As a person who lives to eat, I am always on the lookout for food that will blow my mind. Other people have bucket lists for travel, my bucket list is for food – more specifically, ticking off the restaurants on the Michelin list.

This year on my birthday I finally got the opportunity to pay a visit to Waku Ghin (newly minted 2-star restaurant for 2017’s list) – thanks hubby ❤ One more tick off the list and more to go.

For anyone interested, here’s a run down on the delightful 2 hour gastronomic journey I enjoyed.

Hidden away in a secluded area on Level 2, Waku Ghin’s sprawling 8,000 sq ft restaurant accommodates only an intimate bar, three private rooms and a dining area.

There are two daily dinner seatings at 5:30pm and 8:00pm for a 10-course degustation menu. There is good reason for only two seatings, as the full course takes about 2 hours to be served.

In the private rooms that only seat four people, there is one assigned chef and sommelier dedicated to your whole meal experience. We shared the room with another couple on their honeymoon from Mexico (their parents experienced the amazing food here a year back and paid for their trip to Singapore just so they can experience this! WHY DON’T I HAVE PARENTS LIKE THAT?!).

The chef begins by introducing the main ingredients for the meal – a full crate of amazing sea food that blows my mind just by sheer size (look at the size of the abalone and botan shrimp!). But of course, he goes on to elaborate how these are all freshly flown in, and handpicked by the chief chef.

He then goes on to prepare our first dish – some melt in your mouth sashimi. At this point, my husband turns to me and declares the meal is worth the hefty price tag of SGD 450 ++ per pax. Not as easily won over, I note it is decidedly one of the better sashimi I have had, but I needed more.

Next up was Waku Ghin’s signature dish, Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin & Oscietra Caviar. Served in the sea urchin shell, topped via a generous serving of caviar, it is a sight to behold. The chef shared how the mother-of-pearl spoon helps to preserve the delicate flavor of the caviar when we enjoy the delicacy. I love botan shrimp, sea urchin and caviar, so this just perfect for me. Every mouthful brings forth a burst of delightful umami flavor. Needless to say, this easily takes the spot amongst some of my favorite food ever.

The third dish, was slightly more forgettable. It is some fish, I think. But that’s really all I remember of it. Moving on. [Update: I learnt from another blog that this dish is called Grilled Anago with Foie Gras, Confit of Zucchini and Sanshou]

Chef brings on a plate of four ginormous abalone in their shells (allowing time for some photo-op), and proceeds to cook them on the grill – Tasmanian Abalone with Fregola and Tomato. As a person who regularly gives away my abalone serving at wedding dinners, I was not sure I would enjoy this. But boy, the sauce really helped to bring out the flavor of the abalone and it was probably the first time I truly enjoyed this ‘delicacy’.

This next dish was also cooked in front of us. Braised Canadian Lobster with Couscous and Tajine Spice included chunks of lobster claw flesh and couscous soaked in a luxurious buttery lobster bisque broth. It was so good I finished it without stopping to give praise to the chef. Hand to heart, best lobster bisque I have ever tasted in my life (so far).  For objectivity, my husband also cleaned out the broth with his bread completely.

That was all the seafood for the night. Next we moved on to the meats. Charcoal Grilled Fillet of Tasmanian Grass-Fed Beef with Tetsuya’s Wasabi Mustard was served really simply in its original meaty goodness. Followed by Japanese Ohmi Wagyu Roll from Shiga Prefecture with Wasabi and Citrus Soy. Even though it is only two small slices, but trust me, its the quality that matters. It melts in my mouth and that is all that matters.

By this time, I was really full, so thankfully we were close to the end of the 10-course dinner.

Each diner got to choose between Steamed Rice with Snapper, Consommé and some noodles in broth (I can’t remember the name). We picked one each to get a taste – both simple and comforting dishes.

Gyokuro Tea was prepared to help us cleansed our palate before we moved on to dessert.

And lastly desserts! I am not a dessert person, so just the pictures will do! We were so full, the waiter was kind enough to help us ‘dabao’ our Petit Four. This way, our family members were able to enjoy a little of Waku Ghin’s magic too.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience at this 2 Michelin star restaurant. From the fun banter with the chefs and fellow patrons, and mind blowing dishes, I look forward to going again some time in the future!

Waku Ghin
Address: 2 Bayfront Avenue, #02-01, Level 2 Dining, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018972
Contact: +65 6888 8507
Website: http://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/celebrity-chefs/waku-ghin.html
Price: SGD 450 ++ (without wine/sake pairing)
Opening Hours: Daily Dinner, Two Seatings at 5.30pm & 8pm

Let me know what other restaurants are on your bucket list too, so I can add more amazing restaurants to mine ❤