Ichizen: Heartland kopitiam stall with restaurant-quality tendon from $7.50 by hip ‘ojisan’

I love tendons and each time I head to a Japanese restaurant in town to fix my cravings, I need to fork out at least S$20++ — something to indulge in, mostly reserved for weekends ONLY. But I recently chanced upon a Facebook post mentioning Ichizen, a kopitiam stall at 19 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh that sells tendon at half the price!

“Would lower prices mean subpar quality?” I thought to myself. I decided to give them a try. The 4-month-old stall is manned by a middle-aged chef who sports a bandana that keeps his curly locks in check. If he (declined to share his name) doesn’t open his mouth, he can pass off as a stylish ojisan (Japanese uncle).

Previously, Ichizen was situated within SAFRA Mount Faber which, honestly, is a little inaccessible — unless you drive up (or hike a little). “It felt like no-man’s land there, and we didn’t have much business in the past,” he commented.

Thankfully, after moving to the heartlands, sales are much better.

What I tried at Ichizen

For the tempura series, the menu has a veggie-only Yasai Ten Don (S$7.50), Ten Don (S$9.50) and a luxurious Seafood Ten Don (S$11.50). I kicked things into gear with the Ten Don. 

The bowl contained Japanese rice crowned with 2 prawns, 1 fish, a single enoki mushroom, and vegetables like broccoli, carrot, and long beans. For S$9.50, I must say, it really is a good deal!

Though the batter wasn’t as thiccc as other tempura places, it stayed crispy and actually had some flavour to it (unlike the usual tasteless ones).

The prawns weren’t just decently fresh and crisp, they were surprisingly non-greasy, even when I held them with my bare hands. The piece of fish was also nice and flaky on the inside.

The enoki mushroom fanned out beautifully, resembling an Oriental fan from a palace. Biting into it delivered a satisfying double-crunch impact — crispy, then crispier! I usually dislike enoki in hotpots. But as a tempura? Yes, please.

The majority of tempura places stick to the usual suspects — carrots, sweet potatoes, and eggplant. But Ichizen? They decided to shake things up, giving broccoli the tempura treatment, and honestly, I’m here for it!

The rice was also topped with a generous amount of stray crumbs, which gave the fluffy rice some texture.

The soup by the side had a light taste of kombu and some pieces of seaweed. Unfortunately, it was pretty unremarkable — like sipping slightly ocean-flavoured water.

I gasped at the fiery redness of the Spicy Miso Ramen (S$11.50), which had noodles accompanied by 2 slices of chashu, a whole ajitama egg, seaweed and black fungus submerged in miso broth and chilli oil.

Chewy, bouncy, and with just the right snap — the ramen noods were a texture dream. The thin yellow strands also managed to soak up the savoury and spicy broth.

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Ichizen’s miso broth hits all the right notes — umami-packed and savoury, effortlessly mingling with just the right amount of spice. The bits of spring onions and leek added a little extra texture to each spoonful of broth, giving every sip a fun little bite.

As a person who treats fat like royalty, I was obsessed with the pieces of chashu that were as soft as a cloud. Unlike my dining partners who treat it like the bane of their existence, and stick to only the lean meat… I couldn’t help but shoot them a judgmental stare, wondering what they were thinking.

While the white part of the ajitama egg was soft and jiggly, the yolk portion was a bit of a letdown — overcooked and no flow.

We concluded our Japanese lunch feast with the Gyu Don (S$7.50). Slices of beef and onions lay atop a mound of Japanese rice, garnished with red ginger strips.

Flavour-wise, the Gyu Don hit all the right notes of what a Japanese beef rice bowl should be. If I had one tiny complaint, it’d be that the beef could’ve been just a tad softer. The red ginger strips cut through the richness beautifully, while the onions added a nice crunch.

Final thoughts

After tasting all 3 dishes, I felt that the tempura rice bowl stood out the most, truly showcasing Ichizen’s strongest suit. Its quality could easily rival that of restaurant standards.

The ramen was satisfying enough to hit the spot, but the beef rice bowl and soup could use some improvement. I guess in future, Ichizen will be one of my top picks whenever that tendon craving strikes.

Expected damage: S$6.50 – S$14.50 per pax

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