Sushi stalwart Aoki stages comeback with new restaurant, still serving good-value chirashi sets

THE first question on one’s mind when it comes to Aoki restaurant’s new location is: Will he still serve the same value-for-money maze chirashi lunch sets that he used to at his former premises in Shaw Centre?

Yes, he will be, but at a revised price of S$60 (up from S$45) for the generous bowl of sushi rice topped with myriad chopped fish that has consistently been rated among the best chirashi sets (inclusive of salad and dessert) in town. It’s S$70 if you want it with uni, but still a good deal at a time when it’s impossible to eat in a proper sushi-ya without shelling out a minimum three-figures for an omakase-only menu even at lunchtime.

After 20 years as part of the Les Amis group where he held court at the corner of Claymore Hill, chef-owner Kunio Aoki closed shop on Dec 31 last year to strike out on his own. On Jun 13, his new eponymous venture opens in Millenia Walk – right next door to tempura restaurant Tenshima, which faces the Conrad Centennial Singapore.