If you're a lover of all foods Japanese, then here's something new for you.

Established by the chef-owner of Japanese omakase restaurant Sushi Yujo, Shinrai presents an innovative, modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine.

Meaning "friendship" in Japanese, the owners of Shinrai hope for the restaurant to become a space where people can connect over their meals.

Interior

It seats a little over 30 people, and sports a sleek, contemporary interior.

Warm lighting is used in the day, but transforms into electric hues of blue and purple lighting by night.

Here's what we had at Shinrai:

Seafood Chawanmushi with Truffle Caviar (S$9.80)

Served in a small ceramic pot, this chawanmushi dish comprises generous servings of prawns and scallops, with a translucent layer of crab meat and truffle caviar atop it.

If you love truffle, then this dish is definitely for you.

Salmon Carpaccio (S$16.80)

The caviar here neutralised the fishiness of the sashimi, and offered a burst of umami.

Yakitori (S$2.80), Tsukune (S$6.80) and Hotate (S$7.80)

The hotate (scallop) skewer was our favourite out of the three, its charred taste amplified by Shinrai's house sauce.

The yakitori (grilled chicken) skewer was crispy on the outside and had a similar charred flavour.

We were also given an onsen egg to dip the tsukune (Japanese chicken meatballs) skewers into.

Hotate with Foie Gras Sushi (S$23.80)

Held together by seaweed and drizzled with unagi (eel) sauce, the rice, hotate and foie gras layers made for an incredibly soft and chewy sushi, the umami flavour amplified by the sauce.

Shinrai Royal Maki (S$23.80)

This dish featured a tempura tiger prawn encapsulated within rice and torched salmon, topped with Shinrai's signature sauce and chicken floss — a Singaporean take by the chefs on this Japanese dish.

Shinrai Signature Maki (S$21.80)

Resembling the California rolls typical of Japanese restaurants, this comprised torched salmon, grilled unagi, avocado, cucumber, tobiko (fish roe) and chicken floss.

The salmon was perfectly charred, and the sweetness of the unagi neutralised the saltiness of the tobiko, which pop in your mouth.

Ebi with Mentaiko (S$21.80)

Shinrai's homemade mentaiko sauce took the stage here, pairing perfectly with the tiger prawns beneath it.

Wagyu Foie Gras Don (S$48.80)

The beef here was chewy, slightly rare yet without the "raw" taste one might expect.

Its skin was crispy and a little salty, but paired well with the sweetness of the rice.

Tofu Cheesecake (S$5.80)

True to its name, this cheesecake was incredibly soft, with a jello-like texture atop a crispy base.

@mothership.nova Shinrai 📍: 173 Telok Ayer St, S068622 ⏰: Mondays to Saturdays, 11:30am to 2:30pm, 6pm to 10:30pm 🍴: Royal Maki S$23.80 Signature Maki S$21.80 Wagyu Foie Gras Don S$48.80 Ebi with Mentaiko S$21.80 Hotate with Foie Gras Sushi S$23.80 Yaki Tori S$2.80 Tsukune S$6.80 Hotate S$7.80 Salmon Carpaccio S$16.80 Seafood Chawanmushi with Truffle Caviar S$9.80 Tofu Cheesesake S$5.80 Prices exclude GST & service charge #tiktoksg #foodfestontiktok #SGFoodie #wheretoeat #japanesefood #sushiyujo #telokayer #truffle #wagyu #sashimi #izakaya #sushi #japanesefoodsg #shinrai ♬ Like I Do GALCHANIE COVER - GALCHANIE (แกลชานี่)

Shinrai

Address: 173 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068622

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6pm to 10:30pm. Closed on Sundays.

This was a media preview at Shinrai.

Top photos by Celeste Ng.