. Special shout-out to the chicken for being very succulent, and having a nice charred finish.

To fill us up even further, there’s a plate of Spicy Aburi Salmon Roll as the main carb offering. Spice wimps need not fear, as the sauce is more creamy than hot. The filling of crabstick, avocado, and cucumber provided great variety in both texture and flavour, and the torched salmon made each of the six sushi pieces a satisfying and substantial mouthful.

Things are equally exciting on the dessert front. We rounded off our bento meal with a trio of desserts: Black Sesame Pudding, Green Tea Ice Cream, and Tofu Cheese Cake. Goma lovers will enjoy the pudding, which had a jiggly texture and black sesame flavours that were strong but not overpowering. The ice cream is an iconic pairing of matcha and red beans, with a pleasant earthy flavour and green tea aroma.

My fave was definitely the cheesecake though. Don’t go into it thinking it’ll be rich and decadent like your typical New York-style cheesecake. Made with tofu as the main ingredient, it’s unbelievably soft and light, with just a tiny whisper of sweet cream cheese as the undertone. It’s the perfect way to end off a very hearty meal, and won’t make you feel jelak in the slightest.

Ambience at Sun With Moon Light

Sun With Moon Light has a casual and welcoming atmosphere, ideal for a fuss-free yet filling and delicious meal when you’re roaming the Jurong East malls. It’s great that they have cosy round table booths to seat large groups while still enabling intimate convos. 

There’s also a long table to facilitate even bigger groups. If you’re thinking of hosting a gathering here, make sure to reserve ahead of time via the Sun With Moon website to secure the space. Otherwise, the smaller tables make for good lunch and dinner outings, albeit a bit cramped when the restaurant fills up during peak periods. 

The verdict

Singaporeans love Japanese cuisine, but most of what we try tends to skew towards the commercialised side. For a taste of something truly traditional, give kamameshi a go. The kettle rice at Sun With Moon Light is prepared with finesse and great care for the quality of every component.

It’s a wholesome culinary experience, and even forces you to slow down because a minute-long hourglass is provided with each set. This ensures that your rice is adequately steamed before uncovering the yummy contents. Suffice to say, we can all do with a little dash of zen with our food!

For more bento experiences where you can have little bites of many different dishes, check out Sunset On 11—a hidden rooftop restaurant opened by actor Adam Chen. They have various multi-sectioned bento boxes, including a sushi course where you DIY your own inari sushi and hand roll. And if you’re searching for more Jurong East eats, try out Bingz at Westgate, a famous rou jia mo chain from China. 

Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-13, JEM, Singapore 608549
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6334 1084
Website
Sun With Moon Light is not a halal-certified eatery.

 

Photos taken by Casandra Nicholas.
This was a media tasting at Sun With Moon Light.