Sushi Yujo - Japanese Omakase with a Twist

There are so many awesome omakase restaurants, sometimes it is difficult to decide on which one to go to. For me, I’m looking for a good and unique dining experience, and Sushi Yujo caught my attention because of the instagram-worthy photos featuring sushi that look different.

And yes, just like the modern Japanese ambience here, the courses here is Japanese cuisine with touches of modern influences and luxe. And it works wonderfully.

Both the exterior and interior of the restaurant exude a feel of posh and quiet elegance, layered with Japanese zen. Dark marble backdrop, a silver intricate sculpture, glass lattice wall, bronze mesh swirling across the ceiling and the crystal flowers adorning the wall behind the chef counter, I love the decor here.

Service here is very meticulous, professional and friendly. I like the extra mile the service crew goes to wipe the sushi plate after every serving and also the table if I drop some sauce or bits of food on it.

One of my favourite is Aburi Spotted Prawn with Uni. This is the first time I savour such combination and preparation of sushi, and I love it! The briny sweetness of prawn and the creamy sweetness of uni, highlighted by the light char is sweet bliss.

Refreshing appetiser of fresh, sweet corn drizzled with sesame sauce. I love the crunchiness of the seaweed that comes with the corn. The star of this dish is the hamachi topped with a slice of truffle and a stack of caviar, signifying the start of luxurious gastronomic adventure. And of course they are delicious!

Sashimi of flounder, uni, scallop, kanpachi and otoro. Yes, they are fresh and good.

Something unique here with deep fried crispy sweet crab meat and tempura scallop buried in pumpkin puree. The nutty, earthy sweetness of pumpkin contrasts so well with the briny flavours of scallop and crab. A very enjoyable snack.

Amberjack is clean in taste with a mild sweetness.

The special otoro sushi given the special golden spray treatment 😍

Yes, Aburi otoro topped with negitoro, ikura and caviar is another highlight of the meal. It’s a real indulgence to savour this. The light char gives an extra dimension to the taste and cuts through the richness of otoro and negitoro. Another one of my favourites.

Aburi otoro, foie gras, truffle, caviar, onsen egg and truffle sauce blanket over starchy pearl-like rice. Looking at the ingredients, one can probably guess that it is luxuriously delicious. And it is. In fact I finish every grain of the rice.

Nice clear flavourful soup. And I like the crunchy mushrooms inside.

Amazingly sweet Japanese melon with that lovely sweet aroma, dessert in this form is pure love.

Nice sweet homemade plum wine.

The interesting background of crystal flowers blooming. It feels kind of therapeutic to watch the flowers blooming actually.

This restaurant is very impressive in terms of ambience, service and the luxurious courses.

Thoughts: Impressive and Unique

165 Tg Pagar Road

Amara Hotel #02-26

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Sushi Kawasemi - Gastronomic Delight

Omakase is always my favourite cuisine because of the elements of anticipation, surprise, uniqueness, craftsmanship and simply, amazing food exceeding my expectations. And Sushi Kawasemi hits all the right spots for an awesome omakase meal.

Dining here is like a gastronomic trip around Japan as the chefs introduce the ingredients from different regions of Japan. The natural flavour and sweetness of the ingredients take the centre stage here. The texture of the seafood here is another highlight, where the flesh of the fishes has that iota of crunchiness for a satisfying bite. I also love the the creative ways of adding certain condiments or ingredients to present the flavours of the fishes in an unique, new light.

In addition, the fishes here are aged for specific amount of time to yield sweeter flavours. Serving aged fishes is quite a rarity in Singapore so this restaurant is a good choice to try such cuisine. Well-prepared and well-aged fishes actually have the extra sweetness while still retaining the quality of fresh fishes.

The ambience here is of posh, scenic Zen style, with lilac white walls, long walkways, Japanese ornaments, soft lights and the centrepiece of a Japanese painting spanning across the entire wall, which is of Japanese kingfishers by a Japanese artist. The painting even has an interesting concept behind it, and that is for patrons to find out from the service staff when dining here 😉

Service here is so meticulous, friendly and awesome. I don't even need to top up my sake cup by myself since the staff crew will always appear to do it when the sake runs low in the cup. Yet they manage to remain non-intrusive and then showing up when one needs them.

It is definitely a treat to watch the chefs carefully prepare the dishes and then present them with details on the origins, the aging period and the extra ingredients added.

The omakase is off to a promising, luxurious start with finely shredded crab meat from Kyuushu, topped with Bafun Uni. With the creamy sweetness of uni, the subtle briny essence of crab slowly develops to be more pronounced while biting on it.

This Mejina sashimi has a clean taste and superb texture, featuring a very nice bite. I love it.

Aged kuromutsu, known as chutoro of mutsu family, has deep complexity in its taste, and the yuzu paste with pepper makes it even better.

You know how toasted butter releases this extra lovely aroma that makes it taste better? Otoro seared with binchotan charcoal is exactly just that. This otoro is amazing in taste. So sweet, so buttery, with the added aroma of toasted butter and Japanese spring onion to cut through the fat and refresh the palates. This is my favourite.

Soup made with only giant clam, sake and Mount Fuji spring water is so unbelievably sweet and savoury.

Akami aged 15 days has more pliable texture and sweeter taste than the usual akami.

Shiro Ebi is so creamy and is full of briny sweetness. I'm so happy savouring this.

Kyushuu's Anago's crispy surface, juxtaposes perfectly with the creamy flesh within, The specialty paste and pickle elevates the taste by introducing hints of excitement.

Isaki sushi is delicate, lean and sweet, featuring a nice crunchy texture.

Another sushi with excellent texture.

Shima Aji is surprisingly served with only rice packed underneath since this fish, which is stronger in taste, is usually served with some pungent herbs to cut down the taste. I'm surprised by how sweet this is and how balanced the distinctive strong flavour is in this sushi. I love this.

Chutoro is pure buttery goodness,

Tachiuo is like custard of the ocean. The texture is soft and creamy. A very unique and lovely sushi to enjoy.

Nodugoro served aburi-style has this wonderful smoky flavour on top of the rich taste of the fish.

Ika from Fukuoka has a bit of chewiness in it, yet creamy at the same time. Interesting texture to experience.

Murasaki Uni is, wow, served in a wooden spoon. This is of course umami heaven. I actually prefer Murasaki over Bafun because this is more intense in taste.

Tamago is so fluffy, like a cake. 👍

Nice miso soup.

Champagne grape has this unique wine-like flavour in it that I relish. And my eyes immediately shine with stars when I see Shine Muscat, the jade green jewel that is the king of grapes. Bouncy, super sweet flesh with super thin skin, distinctive musky flavour and no sourness, makes this the best grapes I ever have. The melon is like honey water with floral aroma condensed into solid form. The chestnut ice-cream with its nice earthy flavour rounds things up nicely to seal the deal.

Exquisite sake cups made into shapes of the twelve zodiac. By the way, the sake here is so sweet, clear and refreshing.

Dining here is such a wonderful experience and a unique one where I get to enjoy aged fishes. Look forward to enjoy more of such cuisine.

Thoughts: Worth a special trip to here to savour the aged fishes paired with specialty sauces.

120 Telok Ayer St

Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer or Tanjong Pagar

Sushi Katori - Amazing Gastronomic Experience, a Marriage of Tradition and Uniqueness

A truly awesome gastronomic experience in Sushi Katori! I get to savour seasonal treasures of the sea meticulously prepared by Chef Katori the traditional Edo style plus an uniqueness that makes the food really amazing and different those of other restaurants.

Chef Katori focuses on preparation, optimal temperature and pairing of the fishes with the most suitable kind of shari to bring out the best and inherent flavours of the fishes. It's also quite a feast for the eyes watching him deftly slices and cuts the fishes. And with the outstanding, thoughtful service in addition to the wonderful hospitality of Chef Katori, this restaurant is definitely one of the best.

So I'm not surprised when a well-travelled gourmet beside me reveals to his friends that he visits this restaurant every week. This place does have that kind of charm to make it possible.

Also, after an outing here, it reinforces the fact that omakase is my favourite type of meal. Yes, I absolutely enjoy every single dish here.

The appetiser of Firefly Squid with Mountain Vegetable definitely impresses at first bite. The squid is briny sweet and tender, enhanced by the refreshing sweetness of the vegetable. Deep Fried Ice Fish coated with Crushed Rice is packed with concentrated umami and is so crispy. Japanese Eggplant with Miso paste is also delicious. An excellent start to the meal. And I love it that all these are so unique in taste.

Bonito spinkled with chopped spring onion and soaked in Special Sauce made with Ponzu is the most delicious Bonito sashimi I have. The refreshing tangy taste of the sauce brings out the sweetness of the Bonito.

The Kanpachi sushi here is the most beautiful of its kind. Look at the sheen on it. And it's taste is beautiful and clean too.

Akami paired with red vinegar shari surprises me by how good it is. Being tender, mildly sweet and has a warmth to it that makes it a delight to savour. According to Katori san, Akami is best served warm, thus going better with the more acidic red vinegar rice. It does make a difference. This is one exceptional Akami sushi.

Sayori is best served cold instead with white shari. This fish tastes incredibly sweet. Unbelievably good.

Kinmedai sushi here also has this pretty sheen I have never seen before on other Kinmedai sushi. I got to say the sushi here all look like pieces of art. The texture of this fish is smooth and the taste is full of subtle umami flavours.

I love Tairagai with seaweed paste so much. After trying this, I must say this is my favourite kind of scallop. So full of umami and sweetness, the flesh is so tender. The seaweed paste accentuates the sweetness.

Chutoro with red vinegar shari is so buttery good and has this extra warm briny flavour that makes it more special. The tuna meat of this season is more tender, thus Chef Katori recommends me to pick it up with fingers instead.

Cooked Fish with Mountain Wild Vegetable makes me a fan of cooked fish despite me not being one prior to this. The vegetable is clean in taste and has this glutinous rice consistency that goes so well with the pliable fish.

The stronger flavoured Aji is interestingly rolled into maki with the refreshing finely shredded ginger, ginger flower and cucumber. The result looks so pretty. The taste, a lovely harmonisation of Aji and the vegetables, is awesome too.

Best Negitoro I ever have. This is simply oh-my-goodness oh-so-good. This beautiful mold of negitoro is so buttery and holds so many flavours, enhanced by the pure essence of the sea from the caviar. I totally love it.

Otoro with red vinegar shari has really lovely marbling, and yes, it melts in the mouth. It is truly a delight to savour.

Fish roe with Bonito strands has a very interesting texture in which the compressed fish roe feels like cake at first bite and then the roe starts popping in the mouth to release the umami juices.

This clam is briny sweet and tender with a bit of chewiness. It's so good in taste and texture.

Shiro Ebi is full of the sweetness of the ocean and very creamy too. A great variation in taste and texture from the rest of the sushi.

The eminent saline taste in the Big Clam is more pronounced as compared to previous clam sushi. It's also more chewy. Very rich in taste.

Uni and Ikura sushi is just wow, Chef Katori is so generous with the amount of creamy sweet lovely uni added. And using the bowl instead of the seaweed to hold these jewels of the sea, I can taste the pure creaminess of the uni with the ikura pearls refreshing the palate. This is pure indulgence and bliss.

It feels so comforting to drink the hot piping Leek Miso Soup. And it tastes different from the usual miso soup, and I love it. I'm also up for variation in tastes. Chef Katori will change the miso soup every now and then to keep things interesting.

Tamago tastes like eggy cake, which makes for a great pre-dessert.

Japanese Fruits and Brown Sugar Ice-Cream is the perfect sweet ending to this amazing meal. The fruits look so pretty! The tangerine is super sweet with some citrus tanginess. Its texture is like jelly.  The strawberry has the lovely mild floral aroma and subtle sweetness. Premium Japanese fruits also impress. And I'm totally digging the brown sugar ice-cream because of its taste of caramel goodness.

This upmarket zen ambience of the restaurant gives one a sense of calm when stepping into it. I like the beautiful cravings on the wooden panel of the refrigerator, which looks like a wooden treasure cabinet. Also appreciate the bamboo mat ceiling, which is interesting.

The service is immaculate. In addition, the Chef or service staff will wipe the serving plate clean after every serving of sushi. This is one small extra touch that improves the dining experience immensely, where the taste of each sushi will not stay on the plate to affect the next one and provide a beautiful shiny platform for instagram worthy shots of the sushi. And I also feel good looking at the clean plate.

Oh yes, one more thing: I'm astounded by Chef Katori's skills with his incredibly sharp knife as he slices the home made pickled ginger into paper thin slices by hand. Go early for the meal and you may see him in action on this.

I feel so happy after a meal here. In fact, as I'm typing this, I'm starting to have a craving for food here already.

Thoughts: One of the Best Meals I have.

21 Tg Pagar Rd #01-03

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar