Shin Minori @ UE Square

Shin Minori started out quite a number of years back when Japanese buffets were all the rage for me and the companions - if memory serves me right, the chef from Minori used to be from Hanabi.The post- Wong Ah Yoke article syndrome waved me off from patronizing and it was until this day that I paid it a visit.


interior

Spacious restaurant that fills up quite fast. Reservations are highly recommended.

buffet alert

The pair of chopsticks that would last me the whole meal.

order lists

The long list of dishes - try them all at your own risk.

tea

Green tea for neverending and prompt refills.

sashimi

Sashimi Moriwase
Assorted Raw Seafood - Tuna, Salmon, Yellow Tail, Snapper, Swordfish, Octopus,  Cuttlefish


Pretty fresh sashimi which prompted re-orders of this.

chawanmushi1

More of the appetizers to fill the table!

chawanmushi

Chawanmushi
Steamed Egg Custard

Not usually a fan but this was alright.

edamame

Edamame
Japanese Peas

Perfect for nibbling whilst the other dishes arrive.

orange salad

Momo Sarada
Peach Salad

For the psuedo healthnuts.

chicken salad

Tori Sarada
Chicken Salad

Spot where the chicken slices are! Lost in a bowl full of lettuce leaves and delectable Japanese salad sauce. The salad sauce is one of those lifesavers for any bowl of drab salad, just like mayo.
 

agedashi

Agedashi Toufu
Deep Fried Bean Curd in Chicken Broth

The broth was oddly too clear and plain tasting. Tofu though fried was not great. Not a fan.

soups

Miso Shiru
Bean Paste Soup

Ton Shiru
Bean Paste Soup with Pork Belly

Asari Shiru
Bean Paste Soup with Clams

Kani Miso Shiru
Cream of crab bean paste soup
  
Ok, all tasted the same. I could not tell the huge difference between any of that. Miso soup is miso soup, especially for buffets.

handrolls

Spider Temaki
Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab


Ebi Tenpura Temaki
Deep Fried Tempura Prawn

Shoddy work expected, shoddy work delivered. At least seaweed was crisp.


sushi

Ebi Tenpura Maki
Deep Fried Tempura prawn

Decent-tasting sushi though the uneven sizes and thickness was annoying.

california maki

California Maki
Crab Meat Stick/Avocado/Cucumber

Either the skill of the chef or the mat was the culprit.

salmon maki

Norwegian Shake
Chizu Maki Salmon with Cream Cheese

More of these plates to silence the hunger. Cream cheese with salmon is an interesting combination.

chicken mayo

Tori Wasabi Mayo
Chicken Pieces with Wasabi Mayonnaise

As literal as it looks, pity the wasabi mayo did not pack a punch.

fried chicken

Tori Karaage
Marinated Chicken Pieces


Perfect with beer!

fried shisamo

Kisu Tenpura
Fish Tempura
 
Did not attempt was this was supposedly huge shisamos.

fried crabs

Kani Tenpura
One Mouth Crab Tempura

Now this is a must order and must-reorder! Not quite widely found across places, in fact this is the first time I am eating them at a buffet. Loved these little crunchy crustaceans, fried to such crispness.

tempura

Tenpura Moriawase
Assorted Tempura Prawns/Fish/Vegetables

At least this was crispy, nice dipping sauce to go with it.

yakitori

Tori Teriyaki
Chicken with Sweet Soy Sauce

Nicely charred edges though this ain't no Tori-Q.

grilled salmon

Shake Teriyaki
Grilled Salmon with Sweet Soy Sauce

Snapped up too fast to attempt, so I reckon it must have been really good.

beef

Gyuniku Shogayaki
Beef with Special Sauce

Surprisingly tasty, a bowl of rice with this would have been ideal.

teriyaki chicken

Tori Teriyaki
Chicken with Sweet Soy Sauce

Sweetened chicken chunks, oiishii much!

Their yakitori items come with a variety of seasonings - tare and shio yet the differences can barely be discerned.

grilled eggplant

Nasu Dengaku
Eggplant with Yuzu Miso

Miso-flavoured eggplant cubes, meant for the sweet toothed.

grilled chicken balls

Tsukune
Chicken Meat Ball

Dry meat ball.

grilled quail eggs

Uzura
Quail Eggs

Nothing to scream about.

grilled shisamo

Shishamo
Pregnant Capelin

These pregnant fish are always so irresistible, especially on skewers.

pizza

Hotate Be-kon Piza
Scallop Bacon Pizza

Thick biscuit base defines this pizza, very japanese in ingredients. I actually liked it enough - melted strands of cheese, plump scallops and barbeque sauce.

garlic fried rice

Ninniku Yaki Meshi
Garlic Fried Rice

Pretty well done, considering how the rest of the dishes actually turned out. Despite being one of the last few dishes to arrive and a carb dish as well, this was polished off quite fast. Loved the chewy grains.

pasta 

Mentai Supagettii
Cod Roe Spaghetti

Surprisingly tasty, done al dente. 

I am definitely past the stage of gorging myself silly with every buffet or attempting every single item they have - pick and choose wisely to maximise the tum space for the meal. Otherwise, Shin Minori is average at best. No major surprises. 

146 dishes to conquer, if you have the guts. If not, pick good company to enjoy the meal. Service gets increasingly slipshod, orders get forgotten and remembered only to be served after the hunger has disappeared. Like most other Japanese buffets, desserts are nowhere to be found.

Shin Minori
UE Square

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