Hard-to-beat  under-S$100 sushi deals at Aoki

NEW RESTAURANT

Aoki #01-11 Millenia Walk 9 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039596 Tel:  6333 8015 Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Sat: 11:45 am to 3 pm; 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

THERE’S one thing that Aoki makes you feel that no other sushi restaurant in Singapore has been able to do for a long time: not poor.

There’s no need to agonise: S$180 entry level lunch, or S$280? S$380 dinner or splurge on the S$450 omakase, and eat at home for the rest of the month?

Instead, think S$75 for a nine-piece sushi lunch, or the whole shebang at S$100 for 11 pieces. Not served in a bento-style, pre-made platter either, but individually served from the hand of veteran chef-owner Kunio Aoki or his trusty right hand chef, Soh Chee Wai. At dinner, the most expensive sushi omakase clocks in at S$250 for a staggering 17 pieces. And that’s not counting a shorter 12-piece option for S$130. But if you’re flush with cash and want to go top dollar, they’re happy to oblige too.

Enter the new-old Aoki, now in freshly pressed premises in Millenia Walk, 20 years after dominating a corner of Shaw Centre. The menu is more streamlined, but its essence remains: an equal opportunity sushiya where you can spend as little or as much as you want.

The space is compact but not cramped, holding a 10-seater counter and two private rooms. It’s posh, with handcrafted wooden panels spanning the length of the wall behind the chefs, and motion-sensor toilet bowls in the fancy bathrooms. 

The counter is built such that you’re much closer to the chefs, which makes it easier to engage – yet you can totally ignore them and they wouldn’t take offence. Aoki himself is not prone to small talk, but there’s always the ever-smiley chef Wai (as he’s better known) with his “Aoki is really not as unfriendly as he seems” assuring look to put you at ease.

The two of them work totally in sync together and their seamless operation, very fresh seafood – now made even more enticing thanks to the open display they have in front of you – and sensible pricing, make Aoki a firm favourite in our book. 

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At lunch, the maze chirashi is of course a must, priced at S$60, or S$70 if you want uni added to the mix of marinated tuna, shrimp, clams, white fish, ikura and sweet omelette all cut into uniform dice and piled into a large bowl with just a thin layer of sushi rice at the bottom. It feels more substantial than what the old restaurant used to serve, when it was priced at around S$45, and smaller appetites may even struggle to finish it. 

On top of that, you get a small appetiser and salad, finishing off with a proper dessert of black sesame ice cream sandwiched in a monaka wafer, edamame mochi, warabi mochi and sakura wine jelly. 

The S$75 nigiri set is an even better deal, with nine pieces of perfectly fine sushi (without uni), ending off with a generous tuna roll made with both chutoro and akami, and tamago. You also get an appetiser, salad, chawanmushi and dessert as part of the package.

But for an extended experience where Aoki flexes his sushi-making chops while showcasing some of his top ingredients, go for the S$250 sushi omakase. Don’t expect much by way of appetisers in the form of sashimi or cooked items, though. You’ll get some seasonal snacks such as gingko nuts or mozuku seaweed, but otherwise, this is hard-core sushi. 

With shipments coming in four times a week, Aoki’s ingredients are tip-top fresh and he doesn’t believe in ageing, except for a lightly aged and smoked katsuo (skipjack tuna). White fish is firm and plump, with hoshi-karei (starry flounder), tai (sea bream), and pricey shiro amadai (tilefish) on the lineup. The amadai is lightly torched for a subtle smokiness.

There’s also soft and smooth tuna, with its paper qualifications on display. This particular specimen comes from Aomori, and the chutoro is creamy soft, followed closely by smooth, deep red akami, and otoro. Baby kohada is always more palatable than its pungent grown-up cousin – we get both – while red uni from Kumamoto is a treat. The only disappointment is a grilled scallop that’s off its peak and overpowered by a sweet sauce. 

While there’s no quibble over the ingredients, Aoki’s shari or sushi rice always draws debate over its texture and seasoning, with some finding it a little too soft or salty. But there is quite a fair bit of variation this time as he switches up the seasoning and texture according to the topping, so you’ll like some more than others.

Even as sushi restaurants continue to go the omakase route, the flexibility of Aoki’s menu puts it in a better condition to compete in the current tough market. As chef Wai puts it, “if you don’t change, you don’t survive”. With Aoki’s realistic approach, quality and fair pricing, it’s a combination that’s hard to beat.

Rating: 7.5