Food review: Sumiya

Where old meets new

SINGAPORE — The concept of a charcoal grill is simple: You lay food on a grill over hot coals and wait for it to cook, caramelise and blister. You order a couple of drinks while you wait, picking at a bunch of appetisers.

Trust the Japanese to elevate that experience with their own particular flair. At the sophomore branch of Sumiya at Suntec City, grilling is done irori genshiyaki-style — purportedly an ancient Japanese way of charcoal grilling, which sees the skewered fish set vertically over a stack of smouldering coals. The theory is that the greater distance between the fish and the heat engenders slower, gentler cooking so that there is less singeing on the surface before the flesh inside is cooked through.

We can’t say for sure if this method of grilling actually makes a huge difference to the resulting food, but the grilled yellowtail collar (S$20.80) that we sampled was silky, a little sweet and still slightly briny, with crisp paper-thin skin. Would it have been possible to get the same results had the fish been charcoal-grilled the traditional way? Perhaps. But the point is: Cooked this way, it was very good.

Sumiya also boasts a fish-drying machine that mimics the dry heat of the sun at 30 degrees Celsius. By marinating the fish and then drying it in this machine for two to three hours before its vertical-grilling, the flavours of the fish mature and intensify. In the case of our tuna cheek (S$28.80), there was an earthy lilt to the meaty fish, much like mushrooms, with a lovely umami note at the back of each mouthful.

Speaking of tuna, the Bluefin here is imported in halves or whole from farms that support sustainable fishing. The restaurant’s Master Chef Tsuzuki Naoki breaks down the hefty fish himself. Once a month, he does it as a bit of a show in front of guests (ask the restaurant about it if that kind of thing floats your boat).

While we waited for our grilled fish, we noshed on the Bluefin tuna mixed cube sashimi (S$48) — plump, raw cubes of otoro (fatty tuna belly), chutoro (medium fat tuna) and akami (lean tuna). Beautifully fresh and almost creamy, these fat cubes of raw fish were all too easy to eat — like very expensive popcorn.

The tuna’s diaphragm — little nuggets of dark, fatty and unctuous meat (S$4.80 for a skewer with four pieces) — is also fantastically grilled, and makes for excellent drink snacks.

Which brings us to the sake: While the style of grilling fish here may be ancient, the style of serving sake is reversely modern. An Enomatic dispenser near the entrance of the restaurant harbours 16 types of the Japanese rice wine, which can be meted out in 20ml, 60ml or 120ml portions.

Prices start from as little as S$2.20 for a 20ml tasting shot. But don’t get too excited — that is a little more than a tablespoon’s worth. ANNETTE TAN

Sumiya

Where: #03-332/333 Suntec City (Sky Garden, North Wing, Tower 2), 3 Temasek Boulevard. Telephone: 6235 1816. Opening hours: Daily 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 10pm.

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