Chiso Zanmai

I am always in search of different places to satisfy my sashimi and sushi cravings and back sometime ago, I came to know of Fisherman's Market being replaced by Chiso Zanmai. I am not sure if the Osaka-based buffet restaurant is still run by the same management team from Fisherman's Market.

All I know was that I posted an event on facebook and the next thing I knew was 9 individuals turned up for the feast!

You really have to appreciate consuming raw meat, the Japanese way.

For a fish to be suitable for sashimi and sushi, it has to be bled to ensure that the blood in the fish doesn't spoil the meat upon oxidation. Gutted to ensure that the parasites that are usually found in the guts doesn't migrate out and contaminate the whole fish. Afterwhich, the whole fish has to be thoroughly iced to retain the freshness. All these are happening right at the moment when the fish are caught.

See what I mean when you really gotta appreciate the people who prepare your food?

The variety of sushi they have is rather commendable. Bite size little treats but I was quite disappointed when I realised they didn't place wasabi within the sushi. That would be perfect and authentic sushi already but hey, no complains about their quality from me.

Sashmi comes in two forms; Sake and Maguro. Between the two, Sake was my preferred choice as was Mr T's as well. I find the maguro to be too thick which makes it laborious to savour and they are not exactly the top quality ones as well that I expected. Besides serving sake in its raw form, there's also different marinated ones. Yuzu was my favorite though :) Fresh and subtle.

Ever tried Corn or Matcha Tofu? Personally, the green matcha tofu on the was more to my liking than the corn one. The Fried Tofu was beautifully crafted and taste just as delectable as it looks but the ultimate winner of the four would have to be the chawanmushi. 

I know a good Chawanmushi when I have one. A good cuppa would have a savoury sweetness taste right from the moment it touches the lips. A good cuppa would be delicate but just firm enough to scoop the goodness out without becoming all messed up. 

In this case, they did it well! 

The hotpots are a must try in my opinion. Miso-based soba or the healthier soy sauce-based veggies with oysters. You decide for yourself. All I know is...

"I set fire to my soup! Watch it boils as I take some more food!"

The only Tempura I ate were the ebi ones because the rest were just unappealing to me. The fried whole prawns were fresh and crisp. The Japanese Curry seems a bit plain. There's wasn't a bit of a carrot or meat to be seen but I just love to drizzle it over my rice! The Soba were nitchy but I didn't really like the fried mash potato At least Takoyakis saved the day!

As our dinner draws to an end, I knew it's time for dessert... Actually, to be honest, I had my first dessert right after I finished my first plate of sashimi!

Profiteroles are small little pastry balls filled with pastry cream. I love the feeling of the pastry cream exploding in your mouth when you compress the little brown puffs. The Matcha Creme Brulee was great too! The sugarish caramel was evenly balanced and there wasn't bits of crystals which would otherwise spoil the whole experience as I made my way into the soft green custard. 

Swiss Rolls were delightfully sweet although they looked more like sandwiches than rolls if you asked me. Maybe they should change the name to Swiss Sandwiches instead! I think there's nothing much to describe about Panna Cotta. I was hesitant at first. I have never seen panna cotta in squareish forms before but in the end, I decided to give it a try and thank God I did... 

Somehow, I was reminded by a fond memory with someone. Weird but sweet...

Towards the end of the whole delightful ordeal, Mr Japanese and I were slipping his new invention like a boss. As he calls it, The Ale Cocktail. He got the name from the drink, Ginger Ale. It's like sparkling juice that taste almost like alcoholic without the potent content coupled with fruits and jelly. Nice! 

I won't be heading back to Chiso Zanmai so soon yet unless I really have the urge for cheap and affordable sushi and sashimi but If you're someone who loves raw stuffs and you don't really wanna to rip a hole in your wallet after buying a new camera, just do yourself a big favor and head down to Chiso Zanmai instead! Do note that sashimi are only available during dinner time. 

Once again, Thanks for the dinner and the custom "birthday cake" :)

The Central #02-17

6 Eu Tong Street, Singapore 059817

Tel: +65 6221 3177

Pricing:

Lunch

Mondays to Fridays

Adult: $14.90++ Child: $9.90++ Senior: $12.90++

Saturdays, Sundays & PH

Adult: $19.90++ Child: $9.90++ Senior: $17.90++

Dinner

Sundays to Thursdays & PH

$24.90++ Child: $14.90++ Senior: $17.90++

Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of PH

Adult: $29.90++ Child: $14.90++ Senior: $27.90++

Free Flow Drink additional $1.90++