Hamamoto Omakase

Hamamoto is the one. Unpretentious yet finely artisanal Omakase by chef Hamamoto himself. Another one in our Omakase diary. The friend has repeatedly encouraged me to try Hamamoto but cos reservations were hard to get and I was just constantly procrastinating, I never had a chance to try.

You have to ring the bell to enter cos I saw the person in front of me trying to find her way in.

An afternoon/evening at Hamamoto is fun, inspiring and tantalising. This 12-seat sushi-kappo restaurant, as described by chef-owner Kazuhiro Hamamoto, offers one of the country's most refined dining experiences, nestled in one of the city’s most exquisite and intimate dining environments. Jazz plays in the background while the chefs in front of you serve a similarly jazzy symphony of creative, perfectly prepared, and powerfully flavoured Japanese dishes. One starts with a trio of seasonal starters, followed by four seasonal dishes, each more enchanting and umami than the next.

Loved the attention to details including unni (sea urchin) map. A few of the best renditions - of individual dishes I have had in Omakase over the years. The unni (sea urchin) experience was 7.5/10 - every slice of uni from which region, prefecture and which season was impeccable.

The grilled fish was superb at 7.5/10. Another standout for me.

Everything is as fresh as it gets when it comes to Michelin starred Omakase. So the chef needs a flavour/ twist of his/ her own to make it discerning. Even the negitoro was superb- the kim/ nori slightly toasted before being used to wrap the minced tuna and leak.

When it comes to uni- the use of sea urchins (which is my fav) , Chef Hamamoto comes out tops. I would rate this this place 7.5/10 - and perches somewhere above Sushi Sato, almost on par with Oshino.

Definitely top 5 in Singapore. Reservations (ahead in weeks, months) required as the restaurant only sits about 10 to 15 max capacity.

The Shizuoka musk melon is a staple for Omakase sweet endings.

This place has a knack of adding a twist on top of regular Omakase stalwarts. Kudos to Chef Hamamoto. This is a 7.25/10 experience overall.