Cuisine: Japanese

Address: 16 Raffles Quay #B1-33 Hong Leong Building, S 048581

Nearest MRT: Raffles Place, Downtown or Telok Ayer stations

Helmed by the team that brought us sake gastrobar Kabuke, each bowl is made with fresh ingredients and elegantly simple techniques that come together for a naturally flavourful serving of beef don.

Under the direction of Chef Rio Neo, Tokidon fuses traditional Japanese recipes with contemporary flavours. Great care is taken to ensure that our beef is prepared just right, from cooking them at optimal temperatures to maintaining a juicy, pink centre—all so we can serve up some seriously good beef.

I went to Tokidon with my friend on a Wednesday evening, under the Eatigo 30% discount. The Basement of the Hong Leong Building where Tokidon was located was deserted, except for a few other stalls which were still open. Most people working in the CBD go home or head out to other areas for dinner. I suppose the Basement caters more to the lunchtime crowd.

I was expecting more of a restaurant setting, but Tokidon has a canteen bar concept, with a long table and many high chairs. People usually eat and go at this place, because it is not conducive for chatting if you are sharing the table with other people.

Here are the main items on the menu.

The eatigo discount is applicable to all the rice bowls and ala carte items. I ordered the Truffle Wagyu Don because it was recommended while my friend went for the Truffle Tenderloin Don which was high in protein.

When the food arrived, I could smell the fragrance of the truffle oil from a distance. The beef is prepared at just the right temperature, so the beef is allowed to cool slightly before placing it on the bowl of Japanese short-grain rice. The beef is served medium rare, and it is really cooked to perfection. There was no blood dripping or that the beef was too tough to digest. I really enjoyed this rice bowl. For those who do not like to eat rice, there is also an option to swap the rice for cha soba (buckwheat noodles) or salad.

We also had a side dish of Tori Karaage Skewer, served with yuzu mayo. It was not too oily and for me not being a fan of mayo, I found the yuzu mayo to be quite refreshing and not too thick. There are also other sides such as Wagyu Suji Miso Soup, which is miso soup made from the wagyu stock; Spicy Corn Cup and Ebi Fried Skewer (prawn).

Overall, I enjoyed the peace and quiet at Tokidon after office hours. There was about 3-5 other people dining at the place when we visited. The rice bowls are wholesome and the portions are just right. The concept of the stall is simple and more importantly, the food is satisfying to the palate. The beef rice bowls are comparable to Tanuki Raw but without the crowds. Also, you can have drinks here but in my opinion, there is no atmosphere for drinking here.