Sushi omakase lunch starting at $19++ at Haku Sushi

SINGAPORE – It is not uncommon these days to hear diners, when met with a $300 omakase menu, scoff: “I might as well fly to Japan.”

Great, except, have you seen the price of air travel lately? So, forget flying to Japan. Hop on the Thomson-East Coast Line instead and head to Great World, where there is great sushi to be had for less than $60. 

And that is the damage if you are feeling particularly indulgent. Lunch at Haku Sushi starts at $19++ for five pieces of sushi picked by the chef.

My serving comes with aka ebi, ikura, shima aji, anago and chutoro maki, all of which are plump, fresh and good enough to stave off the ceaseless longing for Tsukiji fish market. 

Then comes the option to add five more pieces for $18++. The higher you go, the cheaper each set becomes. The third round drops to $17++ for another five.

It is great value for 15 decent pieces of sushi, prepared Kansai-style under the direction of chef Yamamoto Yoshiki, who has over 35 years of experience.

The sushi rice is pressed lightly and perfumed with a vinegar mixture that bears a subtle, pleasant sweetness. Fish, here, is served unaged, seasoned to just the right degree. 

Though the selection of fish rotates seasonally, diners are guaranteed at least one premium seasonal ingredient in each set, which might include delicacies like ikura, uni, chutoro, anago, aka ebi or Hokkaido scallop. 

Still hungry? Add on a negitoro handroll, uni sushi or overflowing bowl of ikura for $9.90++. The kitchen slings out these plates with practised efficiency, so you could be out of the restaurant within an hour and back on the train, just in time for your next meeting. 

Where: B1-135 Great World, 1 Kim Seng Promenade
MRT: Great World
Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm daily (rolling omakase available only for lunch)
Info: str.sg/xcfV