Japanese restaurant Shinji by Kanesaka is well known for its exquisite freshness in the fishes they use and authentic Japanese dishes skilfully prepared and presented. It is founded by Shinji Kanesaka, who believes dining on the best sushi is a holistic experience, one that is best delivered with art and soul.
To quote Kanesaka: “I want to create sushi that is well balanced, like the Chinese character for “one”. The start of the stroke, the whip of the brush, the end of the stroke– all must be well balanced.”
I had the opportunity to have a taste of Kanesaka’s dedication to fine cuisine recently at St Regis Singapore. The lunch menu was not very complicated. You can opt for the Setsugetsuka Sushi Course sets (prices range from S$75 to S$180) or the Yume (S$250) which is an Omakase Special that includes appetiser, assorted sashimi, assorted cooked dishes, nigri sushi, maki sushi, soup and Japanese fruit. I went for the latter.
The first course was snow soft sweet fig, accompanied by with baby snapper with seaweed as garnish. The fig was so good it literally melted in my mouth.
Snow soft sweet fig with baby snapper with seaweed as garnish.
Sashimi lovers will find delight in the second course. I could really taste the freshness of the sea. One of the fish was flambéed to add a char taste to it.
Sashimi galore.
The third course – Torched Tuna – was my favourite among all. This, in my opinion, is a must-try at the restaurant. Seasoned with just a touch of salt, the tuna was pure melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Hand to my heart.
Torched Tuna seasoned with a little salt.
Each and every dish was exquisite in flavour. One particular dish – the chawanmushi – might not look aesthetically appealing and a tad unassuming. However, I assure you it was absolutely sublime. When I sank my spoon into the silky chawanmushi, I found and tasted powdered minced meat that left me wanting more.
Uni wrapped with flounder fish and topped with salmon roe.
Baby snapper.
The line-up of sushi is interesting in terms of texture – from the soft fatty tuna to the chewy flounder fish.
Chawanmushi.
Assorted sushi: The highlight was the Tamago with a chewy bite to it.
Dessert: Grapes with honey dew.
Every bite of the food at Shinji By Kanesaka oozes with freshness. The dining experience can easily qualify as one of the wonders in life. No doubt the prices are on the high side (with the most expensive being the Omakase Shin dinner set at S$450), the food here is worth every single penny spent.
As celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay once said in an episode of MasterChef, “We eat with our eyes first”. Shinji By Kanesaka definitely covered this aspect.
Shinji By Kanesaka – St Regis
29 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247911
Tel: +65 6884 8239
Shinji By Kanesaka – Raffles Hotel
1 Beach Road
Raffles Hotel #02-201
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 6338 6131
Email: [email protected]
