Last updated on December 1st, 2023 at 03:12 am
From now till 30 April 2023, two Michelin stars Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa from No. 10 Asia’s Best Restaurant and No. 44 World’s Best Restaurant NARISAWA and his entire front of house and kitchen team from Tokyo will be at Singapore’s most chic private member club, Mandala Club, for the entire duration of the 5-week residency. Welcome to NARISAWA in Singapore:
This is a once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experience where you get to enjoy NARISAWA in Singapore as the restaurant in Tokyo will be closed during this exclusive residency.
Unlike other international celebrity or famous chefs restaurants that only put their name on the brand and leave the day-to-day operations to their staff, Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa believes in being in the kitchen and front of the house as he appreciates every guest who visit his restaurant. This is not only evident at his restaurant in Tokyo but also his current 5-week residency in Singapore.
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My First Impression of NARISAWA in Singapore
Upon entering the venue at Mandala Club, I noticed the showcase that features Porsche’s first fully-electric sports car, the Taycan – here, you can take part in the digital treasure hunt and stand to win an all-expenses paid trip for two to the Porsche Experience Centre in Tokyo, Japan.
The entire lobby of Mandala Club is transformed into a zen-like forest unlike anything I’ve seen before at this venue previously. There are soil, branches and trees indoor. The aesthetics was a visual art and I was quickly greeted by the hosts.
Feeling joyful and welcomed, I got distracted by the formalities and I did not notice if there was any ambience sound of rustling forest and bird chirping nor sense a forest-like scent upon arrival (unlike my experience at MASL in Singapore) – which I think it would leave a deeper first impression when our visual, smell and auditory senses activated.
I was ushered into The Masters Table, the main dining room, where NARISAWA is housed. It is an intimate space that seats only 36 guests. Every table has an unblocked, full view of Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa and his core team working the magic at the grand kitchen island while the main kitchen is out of sight.
Meet Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa
Meeting Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa for the first time was a humbling experience.
Even though he doesn’t really speak English (his son Leo Narisawa does a great job with English translation), Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa embodied a quiet confidence that exudes, warmth, gratitude and humility at the same time.
It felt like I was walking in the zen forest with a restaurant in the midst of it and Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is the masterchef that harness the energy of nature with his food. It was so calming.
For a moment, I almost forgot about the busyness of this media lunch where everyone else was greeting one another and getting all riled up for this highly anticipated lunch experience.
I mustered up my courage to speak in Japanese and asked Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa for a photo together.
“写真?” フォト
(translated in English: Photo?)
He welcomed the photo opportunity with grace.
What is Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa known for?
Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is renowned for his innovative Satoyama cuisine.
He runs the two Michelin stars restaurant called NARISAWA in Tokyo that achieved the No. 10 spot on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in March 2023 and No. 44 World’s Best Restaurant last year. NARISAWA has been recognized internationally and awarded for 15 years consecutively.
In the culinary world, Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa needs no introduction. His restaurant is one of the finest dining destination in Tokyo where many of his guests would specially travel to Tokyo for a meal at NARISAWA.
The foundation of his innovative Satoyama cuisine, is the Japanese Satoyama culture. It is a traditional way of life and agriculture for rural communities living in forested areas surrounding urban regions. This culture emphasizes sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, community-based decision-making, and intergenerational knowledge sharing and cooperation.
With Singapore’s multinational cuisine and produce from local farms and neighboring countries, Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa pays tribute to the incredible ingredients of Asia and Oceania that is rooted in the Japanese Satoyama culture through NARISAWA in Singapore.
The Masters Table Experience
There are 2 dining experiences that you can choose from at NARISAWA in Singapore: The Masters Table or The Satoyama Room.
For The Masters Table lunch experience, there are 2 choices: 8-course or 12-course which comes with 3 types of beverage pairing options from tea, sake and wine or solely wine pairing.
While The Satoyama Room offers with both food-only as well as beverage pairing options that starts from SGD 398++ for a 8-course (food-only) weekday lunch; for group of minimum 4 guests.
My NARISAWA in Singapore: Lunch experience
I had the 12 courses that include sake & wine pairing (SGD 846++) which is also available for dinner. This luxury menu is the ultimate experience of NARISAWA in Singapore.
1st course:
Singapore “30/30”
Scenery of Edible Garden City, Aroma of Malaysia
2nd course:
Baby Sweetfish and Sakura from Japan
3rd course:
“Bread of the Forest”
4th course:
120.7kg Tuna from Shiogama Miyagi, Sea Urchin from Usujiri, South Hokkaido
5th course:
Spanner Crab from Queensland Australia and Caviar from Hangzhou China
6th course:
Duck from Malaysia, Pineapple from Philippines, Soba Crape, Sweet Soy Sauce
7th course:
Rosy Seabass from Yamaguchi, Aroma of Brown Rice Vinegar
8th course:
“Temari”
9th course:
Vanilla from Bali Indonesia, Maroon, Australia
10th course:
Wagyu Beef from Kagoshima, wrapped in Banana Leaf Rose Apple and Mangosteen from Malaysia, Dragon Fruit and Longan from Thailand
11th course:
Brown Sugar, Kikai Island Kagoshima, Yame Matcha, Fukuoka
12 course:
Strawberry from Fukuoka and Nioikobushi from Gifu, and Sakura from Kanagawa and Monka from Toyama
Every dish and sake/wine pairing progressed exceptionally well with attentive service and introduction of each course and beverage in fluent English by his team from Tokyo.
Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa also made the effort to go to each table to further explain certain dishes and drinks in simple English whenever he could.
From gastronomic surprises like the “Bread of Forest” for me to the unplanned cheers from the crowd when the fire alarm briefly went off during the grill, Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa carried a sense of calmness and grace with his presence.
My Most Unforgettable Dishes
Every course was impressive in its own way. Realistically, it is challenging to write about all 12 distinct courses after a boozy lunch with impeccable sake and wine pairing while filming, tasting and sometimes talking to my table mate whom I met for the first time.
Nevertheless, like every incredible gastronomic experience, I’ll always have my most unforgettable dishes and here are mine at NARISAWA in Singapore:
1st course:
Singapore “30/30”
Scenery of Edible Garden City, Aroma of Malaysia
Looks like there is “soil” and bits of leaves and flowers on the wooden presentation, but this first course sets the tone of Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s ingenious culinary skills and philosophy that harmonizes nature with food.
This course is a special rendition of NARISAWA’s signature “Satoyama Scenery” in Tokyo.
With the use of soybeans sourced from a tofu shop near by, Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa fermented it and made the fermented soy milk paste that is hidden underneath the herbs that were harvested from local gardens and farms. This is the most delicious “garden” that I’ve ever eaten.
2nd course:
Baby Sweetfish and Sakura from Japan
March and April is also Spring time in Tokyo and baby sweetfish signifies the beginning of Spring with Japanese national flower, Sakura, in bloom. I felt like I was eating from a 3D painting of baby sweetfish swimming in the river stream with fallen sakura petals. I could literally smell the sakura when I was having this culinary art.
3rd course:
“Bread of the Forest”
Have you ever had your bread fermented right in front of you – on your table while you’re dining at the restaurant? I bet it’s only at NARISAWA.
This meaning behind this course runs deeper than simply having the bread fermentation on my table – which is already an interesting dining experience. It is actually a reminder and acknowledgement of microbes that make up this world and are not visible to the naked eyes.
Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa uses the wild yeast from Shirakami Mountains and the microbes works on the last phase of bread fermentation before the bread is baked.
4th course:
120.7kg Tuna from Shiogama Miyagi, Sea Urchin from Usujiri, South Hokkaido
This is a special collaboration with the exclusive tuna supplier from Shiogama Miyagi which has a long running waiting list of buyers that spans up to years. Because of Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s relationship with his tuna supplier, you’ll get to enjoy this exclusive tuna in Singapore complemented with the sweet sea urchin from Hokkaido.
5th course:
Spanner Crab from Queensland Australia and Caviar from Hangzhou China
I’m a seafood lover and this hits the spot too.
6th course:
Duck from Malaysia, Pineapple from Philippines, Soba Crape, Sweet Soy Sauce
I like that Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa chooses this game meat. Like rabbit meat that is commonly used in local dishes in Italy, we’ve got duck meat in local dishes in Singapore. This is chef’s interpretation of Peking Duck and it is created with such refinement with tropical tastes of South East Asia.
7th course:
Rosy Seabass from Yamaguchi, Aroma of Brown Rice Vinegar
Rosy Seabass (Akamutsu in Japanese) is a deep sea fish which gives it a very high fat content that is incredibly satisfying. The texture and flavor is similar to Kinmedai but it is fattier and more oily with sweetness. It was exceptional with the brown rice vinegar.
8th course:
“Temari”
Meticulously put together with different types of vegetables with seafood inside, this “Temari” was a stunning and refreshing palate cleanser to me.
9th course:
Vanilla from Bali Indonesia, Maroon, Australia
This heavy and creamy lobster meat surprised me with how well-balanced it became after it was mixed with the acidity of the tomato and vanilla sauce. The meat was beautifully cooked with generous portions. Thumbs up for me.
I’d normally wiped out the entire lobster dish but (at this point of writing) I stunned that I totally forgot to eat the claw meat for the first time. Maybe I was getting full, maybe it was simply too beautiful, but I’m really sad to write about it. I hope this serves as a reminder to eat yours. What a unexpected course.
10th course:
Wagyu Beef from Kagoshima, wrapped in Banana Leaf Rose Apple and Mangosteen from Malaysia, Dragon Fruit and Longan from Thailand
Who would have thought of marrying Japanese Wagyu Beef with the sweetness of tropical fruits from South East Asia? There is something about Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s culinary style that keeps me excited with each course. On the surface, the dishes may look really artistic but they are backed up with real substance and cooking techniques.
It’s no wonder NARISAWA has been achieving international culinary awards consecutively over the past 15 years.
11th course:
Brown Sugar, Kikai Island Kagoshima, Yame Matcha, Fukuoka
This brings a big smile to my face. I especially love the taste of Yame Matcha as it has a natural, fresh sweetness with creamy flavors of umami. I don’t have a sweet tooth but for this, can I have one more, please?
12 course:
Strawberry from Fukuoka and Nioikobushi from Gifu, and Sakura from Kanagawa and Monaka from Toyama
A beautiful end of my lunch. I was in Japanese dessert heaven.
Did I write about all 12 courses at NARISAWA in the end?
This is a one-of-its-kind gastronomic experience at NARISAWA in Singapore. So artistic, unforgettable and exceptional.
My final thoughts of NARISAWA in Singapore
Even though this is ultimately a 5-week restaurant venue, the interior of The Masters Table is carefully renovated with similar wood elements of NARISAWA in Tokyo.
It is furnished with white-cloth table tops like the original restaurant and further enhanced with a large format fine art photograph of a forest – bringing the focus point to the grand kitchen island for The Masters Table experience.
For NARISAWA in Singapore, I find that the venue is more intimate than in Tokyo. I got more up close and personal time with Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa with special dishes that you’ll only get at this exclusive residency.
The service is attentive and thoughtful with each staff speaking fluent English and Japanese.
As there is no direct smoke ventilation above the kitchen island, you might smell a little like delicious grilled food when you’re seated the closest to The Masters Table or enjoy standing at the front row to watch Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa in action. All these come with the territory since it’s the Masters Table experience.
The tables can be quite close to one another at The Masters Table experience. I recommend practicing good dining etiquette and avoid talking loudly amongst yourself to be considerate. If you prefer privacy, The Satoyama Room (minimum 4 pax) would be ideal.
You’ll need to act fast to book for lunch as most of the dinner slots are already booked.
Mandala Masters x Porsche Presents NARISAWA
23 March to 30 April 2023
8-course lunch starts at SGD 396++
12-course lunch/dinner starts at SGD 596 ++
Address: Mandala Club, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845
How to book: www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/mandalamasters
Email: reservations@mandalamasters.com (for inquiries and group bookings 7 pax and above)
This was a hosted lunch experience, however, all opinions and comments are strictly my own.
Eunice Lim is the editor of FOODTRAVELBABE. To contact her, please email to hello@foodtravelbabe.com.
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