If you have a food question swirling in your head, who do you ask? Bing!
QUESTION
Please recommend a very special restaurant that I could bring a special someone to for dinner – like when I’m celebrating Valentine’s Day or even my 10th wedding anniversary!
BING’S ANSWER
Off the top of my head, Sushi Sakuta.
Sushi Sakuta interiors -- image credit Tatler Asia
As for why – I think I have to preface my answer to this with a confession: Sushi Sakuta is an ex-client. Those who know will understand the significance of my answer. One of the things that many people envy about our jobs is that we frequently dine at very nice places. But these same people don’t realise that while we greatly appreciate the opportunity, it can be really hard to eat at the same place and the same menu 10, 15 or even more times. We always want to support our clients, but oftentimes we have to take some time to refresh our palate, our mindsets and our culinary perspective before we return for a meal.
So for me to unhesitatingly recommend Sushi Sakuta is a sign of how much I enjoyed the cuisine there and how highly I think of it.
In fact, for my last birthday celebration, I had gone to Sushi Sakuta with a chef whose birthday fell on a date very close to mine. We wanted to make it a joint birthday celebration – and from the first bite, we knew we had made the right choice. It was an incredible meal.
Image Credit Bing Blokbergen-Leow
That said, it may not be a place for everyone. The food comes very clean: there isn’t an ocean of mayonnaise and ikura. Additionally, the menu has a very serious focus on sushi; there isn’t much in the way of appetisers or cooked mains. However, if you enjoy your sushi and you enjoy them with very pure flavours, then this is the perfect spot for you.
Also, to be frank, it can seem quite expensive. But, for me, dining there is very worthwhile. The value comes from the superb ingredients as well as the profound knowledge and precise judgment shown by the chef when he’s picking seasonal ingredients, when he’s preparing the fish and deciding which technique he should use, when he’s considering the seasoning. All of this comes together in a way that you can’t find anywhere else.
Take the rice used in Sushi Sakuta for instance – an ingredient that is sometimes neglected because many diners’ focus is on the fish. In Sushi Sakuta, it’s always fresh and perfectly cooked – served with plump, firm grains. The vinegar seasoning is also very thoughtfully considered – the use of red or white vinegar depends on his course progression and on the fish that will be presented on the rice. A friend of mine usually doesn’t eat rice, but when she was there, she ate every single grain. When the chef half-jokingly offered to “dabao” some rice for her, she actually accepted!
One thing to note about the chef there – Chef Sakuta – is the story of how he became a sushi chef. Rather surprisingly, he didn’t like fish when he was young. Influenced by that, his culinary philosophy now is about removing any “bad” flavours and odours from the fish and presenting instead the natural delicate flavours and texture of fish and other seafood. This is in huge contrast to many other chefs who want to layer or infuse other flavours into their food. I think this is quite unique to him.
Image Credit Bing Blokbergen-Leow
The space and ambience is, in a way, very similar to the sushi – very clean, very streamlined. I wouldn’t call it “dressy” but I wouldn’t wear a casual outfit there either. It’s low-key elegance; an embodiment of “less is more” where different textures of natural wood are punctuated with original art pieces (some by Yayoi Kasuma before she started her “dots” era) and carefully chosen tableware.
Every time I’ve dined there, I order the pine soda which I think is a perfect accompaniment with their food. But for those who enjoy a little drink, they have an excellent sommelier, Makoto Iwabuchi, who is very adept with his recommendations. In fact, I believe he was the recipient of the Michelin Sommelier Award in 2023.
And speaking of Michelin, Sushi Sakuta were awarded one Michelin star in 2024 and promptly promoted to two stars in 2025. In my opinion, they deserve the accolade.
To conclude, I highly recommend Sushi Sakuta as the place to go if you want a special meal – especially if you enjoy sushi with very clean, pure flavours.
Check out Bing’s reel of her meal at Sushi Sakuta (on her personal IG account). This was her second paid meal where she had, once again, been so impressed that she couldn’t help creating this reel!
