Sunday, March 2

Sakuraya Sashimi House, Anchorpoint

I am so broke.

Just to give you a good idea of how broke I am- I feel even poorer than my days as an exchange student. I'm in a situation which I have unaffectionately termed as 'IPOD'- I on Parent Overdraft. More details to follow... (bad attempt at trying to sound mysterious) .. but let's just say I've been spending a lot of time with The Girl Who Ate Everything and Ed Levine at Serious Eats.

The week closes in on the end of my mid-term break though most SMU students would tell you there's no such thing as mid-term breaks, weekends or after-school hours. This is supposed to be the 'breather' before the onslaught tsunami wave of deadlines, project meetings, quizzes and presentations... so please excuse possible sporadic outbursts of frustration.

After Akashi's fall from grace, we needed to find another Japanese restaurant for our weekly raw fish fix. Under the recommendation of my dad's makan-maharishi (actually it's just the guy who seats opposite him in the office), we headed to Sakuraya Sashimi House at Anchorpoint.



This return visit alluded me to the importance of CONTEXT. I first visited Sakuraya Sashimi House after a trip to Japan, which was total 'UH-OH game plan for disappointment'. Pretty much like dating Vince Vaugh after Brad Pitt or worse, marrying KFed after JT, getting knocked up and divorced, sent to rehab... You get the picture right?

Well of course I didn't lose my bearings but I sure was harsh.

"There was nothing to suggest that the hot food was any more spectacular than say, conveyor belt branches. The dishes were pedestrian and the meal was a stroll down the well-trodden cobblestone path."



Ok ok I admit I was wr-wr wr-raw-ong... and I needed to take a chill pill. I was right though to a certain extent- yes, "well-trodden path" it was but it was also my decision to take that path. However now that I have seen the discomfort inflicted by certain conveyor belts, I retract that statement about Sakuraya's hot food.

The tempura wasn't great but I haven't had great tempura (not in Santaro, Akane etc) in ages. That being said, tempura (like most fried food) enjoys the Immunity Badge in my syndicate. I don't think it's easy to find sensational tempura unless you visit tempura specialists like Tenshin and I think it's because tempura is an all-rounder crowd favourite so it's pretty hard to up the ante. Do you know what I mean? Like it's your trusty blasted-and-blipped-in-hot-scalding-oil comfort grub so the benchmark has been set and it's difficult to wow diners on a daily basis.

Er if you don't get me, let's pretend it's because I sound terribly cheem and not because I don't make sense at all. I did, however, fall head over my Nine Wests for the mackerel, served with crisp skin still blistering from the grill.



Previously I made a disparaging comment on the "ambiance, service and mood" but I also acknowledged that the problem "lies with me" and this funny little thing called "nostalgia". So this place isn't banking on ambiance and service was a little slow (in fact this is probably one of the few Japanese restaurants that doesn't have have a house elf rushing to fill up peoples' tea cups), but who's counting the Michelin Stars?



Pinky-thick and uber-fresh, the sashimi at Sakuraya had value written all over it. I decided to order the otoro nigiris after that dismal episode at Sushit Tei. The otoro slivers bore stark resemblance to raw beef slices but overall they weren't too hot.



Following that we ordered a plate of otoro sashimi which were decently-marbled though shy of ohmygaw-!. Ack, I sound like an insufferable yak who can't stop talking about her ex on new dates.



And because I couldn't decide which picture was nicer so i posted both. You must be thinking, "what's the difference?" well that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. ...

Unlike my dad who has bigger "old love" issues, I refuse to believe kickass ohmygaw-! otoro can't be found in Singapore. Yes my motherland, I still have faith in you. You have found a way to prepack Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste (which in my opinion is almost as cool as sending kimchi to space). You went from 3rd world to 1st world in less than 50 years. I'm sure ohmygaw-! otoro is just hiding somewhere...

It's official: I'm on the hunt for kickass ohmygaw-! otoro in Singapore.

7 comments:

Chocolate Reindeer said...

Hi Hi, how about trying Inagiku?

Anonymous said...

Hey hey, wanna tell you that I finally booked the airfare to Tokyo! Finally and it will be free and easy! Really so looking forward to it! I'm definitely counting on your Japan posts to take note of where to go for that good meal! Any good shopping areas to recommend? BTW, is that Japan rail pass applicable to travel in the local train network within the city i.e. Tokyo, Osaka itself?

Anonymous said...

I think you shld give the sushi a break, and leave a post on how your sister, who shall remain otherwise anonymous, managed to get herself into the books for a red (or Rouge Garance) birkin. I can even supply a picture..

posted by anonymous.

I am JUST kidding.

yixiaooo said...

hey Chocolate Reindeer, i shall make it a point to try once i recover from my dire financial status. haha

Joyz, you can only use the pass on the jr line. email me if you need more info. too much to suqeeze within this 'comment' box haha.

anonymous, i collect hand-me-downs. thankyouverymuch. =)

Anonymous said...

tomo for toro. :)

Anonymous said...

try Nadaman Restaurant at shangri-la hotel.... their teppanyaki is really good too... one of the best in sg i will say.

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