The Place Located along Mohamed Sultan Road, Takahashi restaurant is a relatively new Japanese omakase concept located along the same stretch as Esora and Meta. Takahashi Singapore is a spin-off of Sushi Takahashi in Ginza, Tokyo, and is a concept by Chef Jun Takahashi. The Singapore restaurant is helmed by Chef Takahashi’s protégé of eight years Chef Rinto Sasagawa, where the space is an intimate 12-seater counter seating and a private room.

Upon entering the restaurant, paved stone steps lead the way through to the minimalist dining room comprising twelve counter seats.  

A noteworthy mention of the interior is a mini zen garden, which has a miniature replica sand garden placed at the table of each diner. 

The Food The restaurant opens for lunch and dinner with just two seating per session. Lunch omakase is available at S$180++ (Koyo Menu, eight kinds of nigiri and six dishes) or S$250++ (Shurei Menu, eight kinds of nigiri and seven dishes), while dinner is S$320++ (Shugetsu Menu, six kinds of nigiri and nine dishes) or S$420++ (Takahashi’s Signature Omakase Nagatsuki Menu, eight kinds of nigiri and more than 10 courses).  

I had the Shugetsu (S$320++) dinner menu you can expect the following: Karesansui, Premium Grilled Dish, Signature Crab Croquette, Seasonal Chawanmushi, 6 kinds of Nigiri, Chef Special Rice Bowl, Chef Finishing Dish, Signature Soup and a Dessert Tea Ceremony. 

Karesansui Zen Garden Platter 
My meal started with 3 Types of Signature Chef Appetisers which features Okinawa seaweed with sea cucumber, seasonal Buri (Shima Aji), and Ankimo from Hokkaido. Special mention goes to the Ankimo which takes a week to prepare as it is marinated and aged in Chef Rinto’s secret sauce. 

Competition between 2 Eels (Unagi. Anago | Sansho Pepper. Seaweed Salt. Wasabi. Pickled Sansho) 
Sea eel and river eel from Aichi Prefecture are presented side by side, accompanied by a series of condiments: Wasabi, a special seaweed crystal salt, Sansho pepper and pickled Sansho. I definitely prefer the Unago (on the right side) more where the skin is more crisp, and the flavour of the fish is fattier.  

Signature Crab Croquette (Snow Crab. Crab Bisque. Italian Autumn Truffles. Cream) 
An indulgent snow crab course follows next, where the luscious crab bisque is my favourite element of this dish.  

Seasonal Chawanmushi 
I had a lovely scallop chawanmushi where the Hokkaido scallop is immersed in a broth infused with the sweetness of the scallop and depth of Ichiban Dashi. The dashi is crafted from Katsuobushi that has been aged for three years, finished with some black pepper for added dimension to the flavour. Topped with sweet potato chips for some crunch.  

Nigiri Course (6 Premium Selections Sushi Course) 
Takahashi’s white shari or sushi rice features white vinegar with a touch of black vinegar made using natural spring water from Yamagata prefecture. Here are some of the nigiris to expect:

Barracuda 

Amaebi with salt and prawn shell powder 

Nishin (Herring) 

Palate Cleanser (Persimmon with tofu sauce and black sesame sauce) 

Next up are the Otoro and Chutoro Nigiris, where both slices were steamed for a few seconds for a stronger umami flavour. 

Chutoro 

Otoro 

Akami Zuké (Marinated Tuna) 

Uni Ankimo Rice Bowl (Ankimo Rice. Hokkaido Bafun Uni. Marinated Ankimo. Narazuke Aged Gourd) 
I love the monk fish liver rice, which is as flavourful as it sounds. Fresh Uni on rice really cannot go wrong.

Chef Finishing Dish 
This is quite unique which showcases Abalone Katsu wrapped in seaweed along with abalone liver sauce where the katsu is then topped with Uni. Expect a luscious flavour from the Uni and Abalone liver sauce, along with the crisp texture of the katsu here.  

Tamago with Caramel Sauce 
We all love a tamago course at the end of an omakase, just that this version has the egg drizzled with some caramel sauce for added flavour.

Bonito Soup with Seasonal Seafood (Ichiban Dashi. 3 years Aged Bonito) 
A comforting bowl of soup to conclude the savoury courses.

Homemade Muscat Daifuku with Mizu Shingen Mochi (Azuki. Muscat Grape Mochi | Bean Powder, Brown Sugar Syrup) 

Matcha Tea Ceremony (Shizuoka Matcha) 
Last but not least, I was served freshly whisked matcha in a bowl.

Rants The competition for Japanese omakase restaurants in Singapore is extremely stiff, and while each course is competent for my dinner meal here, there is no particular memorable dish for me.

Will I Return Again? Beautiful space coupled with a zen dining ambience, you can expect a balance of traditional and contemporary flavours for an omakase meal here. Prices are quite steep for dinner where the lunch menu is significantly more value for money.

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

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Takahashi Singapore 
4 Mohamed Sultan Road 
Singapore 238955 
Tel: +65 8877 0501 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday: 12pm to 3pm, 7pm to 10.30pm 
Closed on Tuesday 

Ranted by The Ranter