Hidden Japanese Hawker Mikuriya at Ang Mo Kio serves Wallet-friendly meals

It's hidden, affordable and hearty, but worth the search?

Written by Y.S. Chia Japanese hawker centre food these days ain't limited to the Japanese stores moonlighting with Korean food or vice versa - heng ah.

In fact, there's a revolution of experienced restaurant chefs hitting our humble Char Kway Teow-Nasi-Lemak-Kopi-O filled coffeeshop tables with atas Japanese fare.

For North-siders who don't mind a short bit of travelling - we found an affordable Japanese store selling meals from 5.80! Ya sia, 5.80! The store, Mikuriya, opens from Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 9 pm. It started serving meals end of last year and is run by two ex-Sushi Tei Chefs. It's apparently so good that their success has led them to open another store at Kallang! Must be good right?

The Honest People went down to Mikuriya at 5036 Ang Mo Kio Ind Park 2, Singapore 569539 to find out.

What We Ordered:

Even though the location is a bit ulu, the food sells out past lunch time so do go early for the full selection!

We went later in the day and the only things available were the Yakiniku Don($6.80), Yakitori Don($5.80) and the Salmon Mentai Don($8.80). Swee, I was damn happy each bowl came with a small salad and miso soup.

Appearance wise the Yakitori Don($5.80) isn't the most colourful but for the price, it's got a lot of meat sia. The chicken was savoury and flavourful, but a bit tough and don't expect gooey yakitori sauce.

The Yakiniku Don($6.80) was next on our list. The onsen egg was damn shiok broken into the don, with the beef reminiscence of a more salty Yoshinya bowl. The beef was a bit tough too.

There might be a trend here because the Salmon Mentai Don($8.80) tasted the best sia. Packed full of colours, the grilled Salmon's Mentai sauce gave a savoury spicy kick. Meanwhile, the corn and cucumber(which had Japanese seasoning on them) were a refreshing touch.

The salads were a nice touch and were drizzled in what I'm pretty sure is kewpie roasted sesame dressing. Miso soup was so-so only but still, value-added.

Location & Service

The people taking care of the store weren't the owners but they were friendly and helped me switch on the lights for the shot.

As for the location, it's a bit sian if you don't have a car because it's in an ulu industrial estate smack between Ang Mo Kio and Hougang/Seletar.

Honest Opinion

Not great lah, but the price is right.

If you're in the area and on a budget, can lah, Mikuriya serves up decent wallet-friendly hearty bowls. That said the location definitely puts it at a disadvantage being a bit hard to get to.

For those who live in the east, the Kallang branch at Block 63 Kallang Bahru might be worth checking out given it's easier to get to with Geylang Bahru MRT just a stone's throw away.

My recommendation would be the Salmon Mentai Don($8.90) because the salmon, corn & cucumber combination tasted great together.

That said, this is just my opinion. Some people prefer wallet-friendly prices, some people prefer convenience. I suka suka like a bit of both.

How To Get There: By Car

The industrial complex has roadside parking but limited lots are available.

By MRT The nearest MRT station is Ang Mo Kio Station. Take a bus from Aft Ang Mo Kio Station Exit A, 54261. Take 25, 73, 73T, 74, 76, 132, 165, 268, 268A

By Bus Take 25, 55, 73, 73T, 74, 76, 132, 165, 268, 268A to Blk 5022.

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Looking for an affordable drinking session? Check out our review of NTUC Marine Parade's hidden bar.

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About the Writer: Y.S. Chia(he/him) is our 20-year-old Honest Agent who loves going on adventures - be it hiking nature trails or checking out Singapore's latest festivals. When he's not out and about, you can find him being a potato watching Netflix or on the rare occasion - at the gym.