PUBLISHED January 30th, 2017 05:30 am
Saying that it’s easy to find a Japanese restaurant in Singapore is quite the understatement. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed not coming across one within a few hundred metres of any MRT station – but whether they serve quality food or not is another matter altogether. That said, we did discover an excellent one along the Japanese cuisine haven of Tras Street.
Kanda Wadatsumi – which happens to be right next to Terra – is a hidden gem of sorts. Both its interior and exterior are unassuming, and its cosy sushi counter seats only six. What one wouldn’t expect then, is that the restaurant is a partner of the Zengyoren Japan Fisheries Association, which represents all coastal fisheries in Japan.
What that means is a sensational dining experience that is fresh, innovative, and as authentic as any restaurant found in its namesake Kanda district in Tokyo, as well as an unmatched assortment of fish and seafood from the country’s diverse prefectures.
The restaurant is headed by Hokkaido-born Hara Shinji, who takes a contemporary ‘new-style’ attitude towards Japanese cuisine, aspiring to evolve the art whilst keeping the age-old techniques firmly intact. Whereas traditional Japanese dishes emphasises on presentation, Hara-san prefers to focus on the purity of his ingredients and attempts to coax out their sapid flavours through a balance of technique and creativity.
His culinary flair is best exemplified in the Kanda Wadatsumi’s signature Omakase menu; at $120, the eight-course set offers great value, showcasing the freshest seasonal fish, meats, and vegetables available at the time.
For us, the meal begins with two appetisers: seared yellowtail with yam root and yuzu vinegar sauce; as well as a salmon roe chawanmushi, topped with Ginan dashi soy sauce. A salad featuring a lovely and mildly nutty rainbow trout follows.
An assorted sashimi platter sees toro (medium fatty tuna), madai (seabream), and sweet prawns, all outstandingly fresh and naturally accompanied by housemade wasabi. A seasonal dish comes next: tasty and tender Spanish mackerel with sweet bell pepper sauce that leaves you craving for more.
Then comes the umami-loaded main course of wagyu ‘stir-fried’ with shimeji and enoki mushrooms, vegetables, and a savoury light sauce. It’s hearty enough but leaves you with enough room for a shokuji dish; in our case, it’s a remarkable clay pot of rice chock full of deep-fried octopus bits and served with miso soup – a signature of Hara-san’s.
We finish with a deeply satisfying dessert of housemade black sesame ice cream, green tea mochi, and mashed red bean. It’s a tad on the sweet side, but you can’t go wrong with this holy trinity.
Smaller eaters would be glad to know that the Omakase is also available in six courses at $60 (excluding one appetiser and the sashimi platter), as well as a sushi omakase at $52, featuring an appetiser, salad, seven types of fish, a sushi roll, soup, and finally dessert.
It’s also worth noting that Kanda Wadatsumi organises a monthly Prefecture Fair every first Saturday of each month. It’s a testimony to the incredible variety of Japanese cuisine, including some highly exquisite seafood. Think the hotaru ika (firefly squid) from Hyogo prefecture, the isaki (chicken grunt fish) from Nagasaki, the nodoguro (blackthroat sea perch) from Shimane; kaki (giant pacific oyster) from Hiroshima, and the world-famous tuna from Tokyo’s Tsukiji – all expertly prepared by the competent hands of Hara-san and his team.
Kanda Wadatsumi is located at 50 Tras Street, Singapore 078989, p. +65 6221 6264. Open Mon-Sat 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm.