Last updated 5 August 2026. This page was reviewed on that date. Prices, rates and opening hours change often in Singapore — confirm anything that matters directly with the business before you travel or spend.
Quick answer: This directory covers four currently-operating Japanese restaurants in Singapore: Kakushin (omakase, Orchard Road), Tentsuru (tempura omakase, St. Regis Singapore), Koma Singapore (modern Japanese, Marina Bay Sands), and Zuicho Singapore (kappo, Mandarin Oriental). A fifth previously covered here, Esora, has permanently closed; see the note below.
You’ve cleared a rare evening out, and a seat at the right Japanese counter turns a meal into a real reset. But a misstep with waiting lists, hidden queues or overbooked omakase rooms can sink the whole outing. This shortlist cuts through the noise, pointing you to four routes where timing, setting and flow are as carefully considered as the food itself.
Kakushin
Kakushin, a 46-seater on Orchard Road, offers an omakase menu from a team with experience at Tatsu Sushi and Akashi.
The omakase counter feels like a secret hideaway from Orchard Road’s relentless makeover. Chef’s hands move with a quiet certainty, slicing fish that still carries the chill of Toyosu. There’s a jar of house-fermented shoyu on the counter, its scent a slow, patient thing. You taste the thirty-hour Wagyu and think of how Singapore used to take time for such things. A small, deliberate luxury that whispers of a less hurried city.
Sliding into the counter seat, the world outside Orchard Road dissolves into a muted hum. The chef’s hands work with a rhythm that feels almost meditative, each slice a quiet act of care. A dish arrives, the fish still taut with freshness, its flavor deepened by a house-made shoyu that whispers of patience. The Wagyu, cooked low and slow, melts with a tenderness that invites you to pause. Here, the meal isn’t rushed; it’s a sequence of small, deliberate moments that remind you to breathe. The evening stretches, and you’re grateful for the stillness.
Products or Services
Multi-course omakase with ingredients air-flown from Japan’s Toyosu market, sous vide Kagoshima Wagyu (30-hour preparation), and house-made ponzu and shoyu sauces fermented for seven days.
Contact Information & Location
- Location: 6 Scotts Road, #02-03, Scotts Square, Singapore 228209
- Phone: +65 9728 6813
- Email: [email protected]
- Operating Hours: Daily lunch 11:30am-3pm, dinner 6-10pm (some third-party listings show dinner to 11pm — confirm with the restaurant)
- Website: Kakushin
Kakushin rewards those who book the early evening counter. The 46-seater hums quietly, with no frantic turnover; a solo diner or a couple can settle into the steady rhythm of a multi-course omakase without feeling rushed. The room’s serenity matches the short walk from Orchard MRT, making it a natural pre-theatre or weekend escape.
Tentsuru
Tentsuru, at The St. Regis Singapore, specializes in tempura omakase, led by Master Chef Daiki Kawaguchi (18+ years’ experience, including Tankuma, Hinokizaka, and co-founding Bangkok’s Tenharu).
At the counter, Master Chef Kawaguchi lifts a single prawn from the batter, its coating a lace of crispness. Each piece lands on your plate like a small, edible memory. The sakura shrimp kakiage arrives, and for a moment, the hushed room feels like a refuge from the city’s noise. This is tempura as it once was, before the world sped up—a reminder of a Singapore where fine dining meant quiet attention, not just spectacle.
The St. Regis lobby whispers old-world luxury, a reminder of when hotels were destinations in themselves. At Tentsuru, you sit at the counter and watch the tempura chef work with a rhythm that feels inherited. Best to go for the omakase and trust the chef’s pacing; each piece is fried à la minute, so eat it immediately. The room is intimate, conversation low—just the sizzle of oil and the crunch of batter breaking the silence.
Products or Services
Four omakase menus (Koto $120++, Tsuzumi $188++, Uguisu $280++, Tsuru $380++) featuring sakura shrimp, tiger prawns, whiting fish, and a three-flour tempura batter from Hokkaido; signature sea urchin roll and Miyazaki A5 Wagyu tempura.
Contact Information & Location
- Location: 29 Tanglin Road, The St. Regis Singapore, Level 2, Singapore 247911
- Phone: +65 8113 3612 / +65 6739 6564
- Email: [email protected]
- Operating Hours: Tue-Sun lunch 12-2:30pm, dinner 6-10:30pm; Mon closed
- Website: Tentsuru
Tentsuru’s polished calm at The St. Regis suits a mid-week reprieve. Arrive before 7pm and you’ll often find the tempura bar less crowded, so the chef’s precise frying remains the undisrupted focus. The progression from light sakura shrimp to richer courses feels unhurried, a tempo that busy professionals especially appreciate when they can’t afford a drawn-out, three-hour affair.
Koma Singapore
Koma Singapore, at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, is a modern Japanese restaurant and sushi bar by Tao Group Hospitality, with a 20m passageway inspired by Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine and a 2.5m Japanese bell.
You walk through the vermilion torii passage, the light shifting like a dream of old Kyoto. The massive bell looms, a photo op for the kiasu crowd, but linger a moment and it feels oddly solemn. The restaurant buzzes with modern energy, yet the Salmon Pillow arrives, a playful bite that echoes a Singapore that once embraced Japanese culture with wide-eyed wonder. It’s a theatrical nostalgia, packaged for today’s diner.
Beyond the vermilion gates, the dining hall opens into a grand spectacle where tradition meets a vibrant, modern pulse. The towering bell commands attention, but it’s the shared plates that steal the show—each bite a playful twist on familiar flavors. The Salmon Pillow arrives, a crisp, savory morsel that sparks conversation. Laughter rises above the bassline, and the space feels like a celebration. It’s a place where Kyoto nostalgia gets a Singaporean remix, best enjoyed with a crowd. The energy is infectious, and you leave with a camera roll full of memories and a satisfied palate.
Products or Services
Sushi, sashimi, tempura, and signature dishes including the Salmon Pillow, D.I.Y. Spicy Tuna, and KOMA Roll, alongside an extensive sake list and cocktails.
Contact Information & Location
- Location: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, #B1-67, Singapore 018956
- Phone: +65 8322 6195 (private rooms/large groups)
- Email: [email protected]
- Operating Hours: Lunch daily 11:30am-3pm (last seating 2:30pm); Dinner Sun-Thu 5-11pm, Fri/Sat/eve of PH 5pm-12am; Bar & Lounge Sun-Thu 11:30am-11pm, Fri/Sat/eve of PH 11:30am-12am
- Website: Koma Singapore
Koma Singapore turns a casual dinner into a visual event, but the smart move is a late-afternoon reservation when the Fushimi Inari-inspired tunnel is quiet enough for a photo without a queue. The shareable signatures like the D.I.Y. Spicy Tuna and Salmon Pillow suit groups wanting flair without a drawn-out omakase commitment, and the cocktail list extends the evening seamlessly.
Zuicho Singapore
Zuicho Singapore, at Mandarin Oriental Singapore, is a kappo restaurant led by Head Chef Kenji Takahashi, who previously earned Michelin stars at Tokyo Ginza’s Yoshifuku for over nine consecutive years.
Chef Takahashi works behind the counter, his knife gliding through seasonal fish with the ease of decades. The omakase unfolds quietly, each course a conversation between Tokyo precision and Singapore’s own appetite for refinement. The Mandarin Oriental’s hushed elegance feels like a holdout from a more graceful era. You sit, and for a few hours, the city’s constant churn fades—this is kappo as a slow, cherished ritual, a taste of a vanishing intimacy.
The Mandarin Oriental has anchored Marina Bay since the eighties, its lobby a time capsule of quiet opulence. At Zuicho, the counter is where you want to be—watching Chef Takahashi’s precise movements is part of the meal. Let the omakase unfold; there’s no need to decide. The pace is unhurried, each dish presented with a soft explanation. It feels like dining in a friend’s home, if that friend were a master chef. The city skyline glitters outside, but here, time slows to the rhythm of the knife.
Products or Services
Multi-course omakase menus ($150-$550) prepared live at the chef’s counter, with a curated sake and wine list.
Contact Information & Location
- Location: Mandarin Oriental Singapore, 5 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039797
- Phone: +65 6885 3595
- Email: [email protected]
- Operating Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-6pm; Sun closed
- Website: Zuicho Singapore
Zuicho Singapore’s chef counter feels like a private masterclass, best taken mid-week when the pace slows and Head Chef Takahashi’s focus is undivided. The live preparation turns a quiet meal into a quiet thrill, ideal for marking a milestone or impressing a client without the fuss of a multi-day hunt for reservations.
At a Glance
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Kakushin | Omakase | Scotts Square, Orchard |
| Tentsuru | Tempura omakase | The St. Regis Singapore |
| Koma Singapore | Modern Japanese | Marina Bay Sands |
| Zuicho Singapore | Kappo | Mandarin Oriental |
About this list: This is a directory of four currently-operating Japanese restaurants in Singapore — not a ranking or endorsement, and not exhaustive.
Important — restaurant no longer operating: Esora, previously covered on this page, permanently closed with its final service on 29 December 2025, after eight years at 15 Mohamed Sultan Road. The one-Michelin-starred kappo restaurant’s closure was confirmed via multiple independent food-press reports (ladyironchef.com, timeout.com) and its listings now showing “Closed” status. Separately, its founding chef Shigeru Koizumi (named in this post’s original listing) had already left the restaurant in 2022; Head Chef Takeshi Araki and Chef de Cuisine Noboru Shimohigashi led the kitchen for its remaining years. We’re keeping this note here since readers may still search for Esora specifically.
Disclaimer: Information here has been compiled from the businesses’ own websites and other publicly available sources, current as of July 2026, and may change. We do not guarantee it is complete or error-free and disclaim liability for inaccuracies or omissions; let us know if you spot an error so we can correct it.
Picking Your Scene at the Counter
For a quiet weeknight when you want the chef’s full attention, Kakushin delivers that intimate omakase rhythm — just you, a few other guests, and course after course landing softly as the conversation ebbs and flows. It suits solo diners and tight pairs who want the meal to be the main event, without the buzz of a bigger dining room. The counter feels close and unhurried, so you track each shave of wasabi and every brush of nikiri, leaving with a clear memory of what you ate rather than a blur of dishes.
When the evening calls for more theatre, Koma Singapore flips the mood completely — high ceilings, a grand walkway, and plates built to catch your eye before they catch your fork. Go with a group that wants to linger over cocktails and shareable plates, where the space itself becomes part of the conversation. Tentsuru sits somewhere between these two worlds, fusing the counter-omakase format with the crackle and aroma of tempura done one piece at a time; pick it when you want the precision of an omakase but crave something lighter and crisp, especially on an afternoon when you can watch the oil bubble right in front of you.
