Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square: Shin Kushiya

This post is part of the Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square organised by Omy.Sg that quite a few bloggers and I indulged in a food marathon on 9 July 2011.

You can read more about Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square at http://blog.omy.sg/let-the-feast-begin  Visit the site too if you want to win youself a $50 voucher.

Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square Stop 4: 
Shin Kushiya




Stop number 4 was at Shin Kushiya and I met 2 familiar faces there!
The marketing folks from Shin Kushiya was there. I have done a review of Shin Kushiya before here.




The ever refreshing Yuzu Cooler was served as all of us sat at different tables.

The aromatic zest was so fragrant. Give it a good stir to dissolve the yuzu marmalde like texture into the drink.



We got to see the chef prepare the kushiyaki at this branch.

Did I hear you ask what's the difference between yakitori and kushiyaki? Yakitori is skewered chicken meat. Kushiyaki is the formal term that is used for all kinds of skewered and grill meats and non meats.

The kushiyakis were grilled over white Bincho charcoals from Japan. The charcoals can heat up till 1200 Celsius! They won't burn the food, but it quickly seals up the food, so the grills here are delicious!





The Kushiyaki we sampled here: Tomato Maki, Ebi Shiso Maki, Buta Bara Yaki Miso, Black Pepper Yakitori (from left to right).

Tomato Maki  - Cherry tomatoes wrapped with thinly-sliced pork. Bursting with flavour!
Ebi Shiso Maki  - Whole sea prawn wrapped with thinly-sliced pork and shiso leaf. Great combination! The prawn shells removed, but replaced with the pork and shiso leaf 'shell'.
Buta Bara Yaki Miso  - Three-layer pork belly with miso-ginger marinade. The marinade is delicious and it goes well with the moist pork belly.
Black Pepper Yakitori - Black pepper soy-glazed chicken. It's a bit salty for me! ;-p



For those who love saltier food, try the kushiyaki with plum or curry salt.
Probably for those who are having their kushiyaki with beer or sake. ;-)




Kuro Goma Heaven
I like this! Black sesame ice cream with black sesame paste that the chefs grind and make daily!


Shin Kushiya
33 Pekin Street
#01-01 Far East Square
Singapore 048763

Tel: 6438 8991


Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square: Stop 1, Stop 2, Stop 3, Stop 4, Stop 5, Stop 6, Stop 7, Stop 8

Shin Kushiya Charcoal Grill Restaurant @ myVillage (Serangoon Garden)

[This was an invited taste session by myVillage and Shin Kushiya]

The 4th serving (or branch) of Shin Kushiya is now available at myVillage.
(myVillage is the former Serangoon Garden Village that has been recently transformed.)



Sometimes, it is interesting to meet up with the PR folks or manager to hear them 'sell' their products, you do learn quite a bit and appreciate the food you eat more.

What I learn is that Shin Kushiya imports the ingredients daily, yes daily! from the fish markets in Tsukiji (Tokyo) and Hakodate (Hokkaido). We in Singapore are quite fortunate that a lot of Japanese restaurants here gets their supplies fresh from Japan. I do know that which days some Japanese restaurants have the supplies shipped in, so I go there on certain days. I just realised I don't need to choose days to visit Shin Kushiya, because they get it fresh daily!




A boy looking into the Shin Kushiya. Was he thinking about the food there, or the girl inside?

Another interesting discovery from the session was that, they grill their meats, seafood and vegetables over Bincho Charcoal. Bincho Charcoal or Binchōtan is the king of white charcoal. It cooks their Kushiyaki at 1200 Celsius so it's crisp in the outside, and still moist inside. Also the charcoal produces no smoke.


(After reading more about Binchōtan, I wonder where I can buy them to grill my food at home! I also remember the Korean drama Grand Chef, where they were looking for the best charcoal for the grilling, do any of you remember that episode?)

* Refreshing Yuku Drink *

The refreshing yuzu drink.
Perfect to start your meal here.

* Assortment of Kushiyaki *

What's on that plate?

Ebi Shiso Maki  $3.60 - Whole sea prawn wrapped with thinly-sliced pork and shiso leaf
Buta Bara Yaki Miso Ginger  $2.80 - Three-layer pork belly with miso-ginger marinade
Black Pepper Yakitori  $2.20 - Black pepper soy-glazed chicken
Tomato Maki  $2.80 - Cherry tomatoes wrapped with thinly-sliced pork

I love them all, if you ask for my favourite, it would be the buta bara yaki miso ginger. It was grilled just nice. It's 3 layered pork, so the layer fats were basting the meat, making it succulent and fragrant.

When you order the tomato maki, please don't eat it straight away! It's hot! Let it cool down then pop one of it whole in your mouth. Then bite it to let the juices squirt in your mouth. Oh, that's so good!




Plum salt



Curry Salt.

You will see flavoured salts like this on the table. They are for the kushiyaki. I think you don't really need this because the grilled kushiyaki are good on itself. You can have some to see the flavour change a bit. See what suits your tastebuds!


Some of you might be like me, ignorant at times and call everything yakitori.
Yakitori means skewered chicken. Kushiyaki is most foods on skewers ;-)

* Kuro Goma Heaven *

Kuro Goma Heaven  $7.80 - Black sesame ice cream with homemade black sesame cream

This happens to be one popular dessert and they let us try it. It's just a sampling size, so it looks very small here. Black sesame fans, you should try it! They have two kinds of black sesame dessert in 1.

Black sesame ice cream and the black sesame cream. I prefer the black sesame cream! Hundreds of little black sesame, pounded to let the flavour burst out and made into dessert with cream like texture. There's a reason they have heaven in the name of the dessert!



Here's some good news from the good people at Shin Kushiya at myVillage:

(A)   Grand Opening Lunch Set Promotion!
Order any lunch set below and get 50% off for your 2nd lunch set
Chicken Teriyaki Set / Salmon Teriyaki Set / Bara Chirashi Set / Salmon Ikura Don Set / Tori Nanban Udon Set / Ebi Tamago Don Set / Unadon Set

Promotion Period: 7 February to 30 April 2011

Terms & Conditions:

• 2nd lunch set must be of a lower or equivalent value as the 1st order
• Valid from Monday-Friday, LUNCH dine-in only, excluding public holidays
• Not valid with any other promotions, vouchers or discounts 

(B) Grand Opening Dinner Promotion!

50% off 2nd Ala Carte Sashimi!* (* except Toro, Uni and Sashimi Moriawases)

Promotion Period: 7 February to 30 April 2011

Terms & Conditions

• 2nd plate of Sashimi must be of lower or equivalent value as the 1st order and applies to all ala carte Sashimi except Toro, Uni and Sashimi Moriawases
• Valid from Monday-Friday, DINNER dine-in only, excluding public holidays  
• Not valid with any other promotions, vouchers or discounts

Shin Kushiya Charcoal Grill Restaurant
myVillage Serangoon Garden
Level 2 
1 Maju Avenue
Singapore 556679