Food Picks: Rice bowls heaped with ikura at Mare Hachikyo at Palais Renaissance
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Mare Hachikyo's signature donabe (left) is savoured three ways and its signature Hokkaido temaki starts the nine-course omakase.
PHOTOS: MARE HACHIKYO
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SINGAPORE – What is the best way to get over returning from a Tokyo holiday? Head straight for more Japanese food – at kappo-style restaurant Mare Hachikyo at Palais Renaissance.
Opened on March 17, the establishment hails from Sapporo, Hokkaido, and refreshes its menu here every six weeks to showcase the prefecture’s best seasonal produce.
A nine-course omakase ($228++) is available for lunch and dinner or you can pick a minimum of five dishes from this menu for dinner at a la carte prices.
Some dishes from the omakase are also available in set lunches, with a choice of three, four or five courses priced from $68++ to $108++.
I dive into the omakase, which kicks off with the signature Hokkaido temaki, featuring kegani (hairy crab), ikura (salmon roe) and uni – all cradled in crisp, lightly toasted Japanese seaweed.
Other dishes that follow include a kinki fish and aonori seaweed soup, seasonal sashimi and Hokkaido Kuroge wagyu tenderloin topped with chef’s special onion sauce.
The star item is the signature donabe served three ways – on its own with seasonal seafood; ochazuke-style topped with warm dashi; and the most luxurious way, with ikura heaped onto the rice.
In fact, the chef will scoop ikura into your bowl continuously while cheering “oisa” energetically, until you tell him to stop.
In Japanese, the word “oisa” is used as a cheer or encouragement, meaning to give rhythm or go faster. At Mare Hachikyo, it also loosely means “more”.
While it is tempting to let him go on and on, three generous scoops are more than enough for me.
Where: 01-07 Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road @marehachikyo.sg
MRT: Orchard
Open: 12.30 to 3pm, 7 to 10pm (Mondays to Saturdays), closed on Sundays
Tel: 8428-0073
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