A decade after earning Singapore’s first two MICHELIN Stars for sushi, Shoukouwa continues to prove that true Edomae mastery lies not in spectacle, but in the confidence and large capable hands of a chef shaping some of the city’s most exquisite sushi.
The first thing you notice about Chef Kazumine Nishida are his hands. Large. Broad. And certainly powerful. They seem better suited to hefting sacks of rice than shaping delicate morsels of Edomae sushi.
Yet those hands move with remarkable tenderness. A fillet is lifted, inspected, and then sliced with almost improbable delicacy. Rice is shaped with pressure so light it seems accidental. There is no flourish. No unnecessary drama. Just years of accumulated muscle memory expressing itself through confidence. And those large hands.
I am, of course, at two-MICHELIN-starred Shoukouwa, a fine-dining temple dedicated to edomae sushi. I’m watching Chef Nishida use those hands, like a master craftsman handling fragile glass, offer up one of the city’s purest expressions of traditional Edomae sushi.
And if you think I’m heaping overly effusive praise, consider this — we’re talking about Singapore’s first and longest-standing two-MICHELIN-starred sushiya, which this year celebrates a decade of Edomae mastery. The restaurant has steadfastly retained its stars since opening in 2016, a feat built on repetition, discipline, and an unwavering devotion to craft.
The seasonal Miyabi lunch menu at Shoukouwa offers an ideal introduction to his sanctified approach.
I start with kinki, Hokkaido rockfish, its delicate sweetness shining through in a clear dashi broth alongside sweet corn, mountain herbs and marinated nagaimo tasting altogether like early summer and clean mountain air. Then comes kegani, the hairy crab shredded and tossed through with a sauce rendered from its own roe and topped with caviar.
It is followed by a bafun uni course, layering the sea urchin over vinegar jelly, junsai, and mozuku, creating a study in texture that moves from silky to slippery to gently crisp with each spoonful.
Then comes the parade of nigiri, each piece a reminder that sushi is fundamentally an exercise in proportion which Chef Nishi expertly displays. The baby seabream, or kasugo, offers sweetness and delicacy. Himemasu, the princess trout, full of umami richness tempered by the faintest touch of ginger.
You also have shiro ika, white squid, which demonstrates the sort of obsessive precision that defines serious Edomae sushi; cross-hatched so finely that every cut mirrors the size of a grain of rice before being seasoned simply with sudachi and sea salt.
A piece of manakatsuo, silver pomfret butterfish topped with ponzu jelly, introduces brightness and texture without overwhelming the fish’s natural sweetness. Nodoguro, usually grilled to enhance its buttery fattiness, is instead presented as is to allow the richness to emerge gradually alongside wasabi and aged ume.
The sequence of tuna demonstrates Chef Nishida’s mastery most clearly. Chutoro layered over pickled daikon creates contrast between richness and acidity. Otoro, painstakingly prepared hagashi-style to remove every tendon and sinew, is lightly kissed by binchotan charcoal before receiving only sudachi and salt. Another chutoro preparation is cured and brushed with the chef’s proprietary soy and tare.
Three expressions of the same fish, each revealing a different aspect of its character.
The signature Shoukouwa toro maki? It arrives towards the end like a final flourish. Chutoro and otoro wrapped with shiso, negi and pickled daikon in crisp seaweed deliver richness, fragrance and texture in a single bite.
Seasonality is not merely a marketing phrase here. The menu evolves constantly according to what arrives from Japan, with ingredients arriving from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market several times a week.
But what truly distinguishes Shoukouwa is not rarity of ingredients or the prestige of its accolades. Singapore has no shortage of fine dining Japanese restaurants offering both. It is the calm assurance with which everything is executed. Chef Nishida’s strength lies in knowing when to intervene and when to leave well enough alone. In an age where many tasting menus seek to surprise, provoke or entertain, Shoukouwa remains content to pursue something arguably more difficult: perfection through execution.
Ten years on, that pursuit continues. The city may never tire of omakase because, at its best, it offers a glimpse of mastery. And at Shoukouwa, seated across from Chef Kazumine Nishida and those deceptively gentle large hands, mastery remains very much on the menu.
Shoukouwa
Address 1 Fullerton Rd, #02-02A One Fullerton, Singapore 049213 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 12.30pm to 3pm and 6pm to 10.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday
Tel (65) 6423 9939
Web www.shoukouwa.com.sg
Facebook ShoukouwaSG
Instagram shoukouwa
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