Singapore’s Japanese restaurant scene is rich and ever-growing. Whether you have a hankering for sushi, sashimi or even sake, one thing you can be sure of is Japanese cuisine delivers deliciousness on all levels.
From authentic experiences to fusion fare, Urban List has rounded up the best Japanese restaurants in Singapore that are definitely worth practicing your chopstick skills for.
Sushi Yujo
165 Tanjong Pagar Road, #02-26, Amara Hotel
Established in 2022, Sushi Yujo is a modern, unconventional Japanese omakase restaurant located in the heart of the business district. Yujo in Japanese means friendship, which symbolises the camaraderie of life-long friends who decided to bring together their best experiences of travelling and dining in Japan.
Helmed by Chef Desmond Fong, formerly at Les Amis’ Sushi Jin, the snug 13-seater restaurant serves up a lunch set menu from $48 which is tasty and kind on the wallet—a winning combo in our opinion. Think: melt-in-your-mouth salmon don and sashimi. With seafood flown in four times a week from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, you can expect the freshest of ingredients.
Syun
8 Sentosa Gateway, Ave8
For exquisite Japanese cuisine that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the tastebuds, you can’t beat Syun. Each plate is a culinary work of art crafted from indulgent sushi and sashimi along with decadent cuts of meat.
To ensure the finest quality, a selection of specialty ingredients are flown in fresh from Japan before they’re skillfully prepared into nothing short of edible masterpieces. Order up their mouthwatering omi beef sea urchin rolls topped with smoked caviar and thank us later.
Restaurant IMAMURA
14 Gunner Lane, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa
At the heart of Restaurant IMAMURA lies a dedication to the ancient Japanese culinary principle of Gomi (the five tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami), Gokan (the five senses—sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch), Goshiki (the five colours—green, white, black, yellow and red) and Goho (the five cooking methods—raw, deep fried, grilled, steamed and stewed).
Following this philosophy, Chef Imamura Hirofumi showcases a range of plating and cooking styles, transforming premium, sustainably sourced ingredients into sophisticated dishes that take you on a multi-sensory journey.
Shoukouwa
1 Fullerton Road, #02-02A
As Singapore’s only two Michelin-starred sushi restaurant, you can trust that you’re in for a truly unforgettable omakase experience at Shoukouwa. Only the highest-grade produce makes the cut here, with all fish and seafood flown in daily direct from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Market.
The focus here is on nigiri sushi that expertly balances flavour with precision, including rice dressed in a secret blend of vinegars, with two different omakase menus available for dinner. While offerings change with the seasons, past highlights have included the kinmedai (golden eye snapper) and house-made ikura—and with only eight counter seats and a six-seater private room at this intimate spot, bookings are essential.
Hazuki
391 Orchard Road, Takashimaya Shopping Centre Ngee Ann City, #04-18A
Nestled within the vibrant Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Ngee Ann City, Hazuki (晴月) stands as a Japanese culinary gem helmed by classically-trained Kyoto chef Kenta Yamauchi, formerly of Michelin-starred Gion Fukushi in Kyoto. The discreet restaurant is a tranquil stage for an evolving menu deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of Kyoto-style Japanese cuisine, yet with a contemporary, cosmopolitan flourish.
A walkway draped with Gucci wallpaper leads you into a serene dining room for just 12 guests. Counter seats are centred around a show kitchen where the chefs showcase their knife skills, dramatic binchotan searing, and precise execution of finishing touches to a dish.
From shiro miso from a heritage Kyoto maker that supplies only to very select restaurants in Japan to wild caught seasonal fish, every ingredient used is carefully sourced from Japan and is thoughtfully turned into expressions of the season through five menus (three for lunch and two for dinner). Sushi and sashimi items are sliced from premium catches of the season, with sushi specialist Chef Hirohito Tanaka selecting the choicest cuts from the whole fish. Delicately crisp tempura items demonstrate a mastery of highly precise cooking, while signature items showcase Chef Kenta’s unique culinary phi)
(Source : /Gracie Stewart, Mr. Kofuji)
