Written By

Deanna Lim

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If there’s one thing that never fails to cheer me up, it’s a hearty bowl of Japanese donburi. A good quiet meal at a comfortable Japanese eatery usually does the trick.

In Wisma Atria, there’s a treasure trove of such eateries in Japan Food Town. With 16 different Japanese casual dining concepts, you can choose from udon and ramen to teppanyaki and even wobbly pancakes.

At Makoto Sushi + Academy, you get to enjoy donburi bowls and sushi platters carefully prepared by chefs from Tokyo Sushi Academy. This is the first sushi restaurant opened by the academy in Singapore, so you can be sure of the quality.

With warm wooden furnishings and wide windows letting in lots of natural light, the restaurant exudes comfort. I chose a seat at the counter so that I could watch the chef prepare the dishes, a performance that never fails to whet my appetite.

They specialise in Edomae sushi, a traditional style dating back to the Edo period in Japan. Edo style sushi focuses on bringing out the flavours of a single ingredient atop the sushi rice, so I was looking forward to trying them.

If you’re in the area for lunch, you might want to check out the Take Nigiri Sushi (S$24.80++ for 11 pieces). While it may not look like a lot, I can assure you that the intense flavours made for a rather filling meal.

My favourites were the Akami (tuna belly), and Aji (horse mackerel). One thing I really liked about Edomae sushi was that each piece had less rice, which meant that it wasn’t too filling.

The Akami (lean tuna) was divine, soft enough to simply melt in my mouth. The lingering oceanic flavour was as fresh as a cooling sea breeze. The wasabi mixed in with the rice helped to cut through the briny taste and prevented it from getting too jelak.

The Aji was lighter on the palate, so I’d actually recommend trying this first. Slightly sweet with a chewier texture, this is one of the healthiest fishes used for nigiri sushi. It’s supposed to be rich in Omega-3 too!

For those on a time crunch for lunch, try one of their don bowls instead. I had the Aburi Salmon Don (S$21.80++), with thick cuts of salmon arranged artfully as a rose atop a fluffy bowl of rice.

I really liked how the chef scorched the salmon right before serving because the mouth-watering aroma certainly made me even hungrier. Plum sauce and wasabi are smeared around the outer edge of the plate, as optional dipping sauces for the salmon slices.

Each piece of salmon was scorched beautifully, with a good balance of smoky and creamy flavours. Even though the bowl only contained rice and salmon, it actually packed a lot of flavours.

I discovered the reason for this: aside from the smoky flavour from the aburi salmon, there was also tobiko mixed into the rice for that extra briny pop.

Those who prefer something lighter might want to go for the Barachirashi Don (S$24.80++). While by no means smaller in portion, this dish had lighter flavours all thanks to the fresh sashimi cubes.

The salmon, boiled ebi and unagi chunks were superbly fresh, and sesame seeds sprinkled throughout the dish helped to ground it with a hint of nuttiness. The cucumber bits and radish sprouts added a welcoming and refreshing crunch, while the tamago cubes gave a little more sweetness. The tobiko also added bursts of savoury goodness.

The highlight was definitely the unagi chunks, which held so much sweet, smoky and savoury flavour in each mouthful. I liked that they didn’t skimp on the ingredients so there was a good rice-to-ingredient ratio.

Every item on the lunch menu at Makoto Sushi + Academy also comes with access to the Free Flow Salad Bar. You’ll be much more impressed when you realise that their ‘salad bar’ actually includes side dishes like baby octopus, soba noodles, takoyaki and even desserts like bouncy mochi.

I particularly enjoyed the mochi, especially after a solid meal of sushi or donburi. Even though the skin was quite thick, it wasn’t too jelak. Light and bouncy, the texture was closer to jelly or pudding. They were generous with the filling too, and you can choose between Strawberry or Matcha.

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If you can’t make it for lunch, you can always head over to Makoto Sushi + Academy after work for their dinner menu.

Priced slightly higher than quick-and-easy lunch sets, you get more luxurious choices with the dinner menu. You can top up for access to the salad bar (S$3++ for selected dishes, S$14.90++ for all other dishes), and I’d say this is quite a worthwhile option.

I tried the Fuku Sushi (S$38.60++ for 12 kinds of sushi & 2 kinds of sashimi), which looked like too much for one person to finish.

I really enjoyed the variety of sushi available on this platter, though I would recommend sharing this with at least one other person. My favourites included the scallops and the amaebi (shrimp).

There were two pieces of scallop, which means you can share it with a friend, though I’d rather have both for myself! Biting into the scallop released a burst of sweet and briny flavours across my taste buds.

Makoto Sushi + Academy flies the seafood in from Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan, which explains the freshness of the scallop.

Likewise, the amaebi was fresh and sweet, with a succulent bite. Since they use less rice than other styles of sushi, there was a good shrimp-to-rice ratio.

While the prices here at Makoto Sushi + Academy may not be the cheapest, I’d gladly pay for the well-executed dishes. It doesn’t hurt that the quiet ambience made it a relaxing meal spot too.

If you’re in the area, I’d recommend dropping by for a quick lunch or a more leisurely dinner. This is the closest you’ll get to Japan without actually hopping on a flight!

Expected Damage: S$20 – S$40 per pax (Lunch) | S$35 – S$60 per pax (Dinner)

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Makoto Sushi + Academy

Price: $ $

Our Rating: 5 / 5