My hubby had actually preordered his iPhone 17, but after finding out that the Apple Store at Jewel Changi Airport had limited stock of the green one, he cancelled his online order and placed a new one for in-store pickup. We flew over to Jewel almost immediately—he just couldn’t wait to get his hands on his new phone, haha.
While waiting for the collection time, we wandered around Jewel in search of a lunch spot and eventually decided on Tempura Makino, a tempura specialty restaurant chain from Japan.
Where to Find Tempura Makino
Besides Jewel Changi Airport, Tempura Makino has outlets at VivoCity, Great World, and Suntec City. Check their website at tempuramakino.com.sg/locations for exact addresses and opening hours.
What to Expect at Tempura Makino
Once seated, staff give you a QR code to scan for ordering. Food arrives quickly despite tempura being made to order. The crew impressed us with warm, friendly service.
Ice water costs $0.50 per glass but it’s refillable. You get a lemon slice with it.
* Prices shown here are subject to prevailing GST and service charge.
Tendon Set ($20)
The Tendon Set at Tempura Makino offers brilliant variety: two prawns, kisu fish (Japanese whiting), chicken fillet, maitake mushroom, eggplant, butternut pumpkin, French bean, and egg on rice.
The prawns come in good sizes with light, crispy batter. The chicken fillet stole the show – incredibly tender breast meat without any dryness. The mushroom stayed juicy, eggplant remained moist, and the egg yolk ran perfectly.
My main gripe? The tendon sauce felt timid. The dish wasn’t drenched, which meant flavours stayed subtle. You need that sauce to bring everything together because there’s no extra dressing or dipping sauce. Without it, things taste bland.
Tontendon ($19.50)
This bowl features Hokkaido pork collar and Okinawa egg tempura on rice, topped with pickled ginger, spring onion, and pea shoots.
The pork collar surprised me. Lean yet tender, it tasted pre-marinated so flavour came through strongly. The egg yolk ran beautifully too.
Portion-wise, the bowls sit quite shallow so there wasn’t as much rice as you’d think. For bigger appetites like my husband’s, one set probably won’t cut it.
Miso Soup and Appetiser
Every set at Tempura Makino comes with miso soup and an appetiser of the day. These accompaniments round out the meal nicely, though they’re fairly standard. The miso soup provides a comforting, warm element to balance the fried components.
Final Thoughts
Tempura Makino executes tempura beautifully. Everything’s fried yet nothing feels heavy or sickly. The batter stays light throughout.
But the restaurant doesn’t blow me away. I wanted bolder tendon sauce – something with more punch. The tempura itself shines with proper technique, but flavour profiles play it safe.
Worth visiting if you’re at Jewel Changi Airport and craving Japanese food. Just manage expectations on sauce intensity and portion sizes.