Sushi Kimura

A few weeks ago, legendary omakase restaurant, Sushi Kimura, announced they will be closing down in November 2024. This news almost gave me a heart attack, having been visiting the restaurant for several years now, it would leave a huge gaping hole in the Singapore sushi scene.

Fortunately, on this Friday night as we attended the restaurant before its supposed closure, we learned that Kimura-san will be returning to the sushi scene sometime in late 2025 after taking some time off. Heart attack averted..

Kimura-san has been serving sushi in Singapore for just under a decade now, and he has been doing something right as it's not uncommon to see the sushiya packed with regulars on any given night. It took us several weeks to get this reservation for a counter seat on the weekend.

Like most sushi chefs, he mastered his craft in Tokyo and has built strong relationships with some of the best seafood and fresh produce suppliers so he can offer a highly seasonal menu that always changes.

Sushi Kimura is located in Palais Renaissance on Orchard Road and is a small restaurant seating about 14 people at the counter, plus a few private rooms.

For dinner, there is only one course available, Okimari, priced at $380++.

OKIMARI ($380)

• Fish Bone Soup
• Seasonal Chawanmushi
• Seasonal Sashimi & Japanese Vegetables
• Cooked Item
• Refresher
• Sushi (9)
• Soup
• Dessert

First up, Kimura-san gave us a super simple appetizer consisting of dashi, Japanese rice, and wasabi. This was a bit of a surprise as you would generally expect something a little more flashy to start with, but the point of this dish was to really showcase the quality of the rice and the wasabi, which is sourced from a farm near Mt. Fuji. It's crazy how something so simple can be so enjoyable when the ingredients are at their absolute best.

Up next we had a chawanmushi with shirako buried in it. Shirako is the sperm sac of a male cod, and despite what you might think, it tastes amazing. This was also a first time having such a seasonal ingredient in a chawanmushi. Out of this world.

Moving on to some sashimi, we were served what I think was the best katsuo (bonito) I have ever had. Fresh, no fishy smell or chewy texture, with the skin grilled to crispy perfection. This was easily my personal highlight of the course.

A salad was presented in the interim and it wasn't just any salad. Sweet tomato with Japanese gooseberry and an array of seasonal greens, everything was crunchy, sweet, and tasted like it had been picked mere hours before (of course it hadn't).

Our last piece of sashimi was from the hotate (scallop) family and had a tougher, more chewy consistency. This was a nice change from the usual scallops.

Two more dishes then came out in quick succession, grilled sea perch, and ankimo (monkfish liver). Both were outstanding, but if I'm being honest, what I was really looking forward to at this point was the upcoming sushi.

The sushi lineup:

• Akami
• Chutoro
• Otoro
• Tai
• Aji
• Amaebi
• Sujiko
• Kanpachi
• Uni gunkan

Every piece of sushi came out fresh and full of life. One thing that keeps me coming back to Kimura-san is the way in which he makes his shari (sushi rice). It's a heavily vinegared mixture using a 15-year aged vinegar and a lighter 3-year vinegar to create the perfect balance of acidity and tanginess to pair with the fish. I don't think this style will be everyone's cup of tea, but I love it.

The highlights of the sushi course were the akami, amaebi, and the sujiko. Having had varying grades of sujiko before, this was definitely up there with the best and freshest.

The sushi course ended with a seafood dashi soup and a tamagoyaki before we were presented with dessert. A fan favorite amongst us, we ended with seasonal Japanese fruits and a red bean rice dish called mizu yokan. We paired our meal with two sakes, Born- Chojin and Nichi Nichi – Yamadashiki.

Gaijin's review

• Food quality: Amazingly fresh seasonal produce,
• Ambience: Traditional authentic omakase vibes, quiet
• Value: Dinner on the higher end but worth splurging on special occasions
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
• Price: $$$$

Sushi Kimura is firmly in the top five sushi omakase experiences in Singapore. From the quality of the seasonal ingredients to the unique vinegar in the rice, and the friendliness of the entire team, the restaurant has maintained a certain standard that only a handful of other sushiyas can rival.

The dinner omakase, while priced on the higher end, is a first-class experience and paced extremely well. As a regular to Kimura, I think an option for a sushi nigiri 'only' omakase priced slightly lower would be a good option for diners that are specific about what they want.

I'm sad that Kimura will be closing down shortly, but also very hopeful of his return to bigger and better things in Singapore.

Try to get to Sushi Kimura before the end of November 2024.

Sushi Kimura

A: 390 Orchard Rd, #01-07, Singapore 238871

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