There are only two Japanese restaurants in Singapore with two Michelin stars, and the eponymous Sushi Sakuta by Chef Yoshio Sakuta is one of them. The other, of course, is Shoukouwa, which he isn't a stranger to, having stood behind the counter himself before opening Sushi Sakuta.
Officially reopening this month at Millenia Walk, this new space marks the next chapter for Chef Sakuta, who earned his second star just months earlier. The new 16-seater, with ten counter seats and six in a private room, feels like a quiet sanctuary, with a pale hinoki wood counter as the centrepiece, soft light filtering through shoji screens, and a rotation of Japanese artworks adorning the space.
The experience
I'm here for the $500 dinner omakase menu, a 17-course sequence that unravels at a comfortable pace, with plenty of breathing space to anticipate the next bite, but not too much that it dulls the experience. The meal begins with chawanmushi crowned with delicate chunks of female snow crab, briny and bursting with roe. The dish is paired with the first of several thoughtful pours: a smooth and mellow Nichi Nichi sake, which gently frames the sweetness of the crab and the faint white soy sauce tang from the following course of pine flounder.
As the meal unfolds, I'm treated to tender morsels of lightly simmered kinki fish, sitting atop a base of yuzu vinegar and served with yuzu kosho on the side. Following that is a standout unagi, with an excellently crisp base and flaky centre, topped with fine dustings of sansho pepper. These go down well with a bolder orange wine – a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, to be exact – that complements the heavier flavours.
By the time the monkfish liver and abalone are served, you know you're firmly in umami territory. Which is why the clean, pesticide-free 2020 Aramasa sake works wonderfully to tone down the richness. Iwabuchi Makoto, the restaurant's head sommelier, tells us that only 48 bottles of this sake were released this year.
Now, it's time for sushi. Nine bites await us, each featuring Sushi Sakuta's perfected shari blend, a mixture of Hitomebore and Sasanishiki grains seasoned with red and white vinegar. The large yellowtail rests on gently warmed rice to coax out its sweetness, the kawahagi (leatherjacket) lands with a subtle punch of wasabi that clears the senses, and the fatty tuna is served over room-temperature rice to balance the intensity of the cut. Everything, down to the temperature of each round of shari, is felt and measured by hand, a testament to Chef Sakuta's experience and instinct.
While luxuries like uni (sea urchin), snow crab, abalone and fatty tuna are part of the meal, you'll also taste some of the freshest slivers of Spanish mackerel, bonito and horse mackerel in between the richer, more unctuous bites. Other highlights include Japanese tiger prawn – firm, plump and crunchy – and a torotaku handroll that seals the deal. Like most omakase experiences, it winds down with seasonal fruits, and in this case, I'm also served vanilla ice cream with matcha.
By the end of the meal, I find myself satisfied but not stuffed, and somehow that feels intentional, especially from a team so obsessed with precision.
The verdict
"Precision". If there's a single through line that describes our experience, that would be it. And while the seafood and shari get the limelight they deserve, I'm equally impressed with Makoto's impeccable beverage pairings that glide along effortlessly with the dishes, from the gentle Pinot Noir for heartier cuts of tuna, to a final Nagano sake that brings the meal to a decrescendo. Everything feels intentional, nothing over, nothing under, and never showy – much like Chef Sakuta himself.
The only flaw in this flawless experience? The eye-gouging price tag. At $500 for dinner and $350 for lunch, dining at Sushi Sakuta is no casual affair. But if you value the art of quiet mastery, it's an experience worth saving up for. Well, I guess that's the price of perfection, even if that perfection isn't one that screams from the rooftop.
Sushi Sakuta is open from Tuesday to Sunday at 9 Raffles Boulevard, Millenia Walk, #01-06/07/08, Singapore 039596.
Find out more and make a reservation here.
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