Mikuni

Japanese or Italian? I was deciding between these two safe but boring choices for dinner the other day. After my horrifying experience Mamounia, I have learnt two things; firstly, that being adventurous does not always pay off; and secondly, neither my palate nor wallet can handle two consecutive Mamounia-esque meals.

The answer would be Mikuni @ Fairmont – a jazzed up restaurant that fuses modern culinary with authentic Japanese food. Previously known as Inagiku, Mikuni has been revamped with a new robatayaki counter headed by Korean chef Moon Kyung Soo.

Service is needless to say top notch, apart from the lost pubescent boy who just finished his ‘O’ Levels. Every staff greets you upon entrance, even the chefs behind the counter. The interior is decorated beautifully with various facades to cater to every occasion – from a lovely business dining room to small private corners for romantic first dates. After flipping through the textile book from Chinatown which they call a menu, your “romantic first date” better be in the Forbes 500 list.

We opted for the Grand tasting tour course ($250 per pax) because we were lazy to choose in that sense. Like every good dinner dictates, we started off with a nice sparkling sake to help put us in a good mood.

The first course was a Hokkaido smoked camembert cheese. Presentation wise was quite a marvel. The smoked cheese came in a corked bottle that sat in a questionable bed of inedible styrofoam. Upon uncorking the bottle, a whiff of smoke escapes; the mild cheese retains an amazing smoked taste that is interestingly welcomed with the occasional bites of salmon roe.

For more, please visit our website

Mikuni ranks up there as one of the premier Japanese restaurants to dine in, so when I had the chance recently to try their Winter Robata Menu Review I was really excited.

We started with the Aperetif of a dry sapporo beer with a dried scallop. I found the scallop a little dry, so be prepared for some heavy chewing to get your gums going.

The starter was Salmon Roe with Hokkaido Smoked Camembert. Chef actually creatively put this into a glass so that the essence of the smoke is trapped and the fragrance is released upon the opening of the glass bottle. This helps to open the palette before you actually take a bite of the cheese.

The soup was the Potato Pork Gyoza with Mushroom Broth. This was a wonderful clear soup - great after a long day in the office.

The sashimi dish was a sliced giant scallop topped with sea urchin. Can I get another portion please? Addictive.

We then had the Salmon Chan Chan Yaki - consisting of grilled salmon topped with rich paste mushrooms.

Next was the Hokodate, which was the Hokki Shell Soy Yaki which was a large clam cooked in a rich broth within its shell.

This was followed by a tempura dish which was the Potato and Crab Cream Komeski - rich potato balls fried in fresh oil with a strong milky after-taste.

The best things are served last and the star dishes begin to arrive. For the Tokachi dish , we had Wagyu Beef with Hokkaido Wine Sauce which was served in a bamboo paper wrap. Excellent marbling - the meat speaks for itself.

This was then followed by the Rishiri - which was an Abalone and Uni, Seaweed and Shio Gama Yaki. The abalone paired very well with the sea urchin. A large amount of salt was used to seal the goodness in the cooking process and is not meant to be eaten. Thus remove it from the top of the abalone before consumption.

The Noodle dish was the Tabara Kani with Uchiko Egg and Sapporo Miso Seafood Ramen. This has a very strong prawn flavour and despite the egg noodles which were used to soak up some of the flavour, the dish still was very aggressive and one can tell a lot of prawn stock was used in making this dish. A rich way to end the meal.

To sweeten things up, dessert was the Milk Pudding and Apple Cake, a light and pleasant way to end the meal.

Eleven courses, yet I left feeling just right. Tasting portions are the best when it comes to trying variety without feeling too full and I think Mikuni has got the mechanics right. Also, expect a good level of service to pair along with the fine dining experience. The menu ends in three days on 29 Feb, so this is your last chance to savour Chef's winter creations.

Previously Inagiku, the space and the menu was given a major overhaul last August and what you see now, is a modern Japanese restaurant called "Mikuni", serving exciting Japanese fare.

The Executive Chef of Mikuni is a korean chef (and very jovial) named Moon Kyung Soo, whose creations �pay homage to the rich history of Japanese cuisine with flair and artisanship.�. Chef Moon harnessed the finest products directly from the sub-prefectures of Sapporo, Tokachi, Rishiri and Hakodate during the winter season, creating an opulent and innovative 11-Course Kaiseki menu.

Apperitif: Sapporo Classic Beer with Dry Scallop

Our first course is Sapporo Classic Beer with Dry Scallop. A good combination, but the dry scallop was too chewy that night.

Starter: Salmon Roe with Hokkaido Smoke Camembert Cheese

Salmon Roe with Hokkaido Smoked Camembert Cheese arrived in a bottle. When you opened it, there was this dash of nice charcoal smell.

I must say that the presentation of all the dishes were very carefully done. Put the cheese in your mouth, there was a smoky hint with a burst of salmon roes in the mouth.

Soup: Potato Pork Gyoza with Mushroom Broth

What was dumpling soup doing in this Japanese restaurant? No no, it was actually Potato Pork Gyoza with Mushroom Broth. A lovely clear soup with a well flavoured pork gyoza, it warms the stomach.

Sashimi: Giant Scallop and Sea Urchin

I love the Giant Scallop and Sea Urchin very much. One big scallop was sliced into many slices and the sweet and refreshing sauce goes well with it.

Sapporo: Salmon Chan Chan Yaki

If you are wondering why was it called "Chan Chan", the waitress said this dish was usually prepare by the father (in Japanese, it is called Oto-chan), hence it was named as "Chan Chan Yaki". 

Cooked in miso sauce, the salmon and golden mushrooms were very flavourful. I like the salmon especially, very tender.

Hakodate: Hokki Shell Soy Yaki

The big fat clam from Hokki Shelll Soy Yaki was soaked in butter onion sauce. I find the sauce too salty for my liking.

Tempura: Potato and Crab Cream Kromeski

Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, Potato and Crab Cream Kromeski arrives piping hot. One bite, you can taste the crab cream melting in your mouth.

Tokachi: Wagyu Beef with Hokkaido Wine Sauce

One dining features of Mikuni is their robatayaki live station, a traditional grilling concept where food is cooked over charcoal fire. 

The Wagyu Beef with Hokkaido Wine Sauce was excellent. The robata grilled wagyu was very juicy and tender. It certainly gives you a �melt-in-your-mouth� feeling.

Rishiri: Abalone and Uni, Seaweed and Shio Gama Yaki

No no, it was not glutinous rice in the lotus leaf. Opening up the big piece of grilled salt, is Abalone and Uni, Seaweed and Shio Gama Yaki. 

Shio Gama is a japanese salt that helps to retain the flavour of the dish when grilled. True enough, the abalone and uni was moist and tender.

Noodle: Taraba Kani with Uchiko Egg and Sapporo Miso Seafood Ramen

It was a long dining journey in Mikuni. Initially, I thought I would still be hungry after my 11 course meal. But I was wrong. By now, I was filling to the brim but when Taraba Kani with Uchiko Egg and Sapporo Miso Seafood Ramen came, I couldn't bear to stop eating. 

Although the ramen broth was boiled for 16 hours, but it wasn't as intense as I thought it would be. Which was a good thing, as it won't be too heavy on my tummy. The ramen came with a beautiful runny egg and a big fresh prawn.

Dessert: Milk Pudding and Apple Cake

Last but not least, dessert was Milk Pudding and Apple Cake. the milk pudding was smooth and creamy, but I think the apple cake can be softer.

Mikuni offers a robatayaki counter teeming with action-packed, Japanese style grilling, dynamic sushi and teppanyaki stations, and a vibrant sake bar. Its chic Japanese look with touches of blue and gold allow diner to enjoy a casual but intimate dining experience.

If you are interested to try the Winter Robata menu, make your reservation now as the promotion runs from 1 to 29 February 2012. The set menu is priced at $280+++ per person and $350++ per person with sake pairing.

For more photos, please click here.