Ninja Cut Review: Hipster Japanese Cafe For Mentaiko And Matcha Lovers

Ninja Cut , the sister cafe of Ninja Bowl , gets this. Food at Ninja Cut One of the more interesting sides is Sweet Potato Fries ($10) topped with mentaiko cream, torched marshmallows, bacon bits and melted cheese. Like a lure for the hungry, the plate arrived to the table with a rush of steam, exuding a warm, salty air that reminded me of a pizzeria.

Tempted, I immediately pulled some fries from the plate and watched the melted cheese stretch and snap before popping it in my mouth. I nclude all the different components in one mouthful to get layers of warm, sweet and smokey notes at once – #foodgasm.

The most disappointing component was the mentaiko cream, or the lack of it, as compared to photos I saw on Instagram before dropping by. Oceans of Mentaiko ($18) is a reinterpretation of Ninja Bowl’s Ebisu Stew , which is topped with fat Hokkaido scallops, New Zealand mussels and two slices of slightly chewy toast. Though both are priced the same, Ninja Cut throws in a couple of prawns to accompany the rich mentaiko butter cream sauce, a change from Ninja Bowl’s miso cream base.

Each ingredient in this umami-packed bowl of crustaceans was cooked well, but I loved the prawns the most. The lining of the prawn was tight, but the meat remained soft as it exploded in my mouth.

It’s a shame there was barely an inch of broth around the bowl as I’d have loved to shamelessly slurped it up like soup. Though Marvellous Matcha ($16) is listed under brunch, I was given the option of having it served later like a dessert.

As a die-hard matcha lover, the hotcake itself really was the winner of the show and I’d gladly pay to break it open once more and watch the matcha stream flow. That said, the dish was quite confusing on my palate, as each flavour of citrus, matcha, speculoos and red bean was strong, and I’d much rather have it one component at a time.

As a rich dish that can be too jelak for 1, I’d recommend it shared between 2 to 4. Ambience at Ninja Cut Similar to Ninja Bowl, Ninja Cut presents the same industrial-minimalist vibe complete with concrete walls, clipboard menu and even throwing in some brass hangers for magazines. At the end of my meal, they were also more than happy to help me take-away my leftovers, keeping it by the counter until I was ready to leave.

The verdict Ninja Cut’s menu takes the best of what works in the brunch world and revamps it with Japanese influences. If you’ve decided to treat yourself, opt for Char Siew Peekaboo ($16) , a cha siew roulade with honey-glazed carrots, or The Cheeky Cheese ($18) , which features 24-hour braised Japanese curry beef cheek served with a grilled cheese sandwich. If Japanese fusion dishes are your thing, then Ninja Cut is the place to be.