I have to admit, Japanese food is my perennial weakness. So, getting invited to try Sushi Tei’s 25th Silver Jubilee menu got me extremely excited. For the celebration, Sushi Tei brought back 25 of its old favourite dishes once more. It does beg the question — why did these tasty dishes get rotated off the menu in the first place?

Putting that aside, I was happy to kickstart this Japanese feast with non-other than a generous sashimi platter. The Sashimi Moriawase “Churippu” ($29.80) comprises of semi-fatty tuna belly, salmon, bluefin tuna and sweet shrimp. The prawns were succulent with a sweet burst of flavour but the semi-fatty tuna belly is the obvious star of the platter. It normally comes with 3 slices each but for tasting, they prepared 4 slices to share among us.

For those of you who always order chawanmushi whenever dine at a Japanese restaurant, you’ll be pleased to know that this Truffle Chawanmushi ($7.50) is a step up. You can taste full bodied truffle flavour within the first few scoops. While it got subsequently lighter, the hint of truffle was always there. There’s shiitake mushrooms and sizeable strips of crab stick as well.

These well-seasoned Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Steak ($31.80) slices may be a teeny bit too salty for some palates, but it was perfect for my tastebuds. Kudos to the strict cooking standards at Sushi Tei — the beef was cooked medium rare on the dot. The dipping sauce on the side is a plus, but I personally felt it was great on its own without the dipping sauce. And no wonder, as the beef comes from highly prized Japanese Black cattle.

Mouthwatering. That’s how I would describe these Aburi Iberico Pork Cheek ($10.80) slices. Each layer of meat and fat were a perfect contrast of texture and flavours, with the pork fats and charred bits melting in my mouth. The smoky yakitori sauce with tongarashi kinda tastes like honey glazed meat.

I didn’t know this, but the Sushi Tei Singapore chefs actually have a competition, where the winning dish is sold in a seasonal menu islandwide. This Spicy Mentai Spider Roll ($14.80) was a Sushi Tei Chef Challenge Creations winner from Chinatown. The furikake sprinkles lend a nice texture to the roll, and there’s a hint of spiciness from the chilli flakes hidden inside the roll. Big props to the generous serving of soft shell crab, where at most places is just empty batter.

This Tiong Bahru Plaza winning dish is the Chasyu Don ($10.80). If you love onions, this dish is filled with lots of it; so much that it’s permeated into the rice. It’s a little too much onions for me. The pan-fried sliced roast pork is very tender. It wasn’t too bland or chewy.

Another Chef Challenge Creations winner, the Crispy Salmon Mentaiyaki ($9.80) from the Northpoint outlet is glorious, the dish truly does not skimp on mentaiko. However, I recommend sharing this dish with another as it can get cloying after the second piece. The crispy gyoza skin is light and goes perfectly with the star of the dish.

This Uni Pasta With Ikura ($23.80) has plenty of uni (sea urchin) inside, but it just the right amount without being too overwhelming. It’s a simple dish, but I wish there was much more than just shimeji mushrooms and ikura. The prized uni is actually imported from Hokkaido, Japan twice a week.

“Waffle” wafer Japanese desserts are getting more readily available in Singapore, but this Chocolate Monaka Ice Cream ($4.20) truly stands out. The twist is the crispy chocolate piece in the middle of the ice cream, it truly makes each bite pop. A truly indulgent dessert.

In conjunction with its 25th Silver Jubilee, Sushi Tei is also hosting a quarterly lucky draw throughout the year. Every quarter, Sushi Tei will send 2 lucky winners to different Japanese prefectures like Tokyo, Osaka, Kagoshima or Miyazaki. Just spend $25 in a single receipt to enter the draw.

Click here for a list of Sushi Tei outlets in Singapore.

Opening Hours:

11:30am - 10pm

#Japanese #Sushi #Wagyubeef #Pork #Salmon