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Sushi Pinch has made its dine-in debut at Chef X in Clarke Quay Central, hooray! Sushi Pinch is a home-grown sushi bake brand. Since launching in 2020, Sushi Pinch has sold more than 12,000 sushi bakes. Sushi Pinch will be at Chef X from 6 Aug to 9 Oct 2026.
Chef X launched in Apr 2024 at Clarke Quay Central. It is a retail initiative by Far East Organisation where emerging chefs are provided with a sandbox to trial their F&B concepts in a fully equipped space. I especially like that it spotlights local chefs and provides them with a space to further hone their craft, as well as connect with guests in real life.
Sushi Pinch’s founder, 25-year-old Janna Caganap, came to Singapore at the age of 6 from the Philippines. Thus, for her stint at Chef X, she has created a menu which celebrates both Singaporean and Filipino culinary traditions to pay homage to both aspects of her identity. Included in the menu are 2 National Day specials: Satay Crunch and Crab Rangoon & Kueh Pie Tee, both of which are available until 29 Aug 2026.
To start things off, I got their Passionfruit Hibiscus Tea (S$5). First of all, look at how Instagrammable this drink is with the crimson hibiscus tea poured over the snow-white ice. But that’s not all; it tastes just as good as it looks! The drink was refreshingly tart from the hibiscus tea and fruity from the passionfruit. The blended ice turned the drink into a slushy, which is just perfect for our Singaporean weather.
Next up, I got their Crab Rangoon (S$6) as a little snack. Their crab rangoon had a rich and velvety kani and cream cheese filling and was crisp with a golden finish on the wonton wrappers.
I had to stop myself from eating too many as each bite had such a satisfying crunch from the crispy wonton wrapper, which contrasted well with the soft and savoury kani and cream cheese filling.
For my main, I got their Mini Oishi Kani (S$10), which comes with 1 nori on the side. Oishi Kani is a baked sushi with flavourful kani paired with their creamy and tangy sauce layered over fluffy Japonica rice.
I especially like that it’s topped with tobiko and furikake, as it adds extra texture to the dish with the briny pop of the tobiko and savoury crunch of the furikake. It all comes together to create a well-balanced creamy, umami and slightly spicy baked sushi dish. For extra crunch and flavour, I wrapped it up in the nori, because who can resist that?
Now! Time for Sushi Pinch’s National Day special menu items: Satay Crunch (left) and Crab Rangoon & Kueh Pie Tee (right), available until 29 Aug 2026.
Their Satay Crunch (S$14) is a National Day exclusive which pays tribute to one of Singapore’s most iconic local foods but with a sushi-bake twist. I particularly liked that the dish had a smoky flavour to it, reminiscent of actual satay. It even had a smooth nutty peanut sauce, tying the dish all together. When I ate it with the nori, it added an extra level of umami to the dish, with the oceanic taste of the nori contrasting well with the grilled smoky flavour.
Crab rangoon lovers rejoice! The other National Day exclusive is their Crab Rangoon & Kueh Pie Tee (S$9). Instead of the usual wonton wrapper, crispy kueh pie tee shells are used in this dish, alongside their crab rangoon filling and tiny cubed cucumbers and mangoes. I liked that the dish was DIY-styled, so I could control how little (or how much) creamy crab rangoon filling I wanted in my kueh pie tee. I topped it all off with a heaping scoop of refreshing cucumbers and juicy mangoes for extra bursts of flavour.
There’s always room for dessert, and especially so if the dessert is Turon Bites with Ube Ice Cream (S$9). I liked the contrast in mouthfeel that the turon bites gave, with the soft banana wrapped within the crunchy, golden brown pastry. It also had caramelised sugar, which gave an extra toasty and buttery taste to the turon bites.
It is also served with velvety ube ice cream, and when paired with the turon bites — wow. The creamy ube ice cream blends perfectly with the soft banana and crispy exterior of the turon bite.
Would I recommend Sushi Pinch at Chef X? Absolutely. Sushi Pinch has excellent sushi bakes with multi-dimensional flavours and textures, along with warm hospitality and a cosy dining environment. Do head down and support our home-grown businesses!
Have you visited Clarke Quay’s secret 52-seat lounge hiding behind a pizza oven, with $1 oysters?
