We were at the Fish Mart Sakuraya today for a quick lunch. We walked past Sakuraya a number of times, but have never dined there. The menu didn’t look all that appetizing or interesting. But we were there specifically to try the sashimi, so it didn’t matter if the menu didn’t interest us, cause firstly, they do not have a sashimi menu! So what happens is that you have to head over to the display cooler counter and pick and choose the sashimi which you want.

There weren’t that many choices and we stuck to the conventional ones. We had the Salmon Sashimi, the Hokkai Taki (Octopus) and the Shima Aji (Jack Mackerel).

The Salmon Sashimi – it is a total enigma. We tried salmon sashimi at many places before but this is the first time we’ve tried such soft ones. When we picked up a slice of salmon sashimi with the chopsticks, the little force we exerted was sufficient to break the salmon piece into 2. That was how soft it was. And we barely needed to chew the salmon sashimi, the heat in our mouth, plus a little fidgeting from the tongue was enough to break up the salmon into many small pieces, which simply just slid down our throats. We didn’t quite understand why. We expected the salmon sashimi to be rather chewy, or at least not that soft. With just chopsticks, you could easily poke many holes right through the salmon sashimi. The texture was just so different from the conventional ones we had that we were suspecting that the salmon wasn’t fresh. But there wasn’t any strong fishy taste nor smell. Except for the texture, everything seemed fine. It was just an enigma.

The Hokkai Tako was chewy and slightly salty. Not too many surprises over here.

The Shima Aji was our favorite! It was slightly different from the other Mackerels we’ve had. This was more transparent. It had the chewy texture which we liked, no fishy taste, yet more flavourful than the other 2 kinds of sashimi. We enjoyed it alot.

Ambience wise, the entire place was packed by 12.30pm. Sakuraya isn’t a high class Japanese restaurant, as the name goes, it is really more of a fish mart. It was noisy, the place had no elaborate decoration. Even the soya sauce came in the Kikoman bottle. The waitresses were pretty slow in serving and refilling our green tea. We had to request at least twice before they finally attended to us. I guess it’s largely due to the fact that there was a big crowd.

Price value wise, as we chose the conventional salmon, octopus and mackerel, we felt that it might be more worth having them at an international buffet instead. And plus at a buffet, you can have unlimited servings! But if you were specifically craving for sashimi, Sakuraya is a pretty good choice as the fish is fresh and the price is comparable to those at Sushi Tei. Another thing we figured is that such Japanese sashimi houses get their sashimi supply only on selected days in a week. Hence, if you go on a wrong day (like today), the selection might be limited to the conventional kinds.

Well, we’ve been having too much rich and savoury food over this Chinese New Year. Hence, having fresh and simple sashimi to celebrate Friendship Day is quite a good idea. At least, it allowed our tummies to rest for a while. No preservatives or flavourings; just unpretentious sashimi.

3 kinds of sashimi (sold by weight) plus 2 glasses of hot ocha (free flow): $39

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sashimi is very fresh. I think is the best I have tried and price wise is not very ex. I am surprise they even offer to cook the instant noodle @ an additional charge of $2. Inclusive of cooking and some extra ingredient.

Sakuraya Fish Mart located at the basement in the "new" section at the far end near Coffee Bean. It's a small shop selling authentic Japanese products and fresh food. There is a small seating area for about 15 people at the back of the shop.

Here you can find the usual sashimi fare and some premium sushi. My companion and I had fresh salmon picked and then the staff sliced it for us. We also ordered California Maki and Handroll, some miso soup and Ocha. The miso soup was not too diluted and tasted just right. The Maki and Handroll was acceptable. The salmon was very fresh and just the way we liked it.

There were also native Japanese dining there, and I always believe that if you find native Japanese at a particular Jap Joint then the place must be fantastic. And it was good. Although not as good as some of the joints you find at Taka but it's also not as expensive. The two of us paid $30 for our food which was reasonable for its quality. Recommended.

This is my favourite shop to pick up some Sashimi whenever I have a crave for it. The shop carry various type of Sashimi and many Japanese Tibits. You can pick and choose the type of fish you like and the staff will give you some advice if you do require it. They will explain to you the difference between a Salmon and a Tuna. Once selected, they will cut the Sashimi and pack them nicely in a container together with the soya source and Wasabe for you. Of course, the dry ice too.

Fresh Sashimi and good service. Try it out!