A Cut Above The Rest

Japan's number one steakhouse, Nikuya Tanaka, opens its first international outpost in Singapore.

- CANDICE CHAN

It was 2022, borders had just creaked open after the Covid crisis and, like many others in Singapore, I booked a flight to Tokyo at the earliest opportunity, armed with restaurant reservations for every meal. The last booking, secured through the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo concierge, was Nikuya Tanaka in Ginza—presided over by Satoru “Boss” Tanaka, a third-generation meat master whose kappo discipline is part precision, part spectacle.

My meal was sublime. Course after course of Kobe beef arrived cooked to exact temperatures. And then there was the dish I still think about—kudzu starch somen served in a hand-carved ice vessel filled with cold bonito dashi infused with sudachi and shiso blossoms.

When an invitation to experience his first international outpost in Singapore arrived, I didn’t hesitate. It felt like a chance to test that flawless Tokyo memory against the present. Located on Teck Lim Road, the intimate kappo counter designed by Morita Yasumichi reflects the moody elegance of Ginza: 10 counter seats and a snug five-seat private room draw the eye to the stage—the naguri wood counter under warm light surrounded by threads of binchotan smoke drifting through the space.

It was great to see Tanaka during opening week, still jovial and unhurried, slicing patiently through the Kobe meat and silently directing his sous chefs who will ensure his choreography in Singapore runs smoothly.

What makes Singapore so special? Tanaka says the choice was personal before it was strategic: a Singaporean regular became a friend and then a partner, and urged him to bring the experience here. He obliged, then tailored the logistics to match the cooking.