Sushi Sei @ Holiday Inn Singapore Ochard City Centre - Taste the Height of Summer with Its New Seasonal Summer Menus

Sushi Sei at Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre has welcomed a new head chef, Chef Kaoru Mitsuhashi, who has introduced lunch and dinner menus centred around the traditional art of Edomae sushi, focusing on bite-sized nigiri sushi. This summer, the menus highlight the best seasonal ingredients, such as the sweet catch of Ayu and peak-season harvest Komo Nasu Japanese eggplant from Kyoto. The 綾 Aya Lunch Menu, priced at $98 per person, is a concise yet refined offering, while the 絆 Kizuna Dinner Menu is a more extensive experience, priced at $480 for two persons.

Kyoto Japanese Eggplant 4.5/5

My lunch began with an appetiser course featuring Kyoto Japanese Eggplant, simply dressed to accentuate its gentle flavour.

Smoked Ayu Fish 4.5/5

Next, I was served a Smoked Ayu Fish, a symbol of Japanese summer. At their peak in mid-summer, Ayu fish are at their meatiest and juiciest. Chef Mitsuhashi prepared it simply salted and grilled, accompanied by a peppery green that complemented the fish perfectly.

Tachiuo, Baby Corn and Radish 4.5/5

The next 2 courses were my favourite dishes - Tachiuo (Silver Belt fish) paired with Baby Corn and Radish in a soy sauce glaze and Snow Crab. The baby corn captured my taste buds with its intense corn flavour and sweetness, intensified by an aromatic butter soy glaze. Every bite was a delightful crunch of sweet, savoury, buttery flavours.

Snow Crab 5/5

The Snow Crab was prepared into a morsel topped with shaved karasumi. With a texture that was almost creamy, the meat was incredibly sweet, especially so when contrasted with the umami karasumi.

Nama Soba 4.5/5

I was also served a cold Nama Soba, a unique take on soba noodles to cool off the summer heat. Instead of the typical dipping sauce served on the side, the dip was presented as a mirin and dashi espuma foam, coating each strand of soba.

Shima-Aji Sushi

Kohada

Next came the sushi course, offering five pieces for lunch. I savoured Takabe Sushi, Wild Bluefin Tuna Sushi (from Canada), Shima-Aji Sushi (Wild Striped Jack), Kohada (Gizzard Shad), and Uni. Chef Mitsuhashi's mastery was evident in how he expertly sliced the surface of each fish, allowing it to catch the soy sauce he lightly dabbed on before serving. This technique beautifully brought out the fish's natural sweetness.

Takabe Sushi

The Takabe Sushi was particularly memorable, with an added depth of smoky flavour from the grill.

Wild Bluefin Tuna

Uni

The Wild Bluefin Tuna sushi delighted my palate with its unctuous mouthfeel, while the Uni was featured in a simple yet satisfying handroll.

Atsuyaki Tamago

A savoury Atsuyaki Tamago with yam and shrimp was served as a palate cleanser before dessert.

Coconut Pudding, Warabimochi 4.5/5

Dessert was excellent, accompanied by matcha brewed by Chef Mitsuhashi himself. The Coconut Pudding was pillowy soft, complemented by the slight bitterness of the matcha glaze on top. Even adding that single black bean gave the delicate dessert an extra depth of flavour. Accompanying the pudding was a serving of housemade Japanese Warabimochi, completing this elegant and satisfying meal.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Sushi Sei
Holiday Inn Singapore
11 Cavenagh Road
#01-13/14
Singapore 229616
Tel: +65 81399600
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Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Wed-Thu, Sun: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 930pm
Tue: 6pm - 930pm
Fri: 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B and C. Walk to Orchard Road. Cross the road. Turn right and walk to Cuppage Road. Turn left onto Cuppage Road.Walk down Cuppage Road and cut through Cuppage Terrace to Kramat Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Teppan Kappou Kenji @ Tanjong Pagar Road - Summer Omakase Menu Showcasing In-Season Pike Conger Eel Fish And Ayu

This summer, Teppan Kappou Kenji at Tanjong Pagar introduces new delicacies and omakase selections that showcase ingredients in season, such as Pike Conger Eel fish and Ayu (Japanese sweetfish).

Watermelon Gazpacho 3.5/5

When temperatures start to pick up, and humidity rises, summer is the time for light and refreshing dishes. The first course to wake up our senses that evening was Watermelon Gazpacho, served with Japanese baby corn, Japanese water eggplant and smoked octopus.  Due to the use of ingredients such as plum, umeboshi that are more assertive in flavours, the soup was a lot more punchy than what I had expect from a cold watermelon soup.

Ayu Somen 3.8/5

The month of June is Ayu (Japanese sweetfish) season in Japan, and we had a taste of it in Ayu Somen in bonito dashi. Topped with a sauce made from boiled Japanese okra paste, the viscosity of the sauce made the somen smoother than it already was. But what delighted me the most were the citrus notes exuded from the use of yuzu and sudachi, which mingled well with the savoury bonito dashi broth.

Seasonal Sashimi 4.8/5

Seasonal Sashimi was the third course, and this dish set the anticipation up high of what was about to follow. The Uni with Japanese-spot prawn served in halved sea urchin shell comprising of Smoked Spanish Mackerel, Red Snapper, Toro (Tuna), Suzuki (Sea bass), Shima Aji (striped Jack)

Hassun 4.8/5

The fourth course was the most memorable - Hassun, part of a traditional multi-course (Kaiseki) Japanese dinner, all created from scratch by Chef Kenji. It was mesmerising. There were a total of eight courses, but each and every 'mini' course was distinct from one another and so intricate that they all intrigued and excited my senses. There is no specific sequence on how you should consume it, but I started the journey with the crunchy tempura of seasonal Japanese Sweet Corn and Edamame, followed by the Japanese Eggplant Rikyu-ni in a housemade sesame-based sauce. I like how the soft eggplant got a more luxurious texture from the creamy, nutty sauce. Another of my favourite is "Ishikawa Ko Imo Nopperi Ae" a type of Japanese small mountain yam. It is steamed and then cooked in a mix of katsuobushi, dashi, salt, sugar, shoyu, mirin before cutting into serving size, with the remaining portion being grated into a sticky paste (Nopperi-style) and mix with special white miso. We were advised to end the Hassum with Ao Ume (Japanese green plum) to cleanse our palate. It was no easy task to put this little plum onto our plate - boiled, soaked under running water for a day, before boiling for another hour, finally slow-cooking in a sweet sauce.

Isaki Cheek 3.5/5

Following that, we had a very tender Isaki Cheek (Gram fish), cooked on teppan in a saffron-style sauce made from katsuobushi, onion, capsicum. Served with "amana ga yasai" tempura, this Japanese green pepper served as a crunch element to this dish. Using herbs such as thyme and rosemary, this dish was also noted for its western flavours.

Hamo Shabu Shabu 3/5

Featuring Pike Conger Eel, we had Hamo Shabu Shabu. The soup is made from grilled Hamo (pike conger) bones, dashi, shoyu, mirin, and kombu. Served with Pike Conger Eel, another star item in this course was the homemade bean curd skin tofu. Its sweetness complemented the savoury soup really well.

Seasonal Kamameshi 4.5/5

A warm and hearty dish to conclude the meal is Seasonal Kamameshi. A mixture of different Japanese rice was cooked in a stock of bonito and assorted Japanese vegetable in the claypot, before adding in slices of A5 Ohmi Wagyu tenderloin and sea urchin (additional) into the kettle rice. The rice got much of its flavour from the bonito stock, with sweetness from the carrots, and those right underneath the tenderloin was rich with fats and juice from the Wagyu. I love the mushrooms in there too, which added lots of crunch and texture to the rice.

Musk Melon, Peach and Fig

Intentionally or not, I thought the dessert looked like a crystal ornament, with Musk melon, peach and fig resting on crushed ice, and crowned with housemade wine jelly that glittered under the lights. The attention to details was impeccable. The above Omakase is available at $150++.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Teppan Kappou Kenji
99 Tanjong Pagar Road
#01-01
Singapore 088520
Tel: +65 91523118
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Orchid Hotel. Turn right at Tanjong Pagar Road. Walk down Tanjong Pagar Road towards the row of shophouses. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]