Wednesday, October 14

The Birthday Dinner, Akashi

There is nothing I love more than omakase.

Hmmm, actually that's not really true. I love pre-spring, post-autumn 20 degrees celsius days. I am on a relentless pursuit for shoes that don't pinch my toes and purse. Random calls or emails from friends make me grin foolishly. I would give up a few years of my life to be able to travel with reckless abandonement.

But omakase is right up there with the rest. Top five. Cross my heart, lungs and anything that hasn't been damaged by Diet A&W and curry puffs.

Going omakase is such an adrenaline rush - the thrill and surprise of the experience is second to few. With little hesitation, I decided omakase with Chef Mervin Goh was the way to go for a birthday dinner took place at Akashi, Orchard Parade Hotel.

With one of the longest counters in Singapore, Akashi's sushi bar is a stage. A stage for sushi chefs to fulfil their narcissistic dreams and feed an hungry audience who just can't say no to them. On a busy night, the sushi counter is pure theatre, so just sit back and prepare to yell, "Encore!" (Kiddin' about the yelling, unless you want to fulfil your drunk salaryman role play.)

Photobucket

Our starter: shirako (cod fish sperm sac) in ponzu, with sliced chili and daikon. I could feel the chef watching us, thinking, Would they relish the creamy yet tangy tastebud-titilating flavours or recoil at the thought of a sperm sac?

Photobucket

Next up: a whole Sayori fish. The beauty of this dish was that is the whole fish was used. The body was sliced as sashimi with a smattering of spring onions, and the head, spine and tail were later deep-fried.

Then came the bevy of unapologetically-fresh sashimi, which were served sequentially:

Photobucket

Shima Aji (Striped Horsemackerel)

Photobucket

Hokkaido Hotate (Hokkaido scallop) - the biggest I had ever laid eyes on.

Photobucket

Kampachi belly (Amberjack belly) - belly-love

Photobucket

Sake belly (Salmon belly) - fat floppy flab

Photobucket

Arkshell - chewy

Photobucket

Otoro - I would give up a body part for this. Maybe my fourth toe.

And the sushi followed thereafter. What I love about Akashi's sushi is that only a mini nob of rice is used and the fish just flops over like someone who has had too much to drink.

Photobucket

Hirame (Flounder) - with a hobbit's pinch of sea salt

Photobucket

Aburi Otoro (Torched tuna belly) - seriously, the other fourth toe as well.

Photobucket

Aburi sake (Torched salmon)

Photobucket

Flounder with uni

Other cold dishes included:

Photobucket

Oyster with ponzu sauce

Photobucket

Shiro Baigai (white snail) in shoyu sauce - the Japanese must have thought, Let the French have those squigish escargots when they struck gold with the Shiro Baigai.

Although we requested for more sushi and sashimi items, we were also served a few cooked dishes.

Photobucket

Hokkaido hotate with peanut-sesame sauce

Photobucket

Sayori critters from our Sayori sahimi earlier

Photobucket

Mutsu Yuzu - a Japanese blue fish marinated with citrus dressing then grilled.

Photobucket

Two types of tamago - pan-fried and baked

Photobucket

Wagyu seiro mushi - steamed rice topped with minced wagyu beef, omelette shreds and seaweed. The wagyu fats permeated the rice bed below, coating each grain with an irresistable glisten.

Photobucket

Our "One more?" - Hokkaido crab nigiri - WTH good

Photobucket

Comfortably full, we ended the meal with some Kyoho grapes and mango.

I consider myself to be pretty good with self-retraint but the thought of omakase is racing to scratch my credentials. Of course, it doesn't help that I have Mervin's handphone number in my phone... which is stored under "ICE" - In Case of Emergency.

Akashi Japanese Restaurant
1 Tanglin Road, #01-01A
Orchard Parade Hotel
Tel 67324438

7 comments:

sooks said...

oohhhh... me want some of that otoro!

Lisa said...

I love what I see and read. Yum!

Do you mind telling me how much does this Omakase meal cost you. Going for a jap meal to celebrate anniversary next month.

yixiaooo said...

hey lisa, will you be able to email me (at dropyourcashhere AT hotmai DOT com) instead? thanks

alkanphel said...

Can I ask how do you order such an omakase from Akashi? The last time I tried to do so, the waitress just said there was no omakase and I should just order from the menu.

yixiaooo said...

hey, i've the chef's number.
email me if you want it.

Anonymous said...

hello, your omakase looks really good! mind me asking how much was it? thanks!

lynn

yixiaooo said...

hey lynn, it cost about $200+ per person