If you’re craving an unforgettable Japanese culinary experience in Singapore, look no further than Chikuyotei at the Intercontinental Hotel. This award-winning restaurant offers an exquisite omakase lunch that will dazzle your senses and transport you to the world of fine dining in Kyoto. In this post we talk about Omakase Lunch @ Chikuyotei, Intercontinental Hotel.
What is Omakase?
The word “omakase” literally means “I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese. In the context of dining, it refers to a multi-course meal where the chef selects and prepares each dish using the finest seasonal ingredients available that day.
Rather than ordering from a menu, you place your trust in the chef’s artistry, skill and creativity to curate an exceptional dining journey specifically for you. It’s an intimate dance between diner and chef, with each bite revealing new flavors, textures and artistic plating.
The Chikuyotei Experience
As soon as you enter Chikuyotei’s elegant dining room inspired by traditional Kyoto design aesthetics, you’re enveloped in a serene, refined ambiance that sets the stage for the culinary performance to come.
The beautifully-appointed space features warm wood tones, shoji screens, a raked zen garden and even a traditional tea house area. You almost feel as if you’ve been transported to an upscale ryokan inn in the ancient Japanese capital.
The culinary artists at Chikuyotei are led by Master Chef Yamashita Masami, who hails from Osaka and has over 40 years of experience mastering different Japanese cuisines like sushi, tempura, kaiseki and teppanyaki. Under his vision and meticulous guidance, the chefs create inspired omakase menus using premium air-flown ingredients from Japan.
A Seasonal Tasting Menu
The omakase experience at Chikuyotei begins with an appetizer course featuring four beautifully-plated delicacies that awaken the palate. On my recent visit, it included perfectly-seared kue (nugget longline fish), tender chilled octopus, briny clam and sweet amaebi shrimp from Hokkaido.
Next up is a seasonal steaming course called mushimono. I was treated to delicate dishes like a light chawanmushi egg custard and fork-tender bamboo shoot and prawn dumplings that had been intricately wrapped in sheer bamboo leaves.
Then comes the sushi and sashimi courses, where Chikuyotei truly shines. The sashimi plate is an artful composition of sliced amaebi, otoro tuna belly, flounder, yellowtail, sweet shrimp, and other rotating seasonal catches that are so fresh they practically melt in your mouth.
The sushi is individually hand-crafted by two sushi masters during your meal. It’s a fascinating performance to watch as they deftly mold perfect ovals of warm vinegared rice and precisely drape each buttery-soft slice of fish, be it amaebi, chu-toro, uni, anago or tamago onto the shari. Their deft handiwork and decades of rigorous training are evident in every impeccable bite.
Between sushi bites, you’ll savor interspersed seasonally-inspired dishes that showcase classic Japanese cooking techniques like tempura, yakimono grilled dishes, agemono fried dishes, steamed sakamushi courses and more.
I was lucky enough to experience delights like perfectly crisp vegetable and seafood tempuras, fork-tender A4 wagyu beef rolled with crisp shiso leaf, and foie gras-stuffed quail in a rich demiglaze. Each bite was a revelation of flavors, textures and artistic presentations.
After the savory finale, you’ll be treated to a refreshing seasonal dessert course like cherry ice cream and mochi rice cakes or yuzu sorbet that cleanses the palate before a final cup of matcha green tea.
Throughout the three-hour feast, knowledgeable servers will explain the intricacies of each dish while effortlessly attending to your needs with warmth and grace.
An Omakase Feast for the Senses
Beyond the technical mastery on display, what makes the omakase at Chikuyotei so magical is how it engages all five senses:
Sight – You’ll be awed by the visually stunning presentations of each dish that highlight seasonal ingredients through delicate terrines, meticulous vegetable carvings, and ornate garnishes like shiso flowers and yuzu peel.
Smell – Aromatic notes of sizzling yakitori chicken, smoky binchotan charcoal, fresh wasabi, and rich dashi broth will whet your appetite before each bite.
Sound – From the sizzle of tempura hitting the hot oil to the gentle pit-pat of sushi being shaped, you’ll be serenaded by the soundtrack of your meal being prepared.
Taste – This is where the chefs’ skills truly shine, masterfully balancing flavors from sweet and sour to savory, bitter and umami across a kaleidoscope of seafood, meat, vegetables and more.
Touch – Contrasting textures from velvety fresh tofu skin to crispy tempura batter and tender braised beef will excite your tactile senses.
While certainly a splurge, the omakase lunch at Chikuyotei offers incredible value for a truly memorable fine dining experience. With seasonally changing ingredients and endless creative possibilities, you can return time and again to explore new culinary shores.
Insider Tips
To fully savor your Chikuyotei experience, a few pro tips:
• Make reservations well in advance as it’s extremely popular
• Request counter seating to watch the sushi masters at work
• Come very hungry – you’ll want to fully indulge in every bite!
• Order premium sakes or Japanese whisky to complement your meal
• Take your time and let the chefs set the leisurely omakase pace
Whether celebrating a special occasion or just craving a unforgettable culinary indulgence, treat yourself to the transcendent omakase lunch at Chikuyotei. Let the talented chefs guide you on an edible tour of Japan’s diverse regional cuisines and savor the art of Japanese dining at its finest. I hope this Omakase Lunch @ Chikuyotei, Intercontinental Hotel post helps you.