Ginzawa

I’ve been told this used to be Sushi Kuu. Googling around, it looked like a case of re-​branding. So it is now the new name of Ginzawa, helmed by a new chef.
I was there for lunch and the lunch sets were pretty affordable for quality sushi/​sashimi, with two pages dedicated to the various sets.
We had the barachirashi set as well as the 7-​pc sushi and unagi set. All sets came with chawanmushi, miso soup and dessert.
The barachirashi came in a huge bowl with big chunks of raw fish/​seafood covering the rice. The fish was fresh and the rice was perfect. If you are a carb eater, you may find the rice portion too small or it could well be there are just a lot of fish. In any case, you will feel full and happy with the quantity. There can never be too much sashimi, right?
The sushi were equally good, and the unagi was nicely done.
The wasabi was fresh, none of those green paste, so it would not cause the stinging, choking sensation and difficulty in breathing if you inhaled too much.
The chawanmushi was one of the smoothest I ever had. It was soft and wobbly, without any air pocket in it. It also had plenty of stuff in it. The soup was quite ho-​hum though it did not taste like it came from an instant mix. It was quite a light broth and not overly salty.
The dessert was yuzu sorbet which was refreshing and helped to clean the palate. A perfect end to a very nice meal.
The service was top-​notch, with our water or tea topped up without being asked. Dishes were cleared unobtrusively.
The restaurant has booths as well as a private dining area. Somehow it was not very noisy when half filled and it was also not so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. A nice place for a nice lunch.

I’ve been here 4 times now in as many months, and each time I leave disappointed. I don’t know why I keep coming back. Maybe I’m a sucker for punishment?
This Singapore outlet is an offshoot of the popular Sushi Kuu in Central, Hong Kong. I’ve always enjoyed dining at their HK location whether it’s for a quick lunch or a dinner meeting as the quality of their chirashi bowls is unbeatable yet easy on the wallet. So I guess I kept expecting the same of their Singapore branch.
You still get good value for money here. A «Assorted Seafood on Rice» is $ 49 on their lunch menu, and that is a good deal if you are familiar with prices in Singapore. However, something about the portions & taste of the seafood has not been quite right each of the times I’ve been here. Maybe it’s unfair to compare them to their HK restaurant versus comparing them to their Singapore-​based peers. But after 4 visits, I’m certain this will be my last visit.
If you get the «Sea Urchin, Salmon Roe and Toro on Sushi Rice» ($ 64 at lunch), you should know that the Toro is chopped. Expecting sashimi Toro but getting chopped Toro was a big letdown the one and only time I had that bowl.
I’d say, worth a try but don’t have high expectations.

fantastic fine-​dining japanese at this quiet corner in the oh-​so-​posh palais renaissance. this place ranks itself amid the high-​falutin’ japanese joints like tatsuya and aoki, and similarly offers a well-​priced lunch menu and a more luxurious (and wallet-​bleeding) a la carte menu. now, I haven’t been to the posher sushi bars that serve you an omakase on a pedestal raised high by at least a couple zeros (hi there, shinji, won’t you show some pity?) but this place figures top of its higher-​than-​middle class in my estimation.
it’s surprisingly casual though — where you might dress for a date with the sushi chef at aoki or tatsuya, this place is sartorially yummy-​mummy-​brunchy. we were here on a saturday lunch for their sets, all of which are accompanied by a handful of gently cooked udon noodles in a clear broth, spring onions floating poetically atop. (dessert included, but later.)
the options are impressively large — permutations of raw fish on rice, cooked options like eel and beef and chicken — it’s not that sparse menu all too common offered at lunch (almost-​explicit statements of pity and miserliness).
I had a sashimi salad, my friend a barachirashi or diced fish-​and-​stuff on japanese rice. and it was delicious.
I didn’t manage a shot that captures how impressive this long plate of generously-​piled greens dressed with a tangy-​sour dressing of radish and yuzu, topped with thick meaty slices of a selection of fish and soft sweet scallops, and showered with fried shards of puffed-​up vermicelli.
the larger pearls of ikura made a great showing in the chirashi too — peeking and bursting between the cubes of squid and fish and egg. it’s a fantastic rendition of the dish — toppings here win out the already-​great version at aoki, but the latter wins points with my companion for the seasoned rice (it’s unseasoned here).
it’s a small quibble though — the dish wins out overall for me for both taste and aesthetic quality.
it should go without saying that the fragrant wasabi is freshly grated and naturally light-​green, and the pickled ginger tender and sweet, great accompaniments to the food.
we finished with a a scoop each of yuzu sorbet and matcha ice cream, the first refreshing and non-​icy with bits of candied peel, the latter a creamy not-​too-​sweet melting dessert.