Teppei Japanese Restaurant

Teppei Japanese Restaurant is a small Japanese restaurant on the ground floor of Orchid Hotel, at 1 Tras Link in Tanjong Pagar. Chef Teppei Yamashita leads the kitchen. The restaurant is best known for its omakase dinner, a long run of courses chosen by the chef.

Teppei has had a loyal following for well over a decade. In 2013 and 2014, food writers described waiting four to six months for an omakase seat. Its Chope page now calls it a pioneer of good-value omakase in Singapore.

What to order

Most people come for the omakase dinner. You do not pick from a menu. The chef decides what to serve, and the line-up changes with the seasons and the produce he can get. Dinners mix raw fish with cooked meat and seafood, and often include a rice dish.

Dishes the restaurant highlights on Chope include:

• Bluefin tuna: fatty chutoro and otoro cuts with chopped chives and soy sauce.
• A5 wagyu tenderloin: a seasonal dish served with a homemade yakiniku sauce.
• Sakura ebi claypot rice: rice cooked with dashi and topped with small pink shrimps.

Treat these as examples rather than a fixed list. Reviewers also mention rice bowls such as chirashi don and kaisendon, which come topped with raw seafood.

The setting

The dining room is compact, and most seats are at the counter. From your seat you can watch the chefs slice fish and plate each course. The room is small, so it suits couples and small groups better than large parties. With so many courses, dinner here is a meal to linger over rather than a quick bite.

Good to know before you go

• Book well ahead: omakase dinner seats are booked online through Chope. They are released about two months in advance and fill up fast.
• Deposit: the booking holds a card pre-authorisation for each seat, and late cancellations are charged. Debit, travel and prepaid cards cannot be used for this.
• Without a booking: adults can sometimes walk in and order à la carte if seats are free.
• Children: online omakase bookings are for adults. A child's seat needs a minimum à la carte order, or you can ask for a full set in the booking notes.

Nearby

Orchid Hotel stands on Tras Link, a short walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT station. For more Japanese food in the area, try the sushi counter at Hamamoto on Tras Street, or browse our list of Japanese restaurants in Singapore. If you would rather have a buffet, The Buffet Restaurant at M Hotel serves Peranakan dishes on nearby Anson Road. Hotels within easy reach include Sofitel Singapore City Centre and Oasia Hotel Downtown. For more ideas, read our guide to Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik or see all restaurants in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar.