I tried a S$138++ 8-course omakase meal in Orchard. It was life-changing.

My team and I were invited to a media preview at Unkai Sushi to try their eight-course omakase meal.

I'd never had an omakase experience before, but as a lover of Japanese food, I eagerly volunteered to attend

As you can probably already tell from the headline, I was not one bit disappointed.

The space

Upon entering Unkai Sushi, my first thought was: "Wow, this place is really small."

I guess "cosy" is one word to describe the 30-seater restaurant, but I must admit that I felt a little claustrophobic as I was being led to my seat.

I sat at the bar table, where I could see the chefs preparing the meals right before my eyes.

The meal

On a regular day, this meal would have cost S$138++ per person.

However, Unkai Sushi was running a one-for-one promotion when we visited, and I was stunned to learn that this experience would deal a damage of about S$69++ per pax.

Prior to my visit, I did some research on what the eight-course set would typically encompass.

I formed my expectations based on what was displayed on the restaurant's website:

1. Cold appetisers
2. Three varieties of sashimi
3. Grilled dish
4. Seven pieces of premium sushi
5. Tempura dish
6. Mini chirashi don
7. Miso soup
8. Dessert of the Day

To my astonishment, the courses served seemed to stray completely from this guide.

My colleague, who's had her fair share of omakase meals, explained that this was in fact a true omakase experience: an authentic omakase restaurant wouldn't stick to a fixed menu, but would instead serve their dishes based on whatever ingredients were freshest that day.

After all, omakase does translate to "I'll leave it up to you" in Japanese.

I wasn't used to this initially — every dish was a surprise. I had no idea what was going to come next.

This was where I started to appreciate our counter seats: being able to watch the chef prepare our food kept us guessing throughout the meal, and made the experience just a little more exciting.

Here's what was served:

To start, we were served a cold salad. The ikura (fish roe) was definitely the star of the show, with each bite bringing a literal burst of flavour to my mouth.

The second course comprised sashimi scallops atop some form of jellied flowers, garnished with gold flakes and caviar.

The scallops were delightfully tender, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth consistency, and paired perfectly with the caviar.

The jellied flowers, however, had a floral taste that threw me off a little.

Next was a vibrant vegetable salad comprising corn, cucumber, peas and cherry tomatoes. The corn pieces took the stage here, offering a sweetness that tied the dish together.

Served in a tiny pot, the chawanmushi was silky and surprisingly flavourful. As someone who doesn't usually take a fancy to chawanmushi, I found this dish quite enjoyable.

Following the chawanmushi was this grilled fish dish, served with a stalk of green chilli and pickles as palate cleansers.

This was my favourite part of the meal: seven types of nigiri each topped with a different kind of raw fish.

As someone who loves sashimi, this was a dream to me.

Each nigiri also varied in taste from the last, so every piece I put in my mouth was like a surprise — some were unexpectedly tangy, others were nicely umami.

The penultimate dish was a mini don comprising tuna and ikura. This was served with two pieces of seaweed, should one prefer to have the dish in the form of a hand roll, alongside miso soup.

I was delighted to find that the dessert of the day was matcha ice cream topped with azuki beans, ending the meal on a sweet note.

Final thoughts

As a virgin omakase diner, being able to watch the chef prepare the dishes right in front of me really made the experience feel personalised, as if I had my own private cook.

I was also surprised by how full I was at the end of the meal, considering the courses were all served in small portions.

I felt like royalty the entire hour I was there.

It's more expensive than the average lunch, for sure, but the experience was well worth the price tag.

@mothership.nova Unkai Sushi 📍: Orchard Rendezvous Hotel, 1 Tanglin Rd, 01-10, S247905 ⏰: Daily, 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6pm to 10pm 🍴: 1-for-1 Shin Omakase Lunch Menu S$138++ #tiktoksg #SGFoodie #foodfestontiktok #wheretoeat #japanesefood #omakase #omakasesg #orchard #deals #sgdeals #foodtok ♬ Close To You - Gracie Abrams

Unkai Sushi

Address: Orchard Rendezvous Hotel, 1 Tanglin Road, #01-10, Singapore 247905

Opening hours: 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6pm to 10pm, daily

Top photos by Celeste Ng.