The Gen XY Lifestyle
Tburu: New Japanese Sushi And Grill Restaurant
The same person behind Kiku at Duxton, Calvin Yeung, has launched another restaurant in Singapore, Tburu.
Chef, restaurateur and designer, Calvin Yeung has once again combined design, space and food into a multi-sensorial experience in his latest offering – a Japanese sushi and grill restaurant. Known as Tburu, the new restaurant is located at Level 5 of orchardgateway@emerald, with the restaurant offering guests a quiet retreat at the heart of Orchard Road.
At Tburu, you can expect to find a wide variety of premium sushi, sashimi and grilled items made from the freshest seasonal ingredients flown in directly from Japan. Tburu flies in several kinds of special fish that are rarely offered by other Japanese restaurants in Singapore; such as Itoyori (Golden Tread), Houbou (Gurnard), Renkodai (Yellow Seabream), and Umaduda Hagi (Horse Leatherjacket). As for the grill menu, guests can look forward to a variety of premium meats unique to Tburu including A4-grade wagyu, Kurobuta belly,T-bone steak, Iberico pork jaw, lamb rack, chicken gizzards, and even duck tongue!
Here are some of the dishes we tried:
Cucumber from Kyushu with Homemade Miso
A refreshing and light appetiser, the cucumbers are sliced into medium-sized strips and paired with a unique savoury homemade miso paste at the side. Though the miso may probably entice you more than the cucumbers themselves, this makes for a great starter before you go on to the heavier dishes. The Cucumber from Kyushu with Homemade Miso is going at S$12+.
Kanpachi Carpaccio with Truffle Oil
If you’re a truffle oil fan, you’ll be delighted to know that it tastes great even with raw fish! The thinly sliced Kanpachi (Amberjack fish) is topped off with savoury fish roe and glazed with truffle oil. As the Kanpachi Carpaccio can be slightly fragile, the best way to enjoy it is to fold it over gently and have everything wrapped up all at once. The Kanpachi Carpaccio with Truffle Oil is going at S$22+.
Hotate Chawanmushi
At first glance, the piping hot chawanmushi may be mistaken for a dessert-like pudding as it’s served in a glass unlike the conventional ceramic ones used in most Japanese restaurants. Served in generous portions, the chawanmushi melts in your mouth with every bite and is complemented with wasabi-flavoured Tobiko (flying fish roe) on the top for added texture and flavour. As you reach the bottom of the glass, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find some mushroom and Hotate (scallop) pieces. The Hotate Chawanmushi is going at S$14+.
Whole Fish Sashimi from T-bar
What’s interesting about the sashimi in this dish is that the raw fish slices were first seared lightly before they were immersed in iced water immediately after, giving it an enhanced flavour unlike your typical sashimi. Served with a slice of lime at the side, the sashimi tastes good even on its own with no fishy aftertaste. The different types of sashimi we tried included the Itoyori, the Houbou and the Renkodai. The Whole Fish Sashimi from T-bar starts from S$68+ for a whole fish.
Hotate Foagura Maki
What’s unique about the Hotate Foagura Maki is the ‘Foagura’ resting atop the sushi rolls. ‘Foagura’ is basically Tburu’s own way of spelling the French delicacy, Foie Gras. This luxurious maki is therefore filled with Hotate (scallop) and mounted with duck liver on the top. If you’re not much of a Foie Gras fan, you might want to give this maki a miss. The Hotate Foagura Maki is going at S$32+.
Mentaiko Sushi
If you’re a fan of Mentaiko (marinated cod fish roe), you’ll love the Mentaiko Sushi at Tburu. The sushi is slathered with a fairly thick layer of smooth and savoury mentaiko. The Mentaiko Sushi is going at S$14+ for two pieces.
Sake Mentaiko Aburi Sushi
As the name suggests, the Sake Mentaiko Aburi Sushi comes with a partially grilled salmon sashimi with slightly grilled mentaiko on the top. However, it may be slightly hard to taste any of the slightly charred mentaiko which makes it seem like an ordinary aburi sushi. The Sake Mentaiko Aburi Sushi is going at S$14+.
Grilled A4 Wagyu
This is probably a must-try dish at Tburu especially for the meat-lovers. Imagine the exquisite fragrance of the wagyu cubes served with a fancy glass cover and uncovered before you. The A4-grade wagyu cubes are bursting with flavour and grilled to perfection. With all things being said, the pleasure derived from these juicy, tender wagyu cubes are short-lived as they are served in very small portions. The Grilled A4 Wagyu is going at S$22+.
Iberico Buta Jaw
Another interesting must-try dish for meat-lovers is the Iberico Buta Jaw. Served with grilled baby potatoes and garlic on the side, the pork jaw is seasoned in a savoury marinade and served in chewy slices. The Iberio Buta Jaw is going at S$18+.
Mushroom from Kyushu
Though not one the most flavourful dishes, these mushrooms from Kyushu definitely taste different from the usual. The mushrooms are slightly charred on the edges, yet manages to retain a springy texture and are juicier than the average mushroom. The Mushroom from Kyushu is going at S$5+.
The lunch sets are going from S$16+ and dinner averages at about S$60+ per pax exclusive of drinks.
You can visit Tburu Sushi & Grill at #05-01, orchardgateway@emerald, 218 Orchard Road, Singapore 238851.
