Ashino has quietly, resolutely endured in Singapore’s ultra-competitive dining scene — a decade-strong sushi sanctuary built on one man’s unwavering craftsmanship and obsessive devotion to the art of jukusei.
In a food-obsessed city where food fads come and go and quiet restaurant closures are as common as loud grand openings, some establishments stand wholly resilient and steadfastly dedicated to their raison d’etre. Such as Japanese sushi restaurant Ashino, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, an extraordinary milestone in Singapore’s ultra-competitive fine dining scene.
Perhaps it’s the fact that the cult sushi counter by Chef Taku Ashino has never chased hype; instead it earned the reverence of customers dish by dish, season by season, year in and year out.
At the heart of its enduring appeal? A deep, almost fanatical commitment to jukusei, the time-honoured technique of aging fish to enhance its umami. Chef Ashino was among the first in Singapore to truly champion aged sushi. That approach isn’t novelty or gimmick; this is a continuation — and dare we say, preservation — of a rare and meticulous Japanese tradition.
Like the greatest sushi chefs Chef Ashino is also firmly dedicated to the practice of shinkejime. This humane technique of dispatching fish requires precision in threading a spike through the fish’s spinal cord to sever the nervous system and prevent the release of stress hormones and lactic acid into the muscles, which instantaneously euthanizes the fish and in turn preserves its freshness. He sources fish from select suppliers in Tokyo’s Toyosu market, and they are either aged (jukusei) or cured in kelp (kobujime) to mature their flavours and texture. Depending on the fish, he may even age them in a traditional Japanese chamber with ice blocks for anywhere from days to weeks, even for as long as 40 days.
Then there’s shari, or sushi rice. Here the itamae — sushi master — blends two rice varieties: Koshihikari from Niigata prefecture and Nanatsuboshi from Hokkaido for the perfect balance of sweetness and bite to complement the fish, which is washed in Mount Fuji mineral water and then cooked in a Nanbu Tetsu cast iron kettle.
Altogether, the result is sublime sushi.
Ashino recently relocated to Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre from its modest space at CHIJMES since it opened in 2015 where he built a cult following among diners who understood — and respected — the chef’s unbending principles.
We recently visited to experience Ashino’s refreshed omakase menu and came away suitably impressed.
Starting with Akami (lean tuna) from a 142kg fish marinated in Chef Ashino’s house-blended shoyu. The shoyu has been refined over the past decade from his original batch from when he first opened his restaurant in Singapore, much like a master stock with layers of accumulated flavour only achievable through time and patience.
Chef Ashino’s expertise with jukesei is evident in his execution of a wide variety of fish from Mehikari (Shining Eyes), a deep sea fish, aged overnight and paired with mountain vegetables, to Koshoudai (Sweet Lips) marinated for 11 days, and Isaka (Chicken Grunt) aged for 1 week. When asked how he decides how long to age or marinate each fish, he just shyly smiles and replies, “Experience, all experience”.
We’ll leave him his secrets.
Close connections to the suppliers in Japan also means Ashino gets top pick of seasonal seafood such as Shiro Ebi, and wild-caught Keiji, also known as “phantom salmon” because of its rarity. Keiji is a young salmon with immature sex organs and is prized for its rich buttery texture due to its high fat content. While a typical salmon has a fat content of up to 15%, Keiji clocks in at 20-30%, similar levels as Chutoro. And exactly how rare is Keiji? It’s estimated that only 1 in 10,000 salmon in every catch is Keiji.
If that’s still not exclusive enough, Chef Ashino is also somewhat of a fisherman himself, and will fish from the waters of Sentosa and serves his catch to diners. Yes, you read right — Sentosa in Singapore. On our visit, Shinkejime Sentosa Aji (Horse Mackerel) was proudly presented on the okonomi (“as you like it”) menu which are ala carte items diners can order in addition to their omakase set.
“Every piece of sushi I place in front of you is my story,” Chef Ashino says. “It’s my love for the ingredients, my respect for you, and my thanks for appreciating it.”
And that, ultimately, is the secret to Ashino’s longevity in Singapore’s hyper-competitive dining scene. There are plenty of restaurants with ambition… but far, far fewer with devotion.
Ashino’s omakase lunch menu starts at $168++, and omakase dinner menu from
$235++.
[Image credits: Ashino]
Ashino
Address 8 Club St. #01-12/13, Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre, Singapore 069472
Opening Hours Lunch – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 12pm to 2pm, Dinner – Monday to Saturday 6pm to 10pm
Web www.sushiashino.com
Instagram @sushiashino
Reservations +65 8318 3334 or book here
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