[Review] Ken Japanese Restaurant at Goldhill Plaza Rebrands As Sushi Ichinoji, Serves Up Traditional Japanese Unagi in Addition to Omakase Delights

Ken Japanese Restaurant at Goldhill Plaza, previously known for its omakase dining, recently rebranded itself as Sushi Ichinoji, with the restaurant officially reopening early in July. The refreshed concept now seeks to offer Singaporeans an authentic Japanese dining experience centred around traditional unagi hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style grilled eel on rice), on top of exquisite omakase courses.

The mid-range Japanese restaurant’s menu highlights charcoal-grilled unagi, known for its rich and smoky flavours, and an omakase selection featuring sashimi and sushi made with fresh, seasonal seafood flown in twice weekly from Japan. We were invited for a dinner tasting and got to sample some of their signature dishes.

Charcoal-Grilled Unagi Specialties

At the core of Sushi Ichinoji’s culinary offering is the traditional Nagoya-style Unagi Hitsumabushi, a signature dish inherited from its sister restaurant, Una Una. This dish is available in three variations: Unagi Hitsumabushi (Medium – $34.80, Large – $39.80), Unagi Wagyu Hitsumabushi ($46.80), and Unagi Salmon Ikura Hitsumabushi ($34.80). The names of the dishes are self-explanatory, the latter two versions comes served with wagyu beef and salmon ikura respectively, in addition to unagi.

Each serving is complemented by a homemade unagi sauce, crafted using a house recipe that includes premium soy sauce, mirin, sake, and natural sweeteners. The sauce is slow-simmered to enhance its rich and complex flavours, ensuring an authentic taste without artificial additives.

The dish is best enjoyed in four distinct ways: savouring the eel’s rich flavour on its own; mixing it with nori, wasabi and green onions; adding clear dashi for a light broth; or customising the dish according to personal preference. There is a detailed instruction page in the menu for you to follow on how best to enjoy the dish.

We would recommend dividing your rice and unagi into four portions to find out which variation works best for you. Savour the first three portions with the three suggested combinations, before customising the final portion to what works for you.

Premium Omakase Experience

Aside from their unagi options, Sushi Ichinoji also offers a high-quality omakase experience, where guests can indulge in meticulously selected sashimi and sushi made with seafood flown in from Japan.

The omakase courses feature sake and sushi rice sourced from Yamagata, a region in northern Japan renowned for its fresh water and premium ingredients.

A must-try signature would be their Kaisendon ($68), presented with 14 types of fresh seafood, including premium uni, toro, and ikura, served atop Yamagata rice.

The rice, known for its generous grain size, umami flavour, and exquisite stickiness, is cultivated with care by skilled farmers, ensuring a consistently delightful taste. Guests are also offered a free rice top-up to enhance this sumptuous dining experience.

Other items available in their menu include grilled seafood like maguro, shisamo and squid. The grilled maguro bone comes highly recommended for the soft, sweet texture of the fish as you dig into the bone.

Overall, Sushi Ichinoji offers high quality authentic Japanese dining at a reasonable, mid-range price point. The only drawback is the restaurant’s location which may appear to be a bit hidden for first time visitors, due to the ongoing constructions at the Novena area. We observed several regulars when we were there for the tasting, a testament on the restaurant’s quality through its ability to draw in repeat customers.

Sushi Ichinoji

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 9.30pm

Address: 1 Goldhill Plaza #01-17
Singapore 308899

Phone: (65) 6250 1321