Restaurant Review: Mikuni at Fairmont Singapore

Mikuni at Fairmont Hotel currently is in the top 3 spot of my list of awesome Japanese restaurants in Singapore. The classy and uber luxe establishment puts a modern spin on traditional Japanese dishes and offers diners a mix of Japanese cuisine such as robatayaki, sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, as well as gourmet preparation of several degustation menu carefully thought of by the chefs.

The black and white themed restaurant with cool blue lights, along with the Japanese instrumental music gives off a very Zen vibe. I was totally in harmony just sitting there, drinking my ocha and waiting for the food to be served. I've never felt so at home in a restaurant before.

Onto the food, we decided to go for the 8 Course Grand Tasting Tour Menu (S$220) and added on another main dish and sushi. This was more than enough for 2 person. There is a 6 Course "Season 1" Dinner Course for S$138 if you have a smaller appetite. Our server recommends that for individual portions.

Our meal started with the Crispy Ebi Cracker and then the Egg Custard with Sukiyaki Foam. This is a smooth and silky Chawanmushi steamed in eggshell, absolutely deserving of the egg custard name. I'm not a Sukiyaki fan and this is the first time I thought that sweet sauce is actually nice. Such a cute presentation by the way. Easter eggs much!

Dobin Mushi, Conger Eels with Prawns and Black Truffle Mushroom
This soup has a wonderful smoky aroma and taste to it, all thanks to the silver of Black Truffle (oh decadence). Just a tiny slice and I could smell the dish 3m away. The truffle doesn't have much taste when eaten on its own but the soup was infused with the flavor of the truffle. It's either you like it or you don't. Some people think that it's like petroleum. This is a light savory seafood and mushroom soup. Love it.

The Anago Sushi (S$23/pc) was a disappointment. I was kinda expecting the melt in your mouth cottony texture but this was fried instead! :( What a waste! It was pretty bland as well. I miss the one at Sushi Dai at Tsukiji.

Toro, Salmon and Southern Yellowtail sashimi
The Sashimi were fresh but after having it straight at the source, I'm thinking that it's way overpriced in Singapore. How do you justify a 100+sgd Sashimi platter? It doesn't even require cooking or effort on the chef's part. Hmm..

On a side note, Yuzu vinegar was an interesting departure from the usual soy. We were told to dip the hamachi in this sauce instead. I like the subtle tartness in it, which is great for something that is a little fishy. I happily soaked my toro in this one. Obviously i'm not a toro fan. Freshly grated wasabi is my new favorite and this one has a slight spiciness which numbs your tongue momentarily and then the tingling sensation disappears and leave your palate refreshed. Really good with the fish.

Miso Marinated Grilled Cod and Crispy Scales

The apple wood smoked cod fish in miso was delightful. Our server was very cute! She told me to get my camera ready so that i could capture the smoke when she releases the cover. :) 

The firm meat was bouncy and succulent. The miso was sweet rather than outrightly salty. The interesting part is the fried edible scales. Apparently there are only 3 fishes whose scales could be eaten. I'm not sure which fish they are. The deep fried scales were crunchy and goes well with the meat. I tried not to think about the scales when i ate them. I always felt that fish scales are icky. Maybe it's the myth that if a fish scale lands on you and you don't remove it, you'll end up growing scales. I think it's something my mama made up because we were playing with fishes at the wet market? Be careful what you tell your kids/grandkids. They are very impressionable and you don't wanna scar them for life.

S ordered a Sukiyaki Konabe (S$62) which came with large tender slices of marbled red meats from Japan. I love Wagyu. It's my guilt free way of eating fats because i cant remove them! Anyway, the sweet caramelized onion sweet broth was flavored with the creamy fats to give the soup a slight foamy texture. I still think Sukiyaki is too sweet but I'm liking this one a little more.

Sakura Ebi Kakiage and Shishitou with 4 Kinds of Mikuni Salt (Sakura, Lemon, Green Tea and Bonito) 
The kakiage looks pleasing to the eyes but the taste was just mediocre. The tiny sakuru shrimps hardly tasted of anything but oil and batter after being deep fried. The flavored sea salt were more of a gimmick and there is hardly any differentiation in taste.

Sagoshima Wagyu with Sakura Leaf and Seasonal Bamboo Shoots
The grilled Wagyu beef on the other hand was heavenly. The light and minty scent gave off by the Sakura leaf and flower transported me back to spring time under the canopy of Cherry Blossoms. The meat was infused with the light fragrance as well. Great choice of a simple black pepper and salt crust to bring out the aroma of the Sakura. The choice of a sweet light garlic soy could not be more perfect though the presentation of it in a syringe was questionable. I ended up jabbing the poor cow just to see if I can make it absorb the sauce better. Sadistic I know but it was great meal entertainment.

Tai Chazuke with Sesame and Signature Soup
This rice dish was pure indulgent yet comfort food. I've had this rice porridge on my first trip to Tokyo. C brought us to this hidden place which served a really homey rice porridge with a broth served in a teapot. This particular soup base is made from Kunbu, the best quality seaweed/kelp. A small 30cm x 10cm piece costs S$100 apparently. The whole set up is resembles a chemistry experiment. The soup is set to boil in a round bottomed flask which is connected to a container that holds the Bonito flakes.

The boiling broth would soak up the fish flakes briefly for that additional smokiness and then the essence is poured over the rice and raw fish and soaked for a quick 10s before you get a light and tasty fish rice porridge. The Shiso leaves adds a citrusy lemon grass flavor to the dish which is refreshing. Could also taste a hint of sesame oil in the fish. I call this the atas fish porridge.

For desserts, we had the Green tea ice cream with Pistachio soup. While the concept is interesting, the taste was confusing. I'm not sure why the Hot Pistachio soup tastes like the old school lemon biscuit filling. I don't taste any pistachio in it. The green tea ice cream was generally smooth and had an intense flavor but it was just a little icy in the centre.

Complimentary sweets from the Chef- White chocolate with green tea paste and cold solidified red bean paste (it was a jelly like paste made without the use of gelatin). Quite a perfect ending to the meal.

Verdict- Recommended
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5 Attentive and knowledgeable staff. Each dish was carefully explained. Our server was also extremely accommodating and helpful. She even arranged the dishes just so i can get a better picture. Everyone was polite and friendly.
Ambience: 5/5 Though there is Sea view to boast of or spectacular furnishing, I like the calmness and serenity of the place. This is where I would go to restore some balance (the food way instead of the yoga way). Absolutely lovely.

With the Feed at Raffles card, you will get a 50% discount off meals at any restaurants under the hotel group which includes Jaan, Prego etc. It's quite a great deal. Our meal came to S$190 after the discount. :))

Mikuni
80 Bras Basah Road

Level 3 Fairmont Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 6156
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10:30pm