I wasn’t planning to dine here. It was a regular weekday in Singapore, hot and sticky, and I was killing time along Orchard Road. Then I spotted the balcony on the fourth floor of Orchard Central: a few tables, a decent breeze, people eating what looked like very good bowls. I went up. That was that.
First Impressions: Tanuki Raw at Orchard Central
The space at 181 Orchard Road, #04-01 Orchard Central is casual without being careless. Wooden tables, a lively buzz, no dress code energy. The kind of restaurant you can walk into after a full day of shopping and feel immediately at home.
The alfresco balcony is what I keep thinking about, though. Four floors up, looking down at the Orchard crowd while your food arrives warm and your drink stays cold. It’s a nice way to spend an evening.
Fair warning: when it fills up, they’ll steer you outside. That happened to me. I didn’t complain.
Foie Gras, Truffle Yakiniku, and Everything That Followed
I ordered the Foie Gras Truffle Yakiniku Don (~$26) first, because how do you not. Seared foie gras, black angus short rib, truffle soy, and an onsen egg over seasoned rice. The short rib was juicy, the foie gras rich and clean at the edge. Break the onsen egg and it runs into everything: the rice, the truffle soy, the meat. It becomes something different. Something better. A couple of slices leaned chewy, but honestly, the bowl still held. This is the dish people Instagram. It earns it.
The Onsen Egg Situation (Worth Its Own Section)
I know that sounds excessive. But the onsen egg here does real work. It’s not decoration. Whether it’s sitting on the Truffle Yakiniku Don or finishing off a simpler rice bowl, that slow-cooked yolk changes the texture of whatever it touches. Warm, silky, seasoned just enough. If an egg can be a reason to return, this one qualifies.
Truffle Yakiniku: The Reliable Order
If the foie gras version feels like a splurge, the Truffle Yakiniku Don (~$16) is the everyday version. And it holds up. Black angus beef, truffle soy, rice that somehow stays fragrant under everything. Topped with the same onsen egg. It’s simple in the right way. Not a bowl that tries too hard. I finished it clean.
Snow Crab and the Rest of the Menu
The Snow Crab don is worth mentioning for fresh seafood days: good crab, cool rice, clean flavour. Pairs well with a cold drink and nowhere to be.
I also ordered the Bara Chirashi (~$18): fresh salmon and sashimi cubes over vinegared rice, no fuss. Good value for this stretch of Orchard. The portion was smaller than I wanted, so if you’re genuinely hungry, don’t make it your only order. Speaking of which, if you’re exploring chirashi don options in the area, this guide to the best chirashi don around Orchard, Cuppage, and Somerset is worth bookmarking.
The Tomahawk Pork Katsu (~$22) is for the days you want to leave full. Moist pork, a Japanese curry with real warmth, sweet potato fries on the side with smoked ketchup that’s better than it has any right to be. Order this when you mean business.
I skipped the foie gras on a second visit and tried the sweet potato sides instead. No regrets. Skip the chilled yuzu udon. Soggy noodles, nice idea, wrong execution.
Foie Gras and the Happy Hour Window
If you’re here between 3pm and 7pm, the oysters run from around $3 each. That’s the window. Fresh, cold, simple. A few oysters, a drink, the balcony. This is what after-work in Singapore should feel like more often.
Tanuki Raw: Service and the Practical Bits
Staff were friendly on both visits. Walk-ins were handled without fuss, menu questions answered, seating sorted. It slows down when it’s busy, and attention gets thinner, but nothing that made me want to leave.
Open daily, 11:30am to 9:30pm. Lunch sets from around $12.90++. A typical meal runs $20 to $40 per person, more with drinks or premium bowls. Make reservations for weekends. Weekday lunch is the low-stress option.
Who Should Dine at Tanuki Raw Orchard?
Not sushi purists. Not anyone expecting omakase precision. But for a casual date, a working lunch that actually feels like a reward, or a slow afternoon with good food and Orchard Road below, Tanuki Raw delivers. Consistently. I went up for a seat. I came back for the foie gras truffle yakiniku.
Some restaurants you plan. This one just finds you.