Aoki

Having dinner at Aoki is a pricey affair, starting from $165++ per pax. But it's possible to get a premium sushi fix at the restaurant without bursting your budget, for Aoki dishes up affordable set meals during lunchtime (at $30++ and above), without compromising on quality or portion size.

Being one who'll never pass on a chance to catch the skillful sushi chefs in action, I opted for a seat at the counter. But the tranquil atmosphere of the restaurant makes it an ideal location to catch up with friends- you should consider sitting at the private booths on the second floor if you intend on doing so.

The meal started off with a tasty braised renkon otoshi ($3++), followed by a simple but refreshing salad- for a dose of fiber and vitamins!

 
Salad tossed in a soy sesame dressing

What makes Aoki’s mazechirashi an excellent deal is the vast variety of seafood it features. Unearthing the assortment of fresh sashimi piled atop, I discovered pieces of buttery uni, shoyu-marinated ikura, as well as cubes of ebi, tako, shime saba, kanpachi, shiromi, maguro and chutoro. The well-seasoned sushi rice was also topped with delightfully spongy cubes of tamago castella, slices of cucumber, nori strips, shreds of perilla and a dollop of nama wasabi. Needless to say, I polished it all off with much relish!

Colorful tsukemono, pickled ginger and a bowl of prawny miso soup were served along with the mazechirashi.

 
Variety pleases me, and the trio of dessert miniatures- namely plum wine jelly, smooth milk pudding drizzled with caramel sauce and icy muskmelon sherbet– certainly made for a light but satisfying ending to the meal. A cup of genmaicha was also served to aid digestion- a thoughtful gesture on the kitchen's part!

Food aside, the service was attentive and I loved the pretty tableware. To round it all off, I had great company as well! 

The mazechirashi set is priced at $35++.

P.S. Do make a reservation before visiting Aoki as the restaurant can be quite packed at lunchtime. If you're planning to order the mazechirashi, it would be wise to indicate so in your booking- I heard that the restaurant only makes 10 bowls of it a day for lunch. どうぞめしあがれ!

Aoki Restaurant
1 Scotts Road
#02-17 Shaw Centre
Opening hours: 12pm-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm (Mon-Sat), closed on Sundays