Chirashi Don is like the IN Japanese food, and Ginzawa’s luxuriously fresh and elaborately plated version would be a shoo-in for one of the best Chirashi Don in Singapore.
Ginzawa Japanese Restaurant, which means ‘silver river’, has opened at Palais Renaissance. The 70-seater offers a spectrum of Japanese favourites from seasonal omakase sets, kaiseki-inspired dishes, and lunch set dons prepared by Chef Donny Tan who has more than 30 years of culinary experience.
Fans of Sushi Kuu would be familiar with this space. The difference is a more extensive menu, modern interpretations of many dishes, sleek dark furniture interior, and (good news) lower prices from its predecessor.
To be honest I am not familiar with the offering at Sushi Kuu. So I am appreciating Ginzawa on a clean slate, and am glad to say I liked most of the dishes we tried.
Here are some of my personal favourites:
Kurobuta Zaku Don ($35, only available in lunch set)
Despite the Kurobuta Zaku Don being the last dish served during our meal, I actually liked it best, simply because it tasted like excellent Japanese home-cooked food.
This bowl had slices of tender kurobuta pork belly braised for eight hours, drizzled with a bonito-based sauce that has been simmered for 10 hours, served atop Japanese rice which had absorbed a good part of the sauce.
With no offence intended to Chef Donny, I could imagine entering a little house in Japan, and the obasan would cook and serve a bowl of don that would taste like this.
Tokusen Hokkai Chirashi Don ($50, only available in lunch set).
Good news, bad news.
Good news: 11 types of premium seafood on sushi rice mixed with a touch of ginger. Bad news, this is ONLY available during lunch.
The Chirashi Don is one of the signature dishes of Ginzawa, offering generously fresh portions of Hotate, Kinmedai, Tai, Otoro, Botan Ebi, Shima Aji, Akami, Buri, Ikura and Uni on rice. Oh, the rich creamy uni. Note: Seafood changes according to availability of fish.
When the waitress walked over to our table with hands holding that bowl, I was startled at its size. Such a wide dish.
Wagyu Saikoro ($48)
This dish might have looked simple and modest, with grilled cubes of beef with crispy garlic flakes and stir-fried bean sprouts. But the beef was really tender, fatty, and addictive as you allowed each cube to linger and ‘melt’ in your mouth. Did I mention the meat is Japanese Grade A5 Wagyu Beef?
Tai Moto Yaki ($22)
Yeah, the snapper was all nicely grilled and all that, but it was this circular round thing with white edge and bright yellow centre that first caught our attention, then caught our surprise.
“An egg, is it?” From apart, there was some resemblance. We picked that into our mouth. Oh, oh, oh… then we realised, hundreds of shishamo roe, stuffed into a squid ring. Almost earth-shattering good, that’s if you are a fan of roe.
Tempura Moriawase ($25)
Tempura including Anago Ippon Age, Amaebi Hotate Kakiage and Uni Tempura – crispy pillows of seaweed stuffed with creamy uni then flash-fried.
Sakura Ebi Mizuna Salad ($22)
A light salad featuring crunchy cherry blossom shrimps and mixed greens with a dressing of mirin, dashi and soy sauce.
Sake Kinuta Maki ($12)
Salmon wrapped in delicate slivers of pickled daikon and topped with seaweed and chrysanthemum petals.
Wagyu Tataki ($30)
Slices of lightly seared wagyu beef served with a tart ponzu sauce.
Kurobuta Tsuke Soba ($20)
Cold buckwheat noodle and thinly-sliced black pork with yuzu-perfumed hot dipping sauce.
Omakase meals are also available from $180 onwards, centred on the freshest seafood and produce from Japan, and Chef Donny promised that customers would be treated to varied dishes during each visit.
Ginzawa
390 Orchard Road, Palais Renaissance, #01-06/07 Singapore 237781
Tel: +65 67360100
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10:30pm (Mon-Sun)
Reserve Online Now
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Ginzawa.
The post Ginzawa – Japanese Restaurant at Palais Renaissance Impresses With Chirashi Don and Kaiseki-Inspired Dishes appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.