When it comes to Japanese food, I often associate high-quality with high, exorbitant prices. But here at Fukuichi Japanese Dining, this misconception of mine was quashed. Instead, I was shown how quality Japanese cuisine can remain easy on our wallets.
With its first outlet at Triple One Somerset being a huge success, Fukuichi Japanese Dining has expanded to open its second outlet located at Hotel Chancellor. Nestled right in the heart of Orchard Road in Singapore, the 90-seater dining restaurant is spacious and luxurious, even boasting a sushi bar and tatami room.
What is great about Fukuichi is how its freshest fish and seasonal seafood are all specially air-flown from Shizuoka, of which its Shimizu Port is reported to have the largest haul of tuna fishes. The restaurant partners with Fukuchi Gyogyo, a fishing operator that only curates the highest-quality fishes and seafood in Shizuoka.
Its catches are all kept within a state-of-the-art, three-storey-high cold storage that runs at -55°C. This ultra-low temperature allows the catches to be frozen quickly without the formation of ice crystals. This means when the catches thaw, they do not become mushy and the texture of the meat remains with a bite and almost as good as fresh. Indeed, it is little wonder that the seafood dishes at Fukuichi are such a huge hit with patrons.
One of the signatures dishes is the Kani Tofu ($7). As a huge lover of century egg, this dish was a favourite for me. I especially loved how the smoothness of the bean curd, sweetness of the crab meat and pungent flavours of the century egg complemented the dish perfectly.
Another popular signature on the menu is the Spider Maki ($18). The soft shell crab was fried at just the right temperature. When I had the first bite, it was light and crisp without the oiliness. To add to the burst of freshness within the dish, there was a generous serving of egg roe peppered on top of the maki. While this dish was great, I wish I had left more room in my stomach for the others.
If you are a fan of spicy food and chawanmushi, the XO Chawanmushi (S$14) has the best of both worlds for you. This dish is truly unique. With XO Sauce mixed with scallops, prawns, mushroom, egg roe and Chawanmushi, you could even taste a hint of spiciness to this dish. My first taste of it simply left a slight numbness on my tongue which I adored. This dish would be perfect for anyone looking for that extra kick, something not commonly found in Japanese restaurants today.
Another signature dish on the menu is the Gyuniku Fagura Sauce ($38). If you enjoy eating foie gras and beef, this dish would be perfect for you. The grilled beef tasted tender and delicious, and was well-complemented by the generous servings of goose liver sauce served with it. Being a huge fan of foie gras myself, I can safely say that I will come back for more of this.
The highlight of my meal got to be the Ebi Teppanyaki ($25). The perfectly grilled fresh prawns were coated with mentaiko sauce. The mentaiko sauce had just the right amount of sweetness and was probably one of the best sauces I have tasted in a while. Together with the prawns, this was simply a heavenly combination.
To end off our meal, we tried the Fukuichi Indulgence Teishoku Set ($30) that this restaurant is well-known for. The set includes a salad, a fried salmon skin dish, an assortment of sushi, sashimi, salmon topped with generous servings of mentaiko sauce, tempura and miso soup. This eight-course set was huge (probably enough to share between two to three people) and was worth the money. From now to 30 September 2015, you can even get to enjoy this set at only $30 (Usual price: $45++).
With its fresh seafood and tasty dishes, I simply cannot wait for my next visit to Fukuichi.
Fukuichi Triple One Somerset
111 Somerset Road #02-11/12
Singapore 238 164
Lunch: 12pm to 3pm (Last order: 2.30pm)
Dinner: 6pm to 12 mn (Last order: 10.30pm)
Fukuichi Hotel Chancellor
No. 28 Cavenagh Road #01-05
Singapore 229 635
Lunch: 12pm to 3pm (Last order: 2.30pm)
Dinner: 6pm to 12 mn (Last order: 10.30pm)
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