Kai Kai Sushi & Grill has affordable Japanese food at Wisma Atria
Wisma Atria is a treasure trove of food places, which is great for foodies who know what they want. But if you’re like me and spend a lot of time searching for the one, Kai Kai Sushi & Grill is a restaurant worth considering.
Fun fact: this Japanese restaurant’s name is inspired by the colloquial phrase “gai gai” in hopes that more people will head out to explore what Japanese fare has to offer.
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Food at Kai Kai Sushi & Grill
We were given quite a selection of dishes to try, including skewers and sukiyaki. Lest you get overwhelmed, let’s start with their yakitori first.
Our plate came with five different skewers: Kawa ($3++), Awabi ($6++), Oysters ($6++), Buta Aspara ($4++), and Sake Toro ($6++). Kawa AKA chicken skin was our favourite—I liked that it wasn’t rubbery, and that there was a good balance of gelatinous skin and tender meat.
The Buta Aspara was also delicious; this comprised asparagus wrapped in pork belly. My colleague mentioned that she liked how thick asparagus was used instead of the thinner ones. I chimed in and agreed as I really enjoyed the crunchy texture here.
We wanted some carbs at this point, so we gave the Kai Kai Dragon Maki ($19.80++) a try. Lined zigzag to resemble the shape of a dragon, this maki featured fresh avocado and a variety of seafood: deep-fried prawn, tuna, yellowtail, and aburi salmon. You also get a generous amount of tobiko, ikura, caviar, and mentai mayo as the finishing touches.
If I had to pick one dish to recommend out of the lot, it would have to be this one. The textural contrasts of the crispy fried prawn, creamy mentaiko mayo, and three different types of crunchy fish roe were to my liking. And because you get so many ingredients in each piece, this maki alone is hearty enough to fill you up.
Since we’re on the topic of texture, we must talk about the Ikura Fuji ($19.90++). This dish is a dream come true for all ikura lovers—diners around us were fascinated by how the bowl was brimming and overflowing with briny salmon roe. You get caviar, an onsen egg, and an overflowing portion of ikura atop a warm bed of pearl rice.
We recommend mixing everything—otherwise, it might be a tad too salty.
To wash down the brininess, we tried the Sukiyaki ($16.80++) next. Our pot boasted a bunch of yummy ingredients: Wagyu beef, tofu, enoki mushroom, shiitake mushroom, konjac noodles, and long cabbage. It also came with an onsen egg on the side, which we added while the broth was still hot. This turned out to be a comforting accompaniment to all the cold raw food we had.
Finally, we tried the highly anticipated Kai Kai Castle Bento ($18.90++). My colleague and I went “woah” simultaneously when this mini castle was served.
Each bento comes with three layers: the bottom one comes with rice, ikura, tempura, and minced tuna, the next tier is followed by mixed sashimi, and finally, you get rolled egg with unagi at the top. Even better, there’s also chawanmushi, rice, and miso soup on the side.
This was similar to the Ikura Fuji, but I preferred this as the crispy tempura bits and minced tuna added more dimension in terms of texture and flavour. Also, they helped to balance the saltiness of the ikura!
While the sashimi was thick and fresh, I would have liked it better if some of the pieces were cut into smaller, bite-sized slices. The salmon, for instance, was a tad too big for me.
Since the set mainly consisted of raw ingredients, I thought the addition of rolled egg and unagi was a nice touch. I recommend having these together as the sweet soy sauce on the unagi paired well with the mild flavour of rolled egg.
Ambience at Kai Kai Sushi & Grill
The restaurant is relatively spacious with about 50 seats. It was nice sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows as my colleague and I could people-watch while enjoying our meal. Plus, they are conveniently located on the fourth floor of Wisma Atria, which is right beside Orchard MRT Station.
The verdict
Dining around town can be expensive, so if you’re looking for a place that won’t burn a hole in your pocket, this is your sign to add Kai Kai Sushi & Grill to your list of restaurants in Orchard to try.
For more good places to check out in the area, read our Baristart Coffee review, where we tried the famous Hokkaido cream puffs, tonkatsu sando and more. Alternatively, read our guide to the best Orchard Central food, including Korean buffets and a Japanese food hall.
Address: 435 Orchard Road, #04-21, Food Republic Wisma Atria, Singapore 238877
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Website
Kai Kai Sushi & Grill is not a halal-certified eatery.
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Photos taken by Hor Kia Ee.
This was a media tasting at Kai Kai Sushi & Grill.
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