There are some restaurants that we frequent because of one particular dish. For instance, I can never imagine myself going to Yan Ting without ordering the heavenly char siew sou. Or La Cantina without getting the lovely crabmeat linguine. Or Antoinette Patisserie without tasting its signature Antoinette earl gray cake. You get the idea.

One of those must-have dishes that I am going to add to my list is the Chirashi – a bowl of sushi rice topped with sashimi – from Aoki Japanese Restaurant by the Les Amis Group.

If you’ve had Aoki’s Chirashi ($35) before, I am sure you will agree with me that it is happiness in a bowl. I’d come back again and again just for this.

Given that this is a restaurant by the Les Amis Group, we had high hopes, and I’m glad to tell you that our lunch at Aoki did not disappoint – if anything, only exceeded expectations.

Besides the chirashi, we also had the Nigri Sushi Jyo-Sen ($30), a beautiful platter of seven types of sushi and one sushi roll served with salad, miso soup and dessert.

Aoki Restaurant at Shaw Centre is definitely not cheap. But I feel that the prices of set lunches are acceptable ($35-50) as it serves top quality Japanese food in a nice environment. Dinner sets are available from $40-80. And if you feel like indulging, omakase during lunch is $100, while dinner is $165.

Given that there are many mediocre Japanese restaurants that tend to overcharge, I’d gladly pay a little more to enjoy a meal at Aoki.

While some people like to dine at the bar counter (which can only accommodate 15 guests) and witness the chefs in action, I like the table seats (there are only three tables) which offers an intimate and cosy experience. Remember to specify your preference when calling to make a reservation.

Aoki Restaurant
1 Scotts Road
Shaw Centre #02-17
Tel: +65 6333 8015
Mon to Sat: 12noon – 3pm, 6.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

For more recommendations, please read my Guide to Best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore.