The world’s first Michelin-starred ramen eatery Tsuta needs little introduction, but this is a brand-new concept – Tsuta Japanese Dining.
This concept is the first in Singapore and the world, and great if you are looking for more Japanese food options in the heart of town at Orchard Road.
Debuted at 313@somerset (Level 1 corner unit – won’t miss it), Tsuta Japanese Dining goes beyond ramen and offers an extensive range of new items. (Vietnamese cuisine specialty restaurant Mrs Pho has also opened next door by the way.)
There are modern takes on maki rolls, sushi cones, tempura, rice bowls, hamburg, okonomiyaki, and many more Japanese casual dishes.
Staying true to the Tsuta spirit, the dishes are prepared without any artificial components or MSG, to craft dishes that are authentic yet with a touch of innovation.
Here’s what you can expect from the first Tsuta Japanese Dining concept:
Crab Soba with Premium Char Siu & Crab Shell ($23.80)
Tsuta is famous for its Premium Char Siu Shoyu Soba ($18.8) included with balsamic truffle sauce with delicate yet full bodied taste. But its bold-flavoured Crab Soba has become one of my favourites to have.
Served with a slice of Iberico pork belly and Kurobuta pork loin, this specialty also comes with a crab shell carapace generously filled with flame-torched Japanese snow crab meat – with that distinctive tender sweetness. Pick the crab meat to eat on its own, or soak it in the soup.
The broth retained the crab essence as it is cooked with fresh mud crabs over a few hours.
When I took a sip of the soup, I found it having that complex seafood flavour yet still well-balanced. It reminded me of crab bisque but without that rich-thickness, still delicate with umami.
As the noodle dish is finished off with a topping of tomato paste, leeks, sour cream, and dried oregano, you can further mix all these in for that multi-layer flavour to develop.
Tonkotsu Soba ($9.80 regular, $6.80 light)
For something more classic, this tonkotsu soup base is made from premium black pork broth boiled under high temperature for over 5 hours.
This extracts the collagen-rich essence from the bones and trotters and imparts fragrance and flavour to the dish.
To balance the creamy taste, they added Hokkaido kelp and shiitake mushrooms for some herbal and earthy notes.
If you prefer bowls with stronger flavours, there are also the Kurobishio Tonkotsu Soba ($12.80) with aromatic ‘Mayu’ (black garlic oil); or Mala Tonkotsu Soba ($13.80) with a notch of spicy Sichuan peppercorn kick.
Temaki ($18 for Uni, $8 each for Negitori, Ikura)
Make sure you don’t overlook Tsuta’s temaki aka Sushi Cones. Available in three types of fillings, these easy-to-hold-and-eat hand-rolled sushis are wrapped in seaweed and filled with housemade butter sushi rice.
Take it notch further with luxurious ingredients – choose between ikura ($8), negitoro ($8), and uni ($18).
What’s special is that the sea urchin is flown in from Hokkaido, which is rich, creamy and luxurious-tasting.
I love sushi rolls, so this is good news for me. There are 8 newly-launched Maki Rolls at Tsuta, which include the Rainbow Roll ($18.80), Salted Egg Roll ($16.80), Saikyo Miso California Roll ($13.80), Vegetarian Roll ($9.80), Wagyu Beef Roll ($21.80), Aburi Salmon Mentaiko Roll ($18.80), Avocado Ebi Roll ($16.80), to Mango Ebi Roll ($16.80).
Salted Egg Roll ($16.80)
The Salted Egg Roll came most highly recommended, though I was initially skeptical. Filled with thin slices of salmon sashimi and chunks of fresh avocado, the sushi roll is contrasted with a generous drizzling of the homemade salted egg sauce.
I feel there are general two camps of salted egg sauced food in Singapore – the grainier type vs the creamy milky.
This had to be somewhere in between – the sauce was distinctively rich yet still smooth, with a tinge of saltiness which was balanced out by the rest of the ingredients. You still get to enjoy the natural flavours of the sashimi and avocado as the sauce was not overwhelming.
Enjoy its texture further enhanced with a sprinkle of crunchy tobiko to add briny, juicy pops of flavour.
Wagyu Beef Roll ($21.80)
For a meatier sushi roll, you can opt for the Wagyu Beef Roll made with full-bodied seared red meat.
This maki roll uses prime Wagyu beef sourced from the US, its tenderness evident under the slosh of savoury steak sauce. As you bite into it, the crisp garlic chips and white sesame seeds would add a textural contrast.
Though when you put the entire piece in the mouth, the mixture of flavours reminded me totally of having a Wagyu Beef Donburi. (So perhaps a creamier sauce or an added ingredient in the middle could be incorporated to better differentiate the two.)
Kaisen Don ($19.90 regular, $12.80 light)
Craving for a seafood rice bowl? The ramen eatery has also introduced Kaisen Don ($19.80) and Aburi Salmon Mentaiko Don ($16.80).
The Kaisen Don features a duo of salmon and tuna, served sashimi-style as thin raw cubes. Joining the seafood are fresh cubes of creamy avocado, all together served with Tsuta’s signature sauce atop vinegared rice.
Wagyu Beef Don ($19.80)
This donburi teases with its pan-seared Wagyu beef cooked to the right tenderness.
The succulent beef is slathered with an in-house steak sauce for a full-umami party in the mouth. Served with a topping of onsen egg and crunchy garlic chips.
As the proportion of rice given was quite a lot, I thought perhaps more sauce could be drizzled around (or provide a separate saucer as an option) as a flavour booster.
Seafood Okonomiyaki ($16.80)
Interestingly, Tsuta has a introduced their rendition of Osaka’s famous street food – Seafood Okonomiyaki. After all, not all Japanese joints offer this Japanese-style savoury pancake.
A thick batter is mixed with prawns, cha siu and shredded cabbage and grilled til the edges are crisp (I thought it would be better and less filling if the batter was thinner or less starchy.)
A homemade miso sauce is served on top, coupled with Japanese mayo and a sprinkle of bonito flakes and aonori.
Tsuta Japanese Dining Opening Promotion
From 30 April (Fri) – 6 May 2021 (Thurs), get an air-flown Hokkaido Uni Temaki for only $6 (U.P. $18) with a minimum spend of $20, when you sign up as a member. Limited to first 50 numbers offered each day.
The next 100 customers can get the Ikura or Negitoro Temaki at $2 (U.P. $8), limited to 50 pieces per flavour per day. Maximum of one redemption per customer per $20 spending.
Tsuta Japanese Dining
313 Orchard Rd, #01-16, 313@somerset, Singapore 238895
Operating Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles
1 Harbourfront Walk, B2-29A, VivoCity, Singapore 098585
Operating Hours: 11am – 9pm, Last order 8:30pm (Sun – Thurs),
11am – 10pm, Last order 9:30pm (Fri, Sat, PH, Eve of PH)
78 Airport Blvd, #02-242, Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore 819666
Operating Hours: 11am – 9pm, Last order 8:30pm (Sun – Thurs),
11am – 10pm, Last order 9:30pm (Fri, Sat, PH, Eve of PH)
109 North Bridge Rd, #01-04, Funan Mall, Singapore 179105
Operating Hours: 11am – 9pm, Last order 8:30pm (Sun – Thurs),
11am – 10pm, Last order 9:30pm (Fri, Sat, PH, Eve of PH)
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Tsuta Japanese Dining.