I have heard quite a bit about Omakase, but not really got around to trying this. So I was pretty excited to head down to Rizu Restaurant to try out the 11 course Special Omaskase out for myself. And boy, I am glad I made my way there.
Nestled in a quiet corner at Duxton Hill, Rizu Restaurant is quite a cosy place that offers outdoor al-fresco dining. We came early, so the place was a little more empty. But we noticed quite a bit of people, mostly Japanese, streaming in. And the hubby went "this place must be good".
And it is good, in fact it is so good I know I will be coming back for more. Just to share a bit more, Omakase is a dining concept that lets the chef to decide on the dishes. There is quite a lot of trust placed on the chef to get your taste right.
And the truth is Omakase is a very fun eating experience. Not that you totally have no idea what you are consuming, cos Rizu Restaurant actually provides you with a generic menu. Chef Shimohigashi would also check if you have any food allergies, so you are pretty much in safe hand.
The thing is, each dish is made with so much precision and detail, you end up spending a good time photographing every dish. Our starter was the Cauliflower Puree with Caviar with uni and konjac jelly. It was so good, I swore I even scrapped the plate.
Second up, we had our salad which was the 5 kinds Tomato Salad. The tomatoes themselves were pretty international hailing from France and Japan. Hidden right in the center was the lobster, but the star of the show was the scallop at the sides. Sweet, fresh and succulent, it was definitely one of the best I have tasted and set a new high for good scallops!
My hubby is generally not a fan of vegetables and greens. But I noticed he walloped down the fruits (psss...tomatoes are fruits by the way) while singing praises of the scallop. He even tried to steal one of mine. :'( so much for true love.
The Live Lobster and 4 Sashimi was definitely something to behold. Obviously the live lobster can't possibly be munched on, but I had so much fun just taking photos with it! The sashimi was one of the freshest I have tasted. In fact, I didn't even dipped much of it in the soy sauce.
The 4 sushi served were the (i) lobster flesh which was crunchy and tasteless but served as a good snack (ii) salmon (which was good but not the best I have tasted) (iii) mackarel (tasted like pomelo without the sweetness, love the texture by the way) and (iv) bigeye (with a chewier texture)
The soup of the day was the Lobster Bisque! Being a huge fan of Lobster Bisque in general, I think I have a pretty discerning tongue. However, I usually have them at a western restaurant and noted that they were much creamier than the Omakase's version. Although it was a lighter version, it was still very delicious and I appreciated the generous chunk of lobster flesh to chew upon. Yum.
If you note that this blog has more information on the ingredient than usual, what a keen eye you have. As we were being served the dish, we were also introduced on the ingredients. I have learnt so much and have also won boasting rights of having the better sensing tastebud than my hubby!
The next dish is a hot appetizer - Foie Gras Saute with Plum Sauce. At the side, we also got the peanut bread and a plum that gave opposite texturex to the dish. Personally, I am not a huge fan of this dish because I have a very high standard for Foie Gras. I felt that it was not smooth enough and I could still feel the grainy texture. My hubby however felt nothing of that sort and was full of praise for it.
But I love the plum and its sweetness. And I usually don't eat plums. Guess I am a convert now!
By now, we have reached midway and was served the sherbet drenched with yuzu sauce. If you are wondering why is this western looking dessert being served at this point, this dish actually helps to cleanse your palette and prepares you for the next 10 dishes which are richer and heavier in taste.
At this point, I sort of realised I have been at Rizu Restaurant for a really long time even though I didn't realize it. Good food, great company, this is first meal we had as a married couple talking so much about food. I could even see my hubby's mood uplifted from this meal.
Initially, I thought I could only choose a main and was sad when this was being served automatically. Honestly, the husband and I ain't huge fans of fish. He barely consumes any, and the only fishes I like (if cooked) are the salmon and snowfish.
But we were quite pleasantly surprised that we actually love the Grilled Bigeye Fish. I like that the meat was tender and well marinated. It also went very well with the sweet yuzu sauce. The texture is somewhat like the salmon, maybe that's why I love it. And guess what, even the hubby polished off the whole dish. Wow wow wow!
And you know what, I fell in love with another. The wagyu beef stole my heart. I have always heard how people raved about how perfect wagyu beef and the wagyu I have tasted so far have always been rather sub-par. But this, this is the best I have ever tasted. I was honestly mindblown.
There are a perfect amount of fats. And when the juice/oil ooze out when I was chomping on it. I think I went to heaven. Every bite was delightful. I even closed my eyes so that I can savour each bite. And that when I knew, my tastebuds was ruined. No other beef could satisfy me like this one...
Sushi was next and we were told to eat from right to left so as to better enjoy the dish. First up we had the Shako, and I am ashamed to admit that I can barely taste anything of it by now and was a little tad afraid of the shell. My husband called it a sweet shrimp. The Mackerel however had a much smokier taste. The last sushi we had was again the Bigeye fish which taste a lot like tuna but a much milder version of it.
I also regretted not taking up the offer of wine pairing. Maybe that would have enhanced the taste of each dish. The thing is hubby was not much a drinker and I felt too lonely to have it myself.
I was very full by now. But this Japanese paella was simmered so fragrantly the waitresses could see the anger I had with myself. How can I not finish every single morsel of this! And so, they allowed me to tabao home as an onigiri ! So my lucky family also got a bite of this delicacy.
The sides to this meal was unbelievable. It was like Rizu Restaurant telling you, you can't go home till you are fully fed. The clam soup was light and tasty unlike those salty soups served outside that always play on my feelings. Finally a clam soup that doesn't disappoint me. The preserved veg were also very interesting. There was the japanese radish, burdock root and veg. It would have been a good appetizer too :)
And finally we came to desserts. The yuzu pavlova was quite worrying initially because it was essentially a ball of sugar with mango on top. I thought it might be overwhelmingly sweet. But voila, the only sweetness you would taste came only from the mangoes.The ice cream was deceiving plated as a jelly. But it was actually a very fine mango sherbet.
All in all, I have to say this meal was nothing short of perfect. Even the hubby was photographing this place and taking notes. If you have S$120 to 200 per pax to spare, you will not regret indulging in the Omakase menu (psss it has a smaller set of 8 dishes too). Definitely an experience to try!
