The following Japanese restaurants offer luxurious omakase menus filled with the freshest seasonal ingredients.
Miyoshi by Fat Cow
For a destination dining experience in the lush, tranquil grounds of Sentosa, Miyoshi by Fat Cow at Mess Hall will be your new go-to when you’re craving quality Japanese cuisine in a beautiful setting. Housing three different concepts – a ramen restaurant, a teppanyaki-kaiseki, and an omakase experience – every visit to Miyoshi promises to delight the senses with something new.
If it’s an unforgettable date night or special celebration you’re looking for, the elegant, 19-course sushi omakase experience ($228, only available for dinner) will seal the deal. Here, 10 exclusive counter seats grant you a front-row view to the chefs’ sushi-making artistry.
Each handmade piece of sushi is composed of top-grade Hokkaido rice steamed to perfection and seasoned with a curated selection of vinegars, and finally topped with premium Japanese seafood. Each of the 19 different morsels you’ll be treated to showcase the freshest, in-season produce gussied up with traditional Japanese condiments and flavours.
This season’s menu for example, sees your meal being kicked off with the Kinjisou Tsubugai – looking like a work of art and tasting like a sip of the sea, lightly marinated whelk is served in a shell and topped off with seaweed and luxurious caviar. Other highlights to look forward to include the truffle chawanmushi, a comforting treat when mixed well with the accompanying spoonful of warm sushi rice, and the melt-in-your-mouth shio-marinated wagyu sushi.
Don’t miss out on the curated sake pairing with your meal either – premium sake sourced from around Japan range from floral and fruity options to sake with rich and chocolatey notes. Every tipple elevates your meal effortlessly.
For a spot of mid-day indulgence, Miyoshi also offers set lunches ($32 to $168, available from Wednesday to Sunday) where you can tuck into the likes of hearty ramen and donburi rice bowls.
For reservations, visit www.miyoshi.sg.
Kagayaki by Ishigaki Yoshida
Having made a name for itself by elevating teppanyaki into an art form brimming with precision and theatricality, the Tokyo-based Ishigaki Yoshida, also known as Japan’s first Michelin-starred teppanyaki restaurant, now brings the same experience here by way of Kagayaki, an offshoot from the original restaurant.
The new restaurant at 27 Keong Saik Road is helmed by Head Chef Nobuyasu Kamiko from Asakusa, Japan, who comes with over 30 years of experience (15 of which was spent as a teppanyaki chef). Diners will be treated to an intimate teppanyaki experience showcasing top-notch Japanese produce sizzled up to perfection on the teppan grill.
Whether you choose the eight-course Kagayaki menu ($380) or the premium Omakase ($480) menu, you’ll get to savour the ultimate crispy yaki steak. This exquisite steak uses Masuda Kagayaki Beef, a cattle breed exclusive to the restaurant in Southeast Asia. A diet of only boiled-pressed barley that’s steamed twice before being fed to the cows lends the meat a delicate flavour.
Under Chef Kamiko’s deft skills on the teppanyaki, the meat is first cooked very slowly and gently over the teppan grill allowing the meat to cook in its own juices. Just before serving, the meat is then brushed with beef tallow and then grilled over an oak binchotan that imparts a smokey but delicately aromatic aroma to the steak. The result is a tender, luscious piece of steak.
Other dishes in your tasting menu all equally showcase Chef Kamiko’s deft culinary expertise, even in something as simple as the seasonal salad. Playing on varying textures and a deep understanding of flavours, Chef Kamiko showcases seasonal greens like asparagus, eggplant, and tomatoes by contrasting it with the likes of pickled bitter gourd and maitake mushrooms for a refreshing and appetising segment of your meal.
Other dishes you’ll probably see making their rounds on social media include the scrambled eggs with uni, which are as luxurious as they sound. Japanese Mangetsu eggs proudly sporting a beautiful, deep orange yolk are whipped and cooked to perfection before being topped with a generous amount of uni and seasonal truffles. Served alongside homemade brioche, this is the breakfast you wish you could have every morning.
The restaurant currently offers two seatings at 5.30pm and 8.15pm. With only 12 seats per seating, you’ll want to make your reservations fast for a taste of teppanyaki-driven magic.
For reservations, visit www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/kagayakibyishigakiyoshida.
Wakuda Restaurant & Bar
Wakuda at Marina Bay Sands (hotel lobby) has recently launched its 18-course sushi omakase experience ($500 per person). The private space adjacent to the main dining area welcomes up to 10 guests on Friday and Saturday evenings (from 6pm).
The exclusive omakase session is helmed by head sushi chef Daniel Tan who has 19 years of culinary experience including four at Waku Ghin, under the tutelage of Chef Tetsuya Wakuda. As you take your seat at the counter, watch the team expertly prepare the multiple courses.
The evening starts with a comforting dashi broth and the silky smooth chawanmushi with king crab flan. You’ll then get to enjoy a procession of the freshest seasonal produce from places like Fukuoka, Hokkaido and Shizuoka.
Savour some of chef Tetsuya’s favourite fish including hirame (flounder), kinki (thorn head) and tachiuo (silver belt fish). Highlights include nigiri sushi with Sendai craft wagyu from Kawaguchi farm, as well as sweet Hokkaido uni and gleaming Ossetra caviar resting on rice and nori. There’s also sweet scallop paired with slightly chewy toasted mochi and wrapped with nori.
Aside from the 10 pieces of sushi, other seasonal items served may include succulent steamed Tasmanian abalone glazed with sweet dark soy sauce, and bonito tataki uplifted with a touch of ponzu and fresh wasabi. Enjoy your meal with Legras & Haas blanc de blanc champagne and exclusive sakes (ask the team for recommendations).
Wakuda’s omakase experience ends with refreshing sweet musk melon from Shizuoka with Cointreau granita and fromage blanc sorbet, followed by delicate green tea and azuki bean terrine with vanilla ice cream.
For reservations, visit marinabaysands.com/restaurants/wakuda-singapore.
A version of this article first appeared in epicure.
