Singapore Midtown Lunch: Shin Kushiya @ Far East Square

During lunch, I wanted to celebrate booking our first real trip out of Singapore since we got here.  Connie already had lunch, so I invited myself for Sushi at the Shin Kushiya right behind our building.  We haven't eaten a lot of Sushi since we got here.  It's relatively more expensive than other foods, and it's hard to stomach a $20++ lunch, when you can get a large bowl of really good soup for $4-5 at the hawker centers. We had a few good experiences at Sushi Tei, but nothing to make us yearn for it.  Shin Kushiya is a small franchise (3-4 locations), compared with Sushi Tei (ubiquitous).  Tei has kaiten, whereas Kushiya has Yakitori.  Both have enormous menus.  The reason I went to Kushiya on this day was simply because it's closer to the office - saves half a block.

For Sushi lunch I usually order Chirashi, which is what I did this time.  There were 3 choices which seemed to be: cubed fish, sliced fish, or a more premium selection of fish (not sure the shape).  I never had cubed Chirashi but wanted to just sample the standard for comparison in this new venue, so I ordered the common, sliced fish version ($20).  My only disappointment with the dish was that the slices were a bit too thin for my taste.  I am used to New York bite sizes, and I remember sashimi to be thicker and meatier.  Other than that, the assorted fish were fresh, properly chilled and did not feel thawed-from-frozen to serve.  The rice was ok.  I like it warmer, but it's served different in different places and I don't hold it for or against an establishment either way.

While waiting for my Chirashi, I browsed through the rest of the tome-like menu, and became engrossed in the beautifully laid out and graphic-literal Kushiyaki/Yakitori double page.  I couldn't resist and ended up ordering Foie Gras ($10) and thrice-cooked pork belly ($7).  The foie gras did not disappoint.  While the portion is tiny, the two bites are perfectly cooked and mouth-watering.  It's a really good appetizer/amuse bouche.  The accompanying grilled apple pieces were less appealing, but the combination is commonly applied and I did not find them distracting.  The pork belly was tough, but came with a zesty sauce that tied the charcoal & fat flavors well.

One of the most expensive midtown lunches I've had so far at $40, 10x what I normally pay.  But it hit the spot and I felt like mission accomplished.  I whetted Connie's appetite for the foie gras, of course, and we will be going to sample that and some other dishes at another seating soon.