If you’re a fan of traditional edomae sushi, Sushi Kawasemi is a restaurant worth considering. They even practice Shinkei-jime, a fish preparation method that involves severing the fish’s spinal cord by inserting a steel wire wire into the neural canal to quickly and humanely kill it. As there is no suffering during the process, this prevents the release of stress hormones that can affect the texture and taste.

During our tasting, we were served the Oboro (S$268++) dinner Omakase set. Our meal began with a refreshing appetisers of snow crab with uni and seasonal vegetables before indulging in a variety of aged sashimi. Fish ageing is a process that helps the fish to be more tender and develop sweet and umami tastes. Depending on the type of sashimi served, Chef Sam will either employ jukusei (wet ageing) or ichiyaboshi (dry ageing).

We were served 3 types of sashimi: 10-day aged Mejina (largescale blackfish) from Kumamoto, 6-day aged golden bream from Fukuoka which was grilled lightly on charcoal, and 12-day aged Otoro (tuna belly) Binchotan aburi. All three had distinct flavours (our favourite was the aged Otoro) that helped to combat the raw flavours of sashimi.

Another favourite of ours was the grilled 7-day wet-aged tachiuo shioyaki (silver belt fish) from Yokohama that was served with burdock root and a lime. The fish was so soft it feel apart perfectly as you picked at it with your chopsticks and the smoky aroma really added an extra layer to the senses!

While the fish may be the star of the omakase, the supporting ingredients are what further elevates the whole experience. Their rice, the foundation of sushi itself, makes use of a special grade of koshihikari from 南魚沼, which is widely considered to be the best type of rice in Japan. The use of Fuji water for the cooking process further enhances the taste profile. Even their tamago is made completely in-house with just fish, egg, yamatoimo and sugar (without flour) and then grilled at 80-85 degrees over slow fire for a light char, all these involving a minimum of 1 hour of preparation.

The lunch menu starts from $98++ to $248++ per pax and, the diner menu starts from $268++ to $388++ per pax. Seasonal add-ons are also available from $45++ for a Toru Taku Handroll t0 $65++ Kawasemi’s Signature Dish (Binchotan-seared Wild Otoro).

Known for their carefully curated assortment of premium Japanese Wagyu, renowned Japanese restaurant Fat Cow has revamped one of its most celebrated dining experiences – the Wagyu Omakase. This season, with chef Shingo Iijima at the helm, the Wagyu Omakase features an unparalleled selection of cuts from a variety of prized cattle sourced thoughtfully from various parts of Japan. Chef Shingo’s menu is inspired by traditional Japanese cooking, and the team makes sure every dish is balanced in “Goshiki,” “Goho,” and “Gomi” – this makes the journey full of color, texture, and taste.

Kickstart the carnivorous journey with the Zensai Platter, an assortment of appetisers that include skewered Wagyu Saikyou Yaki made with marinated Hokkaido wagyu, thinly-sliced Hasuimo (Japanese Lotus-yam) paired with Korean abalone and crowned with Hokkaido uni, as well as grilled Wagyu tendon wrapped with Japanese cucumber and topped with a medley of five-colour sesame seeds.

The Truffle Tamaji-mushi Wagyu Cutlet is certainly a crowd-pleaser; this rendition of tamaji-mushi features Toriyama Wagyu prepared gyukatsu-style—expertly deep-fried and seasoned to achieve a satisfying crunch.

The Wagyu Fresh Spring Rolls is a creative medley featuring a trio of rolls made with Ohmi wagyu and prepared in three different styles, while the Wagyu & Watercress Shabu is equal parts comforting and nourishing. Each indulgent bowl features a flawless combination of thinly sliced Matsusaka Wagyu beef submerged in a broth enriched with dashi, mirin, shoyu, and katsuoboshi.

The Charcoal Grilled Wagyu with Burdock Sauce showcases the premium A4 Miyazaki Wagyu steak, renowned for its unmatched marbling and flavour. It’s grilled to perfection over binchotan (white charcoal), resulting in an exquisitely seared exterior. The last of the savoury dishes is the comforting Wagyu Chazuke, where deep-fried Satsuma Wagyu that’s coated in a tempura batter is served with donabe rice mixed with a special broth made from Japanese tea (ocha), simmered ichiban dashi, shoyu, salt, mirin, and Japanese green tea at a specific temperature.

End the decadent meal off with black sesame tofu served with sweet seasonal fruits.

Fat Cow’s Wagyu Omakase delivers a sophisticated menu with a remarkable selection of premium cuts that will certainly gratify the discerning palates of Wagyu beef enthusiasts. Fat Cow’s Wagyu Omakase is priced at $290++/pax, with Sake or Wine Pairing at available at an additional $68++ per person.

Nestled amidst the tranquil rooftop garden of Funan Mall, Noka sets itself apart from the conventional kaiseki experience. This intimate, twenty-seat restaurant introduces a contemporary twist to the traditional kaiseki-style of dining, offering an approachable and immersive encounter.

“Noka” translates to “Farmer” in Japanese, and the restaurant adheres to its namesake by meticulously curating every dish using premium Japanese produce and ingredients that are flown in two to three times weekly, ensuring a genuine taste of the season’s finest offerings. The culmination is a collection of dishes that not only pay homage to Japanese ingredients but also redefine the culinary journey.

Running from now until mid-September, Noka’s summer menu takes centre stage, with Chef Ryosuke Deguchi’s thoughtfully designed course lineup celebrating the bounty of the current season.

Take, for instance, the Hassun (the second course, which sets the seasonal theme); the Singapore Sushi Roll is an enchanting ensemble of fresh negitoro, daikon, and urban garden-grown garden flowers. This medley of colours and flavours offers a delightful burst of freshness. The deep-fried Ayu served with coriander sauce is an innovative twist with the contrast between the satisfyingly crisp coating and the tender, flavourful fish within.

The A5 Wagyu was incredibly tender, and the marbling in the meat made it feel smooth and enjoyable to eat. Concluding the savoury journey is the comforting Ochazuke rice dish, which features rice from Niigata prefecture, topped with sardine as well as umeboshi, with shiso poured over.

The lunch menu starts at $120 and the dinner menu at $200. The sake programme at Noka also follows a seasonal theme, pairing each course with a specially curated selection, available at $75 for lunch and $125 for dinner.

An omakase concept by the Les Amis Group, Jinhoten is a new omakase restaurant that beckons diners on a culinary expedition where the season’s finest harvest and produce are honoured and presented in its most pristine form. Helmed by Head Chef Issey Araki, alongside Executive Chef Makoto Saito, the restaurant takes the form of an intimate and immersive space that serves 10, hidden behind a discreet entrance, making you feel like you’re about to indulge in a culinary secret. Here, Chef Issey and his Japanese chefs conjure each course with a gentle hand, finesse and precision.

Key highlights include gorgeous chilled appetiser comprising a trinity of sweet botan ebi, gloriously Murasaki uni; both from Hokkaido, and briny Kristal caviar, is brought together by a yuba sauce made with Japanese soybean sheets, a nourishing cup of piping-hot abalone dashi made with black abalone from Yamaguchi that’s been steamed for four hours.

Another notable dish is the handroll — one rendition includes meaty fillets of blackthroat sea perch; first grilled over the binchotan till the rich fish oils are released and glistening, then draped over a small mound of shari topped with diced narazuke; in this case, a pickled winter melon in sake and mirin, and finished with a dab of freshly-grated wasabi.

For meat lovers, there’s the thick, buttery-fleshed Yonezawa sirloin steak grilled over the binchotan makes for a fine charcoal-grilled dish before Chef Issey’s piece de resistance Donabe dish, a claypot rice dish infused with the umami flavours of the prized crustacean and studded with a generous amount of crabmeat and pickled vegetables served with creamy homemade hairy crab ‘miso’ served on the side.

Lunch starts at $180++ for eight-course and $450++ for a ten-course dinner.

The one-Michelin-starred Shinji by Kanaseka is arguably one of Singapore’s best known omakase restaurants, and for good reason: the restaurant started its life back in Tokyo, and set up its first international outpost at Raffles Hotel in 2010. Since then, it has grown from strength to strength, receiving accolades from the likes of the Michelin guide, Asia’s Best Restaurants, and our sister titles including The Straits Times and The Peak.

What’s the secret behind its enduring success? Touting a traditional omakase experience, the sushi-ya receives seasonal produce from the Tsukiji fish market on a regular basis, executed with a deft hand and intimate understanding of the art of sushi-making. Lunch starts at $250 for the Omakase Yuni menu, while the chef’s omakase special (at $550++) is only available for dinner.

Master chef Koichiro Oshino earned his stripes by spending a decade behind the counter at Shinji by Kanaseka. Now, he helms his eponymous sushi-ya tucked away in a corner at Raffles Arcade, under the Kanaseka Sushi group.

The experience here is, as expected, intimate and enjoyable, with a focus on edomae style sushi – this means that the sushi is marinated for a few days before, a tradition that has endured since the Japanese Edo period. The highlight here is undoubtedly the rice that the chef uses, which comes from his hometown of Yamagata. It is infused with red vinegar, and serves as the perfect counterpoint for the fresh slices of fish that sit atop the concoction.

The restaurant seats nine people, so book in advance if you want a table. Lunch starts at $220++, while the dinner omakase menu can go up to $500++.

One of the newest kids on the block, Sushi Sato opened its doors in the Dempsey enclave late last year. Helmed by chef Yuji Sato, who brings more than 20 years of experience to the table, the intimate space houses nine diners at its 200-year-old Hinoki wood table at the centre of the restaurant. Here, you can see chef Sato live in action, wielding his knife to expertly slice the fish that’s freshly delivered straight from Japan. He cut his teeth at the famed Tsukiji market in Tokyo, which explains his exacting skills and meticulous standards.

There are three menus available for lunch, starting from $220 to $350, while dinner starts $380 for the omakase menu, to $580 for the kiwami option (which literally means extreme in Japanese) – for that price, you can expect chef’s signature dishes as well as healthy dollops of premium ingredients such as uni, caviar and more.

Text: Karishma Tulsidas, Cherly Chan & Cheryl Lai-Lim/HerWorld

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