While Singapore stays evergreen all year round, the first taste of summer is keenly felt at Sushi Sato, located in the lush green enclave of Dempsey. The lauded Japanese restaurant helmed by its namesake Master Chef Yuji Sato is well-known for its miniature Zen garden, which flanks a serene dining destination inspired by nature.
As summer arrives, Chef Sato draws on his close relationship with sought-after suppliers in Japan to bring in the season’s best such as Hokkaido uni, aji, and kamasu. His shari is a thing of beauty, featuring three distinct Japanese red vinegars combined with specially selected Tsuyahime rice from the Yamagata Prefecture, that is just the right amount of sticky with a firm bite.
While employing his traditional techniques honed by 30 years of experience, especially his renowned knife skills, Chef Sato has created an unconventional rhythm for the meal. Dining with him is always interesting as he may choose to punctuate the sushi course with small dishes such as grilled fish or sashimi in between.
But ultimately, his intention is to showcase all his preparations and cooking in front of the customer for a more intimate and authentic experience. He summarises his approach as “hot is hot, and cold is cold”. Every piece of fish is exactingly removed from the showcase and cut only at serving time, and each hot dish is prepared in the same room to be served immediately, so as not to lose any of its texture and heat.
This summer, Chef Sato has also entrusted his right-hand man, Head Sushi Chef Kawana Yusuke, to helm a newly conceptualised lunch experience starting in June for just four months. The great value menu, priced at $150 for 7 courses of sushi and assorted dishes, is served exclusively in the private room, which seats up to six guests.
Chef Kawana-san, who hails from Chiba prefecture in Tokyo, holds 29 years of experience in crafting sushi before joining Sushi Sato in 2022. An interest in cooking with fresh produce led him to start training as a chef at 18 years old, with a specialty skill in processing seafood. The humble chef deftly presents eight courses of sushi that showcase his skill in preparing a variety of neta, or fish, that range from zuke maguro (marinated tuna), to the silky-sweet young kohada, and the invitingly succulent flesh of the tairagai, or pen shell, at their very best.
Regular diners will not miss the opportunity to end the meal with Sato’s signature rice bowl, comprising bafun uni and ikura. A splendid dessert of seasonal fruit and homemade warabi mochi finishes the meal on a satisfying, balanced note.
Designed to evoke the sense of back alley discoveries on your Japan adventures, the restaurant’s entrance leads you through a corridor marked with bonsai nooks and a private room, before revealing the serene blond wood-clad dining room.
The main counter seats up to nine persons with the feature wall being made of an abstract motif inspired by leaves to bring the nature feeling indoors. No expense was spared sourcing the fragrant 200-year-old hinoki wood, specially imported from Japan, for the centrepiece counter and fish-cutting workspace.
Picture windows with washi paper give a peek of the outdoor greenery and vice versa, recalling the Zen garden just outside. The private dining room with a moodier dark design palette greets up to six diners.
Lunch
Main Counter: Uruoi ($220), Utsukushi ($280), Tomi ($350)
Private Room: New Experiential Lunch Menu ($150), Uruoi ($220), Utsukushi ($280), Tomi ($350)
Dinner
Omakase ($380), Kokoro ($480), Kiwami ($580)
a. 6B Dempsey Rd, Singapore 247662
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