Cheapest S$115 Japanese omakase in town at Yuta

New Restaurant Yuta #02-12 Orchard Plaza 150 Orchard Road Singapore 238841 Tel: 8858-0012 Open for dinner only Mon to Sat: 6pm to 11pm

IN LIFE, we have learnt the hard way that there is no such thing as a bargain. Much as we’d like to subscribe to Man’s fervent belief that you can get more for less, experience has shown that one man’s bargain is really another man’s carefully managed expectations.

Yuta’s S$115 omakase naturally appeals to our eternal optimism, touting a curated 10-course Japanese meal offering A5 wagyu, otoro and uni in intimate surroundings just like its S$400-plus per head counterparts. But remember – expectations. You get all the ingredients promised, but it’s not so much what you get but what you don’t. Such as a Japanese-born chef; direct supply chain; woodsy-scented private bathrooms; even real cherry blossom twigs flown in to dress up your hassun. Plus you’re in Orchard Plaza, with public toilets that inexplicably attract both men and women with very active digestive systems. We thought Chijmes’ bathrooms were bad, but this is next-level. 

In other words, Yuta is cheap in the way that a GrabCar ride (before surge pricing) is cheap and a new Category B COE continental car is not. Once you settle into that reality, you can accept Yuta for what it is – zero ambience and basic ingredients, but thoughtfully presented in a make-the-most-of-what-you-have manner.

You can’t miss the second floor eatery with its bright blue facade that stands out like a cry of resistance against the surrounding squalor. The interior is a dull brown and grey, and it’s a tight squeeze fitting in the eight-seat counter, a couple of tiny tables and a semi-private area squished behind a partition.

The counter is helmed by a non-Japanese chef who has a good handle on budget and tries hard to add little flourishes where he can. There’s only so much he can do but for the price – and we have paid more for lousy sashimi in better surroundings – you really can’t quibble. And there’s a young lady server Elsie who’s endearing for her sweet disposition and efficient, attentive service. 

The menu changes frequently depending on ingredients and season. We start off with a large oyster that’s acceptably fresh if not right off the boat, bathed in light ponzu with a dab of spicy radish to counter its shortcomings. 

Charcoal-hued cold somen noodles look pretty in a glass cup doused in an overly-salty dipping sauce and garnished with a thin slice of wagyu tataki – not necessary, but one of the many ways the chef gives the perception of luxury.

There’s a fair amount of sashimi in the menu, starting with a scant four pieces fanned out on a plate to look more substantial. It’s nothing too fancy –  salmon, scallop, red shrimp and flounder that won’t embarrass their brethren, but won’t impress any in-laws either. 

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You also get chargrilled A5 Kagoshima wagyu - three thin, very rare slices paired with homemade wasabi relish, thin asparagus and the cutest carved quail egg rabbit ever. It’s an effort that doesn’t go unnoticed, even if you’re distracted by loud golf buddy-types who want the whole restaurant to know their thoughts about onboarding, Brompton bikes and the possibility that the Mona Lisa in the Louvre is a fake. 

We try not to listen and focus on the best dish which isn’t at all Japanese – a gutsy chicken-soybean broth with so much flavour it even seeps into the melting soft piece of daikon. There’s some maitake mushroom and bits of minced pork and chicken in it. Elsie even obliges with refills. 

But we’ll pass on the oddly spiced deep fried potato croquette stuffed with asparagus and shrimp which has a nice crunch but little else. Homemade tonkatsu sauce streaked with mayo adds colour but no help. 

A slight uptick in momentum comes from a trio of sushi – fleshy slabs of similar medium quality otoro, aji and seared hirame on cold balls of rice, followed by a bite-sized portion of uni-topped rice. Dig into chewy rice with a glossy yellow sheen from mixing with creamy uni, topped with a couple more fresh lobes for good measure. 

The finale? A chirashi hand roll that’s more satisfying than the sushi because the rice is warm and the sashimi plentiful, packed into a nori cone and finished off with piping hot seaweed soup. And the obligatory scoop of ice cream – the go-to dessert of budget outfits.

Yuta defines itself more by price than finesse, but it does so with a sense of sincerity in really wanting to offer value rather than as a quantity-over-quality marketing ploy. But there is cheap and there is expensive, and ne’er the twain can meet. Not in Singapore anyway. So yes, manage your expectations and Yuta could be the bargain you’re looking for.

Rating: 6