Sushi Ashino

Sushi Ashino is an omakase sushi counter run by chef-owner Taku Ashino, inside the Mercure ICON hotel on Club Street. Its speciality is jukusei, or aged sushi. The fish is salted, cured and rested, sometimes for weeks, to deepen its flavour.

The restaurant opened at CHIJMES in 2015 and has since moved to its current home at 8 Club Street. It marked ten years in Singapore in 2025.

The chef

Chef Ashino was born in Tokyo. As a young man he left university and set out on a long pilgrimage across Japan. He travelled from Tokyo to Aomori and visited the 88 temples of Shikoku. He says the journey taught him discipline, balance and respect for nature. Afterwards, a part-time job at a sushi restaurant turned into his life's work.

His cooking rests on three ideas: aging, shinkejime and shari. Shinkejime is a careful way of killing fish that keeps the flesh in better condition. He works with Hiroki Hasegawa, a fish supplier who practises the method. Shari is the seasoned sushi rice.

What to order

Lunch and dinner are both omakase meals, and the chef refreshes the menus with the seasons. A meal usually opens with marinated akami, or lean bluefin tuna, dressed with the house soy sauce. That sauce has been kept going and refined since the restaurant opened in 2015.

Aging times depend on the fish. Kohada (gizzard shad) may rest for around ten days and buri (yellowtail) for two weeks. Some fish age for up to 40 days. Alongside the nigiri, courses can include a hand roll, tamago, miso soup and a shio koji ice cream to finish.

The rice is a blend of two Japanese varieties. It is washed in mineral water from Mount Fuji and cooked in a traditional Nanbu iron kettle.

The setting

Guests sit at an 11-seat counter made from 100-year-old hinoki cypress wood, facing the chef as he slices and shapes each piece. There is also a private room for up to six guests. With seats facing the chef, it suits a slow meal or a special occasion.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve online through SevenRooms via the official website, or contact the restaurant by email or phone.
• Lunch: lunch is served on fewer days than dinner, so check the website before planning a midday visit.
• Dietary needs: the chef sets the menu and it centres on raw fish, so mention any allergies when you book.

Nearby

Club Street sits between Chinatown and the CBD. For more sushi in the area, see Sushi Sakuta. Other restaurants nearby include Tenshima and Hyang Yeon (Telok Ayer). For a place to stay in the area, look at The Clan Hotel Singapore. You can also browse more Japanese restaurants in Singapore, other fine dining restaurants or all restaurants in Marina Bay and the CBD. Current menus are on the Sushi Ashino website.