Nihon Mura (Tampines)

yep nihon mura is known more for its cheap sushi. Id say the quality of the sushi is not bad given its attractive pricing.

their other stuff like don or sashimi are are not exactly that cheap however. i remember paying about $10 plus for those 'stone bowl' rice in very small portion. and somehow i feel that the way they serve their food are not very consistent. for example, maybe today theres onion in the yakiniku don, but tmr there isnt. there may be egg today and tomorrow its not served with egg.

generally, i see the reason for its crowd, especially during weekend dinner time. but one thing that really puts me off is basically their service. especially their method of ordering food whereby you have to take some ice cream sticks with the dish name on it and pass all the ice cream sticks you have to their stuff. obviously it created alot of confusion that they served me wrong food several times. and refuse to change my order saying that i DID make that order.

overall, food is alright but definitely room for improvement for services.

Nihon Mura or Japanese Village literally is located to the side of Tampines Swimming Complex. (Of all the places)

Decorations are pretty good with bamboos and teak taking the bulk of the ambiance but seat lay outs do tend to be on the crowded side during dinner.

The twist in Nihon Mura is their 99 cents sushi (2 per plate) and their stick ordering system.

The ordering system is quite unique in that all you have to do is collect sticks from the various counters containing your order and bring it back to your table. This includes everything from drinks to dessert to rice. The only exception are the sushi which you collect from the now familiar conveyor.

Sushi wise, the shop is nothing to shout about. I found the rice used of average quality and lacking in taste, some were also not packed properly so thats a few points off. Its still decent for its price mind you.

Having been there twice as of now. I'd say the service was very good. I ordered a beef bowl rice (sorry i forgot the name) which cost me about $10 but i couldn't taste the beef. I confirmed with my gf that its tastes more like Pork Liver then beef before i called the supervisor over to reason with him. When i told him to try, he promptly offered to change the dish for another beef rice bowl even though we have consumed close to half of the current bowl. The second bowl brought to us was newly made and cost lesser, this time, with the beef taste i so desire. Add the fact that the rice is served in a rock bowl which was heated, giving the rice a wok hei taste and you have a good experience.

The other item we had was the fried tofu which is a staple dish for me at any japanese outlet. Their rendition was good but somehow pales in comparison with Sakae's crispier skinned ones. Overall though, still a good Tofu.

Pan Fried Salmon (about $7) - only this dish was plainly a waste of money. Small, overly tough and lacking taste whasoever, something nobody should order regardless of the circumstance.

My experience at Nihon Mura is a mixed affair. Food wise, the place really isn;t much to shout about but services wise, i'm very impressed with the staff. Also, the beef rice is indeed very nice and fragrant. Which i heartily recommend.

Do try out the place for the kick of it. After all, 2 filling meals there cost me a total of $60.