How often do you engage in a little bit of risk while enjoying some beautiful cuisine? We have all heard that consuming fugu (河豚) aka puffer fish is as good as risking death. Well, I have a magnificent feast of fugu and not just any ordinary fugu, is Torafugu, king of all fugu and survived!!! Fuku Fine Fugu Kaiseki Restaurant is the first-ever restaurant in Asia outside of Japan that specialises in fugu. I am both honored and blessed to be invited to a media tasting with
Edsmond,
Hazel and
Wilson.
As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with a traditional Japanese deco in orange dim light. What I like is that there are bamboo blinds to separate each table for a more private dining experience.
There are more than 100 species of pufferfish in the world and only 20 species are edible. Amongst them, Torafugu aka Tiger Pufferfish is being served at Fuku. Imported twice weekly from Shimonoseki, the ingredients are definitely assured of quality and freshness.
If you are like me, worried about the risk involved with eating pufferfish, you don’t have to worry as Chef Koji Tsukamoto is the one and only licensed fugu chef in Singapore. This certification comprises a 2 to 3 years apprenticeship and a written test, a fish-identification test, and a practical test of preparing and eating the fish. The passing rate is about 35 percent and Chef Koji Tsukamoto is one of the few. With more than 20 years of experience on his belt, I felt that I was in good hands.
We started our Fugu Course Daikokuten ($250++) of thinly sliced Fugu Sashimi with Fugu skin, leek, spring onion and wasabi. It is rather interesting to have them the way that we would have peking duck skin. What surprised me is that Fugu by itself has NO fishy smell at all.
This is my first time having Fugu and the Deep Fried Fugu tasted like chicken karaage to me. lol
The course menu includes appetizer and Gelatine meat, lightly boiled fugu skin, fugu sashimi, deep fried fugu, seasonal japanese cooked dish, grilled milt or steamed milt, fugu hotpot with vegetable, fugu Japanese style porridge and seasonal dessert. It is good to know that Fugu has low fats content and is rich in protein. On top of that, it also contains a high level of collagen. Lucky for me to have consumed my fair share of collegen that night. hehehe
Besides Fugu Course Daikokuten, we also tried the new soya bean broth. If you like something creamy and rich, try this. The fugu hotpots also have an unrivalled prices from $70++! We were also very honored to have Chef Koji to help us with the cooking of the steamboat. Seriously when it comes to service, Japanese always win hands down!
P.S: If you have the chance, do try the A5 imported beef from Miyazaki! It is so good that it melt in your mouth. One of the most tender beef slices that I have ever tried!!!
Besides that, we were introduced to Jacob’s Creek white wine to pair with the fugu. According to Chef Koji, besides sake, this is the best to pair with the fugu feast.
If you are adventurous enough, do try this!! Each fugu has only 2 of these. So what are they? ermmmmm.. their sperm. Interesting as it is, it doesn’t taste fishy and it has the texture akin to that of a marshmallow. I am sorry that I indirectly killed so many baby fugus that night. Yikes!
Fuku Fine Fugu Kaiseki Restaurant
14 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01 Singapore 238963
Operating hours: Mon ~ Sat 6pm to 11pm
(Last order at 10.30pm)
If you are adventurous enough, do try this!! Each fugu has only 2 of these. So what are they? ermmmmm.. their sperm. Interesting as it is, it doesn’t taste fishy and it has the texture akin to that of a marshmallow. I am sorry that I indirectly killed so many baby fugus that night. Yikes!
