From The Straits Times    |

Sushi Kimura

Sushi Kimura’s Chirashi Meal

Chirashi is supposed to be a simple and tasty meal that comprises of roughly chopped leftover fish parts that are scattered over vinegared rice, but that traditional concept has evolved into something else entirely at Sushi Kimura.

Chef Kimura serves his chirashi don in two lacquered bowls. The first bowl is filled with slabs of silky sashimi, folded and tucked in neatly.

The variety of sashimi varies from season to season. In addition to the kind of premium cuts you’d typically find at a sushi-ya (sushi restaurant) of this calibre – such as tuna belly sea bream – you might have more uncommon sashimi like striped beakfish or parrotfish.

Sushi Kimura

Kuzumochi (Homemade warabi mochi paired with wafers)

Each fold of sashimi has its own delicate complexity. The flounder is surprisingly fatty for a white fleshed fish, and slowly melts in your mouth; the tuna belly is richer and moreish, while the parrotfish is firmer and has a subtle note of citrus.

You can enjoy the sashimi with premium tsuyahime rice that’s in the next bowl. Dried and shredded seaweed is strewn in a layer above the rice before being topped with luscious curls of sweet uni (sea urchin), and little globes of ikura (salmon roe) that burst with a savoury, briny flavour in each bite.

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And the chirashi comes with a bowl of the soup of the day, or the seasonal appetiser soup, depending on what set meal you get. We had miso soup with fresh and tasty clams, plumped up from soaking in the soup.

Sushi Kimura

Chirashi with seven types of seasonal sashimi and an ice plant

It’s definitely not the run-of-the-mill chirashi you’d shovel down without much thought. There are so many layers and components to this dish, you’ll find yourself taking your time to appreciate each ingredient.

The same amount of meticulous thought into everything at the restaurant – not just just the food, but decoration too, down to the mix of gold foil into the disposable paper placemats on the table or the sprig of sakura buds garnishing your dessert.

Speaking of dessert, we had a lovely homemade warabi mochi paired with wafers (which you can sandwich it in if you want), an orb of red bean paste, and a cut of grapefruit to end on a refreshing, citrusy note.

We had a lovely time at Sushi Kimura, and we’d recommend it to Japanese food lovers who are looking for a zen and refined place to have lunch in town — away from the hustle and bustle of Orchard road.

Sushi Kimura

Tsuyahime chirashi rice with seasonal uni and ikura

Finding Sushi Kimura

We figured there might be a need for instructions on how to get to Sushi Kimura because it is so inconspicuous, we walked past the place twice without seeing it.

Sushi Kimura’s on the first floor of Palais Renaissance. After walking in (from the side that faces Orchard Rd), keep to your right and walk up the wood panelled entryway near the middle of the building.

After you enter, don’t be discouraged if you think you’ve mistakenly entered a zen spa. It might look a bit like that with all the paper screen doors, and wooden floors and walls, but just keep walking down the short hallway and you’ll find Sushi Kimura.

The Sushi Kimura Chirashi with soup (of the day) costs $85++, and The Sushi Kimura Chirashi with seasonal appetiser soup and homemade dessert costs $100++.

Sushi Kimura is at 390 Orchard Rd.

It is open from 12 pm – 3 pm and 7 pm – 10 pm, every day except Monday.

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