Dashi Master Marusaya 2023

Dashi Master Marusaya 2023
86 Robertson Quay #01-01

https://marusaya.sg/en/

Dashi Oden (SGD $18)

Masterful Dashi Dishes

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $50 per person.


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Since 1962, the Marusaya Group (a Japanese katsuobushi wholesaler) has been producing and retailing top-quality katsuobushi / bonito / fermented skipjack tuna fish flakes. Their flagship restaurant Dashi Master Marusaya opened in Singapore in November 2014, and has since been offering all-natural, preservative-free, healthy dashi dishes made from their katsuobushi / bonito fish flakes. We'd previously visited Dashi Master Marusaya twice for tastings, the first visit in 2020, and the second visit in 2021, and we were excited to return again this time.

Ambience at Dashi Master Marusaya remains homely and comfortable. Spotlights overhead cast interplay of light and shadow on the furnishings, from the dark wooden cushioned chairs, plush booth seats, to the light wood brown tables and walls. The 90-seater place feels serene. 3 private rooms offer privacy for business meals, while the al-fresco outdoor seats by the Singapore river are great on cool nights.

Service at Dashi Master Marusaya remains discreet and efficient. Staff efficiently perform their tasks, from serving orders to proactively topping up drinks. They proactively clear finished plates during the meal, and clean up quickly when diners leave. Staff product knowledge still remains basic, unless the restaurant manager is present to describe the dish. If dining on hot pot, staff will help prepare and cook the meal.

Food at Dashi Master Marusaya remains traditional Japanese cuisine, focused on soups, stews, and small bites, with the highlight being the house dashi stock. Fresh premium ingredients are used, resulting in dishes that are tasty, hearty, wholesome, and healthy. Portions are sized for communal group dining, and sharing remains encouraged. Prices are pegged at a premium, budget about SGD $50 per person.


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Dashi Master Marusaya Exterior

Dashi Master Marusaya Interior

The Kikusui Perfect Snow Nigori Sake (SGD $42) is an unfiltered sake / rice wine, brewed with Gohyakumangoku rice by the Kikusui Sake Brewery in Shibata city, Niigata prefecture, Chubu region of Japan. It has a cloudy white colour, reminiscent of pure snow, with aromas and tastes of morning dew, white rice, spring water, and mochi / glutinous rice dumplings. The body is crisp, dynamic, and rich, with full grainy earthy sweet flavours, leaving a striking impression. Best served chilled or on the rocks.

Kikusui Perfect Snow Nigori Sake (SGD $42)

Kikusui Perfect Snow Nigori Sake

Their all-natural basic dashi (Japanese soup stock), known as satsuma hongare-honbushi, is made using katsuobushi / bonito / fermented skipjack tuna fish flakes that is smoked and dried for 3 weeks, then fermented for more than 2 years. This aged bonito is then cooked with rishiri kombu kelp seaweed (harvested from the frigid waters of Northern Hokkaido in Japan), for over 1 hour to create their delicious dashi stock, which serves as the base for the majority of dishes here. Besides satsuma hongare-honbushi, they also make other versions of dashi in-house, including niboshi (anchovies & seaweed stock) and sababoshi (cured Spanish mackerel fish & seaweed stock).

Dashi Hot Pot Broth

Dashi Hot Pot Broth With Katsuobushi

The Chawanmushi (SGD $10) is warm and wobbly soft, so lovely. The smooth moist dashi infused chawanmushi / steamed egg custard is garnished with tender shiitake mushroom, bouncy boneless chicken chunk, and a pliant shiso / beefsteak plant leaf. Has warm eggy earthy savoury sweet herbal flavour. So shiok. Good!

Chawanmushi (SGD $10)

Chawanmushi

Immersed in warm dashi broth, the Dashi Maki Tamago (SGD $12) features thick wobbly soft spongy slabs of tamago / rolled egg omelette, bright with eggy earthy sweet savoury flavour from absorbing the broth. It's topped with wispy katsuobushi / bonito / fermented skipjack tuna fish flakes for added umami notes. A pleasant side dish to pair with a meal. Worth ordering!

Dashi Maki Tamago (SGD $12)

Dashi Maki Tamago

The Ohitashi (SGD $9) is a lovely salad appetizer, featuring crisp blanched horenso / spinach, tender duo of kinoko / mushrooms (shimeji and golden enoki), and juicy cherry tomatoes, served in a warm dashi broth. This has lovely vegetal earthy sweet savoury flavours, excellent. Highly recommended!

Ohitashi (SGD $9)

Ohitashi

The Agedashi Tofu (SGD $12) has cubes of wobbly soft silken tofu beancurd within a light tempura batter, immersed in a warm dashi broth, garnished with crunchy okra / lady's finger slices, tender ninjin / carrot slices, and wispy katsuobushi / bonito / fermented skipjack tuna fish flakes. The vegetables lend a bright vegetal sweet contrast to the mild grainy sweet flavour of the tofu beancurd, while the gravy holds robust savoury earthy flavour. Worth ordering!

Agedashi Tofu (SGD $12)

Agedashi Tofu

The Wakatori Karaage (SGD $16 for 8 pieces) has medium boneless chunks of spring chicken, battered and deep-fried. With a slight crunch to the exterior and a tender juicy interior, the waka tori karaage / deep-fried spring chicken has enticing meaty salty savoury sweet flavour. Garnished with crisp shredded bettarazuke / pickled daikon radish, which lends a pleasant vegetal sour sweet contrast. Good!

Wakatori Karaage (SGD $16 for 8 pieces)

Wakatori Karaage

The Dashi Oden (SGD $18) here is among the better versions of Japanese oden / fish cake stew around, loved it. Their rendition features a warm dashi broth with robust savoury salty earthy sweet flavour. It's garnished with bouncy katayude tamago / hard boiled eggs with eggy earthy sweet flavour, soft daikon fukumeni / simmered daikon radish with vegetal earthy salty sweet flavour, crunchy kinusaya / snow peas with vegetal herbal bitter sweet flavour, springy konnyaku / konjac cubes with mild neutral flavour, tender chikuwa / fish cake surimi with sweet savoury salty flavour, and juicy nikudango / minced pork meat balls with meaty sweet savoury flavour. I greatly enjoyed this, would return to order it again. Highly recommended!

Dashi Oden (SGD $18)

Dashi Oden

The Udon (SGD $17) is served in your choice of warm or chilled, we opted for warm as we love the excellent dashi broth. The large portion can be shared by up to 4 people. The plain udon noodles have a smooth satisfying chew to texture, with a mild grainy sweet flavour. Complemented by the robust savoury earthy flavour of the dashi broth and the garnish of wispy katsuobushi / bonito / fermented skipjack tuna fish flakes. Good!

Udon (SGD $17)

Udon

Elevate the dining experience with the Sukiyaki Udon (SGD $18). Served warm, this features their delicious udon noodles, with a smooth satisfying chew to texture and mild grainy sweet flavour, in their excellent dashi broth. Accompanied by thin strips of sukiyaki / simmered fatty beef strips with white onions, gently chewy tender with robust meaty vegetal savoury salty sweet flavour. Finished with a half-boiled onsen egg, which you can stir in for added silky texture and eggy sweet flavour. Tableside, staff will add on the garnish of wispy katsuobushi / bonito / fermented skipjack tuna fish flakes per your request, lending additional savoury earthy flavour, yum. Highly recommended!

Sukiyaki Udon (SGD $18)

Sukiyaki Udon

Sukiyaki Udon

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