Hakumai Sushi Revisited @ International Plaza

DSC_2236

I love heading back to CBD over the weekend for meals because the crowd is more dispersed and there is none of the maddening city traffic to battle and meals can be enjoyed without hurrying to end the seating.

Unlike most other Japanese outlets, Hakumai Sushi entertains diners who would prefer bento sets to the more premium and pricier kaiseki and omakase options. 

DSC_2188



Salmon Avocado Don ($26.80)

Salmon Avocado and Roe On Rice
Truffle Sauce Chawanmushi
Soup / Salad / Fruit

Amongst their range of affordable bento sets is this particular don that was considerably cheaper than the chirashi going at $39.80. Think thick cuts of salmon sashimi and avocado dressing a bowl of furikake rice.

DSC_2192

Sukiyaki Gozen ($26.80)

Beef and Vegetables Cooked with Sweet Sauce
Salmon Sashimi / Truffle Sauce
Chawanmushi / Rice / Soup / Salad / Fruit

Beef sukiyaki for the already hot weather, it strangely did not heat the temperatures up in the restaurant. 

DSC_2194

Individual pot for cooking. This would suit colder temperatures better, in my opinion.

DSC_2201

Sashimi Gozen ($33.80)
Mixed Sashimi /
 / Truffle Sauce Chawanmushi
Salad / Fruit

Portions are on the small side even with this choice being in the next price bracket. The selection of sashimi was decent, not super fresh but good enough.

DSC_2203

Tempura Moriawase

I found the selection alright, nothing to scream about the thick batter and limp seafood. 

DSC_2205

Hot Soba
 

DSC_2207

Lady Bento ($38.80)
Salmon Sashimi / California Maki
Botan Jiru (Prawn Soup)
Salad / Fruit

My lady bento set was served in courses, well almost. The california maki and salmon sashimi arrived first.

DSC_2210

And the full set on a lacquer tray.

DSC_2211

Truffle Soba

The main highlight of this dish is the truffle oil tossed into the noodles and topped with fish roe and artificial crabmeat.

DSC_2216

Truffle Sauce Chawanmushi, another of those gimmicky dishes that played on truffle as the highlight yet was really nothing much beyond truffle oil.

DSC_2215

My comparatively more "lady" portions of Mixed Tempura. Two prawns and a carrot.

DSC_2212 

Grilled Cod with Spicy Cod Roe

Much ado about nothing, even with the spicy cod roe mayo, it still tasted bland. More time over the grill may have helped but this was another of those letdowns.

Very average fare at okay prices, like the omakase that lacks finesse. This perhaps works better in the department of value for money than a proper Japanese dining experience. Techniques and dishes displayed show a time of the past, somewhat passe in my opinion.

Hakumai Sushi
International Plaza, #01-50A

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Baba Steven's Private Dining: A ex-chef turned home cook

Image
Baba Steven or Chef Steven is endearingly known as has been whipping up peranakan feasts from his Bukit Batok Home since he retired. We booked a table of 8 for a $450 dinner comprising of 8 dishes. Baba Steven's chilli is a must try, fragrant and so tasty with just white rice. I clearly overdosed on this whilst waiting for the rest to arrive, just like soy sauce and rice, so simple yet my belly was full on happiness. The feasting kind of started before the mains were served - freshly baked pineapple tarts. These open faced babies come with a mildly sweet pineapple jam baked atop a really buttery pastry shell. Bakwan Kepiting Soup This is almost a Peranakan staple across the private dinners I have done and whilst this is homecooked, I found the meatballs rolled a tad too tightly. Soup is refillable but those balls are limited to two per diner. Ayam Buah Keluak is the classic peranakan dish at all peranakan meals and Baba Steven takes pride in deshelling each of these tough nu
Read more

Paradise Teochew @ Scotts Square

Image
~Invited Session~ Move over set menus, we now have individual set menus with dishes individually plated and these come at a pocket friendly $38++ onwards. Taste Paradise and Paradise Teochew are the two restaurants under Paradise Group with these newly launched menus. The featured menu goes for a tune of $38++, there is an option for wine pairing at a top up of $38++ as well. Teochew Style Braised Duo Combination Braised sliced Irish Far Duck, Braised Egg A teaser of their teochew classic served, tender braised duck, crispy beancurd and a delicious drizzle of gravy. Kapuka Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 New Zealand A fresh, fruity and crisp wine. Dry with high acidity though. Crab Meat with Fish Maw Broth Nourishing crabmeat fish maw broth is served to warm and comfort the belly. The ingredients were really generous too!   Steamed Cod Fillet with Garlic and Beancurd Skin Everything with garlic tastes good - especially so amidst the COVID-19 situation. Garlic like tumeric is one o
Read more

Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon (金华鱼头米粉) @ Old Airport Food Center

Image
Jin Hua is a household name for fish soup in CBD , very much so that I have joined the relentless queues during lunch just for a bowl of steaming hot goodness. Hurray to this franchise which also sports queues but more forgiving ones! Even way past 2 pm, the queues were neverending. Sliced Fish Soup ($5) Bland broth in comparison to Hougang Hai Zhen Yuan's, the sliced fish slices made it worse since they were barely seasoned too.   It may problems with a franchise but I still prefer their fried fish version over sliced. Given now I have found an alternative, I'd probably be switching camps.  Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon (金华鱼头米粉) Old Airport Food Center #01-120
Read more