Tsukiji SushiDai | 4.5/5

SINGAPORE — High-end Japanese restaurant Tsukiji SushiDai at Marina Mandarin celebrates its first anniversary this year. And diners can expect more immaculate sushi and refined omakase meals using a variety of seafood imported directly from Tokyo’s renowned Tsukiji market. The fish arrives from Japan on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, so be sure to head down on those days.

In fact, everything from the soy sauce and rice to wasabi as well as furnishings are flown in from Japan.

For dinner, we ordered the omakase kokoro menu (S$340) which includes appetisers, assorted sashimi, two hot dishes and ten pieces of nigiri sushi, maki sushi, soup and Japanese fruit.

Not long after, a procession of courses arrived, beginning with the fall-inspired appetiser platter of pickled radish, Japanese sweet potato, spinach with enoki, yam with yuzu and black sesame seeds, prawns and snapper. Every item was perfectly executed to showcase their natural flavour.

We were then served angler fish liver, its creaminess perked up with a light ponzu dressing. Next was the sashimi of flounder, toro, Japanese geoduck, mackerel and bonito, all looking pristine and expertly sliced.

Next we had a globe of soft radish topped with a slice of leatherjacket fish and yuzu zest, flanked by a deliciously rich miso sauce. This was followed by grilled “black neck” fish beautifully presented with autumn ingredients like gingko nut and sweet chestnut. The flavour of the delicate fish was further livened up with pickled ginger flower and yuzu zest.

The parade of sushi featured a host of amazingly fresh seafood that included flounder sprinkled with some yuzu salt and kinmedai fish (golden eye snapper) draped over a small mound of perfectly cooked rice. There were also grilled sea eel, sweet and delicate Hokkaido uni, horse mackerel with spring onion and ginger, botan shrimp with salmon roe, and medium fatty tuna. The omakase meal ends with tamago egg, maki with fatty tuna and spring onion, as well as steaming hot dobin mushi soup served in a teapot. The clear soup is comforting, clean and wholesome, enhanced with earthy matsutake mushrooms and a squeeze of lime.

The service at Tsukiji SushiDai is expectedly polite, gracious and knowledgeable. If you prefer to splurge on something more reasonable, head down for lunch. The Hana set starts at S$70 and includes an appetiser, eight pieces of nigiri sushi, maki sushi, soup and dessert. And from now until Nov 30, guests can enjoy its one-year anniversary promotional menu featuring appetisers, two main dishes and eight types of sushi at S$288. NAOMI ZIYI

4.5/5

Tsukiji SushiDai

Where:

Address:

Level 4 Marina Mandarin Singapore

6 Raffles Boulevard

Telephone:

6820 0637

Opening Hours:

Noon to 2pm, 6pm to 10pm (Tuesday to Sunday)