Yakitori Dinner at Sapoto

We are no strangers to yakitori, nor the concept of omakase. The lethal combination of both though, doesn't just elevate the former, but gives the smoke and fire show its rightful stage. Contrasted against a dramatic obsidian backdrop, the phases of white fumes at Sapoto from wispy strands to billowy clouds become a performance. It's all well contained, because the air hints at nothing besides the aroma of sizzling food.

Chef Shyong tucks a decade of yakitori experience under his belt including his time at the renowned Shirokane Tori-Tama. He serves alongside Chef-proprietor Desmond Fong, who helms sister brands Sushi Yujo and SHINRAI.

It's why word choices like 'succulent' can accurately describe common white meat here. The consistency in optimal tenderness will make it hard not to benchmark other versions of poultry you'll ever consume against it. Seared with salt and flame; yet glistening with juice.

If you're squeamish over innards, get over it. As someone who has had boiled sheeps’ tongues (whole, uncut) in Mongolia, take my word when I say roasting is the best way to enjoy unconventional parts. Plus, trying chicken neck, tail and heart does suggest zero-waste gastronomy, if anything.

Japanese cuisine to the local palate feels incomplete without sashimi, which the restaurant satisfies with an exquisite chutoro carpaccio topped with caviar, and a gold-dusted uni truffle brioche. Menus begin at a highly affordable SGD48 for lunch and go up to SGD198 for dinner. Customary for omakases, they evolve according to chef recommendations, and end with fresh fruit that is unmistakably Japanese produce.

Together, the two bring elevated flame-grilled yakitori straight from the binchotan to your seat, with three curated dinner menus: Shinrai (S$98, 15 courses), Sapoto (S$148, 16 courses), and Yujo (S$198, 18 courses). Currently, they only serve dinner. However, come June 1, they will offer lunch service featuring two menu options: Ai (S$48) and Shinrai (S$98).

Diners are seated in a semi-circle around the grill (in the main 14-seater dining area) and the chefs’ prep station, so we recommend requesting a seat right across the binchotan grill for a smoke show, where chef Shyong works the grill all evening.

Don’t worry about leaving with smoky hair, though; Sapoto’s overhead vents do a stellar job of keeping the space odour-free.

It also uses Sakura chicken, prized for being reared in a clean, controlled environment using Japanese lactobacillus farming methods. All three menus feature a chef’s choice of three kinds of chicken — all seasoned with either salt or yakitori sauce (typically made of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and caster sugar).

The final main is a comforting chicken ramen. With a broth that’s simmered for three to four hours with chicken bones, an assortment of vegetables, and salt, it’s a hearty way to finish the evening.

As the speciality here is yakitori, it didn’t take long to land on our first favourite, the tsukune with egg yolk — a minced chicken and pork skewer. Don’t be shy about using the meat skewer to whisk the egg yolk thoroughly; it adds a slick of richness to the piping hot meat

The dances with is energetic at Sapoto; not as well as some other places though (I shall cover next). Make no mistake though, Sapoto delivers a delectable experience start to finish - a well deserved 7/10