Fukui Blossoms into Spring with New Omakase Menus

Head chef Nick Pa’an presents a culinary retreat through Japan’s bounteous spring with a focus on inventive sushi creations at 25 Mohamed Sultan Road.

Fukui ( 福 井 ) heralds the bountiful spring season with new omakase menus from 7 February 2022. Once again presenting a dining experience that invites patrons into a  special corner of  Japan,  Head  Chef  Nick  Pa’an has refined his multi-course menus to focus on his inventive sushi creations and all-time favourites, coupled with founders and sisters   Eugenia and   Emilia’s brand of wholehearted hospitality that has defined Fukui since its opening in March 2021.

SAVOUR JAPAN IN FULL BLOOM

Available from 7 February 2022 onwards, Fukui will shine a light on Spring specialities, curated weekly by Pa’an himself.  With new menus focused on his sushi creations, patrons can expect a greater variety of produce and seafood gracing their palates.

Seafood selections in Spring will include the delicate Noresore (young conger eels), the dazzling gemstones of Toyama Bay, Hotaru Ika (firefly squid) and the succulent flesh of Kegani (Hokkaido hairy crab) and its roe. Patrons will also enjoy rare appearances of the fatty Ishidai (striped beakfish) indigenous to Japan’s waters or Mehikari (green eyes fish), a bold, oily deep-sea fish with a slightly sweet taste.

A strong harvest brings in the crisp, sweet Takenoko (young sprout from bamboo), a quintessential item in Spring signalling an auspicious start of new things, Daikoku Shimeiji, named after its unique resemblance to the Japanese God of Wealth and, for dessert, a platter including the Awayuki Ichigo (white strawberries) and its sakura-like colour.

Joining the menu will also be  Pa’an’s evergreen signatures, such as the beloved Ise Ebi with Imo Tofu (spiny lobster with homemade yam tofu), where Japanese yam is cooked over a slow fire for a velvety texture, lightly fried and served in a decadent lobster potage sauce, and his famed Negitoro, replete with uni, ebiko and generous lashings of his growing 3-year-old anago (sea eel) sauce.

To better coax the natural flavours of these ingredients, Pa’an also introduces the addition of bincho-tan into his open kitchen. Rather than a grill, bincho-tan will be heated to sear rich seafood, showcasing rich seafood in his sushi courses.

IN THE SPIRIT OF SPRING

The evolving beverage list has since expanded to pair with the Spring menu. Options running the gamut from coveted Japanese whiskies, wines and sake. The latter will include top breweries, such as Dassai and Juyondai, as well as lesser-known breweries from Fukui Prefecture, including Kokuryu brewed with locally grown Gohyakumangoku rice grains, to name a few.

With an abundance of seafood, Fukui joins hands with JFOODO, an organisation within the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), to launch a sake pairing campaign, SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE from 21 February. Diners will be able to enjoy limited-time-only pairings with Pa’an seafood creations, highlighting sake’s versatility in complimenting a wide range of dishes.

Lunch sets start from $138++ to $168++ for seven courses. For lunch and dinner, Sushi Omakase* starts from $188++ to $258++ for five courses, and Omakase menus start from $288++ for nine courses to $388++ for ten courses. *Binchotan sushi is only available for dinner seatings