Located not far from TEN Sushi is Dashi Master Marusaya. This is the flagship restaurant of the Marusaya group specialising in traditional Dashi Shabu. As with many rich heritage Japanese establishments, it was founded in 1962.
As we entered, the cosy wooden interior design with warm yellow lights gave us a comfortable feeling. We noticed that the 90-seater restaurant with three private rooms hosted mostly Japanese customers during our visit. Was the food authentic? we investigated.
Appetisers
We started dinner with the Taberu Katsuobushi (15SGD++), the half Dried Bonito Fish Jerky looked like pieces of shaved wood from afar. These pieces of Jerky was packed with umami flavour and the mellow out the dry texture dip it into the Japanese mayonnaise. A good snack for beer or sake pairing.
Next, we tried the Ohitashi(SGD9++) the Blanched Spinach with Dashi Sauce was a nice cold dish with freshly grated bonito flakes on top. The slight tartness from the cherry tomatoes paired well with the dashi sauce.
The Agedashi Tofu(SGD12++) was a classic textbook delivery of deep-fried Tofu with Dashi Sauce. The focus of the dashi in each instance gave a good depth of flavour to each dish.
Mains
We loved the warm and comforting Dashi Oden(SGD$20++) the radish was soft and moist, the fish cake was bouncy and light. The chicken meatballs were flavorful and acorn jelly had a great texture. The light yet flavorful dashi broth brought all the different elements on the plate together.
Dashi Shabu(A4 Wagyu Dashi Shabu – S$68++ per person | Pork Dashi – S$48++ per person)
If you love drinking the broth from hotpots but hate that thirsty after feeling, you will be glad to know that will not be the case here. Marusaya is a wholesaler dedicated to Katsuobushi(dried bonito) for professional use. The dashi stock is 100% natural and does not contain MSG or other artificial seasonings.
The A4 Wagyu was slice perfectly thin and only needed moments in the light yet flavorful broth to cook. The marbling of the fat in each slice kept the meat very tender and moist. We recommend trying the meat without any sauces to experience the beefy pure flavours.
The Pork was equally tender and was gone with a few bites. The interesting part of this hotpot is that the vegetables((including Chinese cabbage, carrot, kale, tang oh, leak, shimeji, shiitake, and myoga -Japanese ginger) are chopped up finely so the broth is enhanced with the sweetness of the vegetables.
A special mention also goes out to the condiments, the sesame sauce was bursting with umami and nutty fragrance, this paired well with the leek. The other option was the sourish ponzu sauce which also complimented the meats really well.
You can also choose either the freshly inhouse made Udon or the porridge with the hotpot. We loved how the silky Udon soaked up the dashi. The flavour was mild but with a slightly alkaline taste and it was certainly different from the supermarket packed Udon.
If you chose the porridge option, that’s where the magic of the shabu happens. Our server made a simple yet rich dashi porridge table side! Yes, you get the enjoy the process of watching the rice and egg get cooked together with the dashi and garnished with seaweed and spring onions. The porridge was thick and flavorful thanks to the eggs and dashi broth.
Dessert
We finished dinner with the Ice Cream (Green Tea, Black Sesame or Vanilla) each going for SGD6++. The ice cream had just the right amount of sweetness and was rich and creamy. The Vanilla was done right and you could see the real vanilla beans.
In Summary
Dashi Master Marusaya is the place to visit for authentic and premium Shabu, the clean Dashi flavor is a clear winner that enhances and evaluates simple ingredients. With three private rooms, the 90-seater Dashi Master Marusaya is perfect for business lunches and a casual meal with your loved ones.
Dashi Master Marusaya
86 Robertson Quay,
#01-01, Robertson Blue Singapore,
Singapore 238245.
5pm to 11.30pm (last order 11pm) on Mondays to Fridays
12pm to 11.30pm (last order 11pm) on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) and public holidays.
For reservations, please call 6732 0383 or email info@marusaya.sg
This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.
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