Food Review: Sapoto At Amara Hotel | Japanese Yakitori Omakase With Lunch Omakase From An Affordable S$48++

Posted on April 20, 2025 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place Say hello to Sapoto – the newest yakitori omakase spot in Tanjong Pagar. The Japanese restaurant located at level two of Amara Hotel in Tanjong Pagar is helmed by the former head chef of the popular Shirokane Tori-Tama, and is by the same team behind Sushi Yujo and Shinrai. Sapoto offers good value menus, with lunch omakase starting from just S$48 and dinner from S$98.

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Leading the kitchen is Chef Shyong, a yakitori specialist with over 10 years of experience. He is joined by Chef Desmond Fong, the chef-owner behind its sister brands, who brings a modern twist to classic Japanese flavors.

The dining ambience at Sapoto is sleek and minimalist looking, where the dark entrance leads to a dimly lit counter seating setting where every diner gets a good view of the grilling action by the chef as it is open concept.

The Food The menu is goes by omakase set menus where you can expect dishes like chutoro carpaccio, uni truffle brioche, truffle chawanmushi, and more. That said, the highlight is still the yakitori, with skewers like chicken thigh with leek, innards, crispy tebasaki, tsukune dipped in creamy egg yolk, and more.

I had the S$148++ menu and here is what to expect:

Sashimi
First up is a trio of sashimi – Akami, Tai and Otoro.

Chutoro Carpaccio
This is topped with caviar.

Tsukune with Egg Yolk
A meaty mix of pork and chicken meat to be dipped in the egg yolk.

Bonjiri – Tail
I love the slightly smoky char to this tender bonjiri, one of my favourite parts of the chicken for yakitori.

Chef’s Choice – Grilled Innard
I skipped the innard as it is not exactly my preferred cut and was served chicken skin as an alternative. And I have to say, it is an excellent piece of crispy chicken skin.

Uni Truffle Brioche
This is an umami rich mini brioche where the creamy uni stands out for me.

Chef’s Choice – Grilled Chicken (3 kinds)
A trio of chicken parts follow next.

Chicken Shoulder
This is topped with yuzu pepper, a delicious stick of tender chicken meat with a tinge of spiciness.

Chicken Thigh with leek

Chicken Neck

Chef’s Choice – Grilled Vegetables (2 kinds)
A duo of vegetables follows next.

King Oyster Mushroom

Japanese Broccolini

Scallop
The sashimi grade scallop is torched with binchotan, then wrapped in freshly grilled seaweed.

Tontoro – Pork Jowl
I love this. Topped with wasabi pickle, this is extremely flavourful and delicious.

Tebasaki – Mid Wing

Sapoto Ramen
A creamy small bowl of comforting ramen is the perfect end to the series of skewers. I could do with another bowl of the rich ramen broth.

Dessert
Sliced juicy melon to end the meal is my preferred choice all the time.

Rants Service could be a little more polished. For instance, the staff tends to clear each plate instantly when I was done with my dish, which I thought is a tad too intrusive.

Will I Return Again? I enjoyed my meal at Sapoto which offers great value if you are looking for a good yakitori omakase meal. It is conveniently located in Tanjong Pagar, and the quality is good for its pricing.

Make your reservation instantly at Sapoto here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5