Loaded Tray Of Uni Atop Kaisendon Costs Only $21, But You’ll Have To Queue 1 Hour For It
A bowl of rice crowned with creamy lobes of orange sea urchin is never not #foodporn. However, it is also nothing out of the ordinary at many Japanese restaurants. Hana-Hana Japanese Restaurant takes things to the next level by serving a bunch of uni still packed in its quintessential wooden tray - jammed vertically into a heaping sashimi rice bowl. It screams “look at me!” as it sticks out both awkwardly and enticingly. We can’t decide if we’re impressed or concerned that it’s low-key unsanitary (we don’t know what surfaces those trays have touched at the seafood market). Whatever the case, it’s a conversation-starter and great for the ’gram.
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What’s even more attention-grabbing? Its attractive starting price of $21.20 for a half tray of uni (about 25g to 30g). Good-quality uni is usually a lot more expensive.
Long queues
If you’re planning to get your paws on some, well, you’ll currently have to endure up to an hour’s wait for it. Hana-Hana’s Teppei Yamashita (owner of the Teppei Group, also behind concepts like Kai Kai Sushi & Grill in Wisma Atria and Teppei Japanese Restaurant next door to Hana-Hana), 43, tells 8days.sg: “In the past week, the queue time ranges from around 45 minutes to an hour, with over 20 people in the queue”. Interesting, since this dish was available since last year but only made its rounds on the internet lately. Reservations aren’t allowed, as the casual eatery accepts walk-ins only.
Uni imported from Fukuoka
One might think that uni this affordable couldn’t possibly be sourced from Japan, but Teppei tells us otherwise. According to him, Hana-Hana uses “Ita Uni from Fukuoka”, which he says is one of the most affordable uni he has managed to import from Japan. We haven’t tried this uni yet, so we can’t vouch for its quality. All we can say is - at these prices, don’t expect premium bafun or murasakai uni, obviously.
“I want to share the joy of Japanese cuisine with more people, so I keep my prices affordable by optimising the costs by sourcing uni directly from fishermen [in Fukuoka],” he says. He declines to elaborate more, but hints at his profit margins being low for this dish.
Serving uni in trays ’cos of convenience
How’d he get the idea to stuff uni still in its wooden tray into a rice bowl? “We have regulars who love uni, and have been ordering it a la carte to put on top of their kaisendon. However, it’s hard to present it nicely when we scoop it out of their trays especially on a busy day, so we decided to sell the dons with the tray inside [the bowl],” Teppei explains. Guess he’s taking the ‘work smarter not harder’ mantra seriously.
Uni don from $21.20
Each full tray at Hana-Hana carries 50g to 60g of uni - thinly spread across the base. There are two options available with half trays of uni: the Uni Kaisendon ($21.20) and Uni Ikura Don ($28.80). To upgrade to a full tray of uni, top up $16.
The Uni Kaisendon comes with a medley of raw seafood chunks like salmon, hamachi (Japanese yellowtail), maguro (tuna) and baby scallops, while the ikura don brims with briny salmon roe. A shallow, narrow tray of uni is then wedged into a corner of the bowl. If you order the half-tray, the chef will split it with a knife.
What about wood shavings?
But what about wood shavings from the sliced half-tray? Teppei says: “With the right angle, skill and a sharp knife, it’s easy [to cut the uni tray]. We try to shake off any splinters. As per fish bones, customers need to be careful when they consume their food.” Ok, but is it somewhat unhygienic to have a wooden tray placed atop rice? He assures us that the trays are clean and wrapped well with each shipment.
Japanese chef-owner Teppei Yamashita
Only 50 half-tray bowls available weekly
Teppei tells us that there’s only an average of 50 half-tray uni bowls served each week, available on a first-come-first-served basis. He is, however, trying to get more sea urchin in so he can sell more trays. “The demand is very high, and it’s best to come on a Friday when we get fresh stock,” he advises.
Hana-Hana Japanese Restaurant is at #01-17 Orchid Hotel Singapore, 1 Tras Link, S078867. Open Mon to Fri 11.45am - 2.30pm; 6.30pm - 10.30pm & Sat 12pm - 2.30pm; 6.30pm - 10.30pm. Closed on Sun. Tel: 6444 7753.
Photos: Hana-Hana Japanese Restaurant
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