Hidden in Bugis Cube, Sushi Dorobo is a 10-seater sushi bar with a unique engawa don & S$8 set with free-flow sides!

Is this a “hidden gem”? We’d recently chanced upon Sushi Dorobo at Bugis Cube, and we think it might very well be one.

Sure, we know the “hidden gem” label is cursed now, but hear us out.

While Japanese food can be found almost everywhere, the rather old Bugis mall is probably one of the last places you’d think to go for sushi or omakase. 

Sushi Dorobo is tucked all the way inside on level three of the Bugis Cube mall, while most would notice only the road-facing Chinese restaurants that sit along the exterior.

The sushi bar opened in February this year, and the interior is cosy and intimate, built around the wooden sushi counter, with only 10 seats available.

The offerings at Sushi Dorobo actually differ based on the time of the day you visit.

Diners can either go for the dinner omakase courses that start from S$99, or opt to visit during lunch for its loaded donburis that start from S$16.90.

Engawa don & free-flow sides

If you’re one of those working in the area, it might be worth popping by for a rice bowl or two. 

That’s especially true for big eaters, since you can top up S$8 for a set with free-flow sides and green tea!

The sides include salad, miso soup, onsen tamago (onsen egg), and dessert of the day — our visit ended with a black sesame ice cream monaka sandwich.

As for the donburi itself, Sushi Dorobo has eight different options on the menu, but the one that caught our eye was the aburi engawa don (S$19.90). 

Engawa refers to flounder fin, and it’s an ingredient with a bit of a cult following — it has a somewhat unique texture, which can be described as a mix of gelatinousness and chewiness.

The don is loaded up with smoky torched engawa, and topped with an egg. Mix the yolk well into the fluffy rice, and you get a good jumble of textures with each bite!

But if you’re looking for good value for money, aim for the Dorobo kaisen don (S$35.90).

This is the most expensive rice bowl on Sushi Dorobo’s lunch menu, but what makes it stand out is the fish used in it — it uses the fish that would be served for the dinner omakase. 

So diners are guaranteed fresh omakase-quality fish — compared to your average casual donburi spots — plus it’s worth revisiting to try its variations, which change based on the season.

Our bowl came with akaebi (red prawn), hirame (flounder), mebaru (rockfish), akami (tuna), and chutoro (medium-fatty tuna), rested atop a bed of shredded crab.

Of the bunch, we loved the robust and fatty chutoro and the luscious akaebi the most.

For our fellow mentaiko-salmon lovers out there, Sushi Dorobo also serves up a pretty solid aburi salmon mentaiko don (S$19.90).

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The salmon slices are thick and silky, while the mentaiko is rich and creamy. 

Most importantly, there’s a good mentaiko-to-salmon ratio that ensures there’s a good balance, and the sauce doesn’t just overpower the fish.

A good salmon mentaiko rice bowl just hit differently — even if it’s basic, right?

Sushi traditionalists would also be pleased to see the tuna bowl (S$26.90) option, which comes topped with a layer of negitoro (minced tuna), and three different cuts of tuna.

Velvety negitoro with vinegar-spiked rice is always a heavenly combo, but oh boy, the ootoro (fatty tuna) was truly a decadent melt-in-mouth flavour bomb.

And if you like a bit of pizzazz, you can also add on some uni for S$15. Sushi Dorobo uses bafun uni and it tasted pretty fresh, oozing with briny sweetness, with no trace of fishy staleness at all.

We liked that for S$15, you get a decent amount of uni — and considering it’s of a pretty decent quality, we have no complaints. Top up if you feel like ballin’ out!

With everything considered, Sushi Dorobo is a pretty solid choice for donburi with a  well-varied array of rice bowls and good-quality fish

Would we return again? If we’re in the area, why not?

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the affordable food court shabu spot at Hillion Mall and the best Penang spots for foodies to hit up.