Ki Su Shoujin Omakase is the first-ever plant-based Japanese omakase in Singapore. It is an exciting new culinary venture led by the original team behind Joie by Dozo. The focus is inspired by shojin ryori cuisine, which is traditional Buddhist cooking.
The restaurant sits along Tras Street and is decked in wood elements to create a zen Japanese atmosphere. Diners can opt to sit at the counter or book a private room for a cosy get-together.
Dinner Omakase 4/5
Lunch presents an 8-course omakase menu priced at $88 per person, while dinner elevates the experience with a 10-course offering at $168 per person. The staff revealed that extensive research went into curating a diverse array of ingredients and combinations, which excited us to explore the potential of a complete plant-based omakase. During this visit, we tried the 10-course dinner.
Beetroot Cigar
Our starters began with the delicate Beetroot Cigar, a paper-thin beetroot casing carrying diced apples and mayonnaise.
Avocado Taco, Egg Yolk Toast with Air Flown Tonburi Caviar
Following that, we had the Avocado Taco and Egg Yolk Toast with Air-Flown Tonburi Caviar. Personally, I found the latter more appealing, with its velvety sous vide egg yolk atop crunchy buttered toast. The addition of caviar provided an extra burst of savoury flavour.
Shiro Shimeji
The next part of the omakase was the 4-piece Nigiri Sushi, which seemed to focus a lot on providing a variety of textures. Our first sushi was Shiro Shimeji, white mushrooms.
Red Capsicum
The Red Capsicum was lightly torched for a lovely char. All sushi rice used was pre-seasoned with soy.
Eggplant
The third piece featured Eggplant. This was also my favourite among the nigiri sushi.
Uni with Ikura
We were all intrigued by how this plant-based Uni with Ikura sushi looked. I will keep it a surprise as to what they are both made out of, but the "uni" carries hints of sweetness with a smooth texture.
Truffle Pâté
The following dish drew inspiration from foie gras. The Truffle Pâté featured a base of crispy buttered toast adorned with mustard seeds and truffle sauce. I was pleasantly surprised by the lusciously creamy texture of the cashew nut pâté, which complemented the earthy truffle notes.
King Oyster
My favourite dish was the King Oyster course, featuring juicy king oyster mushroom with fried shiso leaf and a sweet pea purée. I loved the burst of juiciness and texture of the mushroom.
Yakimono
For the Yakimono dish, we had a skewer of beancurd skin wrapped with enoki mushroom and a cherry tomato. This leaned slightly more sweet.
Kabutoni
Next was the Kabutoni, our simmered course. This traditional stew dish had daikon, eggplant, tofu skin, morel mushroom and bamboo fungus cooked in a soy sauce and sake combination.
Golden Temaki
We were then each handed a Golden Temaki, a crunchy seaweed hand roll with maitake mushrooms and egg yolk.
Entrée
The Entrée showcased a meaty Monkey Head Mushroom, meticulously prepared to preserve its juiciness. The black pepper sauce was notably mild, but the truffle mash, although slightly salty, was buttery and flavourful.
Soup
Before concluding our omakase dinner with dessert, we were served a Leek-based Soup with a subtle hint of yuzu.
First Dessert
For our First Dessert, we were presented with slices of Honeydew and a bowl of Matcha Cake. The latter had layered sweet caramel, nutty pistachio mousse, matcha cookie crumbs and watercress leaves, and a crunchy leaf-shaped corn biscuit. I found this too sweet but appreciated the thought behind it.
Second Dessert
We each had a bowl of colourful edible flower petals, mint leaves, and fragrant herbs sitting in front of us before the chefs came around to pour liquid nitrogen into them to freeze-dry them. After crushing them, we had a scoop of Hokkaido ice cream mixed in. This Second Dessert is only available for dinner.
While the omakase price is considerably steep, the team put a tremendous amount of creativity and detail into each dish. The restaurant currently only offers omakase, but we are also looking forward to perhaps having an a la carte menu in the future.
Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.
Ki Su Shoujin Omakase
60 Tras Street
#01-01
Singapore 078999
Tel: +65 8522 6824
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Sun)
Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Tras Street. Turn right on Tras Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
