SUN with Moon is a pretty weird name for a restaurant but then again, it's Japanese and you know how they have their own rules when it comes to English translations.

Still, naming logic notwithstanding, the original Sun with Moon restaurant in Wheelock must have been successful enough for the Suntory group to open a second outlet facing the river at the newest F&B hotspot, Central@Clarke Quay.

One possibility is that the restaurant seems to offer everything under the sun - and moon, for good measure. While Japanese cuisine is the main deal, it's a casual, modern approach that knows no culinary boundaries and is limited only by their chefs' imagination.

The new outlet takes full advantage of its river frontage with clear glass walls and mirrors that ensure you have a good view wherever you sit. The menu is super extensive and if you like munching on snacks while sipping on sake, there's a whole list of them, including very pretty udon sticks - thin brown Inawina noodles deep fried with prawn paste and served in a vase that make them look like pussy willows with prawn paste 'buds'. Addictive.

There's a wide set lunch menu which is good value considering that they serve the same items on an ala carte basis for dinner. Exclusive to this branch is the Hasai Bento ($32.50) which is a huge platter of small bites including sashimi, agedashi tofu, egg omelette, crab salad, teriyaki chicken and unagi. You also get a side dish of tempura (two prawns) and a bowl of udon noodles. While the little dishes represent mere mouthfuls, they all add up to a hefty meal. Taste-wise, it's nothing special, although the tempura prawns were good.

In terms of imaginative sushi, the chefs turn out a pretty good pan-fried Aburi foie gras sushi ($14.80 for two) - two thin slices of liver are crunchy outside and creamy inside but you have to eat them fast. Another newfangled sushi comprised unagi and cream cheese called 'dragon roll' ($11.80 for six pieces) - interesting, though it would have been just as good without the cheese.

The sashimi here is decent quality and quite reasonably priced. A plate of sashimi mori is priced at $32.80 for six kinds including hamachi, sweet prawn and scallop. The day we were there the sashimi was swimmingly fresh.

Sun with Moon seems to thrive on kooky Japanese concoctions. While overwhelmingly salty, the hotate spicy cream ($9.80) was nonetheless creamy and cheesy and great for those who like such textures. Scallops in a cream and cheese sauce with enoki mushrooms were gratinated and served in a large shell - yummy in a fun way, if they weren't so salty. Another quirky dish was the surprisingly successful sour plum spaghetti ($12.80) - in which a base of aglio olio is dressed up with the sour bite of plum, tender mushrooms and crispy deep fried whitebait, tossed with nori.

Desserts are where Sun with Moon come to the fore, if only for its amazing variety - again. The green tea tiramisu ($5.50, right) is a winner for its tender sponge and whipped cream combination, while the tofu cheesecake tastes almost like the real thing. If you're into mochi, its signature kyoto-style rice cakes are colourful and skewered on a stick - they taste better with the red bean paste than the savoury glaze that's served on the side. The mochi has a nice chewy texture which give your teeth something to bite on.

Sun with Moon may not offer star-quality dining, but as a casual and fun dining experience, it works. And in this case, you have the river view thrown in as a bonus.

Sun with Moon
#01-70/71/72 Central@Clarke Quay
Tel: 6534-7784
Rating: 6/10