Located in Telok Ayer, SHINRAI presents a refreshing new dining concept that brings together two quintessential Japanese drink pairings – sushi and izakaya!
Helmed by the same team behind Sushi Yujo, SHINRAI offers a menu of aburi and charcoal-grilled specialties.
Vintage Pop-Inspired Interior
Image Credits: Shinrai
The interior of the restaurant combines modernity with a Japanese touch. There are neon lights that create a fun and inviting atmosphere, contrasted by the inclusion of a traditional Japanese umbrella (Wagasa).
SHINRAI Menu
The Shinrai Menu has a diverse menu with everything from sushi to grilled skewers.
There are options from the Hotate Carpaccio ($18.80) with truffle caviar. For those preferring cooked dishes, there’s the Soft Shell Crab Roll ($6.80) and grilled items such as Foie Gras Steak ($28.80).
An izakaya is not complete without drinks, and there’s an extensive selection. Alcoholic beverages include sake and umeshu to contemporary delights like Kikusui sparkling yuzu, kochi ($28) that uses real yuzu juice infused with sake mellowness.
Appetisers
Image Credits: Shinrai
For appetisers, we tried the Seafood Chawanmushi with Truffle Caviar ($9.80). The blend of crab meat, prawns, and scallops infused the chawanmushi with an enjoyable sweetness of seafood. This sweetness is balanced by the saltiness of the caviar and the aroma of the truffle.
The signature Salmon Carpaccio ($16.80), featured thinly sliced salmon sashimi with a homemade truffle sauce. The truffle intensified the flavour of the sweet salmon, which we found to be quite fatty!
Sushi & Maki
For Foie Gras Lovers, you don’t want to miss out on the Torched Hotate with Foie Gras ($23.80). The caramelised foie gras was coated in a house-made sauce, which gave a richness with every bite.
The SHINRAI Signature Maki ($21.80) pulled out all the stops. The sizable roll featured torched salmon, grilled unagi, avocado and flavorful tobiko. But what set it apart was the chef’s special touch of chicken floss, adding a unique sweet twist.
Their Shinrai Royal Maki ($23.80) came covered in torched salmon and deep-fried tiger prawn, infused with the chef’s signature miso sauce. We enjoyed the range of textures, including the slight sweetness from the chicken floss!
Skewers
We sampled three types of skewers from their wide variety of options. The Tsukune ($6.80), featuring grilled minced chicken and pork on a stick, was generously glazed with a flavorful teriyaki sauce. Paired with a dip of onsen egg, the creamy and silky texture of the egg complemented the Tsukune perfectly. The Tebasaki ($3.80), featuring their grilled chicken wings were also tender and enjoyable!
Among the skewers we tried, the Hotate ($7.80) stood out the most to us. The scallops were notably large, sweet and perfectly cooked!
Grilled Items
Ebi with Mentaiko ($21.80) featured a generous whole Tiger prawn enveloped in their house-made mentaiko sauce, expertly charred to smoky perfection. The mentaiko sauce was a little too salty for our taste, but it might be designed to pair better with alcohol!
Mains
We tried their popular Wagyu Foie Gras Don ($48.80), featuring expert-grilled premium A5 Kagoshima Wagyu beef. Served atop fluffy pearl rice, it’s crowned with an onsen egg and drizzled with truffle sauce.
The Wagyu was juicy and meaty, while the foie gras had a buttery, savoury texture. It was complemented by the silky onsen egg, which paired well with a spoonful of their fluffy pearl rice!
Dessert
Image Credits: Shinrai
We concluded our meal with the house-made Tofu Cheesecake ($5.80). It had an enjoyable, melt-in-your-mouth silky texture, with a pleasant sweetness and fragrance of soybeans.
Promotions
In celebration of Shinrai’s opening, from April 1st to April 30th, 2024, enjoy 1-for-1 offer on in-house sake (300ml) from 8:30 pm onwards!
Sushi-Izakaya In Telok Ayer
SHINRAI is a perfect place for casual drinks with friends, complete with an easygoing vibe and hearty selection of food!
If you’re looking for more eats in the area, check out our list of restaurants in Telok Ayer.
@middleclass.sg Retro-pop ambience, drinks AND goodfood? SHINRAI has got you covered!👏🏼🍣😋 #sgfoodie #tiktoksg #fypsg #singapore #sgtiktok ♬ Magnetic – ILLIT
SHINRAI
173 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068622
Mon-Thur: 11.30 am–2.30pm; 6pm–10.30pm
Fri-Sat (Closed on Sundays): 11.30am–2.30pm; 6pm–11.45pm
*This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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