Was looking for a new Japanese place to try and came cross Unkai Sushi on IG. There was little information online, or reviews even (before the 8days article came out). But being the adventurous me, I decided to give it a try. The restaurant was located at Orchard Rendezvous hotel, a little way behind the reception
Unkai Sushi serves both Omakase and Ala Carte, which is very rare cos usually for traditional sushiya, they only serve omakase. I like the addition of ala carte choices so we can add on other stuffs that we like as well and the prices are honestly reasonably priced. The place is run by Chef Eugene Lam who has experience in Koji Sushi, Sushi Mieda and Ashino and brings his techniques and concept into this new place
It was an interesting setup as they shared the space with the bar. I’m not sure if diners will be allocated to be seated at the bar in the event if the sushi counter is full
I also spy a private room in the corner
To be honest, I expected us to be seated at the table cos there were 3 of us. I didn’t expect to be seated at the sushi counter
And since we were well-treated, we decided to go for the Omakase course (Tsuki) priced at $88 which consisted of Appetiser, 10 Sushi, 1 Handroll, Soup & Dessert
We also added some ala-carte to go along
Fugu Mirin $12 (ala carte)
Cos we were waiting for the last friend to come, we decided to order a little starter while we drown our sake in sorrow #justkidding
The fugu is good, and tasted even better with the sake
And here begins our omakase course
White Shrimps w Caviar
The shrimps were sweet and delicate. I like the whole combination when it comes together. It was a burst of flavours
Flounder
Sea Bream
Stripjack
Amberjack Belly
Ika
Akami
Otoro
Nodoguro
Botan Ebi
Aburi Otoro
Chef’s Special: 20 Days Aged Otoro
This was a special the chef decided to give us, else it’s usually not available. This was really delicious. Aged in-house, you can taste the umami of fish. It was beautiful
Handroll
Overall, the sushi was good. I like them. The rice was consistenly warm, though a little on the sticker side. You can taste the vinegar in it. The sashimi slices were fresh, sweet and pretty impressive. Without a doubt, the sushi got better with each piece
Soup
Kawa Ebi $12 (ala carte)
We added on another side cos we wanted something to munch along with our sake
Salad (that comes with the ala-carte rice bowl)
Pork Cheek Rice Bowl w Onsen Egg $26
We had initially wanted to order the Wagyu don but it wasn’t available. So we were recommended to try their pork cheek, which was pretty delectable too. I enjoyed how tender the pork was, and the onsen egg with the rice topped with fragrance of the garlic was picture perfect
Unajyu $28
The friend ordered the unagi. I’m not sure how it tasted cos we were too full from own courses. lol
And ending it off with icecream dessert!
For the price range, I say it was pretty reasonable. The friends commented you cannot find this price with this quality at dinner and I totally agree. It was a good first visit that left a deep impression. I hope I would be impressed continuously when I go back again
Unkai Sushi
Orchard Rendezvous
1 Tanglin Rd, #01-10, Singapore 247905