Things I like to do in Singapore..

1. PARTY

Singapore One Fullerton & Zirca9

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2. SHOP

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3. EAT

Not just eat, but eat well. To me, fine dining in Singapore really takes the cake. I have enjoyed many fantastic fine dining experiences in Singapore and here is one more to add to the ever growing list of ‘Must Eats’.

TATSUYA.

I was told by Hairyberry that anyone who has good taste should at least check out Tatsuya Japanese Restaurant, once in their lifetime. Considering he was not free to meet up with me, I decided that the least I could do was take his advice and splurge out on a good meal while I was shopping on Orchard.  The owner and master chef, Ronnie Chia is a celebrity of sorts amongst the Singaporeans. Chef Chia is also internationally recognized and has been interviewed on CNNGo, regarding his restaurants cutting-edge creations in Japanese cuisine.

Tatsuya Singapore

I heard that mixing Chinese herbs with Japanese food is a real “thing” with this restaurant and I was told not to miss the double-boiled tuna belly with tofu infused with Chinese herbs of Solomon’s seal, lily bulb, Chinese wolf-berries and ginseng. Oh.. , I could not wait. The suspense was killing me.

I was told by Hairyberry that anyone who has good taste should at least check out Tatsuya, once in their lifetime.

Lugging our 20 or so bags of shopping and chucking them at the counter, we were ready for Tatsuya.

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Aburi Sushi is a specialty of the house, and you can watch from the counter as the Japanese chefs prepare them just right – perfectly searing them with a blowtorch. From needlefish and swordfish to that holy grail of fishy cuts, the fabled otoro tuna, this is where you will find it in the most generous measure! If you’ve ever pondered what super fresh sea urchin tastes like, have no fear.. here at Tatsuya if you order the Sashimi, they slather your Hamachi with that rich, creamy, orange substance so much so that you will leave wondering, what on earth lesser restaurants have been serving you all this while.

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The Omakase Menu – Chef’s Sashimi selection

A pretty kimono-ed waitress approaches me. She tells me, not everything on the menu comes from under the sea – try melt in your mouth pieces of matsuzaka beef sashimi  or let the chefs do their thing with the traditional Japanese menu at a minimum of $150 per person. You can ask for traditional cold dishes only (sushi, sashimi) or you can ask for a mix of hot and cold specialties (the hot and cold selection include soups and cooked fish, beef , prawn etc..)

We decided to go with the Chef’s Menu (the Omakase Menu)  of hot and cold combinations.

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Starters – Japanese Tofu and lilly bulb soup

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The Ayu or Sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis) stuffed with Foie gras
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Tempura Corn & Prawn with flavoured salt dip

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Scallop Foie Gras and ikan bilis (anchovy)

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Chef’s selection of Sushi – served starting from the least fatty, to the most prized and most fatty, Tuna belly i.e. the Otoro tuna (collage -bottom right)

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Sliver of medium rare matsuzaka beef served on a ball of flavoured Japanese rice

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Dessert – Mixed Fruits and Plum Jelly


So how did the food go down with us Malaysians?

Very well actually! My favourites for the night were the Sweetfish stuffed with Foie gras, the Matsuzaka beef as well as the Shashimi and Sushi dishes. These won in terms of creativity as well as freshness of ingredients. The two elements were so well balanced you could not help but marvel at the perfect marriage of textures, flavours and visual appeal. Every morsel is exquisite, every mouthful is memorable. Eat it and try not to weep.

However, the ‘good stuff’ at Tatsuya does not come cheap. Our bill for 2 persons (with a bottle of sake) came up to SD$700! Wow, Hairyberry.. thank you for the lovely recommendation. The next time I come to Singapore for dinner , I think I should skip the shopping and save my money for the ‘good stuff’. Tatsuya is great in our books. We highly recommend the Omakase Menu to anyone who loves indulging in excellent Japanese.

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I also heard from one of the sushi chefs that they just recently moved to this location. I have never been to the old restaurant , but Tatsuya here at the Goodwood Park hotel on Orchard road is truly grand. This place has a 23-seat sushi bar, making it the longest in Singapore and apparently the Master Chef is considering submitting his sushi bar to the Guinness Book of Records.

The ambiance, the service and the fine food. These are the reasons we will keep coming back to Tatsuya, for sure.

Address:
Tatsuya,
Goodwood Park Hotel,
22 Scotts Road,
Singapore.
Transport:
Nearby Stations: Orchard, Newton
Telephone 02 -6737 7411
Google maps

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