Nogawa Restaurant

Nogawa Restaurant Restaurant Review:

Though chef Yoshio Nogawa splits his time between this outlet in a dilapidated looking Orchard Road hotel and a swankier address in Tokyo's Ginza district, his legend lives on in his absences. Nogawa is credited with introducing authentic sushi to Singapore and his seasonal omakase menus remain the island's finest. Whether you allow him to choose for you or you opt to go à la carte, begin with slabs of his glistening fresh sashimi, flown in from Japan then deftly cut and plated with mastery: salmon, a fatty aburi toro (torched) with a smoky tang, which evaporates in the mouth like foie gras, and a palm-size Niigata oyster with a milky taste and delicate crunch. Speaking of crunch, eggplant tempura is topped with minced chicken bean paste, its combination of flavors weighs heavily towards the smoky eggplant, the rich beans and tender chicken rather than tasting the least bit greasy. Similarly, the baked hokkaido pumpkin filled with seafood, topped with sea urchin and mozzarella, delivers a pleasurable combination of seemingly mismatched flavors. Set lunches are well-priced, the shake-don and teriyaki-don sets are both considerable yet under $20 U.S. A children's omakase is a thoughtful and gentle introduction to Japan's delicate flavors. Nogawa serves saké only. As for sweets, who needs green tea ice cream if Japanese peaches are in season?