MUKAI, known in Tokyo for its towering seafood bowls, has opened its first Singapore outlet at Plaza Singapura.
The original MUKAI was ‘hidden’ inside a converted home in Shibuya, complete with tatami flooring, and drew diners for its generously loaded seafood rice bowls.
Now, you can have these without travelling to Japan.
The Singapore outlet looks considerably more polished, with pale stone flooring, warm wooden panels and a long central counter where you can catch all the action.
The restaurant calls its signature bowl “Kaiho Don” rather than the more familiar Kaisendon.
“Kaiho” translates to “sea treasure”, an apt name considering the amount of seafood stacked over each bowl of rice.
While a typical Kaisendon often comes with individual sashimi slices arranged over rice, MUKAI cuts much of the seafood into smaller pieces and builds them into a tall mound.
MUKAI Kaiho Don Choices
If you are curious about prices, they start at $28.90 for the classic Kaiho Don Nami, scaling up to $79.90 for the loaded Kaiho Don Goku Goku, with choices like the Jo ($32.90), Tokujo ($40.90), and Kiwami ($52.90) in between.
Every Kaiho Don comes with an appetiser, miso soup, broth and complimentary dessert.
Younger diners can order the Kaiho Don Kodomo ($19.90), while there are also more elaborate set meals like the Haō Set ($68) and MUKAI Set ($99).
There is actually quite a bit of choice when ordering your Kaiho Don. You can pick the rice portion from Small (150g), Medium (200g), Large (250g) or Extra Large (350g), followed by either white rice or mixed grain rice.
You also get to choose between white vinegar and red vinegar for the rice, then Katsuobushi Dashi or Asari Dashi for the ochazuke later. Condiments can be adjusted too, with wasabi, ginger, both or neither.
How To Eat Your Kaiho Don
The Kaiho Don makes quite an entrance, arriving with its chopped seafood stacked unusually high over the rice.
Chopped tuna, salmon, amberjack and sea bream are piled over seasoned sushi rice or mixed grain rice, then crowned with ikura and, depending on the bowl, toro and uni.
Since the fish comes chopped, it is easy to scoop up several varieties at once.
Here’s the thing: I would still resist stirring the entire bowl together from the start. I would recommend trying the different seafood separately first, before combining smaller portions with the ikura, shiso and seasoned rice.
The more interesting part comes halfway through the meal. Katsuobushi Dashi or Asari Dashi (my preferred) is poured over the remaining seafood and rice, changing the bowl into a warm ochazuke.
That shift from a chilled seafood bowl to a warm, comforting broth is really what defines the experience here. One bowl, two ways of eating.
The Haō Set ($68, $52.90 for Kaiho Don Kiwami à la carte)
This Haō Set comes with Kaiho Don Kiwami, Maguro Daikon, arajiru miso soup, seasonal dessert, and a choice of barley tea or green tea.
The Kiwami itself is a generous assembly of toro, tuna tataki, salmon, sea bream, and amberjack, finished with extra sea urchin, ikura, and shiso.
It is a substantial bowl, particularly when the sweet uni and luscious toro land in the same bite.
I found myself reaching for the warm Maguro Daikon between spoonfuls, as its soft, braised flavour offered a welcome contrast to the cold seafood.
The MUKAI Set ($99, $79.90 for Kaiho Don Goku Goku à la carte)
The MUKAI Set is the most elaborate option, combining the Kaiho Don Goku Goku with Maguro Gobo, arajiru miso soup, seasonal dessert, and tea.
Limited to 30 bowls each day, the Goku Goku arrives with a tall mound of chopped seafood surrounded by a ring of sashimi slices.
It packs in toro, tuna tataki, salmon, sea bream, amberjack, uni, ikura and shiso. It is a showstopper of a bowl, offering a wave of umami and sea sweetness once the toro, uni and roe come together over the rice.
At this price, it is built for diners who want the most complete and luxurious version of MUKAI.
Kaiho Don Nami ($28.90)
The classic Kaiho Don Nami ($28.90) is easily the most approachable bowl on the menu, yet it holds its own.
It features a clean blend of tuna, tuna tataki, salmon, sea bream, and amberjack, topped with salmon roe and shiso.
That simplicity works in its favour, letting the clean sweetness of the sea bream and amberjack cut through the fuller flavours of the salmon and tuna.
Kaiho Don Tokujo ($40.90)
The Tokujo hits a sweet spot if you want premium toppings without overordering.
It comes with toro (fatty tuna), tuna tataki, salmon, sea bream and amberjack, topped with uni, ikura and shiso.
The uni added a creamy sweetness, while the toro had a softer, buttery, almost melt-in-the-mouth texture compared to the other fish.
I liked that there was enough variety to keep each bite interesting, while still giving you a good range of flavours.
MUKAI Side Dishes
Beyond the rice bowls, the menu also makes use of tuna from head to tail, keeping wastage low while giving diners a chance to try different parts of the fish.
Tuna sides include Maguro Gobo ($15.90), Maguro Namero ($11.90), Maguro Yukke ($11.90) and Maguro Daikon ($9.90), alongside Tamagoyaki ($6.90) and Seasonal Dessert ($8).
My favourite side dish was the Maguro Yukke ($11.90), made with tuna seasoned with gochujang (which adds some heat) and sesame, then served with a shoyu marinated egg yolk.
Most versions of yukke simply come with a raw egg yolk on top, so the extra marination made a noticeable difference here. Breaking the yolk into the tuna gave it a smoother texture and deeper savoury flavour.
If you are looking for something exclusive to the Singapore outlet, then order the Maguro Gobo ($15.90) which combines cubed tuna with burdock root and a simmered house sauce.
Gobo? It uses the darker blood muscle of the tuna, which has a firmer texture and a deeper flavour.
Some diners may even find the texture very similar to beef.
For something more comforting, there is the Maguro Daikon ($9.90).
It comes with a thick piece of daikon that has absorbed the simmering sauce, soft enough to pull apart easily with a spoon (or even chopsticks – I tried).
While prices at MUKAI sit higher than standard casual spots, every order comes as a complete set with an appetiser, soup, broth, and dessert.
For a first visit, the Kaiho Don Nami offers a clear introduction to the concept at a more approachable price. The Tokujo would be my pick for a step up, with toro and uni adding that premium touch.
Come for the impressive mound of seafood, but it is the contrast between the two ways of enjoying the bowl that makes MUKAI worth trying.
MUKAI Singapore
Plaza Singapura #B1-07, 68 Orchard Road, Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 6219 4846
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 11:30am – 10pm (Sat – Sun), Last Order 9pm
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with MUKAI.
