Reviews

To him, nothing is more important than employing the right cooking methods and complementary elements, both of which serve to highlight the freshness of ingredients.

Dashing dishes: The presentation of Barrumundi Shiogama personifies the renowned
Japanese intricacy. A whole barramundi is deboned to perfection, wrapped in a crust
made of egg white and salt (the crust doubles up as a ‘kiln’) and enveloped in a bamboo leaf before being baked. This theatrical dish needed to be ‘broken into’ before tucking into a fish that had a hint of smokiness. A mild citrus tang was a delight to the palate. Condiments
of chilled chestnuts and caramelised walnuts balanced the zing and saltiness.

It may not be the best-looking fish in the ocean but the Patagonian toothfish transforms under the mastery of Soga. In Sugi-Ita Yaki¸ the chef wraps a slice in Japanese cedarwood before grilling it. The flesh was creamy and fragrant, and simply melted in the mouth.

Nothing can describe how the Grade 9+ wagyu beef (only Blackmore wagyu beef is used at the restaurant) dissolved once gently placed into the mouth. The first bite was ceremonious. One hardly needed a second before the slice ‘deliquesced’. Teeth sink into such tender texture, inviting an explosion of flavours to burst in the mouth. It was all at once smooth and buttery interlaced with Soga’s concoction of onion, soy and garlic sauce.‘