Mitsuba

When I was younger, the Japanese buffet was one of my favourite choices when visiting restaurants for weekend meals or catching up with friends. The main reason was due to the unlimited servings of sashimi and quality Japanese dishes which would otherwise cost a bomb when ordered via a la carte

As I was buying an intern a farewell meal, his favourite Japanese buffet restaurant was chosen and we decided to go with his choice. Located within The Central, Mitsuba is very spacious and has seats with a nice view of the Singapore River. My only complaint was the table we got had really low backing which made sitting for a long time quite tiring

First up at any Japanese buffet, go in for the sashimi and we ordered multiple portions. The selection of sashimi was limited to salmon, tuna, yellowtail, amberjack and swordfish. The selection for sushi was more varied with options like Ikura, Ebiko, Minced tuna and Minced salmon chunks. The freshness of the fish in both sashimi and sushi was ok and the thickness of the slices was also generous. The seaweed of the sushi was also crispy when served which is my basic expectation of a good sushi

The next group of items we ordered were from the fried list which can hardly go wrong except the miniature serving in each order. The fried octopus leg is considered 1 portion which was served on a small dipping plate whereas the prawns were an order of 6 which came on a bigger porcelain plate. The fried dishes were all well-fried and crispy and most importantly not overly greasy. The only exception was the pork belly which was slightly tough to bite and the skin was not extremely crispy

The grilled items also have quite a good selection from unagi, grilled prawns with cheese, grilled Gindara, grilled beef steak, enoki mushroom wrapped with pork belly, scallops wrapped with bacon and grilled Tamago. The grilled prawns were great and big in size and we ordered multiple rounds although it took some time to be served. The Gindara was nice and tender but the serving size was really pathetic so we had to click multiple times to get a proper serving for 4 people. For each item, they were served in a sauce plate-sized plate so if you have a big group. do order many at one go

The chawanmushi was served with Ikura and was quite smooth and light in flavour and is relatively decent for a chawanmushi served in a buffet

Overall, the food at Mitsuba Buffet is decent for the price of SGD 56.90 ( before tax), which I would rate at the level of Sushi Tei. The sashimi is fresh enough although it is not the best cut and does not have more selection. The atmosphere is also nice and quiet for proper chats with the service staff being very attentive in clearing plates and taking new orders. There is also an option for their premium buffet at SGD 99.90 which includes items like raw oysters, scallops, lamb steak, wagyu steak, foie gras, crayfish, Iberico pork ribs, lobster bisque as well as all items in the regular buffet. You can also look out for their multiple promotions during weekdays. If I were to visit again, I would definitely ask for the tables near the window with better backing

Address: 6 Eu Tong Sen St, #03-88, Singapore 059817

Operating hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm