Kei Hachi Omakase

Located along Keong Saik Road, 15-seater Kei Hachi is an omakase-only Japanese restaurant that serves high-quality food with ingredients that are imported directly from various fish markets across Japan. We all know Tsukiji, but there are other regional markets.

They only have three omakase courses to choose from. Each is armed with a fully authentic experience and quality fish and seafood you can only dream about. I went for the SGD138 (the highest) option at lunch. I usually want to sample what’s best on offer.

The Omakase (as I’m sure we all know is ‘what the chef serves’) includes seasonal appetisers, a platter of seasonal sashimi, a cooked dish and as many as seven pieces of Nigiri sushi. Served alongside traditional classic bites such as the Japanese steamed egg, soup and sweet dessert, this hearty amalgamation of varying tastes and textures is guaranteed to leave an impression. I usually pair Omakase with sake - I went for a Dassai45 @ SGD138 which was -3 (dry).

Adding to the experience is Chef Andy’s humour and wit that he regales you with while preparing your next morsel. And oh yes, as is the trend, they’re handed to you literally - forget them plates! I personally liked that there was little fanfare with each dish. The only one being a spray of gold dust on a particular nigiri sushi dish. I feel most non Japanese chefs try to make up the experience with a lot of gimmicks. This was clearly not the case with Kei Hachi.