33 Peking Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 048703
+65 6438 8991
One of Shin Kushiya's three outlets is located right in the CBD, very close to Raffles Place, in the hustle and bustle of Peking Street, where the working crowd hangs out after office hours. I've never been to Shin Kushiya on a weekend, but I imagine it might actually be less busy than on a weekday evening, as the people working around China Square, Far East Square and Samsung Hub congregate in sizable numbers in Peking Street in the evening.
Even so, when I decided to drop by at Shin Kushiya for a quick dinner, the place was busy, but not crowded, and there were still a few tables available. This might have to do with the fact that, price wise, Shin Kushiya is one of a very few restaurants that are higher priced than the other bars and eateries surrounding it. Most of the tables at the restaurant seat 6 people, so when it's full I reckon it's packed and quite noisy. As in many Japanese restaurants in Singapore, the atmosphere is busy, and not exactly very cozy or romantic, so I would recommend the place rather for a night out with friends than for a romantic dinner.
Shin Kushiya's menu is extensive to say the least, and we took quite some time in ordering. There is always staff around, and as long as you can attract their attention, they are quite friendly and helpful, if sometimes a bit young and inexperienced. For two people, we ordered Cha Soba (thin, cold buckwheat noddles flavored with green tea powder), Garlic Rice, Sake Butteryaki (pan butter grilled salmon), the Sushi Favorites and Sashimi Moriwase. To drink, we only ordered green tea and water.
First off, the Shushi and Sashimi were very decent, both in terms freshness and taste. I'm not a big fan of of soba, but I reckon they were ok as well, though nothing that would make me order this dish again. Unfortunately, Shin Kushiya's Sake Butteryaki and Garlic Rice were both sub par and lacking in flavor. In contrast to the Sushi and Sahimi, the Sake Butteryaki did not taste very much of Salmon, and as butter in itself does not exactly have a very intense flavor, the whole affair was rather bland. what surprised me is how they managed to get the Garlic Rice wrong. I mean, this dish is so simply and would require nothing more than a bit of fresh garlic, rice and maybe some herbs and seasoning to round it all off, but Shin Kushiya instead delivered a bowl of rice that was nearly devoid of taste.
Overall, I'd say the more expensive dishes, such as the sushi and sashimi were worth their money, whereas the cheaper dishes all disappointed. At the end of our meal, we were sated, but our bellies were not bursting, and the bill was slightly north of SGD 100. I might go back to Shin Kushiya in a pinch, but it certainly wont make it to the top of my review list of favorite restaurants anytime soon.
3/5 Stars
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