When my glass of water is served, the fine, elaborate floral patterns on the glass immediately catches my attention. I like this attention to details, and all the more so when I find out that the glass was handmade in Japan. And so do all the beautiful delicate sake glasses that come in many colours. It is quite an experience to choose one from a box of lovely handmade glass cups. It definitely helps that the sake is smooth and sweet. Yes, I do recommend ordering the sake there for the experience.
The starter of vegetables is pretty interesting, which whets the appetite.
On my second visit, the starter consists of fine seawood that thoroughly absorbs the sweet vinegar is so simulating and refreshing in taste. This is a great way to start the meal.
The real show starts when the chawamushi is presented. It is the best chawamushi I ever have. The rich custard is submerged in the thick, starchy, clear broth that holds lots of umami flavours. Not only is the custard full of flavours, the texture of the broth also adds a nice twist to it.
Next up is the sushi for the $48 set lunch: eight pieces of them to be exact. I love it that fresh fishes of better quality are used instead of the usual suspects of salmon, akami, etc. Hirame has very clean taste that I appreciate and I definitely love the thick slab of whole Hotate. Bonito, while looks like the redder version of akami, is way better in taste due to more intense flavour and smoother texture. Chutoro has that melt-in-mouth texture, thus it is for sure the highlight among the sushi pieces. The other fishes all get the ticks of approval from me due to their freshness. And got to make a special mention of the mackerel, which reminds me of the unbelievably awesome Aji at Shinji, due to the dot of green condiment perching on top of the sushi. Well, the mackerel is tad too fishy to my liking, but the simulating flavours of the condiment tones down the fishy taste a lot, making this sushi an enjoyable treat.
As for the sushi line-up on my second visit there, it is ten pieces of sushi served one by one for the $80 set lunch. And I am totally wowed over by the dining experience of sitting at the counter and enjoying the premium sushi. This reminds me so much of the amazing experience at Shinji. As I has said, part of the dining experience at such Japanese restaurants consists of watching the chef carefully prepares the sushi and savouring the morsels, one by one, and right after they are ready. The aburi otoro is amazingly buttery in taste, aburi snapper successfully showcases the great matrimony of the clean taste of snapper and the smoky flavour of grilled meat, the ama ebi are big and sweet and so is the hotate. Aji is served instead of saba, and the difference is obvious. Aji has slightly more silky flesh and does not have the strong fishy smell. Paired with the green dot of condiment, it is truly morsel of délice, which is pretty close to what I had at Shinji. The uni is fresh and oh-so-sweet, which definitely makes me a happy foodie.
Kappa temaki is kind of like the humble sibling of the sushi pieces. The good part about it is the nice crispy toasty seaweed that I enjoy munching on. It is actually more for filling the tummy, as an accompaniment treat, rather than standing out in its own. For the $80 set meal, we have negitoro temaki instead, and I love the creamy texture of the minced tuna belly. This temaki does stand out on its own and as the last of the mains to be served, it seals the deal perfectly.
Miso is the clear type, which is my preference.
Dessert of Japanese ice-cream completes the meal. It does not blow me away, but it is a nice dessert, full of black sesame goodness, to end the meal. But I highly recommend choosing the mochi instead, if you have no allergy to peanut. The mochi almost melts in my mouth instantly the moment I bite into it. I never have such awesome mochi before. For this, the mochi is definitely worth a try.
One more thing, I highly recommend ordering the side of Cheese Tempura. For one, one does not easily find this dish anywhere else. And just imagine melted cheese encased in crispy tempura batter, yes, it is very good.
The service here is absolutely wonderful and meticulous, matching up to the level of intricacy of the food and setting. Even though I am seated at the private room, I have no problem getting the attention of the service crew since they are always on the go. I am thoroughly impressed.
For set lunch starting from $48 only, this is definitely value for money. And it is worth it to go there at least once, for the experience. For me, I will go there more than once, that is for sure.
My Thoughts: Awesome!
Nearest car park: Ngee Ann City's car park
Nearest MRT: Orchard
#05-32, Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road
Contact No: 67346308
