Deciding on where to dine is always a difficult task for me. Sure, there are the usual go-to spots, but once in a while a girl just feels like trying something new—but where?

Japanese cuisine is often my default whenever I’m stumped for meal choices, and I love finding new gems. Sho Yakitori & Sushi is one such find, tucked away on the ground level of Millennia Walk.

Sister restaurant to Kotobuki Yakitori in Katong, this Japanese eatery specialises in yakitori (grilled skewers) and fresh, Japan-imported grilled unagi.

Stepping into Sho Yakitori & Sushi, the first sight that greets me is a huge tank, filled with writhing live eels. The sign proudly proclaims them to be “live eels from Japan”, and squeamish as it feels to see the mass of live eels, I appreciated the reminder of their freshness.

I head for the seats near the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, for better lighting and to people-watch. If you’re dining alone or in a pair, you can consider taking a seat at the counter for a more interactive dining experience.

Browsing the menu, it’s clear that Sho Yakitori & Sushi has a wide selection of yakitori, sushi rolls, unagi dishes, overflowing rice bowls and even a few unique-looking drinks. I couldn’t wait to try them all!

I’d recommend dining here in a group, even, just so you can get a taste of all they have to offer.

As a beer and bar bites girl myself, I had to get a selection of the yakitori. After all, grilled skewers make for the perfect bar bites.

The Kagoshima Buta Bara (S$6) is a fatty pork belly skewer that simply melted in my mouth. Fats dominated this skewer, with some tender lean meat to add a little bite. If that’s too rich for your blood, then the Tori Momo (S$3.50) would be a better choice. Tender and succulent chicken thigh meat came wrapped in a crispy chicken skin—it’s hard to stop at one.

The Tsukune (S$4 for plain, S$4.50 with cheese, S$4.50 with mentaiko sauce) is worth a mention, simply because you’re getting such a thick and generous portion of minced chicken. Treat yourself and go for the one that’s topped with mentaiko sauce, because that savoury, briny and creamy blanket of sauce does wonders for this skewer.

The star of Sho Yakitori, however, has to be their unagi dishes—specifically, the Unagi Hitsumabushi (S$39.90). This famous Nagoya grilled eel dish has been growing in popularity, with a slew of places popping up in Singapore over the past few years.

There are three ways to enjoy this dish: by itself, with the condiments (wasabi, seaweed and spring onions), or mixed with the dashi broth.

Personally, I enjoy the dashi broth mixture, because it creates a nice contrast between the comforting, soupy rice, and the tender, melt-in-mouth eel chunks. My only gripe with this method is that the crispy eel skin turns soggy if you leave it in the dashi broth for too long.

The unagi here at Sho Yakitori was possibly the softest I’ve tried in Singapore, perhaps as a mark of their freshness. Despite that, the eel meat was dense enough for a good bite.

If grilled eel isn’t your thing, pick from a selection of Bakumori Don, also known as Mega Sushi Rice Bowl. They weren’t kidding about calling it “mega”—each bowl was overflowing with ingredients, to the extent that it was a little hard to mix with the rice.

We tried the Sake Bakumori Don (S$26), Sanshoku Bakumori Don (S$28), Chirashi Bakumori Don (S$28) and the Deluxe Bakumori Don (S$40).

My favourites by far were the Chirashi Bakumori Don and the Deluxe Bakumori Don.

A mix of salmon, tuna, yellowtail amberjack and tamago cubes topped fluffy white rice in the Chirashi Bakumori Don, together with diced cucumber and a generous portion of ikura. Really, it’s hard to go wrong when the sashimi cubes are this fresh.

And of course, the Deluxe Bakumori Don is a real feast for your eyes and tastebuds. Each side of the rice bowl was covered with yellowtail amberjack and tuna chunks, tamago cubes and a cascading blanket of ikura. A dollop of uni (sea urchin) sat atop the bowl, beneath which was minced fatty tuna. Mmm.

If you’re still peckish and looking for something to share, get the Unagi Maki (S$22) for a truly mouth-gasmic time. The same melt-in-mouth grilled eel from before graces the roll, in thick, mouthwatering slabs no less. Simply stuffed with crispy yet light tempura batter, there were even more of these tasty bits sprinkled on top of the roll.

All this feasting might have made you a little thirsty (I know I was), and there’s a fair selection from their drinks menu too. The chuhai drinks are particularly intriguing, and my favourites were the Ume Shu (S$15) and Yuzu (S$13).

Refreshing to the last drop, the mix of shochu, yuzu and soda was easy to down and served as a great palate cleanser. Meanwhile, the Japanese plum liqueur from the Ume Shu proved to be almost like a dessert, with its sweet and tart notes, and an edge of salt.

With how wide the menu selection is, there’s a fair amount of uncharted territory I didn’t manage to cover. But considering what I’ve already tried, I’ll definitely be back for the Unagi Hitsumabushi.

Expected Damage: S$30 – S$60 per pax

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Sho Yakitori & Sushi.