Omakase at fine Japanese restaurant because nothing beats fresh seafood in terms of cheering us up. Sushi Mitsuya comes highly recommended for the new old school type of edomae (traditional Tokyo style) headed by Chef Ryosuke Harada.
If you wonder how it differs from the regular Japanese restaurant, Sushi Mitsuya prides itself in the traditional storage and preparation of fresh seafood, adapting techniques from the Edo era when refrigeration was not used. Natural ingredients with sterilizing and preservative qualities are used to keep the food fresh. We were initiated into this technique right after we sat down at the 18 seater Hinoki counter- Harada san skillfully made cuts on our chutoro and proceeded to soak it in soy sauce for the course to come.
Only omakase is available for dinner ($130/200/300) and there is also a bar omakase menu ($100) available with purchase of a 750ml sake. We went with the Umi set ($130) and added 2 a la carte urchin dish to our meal. Of course we didn't grasp the full extent of our impending meal.
Dinner started with appetizers. The marinated octopus had the quality of a kakuni (braised pork belly). The typical chewy texture had been broken down and the meat was sweet and tender.
Next, the Buri Yellow Tail belly. Harada-san told us that Japanese chefs are particular about how they name the Yellow Tail and they do not call them Hamachi. Hamachi actually refers to the name of the farm which grows the small yellow tail (farmed fishes are a no no at fine Japanese restaurants). This fish is named by their size and there are 4 types with Buri being the biggest of the lot. That marbling was gorgeous and I actually preferred this to the super oily Otoro (tuna is overrated).
Hot small plates interspersed our sashimi and sushi course to excite our palates with differing textures and temperature. In season are the chestnut and baby taro; the former served in a light tempura style with a brandy syrup (it was marinated in it), and the latter steamed.
The following fish courses:
Sawara- King Mackerel that has been marinated to a briny robustness and then lightly seared.
Ika with shiso leaves- lemony, refreshing, with a light gluey texture from the sweet squid.
Ika no Shiokara- Squid tentacles marinated in salted and fermented squid gut (or liver). The saltiness is perfect for beer or sake.
Then came the Shirako, or milt, aka sperm sacs of the male fish (typically cod). The raw shirako was creamy and velvety all around, and the soy bean cream added to the custard texture.
Bonito served with ginger and chili padi in soy. This tasted more South East Asian than Japanese actually but it captures the edomae spirit.
Next, Madara cod, which is less fatty as compared to the Gindara. Madara is a tad more bland and typically used for hot pot whereas Gindara is grilled and served with mentaiko or teriyaki.
Next, the sushi course which was a succession of the salty tangy sushi rice with succulent seafood. I'm so coming back for more sushi.
Kinmedai, golden eye snapper. Chef Harada's favorite apparently.
Scallop with black salt and yuzu peel was spectacular. It's a party in there with the sweet succulent flesh, zesty citrus and the special black salt to season.
The Chutoro which Harada-san prepped at the start of our meal was taken out of its soy marinate. It was super umami as the soy had taken some moisture from the fish to bring out its natural flavor.
Anago is always a favorite and this was soft and fluffy but had a couple of bigger spikes, which I removed.
Unfortunately we missed the White Uni season by a bit and had to settle for red uni, which is still delicious. When I saw the plate lined with those gorgeous tongues, my exclamation of beauty amused Harada-san, as I am the his first customer to say that uni is beautiful. Well it tasted as good as it looked! Creamy, briny, and sweet. Such deliciousness. We had this in the sushi version.
For a different uni texture, go for the super umami Grilled Uni Rice ($40). Uni was mixed into the rice, formed into a patty, and then topped with more tongues and grilled. It gave the uni a firmer texture, which was a good contrast to the creamy sushi course.
After that, the otherwise stellar Mini Ikura Uni don ($35) paled slightly in comparison. It's still really awesome of course but I'd pick the grilled uni rice anytime.
The mini makimono was the standard Negitoro, which I thought could do with more vinegar and spring onion.
The savoury tamago which had the texture of a sponge cake. Almost a pre dessert.
Harada san busied himself with making some leaf art while we sipped on the comforting grated turnip in soup. Turns out that he was making a crane and gecko cutout for the sushi birthday cake! It even came with a seaweed-wasabi candle! Thank you Sushi Mitsuya for the successful surprise!
We rounded the meal with a trio of sweets- Kinako ice cream, dried fruit mochi and a sweet Japanese pear. Yummy. We left thoroughly stuffed and immensely satisfied. Pretty sure we'd be back.
60 Tras Street, #01-01, Singapore 078999
Mon– Sat: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
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