Kaiseki-styled DIY Sushi Lunch Set at Tsukada Nojo, Chinatown Point

Lunch can be those one or two hour break that pampers you with affordably priced meals that wouldn’t lose to the quality served during dinner time.

Tsukada Nojo has recently launched a new weekday lunch menu with unique lunch sets – DIY Sushi Set $19.50++ and Megami Men $20++. More renowned for it’s Bijin Nabe which I had tried once before, the collagen-brimming hotpot would leave you satisfied while you sink into a food coma from the hearty broth. The lunch sets, on the other hand, boost a meal lighter on the stomach and add to the concise selection in the menu.

The DIY Sushi Set is a bold move by Tsukada Nojo, featuring sashimi cuts and bite-size Japanese appetisers, instead of its usual specialty. Served in a two-tiered bento set, the first half comprised of chunky slices of salmon, tuna and scallop accompanied with assorted condiments such as goji berry, chilli powder, dried shrimps and the usual pairing of wasabi, soy sauce and pickles.

 

Save some of these add-ons for the second round of surprise in the lower tier. Nine neatly-arranged small saucers came filled with different ingredients. It was a sight to behold the moment I sat my eyes on the vibrant array of food before me. There were the lightly-battered tempura prawns and ladyfingers, extremely sweet tamago, pickled radish, grilled unagi and a very delicious fried chicken with crispy skin.

One interesting discovery was the cheese tofu with Ikura, which looked deceptively like silken tofu. I enjoyed the texture of the cheese which was soft and light, bringing out the savouriness of the Ikura.

Served together with the bento were several sheets of seaweed for a fun DIY moment. I had mine wrapped with rice and piled with the various ingredients. Eating sushi had never been this fascinating, even more enticing than studying for math permutations.

As I am not a very big eater, the portion was just nice to fill me up and it was good to be able to try a little of each without overstuffing myself during lunch.

For something heartier, go for the other lunch set which is the Megami Men Sesame Soup and Nikumaki Set. Diners get to choose their choice of noodles, i.e thick Mochi Mochi noodle, thin Tsuru Tsuru noodle (recommended) and Beauty noodle to go into the claypot of collagen chicken stock.

Served on the side were boiled colourful vegetables in a bamboo steamer. If you find the taste too light, you can even dip it into the soup to make it more flavourful.

Simply put, the DIY Sushi Set left an indelible experience on me with its elegant presentation and pocket-friendly price point. Taste-wise, the individual portions were decent and I quite fancied the idea of wrapping my own sushi roll. Go with an open mind and try the Kaiseki-styled Japanese lunch that you would probably find bang for your buck.

 

Tsukada Nojo

133 New Bridge Rd, #02-37 Chinatown Point, 059414

Tel: +65 6444 8840

Daily: 11:30AM – 3PM, 5PM – 10PM

Website: https://www.facebook.com/TsukadaNojoSingapore.ap/

 

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