Chef's Ryoshi Mushi | Open price subject to ingredients ordered
Also known as the Can Can Mushi, this hotpot dish was inspired by the way Japanese fishermen cook freshly caught seafood in a tin can on the board or on shore. In Singapore, we obviously have it done in a slightly more sophisticated manner and we have a specially designed aluminium tin cooked over a table-top stove.
Depending on the customisation of the seafood by the diners or the chef, the price of the dish may vary but if you need some numbers, the soup base is a standard charge of S$6 and you have a choice between clear broth, tom yum or the must-try soy sauce and miso-based soup with garlic and chilli. I say it is a must-try because I had not one, not two but three servings. The balance in flavours was spot-on, a hint of salinity that gave the oomph and the after-taste was matched by a growing heat from the chilli padi added.
I suggest having the prawns (S$5/pc) , oysters (S$4/pc) and Hamaguri clams (S$3/3pcs) but do be careful not to leave the fresh seafood in the broth for too long as it will overcook them.
Garden Salad | S$14.80/++
It is one of those occasions where the food served looked exactly like how I visualised it to be when I read it off the menu. Presented elegantly in a ceramic pot, the salad looked like an assemble from our garden indeed! With an assortment of fresh vegetables, crab stick, flying fish roe and potato salad, one can choose to enjoy it with a yuzu soy sauce or creamy sesame dressing. Go for the latter and it would not disappoint as it went beautifully well with the mashy potato salad that hit just the right notes for us.
Fresh Bluefin Tuna mixed cube Sashimi | S$48/++
I definitely love my sashimi and it was impossible to resist a platter as such. With three cuts from the prized bluefin tuna, expect to indulge in the ootoro (fatty tuna belly), chutoro (medium fat tuna) and lastly akami (lean tuna). You can differentiate the three by their hues with the lean tuna being richest in colour and the fatty tuna bearing the lightest shade. As much as I love my waistline, I got to admit that the melt-in-your-mouth ootoro was my clear favourite.
If you enjoy a wine-pairing for your food, do ask for recommendations on sake-pairing for your sashimi or grills as the restaurant has an in-house certified sake sommelier will take care of your needs.
Incidentally, I caught one of the chefs at work as he worked towards preparing a sashimi platter for diners on another table!