Just like food, the alcohol that originates from a country reveals a lot about its people and culture. I had the opportunity to catch up on Japanese culture and history as I sipped my way into the world of sake at Tburu Sushi and Grill which is offering a promotion on their six-course sake pairing dinner set.
Tburu, (a play on the word ‘tay-bu-ru’ or table in Japanese), which opened in February 2015, is inconspicuously hidden away in the top floor of Orchardgateway@Emerald, which is only accessible via the elevator. The modern interior showcases design touches by Calvin Yeung, also owner of Kiku and One on the Bund. Unlike traditional Japanese sushi and grill bars which tend to be cosy, Tburu offers high ceilings and tall windows, lending openness to the interior. Even the seats at the sushi counter, where one can best observe the chef at work, are generously spaced apart.
There is a table available next to the glass grill room where patrons can watch yakitori sticks being grilled away on the bincho-tan (white charcoal) robatayaki style. The white charcoal burns more mellow and last longer than regular charcoal, and cooks food more gently without overly charring.
Just like many of the ingredients at Tburu, the sakes selected for the pairing dinner set are sourced from Kyushu. As indicated on the menu, the sake are premium grade sake (junmai), with a range of Sake Meter Value (SMV) ranging from -2 to +5, and a polish ratio from 50% to 65%. For a beginner like myself, the SMV numbers give an indication of the dryness or sweetness of the sake, with a higher polish ratio indicating a higher quality of sake.
Pottery fans would be in for a treat. Before the first course was served, I was presented with five exquisite guinomi (sake cups) chilled on a bed of ice and told to work clockwise with each course.
Five different guinomi (sake cups) are cooled on a bed of ice.
The first course was Salmon Aburi with Tamago, Cucumber Miso and Tamago with Mentaiko (marinated roe). The course was paired with a slightly dry and refreshing sake to start off the meal. I like how two different kind of mentaiko were used generously with the tamago roll.
First course. Salmon Aburi, Cucumber Miso and Tamago Mentaiko
I think the second course is the prettiest dish of the set. It is the Sliced Hotate (scallop) drizzled with truffle oil and homemade preserved daikon, topped with caviar and garnished with chrysanthemum petals. It was paired with a sake that had an “abundant fragrance” with long finish which I felt goes brilliantly well with the truffle oil. Sake connoisseurs would be happy to know that this sake uses an old traditional method that takes longer and is quite uncommon nowadays.
Second Course. Carpaccio of Hotate with Truffle Oil and Homemade Preserved Daikon
Second course. So pretty!
The third course was labelled “tempura” on the menu, but it looked nothing like tempura when served. I could smell the smokiness from the deep fried ika (squid) with mentaiko, which was paired with the exclusive Tokubetsu Junmaishu Usuki sake. The sake was rounded and complimented the smoky ika well.
Third course. Where’s the tempura?
The fourth course showcases the bincho-tan (white charcoal) grill with buta (pork) collars served three-ways, and served with grilled okra. The buta collars had rosemary, long beans or wasabi sprouts in the centre, with each giving a characteristic crunch and vegetal flavour. The grilled okra highlights the benefits of bincho-tan best, as it was well-cooked inside without being charred outside. This dish was accompanied by a sake with a hint of fruitiness that complimented the rosemary and wasabi tang.
Fourth course. Buta collar served three-ways with grilled okra and shittake.
The fifth course consisted of three innovative sushi served with clear soup clam broth. I worked my way up with the delicate sweet ebi (prawn) with yuzu sushi, to the salmon with caviar sushi and finished with the decadently rich waygu with foie gras sushi. Although it was only a condiment, I was rather pleased to see that Tburu used real freshly grated wasabi instead of the ubiquitous artificial green gob made of horseradish and chemicals.
Fifth course. Three innovative sushi with suimono.
The set dinner finished with a Tburu signature—Dan Dan Noodles. The Tburu treatment transformed a generally loud and hearty Chinese noodle dish into a soft and savoury noodle bowl that was still all too familiar. Instead of sake to finish the course, I had two different kinds of umeshu (plum wine). The sourness and sweetness cut through the spiciness of the Dan Dan noodles perfectly. Both types umeshu came from the same producer for the ume, and I could taste the contrast in taste due to the difference in ageing. The older bottle had an almost syrupy thickness in the mouth. The umeshu brought to mind ice wine or dessert wine, and was a delightful sweet ending to the six-course meal.
Final course. Tburu’s signature Dan Dan noodles.
The Sake Pairing Dinner set promotion costs S$98 per person until end of September this year. Tburu also has an eight-course omakase at S$50 per person as part of their SG50 celebration promotion running in tandem.
Tburu
218 Orchard Road
#05-01 orchardgateway@emerald
Singapore 238851.
Tel: +65 6221 0004
