When my favourite restaurant, Ikkoten Omakase, announced the change in menu, I didn’t hesitate to make two reservations: one before the change and one after the change. I’m not sure of what to expect of the new menu actually, but trusting Chef Brandon Low’s culinary skills and his flair for belting out lots of surprises, I’m all excited to try it.
And yes, I totally enjoy the new experience! Tweaks will be made to this soft launch menu. So if you want to try the most refreshing and Japanese tasting pasta, need to try it soon before more changes implemented two weeks later.
My favourite dish of the night got to be the Smoked Hamachi, whose lovely smoked flavour is punctuated by savoury sauce and refreshing pungency of ginger flower for a well-rounded and complex taste.
Crispy Rosemary crackers with dips may look simple but the taste is on another level. Japanese Black Bean Cream Cheese is surprisingly sweet and creamy, enhanced by hints of earthiness of beans and soft savoury nutty taste of cream cheese. It’s a dip like no others.
Tuna Mashed Potato surprises me by how good it is and how different it is from the typical tuna. The strong briny taste of tuna is perfectly balanced by the earthy sweetness of potato for an addictive treat.
Tai, which is Sea Bream Sashimi, tastes so good with homemade Ume Jelly. The taste is clean, refreshing and exciting.
Grilled Chilean Seabass (I’m drinking a lot and forgot to take photo) is the crowd favourite due to the flaky, creamy, succulent texture and the sweetness brought out by the thin strands of seaweed and Nori Butter.
Japanese Pollack Roe and Ikura with Angel Hair Pasta is surprise of the night. I was expecting this dish to taste like one of those Japanese fusion pastas, but Chef Brandon Low totally defies this assumption to come up with a pasta dish that is so unique and delicious. The pasta tastes absolutely Japanese that I will think it's a special somen if not told that it's pasta. The taste is delightfully light, refreshing and briny sweet. I will take this over most pasta dishes anytime of the day.
Binchotan Wagyu is so juicy and meaty, made even better with the char from grilling over binchotan. Anchovy Infused Potato goes so well with the meat. Pan Seared Foie Gras is perfectly done.
Special dish of Fig with jelly, topped with a dash of gold, is so refreshingly good. Perfect for cleansing the palate before the sushi.
Akami (no photo) sushi has this mild savoury taste that highlights the sweetness of the premium Niigata sushi rice.
Hamachi sushi is clean tasting, made exciting by the zest. This is one special hamachi with such smooth texture. I love it!
Amaebi sushi, served fresh, is so sweet and especially creamy. I love this too!
Chutoro sushi is sweet and has this lovely melt in your mouth texture.
Tai sushi is unique because it has been smoked to impart a unique smoky flavour, making this sushi rich and complex in taste. First time I try a sushi with smoked fish, and it works!
Otoro sushi is so rich and decadent in taste.
My uni sushi is specially upgraded to Chef's Signature Sushi wth the best, sweetest treasures of the ocean: uni and negitoro, tempered with pickles for complexity in taste. So luxurious, so sweet, so awesome.
Thoughts: Exciting and Full of Surprises!
86 Telok Ayer Street
