Kiyoshi Japanese Restaurant at Amoy Street

A short walk away from the Telok Ayer MRT station is newly opened Kiyoshi which prides itself on fresh ingredients prepared using an innovative, contemporary approach. The restaurant specialises in inaniwa udon, a type of udon made in the Inaniwa area of Inakawa machi, Akita prefecture.

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We started with Yakitori best paired with the Kirin beers available here as well. Our favourites were the Chicken wings and the asparagus wrapped with Bacon. Each stick was nicely cooked and the interesting pairing of special salts.

Yakitori (Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce) – $2.00
Buta Bara (Pork Belly with Teriyaki Sauce) – $2.50
Bacon Aspara Maki (Asparagus wrapped with Bacon)- $4.00
Gyu Enoki Maki (Enoki wrapped with Sliced Beef) – $4.00
Tebasaki (Grilled Chicken Wings)- $2.80
Cheese Maki (Mozzarella Cheese wrapped with Sliced Pork)-$3.50

Kiyoshi also offers some interesting Makis that you might not find anywhere else such as the Salmon Cheese Roll (Salmon, Cucumber and Cream Cheese Roll topped with Cheese and Sliced Salmon) – $13.80 and the Soft Shell Crab Roll (Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab and Cucumber Roll topped with Flying Fish Roe) – $13.80. I did not really fancy the Salmon cheese as I found the cheese an overbearing flavouring that overpowered the dish. The Softshell crab roll faired much better being a little more balance in taste.

Sushi Don

Lovers of Bara Chirashi Don – $18.80 can rejoice as the Marinated Sashimi and Salmon Roe Rice Bowl is fresh and well-executed. The surprise comes with a complimentary bowl of Miso Soup which was addictive and had layers of umami flavours.

Nabe Mono

For a cold day try the Seafood Nabeyaki Udon (Hot Pot Soup Udon topped with Prawn, Clam, Half Shell Scallop, Vegetables and Mushroom) – $21.80. The hearty pot hit the spot and again the broth similar to the Miso soup had a deep of flavour that complemented the seafood without being overpowering. The prawn was really sweet and the seafood was fresh.

Inaniwa Udon

The Udon at Kiyoshi is really special, this cream coloured udon is hand-stretched and is slightly thinner than regular udon, yet thicker than sōmen, or hiyamugi noodles. The most important part of the making process is the repeated hand-kneading technique which helps it to achieve its thin, smooth and delicate, melt-in-your mouth texture.

This shines when we tried the Aburi Salmon Salad Udon (Cold Thin Noodle with Seared Salmon and Mixed Greens) – $18.80. This would be perfect for those looking for a light and healthy meal. The bouncy texture of the udon soaked up the salty flavours of the sauce and compliments the mild-tasting seared salmon.

For the love of Tempura, dive straight into the Tempura Oroshi Udon (Cold Thin Noodle with Prawn Tempura, Grated Radish, Wild Vegetables, Seaweed and Bonito Flakes) – $18.80. The large prawn was sweet and very fresh. The natural sweetness of the vegetables went really well with the cold noodles.

The Tem Chirsashi Udon ( Cold Thin Noodles with Assorted Tempura – Scallop, Cherry Tomato, Mushroom, Avocado and Capsicum) – $16.80 was an innovative play of texture with the crispy textures from the tempura and the chewy textures of the cold noodles, a perfect summer dish!

Soba

For those looking for Soba, try the Tempura with Cha Soba (Warm Soup Noodles with Prawn and Vegetable Tempura topped with Fish Cake, Seaweed and Leek) – $19.80. This textbook Japanese dish was well executed without any noticeable flaws.

Ramen

One of our favourite of the night went to the Gekikara Ramen (Spicy Bean Paste Soup Noodle with Prawn, Squid, Pork and Vegetables) – $18.80. The dish actually tasted very Korean! perfect comfort food that brings a spicy burn that was Shiok.

In Summary

Kiyoshi brings fresh and authentic noodle experiences at wallet-friendly prices. Other highlights of Kiyoshi include sashimi, donburi, ramen, yakitori and affordably priced bento sets. The clean and bright interiors are good for small groups of diners for a night of Japanese beers and Yakitoris or a casual business lunch.