What is it like to dine at Waku Ghin’s new Sushi Room

In Japanese omakase dining, the counter seat is the coveted place to be for front-row views of consummate culinary skills in action. Only five diners get that privilege at the new Sushi Room, nestled within the two Michelin-starred Waku Ghin at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Opened in June 2023, the private dining room exuding tranquil Kyoto ryokan vibe serves an exclusive sushi-centric menu helmed by head chef Zennami Shinpei, who had trained under Waku Ghin’s chef-owner Tetsuya Wakuda. The dining room is only open for dinner from Wednesday to Friday for a minimum booking of two to a maximum of five diners.

Our preview menu was a medley of deftly made nigiri by chef Shinpei and savoury cooked dishes rolled out of the kitchen in individual portions, starting with a homely, appetite-whetting maitake mushroom soup.

The sushi were excellent bites with subtle surprises that lifted them above the ordinary. Besides the usual chutoro and otoro nigiri, there were highlights such as the madai (sea bream) nigiri topped with preserved lemon that had been aged for a month in a mixture of white peppercorn, sugar, salt and vinegar. On the bonito sushi was a small dollop of ginger flower and a dab of soy caramel while the shiro ebi sushi was wrapped in seaweed to bring out the umami flavours of the prized prawn well known as the “jewel of Toyama Bay”.

Chef Wakuda enjoys having sushi with variety of cooked dishes in between. “In this way, you don’t get bored and your palate is always fresh,” he explained in an interview when he was in Singapore in September to visit his restaurants, which includes Wakuda located in the lobby of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 2.

Indeed it was a well-paced two-and-a-half hours weaving between sushi and simple dishes such as a plump Alaskan king crab leg brushed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest to accentuate its clean profile, and grilled manganji green peppers seasoned with kelp and sprinkled with bonito flakes.

There were savoury stunners like the Kyoto egg plant, which was marinated with miso and cold-pressed sesame oil before being pan fried and baked in the oven for 20 minutes. The dish’s fragrant aroma hits as it lands on the table, enticing a non-stop dig-in until the end. The grilled abalone with risoni cooked in a tomato-based consommé and a sprinkling of rocket leaves was a party of textures and comforting flavours in the mouth — it was all slurped up to the last drop of delicious soup.

The champ though was the generous rice bowl, laden with A5 Ohmi wagyu tartare, aka uni (red sea urchin from Kyushu that is available only from July to October), botan shrimp, ikura and scallop then topped with Oscietra caviar. We took a “break” with an otoro sushi with Japanese leek, garlic and sesame oil before digging into the Ohmi wagyu sukiyaki mixed with egg sauce and the famous black winter truffles from Manjimup. A hearty shijimi (freshwater clams) miso soup featuring three types of miso, Japanese leek and dried wakame seaweed then appeared to signal the end of the meal and the arrival of desserts.

Just as I thought no more could be digested, a palate-cleansing Japanese pear granita with Tasmanian pepperberry and gin jelly gave a refreshing second wind. Fortunately, all that was left to tackle was a delectably light Mont Blanc with chestnut compote and ice cream and a trio of petit fours in the form of a sesame choux, orange and sansho pepper nama chocolate, and yuzu tart.

Priced at S$400 per person for 16 to 17 courses, dinner can be considered a good value experience at Waku Ghin, especially in terms of the privacy and the uniqueness of the dishes, some of which are not found in the restaurant’s other menus. By comparison, the two 10-course degustation menus at the 10-seater Chef’s Table cost S$550 and S$700 respectively, while The Bar at Waku Ghin’s set menu is S$250 for five courses.

Accompanying the menu is an extensive list of exquisite champagnes, Japanese whiskies, and sakes. Excellent pairings include the elegantly fruity unpasteurised sake, Masuizumi Platinum Nama for Tetsuya’s, which is a Waku Ghin exclusive, and the Isojiman M for Waku Ghin Junmai Daiginjo from Wakuda’s hometown of Shizuoka, for those who like a dry alternative with a clean finish.

Wakuda shared that the Sushi Room dishes can vary according to the availability of ingredients and depending on what different diners prefer to have, the number of courses can be adjusted. The counter dining format also allows chef Shinpei to observe guest reactions and adjust things like the amount of rice or wasabi in a sushi immediately.

Wakuda added: “People are also now more open to a modern form of Japanese cuisine where other elements such as Mediterranean and French cooking are expected in the omakase experience besides the usual soy sauce and miso. It should feel like a treat dining here, so we want to give classic dishes a surprise modern twist.”