#9

GOTO Japanese Restaurant
For seasonal feasting like the Japanese Ambassador
Despite the changes that has been going on at Ann Siang Hill and Club Street, GOTO has stood its ground. It could be this 15-seat restaurant’s quiet demeanour (the door is always shut, and a little menu is the only glimpse we get), or restaurant chef Hisao Goto’s background and reputation as a private chef (once to the former Japanese ambassador to Singapore) that Goto has survived – we think both qualities have served them well. This reservation-only kaiseki (multi-course Japanese meal that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colours of food using seasonal produce) restaurant gets most of its ingredients flown in from Japan – the yukata (summer kimono) and kimono uniforms worn by the service staff (including Mrs Goto, Saori) add to the feeling of dining in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period). You can expect ingredients like firefly squid, Japanese icefish, cod milt, and supple pieces of sashimi, or don’t expect anything at all – just be prepared to be blown away.
GOTO Japanese Restaurant | Address: #01-01 14 Ann Siang Road | Tel: 64381553 | Opening hours: Tue-Sat noon-2.30pm, 7-10pm | Prices: Lunch $72.80 per person; Dinner $192.60 or $299.60 per person, service charge not included

Nagomi Japanese Restaurant
For hidden casual fine dining
We understand this tiny dinner-only place hidden behind Japanese curtains and light wood panels on the second floor of Cuppage Plaza looks intimidating – it isn’t just the sturdy, windowless façade, it’s also the possibility of all of the restaurant’s 25 diners turning to look at you when you step in, and the Japanese-only speaking staff. You have to let the shoes come off. Once cross-legged, Nagomi's friendly staff will gently navigate you through the mainly omakase (you can order side dishes and sashimi separately) menu – every adventurous turn you take on this seasonal menu will be superb. The few times we been here, we've walked away impressed with every dish, from the umami-laden pickled flaky fish starter, to the simple and steadfastly grilled fish and beef, and the rice served with roe or sashimi (they don't serve chirashis; sashimi for one goes at $35 to $40). Regulars can also order (and hold onto) shochus to come back to – these are kept in the earthenware that line the wall shelves.
Nagomi Japanese Restaurant | Address: #02-22, Cuppage Plaza, 5 Koek Road | Tel: 67324300 | Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight

Waku Ghin
Gastronomical chairs, for that really special occasion
Tetsuya Wakuda sure knows how to host a party: at Waku Ghin, his only outpost from Tetsuya in Sydney, only 25 diners are admitted per seating (maximum of two seatings per night) to occupy the eight seats in each of the four rooms. By now, we've all heard the drill: the diners are led through the different rooms, sampling a few courses in each silver-lined space ("Ghin" stands for "silver" - Tetsuya's favourite colour), eventually moving and grazing their way through the ten-course degustation menu made up of fantastical dishes such as the marinated botan shrimp with sea urchin and Oscietra caviar and Ohmi Wagyu roll with maitake (a Japanese mushroom) with fresh wasabi and citrus soy that melts in the mouth. It comes at a hefty price, of course - $468 per person - though you do get to catch a glimpse of the smiley Japanese-Australian chef, forty per cent of the time - that's better than most celebrity restaurants in Singapore.
Waku Ghin | Address: #02-02, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue│ Tel: 6688 8507 │ Opening hours: Daily 6–10pm