Keyaki at Pan Pacific Singapore enters an elegant new chapter under Executive Japanese Chef Teruya Noriyoshi — one that artfully blends time-honoured tradition with global finesse.
Keen epicureans will no doubt be familiar with Keyaki, a fine-dining Japanese restaurant perched within illustrious Pan Pacific Singapore — masquerading, no less, as a serene, Kyoto-style sanctuary, complete with a koi pond and its own private-dining pavilion — that’s well-known for its thoughtful omakase, elegant kaiseki meals, and seasonal delicacies.
The 39-year old flagship Japanese restaurant of Pan Pacific Singapore, by any account, has long been a key linchpin in Singapore’s Japanese fine-dining scene. 39 years is a long time in any business; for a fine-dining restaurant to survive that long in Singapore’s brutally competitive dining scene with an increasingly fickle customer base? That’s eternity.
Keyaki has not only endured during that time; it has thrived. Now, with the arrival of newly-appointed Executive Japanese Chef Teruya Noriyoshi, the venerable Japanese gastronomic institution is embarking on a new journey — one that marries age-old precision with modern flair, and culinary tradition with global technique.
But who, exactly, is Chef Teruya Noriyoshi?
Chef Teruya hails from Tokyo but began his culinary career in Oregon, and brings with him more than 28 years of globe-spanning experience. He’s sharpened his yanagiba knives in the kitchens of NOBU New York and Milan, and most recently helmed Syun at Resorts World Sentosa. His personal culinary philosophy is refreshingly simple: showcase the purity of seasonal ingredients, prepared with care and presented with a poetic reverence to nature.
And that philosophy is already making its mark on the new Keyaki menu.
Take Chef Teruya’s Corn Fran with Uni — because flan, but make it Japanese — for instance, a silken savoury custard of sweet corn crowned with sea urchin, its deep richness tempered by briny brightness. Or the Foie Gras Terrine in Monaka, a clever subversion of the traditional Japanese wafer snack that swops azuki bean paste for unctuous foie gras pâté in a delightfully crisp shell.
His cosmopolitan influences are evident, but tempered by Japanese sensibility. The Octopus Carpaccio with White Shrimp is a culinary hat tip to Italy in its technique but stays firmly Japanese in its flavour balance, while the Sous-vide Lobster with White Miso Americaine straddles French indulgence and Japanese restraint with aplomb.
But perhaps Chef Teruya’s most expressive creation may just be his Roasted Wagyu Sirloin, which combines in an exquisite marriage of Japanese and French techniques resulting in a most fabulously grilled piece of unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth wagyu served with a rich egg yolk sauce — inspired by the sukiyaki practice of dipping beef in raw egg — along with a dollop of wasabi mashed potatoes that offers just enough heat to keep things lively.
In many ways, this is still the same-old same-old Keyaki. The restaurant remains fiercely committed to Japanese culinary ideals, but allowing its new executive chef to explore the crannies in between. For traditionalists, you can trust that the staples to stay: delicate sashimi, robust teppanyaki, and the ever-popular omakase.
But you can pretty much count on Chef Teruya Noriyoshi to steadily imprint his own culinary DNA and philosophy on Keyaki in the years to come. If the current direction is any indication, the future of this gastronomic gem is in good hands.
[Photo credits: Pan Pacific Singapore]
Keyaki
Address 7 Raffles Blvd, Level 4 Pan Pacific Singapore, Singapore 039595 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10pm daily
Web www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-marina/dining/keyaki.html
Instagram @keyakirestaurant
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Reservations book here
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