Khun Mookata @ Siglap

Come on all, you know me. I’ll recommend if a place is good. And good this is indeed – this is Khun Mookata @ Siglap. A relatively new place in Siglap for November’14 onwards, @ the food court at 727 East Coast Road – as in right next door to Siglap Centre on the junction there. There is a banner on the fence, but to be honest I have missed that for the 3 months apparently that Greg has been in operation here. Damn!!! But now I know, now I know where he lives my friends – and you should too.

In fact to book (as it is quite a small food court to be honest) – ping Greg at +65 9107 5908, or send him an email at qgguy@hotmail.com – I am very certain you’ll get more than a friendly response from Khun Mookata @ Siglap. It gets packed. He pretty much tales over the whole food court, and I am not joking there.

You have probably, well actually hopefully read some of the other reviews of my family experiences of Mookata along East Coast and beyond. Inclusive of beers for the 5 of us that will usually run to circa $260 on average for a fairly sumptuous feast. Kind of acceptable I suppose for a restaurant.

BUT – come here. We had an equally sumptuous feast. BUT with Wagyu beef certified from Japan, yes folks from Japan – not Australian copies, this is the real deal – more on that in a moment. We had lamb cutlets. We had masses of food, we had drinks, we ate and ate and ate. Truly we did. And all up it came to about $85 (inclusive of Japanese Wagyu, Lamb etc), and beers and drinks – so we can now leave our condo, walk ooooh about 5 minutes across the street, sample this absolutely fantastic fair 3.5 times for the same price as one opposite I12.

Makes you think hey! Should make you come here.

So our mate Greg is always changing the menu. Specials on there all the time from somewhere in the world. Like the Wagyu, like the lamb, and Iberico ham of all things as well. OMG, to me this place could start to a heavenly meat location, with very cheap beer, across the road from home. One downside is no wifi, and since I wrote this last time – the big guy has got us a baby seat. We are sorted!!! As Belinda Carlisle would say; “Heaven is a place on earth!” Sorry Bel, I reckon it’s here!!!

Greg is an ex chef of a Shabu Shabu restaurant – so well used to Japanese cooking methods, and now spinning that meat quality in to this Thai BBQ style fair with a heap of other very interesting and unique specials!!! Greg was the guy that recommended to us Mikawa Yakitori Bar, Siglap – remember that post?

You just have to come to meet Greg, the main man in the shot here – clearly a proud owner of Khun Mookata @ Siglap. Look at all those little red trays full of goodies to cook on the BBQ or in the broth that accompanies it. Go South of Greg and see the there red pots with spoons sticking out of the top. They are his own creations – 3x chili dipping sauces all with some secret ingredients – nicely done Greg! You MUST have these when you eat here.

A3 Grade Joshu Wagyu is on sale here and the sign says it all – well if you speak Japanese that is of course!!! This is the all important endorsement of the quality of this beef – it is like beef butter in your mouth my friends. We ended up having two plates of this!!! I think I deserve this sign outside my condo, I have eaten that much wagyu now. This was excellent though, and truly nice to see it is Japanese and to see the price too!!! WOW!!! And now months on, I reckon me and the family have likely eaten a whole Wagyu Cow – we just cannot get enough of this place Khun Mookata @ Siglap.

Being half Japanese he was by far the best qualified to be holding this delicacy for me to photo. Notice the deep marbling in this meat – too fatty you think? I tell you about 1 minute TOPS per side on the grill and this melts in to a buttery beef mouthful. Jazz her up with a little of Greg’s chili sauces – the Thai green one is a MUST, and here comes Fred Astaire again; “Heaven, I’m in heaven…” Sorry Ollie is a little blurry, as I was focusing on the meat and also looking at the meat my hands were shaking a tad – YUMMY!!!

The other side is more veggies, noodles etc. This is the meat and fish side. Pretty damn good I have to say – BUT don’t forget to ask Greg what’s on the specials – wagyu, lamb, Iberico ham. Most recently we have had the liver, lightly marinated in Mirin or Sake, and you just have to try the beef tongue. Again marinated in Mirin or Sake to take the over strong iron taste away. Both these were just to die for. Seriously. Delicious.

A sweeter red chili paste at the front, a sesame chili dip at the back inspired by Japan (so a little mirin and sake in there I think), and my favourite the green Thai chili dip to the left – deliciously citrus, with lime and lemon grass in there I think. All closely guarded secrets of the chef of course!

We love Mookata style cooking – or simply Thai BBQ. This one was over gas, but equally we have tried it in clay pots full of charcoal burning away to cook the meats and heat the stock. I mean come on how could you not want to come along here for this. Ok if you’re a vegetarian maybe, but then why on earth do you read my blog anyways ha ha. A grill in the middle for the meats to be cooked, non-stick provided initially by some melted pork fat. Then as the meat cooks all the juices run from the grill in to the soup broth where you cook all the vegetables.

You can easily have something like 5 or 6 bowls of little soups and every single one tastes different. I personally think the ones at the end are by far the best as once the meat is finished I deglaze the grill and get all the blackened charred bits in the soup – wow intense flavours then. But what so we have here; in the broth is sweetcorn, Chinese cabbage, glass noodles, silken tofu, straw mushrooms, and boiling eggs. On the grill is the thinly sliced and marinated pork belly, the bacon, the sausage, the lamb cutlets and sneaking in over the back and about to be devoured is our friend this evening the Wagyu. I mean just come on – a thing of beauty!!! Not an iPad or iPhone in sight. It’s a family thing. Everyone is involved with the ordering and the cooking. One of the best meals you will have as a family in Singapore – I kid you not!!!

So yes one and all.

Have we been back to Khun Mookata @ Siglap. Yes we have. Only about 10 times though. You must do too. Food is superb, and Greg, now my mate, and his team are just wonderful. They’ll engage with you and talk you through recommendations, what goes with what etc. not your usual food court experience you may think. Again to reiterate the commercials side of things – we can eat here 3.5 times, and eat Japanese Wagyu for the same price as one Mookata experience on the high street Katong, AND the beers are twice the size and only $7.50.

So I would suggest you should also drop by Khun Mookata @ Siglap, 100%. We love the place. We’re here 2 times a month.