Hello Arigato – Chill Japanese-Style Cafe Offering Thick Sandos at Upper Thomson Road

I stopped by the newly-opened Hello Arigato along Upper Thomson Road to recharge on a humid day.

Ironwood shelves that display art decor and fashionable trinkets greet you once you enter the cafe. The lightwood accents and white rounded tables are illuminated by the natural light streaming in through the large glass door. The R&B tunes playing softly in the background tempt you to stay, but not for long as there is a dine-in limit of 90 minutes.

The cafe is currently running its soft opening menu which comprises appetisers, Sandos, bakes, Donburis, pasta and a selection of beverages.

With the buzz surrounding Hello Arigato’s Sandos, we decided to try a couple to see if they live up to the hype. Do be prepared to wait a little longer though, as each Sando is freshly made and will take a minimum of 15 minutes to arrive.

The Teriyaki Sando ($15) consists of fried and glazed chicken thigh, homemade teriyaki sauce and lettuce that’s sandwiched between Japanese Milk Bread. The chicken was thick and moist, with juices oozing out in each bite. However, there’s not much depth to the Teriyaki sauce other than it being sweet. The milk bread had a nice crisp and fluffiness.

One thing’s for sure, the Otah Sando ($20) is not your usual neighbourhood bakery otah bun. The breaded muar otah is deep-fried till golden brown that one might mistake it for a slab of tonkatsu. The otah was thick with large fish chunks embedded within. The kaffir lime sambal in the Otah gives it its fiery red hue and a slight heat. Luckily, the cooling coconut mayo and cucumber balanced out the strong flavours of the Sando.

If the heat is still too much to handle for you, take a swig of the Arigato Cold Brew Tea (Bottled) ($5). We ordered the Fukamushi Sencha, which was strong and smooth — a refreshing drink that cleansed our palates adequately.

As I left the cafe to embrace the sweltering heat once more, I quietly mumbled arigato for the satisfying meal.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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