At 11am on the day itself, I got a call from the restaurant to confirm my reservation. I was running late and only reached at about 12.15pm.
When we approached the restaurant, the door opened and a lady in a kimono welcomed us. When we walked in, we realised we had the counter to ourselves. And I felt a slight oppressive feeling because 3 chefs welcomed us into our seats. However, 3 more customers arrived shortly and we got started! Char and I both got the Botan set @ $150 that consists of an appetiser, assorted sashimi, 1 dish, 8 pieces of nigiri, roll sushi, miso soup and dessert.
I got a beer for starters, and the appetiser appeared shortly. It was presented very nicely.
Japanese yam, persimmon salad, Japanese gooseberry and sardine.
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| Chef preparing the sashimi |
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| Beautiful, so beautiful! |
Sashimi - Shima Aji and Hotate with lime, ginger and salt provided at the side. The Shima Aji, was translucent with a beautiful sheen. It was firm with a slight crunch, I really enjoyed the clean sweet taste! The hotate was one of the highlights of the meal for me. I do not usually like raw scallop because I don't enjoy the slight fishy taste that came along with many that I've eaten. However this scallop was definitely fresh, firm and sweet. I can only shake my head and say 'beautiful loh'.
I swear I heard chef say this is Yellowtail (Hamachi). I really loved it. Smooth, oily... So. Good...
Next up is Japanese Barracuda. Looks like it was pan fried, or maybe torched. It was a delicious fish. I enjoyed the chestnut and pickle on the plate and was hoping that the grassy garnish could be eaten too. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Nigiri sushi continues! Shiroebi, white shrimp next. This is a big shrimp, and it's a beautiful shrimp.
Next up, Maguro!
Toro! I think it's Chutoro.
Next up was a very springy looking torigai, cockle clam. It had a strong briny taste, not really my preference.
This however, is one of my all time favourites. Anago, saltwater eel aka conger eel.
Somewhere amidst all the nigiri sushi, Ika was served quietly but made a grand entrance into our tummies.
The sweet tamago was kind of amazing because it tasted like a cake instead of an egg. A sweet egg cake.
Then we were served a light and tasty miso soup. I welcomed it.
After the soup, we were presented with a Maguro and Kombu roll (I'm quite sure it was kombu).
I really loved the maguro, the flavour just pops out. Char's roll was filled with a bunch of wasabi, and her eyes watered LOL. Great fish, great taste! Great nori! Great chefs!
To round off the meal, we got to choose our desserts. I chose a sea salt ice cream which came in 2 cute wafers. I really liked this one, it had a slightly savoury taste.
We were so full, our bellies were popping out.
The very nice obliging assistant chef smiled for this photo. The chefs made us feel at ease and as the meal progessed, we got more comfortable and I really appreciated the opportunity to watch the chefs at work. They were really professional.
The service staff were excellent. The ladies provided great service, introducing the food, and answering our questions. Always there yet never intrusive. All in all, it was a great dining experience for a birthday treat!
Sushi Ichi
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
320 Orchard Road (S) 238865
Hours:
Tues to Sat - 12 to 2.30pm, 6 to 11pm
Sun - 6 - 10pm
Closed on Mondays
