The restaurant is owned by the Fishery Association of Japan and showcases the best of fresh seafood
Photos: Weekender
For those who consider themselves true blue fans of Japanese cuisine, an omakase meal is the best form of appreciation for it.
While plenty of Japanese restaurants in Singapore offer omakase meals where the chef crafts a menu out of the season’s best produce, few are like Kanda Wadatsumi.
Kanda Wadatsumi is owned by the Fishery Association of Japan who represent 30,000 coastal fishermen and stands as a platform to showcase the best and freshest seafood from various regions in Japan.
A hollowed-out eggplant is filled with seared sea bream and lightly grilled cubes of eggplant.
Fresh and sweet greens
The chefs, all of whom hail from Japan, laboured silently behind the counters as we made ourselves comfortable in the traditional-style restaurant.
As the first item of our eight-course omakase meal arrived, we were informed that the vegetables came from the Kōchi Prefecture while the meat originated from the Yamagata Prefecture.
A simple appetiser of grilled bell peppers teased our palate with its smoky flavour.
Next, came a beautifully plated dish of hollowed-out eggplant filled with seared sea bream and lightly grilled cubes of eggplant. Coated in miso sauce, the soft cubes of eggplant acquired a delightful, savoury-sweet flavour.
Then, we had a simple green salad topped with slices of wagyu tataki. By then, it was evident that the vegetables from Kōchi were exceptionally fresh and crisp, giving each dish a refreshing touch.
The sashimi platter, as expected, was a flawless combination of tuna from Nagasaki, rainbow trout from Shizuoka and scallops from Hokkaido.
On the contrary, the tempura dish failed to excite our taste buds. While perfectly crisp on the outside, the morsels of wakasagi (smelt) tempura tasted rather bland, even with the mirin-based sauce.
Gently steamed, tender strips of wagyu beef were presented on a bed of juicy greens.
Wagyu goodness
Our attention was piqued once again, when the Japanese wagyu dish was served. Gently steamed, tender strips of wagyu beef were presented on a bed of juicy greens. We dipped them into the piquant ponzu sauce and marveled at how good it tasted.
Stuffed as we were, we couldn’t resist the warm and comforting steamed rice with cuttlefish from Agashi Prefecture. Dessert was a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel, rounding off a fulfilling meal.
Despite its hits and misses, an omakase meal at Kanda Wadatsumi is worth the surprises — you never know which prefecture’s produce they might feature next!
Eight-course omakase lunch set is priced at $120.
50 Tras Street
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