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Thursday, 23 April 2020

Dashi Master Marusaya – Umami Dashi Shabu [MEDIA INVITE]

A4 Wagyu Beef Dashi Shabu 

Dashi Master Marusaya is the flagship restaurant of the Marusaya group, specialising in traditional Dashi. Dashi Master Marusaya is managed by Japanese katsuobushi wholesaler Marusaya, who is dedicated to all-natural dashi, Japanese soup stock, to bring out the natural flavours of the ingredients.

Dashi Master Marusaya

Katsuobushi is a dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna. Dashi Master Marusaya (‘DMM’) offers natural dashi-based using a carefully selected katsuobushi, especially Satsuma 2-year-old hongare-honbushi, and in which the natural dashi here are made together with kombu to deliver that complex umami flavour.

Satsuma 2-year-old hongare-honbushi Katsuobushi

Shaved Katsuobushi

In March 2020, DMM launched its special Signature Dashi Shabu Course featuring seasonal appetiser, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), assorted sashimi (3 kinds), a seasonal dish, dashi shabu shabu, udon or porridge and dessert. Ala carte menu is also available.

Alcohols

We had the pleasure to attend the Media Tasting before the Circuit Breaker in Singapore commenced and we were treated with a unique dashi gastronomic journey.

We started our meal with Taberu Katsuobushi (Half Dried Bonito Fish Jerky - S$15). The first time we tried half dried of katsuobushi. This is a half-dried bonito, shaved about 2mm thick and served with mayonnaise. It tasted like fish jerky, with a salty soy sauce flavour. The mayonnaise adds a creamy and eggy taste to it plus offsetting the saltiness. A bit of chewing is needed but a good dish to go with your beer / other alcohols.

Taberu Katsuobushi

Taberu Katsuobushi

Ohitashi (Blanched Spinach with Dashi Sauce - $9). Served chilled, the spinach infused with dashi sauce. Together shaved katsuobushi, chilled dashi sauce and cherry tomato it made a refreshing appetizer.

Ohitashi 

Agedashi Tofu (Deep-fried Tofu with Dashi Sauce - S$12). The tofu is coated with sweet potato flour and fried, served submerged in dashi sauce and topped with shaved katsuobushi. The tofu is soft and smooth, coated with chewy layer of potato flour skin. The dashi sauce provided it with a complex umami broth. Let’s just say, the agedashi tofu in regular Japanese restaurants will not appeal to me anymore.

Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi Tofu

Dashi Oden (S$20). Ingredients include homemade chicken meatballs, fishcakes, konjac, daikon and hard-boiled eggs. The homemade chicken ball is succulent and packs with flavour. Frankly, the juiciness of the chicken balls was unexpected. The fishcake and konjac are bouncy, while the daikon not only soak up the dashi it also adds a sweet flavour to the dashi. The hard-boiled egg just completes the oden experience.

Dashi Oden

Dashi Oden - My Portion

Next up is the Dashi Shabu Set, we are sampling the A4 Wagyu Dashi Shabu (S$68 per pax) and Pork Dashi (S$48 per pax).

Pork & A4 Wagyu (Portion for 3 pax)

The Vegetable Base of Shabu

The vegetable base of the shabu are Chinese cabbage, carrot, kale, tang oh, leak, shimeji, shiitake and myoga / Japanese ginger. Not forgetting the silken tofu as well. Then the dashi soup is poured into the pot and heated up. We were told that it is best to lower the fire to simmer after the dashi reaches the boiling point. This will prevent the stock from turning bitter.

Dashi Base - Ready to Boiled

For the sauce, you can choose between Japanese sesame sauce or Japanese Ponzu sauce. Additional dipping ingredients include chopped spring onions, grated spicy daikon and yuzu paste.

Additional Dipping Ingredients

The Dashi after 1st Boil

We started with A4 Wagyu that comes with dense marbling. We cooked it till medium and it just melts in our mouth. Moo Moo!! The A4 wagyu is already so good, I can’t imagine the A5 Wagyu.

A4 Wagyu

A4 Wagyu

Unlike the beef, the pork meat does not have marbling. Instead, the thick layer of fats at the top is equivalent to the marbling in the beef. We cooked it a tad longer than the beef, it produced juicy and succulent pork meat, with a slight chewiness in it. Yummy.

Pork

Pork

For the staple, you can choose between homemade udon or porridge. We are glad that we got to try both. The udon is thick, silky, bouncy and packs with flavour. Udon lovers should not miss out on this homemade udon. LD, the udon lover, give her two thumbs up!

Homemade Udon

Homemade Udon

The porridge at the end of shabu or hotpot is kind of comfort food for me. The combination of rice, eggs, chopped green onions with intense dashi broth is just a perfect ending for a shabu-shabu meal. We were filled to the brim with the udon before, but the soothing porridge gave us the perfect ending for the savoury dishes.

Porridge

Porridge

Desserts were  Ice Cream ($6). I choose Black Sesame and LD choose Green Tea. There are also an option for vanilla. Both the ice creams are solid, creamy and packs of punch.

Desserts

The décor of the restaurant feels classic, covered with lots of wood elements. DMM is a 90-seater restaurant, where you can fit 48 pax inside and 42 pax alfresco plus 3 private rooms. LD and I prefer the indoor seats.

Part of Dining Area
Bar Seating

Overall, it was an eye-opener dashi culinary experience. The quality of the dashi made with katsuobushi and kombu are just amazing. It elevates the natural flavours of the ingredients in the dish and delivering the complex umami flavour. Definitely, a place to try for Japanese cuisine and dashi shabu. Cheers!!

Dashi Shabu at Dashi Master Marusaya
Signature Dashi Shabu Course featuring seasonal appetiser, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), assorted sashimi (3 kinds), seasonal dish, dashi shabu, udon or porridge and dessert.
- A5 Wagyu Beef $148++ per person
- A4 Wagyu Beef $108++ per person
- Pork $88++ per person

Dashi Shabu Set
- A5 Wagyu Beef $108++ per person
- A4 Wagyu Beef $68++ per person
- Pork $48++ per person
- Homemade Chicken Meat Ball in Hotpot $38++ per person

Special Promotion for Chubby Botak Koala Reader – Free Ice Cream  (choice of Green Tea, Black Sesame or Vanilla). Just quote Chubbybotakkoala.com or show my blog, you can enjoy this special offer.

Thank you very much Jennifer Yeo Consultancy and Dashi Master Marusaya for hosting us.

In addition to Dashi Master Marusaya, the group also owns MAI by Dashi Master Marusaya at Bukit Pasoh Road, TEN Sushi at Robertson Quay and Monte Risaia at Duxton. (Click on the link for the review of the other restaurants).

Food & Drinks: 9.25/10
Value: 9/10
Service: N/A (Media Tasting)
Ambiance: 7.25/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80; $81 and Above

Dashi Master Marusaya
86 Robertson Quay
#01-01 Robertson Blue Singapore
Singapore 238245

T: +65 6732 0383
IG: @Marusaya_Singapore
OH:
Mon – Fri: 17.00 – 23.30 (LO 23.00)
Sat, Sun & PH: 12.00 – 23.30 (LO 23.00)

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