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Hello Arigato, Upper Thomson Road, Singapore

Hello Arigato, Upper Thomson Road, Singapore

Address: 227 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574359
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:00am – 4:00pm, 6:00pm – 9:00pm, Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm, 6:00 – 9:00pm Closed on Mondays
Official Website: helloarigato.com
Hello Arigato menu
Hello Arigato Reservations
Instagram: helloarigato.official

@candidcuisine Sando craze at Hello Arigato #sgcafe #sgcafehopping #sgfood #sgfoodie #wheretoeatsg ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

After my quick trip to Upper Thomson Road to try out Woodlands Sourdough and Oaks Coffee Co, I decided to try out the much talked about sandos at Hello Arigato. Sandos are gaining ground nowadays, like chicken and waffles (which I don’t understand. Back in NYC, we love eating these southern favorites so I’m curious why Singapore has suddenly gone crazy with Chicken and Waffles. e.g. Yardbird, Revelry, Waffle Place, and even KFC!)

Reservations are a must at Hello Arigato, if you aren’t prepared for an hour long wait. There aren’t a lot of food choices in Upper Thomson that’s going to match Hello Arigato. So best to be prepared as always!

Hello Arigato Upper Thomson SG 1

I love the interiors at Hello Arigato. It’s clean, very Japanese and modern. But of course, we’re here for the food.

Hello Arigato Upper Thomson SG 2

Hello Arigato has attracted the attention of foodies for their sandos. Did you know that sandos or bread sandwiches were born in the 1600s (Opium War) when the Dutch and Portuguese trading ships introduced bread in the shores of Nagasaki, Japan? They were the first Shokupans… Then evolved to varieties that we know in depachikas and konbinis, including the Anpan. (Yes, like my favorite Adzuki pans at Johan Paris) And Sandos, being Yoshoku (western dishes stylized to the local palate) were first popularized before elevated to the Wagyu Sando.

Gyu Sando – SGD 26

Hello Arigato Upper Thomson SG 2

Hello Arigato doesn’t have the real wagyu in its “Gyu Sando”. They use a 160g Angus Striploin instead, and you can’t tell them how you like the doneness of your steak. So a bit of warning for those who don’t like red meat. I, on the other hand, actually need red meat for my diet. Hence, I was fine with it.

Unfortunately, the tenderness in the meat was uneven, so my teeth warred against the meat very often. Not only is the sando too thick for a lady’s mouth, the toughness of the meat is bound to make it a challenge to consume this piece of sando. I found myself deconstructing the sando midway just to eat it. I couldn’t wait to finish it. On the other hand, the caramelized onions were good. I liked the dimension it added to the beef, but I do think there’s plenty to improve at Hello Arigato.

For the price of SGD 26 (and you don’t get charged GST and service charge on top of that; I assume they’re all in the price), I thought it was a very good price point. The teriyaki sando would cost you SGD 15, the katsu sando at SGD 16, and perhaps if you split that with someone else and get the somen, it’s going to be a very satisfying meal. I could see the allure of Hello Arigato. We do need an approachable restaurant that doesn’t hurt our budget and one we can indulge in every now and then.