A Steamy Interview with Kyota Ishida: The Man Behind Torikin Singapore
About Torikin Singapore:
Located at UE Square, it is hard to miss them when the area is such a popular location for working adults to hang out after work.
Torikin has opened its store for close to 6 years since November 2014 and they serve one of the best Motsunabe (もつ鍋) in Singapore. Motsunabe (もつ鍋) is a type of Japanese hotpot made from beef or pork offals. It is a popular stew originated from Fukuoka. If you love Japanese food, not knowing Motsunabe (もつ鍋) is a travesty!
Before we delve into the interview proper, Mr Kyota Ishia shared with me about his life prior to moving to Singapore, and i have to say — he is an extremely humble man. The same man behind Teppan Bar Q as well, read on to learn more him!
P/S: If you have always wanted to try Torikin, we have a surprise at the end for you! Stay tuned to the end.
Could you introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Kyota Ishida from Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan!
In a year, I normally spend half of it living in Fukuoka as I have another restaurant over there, and the other half of the year in Singapore. So, I always go back and forth between the two countries! I like it though.
I am in Fukuoka due to the influence of COVID-19, but I can’t wait to go back to Singapore. Hopefully, it will be very soon!
I would like to know more about your childhood. What was your dream when you were little?
Haha I wanted to be rich!
I wouldn’t say that I have succeeded in this dream yet, but I can confidently say that I am very happy! Honestly speaking, I was actually born in a very humble and moderate family. Hence, eating back then was a huge desire for me, and my favourite thing to do.
There is a word in Japanese call Kuishinbo (食いしん坊 ), which signifies a person who is crazy over food. I am a very typical Kuishinbo, which is why this developed into my passion and I became a French cuisine chef at first. I also travelled to many places and because of this, I get to learn about the different types of cuisines in this world. Moreover, I have met a lot of great people while I was travelling and experienced so many things from different cultures. This is something I am always thankful for, and have kept close to heart. I treasure every experience a lot.
My life journey is still ongoing, and I would like to always keep it this way!
What is the story behind the opening of Torikin & Teppan Bar Q in Singapore?
I always wanted to open my own restaurant outside of Japan. I did some research and considered cities and countries such as Bangkok, Vietnam, Seoul, Taiwan, and Malaysia. But when I first came to Singapore, I just felt so right about this small city. I had a very good feeling about this place, and hence I wanted to contribute to the Singaporean food industry by bringing in another type of food that was not common among Singaporeans back then.
Singapore has its own hotpot culture and I thought it will be fun and interesting to introduce Motsunabe (もつ鍋). I realised that Singaporeans love all sorts of hotpot and I knew that Motsunabe (もつ鍋) would definitely be a hit one day. Motsunabe (もつ鍋) is a signature food in the Fukuoka region where I come from! It is one of my soul foods.
For Teppan Bar Q, I wanted to create a casual teppanyaki restaurant instead of a high-end dining restaurant. We call this “B Kyu gourmet” (B rank gourmet), but B rank doesn’t mean that it’s inferior to A rank gourmet. It just means that it is a kind of food that you can seek for every day. I wanted to spread this concept.
What is a popular menu item among diners at Torikin and Teppan Bar Q?
At Torikin, it is definitely Mizutaki, also known as chicken hotpot. Mitzutaki contains plenty of collagen, which has a lot of health benefits. Japanese women love this a lot! It takes 8 hours to make the broth, and we make it every day in-store. We have particularly chosen Sakura chicken from Malaysia, which has a very similar quality that my restaurant would use in Japan.
At Teppan Bar Q, Wagyu steak and Seafood teppanyaki are very popular.
Which dish would you recommend diners to try? & What is something Singaporeans should know about the Japanese food/dining style?
I would recommend “Hakata Motsunabe” (Beef tripe Hotpot). It is also a popular menu item at Torikin, but I would like more people to know and try this dish! This hotpot is made from wagyu beef tripe from Southern Kyushu and cooked in our signature chicken collagen broth. It is a very special dish with a unique taste! Normally once a customer comes and tries for themselves, they would patronise again just for the Hakata Motsunabe.
And at Teppan Bar Q, I would like to see more people enjoying our B Kyu teppanyaki gourmet. The next time you come, you can order the Tonpei yaki and Okonomi yaki. These are the Japanese must-orders at teppanyaki restaurant!
Well, the Japanese always enjoy their food with Sake, beer, and Sho-chu. If you ever drop by Torikin or Teppan Bar Q, I want you to just enjoy your time here as the Japanese do! In fact, I like watching people enjoying their time at the table.
At Torikin, we serve many dishes from the Kyushu region. I hope you enjoy the different delicacies from my hometown.
How are you coping with the COVID-19 situation?
Like many other restaurants, we do delivery and take away service during this period. If customers order with us directly over the phone and pick up from our Teppan Bar Q outlet, we are able to prepare “Mizutaki” from Torikin restaurant as well. In this way, customers get to enjoy a wider variety of food selections and just picking them up at one location.
Is there anything you would like to do when the Circuit Breaker is over?
I guess it will take some time for many things to get back to normal. I know that ‘online drinking’ has become very popular during this period. But for me, through this tough time, I realised how underrated and valuable it is to get together with our friends and family, and simply have a great meal over the table together. Hence, I promise that we will constantly keep Torikin and Teppan Bar Q a safe place to dine in with your loved ones, and we welcome anyone when the doors can open for dine-in in the near future. I can’t wait!
[GIVEAWAY CLOSED] Win a $50 voucher at Torikin!
In light of the COVID-19 situation, we’d like to extend our help to the F&B industry by holding a giveaway with Torikin Singapore.
Stand a chance to win a $50 Torikin voucher each on both our Facebook and Instagram (valid for dine-in/takeaway)! This voucher is valid till the end of September 2020.
All you need to do:
Step 1 – FOLLOW Nani's Instagram & Torikin's instagram
Step 2 – LIKE both posts on Nani and Torikin about this giveaway
OR
Step 1 – FOLLOW Nani's Facebook & Torikin's Facebook
Step 2 – LIKE both posts on Nani and Torikin about this giveaway
Step 3 – SHARE Nani’s Facebook post about this giveaway and TAG 3 of your friends!
