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Tempura Makino, Suntec City, Singapore

Tempura Makino, Suntec City, Singapore
@candidcuisine because Japan #sgfoodie #sgfood #sgrestaurant #wheretoeatsg ♬ Tokyo Drift – Xavier Wulf

Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard #02-305/308/311 Suntec City Mall, 038983
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00am – 10:00pm
Official Website: tempuramakino.com.sg
Tempura Makino Menu

Interestingly, there seems to be a wave of tempura restaurants opening here in Singapore. That’s about the same as Yakiniku restaurants, sushi, and Donki outlets. I’m guessing a lot of businesses are capitalizing with the demand for all things Japanese.

Tempura Makino and Tenjin recently joined the scene of tempura restaurants, and today it’s the battle of whoever can cook the lightest and crispiest tempura at really attractive price points. Tenjin is slightly cheaper than Makino, and Makino sits in the middle of Tenjin and Tenya. I like Tenya a lot and still consider it as a great choice for anyone craving for a quick tempura fix.

Tempura Makino SG 1

Tempura Makino doesn’t disappoint, in my opinion. Their Tendon Set is incredibly good value at $19.90, and is loaded with a bevy of tempura variants: prawns, chicken fillet, mushroom, asparagus, fish, egg, and butternut pumpkin — which is my favorite out of everything.

Tempura Makino SG 1

Tempura Makino manages to sneak an onsen egg in the bowl, and to the confused, they might be tempted to get the tempura set and order an additional egg on the side. Resist, and get the tendon set, because they are the same and you save $2.50. It’s a lesson of who reads the menu or not, and again, it’s best to put where your money’s worth.

Tempura Makino SG 1

If you prefer the tempura separate from the rice, Tempura Makino sells their Prawn and Vegetable set at an affordable $20. Here, you can relish the crispiness of the tempura batter and I find this lighter than the tendon.

One small complaint from me is that Tempura Makino does things slowly: Tsudoage style. They cook the tempura one by one, and the result is a near 30 minute waiting time for your tendon set, if unfortunately you end up with a batch of other orders about the same time as you. So don’t come here super hungry, and buffer for when you queue. The queue has nothing to do with demand; the turnover of tables is slow because of the cooking time.

That said, I felt it was the first time during the pandemic for me to sit in a booth and wait for my food beyond the 15 minute mark. Most restaurants would want to quickly serve as many customers as possible. In Tempura Makino’s case, be patient. You’ll get your tempura.