Latest news with #Tenkane
CNA
11-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
A world apart: Discover the finer side of life at Palais Renaissance
Palais Renaissance has long been a quiet escape for the discerning – just steps from Orchard Road's bustle, yet wrapped in an air of calm that feels a world away. Perhaps it's the sense of understated luxury that welcomes you the moment you arrive. With its mix of artisanal brands and indulgent services, the mall draws those who appreciate life's finer details. In recent months, the experience has grown even richer. Alongside its well-loved dining and lifestyle favourites, new niche Japanese eateries and exquisite Venetian glassware invite you to linger longer and enjoy the pleasures of craft and quality that define Palais Renaissance. A SLICE OF JAPANESE CULINARY HERITAGE Japanese cuisine, grounded in technique, tradition and terroir, has been winning the hearts of diners around the world for decades. Embracing this philosophy are two new restaurant openings at Palais Renaissance, each bringing its own take on culinary excellence to the shopping mall. Tempura Ensei introduces Edo-style tempura under the expert hand of executive chef Naruki Takeshima. Trained at the revered 120-year-old Tenkane in Shinjuku, chef Takeshima presents the art of crispy, golden tempura using carefully sourced produce from Tokyo, his hometown of Fukuoka and across Japan – flown in four times a week. Working alongside him is executive sous chef Masashi Watanabe, a seasoned talent from Niigata with years of experience running restaurants in his hometown. A certified sake sommelier, he's your go-to for thoughtful sake recommendations – including the restaurant's exclusive private label from the acclaimed Takano Sake Brewery. Together, the two chefs deliver a refined omakase experience that showcases the freshest ingredients of the season. Just one floor above is Mare Hachikyo, the first overseas outpost of the beloved Sapporo brand specialising in kappo-style cuisine. It's easy to see why it chose Singapore – locals have a strong appreciation for premium Hokkaido ingredients. Notably, 90 per cent of the restaurant's ingredients are sourced from Hokkaido, making it a first-of-its-kind offering on the island. The menu updates every six weeks to reflect peak seasonality and freshness. A must-try is the signature donabe, where plump ikura roe is piled over warm Hokkaido rice to the lively chant of 'Oisa!' – until it overflows. Also unforgettable is the temaki, previously available only at the original restaurant in Hokkaido. Here, toasted seaweed cradles handpicked kegani (hairy crab), creamy uni and glistening salmon roe – a trio that bursts with flavour in every bite. Set in a warm, wood-accented space, the restaurant offers an intimate setting for lunch sets, a la carte dinners or omakase experiences. Elsewhere in Palais Renaissance, long-time favourites continue to impress. Shatoburian, known for its premium A5 Wagyu yakiniku, was recently ranked No 66 on World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants. The restaurant offers a meticulously curated Wagyu experience, featuring prized cuts flown in from Japan and expertly prepared in-house to showcase the unique character of each cut. Diners can explore a rotating selection that includes buttery ichibo (rump cap) and umami-rich uwamisuji (upper part of the top blade) – each served in styles that bring out their natural qualities. With seasonal offerings and limited-time specials, every visit is a fresh journey into the depth and diversity of Japanese Wagyu. For those who enjoy variety, Ishinomaki Grill & Sake brings together Japan's five traditional cooking methods. The wateishoku set is a great way to experience it all – with dishes that are raw, grilled, simmered, fried and steamed, all highlighting the best of seasonal produce. MURANO ARTISTRY SHINING THROUGH For generations, Murano glass has enchanted royalty and collectors with its intricate craftsmanship, vibrant colours and seemingly impossible forms. Made using time-honoured techniques – whether to create delicate floral patterns or give glass a porcelain-like glow – each piece reflects the legacy of Venetian artisans. And perhaps nothing brings glass to life more beautifully than light. Enter Barovier&Toso, the world's oldest maker of high-artisanal chandeliers and lighting. Since 1295, this iconic Venetian brand has created breathtaking pieces that grace luxury hotels and private residences across the globe. In Singapore, its work can be seen in the presidential suite of The Fullerton Bay Hotel and the private dining suites of Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten. Now, for the first time outside Italy, Barovier&Toso opens a mono-brand showroom right here in Singapore. Designed to showcase the drama and beauty of glass and light, the space invites visitors to experience – and perhaps bring home – a statement piece of Venetian artistry. Craftsmanship takes many forms at Palais Renaissance. Just steps away, Luxehouze caters to collectors of rare timepieces, offering vintage and limited-edition watches from heritage brands like Richard Mille and Patek Philippe. Specialising in unworn, authenticated pieces, it's a trusted destination for learning about the artistry behind fine watchmaking – or for tracking down discontinued models. Purchases also come with a best-price guarantee, adding peace of mind to every find. When it comes to luxury handbags, finding the right style and colour from a coveted brand can be a challenge. LuxLexicon connects fashion lovers with their dream pieces, boasting one of Southeast Asia's largest collections of Hermès and Chanel bags. With frequent new arrivals and a personalised concierge service, the boutique can even help you source that wishlist item you've been searching for. LINGER FOR SOME SELF-CARE With its elegant ambience, Palais Renaissance invites you to stay a little longer – beyond the meal or shopping spree – and indulge in a moment of self-care. Start with movement at Mutiny, where high-performance training meets retail in an intimate, award-winning space. Ergonomic Xformer machines and customised yoga props support your fitness journey, while a chic retail foyer offers a selection of urban wear and activewear to complete your wellness lifestyle in style. For a reset from the inside out, DrSpa offers non-invasive treatments for the face, body and scalp, powered by the DrGL Professional range. Each experience blends cutting-edge technology with tailored care to bring out your most radiant self. To maintain the glow at home, explore DrGL Solutions – doctor-formulated products that complement your daily skincare and haircare routine. Then, take your skincare even further at AURA Clinic, founded by veteran aesthetic practitioner Dr Karen Soh. Known for its 'you, but enhanced' approach, the clinic blends personalised care with medical precision to deliver subtle, natural-looking results. From DNA Optimising Technology skin boosters to Alexandrite PICO laser treatments, each service is designed to reveal your skin's glow – and renew your sense of self.
Business Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Old-school tempura at Ensei
NEW RESTAURANT Tempura Ensei #B1-06/07 Palais Renaissance 390 Orchard Road Singapore 238871 Tel: 9178-0664 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 12 pm to 2.30 pm; 6 pm to 10 pm [SINGAPORE] Just when we thought Japanese restaurants were going out of favour, they've started popping up again. Maybe they figure that for every Singaporean that heads to Japan, there's another who has just come back and now has withdrawal symptoms. So what's the best way to get their attention? Recent openings suggest that being the Singapore outpost of a famous Japanese eatery does the trick. Never mind if you've never heard of them. They just have to say 'famous', and we say 'Fomo' (fear of missing out). Tempura Ensei can't claim to be the Singapore branch of Tenkane, an old-school tempura shop in Shinjuku that's been around since 1903. But it can say it has a head chef who used to work there at some stage – close enough to declare that it's 'bringing the art of 120-year-old, Edo-style tempura to Singapore'. If that's true, then what have we been eating all this while? Teenage fish fritters? Grand statements are the undoing of Tempura Ensei, which promises more than it delivers. Its public relations pitch and omakase-only pricing give you the impression that you're getting fine-dining quality and a hinoki-counter experience. But our meal is akin to being on the restaurant floor of a Tokyo shopping mall, dining at an overpriced eatery because it's the only one that doesn't have a queue. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Tucked in the basement level of Palais Renaissance, Ensei looks more dated than classic, with veneer being the wood of choice. It's the Japanese chef tending to us – looking every inch the veteran, white-jacketed tempura shop owner – that lends an authentic vibe. Except that he's not the head chef. That role belongs to Naruki Takeshima – all of 28 years old and Tenkane's former employee and most recently of Ginza Tenharu at the Marriott hotel. But he's either off on the day we're there or working in the private dining room. Lunch and dinner menus are the same, apart from an extra lunch option priced at S$128. Otherwise, it's either a basic set for S$188 or the omakase for S$288. That puts it in a similar price range as at Tenharu and Tentsuru, although Tenshima offers only lunch at those prices. Decor and ingredients-wise, Ensei lags its direct competitors, although it does make a show of the pure sesame oil it uses for frying. There's a basket of ingredients that's shown to every diner but, apart from an impressive box of uni, everything looks pretty mundane. A cold appetiser at Tempura Ensei. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT There are some promising moments with the starters: fresh tai sashimi and simmered wasabi shoots for the S$288 menu; an attractive presentation of cooked whelk and red snapper roe for the S$188 set. Clear dashi broth with hamaguri, a Japanese clam. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A clear dashi broth with hamaguri is a decent effort apart from a rubbery clam. Snow crab with dashi vinegar jelly – meant to justify the higher price of the omakase menu – is a battle of confetti-dry strips of crabmeat against overly harsh jelly. The real test is, of course, the tempura, and the batter is mostly light and floppy, with an occasional satisfying crunch, and an underlying greasiness. The trick is to chomp on it at the right moment when the batter tries its darnedest to crisp up, before it decides it's not worth the effort. Sweet Japanese shrimp in a light tempura batter. PHOTO: TEMPURA ENSEI The first shrimp starts out limp, but the texture improves with the second one. But we do like the mushroom stuffed with fish paste, so you enjoy the mix of textures at least. And Ensei is one tempura restaurant that actually fries its uni, unlike other places that cheat by placing the fresh sea urchin on a piece of fried seaweed. It's decent-quality uni, wrapped in seaweed and fried; even if it's not crisp, there's a nice chewiness from the seaweed that matches the soft uni. Uni wrapped in seaweed is creamy and chewy. PHOTO: TEMPURA ENSEI Sharks' fin tempura, on the other hand, is wasted by being doused in a sticky sauce that negates the whole point of frying it. The best is a whole piece of anago that lands crisp on your dish, and split into two with chopsticks to let the steam escape. The worst is the grated daikon that accompanies the tempura – if it's possible to be offended by a vegetable, this feels like it. It's so tasteless that it's almost as if it's thumbing its tendrils at us. Kisu tempura is part of the set menu. PHOTO: TEMPURA ENSEI Tempura is an incredibly simple dish, yet so difficult to execute well. If Ensei's prices were more accessible, it would have an edge. But for the money we're paying, it's hard not to compare it with the likes of Tentsuru or Tenshima. Having credentials – real or implied – from a famous brand is one thing. The proof is always in the tasting, and you can't weave a story around it. Rating: 6
