Food Picks: Affordable chirashi bowls at Chirashizushi Shou

I have been to Chirashizushi Shou an embarrassing number of times in the past two weeks for someone whose job revolves around trying as many new restaurants as possible. 

The first time, I was finishing up a late assignment and craving a nice big bowl of quality sashimi. The second was at the suggestion of a colleague, another recent convert to the cult of Chirashizushi Shou.

And the third was while running errands with my family at Thomson Plaza, a mid-range sushi haven that earlier in 2024 welcomed the brand’s third outlet – it also has branches at Bukit Timah Plaza and Jalan Jurong Kechil – to the fold. 

What sets Chirashizushi Shou apart from the rest of the competition is the standard of its fish. Here, you get thick, buttery chunks of sashimi piled generously on a bed of lightly vinegared sushi rice. Prices start from as low as $11.90 for a mini chirashi don, though the truly impressive fare is priced upwards of $25. 

I try the amaebi chirashi don ($25.90), a handsome bowl of cubed tuna, salmon, swordfish and yellowtail, all marbled, sweet and remarkably fresh, even at 9pm. Underneath this chunky blanket lies four sweet shrimp. A sole amber egg yolk tops it all off, along with a light sprinkle of spring onions and sesame seeds. 

My colleague swears by the premium kaisen don ($28.90), which features plump slices of salmon, salmon belly, swordfish, tuna, yellowtail and scallop instead of cubes. At its centre sits a heap of salmon roe, which adds a hit of briny richness. 

If there is anything my three visits have taught me, it is that this chain – formerly known as Sumo-Ya – is named after its star dish for a reason.

Do not bother with the cooked dishes, which are serviceable but not particularly outstanding. Other variations of raw fish with rice, like the stringy mound of sashimi strips known as a haru bowl ($16.90) or the spicy chirashi don ($17.90), whose little bits of chilli padi do nothing for the fish, prove underwhelming too. 

All mains come with a salad doused with sesame sauce, as well as a serving of hot miso soup. 

Where: 02-09 Thomson Plaza, 301 Upper Thomson Road (as well as outlets at Bukit Timah Plaza and Jalan Jurong Kechil)
MRT: Upper Thomson
Open: 11.30am to 4pm, 5.30 to 9.30pm, daily 
Info:

@zushishou

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