likebyregina Torafuku is celebrating their 4th anniversary with a special omakase menu this year, which showcases signature food items, along with daily chef specials. I was lucky to make a reservation on the last day of this omakase menu. You can choose between a 7-course or a 10-course menu, which is $45/person and $55/person respectively. And of course, we went for the 10-course menu! Each set comes with a complimentary amuse bouche and handmade bonbons from Buttermere Patisserie.
Amuse-Bouche
I have to admit that I got too excited, so I totally forgot what these little treats are. Regardless, I really enjoy the change of flavor from sweet to savoury in this amuse-bouche. Each piece is refreshing, and I am looking forward to the rest!
10-Course Omakase
Salad is always my favourite appetizer here, especially the Rabbit Food. The addition of quinoa crunch gives the kale salad a good crunch. I also enjoy that the salad is evenly dressed with the anchovy buttermilk dressing, which is not too heavy.
Second course is a simple, delicate Hamachi Sashimi. It is very fresh, with a hint of natural sweetness from the fish.
We also got to try some Fuku Style Kushiyaki, which includes Cherry Tomato, Sweet Corn, Beef Meatball, and Pork Jowl. I think the Pork Jowl is my favourite, with the perfect seasoning and texture. Conversely, the Beef Meatball is on a saltier side.
Can you believe that sushi roll is also a part of this menu? It is not any common sushi roll, but the Kick Ass Rice 3.0! It is wrapped with torched pork belly, furikake, cucumber, and avocado in it, along with shio, miso mayo, and fuku hot sauce.
Do you love dumplings? I Love Dumplings! It is quite similar to a Sichuan dish – Spicy Wonton in Red Oil (????), but they use the classic pork and chive dumplings instead. For the sauce, it uses a house special Fuku vinaigrette. I enjoy the dumplings, with a good amount of pork filling. The chives won’t overpower, and the spicy sauce pairs well with it.
After few courses of appetizers, here comes a dish for all meat lovers out there – Higher Steak. It is a wagyu beef tataki, served with cabbage slaw, crispy garlic, scallions, and citrus ponzu. I love its acidity, but the beef is slightly tougher than expected.
Coming next is the G-Tao’s Chix Wings. The fried chix wings are tossed in General Tao’s secret sauce and garnished with crispy broccoli. The wings are tender and juicy, yet I am not a fan of the sauce. I would prefer a more savoury/spicy kind of sauce, but this one is on a sweeter side.
Our main course finally arrives, which is Gone Fishing. Tonight’s special is sea bream. The fish is deep-fried, and it is then paired with toasted shrimp, crispy shallots, soy bean crumble, and a tamarind sweet and sour sauce. Fish is my favourite of all time, and I am used to the Chinese-style steamed fish with soy sauce. It is often tender and flaky. Unfortunately, the deep-fried fish isn’t as tender as expected, but the tamarind sauce is delicious and surprisingly pairs well with the fish meat.
We end our meal with two desserts – Magic Stick and Mango Madness. We first started with the Magic Stick, a chocolate ganache with hazelnut feuilletine, raspberry coulis, and vanilla orange. We both agreed that it should have more raspberry coulis on the plate to ease the heaviness from the ganache. We both prefer the Mango Madness, which a coconut panna cotta, mango sago, and passion fruit puree. It is more refreshing and suitable to end the meal after 9 courses.
Complimentary Bonbons
Oh I almost forgot the handmade bonbons from Buttermere Patisserie. They look delicate and elegant. I am obsessed with bonbons, so these just went straight into my tummy!
Overall Impression
It is my first time trying the dinner menu at Torafuku. I am always impressed by their rice bowls in the lunch menu, and I often crave for one! Overall, the 10-course omakase presents a fantastic value with $55 per person, but I would prefer order separately next time. One reason is that the items served on omakase can be found on the menu, except the sashimi. Second reason is we usually don’t eat that much, so we might save $20-30 if ordering individual items. But don’t get me wrong – I would still recommend to give it a try as a first timer here. Otherwise, I would highly recommend to order the Rabbit Food, some Fuku Style Kushiyaki, a Kick Ass Rice 3.0 sushi roll, and the I Love Dumplings.
Taste: 4/5 • Service: 4/5 • Ambiance: 4/5 • Quality-Price: 4/5
[…] have previously tried the 10-course omakase at Torafuku, as well as recommending few friends to try the lunch menu here. And I am once again […]