Name of restaurant: Seki
Type of cuisine: Modern Japanese

Ambience: Situated at the Rendezvous Gallery, Seki is a convenient spot for a midday lunch in town; the restaurant’s just streets away from The Grand Cathay and Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.

Seki at the Rendezvous Gallery

In line with Seki’s modern Japanese cuisine, the restaurant interior has taken on a more contemporary feel, with its mix of sleek black with red velvet seats.

As with most Japanese restaurants, sit by the counter and interact with the chef, if you want your plates of sushi and sashimi served to you fast and fresh. Besides his recommendations on the best picks of the day, the chef will take in more unusual dish requests too.

Must-tries:
At the media tasting, the Foie Gras Chawanmushi ($15) was the talk of the afternoon. Purists need not shudder: it’s actually much more palatable than it sounds.

Must-tries at Seki: Foie gras chawanmushi and the Gindara Saikyo Robatayaki

A small, flavourful slice of foie gras sits delicately on top of the chawanmushi, which turns out to be an astute culinary move. You’ll get to savour the rich taste of foie gras on top, which goes surprisingly well with the egg. Then enjoy the other half of your chawanmushi as it usually is, for a light finish to this dish.

Another yummy find was the Gindara Saikyo Robatayaki ($12). The creamy soft fish was matched with a sweet, savoury Saikyo miso sauce, set off by a citrusy finish that prevents the sauce from being too cloying. The chef shares that he usually marinates the fish in the white miso sauce for four days, adding just a bit of vinegar, sugar and squirts of citron to balance the flavours of the dish.  

If you’re here at Seki for sushi, you won’t be disappointed.

Seki's aburi sushi set ($28) and the sashimi platter ($38)

There's fresh catch presented in a gorgeous bowl of sashimi ($38): a platter of toro (fatty tuna), hamachi (Japanese amberjack) and ama ebi (raw shrimp).

Don’t miss out on the aburi sushi set ($28) either: you’ll get to enjoy a tray of seared toro, engawa (fin of the halibut) and uni (sea urchin). You’ll even get to witness the chefs blow-torching your sushi right in front of you if you’re seated at the counter.  

Another delicious find? The Macha Ume Ice ($5), a refreshing concoction of shaved ice drizzled in plum wine jelly and with a single strawberry on top.

This dessert contains three different layers of flavours: first, the sour zesty taste of plum wine and strawberry, followed by the slight bitterness of green tea and finally, the sweet taste of red beans at the base of your glass cup.

“The dessert’s combination of flavours is like how life can be,” shares Chef Dawn Pau. Life may seem “sour when there’s obstacles in your way, bitter when you experience defeat but really sweet after that, when you savour your success.”

It’s a bit of an old-school metaphor but it’s one that works when it’s applied to this icy treat.     

Prices: Appetisers start at $6, while set meals are available from $16 and upwards.

Verdict:

Yummy and fresh Japanese food and at a wallet-friendly price too.

Seki is located at 9 Bras Basah Road, #01-02, Rendezvous Gallery, Singapore 189559, Tel: 6336 3806, website: www.seki.com.sg.