New in town: Shujin Master Sushi Bar — Modern fusion Japanese sushi bar & grill in Orchard

From Japanese hawker fare to more high-end offerings like omakase readily available, one could say SG has Japanese food aplenty. But our Japanese food scene has just become even more exciting: the newest kid on the block, Shujin Master Sushi Bar has recently opened its doors at Cineleisure in Orchard.

The sushi bar and grill restaurant hopes to revolutionise Japanese food by bringing affordable Japanese fare with a local twist to the heart of Orchard Road.

With a unique take on the standard maki, Shujin features a Singapore-inspired maki menu. Their Unagi Tempura Salmon Maki (S$18.90) included both fried unagi and tender bites of salmon with a hint of wasabi for a spicy kick. The crisp fried unagi in the centre of the maki was the perfect contrast to the tender rice. Coupled with the crispy tempura bits, salmon and mentaiko mayo, the maki was simply delish.

Any sushi lover will be no stranger to these flavours, so the Unagi Tempura Salmon Maki is likely a safe option if you don’t want to venture into the unknown. There’s also a more complex, indulgent maki, like the Melting Beef Maki (S$22.90) that features mushroom truffle mayo and ikura tamago.

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Meat and seafood lovers, rejoice, for Shujin has a wide array of both fresh and grilled items.

The Big Sashimi Grade Oysters (S$2) were extremely fresh and plump, with roe topping each oyster for a salty, umami kick. They were not metallic at all, and I think I could wolf down many more. If you like fish, their Hamachi Collar (S$18) would be right up your alley. I know what I’ll be ordering when I head down again.

If seafood is not your thing, Shujin has something for you, too. So, don’t miss out on their meat offerings like their Wagyu Striploin (Meltique) (S$38). It’s grilled to perfection and you can pick one appetizer or side and one sauce with every meat or fish order.

We went for the Charcoal Teriyaki Sauce, which went superbly with the tender beef. Its sweet, smoky aroma was the perfect complement to the flavourful meat. For Shujin’s other signature sauces, check out their Curry Butter and Shujin sauces (made with a secret recipe). 

As a rice lover, I’m ecstatic that Shujin also offers a wide selection of donburi! I was told that they had just revamped this selection when I went down. We tried out the Prawn Ball Sriracha Oyakodon (S$14.90). The batter of the prawn tempura was simply delightful against the sweet and spicy sriracha sauce. If you like rice, it’s worth giving their dons a shot.

Be sure to head down to Shujin Master Sushi Bar for your fill of some really good, yet affordable Japanese fusion food! Shujin is also having a 50% off ALL grills and maki promos (till further notice), so be there or be square.

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