Among Singapore’s many omakase restaurants, Moss Cross Tokyo is a breath of fresh air. Executive chef Akihiro Masuyama oversees the Japan-based Cross Group’s six restaurants. Born in Chiba, Masuyama is a master of wakon-yosai cuisine, which means “Japanese spirit with Western learning”. The term describes the restaurant group’s philosophy of combining Japanese ingredients with Western culinary techniques.
In January, Moss Cross Tokyo opened its first overseas outpost at Capri by Fraser China Square. It’s lush with a striking green foliage wall, moss-coloured armchairs, and wooden accents. Indoor plants and dim lights create a homely ambience for casual yet elevated meal experiences.
Our seven-course modern omakase dinner paired with a seven-flight alcohol pairing menu, starts on a high. A Moss Cross Tokyo signature, the Shokado-9 comes in a wooden bento box that opens to reveal nine bite-sized, seasonal amuse-bouches.
From the mildest to the richest palate, this is a work of art in presentation and taste. We begin with a refreshing tomato and raspberry salad before moving on to chutoro tartar and finishing with roasted wagyu with avocado and seaweed sauce.
For Masuyama, these amuse-bouches signify a journey through the act of eating. “I’ve carefully divided each dish into nine different worlds. Each represents my thoughts on the produce and blessings of nature in places I’ve travelled to and fallen in love with,” he says. All symbols of a delicious journey, the ingredients tell tales of his travels throughout Japan.
If not for the following courses, my dining companions and I agree that the generously portioned Shokado-9 could easily stand alone as a light meal. One of Masuyama’s favourite creations, the creamy Hyogo Oyster adorned with camembert, caviar, and kombu is poached in an umami-rich kelp broth and served with a decadent camembert mousse topped with caviar and yuzu pearls. The briny flavours pair well with the accompanying sparkling sake from Aomori Brewery. The smooth drink accentuates the milky cheese.
Warming our insides on the rainy day, the Molten Crab Chawan-mushi, Lily Bulb, and Bisque Emulsion is quite the treat. Using chicken broth as a base, the steamed egg custard is topped with a crab bisque emulsion made from different crabs as well as clams, and shrimps. Shredded crab meat and lily bulbs, which taste like crunchy turnips, add a lovely texture.
Japanese cuisine isn’t often defined by strong herbs and spices, but for Masuyama, these are essential to his food. “I once served as head chef at one of the largest herb gardens in Japan and used over 200 different herbs and spices a year in my cooking,” he shares. His travels, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, have taught him that Japanese seasoning is essential to the dishes that help him express himself.
His love for herbs plays out in the Hokkaido Tokachi Herb-fed Beef Cutlet, which is beautifully crusted in a delicate coating of parsley, breadcrumbs, and crumbled parmesan cheese. My first impression is that it is similar to beef katsu sandos, but without the bread. A diet of more than 10 herbs gives the beef a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a rich flavour.
Impressive too is the fact that Masuyama makes his own Worcestershire sauce with whole tomatoes carefully grilled over low heat, reduced over time to intensify its taste, and combined with his secret blend of herbs and spices.
The last savoury course is a single morsel of Kyoto Wagyu Sushi adorned with sea urchin and truffle soy sauce. Featuring rice marinated overnight in red wine, a dab of truffle soya sauce completes what might just be the tastiest one-bite dish I’ve had in a long while. A nourishing Tsugani (Crab) miso soup rounds off the savoury courses.
Dessert is equally innovative, with the Daikon Compote Tiramisu with Mikan a surprising combination of naturally rich, sweetened daikon and mascarpone cheese dusted with Chinese five-spice and cacao powder and adorned with mikan, a tangerine-like citrus fruit.
With its value-for-money price point of $150++ for the seven-course meal and unabashedly Western twist, I can see myself returning often.
