Taking up the ground floor of a quaint shophouse in the vibrant and eclectic Joo Chiat neighbourhood, omakase restaurant Jimoto Dining opened its elaborately carved wooden Ranma doors earlier in the year with Tokyo-born Chef Takahiro Sato at the helm. Formerly of Sushi Hashida and Melbourne’s Kakizaki, Chef Taka leads the kitchen in curating four great-value Omakase options, as well as offering a daily rotating selection of a la carte dishes.

Various Japanese cooking styles will feature in the Omakase courses, such as yakimono (grilled), agemono (deep-fried) and nimono (stewed). The affordable five-course Toki served only for an hour from 6pm, offers a light meal and a quick dinner fix; with three other options available for seven-courses – the introductory Sanpuru, innovative Kakushin, and the premium Zeitaku – and will include a sashimi course.

On top of quality fish flown in from Japan like bonito, flounder, and black gnomefish, the restaurant spares no expense and effort in securing the best ingredients. Chef Taka’s sushi vinegar is his own secret blend that leaves the sushi rice, which is of the sasanishiki varietal sourced from Miyagi Prefecture, slightly tinted and well flavored. Other essential details of Japanese dining like dashi and the sauces are intentionally made in-house as well.

Attention to the experience at Jimoto Dining means that omakase meals are only served at the 14-seater dining counter where guests can watch Chef Taka in action. Diners seated at the seven seater bar and high table can order from the daily-changing a la carte menu, which includes a limited serving of A4 Miyazaki Wagyu Ribeye.

Don’t be surprised if tap water isn’t served at the restaurant, its high chlorine content is said to affect the flavours of the food and drinks. Instead, artisan Japanese water like Gold Pak Azumino Tenensui Mineral Water or sakura jima 1117 which better complements the food are recommended.

Further enhance the Omakase experience with Jimoto Dining’s traditional Japanese alcohol, which includes sake and shochu, as well as red and white wine. Naturally, the drinks menu is a well-rounded one, with an emphasis on sake and whisky, catering to any discerning tippler.

Besides an ever-evolving selections of sake by the 720ml bottle, the Japanese selection includes Suntory Premium Malt and house pour sake like Saito Junmai and Nanbubijin ‘Trophy’ Honjozo that are available in 90ml shots or 360ml carafes. Tenjaku, a blended whisky hailing from the Mt. Fuji region, is used in their highballs but whisky lovers can also expect a small but decent range of Scottish single malts like Tamdhu 10 and Glengoyne 15 to round off an evening at Jimoto Dining.