There’s an almost reverential hush when you step into the gardenesque zen of this Japanese omakase restaurant. The bustle of Duxton Hill falls away as the meditative trickle of the kakehi (bamboo fountain) in the inner courtyard garden takes over. Designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the elegant 12-seater’s understated centrepiece is its floating counter, cut from a single piece of rare 150-year-old hinoki wood.
Chef Suzuki Yuichiro’s deft hands craft exquisite sushi with premium seafood flown fresh from Japan four times a week. Bafun uni from Hokkaido, tuna from Kyushu and a lesser-known sea robin from Nagasaki are shaped into beautiful morsels before your eyes. Some of it, like the kamasu (Japanese barracuda), sizzle under the touch of a searing hot bincho, which bestows it a lovely texture and a lingering smoke. Even the palate cleanser – a Kyoto-style handroll of cucumber, wasabi leaf and Japanese yam – surprises and delights. For a pleasurable few hours, you’re transported.
