The cult-favourite restaurant, Takahashi from Ginza, Tokyo, has recently opened its first-ever international outlet right here in Singapore with a sophisticated zen garden vibe and luxurious omakase courses. When we first stepped into the intimate 12-seater restaurant, we couldn’t help but notice its tranquil vibes, especially with an actual Japanese-inspired zen garden and water fountain as the main decor.
What’s extra fun about dining at Takahashi is the fact that you even get a mini zen garden of your own that you can play with at your table before your meal starts—which really helps to set the tone for the meal, calming the mind and getting you into a peaceful mood.
Takahashi serves both lunch and dinner omakases starting from $180++ per person, and we had their 10-Course Izayoi dinner omakase course for $320++ per person, featuring the following:
Signature Zen Garden Platter
Seasonal Charcoal Grilled Dish
Signature Fried Dish
Seasonal Chawanmushi
7 Kinds of Nigiri
Signature Chef Finishing Dish
Tamago
Soup
Dessert
Tea Ceremony
Signature Zen Garden Platter
Chi Ayu (Baby Sweet fish)
Unique standouts from their Zen Garden appetiser platter include their signature Ankimo (Monk Fish Liver), which you’ll enjoy if you love rich and creamy textures that’s almost like silken tofu, but with more umami. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with the ikura soaked in dashi, delicate pops of fish roe that’s perfectly briny.
Tachiuo (Belt fish) Maitake & Baby Cabbage Tempura
Scallop Chawanmushi
Madai (Seabream)
Shima Aji (Striped Jack)
Shiro Ebi (White Shrimp)
Nodoguro (Sea Perch)
Akami (Lean Blue Fin Tuna)
Otoro (Fatty Blue Fin Tuna)
Another favourite for us was the Seasonal Chawanmushi topped with generous cuts of scallops that were ultra sweet, the perfect pairing to the silken steamed egg custard. The Tachiuo (Belt fish) tempura was also a highlight, served still steaming hot with a light, crispy batter encasing the soft and fleshy white fish.
Charcoal grilled Unagi (River Eel)
Kegani Toro Temaki
Chef Signature Mt Fuji
Fried Abalone Temaki
From the sushi course, standouts include the Charcoal-grilled Unagi that’s freshly grilled right in front of you over hot coals, as well as the Kegani Toro Temaki that’s stuffed with minced fatty tuna and hairy crab meat. The sushi pieces were also super fresh, with the perfect ratio of fish to rice. We also got to try their Signature Mt Fuji, inspired by the iconic Mt Fuji itself, stacked high with generous scoops of fresh uni. We’ve never seen this much uni piled atop a single sushi before, overflowing to the point where we could hardly even lift it up!
Signature Tamago
Ichiban Dashi soup
Matcha Tea Ceremony
Mizu Shingen (Water-style) Mochi; Ichigo Daifuku (Strawberry with Red Bean)
Takahashi’s tamago course is also unlike any other tamago we’ve seen: it’s got more of a custard-like or pudding texture and is drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. This tastes more like a dessert than a savoury course. The sweet treat is followed by a novel matcha Tea Ceremony spotlighting some of the finest Shizuoka matcha powder. Each cup of matcha is freshly whisked before serving, and the earthy, subtly bitter flavour of the tea offers a good balance to the sweetness of the desserts.
While the price point for Takahashi’s omakase courses might not be the most pocket-friendly, you’re definitely getting premium ingredients and service. We also love how the ambience is super serene, especially ideal for tranquil escapades and quiet meals.
Price: $$
Taste: 9/10
Favourite dish(s): Tachiuo, Scallop Chawanmushi, Chef Signature Mt Fuji
Takahashi
Address: 4 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238955
Opening Hours: 11.30am-3pm & 6.30pm-10.30pm daily (closed on Tuesday)
