The Place I am always up for new Japanese restaurants, and am glad to check out the few weeks old Japanese restaurant Ginza Shinto in the Robertson Quay precinct. The first impression of omakase restaurant is the clean, minimalist look in typical Japanese wooden finishing. Similar to most omakase restaurants, the bar counter table here takes centrestage in the interior and it definitely elevates the dining experience when diners are able to watch the chef at work.

There are three dining sections of the restaurant – table seats at the front, the bar counter seats and the private dining room.

The Food In terms of the menu, there are ala carte dishes, an Executive Set Lunch or simply go for the Omakase Menu. Seasonal and fresh produce is key for Chef Ron Newton Leo, the head chef at Ginza Shinto who has over 30 years of culinary experience under his belt. Most of the ingredients used are sourced from various parts of Japan, including Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo. Therefore, the Omakase Menu is updated biweekly, subject to the availability of ingredients.

The 5-course Omakase ‘Gin’ Menu is priced at S$150, 8-course ‘Ginza’ Menu at S$220, 9-course ‘Shinto’Menu at S$300, while a la carte appetisers starts from S$10. The Gozen lunch sets are in the range of S$30-S$40.

I had a mix of the omakase and ala carte dishes. For a start as appetiser, I had the Sweet Cherry Tomatoes from Japan with crisp Ice Plant sprinkled with Truffle Oil, which is very refreshing.

The second appetiser I had is a mix of Ikura, Uni and Scallop in a cocktail cup. It is all raw, and the three ingredients bar very fresh. Off to a good start!

From the omakase menu, the first course I had was a fresh mix of scallop and prawn Sashimi.

Next up was another Sashimi course which I am not complaining – a trio of Kanpachi, Hirame and Otoro. Served with shiso flowers, the freshness of the ingredients is evident in this course. The hirame (flounder fish) is rolled up with garlic and salted seaweed and it offers a nice crunchy texture, while the otoro is simply orgasmic beyond words.

This course is easily one of my favourite. It showcases a beautiful Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Beef in three slices. What’s interesting in the presentation is that it is served in a sauce, and a small cup of quail egg yolk. The way to enjoy this dish is to pour the egg yolk into the sauce and mix well, before dipping the succulent Wagyu beef in the sauce. The overall flavour is full of umami.

Next up is a series of sushi. The first sushi I had was the Mekajiki (Swordfish) Aburi with Bonito Flakes, which is delicious in flavour.

The second sushi is Aburi Amaebi with Foie Gras sprinkled with grated yuzu zest. Similarly, the prawn is torched so the foie gras simply melts and form a layer on the prawn.

The last sushi I had is one of Chef Ron’s signature, aptly names “Forget Me Not“. This is essentially Negitoro with Uni nigiri sushi, where there is also bits of crispy rice puffs here hence the crunchy texture. Love the combination of Tuna and Uni here!

My last savoury course as part of the omakase experience is the Donburi. I had the Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Beef Don, where the tender beef is torched and served atop a sliced of egg.

Rants For an omakase meal, the dining experience is definitely not as complete in my opinion if you were to be allocated the dining tables near the entrance. Therefore, do ensure that you secure a reservation for the counter seats, which are fairly limited.

Will I Return Again? This is a beautiful Japanese restaurant. The ingredients are fresh and the dishes carry stronger flavours than traditional Japanese omakase. Worth checking out if you love your Japanese food!

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Ginza Shinto
No. 5 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-01
Singapore 239014
Tel: +65 8938 8355

Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday: 12pm to 2:30pm; 6pm to 11pm
Closed on Sunday

Ranted by The Ranter