PUBLISHED February 26th, 2021 05:30 am | UPDATED March 3rd, 2021 10:52 am
When one door closes, another window opens – especially for a man as dedicated to his craft as Chef Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida. Less than nine months after Hashida Sushi on Mohamed Sultan Road shut as a result of the Circuit Breaker, the indomitable chef opened Hashida Singapore on Amoy Street in the second half of January this year. From one shophouse to another, the new 2,772 square foot space is a partnership with OUE Restaurants, the folks behind other dining gems like VUE and Takayama.
For his third eponymous restaurant – remember the first iteration that opened in Mandarin Gallery in 2013? – Chef Hatch has adopted a new culinary philosophy adapted from Japanese martial arts. Interpreted as tradition, innovate, and transcend, shu ha ri forms the three stages of learning to attain one’s goal of mastery. While the new creations at Hashida Singapore go beyond the kappo cuisine you might be familiar with, the first brush with this approach begins with the interiors.
Inspired by sandō, a visiting path in Japanese architecture leading from the outermost torii entrance into a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple, the main hallway leads diners to the three dining rooms. But unlike most Japanese restaurants, the main feature of the 12-seater dining hall is the ceiling, which mimics a dramatic cloudscape (or moonscape, for that matter) with undulating ceiling textures. The eight-seater private room pays pay homage to Japanese culture and nature with the use of Hiba wood and thatched awnings while the final private room that seats seven boasts rare, 200-year-old wood beams imported from Kyoto.
Next, two hot dishes. Lightly grilled and smoked over straw to release the oils, the thick cuts of Young Tuna arrived aromatic with nicely charred skin. Almost reminiscent of beef, the texture is not quite melt-in-your-mouth. The slight bite stands up the accompany plum-infused radish – eaten together, it’s a party on your palate.
Innovation and transcendence continues with the Tempura course, where battered blocks of sakura ebi tofu and mountain vegetable are served alongside cauliflower pureé and a lovely shrimp infused chili oil.
Past the halfway mark into our meal is the moment I’ve been waiting for – sushi, glorious sushi. The eight-piece rodeo starts with Chef Hatch telling us that the recipe for sushi rice and pickled ginger was passed from his famous father, master sushi chef Tokio Hashida. All served at a perfect temperature, highlights include the kinmedai (golden-eyed snapper) and kamasu (Japanese barracuda), both delivered with some of its skin on and slightly smoky after a brief moment well spent under the torch.
The zuke (soy marinated lean tuna) with yuzu zest was lovely too, we enjoyed it almost as much as his signature hand carved otoro. This last piece of sushi was actually served after our rice bowl and soup, simply because it’s that rich and decadent – the perfect savoury crescendo.
We got ahead of ourselves, because Chef Hatch’s don was not shabby at all. The toppings of sea urchin, ikura, and diced Hokkaido scallop covered the small mound of rice in a luxuriant patchwork quilt of seafood. It was washed down with a clear soup with homemade fishball (sea bream and cod).
Like most Japanese omakase concepts, the sweet treats at Hashida Singapore were light and refreshing. Sweet and juicy morsels of Beni Madonna (Japanese clementine) and Amaou strawberry followed vanilla milk ice cream atop houjicha pudding.
Hashida Singapore is located at 77 Amoy Street, Singapore 069896, p. +65 8129 5336. Open Tue 7pm-10.30pm, Wed-Sun 12pm-3pm, 7pm-10.30pm. Closed Mon.