MAI by Dashi Master Marusaya

Published - 30 April 2020, Thursday

Image Credit : Great Amber Jack with sesame miso sauce

You can discover “Real Japan” here in Singapore.

Dashi Kaiseki MAI, featured by Japanese Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito) wholesaler “Marusaya”, is dedicated to natural Dashi (Bonito Stock) and serves Japanese dishes using plenty of natural Dashi.

Authentic Japanese dishes - Omakase style with high class ingredients directly imported from Japan, such as wagyu beef and fresh sea urchin tasted by special bonito aged for two years with special selections of Kelp (Kombu stock).

Also you can enjoy pairing with variety of Sake.

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Richard

  • 3716 comments
  • ELITE
RATED 7.5 / 8
Authentic Japanese dishes - Omakase style with high class ingredients directly imported from Japan, such as wagyu beef and fresh sea urchin tasted by special bonito aged for two years with special selections of Kelp (Kombu stock).

Nikolaus

  • 19 comments
  • CONTRIBUTOR
RATED 8 / 8
Premium Sushi & Dashi Omakase Menu

MAI by Dashi Master Marusaya has launched its signature Sushi & Dashi Omakase at S$88++. Located at the heritage Bukit Pasoh area, it provides a great setting for this 38-seater exquisite yet affordable restaurant.

Seated at the Chef’s table, LD and I had the pleasure to see Chef Hiroyuki Ono work his magic preparing our omakase meal. We also had the pleasure meeting Marusaya Group Executive Chef and Vice President, Shinji Hara.

Please let the Chef or service staff know if you have any dietary restrictions or any food that you don’t like. In our case, we did not have unagi, as LD does not eat it.

We started the culinary degustation with Hotaru Ika (Firefly Squid) with Japanese Kai Lan and Katsuobushi (Skipjack Tuna) - Spring dish. These 3 weeks old mini squid are crunchy, followed with cream texture internally. The bonito and kai lan introduce a savoury and bitter flavour to the dish, while tangy sauce made with katsuobushi and vinegar gave a refreshing tangy touch to this appetizer.

Black Sesame Tofu with Ikura in Dashi Stock. The black sesame tofu has a firm and dense texture, tasted earthy, creamy and smooth. LD says it tasted like savoury black sesame ice cream. The saltiness from the ikura, together with the sauce made from soya sauce, mirin and dashi added the much-needed umami flavour in the dish, together with the refreshing mint flavour of the chopped perilla leaf.

Sashimi platter consists of Akami, Chutoro, Sawara and Kinmedai. The kinmedai is smooth and fatty, with a touch of smoky umami flavour as it was wrapped in seaweed. Sawara (Spanish Mackerel) has a firm and smooth texture. While Akami gives you a solid tuna flavour and the Chutoro just melts in your mouth. All the sashimi is served at almost room temperature, where you can taste the full flavours of the fish. In between savouring each slice of sashimi, you can cleanse your palate with the Japanese kai lan leaves salad.

Tamago in Dashi topped with Katsuobushi. Served warm, the tamago is bouncy and accompanied with katsuobushi that enhance the tamago flavour further. The dashi stock nicely binds all the ingredients together at the end. A special tamago dish indeed.

Hokkaido Hairy Crab (Kegani) with Sweet Vinegar Sauce topped with Hokkaido Uni. A mini dish that brings you the flavours of the ocean. The crab meat is sweet, while the uni is creamy and gave the super OMPH in this dish. A slight touch of sweet vinegar sauce keeps the balance in check so you won’t feel overwhelmed. Yummy!!

Sakura Ebi with Ashitaba (Angelica Keiskei, also known as Tomorrow's Leaf), Matcha Salt and Japanese lime (Tempura Style). MAI version of prawn crackers. The mini sakura ebi and as chopped ashitaba is coated with batter and deep-fried. The cracker is light and crispy. I suggest you eat it in three steps. First bite, plain. Second bite, with the lime. Third bite with lime and salt. The three different flavours transition is just remarkable.

Iwate Wagyu with Bamboo Shoot and Japanese Kai Lan in Sukiyaki Sauce. The beef is braised until tender. When you bite into it, you can taste the marbling in the beef and the sweetness of the sukiyaki sauce. Served with the stem of Japanese Kai Lan, the bitterness balances the sweetness of the sukiyaki sauce, while the bamboo shoot adds the crunchiness in this dish.

For the sushi: MAI uses rice from Hokkaido for their sushi, seasoned with apple vinegar, rice vinegar, red vinegar, sugar and salt.

Sushi 1: Hotate and Uni Handroll – A jumbo size of hotate, generous cut of hotate and scoop of uni, delivering a sweet, creamy flavour and wrapped in super crispy seaweed. LD give her two thumbs up! #Unigasm.

Sushi 2: Wild Fresh Tai (Red Snapper) with Tai Liver. The red snapper is torched slightly, allowing it to have multiple textures. Smooth, creamy, like eating foie gras sushi.

Sushi 3: Marinated Akami Maguro and Aburi Otoro. The ultimate maguro experience. Two layers of maguro, marinated Akami which is firm and silky, plus the Aburi Otoro, the fatty cut that just melts in your mouth. #Sushigasm

Sushi 4: Saba with Momiji Oroshi (Spicy Grated Daikon Radish). A firm texture fish, silky with a strong ginger taste, tangy and spicy kick from the Momiji Oroshi.

Sushi 5: Ika with Yuzu. The ika is bouncy and a bit sticky. As the yuzu is very mild, you can only taste it briefly before being overpowered by the wasabi.

Sushi 6: Kuruma Ebi (Tiger Prawn) stuffed with Egg. Sweet, fresh, firm and crunchy tiger prawn stuffed with chicken egg yolk. Nice presentation with a colourful prawn.

Sushi 7: Maki with Cucumber, Japanese pickles, Chopped Tuna and Aburi Otoro, topped with Ikura. Exquisite maki with two different tuna texture, topped with lots and lots of ikura.

In traditional Japanese way, Miso Soup with Tofu Skin and Cabbage round out this beautiful meal. Robust with unique ingredients in the soup.

Dessert is Daifuku. Soft and delicate mochi, stuffed with red bean fillings and strawberry. You can choose coffee or tea to be served with the dessert.

The restaurant is very spacious. The seating area can be divided into Chef’s Table, 2 private rooms and seating in the dining area. The décor is very grandeur, paying homage to Japanese elements.

Overall, it was a memorable dining experience. Chef Ono Hiroyuki is very entertaining and skilful in preparing the superb meal. Please take note that the dishes will vary depending on availability of ingredients and seasons. LD & I are impressed with the food and service here, we look forward to our next visit here. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

Full review together with the photos is available at: https://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2020/03/mai-by-dashi-master-marusaya.html

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