These elegant Japanese establishments in Singapore continue to appeal to diners with their luxurious omakase menus using the freshest ingredients from Japan.
Tentsuru
Fine dining tempura omakase restaurant Tentsuru located at The St. Regis Singapore (next to the poolside) is offering a limited-period Tempura Omakase ‘Memories of Goto’ menu paired with the restaurant’s newly launched signature sake. Available until 31 August 2025, the refined omakase menu ($460++) fuses Executive Chef Daiki Kawaguchi’s childhood memories with precise technique and seasonal finesse.
The meal begins with dishes such as grilled suzuki (seabass) accompanied by vegetables and house-made summer spice sauce, as well as grilled anago nigiri. This is followed by eight meticulously executed tempura courses, including kuruma ebi brightened with a few drops of lemon juice, and kisu (whiting) lifted with a hint of yuzu kosho. Seasonal vegetables like sweet corn and asparagus offer balance, while ultra-tender abalone, dressed with seaweed shoyu, and indulgent Miyazaki A5 wagyu tempura add luxurious depth.
Savoury courses conclude with Goto Niku Udon, topped with tender stewed beef. These delicate, silky noodles are crafted using a 1,000-year-old te-yori (hand-twisting) method and camellia oil from the Goto Islands. Made entirely from natural, island-sourced ingredients, the dish is a heartfelt tribute to Chef Kawaguchi’s roots and his father’s hometown of Goto in Nagasaki. Dessert is a light and refreshing pairing of coffee ice cream and jelly.
The experience is complemented by Tentsuru’s new signature sake, Kura No Hana Junmai Daiginjo, brewed in Miyagi Prefecture by an award-winning sake maker. Using Kura no Hana rice polished to 44% purity, the sake is light, floral, and refined, enhancing the subtle flavours of each course.
Iyasaka by Hashida
Tucked within Raffles Sentosa Singapore, the newly opened Iyasaka by Hashida offers an intimate stage for omakase dining. Chef-owner Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida teams up with head chef Kazuya Nishino, whose 11 years of experience span French cuisine, including a stint in Paris, and six years dedicated to sushi mastery.
The decadent menu showcases premium seasonal ingredients in artfully plated dishes such as yari-ika (spear squid) paired with gently caramelised ankimo, and sashimi of otoru, chutoro and kampachi. Indulge in creative items such as tilefish crusted with broad bean, crowned with caviar, and presented with a dusting with fermented shiitake mushroom powder. And silky chawanmushi topped with white asparagus, Spanish mackerel and uni from Hokkaido. Among the procession of sushi items, a highlight is the hand-passed charcoal-grilled beltfish layered with uni and seasoned rice, wrapped in seaweed.
Sourcing for ingredients is as exacting as the preparation. Besides the host of seafood and fish from Japan, items like sushi salt is produced exclusively for Hashida. The salt comes from Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea and is naturally evaporated and dried under the sun, with only the finest early-morning harvests selected.
Sudachi lime from Tokushima Prefecture, grown by farmer Sasaki, whom Chef Hatch personally visited, adds a fragrant, citrus lift to the cuisine. Wasabi is sourced from Fujiya Wasabi Farm in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, where the chef hand-selects the roots. This wasabi, nurtured by the region’s abundant spring water, delivers a distinctive balance of sharp heat and subtle sweetness. The restaurant’s Yamato menu is $320 and Omakase menu is from $450.
Sushi Ashino
Chef Taku Ashino, owner and head chef of Sushi Ashino, recently marked the restaurant’s 10th anniversary with a refreshed menu. Tucked away in Chijmes for almost a decade, Ashino has since relocated to an intimate space at 8 Club Street, 01-12/13 Icon Hotel.
Specialising in jukusei sushi (the art of aging fish to enhance umami) Chef Ashino continues to combine time-honoured Japanese methods with his own refined techniques and premium fish sourced exclusively from Tokyo’s Toyosu market. Fish are aged anywhere from a few days to up to 40 days, depending on the variety: kohada (gizzard shad) undergoes a 10-day process of salting, vinegar curing, and controlled aging for a melt-in-the-mouth texture, while buri (yellowtail) is aged up to two weeks for subtle depth of flavour. All fish are stored on natural ice blocks at precise temperatures, and akami (lean tuna) is marinated in his house-blended shoyu.
Ashino’s fish supply is secured through Hiroki Hasegawa, a master of shinkejime – a precise and humane method of dispatching fish, ensuring peak freshness. His exclusive network provides rare, bespoke seafood and other seasonal ingredients to top chefs, adding unique value to Ashino’s menu.
The rice for the sushi is equally meticulous: a blend of Koshikikari and Nahatsu Boshi varieties, washed in Mount Fuji mineral water, and cooked in a Nanbu Tetsu cast-iron kettle for ideal texture, aroma, and flavour balance.
To celebrate its milestone, Ashino has refreshed its omakase menus (lunch from $168++ and dinner from $235++) offering seasonal courses that highlight the depth of flavour achieved through jukusei. Diners can further personalise their experience with okonomi (meaning ‘as you like’) — a seasonal add-ons-only offering that brings greater flexibility and value. Seasonal okonomi items rotate regularly, but signature staples such as the Aged Botan Ebi, Chutoro and Otoro, Uni and Kanpyo Hand Roll remain mainstays.
