An Unsatisfying Meal

For a lark, we popped by Hokkaido Sushi for dinner. We hadn't been there for months and thought we'd say hi.

Unfortunately, the entire dining experience was underwhelming, to say the least. I don't know what happened to the restaurant, but it hasn't fulfilled all its potential and promise from its opening. It could be the slowdown of the economy which leads to a decrease of diners; which leads to lower profits and therefore they don't stock premium ingredients anymore. It's a vicious cycle that doesn't bode well for the restaurant.

Chef Thomas has to stick at Tomo now. So the chefs at Hokkaido Sushi aren't exactly strong in their techniques or creativity, but passable. I think they just don't have good ingredients to work with.

Our omakase selections were frankly terrible. The sashimi and sushi weren't exactly top grade nor today's fresh. The cooked items were palatable, but not terribly delicious. The friends liked the wagyu beef steak that wasn't too marbled and properly pan fried. I glanced around the restaurant. Everyone was having the cooked items. The sashimi that went out to the floor didn't look good at all. The chef knew us. He knew my taste. He knew I would like the good stuff, yet he chose to give me this pathetic selection of food. I could only think it was because he didn't have much to work with.

When the bill was presented, I nearly keeled over. They only charged us S$100 (before the 20% à la carte card discount) per pax for the omakase dinner. Honestly, that was too cheap for anything of quality. At this price range, I rather pay slightly more for Kome which is my current casual venue of choice. If I'm to eat at a restaurant twice a week, I need to know that the quality of food remains top notch.

So Hokkaido Sushi is still alright for simple food and quiet meals. The man thinks it's still an okay venue to visit for work purposes. But on a private note, he agrees that this restaurant goes off our personal list of eating places.