I don't usually do food review because IMHO, it is subjective and personal but I just have to do the review for this restaurant for 2 reasons.
Firstly, the food is just out-of-the-worldly GOOD and secondly, and sadly, due to en-bloc of Hong Leong Garden, it is not known if the restaurant will continue its operations after its closure at the end of this month (August).
PS: They are not taking new customers, so do not rush down and try during the last few days of operations.
Located at Hong Leong Gardens, this traditional and humble looking restaurant takes just 20 person inside its dining area and right beside the dining area is the kitchen where the heavenly food is created. This person behind all these heavenly food is a 70-year-old lady (presumingly her name is Chako) with her 2 daughters assisting her and doubling as order takers and order servers. An old man, presumably the husband of the old lady who serves occasionally and wash the dishes.
How good exactly?
Let's put it this way. There is no restaurant in Singapore other than Chako which could keep me waiting for at 2 hours or more before the first dish is placed on your table without eroding my satisfaction level. My mentality is that if you want me to wait, then you had better make your food is that good. And they are. If you are going in a group of 6 or more, the total time that you are there, inclusive of waiting time at Chako will be at least 3-4 hours typically starting at 8pm and ending at 12 midnight. For us, with 9 person, we reached at 7.30pm and our last meal is served after 11.30pm. Pre-order is highly recommended but it doesn't make much a lot of difference as to how fast your meal is served.
To me, almost every dish that I tried is prepared to perfection. Maybe to them it is still not perfect, but to me, if I have to give a rating, it is a definitely 10/10, reason being that you with all the commercial Japanese restaurant out there, this restaurant provides a taste that is solely lacking in the market - the personal touch (or the homemade taste).
In their menu, they wrote:
What to eat?
Basically, among the 8 or 9 dishes that I tried, all of them exceed my expectation, with 2-3 (which I will elaborate below) making me subconsciously say 'WOW'. I have been to quite a number of Japanese and other restaurants and trust me, those restaurants that could let me subconsciously WOW are less than the number of fingers in one hand. (less than 5).
What we ordered are as follow:
Firstly the tea. Not sure what it is called but definitely very refreshing and even on a hot evening with myself in office wear, I would still choose to have this tea instead of soft drink with some of my friends succumb to due to the heat.
The Main Course
CHAKO SET
(House Speciality)
Grilled mackerel served with bite-sized bread-crumbed deep-fried chicken & cuttlefish/
white fish, salad, vinaigrette, boiled dish, cold beancurd, pickled radish, rice & miso soup.
This is what I ordered, being my first time there. Try their signature dish first before anything else.
This is a good set if you go there alone and it is your first time as it enable you to try quite a number of their food in one set. Saba fish for example is cooked to that point where it is juicy and crispy. Bones can be eaten together. Fried chicken and fish is both crispy outside and juicy inside. Their homemade cold tofu brings out the taste of tofu without overdoing it and eating it with a little soya sauce makes something so simple so enjoyable. Miso soup is sweeter than
WOW factor: Saba fish, Cold Tofu, fried fish and chicken, Miso Soup
ODEN SET
(something like our Yong Tau Foo)
A clear broth stew with fishcakes and beancurd cake, white radish,
boiled egg and yamlikedevil’s tongue cake (seaweed konnyaku) served with mustard
Set: Served with vinaigrette, pickled radish, rice & miso soup.
Take the best local Yong Tau Foo as comparison, I dare say this is 'Yong Tau Foo' is twice or thrice as tasty. The food total absorb the taste of the broth, turning itself into one of the best tasting food. Just one mouth of the radish you know the quality of the food you are getting from this restaurant.
compare to the Chako set, this is more of a speciality and was told that this dish require to be prepared 4 hours before hand, therefore, pre-ordering is a must for this dish.
Something that is a die die must try and I will definitely order this if they resume operations in future.
WOW factor: The radish and how the soup essence is absorbed perfectly into the food.
SHIRASU TAMAGO ZOSUI
(Porridge)
1-2 mths old sardine fry and egg rice soup (Japanese style porridge)
Set: Served with cold beancurd, vinaigrette & pickled radish
Same thing, take the best porridge you tried, this is at least 5 times better, and no, I am not exaggerating. Before I try, I always ask myself this question: How does this compare to the best porridge I have tried? If the best porridge can be compared to the tallest point in the world, then this Zosui is something in outer space. Don't let the monotonous presentation fool you, it is very very tasty and one spoon (from your friend) is not enough. Recommended to have at one claypot or half claypot to yourself.
Like the Oden, this is something that is die die must try and I will order if I get a chance to patron Chako again.
WOW factor: Just the taste of it.
UNATAMAJU
Broiled eel in our home-made sauce served on bed of egg-topped rice
Set: Served with cold beancurd, vinaigrette, pickled radish & miso soup.
Unagi that does not taste like Unagi anymore in a positive way. Egg below is fantastic. Third dish I want to order after the above 2 to complete my life experience.
Other dishes that we order:
HOKKE HIRAKI
Grilled semi-salted semi-dried atka mackerel
Set: Served with cold beancurd, salad, pickled radish, rice & miso soup.
A bit on the salty side but flavorfully salted.
SHIROMA SAKANA HAMBURG
Minced fish patty specially seasoned served on hot plate with
sautéed vegetables and a side of spaghetti
Set: Served with cold beancurd, salad, pickled radish, rice & miso soup.
Claypot soup with seafood, chicken, assorted vegetables, mushroom and beancurd
Set: Served with vinaigrette, pickled radish & rice.
We did have deserts but as it was after 12midnight on a weekday, we were all quite tired, hence all have forgotten to take photo. Here are some photos found over the internet (with its sources at the bottom of the photo)
Black Sesame Ice Cream
(Source: http://willtravelforfoodandlove.wordpress.com/tag/restaurant-chako/)
Custard Pudding (i think)
(Source: http://hungrymusteat.blogspot.sg)
Others include Blueberry Ice Cream (Sorbet taste alike)
What the good people from Chako mentioned was that after they cease operations, they will take a break/holiday before they decide what to do next. Looking for a suitable venue was not easy for them as their current location is just too perfect for them. Also with the increasing rental issues and such. After the area of Hong Leong Garden is tore down (making way for prviate housing), we mourn for the loss of yet another cozy little area which paths our memory of what Singapore was - a place of good food.
Nevertheless, for those people who have tried their food, we still cherish the hope that they will be back one day and continue bring good food to people (we really don't mind the wait!!)
If there are back one day, let that day be a celebration.
If there are not, let this post in this blog be a pleasant memory of what a true Japanese restaurant should be.
In any case, thank you to the good people at Chako for not only bringing (very) good food to us but also the experience and memory along.
Meanwhile, for more reviews of Chako, check out these professional blogs:
(I am not affilated to them, but if you are interested to read more, feel free...)
