sushi tei, serangoon (take 2)

I know I promised to share the recipe for sesame cake (so yum) with you, but let me just renege on that and show you some better quality photos of the food at sushi tei, which is one of my favourite japanese places in singapore to dine at. I know that many people sort of toss their heads at the mention of sushi tei as having good food – even my mother does – but I do not think I’ve visited another restaurant as frequently as I do this chain, and for good reason too.

they have a large menu that veers from tiny esoteric appetisers like my favourite okra with squid, to the standard sashimi and nigiri offerings, to the more exciting rolls, salads, soups, noodles and rice and grilled items and really, what more could you really want? a few years ago I might have agreed in scoffing at paying so much for the food here, but given the fact that standards here have risen to be much better than decent, and prices in other restaurants in singapore have risen quite astronomically, this is a darn good place to be in for a meal.

there is something about the food I really like, and I’m not sure what it is, but suffice to say that sometimes I have cravings for sushi tei, and I don’t mean a craving for japanese food. mayhap there is some sort of addictive substance in their food, but I think it could be that they have large vibrant flavours, and rather consistently high standards.

something I really like here are their rolls of sushi – usually large chunky ones filled with prawn or unagi or something-or-another, wrapped around with rice and seaweed and topped with mango or avocado or raw fish slices – which are then dolloped with a bit of sauce here and there. truly more than the sum of its parts. when my partner and I come here, we often go for the one with prawn inside and avocado outside, and on the days when you get a roll with decently ripe avocado (no mush for me please), it is a dream.

just a note that these photos were taken at the outlet in the serangoon nex shopping mall, which is very frequently crowded (I do find queues to move reasonably quickly at sushi tei though). my favourite outlet remains the one at the paragon shopping mall in town – tastefully furnished and very large, and a pretty good stop for a mid-shop snack.