You’re familiar with Japanese BBQ-style cooking like yakiniku and teppanyaki, but have you ever had BBQ with meats cooked over actual burning hay? This newly-opened Japanese restaurant has just that and more, and it’s the first restaurant in Singapore to spotlight some of the “rarer”, hard-to-find BBQ techniques all under one roof.
Setsuri Ishinomaki is tucked away within the Guoco Midtown House in Bugis, and feels a little bit like a “hidden” spot, especially if you’re not someone who works in the area. We stopped by towards the end of lunch service on a weekday and the place was still packed to nearly a full house, so our expectations for the food were definitely raised. Setsuri specialises in 4 different methods of traditional Japanese grilling: each imparting a different flavour to the foods cooked.
Image Credit: Setsuri
Salmon Wara Tataki, $25
Starting off with our favourite method (and also the most theatrical), Warayaki, an old-fashioned style of cooking that uses stalks of dry straw/hay that’s imported from the Kochi prefecture. The stalks are then set on fire for a super eye-catching live fire “performance”, and the fire is used to flame and cook the meats or seafood directly, with the residual smoke from the fire used to impart a distinct smokiness to the dishes. We had the Salmon Wara Tataki ($25) cooked this way and it was undoubtedly the most smoky and “wok hei”-esque dish we had, with the smoky aroma hitting us right in the nose even before we took a bite. The exterior of the salmon slices were lightly charred, while the inside remained mostly raw, kind of like aburi sashimi.
Gindara Saikyo, $38
Grilled Prawn, $12/pc
Next we’ve got Genshiyaki, a method that used bincho (charcoal bricks) stacked like a tower, with skewered items stuck directly into a floor of “wood ash” surrounding the burning bincho tower. The heat emanating from the burning bincho is then used to gently cook items like Gindara Saikyo ($38) and Grilled Prawn ($12/pc). The charcoal flavour resulting from this cooking method is much more subtle as compared to the Warayaki, but is no less tasty. The Gindara fillet had a gorgeous caramelised crust while still remaining soft and flaky to the cut.
Tsukune, $10
Iberico Pork Collar Yuzu Miso, $14
The Robatayaki method is one that might be a little more familiar, with items simply grilled over a charcoal fire. The homemade Tsukune ($10) that was made in this way, slow cooking the minced chicken balls over charcoal to keep it as juicy as possible. Our tsukune was ultra tender and saucy, and wasn’t dry at all, even after being left out for a while. Rogama is another slow-cooking method that involves using an oven filled with charcoal bricks, and is a method reserved specially for steaks like the Iberico Pork Collar Yuzu Miso ($14) to thoroughly and evenly cook the meat without drying it out.
Mentai Dashi Maki Tamago, $14
Iburigakko Shiitake & Cream Cheese with Crackers, $10
Toyama Dried Hotaru Ika, $10
Futomaki, $28
Some other dishes we enjoyed from Setsuri include the Mentai Dashi Maki Tamago ($14) that’s cooked to order and served piping hot. The tamago is soft and luscious, topped with actual mentaiko (not the sauce) for a burst of umami with every bite. The Toyama Dried Hotaru Ika ($10) lets you DIY your own squid to your liking by grilling them over your own personal binchotan. If you’re looking for some carbs, consider their Futomaki ($28) that came in humongous pieces, we nearly couldn’t fit the whole piece in one bite.
Handmade Warabi Mochi, $8
Sweet Potato & Chestnuts Creme Brulée, $14
For desserts, we enjoyed their Handmade Warabi Mochi ($8) that had a melt-in-your-mouth jiggly texture and the Sweet Potato & Chestnuts Creme Brulée ($14) that came served in a mini claypot. If you’re looking to experience a unique Japanese BBQ dining that you probably won’t see anywhere else in Singapore, Setsuri might be a good place to consider. Though, if you’re hoping to be able to catch most of the grilling action up close, do request for a seat at the counter (limited seats available) right in front of the open kitchen as that’s where you can see the chefs cooking up close. Sitting at any other table seats in the dining room won’t be able to give you the fiery action.
Taste: 7/10
Price: $$
Favourite dish(es): Mentai Dashi Maki Tamago, Salmon Wara Tataki, Gindara Saikyo
Setsuri Ishinomaki
Address: 120 Beach Road #01-03 Guoco Midtown House, Singapore 189769
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11am-3pm & 5.30pm-10pm
