We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch at iKKA GOYO. Price was SGD250++ per pax which is excellent value for authentic kaiseki experience and exquisite quality of dishes served by a master chef.
Finding iKKA GOYO was a little challenging for the first time as it is located at the back lane of Amoy Street. Truth be told, I was initially a little annoyed but then on second thought, many best places in Japan are tucked away in little nooks like this. So wow, the experience is authentic right from the very start 😀 😅
iKKA GOYO is actually conveniently around 50 paces from Telok Ayer MRT station, if you know the way. Don't be like Tony 🤭
From a backstreet in Singapore, iKKA GOYO transported us instantly to those "secret" restaurants in Japan.
iKKA GOYO can accommodate up to 8 people in comfort.
The elegant table place setting welcome us to begin our kaiseki journey.
Unlike omakase restaurants where chefs curate dishes that may be personalised according to guests, at kaiseki restaurants, dishes are served in a set sequence, and the menu is predetermined.
Relax, there wasn't a single thing I didn't enjoy today at iKKA GOYO.
iKKA GOYO 一花五葉 means "A single flower opens its five petals and will bear fruit soon".
We picked our own companions for our adventure - guess which one did I picked?
The team at iKKA GOYO creates KANDO (a feeling of satisfaction and excitement) by serving Japanese cuisine kaiseki style of exceptional value.
Golden bubbles rose to the occasion 🥂
May I take this opportunity to welcome chef Mitsutaka Sakamoto to Singapore (one of my mottos in life is "better late than never"). He opened iKKA GOYO which specialises in kaiseki 懐石 in Feb 2023 (a year ago).
Kaiseki 懐石 is traditional multi-course Japanese fine dining similar to Western haute cuisine.
Chef Mitsutaka Sakamoto quietly perfuming the room with the aroma of crushed toasted sesame seeds. His demeanour was calm and humble but we can sense the depth of his culinary experience and skill.
Haute cuisine is literally high cooking in French. It is a combination of meticulous preparation, elaborate presentation, and the use of high quality ingredients by highly skilled gourmet chefs.
First dish was known as land and sea.... .
Chef Mitsutaka Sakamoto hails from coastal Ishikawa prefecture in north central Japan. Chef has over 20 years under his belt as well as Michelin stars at ryokan HYAKURAKUSO where he was director and executive chef.
In preparation for his move to Singapore, chef had stints at the famous sushi restaurant "SUSHI ARAI" in Ginza and "NARUSE", a famous tempura restaurant in the southern coastal Shizuoka city.
Kaiseki is an art form that engages our five senses, balancing taste, texture, appearance, colours and aroma of food.
Finished dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, as well as edible garnishes that resemble natural plants and animals.
Dishes are carefully presented on plates or bowls chosen to enhance both the appearance and the seasonal theme of the meal.
Sakura trout 桜鱒.
Chef personally curated ingredients from carefully hand picked producers from all over Japan, lovingly prepared with Japanese traditional cooking techniques, and served with a sincere spirit of OMOTENASHI (hospitality).
Crunchy fiddlehead fern 薇.
I found out that the slightly thick waxy sakura leaf is edible, with its own characteristic taste. I like it.
Tasty or not. I was scrapping out the sauce from the bottom of the fruit. I not very Japanese 🤭
Chef Sakamoto is driven by a strong desire to introduce people all over the world to the true charm of Japanese food and culture.
Japanese cockle 鳥貝. Chewy, briny, sweet with a slight toastiness as it was stone grilled.
Japanese traditional appetisers. Chef Sakamoto offered seasonal gifts hidden behind a translucent screen of rice paper. He then set it aflame revealing the edible treasures underneath.
So drama 😄
A kaiseki meal incorporates theatrical moments, creating atmospherics that interweave Japanese history and culture, with the food we are tasting in the moment.
Kaiseki cuisine emphasise balance and harmony with nature. Fruits and vegetables are most tasteful and nutritious when they are in season, so every course is guided this principle. Seasonal ingredients are key to kaiseki cuisine.
Puffer fish. The flesh was sweet, the texture slightly chewy but tender.
Squid. Soft spongy smooth juicy with briny umami flavours.
Button shrimp known as Botan Ebi ボタンエビ in Japanese and 牡丹虾 in Chinese.
Chef Sakamoto is a master. He was focussed, but kept smiling and made cooking looked so easy and joyful! His movements were unhurried, economic, precise. It's a joy to watch him in action while we ate.
Juicy tender button shrimp dressed with caviar and served with wasabi.
Our palate cleanser was a gold rush of bubbles.
Noto yellowtail fish belly from Noto peninsula.
In using yellowtail and sake from Ishikawa prefecture, chef Sakamoto supported the recovery efforts of Noto peninsula (Ishikawa Prefecture) 7.6 scale severe earthquake which struck on 1 Jan 2024.
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| Photo courtesy of chef Sakamoto |
The Noto peninsula lost many fishing boats during the severe earthquake on 1 Jan 2024 - only a few boats survived. Chef Sakamoto is offering Noto yellowtail caught by fisherman Yosuke Nakata during the ongoing fishing season. Each yellowtail weighs 15kg.
The cubes of juicy yellowtail belly rich in sweet fish oil was served floating, bobbing in umami savoury KOMBU DASHI (kelp-seaweed broth).
After the severe Noto earthquake of New Year's Day of 2024, chef Sakamoto was one of the first to rush back to Ishikawa to start up soup kitchens to bring some warmth and comfort to children quake victims.
Thank you, Sir. You have a big heart!
Abalone from chef Sakamoto's home Ishikawa prefecture.
Deep umami briny flavours from the tenderly chewy slices of abalone enveloped in the rich, thick sauce bubbling, steaming in the heavy ceramic cup / bowl.
Grilled swordfish.
The bold calligraphy behind chef Sakamoto is a masterpiece by renown calligrapher, Ms. Reiko Kai.
Tender, sweet with an overlay of umami savoury from the broth and fermented soy bean garnish.
Japan's treasure, Kyoto beef - the beautiful marbling reflects even, balanced distribution of meat and fat throughout the cut.
Kyoto beef sukiyaki.
Chef Sakamoto spoke very little English and we know even less Japanese. But, chef's sincerity broke through all language barriers and his food is most eloquent, speaking volumes of his passion and mastery of Japanese cuisine.
Beefy savoury sweet juices from the tender slices.
Eating the beefy savoury slices with egg yolk gave the beef a silky layer and eggy sweet taste.
Pure wild honey but it didn't work for me. Beefy don't go with honey sweet for me.
Beef in umami savoury kombu dashi sauce. Yummy.
Hokkaido sea urchin.
Soft, slightly slimey, almost like a savoury briny sweetish custard.
Finally dessert 😅
Joyce's service was attentive and impeccable, exemplifying the spirit of OMOTENASHI (hospitality) in her genuine, friendly, gentle, warm way.
Nature's blessing, strawberry.
To me personally, $250++ per person is a small luxury for a meal. But, iKKA GOYO's kaiseki is well worth the money and a good choice for special occasions. Lunch took more than two hours but worth every precious moment and every cent.
I look forward to be back. This is one meal I would scrimp and save for.
Restaurant name: iKKA GOYO
Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-04, Singapore 069935 (enter by the back lane at the street level)
Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Telok Ayer station
Tel: 8457 8732 (reservation required)
Hours: 12 noon - 2:30 pm | 7–10:30 pm (Mon & Tues dinner only, Sun off)
Written by Tony Boey 20 Mar 2024
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