2024 is starting with a great big bang, and a hype new dining spot to put on your list is the very first international outpost of Moss Cross Tokyo, a brand-new concept specialising in shokado omakase which takes the stuffy out of omakase dining. Found on the second floor of Capri by Fraser China Square, the 40-seater diner doesn’t come with astronomical prices too—with lunch experiences starting from $69++.
On our visit, we tried the Wakon-Yosai ($150++) experience, which like every single meal at Moss Cross Tokyo starts with the Shokado-9. Inspired by the traditional Japanese-style bento box found in kaiseki meals, this version is split into nine sections, each holding a small bite that you’re meant to try from the top right of the box, moving across and down to the bottom left square.
The small bites in the Shokado-9 will change with the seasons, but you can be sure that they’ll crescendo in flavour as you eat your way through the nine courses. On our visit, we started with Tomato Raspberry, a bright, tangy salad of tomatoes and berries in a plum-tomato compote, but our favourite was Carrot Mousse Crab Tomato Consomme.
Though Moss Cross Tokyo is going for a more relaxed dining experience, they’ve not compromised on the quality of the dishes presented, which marry culinary inspiration from both Japanese and French cooking. The Chutoro Wasabi Tartar, for instance, stars fatty cuts of tuna with a lightly spicy wasabi dressing, while Squid Shiso Sauce Orange sees squid noodles in a herbed, orange-infused oil—it’s paired with a light sparkling sake, Mutsu-Hassen Prototype, which is included as one of seven drinks on the pairing flight ($90++).
It all culminates in a final Wagyu bite, dressed in a house-made seaweed sauce prepared with three year-aged soya sauce, rounded out by slices of creamy avocado.
The next course is Hyogo Oyster with Camembert, Caviar, Konbu, served atop a creamy Camembert mousse and bathed in milk foam.
Lightly poached in a konbu broth, the mild flavour of Camembert elevates the fresh oceanic flavour of the shellfish, while yuzu pearls, lime zest and sweet diced onion balance it out.
Chawanmushi might be a very typical Japanese dish, but at Moss Cross Toyko, the Molten Crab Chawan-mushi, Lily Bulb, Bisque Emulsion is no ordinary steamed egg. Finished with an emulsion of crab bisque crafted from at least two kinds of crab plus clams and shrimp, you’ll also find shredded crab meat and a light yuzu fragrance cutting through each bite.
If that has all still sounded too overtly Japanese in slant, the next course is Hokkaido Tokachi Herb-fed Beef Cutlet, Homemade Worchester Sauce, centred around a katsu beef cutlet! This meatier-tasting variety of cow is fattened on a diet featuring more than 10 types of herbs—the cutlet is very lightly breaded in a mix of parsley and panko and fried, then sprinkled with crumbled Parmesan.
Since the Tokachi beef has a stronger flavour profile, it is the perfect match for the accompanying house-made Worcestershire sauce, made from slow-grilled tomatoes, then seasoned with soya sauce and bonito flakes, and reduced into a sauce. No water is added throughout the entire process, which gives rise to the intense flavours of this sauce.
Balancing out the sharper, heavier flavours of the beef course is Roasted Hirame, Almond Flakes, Sake-Beurre Blanc, Herb Oil, which tastes a lot better than it looks.
The flesh of the hirame, or flounder, is super smooth, with a firm bite—a great match to thes sake cream sauce that’s cut through with parsley oil, and the blanched spinach beneath.
Heading into the final savoury course of the Wakon-Yosai menu, you’ll get Kyoto Wagyu Sushi, Sea Urchin, Truffle Soy Sauce, AKA a single piece of sushi blanketed in a slice of Kyoto Wagyu. Pay attention, and you’ll see that the rice is tinged red thanks to the red wine its grains sit in overnight before cooking. Cutting through these flavours is a za’atar-like crumble which adds a Middle Eastern twist to the sushi.
We had the opportunity to try two desserts, starting with Daikon Compote Tiramisu, Mikan, which I’ll admit is the first time I’ve seen this root vegetable in a dessert. Boiled with rice, the radish is paired with mascarpone cheese, and finished with dustings of cocoa powder spiked with five spice.
Alternatively, there’s Mizuyokan White Chocolate and Beans Cannelloni with Elderflower Jelly; the see-through cannelloni encases mint leaves, an uber smooth bean paste and edible flowers which make it oh, so pretty, while a citrus sauce and strawberry sorbet ensure you don’t walk away feeling jelak from the meal.
Besides the seven-course menu we tried, there’s another five-course option priced at $128++, else a similar menu goes for $82++ at lunch. The three-course lunch menu, which also comes with the Shokado-9 box, will set you back just $69++.
Another omakase spot you could check out in Chinatown is An Omakase, where their set costs just $88+, with no GST! If omakase doesn’t fill you up, consider making a date at some of the best Japanese buffets in town.
Address: 181 South Bridge Road, #02-01, Capri by Fraser China Square, Singapore 058743
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm
Website
Moss Cross Tokyo is not a halal-certified eatery
Photos taken by Daryl Lim.
This was a media tasting at Moss Cross Tokyo.
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