Ganko Sushi

Ganko Sushi is a Japanese restaurant at 9 Penang Road, close to Dhoby Ghaut. It is the Singapore branch of Ganko, a sushi brand from Osaka, and opened in 2021 as the brand's first outlet in Southeast Asia. The menu covers sushi and sashimi, set meals, grilled and fried dishes, and seasonal omakase menus.

Ganko began in 1963 as a tiny eatery of about 15 square metres in Juso, Osaka, opened by Atsushi Kojima. The name means "stubborn", which reflects its focus on traditional Japanese cooking. The brand now has more than 100 outlets across Japan and Hong Kong. In Singapore, seafood is flown in from Japan up to three times a week.

What to order

Sushi is sold by the piece, so you can try several kinds of fish without ordering a big set. If you prefer a fixed meal, sushi platters of 10 or 12 pieces are a good first order. Other sets include a seafood rice bowl, bara chirashi, unagi don, tonkatsu and a sushi, tempura and soba combination.

The hot dishes are worth a look too:

• Grilled fish such as salt-grilled salmon head, yellowtail collar (buri kama) and hokke, an Atka mackerel
• Unagi kabayaki: grilled eel with a sweet nitsume glaze
• Wagyu, either roasted or grilled on a sizzling stone
• Tempura of prawns and vegetables, plus deep-fried oysters
• Dobin mushi: a clear soup served in a small clay teapot
• Inaniwa udon or soba, served hot or cold

The grilled dishes take a while to cook, so order them early.

Seasonal omakase

The chefs change the omakase menu with the seasons. The autumn 2026 menu is set for two people and comes in two sizes. The smaller one moves from starters and seasonal sashimi to chawanmushi, a grilled dish, nigiri, cold somen noodles, clam miso soup and dessert. The larger menu adds premium sushi, steamed kinmedai (golden-eye snapper) and a small negitoro rice bowl with sea urchin and salmon roe.

The setting

The dining room is simple and modern, with large windows that let in plenty of daylight. It seats about 40 people. Counter seats face the chefs, so you can watch the sushi being made. Tables suit groups and families who want to share.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve through the official website or by phone. This matters most for the omakase.
• Getting there: Dhoby Ghaut MRT station is the nearest, about three minutes away on foot from Exit B.
• Driving: the restaurant's website says parking is available.

Nearby

The eastern end of Orchard Road is a short walk away, so a meal here fits well around a day of shopping. For more Japanese food in the area, try the sushi counter at Ginza Sushi Ichi or the wagyu at Fat Cow. For something different, Simply Peranakan Cuisine serves Nyonya dishes.

You can also browse more Japanese restaurants in Singapore, see all restaurants in Orchard and River Valley, or read our Orchard Road guides. Menus and bookings are on the official Ganko Sushi website.