It being the birthday of my InstaGram GirlFriend (IGGF), it goes without saying that we had to celebrate with Japanese cuisine. And at Shinji, no less!

If one doesn’t know yet, my IGGF loves her sushi-s and is a regular at Shinji (Raffles Hotel). So when I learnt she has been wanting to check out Shinji (St Regis), lunch reservation was made for Saturday with special request for chef Kobayashi. Yes, birthday girl’s request. =)

Located within St Regis, it’s a 12 to 15 minutes walk from Orchard MRT station.

Upon entering the entrance of Shinji, the waitress led us to our (counter) seats. And I immediately noticed Shinji at St Regis was more spacious, had higher ceiling and went with a less warm lighting. And from the menu (pages 1, 2), we ordered:-

1) Yume (omakase special), $250 comprised of:-

  

(A) Dish #1 (above) – Sweet fish (ayu) and herring roe.

(B) Dish #2 (above) – Assorted sashimi of golden eye snapper, tuna and giant clam (ishigakigai).

(C) Dish #3 (above) – Poached tuna cheek with grated radish soaked in ponzu sauce.

(D) Dish #4 (above) – Long spine sea urchin wrapped with flounder (hirame), topped with salmon roe (ikura).

(E) Dish #5 (above) – Grilled sole fish (taichiuo).

  
  
  
  
  
  

(F) Dish #6 (above) – Sushi assortment of sea bass, yellow tail, medium fatty tuna (chutoro), otoro (premium fatty tuna), horse mackerel, short spine sea urchin (bafun uni), prawn and sea eel (anago) served 2 ways (sweet sauce and salt), omelette and hand roll of minced tuna.

(G) Dish #7 (above) – Tuna soup stock with mozuku sea weed.

(H) Dish #8 (above) – Fruits.

2) Yuki (15 pieces sushi course set), $180 comprised of:-

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

(A) Dish #1 (above) – Sushi assortment of flounder, big eye snapper (kinmedai), sea bass (suzuki), yellow jack, medium fatty tuna (chutoro), baby white shrimp (shiro-ebi) topped with caviar, otoro (premium fatty tuna), gizzard shad (kohada), pacific saury (sanma), horse mackerel, violet sea urchin (murasaki uni), short spine sea urchin (bafun uni), giant clam (ishigakigai), tiger prawn (kuruma-ebi) and sea eel (anago) served 2 ways (sweet sauce and salt), omelette and hand roll of minced tuna.

(B) Dish #2 – Similar to mine; Tuna soup stock with mozuku sea weed.

(C) Dish #3 (above) – Dessert.

(D) Dish #4, Complimentary (above) – And Shinji at St Regis celebrates patron’s birthday differently from Raffles Hotel’s. Instead of elaborated party props and dance moves, the staff at St Regis’s Shinji celebrated in what I called “the refined way” with just a fruits platter that included a candle (not photographed). And with a birthday song, of course. And as we tucked into our desserts, chef Kobayashi san shared that they didn’t dim the lights cause unlike Shinji at Raffles Hotel which only had 3 switches, there are too many switches for the many lights at St Regis’s Shinji. He joked that they don’t know which switch is for which section!

What’s my take on Shinji at St Regis? There’s no doubt about the execution of food. However, in all honesty, my lunch omakase experience didn’t feel like it was worth $250 due to the choice of ingredients. Especially for the appetiser and cooked dish. Crab and (more) sea urchin for me please! And because I am also a visual person. The non-extravagant plating failed to leave an impression.

But if one comes for lunch, I would encourage one to opt for their sushi set over the omakase course. I was impressed with the many exotic fishes included in my IGGF’s sushi course set. Like the pacific saury which was in the season (Autumn) and is a small fish priced at $400.

And the ultimate question of “Shinji at Raffles Hotel or Shinji at St Regis?” Both outlets are distinctly different. But I would go for the former. I preferred their distinctly vinegared sushi rice (shari) and the choice of warm lighting which made the space feel more inviting, warmer and cosier.

UPDATE 1: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Singapore 2016.
UPDATE 2: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Singapore 2017.
UPDATE 3: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Singapore 2018.

Related posts:

Lunch @ Shinji by Kanesaka (Carlton Hotel) Lunch @ Shinji by Kanesaka (Raffles Hotel) Lunch @ Oshino | Sushi Restaurant in City Hall [Revisit] Lunch @ Ginza Sushi Ichi | Sushi Restaurant in Orchard Lunch @ Ki-Sho [Revisit]