[Review] Yummy Christmas Menu at a Japanese Handroll Bar- Toku Nori @ Telok Ayer

This Christmas, Toku Nori invited me, my father, and my grandmother to try their new Christmas menu. Nestled on the second floor of a nondescript shophouse in Telok Ayer, this contemporary Japanese handroll bar has been insanely popular for its innovative and modern creations since its opening earlier this year.

A Festive Culinary Experience

Toku Nori elevates holiday dining with their luxurious Christmas Set Menu at $128 per pax, which for the high quality of the ingredients offered, is an indulgent yet value-for-money Christmas treat for people who have gotten sick of the traditional turkey feast. We thoroughly enjoyed this hand-crafted menu, proving that people of all ages can enjoy this indulgent feast.

This menu begins with an array of exquisite starters to build up our appetite:

Chirashi Cone: A seaweed cone filled with all the fishy goodness of a Chirashi Don, this decadent treat consists of tender pieces of salmon, hamachi, maguro, and a tosazu jelly that added to the soft textures. A refreshing one-bite wonder.

Truffle Mushroom Croquette: A creamy medley of portobello, shiitake, white button mushrooms, and black truffle bechamel encased in a crunchy croquette. Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, satisfying you with just one bite.

Shellfish Bisque: A rich and velvety cold pumpkin lobster bisque enhanced by the tender Hokkaido scallop and soft, sweet shrimp, as well as a touch of sea grapes which add texture, and simulate the feel of fish eggs. All of it together creates a seafood bliss, perfectly flavourful.

Handrolls of Festive Indulgence

Next comes the main star of the menu, the handroll selection, which showcases Toku Nori’s unique flavour combinations with their high-quality ingredients. All the handrolls are freshly made right in front of your eyes, utilising the restaurants layout in which they place the kitchen in the middle of three rows of seats that form a square. This allows you to fully enjoy your food, immersing yourself in how its made to how it tastes.

California Zuwaigini: A take on the classic California roll, this time made with higher quality ingredients into a handroll, with snow crab, avocado, Japanese cucumber, and crispy furikake. The crab is sweet and juicy, while the avocado compliments it perfectly, as well as the cucumber, giving it a refreshing crunch.

Chutoro & Caviar: Chutoro, which is luxurious fatty tuna, is paired with fine oscietra kaluga queen caviar in a handroll, bringing about a decadent flavour experience. The Chutoro can almost melt in your mouth, while the caviar pops and provides burst of salty seafood flavour. One of our favourites.

Ruby Wagyu: Australian wagyu cooked to perfection, topped with onion tare and balsamic leek confit. The onion tare balances out the strong flavours of the wagyu, with a bite of the entire thing being a rich, umami explosion of flavour.

Uni Stack: In this handroll, the name speaks for itself. The entire handroll is simply layers upon layers of creamy Hokkaido bafun uni topped with edible gold flakes to make you feel fancier. The uni was buttery and luscious, and it provided a smooth finish to an indulgent meal.

A Sweet Finale

The meal concludes with an exquisite dessert:

Mont Blanc: A combination of sweet Japanese chestnut purée, vanilla sponge, cream, and a piece of chocolate on the top. Full of nutty flavours, and a sweet chestnut finish to a decadent Christmas treat.

Overall, the meal was amazing, and with the quality and taste of the food, $128 is rather worth it.

A great place to bring your family or friends for a indulgent Christmas treat, though you would have to make reservations beforehand as the restaurant can get crowded. Check out their full menu here, and make reservations here.

Toku Nori

Address:

200A Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068638

Email: hello@tokunori.sg

Phone: (+65) 8082-6536
WhatsApp: (+65) 8082-6536

Opening Hours:

Tuesday – Sunday
Lunch: 11:45am – 2:30pm (last order 2pm)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 11:00pm (last order 9:30pm)

Opening hours may vary for Public Holidays.