Not-so-haute Japanese cuisine at Hamamoto

NEW RESTAURANT

Hamamoto 58 Tras Street Singapore 078995 Tel: 9672 7110 Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Fri: 12pm to 3pm; 6.30pm to 10pm. Dinner only on Sat and public holidays. Closed on Sun.

ANOTHER day, another new Japanese restaurant. Another new Japanese restaurant, another test of how much people are prepared to pay for an omakase menu in Singapore that they can no longer go to Tokyo to get. Not yet anyway.

All we can say is, once we get the all-clear to Japan, we're out of here. We're getting priced out of the local market where the question "What's the threshold?" is answered with "What threshold?". When dinner menus that top the S$400 mark for the most basic set are given a cursory glance in favour of a $550 option, we know - there ain't no place for us in this town no more.

Perhaps we would be less resentful if the price-quality ratio was there, but more often than not, we can't help thinking that somewhere between Toyosu and here, somebody is eating the premium toro meant for us and going, "Hee hee hee . . . suckers!"

Hamamoto is the latest, if not the only, top-end restaurant to benefit from Japanese food lovers' largesse, meeting little resistance to omakase-only menus that start at S$280 for lunch and S$425 for dinner. So comfortable is it at diners' compliance that menus are presented to you without prices, with a subtle if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-afford-it air about it.

If we hadn't already checked its website and come mentally prepared, it would have been a rude shock. But even then, with two menus to pick from, there was a panicked Russian roulette moment that we might have picked the pricier one by mistake. Because, yes, we were too proud to ask.

Hamamoto is the eponymous debut of Kazuhiro Hamamoto, formerly of Ki-Sho, which for all intents and purposes delivers a stronger and more varied dining experience.

It's not like Hamamoto's persona has changed - he is still personable, and seems in theory to continue in his pursuit of artisanal ingredients across Japan. Although we did hear "Hokkaido" a lot on the night we were there.

As expected, the restaurant is as fancy as money can buy. A discreet black door slides open to reveal a cavernous space with soft lighting, grey walls and blond wood panels. A long, curved wooden - maybe not hinoki but impressively thick nonetheless - counter is flanked by cosy leather armchairs.

We're not saying the food is bad at Hamamoto. It's alright. But if it's ok to pay S$425 for food that's just alright, then, well, alright.

It kicks off with a seasonal starter trio - a portion of kegani or hairy crab under a refreshing mild vinegar jelly and edamame; almost custardy ankimo bathed in a too-sweet sauce; obligatory scallop topped with ikura. So far, pretty but predictable.

In between, the young chef assistant fiddles with a large tray of pre-sliced sashimi that he takes in and out of the fridge, indicating a preference for convenience over the deliberate slicing of fish in front of you - of which there is little that night. Nonetheless, he does serve us a very good tachiuo or belt fish, fluffy and whispery crisp from a light coating of tempura batter, topped with lightly pickled Kyoto onions and red pepper strips.

There's a bit of show and tell beforehand, with a display of seasonal matsutake mushrooms and shirako, aka cod milt or sperm. Precious few slivers of the prized mushroom make their appearance in a bowl of good dashi broth clouded slightly by the creamy shirako. The mushrooms have lost much of their fragrance on the trip from the forest but retain some bite and flavour. The shirako leans slightly towards funky town, as if the cod squeezed in a medley at a Beach Road KTV on its way to the restaurant.

A quintet of sushi follows, including uneventful pieces of amberjack, chutoro, baby sea bream and kawahagi - bouncy leatherfish topped with its creamy liver and a blob of yuzu foam. We're also shown a tantalising tray of some of the biggest botan ebi we've seen, complete with vivid green roe. But when we get to eat it, it's maybe a thumb-sized piece of sweet slippery flesh, gone in one bite. It's akin to a French restaurant where you're shown a beautifully roasted whole Challans duck, only to be served a carefully plated nugget cut from the skinny side of its ankle.

But the best dish of the night is still to come - and it's a beautiful piece of char-broiled unagi that emits an audible crunch when cut into serving pieces and served with simple salt and wasabi or a sweet, sticky tare. Fat, moist and juicy with a delicate freshness, this signature dish dates back to Ki-Sho - no wonder we love it. Deep-fried eel bones that you can crunch like an addictive snack seal the deal.

The rest of the meal - in fact, most of it - is a dialled-in sushi performance. Ikura marinated in white miso and sake lees; a cute shimofuri peekaboo sushi of fatty tuna draped over a blob of uni that peeps out at you; roasted nodoguro and bincho-broiled toro with strips of matsutake.

Since we're the only ones to take the cheap set - everyone else takes the S$550 version with wagyu and bone marrow topped with uni and caviar - Hamamoto kindly gifts us a maki. We appreciate the offer, even as we watch the young chef trying to resuscitate a spring onion that so clearly wants to die. But he doesn't stop until he salvages a limp usable stalk to add to our hand roll. Well, one up for low food waste.

But what we can't quite accept is the sweet tamago cake that ends most sushi meals. Fishy, squishy and sticky, the cube of omelette tastes like a mistake someone didn't want to admit. Then again, we would be worried if it wasn't.

With a restaurant that's fully booked till the end of December, it's easy to see why there's no need to break a sweat to cater to an already loyal crowd. With just one assisting chef and another one in the kitchen that we can see, manpower issues look to be a reason for the safe and fuss-free menu. Hamamoto is no slouch, and he hasn't gained a following for no reason. We may never get to see if he ramps up his game, but with a fan base like he has, he can take his time.

Rating: 6.5

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

10: The ultimate dining experience 9-9.5: Sublime 8-8.5: Excellent 7-7.5: Good to very good 6-6.5: Promising 5-5.5: Average

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