There’s something je ne sais quoi about this place which makes you feel like you’d want to steal away forever to this oasis of calm. For sustenance or respite, it was however not the intended place for grazing on this lazy Sunday lunch. We only happened, I repeat Happened to decide on this location only bcoz that dam*ed place over at Robertson Walk wasn’t opened for lunch. (HGW Admin. Please kindly update your data. Thanks!)

It may well be lucky for us me. Keke. Coz an initial plan for lunch with a girlfriend last week fell through as she had some last minute commitment, *sob* and so I needed to nurse a broken heart. What could be a better way than to spoil myself today? :)

I thought the set lunch prices here are quite tolerable, bearing in mind the costs stated are Nett prices, plus I found almost no slipups in my Chirashizushi set ($38) today. I mentioned Almost. The complimentary/ compulsory otoshi came in the form of the onsen tamago. The name may sound fancy (Phwah onsen tamogo wo) but it’s really just an overcooked poached egg. The egg has a semi-solidified yolk and runny silky tofu-like egg white, quivering in a mix of dashi and soy. Its flavors accentuated with a smattering of yuzu zest and a small pat of wasabi. I thought I really did enjoy this thoughtful little change from the usual vinegared appetizers.

My Chirashizushi came replete with good things to eat. The bento was bejeweled with sweet amaebi, a slippery piece of anago, kanpachi wedge and a whole portion of juicy hotategai. Peculiar finds are the kisu (smelt) and kohada (marinated shad) which though are remarkable discoveries but certainly not the freshest here. There are also kani kamaboko (read: fake crabsticks !@$#% ~ really atypical!), ika (eew... >.<), cushiony and soft tamago pads, plump ikura pearls, pickled daikon, kappa, gari, seasoned mushrooms, marinated renkon, pink sakura denbu (floss), nori, and a whole lot of kampyo bits atop the flowerbed of sushi rice. Hojiso, akajiso and chrysanthemum petals were also thrown in to perfume the shoyu, for they lend a delicate scent to the dip. My bento was adorned with such a symphony of colors it was almost a crime to eat.

Oh! Did I mention the Oh!-toro? Oh-toro! I worship thee. I’m willing to forgive the $38 price tag just for this…Who cares about the blasphemous pseudo crab and rubbery ika when this piece of fatty (ok not so fatty lar) otoro makes up for everything else that falls short... Though definitely not the finest I’ve eaten, but I thought it was certainly a generous inclusion to this lunch bento. My only grievance about this lunch, and (oh my!) what a Big One it was…was that the sushi rice was wayyyy….tooooo sweet for sushi rice I really couldn’t bring myself to finish it to the very last grain. :(

I chose the prawny suimono clear soup over the miso one. Luckily the soup wasn’t as fishy and prawny as it looked, unlike the Aoki’s version, which reminded me very much of hae-mee soup hehe. The meal ended with the very predictable watermelon slices (what else? =P).

Waitresses there are funky alright coz I’m most certain they are Filipino lasses (heh does this give the guys some incentive to at least check out this place once?) Their very chatty and friendly nature is a natural giveaway.

The Maestro behind my bento today Chef Dennis was also very kind to inform upon my inquiring that fresh supplies are flown in from Japan everyday except Sundays (%#@$!), so chances are if you go on any day of the week you are (quite) guaranteed fish at their optimum freshness.

And so you are right. I finally made it here. But I don’t think this is one place that is quite up there on my radar…at least for now.

Judging by the furore this eatery has sparked off and the amount of fanfare it has garnered, this visit to Sushi Yoshida (10 Devonshire Road) is probably long overdue. Nevertheless, there is no reason to miss good food if its well, really good. Located in an inconspicuous stretch of Devonshire Road, this Japanese restaurant is housed in a little hut that because of how it’s flanked by foliage at the entrance, is not easy to find and easily overlooked.

I don’t know how one should feel if one sees the head chef sitting insouciantly outside his own eatery but when I saw Yoshida himself looking most nonchalantly seated in a chair, seeking some refuge from the scorching sun under the foliage, I didn’t feel too good and secure about the meal that was about to be served. But I didn’t allow this image to form any negative preconceptions about the place since I was there for the food really. In fact, I had completely forgotten about the image of Yoshida sitting outside the restaurant as I walked into the eatery itself. The use of dim lights and dark solid colours gave a very soothing and understated feel to the place. As your eyes get accustomed to the semi-darkness eventually, you hardly are unnerved by the cacophony created by the presence of many diners. If the lunch crowd is any indication of the food quality, we had the opportunity to see the Korean-Chinese CNA news broadcaster (looking superbly glam and pretty!) lunching with two other male colleagues. I don’t know if this matters to you but they had the Chirashizushi (38SGD) and the Kurobuta-katsu (35SGD) sets on their table. (Coincidentally, our table ended up ordering the same main courses as well.)

The menu is impressive. In fact, the extensive menu itself was a reason that prompted one of my fellow diners this afternoon to want to come back for a second time in the future. The menu is divided in a very comprehensible manner- some of the sections I could remember were Sashimi, Sushi, Agemono, Nimono, Yakimono and Chinmi etc. In addition, as far as I could remember, almost everything on the menu had a price, which gives you a sense of security - something which outlets like Shiraishi and Aoki don’t have (they probably know their clientele well enough, hmm). After a little hesitation and discussion, we decided on a few a la carte items such as the kaisenmushi (30SGD), otoro sushi (17SGD) and a not very quintessentially Japanese sounding neck clams cooked in butter sauce (17SGD).

I really loved the otoshi - a half-boiled egg with a more solid yolk drizzled in an aromatic yuzu dressing. The sweetness of the dab of wasabi on top of the yolk, combined with the divinely citrus aroma of the yuzu dressing and the comforting taste of any half-boiled egg proved to be a complete harmony of flavours. The clams while flavourful were probably a little bit overwhelmed by the heaviness of the ‘butter sauce’ and as such I really could not verify the freshness of the shellfish. The kaisenmushi was almost a total letdown. One would have thought the combination of egg custard, salmon roe and sea urchin would have been a complex mix of flavours that would have mutually complemented each other. Unfortunately, the egg custard tasted stale, the salmon roe was rather flat and the sea urchin was neither floral nor creamy (briney and fishy though it was). Wrong flavours working in synergy (the final flavour is more wrong than the sum of all its wrong parts). And when you bear in mind that this add-on is 30SGD, I don’t see why I should be forgiving in the critique of this dish.

When I first saw the pretty ensemble of sashimi on top of the Chirashi bento box, I could not wait to tuck into my main course. The hokkigai, unagi, hirame and chutoro that were served in the Chiraishi bento box were very fresh and there was nothing regarding quality I could fault for the fish. The slices were thick enough, thus yielding enough bite and the portions were more than generous. I particularly liked the hokkigai and chutoro- the mirugai was sweet and firm and the way the chutoro melted in your mouth was almost orgasmic. However, I do have some grouses with regards to the selection of the raw fish. I did a rough count of the number of slices of fish and there were only about five or six kinds of fish (even if you include the ikura). It was thus no wonder I found myself looking at just a lot of rice left in the bento box after a while with no fishes to pair my rice with. It was after all, only one slice of each kind of fish. I’m not fishing for maximum value here (even if I were to take into account how Sushi Yoshida did increase their prices by more than a third) but the overall feeling I got from eating the Chirashizushi just was not right. What compounded the lack of variety of fish served in the Chirashizushi set was the rice, which I felt was overly meddled and tempered with. There was too much of vinegar flavour competing with the rest of the garnishes and the fish. The choice of garnishes (bits of shiitake mushroom and jellyfish) was not the most apt too I felt. I would rather have my Chirashi rice dry with just bits of pickled radish or seaweed and allow the juices of the fish to naturally flavour the rice. In short, while the fish was indisputably fresh, I felt the offerings of the Chirashizushi lacked finesse and harmony in its entirety. Then again, different strokes for different folks I suppose, since my fellow diners for this lunch were fine with the rice (but took issue with the selection of fish too, though).

Service was not exactly warm but that is not to say it was mediocre. To credit where it’s due, the staff were very attentive and helpful (I draw a line between warmth and helpfulness- a thin line it may be). There was no need to request for more spoons when we wanted to share dishes (such as the kaisenmushi) since they already took note of all these little things already. Plates were taken away and replaced quickly and you hardly feel intruded with all this plate cleaning throughout the course of lunch.

While this visit did not live up to all the hype that has built up (especially with all those raving reviews), I still feel that Sushi Yoshida can serve up excellent Japanese fare if you know what to order (a reference to the traditional sushi and sashimi). The fanciful sounding cooked dishes as described in the comprehensive menu are still pretty contentious and would probably need another visit with a focused palate to verify the strengths and weaknesses of this place.

I'm a HUGE japanese food fan, and I am always out to eat the best japanese food albeit it can be a very costly affair. This place, my friend, is the best I've had around town in Singapore.

Yoshida San is such a candid chef he is a joy to have sake with. The first time I went to this place, it was close to midnight and they were so hospitable. The tiny and cosy dimly-lit restaurant played songs by Beach Boys and beatles and many of the likes. Totally totally Yoko Ono style. I enjoyed it so so much and at that time, Yoshida San didn't speak a word of english!

Two and a half years later, he is speaking cool english spanking terms like "DRINK DRINK, EAT, DRINK, DRINK!". He will toast to you with his cup of sake and always willing to ask "do you want ____".

Yes it's expensive, yes it's not every day meals, but if I could, I will.

They have the best ambience and my fiance and I made friends there. Our friend, Aman, had generously bought a 1.7litre bottle of Jun Mai to share with us and readilly ordered sashimi to share too.

Of course, we got a very valuable lesson on sake making and also drinking it from a "Masu". Something which is the first I've seen here in Singapore. Of course, feel free to let me know which other place serves their sake in "masu"s and I'll be glad to try it out!

Ate there last Wednesday to celebrate the boyfriend's birthday. Love the very chilled, romantic and somewhat NY feel of SY. The place is small and busy, teeming with both locals and expats, with sexy 1930’s type Ye Shanghai type music. It has a somewhat incomparable ambience compared to other Jap restaurants. When you call to book you will be asked if you want a seat by the L shaped counter - say yes.

This place serves unfailingly fresh sushi and we were in for a treat when Lawrence, the chef taking care of us that night (ask to sit at the extreme right corner next to the wall). We let Lawrence prepare a sushi moriawase ($80) and it came with sweet prawns (the best I've ever tried - so plump and sweet), scallops, fatty salmon belly, swordfish etc. Excellent - the cuts are generous and the fish supremely fresh.

We also tried their house specialty which is the yaki hamaguri (broiled clams) - basically 2 clams broiled in white wine sauce ($16). Not bad.

The most exciting and enjoyable part of the meal was surely when Lawrence started serving us sushi. The hirame (flounder fish) sushi ($9) was served together with vinegar-soy sauce tinged rice and he hid some garlic and spring onions under the fish. Also had the otoro (the fattest part of the tuna, from the lower belly) ($17) which was lightly flamed and topped with mayonaise and some seasoning.

The pièce de résistance was surely the kobe beef sushi which was so achingly good (at $25 a pop!) that I really had to hold back from ordering another one. Lawrence very lightly seared the marinated beef by flaming it and then topped it with some spring onions. The texture was unbelievable - almost like fish with all the fat it contained - and tasted truly amazing. I think this was one of the more defining moments of my Jap culinary experience. Don't walk out of SY without trying this!

The first time I ate there I tried this amazing orange peel soaked in honey dessert which sadly was not available that night.

Also check out Mr Yoshida who is a sight going around in his high wooden clogs pouring sake and drinking the whiskey which customers pile on him. He is a real hoot to talk to. When told that his photo was going to be posted on HGW, his parting shot was “Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh…I know cheekopek go where…come here or go Geylang!”

But dang this place ain't cheap - some might say a complete rip-off. Both times I've dined there the bill - for 2 - came up to $450-$500. Case in point - to start us off we each had one small hiyashi tomato which I was to later find out cost $8 each! Granted you would also have better control of your budget if you did not give the chef free rein to serve whatever he wished (which is how I really enjoy SY though).

Unless you have deep pockets reserve this place for special occasions - but do go there fully aware of what you will expect to pay at the end of the meal. Great place to bring a date - who better be well worth the bill!

visited this place with mixed feelings considering the mixed reviews at this site.
Ambience:
It was a sunday night so it wasn't too busy. Not too noisy. Soft down lights. Definately a modernist take on japanese interior design.
Service:
Sat at the counter and had an interesting conversation with the sushi chef lawrence. Was quite enlightening. It turns out that unlike most other places in singapore, they get their fresh fish everyday from monday to sat. Most others get theirs on 2 or 3 days a week. From what I understand it's usually pretty crowded on week days so the staff have less time to speak to the customers.
Food:
Thought the sushi was well prepared. Ingredients definately very fresh. The rice in sushi is all important and he did a good job with it. Seasoned about right and just the right warmth and stickiness. I still think Rakuichi has better sushi (when it's prepared by Jackie)
The torched sushi was especially good. We had the otoro torched and seasoned with a touch of salt and tabasco. Was melt in your mouth consistency and tasted heavenly.
Also ordered the grilled Kampachi cheek. It was done really well. Lightly salted, crisp skin on the outside and moist meat underneath. Really tasty.
Now I can't wait to try a whole grilled fish.
Rounded it off with some icecream. Green tea and Black Sesame. It was ok nothing really to shout about but cost 20 bucks which was a bit steep.