Expat Reporter Justine Moss shares her thoughts on a recent visit to this Exquisite Omakase Utilising Custom Fish Ageing Practices - When it comes to quality Japanese cuisine and ingredients here in Singapore, we are spoilt for choice. There are so many restaurants and options to suit various cravings, palates and budgets, whether it’s grabbing some yakatori on the go, tucking into a tasty bowl of ramen, munching on crispy tempura, or stepping it up a notch and enjoying a special omakase meal with seasonal ingredients.
While I’ve enjoyed numerous Japanese dishes here over the years, it was lunch at the recently opened Sushi Kawasemi which really transported me back to Japan with wonderful memories of my first sushi experience in Tokyo 18 years ago.
Located in Telok Ayer street, the 14-seater restaurant is small, intimate and peaceful and the counter seats in front of the chefs give you a perfect ‘ringside’ seat for what I call food theatre.
To watch Chef Sam and his team prepare and plate the Edomae sushi is a joy. From witnessing beautiful, deft knife skills and stunning plating to chatting with the chefs on the intricacies of the dishes and their ingredients which are exported to Singapore from Japan four days a week.
The fish at Sushi Kawasemi goes through the practice of custom fish ageing. There is jukusei (wet ageing) or ichiyaboshi (dry ageing). The former involves marinating the fish in salt, soy sauce or kelp before being placed in the fridge after excess sauces are removed. As a result, enzymes and fibers in the fish are broken down. Dry ageing takes place in a controlled kitchen environment at a specific cool temperature
As Omakase directly translates to "I leave it up to you”, it’s a treat to sit and watch the chefs at work who will then explain exactly what’s on your plate as they place it in front of you on the counter.
There are three price options for the lunch menu and two for the dinner menu. We opted for the Akebono lunch option which is priced at $148++. It comes with Chawanmushi, Appetizer, Sashimi, a Cooked Dish, Nigiri Sushi, Miso Soup and Ice cream.
The chawanmushi with snow crab was a superb way to start, packed full of flavour. This was followed by melt-in-your-mouth sea bream and blue fish sashimi before a salad appetizer, but it’s the Nigiri Sushi which is the real star of the show. Chef Sam produced plate after plate of the most exquisite fish which had varying degrees of ageing – some for just 10 days, while others had 17 – such as barracuda, squid, red throat emperor and otoro (tuna belly).
Our cooked dish was grilled fish which was moist and had a lovely smokey flavour, which was followed by miso soup and ice cream for dessert.
If you’re a fan of sake, then you’ll love the sake menu which has an extensive selection curated by sommeliers in Japan. Sushi Kawasemi is a superb place to really treat yourself for either lunch or dinner. Grab a date and enjoy some of the best sushi in town from Chef Sam and his team over a carafe of sake.
a. 120 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068589
You May Also Like
Sushi Kawasemi — Rooted in a Philosophy That Honours Traditions and Self Craftsmanship
