Ikkoten Omakase - Amazing, Varied and Memorable

I go to Ikkoten Omakase with the intention of enjoying a good omakase, and it turns out to be far more than that. The various traditional Kyoto methods of preparation of food, the extra touches such as gold dust and mist, use of charcoal, hay and bamboo leaves, and grilling of food over charcoal in a clay stove right in front of the patrons. Plus the friendly, engaging Chef Brandon Low who explains in details the story behind each dish, it is an awesome feast for my 5 senses.

Every dish here is unique and delights my palates. And for the Hana course, lots of dishes have the Shiro Uni from Hokkaido. As someone who loves savouring uni, I am of course real happy with this.

The interior of restaurant is of minimalist Zen style, which is perfect for omakase session. Hidden within Kura Oyster & Highball restaurant, this place definitely feels exclusive and private, plus a hint of cosiness. To add it on, the service crew is very friendly and attentive.

I need to talk about my favourite dish first: Chef's Signature Sushi of Minced Otoro with Hokkaido Uni, a dot of seaweed essence and fine spring onions decked on top of Crystal Rice Puff. Without the whole sheet of seaweed, the minced toro and sweetness of uni really showcase their unadulterated creaminess and sweetness in their entirety. The tiny bit of seaweed essence and spring onions add hints of excitement to overall taste.

Yes, this is one of the best minced toro and uni combi I ever have. And the crystal rice puff has an interesting crunchy texture to sushi.

Gold dust sprayed over the sushi for a touch of luxe. I like this!

First appetiser is impressively served with a mould of shiro uni stacked on top of sesame tofu soaked in dashi sauce. Very flavourful dish and the sesame tofu is so sweet. I suggest savouring the uni on its own to appreciate its pure umami and leaving a bit to eat with the tofu.  

Hassun is a beautifully plated assortment of appetisers consisting of vegetables prepared in various forms. The dark bowl with golden edge holds a refreshing and appetite-whetting medley of needle-shaped seaweed, Hijiki (I love this seaweed due to the nutty flavour and the soft texture), shredded carrot and sesame. The clear bowl has super silky tofu skin soaked in thickened dashi. Sweet, sweet pumkin coated with deep fried miniscule rice cubes introduces a nice change in texture. The slice of tako is surprisingly easy to bite, and the dot of sauce elevates the mild briny taste of the octopus. The eggplant has a nice juxtapose between its sweetness and the savoury taste of the mellow miso sauce.

Water is sprayed on the top of the cover in front of patrons, replicating the Japanese royal experience where the water droplets are the proof that the soup had not been tampered with.

Suimono is a dish that grows on me. Without any additive, this sea bass and vegetable clear soup tastes very light at first mouthful. And as I drink more, the layering effect kicks in with the natural sweetness of the ingredients starts to get more pronounced. Enjoying soup this way is delightful.

Tsukuri, seasonal sashimi, is another one of my favourites, for an obvious reason: uni! I always like the clean taste of flounder, and this time I like it even better when it is wrapped around each uni to highlight the intense umami of the uni. Another thing I love about this dish is the texture: firm, crunchy flounder is a perfect match with the custard-like creaminess of the uni.

Otoro being grilled over charcoal. The smoky aroma heightens the anticipation.

Look at the beautiful mabling of the otoro.

Grilled Otoro is definitely another highlight of the dinner. With the melt-in -your-mouth texture, the smokiness from the charcoal and grilled surface, this thick slab of fish tastes like super melty steak from the sea. I love this. And I heard another patron gushing about it.

Hokkaido sweet baby corn being grilled over charcoal stove. I know this will be good the moment I caught a whiff of the sweet smell of burnt husk.

Kobachi features incredibly milky sweet, fresh, crunchy baby corn infused with the aroma of burnt husk. The light butter soya sauce adds traces of lovely buttery umami to it. And lots of uni put on top of the baby corn, yes! Like the appetizer, enjoy the uni on its own and left just some to eat with the corn.

Yakimono is grilled Barracuda fused with scrambled egg. It tastes so good, especially with the lime juice. It also hits the right notes texture wise, with the egg adding moisture and create variation in the overall texture. The two cute sweet potato slices worth a special mention here because they are so sweet and full of earthy flavours.

Takiawase is the surprise of the night for me. For one, I'm not really into eggplants and much less simmer dishes since I find simmered dishes too mashy in texture. But this dish wins my heart over. The big slices of eggplant is so sweet (yes, I know I have used the word "sweet" countless of times on the vegetables in this note, but fact is fact) and refreshing in taste. In addition, it has a bit of firmness that I like, The dashi, spring onion, bubble soya sauce and bonito flakes make this dish taste even more exciting.

My course of Shiizakana is changed from Wagyu Beef to Tuna Collar at my request. The flesh is so succulent and juicy, dispelling my initial worry that the grilled fish will be dry and plain in taste (I had such experiences at top notch restaurants).

The chef hard at work shaving the super hard 3-year aged bonito into umami rich flakes.

The reveal of Shokuji: Donabe, aka the Japanese claypot rice.

Cooked in 8 hours brewed broth, the rice is amazingly flavourful, packed with the goodness of the ocean. The Ayu fish, nicely and throughly deboned, is added for extra punches of umami. It goes very well with the freshly shaved bonito flakes and refreshing pickles.

Video shows the making of Donabe into Onigiri. And the chef lovingly wraps them up into bamboo leaf so that the aroma of the leaf will infuse into the rice.

My kitchen is filled with the lovely aroma of bamboo when I steam them for breakfast. They taste oh-so-good!

Traditional Matcha Preparation to yield nice foamy matcha tea. This is my first time trying foamy matcha, and I love it.

Mizugashi consists of matcha pudding with azuki and soya powder, and Japanese fruits of Pione Grape, Peach and premium Melon. I love the intense grassy notes and umami of the matcha pudding, rounded up nicely by the earthy sweetness of the red beans and soya powder.

The fruits are so sweet and is packed with their own distinctive aroma. Specially the melon, which is like floral honey water in solid form that melts in the mouth.

Nice Interesting Jasmine Umeshu.

All the dishes here are so memorable and very distinctive that I have no problem recalling each of them while writing this note. This is really one of a kind awesome experience.

By the way, the chef can also change the menu slightly to accomodate patrons who don't eat raw food, so this is a good choice to bring one's non-raw-food-eater loved ones to enjoy traditional Omakase here.

Thoughts: Awesome and Unique

86 Telok Ayer Street

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar or Telok Ayer