Hide Yamamoto

It was time for dinner and as no reservation had been made, decided against trying our luck at one of the celebrity chef restaurants in Marina Bay Sands. Instead, my dining companion and I settled for fine-dining restaurant by one of 2010 Global Chef Award recipients Chef Hide Yamamoto. Located on the 2nd floor with Guy Savoy by award-winning 3-Michelin starred French chef, and Waku Ghin (also Japanese) that offers Chef Tetsuya Wakuda's 10-course degustation menu created from the best seasonal produce. The place boosts five concepts with different experiences depending on the choice of seats without being constrained by the corresponding menu. Sitting at one of the 9 dining tables, we ordered chawan mushi and deep fried blowfish from the sushi menu, grilled Hokkaido scallop and tiger prawn from the robata menu as well as Kurobuta collar from the teppanyaki menu.

Could smell the aroma of black truffle and taste it in the soft, smooth and sweet chawan mushi that was well-balanced by the saltiness of sea urchin. Loved the fresh, juicy and sweet deep-fried blowfish with bones so crispy I polished it off. While good enough on its own, the taste was somehow enhanced when dipped in a little Japanese soy sauce. Balanced with a side salad in tart ponzu sauce, the dish was not overwhelming even 'til the end. Also loved the "bowl" made from deep-fried white bait that the grilled succulent scallop was served in, with fish roe on top and raw greens below. There was a nice charred aroma in the grilled tiger prawn, which arrived atop fresh greens in white soy dressing with lime juice. And the tender Kurobuta collar was seasoned just right. Overall a lovely experience – yummy fine food in a cosy ambience with service I could not fault.