Tatsuya & Santaro. Part 1

The stage is set and the crowds go wild as both chefs enter the ring. In one corner, Singaporean chef Ronnie Chia of Tatsuya weighs in with 20 years of experience and recent acclamation “WDA Asian Ethnic Chef of the Year 2007”. His past may be mysteriously undisclosed but former Hong Konger-turned- Singaporean chef Santaro Li of Santaro Japanese Restaurant weighs in with numerous awards from several atahs magazines and his very own Members Appreciation Club.

The mood was thick with anticipation. The first thing that struck me was how crowded both places were on Tuesday night and Thursday lunchtime respectively. As their bands of sous chefs hover around the boxing ring precariously, the two chefs luxuriated in the photographic support of devotees, chief among whom were high-ranking politicians (think the two Lee so-and-so, their missues etc) and Mediacorp artists (“Fanntopher”).

Round 1. Fight.



Using a simmered dish Unagi Benisu, Tatsuya pulled an uncharacteristically subdue stab at Santaro, causing Santaro to play it safe with three appetizers- salad with yuzu sauce, fish jerkies and pickled vegetables, which were simple but appetite-piquing.



Tatsuya then threw a subtle but deadly jab at Santaro, delivering a oozy-juicy saba shioyaki that left the latter’s bony and salty mackerel clueless in its wake.



Tatsuya carried on with the assault, using oversized futomaki which was surprisingly good but outwitted by Santaro's light munchkin maki rolls. Regaining its momentum, Santaro sealed its chawanmushi in an aromatic broth that made Tatsuya's whimper (and I clamouring for more). The contest stumbled on as both restaurants launched into a limp tempura war, characterized by heavy batter.



Undeniably, Tatsuya's trump card was its sashimi. The hotate, amaebi, meikajiki, salmon and otoro (OH-TORO!) were spellbinding excellent. Within each bite, a creamy burst of utter gleeness awaited the harshest critics. Dizzy with delight, we yelled for an encore and the chef obliged, taking care to prepare a slightly different version.



Ultimately, the match ended without a clear winner in sight (how very PC!). Bear in mind that this is probably not the best of comparisons since the extravagance of dinner usually promises a more refined experience.The mountain may not be big enough to keep two tigers, but this town in definitely big enough for both Tatsuya and Santaro.