Food Review: Hidden Finds- Kaiho Sushi
I love Cuppage Plaza despite it's shadiness, seediness and sleaziness. It rates pretty high up there on my dubious index, the one topping the chart being Orchard Plaza with all the nightclubs and Thai disco bars (i was recently dragged there by my wonderful friends). Anyway back to Cuppage Plaza. The reason why i would overlook all that under-table/behind-closed-doors activities in the background is that they have really good Japanese food! Nijumaru, Ohsumi, Nagomi and the list goes on. I have been to Nijimaru a couple of times and they serve decent and reasonably priced bentos (shall review it sometime). My goal is to try every notable Jap restaurant there. Should be too hard since i love the cuisine.
S suggested we try Kaiho Sushi when our previous craving kicked it. This is really a hole-in-the-wall kinda restaurant. The shopfront doesn't look appetizing at all- plain boring green banner with a simple font stating the name of the place. No pictures on the menu :( Absolutely no atmosphere of any sorts. A simple bar counter that seats 9-10 patrons and another 4-5 dining tables. This is not a place that you would come to for a chillaxing meal. BUT. The chunky fresh slices of sashimi and bottles of Ume wine sitting on display are enough to guarantee fresh and hearty Japanese food and Kaiho didn't disappoint in that aspect.
All sushi/sashimi dishes are lovingly prepared by Chef Bernard Tang. It takes a while for food to be served when the place is packed but it's certainly worth the wait. A must try is the Salmon Aburi Sushi ($3 each). This is where i fell in love with the Aburi style. I usually have a problem with the searing. When it's overcooked, it feels like i'm eating a half cooked/half raw piece of meat. I never knew what perfect Aburi is until Chef Tang and his perfect torching technique came along. The fish seamlessly transits from the cooked to raw texture which simply melts in your mouth. The Japanese Mayonnaise and sweet sauce gave it an additional buttery smoothness that simply glides down the throat. The Hotategai Aburi Sushi ($9) was great even without the heat. Couldn't really tell the difference though and I love it raw anyhow.
A silky smooth chawanmushi came along with our sets and this i swear is like beancurd but the savory version. Nicely flavored with stock for that savory flavor. Each spoonful revealed chunks of surprises within- crab meat (the stick sort though :/), Unagi, mushrooms etc. I would say the texture is better than Lao Ban!
My set also came with the sushi/sashimi platter! I thought the cut of salmon was pretty weird. Seems like it's from some leftover piece of fish. Boo. Love the rest of the dish though. The rice was nicely flavored with vinegar and the fish to rice ratio was just right. The rice is better than Meii though it was a little more on the sticky side as well. Hotate was slightly on the sticky side. I noticed this problem with most hotate that i eat in Sg. Perhaps i compare it too much to that freshly shucked live scallops that i had in Sapporo. Nothing compares to that boing boing texture of fresh meat. Sighs.
Desserts were a delight as well! Japanese ice cream that is really from Japan! I had the Chestnut flavored one which was very light and nutty. Could taste a hint of caramel with little bits of Japanese chestnuts. S thought this was a little bland only because he ate his sesame one first. His sesame one was extremely fragrant with coarse bits of sesame as though it's freshly grounded. Really satisfied with the desserts! This is unlike the cheapo sorta ice cream that's typically served at the regular restaurants.
If you would like something more, you could also go for the Lunch/Dinner 8 Course Set for $60++ or the 7 course Omakase for $100++. The Omakase set includes Salmon head soft bone, toro, salmon and scallop sashimi, Nameko soup, Grilled fish dish, Kisu tempura, 5 pcs of Nigiri sushi and ice cream!
Kaiho Sushi is indeed a hidden gem. I wouldn't have gone in if i didn't know about the food. So here it is, don't say i never share! :))
Kaiho Sushi Restaurant
#03-01/02 Cuppage Plaza
Tel: +65 6738 1315
Tue–Sun: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 11pm
(Closed on Mon)
(Closed on Mon)
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