With its non-descript façade, Hazuki offers a welcome change of pace in the bustle of Ngee Ann City. As you step inside, you’ll notice a glossier vibe. An anteroom decorated with Gucci Décor fittings and Kagami crystalware lends the space an air of elegance. It’s a cosy spot for a pre-dinner tipple or a sumptuous snack. However, a reservation in the 12-seat dining room is essential if you want to experience chef Kenta Yamauchi’s culinary magic.
The room has all the hallmarks of a classic Japanese restaurant: a sleek black marble counter, pristine wooden interiors and a stoic chef working silently behind the counter. A demonstration of kappo and kaiseki cooking techniques is set in motion here by Yamauchi, who previously worked at Ki-Sho and Tsubaki, as well as Gion Fukushi in Kyoto, which has a Michelin star.
The 41-year-old chef meticulously sources all his ingredients from Japan to ensure they are of the highest quality. With his expertise, they are poetically incorporated into seasonally inspired tasting menus. There are five to choose from—three for lunch and two for dinner.
Photo: Hazuki.
Our tip: go for dinner and opt for the pricier menu ($380); for this quality, you won’t find better value elsewhere.
The opening salvo, horsehair crab topped with dashi jelly, Oscietra caviar, and a sprinkle of gold dust, is the note that launches a grand symphony. It’s salty, sweet and with just the right amount of tartness. Assembling this dish takes an hour, and a UV-light inspection ensures no shell bits are left behind.
Yamauchi has a winning way with fish, which pairs beautifully with the restaurant’s creative curation of fine wines and rare sakes. He makes his chawanmushi with kinki, a rare, deep-sea-dwelling fish known for its delicious fat. The dish is served at just the right temperature: warm enough to bring out the buttery sweetness of the fish but not too hot to dull the flavours. A fish dashi served with amadai steamed with sake hits all the right notes. It carries a hint of citrus from the yuzu peel and a delicate earthiness from the maitake mushrooms.
His deep-fried delicacies are surprisingly light. The bafun uni served on a shiso leaf sheathed in a crisp coating of golden batter, stood out against the Hokkaido corn and scallop that were also crisped to perfection. These are paired with lime and sea salt mixed with rice powder from Hiroshima.
Yamauchi’s style is traditional but subtly innovative, as evidenced by his experimentations with a variety of flavours and textures.
A handroll stuffed with red vinegar shari, maguro and bafun uni is layered with crunchy radish pickles and dusted with sea salt and rice powder; steamed awabi from Chiba prefecture is served with liver sauce and a side of 30-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Photo: Hazuki.
What stole the show, however, is his signature shabu shabu of A5 wagyu sirloin with shiro miso and shiitake. Yamauchi uses artisanal Kyoto shiro miso from a heritage Kyoto maker who only supplies to select restaurants in Japan. This is used in his dashi base, simmered for hours with the best Hokkaido kombu and katsuobushi. Topped with a generous serving of shaved fresh black truffle, the result is an irresistible flavour combination that you’ll be thinking about for months to come.
A La Carte Elegance
A stark contrast to the austere ambient of the omakase counter, Hazuki’s lounge offers a welcoming yet casual vibe that’s suited to its new a la carte menu. Decked with Gucci homeware and exquisite Kagami crystalware, the space is thoughtfully designed to accommodate both lunch and dinner. On the more affordable end of the spectrum, there’s lavish rice bowls topped with premium ingredients like uni, ikura, and unagi from $38.
The bara chirashi offers a classic combination of fresh tuna, unagi, and ikura laden on seasoned sushi rice. A generous heaping of uni and flecks of gold foil add a luxurious finishing touch to the dish. Meanwhile, the nodoguro donburi stands out for its crisp yet flavourful blackthroat seaperch. The fish, known for its sought-after buttery texture and delicious fattiness, pairs well with the slightly sweet Japanese rice.
Those after a light meal won’t go wrong with the sashimi selection. Wild caught fish is a highlight here, with kinmedai, shima ebi, tai, churoto, and anago being crowd favourites. Alternatively, the handrolls are a sublime treat for heartier appetites. Each one is generously stuffed with flavourful ingredients like kegani or horsehair crab, uni, or blackthroat seaperch.
For $48, diners can savour a trio of sake samples from the restaurant’s wide selection. The Echizen Misaki Junmai Daiginjo Shizuku Genshu Shion may sound like a handful, but the smooth and aromatic brew goes down easily. Exclusive to Hazuki, the sake is limited to 500 bottles worldwide a year. Crafted with a special drip extraction method, the brew features pristine melon flavours and a velvety texture. The sake’s lingering flavours make it the perfect match for the rich and umami-filled dishes.
