The Place Located at a secret entrance on a side lane along Tras Street, I checked out the newly opened Shin Terroir, an intimate ten-seater Japanese omakase restaurant in Tanjong Pagar. Shin Terroir’s entrance is marked by a big tree over the back lane door, where I walked through a stone-laid path into the main L-shaped dining counter space.  

The restaurant is helmed by Singaporean Chef Nicholas Lee and Hokkaido native Takeshi Nakayama, where diners can watch them working their magic in the open kitchen concept. Other than the main dining hall, there is also one private dining room and an adjacent wine lounge concept by the same team where the entrance to the wine lounge is via Tras Street. 

The Food Shin Terroir is not quite the typical omakase as it focuses on a grill concept, where the courses are mostly prepared over a custom-made three-tier grill from Osaka filled with hot Kishu bincho coals, made purely from Ubamegashi, a Japanese oak from Wakayama. There is only one menu for now, a 15-Course Menu (S$198++ per person) that starts from lighter to punchier flavours. 

Here is what to expect: 

Chawanmushi (Uni | Snow crab) 
The meal started with a Chawanmushi filled with Hokkaido snow crab, slices of steamed Japanese abalone and a sauce made with premium kombu dashi. 

Yakionigiri (Maguro | Caviar) 
Next up is an “Onigiri” inspired course which features Negitoro Yakinigiri, a toasty and crispy-edged square of nanatsuboshi rice topped with chopped fatty tuna belly and Iranian caviar. I like the burst of flavours where I popped it in one mouthful, especially the crispy base which adds that nice crunch. 

Salada (Mesclun | Radish) 
A refreshing Salada course follows, which features the season’s produce such as ice plant and Japanese tomatoes dressed in a light tangy dressing. 

Sakana (Kinmedai | Daikon) 
Daikon lovers will enjoy this course. The Kinmedai fish is cooked over charcoal and is rested atop the huge piece of daikon that has been braised in an oden broth. The rich flavour profile of the Kinmedai is balanced by the daikon here. 

The next part of the meal moves on to a series of Yakitori courses, where Shin Terroir uses French poulet from Toh Thye San farm where no part of the chicken goes to waste, as it is used in its entirety in the different dishes on the menu. 

Otoukome (Ume | Shiso) 
The first yakitori course is a Otoukome Skewer which showcases chicken breast with shiso wrapped in chicken skin. I love the tender chicken breast meat and you get that hint of peppery flavour from the ume kosho as well.  

Mille Feuille (Gizzard I Nira) 
The chicken gizzard and chives here are draped over with a single piece of chicken skin, where I enjoyed that nice crisp texture of the skin with a robust flavour profile. 

Grilled Vegetable (Turnip I Tougarashi | Butter) 
A vegetable course is up next as a break between the yakitori courses where I had slow-roasted Japanese Turnip topped with Togarashi butter. 

Tebasaki 
I also enjoyed this very well-seasoned boneless chicken wing which should be the crowd’s favourite in my opinion. 

Kawa 
By far, my favourite course in the meal. As sinful as it sounds, this grilled chicken skin is so crispy and tender that I just want another serving of it. 

Reba 
A chicken liver course, you can choose the doneness of the chicken liver and I went with the chef’s recommendation of medium rare. If you are not fond of the gaminess of chicken liver, the version here is partially masked by the sprinkle of sweet spiced cookie crumble and tare sauce. I must admit that bits of cookie crumble drenched in the tare sauce is very good! 

Tsukune 
The sweet tare-glazed Tsukune is a mix of minced chicken and pork with mountain yam, along with a sunny ‘dip’ of tamago shoyuzuke or soy-marinated egg yolk which has a very savoury taste. 

Granita (Yuzu | Honey) 
A palate cleanser before the main meat course. 

Gyu (Miyazaki A4 | Broccolin) 
For the main course, it features A4 Miyazaki wagyu ribeye beef which is expectedly succulent. The beef is served with two types of salt, including matcha salt. 

Ramen (Chicken | Quail Ajitama) 
The last savoury course is a ramen dish, where the robust and collagen-rich chicken broth stands out for me. The rich broth is made with chicken bones and offcuts, with buttery slow-cooked chicken breast and a soft-centre quail egg. 

Dessert (Mochi | Kaya | Hojicha) 
For dessert, it is not the usual fruits or ice cream, but a locally inspired kaya mochi with Japanese brown sugar, hojicha custard and azuki. I enjoyed this creation by Pastry Chef Aleka. 

In terms of beverages, other than Sake, the extensive wine list boasts over 150 French labels from Burgundy and Champagne regions to boutique and artisan vineyards with the likes of Marguet and Jerome Prevost. Notable labels include Jacque Selosse and Frederic Savart champagne and well-regarded producers like Domaine Armand Rousseau, Domaine Denis Mortet, and Domaine Hubert Lamy. 

Rants Not specifically in regards to Shin Terroir but there have quite a good number of Japanese omakase concepts just this year alone, which makes it easy for Shin Terroir to fall into the category of “yet another omakase restaurant”. That said, I am also glad that the menu tries to play it a little differently by mixing different types of Japanese cuisine on its menu, such as yakitori, ramen and wagyu beef.

Will I Return Again? It is great that Shin Terroir does a different style of omakase from other Japanese restaurants with a focused grill concept. The showcase of yakitori courses, coupled with other highlights also differentiates it quite strongly from other restaurants. Be prepared for the heavy flavours in general, and this should be a fun dining experience. 

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

Shin Terroir 
80 Tras Street 
Singapore 079019 
Tel: +65 96560654 
 
Opening Hours 
Monday to Saturday 
Lounge – 5pm to 12am  
Restaurant – 6pm to 10pm (last seating at 830pm) 
Closed on Sunday 

Ranted by The Ranter