A traditional lunch at a Japanese Restaurant in Mandarin Gallery

There are many Japanese f & b outlets at Orchard Road Singapore. Suju Singapore, a traditional Japanese restaurant in Mandarin Gallery is one of our favourites. It is branch of a restaurant group that was started in 2005 by Suju Masayuki in Karuizawa, Nagano prefecture of Japan. Their focus is on traditional Japanese food and the basics of Japanese food culture such as miso and shoyu.

Mandarin Gallery is the shopping arcade annexed to the Mandarin Hotel. The number of shops and restaurants is low compared to the large malls nearby but there are some gems here. Pedestrian traffic was light as can be expected with the Covid situation and the new social distancing measures. The retail shops were very quiet but the f & b places had various degrees of business.

Providore and Suju seemed to have their loyal following. In the case of Suju some of the furniture had to be moved to the corridor to provide a more spacious dining interior. There was a constant flow of diners during lunchtime when we were there.

Japanese Restaurant in Mandarin Gallery – Suju Menu

In line with the traditional Japanese restaurant concept, the Suju menu is simply presented. Just a few pages of black text on plain paper, in English and Japanese language. I noticed quite a number of my fellow diners were Japanese. Here are pictures of some pages from the menu. We decided on the charcoal grilled yellowtail with small dishes and rice set (Kanpachi Shioyaki Teishoku, $36) from the “Today’s Recommendation” and a grilled black cod with rice set (Gindara Misozuke Yaki Teishoku, $42).

lunch menu Japanese Restaurant in Mandarin Gallery

Lunch at Suju Mandarin Gallery

This is a view of our two teishoku lunch sets. The grilled fish dish in each set was the highlight but the supporting dishes of rice, miso soup and “small dishes” play an important role as well. We appreciate the natural, simple presentation of the dishes. Nothing ostentatious.

A traditional lunch at a Japanese Restaurant in Mandarin Gallery

The yellowtail was grilled perfectly. The strip of skin was very crisp but leaving the meat very clean and moist. It was wonderful to eat with a bit of grated radish and soy sauce. The little side dishes were also interesting – the pickles were nice and crunchy and not the same as the ones we commonly encounter. The scoop of beancurd with a dash of what seems like fermented bean paste was refreshing.

Like the kanpachi dish, the grilled black cod (picture below) was also served with rice and miso soup. The cod had a more luxurious taste. The oiliness of the fish and delicate texture were enhanced by the mild miso paste applied on the fish. It was an enjoyable simple and traditional lunch at Suju Japanese restaurant in Mandarin Gallery.