At Fukui, guests settle down on plush Brazilian leather chairs. Then, a tattoo-clad sushi chef might serve up a course of bamboo shoot tempura, perfumed with truffle salt; or top slices of Spanish mackerel with freshly shaved Italian summer truffles.
By now, it should be evident that this isn’t a typical omakase restaurant; Fukui might draw inspiration from the coastal prefecture of the same name, but the experience is a modern one told through the lens of Malaysian chef Nick Pa’an.
He brings to the 12-seater sushi counter some 20 years of experience. Against the backdrop of undulating mountainscape, he turns seasonally sourced seafood (from Toyosu Fish Market) into courses both traditional and unexpected (from $88 for six courses to $238 for eleven courses).
Firefly squid comes resting on a bed of egg yolk mousse, and rice straw-smoked Spanish mackerel packs heady aroma from marinated garlic and shavings of fresh Italian black truffles.
As part of the sashimi course, chef Nick might slam torigai, or Japanese surf clam, against the counter – “to make it more crunchy,” he explains. The shellfish, rarely served raw, provides a crisp, chewy texture amidst slices of tobiuo (flying fish), ainame (fat greenling), otoro (tuna), and more. Also interesting is his choice of garnish; the flowers that typically adorn the dish are more than just ornamental. Chef Nick recommends clapping shiso flower between the palms to release its fragrance, then sprinkling the petals in the soya sauce for a floral hint.
Throughout the meal, chef Nick continues to offer a personal take on Japanese flavours – with some working better than others. The heavy usage of truffle (it makes an appearance in four different courses), for instance, masks the natural flavour of the fresh ingredients.
That’s not to say a meal at Fukui is strictly non-traditional. Familiar renditions of the cuisine are interspersed within the courses: yam tofu has a delightful mochi-like quality, clam soup is briny and sweet, and homemade black sesame ice cream is made using a traditional mortar and pestle to yield a coarsely grounded paste that lends bite and intense nuttiness.
