Il Den

Interesting place. Hidden at the 3rd floor of bugis cube opposite bugis junction is this little restaurant. They have a counter where you seating approximately 7-8 and a room which seats another 5. I went there for the omakase lunch price at 88+ which serves 4 courses. We started with sashimi ( aged maybe) it was light and wonderful. A real good opener. Then the follow-up with the pork. Overall it's extremely tender but my companion find it salty while I thought the meat cos have more flavor.. the 3rd is the highlight of the lunch which is the claypot rice. It was masterfully done, with the right amount of burnt rice, seasoning and ingredients. The dessert to me was normal but still a good matcha ice cream with enough bitterness to it. Personally I am intrigued by the food which adopts boundary-less techniques of Japanese, Chinese and French. I want to see more of the chef Javier cooking. In terms of value for money, I think the lunch is slightly lacking but I won't fault it. I will be back.

Perfect for laid-back dinner date nights - cosy vibes in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant whilst enjoying top notch food. Our Omakase comprised of 9 courses (as pictured). Tbh wasn’t the biggest fan of the dessert, but every other course blew our minds. Really, we couldn’t stop raving about ‘em. The wines can be rather pricey but overall experience is worth every penny ✨Can’t wait to schedule our next visit! Faves: Uni somen, mehikari tempura, claypot rice

This place is not easy to find. And you would never think that an amazing chef and beautiful food would be inside. Inside was only chef and his assistant. There was only bar seating at first and further in, there’s a table that could only sit 8 pax. It was my first time here and I heard the menu changes from time to time. Each dish was beautifully presented, but more importantly it tasted so good. That night we had lots of Uni, which is a good thing but also a variety of dishes! Can’t wait to go back!

Really disappointed with my experience here. The food overall I would say was average, none of them were particularly creative or impressive, which I would award 3 stars. The issue I have is with the price and value. Given the rather cheap location and settings, charging 120 bucks for 6 tiny dishes is no joke. Yes you might think there are some expensive ingredients but honestly the bulk of it was made of cheap stuff like noodles or bread. Furthermore they insist you order Evian water as they don't do tap, coming up to 11 bucks per bottle. Again for a place situated on orchard plaza I don't feel they have the right to do this. In summary, I left the meal hungry after plopping down 130 bucks at orchard plaza.

Getting to the restaurant itself is already part of the charm as you make your way up Bugis Cube ( a mall thats pretty much nail/beauty parlours) and arrive at an unassuming sliding door, beyond which houses Chef Javier and his team who never fail to produce unique and exciting dishes that really make the whole dining experience worth the price tag. There is a small private room at the back but the real fun is sitting at the counter and watching the Chefs prep your meals. Sneak in a "how to" question every now and then and the friendly team might just give you enough tips to play pretend chef at your next house gathering. Overall great food, friendly and accommodating staff makes this one of the best Omakase restaurants in Singapore!