Yoshihiro Narisawa is an esteemed chef for several reasons. For one, the notches in his belt an affirmation of his culinary prowess: his eponymous restaurant in Tokyo has earned him two Michelin stars and is the only establishment in Asia to have made the list of World’s 50 Best annually for the last 16 years. As of last week, it is currently ranked 10th in the world.
Then, his absolute reverence for the environment and fair trade: in exercising a hard-line policy of zero food wastage, he only purchases ingredients in exact quantities, and in working with producers directly, they receive 100 per cent of the remuneration. He also only uses native ingredients with the exception of coffee and chocolate because he is inspired by satoyama culture, where villagers cultivate ingredients from the landscapes around them.
Furthermore, his comprehensive sustainability practices: the meats used are from livestock that are ethically raised and free range, and the fish, acquired only if in plentiful stock—all of which are organic. But the inculcation in food is just a part of it. At Narisawa restaurant, broken plates are repaired with traditional Japanese techniques for the purpose of reuse; tablecloths are donated to local churches; and bones are dried, cleaned, and incorporated as silverware.
It is as such little surprise that tickets to his current Mandala Masters X Porsche residency at Mandala Club are already almost sold out. Launched on 24 March and to be held till 30 April, the pop-up has both lunch and dinner services available and operates Wednesday to Sunday. Patrons are able to indulge choose between eight and 12 courses for lunch but will indulge in 12 courses for dinner.
In cooking out of our equatorial city-state over the next month, Narisawa is paying homage to our Edible Garden City during this time with the inclusion of local produce in the tasting menu—he even went foraging at Ann Siang Hill some weeks ago to see what can be integrated. And in identifying with our sustainability goals, he has chosen to spotlight Singapore Food Agency’s objective of meeting 30 per cent of our nutritional needs locally by 2030 through a starter exclusive to this event.
Presented as a miniature garden, the first course comprises a paste made out of soy milk —delivered fresh every morning from a tofu shop also along Bukit Pasoh Road— and an assortment of edible florets and herbs drizzled with soybean powder. The milk is fermented with lactic acid for added health benefits and the flowers are right from our backyards.
It is served alongside a cup of water “infused with the flavour of earth”, which Narisawa concocts according to the batch of sediments—freshly extracted from our lands, too—he receives each day. The artful piece is no gimmick and tastes as good as it looks thanks to the luscious paste; it is both the glue that holds the dish together and the hearth that plays up the subtle flavours of the petals. Knowing that he purposefully made room for local ingredients kindled within me a small flame of pride.
Another standout is the bread dish a signature offering of the chef: using wild yeast from Shirakami Mountains, the dough is left to ferment in front of patrons for 15 minutes before being baked in a hot stone bowl. It is performative and contemplative in equal measure as Narisawa hopes for patrons to “capture the function of microbes and acknowledge their existence”. The pillowy bun is accompanied by a rich mixture of spinach and grass butter that cuts into its earthy flavour with piquant bitterness.
Having to single out a favourite from a 12-course lineup is challenging, if not unfair, so here are my top two in the order of their appearance. First, tuna with sea urchin; also a dish exclusive to this pop-up, the fish from Shizuoka prefecture was specially procured by ‘Tuna King’ Yukitaka Yamaguchi for Narisawa’s takeover here. The flesh is soft and sweet, and the uni, creamy and barely briny.
Next, caviar and hairy crab meat on homemade brioche; the roe is from a family farm in Hangzhou, China, that only produces 12 tonnes a year and Narisawa selected it in a blind taste test—a testament to its quality. The two-biter is exquisite and well-balanced, the sort of stuff that we will wish comes twice the size.
A notable mention goes to Temari, which was inspired by a traditional Japanese ball historically constructed with kimono remnants. The wrap is stitched together with kaleidoscopic root vegetable slivers and the inside features a mixture of seafood in shallow broth. It is as nourishing as it is eye-catching, a segue into the eel dish that follows.
There was only one dish I was apprehensive about: baby sweet fish fried alive and to be eaten whole with the hands. I can’t say I appreciated its presentation or mouthfeel but no matter, it was an outlier best appreciated by a more adventurous eater. Unless you plan on paying Narisawa a visit in Tokyo, it is worth treating yourself to this dining experience now that the man is here—word has it that he only agreed to come because his restaurant is currently undergoing refurbishment. Don’t sit on scoring a seat at the table.
