Sakari Sushi @ Tanjong Pagar Singapore • Art of Sushi by Itamae Paul Goh

Sakari Sushi | 1 Tras Link, #01-05, Singapore 078867 ☎ 9777 1791 🕚 11:30 am - 2:30 pm | 6pm - 10 pm (Sat no lunch, Sun off)

We wanted to come visit one of buddy's favourite sushi joints in Tanjong Pagar and finally found an evening when everyone could make it.

Sakari Sushi has been here in Tanjong Pagar for 10 years and buddy has been a fan for as long. It's a small sushi place with bar seating for about 10 and a small separate table for 4.

The decor is eclectic, sprinkled with memorabilia including photos from owner-chef Paul Goh's 40 year career.

Singaporean chef Paul Goh joined the itamae or sushi chef fraternity in 1980 straight after National Service - "didn't study much" he said. He started at Unkai Sushi located at Century Park Sheraton Hotel at Nassim Road under the tutelage of renowned sushi chef Yoshio Nogawa.

Chef Paul came from the old school under Japanese masters where he spent the first five years of his 40 year career just making Tamagoyaki (omelette) and boiling rice. In the old days, an apprentice chef only got to go behind the bar to serve after 15 years on the job.

Chef Paul goes to Japan at least once a year and is well abreast with the latest trends in Japanese cuisine but serves mainly old school sushi at Sakari Sushi.

To eat at Sakari Sushi is like going back to my youth, the colours, atmosphere, not just flavours of the food.

Chef Paul got the dinner rolling with a sashimi platter. Clockwise from left - tai (torched snapper), hotate (scallop), toro (fatty tuna), amaebi (shrimp), and shimaaji (strip jack).

Every piece of fish was delightful and I was mind blown by torched tai (snapper).

We were served a sourish seaweed with salmon collagen (that white blob).

Hizunamasu, salmon head cartilage with ikura and yuzu. My first time seeing this dish, not to mention taste it.

The head cartilage served chilled was crunchy and tasted refreshingly sweet with a subtle tangy zest and gentle umami from ikura. I enjoyed this a lot - it's novel (to me), fun and delicious.

A quick march of sushi followed. I can't remember the details of each piece as I had to dash off to the airport after the dinner, then was away for a week without writing anything down about what I ate 🤭

Tai (snapper).

Torched kinmedai (golden eye snapper) with scales. The white flesh was soft tender and sweet.

Even the scales were delicious. They were light and gently crisp with a subtle sweet flavour.

Chutoro (fatty tuna).

The fresh fatty fish complemented the handed compacted sweet vinegared boiled rice perfectly.

Akami Maguro (lean tuna).

Aji (horse mackerel).

Kohada (spotted sardine). Also known unappetisingly as gizzard shad, it's a classic Edo-era (1603 - 1868) sushi favoured by connoisseurs for its sweet umami flavours (discernible even by novices like me).

Negitoro temaki.

Uni (sea urchin).

Akagai (cockle). Just the crunchy flange, the best part of the cockle.

Otoro (fatty tuna belly).

I couldn't recall much details (that'll will come with more experience I believe) but I do remember clearly that everything was refreshingly fresh and exceedingly enjoyable.