Embark on a Japanese food trail with 1-for-1 deals at your favourite Japanese dining outlets.

If it is something most Singaporeans enjoy doing, it is hunting down new places to dine at on the weekends. Most of us will trawl through food review sites and keep a close eye on our friend’s Instagram and Facebook pages to see the newest “in” thing. Food is an integral part of our lives and there is no doubt about it.

We may not always agree on which is the best chicken rice stall or which cafe serves the best truffle fries… but if it is one thing we can agree on is that we love dining deals as much as we love the food itself!

That is why players like Groupon and The Entertainer app do so well in Singapore. But we’re here to tell you today that those apps aren’t the only way you can stretch your hard-earned dollar. If you’re a big fan of Japanese food, then you’ll want to bookmark this because we’re not just talking about sushi.

The UOB JCB Card will tempt you with its 1-for-1 dining deals for cardmembers at some of the best Japanese restaurants and cafes in Singapore.

1. Asanoya Boulangerie – Get 1-for-1 Loaf or Bun Items

Locations: 15 Queen St, Paragon and Tampines Mall

Source: Asanoya Boulangerie

Asanoya started in 1933 in Japan, Karuizawa and served plenty of foreign diplomats from various countries. What is special here is that they have expertly blended European and Japanese flavours in their bread and it is baked in a traditional stone oven. Their signature baked products include Karuizawa Green Tea, Royal Milk Tea Bread, Matcha Salted Egg Croissant and Hokkaido Azuki Donut.

2. Santouka Ramen – Get 1-for-1 Ramen or Set Menu

Locations: The Central, Orchard Cuppage Terrace

Source: Santouka Ramen

Ramen is an easy favourite for Singaporeans that many go wild for and are willing to queue hours for. There are different ramen styles from Japan. You look out for the broth, tare, noodles and toppings. Here at Santouka, you will be treated to ramen originating from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, famous for its white tonkotsu (pork bone) soup and small pickled plum in a unique round bowl.   

3. Nanjya Monjya – Get 1-for-1 Okonomiyaki

Location: Waterfront Plaza

Source: Nanjya Monjya

Okonomiyaki dated prior to World War II and has evolved and become popular after the war. The crepe like pancake can be dated back to the Edo period (1638 – 1868) where crepes were a special dessert served at Buddhist ceremonies called Funoyaki. It then evolved during the Meiji period (1868-1912) into a sweeter dish called Sukesoyaki. Okonomiyaki means “as you like it pancake”. It can be cooked with anything from meat and seafood to wasabi, eggs and cheese.

4. Nigiro Café – Get 1-for-1 Appetizer

Locations: Suntec City Mall, Esplanade Mall

Source: Nigiro Cafe

Nigiro Café, whose name is ‘Origin’ spelt backwards is a Japanese-Italian café by Chef Kensuke Sakai, who is the youngest to compete on Iron Chef. Nigiro’s signature dishes include Hamburg Steak, short pasta melazane, which is a baked eggplant with three different kinds of cheese and grilled prawn Nigiro Caesar Salad.

5. Enbu – Get 1-for-1 Donburi

Location: Suntec City Mall

Source: Enbu

Enbu is the first restaurant in Singapore to offer Warayaki and Charcoal Grill Izakaya. Enbu means “Dance of Flame” and uses a straw roasted method of cooking to lend it a smoky fragrance to the cuisine. The burning straw gives a temperature of about 800-900 celsius and this results in fast and even cooking. The high temperatures sear the outer layers of the meat or fish, leaving it tender and juicy with a smoked flavour. Enjoy the flavours that emerge from this unique technique of cooking through their donburi rice bowls topped with the meats with your UOB JCB Card.

6. Tomo Izakaya – Get 1-for-1 Soba, Udon or Ramen

Locations: Clarke Quay, Esplanade Mall

Source: Tomo Izakaya

Tomo means friend and Izakaya is a type of informal Japanese gastropub. The word Izakaya consists of the word i (to stay) and sakaya (sake shop), indicating that sake shops allowed customers to stay and sit in the premises to drink. That’s what Tomo Izakaya’s objective is – to hang out with your friends and family over an authentic Japanese cuisine and drinks. What better way to spend some time with close friends than bringing them here to enjoy the 1-for-1 deal with the UOB JCB Card.

7. Watanabe Coffee – Get 1-for-1 Sansai Pasta

Location: Shaw House

Source: Watanabe Coffee

Watanabe Coffee combines both Western and Japanese flavours into their cuisine and beverage offerings. Sansai pasta is a Japanese word for mountain vegetables that grow naturally and are foraged in the wild. Some of the vegetables used for Sansai are warabi, or fern shoots such as bracken and zenmai. Try this Japanese dish that you’ll not find very often in Singapore right here with your UOB JCB Card.

8. Wa-Cafe – Get 1-for-1 Omu Rice with Demi-Glace Sauce

Location: Chinatown Point

Source: Wa-Cafe

Wa-Cafe is strategically located at Chinatown point and brings a taste of Western-Japanese influence to the neighbourhood. Omu rice consists of an omelette which covers fried rice and is topped with either ketchup or brown sauce. Omu rice first appeared in Tokyo’s Ginza district from a rogue chef and has since captured the hearts and stomach of the Japanese.

9. Tokyo Sundubu – Get 1-for-1 Toppings or Drinks

Locations: Suntec City Mall, Raffles City Shopping Mall

Source: Tokyo Sundubu

The latest concept to hit Singapore is Tokyo Sundubu, a Korean stew restaurant from Japan. Sundubu is a Korean stew cooked with tofu and a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, meat and seafood. There are 24 types of Sundubu offered ranging from Japanese oyster, miso butter, mentaiko cheese, beef and tendon, curry sundubu, kuro buta pork to Asari clams. So you’ll get double the toppings here with your UOB JCB Card!

10. Shinagawa Ramen & Izakaya – Get 1-for-1 Maki Sushi

Location: International Plaza

Source: Shinagawa Ramen & Izakaya

Maki sushi is one of the most basic forms of sushi and one that we’re really familiar with. It is rolled sushi with rice accompanied with ingredients such as nori (seaweed), omelette, cucumber, shiso (perilla) leaves, avocado and many more. Shinagawa’s wide variety of Maki Sushi allows you to be more adventurous than your usual California roll. Dig into their own maki creation like cereal prawn roll, salmon popiah or rainbow maki. Head here and get your phones ready for some killer Instagram shots, especially since you’ll have plenty to take pictures of when you get your 1-for-1 deal with UOB JCB Card.

11. Sumire Yakitori House – Get 1-for-1 Assorted Yakitori Platter

Location: Bugis Junction

Source: Sumire Yakitori House

Yakitori is a type of Japanese skewered chicken and the preparation involves skewering the meat with kushi. Kushi is a type of skewer made of steel, bamboo or other similar materials. The yakitori is then cooked or grilled over charcoal fire and seasoned tare (sweet and savoury) sauce or salt. Yakitori can often get pretty pricey as we are tempted to order everything on the menu but with the UOB JCB Card, you’ll be getting double of everything!

Hungry yet? These awesome 1-for-1 dining deals end on June 30, so what are you waiting for?? Click here to apply for your UOB JCB Card now!