REVIEW: Ki Su – Rethinking the Possibilities of Vegetarian Omakase

In a dining scene that seems to be sticking to a standard template for success, it’s refreshing to see something truly different opening every once in a while.  Ki Su Shoujin Omakase, located in Tras Street, is one such example. Touted as the first of its kind meatless / plant-based omakase experience in Singapore, there really isn’t anything similar to it in our shores.

Opened by the same group behind Joie by Dozo, the concept behind Ki Su’s plant-based omakase stems from the techniques of shojin ryori cuisine or traditional Buddhist cooking. This means eschewing meat and fish for vegetables, mushrooms and soy. 

Ki Su offers two menus, a lunch (S$88) and dinner (S$168) omakase with 8 and 10 courses respectively. The courses are generally well distributed between starters, nigiri, entree, soup and desserts. The dinner menu offers an additional item to the starter, nigiri, dessert as well as another dish before the main. During my visit to Ki Su, I tried their lunch omakase.

Appetizers

The lunch omakase comes with a duo of appetizers – the Egg Yolk Toast with Air Flown Tonburi Caviar as well as Avocado Taco. Dinner guests get to have a 3rd one in the form of Beetroot Cigar.

I was asked to start with the taco first, owing to its lighter flavor. The avocado taste really shines through here, with a generous dollop of puree encased in the shell.

I found the toast to be the highlight between the two. Think of it as brunch packed into a miniature sandwich. I loved the texture of the velvety golden egg yolk, which was sous vide at 68 degrees and packed nicely in between a thin and buttery toast. 

Nigiri

Next came a series of 3 nigiri sushi. Quite a bit of thought came into the assortment, with the chef serving it in ascending order in terms of flavor profile. The first was topped with shimeji mushroom, the second with red bell pepper and the third was served as gunkan and topped with pumpkin. 

Of the 3, I enjoyed the chewy and bouncy texture of the mushroom nigiri the most. This also happened to be the one with the lightest seasoning, relying mostly upon the natural savory profile of mushrooms. 

Truffle Pate

A vegetarian take on the classic pate, Ki Su’s version sees a medley of truffle and nuts as a creamy spread sitting on toasted bread. 

Yakimono

Instead of bacon, the yakimono course consisted of a charcoal-grilled skewer with enoki mushrooms wrapped in fresh beancurd skin. 

As the meal progressed, I began to sense how the success of a vegetarian omakase such as in Ki Su depends as much on the seasoning / sauces in order to really bring the flavors out of the greens. The skewers for instance, were glazed in homemade soy sauce which provided for a nice sweet and savory contrast.

Golden Temaki

Mushrooms play a big role in Ki Su’s omakase menu owing to their bouncy texture and the next course, the Golden Temaki, showcases the potential of maitake mushrooms as a crunchy handroll. Each bite was a symphony of textures and flavors – bouncy, crunchy, earthy and savory all at the same time.

Entree

For the entree, we had a meaty and juicy money head mushroom roulade paired with a smooth truffle mashed potato and homemade black pepper sauce. Think of it as akin to a meatloaf, but prepared in a vegetarian manner. The mushrooms were tender and juicy and even though the dish that preceded it also consisted of mushrooms, the entree made for a varied experience overall.

Soup

I happened to be in Ki Su during the third day of Chinese New Year and the meticulously crafted flower made from the head of a baby Napa cabbage captured the essence of 花开富贵. This was more of a delight to the eyes than to the taste bud although I appreciated the citrusy yuzu notes of the broth as well.

Dessert

The dessert came plated in a visually stunning composition with a candle made from carrots to the left and 2 slices of honeydew to the right. The centerpiece consisted of a base of crushed almonds and walnuts, layered on sweet caramel, followed by a decadent pistachio mousse and topped with matcha cookie crumbs. Interestingly enough, there was also a sprinkle of watercress leaves which tasted more savory than sweet.

Verdict

My initial concern about going to a plant-based meal was that it might be too light or that there’d be a lot of dishes centered around fake meat. Thankfully, none of that ended up being the case at Ki Su. In fact, the lunch omakase by itself was already quite filling that I couldn’t bear to imagine what the dinner set (which has more dishes) might be like! Each course was so exquisitely prepared that one would be forced to rethink about the possibilities of plant-based cuisine.

Speaking of plant-based cuisine, there is also the danger of relying too much on processed food like fake meat just to replicate a rather omnivorous experience. At Ki Su, each dish is centered around a fundamental herb, plant, fungus and there really is not much processing involved aside from frying, toasting, grilling as well as seasoning with various sauces. As such, the whole experience still feels very much as close to a fundamentally vegetarian meal, ingredients-wise.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience at Ki Su and it has gotten me curious about their dinner menu. For that next visit, I better make sure I come with an empty stomach.

Ki Su Shoujin Omakase
60 Tras Street
#01-01
Singapore 078999