Hakumai Sushi and Omakase: Where Aburi meets Edomae

Aburi Otoro

I must confess, I am not a true purist. Try as I might to stick to tradition fully and follow the ways of old, I fall into temptation to try out new and innovative products that actually work well. This is the dilemma I face when I decide to have sushi.

While I highly revere and respect the Edomae style of serving sushi as it is; pure and unadulterated, Aburi comes along teasingly and I find myself unable to resist, and I have to make a trip to Hakumai, where my itamae Chef Gary-san is based in now. Some of you might know him from the old restaurant Kome (located at Keppel Club) and Hinoki (located at China Square Central) where he was before with partner Lawrence Chia (brother of Ronnie Chia who owns Tatsuya). They have went their separate ways and he has set up a small shop at International Plaza. Gary's sushi comes with a twist, adding a little extra special ingredient here and there in order to give the final product some additional oomph and burst of flavour.

Gary starts his sushi Omakase with a bang. Think a slice of fatty unctuous otoro blowtorched to melt the fats and lightly sear the fish to give it a smoky flavour. It was simply sublime.

Aburi Mekajiki with yuzu kosho

Mekajiki or swordfish is a dark horse sashimi amongst Singaporeans. Those of us who love this neta, appreciate it for its meaty texture and buttery mouthfeel that develops more as one slowly savours it. Gary scores and blowtorches the mekajiki and adds a pinch of yuzu pepper that brings out the flavour and also cuts through the oily-ness in order that it might not be too heavy. This is another must have for me.

Aburi Botan Ebi with Foie Gras

This, is Gary's signature and the peak of the omakase. A ball of sushi rice topped with a butterflied botan ebi, and with a piece of foie gras seared to perfection, sitting comfortably and looking ever so sexy. Gary drips a little sauce of reduced shoyu and mirin on top. This is undeniably aburi at its best. The freshness of the prawn was still evident despite it being torched. The foie gras, so seductively creamy, smoky and just bursting with buttery goodness just went so well together with the botan ebi like a match made in heaven. I could pop five of this in one sitting and die happy. This is what makes me go for aburi, and you can't say Gary did an omakase for you if he has not served this to you.

Aburi Hotate with Mentaiyaki (Seared Scallop with Spicy Cod Roe mayonnaise)

Coming in at a very close second is the Scallop with the Spicy Cod Roe mayonnaise which Gary makes in-house. The savoury, creamy Mentaiko gives an additional dimension to the sweet, bouncy and luscious scallop, resulting in a myriad of interlaying flavours that just balances and sits nicely.

Uni (Sea Urchin) Gunkan

After all the hype and fanfare with the aburi nigiri, Gary then brings me back down to earth (albeit a very nice comfortable spot) with his Uni. There is nothing fancy and innovative about this sushi. Just creamy uni on a bed of Koshihikari rice with nori wrapped around it. Sometimes, simple is best, and the uni here is the definition of it.

Ikura (salmon roe) gunkan

The same goes for the ikura. Though with this gunkan Gary grates a little yuzu zest and dusts it on top of the salmon roe. Pretty nice, but it is light-years away from the sake-soaked ikura I get at Meii Sushi, which incidentally, is just one level above Hakumai.

Tekka Maki (Minced Tuna Roll) with Bonito flakes

Most places would do negitoro (minced tuna belly with chopped spring onions) in the form of a temaki (handroll), but I definitely prefer it served in a form of maki like this as it allows me to taste the fish and the rice better due to the increase in exposed surface of the sushi.

Anago (Conger/Sea Water Eel)

Concluding the meal like any other omakase  is Anago. Sea eel is different from Unagi, which usually comes from freshwaters. Sea eel is often used to conclude an omakase as it is usually drizzled with a thick master stock that is heavily reduced to give it a sticky viscous texture and concentrated flavour. Good Anago should be able to achieve a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Unfortunately Hakumai's version on this is still below par and there is much to improve on.

Kyoho Grapes Ice Cream

Yuzu Sorbet

I was hoping for some Japanese musk melon to close the wonderfully satisfying meal, but Gary told me that they were out of stock. Nevertheless, they offer a range of flavours for their ice cream and sorbets like Kyoho Grapes, yuzu, goma and matcha. I chose the above 2 to end my meal on a light and refreshing note.

Edomae or Aburi? These are two schools of thoughts with their own individual arguments, and strengths and weaknesses. Traditional Japanese chefs will baulk and rage at the idea of using a blowtorch to spoil their perfectly moulded sushi. They see it as an insult and feel it compromises the integrity of their creations. On the flip side an itamae of the new era would choose to improve on his sushi further by selecting specific ingredients, or employing the use of other instruments  in an attempt to set their own mark and signature on the sushi and satisfy the ever-changing demands and tastebuds of the customer. While most people in Japan would stick to tradition, the same cannot be said for the other countries. It is a debate that can never be fully won by both sides, as it ultimately boils down to the taste of the customer and his individual beliefs.

As for me, I find myself gravitating more towards Edomae Sushi whenever I have a need to satisfy my own cravings. Having aburi sushi is all about being adventurous and involves a great deal of experimenting in finding a suitable ingredient to match the fish. There will be hits and misses. Having an omakase comprising of Edomae sushi, however, takes on a more formal setting where there is a basic form of respect for the itamae and his attempts to bring you the purest form of sushi dating back centuries. This is the reason why I fell in love with Japanese cuisine in the first place, and in my heart of hearts, I still want my sushi to be just as it was 300 years ago when it was being sold as street food in Edo (now modern day Tokyo).

That said, if you are looking to have sushi with a little twist and still get a wonderful experience, Gary has never failed me once with his creations. With his amiable and humourous nature, Gary is an easy-going chef where you can be at ease with yourself and the atmosphere and enjoy your blowtorched nigiri with no reservations (pun unintended).

Overall, Hakumai is a small little sushi-ya helmed by an old friend and friendly wait staff who are always at hand to assist you, and a fun and informal place to have an outstanding aburi experience.

Hakumai Sushi & Omakase
#01-50A International Plaza
10 Anson Road
Singapore 079903
Contact No: +65 6224 4790

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Operating hours:
Closed on Sundays
Lunch: 11.30am to 3.00pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 10.30pm
(Last Order are 45 minutes before closing)

Closed on Sundays