good japanese food at this hideaway in turf city, pretty much fine-dining but in a family-friendly environment. I was quite impressed with the food that arrived at our table – sashimi is cut thick and meaty, sushi is rolled to expert-looking balls of rice below torched toppings, and cooked food do decently too.
there’s been a spate of restaurants at this price point recently – and by that I mean middle and upper – and they all do pretty good food at prices more approachable than you’d get with the masters. If I had to pick the closest competitor to this place, it would be sushi goshin.
it’s quite a small, quiet restaurant – furnished in black – with booth seats (good for 4) and a long sushi bar. service is friendly, customers are dressed in smart casual – so it’s not the sort of joint to be stressed about.
their bento sets are immensely good value, especially since they are available during dinner – and even more so because they are usually very filling. you get the regular choice of cooked food options, sushi or sashimi sets, and the accompaniments are usually dictated by the price of the set (duh, right?). the regular sets come usually with a vinegared fish and well-dressed salad (with a dressing that is tangy and toasty-sesamed) –
but the expensive ones come with things like this battered soft white fish. a little greasy, but the fish was delicious.
I’ve found their ala carte options to be pretty decent, even if perhaps flawed: chawanmushi is smooth and chock-full of ingredients – mushrooms and chicken, I believe; tempura comes decently golden (even if that greasiness repeats here – I suspect a not-hot-enough wok); and pitan tofu is topped generously with century egg puree and crunchy tobiko (though I think my sister mentioned the century egg was slightly too-sweet); and the tamago was good (my only complaint is a slightly too-small portion).
with our mains, we got sashimi – thick, generous slices of a good variety of fresh fish – as well as this delicious plate of peppered beef cubes – tender, beefy, and chewy without sinew – maybe the best dish of the day.
the bentos also constitute more carby fillers, like sushi, udon noodles and fried rice – but I was most impressed with my aburi sushi, which came with torched fatty fish melting over well-formed balls of rice. there’s quite a lot of sushi, so it’s very filling, but it’s also incredible quality and quantity (especially for the price).
my favorites were the plain fish toppings – the ones with sauce were a tad more mayo-ey than I’d like, but that’s primarily because I don’t like mayonnaise (swipe off about half the sauce and it’s perfect).
so it’s pretty good food, but a little hidden away in turf city – so not nearly as crowded as if it would be in town. the dining here is priced close to akashi at orchard parade hotel, and has the same sort of smart-casual feel. good choice if you’re in the area – but for something similar, sushi goshin at heeren or suntec sity work just as well (with more convenient locations).
Kuro Kin Japanese Dining
#01-27 The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Road
Singapore 287994
tel +65 6462 1213
$$$: 50-60+ a person
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