Chef Shimuta “Shim” Kunihiko motions in my direction. He’s noticed that my dining companion has been separating the shiso flowers from every dish. We exchanged no words. Shim raises an eyebrow and questioningly shakes his head at me. I nodded and mouthed, “She doesn’t like shiso flowers.” Every dish onward no longer had them.
Chef Shim needs no introduction. A longtime disciple of the late chef Hirata Tasaku, the 43-year-old took over Kappo Shunsui in 2020 and guided the restaurant’s move to its current Hong Kong Street address the year later.
Shim loves theatrics. The 12-seater boasts two gigantic television screens on the wall opposite the diners and lets you witness Shim’s work from a bird’s-eye view, courtesy of the camera positioned directly above the kitchen counter.
The welcome drink—a sparkling sake—is topped with an air bubble for you to pop. The A5 Miyazaki beef tenderloin is first seared dramatically in front of your eyes so that your phone camera can capture the fiery flames before being served. I half expected Shim to sear the karauni (sea urchin) and nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) with a heated samurai sword instead of the typical charcoal used by other kaiseki restaurants. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you feel about culinary gimmicks, he didn’t.
The gourmet sleight-of-hand does not detract from Shim’s food. He’s won the Michelin Plate two years in a row already—2021 and 2022—and I fully expect him to get it this year. Shim displays surprising restraint with every dish and can tease out the subtleties of each dish. The kegani, or hairy crab, is a standout and presented in two dishes, served in a rich broth filled with crab liver, and lightly fried with rice cooked in a donabe.
You expect nothing less from a chef who’s been cooking for over two decades. Chef Shim knows how to treat every ingredient with care and excels at presentation and taste.
What surprised me the most was the sake pairing. It was exceptional and probably one of the best I’ve ever had in a Japanese restaurant. I always recommend my friends to stay away from the alcohol pairing option. Instead, choose a bottle from the list and enjoy. It’s more bang for your buck, and you have a lesser chance of disliking a pairing.
Kappo Shunsui’s sake sommelier deserves all the plaudits for creating harmony between the dishes and the alcohol. I finished every glass and asked for more. He happily obliged.
Kappo-style omakase restaurants are aplenty in Singapore’s highly competitive dining scene. But Kappo Shunsui certainly stands out for Shim’s incredible attention to detail, both in his food and in the decor. Even though it’s pricey—dinner can go up to $480—it’s well worth a visit. The good news: the sake pairing is currently complimentary for the kacho ($380) and premium ($480) courses.
