Bijin Nabe 美人锅 @Plaza Singapura, New Extension

I always passed by this shop @Plaza Singapura (PS) extension, that is very packed and the waiting list full until they refuse to take in anymore guests for the day.  (Note: They do not take in any reservation)  The restaurant's signature dish is Bijin Nabe.  This dish is a great combination of fresh vegetables, seafood, chicken and healthy dose of collagen (serves minimum 2 pax).

The restaurant's seating capacity is rather small, very limited seating and thus they restrict each table approx. 1.5 hours to dine in.  You will not see any visible long queue outside the shopfront, as the door host will call you when your table is ready and you have to get to the restaurant preferably in 5 minutes.  Thus, make sure everyone arrives before you can take your seat.  I was determined to eat their bijin nabe on one of the Fridays, thus I arrived at the restaurant at 5.30pm to leave my name and contact number, then went shopping around PS.  To manage your expectations, the sweet door host will inform you the waiting time is about 2 hours, but my table was ready in an hour's time.  By that time I returned to the restaurant, their waiting list was already full for the night.  If you can't get your name on the waiting list before 7pm (peak hour), you can forget about eating at their restaurant, and expect to queue elsewhere for your dinner.  So for the moral of this experience, I got to quote this old phrase: "early bird gets to eat the worm!" (早起的鸟儿有虫吃！).

Tsukada Nojo
@Plaza Singapura extension
60B Orchard Road
#03-81 Atrium@Orchard
Singapore 238891
Tel: 6336 5003 (**No reservation is accepted!)
Offical Website: www.apcompan.jp

Standard menu (as shown below).  The set meal per person comes with all the essential ingredients and own choice of noodles (3 types to choose from).  The serving portion is just nice (you will be full even before eating the noodles, but you would want to miss trying out their specially-made noodles you can soaked in the remaining collagen soup), without overeating.  You can also add on and order additional items from this menu.

Look how big are the slabs of collagen pudding!  They're even bigger than my 2 fists add together!!  Y(^o^)Y

The friendly service staff can straightaway tell that we are there the very 1st time.  Without us asking or saying anything, they helped, guided and served us how to eat the bijin nabe as if they are our private butler.  ** Excellent service!!
Otherwise, one can always follow the recommended steps to on "How to eat Bijin Nabe" posters that are sticked onto the wooden planks and "tabe hajimeru" (start eating)! 

2 persons' share was more than satisfying and filling.  The soup base consisted of rich collagen and chicken, that was totally mesmerising!  It was so sweet and well-balanced with the chicken wings and drums hidden underneath the big collagen puddings.  With a metal spoon rolling the bamboo chicken, Tori Tsukune into meatballs.  It was very tender and tasty.
For $25++ per person, this is definitely a wondrous treat to the stomach and skin!


It is recommended by the staff to add in the seaweed paste (purposely made into heart-shape) and yuzu slices separately into one's bowl, instead of putting it into the entire pot of collagen soup.  Indeed, it altered the taste of the soup differently.  Very interesting taste!

Just when we have finished our meal (for about nearly 2 hours), the service staff handed us a namecard each (see below picture) and tell us to write down our name.  Apparently, the restaurant has a very special loyalty programme, which give their customers the job title of Asst. Manager during first visit and "promote" them to Manager on the next visit, with a surprise appetiser by the Chef.  And of cos, you can climb the corporate ladder further with more visits!  *smiles*

 

Before you leave, don't forget to take a picture with their adorable door host (whom I believed is a genuine Japanese and can speak very fluent English)!