Won't be eating at Imakatsu @ Star Vista (review)

One of those weird Japanese restaurants that don't open at normal times like normal restaurants.


I can never understand why some Japanese restaurants in Singapore have this weird habit of opening for part of the day, closing, then re-opening later in the day. Or opening only late in the day. How do they make money by being shut for most of the day? Just waiting to close down.

Bro & I planned to eat at Imakatsu イマカツ @ Star Vista after I checked the online reviews. Somehow even with the positive comments about the food, I doubted. I've a gut feeling about such things.

I also somehow had a feeling it would be closed. True enough, when we were there at about 4.20pm, the restaurant was shut.

We ate at Coco Ichibanya, walked around & returned to find Imakatsu still shut!  Has it closed down? Stuck on its window outside was a recruitment sign. Were they unable to open because they lacked these personnel?? 

(Incidentally, all restaurants at Star Vista had these recruitment signs on their windows. Means they are operating at below standard manpower? Which accounts for why customers complained about slow service at Imakatsu in reviews.). 

We walked around some more & returned a 3rd time to see its lights had turned on but still appeared closed. An Indian/Malay man (with an unhygienic-looking goatee/beard & oiled hair) was standing in a square hole counter facing in front, bending & looking at the laptop.

I approached, asked him, "What time do you open?".

He flicked up his eyes without really looking at the customer, "Five-thirty.". And flicked back his eyes to the laptop.

I said, "Everyday?".

Eyes on the laptop, he replied, "Yes.".

This shows that the company hired poor staff.  I haven't even tried the food & already the man's behavior & response made me decide on the spot that I will not be eating at this restaurant.

A staff in uniform, whether the shop is open or closed, represents the company. A bad staff ruins a company's image. As a company, never allow your staff to speak discourteously to a customer in any way. Furthermore, this Indian/Malay man was inside the restaurant as a staff.

Back home, looking at their website, it says their opening hours are: "11:30 - 15:00, 18:00 - 22:00".  Yet that Indian/Malay man had said they open at 5.30pm every day.

**As of today 2 May Sat, my comment regarding their rude staff has not been replied to. They are not manning their front line.  This is a poor company. They are not taking their service seriously. Very slack & sloppy.

This is very different from Tsukada Nojo Plaza Singapura Facebook who replied to my comment almost live & lightning fast when I posted there previously.  Someone is obviously watching their Facebook closely.

At Tsukada Nojo, when I ate there previously, the staff were attentive & on the ball. Made me very happy to eat there twice. In their Facebook, they showed they were very interactive with customers, warm & friendly.

Yomenya Goemon 313 @ Somerset Review Japanese Restaurant Orchard Road

First time there last night 5 Feb evening.

The place was completely empty. The cook was standing in his kitchen touching a part of his face (?). Waitresses absent.

Was surprised because in a review I read, photos had people dining all around the bar.  The reviewer had said it's reasonably priced with rather good food.  Going back to the blog to check now... it was posted in Nov 2011.  How did the outlet manage to get past 2012?

Had 2nd thoughts about dining there with no waitresses standing to greet customers at the entrance.  Popped my head to look at the cook a few times to see if he was digging his nose or something, until he noticed me and looked up with interest to see if I was going to be a customer.

He must have signalled to the waitresses in there because the two of them came out. One darker and one lighter complexioned.

Companies, take note:  Do Not hire foreign waitresses who cannot understand English! 

Without realizing she didn't understand English, I jovially asked the darker complexioned waitress, "Are we early? How come there's no one?". 

"Huh?", she asked, looking smilingly clueless.

That was when I was instantly displeased realizing she was a foreigner who didn't understand what I just said.

I repeated in a disinterested voice, "Are we early?" and just left it at that. I hate having to repeat myself twice to a service staff who cannot understand it the first time. Why do these companies hire them??!!!

The other waitress didn't even say a thing and disappeared shortly.

The dark complexioned waitress tried getting us to sit inside. I indicated an outer table,  but she said it's a table that allows her space to put a baby chair along the outer side.


For damnation's sake, the entire place was empty! Not as if suddenly there's going to be a family with baby who will sit at that table. 

In fact, I wanted to sit close to the entrance because I felt like walking out if I change my mind about the menu later.  If I did, bro might make noise about my change of mind etc...  So, I had to hang on.

Ignoring the waitress and her stupid reason about not being able to sit at that table, I walked inside where I chose a table I liked and sat regardless of whatever crap she was saying.

We looked at the menu. I told bro that if he didn't see anything he liked, we could go (I hoped). No forcing.

(Disapppointingly) He chose something (as if to insist on staying).  Sesame Shabu sphagetti.

I chose as well.  Hokkaido Cream Soup.

The cook had just 2 of our orders displayed on his computer screen mounted in the kitchen.  (Even after we finished, the place was still empty.).

At first, I thought the cook was watching TV, but the screen was blank. Then 2 white squares with information on it popped up on the left side of the screen and the cook immediately got to work. That's when I realized he had been waiting for our orders that were those 2 squares that appeared on screen.

After ordering, the food came after a reasonable amount of time. 

Presentation of the food was well done.  However, bro said his Sesame Shabu was too salty with the pork shabu having a rather strong pork smell.

On my side, the soup was Ok.  Light cream cheese taste with 2 small quarters of potatoes that tasted nice. The spaghetti was too much and a little too firm. The ingredients inside too little with just 2 small cubes of Salmon, an almost non-existent shred of Brocolli, 2 super thin strips of carrot, 2 strips of bacon that tasted nice, and a little bit of corn.

Total: $33.54.

Bro tasted a little of my spaghetti and said it was better than his order.

For my soup, I give failing grade 4/10.  This restaurant loses to Ma Maison @ Bugis Junction (which I already felt wasn't that great).

At the end, I asked the dark complexioned waitress, "Is there a ladies here?". She completely didn't understand, didn't reply and just strolled away.

I predict the outlet @ 313 Somerset will close down sooner or later.  Food is one thing. Service is another. With both bad,  it's just waiting for the inevitable.