Tucked away in a row of shophouses in the residential area of Greenwood, Bukit Timah, you will be forgiven if you miss Shiro Japanese Haute Cuisine. There is no signage save for the distinctive, stylised Kanji logo of the restaurant (meaning 'white' and signifying purity). Entry is gained by first making a reservation, then ringing the doorbell upon arrival and giving your name to the voice coming over the security system. Trying the locked door will get you nowhere. A quick flick of the lock and a friendly face beckons you in.
If the reception seems somewhat cold and forbidding, and the spartan décor a tad intimidating, the warmth of the service from the time you step into the restaurant proper is unparalleled. One of my dinner companions who had quietly commented to us that she found the air conditioning a little chilly, was pleasantly surprised when an observant waitress brought a woollen shawl for her to drape on.
The restaurant manager also deserves top marks for attention to detail and
taking time to explain each dish to us, even down to the cooking method. The
attention was also not reserved for just us reviewers, but all the guests of the
restaurant.
Adding to the quaintness of this restaurant is fairly closely-placed tables - seating capacity being a small 30 or so seats - which allows you to eavesdrop on your neighbouring diners' conversation! But for some reason, most of the diners appeared to accept this as part of the experience and unabashedly peered around at orders placed by the neighbouring table when they arrived. Our neighbours, who comprised a Japanese man and his dinner companion, were thus as intrigued by our courses, as we were by their paper steamboat, which is one of Shiro's signature dishes.
In all, coupled with the closely-set tables and occasional ring of the
doorbell, the
whole dining experience was akin to dining at a friend's home with
its solicitous and warm service.
Ambience and mystique aside, onto the food. Although Shiro is known for its signature paper steamboat, which called into memory long-forgotten principles of physics in heat conduction and hurricane lamps, the treat that awaited us was the comprehensive Wafu Kaiseki menu, totalling nine-courses. Do not be intimidated by the number. Unlike the type of eight-course and 10-course dinners we are accustomed to at Chinese wedding dinners or restaurants, courses here arrive in individual portions and a mere mouthful each. The only exception was the Teppanyaki beef with Shiro special sauce, which was the main dish and of a fairly sizeable portion for my dinner companions and I. I am sure, however, that the gentlemen will find it just right.
The appetiser plate comprised five seasonal items of which the most memorable
for me was the steamed crab tofu. The ubiquitous chawanmushi that is customarily
served at other restaurants would be considered pedestrian fare once you've had
a morsel of this smooth and intensely flavourful dish. And you can forget the
familiar orange crabstick surimi that is usually passed off for crab. Shiro uses
the real McCoy, and it is delicious! Other items included the Unagi eggroll,
Japanese abalone, which is a miniature version of the ones we are accustomed to
and extremely moist and tender, and Japanese lobster, which is an apt name for
what is actually the river shrimp, due to its lobster-like head. The combination
of the delicate and creamy and crisp and crunchy was intriguing, but the
restaurant manager, Terence, informed us that the items were subject to change
as it depended on the freshest produce available that day.
Next came the Sashimi Moriwase comprising the usual standards like salmon, tuna and elephant clam. Unfortunately, the raw sardines proved too overpowering for all three tasters despite the generous sprinkling of spring onions, and we were unable to do justice to the same without dousing it in wasabi, which would have probably shocked the chef. First-time Japanese food diners will thus do well passing up on this delicacy or might otherwise be totally put off the other sweeter and gentler raw dishes.
The next course of Tara Mentaiyaki, comprising grilled silver cod fish and spicy cod roe with shitake and green capsicum, will prove a favourite with those who love roe and shishamo.
After all the seafood, our next course of Nasu No Fuiyose or Japanese eggplant simmered with Gingko nut and prawn in light broth was a good foil. The only thing that proved tricky with this dish was managing the eggplant, which still retained its robust exterior, with a pair of chopsticks.
The Uzaku Sunomono or cooked eel with seaweed in vinegar sauce was next and a palate cleanser before our main course. It did the job and despite feeling already rather full, we waited with bated breath for our beef dish. Having heard the wonders of Kobe beef, we were a little disappointed to learn that Shiro preferred US prime beef for its Teppanyaki. What arrived was, however, a taste to behold, beautifully seared on the outside and moist with just a hint of rareness on the inside, the beef was perfect. This course was served together with a bowl of Osumashi or Japanese clear soup with Shimeiji mushrooms.
Before we knew it, it was time for dessert, and yes, we had made it to the final course. The dessert for the night was Japanese chestnut and red bean jelly with coffee and a truly satisfying end to a beautiful meal.
Although a tad crass for a normal restaurant review, I cannot leave you without mentioning the interestingly-designed restrooms. I can only deflect any criticism by saying that Shiro is to be blamed for having drawn our attention to the same. Hidden amongst dark velvet curtains which surround the walls of Shiro and reminiscent of old-time cinemas, the restroom was an interesting circle of a room tiled entirely in black with washbasin and water lavatory in its centre. An aerial view of the same - imagining such a view - will show the Shiro logo, with the door as its 'tail'. Even the knob to the tap was in the shape of a circle with a little tail - think tadpole - akin to the Shiro logo.
Shiro is certainly a great place to go to pamper yourself or a loved one on a special occasion and certainly one with which to impress clients, far from the madding crowd.
Malathi Das
Palakrishnan & Partners
Shiro Japanese Haute Cuisine
24 Greenwood Avenue
Singapore 289221
Tel: 6462 2774