An omakase course is a Japanese dining tradition where diners entrust their dining experience entirely to the chef who will showcase his culinary skills and creativity throughout the meal. To the Japanese, an omakase course is not to be taken lightly—only chefs with many years of culinary experience are able to dazzle you with the season’s best ingredients and exotic delicacies.

Since omakase is serious business, those who are looking for an authentic experience that is similar to what you will find in Japan have to know about Sushi Jiro at Marina Mandarin Singapore. The reputable Japanese restaurant serves fresh fish and seafood that are air-flown from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo four times a week.

Just when we thought that we had tried the best at Sushi Jiro during our last trip, Chef Kenji Nakagawa took our taste buds on another gastronomic journey with their 8-course and 10-course omakase dinners—comprising fresh sashimi, decadent Japanese wagyu beef and top-grade nigiri sushi.

Just for our followers, you can now get a free upgrade of your omakase when you quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making reservation—the price of a 6-course dinner (S$180) will grant you an 8-course menu with better items; the price of an 8-course dinner (S$220) means an upgrade to the best 10-course dinner! This offer is valid from now until 31 January 2018.

To say that this is an incredible deal for such an exquisite meal is definitely an understatement.

Sushi Jiro’s 8-course omakase features starters, a sashimi platter, bonito in ponzu, monkfish liver with ponzu, ikura and uni bowl, Dobinmushi, five pieces of seasonal sushi and a slice of musk melon.

Your omakase course commences with a fine assortment of sashimi—Chutoro, Tai and Kinmedai.

Chutoro is the medium fatty underbelly of a tuna that is highly sought after for its slight marbling and supreme texture. Tai is essentially sea bream sashimi and the one we got to try at Sushi Jiro was marinated in seaweed to give it a slight boost in flavour. What really stood out, though, was the Kinmedai sashimi—the fresh red snapper came torched to a lovely pinkish shade and had a hint of sweetness in it.

Our feast continued with some crowd-favourites such as the bonito served in a pool of ponzu sauce, monkfish liver with zesty ponzu sauce (that is not for the faint hearted but if you can get past the fact that you are eating an unusual fish’s liver, this creamy dish is actually very memorable with its sophistication) and dobinmushi.

‘Dobin’ refers to ceramic teapot while ‘mushi’ means steam—that would give you an idea of how this light, yet flavourful teapot soup is made. The flavours were all harnessed with the premium ingredients, hence expect a soup that is simple in flavour yet very complex in layers.

The five seasonal nigiri sushi varieties we had were otoro (fatty tuna), hirame (flounder), ika (cuttlefish), buri (wild yellowtail) and torched kamasu (Japanese barracuda). Chef Kenji tickled our taste buds with the luxurious fatty tuna belly; the burst of umami flavours and ultimate freshness once again reminded us why we are such big fans of this Japanese restaurant.

Although nothing else can beat the otoro in our hearts, a close contender had to be the kamasu—which was blow-torched to form a slightly crispy skin on the surface. All it needed was a touch of the chef’s homemade shoyu sauce to make it even better!

One notable dish to look out for is Sushi Jiro’s signature Ikura and Uni Bowl. Expect a combustion of complex flavours from two highly-prized ingredients you can find in all prestigious Japanese restaurants—ikura (roe) and uni (sea urchin).

Thanks to the generous portion of ikura, every mouthful was sensational and we were blown away by the refined texture of the rich uni. Have it with just a small dab of wasabi to enhance the natural flavours even more.

The 10-course omakase dinner gives you more reasons to indulge. Luxuriate in the expanded selection of high-quality ingredients that further elevates Sushi Jiro’s omakase repertoire. Be treated to a splendid feast showcasing seasonal fish comprising fresh sashimi and sushi.

The 10-course omakase dinner also starts you off with sashimi, followed by a series of dishes that are similar to the 8-course omakase dinner such as the monkfish liver with ponzu, ikura and uni bowl, five pieces of seasonal sushi and a slice of musk melon for dessert.

What really differentiates the 10-course omakase dinner s the addition of fresh Japanese wagyu beef cuts and a large, juicy oyster. Mind you, the oyster was as big as our palm! It was slightly briny, very juicy and the freshness was unbelievable; we could even taste nuances of the ocean saltiness.

These two are showstoppers in their own rights and heightened the entire omakase dining experience to perfection.

Sushi Jiro also has an exclusive range of premium Japanese whisky that makes the perfect companion to these succulent beef steaks.

Do keep in mind that seasonal delicacies at Sushi Jiro may vary from time to time as it depends on their availability during different periods of the year.

Once again, just for ladyironchef’s readers, enjoy a free upgrade of your omakase when you quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making reservation—the price of a 6-course dinner (S$180) will grant you an 8-course menu with better items; the price of an 8-course dinner (S$220) means an upgrade to the best 10-course dinner! This offer is valid from now until 31 January 2018.

Sushi Jiro Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
#04-600 Marina Mandarin Singapore
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6445 3055
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade

This post is brought to you by Sushi Jiro Singapore. 

Sushi Jiro at Marina Mandarin Singapore is home to one of the finest Japanese dining experiences in Singapore. This quaint sushi restaurant does not disappoint with its fresh fish and seafood options, which are all air-flown from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo 4 times a week.

Helmed by Chef Kenji Nakagawa, who has had many years of experience under his belt, the sushi set lunch set is truly one to behold.

Expect a lavish feast comprising seasonal fish that make up their fresh sashimi and sushi—and even some rarities that cannot be found in conventional sushi restaurants.

From now until 09 Dec 2017, treat yourself to a quintessential sushi experience at Sushi Jiro at only S$80++ per pax when you like Sushi Jiro on Facebook and quote ‘ladyironchef’. This is an incredible deal and you will be guaranteed an unforgettable sushi meal.

Famed for being a sushi restaurant that values tradition, the restaurant’s interior is palatially designed to provide a cosy and comfortable environment to enjoy an unpretentious Japanese meal—much like the traditional Japanese sushi eateries of old. The sushi counter is only able to seat 10, making the experience a truly intimate one where you can feel free to converse with the chef as he prepares your lunch.

The sushi counter also features an open display where diners can marvel at some pretty exotic seafood items from a variety of shellfish items to even shirako (cod sperm sac).

SUSHI JIRO SINGAPORE’S SUSHI COURSE 

Sushi Jiro Singapore’s Sushi Course (S$100) consists of a starter, chawanmushi, 8 pieces of seasonal sushi, negitoro and ikura rice, miso soup and dessert.

The 8 sushi varieties we had were Hirame (flounder), Kinmedai (sea bream), Buri (wild yellowtail), Ebi (prawn), Kamasu (barracuda), Maguro (tuna), Kohada (anchovy) and our personal favourite, Chutoro (medium fatty tuna belly). Note that the variety might differ because every day’s highlights depend on the fish they import from Tokyo.

Each course was unique with a mix of delicate and fresh flavours. Chef Kenji handles each item with care, ensuring to not overwhelm your palate nor have one particular item outshine another.

Some—like the Chutoro—were served as it is, allowing you to savour the sheer decadence that is its rich and fatty contents while others such as the Maguro and the Kamasu were either seasoned with a gentle lick of their homemade shoyu, freshly grated wasabi to better bring out its natural flavours.

Going through the painstaking process of making their own shoyu right down to grating their own wasabi, you just know that Chef Kenji is the real deal. Most, if not all of the fresh fish and seafood served here are seasonal and deliberately chosen during specific seasons where they are the most delicious.

They are specially bid for and air-flown over to Singapore 4 times a week from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo!

The sushi course ends off with the Negitoro and Ikura Rice which is easily a crowd favourite on account of the perfectly struck balance of flavours and textures. Labelled as a ‘small bite’, the Negitoro donburi—which is traditionally made up of Negi (green onion) and Toro (fatty tuna belly)—features a generous serving of ikura, minced fatty tuna, sushi rice and a tiny smidgen of fresh wasabi.

Our recommendation is to include a bit of everything in a single bite to fully enjoy the flavour and textural components—from the gentle popping of the ikura, the rich and bold flavours of the fatty toro, right down to the tiny hit of wasabi which provides a nice touch of heat.

And you get the absolute discount if you quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making your reservations. Instead of S$100++ per pax, pay only S$80++ per pax for this sushi lunch set.

CHIRASHI DON

Here’s an insider tip: You probably will not be able to find the Chirashi Don among Sushi Jiro’s menu offerings but make a simple request to have it made and Chef Kenji will be more than delighted to prepare it for you. The dish comprises generous servings of thickly cut sashimi and ikura that is all neatly placed atop premium Japanese rice.

Each individual fish boasts its own unique quality, from the fatty tuna to the umami-packed uni. For individuals who adore fresh sashimi, this is the ultimate indulgence.

The Chirashi Don is available at S$38++ per bowl.

STELLAR TEMPURA

Should you find yourself craving for something fried, the Assorted Tempura (S$18++) off the a la carte menu promises to hit the spot. The dish is an assortment of ebi, fish and a variety of vegetable tempura—all of which are thinly coated in a light batter and deep-fried to crispy perfection.

S$58++ LUNCH SETS 

Sushi Jiro also has several lunch sets at S$58++.

Our favourite has got to be the Gindara Teriyaki which features a fillet of grilled Silver Cod that is given a lick of Sushi Jiro’s homemade teriyaki sauce. The oily fish had a robust and deeply charred flavour which the savoury, sweet sauce complemented very well.

The lunch set is served with several slices of sashimi, tofu, pickles, chawanmushi and miso soup.

PREMIUM JAPANESE WHISKY—YAMAZAKI AND HIBIKI

For whisky connoisseurs, Sushi Jiro will be your haven. Boasting an impressive selection of Japanese whiskies from Hibiki to the world-renowned, Yamazaki, we went crazy with all the rare editions! If the finer aspects of Japanese culture can prove elusive to the Western psyche, much of the same could be said for the country’s whisky that boasts clean and very approachable flavour notes.

Your Japanese meal at Sushi Jiro will be complete with a glass of whisky.

Sushi Jiro Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
#04-600 Marina Mandarin Singapore
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6445 3055
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade

This post is brought to you by Sushi Jiro Singapore. 

With its extensive array of succulent and high-quality Japanese Wagyu beef that is specially curated from different regions of Japan, Fat Cow is one of the best steak restaurants in Singapore and our go-to place whenever our carnivorous urges kick in.

Presenting the new Chef’s Table Omakase headed by Chef Shigeru Kasajima—a seasoned Japanese chef with many decades of French culinary skills under his belt—allow your senses to take flight as Fat Cow takes you on an edible trip like you have never experienced before.

Every item on the Omakase menu is specially curated and designed by Chef Kasajima himself. From delicate and bright tasting starters to a stellar line-up of sashimi and sushi options, what you can expect from this dinner situation is an array of alluring flavours that will have you drooling between courses.

For foodies looking for a lavish and elevated gastronomic experience, Fat Cow’s Chef’s Table Omakase is available at S$120++ per pax during lunch and S$280++ per pax during dinner. Only eight counter slots are available per session so you better snag those seats quick—especially since that from now until 31 March 2018, you can quote “ladyironchef” upon making your reservations to enjoy a 10% discount off Fat Cow’s omakase menus.

High ceilings and a heavy emphasis on wooden elements and bright amber lights give this space a rather warm and cosy vibe.

Helmed by Chef Shigeru Kasajima, the Omakase dining room offers an exclusive and intimate dining experience for discerning guests. With a sleek counter that sits just eight, guests are able to witness his culinary prowess that embodies the very best of Japanese precision and French flair.

With the opportunity to interact directly with the chef, each guest gets to enjoy a highly personalised dining experience and the calming ambience also allows diners to marvel at Chef Kasajima’s intricate preparations with minimal disturbance.

FAT COW’S CHEF’S TABLE OMAKASE DINNER

We had the Chef’s Table Omakase Dinner (S$280++ per pax) and our sensorial gastronomic trip commenced with four different starter items—each boasting delicate yet refreshing flavours that helped ease us into the heavier courses.

The first tasting platter that greeted our eyes consisted of three different components, of which the stand-out was undoubtedly the marinated egg yolk. For a better idea of how it tastes, think tasty and luscious ramen egg without the egg white.

Served in a martini glass, the Japanese Fruit Tomato Cocktail comprises a chilled Japanese tomato, sweet and sour jelly (Tosazu Jelly), white fish, uni and Oba leaf pesto sauce. Every mouthful was a combination of bright flavours that were nicely underscored by savoury and umami notes.

The Yude Kani (crab) features sweet flakes of handpicked crabmeat mixed with earthy Kani miso. The crabmeat is complemented with Chef’s Kasajima’s special sanbaizu sauce and a tiny dollop of yuzu foam that sits neatly above it. The citrusy qualities helped to balance out the robust flavour of the crabmeat nicely, resulting in a surprisingly refreshing starter.

The tai fish head soup was a much-needed soul booster—hot, comforting and a great palate cleanser.

The sashimi offering is a line-up of Shima-aji (Striped Jack) sashimi with Himalayan pink salt freshly grated over top, Tsubugai (whelk) sashimi and Kinmedai (snapper) Sashimi. Each sashimi item was fresh and we also appreciated the chef’s use of freshly grated wasabi instead of the conventional powdered version.

Depending on the day’s catch, look forward to the delightfully succulent Botan Ebi. Large, clear water prawns come served with a ponzu dipping sauce infused with umami-packed truffle oil. Before you lower the prawn into your mouth, you are first hit with the robust aroma of truffle, followed by the salty, citrusy profiles of the ponzu sauce.

This was easily the best item of the omakase dinner menu.

Lightly-grilled Grade 4 Ohmi Wagyu ribeye comes served with Chef’s “secret recipe” ponzu sauce and a creamy goma dare sauce. The dish comes with three slices of beef, allowing you to savour the experience with each dipping sauce or simply on its own to soak in the natural beefy flavours of the Wagyu.

The Chef’s Table Omakase dinner comes with 10 pieces of nigiri sushi. The sushi selection encompassed a smorgasbord of fresh ingredients that were each carefully executed so as to not overplay one another.

The sushi line-up featured Aburi Otoro sushi, grilled foie gras sushi, baby leeks, sour plum paste and bonito flakes sushi, Maguro Zuke (marinated tuna) sushi, Anago (fresh water eel) sushi as well as the astonishingly refreshing Hotategai (sea scallop) with yuzu foam and grated lime zest.

The uni (sea urchin) sushi was phenomenal and a true luxury to behold. Generous spoonfuls of uni are neatly placed over sushi rice and upon that first mouthful, flavours of the ocean come bursting through.

One of the highlights was the Chef Kasajima’s insanely decadent signature ‘Surf & Turf’ sushi that heaved Wagyu beef tartare, uni, amaebi and ikura. While it seemed at first like a flavour overkill, we were surprised at the different textures present—from the light popping of the ikura to the chewy amaebi, every component could be felt (and tasted) prominently.

The omakase dinner ends off with a hot, hearty bowl of miso soup, a sweet tamago egg (branded with the initials ‘FC’) as well as sliced Japanese pears.

FAT COW’S A LA CARTE MENU ITEMS

At S$98++, the Fat Cow Premium Donburi is possibly the most decadent Japanese rice bowl out there. Served on a bed of rice is a perfectly grilled slab of Wagyu steak accompanied by pan-seared chunks of creamy foie gras, uni, Ikura, caviar and an onsen egg.

This extravagant dish seduced us with its heady aroma of truffle, smoke and vibrant colours. The Wagyu stood up well against the fresh uni, caviar and ikura and although this rice bowl is by no means affordable, it certainly lives up to its price point with each component being executed perfectly. On the contrary, if you think about it, it is actually very value-for-money for all that premium ingredients you get in one bowl!

If you love cod, then the Gindara Saikyo Yaki (S$48++) is sure to get you reminiscing about it for days. Miso-licked black cod is grilled and served alongside pickled ginger root. The miso added a sweet and savoury quality to the fish and its charred exterior provided a secondary depth of flavour.

Fat Cow’s Chef’s Table Omakase Dinner at Fat Cow (S$280++ per pax) comes with starter, appetiser, fish soup, crab, wagyu, seasonal sashimi, 10 pieces of nigiri sushi, Akadashi Miso Soup, Japanese omelette and Japanese fruits; what you will be paying for is fresh and seasonal produce of the highest quality.

Otherwise, you can also go for the Chef’s Table Omakase Lunch (S$120++ per pax) which consists of a starter, appetiser, 8 pieces of nigiri sushi, Akadashi Miso Soup, Japanese omelette and dessert.

From now till 31 March 2018, reember to quote “ladyironchef” upon making your reservations to enjoy a 10% discount off Fat Cow’s omakase menus.

Fat Cow
Camden Medical Centre #01-01/02,
1 Orchard Boulevard,
Singapore 248649
Tel: +65 6735 0308
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

This post is brought to you by Fat Cow.

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