After several attempts to reserve a Saturday spot at Kei Hachi one week prior and failed due fully booked status, I decided to go on a weekday instead. And I finally get to enjoy the treasures of the sea where every serving moment is full of anticipation because I don't what is on the menu for omakase. We just trust the chef to serve the best to us. And I decided to go all full out to order most luxurious Kei Hachi course on the menu.
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The first appetiser is a huge surprise in a tiny dainty bowl: Shirako aka Fish Sperm! And it's good. The taste is is like custard with light umami. The mozuku su, which is thin strands of seaweed soaked in vinegar, complements the milky shirako well to inject bursts of refreshing flavours. A well-executed dish.
Okay, I have to admit that I don't really like cooked fish, so it's with slight trepidation that I take a bite of the second appetiser: cooked hamachi, and oh boy, trepidation immediately turns into delight and surprise at that moment the creamy, succulent flesh of the fish breaks up in my mouth. And there is zero fishy taste. Yes, this is way better than the cooked fish I once had in a Michelin Star establishment. The accompanying vegetable is oh so good too. I'm so surprised to find it super crispy. Drizzled in the sauce, it becomes a real tasty treat.
Sashimi of Blue Fish, Hamachi and Otoro is very fresh, and the otoro, which is tuna belly, is of course of melt-in-your-mouth texture–it is so decadently good. What sets this sashimi apart from the quality sashimi I had at other establishments is the spongy cubes of soy sauce. Yes, the two cubes of tamago-lookalike are actually soy sauce. The taste of the soy sauce is mild with hints of mirin–good soy sauce does develop unique taste profile like wine. The good part about it in solid form is that its taste in released in bursts when biting into it, which is refreshing.
A fresh, succulent prawn perching on top of the chawamushi loaded with mushrooms and chopped vegetables definitely looks very appetising. Yes, generosity of adding lots of goodies into this! And the taste is as good as its looks.
It is another moment of trepidation setting in when cooked hamachi cheek is served. But after the surprising awesome appetiser of cooked hamachi, I tuck in with anticipation too. The cheek flesh is so moist and creamy ~~~ So good that I actually finish it. And the pickled lotus root is a refreshing accompaniment to cut through the creaminess of the fish in between bites.
My impression of Fried Sakura Ebi is concentrated umami in dry, a bit hard, and sometimes sharp, package. But the Fried Sakura Ebi here is different. It still has the concentrated umami that I love, and the texture is souffle-like in the centre with crispy exterior. This is amazing. Probably the best Sakura Ebi I ever have for now.
First Sushi of the meal: Crisp Clean Tasting Flounder with a hint of sweetness plus some tangy taste to perk things up. A great start to refresh the palates.
Baby Snapper, slightly firmer, also features clean taste that is spiced up by a dash of sea salt. Very well-executed.
Shima Aji is more intense in flavour. I like the change in taste profile in this sushi from the Flounder and Baby Snapper to have that variation in the meal. The bursts of nutty goodness of sesame seeds and the umami of the seaweed flakes go very well with this fish.
One of my favourites. I always love Amaebi and the ones here are exceptionally plump, sweet and juicy. I'm so happy after eating this one.
New adventure for the palates when aburi Kimedai is served. The seared fish introduces a very thin layer of char to get that intensity in taste.
Hokkaido Hotate is so luxuriously awesome. It's impossible not to love the plump, succulent, mildly sweet scallop topped with caviar and gold flakes. This is like a blanket of sweet, creamy, mild umami layered with tiny bursts of refreshing, sweet, intense umami.
When I go for omasake, I always wait for Aji with great anticipation because there is potential to create something special with this mackerel fish. And at this place, Aji is uniquely prepared to add the taste of crisp freshness of the greens. it actually works to harmonise with the stronger taste of the fish. A surprisingly good treat.
The chef decided to shake things up by adding the slice of truffle on top of the Akami. First time I try truffle with sushi and it works beautifully. The earthy aroma adds dimension to the taste of this sushi.
What's a Omasake without Uni? And this restaurant does not disappoint to serve up the Uni sushi that has so much Uni that the nori has to be folded into a U shape to hold all that Uni. Savouring creamy ultimate umami is pure enjoyment. The uni here does have stronger metallic taste though.
I have a nice comfy miso soup to wind down after the exciting time of enjoying the sushi, which are all very fresh and have this almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The Japanese Melon ends things on a sweet note because it is unbelievably sweet, and refreshing. This is like floral honey water condensed into solid form. Yes, it's that sweet, and I had mentioned the word "sweet" three times in a paragraph about a fruit, a quality fruit that is.
Like most authentic Japanese restaurants that serves Omakase, the place is of Zen influence: clean, minimalistic and wood-theme. I can feel the calm in here when steeping inside. And the service helps to reinforce that calm by being attentive yet not intrusive. But what makes this restaurants stands out from the rest is the little unique ways the chef prepares the sushi. I always like an adventure and into exploring new combinations of flavours (not to the extend of eating weird stuff though), and Kei Hachi exactly does just that for me. I like every dish I have here, which is quite a feat, especially for the cooked fish dishes. In fact, I enjoy the food here more than the ones at Michelin Star restaurants I had few years ago. Personal opinion though, take note.
I definitely look forward to going back again. This is one Omasake I will recommend to my loved ones and friends.
Thoughts: Awesome Omasake that I love every part of it.
8 Keong Saik Road
Singapore
Nearest MRT: Outram Park
