Closest to Japan You Can Get (in Singapore) - Shinji by Kanesaka
A few years ago I was fortunate to be able to try out an excellent sushi restaurant in Singapore. Me and my friend was looking at the Asia’s top 50 restaurant when one of the restaurant on the list caught our attention.
Shinji by Kanesaka
“How good can sushi actually get?” We thought to ourselves. So we made a random trip down to Raffles Hotel, where Shinji was located, on one Saturday afternoon. Little did we expect, the restaurant changed how we feel about Japanese food completely.
Last year I decided to bring someone special to this legendary sushi restaurant on a special day.
Shinji by Kanesaka is an extension of 2 Michelin Stars Chef Shinji Kanesaka’s Edomae-style sushi restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district. It pays homage to the core of Japanese culture and art by staying true to the spirit of its heritage.
Wood and paper were flown in from Japan which serves as the foundation of the restaurant’s interior design. The main sushi counter was made from the trunk of a 220-year old Hinoki tree.
For the lunch menu, you can choose from one of these options:
Omakase
Chef Omakase Special
Sushi Courses Set: 9/12/15 Pieces
As the price here is on the high side, we decided to go for the 12 piece sushi set ($130++).
Appetizer
Amuse-bouche, standard in most fine-dining restaurant to give you a feel about the chef's style.
Sushi
Buri
Seasonal Yellowtail. You will be wowed by the freshness of the fish.
Chutoro
Medium Fatty Tuna. Found on the fatty part of the blue fin tuna belly. The softness of the fish makes you wonder how come your usual tuna doesn't taste that good normally.
Otoro
Fatty tuna. At this point of time, just when you thought that the dishes couldn't get any better, the chef place this magical piece of sushi on your plate. The highest grade of the fatty tuna belly. No chewing required. Just place it in your mouth and let it melt away.
Zuke-Maguro
Marinated Lean Tuna. Maguro is the most basic Edo style sushi. Marinated with sauce, its taste beats all other sushi from any normal restaurants in Singapore.
Aji
The Aji or Horse Mackerel is an inexpensive dish, yet still one of the tastiest fish. Combined with a little spring onion at the top, this dish makes you discover tastes you have never tasted before.
Kurumaebi
The Japanese Tiger Prawn is a larger version of your normal prawns. It has a meatier flesh and a sweet aftertaste.
Uni
Sea Urchin is one of the top delicacies in Japan. It boasts a very rich and creamy taste and melts in your mouth as you eat it. Definitely one of my favorite dish in this restaurant.
Anago & Bettara
In front, the Anago or Sea Eel is very soft and very light, and fragile. Blended with soy sauce, rice wine and sugar, it gives a very lean texture and sweet taste.
Behind is Bettara or Pickles. Its crunchy and sweet taste makes it a delicious palate cleanser.
Ika
The Ika or Squid is a difficult dish to prepare as the sushi rice doesn't settle easily with it. It requires more effort to chew, but the more you chew, more flavors comes out.
Nihamaguri
Cooked Clam. Similar to the Squid, its tough to chew but delicious to eat.
Negitoro
Chopped Fatty Tuna with a little spring onion. Who doesn't like more tuna belly?
Tekka Maki & Tamago – Charcoal Grilled Egg Custard
Our last sushi dish, Tuna Rolls. A great way to end our course with more tuna sushi.
Behind is Charcoal Grilled Egg Custard. The sweet and spongy texture makes it feels more like a pudding than an egg.
Miso Soup
A bowl of Miso soup towards the end of the meal.
Dessert
Exclusive on Valentine's Day, the restaurant served us with this beautiful and delicious dessert.
Final thoughts
Forget about the other sushi restaurants in Singapore, go to Shinji by Kanesaka for high quality sushi. True to its style, Shinji by Kanesaka is probably one of the few restaurants in Singapore that serves authentic Japanese sushi, which might be even better than some in Japan itself. Awarded one Michelin Star in 2016, Shinji by Kanesaka is definitely one restaurant worth a visit to.
Shinji by Kanesaka
Carlton Hotel (Used to be at Raffles Hotel)
76 Bras Basah Rd, Lobby Floor,
Singapore 189558 Lunch: 12pm to 3pm (last order at 2pm) Dinner: 6pm to 10.30pm (last order at 9pm) Closed on Sundays Reservations +65 6338 6131 reservations@shinjibykanesaka.com