Raku Raku Japanese Dining - Duxton

Tanjong Pagar, to the southwest of Singapore’s Downtown Core, is home to a number of restaurants, frequented by the local clientele, a well-heeled bunch of discerning taste. Into the fray comes Raku Raku Japanese Dining, a no-nonsense Japanese sushi place, with a team of sushi chefs on hand to keep even the most knowledgeable sushi fan on their toes at the Duxton Road premises. Head down here for superior sushi, served up in minimalist surrounds.

Raku Raku Japanese Dining, which takes its name from the Japanese raku which means either enjoy or happy is among a number of excellent Japanese restaurants springing up in Tanjong Pagar. Raku Raku Japanese Dining bills itself as an izakaya which is as close to a pub as you’ll find in Japanese culinary traditions. These places, typically for after-work drinks and snacks only, are popular in Japan as places to let off steam before heading home. In reality, Duxton Road’s Raku Raku Japanese Dining in Singapore takes its food rather more seriously than a standard izakaya, although if you stop by at lunchtime, expect to be presented with a very restricted, albeit expertly prepared, menu.

Of course, as an izakaya, the best of Raku Raku Japanese Dining is only on display in the after-work rush. Then, diners head there for their simple staples (udon, unagi, soba noodles) as well as more complex offerings and their hand rolled sushi. One should be able to get a measure of the quality of a Japanese restaurant by the quality of their rice, and here, with their light, fluffy rice, perfect every time, Duxton Road’s Raku Raku Japanese Dining proves its worth. For those in Singapore looking for something a little different in Tanjong Pagar, Raku Raku Japanese Dining is an excellent alternative to generic pan-Asian cooking.